significatioÌ„ because that maiesty properly we giue kings thereby signifying their dignity whiche proceedeth from their authority power dominion they possesse ouer ther kingdoms This same transferred to God signifieth the dignity he possesseth by the right title he enioys of the ful dominioÌ„ ouer the world which proceedeth from three perfections of God for that he is the first beginning the last end and conseruer of all things The loue of god in instituting this sacrament was most maiesticall because therin he shewd his dominion ouer al dominion that is the compleat right he had in disposing of his owne person as a king should giue himselfe to redeeme his kingdom his loue by al reason ought to be deemed most kingly and maiestical for in renouncing his right he shevveth his ful authority eueÌ„ so our sauior by debasing himself so low in a certain sort renouncing his right declareth most manifestly the maiestye of his loue By ordaining this sacrifice of himselfe hee manifesteth likwise the maiestie of his loue in the aforesaide three perfections For none but he that hath full and complet dominion ouer God can institute a sacrament or sacrifice wherein the contained is God and consequently he sheweth himselfe to haue power and authoritie ouer all that appertaineth to God Besides instituting it to conserue our soules he declares how to him properly belongeth our spirituall conseruation and since this sacrifice tendeth to God as the finall cause of all our supernaturall good he revealeth vnto vs that he is our end and that by possessing his loue we attaine our consummate felicitie Therefore it proceedeth from a loue maiesticall containeth a maiesticall and tendeth to a maiesticall Tenth Glory THe glory of God cannot be seperated from his loue for as all his other attributes and internall actions are the selfe same thing with his deitie so is his loue and therefore as infinite in perfection as the rest we call his loue glorious because it issueth speaking according to the capacities of our wits from the light of glory whereby God is blessed in himselfe besides it is one essentiall part of his selicitie to loue himselfe and therefore wee ought the more to prize this loue that hauing before it all goodnesse all beauty all delight al wisdome al power and in fine al perfections it would vouchsafe to extend it selfe to vs and impart infinitie goodnes as though it were not sufficiently satiated at home It is lastly glorious because it appointeth a sacrament wherin Gods maiestie is exceedingly glorified our soules and bodyes are embalmed against corruption preserued for glory in life euerlasting Eleuenth Libertie HIs walking among the seauen candlestickes manifested his libertie that he was not bound so to one church but that he might leaue it go to an other nor so restrained to any but that he might leaue them al forcertain it is that as he freely of loue without need created this world so freely of loue he instituted the Eucharist and as he created the world not from the beginning but after an eternitie to giue vs to vnderstand that he who enioyed al felicitie a whole eternitie without the world had no neede of it but onelye for our good and his loue he produced it in tyme in like sort he instituted not this blessed Sacrament strait after Adams falnot for foure thousand yeeres after to manifest vnto vs that for our profite and his loue not for any other interest he instituted it at his departure out of this world Twelfth Iustice THe two edged sword which issued out of his mouth declareth the vindicatiue iustice and reuenge of loue because as his goodnesse is vehement in louing so his iustice is exceeding in punishing for feruent loue bordereth alwayes vppon extreames either extremely hating or extreamely affecting the experience wee may see in Putifars wife who as vniustly Genes 39. hated Ioseph for his chaste deniall as before shee vehemently loued him for her vnchaste desite the which example although it be of impure loue yet it declareth the nature of loue For as a riuer that hath free passage runneth mildely and calmely if it be staide from the naturall course it swelleth and threatneth a ruine of al that hindereth the way euen so loue if it can passe quietly wyth that it pretendeth loue surpasseth all waters in calmenesse but if the course be stopped it swelleth and either as water it wil wash away whole citties or as fire blowe vp whole mountaines Our blessed Sauiour therefore in this Sacrament of loue hath ballanced his loue and his ire if loue cannot preuaile reuenge shall take effect for this sword cutting on both sides threatneth a punishment to disloyall louers with one side it cutteth them who refuse his loue by not accepting this Sacrament with the other those that accept it not well The first are Infidels the second Heretikes and ill christians Pagans reiect his loue Heretikes impugne his loue ill Catholikes abuse his loue But let them not doubt since they will not accept the cup of his honied affection they shall drincke the gall of his bitter hatred Moreouer this double edged sword signifieth the punishments God inflicteth in this worlde vpon those who abuse his loue in this sacrament of death madnesse and horrible diseases as infinite examples alleadged in Vide S. Cipâ—libr de laps 1. Cor. 11. histories most euidently declare Saint Paul seemeth to affirme who after hee had reprehended the Corinthians for irreuerently receiuing the sacred eucharist he adeth Ideo inter vos multi infirmi imbeâ—illes dormiunt multi therefore there are among you many weake and feeble and many sleep and in the world to come for he that eateth it not or vnworthily cannot haue the life of grace without grace hee is dead in sinne the death of sin transferreth the soule to the eternall death of hell Besides this dubble cutting sword representeth the mortall woundes both of bodie and soule that it causeth in them who receiue it not as they ought to do for questionlesse as those which receiue it worthily shall bee receiued both in bodie and soule after a more particular manner then infants who receiue it not at all euen so those that eate it vnworthily shall deferuedly be punished particularly both in Sap. 11. bodie and soule because proportion of paines must bee correspondent to transgressions In quo quis peccat in eodem punitur In that one sinneth in the same he must be punished Ah what a terrible sight will it bee to them to see him comming in iudgement both accuser and iudge who irreuerently irreligiously and impioussie handled him by sacrilegious consuming the sacred Eucharist What confusion will it bee to see that face which in a manner they did spitte in by despising his loue what flouds of gall will those eyes poure into their consciences which came once to glannce streames of sugered peace into their soules what an eternall sting will those lips
actions transfer our common vertues froÌ„ their ordinary course to a most iminent excellent degree of perfection Therefore he being God and man would haue al our actions imediatly to be done to him For which cause hee saide Qui vos audit me audit he that heareth Luke 10. you heareth me Wherupon did ensue Matth. 10 that that which before by human prudence was but credulity now by the precept of Christ did become deuine faith Likewise Quod vni ex minimis meis fecistis Matth. â—â— mihi fecistis As long as you did it to one of these my least brethren you did it to me Qui vos recipit me recipit he that receaueth Matth. 10. you receaueth me So that almes which Luke 10. by naturall vertue is ordained to succour the poore and relieue their misery by the institution of our sauiour becommeth diuine 10. 13. because it is immediatly offered to him For the same reason Saint Paule instructed Ephes 1. of Christ exâ—orted euen the very Col. 3. Tit. 2. 1. Pet. 2. seruants to obey their froward maisters as Christ himselfe thereby exalting obedience to a higher perfection In like sort it falleth foorth in religion for we see in the old lawe this vertue yeelded worship to God but mediatly a far off they could Exod. 19. Hab. 9 Leuit. 16. Exod. 30. not ascend the mountaine it was not lawfull to enter into sanctum sanctorum Their sacrifices had for their immediate obiects Buls Calues and Lambes But the Catholique Religion immediatly by means of this Sacrament hath accesse to God And as that feruent Magdalen immediatly exercised her Religion vpon the person of God when she powred the pretious Marke 14. oyntment vpon his heade and those Luke 8. holy women who ministred meate and drinke vnto him did a worke of mercie Marke 16. vnto God and all those who adored that sacred humanity immediatly worshipped his person and diuinitie euen so all those who either minister light vestments or other furniture of the altare immediatly direct their offering So that as in the temple of Salomon there was nothing 3. Reg. 6. bare but al guilded with golde so there is 2. Paral. 3. nothing offered here concerning the body of Christ but it is guilded with a deified religion respecting the person of the son of God How many faithful christians at this present wish with all their harts to haue beene present that time that Christ liued vpon the earth how would they haue harboured him in their houses how prepared his garments how diligently dressed his wounds with what fine sindons wrapped his body with what sweet spices embalmed his corse This desire I cannot but commond howbeit I take all seruices obsequies oblations done to this blessed Sacrament of as great merite and more then those which had bin imployed to Christs person liuing in earth for the same diuinitie and humanitie in both are alike and besides here we haue a greater difficultie to beleeue For they that liued with him sawe his humanitie with their corporall eyes and only beleuÌ„ed his diuinity but here wee beleeue both diuinity and humanity and consequently according to our beliefe refer our deuotion religion and oblations which therfore are more meritorious for merit increaseth where faith loue are strongest and commonly there they be strongest where they haue strong difficulties The six and twentieth cause that the manner of our saluation should be correspondent to the maner of our first preuarication THe principall cause why our Sauiour tooke flesh and came to redeeme this worlde according to the common decree of diuines was to abolish al sins from the world but specially originall because it was most ample for many bee conceiued borne in it who neuer actually offend indeed the very roote of al other sins Therfore our most diuine Phisition determined to make the salues of our sores not vnlike the causes of our woes and by the same order extinguish al sin by which it was brought in We know the causes of Adams sin were these the serpent that is the wicked Angel the woman AdaÌ„ himselfe the tree of good ill with the fruit therof and finally the desire to be made like vnto God Which al sixe our Sauior hath matched answerd most diuinely opposed six like in our iustification An Angell Gabriell to denounce Christs incarnation A Virgin to make her maker Christ a man by nature wisdome in his mothers womb the tree of good il the crosse of christ where al the world might know the immensiue goodnes of Christ who died for vs and the pestilent poison of sinne that caused an innocent to die so cruelly the fruit is this blessed sacrament that blossomed out of Christs fide vpon the crosse finally the desire of deitie and immortalitie proper effects of this sacrament the which intice all good christians to receiue it By this plainly appeareth the conformitie of our reprobation with the causes of our perdition That euen as the scorpion carieth a sting to poyson a iuice to heale so a tree yeeldeth a fruite of death and a tree yeeldeth a fruit of life But were it not an horrible abuse to conuert this bread of life into bread of death and make that a poyson which was ordained to bee a remedye against poison I am afraide that many had better haue swallowed poison then eaten this sacrament for poison in fine had but killed the body and this killeth the soule All those who come not prepared who iudge not the body of Christ from other prophane meates these kill their owne soules Many as S. Ciprian Cip. de caen Domini saith Lambunt quidem petram sedinde nec mel sugunt nec oleum They licke indeede the rocke but thereof they suck neither hony nor oyle And after hee addeth Quibus expedit suspendatur mola asinaria in collo eorum demergantur in profundum maris To whome it is expedient that a milstone were hanged about their necks and that they were drownd in the depth of the sea But who be these Those Matth. 18 Marke 9. Matth. 22. which come not with a wedding garment those that haue not a firme purpose to abstaine from all deadly sinnes those who haue other mens goods and doe not restore them those in fine which come not with charity For this Sacrament by a natural proposition supposeth the receiuer to liue spiritually For a deade body cannot digest meate or nourish it selfe And therfore he that is not in charity offendeth hainously by receiuing this sacrament haling as S. Chrysost saith the kinges sonne through the mire and durte Neuerthelesse I do not deny but in some cases this sacrament giueth life euen to the soule that is dead in sinne if bonafide hee come to it with attrition although hee hath committed some mortall sinne which hee inuincibly remembreth not The twenty seuenth cause to be caried about
Sacrament al the riches goodnes and beauty of heauen and earth Christ comprehendeth in quo sunt omnes the sauri absconditi in caelo terra in whom Col. 2. be al the treasures of wisedom and knowledge hidden in heauen and on earth and as for the workes of God if S. Aug. saide the iustification of a sinner was an effect of a more difficulâ—ie than the creation of heauen and earth because God made theÌ„ alone by his infinit power but here besids the same power of God there is required the consent of man I may wel then infer that in this sacrament where he iustifieth sinuers by giuing them the life of grace and glorie where he springeth virgins against so many harde encounters of the flesh and the diuell he worketh a greater work than the creation of heauen earth and therfore Quid bonum quid pulchrum eius nisi frumentum electorum vinum germinans virgines What of his is good and what of his beautifull but the Wheate of his elected and Wine springing virgins far from Christs table that wine of which saint Paul said Nolite inebriari vino in quo Ephes 5. est luxuria bee not drunken with wine wherin is riofousnes because this foode causeth both abstinence and continence The two and thirtieth cause to render by gratitude a certain equalitie to God for all his benefits BY the common consent of sacred diuines one of the principal causes which moued the son of god to take flesh was to satisfie the iustice of his father to pay an equal ransome for our sins for no man can call it in question that if God would hee could of his liberality mercie and bounty haue released all mankind haue forgiuen vs our trespasses but then he had not satisfied his iustice therfore man being not able to pay it God found out a way by making himselfe man to discharge it In like sort after the incarnation so many and so rare benefits God bestowed vppon vs there remained a perpetual debt gratitude for vs to answere so many fauours of creation consetuation redemption vocation iustification election do the promise of life euerlasting I say there remained a bond of gratitude to defrayal these graces such being the nature of gratitude that it ought to render more then it receiueth for if it yeeld lesse it is not coÌ„tent if it repay equall it affordeth nothing proper therfore what remedie was ther for maÌ„ to be grateful to god for so many so singular gifts since he had saide Non accipiam de Psal 49. domo tua vitulos neque de gredibus tuis hircos quoniam meus est orbis terrarum vniuersi qui habitant in eo I will not take calues of thy house neither goates of thy flockes because the world is mine al that dwell therein Our sauiour Christ did well foresee this imperfection of ours and therfore he thought to prouide a remedie questionlesse by no better meanes then this facrament for since there is nothing in this world more woorthy or more excellent then god whoÌ„ we had receiued in Christs incamation life passion in promisse for glorie yea he had bestowed himself vpon vs in this sacrament so often as wee could eate him Our fauior therefore with such profound wisdoÌ„ contriued this Eucharist that he ordained it as a gift of God to vs and as a present of vs to him For as all the lambes and calues offered in the olde testament were more iustly by higher dominion belonging to God then to men yet because God had giuen them to men and granted them the vse he accepted them as gifts and offerings vnto him In like sorte he hath imparted to his church this sacred foode to sanctifie it and also to be a perpetuall sacrifice a continuall offering to God for all his benefites and graces bestowed vpon her that she may with the holy prophet say Quid retribuam Psal 1â—â— domino pro omnibusquae retribuit mihi calicem salutaris accipiam What shall I render to God for all that he hath giuen mee I will take the cup of my Sauiour Therfore I may boldly call of God for more fauours since I haue beene so gratefull for these And for the same cause I shal be able to performe whatsoeuer I haue promised to him Moreouer as oft as in the holy Masse we offer to God this blessed holocauste we may say in humilitie of spirit and with thankes to our Sauiour wee offer vp as great a present to God as euer God gaue or is to giue vs and as we may truely averre as by our sauiours incarnation and passion wee paide an equall ransome for our sinnes so by this oblation we offer vp an equall present for all his benefits and for that we are not able to answere the loue which God gaue his gifts withall we must by the vertue of gratitude acknowledge our insufficieÌ„cie wish to increase in charitie and especially desire our Sauiour in this sacrament according to his humanitie that as he doth pray for vs in heauen so hee will supply our wants in feruent loue and gratitude for so many and so singular fauours The three and thirtieth cause to comfort our soules by spirituall ioy and deuotion THat insoluble probleame which Sampson once propounded and could not be answered except he had reuealed it vnto his vnfaithfull wife De comedente exiuit cibus deforti egressa est dulcedo Iudg. 14. meate came out of the eater sweetnes issued forth from the strong might eafily be solued now by any deuout catholique for as they said Quid fortius leone quid dulcius melle What is stronger then a Apoc. 5. lion what is sweeter theÌ„ hony so we may say quid fortius Christo leone de tribu Iudae quid dulcius Eucharistia quae habet omne delectamentum suanitatis what is stronger than Christ the lion of the tribe of Iuda and what is sweeter theÌ„ the Eucharist which hath all the delights of sweetnesse For as â—ap 16. out of Samsons lion dead he drew a honie comb euen so out of Christs side hanging vpon the crosse islued forth this sacred foode sweeter then honye or the honie combe the which was figured in manna Psal 118. and 18. Sap. 16. that had all sortes of sweetnes that taste could desire And no marnaile if this food be canded with such delights since the ioy of angells and the obiect of all blessednesse is therein contained I know the Spouse did say of christ Fasciculus mirrhae Cantie 1. dilectus meus mihi inter vbera mea commorabitur a nosgay of mirrhe my loue to mee shall rest betwixt my breasts For the bitternes of mirrhe is alayed heere with the sweetnes of sugar well with trickling teares of penance and compassion are conioyned excessiue ioyes of loue as Cip. de eâ—â— Domini S. Ciprian well noted and proued by experience
reiected it and what else do our aduersaries Iohn â— but murmur against this blessed sacrament did not the Iewes saye Durus est hic sermo quis potest capere eum This saying is hard who can heare it do not heritikes reiect and contemne it But what sayd Christ except you eate me you shall not liue And therefore all heretikes are dead in sinne because they liue not by him The Pascall lambe Exod. 12. ASmanna did most liuely represent the externall forme and spirituall effects of this sacrament so the Pascall lambe expressed the internall substance and disposition of those who came to feed at this holy table This sacrifice was ordained to bee a Lambe without spot that is lacking all defects and imperfections and of a yeare old that is in the prime of goodnes Who sees not that the hoast offered is without spot of imperfection or wrinckle of old age either in diuinitie or humanitie in qualities of bodie or operations of soule Secondly this Lambe was to bee sacrificed in the Citie of Ierusalem and where can this sacrifice be offered but in the Catholike church by IerusaleÌ„ represented Thirdly it was to be sacrificed in the euening at what time else appointed our sauiour this sacrament When did hee eate it with his disciples but in the euening All the whole family were to meete at this feast to be made partakers thereof by this we vnderstand the charitie that all Catholikes ought to haue wheÌ„ they come to this altar to eate the common foment of all true charitie Fiftly it was to be eaten rosted and so was our blessed sauiour vpon the crosse and in his sacrament with the fire of charity which he brought from heauen to earth and what else pretended he but that it shoulde burne Sixtly no common bread but vnleauened was to be eaten in this sacred feast Ioyne this bread and the lamb together and loe the formes of our vnleauened sacrifice our lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Besides this vnleauened bread signifieth innocencie sinceritie that none ought to feede here but such as think verily they bee in Gods grace and cloathed with the marriage garment of eternall sanctitie Seuenthly the sauce for this mysticall Matth. 2â— lambe was no other but sower bitter and wilde Lettices and in this Sacrament the bitter compassion candolence of Christs death salt and sorrowfull teares for our sinnes cause a singular good tast in those who participate this sacrifice Eightly the head the feet and the intrals were to be swallowed that is in this sacrament as was declared in the 41. cause the diuinitie of Christ fignified by his head the loue of Christ declared by his feete the secret manner of his being heere we must swallow no mortall man can sufficiently comprehend them Ninthlie their loynes were to be girded to signifie the purity of mind chastitie of body wherwith this doue bathed in virgins milke ought to be eaten Tenthly they holde stanes in their handes to foretell vs that we must walke forwarde in our iourney where wee shall suffer the encounters of diuers enemies and therefore wee ought to receiue it as a defence and a protection against them Eleuenthly they were bouÌ„d to haue shooes on their feete to teach vs that our affections must bee restrained our inordinate passions bridled our preposterous concupiscences mortified if wee will eate the vnspotted Lambe mortified till death to giue vs eternal life Twelfth their eating of it in haste declared vnto vs that his sacrament was to bee eaten as in passage to life euerlasting We were not alwaies to eat it in this forme buâ— reuelata facie with his face reueled in glory Thirteene if any thing was left God commanded them to burne it because he would haue it a full sacrifice as this Eucharist where all is cousumed all is offered vp to God all receiued of the Priest Fourteene the sprinckling of those postes with bloud which was a wall of securitie against the fury of the angell who killed the first borne of the Egyptians who is so ignorant that seeth not to be the mouthes and hearts of Catholikes sprinkled with this bloud and thereby defended from the furious tyranny and cruell inuasion of that deformed angell of hell Manie more morall and spirituall conceits deuout soules may distill from these mysticall ceremonies which God by his infinite wisedom appointed to represent the sacred Eucharist for what other thing could he pretende to what purpose so many rites and ceremonies for eating a Lambe what imported it him that they should haue shooes on their feete eate those bitter lettices vnleauened bread with their loynes girt nothing could principally moue such a maiestie but the maiestie of this sacrament for howbeit hee would haue those people to remember his benefit of deliuerance out of Egypt yet three of these ceremonies had beene sufficient for them Deo gratias An aduise for protestants and puritanes IF so it chance that these my simple discourses fall into their hands for whose tastes they were not prepared I thought good to giue them three or foure aduirtisments that they remaining without the vineyard of Christ may thrust their hands through the hedge and benefit themselues at least by the leaues of the Eucharist since they cannot be pertakers of the fruite First that I inteÌ„ded not here to proue by fathers councells scriptures theologically euery cause as in schooles they commonly are handled the which if I were to deale with heretikes I could easily performe but only briefly to represent vnto the peoples eyes for their meditations some pointes appliable to euery catholikes capacitie Neither doe I stuffe the margines with ciâ—ations because in very deed I lacked bookes but euery found diuine may wel perceiue that what soeuer the fathers haue written concerning the institution and effects of the Eucharist may be reduced into one cause or other And consequently a little reading would quickly haue filled the margines Secondly let them consider how maiestically how reuerently how reasonably Catholikes belieue téach and worshippe this sacrameÌ„t And what difference there is betwixt our venerable sacrifice their prophane bread and wine Our sacrament subsisting by Gods sonne incarnate and their meere tipicall shadowe our euerlasting fountaine springing graces and vertues for life euelasting and their naked supper vnseasoned with grace depriued of vertue spoiled of religion And in very truth I cannot see how they can saue it but that whosoeuer eateth his breakefast saying grace before and after communicateth as well and feedeth as perfectly on Christ by faith as they do Moreouer who is so blind that cannot discerne howe the pascall lambe and manna which represented Christ in the holy Eucharist were much more excellent sacraments then their communion because they more liuely represented Christ the lambe his passion and manna the fruites thereof then a gobbet of bread and a sup of wine and consequently the blood of the lambe