perfection of his praier as his disciples which were with him then at his table O glorious speech O blessed praier which Christ vsed when hee said I doe not pray for them only but for those which shall hereafter beleeue in me although we had neuer seen him nor done him any seruice at all nor deserued any loue at his hands yet he praied with as great affection for vs as for those which sat at his table Rabanus sayth Because the sonne of God was the founder of the church he praied vnto his father for those of his church not forgetting nor excluding any one by reason whereof we shall aske with great confidence those things which belong to the saluation of our soule for seeing he doth pray to his Father for those things which are fit for vs it is to be beleeued that he will not deny vs of that which himselfe possesseth Theophilus sayth Marke well that Christ dooth not pray here for those which beleeue that there is a God but onely for those which doe beleeue in God The Pagan doth beleeue that there is a God the diuell doth know well that to be true which God saith but onely the good Christian doth beleeue in God because hee doth that which God dooth command him There bee many which beleeue that there is a God as the Pagan dooth and beleeue God as the diuel doth but they do not beleeue in God as the good Christian doth for the Apostle sayth that our faith is not knowne by the words which we speake but in the good works which we doe Christ doth conclude sayth Vt omnes sint Consummati in vnum that is hee entreateth his Father that all those which be at his table and all those which shall after succeed in his catholicke church may end in one faith in one baptisme in one loue and in one charity CHAP. VII Herein he entreateth of the variety and diuersity of names of the sacrifices of the old Testament and of the exellency of the sacrifice of the new Testament SI oblatio tua fuerit de sartagine similae conspersum oleo absquefermento diuides eam minutatim funde super eum oleum Leuit. 2. chap. God spake these words to holy Moyses giuing him order how the Priests should be appointed and how the sacrifices should be offered as if he would say If any Hebrew will offer vnto God any fruit to bee fried in a frying pan the floure must bee kned with oile and without leauen and after it is well fried and oile sprinkled vpon it and cut into very smal peeces so offered vnto Aaron to bee offered vpon the altar Before wee come to expound these mysteries we must shew the cause why our Lord would busie and occupy the people of the Iewes in such strange rites in such new sacrifices and in so many ceremonies being as hee was so graue a Lord and so mighty a God Stapulensis in the first of Leuiticus sayth That for three causes God commanded the Iewes to offer so many small sacrifices and made with so many ceremonies The first is that because the Iews had beene brought vp in Aegypt where all were idolatours and they giuen to Idolatry the Lord would that they should offer those sacrifices vnto him and not to the gods of the Gentiles The second reason is that because vnder those sacrifices hee would declare and figure the true sacrifice which should come into the world which was his precious sonne The third reason is that being occupied in that multitude of sacrifices they should haue no time to bestow in committing of other sinnes because the foundation of all wickednesse is accursed idlenesse It is also to be noted that there was seuen kinds of sacrifices in the old law vnto the which all other were reduced although they seemed to be infinite The first sacrifice was called Holocaustum which was the greatest and most sumptuoust of all because it was offered vnto our Lord without any other respect the second was called Pacificum because it was offered in time of warre partly because our Lord should giue them peace in their times and partly because he should giue thē victory against their enemies The third was called Propiciatory which was offered in time of great dearth or pestilence and the end of it was because our Lord should withdraw his hand from ouer them and take that plague from them The fourth was called Pontificat which was offered for the sinnes of the priest of the Temple and the end of it was because they did hold it certaine that if the Priest were loaden with sinnes that the Lord at his handes would not accept the sacrifices The fift was called Regale which was offered for the sinnes which the king had committed and the end of it was because the Lord should pardon the sins which he had committed lighten him to gouern well his Commonwealth The sixt was called Common which was offered for the sins of all the people of Israel the end of it was that the Lord should take them vnder his protection look vpon that people The seuenth was called Particular this was offered for euery particular person and the end of it was that God should pardon him for that which was past giue him grace to amend hereafter All these sacrifices differed in the beasts which were offered in them in the ceremonies with the which they were offered and in one thing they all agreed that is that there could no sacrifice be made for the remission of any sin vnlesse the bloud of one cleane beast were shed The Apostle said not without great cause Non fit sanguinis effusio sed remissio because no mā could bee made cleane of a fault in the old law but by the death of some beast Origen sayth It is certain that euery beast doth rather liue by his bloud than by his flesh or members or bones which he goeth with for when he leaueth bleeding hee leaueth breathing Although it bee true that in recompence of the least fault we are bound to offer our life for it yet God in the old law was content with the life of a dead beast in recompence of the life which that Iew did owe him O how happie we be which fight vnder the name of Christ because the parishioners of the synagogue did offer the bloud of dead beasts but the faithful Christians offer nothing but the bloud of the sonne of the liuing God insomuch that we haue no necessity to offer our liues in recompence of our offences because the life of one was sufficient to make cleane all the faults of the world S. Paule could not praise Christs buying of vs better than to say Emptiestis pretio magno giuing vs thereby to vnderstand that with the bloud of his vaines hee had bought our liues and also taken away our offences For to haue pardoned a Iew of his fault it was necessary euery time that hee had sinned to
better bee verified in Christ than in any other seeing that from the first instant that he tooke humane flesh vpon him he saw the deuine essence and knew as much as hee dooth now in glorie vvhich is not so in other men seeing they are long a bringing vp and vvaxe old very timely The sonne of God vvas also an Hebrue of the tribe of Iuda a vvhich vvas the most honourable stocke of all the tribes and hee vvas of Nazareth vvhich vvas a holy land and he vvas also the most honourable of all his kindred Thirdly the sonne of God vvas best beloued of his father because of him and of no other he said in his baptisme Hic est filius meus dilectus as if hee vvould say This is only my lawful child in him only am I vvel pleased this only is my heire him onely I doe tender and loue in him I delight and take great contentment Fourthly the son of God vvas a very thicke mud vvall a close hedge vvhich put himselfe betwixt God and the people vvhen he suffered himselfe to bee crucified vpon the crosse vpon the vvhich as strong battelments they discharged all the sinnes vvhich vvere in the vvorld and all the wrath vvhich God had O glorious hedge O happie vvall O strong vvounds such vvast thou O redeemer of my soule seeing thou diddest permit and consent to put thy selfe a mediator betwixt God man to the end they should vnlode and put vpon thee all the sins of the vvorld and all the vengeance vvhich God vvas to take for them S. Gregory vpon Ezechiell sayth The sonne of God only vvas the man he sought for this vvas the vvall he required this vvas the mediator he asked for this is the pacifier of the old quarrell and of Gods vvrath this is the reformer of new grace and this is the ouerthrower of the old sinne S. Ierome vpon this place sayth The man vvhich God sought by Ezechiel who else was hee but the son of the liuing God and our redeemer Who like vnto an vnexpugnable wall did put himselfe boldly betwixt God and vs saying Pater ignosce illis Father forgiue them By which words he did not like that our sinnes should come into the sight of God neither suffered he Gods wrath and vengeance to descend vpon vs. Origen vpon S. Marke sayth That whē the two chiefe captaines of the synagogue Moses and Aaron perceiued that the Lord began to poure his wrath and anger vpon the people they went immediatly vnto the tabernacle the one to pray and the other to doe sacrifice to be a mean betwixt God and them because that otherwise God would haue poured out his anger vpon them the Synagogue haue receiued great hurt and detriment That which happened vnto those two holy men in the desart happened vnto Christ on the mount of Caluarie who seeing the elements to be troubled and the dead to rise againe to reuenge his death and punish that nation he made himselfe a mediator and a stikeler betwixt God and them and praied Paterignosce illis as if hee would say Pardon them my father pardon them for if thou wilt not pardon them it will bee a greater griefe vnto me to see them lost then my passion which causeth mee to die What would become of the Iewes then if Christ had not said vnto his father father forgiue them and what should betide vs now if he should not say Pater parce illis Spare them father S. Barnard saith in a sermon That this word of Ignosce illis Forgiue them is of such a deepe consideration that it should neuer be out of a sinners mouth nor blotted out of his memory because that the sonne of God did shew his mercy more vnto vs in two things thē in al the rest that is in the pardon which he got vs of his father and in the bloud which he shed for vs on the crosse Anselmus reasoning with Christ sayth What doest thou crie for what doest thou aske what doest thou intreat for what wilt thou what seekest thou what saiest thou to thy father O good Iesus what saiest thou I intreat O my father that thou wouldest forgiue them because they know not what they do and that thou wouldest load my flesh with thy anger and I intreat that there remaine nothing vnteconciled vnto thee because that my redemption would seem vnperfect and insufficient if there should remaine in any a fault to bee redeemed and in thy selfe any anger to punish vs. O what an enflamed charity what a wonderfull example what incredible patience what entire loue thou diddest shew vs O sweet Iesus in this speech of Father forgiue them the which thou diddest vtter not for an ease to thy griefe but in fauour of thy persecutors O what infinite goodnesse what vnspeakable clemencie what strange charitie doth shine this day in thee O my Iesus and sauiour seeing thou doest loose those which bind thee pleadest for those which diffame thee entreatest for those which accuse thee excusest those which blame thee and pardonest also those which will kill thee What meaneth this O good Iesus what meaneth this doest thou pray for them at the very instant which they blaspheme thee mocke thee and laugh thee to scorne They haue pierced thee with a speare and yet doest thou giue them an acquittance and a release of the blow What mortall man can praise himselfe or bost to haue done that which thou hast done that is to craue pardon for murderers before they haue confessed their fault and seeke to release them before they haue repented They will not returne into the citie before thou hast yeelded vp the ghost and wilt not thou die before thou hast first pardoned them Who euer saw or heard any thing like vnto this to wit that pardon should proceed first out of his blessed bowels before the blood should end to issue out of his tender vaines Doest thou not remember to aske a sepulchre for thy body and doest thou remember to aske forgiuenesse and mercie for those which crucified thee O sweet Iesus O my soules glorie who but thou could haue the breath going out of his body and Ignosce illis Pardon them in his mouth To defend thy selfe couldest not thou open thy mouth and to excuse thy enemies couldst not thou keepe it shut S. Chrisostome sayth The sonne of God onely was he who on the altar of the crosse inspeaking these words Father forgiue them coupled ioined and handfasted together pittie and cruelty the offence and mercie anger and patience hatred and loue killing and pardoning With as great reason sayth Hilarius we can now say Vbi sunt irae tuae antiquae as the Prophet Dauid said Vbi sunt misericordiae tuae antiquae seeing we bee certaine that from the houre that the son of God died vpō the crosse we may cal him Pater misericordiarū as the Synagogue called him Deus vltionū The God of reuenge No man ought to distrust Christs
kill a beast but in Christs holy law one death tooke away all deaths one life did buy all liues and one paine tooke away all paines and offences When the Apostle calleth Christ Hostiam viuentem he wanteth not a deepe secret and a profound mystery because that in the old law they called Hostiā the sacrifice which was offered against those which were enemies they offered nothing but dead sacrifices because the beast which they did offer was neither called sacrifice nor Hostia vntill his life had been taken from him The sonne of God gaue the name of Hostia a sacrifice when he died and the name of life when he rose againe and therefore wee may very well call him a liuely sacrifice a holy sacrifice a pure sacrifice and holy bread seeing that hee is the sacrifice and Hostie which giueth life vnto all and is the holiest sacrifice of all other and the purest and the cleanest bread of all others Anima cum obtulerit oblationem sacrificij domino similae erit eius oblatio fundet super eam oleum ponet thus Leuit. 2. God spake these words vnto Moyses because he should tel them the people of Israel as if hee should say If any will offer any sacrifice which shall bee acceptable vnto mee offer mee it of the purest floure mingled with oile and therewithall he shal adde a little frankincense If wee doe curiously looke vnto it of three things onely our Lord requireth an offering of vs that is pure floure good oile and sweet incense the which things are easiy to bee found light to offer and not costly to buy S. Ambrose sayth In this wee may see what a great desire our Lord hath to pardon the sinnes which we commit against him in that he himselfe doth teach vs what sacrifices we should offer vnto him What is vnderstood by that fine sifted floure but that most sacred humanity of the sonne of God This holy floure was so sifted and putrified that all the Angels which shall come to see it and all the men in the world which shall come to clense it shall not find in that sacred humanity one smal grite of originall sinne nor on spot of mortall sinne nor one little dust of any other small sinne Of this most pure floure Christ did knead the sacramentall bread in his last supper which he left vs in the church which doth differ farre from that which mother Eue did leaue her children because that in eating of that we doe sinne and receiuing of this we doe liue What is the incense which God commaunded vs to offer with the floure in his Temple but the diuinity which is ioined with the humanity in Christ Vntill the gate of the Temple the floure was carried by it selfe and the incense by itselfe but being brought to the gate of the Temple the one was incorporated with the other which mystery was most notably accomplished in the comming of Christ because that so farre asunder was mankind which was here vpon earth from the diuinity which was in heauen but the son of God comming into the world immediately God with man and man with God became one What is the oile with the which God commanded the floure and incense to be tempered but that which in the blessed Trinitie wee call the holy-ghost The coniunction bond of loue betwixt the Father and the son and hee who did incorporate the floure with the incense was no other but the holy-ghost for so said the prophesie Vnxit te deus deus tuus eleo letetia and so said the Angell vnto the virgine when he said Spiritus sanctus superueniet in te That which the Prophet called oile the Angell afterward did cal the holy-ghost insomuch that the cake which God demanded of floure oile and incense was nothing else but the humanity of him which was made by the father and by the son and by the holy-ghost A cake so well seasoned a sacrifice so highly well made which of the saints would not offer and which of the Angels would not adore The sacrifice which God did demand in times past was not that which the Synagogue did offer but that which the catholike church doth now offer for they did offer him dow wet in vineger and foustie oile and most sharpe incense but the sacrifice which wee doe now offer him is the humanity and diuinity of Christ vnited and put together by the handes of the holy-ghost It is no reason that the Christian and deuour reader should be ignorant why God commanded but a part of the floure to bee offered but all the incense To put a measure in the floure was to say that the humanity of it selfe was limitted and had an end and to put no measure in the frankincense was to say that in the diuinity there is neither beginning nor end which is most true because the workes which the sonne of God did were limmitted and circumscribed in that that he was man but being kneaded with the oile of the holy-ghost he made them infinite in value and weight To come then to our first purpose the text sayth si oblatio tua fuerit de sartagine simile conspersa oleo absque fermento diuides eam minutatim fundas super cam oleum as if he should say The fritter which thou shalt offer vnto me shall bee made of the floure of the meale without leauen kned with very good oile and then being well pricked thou shalt sprinckle it ouer with new oile If there should bee no mystery hidden vnder this Iudaicall sacrifice wee might haue occasion to thinke that our Lord were a glutton and giuen to variety of meats seeing that in the beginning of this chapter he asked of thē fritters or cake dressed with good oile and now againe a cake made of the floure of wheat and that without leauen small broken and fried in a frying pan in very whote oile Of this high and new sacrifice what is the floure but the humanity which suffered what the oile but the loue with the vvhich hee died and what the frying pan but the crosse where hee died To say that God the Father did aske for a cake made in a frying pan and to say that the crosse of his sonne was the frying pan and that the fine floure of his precious flesh was fried in that fryingpan and that the oile with the which it was fried was the loue with the which he redeemed vs is no vnreuerent speech to vse neither is there any errorin affirming it seeing wee he certain that there is no word writtē in holy Scripture which is not full of high mystery The property of the fryingpan is being put vpon the fire the fire dooth not wast him nor melt him as hee doth many other thinges and beside hee maketh those meats which are cold hard and not to be eaten whote soft and very sauourous What was the death and passion of our redeemer Iesus Christ but a frying