ruine and procured the restauration and health of our soules and bodies by remedies directly opposite to our diseases The Father giueth all that he can to his childe engendered of his seed The mother nourisheth and brings her childe vp with her owne milke which is also a part of the substance of her body and both meate and drinke to the childe Our Sauiour who regenerated vs in his bloud by Baptisme is wholly bestowed vpon vs in giuing vs his body for by concomitance we haue together with it his soule and his Diuinity to the which it is inseparably vnited And of this dainty food he giues vs not a part onely but his whole body and his whole bloud each of which is both true meate and true drinke vnto vs. By meat he lost vs by meat he repaired vs. The first meate was forbidden vnder paine of death Matth. â—â— â—6 Iohn 〈◊〉 Thou shalt not eate of the Tree of Knowledge of good and euill for looke what day thou shalt eat of it thou shalt die The second meat is commanded with promise of life Take eate who eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud he hath life eternall The first was really eaten by disobedience and killed vs. The second is really eaten by obedience and quickens vs. The poyson was truely swallowed downe the Antidote or counter-poyson also is truely taken and not by Figure The flesh of the first Adam by geueration drew vs to death and confusion the flesh of our Sauiour second Adam receiued by manducation brings vs to life and nourisheth vs to immortalitie and eternall glory 4. TWO BAD VNIONS OF THE FLESH of Adam with our soule repaired by the flesh of our Sauiour BVT behold the maine point of opposition betweene the flesh of our Sauiour and that of Adam The flesh of Adam is the spring of all our miseries by reason of two vnions wherewith it ioynes it selfe to our soule the one is naturall and made in the wombe of our mother by necessity the other morall and made my our owne free-wil when the soule followeth the appetites of this corrupted flesh of Adam The first vnion is the blow that first wounded vs to death 〈…〉 For by it we are begotten in iniquity and conceiued in sin according to the saying of King Dauid and become defiled in the first instant of our conception branded with the marke of originall malediction enennes of our Creator separated from him and at war within our seiues for wee bring with vs the Schedule of rebellion and the fource of cruell warre which this masse of corruption incessantly stirreth vp against our soules casting darknesse of ignorance into our vnderstanding fier of concupiscence into our will and forgetfulnesse of heauen and of other future things into our memory The same vnion is also cause that the spirits of men are multiplied and at diuision amongst themselues for looke how many bodies are begotten of the flesh and seed of Adam so many soules are created to be vnited to those bodies and to giue them life and as the children of Adam disser in bodies so by meanes of this generation they are also of different spirits The second vnion of this flesh with the soule encreaseth and maketh worse the euills which came from the first For the soule by loue being vnited to her flesh and following the sensual appetites thereof forgetting heauen and liuing in the vanities and voluptuousnesse of the earth is so much more made enemie of God and banished from his friendship as shee yeelds her selfe peruerse and so much more also diuided in her selfe enduring a continuall tyranny of our flesh to whom shee is made slaue by this voluntary vnion and of whom shee is arrogantly vexed and pricked forward to commit new sinnes which are to her soule so many executioners which giue her torment at euery moment This vnion also diuideth men amongst theÌ„selues for euery one seeking the coÌ„modities of his owne flesh and giuing himselfe to vice loues none but himselfe his proper commodities his honors riches and voluptuous pleasures hating and persecuting at those that do hinder him in them whether they be good or bad And from thence doe spring dissentions warres and all excesse of enuy whoredome couetousnesse and such like sinnes which are committed in the world Behold then how the first vnion of the flesh of Adam with our soules is the spring And the second the fulnesse of all our euills diuiding vs from God from our selues in our felues and amongst our selues for an Antidote and counterpoyson of this flesh and those pernitious effects thereof the second Adam Iesus Christ affoords vs his owne flesh endued with contrary qualities and worker of contrary operations For the flesh of the first Adam is foule infected and pestilent that of the second Adam pure holy Virgin like and in one word flesh of God The flesh of Adam produced from a filthy seed and ioyned with our soule makes vs the children of Adam the flesh of our Sauiour begotten of a Virgin by the worke of the holy Ghost and giuen vs for to be vnited with vs and to vnite vs to God makes vs the children of God not by necessity of generation but by acts of deuotion ordained by meanes of this vnion not onely to cherish to nourish and beautifie our soules but also to repaire the defects of our bodies to correct their wicked inclinations to extinguish their concupiscences to purge and refine them to the likenesse of his owne and to sow in them the seed of glorious immortalicy And albeit this vnion be not naturall as the vnion of body and soule yet is it notwithstanding reall true and most intrinsecall after the manner of meate and drinke and of a holy and diuine mariage by the which wee are made one Spirit with God By the mediation of this flesh of his Sonne vnited to ours wee are also vnited in our selues our sanctified flesh obeying thereby the Law of the Spirit and finally we are voited euen one with another and made one Spirit and one body vnder our chiefe Soueraigne Iesus Christ by the vertuall knot of his pretious flesh which euery one receiueth in this Sacrament Behold you the opposite effects By the flesh of Adam wee are made sinners separated from God both in spirit and in body our bodies are multiplied and likewise our spirits in the same proportion with the bodies men are diuided amongst themselues by enmities arising from the loue of the flesh and euery man is diuided in himselfe his flesh rebelling to the spirit By the flesh of our Sauiour all these inconueniences are repaired as with admirable wisdome so with aboundant grace Of this meate then giuen as a counter-poyson against the first meat and of this sacred vnion in remedy of that which diuided vs. Did our Sauiour heere Preach This is the sense and the end of his diuine Sermon Iohn 6.48 for calling it the brend of life the lining bread that came downe
they asked as Philosophers How Albeit the Scripture did clearely set downe the truth of this generation and tolde them on the otherside that they could not comprehend it and that they ought to beleeue and not to question about it â—say 53.8 So the Panymâ— and the Heretikes did laugh at the saith of the death of Iesus Christ neither could they be perswaded that he being the Sonne of God and God himselfe would or could haue endured death and did say How can it bee that hee could dye At this very day in like manner such as beleeue not imitating their Ancestors beate their hornes against the same Rock and doe say How can the body of our Sauiour be present in the Eucharist How can it be in many places without possessing a place Be eaten without being seene Exposed to the iniuries of the wicked without hurt And because they are proud they beleeue nothing but what they vnderstand and so lose their faith and their vnderstanding like vnto their Fathers and namely the Capharnaits how be it in another extremitie of heresie For of them saith Saint Augustine They did not vnderstand S. Aug. Tract 27. in Ioan. because they beleened not and the Prophet saith If you beleeue not you shall not vnderstand By saith we are vnited to God and by vnderstanding we are quickened Let vs first adhere to the truth by faith to the and that we may afterward be quickened by vnderstanding for he that adhereth not vesisteth and who resists belecueth not Hee excludeth the beame of light which should penetrate into him be turnes not away his eyes but shuts vp his vnderstanding In like manner these heere would know in Philosophie and not beleeue in Christianity and so became bad Philosophers and lose the name of Christians The Church of God and the children of God doe not so They doe beleeue the voyce of truth which said The bread which I will giue is my flesh and after they come to vnderstand as much as diuine mysteries can be vnderstood in the shadow of this mortality expecting to see them in heauen vnmasked and discouered when they shall see all things in God 6. EXPOSITION OF THE WORDS OF our Sauiour IT is the Spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing the words which I speake to you are Spirit and life It was the custome of our Sauiour to speake couertly in this maner of the highest mysteries to the end he might be heard with better attention For the secret of God saith S. Augustine ought to engender in the hearers attention S. Aug. 27. in Ioan. and not to breed auâ—rsion But what he spake darkly he after explained sufficiently to take away occasion of error So we see that hauing said to Nâ—codemus Iohn 3.4 That to be saued hee ought to be borne anew He expounded himselfe saying That he ought to be Baptised of water and the holy Ghost and that he meant not a corporall but a spirituall generation In like manner Iohn 2.19 when he said I will destroy this Temple and I will build it againe in the third day the Euangelist added for explination thereof that he spake this of the Temple of his body Our Sauiour seeing then how the Capharnaits tooke offence at his words giuing them an absurde sense and such as their grosse phantasies did forge he correcteth their carnall sense and explaines his owne and tells them Doth this scandalize you Iohn â— If then you shall see the Sonne of Man ascend where he was before As if he should say you are sensuall people and will not beleeue that I am able to doe more then you are able to comprehend you thinke that this is an impossible thing for me to giue you my flesh to eate and that it can suffice for you all or giue you eternall life what then will you thinke what will you say when you shall see that I shall carry this flesh to heauen from whence I descended to take it heere on earth when you shall vnderstand that I am God and Man together certainly when you shall see that done which is of more difficultie you will haue occasion to beleeue this which is more easie for it is of it selfe more difficult to carry flesh into heauen which none euer did then to giue it to eate on earth the which many haue done though not after the manner that I will giue it Wherefore either you ought to beleeue that I can giue my flesh to be eaten seeing that I can doe a more difficult thing or not beleening you are to enter into a greater incredulity condemnation when men shall tell you that I in flesh am ascended into heauen Our Sauiour doth not deny the giuing of his flesh to bee eaten but he tould them that he is God Almighty for otherwise he should not haue descended from heauen and that being God he could doe more then that and that if they did not beleeue him their pride and sensuality was the cause which are the true barres and bolts that exclude and hinder the entrance of faith He addeth The flesh profuteth nothing â—l is the Spirit that quickeneth the words that I speake vnto you are Spirit and life Whereby he sweetely taketh away the cause which scandalized them and said The flesh as you vnderstand it and the eating which you imagine is carnall and profiteth nothing but that flesh whereof I speake is spirituall and giueth life eternall The words which I say vnto you are Spirit and life and your thoughts sauour of nothing but of flesh and corruption My flesh shall indeed be giuen and truely vnited to the members of my Church yet not alone or without soule and life as the flesh of beasts which is onely for the body but as being quickened with my Spirit and with my Diuinitie by reason whereof it shall giue life and vnite them to life which shall eate thereof as it is vnited to the life of my soule and of my Diuinitie And shall be giuen not in a carnall manner in peeces and in gobbets as dead flesh but spiritually as liuely flesh immortall and vncapable of diuision And as this flesh was truely taken from the substance of the Virgin my Mother but in a spirituall manner by the vertue of the holy Ghost and not by coniunction with man euen so shall it be truely giuen not in a carnall but after a diuine and spirituall manner Flesh and humane iudgement shall perceiue nothing except some outward accidents of the colour Figure and taste but the eyes of faith will penetrate the mystery hidden therein This is it which our Sauiour would signifie to appease the murmuring of the Caphamaits and to raise them vp from the blockishnesse of their flesh vnto the spirituall sense of his holy word 7. HERESIE ALWAYES CARNALL AND in loue with extremities AS the enemie of man raised carnall men to oppose themselues to the word of life and to hinder the Sacrament of the flesh
Church of God for the attaining of life eternall 5. OF THE EXCELLENCIE OF THE HOly Sacrament of the Altar farre aboue the Tree of Life THe likenesse of the Tree of Life with our Sacrament makes vs to admire the wisdome and power of God who had both knowledge and power to exhibite so diuine a portraiture of this most excellent Sacrament but if we contemplate the difference and the excellencie of the one so farre aboue the other we shall more admire his vnmeasurable liberalitie towards vs. The difference is first in this that the Tree of Life was but an earthly body and corruptible brought foorth and nourished by the earth insensible after the manner of other created things quickned with the life of a plant hauing neither sense nor discourse Our Tree of Life is an immortall body celestiall and diuine engendered in the wombe of a Virgin by the worke of the holy Ghost quickned by an intellectuall soule carrying the Image and likenesse of God expressed therein with the most liuely and compleate draughts of perfection and beauty that euer humane soule enioyed so that if the working hand of the Creator shew it selfe admirable in the common Fabricke of mans body what tongue shall be able to tell what spirit to comprehend the beauty of the bodie of his Sonne Or so much as of that earth out of which he brought foorth and with which he nourished this body which was the holy body of the Virgin Mary O deified body of the Sonne O diâ—iâ—e body of the Mother O fruitfull Virgin aboue all mothers O chast Mother aboue all virgins hauing engendered such a Sonne O heauenly earth true earth of theliuing paterne of the Church Garden of God infinitely more noble then this first earthly Paradise Virgin diuinely and truely fruitfull which hast brought forth a Tree of so precious fruit surpassing in goodnesse and beauty al the fruits of the earth O the bountifull liberality of him that gaue it 6. THE BODY OF THE SAVIOVR NOVrishment of the soule and cause of the glorious resurrection of the body THe second difference betweene our Sacrament and the Tree of Life is that this Tree was onely for the body to make it immortall and to preserue it from death Our Tree of Life is also for the soule which it beautifieth nourisheth and maketh sat with celestiall and diuine vertues and besides it imparts much more to the body then did the other for it disposeth it not onely to immortality but also to a glorious resurrection and therefore it is without comparison more worthy to be called Tree of Liues then the other to be termed the Tree of Life for this giues three liues the life of grace to the soule the corporal life to the body to both the life of glory prerogatiues most diuine and alone proper to the body of the Son of God for although the heauens the starres and other naturall bodies furnish the soule with some spirituall nourishment seruing her for an obiect to contemplate their fiame and beauty and to feed and refresh her with the knowledge of their natures it is notwithstanding a farre off by imagination alone wheras this deified body marieth it selfe vnto her by a contracted knot of celestiall and diuine loue and being really present with her imprinteth in her his qualities of grace and glory which no other naturall body can do it being aboue their force and vertue and reserued to the onely body of the Master of Nature 7. THE SACRAMENT OF THE BODY of the Sonne of God Tree of all the earth FInally the first Tree of Life had for her onely and last dwelling the earth and that for a little time and in one parcell alone It may be it had been multiplied in many quarters if that man had perseuered constant in his first innocency But the second is in many places of the earth continuing alwayes one and abideth not for a little time but remaine in heauen for euer for on earth as contained in this Sacrament it feedeth the children of God during their peregrination in whatsoeuer coast of the world they be dispersed and to them it is and shall be the high obiect and eternall meate of felicitie in proper forme and cleare vision of glory when the soule implunged as it were in the profound contemplation and loue of his God shall enioy to the full the riches of his Diuinity and the body cloathed with immortality and honor shall see and admire with corporall eyes the wonderfull glory of that body by which it was redeemed 8. CERTAINE SPIRITVALL ASPIRATIons of the soule desiring the cleare vision of the body of our Sauiour and a giuing thankes for the same O Good Iesus when shall the Sunne of that day shine wherein we shall openly see this bright body of thy holy humanitie which yet we heere behold by faith hidden in the depth of this profound mystery when shall that season be in which we shall enioy with full libertie this Tree of selicitie alwayes youthfull greene flourishing and bearing fruit planted within the inclosure of the celestiall Paradise in the Land of the Liuing A Land in which the Orient-Sunne shineth perpetually causing an euerlasting Spring to abound with the Autumne fruites of immortalitie watred with delicate riuers of pure delights ennobled with all sorts of beauty inhabited with diuine spirits Habitation of honor felicity and peace euerlasting When O sweete Iesus shall we be in possession of this happinesse thou knowest when O Lord from whom nothing can be hid and thou alone hast the cleare knowledge hereof we haue nothing but faithfull hope and know no more thereof then that which the mouth of thy deare Spouse hath tould vs. This shall be when thou shalt please This shall be when the decree of thy wise mercie shall haue put an end to all our misery and the tearme of our mortall life shall giue beginning to that which knoweth neither death nor ending This shall be then when farre from all griefe we shall reioyce with the fulnesse of all goodnesse in thee and by thee eternally happie But in the meane while O Soueraigne Creator we haue an eternall oblation to thy infinite bountie that prepared for our first Father and vs the diuine benefite of that Tree which was to haue been a preseruatiue from death and a soueraigne electuary of immortality with a thousand other goods for the sustenance pleasure of the life of our body And if he receiued not the fruitfull vse of this Tree it was his owne most faultie ingratitude no lesse enormious then thy liberality was great towards him and the practise thereof so much the greater that thou wast not hindered from conferring so great a benefit vpon him although thou didst foresee that he would offend thee and so depriue himselfe by his owne crime of this comfort Much more ought we to thanke thee that thou hast giuen vs in the Law of Grace a Sacrament of Life infinitly better then
the Tree of Life for what comparison is there betweene thy celestiall body and the wood of earthly Paradise betweene the price of a body which hath redeemed all the world and a Tree that is not the thousandth part of the world betweene the excellency of the body in which inhabites the fountaine of life and the fruit in which remaines onely but a part of life between the vertue of a deified body bearing God and being vpheld of God and a liuely plant of God hauing in it selfe but the vertue of a mortall creature What is then thy bountie O mercifull Lord and who could euer imagine that after hauing been so grieuously offended of men and hauing iustly depriued them of the vse of this first fruit thou wouldest so mercifully substitute another which so infinitely surpassed the former in all good qualities and who could be so good and so liberall but thou which art selfe goodnesse and liberalitie without measure or end be blessed O Lord for thy gifts and since without end thou art sweet and gratious giue vs yet meanes and grace to praise thee thanke thee and serue thee with all the forces of our soule euen till the last breath of our life and so holily to make an end of our pilgrimage in this oâ—â— mortall race strengthned with the viaticum of the precious Sacrament of thy body that one day we may eternally enioy the fruit of life which thou hast prepared in heauen to be meate and nutriment of euerlasting happinesse for thy beloued THE SECOND PICTVRE THE SACRIFICE OF ABEL The Description SIlence masters and attention Genes 4. â— wel to pierce into the draughts and the sense of this sacred Picture to learne how we ought to make Sacrifice to God and to yeeld him faithfull homage ABEL first shepheard and first iust of the children of Adam and first Priest of the Law of Nature offereth Sacrifice to the diuine Maiestie The Altar is prepared by nature without arte for the world is but new borne there are not yet any builders or houses amongst mortall men the Priest is also cloathed simply after the fashion of Adam his Father halfe naked and couered onely with a sheepes skinne but the offering is a choise one and culled for the best that he could choose in all his flocke but the heart of the Offerer is yet much better you reade his profound deuotion and humilitie in the posture of his body he prayeth vpon his knees bowed to the earth his eyes weeping and cast vp towards heauen his mouth modestly open pronouncing the praises of God his armes and hands moderately lifted vp imploring his diuine mercy and the whole composition of his sweete and gratious visage witnesseth his godlinesse his faith his hope his charitie and other diuine vertues of his soule with which he offered both the Sacrifice and himselfe to his Creator so as the heart of the Offerer and the sweet smell of the Offering ascended euen to the heauens S. Cyprian sermâ— de Natiuitate from whence as you see God makes descend his fier inflaming the ayre and lighting vpon the Altar to deuour the Burnt-offering in signe that it is very acceptable in his sight It is not so in Caine the older brother of Abel who by manner of acquiting himselfe hee cares not how and as though he meant to deceiue his diuine Maiesty makes his oblation on the other side offering certaine ill-fauoured sheaues of straw keeping the best corne for himselfe no maruell therefore though it had no signe of approbation from heauen as the Sacrifice of Abel had whereat he is all inraged and giueth manifest signes of his fury Gen. â— â— see you how lumpishly he looketh how he roules his eyes in his head and bends his browes as a forlorne mad-man God from aboue perceiued him well and chidde and corrected him as a Father shewing him that the eye of his knowledge pierced the depth of his secret thoughts and that an Hypocrite thinking by faire shewes to deceiue God deceiueth himselfe Moreouer that it is in his liberty to doe well and that in doing well he shall haue him for his friend and well shall come of him But Caine remaines Caine hardened and obstinate by his fatherly correction and turning the point of his spite against his innocent brother Abel he now resolueth to haue his life and goeth forthwith to put his malitious designe in execution so that making the earth to drinke mans bloud in the beginning of the world and the bloud of the innocent and of his owne proper brother he carieth the marke of the first Murtherer first Tyrant and first Paracide in his forehead and becommeth the fundamentall stone of the kingdome of Satan But thou O meeke childe which art attentiue to thy Sacrifice without any suspition or thought of the enuy of thy vnnaturall brother thou shalt be the first member of the Church of God representing both in thy name and in thy person all the teares trauels anguishes persecutions and laborious courses of the iust in this life But especially in thy Sacrifice and in thy death thou shalt beare the figure of the iust Messias killed to kill our sinne and to restore vs againe to the life of Grace Farewell Abel farewell the blessednesse of the Family of thy Father farewell the honour of the world thou art taken away from the earth in the flower of thy yeeres the very Starres mourne for thee and turne away their eyes in detestation of the foule crime of thy brother O you tender soules which see and heare all this melt your hearts into griefe and your eyes into teares with sorrow and compassion But comfort your selues Abel is yet aliue Abel is now in the safety of the hand of God he shall die no more but liue for euer and we shall liue with him in heauen if we imitate him on earth as all those that are obstinate and wicked with obstinate Caine must perish eternally 1. THE SACRIFICE OF ABEL A FIGVRE of the Crosse and of the Eucharist THe Sacrifice of Abel was a manifest Figure as well of the death of our Sauiour as of the Sacrament and Sacrifice of his body left for a memoriall of his death That it was a Figure of Christs death the Scripture teacheth when it saith Apoc. 13.2 That the Lambe hath been slaine from the beginning of the world that is to say that Iesus Christ hath been put to death from the beginning in Figure which Figure consists not onely in the death of Abel but also in the death of the Lambe which he offered Tertullian Tertul de Car. Christi S. Aug. lib. 15. cap. 18. lib. 28. cont Faust cap. 9.11 Rup lib. 4. Genes 4. Ioan. 10. Saint Augustine and other Doctors declare the resemblance betweene them in this manner Abel brother of vniust Caine most Iust Iesus brother of the most vniust Iewes Abel a shepheard Iesus Christ the Good shepheard the sacrifice of Abel
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
of immortality 6. GOD NOVRISHER OF EVERY CREAture true nutriment of his Children IF this good people seeing that Iesus Christ had so I magnificently and so miraculously filled them would haue made him King and honoured him with an honour which they held to be the greatest of all greatnesse heere vpon earth as wee haue heard what would they haue thought and what would they houe done if they had a little vnderstood that this Lord was hee which of olde had freed their Fathers in the Desart and which nourisheth the Angels in heauen and the blessed Spirits with food of his felicity who giues to eate to euery creature who keepes open table in the spacious ayre vpon the face of the earth within the depthes of the waters prouiding for the fowles in the ayre the beasts of the earth for the fishes of the sea and for all liuing creatures their proper food in their owne dwellings What would they haue said if the eyes of their soule had been opened to behold the grearnesse highnesse and profoundnesse of that miracle without comparison saire more admirable then the they did so much admire and esteemed worthy to bee rewarded with a Kingdome It is a farre greater miracle saith Saint Augustine to prouide for the whole world S. Aug. Tract in Ioan. 24. then to feed fiue thousand men with fiue Leaues and two Fisves And sithence this miracle is the greater wheresore did these men perceiue onely the lesser Was it not for so much as the most part of them had not the entire faith they should haue had of the Messias whom they did esteeme indeed a great man but not great God as they ought But what would they heue said had they knowne that this Sauiour would giue his slesh to men to eate and feed them to immortality And that with so many miracles as Nature it selfe stands wondering at them Would they not foorthwith haue proclaimed him not onely the King of men but of Angels also and of all the world Nay would they not haue inferred by good discourse that hee was God both of heauen and earth For it is God alone who hath power to giue himselfe in meate without diminution and detriment he alone in heauen giues his Diuinity for food of the blessed and he alone giues on earth the body of his Humanity to his seruants for food to saluation remaining no lesse entire then before a worke worthy of God infinite as well in power as in goodnesse Mortall Kings may wel prepare magnificent feasts such as were made by Holofernes Salomon Cleopatra and many Romane Emperours 3. Reg. 4. Plutarch in Anton. but they made them not of their owne substance it was not of their owne bodies that they were liberall it was but of the bodies of beasts and of other prouision which they had taken from the storehouse of Nature God alone can giue himselfe to be eaten he alone is almighty not to bee exhausted vncapable of diminution If then these things be so great and if we beleeue and see heere that which they neither saw nor beleeued If wee see the prouidence of our Sauiour to gouerne and nourish all the world his charity to vs in norishing vs with his flesh from the Table of his Church his truth in promising moreouer the food of felicity Why doe we not admire his benefits Why doe we not magnifie them Why doe wee not giue him immortall thankes for them The multitude of his wonders doe they dazell our eyes as a bright lightning or as the light of the Sunne The continuall multiplying of his presents doth it make his great liberality lesse admirable to vs But if as mortall men we take no heed to the workes which God doth in Nature euery day as being ordinary and common let vs at least regard the rare excellencie of this Table furnished with a meate more worth then all that Nature can affoord The Iewes filled with fiue Loaues and two Fishes thought not of the miracle which God doth in nourishing the whole world because that was a miracle frequent and common And yet they adwored that of the fiue Loaues S. Aug. Tract in Ioan. 24. not because it was greater saith S. Augustine but because it was more rare and lesse vsuall Wherefore admire not we then the rarenesse of our Sacrament sithence it is the miracle of miracles hauing no like and which by no continuance of time can become vulgar as the miracles of Nature Wherefore cry we not in our hearts Liue the King of Kings Raigne the King of Kings Immortall glory to the King of Kings which hath giuen a refection of so great a wonder filling with one loafe and with one fish that is with his sacred body not fiue thousand men for one time but millions of men and of women that haue wandered in the Desart of this world these sixteen hundred yeers and wil fill yet as many millions moe of Christian soules as shall feed vpon it to the end of the world who will fill them not as he hath filled those with the materiall food of the body for the maintenance of this mortall life But with spirituall food of the soule for to bee nourishment of immortality and mernall felicity Liue then O King of Kings true Life of our soules and bodies Raigne O King of Kings truely worthy to raigne Immortall glory to thee O King of Kings most wise to guide most mighty to defend most blessed tenderly to nourish the sheepe which follow thee in the mountaines and barren desarts of this mortall life O when shall this bee that wee shall arriue to the high mountaine of thy eternity there to take without end the food that thou thy selfe art true felicity of such as shall haue followed thee in the pathes of thy holy Commandements THE TWELFTH PICTVRE OVR SAVIOVR PREACHING OF THE SAcrament of his bodie The Description THE Sauiour of the world speakes the Diuine Word preacheth Iohn 6.59 the supreame Wisdome discourseth of the Sacrament of his body in the Synagogue of Capharnaum where he had done many great miracles The preheminence of the Orator and the dignity of the subiect deserueth an attentiue eare neuer man spake so and of such a matter He sees that the people follow him enticed by the miracle of the fiue Loaues and two Fishes and taketh occasion from their earthly desire to inuite them to a celestiall banquet of his flesh which he is about to prepare for those that shall beleeue in him and haue the appetite of their soules in good disposition Heare what he saith I am the bread of life Iohn 6.48 your Fathers haue eaten Manna and are dead this is the bread which descended from heauen that if any man eate of it he may not die I am the liuing bread descended from heauen he that eateth this bread shall liue eternally and the bread which I will giue is my flesh for the life of the world Iohn 6.52 The
these wicked disciples these stragling sheepe and preserue vs in the sollidity of thy holy faith in the lap of our good Mother thy royall Spouse to receiue there alwayes the refection of thy holy flesh We beleeue thou giuest it vs reall and not in Figure for thou hast said in plaine tearmes The bread which I will giue is my flesh for the life of the world Iohn 6. We acknowledge that thou hast the words of life in the administration of thy holy body and of thy holy bloud We know that thou art life eternall and that thou giuest in thy slesh and in thy bloud nothing S. August Traâ—â— 27. in Ioan. but that which thou thy selfe art thus speakes one of thy Saints In the confession of our infirmity incapacity and misery we adore the height of the almightinesse wisdome and goodnesse in this diuine and mysticall Sermon and in the mystery that it teacheth and acknowledge hoere with the words of life the Fountaine of life For which wee yeeld thee immortall thankes and humbly intreate thy Maiâ—sty to make vs so holily to vse this Sacrament of thy pretious body that thereby we may be vnited with thee for euer and made worthy to bee for euer also in heauen at thy blessed Table in the life eternall THE THIRTEENTH PICTVRE THE WASHING OF THE FEET GOING BEfore the institution of the Eucharist The Description THIS day being the fourteenth of the first Moone of the Spring the Sunne is set but a greater Sun shineth The Sauiour of the world hath celebrated the Legall Pasque and goeth to prepare the great and admirable Feast of the Sacrament and Sacrifice of his body ordaining the same in stead of the Hebrewes Paschall Lambe He is risen from the Table and hath put off his feasting roabe to the end to wash his Apostles feet for a remarkable ceremony See you how this sweete Lambe girt with a white towel Ioan. 13 4â— doth the office of a meane seruant washing his seruants feete and wiping them with the same towell Hee hath washed them all except good Peter who seeing his Master to come Ioan. â— 6 and cast himselfe at his feete to doe him the same seruice that he had done to the eleuen of his companions withheld and protested to him that he would neuer endure that he should wash his feete But hearing ouâ— Sauiour threaten that if he refused he should be depriued of his part with him Hee yeeldes readily and with alacrity presents to be washed not onely his feere but his hands and his head also remaining neuerthelesse much astonished and confounded And truely not without reason for the brightnesse of this thy meruailous humility O good Iesus amazed the dimme sense of this poore man and by admiration rauished the soule out of his body This brightnesse is so great that it is able to â—â—â—onish all men as the light of thy Diuinity rauisheth into adminiration fear the Powers of heauen Who wil not be abashed to see the Master prostrate before his seruant Such a Master before such a Disciple To see the Maiesty of such a Master to bow himselfe to the basenes of such a seruice And how could this good old man but feare but be astonished and dismayed at this profound and extraordinary humility of his King How could he but refuse to haue his feet washed by the hand of God as being ashamed to see himself so humbly serued by the Greatnesse which he adored But what may this humble Apostle say seeing his King and his God kneeling before him to wash his feete Seeing these almighty armes tucked vp and his diuine hands workers of the Starres of heauen and of a thousand wonders vpon earth to cleanse the silthinesse of his feete These fingers so pure and so neate to touch the foule toes and the soles of his fraile mortality This gesture these hands these eyes these behauiours that the Picture giues him seeme they not to you to speake O Christian soules And to tell you by silence that this good Apostle said in his heart O my sweet Master what is this Washest thou my feete Doest thou I say thus kneele before mee Thou thy selfe bow downe to my feete And how was it not sufficient lowhnesse in thee to haue taken Philip. â— being infinite God the shape of a man and to bee maried to the most meanest family of thy reasonable creatures To be made a little Infant Citizen of Nazareth and Pilgrim on the earth Philip. 2. and to haue thy infinite Greatnesse lapped within the cloathes of our littlenesse Canst thou more humble thy selfe then in abasing thy selfe by taking the condition of a meane seruant Choosing the crauels the poornesse the contempt of this world but that thou most cast thy self notwithstanding at my feet Thou my Lord wash my feet thou my King of mee thy vassall thou my God of me thy creature thou supreame purity of me most filthy thou my worthy Sauiour of mee most vnworthy sinner And what may the Angels say and the Planets themselues of thee and of mee O Lord beholding a spectacle of such consusion seeing the varlet to be serued by the Master the King to be made seruant to the varlet and the Creator to be on his knees before his creature Thou wash my feete O Lord and I 〈◊〉 thee and the Angels and the Planets which see mee doe they not now detest my pride for that I permit thee and the creatures of the earth would they not â—â—nne presently vpon me if thy Almightinesse hindered them not Saue mee if thou pleasest O Lord from their indignation if I am proud thy humility hath constrained me it is that which hath commanded mee I protest that I protested that thou shouldest neuer wash my feet but thy humility wil be the Mistres I haue obeyed it and am become proud in my humiliation and in obeying content your selfe O Lord with that which you haue already done and suffer mee to take your place and to bee a little proud in washing your feete since that I already haue sufficiently been proud in enduring you to wash mine Ah sinfull creature that I am such might be the discourse O diuine Apostle which thou madest in thy thought vpon the humility of thy Lord. But stay a while and thou shalt well see other proofes and other exercises of this diuine vertue Expect vntill he shall giue himselfe to thee for meate and drinke cloathed with a roabe of exceeding humility with a thin whitenesse with a waterish rednesse with the littlenesse of fraile accidents when he shall enter within thy entralls and abase himselfe not onely before thee but moreouer within thee Expect this night when he shall be taken as an offender bound as a theese mocked as a foole beaten like any base fellow spit vpon as a blasphemer Expect vntill the morning when hee shall bee euill entreated of Kings of Priests of people and whipt after by all the worldly powers
remission of sinnes and of the Kingdome of heauen Of remission saying This bloud shed for you and for many Luke 22.29 vnto remission of sinnes And of the Heritage he saith I dispose to you as my Father disposed to me a Kingdome that you may eate and drinke vpon my table in my Kingdome and may sit vpon thrones iudging the twelue Tribes of Israel Behold a wonderful sauourable conclusion David making his Will enioyned King Salomon his sonne his sonne 3. Keg 2.7 that he should make the children of Berrellay to eate at his table in token of great honor and friendship but he made them not inheritors of his Kingdome nor sharers of his Royall honors Heere our Sauiour communicates his Table his Kingdome and his Throne to his friends his Table in which is serued for meate and for drinke his proper flesh and bloud it could not be more royall nor more exquisite neither the Heritage greater nobler nor worthyer of such a Testator The Testament was written also with the Law not in Tables of stone as the old but in the hearts of the Apostles and of all those which shall be called to this inheritance after them And this is that which was foretold by Ieremy Hier. 31.32.33 I will giue my Law within their ontrals and will write it in their hearts According to which manner of speech Saint Paul said to the Corinthians You are the Epistle of Christ 2. Cor. 3.3 ministred by vs and writen not with inke but with the Spirit of the liuing God not in tables of stone but in tables of the heart consisting of flesh It was signed by the hand and bloud of the Testator when holding the Chalice and changing the wine to his bloud he said This is my bloud of the new Testament Matth. 26.28 Marke 14.24 The Altar which was our Sauiour himselfe was besprinkled when he tooke it the people Inheritor and the Book was also sprinkled when the Apostles did drinke and did wet their brests which were the tables wherein the Law and the Testament were written The refection of the Victim sacrificed was made betweene the Priest and the people when our Sauiour hauing offered his body to his Father tooke it himselfe and gaue it to his Apostles to eat concluding his eternall Couenant with the refection of his body and with the drinke of his bloud He left a pledge of loue by his Testament and a pretious Iewell of his remembrance when he left this self-same body and this self-same bloud for an eternall memory of his charity towards vs his heires Luke 12.18 saying Doe this in remembrance of me So our Sauiour hauing written and accomplished his Testament according to the draughts of the old Figure died the next day and his Testament shall remaine eternally confirmed by his death O diuine and powerfull work-man O sweet Iesus O great God! What shall we heere amidst so many wonders first admire thy Powerfulnesse thy Wisdome thy Goodnes thy Greatnes thy Prouidence thy sweetnesse thy Liberality altogether or all apart where all is great and admirable together all great and admirable apart What a work-man art thou O Redeemer of the world to haue so long agoe so diuinely drawne the Figure of thy Testament and to accomplish the truth vpon that Figure with so diuine tracts of improuement What a Master art thou to haue left so heauenly instructions and so faire lawes of amity grauen in such liuing tables as are the hearts of thy Disciples What a King to haue made so amiable and honorable a combination with thy poore subiects What a Father of a Family to haue written so fauourable a Testament vnto men and of thy enemies to haue made them thy children and thy heires of so great a Kingdome O Redeemer what were we without this Testament we were eaytifes and vagabonds vnworthy to be supported vpon the earth and worthy of eternall confusion but by it we haue gotten a right to heauen and to immortall glory and nothing remaineth but to take possession and there to reioyce in peace for euer so soone as we shall haue fought the good fight as thy Apostle speakes 2. Tim. 4.7 kept the faith and consummated the course of our yeares in the good workes of thy loue and charity according to thy Commandement For thy victorious death hauing made this Testament of force and irreuocable hath done vs this fauour aboue thy ancient friends and children which departed before it who albeit they did leaue this world with the hope of heauen yet they enioyed not heauen immediatly in recompence of the workes they had done in thy Grace and seruice as true children noe this was a Grace referned to the time of thy new Testament which was to be eternall by thy death and to put in full possession without delay those thy children which like true heires shall haue executed the will of their Father and what thanksgiuing shall be able or sufficient for to acknowledge worthily the least part of these so great fauours 9. IN WHAT MANNER OVR SAVIOVR hauing made his Testament left his body to his Heires OTher fathers hauing disposed of their goods and signed their testament dye and leaue their bodies to be put in the earth where they rot and their soules goe to their places so as their heires haue no other better pawne of the presence and person of their father then their ashes and bones Our Sauiour hath obserued the substance of this Ceremony but after a different maner for he gaue his body to his Apostles in an impassible manner albeit mortall also then and from that time he left it to his Church clothed indeed with the first mortall robe made of the accidents of bread and wine but vnited with his Soule and his Diuinity now a liuing body immortall and glorious For his tombe also hee hath the bodies and soules of his heires a liuing tombe and ennobled with a reasonable soule which if it be well prepared with requisite qualities doth from his harbouring receiue a wonderfull reward for whereas other tombes reape from the bodies buried in them nothing but spoiles of death and horror and are by them defiled the bodies of Christians doe receiue life immortality sanctification and celestiall ioy from the body of our Sauiour whereby it appeareth that we ought to vse exceeding great diligence in well preparing our selues to lodge worthily in vs this pretious body The principall apparell is Loue and Chastity and then after these all the other vertues of the soule which accompany the former We reade that Artemissia Câ—â—â— Tuscal Herod Liu. 8. Plut. l. 36. c. 5. Vâ—â— lib. â— Queene of Carya after shee had consumed her treasures in a magnificall and admirable Sepulcher that shee had prepared for the dead body of the King her husband in the end made them to pound his bones and tooke them in a drinke for to be her selfe the liuing Sepulcher of his dead body whom shee
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
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
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
did eate of the flesh to participate of the Sacrifice so hath he giuen vs the body of his Sonne and we honor him with it and pray vnto him endeuoring by it as by a rich present to pacifie him and to make him fauourable towards vs and afterwards we take it for our refection but yet without euer consuming the same as the bodies of beasts were consumed which could serue but once and therefore to euery Sacrifice was required a new beast But the body of our Sauiour is immortall and alone sufficient to honour God and to be the food of immortalitie to all the members of his Church S. Aug. lib. 10. de Ciuit. cap. 6. at all times and in all places We haue said before that good workes done for God are sometimes called Sacrifices as Prayers Fastings Almes and other actions of piety but these are called Sacrifices only by way of resemblance and this kinde of Sacrifice euery one may and ought to offer whereas the proper and true Sacrifice cannot be offered but by him who is a proper and true Priest by office such as was Melchisedech and the Iewish Priests of olde and now are the Priests of Christ 9. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEENE A Sacrament and a Sacrifice FIrst a Sacrament is instituted of God for the sanctification of his creature but a Sacrifice is ordained to hoâ—ior the Creator the one regardeth man the other respecteth God for albeit that the sanctification given by the Sacrament redounds to the honor of God and the action of Sacrifice to the sanctification of his creature the proper end notwithstanding which a Sacrament aymes at is to sanctifie man and that of the Sacrifice to doe homage vnto God neither more nor lesse then in a Ciuill Monarchie Alleagiance is for the King and the administration of lustice for the People though administration of Iustice honor also the King and Alleageance be profitable to the Subiect Euen so then in the Church a spirituall Monarchie the Sacrament is ordained to helpe man and the Sacrifice to honour God What more is done in the one or the other it is rather by consequence then of the first intention and therefore as a Sacrament is properly the signe and instrument of the grace of God so a Sacrifice especially setteth foorth the greatnesse and Maiesty of God Secondly a Sacrament profits onely him which receiueth it being well disposed and prepared as Baptisme sanctifieth only the baptised the Sacrifice may profit all the world absent present iust iniust disposed indisposed liuing and departed if they be not in deadly sinne for though it be not directly instituted for the Sanctification of man as hath beene said yet notwithstanding it openeth the do ore to the sanctification of all men for as much as it pleaseth God by honor and prayer and by this office of piety it obtaines of him mercy and grace and new blessings of repentance and remission of sinnes to all those for whom it is offered And so therefore the Sacrifice of the Masse is profitable for all those which heare it and for whom it is offered 10. NO RELIGION WITHOVT Sacrifice AS the Church hath alwayes had Sacraments for a meanes to sanctifie the children of God so it hath neuer been nor euer shall be vpon the earth without a Sacrifice And sure great reason there is it should be so for since that al true religioÌ„ is instituted for the soueraigne acknowledgement seruice of God it is necessary that in his Church which is his Kingdome and Monarchie there should be a publike worship of supreame honor by which men assembled in one body and societie might professe their faith and dutie towards him This worship is the Sacrifice by which God is knowne and adored publikely as our soueraigne Lord Master of life and death and Author of all our good the most high honor that can be giuen proper to God and vncommunicable to any creature as onely due to diuine Maiestie Wherefore a Religion without a Sacrifice is a body without a soule and a Monarchie without homage or publike acknowlegement of authoritie that is to say without a signe of Monarchie The Church then onely keeper of true Religion hath euer had proper Sacrifice and Priests appropriated by their office to administer the same The most famous Sacrifice in the Law of Nature was that of bread and wine offered by the High-Priest Melchisedech in the Law of Moses there were many in the Law of Grace our Sauiour hath established this of his body one alone in the place of all the Ancient adumbrated by them all and alone the most sufficient of all as well by reason of the thing offered which is of infinite price as of the dignity of the Offerer who is the Sonne of God for the Priest is nothing but his Vicar so as this onely Sacrifice is in estimaon aboue all those of olde as the Sunne is aboue all the Starres A Sacrifice most perfect and most worthy of our Sauiour who hath instituted it in the Law of Grace the most perfect Monarchie that euer was or which euer shall be and instituted it after so noble a manner as it is full of mystery to wit after the resemblance of the Sacrifice of the most noble King and High-Priest Melchisedech vnder the formes of bread and wine which he shall offer euen vntill the end of the world by his Priests and Vicars he himselfe remaining High-priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech 11. TESTIMONIES OF THE HEBREW Doctors vpon the same subiect that is of the Sacrifice of MELCHISEDECH RAbby Samuel renowned amongst the Hebrewes Rabby Sammeâ— in Gen. speaking of this that Melchisedech offered saith Hee did an act of Priest-hood for he sacrificed bread and wine to God holy and blessed Rabby Phines also a great Hebrew Doctor Sabby Phinee See Gal. 1.10 In the time of the Messias all the Sacrifices shall cease but the Sacrifice of bread and wine shall remaine alwayes as it is written in Genesis And Melchisedech brought foorth bread and wine Melchisedech that is to say the King Messias shall except out of this cessation of Sacrifices the Sacrifice of bread and wine as it is said in the Psalmes Psal 109. Thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech His meaning is that Melchisedech was the figure of Iesus Christ who is the true Messias and that Iesus Christ is an High-Priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech instituting in his Church an eternall Sacrifice of his body and blood vnder the formes of bread and wine making all the other Sacrifices to cease they being but shadowes and figures of this heere And so wee see it to be fulfilled since the death of our Sauiour wherein all the bloody Sacrifices Figures of his death were finished whereas contrariwise the institution of the Eucharist which is our Masse the Sacrifice sigured by that of Melchisedech then tooke its first beginning 12. TESTIMONIES OF THE ANCIENT
Elias sleeping in the shade of the Iuniper tree for herein we see our Sauiour sleeping on the Crosse and acknowledge the memory of his passion the greatest signe of his loue and humility and the most high secret of this Sacrament of his pretious body Plin. l. 16. c. 24. Pâ—in l. 16. c. 25. The Iuniper commonly is a little shrubbe growing in sandy and barren places void of all exteriour beaute hauing for slowers and leaues nothing but sharpe prickles Elias sleepes tyred and weary in the shade of this shrub Is not this a liuely representation of our Sauiour vexed with torments crowned with thornes sleeping a dead sleepe vpon the Crosse Tree of humility shadowing his greatnesse punishment of 〈◊〉 coâ—ering his innocency â—â—ce of thornes paine and pouerty Are not these the markes of the course of the painefull life of our good King and of his dolefull sleepe Moreouer the selfe-same circumstances set forth to vs the qualities of our Sacrament being a memoriall of his life and death for if wee consider it exteorly it shewes nothing but what is little easie without fruit without flowers and without beauty to the sense and all full of thornes to humane iudgement which is backward to beleeue the things which it sindes to bee repagnant to our capacity and as it were pricked and offended therewith as long since it happened to the Capharnaâ—ts Iohn 6. and other children of darknesse which since that time â—â—â—ef â—lowed after them On the otherside the same tree is â—â—â—r greene his thornes are his leaues and beauty the wood being burnt driueth away Serpents Pliâ— l. 24. c. â— and the coale thereof haue such a liuely and burning heate that they will endâ—â—e a whole yeare vnder the ashes For which reason Daâ—â—id calleth them Coales of desolation Psal 119.4 because they bâ—â—ne scorchingly and consume forcibly These qualities doe secretly paint vnto vs the inward vertue and beauty of the Crosse of our Sauiour and of his Sacrament For all that which appeares there repugnant to sensuality is verdure and beauty to the faithful soule as also a proofe of the omnipotencie and loue of Iesus Christ towards vs. The wood of this Crosse and of this Sacrament which is it that appeareth hardest in the one and in the other being burned in meditation with the heauenly fier of which Dauid said The fier shall burne in my meditation being Psal 8.3 I say set a sier by this meditation chaseth away Sernents that is to say the wicked thoughts which the old Serpent hisseth into our soule to poyson and sting vs to death It eagendereth also in vs coales of charity which being hidden vnder the imbers of humility neuer die Thus you 〈◊〉 the Iuniper decyphered But vnder the shadow of this Iuniper Elias slept that is the Christian soule taketh his rest in meditating vpon the Sacrament of the Altar which is the shadow that is to say the memorial of the death of our Sauiour as hath been said for as the shadow represents the body so the Sacrament represents the Passion and as the body is present with the shadow so is our Sauiours body with the holy Sacrament 4. ELIAS HIS WALKE AFTER THE SHAdow of the Iuniper tree to the Mountaine Horeb and of the water that was giuen him with the bread VNder this shadow truely wee ought to repose our selues in the wearisomnesse of our persecutions as Elias slept vnder the figuring shadow of this tree when he fled from the rage of Iezabel For there is not any where a more sweete and sound rest amidst the trauailes of this painfull life then in receiuing his body to meditate vpon his death Which Dauid by the Spirit of Prophecy taught vs of olde saying to God in the person of euery afflicted Christian Psal 22.5 Thou hast preyared in my sight a Table against them that trouble me And therefore the Angell as it were interpreting the Figure awaketh Elias and exhorts him to eate the Bread figuring this Table the which he doth and there with is so well refreshed that hee takes strength and courage to walke forty dayes and forty nights enen to the Mountaine of God freeing himselfe from the persecution of the Queene Where we haue yet two other mysteries in the Figure appertaining to the truth For this space of forty dayes signifieth the painefulnesse of our mortall pilgrimage diuided into foure ages as into foure tens into Infancy Yong age Mans age and Old age consisting of dayes and nights of good and euill of consolation and persecution The walke of Elias continued euen to Horeb signifieth the progresse which is conuenient for vs to make ascending by holy desires and aspirations and by good works euen to the top of Christian perfection according to the measure of the grace of God communicated to euery one and from this toppe to zoare vp with a victorious flight aboue death and the world to the high Mountaine of our celestiall felicity But now in this pilgrimage our true Bread and sustenance is the body of our Sauiour giuen by his Angell to wit by his Priest as hath been said 5. THE SIGNIFICATION OF THE pot of Water BVT what signifieth the pot of Water giuen with this bread surely nothing else but the grace of God giuen with this Sacrament for so it was figured by the Creator himselfe when he promised it by his Prophet Ezechiel saying I will powre out vpon you cleane water to wit his Grace and our Sauiour crieth in the Temple Ezech. 36 25. Iohn 7.37 If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke speaking of the same Grace It is this water which is giuen vs to refresh our wearinesse which giues vs force and makes vs able to ascend with ease the Mountaine of God that we may so obtaine the possession of heauen Who would haue thought at the first show that in the shadow of this Figure these excellent mysteries were hidden And how many more be there that a contemplatiue soule might heere obserue But are not these sufficient to make vs admire the infinite wisdome of God in the delineation of his secrets His Soueraigne powerfulnesse in the greatnesse of his workes His surpassing bounty in the largenesse of his benefits Truely this was an euident testunony of his most wise prescience to draw so long before such a liuely Picture of the Sacrament of his body a goodly marke of his vertue to haue giuen to Elias Bread of sâ—ch force that it could maintaine life and furnish with strength for forty whole dayes trauell an ouer-trauelled body an euident signe of his great mercy with so fatherly care to defend one of his owne mortall creatures and to send him an immortall Spirit and one of his owne Court to serue him as his Pantler and Cup-bearer in his necessity But what is this in respect of that hee hath done leauing this Sacrament to his militant Church this pretious pledge which is both armour
from heauen and saying That this bread is his flesh which he will giue for the life of the world He declareth that he will giue his body for our food and redemption And adding after He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath life euer lasting and I will rasse him vp at the last day for my flesh is meate indeed and my bloud is drinke indeed Hee signified the effects of this meate contrary to the effects of the meate of Adam The meate of Adam cause of death a deadly morsell an carthly food a food of anguish The meate of our Sauiour spring of life bread of life bread from heauen flesh of ioyfulnesse and of resurrection When he said Hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud abideth in me and I in him He sheweth that he giues his flesh for this vnion for a bond of amity and perpetuall pledge of his loue towards vs. Hee hath then giuen his body in this life for our good as many waies as it could be giuen for our redemption for our meat for our remedy for a pledge vnto vs to deliuer vs to nourish vs. to heale vs and to comfort vs and will giue it in heauen to glory for vs. Hath he giuen sufficiently is he sufficiently liberall to giue himselfe so liberally and at so many time and by so many wayes on earth and to promise himselfe vnto vs yet another way in heauen And are not wee exceedingly vngratefull in not acknowledging his goodnesse no lesse vniust in not giuing our selues to him that haue nothing but from him And most ingratefull in making no better vse of his gifts ordained to vnite our selues vnto him and amongst our selues for the attaining of life euerlasting What hath this diuine Spouse done What hath he inuented What doth he not What hath he not deuised to gaine the loue of a faithfull soule And what doe we In what doe we employ our selues to gaine his loue And who is it of whom this Prince so infinitly rich mighty and beautifull is so much inamored but of a poore caytiffe and deformed creature whom he would enrich nobilitate and beautifie to make him worthy of his Kingdome And how would he seeke to purchase by so many meanes the loue of such a creature if he were not goodnesse it selfe O infinit Goodnesse infinit Wisdome infinite Power fulnesse Make our soules holily inamored of thy beauty enlighten them with the diuine beames of thy celestiall knowledge and make them worthy of thy sacred loue 5. PRIDE AND LICENTIOVSNES ENEmies of Faith and the first aduersaries of the holy Sacrament PRide and sensuality are vncapable to vnderstand the wonders of God and vnworthy to receiue his benefits Wee haue heard the diuine promises of our Sauiour speaking of the eating of his flesh and of the euerlasting fruits thereof heere was cause to wonder at the height of the mystery and liberality of the Giuer and good occasion to say as Saint Peter a little after wondering said Thou bast the words of eternall life Iohn 6.63 They were heere neuerthelesse who in stead of being lifted vp in admiration were strucke downe to death by the words of life because pride and sense had made them bad hearers of the truth enemies of the light and vnable to behold further then humane iudgement could reach In so much as though truth it selfe did speake vnto them they murthered themselues by the voice of truth thinking that eyther he could not doe as he promised and giue his flesh to eate or that if hee could doe it it should be a very inhumane and barbarous act They vnderstood of flesh saith S. Augustine as if one should dismember a dead body or as men sell it in the market S. August Trust 27. in Ioan. in Psal 98. and flesh vnderstood not what it was he called flesh They thought that our Sauiour would cut his body into little bits and serue it to the table boyled and dressed as the body of a beast and standing vpon the bulwarke of their carnall imaginations and pushed forward by the spirit which blindes the soule in stead of being edified they were scandalized and became perfidious in their heart rude in their thought and blasphemers in their language and did say How can this man giue vs his flesh to cate Behold Iohn 6.52.60 a hard saying and who can endure it By the first question they did shew their incredulity not perswading themselues that our Sauiour could accomplish that which he did promise by the second they made their pride appeare condemning our Sauiour as if he intended to commit an horrible crime by killing himselfe and giuing mans flesh to eare if he should be able to doe that which he said People extreamely blinded with pride and sensuality for they had seene a little before a thousand of miracles done by the hand of our Sauiour and beleeued them without asking How And in stead of learning by those so many rare workes to beleeue more easily they heere aske How more incredulous then euer But why are they now so little obedient to the voice of our Sauiour Why were they not before more scrupulous and wary Wherfore did they not as well aske how he made the blinde to see the lame to walke the diuels to flye and of the fresh miracle how hee satisfied fiue thousand men with fiue Loaues and two Fishes Heere their How had been much more to purpose and more pertinent for they might haue vnderstood thereby that he did these things in the authority power of a Master Al-wise and Al-mighty and this knowledge would haue perswaded them that hee could powerfully and wisely accomplish this which hee so manifestly did promise of his flesh although it seemed impossible and absurde to their sense and iudgement But what will you They were proud and their pride had made them to lose the memory of what was past and bound their eyes not to see the truth present nor to fore-see the truth to come and in one word did make them obstinately erronious that is to say Heretikes Behold the first controulers the first persecutors and first Herenkes stirred vp against the truth of this holy Sacrament behold the first authors of Quomodo How out of which mould the Diuell hath shaped all the rest which sithence haue conspired against God for to assault the mysteries of his Church by Quomodo and by How and namely to shake this heere as the most high and most repugnant to their senfuality It was pride and the flesh that made them mutiners and rebels against the doctrine of Iesus Christ and presumptuous to comdemne that which they vnderstood not So the Arrians mocked at the Catholike faith concerning the generation of the Sonne of God whilest they would vnderstand that which they could not and would not beleeue that which they should to wit that God had begotten a Sonne Psal 3.7 Psal 109.1 and in stead of saying Christianlike I beleeue
Sea Baptisme Sampsons Foxes the Heretikes Golish the enemy of mankinde Danid Iesus Christ and that there is no other thing meant thereby he should make a spirituall fense indeed but should ouerthrow the ground of the history and commit Sacrilege against the Scripture which writeth the foresaid things as truly performed they should do in this as the Priscillianists did long since who did allegorize according to their fantasie all the passages and literall senses of the Scripture which were against their Herefie S. August lib. de Hares 70. as writeth S. Augustine In like manner these heere allegorize and say that there is nothing heere but a spirituall and mysticall eating of the flesh of our Saulour Iohn 6. For since that our Sauiour hath said that his flesh is meate indeed and his bloud drinke indeed and that who so eateth his slesh shall haue eternall life we must necessarily suppose a reall eating of a reall thing adde the spirituall allegoricall afterwards We sinde indeed in the Scriptures the word Lion put for the Diuell 1. 〈◊〉 18. Matth. 7.15 and the word Woulse for a faise prophet These are metaphoricall and spirituall significations but the same words are placed elswhere in their proper vsage and do signifie beasts and out of a resemblance of these words in their proper signification they are translated to signifie the Diuell and false Prophets Wherefore if there bee heere an eating of the flesh of our Sauiour all spirituall that is to say which is done onely by the Spirit without any reall taking of that flesh it is necessary to finde a proper and reall ground foundation thereof the which reall eating cannot bee but in the Eucharist containing really the flesh and bloud of our Sauiour true and proper meat true and proper drinke But is it not a carnall vnderstanding to admit a reall eating of the flesh of our Sauiour Yes doubtlesse if we should vnderstand as did the Capharnaiâ—s an humane and sensuall eating but the manducation which the Catholike Church teacheth and which we haue declared is reall indeed but spirituall but diuine and full of wonderous effects testimonies of the powerfulnesse goodnesse and wisdome of the Creator And when the ancient Fathers refute the carnall eating they neuer meane this heere but onely that which the Capharnalts did forge to themselues and which our Sauiour doth correct by the words we haue expounded as they sufficiently testifie of themselues For as often as the Fathers speak of this carnall eating they propose the Capharnaits as authors of that fond imagination and doe also pâ—â—nely shew that the eating of which our Sauiour did preach is of the reall flesh of him though the manner of taking be spirituall Let vs cite one or two for all Saint HILLARY S. Mill. 〈◊〉 8. de Trin. It is our Sauiour that said my flesh is mâ—â—te indeed and my bloud is drinke indeed Who shall 〈◊〉 my flesh and drinke my bloud dwelleth in mee and I in him Heere is no occasion to doubt of the truth of the flesh and bloud of our Sauiour for according to his word and according to our faith it is flesh indeed 〈◊〉 bloud indeed and those things taken and drunke by vs make that we are in Iesus Christ and Iesus Christ in vs. Is not this the â—â—th to them let it not be true which doe not beleene that Iesus Christ is true God He would say that the words of our Sauiour ought to be taken in their liuely and literall signification The same faith Saint AVGVSTINâ— Wee haue heard saith he the true Master the diâ—ine Rodâ—â—â—â—r and the Sauiour of mankinde recommending vnto vs his bloud our price He hath spoken to vs of his body and of his 〈◊〉 he 〈◊〉 said that his â—â—dy is 〈◊〉 and his bloud deinke when recommending to vs such meat and such drinke he said If you eate not my flesh and drinke not my bloud you shall 〈◊〉 haue life 〈◊〉 you And who could say this of life but Life himselfe Phâ—â— then shall bee deâ—â— to him and not life who shall thinke Life to be a lyer That is to say whosoever shal think that our Sauiour cannot or will not gine his flesh and his bloud as his words did fignifie he is an Insidell 〈◊〉 shall â—â—e and be damned for 〈◊〉 The other Doctors speake after the same manner that those two beere doe 10. TWO KINDES OF COMMVNION THE one Spirituall the other Sacramentall THe ancient Fathers haue clearely acknowledged an eating altogether spiritual of the flesh of our Sauiour which is done in hearing the Masse in meditating vpon the greatnesse of this banquot in taking the flesh of our Sauiour onely by sight by desire and by dâ—uotion But they haue deliuered thâ—â— doctrine without preiudice to that other which you haue heard for they haue euer beleeued and esteemed this reall eating which by proper name they haue called Sacramentall and haue preserâ—ed it before the other when it is holily done as also they haue preferted the Spirituall alone before the Sacramentall if it be not done with due preparation Rightly iudging that it is better to heate Masse deuoutly and contemplate the mysteries of this meate and communicate in â—b is spirituall maner then to communicate with a consciousâ— defiled with morâ—â—ll finno and by fiâ—â— to pâ—ophane the table of our Lord. And this Sacramentall eating though it bee reall ceaseth notto be spirituall because the 〈…〉 is supernaturall and diuiâ—e as hath been 〈…〉 is called Sacramentall for distinctions sake because heere men take the Sacrament The other simply bears the name of Spirituall because it is only done by Spirit without receiuing really the flesh of our Sauiour This Spirituall communion properly is but deuotion towards the Sacrament as the Sacramental is the reall receiuing of the Sacrament the which ought for an vnseparable companion alwayes to haue the Spirituall for otherwise it profiteth nothing and hurteth exceedingly much whereas the Spiritual may be profitable without the Sacramentall The children of God vse both sorts for they communicate both Sacramentally and Spiritually but the mis-beleeuers are depriued of both For denying the presence of the body of our Sauiour they take away the heart of the Sacrament and depriue themselues of the Sacramentall communion and not hauing the true faith of the Sacrament they cannot communicate spiritually For without faith no holy Spirit quickeneth no Sacrament profitath so that still they remaine carnall in their fancie as the Capharnaits did in theirs 11. OF THE DIVINE WISDOME AND goodnesse of God in this Sacrament and of the folly and ingratitude of men BVt before wee turne away our face from beholding this Picture let vs a little fixe the eyes of our vnderstanding vpon the contemplation of this diuine Widome preaching to vs of the communion of his flesh and vpon our owne basenesse not knowing how to acknowledge the sweetnesse of his diuino benefits On the one side let vs
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
and ancient Doctor Iesus Christ saying This is my body sheweth that the bread sanctified vpon the Altar is his body and not the Figure of it seeing that he saith not this is the Figure of my body but This is my body for it is thansformed in an explicable manner though outwardly it seemeth bread Saint AMBROSE S. Ambros de Sacr. l. 5. c. 4. 5. It is the word of Christ which made this Sacrament by which Word all hath been made Our Lord commanded and the earth was made seest thou then how working his Word is If then his Word hath been so mighty as it made that to be which was nothing before how much more easy will it be vnto him to change one thing into another the bread before consecration is bread but after the vttering of these words This is my body it is the body of Christ Heare him saying This is my body take you all and eate of this It is Iesus our Lord which testifieth that wee receiue his body and his bloud shall we doubt of his fidelity or testimony Saint CYPRIAN This saith our Lord is my body S. Cyp. de cun Dom. They had according to the visible forme eaten of the same bread and drunke of the same wine But before these words that food was onely for the nourishment of the body and to giue strength to the corporall life but after that Iesus Christ had said Doe yee this in remembrance of me This is my flesh The forme of Consecration are these words THIS IS MY BODY This is my bloud as often times as the same words are pronounced with the same faith this substantiall bread and this consecrated Chalice with solemne benedicton hath been profitable for the health of the whole man He teacheth then that the words of our Sauior are vnderstood according as they do signifie and that they are the forme by which the bread and the wine are consecrated into the body and bloud of our Sauiour Saint AVGVSTINE writing the ancient enstome of Christians who did answer Amen S. August l. 22. cont Faust c. 10. in Psal 33. Concil 1. after that the Priest had vttered the words of Consecration This is my body this is my bloud saith thus The bloud of Christ giueth a cleare voice on earth then when as the Christians hauing receiued answered Amen It is the cleare voice of bloud that the bloud it selfe pronounceth by the mouth of the faithfull receiued by that bloud The same Author elsewhere Iesus saith hee carried himselfe in his hands when recommending his body he said This is my body It was then according to the literall sense of the Word the body of our Sauiour Saint ANSELME S. Anselm in 1. Cor. 11. expounding the selfe-same clauses maketh Iesus Christ to speak thus Eate this that I giue you because it is my body It plainly appeares bread to the outward senses but acknowledge by the sense of faith that this is my body the same in substance that shall be giuen for you to death This is the Exposition of the ancient Fathers and there hath neuer been any Doctor of the Catholike Church which gaue to these words This is my body other sense then these heere doe giue And this is the meaning of Iesus Christ and whosoeuer followeth any other he is gone out of the Schoole of Christ Iesus taking a lye for truth and damnation for food of eternall life 5. MYSTICALL REFERENCES OF OVR Sauiours words THIS IS MY BODY to the ancient Figures and to all other bodies THis is my body saith our Sauiour We haue said something vpon these words but it is nothing in comparison of that which may yet be said they are cleare but yet they are full of hidden meanings They alone containe the old and new Testament and flye in signification farre aboue the height of heauen more profound then the depthes of the Ocean and more in widenesse then is the compasse of the world in sweetenesse they surmount all the hony and milke of the Land of Promise in vertue the power of all men and Angels and in greatnesse the Maiesty of all Kings that euer were vpon the earth The words which made the world out of nothing were great in effect in heauen they made the Starres the Fishes in the sea Gen. 1 in the ayre the Fowles vnder earth the stones and mettells and vpon earth the Plants the Trees the Lions the Elephants and other creatures in number infinite and in beauty admitable but that which our Sauiour saith and in saying effecteth by these words This is my body is more infinite then all that together this body is more then a thousand worlds if so many had been produced The most excellent name of God is the Tetragram expressed vnder the voice Idoney composed of foure letters not to be vttered by the Iewes This clause This is my body it the clause Tetragram wouen of foure words euident to the eares of faith but vnexplanable by the tongue either of man or Angell What shall we say then to expresse the vertue of it And who can or shall expresse it but he who is the Author of these words and mysteries It is he must do it that is the all-knowing Word and all powerfull able to know to say and to doe whatsoeuer he will What said then this great God by these words This is my body He said that it is his body and saying this he said all that is precious admirable and diuine amongst bodies Hee distinguisheth all the bodies that he had euer made or created from his owne and prefetreth it before them all Hee said I haue made the Sunne and the Moone the Starres and all those immortall bodies which on high make the wainscot of my Fathers Pallace but these are not my body neither substances allied to my person these to me are strange bodies This is my body which I haue formed by an extraordinary way in the wombe of an holy Virgin which I haue diuinely appropriated to my greatnesse and which I haue made the habitation of my dignity The other bodies are parts of my possession this heere is the body of my particular person surpassing the excellency of all the bodies long since consecrated to God and were propheticall Figures thereof The Tree of Life planted in the earthly Paradise the Lambe of innocent Abel offered in Sacrifice the bread of Melchi adech giuen in blessing the Sacrifice of Abraham accomplished by rare faith and obedience the Hebrewes Paschall Lambe the Manna from heauen the Loaues of Proposition the First-fruit offerings the bread of Eliah the Sheepe the Lambe the Ewes the Heifers the Beefes the Oxen the Doues the Sparrowes the Turtles and all the bodies of beasts which the Law of Moses set vpon the Altar in Holocaust in action of thanks in Propitiation all the bodies that men haue offred to the Maiesty of my Father haue been sacred bodies the Figures of this my
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
the Church in her first increasings Shee sheweth the Church vnder the Law of Nature at the Change in the weaknesse of her beames and on the fourteenth day when shee is at the Full shee hath a resemblance of the Church in the Synagogue as we haue said but in that she became a new Moone after a new manner in her fifteenth day she signified the Church in the Law of Grace The newnesse and new manner consists in this that shee drew neare to the Sun by an extraordinary meanes for being on Thursday so farre from it as the East from the West the next day shee was euen against it which approachment shee should not make according to her naturall course but in the space of fourteene dayes supernaturally also and with no lesse wonder shee returned to the East on Friday euening at Sun-set where shee had been the night before And so in six houres shee put on the seuerall roabes of all her states for shee was new shee was in he first quarter shee was in her fulnesse and in the beginning of her third seuenth to wit in her fifteenth day In these circumstances and in these wonders happening neuer before nor since shee marketh out the Church in the state of Grace a state of singular renouation of a third seuenth of a third time in the new Pasch in the new and great Sacrifice and Feast instituted by the Sonne of God in his body To which purpose Saint Augustine writeth in these words Because wee are in the third time of all the worlds continuance 〈◊〉 Aug. 〈◊〉 119. ad lanâ—er c. 3. herehence it is that our Sauiour rose vpon the third day The first time was before the Law the second in the Law the third vnder Grace in the which is manifested the Sacrament which was hid in the folds of the Propheticall bookes This it is that which was signified by the number of the Moones and for that 〈◊〉 the Scripture the number of seuen hath a mysticall signification of perfection the Pasche was celebrated in the third weeke of the Moone which is betweene the fourteenth and the â—â—e and twentieth day Behold how God reades vs a lesson by his Starres teaching vs Paradise by the skie and communicating to vs the beames of his intellectuall light by the condition and course of the corporall 18. OVR SAVIOVR HAVING INSTITVted the Sacrifice and Sacrament of his body goeth foorth of his ledging to goe to the Garden of Oliuet THe sweete Lambe being offered this euening and giuen in refection to his Apostles and hauing abolished the olde Pasche and instituted the new as hath been said sung an Hymne with his Apostles after the tradition of the Iewes and went forth to goe to the garden of Oliuet where he was to be deliuered by Iudas to the wicked who had already the watch-word to apprehend him This only remained to accomplish all the proofes of his infinite loue towards mankinde He was first offered to his Father by an vnbloudy Sacrifice without death and passion he went forth to be taken afterwards as a Lambe and to be made a victime on the Crosse there shedding his bloud and giuing his life He had giuen his body to his friends he goeth now to offer it to his enemies He had refectioned the soules of the humble he went soone after to bee fed with gall to drinke viniger to surfet with the torments and reproaches of the proud He long since planted a Garden of delights of rest and of honor he is now gone to a garden of sorrowes of combate and of disgrace He planted the Tree of Life in that delightfull Garden he commeth to plant another in the Orchard of his Church more exquisit and more excellent without comparison And himselfe walkes in this solitary Garden to repaire the fault committed in the first Garden In that the debt was made by disobedience in this it began to be paid by humility In planting the first Garden and the first tree of life he only imployed his word who commanded and all was made but in this it is not so one houres stay in this will cost thee thy bloud O my sweet Redeemer and with the droppes of that pretious purple the beds of this garden must be watred And the Tree of Life which thou hast planted in the Paradise of thy Church is not any meane effect as that was of thy holy word but thy pretious body and bloud it selfe accompanied with the aray of thy holy Diuinitie O my Lord what can I say to prayse thy magnificency I say that thou art magnificent euery way in taking and giuing in feeding and in suffering euery way good and euery liberall of thy goods and of thy selfe euery way rich in mercy and euery way aboundant in propitiation herehence it is that for thy last retraite thou goest to the Garden of Oliuet to make for vs and to giue vnto vs the oyle of thy mercies Oliues for vs but Apples of anguish for thee O my soule thy Redeemer goeth in the night and goeth to subiect himselfe for thee to paines in this Garden doe something for him accompany him amidst this darknesse haue compassion on him admire his loue towards thee loath thy sinnes that haue cast him into these vexations weepe and pray with him offer him thy heart and seruice in this perplexed high-way of his Agony And fince thou art written in his Will called to his Heritage and placed at the Table of his Kingdome to eate of his fruit of life giue some signe of a grateful soule and mindfull of so many benefits make him some present of thy gifts that he hath giuen thee and giue him something of that which he hath made thine albeit thou art nothing yet giue him thy selfe in giuing thy selfe thou shalt become something giue thy selfe to him since he hath giuen himselfe to thee and when I say himselfe what say I an infinite depth of goodnesse giuen many wayes vnto thee in his birth in his conuersation in thy meate in his death and in all the kindes that a thing can be giuen After thou hast contemplated thanked followed and serued him in the Garden of Oliues at the Iudgement Barre of Pilate in the Mount Caluary at the Crosse with teares and sighes of loue of compunction and compassion make him often thy Host by means of this diuine Table which he hath prepared for thee of his immortall and glorious body to giue himselfe to thee and to lodge with thee so often as thou wilt and taking the healthfull refection of his dish contemplate moreouer in this Table the delicates of Paradise and of eternall life which shall follow after For as the Altars of the Hebrewes were Figures of this Feast so this Feast is the Image of the celestiall Table Heere thou eatest the bread of Angells in heauen thou shalt also liue of the bread of Angels Heere thy meat is God himselfe the self-same God will be thy food at that Table
Greeke Fathers vpon the Figure of MELCHISEDECH SAint Clement S. Clem. lib. 4. Stre. MELCHISEDECH King of Salem Priest of the most high God gaue the bread and wine sanctified in figure of the Eucharist Saint Chrysostome S. Chrysost hom 35.36 in Gen. speaking of the same Sacrifice of MELCHISEDECH Beholding the Figure thinke I pray you vpon the truth that is to say if thou makest account of the Offering of Melchisedech how much more of the Sacrament and Sacrifice of the body of our Sauiour which is the truth signified of old by the ancient Figure And againe Idem After that MELCHISEDECH King of Salem had offered bread and wine for hee was the Priest of the most high ABRAHAM tooke from his hand part of that which had been offered that is to say he did eate and drinke of the sacrificed bread and wine Theodoret 〈◊〉 Pas 109. Idem in Gen. 4.63 hauing declared how our Sauiour had begun his Priest-hood after the order of Melchisedech in the institution of the Sacrament of his body addeth Wee haâ—e found Melchisedech Priest and King affirming to God not Sacrifices of beasts deprined of reason but of bread and wine as if he should say that the Priest-hood and offering of our Sauiour is not with effusion of blood of beasts as that of Aarons but without killing and that his body is giuen in Sacrifice vnder the formes of bread and wine according to the order of Melchisedech Saint IOHN DAMASCENE S. Ioan. Damâ—â— lib. 4. de Fid. cap 24. The Table of Melchisedech figured out our mysticall Table euen as Melchisedech carried the Figure and the Image of the true Prelate Iesus Christ TMEOPHILACT vpon the Epistle to the Hebrewes Theophil in 〈◊〉 5. ad Heb. Psal 109. explaning the words of the Psalmist Thou art a Priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech It is most cortaine saith he that this Prophecie is to be vnderstood of Iesus Christ for it is he onely that hath sacrificed bread and wine according to the order of Melchisedech And a little after He saith eternally as well for that Iesus Christ maketh intercession for vs incessantly to his Father as for that he is offered euery day this Oblation is made without ceasing by the Officers and Seruitors of God hauing for Priest and for Sacrifice Christ the Sauiour it is hee that breaketh and distributeth himselfe 13. TESTIMONIES OF THE ANCIENT Latine Fathers SAint CYPRIAN S. Cyprian l. 2. ep 3. ad Cecil Who hath been more Priest of the highest then our Lord Iesus Christ who hath offered Sacrifice to God the Father and offers the same that Melchisedeth did Ioan. 6. bread and wine to wit his body and his bloud for his body is the true bread and his bloud is the true wine and the true drinke Saint Hierom S. Hieron epist 126. ad Euagr. S. Hieron in ep ad Marcel nomine Paula Eustoch scripta giuing a reason to Euagrius wherefore Melchisedech was compared to our Sauiour It is saith he because he sacrificed not victimes of flesh and blood of beasts but dedicated the Sacrament of Christ with bread and wine a simple and pure sacrifice And elsewhere Reade Genesis Thou shalt finde the King of Salem Prince of the Citie who then offered in Figure of Christ bread and wine and dedicated the mystery of Christians in the body and bloud of our Saniour Againe Our mystery the Masse is signified by the word Order not in imolating victimes of beastes according to the order of Aaron but in offering bread and wine that is to say the body and bloud of our Sauiour Saint Ambrose speaking of the Eucharist S. Ambrel l 5. de Sacra cap. 1. We know saith he that the Figure of this Sacrament hath gone before in Abrahams time then when Melchisedech offered Sacrifice Saint Augustine speaking of this Sacrifice of MELCHISEDECH S. Aug. lib. 16. de Ciuitate Dei cap. 22. Then first was shewed in Figure the Sacrifice which now is offered by Christians throughout the vniuersall world S. Aug lib. 1. Cont. Aaâ—â—â—s â—â— cap. 20. And elsewhere Those that reade know what Melchisedech brought forth when he blessed Abraham and are made partakers thereof they see that through all the world such a Sacrifice is offered And he meaneth the Sacrifice of the Masse which is offered ouer all the world 14. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEENE THE Sacrifice of the Crosse and that of the Eucharist THe Sacrifice of the Crosse was bloudie Of this Oblation speaketh Saint Paul Hebr. 7.27 offered but once in Hierusalem onely this of the Eucharist not bloudie it is offered and shall be throughout all the world where the Church is dispersed and that euen to the end of the world That of the Crosse is the chiefe cause of our good the treasure and the generall exchequer of our redemption and the fountaine of our sanctification for by this death our Sauiour hath purchased vs all the good vnlesse we hinder or neglect it the Sacrifice of the Masse is the instrument to apply the fruit of all these purchased goods vnto vs it is the key which opens this treasure it is the meanes to haue part of this substance and the bucket to draw vp from the spring of this fountaine where with to cleanse vs and as when some one is washed in Baptisine or absolued in Penance the merite of the Crosse flowes into him or her that is baptised or absolued from sinne by meanes of these Sacraments euen so the fruit of the Crosse is distributed by the Sacrifice of the Eucharist to all those which offer it and for whom it is offered and it is the same body that was offered vpon the Altar of the Crosse and that which is offered on the Altar in the Church and giuen for food of immortalitie to all those which will receiue it The Masse then celebrating this Mystery makes the Sacrament and Sacrifice of the body of our Saniour and in them both is as of olde the ancient Sacraments and Sacrifices were an instrument to make vs participate the merit of the Passion of our Sauiour but so much more efficatious and precious as Iesus Christ who is in it the Priest and the offering for the man is but the Vicar surpasseth in dignity the ancient Priests and their earthly victimes This is the difference betweene the Sacrifice of the Crosse and that of the Masse and the glory of God is manifested diuersly thereby in two diuers mysteries 15. THE DIFFERENCE OF THE SACRIfice of Melchisedech and of this of the Masse THe Sacrifice of Melchisedech was but the shadow and the Figure this of the Masse the body and the truth In that there was nothing but bread and wine terrestriall materiall and insensitiue nourishing nothing but the body and that for a little time in this there is offered the body and bloud of our Sauiour the true bread and the true drinke bread of
heauen bread of life immortall and glorious diuine bread and diuine flesh without the substance of any materiall bread both meate and drinke together giuing the nourishment of grace to the soule and the sprout of immortalitie to the body and to both of them the fruit of all blessednesse In that God shewed his diuine wisdome figuring with his prouident pensill the future Priest-hood of his Sonne in the person of Melchisedech and the Sacrifice of the body of his Sonne in the Sacrifice of Melchisedech But in this heere hee hath left markes infinitely more cleare of his omnipotencie wisdome and boundy changing the hidden substance of bread into that of his body without changing the forme of the outward accidents offering himselfe by himselfe being at one instant together the Sacrificer and the thing Sacrificed Could he shew himselfe more great more skilfull and more liberall Could he establish a Sacrifice either more honorable for the acknowledging of his diuine Maiestie then this in which he offered not the body and bloud of beasts but his owne body and bloud or more profitable to man then in which he giues vs his owne body This mystery then so agreeable to the honor of God and so beneficiall to his friends doth it not merit to be eternally continued in the Church according to that which Dauid hath so diuinely prophecied Thou art a Priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech Not according to the order of Aaron who was the Sacrificer of the bodies of beasts lesse honorable and lesse profitable and therefore worthy to be changed but according to the order of Melchisedech offering without bloud the body of the Sonne of God vnder the formes of bread and wine Sacrifice and Priest-hood most honorable and most worthy to endure euen to the end of the world neither can the world be furnished with a better either for the houor of God or for the good of his children 16. THE GOOD SPIRITVAL SOVLDIERS are worthy of the food and blessing of the body of our Lord. BVt who are the children worthy to feed vpon this Sacrifice and to haue the blessing of the true Melchisedech truely they are Abraham and his souldiers which haue noble soules and are armed in all parts with vertue which hotly pursue the enemies of their saluation fighting valiantly against the forces of the Assyrians pride Couetousnesse Leachery Enuy Gluttony Hate Idlenesse Iniquity Impiety and other vices signified by the Assyrians These then are they that giue the tenth of their victories and of their spoiles to God which giue him thankes for his benefits and acknowledge his assistance as chiefe cause of all their good actions for which they glory in nothing but in him and confesse that all their good commeth from him These are they that are true children of Abraham and like valient warriers know readily how to manage their bodies in all sorts of combates and exercises of spirituall battle This braue Horse of Abrahams so well made and so well taught to the bitt and to the spurre to trotte to gallop to runne and to bee decently ordered resembleth those bodies that are well tamed and well taught to follow the commands and directions of a warlike soule Such was he 1. Cor. 9.27 which said I chastise my body and make it a seruant such haue been a thousand champions of our Sauiour which haue victoriously combated against the greatest forces and armies of their enemies the world the flesh and the diuell Such souldiers are worthy of the bread of God worthy which whom the great Melchisedech should comply in the end of their victories comming foorth to honor them to congratulate with them to inuite them to receiue the holy Repast of his sacred body and to sanctifie them with his great blessing wherewith they returne into their countrey which is heauen rich with reward and enobled with immortall glory THE FOVRTH PICTVRE ISAAK ON THE ALTAR The Description THese two yong men seruants of Abraham attend at the foote of the mountaine with this saddled Asse Abraham himselfe with yong Isaak is ascended to the top of the mountaine hauing commanded them to tarry beneath vntill he had there worshipped and offered Sacrifice this is the third day since they came from home with him hauing neuer vsed to depart from him their face shewes that they are sorrowfull and astonished and it is by all true likelihood for not knowing the cause why he should leaue them and for hauing seene and heard of things they misliked they had seene how their Master all sad had put the wood which the Asse carried vpon the shoulders of Isaak taking himselfe fire in the one hand and a sword in the other Ioseph lib. 1. Antiq. cap. 13. and certainly the teares ran downe in great abundance from their eyes because they see their yong Master loaden with this heauie burden to goe with no little paine for hee is tender and delicate and but fiue and twentie yeeres old They could not also imagine what should be the Sacrifice Abraham would offer seeing it was his custome to Sacrifice before his domesticals without euer hauing vsed such like ceremony But this which puts them yet in more great wonder is that they perceiued not any beast he had to sacrifice whereof Isaak himselfe being sollactous asked of his Father in the way where the Lambe was for the Burnt-offering to whom Abraham answered that God would prouide it The good childe knew not that himselfe was the Lambe appointed for the Sacrifice lesse knew hee what this holy old man thought within himselfe for hee felt a maruailous combate in his soule pressed on the one side with the assaults of Nature which moued him to fatherly compassion and on the otherside with the Word of God which made him stedfast in the execution of his Commandement Nature said to him O Father what dost thou Hast thou begotten a sonne to be his murtherer Hast thou giuen him life in the world to put him with thine owne hand to death Hast thou giuen being to this creature and wilt thou depriue him of it in a moment as soone as it beginneth Wilt thou burie in one moment the comfort of thy age and all the hopes of thy future race within the tombe of thy only sonne Thy only sonne giuen thee of God after so many faire and goodly promises of thy prosperity Thy onely son so tenderly nourished so carefully brought vp so beautifull so gratious so obedient and perfect in all kinde of graces And who euer saw such a Father as thou art And what will thy houshold thy neighbours and thy kindred say And aboue all the rest what will his poore Mother say who sitting at home little thinkeâ—â— of any such matter when shee shall see thee returne all alone and that shee shall heare the pitifull newes of her deare and onely childe slaine not by force of sicknesse nor by the hand of the enemie nor by the teeth of any furious