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
Iewes saith the Euangelist contend amongst themselues saying How can this man giue vs his flesh to eate Iesus said vnto them Verily verily I say vnto you if you eate not the flesh of the Sonne of Man and drink not his bloud you shall not haue life in you Who so eateth my flesh and drinke my bloud he hath life eternall and I will raise him vp at the last day For my flesh is meate indeed and my bloud it drinke indeed who so eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud he dwelleth in me and I in him As the liuing Father hath sent mee and I liue by the Father Hee that eateth mee hee also shall liue by mee This is the bread that came downe from heauen not as your Fathers did eate Manna and died hee that eateth this bread shall liue for euer I hese are the words of our Sauiour The Apostles and they which did beleeue in him are ranished but there are others that haue deafe eares and grosse conceits iudging amisse of his words rashly taking scandal at the mystery which they vnderstood not â—on 6.60 and murmuring said This is a hard saying who can abide to heare it But Iesus Piercing their thoughts and secret murmurings corrected them said vnto them Doth this scandalize you if then you shall see the Son of Man ascend where he was before it is the Spirit that quickneth the flesh profileth nothing the words that I haue pinken to you bee Spirit and Life So hee endeauoureth to make them capable but they notwithstanding remaine still blind and obstinate in their misbeleefe and got themselues out of his company Behold you how they wrinkle their fore heads in going away and looke behinde them These are carnall and ouerweyning people beleeuing nothing which comes not vnder the comprehension of their sense These are the Patriarches of all those which make warre against the Sacrament of the body of our Sauiour 1. WHEREFORE OVR SAVIOVR MADE a Sermon of the Eucharist before hee anstituted it THe Painter who knoweth how to dispose well of his worke hee hath in hand endeauours amongst other things to ioyne dexteriously the beginnings to their ends and so to smooth the knots of parts disagreeing that nothing appeare hard or constreined in the connexion but all to be aptly guided and brought to an end with due proportion of draught and colour The supreame Wisdome Master of Sciences and Artes obserued this law in all his creatures And it is vsuall with him Sap. S. 1. 11.12 to reach in his strength from end to end and to gouerne all things sweetly and to dispose them in measure in number and in weight According to this rule he continueth the course of this mouable world coupling extremities with their extremities by conuenient meanes So hee made the day to succeed the night by interposing of the morning and the night to the day by the euening neighbour to both the Sommer to Winter by the Spring comming betweene and the Winter to Sommer by interposing of Autumne and so in all his other workes of this world When the Sonne of God Soueraigne Wisdome had decreed in the Councell of his Father and of the holy Ghost to marry one day the greatnesse of his Diuinity to the littlenesse of our Nature and resolued at the same time to bestow also vpon vs as well for food as ransome the body which he had taken of Adams Posterity he began euen then by little and little to ordaine these Figures which we haue hitherto runne ouer and other such like which are in his booke making as it were the first preparations for this Feast which was to follow And being at length made Man and the time being come when he was to fulfill the verity of them and to couer the holy table with the food of his pretious flesh hee made a wonderfull proofe vpon the bread Matth. 14.21 Iohn 5.10 as we haue seene and incontinently after he preached this excellent Sermon which was as it were a generall proclamation of the banquet colouring by the brightnesse of a famous miracle and by his liuely voice those Characters of the old Figures and ioyning the Images past to the Verity present by the interposition thereof before the full accomplishment of his worke The selfe-same method vsed hee for preparatioÌ„ to the faith of other mysteries of his death of his Resurrection of his Ascension of the comming of the holy Ghost of Baptisme and of other Sacraments For besides the ancient Figures of them which he ordained long before he made many discourses a little before they were effected and the Sacraments themselues were instituted Wherefore this Sermon was as it were the connexion of things passed to things present of the shadow to the body and as a speaking morning declaring the comming of the Sacrament of the Altar which is the summe of all the other mysteries in the Church of God 2. THE FIRST CAVSE WHY OVR SAuiour would giue his flesh to eate and his bloud to drinke which was to shew his goodnesse THe first cause why our Sauiour would giue his flesh to eate his bloud to drinke is for as much as he is admirably good exceedingly liberall towards vs as hath been often already declared He tooke his body of vs and because he did that for vs he will in ploy it vpon vs and giue it vs againe like a magnificent Lord as many wayes as a body might profitably be ginen and imployed to wit for a price for food for vnion and signe of amity Hee which giues a pearle of great value to redeeme his friend from captiuity giues it as a price he that sets some delicate fruit vpon the table doth it that it may be eaten and the husband which giues himselfe in mariage giues his body that by vnion hee may become one flesh with his wise and the ring which hee leaues departing from her is a pledge of his loue Our Sauiour gaue his body on the Crosse for our redemption and thereby paid the tribute due to the diuine Iustice for the Ransome of mankinde he giues the same body in the Table of his Sacrament as a nuptiall Feast for meat vnto vs for to make a diuine vnion with vs and for a pledge of his loue Then the master and chiefe cause why he gaue vs his flesh to eat and his bloud to drinke is his boundy his liberality and his infinite loue 3. THE SECOND CAVSE TO GIVE A remedy to our misery THe second cause why our Sauiour did giue vs his body to eate is our miserable condition which out of his exceeding loue to vs he was desirous to repaire as hee hath in ample maner by the gift of his body For by communicating vnto vs his diuine flesh and deified bloud he hath both performed the part of a true Father and of a naturall Mother towards his children and withall hee hath wisely and effectually repaired all the breaches of our spirituall
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
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
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
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
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
consider the liberality of the Redeemer and on the otherside the ingratitude of men the wisdome of the Master and the folly of the Disciples Our Sauiour hauing sed the people with terrestriall bread intendeth to giue them the celestiall and to substitute the bread of life in place of the bread which was dead bread of the soule for bread of the body And behold these very men who hauing receiued and eaten the first bread esteemed the Giuer worthy the honor of a Scepter in recompence will not vnderstand our Sauiour preaching of the excellenty of the second although his words were very cleare yet they in their ignorance murmure against the bounty and wisdome of their Master for that bee promised to giue them bread of headen a deified bread which was his body not a strange body but his owne proper body not the flesh of beasts but the flesh of God incarnate They are scandalized because he intended to vnite them to himselfe by his flesh to deifie them by his flesh and to nourish them thereby not for soure and twenty houres onely but to all eternity They mistrusted his power were offended at his goodnesse and condemned the wisdome of his words before they vnderstood them â—â—hn 6.52 How oâ—n this man say they giue vs his flesh to eate O senselesse disciples and too obliuious And how a little before fed hee more then fiue thousand of you with fiue Loaues and two Fishes making aboundance in want and fruitfulnesse in the Desart If you beleeue Marth 14.16 Iohn â— he hath done this worke by power of his almightinesse wherefore aske you how hee can giue you his flesh wherefore esteeme you that he cannot accomplish this that he saith albeit it seemes vnpossible to you You say Behold a hard speech and who can endure it And what word find you so hard What hard speech could proceed out of the mouth of this good Master O delicate and dainty disciples what hath he said that so violently piereed your hearts What sentences hath hee vttered that seeme so hard for you to swallow He hath said That hee is the bread come downe from heane 〈…〉 that who so câ—teth this bread shall line eternally that the bread which be will gine is his flesh for the life of the world that his flesh is meat indeed and his bloud drinke indeed These words of Iron or of stone as are your breasts Are they not words of life and of eternall life words of saluation and consolation Doth life displease you Doth Saluation scandalize you and Consolation grieue you to the heart Are you not malitious schollers to striue against so louing a Lesson and desperately discased to enter into madnesse at the hearing of such a voice and that of such a Physition and that of such a promise of eternall life And if these words so louingly vttered by this sweet Lambe seeme to you intollerable how hard to you shall those words bee which hee shal vtter against you in his great day and against all them who shall bee incredulous as you are when he will say when hee will pronounce when hee will thunder out his last and irreuocable decree Goe you â—ursed from mee into eternall fire prepared for the Dâ—â—ll and his angels If the sweetnesse of the Lambe and Sauiour of the world bee now intollerable to you what will be the rigour of the Iudge of Angels and men then condemning your want of faith But if you finde difficult to your vnderstanding the words of the Master wherefore as good disciples aske you not to the end to be instructed If you haue conceiued some opinion of this Master by reason of the wonders that he hath done before you wherefore think you that he cannot do this that he promiseth that he cannot declare to you this which to you is difficult Why condemne you his doctrine before you vnderstand it Why depart you from the company of the truth which would instruct you 12. TO THE STRAYED SHEEPE OF our age BVt O you wandering soules of this last age why goe you backward in hauing abandoned the company of this Master imitating these your olde predecessors the Capharnaits who going out of the house of God haue forsaken the Table and the Feast of the flesh of the Son of God to goe take a bit of bread out of the throate of Wolues Why imitate you the Capharnaits which condemne you Wherefore like vnto them murmure you at the almightinesse of the wisdome of him that said The bread Iohn 6.51 that I shall gine you is my flesh Why beleeue you not this that he saith since that it is the mouth of Truth that speakes it which cannot lye Why giue you Law and measure to his arme saying That he cannot make a body be without possessing place and that it cannot bee at the same time in diuers places in heauen and earth in many Churches and on many Altars Can he doe nothing that is aboue the capacity of your braines But what faith is yours to beleeue nothing except that which sense witnesseth to you or which your spirit comprehendeth is it not the faith of a faithlesse Philosopher which followes the course of the creature altogether ignorant of the power of the Creator And what iudgement is yours to reiect the Catholike faith about this great mystery for not hauing the capacity to vnderstand it Seeing there haue been a thousand things in Nature it selfe that the Philosophers vnderstood not and for not vnderstanding them did they reiect them But can you vnderstand how our Sauiour took humane flesh without the seed of man how our bodies reduced into ashes shall rise againe How the bodies of the damned shall burne without being consumed in eternall flames and other mysteries of our faith And if you beleeue these things without vnderstanding them why beleeue you not this heere If this seeme more difficult to you so much the more haue you wherein to admire the omnipotencie of God and so much the more merit in beleeuing If you beleeue that God is Almighty why doe you not beleeue he can doe this that he saith who hath made the whole world by his onely word If you beleeue him all wise why beleeue you not what hee hath ordained is decreed with great wisdome albeit your iudgement cannot attaine to the secret of it If you beleeue that hee is most good why doe you not simply vse the gift of his Maiesty Wherefore say you that it is a carnall thing to haue his flesh to eate seeing he hath so disposed of it as it may be really and yet spiritually eaten Are you not proud in your basenesse rather beleeuing the infirmity of your iudgement then the greatnesse of his Almightinesse Intollerable in your folly condemning this which his wisdome ordained Vngratefull in your vnbeleeuing refusing the meate that he offers you for your health O good Iesus O good Master O good Pastor illuminate teach bring home these poore wanderers
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
of good and euill loaden with Apples faire to behold and delitious to the taste Eue which is there standing beholds them with an ambitious and eager desire and would faine bee at them but shee is aduertised by her husband that God had forbidden them to be eaten The Enemy to mankinde mooued with enuy and lying in waite for the nonce when he perceiued her weaknesse by her curious beholding tooke occasion to seduce her and cloathed with the body of a Serpent a craftie subtill creature quaâ—ities agreeing to this Deceiuer by many compasses and windings about the Tree hauing now gotten vp began from aboue to speake with her and perswade her to take thereof the poore foole being easily perswaded falls vpon the fruite and begins to â—ate neuer doubting any deceit nor fearing death it selfe that lay hidden therein and which is worst shee will perswade her husband Adam to doe the like Alas how deare must this one bit cost him What a deadly bit will chis be How many wounds and deathes shall he swallow downe with this one morsell Ah good mother lend not your eare to this wicked Abuser who for his reuolt is newly cast downe from heauen and being now full of rage and fury seekes nothing on the earth but your confusion Keepe you for Gods sake from touching these Apples which are onely forbidden you among so much other daintie fruites set before you on the spacious table of this delightfull Garden Offend not for a little pleasure of your tongue the Maiesty of a Lord so bountifull and liberall as he hath been vnto you But if you desire to eat some fruit which is indeed most exquisite and diuine lift vp your hand to this Tree of Life and not to that of death and kill not your selfe with all your race in you by this enormous crime of foule ingratitude for the committing whereof you haue so small occasion 1. THE CHVRCH OF GOD LIVELY set foorth in earthly Paradise GOD teacheth vs celestiall things by terestriall and spirituall by those that are corporall This faire Garden which hath beene heere before represented according to the Historie of Moses by two diuers Pictures the one seruing for the eye the other for the eare is a Figure of the Church of God Cant. 4. Isay 51.61 Aâ—â—â— 2. which the Scripture calleth sometime a Garden sometime a Vineyard planted by the hand of the Almightie And truely if this faire earthly place figured some dwelling it could figure none more reasonably then that where God raignes S. Greg. 5. Cant. 4. S. Aug. lib. 8. de Genes ad lit c. â— and workes after a singular manner and where his children are diuinely nourished which is his Church A heauenly habitation of men and truely eleuated aboue the earth for so much as the desires of those Saints of whom it is cornposed dwell in heauen An abode of spirituall delights the true Pallace and proper Mansion of the children of God S. Aâ—g de Ciuitate Dei lib. 13. cap. 21. S. Augustine hauing proued that this Garden had his being in a corporall place and such a one according to the literall sense as Moses hath described he declareth of what it was the Figure and saith That Paradise is the life of good people the foure Flouds the foure Cardinall Vertues to wit Wisdome Fortitude Temperance lustice the Trees the Artes and the fruits of the Trees the workes of good men the Tree of Life Wisdome the mother of all goodnesse the Tree of Knowledge of good and euill the experience of a Commandement broken And he addes which is more remarkable a second signification That all these things may be vnderstood of the Church for to be the better receiued as signes propheticall of things to come The Church then is a Paradise so called in the booke of the Canticles the foure Flouds are the foure Euangelists Câ—nt â— the fruits of the Trees are good workes the Tree of Life is the Holy of Holies Iesus Christ the Tree of Knowledge of good and euill the free Ithertie of the will S. Aug. lib. de Ciuit. cap. 21. So Saint Augustine allegorizing vpon this Historie of the earthly Paradise 2. OF THE GIFTS AND EXCELLENT qualities of the Church described in the patterne of earthly Paradise IN the Church then may bee seene spiritually all that which corporally was contained in the Garden of Pleasure Shee is situated towards the East for shee is alwaies turned towards Iesus Christ the true Orient and so called because he is the East which shee alwayes beholds adores Zach. 9.11 contemplates loues and admires In signe whereof the materiall Temples of Christians are turned to the East whereas the Temple of the Iewes looked towards the West In her is to be seene the accord of the foure Euangelists foundations and springs of our faith as the foure Elements and the foure vniuersall Flouds of this spirituall Garden The Sunne of Iustice which is God shineth heere alwayes by the bright beame of his truth Sacrament Baptisme Confirmation Penance and the rest the Vertues Faith Hope and Charitie and other like qualities hold there the places of trees and plants the holy actions of the iust are as the greenes the flowers the fruits and the delitious odours thereof the preaching of Gods Word the Writings of the holy Fathers and their cloquence are the gold and pearles cast vpon the shoare by the foure diuine Flouds of the Euangelists the Birdes which sing in this Paradise are the deuout soules which in all times with heart word and deed sound foorth the praises of God the Bird of Paradise so called in particular is euery perfect Christian whose conuersation is alwayes in heauen whose thoughts desires and workes like vnto purple and golden feathers are all gilded and inflamed with charitie the Lions Beares Tygers and other nobleliuing creatures present the Christian Kings and Potentates who notwithstanding their greatnesse and power obey as the least to the voice of our Sauiour speaking and commanding by the Pastors and Gouernors of his Church The Church then is a Paradise on earth figured by the former and is her selfe also a figure of a future Paradise which we looke for in heauen A Figure so much more diuine as the delights of the soules which are found in her are farre more precious and more neerely resembling true felicitie then the corporall gifts contained in that earthly Garden which was prepared for the first Adam Come we now to the Tree of Life the ornament of this Paradise and the propeâ— subiect of our present discourse 3. THE HOLY SACRAMENT OF THE Altar figured by the Tree of Life THe Tree and the fruite of Life Paschasius lib. 1. de corp Domini cap. 7. Philo Iud. de planct Noe ex Platone planted in the midst of earthly Paradise was a Figure of Iesus Christ and of the Sacrament of his body Man is a Tree saith Philo the Iew after Plato but a celestiall Tree and
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
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
cont Trypho that the Lamb was so disposed of when they rosted it that it made the Figure of a Crosse The selfe-same Lambe in other ceremonies was one of the most rare Figures of the Eucharist as our Sauiour declareth in generall when after the eating of the Lambe he instituted incontinently the Sacrifice of his body For he ioyned not with any other intention these two ceremonies S. Cyprian serm de Can. Denun but to shew that he accomplished this Figure past in this present verity and that vpon a Picture of most noble and most illustrious antiquitie he made as it were a bed or table for the Sacrifice of the Law of Grace which will appeare if we obserue the very lineaments of the Iudaical shadow expressed in the light of our faith First the Law commandeth to offer the Lambe in the euening of the fourteenth day of the first Moone that is to say of the first month of the yeare as hath been said and afterwards to eate it for it could not be eaten without it were first immolated as Saint Gregory of Nisse noteth S. Greg. Niss Or. 1. de Resur In the next place the selfe-same Law saith that they ought to eate it euery one priuately in his owne family These circumstances as the others of which we will speake hereafter haue infallibly been accomplished in some Sacrifices of the new Law Matt. 5.17.18 for otherwise Iesus Christ should not haue fulfilled the old Law from point to point according as he promised and should haue giuen a Figure or shadow without exhibiting the truth and substance Now this accomplishment hath not been made in the Sacrifice of the Crosse for this Sacrifice fell not out in the fourteenth but in the fifteenth day of the Moone which was the Friday following neither in the euening of the day but at midday when our Sauiour mounting on the Crosse hung thereon three hourses after before he died neither was there then any mysticall refection for none did eate at that time neither was this Sacrifice made priuately in euery Family but publikely and in the sight of the world These Ceremonies then touch not the Crosse whereas all of them agree very well to the Eucharist For our Sauiour offered himselfe therein Matth. 26. Marc. 24. Luc. 22. the true Lambe at the going downe of the Sun on Thursday the fourteenth day of the Moone and gaue himselfe to be catenpresently after and this in priuate onely in the presence of his Family which were his twelue Apostles representing then his deare Spouse the Church to whom he left for his last farewell out of this mortall life his body as a pledge of his infinit loue and an immortall memory of the good that he was to doe to vs and for vs. This ancient Figure then of the Paschall Lambe according to the circumstances thereof hath beed accomplished in the Eucharist and not elsewhere 4. HOW IESVS CHRIST IS IMITATED in the Eucharist BVt if the Lambe was imitated and immolation importeth occasion how is it that our Sauiour hath accomplished the verity of the immolation in the institution of the Eucharist seeing that he was not slaine at that time How can it be that he should now be immolated seeing that he is immortall The Catholike Doctors answere to this question that if one take the word of immolation strictly and in rigour signifying reall occasion it was not properly done but on the Crosse and heere is no immolation of that nature for so much as the body of our Sauiour is now remoued infinitely from the gripes of death and from all hurt not onely on the Altar but wheresoeuer else he is Rom. 6. Iesus Christ saith the Scripture being risen dyeth no more death hath no more power ouer him The same Doctors notwithstanding following the Scripture teach all with one accord that hee is mmolated in the Eucharist howbeit they be different in the explication of this immolation some haue said that there is no other thing but the bare representation of the death of our Sauiour which is not sufficient because so it should be but a Picture of immolation not true immolation nor such as the Catholike Doctrine teacheth vs. Wherefore the exposition of others is better and more agreeable to the Scriptures and to the testimony of antiquitie who hold that this immolation consists in this that our Sauiour gaue himselfe as hee yet giues himselfe for meate and drinke vnder the forme of dead things which are the accidents of bread and wine taking in them a dead being to wit of things that wee eate which is a being that hath neither life nor feeling So that as hee became mortall by taking vpon him our mortal nature in the which he was immolated in his owne person on the Altar of the Crosse albeit his Diuinity remained still immortall Euen so taking heere an exteriour being of a thing dead and giuing himselfe vnder such a being he exhibits himselfe as dead and after this manner he is truely immolated in regard of the formes though he remaine still in himselfe altogether impassible And although the humanity alone of the Sonne of God endured the strokes of death yet notwithstanding we say that God is truely dead because the Humanity and the Diuinity made then but one to wit one person God and man 1. Cor. 2.8 Iesus Christ In like manner we say that the body of our Sauiour is truely immolated albeit nothing but the species earieth the marks of death not because the forms make not one person but one Sacrament with the body of our Sauiour and this body is truely immolated and truely broken by reason of the species of bread which endures this breaking and likewise his bloud is truely shed not as the bloud which is drawne from the veines but after the maner as the substance of wine might a little before haue bin powred out in his owne kind to which succeeded the substance of bloud immolated without occasion as the first Councell of Nice explaines it Concil 1. Nicen. Cap. 5. and shed without bloudy effusion and truely immolated according to the order of Melchisedech vnder the dead formes of bread and wine Concil Trident. Sess 22. cap. 1. as speakes the Councell of Trent immolated not in Figure as of old in the Hebrew Sacrifices where his body was not present and immolated not in him himselfe and in his proper forme as it was on the Crosse but as it is said vnder the formes of bread and wine vnder which his body is present and it is in this sense that the holy Scripture and the Doctors teach that our Sauiour is offered or immolated in the Eucharist as shall be euident by the testimonies following 5. THE IMMOLATION OF THE BODY of our Sauiour in the Masse confirmed by the testimonies of the Scripture and ancient Fathers SAint Paul saith 1. Cor. 5.7 Christ our Paschall Lambe hath been immolated wherefore let vs feast with
bread without leauen bread of sincerity It is certaine that the Apostle meant the immolation of our Sauiour made in the Eucharist with refection and not that of the Crosse which was a Paschal Feast accompanied with torments of ignominies of distresses and wants and of other circumstances repugnant to a holy refection Saint AMBROST S. Ambros in cap. 1 Luc. When we Sacrifice Christ is present Christ is immolated for Christ our Passcouer hath been offered Saint Hierom after Origen giues the same exposition Orig. S. Hier. in 26. Mat. Concil 1. Nic. can 5. that Saint Ambrose of the words of Saint Paul and the first Councell of Nice saith that our Sauiour is immolated without effusion of bloud as we said euen now Saint Cyril of Hierusalem tells vs speaking of the Eucharist S. Cyril Hieres Catech. Mist 5. Christ is offered to God the Father for our sins Saint Gregory Nisse proueth it by the Figure of the Paschall Lambe saying S. Greg. Niss Or. 1. de Resur Euery man knoweth that man could not eate the Lambe but first it was immolated wherefore Iesus Christ gining his body to be eaten shewes manifestly that there was before a true and entire immolation Saint AVGVSTINE Iesus Christ S. Aug ep 23. ad Bonis hauing been once immolated in himselfe is he not neuerthe lesse immolated for the people euery day After the same language speake the other Doctors of the Church of God whom it is not needfull to cite we ought rather to admire heere the infinite power wisdom and bounty of our Redeemer in that he will vouchsafe to giue himselfe in such a fashion for the benefit of his members and that so much the more because the gift surpasseth not onely our merits but euen our thoughts For who could euer dare to hope who would euer thinke that he would so much abase himselfe after his triumphant Ascension that he would become meate for vs To apparell himselfe with mortality to make vs immortall To take a mortall Robe vpon him for to giue vs an immortall garment Is hee not truely all puissant in this effect all wise in this ordinance and al good in this charity As who for example would euer haue expected those other things which now wee see are come to passe if they were not done alreadie Who would haue thought that this selfe-same Sonne of God equall in all things to his Father immortall impossible most rich Creator and nourishers of all creatures could haue had the power and will to make himselfe Man a mortall man a needy little Insant sucking the breast of a Virgin to giue himselfe afterwards on the Crosse remaining alwayes what hee was before Who without particuler reuelation would euer haue thought this Wee know that he would doe it and that he hath done it and we admire it in our attentiue silence Admire then likewise the same God for that he giueth and continueth to giue his glorious body hidden vnder such base elements impassible vnder corruptible garments immortall vnder the robe of immortality and a great Creator vnder the cottage of a little creature a great God vnder the forme of a little Lambe 6. HOW THE PASCHALL LAMBE sheweth the vse and end of the Eucharist THere is yet one noble consideration more in the Paschall Lambe which shewes the vse and the end for which our Sacrifice was ordained The Paschall Lambe was instituted in signe of the deliuery of the Iewes Exod. 8.12.12 and in memory of it For they immolated it about the euening at the going downe of the Sunne and did eate it a little after towards night Deut. 16. and at midnight following was the Pasque or the Fast that is to say the passage of our Lord when passing thorow Aegypt hee slew by the hand of his reuenging Angell all the first borne which was the great blow he gaue for the deliuerance of the Iewes that was to follow the next day and Moses by the ordinance of God aduertised the Iewes to teach their posterity that this Sacrifice of the Lambe was commanded in memory of this deliuerance Exod. 12.14.26 Wherefore this was a signe of the benefit to be receiued and a memoriall thereof after it was receiued The resemblance of this Figure hath been perfectly accomplished in the verity For our Sauiour ordained the Sacrament and Sacrifice of his body vpon the euening of that night in which he was taken to be crucified the next morning and passe from this world into another to stisle by his death the true first-borne of Aegypt to wit the sinnes of mankinde and to bury afterwards in his precious bloud as within the depth of a red-Sea of his infinite merits the powers of hell for the true deliuerance of his Elect. This Sacrifice then was a signe of the victory which was to be gotten and a memoriall of the same after it was gained this our Sauiour signified when instituting the same he foretold the Apostles of his death and commanded them to doe what hee had done in remembrance of him Doe this in remembrance of me that is to say Luc. 22.19 1. Cor. 11.24 celebrate this Sacrifice in remembrance of that I shall haue done for your redemption For as the night which followed the institution of the Paschall Lambe was the great Vigil and immediate signe of the deliuerance of the Hebrewes so also the midnight of our Sauiour which followed the institution of this Sacrifice was the great brunt and the immediate ensigne of our redemption The time of this midnight was at ful midday whē he moūted on the Crosse to encounter the enemy and to ouerthrow our sins with out-stretched armes this was a profound midnight indeed of spirituall darknesse in which they were buried which procured his death a midnight also of corporall darknesse for the Sunne and the Moone enraged with the indignity of such a crime committed against the person of their Creator were suddenly colypsed and caused a profound darknesse extraordinary and a dreadfull night in the midst of the day And as the Ceremony of the Paschall Lambe continued in memory of the good receiued in Aegypt so long as the Synagogue endured So in like maner the Sacrifice of the Masse was instituted to continue in memory of the victorious Passion of our Lord so long as the Church shall be militant heere on earth and this is it which Saint Paul saith 1. Cor. 11.26 writing to the Christians of Gorinth As often as you shall eate of this Bread and drinke of this Chalice you shew the death of the Lord vntill he come that is to say euen vntill the great day 7. OF THE CEREMONIES VSED IN eating the Paschall Lambe THere were a great number of Mysticall Ceremonies vsed in eating of the Iewes Paschall Lambe which in their shadowes Figure to vs the truth of ours and together instruct vs how we ought to eate it for to draw substance of life from it The Iewes
not of bodies of the beasts as in the old Law but of the body of God by which body he hath been soueraignely honored with which he hath bin fully appeased in which he hath ouercome the power of his capitall enemie and shall one day come to iudge both the quicke and the dead So as the worship is most soueraigne and the thing offered so great that it cannot be greater which as it is an art of Religion most honorable to the Creator so is it most beneficiall also to his creature who receiuing this precious body from the liberality of God offers it to him againe for an Holocaust for a thanksgiuing for a Propitiation or remission of sin honoring him for his gifts with his proper gift as in Figure thereof In the Law of Nature and Mâ—yses the holy Saints did honor him in making offrings of those goods that they had receiued of him Which is it that the great and deuout King Dauid confesseth saying All things are thine 1. Paral. â—9 14 and we haue giuen thee that which wee haue receiued from thy hands In this Sacrament wee haue likewise a lesson of humility seeing our Sauiour to appeare amongst vs in a poore familiar habit without attendance and in a meaner manner then Dauid when he came to the Priest Achimelech 1. 〈◊〉 2. to appeare I say not in his owne garment but vnder the formes of bread and wine hiding therewith his robe of glory that wee might with greater confidence draw neere vnto him Wee haue heere also a lesson of patience beholding our Redeemer to endure so constantly and for so many ages the iniuries that the wicked doe vnto him through their misbeleefe their sinues their blasphemies treading him vnder their feete casting him into the fier and the like dishonors though all this be done without any hurt of his impassible body Heere we haue also a lesson of obedience in that he is present without faile at the voyce of his Vicar whosoeuer he be pronouncing the words of his omnipotency ouer the bread and wine Heere therefore we haue a lesson of all the most high vertues giuen by the example it selfe of our Redeemer a manner of teaching most cleare and pregnant and recommended vnto vs by himselfe when he said I haue giuen you an example to the end you should doe as you haue seeneme do Hee ceased not to giue vs examples of well doing from time to time while he liued and conuersed with vs but heere hee giueth vs the patternes and examples of diuine vertues from better imitation altogether Behold the wonders of our Sacrament without comparison greater then those of Manna and far more worthy for the which we should say Man-hu What is this for neither men nor Angels can sufficiently enough admire it A COLLOQVIVM OF PRAISES AND thanksgiuing to God VVHat remaines heere then O Lord Almighty most good and most wise but that we eleuate our hearts to the contemplation of this thy diuine Sacrament And Bauing admired the wonders of thy greatnesse to render thee immortall thankes for thy immortall benefits But who can worthily contemplate the price and the excellencie of this benefit if thou giuest not eyes and light to see it And what tongue shall be able to speake of this thy great mercy Moyses considering thy goodnesse and resounding thy praises said Deut. 32. Let the Earth heare the words of my mouth let my doctrine grow vp together as raine and my speech flow as the dew as a shower vpon the hearbe and as drops vpon the grasse for I will inuocate the name of our Lord. Giue magnificence to our God the workes of God bee perfect and all his wayes Iudgements It is heere where there is need of such an Orator and of such a language to magnifie and praise such a gift as surpasseth all those that the Hebrewes did euer receiue and to extoll such a worke as carrieth with it markes of diuine perfection ingrauen therein by the hand of God all good all wise and all mighty Though Moyses himselfe were heere and that his language were eloquence it selfe yet hee would come short to speake of thy Matesty herein O Lord. The tongues of Angels stammer in vttering this Mystery and wee Fecome dumbe the more we endeauour to speake thereof Our highest praise is an humble confession of our insufficiency and our greatest endeauour is to contemplate heere in silence thy great vertue to adâ—â—re with respect thy admirable wisdome to thanke with loue thy infinite goodnesse which wee desire to d ee O sweete Iesus all the time of our mortall life to the end that hauing well knowne the benefit of this Manna and wonderfull pasture of our pilgrimage we may come to enioy the other which thou holdest hidden for the life to come 〈…〉 in the treasures of thy felicitie THE SEVENTH PICTVRE THE BREADS OF PROPOSITION The Description THese twelue Loaues set vpon the Table six at each end piled one aboue another and the Violl of gold aboue them full of most pure Incense are those which the Scripture calleth the Loaues of Proposition or Breads of faces as who would say Bread exposed and set in a publike and sacred place before the face of God There lyeth hid vnder this name a double mystery which the Pensill knowes not how to expresse they are made by Priests onely of most pure flower weighing about eight pounds euery one all Loaues well prepared but neither puffed vp nor great in regard of their weight because they are without leauen They offered them euery weeke and they were to be renewed euery Sabbath-day and hot ones to bee put in their place the Loaues being taken away the Priests might eate them They are twelue because it is the offering of all the Children of Israel diuided into twelue Tribes by which they make a Present in common of thankes to God acknowledging their life and conuersation to come from his Maiestie The Table where they are sett is made of Setim a pretious and incorruptible wood It is two cubits long and one broad all gilded with fine gold and enriched with a circle of gold also which goeth all about bordered with double crownes of foure fingers large the one aboue the other beneath It is put vpon two tressels made of the same wood of a cubit and a halfe long square and sett vpon feete cut and carued It is placed towards the North vpon the right side of the Sanctuary And on the left side towards the South there stands the golden Candlesticke with seuen Lampes and betweene both the Altar of Incense But who is this braue Knight Dauid 1. Râ—g 21. accompanied with certaine Light-hoâ—semen that speaketh with Achimelech the High Priest keeper of these Loaues and as it seemes all astonished to see him It is without doubt valiant Dauid who flying the fury of Saul is come to the City Nob in haste being stolne away from the Court and hee askes something to
the ancient holinesse of the first Christians in communicating deuoutly What is become of the chastitie of the first Christianity Where doe you see as of old the concourse of godly soules purely amorous of this their Spouse and soberly hungry after this banquet If there be yet any as it ought not to be doubted but there are many thousands hidden within the Oratory of the Sanctuary of the House of God the number notwithstanding is exceeding little in comparison of that which hath been and which ought and might be if we had the courage and deuotion of our Ancestors Proueâ—bs 9. Come hither then O faithfull soules but come prepared put on your nuptiall garments the more worthily to present your selues before your Spouse who is the Soueraigne and all-seeing Wisdome whet and sharpen the appetites of your hearts approach to the Table that he hath prepared for you eate the liuing Bread which he hath so well seasoned drinke the celestiall Wine which hee hath mingled for you Bread which giues eternall life Wine which maketh drunk with happinesse and felicity sill vp the Feast there are yet many empty places and encrease your glory by encreasing the number of the inuited THE EIGHT PICTVRE THE OBLATION OF THE FIRST fruits at Pentecost The Description THE better to vnderstand how this Assembly celebrates the Sacrifice of the First-fruits you are to conceiue the forme of the Temple in which it is made The Temple of the Iewes as it is commonly taken Ezech 40.41 is this inclosure of walles hauing fiue hundred cubits in square but to speake properly it is that House built within the enclosure towards the West end magnificently couered in height twenty cubits and fixtie in length diuided into two parts the first of which is twenty cubits long and is the most holy part for this is the Holy of holies place for the Arke of Couenant where no person enters sauing onely the High-Priest and that but once in the yeere The second is forty cubits in length and in it is placed the Altar of Perfumes right against the doore of the Sancta Sanctorum hauing on euery side fiue Candlestickes of gold and fiue Tables for Breads of Proposition as elsewhere we haue said On this Altar euery Prince of the Priests in the circuit of his office offers Incense to God euening and morning as Zachary did Zachary Luke 1. the father of Saint Iohn Baptist The rest of the inclosure is without roofe diuided into two great Yards or Courts each one being an hundred cubits in length and largenesse On the South side and North side were certaine houses called Gazophilaces as much to say as treasuries They were for the habitations of Priests and Leuites and to keepe the holy treasures hauing neere vnto them certaine walking-places and little walls The first Court separated from the second by a little wall hauing a portall in the midst is the place where the Priest make their Sacrifices vpon this great Alzar which is night against the Temple Where you see fiue Cesterns on the right hand and fiue on the left full of water to wash the entrals and feete of the Victimes And on the left side of the wall of separation neere to the Portall a molten Cesterne called a Sea by reason of the exceeding great capacity thereof for it is ten cubits square and fiue cubit deepe and this is the sountaine wherein the Priests washed their hands and feer when they went to offer Sacrifice The second Court is the place for Lay-people and this little raised vp seat in the forme of a seaffold in the midst of it is a Throne of brasse fiue cubits square 2. Paral. 9.13 and three cubits high where Salomon and the Kings of the Iewes after him were placed during the time of the Sacrifice Now this great multitude of men which are in the first Court are the Priests and Leuites and the other in the other Court are the people all there assembled for the solemnity of the new Oblation of the first fruits in Haruest called the Feast of Pentecost In which Oblation after many bloudy Sacrifices to wit of seuen Lambes two sheepe one Oxe offered in Holocaust and one Goate offered for sinne two Wheat-loaues with two Lambes were offered to God as Peace-offerings that is to say in action of thankes euery one hauing made an Oblation of his first fruits to the Priests according to the Law In the first partition are only Priests in the second the women are in an Oratory seperated from the men and all as well men as women see all and euery part of the Sacrifice which is done in the Court of Priests For that the Altar was raised vp ten cubits high and the walles which seperated the Court 2. Paral. 41. were but three cubits high they easily heare the voices of the Priests and of the Musicall Instruments Ioseph lib. 5. de â—â—lls lad cap. 14. and Trumpets which sound while the Sacrifice burneth The seuen Lambs the fat Calfe the two sheepe are long since wholly consumed in the fier without any part reserued saue onely their skins for this is an Holocaust that is to say a Sacrifice wherein all must bee burnt to the honor of God without reseruing any thing to Priests or Lay-people The Hee Goate also is all consumed to ashes because it is offered in common for the sinnes of the people for if it were offered for one particular person a part thereof had been kept to the Priests according to the Law of the Propitiatory Sacrifice which gineth them that prerogatiue Herehence it is that the Scripture saith that they eate the sinnes of the people that is to say the Sacrifices offered for the sinnes of the people The two Loaues which are as it were the body and heart of this Sacrifice are made of sine Wheat-flower Oser 4.8 as the Proposition Loaues but of leauened paste whereas those of Proposition are without leauen which is a mysterious shadow they are made in the forme of round cakes the High-Priest offers them now to God lifting them vp to heauen by a remarkable ceremony with the Lambes placed vnder them and turning them from the South into the North and from the East to the West prayes to God with these words Looke from thy Sanctuary Deut. 26.15 and thy highest habitation of heauen and blesse thy people of Israel the Land which thou hast giuen to vs as thou swarest to our fore-fathers a Land slowing with milke and hony after this eleuation the Loaues and the Lambes remaine to him as his right All the world is in prayers and deuotion adoring the diuine Maiesty imploring his mercy and rendering thankes for his goodnesse not without demonstration of the inward eleuation of their soules by the outward mouings and gestures of their bodies One lifts vp his eyes to heauen another striketh his breast another ioynes his hands many bow down their heads and bend their knees some
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
there the food is heere immortall thy food there will be immortall Hee which hath of his owne free cost and charges prepared this Feast on earth for the food of his Pilgrims the selfe-same will prepare according to his magnificency the Feast of felicity in heauen for a glorious triumph of those who shall haue runne couragiously in the pathes of his diuine Lawes Yet there is a difference For in this Feast nothing but faith soberly perceiues the sauour of the meate and the sweetnesse of the drinke humane sense and iudgement seeth nothing heere but couered dishes without power to touch them In that there the meate shall bee exposed to the appetite of the soule to the full in a magnificent and open table and the senses shall haue also their good part In this heere we are mortall growing in the Land of the dying in that wee shall bee immortall without feare of death or disquiet set in the possession of the Land of the Liuing and of the eternall kingdome but who can vtter by word or imagine by thought the magnificency of that royall Feast The great Apostle rapt vp euen into the third heauen to learne the lessons of those diuine mysteries 1. Cor 2.9 Esay 6.4.4 knew not how to doe it and shewed himselfe learned in the confession of his ignorance in the mysteries of God This is a Feast vnknowne to any that is not set at the Table to eate and drinke there Well then O faithfull soules and trauellers in this Desart redeemed by this Lord beloued of this Spouse inuited to those nuptiall banquets purely vse the meat that he hath prepared and that he offereth you in pawne of his loue in this mortall life liue holily 〈…〉 attend patiently keepe your lampes replenished with the oyle of your good workes and kindled with the light of your conuersation to the end that when the time of the celestiall mariage shall come the doore may be opened to you that you may enter to the Feast And thou O sweete Lambe which shall bee the great King and the great food of this immortall table effect if it please thee by the infinite merite of thy Crosse that wee may sit downe there according to the promise of thy Testament and that wee there may liue eternally there to praise thee euerlastingly Amen FINIS Laus Deo beataequeVirgini MariaÌ„ omnibus sanctis A TABLE OF THE PICTVRES DESCRIPTIONS AND EXPOSITIONS OF THEM PICTVRE I. Paradise and the Tree of Life THe Description Page 13 1 The Church of God liuely set forth in earchly Paradise Page 16 2 Of the benefits and excellent qualities of the Church described in the patterne of earthly Paradise Page 18 3 The holy Sacrament of the Altar figured by the tree of life Page 19 4 Resemblances of the tree of life to the holy Sacrament of the Altar Page 20 5 Of the excellency of the holy Sacrament of the Altar farre aboue the tree of life Page 23 6 The body of the Sauiour nourishment of the soule and cause of the glorious resurrection of the body Page 24 7 The Sacrament of the body of the Sonne of God tree of all the earth Page 25 8 Certaine spirituall aspirations of the soule desiring the cleare vision of the body of our Sauiour and a giuing thankes for the same Page 26 PICTVRE II. The Sacrifice of Abel THe Description Page 29 1 The Sacrifice of Abel a Figure of the Crosse and of the Eucharist Page 31 2 The accord of the Figure of the Sacrifice of Abel with that of the Masse Page 32 Of two sorts of Sacrifices Page 34 3 God permits euill to draw good forth of it for his glory and the profit of his children Page 35 4 Abel an Image of the Iust and Cain of the wicked Page 38 PICTVRE III. The Sacrifice of Melchisedech THe Description Page 42 1 Melchisedech the Figure of our Sauiour Page 45 2 The Priest-hood of the Son of God figured in that of Melchisedech Page 46 3 Wherefore our Sauiour hath Iustituted the Sacrament and Sacrifice of his body vnder the formes of bread wine Page 47 4 The bread and wine signes of the Passion of our Sauiour in his Sacrament Page 48 5 The bread and wine in the Eucharist signes of the mysticall body of our Sauiour Page 49 6 The body of our Sauiour called bread his bloud wine Page 50 7 What this Sacrament is ibid. 8 What a Sacrifice is and how it is offered in the Masse Page 51 9 The difference betweene a Sacrament and a Sacrifice Page 53 10 No Religion without Sacrifice Page 54 11 Testimonies of the Hebrew Doctors vpon the same subiect that is of the Sacrifice of Melchisedech Page 55 12 Testimonies of the ancient Greeke Fathers vpon the Figure of Melchisedech Page 56 13 Testimonies of the ancient Latine Fathers Page 58 14 The difference betweene the Sacrifice of the Crosse and that of the Eucharist Page 59 15 The difference of the Sacrifice of Melchisedech and of this of the Masse Page 60 16 The good spirituall souldiers are worthy of the food and blessing of the body of our Lord. Page 61 PICTVRE IV. Isaak on the Altar THe Description Page 63 1 Isaak and the Ramme sacrificed a Figure of the death of our Sauiour and of the Sacrifice and Sacrament of his body Page 67 2 The height of the mystery of the Eucharist signified by the Mountaine and by Abraham and how wee are to appreach to it Page 69 PICTVRE V. The Paschall Lambe THe Description Page 73 1 Of the time of Immolation of the Paschall Lambe and of the Holy and Ciuill yeare of the Hebrewes and of their Neomenia or new Moone Page 75 2 Wherefore the yeare of the Hebrewes was Lunary and how the Synagogue was compared to the Moone Page 78 3 The Paschall Lamb a Figure of the Sacrifice of the Crosse and of the Eucharist Page 80 4 How Iesus Christ is imitated in the Eucharist Page 82 5 The Immolation of the body of our Sauiour in the Masse confirmed by the testimonies of the Scripture and ancient Fathers Page 84 6 Hom the Paschall Lambe sheweth the vse and end of the Encâ—arist Page 86 7 Of the ceremonies vsed in eating the Paschall Lambe Page 88 PICTVRE VI. Manna in the Desert THe Description Page 93 1 Manna a Figure of the Sacrament of the Altar Page 95 2 The correspondence of Manna to the Sacrament of the Altar Page 96 3 What signified the likenesse of Manna to Coriander Page 99 4 The holy Sacrament kept in the Tabernacle as Manna in the Arke Page 100 5 The Bread of the Iewes beares the name of wonder in Figure of our wonderfull Sacrament of the Altar Page 101 6 The wonderfull power of God in the Sacrament of the Altar Page 102 7 Of the omnipotemcie of God in Transubstantiation Page 104 8 This Change is a miracle for the faithfull Page 106 9 Of the same power of God shewed in