Deus not somewhat of God but God himselfe to whom it is proper to bee the Physitian and the Phisicke the food and the Feeder of our soules So then although all Gods gifts and graces be great and like to himselfe yet here in this Sacrament he giueth not simile but idem not somewhat like himselfe of a like substance to himselfe but hee giueth himselfe and the Sonne of his owne Substance And then quantus Deus qui dat Deum How great how good and gratious is God the Father to vs that giueth vs no lesse nor no other then God himselfe his onely Sonne to be the meat of our soules and the holy Spirit to bee our Comforter and refresher in this Sacrament The Elements or Signes after the words of Consecration are not bare accidents or signes and species but true substances and in that respect they are by Christ and the Euangelists and Apostles called Bread and Wine but the thing signified is the Body and Blood of Christ It is not figur a tantùm though the Sacrament be a figure it is not a figure onely but the trueth substance and God doeth not now feed vs with shadowes because the trueth and substance is there receiued this Sacrament doth exhibite this which it signifieth Neither is it Efficacia tantùm that is a very weake and short exposition Hoc est corpus meum 1. efficacia corporis mei This is my body that is this is the efficacie and vertue of my Body This is my blood that is this is the efficacie or effect of my Blood for that were to deuide the Body Blood of Christ from the force and vertue thereof But this is indeed the Body and Blood of Christ not in any grosse or carnall or corporall maner but in a spirituall maner a maner best and onely knowne to him that performeth that which he promiseth Caluin instit l. 4. c. 17. §. and as Caluin and Sadeel and others teach a manner aboue our capacitie and vnderstanding Experior magis quam intelligo which we prooue rather then vnderstand and therein are happie that wee finde it to bee so in deede and trueth though it surpasse the capacitie of mans wit be knowen onely to God In which wee doe imitate the blessed Apostles who beleeued Christs word and receiued it with faith Cyril in Ioan. lib. 4. c. 13. without once doubting or asking the Iewish question full of infidelitie Quomodo How can he giue vs his flesh Chryfostome saith Hom. 26. in matth 8. Etsi enim paruum aliquid fuerit quod datum est fit magnum tamen de honore dantis immò nihil exiguum est quod illo largiente confertur non solùm etiam quia datur à Deo sed quia tale est quicquid ille confert vt dici non mereatur exiguum vt enim alia vniuersa praeteream quae multitudine suâ numerum exuperant arenarum quidnam poterit ei quae propter nos facta est dispensationi conferri Quod enim erat apud eum omnibus pretiosius vnigenitum pro nobis filium dedit quidem cum adhuc essemus ipsius inimici nec dedit solùm sed nostram illum fecit esse mensam Although it be little that is giuen yet it is made great by the honour of the giuer yea nothing is little which is conferred God giuing it not onely because it is giuen of God but that whatsoeuer he giueth is such that it deserueth not to bee called little for to passe all other things which with their multitude exceede the number of the sands what can bee preferred before that dispensation that is made for vs For that which was more precious to him then all things hee gaue his Sonne for vs and that truely when wee were his enemies neither did hee giue him onely but also he made him to bee our Table Nec Moses dedit nobis panem verum Hieron ad Heb. d. qu. 2. sed Dominus Iesus ipse conuiua conuiuium ipse comedens qui comeditur illius bibimus sanguinem sine ipso potare non possumus quotidiè in sacrificijs eius de genimine vitis verae vineae sorec quae interpretatur Electa rubentia musta calcamus nouum ex his vinum bibimus de regno Patris Moses gaue not vs this true bread but the Lord Iesus saith S. Hierom he is the guest and the banquet the feeder and the foode wee drinke his blood and without him wee cannot drinke dayly in his sacrifices wee treade those chosen red sweete wines out of the fruit of the true vine and vineyard sorec and out of those wee drinke the new wine of the kingdome of the Father Cuiusdā Serm. d◠Coena Domini inter opera Ber. In coena illa munerans munus Cibans cibus conuiua conuiuium offerens oblatio He is the giuer and the gift the feeder and the foode the guest and the feast the offerer and the oblation In which respect the Eucharist Dion Areop c. 5 de Hier. Ecclesiast by Dionysius is called Omnium Sacramentorum consummatio or perfectissimum Sacramentum The consummation of all the Sacraments or the most perfect Sacrament Medicamentum immortalitatis antidotum non moriendi sed viuendi per Iesum Christum in Deo Catharticum expellens malum It is the Physicke of immortalitie the antidote or preseruatiue against death giuing life in God by Iesus Christ the medicine purging of all vices or driuing away all euils so Ignatius It is Cibus inconsumptibilis Epist ad Ephes vnconsumable meate so Cyprian De Coena Dom. Pignus salutis aeternae tutela fidei spes resurrectionis It is the pledge of eternall saluation the defence of faith and the hope of resurrection so Optatus S. Cyrill goeth further Lib. 10. in Ioan. c. 13. Considerandum est non habitudine solùm quae per charitatem intelligitur Christum in nobis esse verum etiam participatione naturali Nam quemadmodum si igne liquefactam ceram aliae cerae similiter liquefactae miscueris vt vnum quid ex vtrisque factum videatur sic communicatione corporis sanguinis Christi ipse in nobis est nos in ipso Consider saith hee that Christ is in vs not onely by an habitude which is vnderstood by charitie but also by a naturall participation for as waxe if it bee melted by the fire is so mingled with other melted waxe that it makes one waxe of both so by the communication of the body and blood of Christ he that is Christ is in vs and wee in him And hee prooues it out of S. Paul The bread that we breake is it not the communion of the body of Christ De fide orthodox lib. 4. c. 14. And Damascen explaining those words saith Communicamus per ipsum Christo participamus eius carne diuinitate quia communicamus vnimur inuicem
verò his tantùm sacrificijs contentus fuit sed quia seipsum consecrauerat Deo etiam orbem vniuersum studuit offerre S. Paul offered not sheepe and oxen but himselfe that made him say Iam immolor I am now ready to be offered and hee was not contented with these Sacrifices but because hee had consecrated himselfe to God hee studied to offer vp the whole world also I haue beene too long in setting downe these places of S. Augustine who is the most doctrinall among the ancient Fathers and therefore I content my selfe with him and some few more onely I adde Eusebius who ioyneth both these that is the commemoratiue sacrifice and the sacrifice of our selues together with other sacrifices concurring in that action Sacrificamus nouo more secundùm nouum Testamentum Euseb de Demon Euang. hostiam mundam sacrificium Deo spiritus contritus dictus est wee sacrifice after a new manner according to the new Testament a pure sacrifice and a contrite heart is called a sacrifice to God A broken and contrite heart God will not despise Iamque etiam incendimus propheticum illum odorem in omni loco offerimus ei benè olentem fructum omni virtute abundantis Theologiae hoc ipsum orationtbus directis adeum facientes quodsanè ipsum alius quoque docet propheta qui ait fiat oratio measicut incensum in conspectu tuo igitur sacrificamus incendimus aliàs quidem memoriam magni illius sacrificij secundùm ea quae abipso tradita sunt mysteria celebrantes gratias Deopro salute nostra agentes religiososque hymnos orationes sanctas illi offerentes aliàs nos ipsos totos illi consecrantes eiusque Pontifici ipsi vtique Verbo corpore animoque dicantes And now also we burne that propheticall sweete odour in euery place and we offer to him that sweete smelling fruit of diuinitie abounding with all vertue doing this with prayers directed to him which another Prophet teacheth also who saith Let my prayer be as incense in thy sight therefore wee doe but sacrifice and offer incense aliàs celebrantes memoriam sometime celebrating the memory of that great sacrifice according to those things which are deliuered by him and giuing thankes for our saluation and offering to him religious hymnes and sacred prayers aliàs nos ipsos totos illi consecrantes and sometimes consecrating out whole selues to him dedicating our selues in bodie and soule to his high Priest euen to the Word himselfe Here is both the commemoratrue sacrifice and the sacrifice or offering of our selues our soules and bodies beside the sacrifice of prayer and praise and contrition which I am now to speake of all ioyned in this one sentence of Eusebius To proceede then with this collection of sacrifices in this one sacrifice the third is Sacrificium non pecoris trucidati sed cordis contriti as S. Augustine calleth it The sacrifice not of slain beasts but of broken and contrite hearts by repentance and sorrow for sinne And this is collected out of the words of the Apostle Probet seipsum homo ◠Cor. 11.28 Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eare of that bread and drinke of that cup for he that eateth and drinketh vnworthily eateth and drinketh his owne damnation not discerning the Lords body And this probation is a iudiciall acte for so it followes If wee would iudge our selues w◠should not bee iudged And these are the actes of Penitents first to accuse and confesse or beare witnesse against themselues next to iudge condemne themselues and thirdly to execute and do vengeance on themselues by true sorrow cōtrition for their owne sinnes that so God may spare them And no man ought to approach the Lords Table till he haue first washed and clensed his soule by his repentance from all his sinne that so it may bee a fit house for the Lord to enter vnder the roofe thereof and a fit Temple for the holy Ghost to dwell in and to make his mansion or standing habitation So contrition and repentance to put away sin past and to put on a resolution against sinne to come is a necessary preparation before the receiuing of the body and blood of Christ lest we come to these holy mysteries with foule mouthes and polluted hearts and so eate and drinke our owne damnation Luk. 15.18 And so the prodigall sonne came First Peccaui in coelum I haue sinned against heauen and before thee and I am vnworthy to bee called thy sonne make me one of thy hired seruants by which sacrifice of contrition hee was not onely receiued as a seruant or hireling but as a sonne and admitted to his fathers kisse and embracing and adorned with a robe and a ring and then at last tanquam conuivae as a guest at the Lords Table he was fed with the fat calse that was slaine for him And so the adopted sonne of grace was fed with the flesh of the naturall Sonne of God the Sonne of his owne essence and substance And Saint Augustine said well In Psal 21. Quotiens Pascha celebratur nunquid totiens Christus moritur Sed tamen anniuersaria recordatio quasirepresentat quod olim factum est sic nos facit moueri tanquam videamus in cruce pendentem Dominum doeth Christ die as often as the Passeouer is celebrated But yet saith hee the anniuersary recordation of it doth as it were represent that which was long since done and doth make vs to be moued or affected as if wee now saw our Lord hanging on the Crosse And after he addeth Tempus lugendi estcū passio Dominicelebratur tempus gemendi est tempus flendi tempus confitendi deprecandi When the passion of the Lord is celebrated it is a time of mourning a time of sighing a time of confessing and begging of pardon Cyprian de Coena Domini In huius praesentia non superuacuae mendicant lachrymae veniam nec vnquam patitur contriti cordis holocaustum repulsam In his presence saith S. Cyprian teares doe not beg pardon in vaine and the sacrifice of a cōtrite heart neuer receiues repulse Quoties te in conspectu Domini videosuspirantem Spiritum sanctum non dubito aspirantem cum intueor flentem sentio ignoscentem As often as I see thee sighing in the sight of the Lord I doubt not but the holy Ghost is breathing vpon thee so oft as I behold thee weeping so oft I perceiue God pardoning And the holy Ghost chuseth the poore in spirit to this ministery and loueth them and he detesteth their worship that thrust themselues Pompaticè gloriosè pompously and gloriously to the holy Altars and who come more pompously and gloriously then they that will sit as coheires and fellowes as if they were Christs equals And S. Moral li. 2. c. 1. Gregorie vpon these words Let a man first examine himselfe Quid est hoc locose probare What is it saith hee
admit aut omnes aut nullos either all prayers that euery priuate spirit that will reiect the Apostles rule and not be subiect to the spirit of the Prophets that is the Church shal frame or else we must in effect admit no prayer at all because there is but one praier prescribed by Christ and the holy Ghost and that is very short that may be vsed And if you will beleeue the purest reformers or rather de formers it must not bee vsed but layd by as a Patterne to fashion the like I come to the fife Sacrifice that I finde in the Lords Supper and that is Sacrificium Eleemosynarum the Sacrifice of Almes and that as it was chiefly appointed to be done on the Lords day or the first day of the weeke 1. Cor. 6. so it is apparant that the Lords Supper being then celebrated and the Apostles continuing in breaking of bread and prayer this Sacrifice of Almes was euer a companion of the Lords Supper of prayer ministration or diuine worship and indeed a true Sacrifice in it selfe For when Dauid said Psalm 51. If thou wouldest haue had Sacrifice I would haue giuen thee but thou delightest not in burnt offerings a troubled spirit is a Sacrifice to God August deciuit Dei lib. 10. cap. 4. a broken and contrite heart God wil not dispise Intueamur quemadmodum vbi Deum dixit nolle Sacrificium ibi Deum ostendit velle sacrificium non vult ergo Sacrificium trucidatipecoris sed vult sacrificium contriti cordis Marke saith S. Augustine where Dauid saith God would not haue Sacrifice there he plainely sheweth that God would haue Sacrifice God would not haue the Sacrifice of slaine beasts but he would haue the Sacrifice of broken and contrite hearts And his reason is good Illa enim Sacrificia nonrequirit Deus quibus significantur haec Sacrificia quae requirit Deus God doeth not require those Sacrifices carnall and externall by which those Sacrifices internall and spirituall are signified which God doth require Christ saith Matth. 9.13 I will haue mercy an not Sacrifice in which words nothing else is to be vnderstood but this Sacrificium sacrificio praelatum that one Sacrifice is preferred before another for that which of men is called Sacrifice is a signe of the true Sacrifice and then he applieth all this to Almes Porro autem misericordia verum est sacrificium Heb. 13.16 Mercie indeed is a true Sacrifice And so it was called by the Apostle To doe good and to distribute forget not for with such Sacrifices God is pleased or pacified and so it is true which the same Father saith elsewhere of Prayer and Praise and mortification and Almes and the like that they are Pro Sacrificijs and Prae Sacrificijs in place of Sacrifice and to be preferred before all Sacrifices for the outward Sacrifice receiueth life from the inward Sacrifice of the heart So then hee that layeth his money or goods at Gods Table or at the Apostles feete that they may be put into the bosomes of the poore he doth indeed lend them to the Lord and deliuereth and sendeth them by their hands to be stored vp with him who is a most faithfull keeper and bountifull rewarder who will become a debtor to thee for them And whereas thy goods were earthly and transitorie Dando coelestes fiunt by this giuing thou shalt make them heauenly purchase heauens kingdome with them De oratione Dominica And that made S. Cyprian to say Inefficax petitio est cum precatur Deum sterilis oratio when a barren prayer beseecheth God that Petition is vnfruitfull The reason is because the hand doeth not pray as well as the tongue and the hands voyce is lowder and will bee further heard then the tongue Hom. 29. inter 50. And S. Augustine saith The Sacrifice of the Christian is Eleemosyna in pauperem Almes to the poore for then he offereth a charitable heart to God as in prayer hee offereth a deuour heart in praise hee offereth a thankfull heart and in contrition and mortification hee offereth a broken heart And these Sacrifices are all accepted of God in Christ but in seuerall degrees the broken and contrite heart is accepted with non despicies Psal 51.17 God will not despise it Heb. 13.16 The charitable heart is accepted with Placatur Deus with such Sacrifices God is pleased and pacified Psal 50.23 and the gratefull heart is accepted with honorificabis mee hee that offereth me praise he honoureth me Monseiur du Plessis De sacrificio Miss l. 3. a pillar of the French Church hath ioyned all these together whom I principally alledge because he reciteth them all Eccui mirum quod Patres sacram coenam Sacrificium appellarunt in quam vnam tot sacrae actiones confluant tot proinde sacrificijs conspicuum vbisacrum officium sacrificij in cruce peracti commemoratio verbi diuini propositio expositio oratio feruens humilis simul sublimis tum peccati nostri tum gratiae diuinae meditatio inde vero cordis contritio corporis animique Deo consecrandi votum viscerum quasi suorum in fratres Christi cohaeredes expansio effusio Quae omnes vtique singulae actiones cum scripturis Patribus oblationum sacrificiorum nomine insigniuntur Can it seeme strange to any man that the Fathers haue called the sacred Supper a Sacrifice in which one so many sacred actions doe meet together and therefore is conspicuous with so many Sacrifices where there is the sacred office or Liturgie a commemoration of the Sacrifice finished on the Crosse a proposall of the word of God and exposition thereof feruent prayer an humble and withall an eleuated meditation both of our owne sinne and Gods grace also the contrition of the heart and a vow of consecrating of soule and bodie to God an enlarging and powring out of our bowels in Almes towards our brethren the coheires of Christ which all singular actions are called by the name of Sacrifices and oblations in the Scriptures and Fathers Veteres De vnico Christ sacrificio cap. 5. Resp 5. saith Sadeel S. Domini Coenam sacrificium appellarunt Primum quia in hoc mysterio fit commemoratio vnici illius sacrificij quod pro nobis in cruce factum est atque haec commemoratio coniunctam habet gratiarum actionem adeo vt sit sacrificium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gratiarum actionis ac propterea inter spiritualia Christianorum Sacrificia recensendum Deinde quia in sacro hoc mysterio siquidem à nobis cum vera fide sincerisque animis celebretur nos ipsos totos Deo consecramus quod est spirituale sacrificium nobis imprimis ab Apostolo commendatum Denique quia id fuit elim in more positum vt cum S. Coena celebraretur tum fideles offerrent Eleemosynas The Fathers called this holy Supper of the Lord a Sacrifice First because in this mysterie
words hee calleth this Sacrament Tribunal Christi the Tribunall of Christ And after Considera quaeso mensa Regalis est apposita Angeli mensae ministrantes ipse Rex adest tu adstas oscitans sordescunt tibi vestimenta nihil est tibi curae at pura sunt igitur adora communica Consider I pray you a Kingly feast is prouided the Angels minister at the Table the King himselfe is present and standest thou gaping thy garments are foule and takest thou no care but thy garments are pure Adore then and Communicate Quo non oportet igitur esse puriorem tali fruentem Sacrificio quo solari radio non splendidiorem manum carnem hanc diuidentem os quod igne spirituali repletur linguam quae tremendo nimis sanguine rubescit What shall I say then but that he must be cleerer then the Sunne beames that distributes this flesh and haue a mouth filled with heauenly fire and a tongue red with this fearefull blood that will duely receiue this reuerend Sacrament for it is not man but God that feedeth vs and it is not earthly but heauenly food wherewith we are refreshed And therefore I maruell not 1. Cor. 11.10 if the Apostle say that women must bee couered in the Church Propter Angelos for the Angels Gen. 28.12 13 When God as on Iacobs ladder standeth and beholdeth and the Angels are present and ascend and descend and the Priest doth represent the person of Christ in the consecration and the people be as the Apostles that receiue these dreadfull mysteries For bee it that the Angels bee there vnderstood Angels per naturam by nature and creation as the blessed Angels that are Gods ministring spirits or Angels per officium by office that haue the power of consecrating these dreadfull mysteries All reuerence is due to that sacred worke whereof God is the giuer Christ the gift it selfe the holy Ghost supreme agent the Angels assistants and the Bishops and Priests Angels by office are instruments and the mysteries themselues so dreadful reuerend that the lowest of humility is scant lowly enough for so great graces Since Dial. lib. 4. c. 58. as Gregorie speaketh Quis fidelium habere dubium possit in ipsa immolationis hora ad Sacerdotis vocem Coelos aperiri in illo Iesu Christi mysterio Angelorum choros adesse summis ima sociari terrena coelestibus iungi vnū quiddam ex visibilibus atque inuisibilibus fieri What faithfull man can doubt that in the houre of immolation at the voice of the Priest the heauens are open the quires of Angels are present in those mysteries of Iesus Christ the highest are sociated to the lowest earthly things are ioyned to heauenly things and some one thing is made of things visible and inuisible And may this coniunction of heauen earth spirit and flesh Christ our flesh be made without the greatest humilitie on our part May wee presume to eate the bread of heauen forget the duetie of sinful and earthly men that are but dust and ashes No surely Reuerend dreadfull mysteries must haue receiuers that come with reuerence and dread and such as our action is such must be our affection that is to receiue that with feare and trembling which is so fearefull and dreadfull in it selfe And men in feare fall to the ground in horror and confusion and wee out of humilitie must prostrate our selues and bow and kneele on the ground when wee consider that we are but earth and ashes in comparison of the reuerēd mysteries of which we may well say Quis ad haec idoneus Lord who is fit for these things So then though we kneele not nor adore those reuerend mysteries because they are but creatures yet wee ought to adore and kneele at the receipt of these mysteries since we receiue the body blood of Christ and Christ himselfe God and man to whom all adoration and prostration and kneeling is due I conclude this Reason with Chrysostomes wordes Terram tibi Coelum facit hoc mysterium In 2. Cor. 10. hom 24. Aperi ergo coeli portas perspice vel potiùs non coeli sed coeli coelorum tunc videbis quod dictum est nam quod illic est omnium preciocissimum maximè honorandum hoc ostendam tibi situm in terrâ sicut enim in regiâ id quod est omnium magnificentissimum non sunt parietes non tectum aureum sed corpus Regis sedens in solio sed hoc tibi nunc licet videre in terrâ Non enim Angelos nec Archangelos neque coelos coelos coelorum sed ipsum eorum ostendo Dominum vidisti quemadmodum quod est omnium praestantissimum maxime honorandum vides in terra neque solum vides sed etiam tangis sed etiam comedis eo accepto domum reuerteris Si tibi Regis filius cum mundo purpura diademate traditus esset ferendus quaecunque sunt in terrâ abiecisses Nunc autem non hominis Regis filium accipiens sed ipsum vnigenitum Dei Filium dic rogo non extimescis et eorum quae ad hanc vitam pertinent non omnem expellis amorem This mystery makes the earth to be heauen vnto thee open then the gates of heauen or rather of the heauen of heauens and behold and then thou shalt see that which is spoken For that which is of all others most precious and most to bee honored this will I shew thee vpon earth as in the Kings Court that which of all others is most magnificent is not the walls and golden seeling but the bodie of the King sitting in his Throne And that thou mayest now see on earth for I shew thee not Angels nor Archangels nor the heauen nor the heauens of heauens but the Lord of them Thou seest then that which is the best and most honorable in earth and thou doest not onely see him but touch him and feed on him and hauing receiued him thou returnest to thy house If the Kings sonne and his robe and his Diademe had been committed to be caried by thee thou wouldest haue cast away all other things on earth But now thou hast receiued not the Kings sonne that is a man but the onely begotten Sonne of God tell mee I pray thee doest thou not feare and cast off all the loue of the things that appertaine to this life The conclusion then in short is this These dreadfull and reuerend mysteries may bee as Tutors and Schoolemasters to imprint the same dread and reuerence in the soules and bodies of the receiuers which they carrie in themselues great and reuerend dreadfull mysteries must bee receiued with great and dreadfull humilitie of soule and humiliation of body of which kneeling is a part and therefore in the action of participating and receiuing wee must kneele that it may appeare in the sight of God and his Angels and men that wee doe homage and