he who eateth and is eaten hee who annointeth and is annointed he who offereth and is offered What preheminences had the altar of the old Synagogue which are not greater in the Catholicke church Their altar was of the wood of the Mount Lybanus ours of the most sacred humanity of Christ theirs was of wood which would not corrupt and ours of flesh which cannot sinne theirs was made bloody with other bloud than their owne and ours is washed with his own bloud vpon theirs they did kil beasts vpon ours they forgiue vs our offences to theirs there could none go vp but the Priests of the tēple but vnto ours al the sinners of the world may come vnto in theirs there burned a fire of light which must euery houre be kindled and put together but in ours there burneth the fire of his loue and charity which can neuer be extinguished O holy altar O glorious altar of the crosse in which there is offered not dead beasts but mens sins not to proue thē but to pardon them where our weake seruices are offered not because thou wouldest praise thē O Lord but because thou wouldest accept them and where also the merits of thy holy sonne are offered not for his own sake who was without sin but for ours who can doe nothing but sinne The altar of the Synagogue had no step nor staire because the common sort did beleeue nothing in God but his essence but to the altar of our catholick church which is a congregation of the faithful they go vp by three steps because we beleeue in one essence three persons The text also saith that the altar of the synagogue was annointed with one finger only who shal we say that this finger is but the selfesame holyghost Hilarius de Trinitate saith In al the Trinity there is but one arm that is the Father of whom the Prophet saith Et brachiū meū cōfortauit eum neither is there any more but one hand which is the son of whom also the Prophet saith Filius meuses tuego hodie genui te nor there is in all the Trinity but one finger of whō the scripture saith Digitus dei hic est In the vnctions creations of vs there are many fingers occupied that is my great grandfather begat my grandfather and my grandfather my father my father begat me I begat my son and my sonne begat my nephew but in the generation of Christ there was applied one only finger which was the person of the holy-ghost August in a sermon sayth Seeing that he which doth beget is one and hee who is begotten is one and she who doth bring forth is one and he for whom hee is borne is one which is the world why should there haue been more then one finger which was the Holy-ghost The text sayth further that the altar was not annointed once only but seuen times a row What is meant that Christ was annointed seuen times a row but only that all the seuen gifts of the holy-ghost were bestowed vpon him It is to bee noted that in all the sacrifices which they made of kine sheepe and goats and pigeons the altar was alwaies annointed with bloud sauing when they ordained Aaron a priest at what time they did annoint it with oile alone the which was not done without a mystery The reason thē is this that because al their sacrifices were done to take away the Iews sins the which were to bee taken away with shedding of bloud Quia sine sanguinis effusione non fit remissio sayth the Apostle there was no need of effusion of bloud in the sacrifice which did only represent Christ because in him there was no sinne at all Why should they haue annointed with bloud the altar of the humanity of Christ considering that not onely there was no sin in him but in him all the sins of the world were to be taken away If the curious Reader would deeply vnderstand this high figure let him turn Moyses name into the Father and Aarons name into Christ and the altar into humanity and the name of annointing into gift and bloud into the water of baptism the finger into the holy-ghost and then hee shall truly find how well the truth doth answere vnto the figure and the letter to the spirit The text sayth further in the same chapter Vnxit altare cum omnisuppellectili as if hee should say After that Moyses had made an end of annointing the altar with holy oile hee did also annoint all things that did belong to the altar that is ewars basins candlestickes towels hookes chafindishes Let no man thinke it to bee a iest that God commanded to annoint with holy oile not only the altar but also all things which did appettaine to the altar because that by this is discouered one of the greatest priuiledges that Christ had which no man did euer but hee enioy in the world What should it meane that at the altar of the Synagogue there remained nothing which was not annointed with oile but that there was nothing in the humanity of the word which was not fully replenished with the holy-ghost Why is Christ called Sanctus sanctorū but because his holy vnction was more holy thā that of all the other saints When the church doth wash her creatures in baptism shee doth with water wash and as it were only there annoint soules which were defiled with original sin the which soules are made so clean pure with that vnction that if they should depart presently out of this life they should imediately by Gods fauor go to glory O vnhappy that we be for although they wash annoint our soule in baptism yet there remaineth our memory to be annointed seeing that wee forget God there remaineth our vnderstanding to be annointed seeing we think of other things thā of God there remaineth our will to be annointed seeing that wee put our loue on other things besides God also our hart remaineth to be annointed seeing we giue it to another thā to god What shall we say of our poore body seeing there is no part or mēber of it which is annointed seeing my eies can see nothing but vanity my ears hear nothing but lightnes my toung nothing but lie my mēbers cōmit sin my hands theft what shal I say of such a body is he not rather rottē thē annointed whē the Apostle S. Paul said with weeping tears alas woe be vnto me vnhappy vnfortunate man who wil deliuer me frō the seruitude of this body would he haue spoken such pitiful words if the powers of his body had been annointed with holy oile of loue charity the church like a pittiful mother doth annoint vs with the wholsome water of baptisme when we be born afterward she doth wash and annoint vs vvith loue charity whē she doth giue vs grace to loue god forgiue our neighbors the first vnctiō is to help vs that we do not sin
said presently vnto him Hodie mecum eris in Paradiso This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise The naughty theefe did not deserue to haue an answere at Christs hands neither soon nor late partly because it was the sonne of Gods custome not to answer those which did iniury him nor esteeme of those which bare false witnesse against him and partly to aduise vs that it is a point of great discretion not to set by iniurious words Vbertinus saith Why should Christ heare what the naughty theefe would aske him or make account of it seeing that he knew very wel that if he would haue beene loosed it was to steale againe and in stealing againe they would hang him againe In that that Christ would not answere vnto the naughty theefe nor yeeld vnto his petition hee vsed a new kind of clemency toward him to wit that he hindered him froÌ„ sinning any more and froÌ„ augmenting his damnation for if Christ should haue taken him from the crosse and hee haue returned againe into the world by how much the more he would haue augmeÌ„ted his sinne by so much the more he should haue encreased his punishment S. Augustine vpon S. Iohn sayth That our Lord shewed his mercy and pity toward both the theeues vnto the good one in giuing him glory to the naughty one in denying him life for if he had liued longer he would haue sinned more and according to the measure of his offences his torments should haue beene giuen him S. Gregory saith That if our Lord doe for vs that which wee aske wee ought to reioice and if he deny vs that which wee aske him wee must not complaine for if our Lord would haue giuen the sonnes of Zebedet the kingdome which they required and vnto the naughty theefe the life which hee craued it had beene vnto their great confusion and also damnation And because that in these words Hodie mecum eris in Paradiso there are contained seuen words as we haue noted heretofore it shall not bee amisse if that vpon euery word we speake one word because the curious Reader may see how wisely the theefe dealt and how profoundly Christ did answer him The first word which Christ spake vnto the theefe was Amen that is I sweare to thee in truth which word Amen was in the old Testament very famous and much set by and in the mouth of the sonne of God much vsed insomuch that the Synagogue did profit herselfe with that word to confirme that which she sware Christ vsed the same word to sweare that which he spake In monte Hebal stabunt Ruben Gad Asser Zabulon Dan Nepthalim ad malediceâ—dum populum respondebit omnts pepulus Amen said the Lord vnto Moises in the 28 chapter of Genesis as if hee would say It is my will and pleasure O Moyses that sixe Princes of Israel that is Ruben and Gad and Asser and Zabulon and Dan and Nepthalim goe vp vnto the highest of the hill Hebal and from thence they shall begin aloud to curse all the transgressors of my law and in the end of euery curse all the people shall answere Amen When the six princes were come to the top of the hill Hebal they began to curse those which brake the law in this manner Accursed be that man which dare make strange Gods to worship and giue honour vnto them although they be of gold and siluer let all the people say Amen Cursed bee the sonne or daughter which will not honour his father and his mother and let all men say Amen Cursed bee that man which iesting at a blind man shall put his foot before him to make him fall and shall set him out of the way to make him erre and let all the people say Amen Cursed be the man which will take money to kill his neighbour by treason and craft and let all say Amen Cursed bee the iudge who either through hatred or gaine which hee may pretend giueth a wrong iudgement against a widdow and oppresse the orphane and not ease a stranger and let all the people say Amen You may then see that this word Amen was a word of feare and of great rigour seeing that it was vsed to confirme their curses which they did cast vpon the people and not the blessings which they gaue them It is to bee noted that God commanded Moyses the same day to goe vp vnto the top of the hill Garisim with six Princes with him to blesse all those which would keepe his commandements but hee did not command them in the end of their blessing to say Amen as hee did in the end of his curse The synagogue was not worthy of this priuiledge because God kept it for his church which is seene by the promise which Christ made vnto the good theefe wheÌ„ he said Amen I say vnto thee this day thou shalt be with me in Paradise in so much that Christ began to blesse the chosen of his church with the same word that the synagogue ended her curse against the transgressors of the law This word Amen sayth Vbertinus which did serue in the synagogue for a curse doth serue now in the vniuersall Church for a blessing the which word the sonne of God had alwaies in his mouth when hee promised any great matter or spake any high secret Christ did so well like this word Amen truly that his Euangelists and Chroniclers doe affirme that hee vsed it fifty and fiue times and S. Paul in his Epistles eighteen times and it is vsed in the Apocalips also fiue times and in the canonicall Epistle three times S. August vpon S. Iohn saith That the sonne of God was not content to say once Amen but he did ofteÌ„times double the word saying Amen Amen truly truly giuing vs thereby to vnderstand that he did not only speake the truth in that which he spake but also that he was the truth it selfe There is no Angell nor man saith Remigius which can say Amen Amen for although they speake the truth in all that they speake yet it doth not follow that they be the truth it selfe because God did not impart this high priuiledge vnto any but his onely sonne who by speciall grace said Ego sum via veritas vita I am the way and the truth and life Christ did not say I know which way the way goeth but said I am the way for in troth he who is not guided by Christ shal misse the way to heauen Nor Christ said not I giue life but said I am the life because that in the house of God they call it not to liue vnlesse they liue well neither doe they say that man to liue which is not a good man nor Chirst did not say I speake the truth in that which I say but said I am the very truth for euen as the deuill is a bottome without bottome from whence all lies doe proceed so the sonne of God is a fountaine from
Barnard sayth If this that is said Cumipso sum in tribulatione be not performed in thee thinke with thy self that thou doest not suffer that tribulation for Christ but for thy friend and thy selfe and therfore in that case let him help and succour thee for whome thou doest suffer that danger If thou doe not make reckoning of Christ nor thinke on him nor suffer for his sake what hath Christ to doe with thy paint and trauaile If thou do suffer for the flesh let the flesh help thee if thou suffer for the world let the world deliuer thee if thou suffer for thy friend let thy friend giue thee aid if thou doe suffer for Christ to Christ commend thy selfe for if thou doe serue others what reason is it that thou shouldst ask fauour of him Saint Basil sayth What friend had God at any time whom hee forgot or in what tribulation did hee euer see him when hee helped him not Gregory in his Register sayth Hee who did not forget Noe in the floud nor Abraham in Chaldea nor Lot in Sodome nor Isaac in Palestine nor Iacob in Assyria nor Daniel in Babilon doest thou think that he will forget thee in thy affliction and tribulation Remigius sayth If this promise of Cum ipso sum in tribulatione bee not kept with thee thinke that our Lord dooth it either for thy greater profite or his owne seruice for the greater the tribulation is which thou endurest the more thou doest merite for thy soule and if it be not for this cause it is because thou shalt fall into some greater danger from the which our Lord doth keepe his holy hand and diuine succour to deliuer thee And because that the curious Reader may not thinke that wee swarue from our purpose it is to bee noted that the Prophet Helius whose figure we handled was beset with three grieuous persecutions that is with the warre which was in Iury with the famine which was ouer all the land and with Iezabels hatred He durst not preach for feare of the Queene hee durst not goe abroad for feare of the warre hee durst not hide himselfe for feare of famine and hunger in so much that this holy Prophet was so much without hope of remedy that he knew not whether hee should haue his throat cut openly or whether he should die for hunger secretly Our Lord therefore to fulfill his promise Cum ipso sum in tribulatione tooke him out of Iury vnwitting to the souldiors and did hide him in Carith where no man could see him and sent him meat by crowes to feed on and did prouide him a streame of water to drinke of Wee may gather by this example what a good Lord wee haue and what care hee hath ouer vs if wee serue him seeing that hee doth pay vs for all wee doe and succour vs for all that we suffer for him To come now vnto the purpose all this figure was fulfilled in Christ at the foot of the letter for as Heliac was persecuted by Iezabel so was Christ of the Synagogue and Christ found as great a famine of good men as Helias did in Samaria of victuals Hugo de sancto victore sayth vpon those words of Ieremy Paruuli petierunt panem The bread which the little ones cried for to ear and the lamentation which Ieremy made because there was no man to giue it him was not vnderstood of the materiall bread which was woont to bee in the arke but of spirituall bread wherewith the soules are fed and to say that there was no man found to giue it them was as much as to say that there was no good man left to preach vnto them Chrisostome in an Homily sayth In Commonwealths well gouerned the want of a good man is greater than the famine of bread and wine because we haue seene that God hath sent a famine for the demerits of one man alone and after abundance for one good mans sake alone Ambrose sayth Famine warre and pestilence are much to bee feared in naughty Commonwealths and where there are no good persons for although our Lord doth suffer them to come for a time yet he doth not consent that they should long time endure What goodnesse haue Commonwealths in them if they haue no good men in thē And what want they if they doe not want good men Saint Augustine in his Confessions sayth When I hear a knill rung for the dead my soule is presently driuen into a perplexity whether I should weepe first for the good which die or the bad which liue because there is as great reason that we should weepe for the life of the bad as for the death of the good Now that we haue prooued that the want famine of good men is more dangerous in a city than a dearth of victuals who doth doubt but that the scarsenesse which Christ sound in the Synagogue was greater than that which Helias found in Palestine What good thing or what good man could there be in the Synagogue where the Viceroy Pilate was a Tyrant the famous high Priest Caiphas a Symoniacle the maisters the Pharisies Hypocrites and the counsellours the Sadduces Heretikes and their kings and Prophets all ended The sonne of God did kill this hunger when hee gaue the world a church for a Synagogue Apostles for Prophets a law of loue for a law of feare a new Testament for an old the spirit for the letter the truth for the figure and his holy grace for our old offence What would haue become of vs if Christ had not left so many good men in his church Hee left vs many Martyrs many confessours many virgines many doctors in so much that when Christ died although hee left not the vvorld many bookes to read in yet hee left vs many Saints to follow The figure sayth further that Helias went to hide himselfe in the water-brooke of Carith which was a figure that the sonne of God should come to take flesh and hide himselfe in the entralls of the Virgines wombe and as it was figured in Helias so it was accomplished in Christ because that vnder his humanity vvhich hee tooke vpon him hee did hide his diuinity which hee carried with him When the Prophet Esayas said Verè tues deus absconditus hee knew well that God would hide himselfe for a time and remoue himselfe from their eies seeing that the catholicke Church did acknowledge him and the vnhappy Synagogue was vngratefull vnto him Recede hinc absconde te in torrentem Carith the eternall Father spake these words vnto his precious sonne as if hee had said vnto him Goe my sonne goe and hide thy selfe in the world because thou maist redeeme the world Where thou shalt hide thy power because thou maist suffer thou shalt hide thy wisedome because they may mock thee thou shalt hide thy prudence because they may take thee to bee vnwise thou shalt hide thy iustice because they are to iudge thee like a blasphemer