no sacrifice nor any Heb. 5. religion where there is not both Priest and sacrifice Because what is religion but a publique profession of a multitude to worship god and what publike worshippe can bee exhibited to GOD without a reall and externall Sacrifice For the better vnderstanding hereof it is to be noted that in all ages and in all nations and in all religions they euer vsed some sorte of Sacrifices for if wee looke into the lawe of nature wee shall finde Abell Abraham Iob offering vp sacrifices if wee discend to the law written there will appeare an admirable number appointed in Leuiticus If wee come to Christ in his last supper and vppon the Crosse we shall finde him sacrificing Besides wee may obserue that all their sacrifices almost consisted in killing beasts or in the destruction of some creature as in burning insence or such like Now if we demaunde for what reason did they kill bulls calues or lambes how know they that GOD would be pleased with them what needded he bulls or calues nunquid manducabo Psa 49. carnes â—aurorum aut sanguinem hircorum potabo shall I eate the flesh of bulls or drinke the blood of goates by the resolution of this doubt we shall better perceiue why Christ left this Sacrament as a perpetuall sacrifice for his church Three reasons then may bee yeelded the first because by sacrifices men acknowledge GOD the first maker conseruer and last end of all creatures the which they intend to professe by the externall action of sacrificing because in killing an oxe and burning of him to ashes they depriued themselues of all vse of all profit whereby they signified that all was due to him of whom they had receiued all The second reason was because the holy ghost moued them to vse such bloudie sacrifices to prefigurat the passion of christ once to be offerred vp on the Crosse Thirdly to shew by the death of beasts that they deserued death for their sins that they offered the one to God in lieu of the other By these three reasons wee plainly see that wee in the lawe of grace haue as great need of a reall and externall sacrifice as either the Iewes or those that liued vnder the lawe of nature For need not wee as well as they to acknowledge the dominion and right of GOD ouer this worlde is not hee our Creator our conseruer our last end as well as theirs ought not wee as well to represent the sacrifice of Christs passion passed as they to prefigurat that which was to come do not our sins as well deserue death as theirs did and are not we bound as well to craue pardon for them as they for these three causes therefore and many more our Sauiour instituted this sacrifice of the altar where by the incruent death of Christ we acknowledge the eternall dominion of God and render him infinite thankes for all his gifts as well of grace as of nature and therefore principally it is called Eucharistia that is gratiarum actio thankesgiuing besides we represent most liuely his passion according to that precept of Christ Hoc facite in â—eam Luke 22. commemorationem do this for a commemoration of me Finally we cry O Father of heauen and earth loe we deserue death and 10000 deaths but here wee present the death of thy sonne his body quod pro vobis traditur which is giuen for Luke 22. you his bloud that is shed promultis in remissionem peccatorum for many vnto remission Mat. 26. of sinnes take and accept his death for ours The ninteenth cause to be a sacrifice most like his passion Diuers ancient fathers expending those 1 Cor. 11. wordes of S. Paul Quotiescunque enim manducabitis panem hunc calicem bibitis Cip. ep 3. Chrisost the â—phi occum mortem domini annuntiabitis donec veniat As often as you shall eat this bread and drink in locuâ— Pauli the chalice you shall shew the death of our Lord vntill he come affirme that this Sacrifice is the very passion of Christ that heere he suffers he is broken he is changed he is offered in a reall sacrifice after an vnbloudy manner for all the greeke texts haue it in the present tence this is my body which is giuen for you this is my bloud which is shed for you Saint Paul hath expresly this is my body 1 Cor. 11. that is broken for you The manner also how Christs body is here sacrificed to god so plainly expresseth the passion of Christ that if there were no other text to proue it the very correspondence would seeme 10. 19. to shew it sufficiently For howe did Christ die vpon the cross by the deuision seperation of the soule from his body Et inclinato capite tradidit spiritum bowing his head he gaue vp the ghost What was the cause of this seperatioÌ„ the issuing of abundaÌ„ce of bloud out of his body and there remaining no life wherefore both philosophers phisitians diuines say Anima est in sanguine the life is in the bloud Deut 12. experience teacheth that many die by venting too much blod out of their veins can shew a reall separation of the soule of Christ from his bodie and a reall separation of his bloud from his body here then we may easely infer that in this sacrament there is not onely a true real and externall sacrifice but also the very same that was vpon the Crosse though in maner as shal be declared they differ It is a receued opinion among al learned diuines that the words of consecrating Hoc est corpus meum This is my body do effect that they signifie that as God by saying Fiat lux let light be made light so by saying Hoc est corpus meum This is my body is presently put the bodie of Christ vnder the forme of bread moreouer that they effect no more imediatly than that they signifie therfore by the vertue or efficacie of consecrating imediatly there is only the body of Christ in the hoast without any soule true it is that there is no host that hath not the soul of Christ but that is not by the imediate force and vertue of consecration but by sequele by a following or as they call it per concommitantiam because the soule is ioyned with the body in heauen therfore consequently the body bringeth the soule with it but if the soule were not in the bo die as it was vpon Goodfriday then if any of the Apostles had consecrated the soule of Christ had not bin in the hoast but the dead body as it was in the graue so that by consecrating of Christes body wee haue a reall separation of soule and body and only an vnion of them by sequele and consequence I call the seperation reall for that where the action is reall that which is effected by the action must likewise be reall In like sort the words
incarnation But because this fauour in substance vvas onely proper to Christes humanity though in operation vertue and efficacy sufficiently offered for all therefore the bounty of God was not extended enough it lacked a farther communication that euery man in particuler might participate his infinite bounty and perfection not in vertue alone but in substance also The Sunne lendeth the earth his beames yet the substance remaineth in heauen but lo in this blessed Sacrament God hath with his beames ioyned the sunne with his deuine vertue linked his diuinity and not onely by effect but also by person entreth into the breasts of all the faithfull which come to receiue him Here he maketh euery man partaker of himselfe of his substaunce as well deuine as humane And therfore the sphere of his goodnesse cannot be farther extended since euery one receiueth that which is infinite and God himselfe The second cause to be an Epitome or an abridgement of all Gods wonders AFter that God had rowsed from nothing Sap. 11. the mightie masse of this world polished it in number measure weight the last worke those artificiall hands finished was man who as an epitome or an abridgement comprehended in himselfe the degrees of all creatures thereby giuing vs to vnderstand that as often as we looke vppon man we should call to our memories how many goodly creatures and how admirably God had created and prouided for his cause euen so after that God in the olde Testament and Christ in the new had wrought infinite miracles and wonders one of the last which Christ solemnly manifested to the world was this blessed Sacrament as a memoriall of all his wonders as an abridgement of al his miracles that therby seing this Sacrament we should expend what wonderfull miracles he had effected for vs and what singular graces he had bestowed vp on vs the which it seemeth Dauid standing a loofe off in his high turret of faith did contemplate when he saide Memoriam fecit mirabilium suorum misericors miserator Dominus escam dedit timentibus se Our merciful and pittiful Lord instituted Psa 110. a memory of his wonders he gaue foodâ— to them that feare him that all miracles and singular wonders which God euer wrought are comprised in this SacrameÌ„t or the like easily it might be proved A few I will number leauing the rest to the discourse of euery sound dâ—uine What wonder shewed God first to the worlde by creation of nothing to make all here many learned diuines holde that Christs body exsisting in heauen is created anew for they say it is possible for God to create my soule and body againe in Fraunce I beeing in Englande as for to reproduce in the resurrection those formes qualities and accidents which perished by death and corruption in the graue and truly this manner of speach diuers fathers Cip. de eaera Dom. vse calling this action by which Christs body is placed in the Sacrament creation more ouer it plainly apeareth that when the formes of bread and wine are corrupted God produceth a new substantiall matter to sustaine and vpholde the new accidents If you discourse ouer the miracles of transforming Lots wife into Gen. 19. Exod. 4. 7 a Piller of salte the rod of Moses into a serpent the riuers into bloud water into Ioh. 2. wine in the mariage transubstantiation presently representeth the same If raising vp of the dead if giuing sight to the blinde if in satiating a number with so little most plainly it shall appeare hereafter that this Sacrament causeth life euerlasting that it openeth the eyes of the soule that it feedeth millions and neuer consumeth Therfore most true it is that this Sacrament is an abridgement of the wonders that God wrought and it selfe one of the greatest wonders of all And therfore they may well cease now who admired so much Archimedes for contriuing a spheare of glaffe wherein hee had comprised the motions of the heauens since in this sacrament are vnited all the admirable operations wonders and miracles which proceed from the hands of the soueraigne work man of heauen and earth grace and nature The third cause to deifie the soule THe Philosophers and Phisitions with iointo assent approue this principle to be of an vndoubted verity Ex quibus constamus ex issdem nutrimâ—r with those things we are nourished of which we are made For being compounded of flesh bones heart liuer braines sinewes wee cannot liue except we be fed with flesh bones heart liuers finewes to nourish our bones heart liuer c. which position must not be so grosly conceiued that we ought to eat bones or liuers to nourish our bones or heartes for many eate nothing but roots hearbes fruites bread fishes neuer touching flesh or bones and yet are nourished But that whatsoeuer we receiue for fustinance cannot restore the partes which by continuall resolution vanish away except the meate wee take be first conuerted into the substance of those partes which are to be repaired Therefore that bread wee eate doth not nourish the heart before it be conuerted into the substance of the heart it feedeth not the bones till it be changed into the substance of bones it restoreth not the braines till it become of the nature of braines The Iust therfore in scripture being called gods Ego dixivos dis estis filij Psal 81. and Io. 10. excelsi omnes I saide you are gods and all the sonnes of the highest and participating in their soules a diuine nature Diuinae naturae facti consortes Being made pertakers 2. Pet. 1. of the diuine nature if the Philosophers propositions be proued true ought to haue a diuine foode the which no doubt the wisdome goodnesse and power of God knew would and could prouid for them as we see afforded in this Sacrament This seemed Christ to insinuate when he saide Qui manducat meam carnem bibit meum sanguinem in me manet Io 6. ego in co He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud abideth in me I in him By which wordes are propounded two admirable vnions the one is that God is in vs the other that we are in God by eating this celestiall foode That God herby dwelleth in vs it cannot be called in question because as meat entreth into vs remaineth in vs and is vnited with vs euen so Christ entereth really remaineth really and is resident so long as the vailes of bread and wine are not consumed But O Lord how can we be in thee since that no man is in the meat he eateth but rather the meat is in him how then is it true he that eateth thee remaineth in thee yet infallible truth it is that those that eate Christ are in Christ For this difference we finde betwixt this diuine foode and other corruptible meats that they haue not life in themselues nor giue life but receiue life of the body and of insensible and inanimate
effectes which neuer shal be but if some circumstances did occurre they would fal foorth As for example Vae tibi Bethsaida Woe Math. 11. be to thee Bethsaida for if in Tire c. 3. how God doth predestinate 4. the mistery of the Trinity 5. howe Adams sin can be transfused or communicated to his posterity 6. the mistery of Christes incarnation 7. howe that which once was corrupted shall afterwards be repaired in resurrection 8. how a spirit can be dilated in a body 9. how the corporall fire of hell can torment a spirit the 10. is this admirable Sacrament the which in my iudgement for difficulty surpasseth them all For if you can but resolue me in one or two questions about eache of them I wil make you sufficiently conceiue them all As plainely I could make it appeare discoursing ouer euery one but because al men yea very few are capable I will omit them For in this Sacrament first you haue heard difficulties about the wordes how they can effect that they signify 2. howe they effect it 3. in what time they effect it Secondly you haue inextricable difficulties about the bodye of Christ 4. by vvhat action is it produced 5. by what maner consisteth it in an indiuisible sort 6. how doth it reside there vvithout confusion 7. howe doth it not penetrate those accidents 8. or vvhat vnion hath it vvith them 9. vvhat opposition findeth it with the substance of bread 10. howe is it not by so many that feedeth vppon it consumed 11. howe can it be disperced in so many places 12. how can it be extended to such a masse of bread and such a quantity of wine 13. howe in breaking the hoast Christs body is not diuided 14. how can there bee as much in one hoast as in 10000. 15. how passeth the difficulty of transubstantiation Thirdly there are difficulties about the substance of bread 16. what becoÌ„meth of the substance of bread is it annihillated or resolued into aire 17. vvhen the formes of bread and vvine are coÌ„sumed how returneth it again Fourthly there be not a few most difficult questions about the accidents 18. how they remaine vvithout their subiect 19. how one hoast peâ—etrateth not another 20. how they concurre to the production of grace I omitte many more vvhich might be touched about the sacrifice effects and receauers of this Sacrament But these onely I haue propounded that the faithfull Christians might perceaue the singular vvisedome of God in prouiding them so present so palpable so daily an obiect to exercise their faith For questionlesse there is more merit of faith where the obiect hath greater difficulty to bee vnderstood because there principally we captiue and bridle our wittes to obey God in faith Wherefore I cannot but commend the deuotion of those faithfull christians vvho in all temptations of faith haue recourse vnto this Sacrament and say good Lord Credo adiuua incredulitatem meam I Marke 9. doe beleeue helpe my incredulity Likewise I take one of the dispositions or preparations very proportionate to the receauing hereof to bee a resolute faith to beleeue the reall presence of Christ in this Sacrament protesting to liue and die in the professing of this vndoubted truth in despight of all heresie or errour The seuenth cause for the increase of our hope TWo things by the vertue of hope we expect at Gods hands vvherfore both we are apertly assured to obtaine by the institution of this Sacrament if wee bee not faulty on our partes the former for principall though last in effect is life euerlasting the latter though as it seemes not so worthy yet first in execution are the means to atchieue life euerlasting As for them most liuely our hope we see erected by this sacrament For who is so foolish to thinke that God will deny him any thing necessary to saluation since he hath left him his body soule person bloud life for a meane for a ladder to make him to ascend into heauen If saint Paule reasoned Roman 8. wel God gaue vs his sonne how will he not giue vs all with him speaking of his incarnation so nowe I wil reason Christ bestowed his body and bloud to bring vs to life euerlasting and howe can he deny vs the lesse who hath granted the more how wil he debarre vs of al treasure in heauen who hath giuen vs the Lord of al treasure of heauen Had not the Iewes a most stedfast argument when they wandered in the vast desart of Egypt that GOD firmely pretended to conduct them vnto the land of Promise Exod. 14. when hee sent his Angel with a pillar of fire as a torch bearer to guide them in the obscuritie of the night and with a cloude like a fanne to defend them by day from the scorching beames of the Sunne when he euery day rayned Angels foode to sustaine Exod. 16. them al which were figures of this Sacrament as hereafter shal appeere And may not wee in like manner saye that Christ hath left vs an inuisible proofe that hee pretendeth neuer to faile in meanes necessary to life euerlasting hauing presented a pillar of light a cloude of raine a celestial Manna to illuminate our vnderstanding to coole the fierie flame of concupiscence to feed our soules to eternal life And therefore hee saide Manducauerunt patres vestri manna in deserto mortui sunt Your Fathers didde eate manna in the desart and they died Qui manducat hunc panem viuet in aeterno Hee that eateth this bread shal liue for euer Iohn the sixt chapter In like sorte we may be assured of life euerlasting for hee that prouideth such forcible and excellent meanes questionlesse intendeth to impart the end yea he that we receiue is the end himselfe Haec est vita aeterna vt cognoscant te verum Deum quem misisti Iesum Christum This is life euerlasting that they know thee the onely true God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ the seuenteenth chapter of Saint Iohn And he hath auerred most certainly that those which worthily eate this food haue euen in this life life euerlasting in them Qui manducat meam carnem bibit meum sanguinem habet vitam aeternam ego resuscitabo enm in nouissimo die Hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath life euerlasting and I will rayse him vppe in the last day Iohn the 6. chapter that is they haue the second person in trinity who is life euerlasting both the obiect and the giuer The eight cause to inflame our charitie ARistophanes saide that loue was of such nature that it affected so to vnite louers that they should become one thing but because this was impossible to bee done either without the destruction of one or both therfore it inforced them to procure all those vnions which were possible as the same iudgementes opinions desires habitations table apparell c. And indeede this opinion of Aristophanes we may
they waite vpon Christ which is the very essence and substance of the court and throne of heauen who nowe dwelling in the Church hath changed it into heauen and questioÌ„lesse where Christ as there caÌ„not but be a multitude of Angels attending his Maiestie beholding his glory as Chrys witnesseth The tenth cause to be the end and consummation of all the other Sacraments WHen I consider the seauen Sacraments of Christs church me thinks I conceaue God as an immensiue Circle without bound or limit whence from issueth six Sacraments as lines who end all in the center of Christs body in this Sacrament or else that the other six are great flouds of grace which water the earth of Gods elected yet all running amaine to the ocean sea which is this euerlasting Challice or else that the seuen Sacraments resemble the seuen Planets whose influences cause such admirable effects in this corporall world all yet receiue their light from that which standeth in the middest I meane the Sunne euen so all Sacraments draw their vertue and grace from the contented of the Eucharist Cipr. sermde caena in ritulo Dionis li de eccles Hieraâ—c Wherfore S. Cip. called it Consummans Sacramentum a Sacrament consummating and Dionis Areop termeth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 August tract 1 20. in 10. Sacramentum Sacramentorum the Sacrament of Sacraments For as he saith no Sacrament is present without this and that for two causes the former is in regarde that the Author hereof imparteth grace vertue and efficacie to all other Sacraments for out of his side issued all the Sacraments of the church Another reason is because all other Sacraments are peculiarly ordained of God to this and as S. Dioni saith haue not their complete perfection without it By originall sinne the gates of Paradice were shut and wee all debarde from the tree of life which only immortalized the eaters By Baptisme the gates are opened and accesse is graunted to eate the Fruite of the Tree of life this Sacrament which grew vpon the crosse But actuall sinnes caused death againe and bolted the gates as fast as before the which the Sacrament of penance vnbolteth againe The Sacrament of confirmation peculiarly God ordained for the saithful that therin they might receue force and strength to confesse the Soule of this Sacrament Christ Iesus and all the misteries of our faith denied by infidels blasphemed by Iewes impugned by Heretikes among the which none hath bin more assailed nor more earnestly defended then this and as I thinke there is no pointe of christian religion vppon which more books haue bin written then on this matter How order aymeth at the body of Christ none can call it in question since all the seauen orders of the Church are wholy directed vnto the right consecrating and administrating of this Sacrament Matrimonie by representing the vnion of Christ and his Church consequently vnfoldeth vnto vs the coniunction of Christs fathfull flocke with their heauenly Pastor in this Sacrament for as man and wife in Matrimony are one body and one flesh so by the virtue of the Eucharist Christ and his faithfull are one body by reall vnion and one soul by naturall affection And for that this Sacrament of Christs body was to bee a viation to conduct men specially in the last point of their liues when they enter the harbour of eternall life therfore to dispose the soule to take awaie all melancholie and discomforts caused by sicknes and lothsomnes to leaue this worlde our blessed sauiour prouided the extreme vnction and then all Sacraments end in the Eucharist The eleuenth cause to arme vs against our enimies and especially against the deuill THe common enimies of al Christians well knowne and daily proued are the diuell the flesh and the world who openly and secretly by force and trechery omit no occasions wherein they thinke to preuaile Against them all three our vigilant Captaine hath armed his souldiers with this sacrament How he protecteth vs against the diuell heere I will deliuer reseruing the other two to the next discourses First of all most certaine it is that the blessed Eucharist is not only meat to feed our soules but also armour force and strength to defend vs in battaile so saith Dauid Parasti mensam in conspectu Psal 22. meo aduersus eos qui tribulant me Thou hast prepared a table before me against those that vexe me And what other table can he meane of but this which Christ hath set before all his faithfull what other table can fortifie him against his enemies but this wherein is eaten Fortitudo gentiarum the fortitude of the Gentiles the reason why this celestiall foode armeth our soules against the assaults of our enimies may easily be deliuered for little would it auaile a souldier armed without with helme currats picke or what furniture soeuer if he were destitute of naturall force and strength of body to mannage his weapons if for hunger his vitall spirits failed if he were so weake he could not strike a blowe therfore meat is necessary to restore his lost forces to repaire his strength and consequently to arme him within against the troupes of his enimies So internally doth the Eucharist fortifie vs by spirituall nutrition and vitall sustentation against our ghostly foes The diuell as GOD signified by that monstrous Leuiathan mentioned in Iob according to Saint Gregories exposition like a great whale Gregor in 40. Io. did swime in the tempestious Sea of this worlde deuouring men like fishes casting them downe into that fiery stomacke of his infernall furnaces at last he came to Christ and as he caught for a baite his Humanitie he was taken with the hooke of his Diuinitie In like sort pretending to inuade those who are blessed with this thrise blessed bread thinking to take them naked findeth them most strongly armed and those which he made acounte in hell to haue troden vnder feete by vertue of this bloud shall triumph in Hom. bi ad Pop. Antioch hom 45. in lo. heauen ouer his head For as Saint Chrisostom saith Tanquam leones spirantes flammas sic discedimus ab illa mensa diabolo terribiles effecti as lions breathing flames of fier so depart wee from that table being made terrible vnto the deuill For what flame of fier can more affray then the presence of Christ at whose name all the infernall crew do tremble and shake They feare no doubt that which carieth this sacrament in his breast should foile their forces as Dauid did Goliath that tower of flesh their figure 1. Reg. 17. and slaue with a little stone the picture of Christ residing in the Eucharist they know well enough their dartes are shot against a wall of flint which reboundeth to their owne harme and shame when they impugne a soule armed with Christ yea for feare they dare not approach but as a seruant of Christ saide S. Kather. de siennâ— fly from a soule
soules haue harboured this precious balme what fragrant smells of deuotion of modestie of pietie of religion issue out of those mouthes distil from those handes spring from those eyes who haue seene toucht and tasted their saluation The foureteenth cause to giue life to the Soule THis cause motiue or effect of the institution of the Eucharist our Sauiour welnie tenne times inculcateth in S. Iohn which breedeth some difficultie because al the other Sacraments communicate to the receiuers the same effect for a sacrament is a visible sign of an inuisible grace instituted for the fanctificatiō of the soul the which cannot be without grace which is the life of the soule for as the bodye without the soule is dead euen so the soul without grace lacketh life Howe then peculiarly doth Christ ascribe the life of the soule to this Sacrament since it is cōmon to all the rest Diuers causes I think may be rendred First for that in the other sacramentes God distilleth his grace by droppes in this where he disperseth it with his owne hands he powreth it forth in abundance and therefore they may be said not to giue life in respect of this Euen as we call flesh onely meate not that fish is not meate but in respect of fleshe wee scarce account it meate Secondly because in this Sacrament men participate not onely the life of grace in the soule but also the body and soule folde within them the reall and substantial life of Christ wherwith they are made one thing one bodye one life wherefore Christ said Qui manducat me viuet propter me He that eateth me shall also liue by Io. ◠mee And Sicut misit me viuens pater ego vnio propter patrem qui manducat me viuet propter me as the liuing father hath sent mee and I liue by the father And hee that eateth mee the same also shall liue by me that is as my father sent me by mine incarnation and I liue for the vnion vvhich my diuinity receaued from my father euen so those that eate mee shall liue for the vnion they haue with me Thirdly for that we here receaue the intire and compleate cause of life euerlasting both of body soule the which wee doe not in other Sacramentes and therefore Christ saide Qui manducat meam Io. 6. carnem Et bibit meum sanguinem habet vitam aeternam ego resuscitabo eum in nouissimo die He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath life euerlasting and I will raise him vppe in the last day Since therefore this foode in general causeth life and for so many particular reasons yeeldeth life to the receauers wee may well call it the fruite of life And as often as we eate thereof we haue accesse to that tree of life planted in paradise by whose fruit our forefathers had kept their Gen. 3. bodies immortall As often as it entreth into our mouthes wee sucke the vaine of life drawing the incorruptible bloud out of our Sauiours side for al other meates do what you can they so restore life that they destroy life and at last by their continuall action exhaust al the forces but this Sacrament yeeldeth eternal life both to the soule and body and although the body die yet by vertue of this foode it is to rise againe The fifteenth cause to dignifie his Priests BEeing once in company with certaine Protestants yet ciuil men for conuersation one of them being a Minister asked what was the cause that Priests were so accounted in times past among the Papists and ministers so little prized now among the Protestants He himselfe answered first Truely quoth he I thinke it proceeded of confession by which they kept the people in great awe and reuerence Nay quoth the other it was the good life of those Priestes which made them esteemed and the ill life of our ministers which causeth them to be contemned I then concluded the matter and told them they had both touched good strings for we commonly reuerence them whom wee know are thorowly acquainted with our state and vnderstand our imperfections besides we respect sanctitie in whom soeuer we find it but especially in them whose state requireth different life from the rest but to make the harmony more perfect I thinke the chiefe cause was the dignitie of consecrating the bodye of Christ al these three make a good consort in Musicke to haue power ouer his reall body by consecration and ouer his mystical bodye by remission of sinnes and to leade a life continually correspondent to them both cannot but strike into the peoples hearts a great reuerence and respect Let vs omit the two latter onely speake of the former What greater authoritie can wee imagine could God giue to man than to put in his hand the vse of his infinite power to worke so many myracles to effect such a worke as surpasseth the creating both of heauen and earth when where and as often as hee woulde Simeon thought thought it so great a thing to take Christ but once in his armes that he loathed after to liue in the world and cried Nunc dimittis seruum Luc. 2. tuum in pace Heere the Priest euery day not onely handleth but also maketh present and eateth The three kinges came from forraine countries to adore him but the Priest can bring Christ from heauen and lay him vpon the altar Saint Marie Magdalen bathed Christs feet with tears Luk. 7. but what flouds would she haue shed once to haue eaten his body or dranke his blod What greater dignity coulde a man haue conceaued then to be made instrumentes of Gods Omnipotencie that their words should be more effectuall thē al the deeds in the world What more imminent glory could they haue imagined then to offer vp daily that sacrifice which our sauiour offered once vpon the Crosse These thinges bee so great that whole bookes would scarce suffice to Register them all Reade Saint Chrysost de sacerdotio and you shall see howe he extolleth their Authority The sixteenth cause to haue God vnder sensible obiect to heare our praiers ONe of the greatest impediments that the seruants of God suffer in praier is a certaine diffidence or doubting that they pray in vaine that none heareth or attendeth what they say whereupon followeth a tediousnesse and loathsomnesse in praier which impeacheth not only the merite but also the effect and impetration which often requireth continuation True it is that wise and faithfull Christians conceaue the presence of God in euery place but because it is so insensible because it proceedeth from the intellectuall faculty it causeth no great impression in the soule therefore our prouident maister foreseeing this imperfection ordained such a presence as should stande well with the merite of faith and also greatly Exod. 25. 37. further our deuotion As in the old Testament God prouided the propitiatorie where he placed two Cherubins folding the Arke with their
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
lilfe Meate helpeth nature to disgest many ill humours and this sacrament is not onely a meate but also a medicine And as Saint Cyprian saith extinguisheth sinne Meate causeth growth and whosoeuer participateth De coena Domini 5 this foode encreaseth in spirit for by receuing the life of charity and grace the soule cannot but grow in vertue and perfection as hee that commeth nearer the sunne participateth more light and heate For these resemblances of meate with the blessed sacrament we may per ceaue the reason why our blessed Sauiour instituted it vnder the formes of bread and wine thereby to teach vs by these externall signes that as bread and wine feede our bodyes so Christs fâ—lesh and bloud our soules But for all these perfections or commodities of temporall meats they haue adioyned as many imperfections and defects the which this blessed foode of life wanteth For corporall meats if they delight vs the more we eate of them our delight is lesse and at last wee come to loathe them but this meate Qui comedit adhuc esurit qui Ecde 24. bibit adhuc sitit hee that eateth of it is the more hungry and hee that drinketh the more thirsty and none we see so much desire it as those who most frequent it Corporall meates cannot cause a body that is dead to returne againe to life but this spirituall foode giueth life vnto the dead Qui manducat me ipse viuet propter me Io. 6. he that eateth me the same also shall liue by me Corporall meate although it repaire our forces lost yet the continuall alteration and disguising of it diminisheth our naturall heat because Omne in agendo repatitur euery agent in doing suffereth againe so that at last euen meat it self would extinguish our outward facultie if we had no other cause of death But he who eateth at this table of life Non gustabit Io. 6. mortem in aeternum non morietur he shal not tast of death for euer he shall not dye For as the soule can neuer dye except it leese the grace of God and that it cannot leese of necessitie but of free will so the grace of God can neuer be consumed but by a peruerse wicked will and therefore in aeternum for euer of it selfe it conserueth the soule in life because in very deed it is life Corporall meates faile in force for they alwayes cause not the body to encrease in strength or quantitie but after certaine yeares the body doth not only cease to grow but also it begins to decay and in fine declineth to death But such is the vertue of this holye Eucharist that euery time it is eaten it addeth a new degree of growth yea and for most part when a man declineth most in body and commeth nearer his death in spirit soul he encreaseth most because he then hath most heat of grace todisgest this sacred foode for which admirable effects Dauid wel say in persoÌ„ of those that receiue this Psal 22. heauenly refection Dominus regit me nihil mihi deerit in loco pascuaeibi me collocauit Out Lord doth gouerne me I shall want nothing in the soile of his pasture he hath placed mee For all pastures in respect of this are barren desarts all repasts compared with this leaueth soule euer fainting These pastures are alwaies greene with grace enameld with flowers of vertues watered with the heauenly dewe of Gods assistance and finally haue the pasture continually attending his sacred flocke The twenty ninth cause to effect the resurrection of our bodies BY the vniuersall preuarication of Adam 1. Cor. 15. all his posterity incuâ—red in particular the death of soule and corruption of body whereunto they onely are subiect who discende from him by naturall generation Because that God had so decreed that as from him we were to draw our nature so by his good demeanour froÌ„ him we should receiue our grace But through his transgression by communicating vnto vs a part of his substance poisoned with the sting of originall sin hee imparted together the mortall woundes of body and soule Our Sauiour Christ whose substaÌ„ce was vnspotted with crime or offence pretending as life to destroye death communicated vnto vs his diuine substaunce to giue the soule the life of grace and the body immortality of glory For who can wonder if Christs body touching the bodies of good souls which receiue him with deuotion resuscitate them to life againe since the touche of Elizeus bones had vertue to restore the 4. Reg. 3. vitall spirit to a dead carcasse If seede sowne in the field although it die in the ground retaine vigour virtue of spring so liuely againe which was communicated vnto it by the roote why shall wee not imagine that our bodies keepe a certaine vertue a relation to this sacrament the onely roote of immortality For if the soule receiue grace the body concurreth it is an instrument and therefore if it bee compartner in paine why not in gaine And if Christs soule sanctifie our soules shall not this bodye glorifie our bodies Yea both his body and soule will immortallize both our bodies and soules and therefore hee saide Hic est panis de caelo Iohn 6. descendens vt si quis ex ipso manducauerit non moriatur this is the breade that descendeth from heauen that if anie man eate of it he die not For although hee die corporally yet by vertue of this food by the touch by the relation to the soule whose instrument it was Christ will raise it vp againe Without doubt it standeth greatly with the prouidence of God that Christs body should cause their resurrection who receiue deuoutly this sacrameÌ„t because as wee saide aboue in this hoast Christ is sacrificed and those that participate it woorthily in affection suffer and die with him therefore reason requireth that as they die with him so they shall rise with him Si compatimnr conregnabimus Rom. 8. if we suffer with Christ we shall be also glorified with Christ And more plainely Reformabit corpus humilitatis nostrae Phil. 3. configuratum corpori claritatis suae Hee will reforme the body of our humillitie configured to the body of his glory For if we mortifie our bodies to make them like his body by crosses and pains Doubtlesse he wil reuiue them with delights glory causing them to be his like his body in eternall ioy For which cause we must for a while intreate our bodies not to groane vnder the burthen of Christs commaundements not to repine at fasting not to murmure at mortification not to loathe long prayers not to grudge to liue in prisons depriued of many false pleasures the worlde affoordeth for all these will passeonce When death comes our conscience will reioyce But when our Sauiour after death shall iudge vs and see our crosses conformable to his our pains for his glory our tribulation for his confession Hiems Cantie
God did foresee the hard encounters they should meet withal before that entered into the firme possession he thought conuenient to giue them a taste of the aboundance and fertilitie of that soile to the intent that feeling the fruit they should not grudge at the paine and therefore he mooued them to send the scowts to suruey the country and discouer the commodities They launch forth passe the principall partes auoyde sundry dangers retourne with such huge clusters of grapes it being vintage that Numb 13 they were not able to carry them in their hands but with poules to beare them vppon their shoulders Euen so our blessed Sauiour knowing that the faithfull children of his church were to be assaulted by many potent inuisible expert and ghostly enimes as the victorie was more important and the foile more daungerous so he thought with a preamble of internail ioy to encourage them to tolerate a moment of paine for which effect he being our scowt and hauing viewed the lande of euerlasting promise he brought vs the bloud of grapes this fruite of that soyle to indnce vs with the sweetnes greatnes and taste thereof to suffer with alacritie to resist with a courage to inuade with valour to expugne with glory all crosses encounters enimies temtations that either aduersitie could impose or sathan inuent or persecutor inflict or our alluring flesh stirre vppe against vs. And that is the sacred Eucharist the which is not only as aboue wee haue deliuered a portraite of all the admirable workes of God but also a most liuely image representing vnto vs the vniuersall ioys of heuen For in what consisteth life euerlasting our future felicity In the glory of our soules and bodies In what maner are our foules blessed by seeing foulding louing reioycing in God and our bodyes are glorified by the redundance distillation and influence of our soules Al which most exactly this sacrament affordeth because in very deed he that seeth this sacrament seeth God as those that saw Christs sacred humanity the vaile of his person were said to see his diuinitie and those that view her maiestie though masked are saide to see the Queene Besides in life euerlasting the blessed comprehend fould and as it were spiritually by their vnderstanding claspe God in their soules Sic currite vt comprehendatis 1. Cor. 3. so run that you may obtaine willed he that God had admitted to see these secrets and the spouse Tenui eum nec demittam Cantic 3. I held him and I wil not forgo my holde For really there wee shall holde in eternall possession that we heere expected by hope And who sees not how all those that receiue this glorious bread fould it in their breasts keepe it and quietly possesse God and all his perfections And who is so stonie hearted that loueth not him that lieth so neere his heart or who is so indurated that this bloud doth not mollifie or who is so voide of affection that this so affectious a God would and doth not moue to loue what ioye proceedeth from these spirituall imbracings from this vnion of spirits from this matching of the soule with her center from this vitall refection from this heauenly conuersation let him tell that sayde dulciora sunt vbera tuae super vinum Cantic 2. thy paps are sweeter then wine let him tell that felt quà m dulcia eloquia Dei super Psal 18. and 118. mel fanum how sweet are the words of God sweeter then honye or the honye combe let him tell that called it pinguis Genes 49. panis qui prebet delitijs regibus fat bread which yeeldeth delites to kings Finally how by eating this Sacrament our bodies shall rise and receiue immortalitie aboue was declared and moreouer in this present foode the body of Christ which shal be the example of all glorious bodyes permanently remaineth No maruaile it is therfore if feruent souls liue in a perpetuall iubilie of ioy and peace since here in earth they participate a forme of the ioyes of heauen if they desire to bee with God whose company is so sweet and gratefull The fortieth cause to bee a condigne sacrifice for Christ to offer to his father BEfore the institution of this sacrament of vnualuable value the Euangelist S. Iohn who suckt his diuinitie out of that breast whencefrom issued this Precious licour prepareth the readers for other Euangelists with a most profound diuine preface that after vnderstanding such an admirable mysterie penetrating the depth of his reasons they might be induced to beleeue it sciens Iesus Ioh. 13. c. Iesus knowing that his father had giuen him all things into his hands and that he came from God and returned to God he rose and prepared hmself to wash his Disciples feete thereby infinuating with what puritie of soule the faithfull ought to participate the dainties of this table In which compendious wordes hee yeeldeth three reasons why it concerned the office functions and dignitie of our Sauiour to institute this regall sacrifice First because he being ordained by God our high priest according to the Psal 109. order of Melchisedech and consequently hauing commission to institute a sacrifice in bread and wine after that former since Hebr. 7. therfore God hath deliuered all things into his hands that appertained to his fathers glorie his own honor his Churches saluation and dignitie of them all it was most decent that hauing receiued all his sacrifice should comprehend all and be offered to God in recognition of all the which could not bee any other thing then God who is all in all Secondly because that knowing he came from god that is he issued from his father by natural necessarie eternal generation equal in perfection vnited in the same essence it did behooue him not to offer vp any mean present or base gift no it could not stand with so soueraigne a maiestie to institute any such sacrifice as could bee contained within the limited borders of humane or angelicall capacities for if that vaine Alexander though proudly yet truely vaunted that Kings ought not so much attende to whome they giue as who they are that giue howe much more did it concerne our Sauiour Christ king of kings to offer a condigne present to his father the Monarch of the worlde wherefore as all his actions wherewith hee merited were of infinite value for the dignitie of his person euen so this sacrifice was to bee ordained of infinite prize for the substance of the same for there was no gift answerable to eyther of theyr dignities or sutable to their Maiesties but a sacrifice containing God for nothing but God can be infinite in substance for which reason wee haue God the giuer God the receiuer and God the gift the which sacred consort cannot but yeelde a most sweete harmonie Thirdly knowing hee was to returne to his father where incessantly the incense of his prayers were to ascend therefore as he accompanied
elected vnto him indue their soules with grace bring them to the ioyes of heauen O zeale of all zeales O loue of al loues most worthy of God to permit himselfe to be trode vnder the fee◠of wicked sinners to exalt his faithfull to fellowes of angels O holy Dauid thou thoughtst man was greatly extolled because that God had laide vnder his feete Oues boues pecora Sheep oxen and beasts of the field but what wouldst thou haue saide if thou hadst seene Christ in an hoaste and for thy loue permit an heretike to treade him vnder his feete but Psal ◠Magnus Dominus laudibus nimis magnitudinis eius non est finis our Lord is great most worthy of praise and there is no end of his greatnes O that wee could immitate in parte this zeale of Christ and by gratitude acknowlege this singular benefit Ah who would mone imprisonmēt for the zeale of confessing that faith which hee appointed Who would bee grieued with fetters stinch grosse fare hard beds restraint of liberty losse of life to glorifie him who is so zealous of our eternall glory Ah deere christian imagine to see the Iews or heretiks pricking this sacred angelicall and diuine hoast with pinnes and kniues in contempt of Christ his religion all for thy cause for that he instituted this sacrament for thee to receiue determine whatsoeuer shuld befall to remaine so long as those formes retaine their nature force wold not such an horible spectacle on one side make thee tremble and on thother side the patience and loue of Christ dissolue thy heart into a maine of teares yet too often such cases haue fallen and many in England God knowes haue bin present at such terrible tragedies god pardon the actors Moreouer this sacrament was instituted for many effects the which all argue the zeale of the institutor for hee did not onely ordain it as a meate or a conduct of grace to confer many celestiall fauors vnto vs but also as medicine to remoue many euils from vs for doth not this preseruatiue from prison diminish the flames of concupiscence doth not this fountaine of light expel the cloudes of ignorance doth not this life of grace abolish the death of sinne doth not the heate of this boyling bloud reuiue the remissenes and coldnes of our charitie all these euills and more our zealous Sauiour did well foresee and prouide for in the institution of the Eucharist The second sort of zeale which permitteth no consorts in amitie that preiudicate the full scope ample possession of the heart as pregnantly appeareth in this sacrament as the first because hee that commeth hither vnprepared not so disposed as this Table requireth eateth his iudgement For what reason 1. Corint ◠because he diuideth his loue for in euery transgression of Gods commaundement the sinner preferreth the loue of the creature before the Creator and consequently violateth that fidelity the spouse ought to the spouse of her soule by making the creatures riualls with God the which iniury GOD will not tolerate for he intendeth to be beloued wholie and entirely and will haue no loue preferred nor equall to his The Diuell would be content to haue halfe our loue because by theft hee stealeth that belongeth not vnto him but God who is our Father will haue it whole as those two women which sued in contention for one ◠Reg. 3. childe before Solomon the true mother would haue all or none the false mother was contented with halfe Nec mihi nec tibi sed diuidatur Neither to me nor to thee but let it be diuided sayde shee that would haue depriued the true mother of her right Likewise Pharao was at last well contented that the children of Israel should depart out of Egypt but Exod. 10. he would they should leaue behind them their heards of catel and flocks of sheepe so the diuell would iuggle those soules he cannot draw to heresie or atheisme with bestly delights sensualities that therby he might dismēber their harts diuide them with God But what said Moses we wil go al men women children cattell sheepe there shal not remaine so much as the hoofe of a beast in Egypt So ought good soules to say who prepare thēselues deuoutly to receiue this bread of life we will offer our selues wholy to God bodie soule wits and wils all we know and all we can there shal no part of vs be left vnconsecrated vnto him And indeed let vs really and with sound iudgemēt consider without any particular inordinate affection if my Sauior giue me himselfe wholy in his person his soule bodie by most intire perfect loue alas why should I diuide my affection from him why should I not sacrifice my selfe wholy to him who dooth sacrifice him selfe heere wholy for me since I know certainely my loue can neuer be perfect except it be consummated in him Besides what an extreme iniury do I offer him to prefer any before or make equal with him is not this to plaie the part of the Iewes who refused Christ Matth. 27. Marke 25 demanded Barabas is not this to spoile God of his regal crowne and dignitie and set it vppon the head of a miserable creature For if God be God then hee must be loued as God and aboue all and all for him because so eminent a maiestie the title of creation conseruation redemption iustification and glorification exact it of vs. That God in this sacrament sheweth a certain extasie of loue which is the third effect Ca. 4 THe learned diuines following that notable saying of Saint Dio Areopagita Deus passus est extastim prae amore God suffered extasie in his passion especially for loue conclude that in verie deede our sauiour Christ was after a certaine manner abstracted from himfelfe for loue the which although it seemeth something harsh and hard to be admitted yet in verie deede the effects were such that hee seemed for loue to haue forgotten himselfe his maiestie and glory to remember vs for so saint Paul insinnuateth in these Phil. 2. words exinnaniuit semetipsum formam serui accipiens hee exinnanited himselfe taking the forme of a seruant What is this exinnanition but an extasie an abstractiō from his glory maiestie and highnes he made himselfe mortall passible little subiect to hunger thirst heat and cold labour sweat and wearines who was immortall impassible immensiue who feedeth the birdes of the ayre the fishes of the sea the beasts of the land the lillyes of the field the angells in heauen hee lieth in a manger hungry and cold and he of whom was principally saide non accedet Psal ◠ad te malum flagellum non appropinquabit tabernaculo tuo No euill shall come neero thee nor no scourge approach to thy tabernacle rauished out of himselfe for loue was made vir dolorum a man of griefs Isa 53. suffering so many and so
horrible paines that no mortall man can tell whether he shewed more loue in suffering for vs or in glorifying of vs. But let vs now suruey the extasie he fell into by instituting this sacrament if it was an extasie to euacuat himselfe in shew of deitie by taking the forme of a man What doth he not suffer a greater extasie here by taking the form of bread for there he tooke the shape of a reasonable creature but heere he beareth a shew of an insensible substance S. Paul speaking of his extasie affirmed that 〈◊〉 2. Christ liued in him Viuo ego non iam ego viuit vero in me Christus I liue now not I 〈◊〉 ◠but Christ liueth in me If Christ liued not himselfe but in S. Paul and other faithful of his church of whom he spake as of himselfe Saule Saule cur me persequeris Saul Saul why persecutest thou me through the force of loue and affection Que potius viuit vbi amat quam vbi animat which more truly liueth where it loueth and not where it liueth how much more truly may hesay who claspes Christ in his breast in this sacred Eucharist Viuo ego iam non ego viuit vero in me Christus I liue now not I but Christ liueth in mee And let any reasonable man iudge if Christ here seeme not to put off and vnapparell himselfe of his maiestie and glorie permitting himself to be closed vnder a husk of bread at the Priests will staying dayes and nights attending in the tabernacle to receiue our supplications permitting infidells and heretikes to abuse and sacrilegiously to handle him entring into poisoned soules beggarly lodgings and al indecent places that either malice or infidelitie can inuent yea in some sort the extasie here surpasseth the extasie of Christ in his passion for although there hee suffered and here is impassible yet there hee shewed himselfe by wordes he answered for himselfe he reprehended and argued them that offered iniuries those blasphemies were for a small time and those dishonours not so many but here he neuer moueth the blasphemies are innumerable they haue continued in all ages And therefore when Moses and Elias talked with Christ in his transfiguration De excessu Luke 9. quem passurus erat in Ierusalem of his decease that he should accomplish in Ierusalem that they might wel haue talked of this Sacrament as I doubt not but they did bicause in very truth both excesses of loue are admirable and in mine opinion Habent se sicut excedens excessum haue relation the one to the other as the exceeding and the exceeded That God in the Eucharist sheweth his beneuolence the fourth effect of loue Cha. 6. As the hearts of men lie hidden from their eies in the centres of their bodies the rootes of trees vnder the earth in such sorte as in themselues wee can not view their natures and qualities yet nature hath taught vs certaine wayes howe to discouer them the heart by motions coulour and pulse the roote by the stem branches leaues and fruit euen so loue harbouring in the bosome of the hearte cannot be perfectly discerned of mortall men who wade into the depth of secrets by senses in it selfe but by some coulours the pulse the fruit some externall signe and of al other commonly it is declared by beneuolēce bestowing of gifts conferring of benefites So as S. Iohn intending Iob. 3. to make manifest vnto vs the exceeding loue of God touched this pulse shewed this fruit Sic deus dilexit mundum vt filium suum vnigenitum daret So GOD loued the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne And Christ himselfe declaring the loue of Mary Magdalen shewed the externall beneuolence and fruits Luke 7. of her affection by annointing him with oile by bathing his feete with teares by drying them with hir haire and thervpon inferred this comfortable illation Remittuntur ei peccata multa quoniam dilexit multū Many sinnes are forgiuen her because she hath loued much All faithful chrisstians that eat this fruit of life may easily perceiue the roote from whence it drew so sweete a substance to be the abisse of the loue of God Yea I knowe not by what meanes there resteth imprinted in our mindes a certaine sent of loue When we cal to memory this blessed sacrament it seemeth to smell of the heauenly Orchards of paradise which breath no other aire then the loue of the holy Ghost for I think there is none so simple that at the first prospect of his conceit when he considereth this gift presently imagines not that it proceedeth from loue and most truely might say sic Deus so God beloued Ihon ◠the world that he gaue his sonne that all those that did eate him should not perish but haue life euerlasting Yea while I wade alitle deeper in this matter I know not how but it seemeth to me the three persons in trinity contend which of them should shewe more excesse of loue by excesse of benefites not that there can bee any emulation or discention among those infinit louers and beloued but that the effects be so wōderful exceeding that we know not which to prefer To the father we ascribe power to the son wisdome to the holy ghost goodnesse because the father was produced by none the sonne sprung by vnderstanding the holy ghost issued by loue To the fathers omnipotencie we attribute creation to the sonnes wisedome redemption to the spirits goodnesse iustification Now let al diuines set their heads together yet they cannot decide which of these benefits ought most to bee prized neuerthelesse in my iudgement I take our redemption to surpasse the others because in creation God gaue vs the naturall life of our bodies and soules with this world and all the furniture thereof for our vse and domonion In iustification he imparteth the supernaturall life of grace with sundrie vertues gifts and fauors thereupon attending but in our redemption hee gaue vs the life of God which exceedeth the others so farre as God exceedeth man And in this sacrament his person life soule and bodie and therefore wel may we extoll this gift seeing God so extolled it before vs and say Quid bonum quid pulcrum eius nisi frumentum zach 9. electorum vnium germinans virgines What of his is good and what of his is beautifull but the wheate of his elected and wine that springeth virgins for indeede it is either the cheefest or next to the cheefest Much more might be intreated here of this effect by expounding all the circumstances of this gift who giueth it what is giuen with what effect it is giuen to what ende with what cost howe deare to the giuer but because partly they were handled before in the three twentieth cause of Gods liberalitie shewed in the institution thereof partly because I meane to touch it a little beneath partlie for that all the causes wee haue alleadged
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
stile and enrich them with Fathers and Scriptures I send you them as an of-spring of my goodwill at your request begun continued and performed If there be any thing in them profitable for good Catholikes to meditate or to serue them for their spirituall exercise thanke God for it and the next cause acknowledge your selfe for the full disposition of them I commit to your discretion As for the other two Treatises you requested of preparation and frequent communion God willing I intend to do my best to satisfie your desire if you had any booke of this subiect I would be content to peruse it to see if my practise and speculation confront with his iudgement In the meane time I beseech you to remember mee in your deuoute prayers and request the dew of heauen that I may yeeld you those delightfull fruites I knowe you desire A Table containing the parts and chapters of this Treatise following THe first part that the body of Christ is really in the blessed Sacrament contained in the first chapter The second part containing 42. Causes of the institution of the holy Eucharist 1 First cause to communicate himselfe to euery one in particular 2 To be an Epitome or an abridgement of all Gods wonders 3 To deifie the soule 4 To vnite the faithfull after a certaine reall manner 5 To vnite the faithfull in affections 6 For the exercise of faith 7 For the encrease of our hope 8 To inflame our charitie 9 To be an Ornament of the materiall Churches 10 To be the end and consummation of all the other Sacraments 11 To arme vs against our enemies and especially against the diuel 12 To arme vs against the world 13 To bridle our concupiscences 14 To giue life to the soule 15 To dignifie his Prâ—ests 16 To haue God vnder a sensible obiect to heare our prayers 17 To abolish veniall sinnes 18 To be a perpetuall sacrifice 19 To be a sacrifice most like his passion 20 That it might be a holocaust or burnt offering for the liuing 21 To be a satisfactory sacrifice for the soules in purgatory 22 To be a sacrifice of thanksgiuing for the Saints in heauen 23 To shew the magnificence and liberty of God 24 By diuers meanes to allure vs to loue him 25 To be the immediate obiect of our religion 26 That the maner of our saluation should be correspondent to the maner of our first preuarication 27 To be carried about in processions 28 To nourish our soules 29 To effect the resurrection of our bodies 30 To be a viaticum or prouision for our voyage 31 To win virgins to God 32 To render by gratitude a certain equality to God for all his benefits 33 To comfort our soules by spirituall ioy and deuotion 34 To illuminate our mindes 35 To be a commemoration of his passion 36 To moue vs to loath that the world loues 37 To be a confirmation of his Testament 38 To be a trumpet to blaze the glory of God 39 To giue vs a taste of the ioyes of heauen 40 To be a condigne sacrifice for Christ to offer to his â—ather 41 To discouer vnto vs the infallible loue of God containing tenne Chapters 1 That the loue of God in this blessed sacrament cannot be comprehended and of foure effects of loue concerning in it first vnion second zeale third extasie fourth benenolence 2 That God instituted this sacrament for loue 3 That in the sacred Eucharist God effecteth all these vnions which proceede from loue 4 That God shewed the second effect of loue in the Eucharist that is zeale 5 That God in this sacrament sheweth a certaine extasie of loue which is the third effect 6 That God in this Eucharist sheweth his beneuolence the fourth effect of loue 7 That God sheweth al diuersities of loue in this sacrament 8 That God sheweth a prizing loue in the Eucharist 9 That God sheweth in the Eucharist a most intensiue loue containing twelue proprieties 1. Antiquiâ—ie 2. Puritie 3. Vehemencie 4 Fecunditie 5. Effâ—cacie 6. Constancie 7. Light 8. Delight 9. Maiestie 10. Glorie 11. Libertie 12. Iustice 10 That God shewed in the Eucharist an extensiue loue and a tender or familiar loue â—â— And last cause to be the end of all the sacraments of the old Testament wherein are explicated the two especiall figures of the holy Eucharist Manna and the Pascall Lambe The end of the table A Treatise of the Blessed Sacrament That the Body of Christ is really in the Blessed Sacrament The first part AMong Catholikes I knowe it were superfluous to indeuour with large discourses to proue this Question Because relying their iudgements vpon the Catholike Church whose definition in all ages hath beene most manifest they need no other proofe or demonstration Yet partly to comforte them partely to confirme that faith they haue embraced I thinke ir not amisse with some few similitudes or palpable experiences to open alitle the vaile of this Arke and discouer some secretes which either seeme impossible or inexplicable imitating herein the ancient Fathers which explicate the mysteries of the Trinitie Incarnation Resurrection and others with corporall similitudes and examples yea Christ himself scarse spoke but in Parables now comparing grace to Io. 4. 7. Mat. 13. Mat 25. water now his church to a net nowe the faithfull to fiue wise and fiue foolish Virgins and the reason heere of I take to be the blindenesse of our wittes and dulnesse of our capacities who are not able to comprehend any spirituall mysteries without som corporal resemblances as most plainly appeareth in the Sacrament of the holie Trinitie which cannot be vnderstood in it selfe but in some effects euen as wee cannot beholde the Sunne in his spheare but in the water or thorow some cloude Knitting therfore the iugement of Christ his church the decrees of Councils the consent of Fathers the reportes of Histories the practise and vse of al christianity I think that any man not bewitched with wilfulnes and but of an indifferent iudgement and capacitie might easily discerne the veritie of this essential poynt of christianitie For supposing here that no man but senslesse can deny that God was and is able to effect this mysterie and as the learnedest Protestants haue confessed to me with what words more plainly could he expresse his minde hauing bread in his hand than by saying This is my bodie that shall bee giuen for you This is my Mat. 26. Marke 14. Luke 22. 1 Cor 11. bloud which shal bee shed for you Al Euangelists with S. Paul conspiring in the same wordes in like sense neuer mentioning trope or figure And if euer Christ had occasion to be plaine and apert in his speach questionlesse heere where he gaue a Lawe and enacted a Statute for his church Who is ignorant that Laws ought to be perspicuous because it is necessarie that al men should know them And therfore we see God gaue the Decalogue in so perspicuous a maner Here he
instituted Exod. 20. a Sacrament for his Church but how plaine was hee in the institution of Baptisme Here he ordained a principal ceremonie Mat. 28. of religion to be practised who Math. 13. knows not how clearely he deliuered the ceremonial law to the Iewes in Leuiticus Here he was priuate with his disciples to whome it was giuen to knowe mysteries although to many others in Parables and therefore it was conuenient in plaine termes to â—eueale this so profound a mysterie to them Here finally Christ made his last wil and testament al men confesse that willes must be most manifest lest the executors should not agree about the sense thereof Therefore Christ giuing a law instituting a sacrament appoynting a religious ceremony conuersing priuately with his disciples and making his last will and testament had sufficient occasion I thinke to conceiue through his infinite wisedome that here was no place for metaphoricall figures symbolicall senses or harsh speeches subiect to sundry interpretations This reason conuiceth my wit so perswadeth my vnderstanding that supposing the thing possible I maruell any man can deny it And therefore since the venty of catholike religion is so true certainely all arguments obiected against it consequently are conuinced to be false whereunto followeth that they may bee answered as in like maner we affirme all arguments which can bee vttered against the holy Trinity to be Paralogismes soluble And for better intelligence and more fuller conceit I meane to propound the chiefest and rather answer them with naturall similitudes or other supernaturall mysteries then seriously assoile them according to the principles of Diuinitie where of most readers are not capable First some will demand how is it possible that such a great bodie as that of Christs with al parts and members shuld be cowched or conueied vnder so little an hoast vnder a crumme of bread or a drop of wine I demaund before I answer if it were not as great a myracle for to make a church or mountaine enter into a hole no greater than a barley corne No man can doubt of it but this I will shew you done by nature Go to the toppe of Paules steeple and there view the country about the mountaines hilles plaines valleis the riuers the gardeins meddowes orchardes churches houses beasts and men heauen aboue and earth beneath now after such a mightie prospect shut your eies and in your mind you shall see all within which before you saw without in the same order situation correspondence and proportion Now I wil inquire by what moÌ„strous gate passed in whole mountaines villages and riuers and pallaces By the smal circle of the apple of the eie no greater than a barly corne But how was God able to cowch such a quantitie or such a masse in so little a moate The reason is because the mountaine entring into the eâ—e putteth on a certaine spirituall garment although the forme of the mountaine imprinted in our eies of it selfe be corporall and extended like other materiall qualities in the subiect This same similitude most aptly declareth the mysterie of Christs bodie in the sacrament because it receiueth a certaine spirituall garment that maketh it to bee in euerie parte of the hoast as the image of the mountaine representeth the whole mountaine in euerie mans eie without confusion or imptoportion I demaund whether is more myraculous to make a man with all his limmes to bee placed in no greater roome than a needles point or a thing which of it selfe is lesse than a needles point without anie addition of substance to be dilated as much as a man The latter we see daily why then do we wonder so much at the former The soule of man requireth no place but of it selfe fully and perfitly can refide in lesse than a needles point yet we see it dilated and spiritually extended as faire as the bodie Yea God himselfe filleth al places whose entire compleate substance requireth no place but wholy may refide in one indiuisible point Is not the highest heauen the vastest bodie and the mightiest masse that euer God created and yet according to the most accepted opinion in the schooles of Philosophers it inhabiteth no place If God by his omnipotencie coulde 4 Mat. 9. make a CAmmell passe through a needles eie who wil denie but that he can put by the same omnipotencie the bodie of Christ in a little hoast Therefore well saide S. Cyprian Panis quem Christus discipulis Cipr. ser de coâ—na Dom. suis porrigebat non effigie sed natura mutatus verbi omnipotentia factus est caro that bread which Christ gaue to his Disciples not chaunged in forme but in nature by the omnipotencie of the worde was made flesh We see that Christ in manie miracles suspended naturall agents from their most proper and necessarie actions as fire Dan. 3. from burning in the furnace of Babylon 4 Reg. 6. the iron from descending in the prophets hatchet S. Peters bodie from drowning Math. 14. when hee walked vppon the water whie may hee not heere suspend the bodie of Christ from extending it in place Pro. Secondly hovv can one bodie be in so manye places at once in Englande France Flaunders Italie c. I answer how is my soule whole in my head whole in my handes whole in my feete If then one soule may bee intire in three places there is no repugnance vvhy one body may not be in diuers places for the repugnaunce is alike in both If you say the soule hath a certain connexion or continuation in the bodie which Christes body hath not in such distant places this auaileth not For who can proue or euer did proue that it is impossible for God to cut off my arme and keepe my soule in it and transfer it into Fraunce or Italie leauing the same soule in my body here in England We heare the Preacher in the Pulpit whose voyce is but one yet fiue hundred receiue it and euery one the same sound in his eare We see in looking glasses if there be a hundred little ones about a great glasse in euery one of them our faces intire Whether is more difficult to conceiue one body in many places or many bodies in one place Surely I thinke no mortall man euer yet could yeeld a sufficient reason but we know most certainly that two bodies were in one place when Christ issued out Luke 2. Math. 27. 28. 10. 20. Mat. 16. Luke â—4 of his mothers wombe reseruing her virginitie when he rose out of the sepulcher it being closed with a mightie stone wheÌ„ he entred to his disciples the dores being shut when he assended vppe to heauen the incorruptible sphears reseruing their places What is more impossible that a body should be in two places or a body putrified and rotten to be restored to all his qualities quantities and other proprieties no doubt but this which wee all beleeue shal be
fullfilled in the finall resurrection of all flesh Thirdly how can can the body and bloud of Christ being so little in comparison be resident in so many hoasts and buttes of wine which in all the world are consecrated and reserued in the tabernacle at one time Pro. Tel me how the soule of a child entring in the conception of the infant into so small and little a body without any addition can extend and dilate it selfe through the whole body of a man tel me how Gods indiuisible substance without addition mutation or alteration filleth the whole world So. Do we not proue by daily experience how a little storax or frankensence resolued into smoke keeping the same matter and quantitie only by rarefaction to bee sufficient to fill a whole church besides those that vse to worke quicksiluer proue most palpably how this mettal being set vpon a fire in a pot assendeth al in smoke and filleth a most large roome yet after with external colde being congealed the selfe same quicke-siluer falleth downe againe and is brought to a very small quantitie Euen so the body and blood of Christ although for a time they be enlarged yet when the cloude is passed the externall vailes of bread wine are consumed the body is as it was before and so shall remaine in all eternitie Fourthly how can those accidents that whitenes that quantitie that moystnes that drynesse hang in the aire without their substance as a house sustained without any foundation the rinde without the choare Pro. He that vnderstandeth the mistery of Christs incarnation effected by the omnipotent hands of God cannot call in question this difficultie in the blessed Sacrament because it is as naturall for a substance to subsist in it selfe as for an accident to be inherent in an other and yet God seperateth from the humanitie of Christ his person and manner of subsisting why then may he not seuer fro these accidents their adherence to another and somuch the more because Christs humanitie is inserted in his diuinitie which hardly can be conceiued without some mutabilitie which cannot be in God If arte or nature can make such admirable seperations as wee dayly proue this pointe cannot seeme so vnprobable Did not the Romains trie pure wines from mingled by putting them in an iuye dish through which the water dropped and left the wine behinde Doth not quicksiluer seuer golde incorporated with other mettells from them all are not the Potecaries able out of all hearbs fruits trees and flowers by fire to drawe the moisture from the terrestriall substance and shall wee say that God is not able to distill the accidents from their substance and drawe the internall substance like sweet oyle from the barke of accidents Fiftly how can there be such chopping and changing of substances of bread and wine into the body and bloud of Christ and yet no externall signe appeare as we Ioh 2. see apeared in the changing of water into wine and in the rod of Moses conuerted Exod 4. into a serpent Plinie recounteth not vnlike effects of Plin. l. 2. c. 5â— thunder that it melted the mony in bags sealed with waxe and yet no signe in the world appeared either in the bagges or waxe And Scneca affirmeth that sometimes Seâ—â— l. 2 c. 31. it melted the sword not indamaging the scabbard and why may not God change the substance and leaue the scabbaâ—d of accidents since he is the Author of nature and wadeth deeper into the bowells thereof then any externall or internall agent In Christs incarnation there was a change of mans nature the which lacked his owne person and was vphelde by the person of the sonne of God and yet externally those that see his body viewed not this change by any sensible effect In iustification also a sinner is wholy renewed within and made a new creature and yet what externall shew appeareth of this internall mutation Sensible miracles and signes were granted especially by God for the conuersion of infidels and therfore were not effected so often among Christians after they had receiued the faith for as S. Greg. saith Fides non habet meritum vbi humana ratio praebet experimentum Faith hath no merite where humane reason yeeldeth proofe therefore it was expedient that this mysterie shoulde be vailed that our reason might possesse a sensible obiect surpassing al reason and onelie by faith to be beleeued Sixtly how is not the body of Christ consumed by so many who daily since the first institution for so manie yeeres haue eaten him Pro. Christ to occurre and answere this reason in the 6. chapt of Saint Iohn first wrought the wonderfull miracle by feeding 5000. men besides women and children with fiue barly loaues and two fishes with the aduantage of twelue baskets I say he wrought this myracle before hee beganne to deliuer them the mysterie of this Sacrament thereby to prepare themselues to answere this Obiection that if with so little he could feed so many and make so much remaine more then he receiued at the beginning how can he notfeed millions with his body and yet preserue it as entire as it was when he first gaue it Christs body doth no otherwise heere then oure soules doe euerye day in our bodies because as bodies continually exhale forth some partes the which wee restore againe by meate and drinke these parts dayly thus exhaled our soules cease to informe and yet they neuer consume nor deminish euen so Christs body residing in diuers hoasts ceaseth to bee in them lesing those places without any other consumtion or alteration Wee see the sunne so many yeres hath euery daye brought newe light to the world euery minut he changeth his place without defect or consumption And why shal not the Sunne of Iustice lighten the worlde in this Sacrament and yet change euery minute his place without corruption or decay Seauenthly how can he abide to passe into such vndeceÌ„t places as mens stomaks whose breaths many scarse can tolerat Pro. How doth his diuinitie fil al places how vndecent and vncleane soeuer receuing no infection by them but as the sun beames beating vppon a dunghil neither are infected nor defiled in like manner the body of Christ adorned with the beames of immortalitie and impassibility receaueth no impression of any infectious or noysome creature So. The stinch of sin much more annoied the smell of his soule when he conuersed in earth among sinners than this could molest his body and yet it was not vndecent he should suffer that but a signe of extreme loue and mercy so it is not vnseemly his body should bee where those defects be suffering nothing but onely remaining there to worke most admirable effects in his creatures to their great profit and his exceeding charitie as shall hereafter be declared Eightly what becometh of the body of Christ after the formes of bread and wine are corrupted assendeth it to heauen theÌ„ is it continually in voiage
Doth it stay in the stomacke but that is most vndecent When a mans arme is cut off what becommeth of his soule that informed that arme doth it perish then he that lacketh an arme lacketh a piece of his soule Doth it hang in the aire But the aire is not organized to receiue the information finally it ceaseth to inform the arme it leeseth that subiect and place keeping the place in the bodie where it was before euen so the bodie of Christ leeseth the place it had in the stomacke and keepeth the place it had before in heauen So. As the Sunne in a moment spreadeth his beames from East to VVeast euen so Christ his body from heauen into the sacrament and as if a clond hinder the vertue of the Sunne the light ceaseth the Sunne remaineth where it was euen so when the forms of bread and wine perish Christs bodie ceaseth to bee there but remaineth in heauen as he was before Ninthly when the Hoast is broken how is not the bodie of Christ broken also why are not seperated the legges from the body c why heare we no crackling of bones why see we no effusion of blod Pro. When a looking glasse is broken do you not see in both the peeces your face as entire as when it was whole euen so when the hoast is broken in both partes thereof remaineth the bodie of Christ as entire as it was in the whole Sol. Albertus Magnus recounteth not vnlike Albertus Mag. trac de Temt cap. 22. effects of thunder that it burns somtimes the shooes but hurteth not the feet it singeth the haire off the head and face without any annoyaunce of those partes Besides hee that mangleth the body can not mangle the soule which keepeth her immortalitie likewise hee that breaketh the hoast impeacheth nothing the incorruptible and indiuisible maner of Christs sacramentall presence in the blessed Sacrament Tenthly how can Christs body be in the Sacrament without confusion beeing whole coarcted into so little a place for it seemes that al his bodie should be pressed to nothing Pro. This may bee most perspiciously resolued by the first similitude we broght of the whole countrie which entreth into the eie without confusion and our faces which we see euerie one in an others eie with al delineaments most intire without any disorder or improportion When Christs bodie entred the dores being shut or issued out of his mothers wombe was his bodie pressed to nothing Io. 20. Luc. ◠No that were corruption and not perfection and vndecent for so decent a bodie I am here to aduertise the gentle Reader that al similituds which Fathers bring to declare the misteries of our faith as the incarnation trinitie grace charitie c. do euer dissent almost in as many things with the mysterie as they agree with it Therfore maruell not if some of those I haue brought iumpt not in all things with the mysterie as they agree with it Therfore maruell not if some of those I haue brought iumpt not in all things with the blessed sacrament for if they should they were not similitudes but the same things Besides consider how many wonderfull workes wee daily prooue effected which we would haue iudged impossible before we see them as in a geographicall glasse the compas and such like Now inferre hereupon that if men by naturall skill can reach but our capacitie how far can God go beyond it Lastly not onely heretikes but also infidels exclaime against Catholiques that it is a thing not only vndecent and horrible to eate mans flesh drinke his bloud but also impious and irreligious to eate their God for what say they is more absurd then for God to abase himselfe to be eaten and more abhominable then for his creatures prophanely to deuoure him This obiection might as wel bee made against Christes incarnation death and passion for it seemeth as vndecent for God to lie in a womans wombe for nine moneths for him that is life it selfe to die as to be eaten in this Sacrament for what need had he of his creatures that he shuld toile so much for them why could he not haue forgiuen them all their offences of his owne accorde seeing the fault was committed against him But the wisdom of GOD ouer-reached these carnall and cloudie conceited men and therefore determined meanes surpassing all vnderstandings and deuises Wherefore as in the mysterie of Christes incarnation the Fathers and Doctors indeuoure to search out the reasons which moued the maiesty of God so extraordinarily to exmiruite himselfe to become man euen so we will here procure to vnderstand some reasons why so familiarly he did debase himselfe to be our foode The second part of this Treatise The first cause of the institution of the blessed Sacrament to communicate himselfe to euery one in particular SVch is the nature of Goodnesse that it doth not only perfit enrich and adorn the subiect wherein it resideth but also enableth it with an ouerflowing vertue to communicate it selfe vnto others Bonum Lib. de Diu. nom ca 4. saith Dionis Areop est sui diffusiuum Goodnes spreadeth it selfe abroad and for this cause we see the Sunne for that it is good in it selfe communicateth his Vertue vnto others dispersing his beames vpon the earth the aire because it is good conserueth the soule the sea in regard of natiue goodnes allodgeth the fishes the earth indued with the like lendeth her lappe to mettalles and hearbs in fine since all creatures that bountiful hand of God framed receiued in their first printing some form Gen. 1. of goodnes Vidit Deus cunctaque fecerat erant valdè bona God did see all that hee had made and they were very good consequently they receiued vertue to communicate their goodnes to others And thus all creatures bee good in themselues◠and profitable to their neighbours Besides we prooue by daily experience how they are not content to lend their frends some little parcell of their perfection but as much as they haue so much they bestowes so that the sphere of such their communication aunswereth in proportion to the degree of the naturall substance and engrafted perfection so that earth produceth earth water bringeth foorth wate◠fire kindleth fire a horse ingendereth a horse an eagle breedeth an eagle a man begetteth a man wherevpon the Philosophers grounded their Axiome Omne simile generat fibi simile euery like produceth like If these drops of goodnes fallen from God their immensiue ocean sea if these beames of perfections issuing from their euerlasting Sunne if these dying leaues of bountie shaken off that neuer fading tree of life extend the limits of their goodnes so far what bounds can containe his goodnesse which is boundlesse what measure can be prescribed to him that is immesurable where shall his bountie border which is infinite nothing being equall to God Therefore his natiue goodnesse enforced him to communicate himselfe to mankinde vvhich mistery vvas effected by
creatures become sensible and animate substances but Christs body so feeds the soule that it giueth life vnto it Qui Ioh. â— manducat me vinet propter me He that eateth me the same also shall liue by mee And therfore as God is saide to be in the Iust by grace charitie and they in him so by this Sacrament Christ is in vs and we in him Herevpon it followeth that men are deified in two sortes by receiuing this Sacrament first by a reall communication with Christ whom they harbour in their bodies and therfore of S. Cyprian are called Baiuli Christi carriers De caena Dom. or bearers of Christ and others terme theÌ„ Christoferi secondly they are deified in soule by receiuing this grace which is a diuine coniunction and admirable participation of his deitie by which they are made diuinae naturae consortes partakers of the diuine nature The fourth cause to vnite the faithfull after a certaine reall manner CHrist our Sauiour making his praier to his Father among other graces hee Ioh. 17. Hec expositio est Cirill lib. 11. in Io. ca. 26. Hillari lib. 9. de trinit demanded he asked this for all the faithfull that as his Father was in him and hee in his Father so the faithfull should bee one thing Christ is in his Father because he really and essentially participateth the same substance with the Father and his Father is in him for that he possesseth the same nature and substance with his sonne It was vnpossible that the faithfull should in such sort participate one coÌ„mon essence because the infinite perfection of God chalengeth this as a proper dignitie to haue a nature communicable to diuers persons But since that mans nature was not capable of such fecunditie our prouident Pastor prouided a way to keepe his flocke together and to vnite them not only by affection in minde but also by a certaine reall and substantiall nature wherein they should be made all one and most excelleÌ„tly resembled vnto the blessed Trinitie which was effected by this Sacrament for by giuing them all the same body and bloud he caused them to be vnited in one substance one nature essence and that more excellent than their owne naturall substance was Wherefore al those that receiue their body may bee called one body as S. Paule doubted not to call them when he saide Vnus panis vnum â— Coria 10 corpus multi sumus omnes qui de vno pane participamus beeing many wee are one bread one body all that participate of one bread And for this cause as wee say all the three persons in Trinitie are one God euen so all the faithfull by a certain maner are one body and as the starres in the firmament though of themselues very different yet are vnited al in one indeficient fountaine of light so all the faithfull fituated in the firmament vnmooueable of the Catholike Church are vnited together and made one in this blessed Sacrament but with this difference that the starres haue not the Sunne in them but â—nely the light whereas the faithful haue the Sonne of all light continually springing within them Iosuah thought GOD Iosu â—â— shevved him a singular fauour and woorthily al admire it that God at the request of a man shoulde staye the course of the Sunne till he had ouercome his enemies But what would he haue saide if God had brought the Sunne from heauen and put it in his hand to haue vsed it at his pleasure so hee hath dealt with vs in this Sacrament by drawing his eternall Sonne from heauen to dwel in earth to be held in our hands to be receiued as foode to ioyne vs all that be in his church to fight against al visible enemies as tyrants and heretikes and inuisible foes as the Divel and his infernall ghosts The fift cause to vnite the faithfull in affection AS the bodie of man containeth diuerse parts of contrary nature and disposition the heart being hote the braine cold fleame moist melancholy drie spirits of a fiery nature bones of an earthly all the foure elementes in sundry partes holding predominion yet the soule keepeth them in peace conserueth a most sweet harmony containeth euery one in his office euen so this blessed Sacrament ioyneth Christs seruants Greekes and Egyptians Iewes and Gentiles poore and rich learned and ignorant in an admirable bond of loue and vnitie if they receiue it with that preparation and vse it as they ought the Isai 11. which vnion loue and peace I say the Prophet foretold was too slowe ouer the earth after that little cloude which Elias 3 Reg. 18. behelde had powred downe this blessed Sacrament vpon it Habitabit saith he lupus the woolfe shall dwel with the lamb the libbard shall rest with the kidde the calfe the lion and the sheepe shal lodge all together and a little childe shall leade them he meaneth fierce cruell and intractable men sauage nations and barbarous countries shall be brought to vnion peace and loue no doubt but principally by vertue of this sacred communion this common soule will cause euery one to keep himselfe in order this little childe which we fold with our breasts in this sacrament will guide pacifie and comforte them all for what inflameth men one to loue another principally but resemblance and similitude Why doe kinsemen so affect one another but in regard of resemblance of bloud and similitude of complexions And therefore they are called Consanguinei and Kinsemen And what similitude can be greater then this whereby good christians are made Verè Consanguinei Christi In very deede the kinsmen of Christ Yea rather identified or made one with the selfe-same bloud the selfe-same body and soule which no kindred euer did participate because they haue the like bloud and bodies but not the same nor the same soule The dignity and worth of those which be partakers of this sacrament may easily inuite al men to loue them For as we prise and admire all those whom we acknowledge to be of account so surely wee ought to esteeme those who are bathed with the bloud of Christ who are indued with his grace whose bodies are liuing temples pallaces to allodge this royall maiestio If the ground was holy where the Angell onely in a bush spâ—ke to Moses If the mountaine was sanctified where the celestiall Exod. 3. Exod. 19 Act. 29 spirits gaue the law If the napkins and girdles of Saint Paule wrought miracles because they serued so great a seruaÌ„t of God O in what reputation should we haue those blessed men which we know receiue so often and keepe so long the king of Angels the head of all the Apostles in their bodies The sixt cause for the exercise of faith IN the summe of all Diuinity I find 10. difficulties hardly to be conceaued and consequently not easie to be beleeued The first is howe God hath free will 2. how he knoweth those future
confirme by daily experience For vvhat els pretend those who so vehemently embrace one an other but as it were one to enter into another and vnite themselues in one for the vehement affection of loue Why did Iob say Quis mihi det vt de carnibus eius saturemur who will Iob 31 giue me that wee may bee filled with his flesh but to declare that the vehemency of loue desired this vnion How possesse the three persons in Trinitye such vehement and ardent loue but for the vnion of one substance in three persons That which men thought impossible to God was possible and that which nature affected was by the Author of nature grace in this mistery effected for herby imparting his body vnto men without destruction of either he caused an vnioÌ„ of both whereupon ensued that the loue of God could not but be singularly increased towards vs because as fathers loue most vehemently their children because in them they see a part of their owne substance disperced in their bodies though after many chaunges and alterations So God vewing his whole substance without any mutation or change in nature or qualitie his body and bloud his soule and person really remaining in vs and ioyned with vs cannot but loue vs exceedingly much more then any father his children And we for the selfe-same cause are moued to loue him for the same vnion or rather identification of substance For who is so base minded or cold in affection that lifting vp the eies of his soule to heauen admiring the infinite Maiestye of God where millions of Cherubins and Seraphines stand in his sight veiling their eyes with their golden wings lest they should be dazelled being not able to behold the infinite brightnes of his glory who I say after this consideration would not open all the vaines of his heart and resolue them into loue seeing this soueraigne Maiestie to discend from heauen to earth to dwell with a poore worme to lodge with a miserable man one that many times had offended him to couer himselfe vnder bread to be eaten of him and to enter into his body to be eternally vnited with him Zacheus thought Luc. 19. he shewed him a singular fauour to come into his house the Centurion passed a Luc. 7. litle furder and saide his house was not worthy of him But here what shall wee say he entereth not to receiue but to giue not to cure the body but to saue the soule how can that heart not be enflamed with loue which hath a burning flame of fier glowing so neere I meane the heart of our Sauiour Iesus Christ How doth not those veines swell with affection which are filled with the pretious bloud of their most affectious and zealous GOD How doth not that soule exult for ioy at Christs presence beeing so neere when Saint Iohn Luc. 1. Baptist exulted for ioy in his mothers wombe conceauing but our Ladies voice The ninth cause to be an ornament of the materiall Churches IN the olde Testament which was a modell of the new wee see that God had a speciall care to prouide the Arke the Cherubines propitiatorie with all the ornaments and furniture of the interiour Exod. 25. Tabernacle or Sanctum sanctorum into which none could enter but the high Priest and he only once a yeere this as the Apostle apertly declareth signified Hebr. 9. how Christ was to offer vp once a bloudy Sacrifice for the redemption of al the world Yet this was but the Allegorie of these ceremonies which God had not only instituted to signifie what was to come but also ordained them for the present vse and religion of the Iewes as CircumcisioÌ„ MaÌ„na the Pascal lambe with al the rest the reasoÌ„ therfore which moued the diuine wisdome of God to ordain this so maiesticall a place so reuerend and ful of ceremonies was to strike into the peoples mindes a great conceit of him a reuerence and respect a feare and humilitie in that place The like with out al doubt stood with his prouidence in instituting this Sacrament that we should haue in our temples the true Ark of his couenant whence-froÌ„ he was to giue answere to imprint in our heartes at the view of his tabernacle a reuerend feare and a fearful loue of his maiestie for if we were Angels and needed not corporall senses to pourtraite or represent the maiestie of God vnto vs little it woulde auaile vs to haue present such rites ceremonies but because our soule in this exile is drowned in the body and cannot ascend to God but by fixing the first and second step in externall sences and corporall imaginations therfore our prouident Sauiour condescending to our infirmities ordained a sensible presence for his maiestie thereby to strike into vs reuerence feare and respect and so in effect it seemes that experience teacheth For when I enter into an heretical church without light altare or image and especialy without the body of Christ me thinks I come into some vast prophane hall or at best some great schoole for it carrieth no shew nor casteth any smel of religion Whereas entring into a church of Catholikes al that I see breatheth pietie and religion the lamps and lights represent the indeficient glory of heauen and brightnes of Gods elected the Images giue mee to vnderstand the multitude of Saints and Angels who assist the maiesty of God in his eternal temple whereas day and night they neuer cease his praises the Altare leades me to that incruent sacrifice which daily is offered to the liuing God for all the faithful in Christs church and in fine the presence of Christ in the Tabernacle moâ—eth me to reuerence to look into my selfe to carry me circumspectly in that older as such a presence requireth For as wel noteth Saint Chrys When Courtiers come before the Kings presence they are careful and circumspect what they doe they roll their eyes about their garments lest any spotte or blemish in them might offend the Kings eyes they ponder theyr speeches lest any vndecent word should escape from them they forelooke al theyr gestures actions lest any of them should appeere vngrateful to the king And how doe faithfull Christians when they come before Christ in the Church they looke into their soules weigh their words consider their thoughts and in fine beware that nothing proceed from them that in any sorte may displease so diuine a maiestie for indeede as the same Authour wel aduertiseth by the presence of Christ in the Sacrament the church is conuerted into heauen For as we prooue the kings Court and Throne is not his pallace his gardens his golden galleries his â—orie beds his chaire of estate his pearled canopies but the person of the King is the essence of the Court and Throne al the rest be accessary to him euen so the court and throne of heauen is not those spheres those angels those saints they be all ornaments they be accessary
seruent and full of charitie as a number of stinking flies from a boyling pot vppon the fire because they know they scorch their bodyes by ceazing vppon such a preye Therefore Iob. 17◠in all temtations of Sathan which vexe vs vehemently let vs runne to this defence and say with Iob Pone me iuxta te cuiusuis manus pugnet contra me Put me next to thee and then let any hand fight against mee The twelfth cause to arme vs against the worlde BY the world here I vnderstand all the wicked men who professe themselues friends of the world and endeuoure to induce the seruants of God to sinne and wickednesse as Infidels Heretikes and wicked Christians against all which this blessed body doth singularly defend and protect vs. Who cannot but call to memory that memorable miracle wrought in the furnace of Babylon when the blasphemous Dan. 3. Nabuchadonozer affecting deitie caused Sidrac Misac Abdenago to be cast into the vehement flames of fire because they would not adore his statue but what effect had it what could he preuaile nothing What was the reason because he saw one with them walking like the sonne of man They which had Christ with them for him the Angell there present represented in the very middest of flames walke with alacritie care not for torments in the calme of their dolours they praise and glorifie God For I would demaund of any true seruant of christ what persecution what what losse of goods what imprisonments what rackes what gibbets cutting or mangling can affright him who hath receiued Christ into his heart in the blessed sacrament specially when he considereth with mature deliberation that that all these torments and many more are nothing in comparison of that the very sonne of GOD suffered for his loue Moreouer if wicked Christians deride thy fasting continencie long praiers and mortifications what consideration can better defend thee then the presence of Christ who passed ouer all the alphabet of mortification most exactly for thy sake The cause why this Sacrament so defendeth good soules against the wicked assaults of the world I take to be the great abundance of charitie and grace whch Christ offereth to those that receiue his body worthily for as after shall be declared heere our Sauiour oepneth his hand disperseth his heauenly treasures most copiously This celestiall dew or rather this supernaturall flame so kindleth the hearts of all good soules that it causeth them to loue prize and esteeme God exceedingly and consequently to desire nothing more than to haue occasion to com to that supreame and heroicall act of charitie Ponere animam pro amico suo to 10. 15. yeeld his life for his friend For thereby they assuredly know they shal be like vnto him whome they doe claspe in their breasts they wel vnderstand that loue more appeereth by suffering euil for their friend than in dooing good for him And for this cause I would councel yea and I am perswaded if the precept of receiuing the Eucharist bindeth out of Easter as commonly Diuines holde it doth that specially those who eyther are to be examined or arraigned or executed for religion ought to prepare thēselues with this Sacrament if they can do it conueniently for as Saint Cyprian saith Idonius esse non potest ad martirium qui ab Ecclesia non armatur ad praelium mens Cip. in cp 54 deficit quam non recepta Eucharistia erigit accendit He is not fit for Martirdome whome the Church hath not armed to battaile and there the minde faileth whē the Eucharist receiued erecteth not and inflameth For how can thy be better prepared to spend their blood for Christ then when they are armed with the blood of Christ or when will they answere more courageously in the defence of Christs religion then when they are replenished vvith the chiefest fruite of his passion The thirtenth cause to bridle our concupiscence THe sting of originall sinne made such a deepe wound in the inferiour partes of our soules that although they bee cured by Baptisme yet the scarres fester againe except they be continually fomented with some heauenly medecine the which our carefull pastour hath prouided in this Sacrament whose vertue better shall be perceiued by the declaration of both the sore and the salue Concupiscēce is an inordinate appetite of the soule inclining it to follow the delights of the flesh proceeding from sin and bēding the soule to sin This salue is a Sacrament eleuating soules from earth to heauen from sence to reason from carnall delights to eternall pleasures proceeding from god containing god and leading to god Whence from followeth that as dastards are terrefied only with the memory of their potēt aduersaries euen so the fury of concupiscence is greatly asswaged only by the memory of this sacrament when it perceiueth that Christ must lodge in that house where it resideth For it well knows that if the high priestes in the olde law could not offer their solemne sacrifices but prepared with continencie if none durste approache neare the mount Exod. 19. where God by his Angelles gaue but two stonye tables contayning the lawe 1. Reg. 21. Mat 12. except the abstinency from their lawefull wiues hadde armed them if Dauid coulde not eate the loaues of proposition but disposed with coniugall chastitie if 1. Cor. 7. S. Paule woulde haue married men to abstaine for a time to be more fit for praier howe then dare concupiscence debostlie breake foorth into inordinate appetites how dare she desire those delights vniustly when those are debarred which might haue vsed them lawfully Do wee not see what care the true friendes of Christ haue euer had to handle his body with all puritie If Ioseph of Aramathia take the Matt. 27. body of Christ to bury he foldeth it in a most pure sindon or fine white cloth if it be laid vpon the Altare none is ignorant how cleane the corporalls are where vpon his precious body resteth and shall wee thinke that externall creatures are so requisite and internall puritie not much more to be affected No no the soule of him who receiueth this Sacrament ought to be a corporal without staine of fleshly delights or impuritie if concupiscences are so restrained with memory of the puritie requisite to this holy Communion if the Sunne cast such a light before it appeare aboue our horizon how can darkenes abide after it be risen in what fetters and boltes shal it be cast when Christ entreth when he sheweth his face for most certaine it is that the loue and charitie of Christ heere imprinteth in the soule the supernatural comforts hee most liberally lendeth to the deuout receiuers extinguish the flames of concupiscence as the cloud in the desart hindred the scorching Psal 104. rages which parched the children of Israel Psal 77. and the fresh water which gushed out of the rocke quenched their thirst Likewise after that good
Hic est casix sanguinis mei This is the challice of my blod make that they signifie and therefore hecause they signifie only blod consequently they put by their force and efficacy only bloud in the challice without body or soule although by sequele both the body and the soule descend into the chalice for the bloud being in the veines it draweth the veines the veines beeing fixed in the body cannot but naturally draw the body with them the body harboring the soule likewise bringeth it for company As for example the woman of Samaria that drew Io. 4 vp water with a cord from the wel she immediatly drew the cord but by sequele came the paile because it was tied to the corde and with the paile by sequele the water with the water if there had bin a fish had followed a fish the priest out of Christs side drawes first the bloud immediatly follow the vaines to the vaines the body to the body the soule for which sequel this sacrifice is called incruent and is most decent perfectly representing the maner of Christs death and passion The twentieth cause that it might be a holocaust or burnt offering THree sortes of externall sacrifices we reade in holy scripture were in vse among Louie 1. 43. the Iewes holocausts or burnt offerings pacifying hoasts hoastes for sins The first were offered to God in reuereÌ„ce of his maiesty the 2. in thankesgiuing for his benefits receaued or expected the 3. for expiation of their sins The first was al burnt vpon the altar the last were partly offered to God partly imparted to the priests the second were deuided into 3. parts one was offered to God another bestowed of the priests the third fel to the offerers share The lawe therfore of grace being most complete excellent of al others as it required a most excellent sacrifice in substance so it exacted al sorts of sacrifices included in that one which ether tended to the greater glory of god or the benefit of his worshippers Therefore in this sole solitary sacrifice he clasped theÌ„ al as most plainely shal appeare for here are many consumptions in this sacrifice which euideÌ„tly conuince that it is a burnt offering First it is burnt here as Christs sacrifice and holocaust was burnt vpoÌ„ the Crosse that is with the infinite extinguishable flames of his charity For questionlesse as he there offered himselfe and fired his sacrifice with loue to redeeme al the world euen so here his sacrifice burneth with the same affection to saue all those in particuler for whom it is offered Luke 22 Desiderio desideraui hoc pasca manducare with desire I haue desired to eate this pasche Secondly the substance of bread and wine by this sacred action of transubstantiation are not reduced to ashes as wheÌ„ the holocaustes were burnt vpon the altar but so consumed that they wholy vanishe away and leaue nothing but their skin and rinde behinde Thirdly the priest by receiuing it consumeth it wholy It is likewise a pacifying hoast because by it we acknowledge the infinit benefits we haue receued and especially that benefit of our redemption the which we do not onely represent but also most diuinely exercise by this also we respect the last benefite of all that is life euerlasting Hic est pamis pro Io. 6. mundi vita This is the bread for the life of the world finally it is an hoast for sinnes not onely in regard of the grace it conferreth as a SacrameÌ„t but also for that it worketh to the purging of our sins as a sacrifice because in the old Testament goates bloud and calues bloud did expiate them Heb. 9. from their delicts howe much more the bloud of Christ in this our Eucharist exceedeth both the pacifying hoasts and the sacrifice for sinne that it is whole offered to God whole receiued of Priests whole participated of the people whereas theirs for the imperfection of them coulde not but be dismembred Hereupon I will infer that those people are happy who can daily be present at the sacrifice of Masse to be made partakers of the admirable effects of this diuine oblatioÌ„ For if the Iews resorted to Ierusalem out of all nations at Easter to offer vp their paschall lambe to represent their deliuery out of Egypt if God accepted that shadow of this sacrifice as a gratefull obsequie and louing duty O with what deuotion ought we to resorte to Masse what assurance may wee conceaue that God will accept this sacrifice more then the bloud of a thousand lambes or calues The one and twentieth cause to be a satisfactory sacrifice for the soules in Purgatory THis blessed sacrament doth not only sanctifie the soule as all other sacraments do but also as a sacrifice it hath force to impetrate of God many graces and fauours to incite vs to vertue and to withdraw vs from vice yea the blessing hereof is so ample that it adorneth and profiteth the Church millitant and succoureth also those soules which suffer in Purgatory not vnlike the ocean sea which serueth not only for the commerce of men in forraine countries to nourish and maintaine the fishes which lodge in her wombe to fructifie the earth with riuers and raine but also it passeth throgh the lowe parts there concurreth to the generation of mettels stones other minerals In like sort the blessed Sacrament is not content to ioyne the faithfull in vnitie and concord to nourish those soules which harbour in the catholike Church to engender in them vertues and good workes but also it extendeth fauours and satisfactions to them that doe liue in Purgatory that inhabit the lower partes of the earth This effect none can deny but professed enimies of christs church for the protestants themselues generally confesse that the pâ—imitiue Fathers both caught practised such oblations for the dead howbeit impiously they cal this piety of Fathers Pastours and Doctours of Christs church superstition error But what madnes is this so arrogantly to condemne a matter not of mere speculation but of dayly practise exercised through the whole church at such time as pietie religioÌ„ was most feruent many of those authors either the apostles schollers or schollers vnto them or at least that could render euideÌ„t testimony what al the faithfull beleeued practised in those dayes Whosoeuer I say condemneth this exercise of errour consequently confesseth himselfe to be a foole and Saint Agust Lib. 6. de fâ—cerdot hom 69. ad pop Antâ—o in litt c. calleth it expresse madnes to infringe any thing obserued vniuersally in the whol church And specialy without scripture authoritie or reason Here I omit scriptures Fathers and histories and suppose the matter as an infallible truth that this holy sacrifice profiteth greatly those souls which be in Purgatory according to that saying of â—aint Chrisost Non temere sancitum est ab apostolis vs in tremendis misterijs defunctorum agatur
coÌ„memoratio sciebant eniminde vtilitatem mnltum illis contingere lucrum 2. Mach. c. 3â— S. August proueth the fame out of this place in lib. de cuâ—a agendâ— promortuis multum It is not wihtout cause ordained by the apostles that in the dreadful mysterys the memory for the dead haue their place for they were not ignorant that they receiued great profit therby great gaine For if the sacrifice that Iudas Machabues caused to be offered in Ierusalem had vertue by the merrits of Christs passion to redeeme those soules out of purgatory how much more this blessed hoaste shal be propitiatory to those which the contented herein redeemed wth his own boud who can deay but that all theâ— Sacraments aâ—e those fountaines whence Esay had promised we shuld draw liuing Isai 12â— ters with ioy Hauristis aquas cum gaudio de fontibus Saluatoris you shall with ioy draw water out of the fountaine of our Sauior if sacraments be ordained to sanctifie the receiuers and participate the graces and effects of christs passion for the receiuers questionlesse this sacrifice which holdeth the substance and nature of all other sacrifices which are instituted as impretratorie for others participateth the effects of Christs passion profitable for others and those which by impetration one meÌ„ber of the catholike church may obtaine Zach. 3. for an other Since therfore Christ suffered both for the quicke and the dead this sacrifice must be a conduct to conuay the graces and effects of Christs passion to those that are dead in body though liuing in soule and so much more copiously how much more neerer this sacrifice toucheth God how much more it standeth with the dignity therof how much more this effect most securely is granted and with how much more deuotion the person dead was affected to this sacrifice or the offerer more feruent at the oblation or the procurer more zealous of expiation The two and twentith cause to be a sacrifice of thankesgiuing for the Saintes in heauen AS the heart in mans body and the sunne in this visible world spred their influence and vertue aboue them beneth them and on each side euen so this blessed sacrifice beeing the heart of the catholike Church and the sunne of this spirituall world communicateth vertue to the church millitant about it to those that suffer beneath it and to the triumphant which dwelleth aboue it and as the heart disperseth not all effects it worketh to all partes but vseth an accommodate discription according to the qualities nature of euery parte euen so this sacrifice extendeth sundry effects agreeing to the diuersities of members to those that suffer Christs satisfactions to those in earth diuers helpes and succours to auoide sinnes temporall commodities sundry graces and vertues to thofe in heauen thankes to God for their happinesse and praises to them for their passed triumphes This notable Eucharistiall effect the very practize of the catholike church continually representeth vnto vs in the holy Masse which she offereth to God nowe for Apostles now for Martires now for Virgins nowe for Confessours the which practise was in vse in saint Ciprians time who caused Cip. epist 37 the daies of martirdomes to be noted that in the holye sacrifice the Martyres might be mentioned If heere therefore we conuert our eyes to God to Christ to the Saints of heauen to the Church in earth we shall find that this oblation can not be but most gratefull and glorious to them all For what can be more gratefull or glorious vnto God than to see the blod of Christ mingled with the bloud of martyres and both offered vp together what can God esteem more than to receiue an oblation of virginitie ioyned with the infinit puritie of this sacrifice how acceptable wil the vertues of Confessors appeare in his sight burnt as sweete incense with the Manna of Christs deified operations and merites howe gloriously will that Garland appeare decked with roses lillieâ— and violets of golde set with pearles of this pretious Manna and rubies of this bloudy challice none can be ignorant how glorious the oblatioÌ„ is to Christ for since his Saints be members of his body by vertue of this Sacrament so vnited vnto him that they be Caro de carne eius Genes 2. Matth. 19. Marc 10. Eph. 5. and ossa de ossibus eius flesh of his flesh bones of his bones by offering vp himselfe here he sheweth the triumph of his Crosse and Passion he representeth the admirable vertues of this blessed Sacrament and sacrifice in vertue whereof they were norished defended and protected against so many perils and dangers in the desart of this life and as by a viaticum conducted vnto the desired land of Promise The Saints of heauen in like case can not but exceedingly reioyce to see theyr brethren so gratefull to God for their benefites receiued and offer vp so worthie an hoast in recognoscence of heauenly fauours God powred vpon them Questionlesse they can not forget them in heauen who are so mindfull of them vppon earth and as their charitie is more feruent so their care will be more vigilant The church finaly to whom it appertains to praise God in his Saints triumpheth in both most admirably presenting to God the merits of her spouse her children insulting against the Diuell flesh and world who could not preuaile against theÌ„ inuiting the rest that remaine with glorifying them that are gone to follow their vertues and good examples The three and twentieth cause to shew the magnificence and liberalitie of God BOuntifulnes beneuolence declareth beneuolence gifts but when the giftes mount to excesse then beneuolence is caled magnificence the which God hath manifested to the worlde most wonderfully in this Sacrament What gaue hee His body and bloud and with them his person and diuinitie so great a gift as none can exceede it for as God surpasseth all that is not good so this Sacrament all that is not the same thing with it Who gaue it God himselfe If a meane gift be giuen of a king men greatly prize it bicause the person of a king dignifieth the gift but being so great a gift and moreouer imparted by God herein the greatnesse encreaseth How deare was it vnto him as deare as his owne life for the selfe same if he had giuen a thing superfluous or not esteemed or not necessary then we wold haue made lesse account of it but being so neare him and so deare vnto him we cannot but highly commend it With what affection gaue hee it Freely not of constraint yea with a most feruent loue Cum dilexisset suos in finem dilexit eos whereas he 10. 13. had loued his vnto the ende he loued theÌ„ Chrysost Euth in eum loc that is giftes that come freely are much more estemed then those which proceed of necessitie To whom doth he giue it To men mortall and miserable creatures yea and to many that
then were his enemies if he had bestowed it of his Angells or blessed Saints in heauen it hadde not bene so admirable but bestowing it vpon fragile men and sinners it exceedeth all admiration At what time gaue he it At the houre of his death when his passion was approaching hard before hee was to spring water and bloud to imprint his loue more in our memories and to make vs admire the gift the more that at what time we were most spitefull against him he was most carefull for vs. In what maner to be eate if he had giuen vs his bodie to haue bin adored as the three kings adored him it had beene a greate fauour and this but in one church at Ierusalem Mat. â— wee would haue deemed it a singular grace and euery man would haue thoght himselfe happy that could haue gone thither to worship it If he had bin something more liberall to haue bestowed it vpon vs to weare in a iewell about our neckes with what care ought wee to haue kept it what a rare iewell had this beene what Pearles or Diamondes comparable but his magnificent hand found out a more bountifull way by giuing vs to eate To whom committed hee the consecration to all Priests if he had onely granted it to the Pope of Rome truely it had beene an ineffable benefit to all his church but he knew Bonum quo communius eo melius good the more common the better it is When may they consecrate it once in their liues once a yeare when and as many hoasts and as often as they will O admirable goodnesse O explicable bountie Who must receiue it all men what once in their liues once a yeare as often as they can conueniently prepare them selues What ende pretended he in such a gift his owne profit or commoditie nothing lesse to giue vs life euerlasting to enioy him for euer He giues himselfe the only remedy or means to enioy himselfe What beneuolence can be compared with this that God woulde giue God so deare vnto him with most inflamed loue to miserable meÌ„ to sinners at that time they intended his death to be made meate of all priests for all persons at all times to giue vs life euerlasting you Saraphins speake let men be silent The twenty fourth cause by diuers meanes to allure vs to loue him SVch are the loathing affections of our soules as the appetities of our bodies for we proue by experience that one sort of meate though neuer so good doth distast vs and cloy our stomacks if it be vsed long and in our soules if that we continually exercise one meditation of the same matter at last it disliketh vs and becommeth tedious Our blessed Sauiour knowing wel our infirmities il dispositions as in the first creatioÌ„ he prouided so many fruits fishes beasts and birdes that with the variety of tastes we might recall our appetites againe so in the spirituall pasture of our soules he prepared sundry subiects to change our distasted affections as in holy writ pregnantly appeares For if the creation of this worlde did not delight our meditation then wee might passe further and weigh the punishment of sins in casting Adam out of Paradise Genes 3. in destroying Sodoma in the vniuersall Genes 19. diluge if this please vs not then to admire the prouidence of GOD in Abraham Gen. 7. Isaak Iacob Ioseph if this were lothsome then he propounded the captiuitie Exod. 2. of Egypt the captiuitie of Babilon the captiuitie of the Romaines plagues 3. Paral. 36. inflicted to the Iewes for vniuersal transgression Luke 19. of his lawes if with this we were wearied loe the whole life of Christ wherein wee haue such aboundance and varietie of foode for our spiritual repaste as wee could desire yet if this seemed tedious he hath set vs downe our foure last periods of death indgement heauen and hell But finally knowing that there was no meate either more pleasant for taste or profitable for health or of more force efficacie then himselfe he therfore propounded himselfe as the obiect of our meditation and the subiect of our affection yet foreseeing that as the very Num. 11. celestiall Manna did loath the children of Israell in the desart so euen God himselfe foode of all foodes at last would discontent vs. therefore to preuent this inconuenience he accommodated himselfe in diuers manners propounding his deity to vs with such varietie that none but indurated hearts could in al sorts distaste it First he presented his diuinitie vnto vs Rom. 1. by his creatures that whilst wee reade in the booke of nature the admirable wisedome power and goodnes of GOD all which wee may manifestly discouer in euery creature wee might loue worship and adore him If this meat seemed too grosse for corrupted appetites he opened the booke of faith there vnder veiles and shadowes tropes and figures discribing himselfe the Trinitie and other wonderfull attributes of his deitie the which he promulgated by Patriarches and Prophets in the olde testament But this was somthing obscure therfore he clothed himselfe with flesh and bloud he came as one of vs for because children did communicate Heb. 2. Heb. 1. in flesh and blood he would be pertaker of the same and being the expresseword and image of his father he reuealed vnto vs the secretes of his fathers breast thereby to stir vp more our drousie and dead affections Yet this was not sufficient to satisfie our desires for paines must shew loue and exceeding paines exceeding loue Loe he would not faile he apparelled himselfe with a multitude of most cruel exorbitant paines to giue vs matter to ruminate besides to moue our hearts to loue Yet here he ended not for if paines could not strike the stroke hee thought vnion with vs corporal meat spirituall foode would preuaâ—le therfore he cloathed himselfe with the huskes of bread wine and finally promiseth to giue vs himself in blisse clothed with glory Wherfore he hath earied himself with vs as carefull mothers with their sicke infants whose tastes being disguised if they know some one meat will do them good they prepare it in diuers maners that with variety they may alley the loathsomnes of ordinary diet so God hath disguised himselfe in diuers maners to moue vs to think of him lodge him First he couered him selfe with all his creaturesâ— then with the vailes of figures shadows after with the flesh of man by incarnation then with the rindes of bread wine in the Sacrament next with the paines in his passion and finally for euer with glory after his resurrection The twenty fiue cause to be the immediate obiect of our Religion OVr sauiour Christ as he came to power down the fluds of his deuine grace among the faithâ—ulll so he endeuoured to cause them worke and exercise vertues correspondent to that grace for which intent he inuented an admirable manner how to deify al our
in processions ALthough this holy and auncient custome of carying the blessed Sacrament in procession was not in any place appointed by God nor deliuered by tradition from the Apostles but instituted by the Church yet all faithfull Christians ought to conceiue that Christ in the institution hereof by the depth of his wisedome did foresee this worthy ceremony and intended that in the peace glory of his Church it should bee put in execution No better argument we need to proue it then the practise thereof For without all doubt his prouidence and the holy ghosts assistance woulde neuer haue permitted or induced the Vniuersall Church to appoynt it and obserue it except they had intended and allowed it And truly no reasonable man in my iugement can improue this sacred and religious honor For if the Iewes to obtaine fauours of God either to ouercome their enimies or to auoide some plague or to procure some grace or to glorifie God 1. Reg 4. and 14. Iosu 3. 3. Reg. 6. â— Pâ—â— 5. solemnely publiquely and ceremonioufly did carry their Arke in procession and God in confirmation of this vniuersall deuotion vnited religion granted them almost euer that in such cases they desired with howe much more reason ought the elect people of Christ celebrat this venerable action First thereby declaring claring the triumph of Christ and his church ouer Paganisme and heresie for the triumphs of the Romans in that night of gentilitie were not onely to renowne their captaines with that glorie to incite their youths to immitate their valour and fortitude but also to make an vniuersall ioy and a common congratulation amoÌ„g the people for the ouerthrow of their enemies amplification of their Empire In like manner by this solemne procession and triumph of Christs people who concurre to professe their ioy and internal comfort they conceiue in their hearts to see the empire of his church so far propagated so well conserued and the enemies of God confounded The second reason may be to demand publikely som fauour of God either spiritual or temporal specialy when it is common to many as we see the Iewes in all their publique necessities had their ordinary refuge to recurre vnto the Arke And no doubt but these vniuersall praiers where so many soules are ioined about this sacrament as their common and indiuiduall heart shall not returne backe againe in vaine Thirdly to confound heretikes or ennemies of the church for what shame is it for them to see how they sweat toile to impugue it and these to endeuor not onely more to defend it but also to adore and worship it For which cause I cannot but commend that singular deuotion that in som countries catholiks haue euery thursday In Flanders sunday to go solemnly in procession with this hoast for be they sure thogh heretikes while they haue a little light of temporall holy ghosts assistance woulde neuer haue permitted or induced the Vniuersall Church to appoynt it and obserue it except they had intended and allowed it And truly no reasonable man in my iugement can improue this sacred and religious honor Forif the Iewes to obtaine fauours of God either to ouercome their enimies or to auoide some plague or to procure some grace or to glorifie God 1. Reg 4. and 14. Iosu 3. â— Reg. 6. 3. Pâ—r. 5. solemnely publiquely and ceremoniously did carry their Arke in procession and God in confirmation of this vniuersall deuotion vnited religion granted them almost euer that in such cases they desired with howe much more reason ought the elect people of Christ celebrat this venerable action First thereby declaring the triumph of Christ and his church ouer Pagamsme and heresie for the triumphs of the Romans in that night of gentilitie were not onely to renowne their captaines with that glorie to incite their youths to immitate their valour and fortitude but also to make an vniuersall ioy and a common cong'gratulation amoÌ„g the people for the ouerthrow of their enemies amplification of their Empire In like manner by this solemne procession and triumph of Christs people who concurte to professe their ioy and internal comfort they conceiue in their hearts to see the empire of his church so far propagated so well conserued and the enemies of God confounded The second reason may be to demand publikely som fauour of God either spiritual or temporal specialy when it is common to many as we see the Iewes in all their publique necessities had their ordinary refuge to recurre vnto the Arke And no doubt but these vniuersall praiers where so many soules are ioined about this sacrament as their common and indiuiduall heart shall not returne backe againe in vaine Thirdly to confound heretikes of ennemies of hte church for what shame is it for them to see how they sweat toile to impugne it and these to endeuor not onely more to defend it but also to adore and worship it For which cause I cannot but commend that singular deuotion that in som countries catholike haue euery thursday In Flanders sunday to go solemnly in procession with this hoast for be they sure thogh heretikes while they haue a little light of temporall fauour while some stronger froces maintaine them yet when as night comes when humaine force faileth Dagon must fall the Arke and the Idole cannot long 1. Reg. 5. continue together though mâ—col deride Dauid for daunsing yet shall she die barren 2. Reg. 6. I meane their heresie shal not spread farre The twenty eight cause to nourish our soules CAro mea saith Christ veré est cibus sanguis meus veré est potus my flesh is meate indeede and my bloud is drike Io. 6. indeede if then his flesh be meate and his bloud drinke and that truely in very deede hereupoÌ„ it foloweth that al those perfections which agree to meate and drinke as they nourish the body al those must appertaine to this foode as it nourisheth the soule and those imperfections that meate and drinke ordinarily cary with them that this Sacrament haue not but surpasseth them in a most eminent dgree First meate if it be not had at conuenient times causeth in vs a desire or a hunger So this Sacrament in good Christians if they liue long without it inflameth their soules to procure it For if Dauid saide Sitiuit anima mea ad te deum Psal 41. fontem viuum My soule hath thirsted after God the liuing fountaine Well may we say Sitiuit anima mea ad te deum viuum My soule hath thirsted after thee the liuing God Meate delighteth the taste and this Sacrament filleth with ioye the veines of the soule and therefore was figured by Manna that had Omne delectamentum Sap. 16. suauitatis All delight of sweetenesse Meate restoreth the forces loste and so conserueth life this sacrament by giuing grace repaireth the harms of concupiscence encreaseth feruour and augmenteth our spirituall
2. transijt imber abijt flores apparebunt in terra nostra the winter is past the showre is gone flours wil appeare in our ground then shal we know that all earthly ioyes were meere toyes and euery transitory crosse an eternall crowne The thirtieth cause to be a viaticum or prouision for our voyage THis holie Sacrament for three causes may be called Viaticum First because our Sauiour in his passage instituted receiued distributed and gaue authority to his disciples to disperse it Secondly wee are to receiue it wander as pilgrims in the desarts of this worlde where spirituall foode can hardly be had and therefore it was prefigured in the celestiall Manna which God rained vpon the Iewes whilest they wandred in their peregrination towards the land of promise Thirdly because peculiarly our Sauiour intended to prouide vs of it as of a defence when we are to depart out of this world for his deuine wisedome did most prouidently fore see that our ghostly enemies would specially imploy their forces to impugne vs in the last periode of our life according to that was foretold in Genesis that the serpent should insidiari calcaceo seminis Gen. 3. mulieris supplant the heele of the womans seed for thereupon dependeth the triumph of God the Church and the soule ouer the diuell the confusion of hell and the glory of heauen In this last conflict therefore so dangerous our Sauiour would arme vs with his owne body and bloud that the infernall fiends seeing the bloud of Christ should be inforced to let that soule passe in security medle no more with it then the distroying Angell with the children of Israell when he saw this bloud painted ouer the dores with the bloud of a lambe yea as so many grisly busaloes they should bee terrified and affrighted euen with the very sight of this vermilian colour An excellent figure of this effect wee find registered in the acts of Elias who beeing persecuted by that impious Iesabell 3. Râ—g 19. loathing his life and desiring death fledde into a deasart and there casting himselfe vnder a luniper tree desired of God to ende his dayes and with that fell a sleepe presently an angell came to him and awaked him willing him to eate for yet there remained a longway he rose vp and found set at his head an imber cake and a cup of water he eat and drunke and walked for two dayes by the strength of that food till he came to the mountain of God Oreb wheras our Lord came vnto him What can more expresly declare the manner the vertue the effect of our viaticum then this while the faithfull Phil. 1. weary of this world lie on their death beds wishing to be dissolued to liue with Christ in the sweet shade of the catholike church the Priest presenteth vnto them the bread of life willing them to eat for a long way remaines a troublesome voyage they haue to passe they receiue and then by the vertue therof proceed in their pilgrimage vnto the holy mount of heauen where they shall see God foreuer O happie soule that resteth in the desart of this miserable world vnder the shade of such a tree from whence falleth the fruit of life I meane the Catholike Church wherin is planted the crosse of Christ which beareth this fruit of saluation Well saide the spouse sub vmbra illius quem desideraui sedi Cant. 2. fructus eius dulcis gutturi meo vnder the shade of him whome I desired I haue sitten and his fruite was sweete vnto my throate If it be so sweet in this life growing in an vplanding country out of the natiue soile how sweet wil it bee in heauen when these vailes shall be broken when these parings shall be taken away when our taste shal be quickened when we shal eate it with God himselfe vpon his owne table The one and thirtieth cause to win virgins to God SOme sage Philosophers and wise phisitions counsell noble women not to commit the nursing of their children to others of base estate meane condition but that they shuld giue them suck themselues the reason say they is most euident because the rusticke milke engendred in these clownish bodies will greatly alter the delicate and noble complection of the child for although we in our stomakes alter change those meates we receiue and bring theÌ„ at last to bee of our temper and substance yet in the verie alteration our bodies feele in tract of time most notable effects of theÌ„ for hot meats inflame them cold meates refresh them moist meates dissolue theÌ„ drie meats vnite them This doctrine being true as experience pregnantly proueth euery one may see how fit a food for virgins is this blessed sacrament for if we consider Christ our sauior therin contained according to his diuinitie his father the first virgin of al others as Nazianzen Nazianz. in Carmine calleth him conceiued him alone in the wombe of his vnderstanding if we expend his humanity it was borne of a virgin without a father if wee wey Christ himself god man we shal find him al his life to haue obserued most strictly a virginall puritie This blessed bread entring into our bodies adorned with so many admirable titles of virginity how can it but alter our sensuall and base appetires by eleuating them to the complexion temper pure disposition of Christ shal corporall meats work with more efficacie their effects in our bodies than this celestiall his prerogatiues in our soules No no it is more excellent than so Dilectus meus candidus Cantic 5. rubicundus electos prae millibus hic est fios campi lilium conuallium My loue is Cantie 2. white and red chosen before thousandes this is the flower of the field and lilly of the valley His garmentes are lilly white wyth chastity and scarlet red with passions of loue and such effects he imprintes with the seale of his body in the soules of the faithfull The which effects considering and admiting one exclamed Quid bâ—â—um Zach. 9. quid pulchrum eius nisi frumentum electorum vinum germinans virgines what of his is good what of his is beautifull but the wheate of his elected wine that springeth virgines O holy Prophet dost thou meditate the maruellous workes of God and canst thou finde nothing more admirable than this View the creation of the world consider thy Fathers in Egypt Gen. 1. Exod 7. and 8 9 10 11 12. Exod. 14. what maruelous miracles Moses wrought how he passed the red sea so woÌ„derfully looke vpon God himselfe and thou shalt see an abisse of goodnesse a fountaine of wisdom an indeficient power How then saist thou Quid bonum quid pulchrum eins nisi frumentum electorum Questionlesse what of his is good and what of his beautiful but the wheat of his elected wine springing virgins He knew wel what he saide for in this
disdain to view these fading floures these roses with thornes these bees with stings these golden aples of Sodoms loue these Syrens sugered songs conuert thy eies to this blessed Eucharist view in thy Lord a paradise of pleasure beutie without corruption profit without displeasure ioyes without deceit continual delight without satiety and then I know thou wilt breake forth and cry Deus meus omnia my God Psal 72. and al nam gustato spiritu deficit omnis caro for the spirit tasted al flesh faileth TheÌ„ I know thou canst not but direct al thy actions vse all the creatures of God for no other end then his glory for this hart will becom like a flame of fire that burneth al it incountreth conuerteth theÌ„ into fire so thy loue wil thinke speake and worke al for God and in God and consequently loath what the world loueth not for God The thirty seuenth cause to be a confirmation of his testament IT hath bin an vsuall custome with God to confirme and seale his pacts and promises with some sensible sign that by such palpable obiects men might better conceiue remember them For if he promise Noe his posteritie neuer after to ouer flowe the vniuersall earth with a deluge he imprintes his seale in the clouds â—ehes â— for his armes leaueth the rainbow If he promise Abraham to multiply his seed as the stars of heauen and to giue him the land of Canaan he causes him to deuide his sacrifices in two partes and in confirmation Genes 15. of his pacte he sendes a lampe of fire which passeth through the midest of theÌ„ If Moses sent from God giue the law writteÌ„ in tables of stone if he promise to accept them into his peculiar people hee Exod. 24. confirmeth his couenant with a bowell of bloud wherwith he sprinkleth all the people If GOD vsed such stately seales to ratifie his promises to his people in the lawe of Nature and the lawe written questionlesse hee will not omitte them in the lawe of grace where the couenaunt concerneth a greater benefit wherein are comprehended in a more iminent degree al these fauors of God promised in times past the which he sealed so solemnly and therefore in confirmation of this newe testament he instituted this blessed Sacrament and sacrifice Hic est ealix noni testamenti this is the challice of the new testament affirme the three proclaimers of Christs law Mathew Marke and Luke with the Apostle S. Paul But what couenant maketh Christ with his people that he ratifieth with the seale of his owne body and bloud Here Hieremy speaking Hier. 31. by himselfe and by S. Paul or rather God by them both Ecce dies venient dicit dominus Hebr. 8. consummabo super domum Israell super domum Iuda testamentum nouum Behold the daies shall come saith our Lord and I will consummate vppon the house of Israel vpon the house of Iuda a new testament c. see the place In these wordes God promiseth fiue things to his church first that hee wil forgiue al them which enter into it all their offences the which he effecteth by Baptisme and this Sacrament Secondly that they should know God euery one little and great the which he performeth by powring of faith into their soules thirdly that he will write this law not in stone tables as Moses did but in fleshie heartes and consequently they shal be more mollified and pliable to obserue them and not so indurated as the Iewes the which he fulfilleth by induing theÌ„ with charitie Fourthly that he would be their God and they should be his people that he would haue a fatherly prouidence ouer them the which he accomplisheth with his owne presence Ecce ego vobiscum sum vsque ad consummationem Matth. 28. seculi behold I am with ye all dayes euen to the consummation of the world and by sending the holyghost which docebit illam omneÌ„ veritatem he shall Actes 2. 5 Iohn 16. teach her all trueth Finally that he will neuer forsake nor abandon his Church as he did the Iewes Sinagog the which we haue prooued by the continuance of the catholike church from Christs time euen till these our dayes although persecuted by emperours impugned by heretikes troubled by so many euill Catholikes Matth. 16 yet the gates of hell could nothing preuail against it the propagation also of his church was promised by God sealed with his sacrament that this vine tree planted by Christs own hands should delate the branches from sea to sea and to the worlds end the extremities thereof in Psal 79. such sort that rather lande shall faile to propagate this Church then her amplification shall finish Wherefore God shall not be knowne onely in Iudea or Siria but in all the prouinces of the world since we Psal 75. see depriued of these promises the protestants Churches eclipsed for fifteene hundred yeares and concluded in corners of the world in some few Cities of Germany in Geneua and England it is no maruaile if they haue broken the seale of the blessed sacrament where with by infallible assurance the maiestie of God confirmed them But the Catholike Church possessing all holdeth the sacred Eucharist as a perpetuall confirmation the which as 〈◊〉 it was sayde comprehendeth both the significations and signes of all the other promises made and confirmed by God in passed ages For God promised to Noe not to drowne the worlde anie more with water and Christ promiseth heere his Church shall neuer whollie bee ouerflowne with sinne hee tooke for a signe the Rainbow the which the sunne causeth by reflection of beames in watrie cloudes O what a goodly rainbowe the sunne of neuer-fading light effecteth heere what glistering beames of glorie powreth his diuinitie into that sacred humanitie what beautifull raies spring from that glorious soule and adorne with brightnesse and most liuely colours that immortall bodie if it were not for merite of our fayth wee might see through those cloudes of bread and Wine another sorte of Rainbovv then Nature in her most stately circle euer behelde God promised to Abraham to multiplie his seede as the stars of heauen and where are they multiplied but in the Catholike Church hee allotted vnto him the lande of Canaan and heere the kingdome of heauen hee commaunded Abraham to diuide his sacrifice in two partes and sent a Lampe of fire from heauen to passe betvvixt them and what coulde more expresly figure this sacrifice Are not heere diuided by vertue of Consecration the soule from the bodie and the bloud from them both and doth not both the diuinity and soule of Christ not passe but firmely stande in middest of these parts God gaue the law by Moses and promised the people to defeÌ„d protect accept theÌ„ for his but here with a more careful prouidence with a more forcible meanes with more pleÌ„ty of grace with more abundance of
ouer the effects of loue and therby discouer the origen and fountaine of this vaine of life he shall finde them most liuely in this little world of al pure loue depaynted The fruits of loue be these vnion zeale extasie bountifulnes Foure riuers al issuing from one spring and as this Sacrament and the incarnation of Christ of al the wonderfull works of God most manifestly declare his loue so it were not amisse to declare the effects ofloue in them both that the resemblance of both might render the matter more plaine yet to auoide prolixitie I will content me with the Eucharist for by this the other may be conceiued but first of all let vs see what wee vnderstand by these effectes All perfect loue requireth a certaine Vaion vnion in substance as was declared in the eight cause but for that amongest men this was vnpossible without the destruction of one or both therefore they procured all these vnions which honesty puritie of loue affect and these are to be of the same iudgements and opinions the same wills desires and affections the same table and diet the same place and presence the like garments and attire and finally to expresse one another in all things as neere as they can Zeale after two manners proceedeth Zeale from loue First zealous friends cannot tollerate any iniuries offered to their friends but procure with greater or as great diligence to defend them their credit goods life or what else appertaineth vnto them as their owne Secondly zeale cannot suffer consorts in loue and therefore experience teacheth vs what a griefe it is for the husband to haue a conceit of a riuall Extasie likewise abstracteth or haleth Extasie a louer from himselfe and causeth him rather to liue there where he loueth then indeede where hee liueth for the force of loue transporteth excessiuely his minde cogitations and affections from his owne affaires and enforceth him to attende and procure whatsoeuer concerneth his friend sometimes also it leadeth the soule so farre that it is almost abstracted from the bodie as diuers saints were rauished so with the loue of God that they liued many daies in profound contemplation feeding vpon the food of life not taking any corporall sustenance Bountifulnes waiteth vpoÌ„ loue as a most Bountifulnâ—â— faithful seruant for friendes cannot but communicate their goods one with another who before by friendship had communicated their hearts therefore they preseÌ„t one another with gifts as signes of that good will they carrie in their minds and to remonstrate vnto theÌ„ that as they haue taken possession of their harts so also they may coÌ„mand them in their goods for amicorum omnia sunt communia among friends al things are common and he that hath giuen the greater will not sticke to impart the lesser these effectes I haue set down cursorily bicause the exact treatise requireth a whole booke onely to shew how in this sacrameÌ„t God shews them al. That in the sacred Eucharist God effecteth all those vnions which proceed from loue Ca. 3 AS I said before considering the admirable loue that God hath declared by deliuering this sacrament to the world that I was calmed in the Ocean sea in the which similitude if we persist I thinke I shal be able in part to vnfold the vnion in substance betwixt Christ and our soules in the blessed Eucharist for as the Ocean sea surcharged with an infinite multitude of waters dischargeth it self in the Mediterranean and red seas for the benefit of the inhabitants of Europe Affrike and Asia not diuiding it selfe from them but rather by their meanes becommeth vnited to those coasts wheron they border and the wombs wherin they lie by which means the treasures of the one may be transported to the other and the inhabitants of the vast Ocean may haue free passage into the red and Mediterranean Euen so the endlesse goodnesse of God swelling inwardly with an immensiue loue dischargeth himself in these two seas of loue the redde by the incarnation of Christ the Mediterranean by the institution of this sacrament yet the main Ocean of his diuinitie remaineth vnited to his humanitie and thereby bordereth vpon those soules whom he bathed with his bloud and is conioyned with the breasts of theÌ„ who receiue into them this Mediterane sea by which vnion the Citizens of heauen may passe freely among the colonies of the earth therfore as Christs diuinity was substantially vnited to his humanity euen so his diuinity and humanity are vnited in this blessed sacrameÌ„t to their bodies soules who feed at this table and as from his diuinity proceeded all those graces fauors wherwith that sacred humanity was spiritually annointed euen so froÌ„ his humanity linked with his diuinity issue all those sweete vertues graces for the which this blessed bread was ordained And therfore as betwixt the sacred humatie of Christ and his diuinitie there was a most diuine reciprocate ardent and continuall loue euen so betwixt our soules Christ there should rise a mutuall flame if we faile not he cannot be defectuous And as that sacred humanitie like the needle toucht with the adamant looketh euer towardes the pole starre was alwayes directed by his diuinitie euen so ought wee in all our actions to square our intentions according as our Sauiour teacheth vs whom we holde vnited in this sacrament because he was giuen to vs as our maister our doctor and teacher Much more might be sayd of this substantiall vnion but because it hath beene partly touched before partly because I intend not here to deliuer all I think may be said but only to touch some few points or superficiall heads leauing the rest vnto the prudent and discreet Readers of godly meditations As for all other vnions which are rooted in this coniunction of our soules and bodyes with Christ briefly they may be declared For by this Vnion of conceitswith Christ effected by the Eucharist Sacrament wee come to participate many of these conceites which heere GOD reueileth and maketh vs partakers of that were most darke and hidden from nature because the very mystery it selfe openeth the eyes of our vnderstanding to wade deeper into the secrets of nature than euer philosophy could haue induced vs as that a substaunce can be wholy spoiled of his accidents that the accidents can exist without the substance that a naturall body can consist intirely without extension or circumscription of place finally all these 20. difficulties which before were proposed to this purpose may be inserted Moreouer here our mindes are illustrated with the diuine beames which issue out of Christes humanitie as in the 34. cause hath beene deliuered And then our iudgements are right and true when they come to be conformable to the rule of all true knowledge that is the infinite wisedome of God the which we attaine to by knowing God himselfe for in him by him we shal come to perfect knowledge the which this
pricke in their hearts with saying Ite à me maledicti in ignem aternum Ger Matth. 29. ye away from me ye cursed vnto fire euerlasting which once were called Famus distillans labia tua Thy lips are a distilling hony combe Ah loue then wil be changed into hatred and his cheereful lookes Cantic 4. into a frowning countenance Therefore let vs entertaine him with loue here that with the like he may entertaine vs there That God shewed in the Eucharist an extensiue loue and a tender or familiar loue Ca. 10 THe breadth of heauen and the depth of the abisse who can measure the 4. â—sdr 4. vastnesse of the sunne or the vehement brightnesse whether most excelleth if these be hard to determine what shall we say of the feruour of Gods loue whether the extension or intension the vehemencie or the amplenesse the height or the largenes thereof ought more to be esteemed first God hath limited his loue in this sacrament to no citie as he did his sacrifices to Ierusalem to no particular nation as his old Testament recites and ceremonies 3. Reg. â— â— Paâ—al 6. and 7. were contained within the narrow bonds of Iuorie But from the rifing of the sun Psal 75. vnto the setting Non est quae abscondat se à calore eius there is none can hide himself Psal 18. from his heate Ab ortu solis vsque ad occasum Maâ—â—e 1. magnum est nomen meum in gentibus From the rising of the sunne vnto the setting my name is great among Gentiles he restrained it to no definite time as all sacrifices of the Iewes like so many errant plannets were to leese their light in the appearing of the sunne whose light shall neuer faile but first the world shall leese his forme before this sacrifice shall leese 1. Cor. 11. his glorie Moreouer the priests be not determined within the straites of any pedegree as the sacrifices of Moses within the tribe of Leui neither the quantity of bread nor wine our louing sauiour prescribed for consecration but left it freely to the Priests intention to consecrate so much of that which may be preseÌ„t before him as shal seeme good vnto him neither limited he any time but left it to be the receiuers deuotion if they could prepare themselues worthily euery day he is content they should communicate euery day and so thousandes of priests as they daily liue by breathing this vitall aire to conserue their bodies so they daily sucke the bloud from Christs side to feede theyr soules Consider how many masses are said euuerie day in Italy Spaine France Germany Flanders Powland England Ireland Scotland and the East and West Indians where there be now almost as many Catholikes as in all Eupore and vppon sundaies and other feastiuall daies howe many millions coÌ„municate Imagine how these vaines of Christs sacred body like the foure maine riuers that issued out of Paradise giue sufficient refectioÌ„ to al this innumerable multitude if we had the eies of our soules open to view Christs precious body and bloud glorious and shining fixed in this sacrament shining in their breasts we should behold another sort of spangled firmament in earth then wee do see in heauen in the clearest winter night Consider moreouer the fragrant smell the spirituall odour which continually the Catholike Church dispersed through the whole world exalteth from this diuine sacrifice and sendeth vp to heauen in recognoscence of the infinite benefit of Christs passion and the manifold graces we haue receiued from his maiestie If God would declare it with a corporall shew the heauens aire earth would be couered with this sacred insence Blessed be his name for euer who so farre extended the sphere of his loue that he would haue all men at al times of all qualities in all places to be licenced to haue free accesse vnto him in such sort that the verie angels admiring the admirable sweetnesse of the Church presenting her selfe daily in these sacred oblations before the vniuersall court of heauen and wondering how such grateful smels ascend from such barreÌ„ deserts said Quae est ista quae ascendit de deserto diliciâ—s affluens Câ—â—tie 8. enixa super spoÌ„sum who is this which ascendeth from the desart flowing with delights leaning vpon her spouse His His familiar â—out tender affection yeeldeth little to any of the rest for as mothers most tenderly and familiarly deale and conuerse with theyr little infants euen so our blessed sauiour with vs in this sacrament But he farre surpasseth all mothers in the tendernesse of his affection for mothers giue their children cold milke that is indigested bloud but Christ imparteth the best bloud in his breast and besides all his substance Of diuers mothers wee reade who came to that fiercenesse and crueltie that to releeue their famine they embrued theyr hands in their childrens bloud bereauing them of that life that naturally they had once imparted to them but wee neuer read of mother that killed her selfe to feede her children O sweete sauiour thou Psal 101. art the only pellicane thou launch est thy heart to feed thy flocke thou diddest die to nourish thy children with this bloud of life Ah how sweetly dost thou coÌ„uerse with those who deuoutly conuerse with thee Thy conuersation hath no bitternes thy friendship no gall yet few doo feele I know these tender affects of Christ because Sapientia non habitat in terra suauiter viuentium Wisedome dwelleth not in the land of daintie liuers for it is an infallible veritie that the ioyes of Christ and the pleasures of the world cannot consort together The fortie two and last cause to be the ende of all the Sacraments of the olde Testament AS great and maiesticall subiects are signified with many names as God Christ the incarnation blisse this sacracrament because we cannot impose one to signifie them compleatly therefore we supplie this defect with the multitude euerie one signifying a part eueÌ„ so the prouidence of God ordained many simbolicall figures and pictures of sacrifices in the old Testament to depaint the blessed Eucharist because we could not fully coÌ„ceiue the maiestie thereof in one wherefore hee appointed a number Not vnlike to great Princes who are not contented in one card to draw their whole kingdomes but commaund for more distinction euerie prouince and Countrey euerie citie territory to be seuerally described Some sacraments God instituted to signifie the matter or external formes of the Eucharist such were the sacrifice of Melchizedech in bread and wine the bread of proposition Some represented the forme life and soule of this sacrament our blessed sauiour heere offered vnto his father and of this sort were all the lambes sheepe doues turtles and bloudie sacrifices for they both represented the passion of Christ and the incruent sacrifice of the Euch arist which in substance is all one with the passion Others did carrie on
their shoulders the cognusance of the effects of this sacrament as the tree of life in Paradise the rainbow to we and his posteritie Manna in the desart the honie which opened the eies of Ionathas the Christall water which the stonie vaines of craggie rocks gushed forth at the request and stroake of Moses Others God ordained principally to insinuate vnto vs the continuance and perpetuitie of this oblation as the two sacrifices God appointed the Iews daily to offer one in the morning another in the euening others hee determined to expresse sundrie circumstances as the puritie and perfection by the sacrifice of most pure oyle finest flower Others to foretell howe gratâ—full this sacrifice was vnto God by insence themiamata and other odoriforous smelles All which figures sacrifices ceremonies and ordinances of God hee that would take the assumpt to declare and applie euerie one to the Eucharist might easily find sufficient matter to fill a whole volume Therfore I meane to omit all the rest and only betake me to two of the principall and most celebrated of all antiquitie I meane Manna and the Pascall Lambe Manna Exod. 16 ALthough we had not the testimony of all antiquitie pronouncing that manna was a figure of the blessed Eucharist yet the very conformitie proportion admirable simpathie betwixt theÌ„ would sufficieÌ„tly perswade any reasonable iudgement that the one was a picture of the other as manfestly shall appeare First manna was called food of angels paneâ— angelorum manducauit homo man hath eaten the bread of angel because either it Iob. 28. was formed by the ministerie of angels or so worthy a meat as might serue for the table of Angels And who sees not the Eucharist consecrated by the Priests the terrestrial angells sent from God to feed his flocke and that the angels in heauen feed on no other substance then the sacred body soule person and diuinitie of Christ the meat which is serued vppon these fragile platters of bread and wine Secondly manna descended from heauen panem coeli dedit eis bread from heauen he Psal 77. gaue them And what saide Christ of the Eucharist ego sum panis qui de coelo deseâ—â—à i I am the bread that descended from heuen Psal 77. Thirdly Salomon calleth manna the substance of God substantians tuam dulcedinens Iohn â— tuam quam in filios habes ostendebas Thou diddest shew thy substance and thy sweetnes which thou bearest towardes children note that manna was really the substance of God but by it hee declared his treasures the ritches of his loue In the Eucharist is the very substance of GOD indeed all his sweetnes and glory Hoc est corpus meum This is my body registered Sap. 16. by Christ declareth no lesse Fourthly manna in coulour was white in similitudineÌ„ Sap. 16. pruinae after the liknes of hore forst and by beating it in a morter it became after it was baked like a cake of bread and oile Exod. 1â— None can be ignorant how this represented Numb 11 the externall forme of our sanctified bread in the Eucharist When the people sawe manna descended from heauen they wondered at it and saide Man hu Quid est hoc what is this And did not the Iews Exod. 16. wonder at Christs promising this sacrament Quomodo potest hic nobis caruem suam Iohn 6. dare ad manducandum How can this man giue vs his flesh to eat Sixtly manna was their food for fortie yeares all the while they wandred in the desart and the Eucharist so long as wee wander in the desart of this world Seuenthly manna was not giuen them from heauen till the flower of Egypt was spent and the sweet effects of this sacrament are not communicated till we renounce by baptisme the flesh diuell and world our Egyptian enimies Eightly they gathered it vp all the weeke except the Saboth day wherein they enioyed that they had collected vppon Fryday and in the saboth of rest we shall liue of that we gathered heere on earth here wee sowe there wee reape heere we fight there we shal be crowned here we eat Christ with some difficultie with faith belieuing a most profound mysterie there wee shall take full possession without any crosse or labour Ninthly those that gathered more than that in quantitie which GOD prescribed they Exod. 1â— found nothing remaining in their vessels but wormes and putrifaction who eate this sacrament vnworthiely against the prescript of Christ shall finde no other fâ—uit left in their soules then remorse of conscieÌ„ce that stinging worme that neuer dieth and eternal corruption in hel without euer dieing Tenthly manna had all sweetnes of taste Omne delectaementum Sap. 16. saporis suauitatem All delight and sweetnes of taste The Eucharist containeth Christ who affordeth and containeth all the ioyes both in heauen and earth Eleuenthly in manna euery one had that taste he desired in the Eucharist euery passion Sap. 16. affection and sore findeth a perfect remedy and euery desire a complet sacietie because by nourishing the soule it yeeldeth spirituall force by producing grace it ministereth all varietie of vertues by ioyning our hearts to Christ the fountaine of all comforts it shaketh off all the disgusts and griefes which our enemies by sinnes or temtations canimpose vppon vs Twelfthly the ordinary taste was conuerted into that taste which euery one desired Deseruiens vniuscuinsque voluntati ad 〈◊〉 16. quod quisque volebat conuertebatur deseruing to euery ones will it was conuerted to what euery one desired What could more liuely expresse the misterie of transubstantiation as this admirable conuersion and transmutation of tastes the like we haue in conuersion of the rocke into water the substance of stone by the wonderful worke of god became transformed into the substance of water Conuertit petrum Psal 113 in stagna aquarum rupem in fontes aquarum He conuerted the stone vnto a lake of waters and the rocke vnto fountains 13. Those who gathered more and those who gathered lesse found in equall portion to eat Nec qui plus collegerat habnit Exod. 16. amplius nec qui minus paraner at reperit minus He that had much abounded not 2. Cor. 8. he that had litle wanted not In the Eucharist he that receiues both formes as the Priest or a greater hoast or many hoasts or in in fine more or little receiueth no more then they which communicate with the least parcell of this Sacrament The fourteenth when the sun did rise it consumed away when the sunne of Iustice shall appeare that is when Christ shall come to vs in his glory then the manna of his church shall vanish awaynot in substance but in forme The fifteenth Although that God hath vouchsafed to feed his children with the foode of angelles with bread sent from heauen with the substance of God yet they murmured against it they lothed it they
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