per illam nam quia ex vnopane partipamus omnes vnum corpus Christi vnus sanguis inuicem membra efficimur concorporati Christo existentes Wee communicate with Christ by the Eucharist and participate his flesh and Deitie and because we communicate wee are vnited among our selues by it for because wee all participate of one bread wee are made one body of Christ and one blood and members one of an other being incorporated with Christ S. Conf. lib. 7. c. 10. Augustine sayd excellently well in the person of Christ Cibus sum grandium cresce manducabis me nec tu me in te mutabis sicut cibum carnis tuae sed tu mutaberis in me I am the meate of strong men growe and thou shalt eate mee neither shalt thou change mee into thee as thou doest the meate of thy flesh but thou shalt bee changed into mee De passione Domini Serm. 14. And S. Leo in like sort Non aliud agit participatio corporis sanguinis Christi quà m vt in id quod sumimus transeamus The participation of the body blood of Christ workes nothing else but this De Sacram. lib. c. 4. that we shall become that which wee receiue S. Ambrose saith Qui vulnus habet Idem Aug. de verbis Domini Serm. 28. medicinam requirit vulnus est quia sub peccato sumus medicina est coeleste venerabile Sacramentum Hee that hath a wound let him require physicke the wound is that we are vnder sinne and the medicine is the heauenly and venerable Sacrament But why doe I trouble my selfe with many authorities When as it is confessed by all that in this Sacrament wee receiue the Body and Blood of Christ Instit l. 4. ca. 17 as Caluin doth most fully proue and Beza in an Epistle to Caluin Epist 309. Ad secundum verò non ponimus inquam pro re significatâ in Sacramentis ipsum tantùm meritum passionis Christi sed ipsissimum corpus cruci affixum sanguinem ipsissimum in cruce effusum pro nobis In summâ Christus ipsemet verus Deus homo nobis significatur per illa signa vt attollamus corda nostra ad illum contemplandum spiritualitèr fide in coelis vbi nunc est atque ita communicamus cum omnibus ipsius bonis thesauris in vitam aâ—ernam idquetam verè tamque cervò quam verum ac certum est nos naturalitèr videre accipere edere bibere signa illa quae videntur à nobis sunt corporea To the second for the thing signified in the Sacraments I say We put not the merit of Christs passion onely but the same bodie that was nailed on the Crosse and the same blood that was shed on the Crosse for vs. In summe Christ himselfe true God and man is signified vnto vs by those signes that we may lift vp our hearts to contemplate him spiritually by faith in the heauens where now he is and so we communicate with all his goods and treasures vnto eternall life and that so truly and certainly as it is true and certaine that we naturally see and receiue and eate and drinke those signes which are seene of vs and are corporall And after Inter. Epist Caluius he addeth the words of the Queene to the Cardinal Audisne Domine Cardinalis non aliam esse Sacramentariorum opinionem quam eam ipsam quam nunc ipse approbasti Doe you heare Sir Cardinall that the opinion of the Sacramentaries is but the same which you haue approued Add to this that Christ neuer commeth alone but is euer attended with a traine of graces and as the Father sendeth the Sonne God of God and Light of light to redeeme vs so the Father and the Sonne send the holy Ghost to sanctifie vs. Rom. 8.32 If God hath giuen vs his Sonne how shall he not with him freely giue vs all things saith the Apostle And that this Sacrament is a Communion or participation of Christs Body and Blood it is apparant in the Apostle 1. Corinth 10. And whereas wee participate of Christs Body and Blood in the preaching of the word and in Baptisme yet this onely Sacrament is called Communio the communication of the Body Blood of Christ there must be some special reason of it namely a more liuely and neere coniunction of our selues to Christ that we should indeed be liuing members incorporated into his mysticall body that liue no longer by our owne spirit but by the Spirit of Christ who is the spirit of our spirit the soule of our soules and the very life of our liues He is the Sun from whose beames we receiue the light of grace the Fountaine from whom we as riuers receiue the water of life The Roote from whom wee as branches receiue the sap of increase and the Head from whom we as members receiue being and life By the force and effect of this Sacrament wee receiue power against sinne and Satan and abilitie to serue God in holinesse and righteousnesse and the neglect thereof giueth aduantage to our spirituall enemies whereby we are intangled in many temptations and fall into many sinnes S. Donatiuitate Christi Cyprian saith Sacramentorum communicatio per quam illius corporis sinceritati vnimur nos in tantum corroborat vt de mundo de Diabolo de nobis ipsis victoriâ potiamur Sacramentali gustu viuificis mysterijs inhaerentes vna caro vnus spiritus simus dicente Apostolo Qui adhaeret Domino vnus spiritus est The Communication of the Sacraments by which we are vnited to the sinceritie of his body doth so farre forth corroborate vs that we obtaine victory ouer the world the deuil and our selues And by this Sacramentall tast adhering to the life-giuing mysteries we are one flesh and one spirit as the Apostle saith He that adhaereth to God is one spirit with him Againe Panis hic azymus cibus verus sincerus per speciem De Caena Domini Sacramentum nos tactu sanctificat fide illuminat veritate Christo conformat sicut panis communis quem quotidie edimus vitaest corporis it a panis iste supersubstantialis vita est animae sanit as mentis This vnleauened bread the true and sincere meat by a shew or Sacrament sanctifieth by the touch illuminateth by faith and by trueth conformeth to Christ and as common bread which we eate daily is the life of the body so this supersubstantiall bread is the life of the soule and the health of the minde S. Ambrose saith Venias ad cibum Christi In Psal 118. Serm. 15. ad cibum corporis Dominici ad epulas Sacramenti ad illud poculum quo fidelium inebriantur affectus vt laetitiam induas de remissione peccati curas seculi huius metum mortis solicitudinesque deponas Come to the meat of Christ to the banquet of the Sacrament to that
saith to me Adore his foot-stoole I questiō what is his foot stoole and the Scripture saith to me that the earth is his foot-stoole wauering I turne my selfe to Christ because I seeke him heare and I find how the earth may be worshipped without impietie and his foot-stoole may be adored without impietie For he tooke earth of earth for flesh is of the earth and he tooke flesh of the flesh of the Virgin And because hee walked here in the flesh and gaue that flesh to be eaten by vs to our saluation and no man eateth that flesh vnlesse he first haue adored it is found out how such a foot-stoole of the Lord may bee adored and wee shall not onely not sinne in adoring but sinne in not Adoring In these words S. Augustine speaketh of the receiuing of the Sacrament and he saith in effect that the custome and gesture was vniuersall ouer all the world Nemo manducat no man eateth that flesh but first hee Adoreth not the Sacrament but the flesh of the Sonne of God which without reason our Aduersaries wrest to the Adoration of the Sacrament But this must not be omitted that S. Augustine saith That it was so farre from sinne to Adore the flesh of Christ that it was sinne not to Adore it so the omission of this Adoration or kneeling is a sinne in S. Augustines iudgement And S. Augustine speaketh generally of all Adoration spirituall and corporall externall and internall for else we may deny spirituall Adoration as wel as externall in the receiuing of the Eucharist and that this Author doeth acknowledge and then I marueile he can deny corporall where he granteth spirituall For why May we worship and adore God at the receiuing of the Eucharist with our hearts and refuse to worship him with our bodies and our knees If we giue him our hearts and spirits shall wee deny him any thing that the heart and spirit doeth command Shall wee giue him the greater and better part of our selfe our Soule and deny him the lesse the bowing of the knee So S. Augustine speaking of Adoration in the solemne and compleate worship of God must bee vnderstood of inward and outward Adoration when both may be giuen Besides it is a friuolous exception that this man maketh that what S. Augustine speaketh of the flesh of Christ must be vnderstood spiritually Spiritualitèr intelligite quod loquutus sum vnderstand that spiritually which I haue spoken for hee particularly speaketh it of the flesh of Christ Non hoc corpus quod videtis manducaturi estis You shall not eate this body which you see nor drinke that Blood which the Crucifiers shall shed I haue commended vnto you a certaine Sacrament being spiritually vnderstood it shall quicken you or giue life and though it be necessary to celebrate it visibly yet notwithstanding it must be inuisibly vnderstood So S. Augustine saith that those words of the flesh of Christ must bee spiritually vnderstood the flesh that is the fleshly vnderstanding profiteth nothing but though the flesh be vnderstood spiritually yet there is no syllable that the Adoration should bee onely spirituall And because I will not trouble my selfe with this mans dotage it is his owne word that Adoration must not alwayes meane kneeling no more then the name Man doeth signifie Socrates Let him giue mee a reason why Adoration should not signifie both inward deuotion and outward bowing and kneeling alwayes except some circumstance or necessitie doe restraine it onely to inward worship when both inward and outward may and ought to be tendered But S. Augustines Text is plaine for externall bowing and kneeling Ideo ad terram quālibet cum te inclinas et prosternis Therfore when thou doest incline or bow downe or cast downe thy selfe to the earth behold it not as earth but as that holy one whose footestoole thou adorest for him thou adorest So S. Augustine speakes of such adoration wherin there is inclining bowing downe or kneeling and therfore this gesture of kneeling was the vniuersall custome of the Communicants in S. Augustines time I passe that ouer that S. Augustine doth cal this Sacrament honorandum honorable as you may see in his 118. Epistle ad Ianuarium c. 3. Only see wherein hee yea S. Paul in his iudgement placeth the abuse of the Sacrament Apostolus indignè dicit acceptum ab eis qui hoc non discernebant à caeteris cibis veneratione singulariter debitâ The Apostle saith that it was vnworthily receiued of them who distinguish't it not from other meates by yeelding it that worship which is especially due to it The tenth is Theodoret Dial. 2. Neque enim signa mystica post sanctificationem recedunt à natura sua manent enim in priori substantia figura forma videri tangi possunt sicut priùs intelliguntur autem ea esse quae facta sunt creduntur adorantur vt quae illa sunt quae creduntur The mysticall signes after sanctification doe not depart from their nature for they remaine in their former substance there the substance of bread and wine remaines in the Sacrament and figure and forme and may be seene and touched as before but they are vnderstood to be those things which they are made and are beleeued and adored as being those things which they are beleeued So in Theodorets time there was adoration at the receiuing of the Eucharist and that externall for creduntur they are beleeued implies the inward as this Author would make S. Augustine to speake and then Adorantur must extend to the outward which doth consist in the bowing prostration and kneeling of the bodie Againe Dialogo 3. answering how a bodie might procure our saluation he sayth Not the bodie of a man alone but of our Lord Iesus Christ the onely begotten Sonne of God And if that seeme small and vile to thee Quomodo eius typum ac figuram venerabilem ac salutarem existimas cuius autem typus est adorandus venerandus quemadmodum est ipsum exemplar archetypum vile aspernandum How doest thou esteeme the type and figure of him to be venerable salutiferous for how is the Archtypal examplar vile and to bee despised whose type is to be adored and worshipped Here it is cleere that there was veneration and adoration of Christ in the receiuing of the Sacrament the very elements are sacred and dreadfull after consecration then Adoration is not due to them beeing creatures but to Christ whose flesh is the type and couering or vaile of his Deitie The 11. is Eusebius Emissenus Homil. in 2. Dominica post Epiphan his words are Quando vero ad Christi Sacramentum accedimus fragilitatem nostram consideramus quid aliud dicit vnusquisque nostrum nisinon sum dignus vt intres sub tectum non sum dignus vt corpus sanguinem tuum suscipiam in ore meo when wee come vnto Christs Sacrament and consider our owne frailtie what else doth
dispose any kingdome or take away the life of any were hee King or Subiect as his life and practise declares The Priest hath his call venite ad nuptias Matt. 22.4 come to the marriage but it is venite directiuum non coactiuum a call of direction not of externall coaction as the Kings is Saint Paul sayes These things command and teach 1. Tim. 4.11 command them that know teach the ignorant Imperamus nos In Oratione ad praesidem natū said S. Nazianzene wee in the Pulpit command also on Gods behalfe Luc. 14.23 And the Priest hath his compulsorie also Compelle intrare Compel them to come in but it is verbi potentiâ censuris by the power of the word the sword of the spirit not Caesars word and by the censures of the Church wherewith shee is armed to reuenge all disobedience which are sanatiuae 2. Cor. 10.6 and not eradicatiuae healing 1. Cor. 5.5 that the spirit may be saued in the day of the Lord not eradicatiue to take away life as the censure of the Ciuill power doth So then as the Church calls by the word and censures thereof so the King calls first verbo by his word or lawe Ciuill secondly exemplo by his practise and example His word is not Ite Goe yee and serue the Lord but venite come and goe with mee to serue God Iosua 24.15 I and my house will be first Hee is first in place before all men that he may be first among men in the seruice of God and the greater his power and graces are the greater is his obligation to adore God that placed him aboue men and neere to himselfe And thirdly Gladio He must call by his own ciuil sword by temporal punishments not spiritual to which all Recusants of all sorts must be subiect He must cōpel all men to enter into Gods house Now there is a threefold venite the first Singulare particular or singular in euery particular man for man is a little World or Citie or Kingdome in himselfe The spirit is to rule and all the powers of soule and bodie must obey Memorie must record all Gods blessings and our owne dueties Reason must apprehend and beleeue them Will must chuse and loue them and affection must desire them The senses must bee shut vp that they wander not but ascend and beholde The eyes must see Gods beauties not gad after vanities and send teares as Embassadors The eares must attend trueth not leasings The tongue must sound forth the Sacrifice of prayer and praise The hands must be lifted vp as an euening Sacrifice to intreat pardon and bestow almes And the knees must bee bowed that God who resisteth the proud may behold the humble afarre off Iam. 4.5 1. Pet. 5.5 and the whole man must be offered vp as a liuing sacrifice to God vt totus hic sit totus in Coelo offeratur that the whole man being in the Temple may at the same instant be presented to God in Heauen The second is Priuatum the priuate call of the master of the family which is another little kingdome and hath all the societies of man and wife father and sonne master and seruant in it as the Kingdome is the great familie consisting of many families and the power of the King is no other but Patria potestas that fatherly power that was placed by God immediatly in Adam ouer all the families that issued from him In which as Dauid said Psal 101.7 No deceiptfull person shall dwell in my house so euery Master must say No Recusant in Gods worship shall rest within my doores If he will not go to Gods house adore his Maker and receiue his blessed body and blood Non habitabit in domo mea Hee shall not hide his head in my house if he be ashamed to shew his face in Gods houses Our most religious Dauid that sits vpon the throne of this Kingdome and suffers none to serue him a King on earth vnlesse hee will also with him serue the King of heauen may be a singular light a patterne to all Masters in this kinde And surely hee can neuer bee a true seruant to a man in earth that is not a deuout and religious seruant to God in heauen If he be false to God he wil neuer be true to him that is but the Image represents the person of God on earth The third is Publicum the publike call when he calls all who hath authority to call all that is the Kings call to which euery one that is a part or member of the great familie and receiues protection and direction from him must be obedient and not onely one family or one Kingdome but as many families or kingdomes as are subiect to his dominion All his Kingdomes must be obedient to his venite and ioyne together not onely in vnitate in the vnitie and substance of Religion and worship of God but also in vniformitate in vniformitie of outward order and ceremony of Gods seruice if possibly it may be especially in all the parts of my Text of Adoration and Prostration and kneeling which are not ceremonies Rom. 13.4 but parts of Diuine worship and for disobedience must be subiect to his coercion who beares not the sword in vaine The Kings word is not venite adme come to mee Matth. 11.28 I will refresh you his office is not Reficere but Ducere not to refresh vs but to leade vs to refreshing that is proper to God and Christ who is both Shepheard and foode Pastor and pasture of our soules Neither is the Kings word venite per me Ioan. 14.6 Come by mee I am the way and the trueth that is true onely of Christ For no man commeth to the Father but by mee and the King is not via but Dux in via Not the way but the guide of the way But the Kings word is Venite mecum Come with me I am both a sheepe of the flocke Psal 78.71 and a Shepheard as Dauid was Let vs goe together as one man to worship God And therefore when God calls vs to come to him he is our end And Christ calls vs to come by him he is the way And the King calls vs to goe with him he is our Chieftaine And the Prophets and Priests teach vs to goe in the way they are our directors And the Saints of God are our companions and the Angels of God are our assistants in this way to goe to God Passibus mentis corporis with the steps of our soules and bodies Who wil refuse to goe by such a way as Christ is vnder such guides as Kings and Prophets are with such companions as Saints and Angels are vnto such an end as God is who is life and blessednes it selfe But strepitus est in anima Part. 2 3.4 ther 's such a confused cry in the soule that Dauids cry is not heard
meditation is but as prayer and the like which properly offer diuine adoration to God For why The Sacrament is a visible signe of an inuisible grace in which as God offereth to vs his Sonne in his death and passion and the graces of the holy Spirit so wee offer to him our selues In Baptisme the Sacrament of Spirituall generation the water washeth the body and the Blood of Christ washeth the soule there God becommeth our Father by adoption and wee offer vp our selues and our children to be sonnes of God by grace Aug. Tract 2. in loan Dedit vnicum vt non esset vnicus God giueth his onely Sonne to vs that hee might no longer be an onely Sonne but make many brethren vnto himselfe and sonnes and heires to God Christ giueth himselfe to vs to be our head and wee consecrate and dedicate our selues to Christ to be his members God becommeth our Lord and we become his seruants we offer our selues to fight as souldiers vnder his colours and he receiueth vs into his army and protection and armes vs by his grace to fight his battailes so that Baptisme is as a mutuall or reciprocal couenant that he should be our God and we should be his people consecrated and sealed to his seruice The like is done in the Eucharist the Sacrament of encrease there the Flesh and Blood of Christ the meate and drinke of our soules is giuen to vs for our growth and we there giue and offer vp our whole selues a holy and liuing sacrifice acceptable to God which is our reasonable seruice of him The first of regeneration is done of vs being children when wee are not able to promise for our selues in this of nourishment we doe contract by our selues that he shall be our God and wee will be his holy Temple that hee shall be our head and we will be his liuing members that hauing receiued life from his life and spirit from his Spirit we will no more liue to our selues but vnto him that so we may say with the Apostle Viuo ego iam non ego I liue yet not I Gal. 2.27 but Christ liueth in mee we cease to liue the life of sinne that wee may altogether liue the life of grace In which respect the fathers call this Sacrament Latreiam diuine worship Cyril Epist. ad Nectar Actor Concil Ephe. Tom. 1 c. 14 apud Biunium pag. 714. Dum vnigeniti filij Dei hoc est Iesu Christi mortem ex mortuis resurrectionem annunciamus eiusdemque in Coelum assumptionem profitemur incruentum in Ecclesia Dei cultum nos obire mysticasque benedictiones adire eaque ratione sanctificari vtpote sacrae carnis pretiosi sanguinis Christi omnium saluatoris participes effecti While we do shew the death of the onely begotten Sonne of God that is Iesus Christ and his resurrection from the dead and his assumption into heauen we professe to performe the vnbloody worship of God in the Church and come to the mysticall blessings and by that meanes to be sanctified as being made partakers of the sacred flesh and the pretious blood of Christ the Sauiour of vs all Aug. de Ciuit. Dei lib. 10. c. 4. so sayeth S. Cyrill And S. Augustine saith Hinc nos seruitutem quae latria graecè dicitur siue in quibusdam Sacramentis siue in nobis ipsis debemus We do owe to God that seruice which in Greeke is called diuine worship either in certaine Sacraments or in our selues Againe the oblation of sacrifice pertaineth Ad cultum Latreiae to diuine worship August contra Faust Man l. 20. cap. 21. And againe Sacrifice is diuine worship Aug de Trinit l. 3. c. 10. And againe Infantes non nouerunt quod in altari ponitur peracta pietatis celebratione consumitur Infants know not that which is set vpon the Altar and performed in the celebration of pietie where this Sacrament is called pietie But in my iudgement Caluine doeth best expresse this point for hee defineth a sacrament thus Instit lib. 4. cap. 14. §. 1. It is Testimonium diuinae in nos gratiae externo signo confirmatum cum mutua nostrae erga ipsum pietatis testificatione A testimony of diuine grace in vs confirmed by an externall signe with a mutuall testification of our seruice or pietie towards him And that this pietie is to Godward it appeareth in the word erga ipsum And againe when he saith That as God doeth seale the promises of his beneuolence to our consciences by these externall symbols so we in like sort doe testifie our pietie to him as well before him and his Angels as in the sight of men So the Sacrament is an action of our pietie to God and pietie is the inward deuotion or adoration of the soule And therefore Viguerius in his institutions which are a briefe of Schole diuinitie collecteth thus That Viguerius cap. 16. ver 8. Gratia Sacramentalis ad duo ordinari videtur videlicet ad tollendos defectus peccatorum praeteritorum in quantum transeunt actu remanent reatu iterum ad perficiendam animam in his quae pertinent ad cultum Dei secundùm religionem Christianae vitae Sacramentall grace is ordained for two ends 1. to take away the defects of sinnes past in as much as they bee past in acte and remaine in the guilt 2. to perfect the soule in those things that appertaine to the worship of God according to the Religion of Christian life And ver 3. He saith Dicitur signum datum ad sanctificandum hominem in cultum honorem Dei that it is a signe giuen to sanctifie man to the worship and honour of God And after In vsu Sacramentorum duo possunt considerari Cultus diuinus sanctificatio hominis In the vse of the Sacraments two things may be considered The worship of God and the sanctification of man As in the Law Circumcision did consecrate and seale the seed of Abraham to God and the Passeouer did prepare them to the sacrifice of God in the wildernesse Yea and this Passeouer is called Religio Religion What is this seruice Exod. 12.26 and Victima transitus Domini ver 27. the sacrifice of the Lords Passeouer And Exod. 13.10 Custodies huiusmodi cultum thou shalt obserue this ordinance or forme of worship so in the Gospel Baptisme doeth regenerate and consecrate vs to God and the Eucharist doeth offer vs vp in sacrifice to him And this Sacrament may better be called an Act of Religion or pietie and the sacrifice of the Lords Passeouer since that was Typus agni paschalis a type of the Paschal Lambe and here are offered membra agni Paschalis the members of the Paschal Lambe And this offering vp of our selues to him is indeed the true and dayly sacrifice of the Christian Church which being the mysticall body of Christ cannot offer Christs natural body which Christ offered once for all vpon the Crosse but
man is not a Sacrifice if it be not done for Gods sake and although it bee done and offered by man yet Sacrifice is a diuine thing whereby man himselfe consecrated to the Name of God and deuoted to God in as much as hee dieth to the world and liueth to God is a Sacrifice for this belongeth to that mercy that man doth to himselfe Our body the seruant and instrument of the soule is a Sacrifice if we chastice it by temperance for Gods sake Rom. 12.1 much more our soule referred to God inflamed with the fire of his loue c. shall be a Sacrifice Since then works of mercy towards our selues and towards our neighbors referred to God are sacrifices and workes of mercy are done that we may be freed from misery c. it is certainely effected vt tota redempta ciuitas that the whole redeemed Citie that is the Congregation societie of Saints Vniuersale sacrificium offeratur Deo per sacerdotem magnum may bee offered vp an vniuersall sacrifice to God by that great Priest who also offered vp himselfe in his Passion for vs that wee might bee the body of so great an head in the forme of a seruant for this hee offered and in this hee was offered because according to this nature he is a Mediator in this he is a Priest and in this he is a Sacrifice Whereas then the Apostle had exhorted vs to offer vp our bodies a liuing sacrifice holy and pleasing to God which is our reasonable seruice of him and that we should not be conformed to this world but reformed in the newnesse of our minde to proue the will of God which is good and well pleasing and perfect Quodtotum Sacrificium nos ipsi sumus all which Sacrifice wee our selues are I say saith he by the grace of God which is giuen to me to euery one that is among you not to thinke of himselfe more highly then he ought to thinke but to thinke soberly or to be wise to sobrietie as God hath delt to euery man the measure of faith for as wee haue many members in one body and all the members haue not the same office so wee being many are one body in Christ and euery one members one of another hauing diuers gifts according to the grace that is giuen to vs Hoc est Sacrificium Christianorum multi vnum corpus sumus in Christo Quod etiam Sacramento altaris fidelibus noto frequentat Ecclesia vbi ei demonstratur quod in ea oblatione quam offert ipsa offertur This is the Sacrifice of Christians many are one body in Christ which Sacrifice the Church doeth frequent in the Sacrament of the Altar knowne to the faithful where it is demonstrated to her the Church that in that oblation which she offereth herselfe that is the Church is offered In which passage of S. Augustine it is most plaine that in this Sacrament the Church offereth the proper Sacrifice of Christians not the naturall but the mysticall body of Christ that is herselfe or our selues our soules bodies in particular and all the whole Church in generall by our great high Priest Christ Iesus And this is the vniuersall Sacrifice of the Church And this place of S. Augustine may serue as an interpretation of the Fathers authorities that speake of the offering of the body of Christ which are to be vnderstood of the offering of his naturall body by way of representation or commemoration or else of his mysticall body the Church which offereth her selfe as a dayly sacrifice to God Againe S. Augustine Lib 22. cap. 10 De ciuitat Dei giuing a reason why wee build not Temples to the Martyrs as vnto gods but rather memories to dead men whose Spirits liue with the Lord saith Nec ibierigimus altaria in quibus sacrificemus Martyribus sed vni Deo Martyrum nostrorum sacrificium immolamus ad quod sacrificium sicut homines Dei qui mundum in eius confessione vicerunt suo loco ordine nominantur non tamen à Sacerdote qui sacrificat inuocantur Deo quippe non ipsis sacrificat quamuis in memoria sacrificet eorum quia Dei Sacerdos est non illorum Neither doe we there erect Altars in which we should sacrifice to the Martyrs but we offer the Sacrifice to that one God that is our God and the God of the Martyrs At which sacrifice the Martyrs are named in their place and order as men that haue ouercome the world in the confession of God but they are not inuocated or called vpon by the Priest that sacrificeth for he Sacrificeth to God and not to them though he Sacrificeth in the memory of them And then hee addeth For hee is the Priest of God and not of Martyrs Ipsum vero sacrificium corpus est Christi quod non offertur ipsis quia hoc sunt ipsi And the Sacrifice it selfe is the body of Christ which is not offered to them that is the Martyrs because they also are this body And surely the Martyrs are not the natural body of Christ which was offered vpon the Crosse De natal Dom. Serm. 3. but his mysticall body Non elegit Deus nec speciem tuam nec oleum tuum nec ieiuniū tuum sed hoc quod te hodie redemit ipsum offer id est animam tuā saith S. Augustine God regardeth neither thy beautie nor thy oile nor thy fasting but this that he redeemed thee offer thy selfe that is thine owne soule And in his 45. Epistle to Armentarius Tertul. de Idol Ei te restitue à quo institutus Restore thy selfe to him of whom thou hast thy being Giue to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods the image of Caesar that is the money to Caesar and the Image of God that is the man to God Caesari pecuniam Deo te ipsum thy money to Caesar and thy selfe to God Hierom. ad Luciu Epist. 28. To lay downe our gold is the worke of beginners not of those that are perfect so did Crates the Theban and Antisthenes Seipsum offerre Deo propriè Christianorum est Apostolorum It is proper to Christians and Apostles to offer themselues to God saith S. Hierome And after The first faithfull offered or layd their money at the Apostles feete Sed Dominus magis quaerit animas credentium quam opes but the Lord more seeketh the soules of beleeuers then their goods Te non Tua God would haue thee offer thy selfe not thine The Apostles left all for Christ what was that but their Netts and Ships yet by the testimony of him that is the future Iudge they are crowned Quia offerentesse totum dimiserunt quod habebant because offering themselues they left all they had Chrysostome said Non oues offerebat Chrysost lib. de laud. S. Paul aut boues sed semetipsum immolabat propter quod confitendo dicebat ego enim iam immolor neque
and condition of man would permit and he was bound and layd at the Altar to be Sacrificed there was neither sitting as if he were equall with that God that called for him to be Sacrificed nor so much as standing either in his innocencie or his hope and expectation And therefore being the type both of Christ the propitiatorie Sacrifice and of the Christians Eucharisticall Sacrifice wee as bound by the chaine of our owne sinne and vnworthinesse and layd and nailed as it were on the Altar of Christs Crosse with the nailes of contrition of deuotion of prayer and praise and of compassion must present our selues in the gesture and behauiour of those that are to bee offered vp as Sacrifices to God in all deiection and humilitie of soules and bodies kneeling with Salomon 1 Reg. 8.12 2. Paralip 6.13 in the consecration and dedication of the spirituall Temple of our soules and bodies as he did when he cōsecrated the materiall Temple vnto God Where I pray you let it neuer be forgotten that it must needs be that the thoughts of Isaak the Sacrifice could be no other when he lay bound at the Altar then this that he was Ia◠iam Sacrificandus therefore moriturus euen now in an instant to be sacrificed and die And he was then to die the naturall death of the body we at the Lords Table die the spirituall death to sin in mortification and newnesse of life and therefore there is no great likelyhood that hee then thought of the gesture and prerogatiues of a guest and a table as if he were equall to that iust and seuere God to whom hee was to be sacrificed and so presented himselfe to him without all feare and reuerence S. Stephen the first Martyr and therefore the first Sacrifice among Christians Acts. 7.56.60 prayed and kneeled and though hee were partaker of the vision of God which is the Supper of the Lambe and that without Sacrament for hee saw the heauens open and the Sonne of man sitting at the right hand of God yet Deposuit vitam ne deponeret obedientiam he neuer layd downe his obedience till he layd downe his life but persisted in kneeling till hee fell into his last sleepe And why should not the gesture of a Martyr bee a fit gesture for a Communicant at the Lambes Supper since both are Sacrificers of themselues the one in body the other in soule and spirit And this was in the time of Nature Let vs looke on Moses Law concerning Sacrifices In Leuiticus it is often repeated Leuit. 1.4 4.24 that the Priest when he offered for himselfe or the people and euery priuate man that offred his priuate Sacrifice Imponet manum super caput He shall lay his hand vpon the head of the Sacrifice How 1. in Leuit Origen expoundeth it allegorically of Christ Imposuit peccata humani generis super caput suum Christ layd his hand vpon the head of the Sacrifice that is layd all our sinnes vpon his owne head But in the letter there are two reasons giuen of it 1. Vide Tostat. in Leuit. cap. 3. Vt renuntiaret proprietati siue iurisuo That the priuate man might surrender vp all his right and proprietie that he had in the Sacrifice when he deliuered it vp to the Priest to be Sacrificed to God 2. Vt poenas peccatorum in caput animalis transferret quas inflicturus erat offerenti That he might transferre the punishment of sinnes due to the offerer vpon the beast that was to be sacrificed In which it is manifest that euery man that presenteth his Sacrifice at the Altar standeth as a condemned man ready to bee executed that entreateth and beggeth of God that the punishment due to him by his demerits may be layd on the Sacrifice that is vpon Christ that beareth our punishment and curse vpon his Crosse and healeth vs by his stripes As the death prepared for Isaak was transferred from him to the Ramme that was hanged in the bushes that is Christ crowned with thornes and nailed on the Crosse And he that feelingly considereth this state wil easily resolue of the humble thoughts and humble gesture of such a Sacrificer as deserueth the death that the Sacrifice suffereth for him and deprecateth pardon for his sake whose Sacrifice maketh atonement for the sinnes of man In this case when we thus condemne and execute our selues can any thoughts be too lowly or any gesture too humble to entreat pardon So this carriage of the carnall sacrificer telleth vs what our carriage must bee in the offering of the spirituall sacrifice of our selues Our prayers that sue for grace and remission must shew humilitie in soule and body because wee seeke indulgence to soule and body And when we confesse we are most worthy to die in our selues and for our selues both soule and body and desire to receiue grace not for our selues but for Christs sake must we not testifie this vnworthinesse with the deiection of both soule and body Yea our very prayses and thankes for all Gods mercies must bee offered with all outward and inward humility since as it is in the second Psalme Psal 2.11 it becōmeth vs not only to serue the Lord infeare but also to reioice to him with reuerence cum tremore as the vulgar reades it with tremor or trembling For as the goodnesse of God causeth confidence and reioycing so the greatnesse and iustice of God and our owne guiltinesse and sinne cause trembling and humilitie So our very sacrifice of praise and glory requires humilitie and kneeling as the examples of those in heauen who being freed from all wants and therefore neuer needing to pray but onely to giue prayse for their ouerflowing and fulnesse of glory at the well head doth shew Apoc. 4.10 who cast downe their Crownes and fall downe and worship him that sitteth on the Throne and the Lambe And surely the Gospel in the offering of spirituall sacrifices differs not in dueties of Nature and Religion and chiefly in humility which is virtus Christiana Euangelica the Christian and Euangelicall vertue vnknowen and contemned by the heathen and taught onely in the Schoole of Christ And therefore our Sauiour Christ might teach all sacrificers how to behaue themselues when hee entred into his agonie in the garden which was the entry and beginning of his sacrifice for there he did sacrifice himselfe voluntate in wil as he finished it vpon the Crosse actu in acte Positis genibus orauit Luk. 22.41 he prayed vpon his knees to teach all spirituall sacrificers to vse the same kneeling in their deuotions and prayers and sacrifices which he began in the propitiatory and all-sufficient sacrifice for sinne Wherin because that wherewith God is worshipped doth profit man and not God for no man doth good to the fountaine if hee drinke of it nor to the light if he see by it and if man come to God God is not increased by it
Lord himselfe the bread and meate and drinke of our soules The people of Israel who were a stiffe-necked people when Moses tolde them the law of the Passeouer Exod. 12.27 Incuruatus adorauit bowed themselues and worshipped or adored and that was but Typus the Type and Lex the Law of the Passeouer and not the true Passeouer But this Sacrament containeth Christ the true Passeouer and shall wee not much more bow downe and kneele when wee receiue this trueth and substance If the King that is but a mortal man whose breath is in his nostrils giue vs a pardon or some great gift and office who is so proud but hee will stoope and bow downe his head and kneele nay kisse his feete And the greater the Kings grace is the greater will be the receiuers humiliation And shall we denie that to God which we euery day tender to man So then as Religion taught men naturall and ciuill dueties to Parents to Kings and to Priests and benefactors to kneele and to bow the head in reuerence when wee receiue naturall and ciuill gifts so let nature and ciuilitie as Riuers returne their streames to the Sea of Gods goodnesse whence they take their beginning and teach men the dueties of Religion and deuotion to bow the head and the bodie and the knees with all reuerence and humilitie to God who giueth not onely naturall but also supernaturall and diuine graces and glory it selfe nay that giueth himselfe and his Sonne and his holy spirit for vs and to vs in this Sacrament And let Fathers and Masters on earth learne euen of their children and seruants on Earth to do their duetie to their Father that is in Heauen Thou bowest and kneelest to thy Father thy Master thy Prince thy ghostly Father in earth who are but instruments and vnder-agents of thy being and conseruation in nature and grace and therein doest but thy duetie And wilt thou not much more kneele and bow to thy Master and King and Father and God in Heauen who is the first and supreame Author and cause of our naturall and supernaturall being in grace and glory If thou doe it to Gods Image much more doe it to God himselfe for Gratiam Psal 84.12 gloriam dabit Dominus grace and glorie are both the gifts of God and because they bee the greatest gifts they must bee receiued with greatest reuerence and humiliation and therefore with kneeling Ratio 4. Tremenda mysteria I Come to the fourth Reason and that is Mysteriorum dignitas the dignitie of the mysteries And that surely is great since they exhibite Christ vnto vs for as it appeareth in the former Reasons in this Sacrament God giueth his Son Christ and Christ giueth himselfe to be our food And therefore since wee receiue the bread of Heauen and the soode of Angels we may well thinke the Church to bee another heauen vnto vs where God feedeth vs with his Sonne and the Angels assist and minister in this feast And in that respect all humilitie of soule and bodie and consequently kneeling is most fit for this holy action of consecration and participation of this heauenly and Angelicall foode Moses beheld a burning bush in the wildernesse Exod. 3.5 and hee might not come neere it vntill hee had put off his shooes the reason is because Locus in quo stas terrasancta est the place wheron thou standest is holy ground and is not this sacred mystery as holy if not more holy then this burning bush since it hath vim Sanctificantem a sanctifying power in all them that receiue it with true contrition and faith When God appeared to Iacob at Bethel Gen. 28.16 17 Iacob said Surely God is in this place and I knew it not and hee was afraid and said Quam terribilis est hic locus How dreadfull is this place This is none other but Domus Dei Gen. 31.13 and Porta Coeli the house of God and the gate of heauen and God calleth himselfe the God of Bethel But this mystery goes further It is not Domus but Mensa Dei not the House onely but the Table of God not Porta but Cibus Celi not the gate onely but the foode of heauen yea Christ that is God and man is here offered and receiued and therefore as that was Locus terribilis a dreadfull place so this is Actio terribilis an action not of familiarity which breedes presumption and presumption begets contempt but of dread and reuerence and therefore to be vndertaken with all deuotion of soule and humiliation and kneeling of bodie And if holinesse doe become Domum Dei Psal 93.6 the house of God for euer much more doth holines become Deum Bethel the God of Bethel the God of that house If holinesse become the materiall house or Temple much more doth it become the spirituall house and table of the Lord in which wee offer our soules and bodies to be spirituall Temples to the Lord. And this holinesse must make a difference of the Lords body from other meates 1. Cor. 11.29 for some eate and drinke their owne damnation because they discerne not the Lords bodie And what is it to discerne the Lords bodie Doth hee discerne or make a difference of the Lords body that commeth to this Sacrament with no more respect or reuerence then hee commeth to his ordinarie supper Doth hee discerne the Lords bodie that adoreth and kneeleth to the Elements and giueth the worship to the creature which is due onely to the Creator Doth hee discerne the Lords body that commeth to this Sacrament Pompaticè gloriosè pompously Cyprian de Coena Dom. and gloriously without all contrition and sorrow for guiltinesse of sinne without all praise and thanks for the great blessings hee is to receiue without any prayer that hee may worthily receiue those great mysteries Doth hee discerne the Lords bodie that commeth to these mysteries rashly and presumptuously as if he were coequall and hailefellow with Christ when as wee should indeed come cum timore tremore Chrysost with feare and trembling in respect of Gods greatnesse and our owne vnworthinesse to receiue these sacred mysteries So then these holy mysteries by their dignitie and greatnesse should strike an awe and reuerence in vs when we come to the Lords Table and procure adoration and kneeling not to them for they are but creatures consecrated to an holy vse but to the Creator that feedeth vs in such holy yet fearefull maner In which respect the ancient Fathers spake of these mysteries with great reuerence Hom. 24. in 1. Cor. 10.16 chiefly S. Chrysostom who expounding the words of S. Paul The cup of blessing which we blesse c. saith Quid dicis O beate Paule volens auditori pudorem suffundere reuerendorum mentionem faciens mysteriorum benedictionis Calicem vocas illum terribilem maximè formidandū calicem certè inquit non est enim paruum quod dictū est Nam
And so much the rather because the blessed Saints that bow and kneele in Heauen doe onely make Confessionem Laudis confession of praise and giue glory and honour to God in signe of their Ioy which is so absolute that all teares are wiped from their eyes And therefore the Saints on earth that make Confessionem peccatorum miseriae confession of their sinnes and miseries in token of their sorrow and contrition ought much more to bow downe and kneele to pacifie the anger of God Now that the Saints in heauen doe bow downe or fall on the ground and kneele when they worship in bodie if their bodies bee there or else in soule and spirit and adore God and sing praise to him thaâ— sitteth on the Throne it is apparant in many places in the Reuelation of S. Ioh. Cap. 4.10 The foure and twenty Elders fall downe before him that sate vpon the Throne and worship him that liueth for euer and euer and cast their Crownes before the Throne And cap. 5 8. the foure and twentie Elders fell downe before the Lambe and ver 14. the foure and twenty Elders fell downe and worshipped him that liueth for euer and euer And C. 7. ver 9. hauing put a certaine number for an vncertaine twelue thousand of euery one of the twelue Tribes A great number clothed in white robes and Palmes in their hands cryed Saluation to our God which sitteth vpon the Throne and vnto the Lambe And all the Angels stood round about the Throne and about the Elders and the foure beasts and fell before the Throne on their faces and worshipped God saying Amen Blessing and glory and wisdome and thankesgiuing and honour and power and might bee vnto our God for euer and euer Amen And that these are Saints in glory appeareth after ver 14. These are they that come out of great tribulations and haue washed their Robes and made them white in the blood of the Lambe therefore are they before the Throne of God and serue him day and night in his Temple and he that sitteth on the Throne shall dwell among them They shall hunger no more neither thirst any more neither shall the Sunne light on them nor any heate For the Lambe which is in the middest of them shall feede them and shall leade them vnto liuing fountaines of waters and God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes Now these are the Endowments of another life wee are in great tribulation as long as wee are in this life these came out of great tribulation wee doe now wash our selues in the blood of the Lambe and while wee liue we cannot get out all the spots of sinne and lust these haue washed their Robes and made them white in the blood of the Lambe This life is Esuries sitis Iustitiae the hunger and thirst of righteousnesse the life to come hath no hunger nor thirst because they liue at the well head and sea of all goodnesse and their cup doth alwaies ouerflow I omit other circumstances for these prooue sufficiently that the Saints which the Apostle describeth are Possessors in the Kingdom of glory not Trauellers in the way of grace And the Text saith Verse 17. The Lambe which is in the middest of the Throne shall feede them that must necessarily be Coena gloriae the Supper of glory the vision and contemplation of God and Christ face to face without all Sacrament And in all this worship that the consummated Saints giue to God it is said that the Angels and the Elders Cap. 7.7.11 and the beasts did fall downe before the Throne on their faces and worship God So in heauen there is no worship without prostration and kneeling In like sort the twenty foure Elders which sate before God on their seats fell on their faces and worshipped c. 11.16 And in the 19. Verse 4. Chapter where the great whore is iudged the foure and twenty Elders the foure beasts fell downe and worshipped God that sate on the Throne saying Amen Alleluia And in the ninth verse it followeth Blessed are they that are called to the marriage Supper of the Lambe So at the marriage Supper of the Lambe there is falling downe or prostration and kneeling If all this worship bee giuen to God that sitteth on the Throne and to the Lambe by the Angels and Elders and Beasts and Saints when they worship God and are feasted at the Supper of the Lambe in glory in heauen why should not their practise bee a warrant to the Saints in earth to vse like falling downe or kneeling in the worship of God at the feast of the Lambe in grace on earth since the practise of the Church Triumphant may well be receiued as a patterne and guide by the Church militant whose example so long as shee followeth shee can neuer erre whose imitation is her readiest way to perfection If any shall replie that this is not the practise of the Church Triumphant which S. Iohn describeth in the Reuel but rather that vnder the name of the Church Triumphant in heauen the Militant Church is described in earth though I doubt not but it may very well be collected out of the pregnant circumstances of the Text that many of those passages cannot well bee vnderstood of the Church Militant in earth but onely of the Triumphant Church in heauen as in part appeareth before yet I will not greatly contend with him that shall gainsay in this point For suppose St. Iohn vnder the name of the Throne and the Angels and beasts and Elders and heauen doe only vnderstand the Kingdome of heauen and the Throne of Christ in the Kingdome of grace in this Life yet to my purpose it is all one For be it the worship here spoken of be of the Saints in the Church militant it is worship with outward Adoration prostration or kneeling which worship is principally performed in the Eucharist And be it that the feeding and supper of the Lambe be the feeding by the Sacrament of the Eucharist which is the supper of the Lambe in the way For at the feeding by the preaching of the word no man calls for kneeling they must necessarily grant my Conclusion That at the receiuing of this supper there must be prostration falling downe and kneeling And if Saint Iohn saw this then in Saint Iohns time kneeling was the receiued gesture of Communicants at the Supper of the Lambe So whether Saint Iohn spake of the Supper of grace or the Supper of glory kneeling or prostration is the gesture of Communicants at the Lords Table The perfection of the Triumphant Church imposeth a necessitie of our imitation if it bee done in heauen it must be imitated on earth if it bee done in confession of glory it must much more be done in confession of sinne if it be done in the sacrifice of prayse it must much more bee done in the sacrifice of contrition and prayer if they that haue no want nor no imperfection