Imatges de pàgina
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degrees and instances of piety, and progresses of perfection : and it consists in setting apart some portion of our time, before the communion, that it be spent in prayer, in meditations, in renewing the vows of holy obedience, in examining our consciences, in mortifying our lesser irregularities, in devotions and actions of precise religion, in acts of faith, of hope, of charity, of zeal and holy desires, in acts of eucharist or thanksgiving, of joy at the approach of so blessed an opportunity, and all the acts of virtue whatsoever, which have indefinite relation to this and to other mysteries; but yet are specially to be exercised upon this occasion, because this is the most perfect of external rites, and the most mysterious instrument of sanctification and perfection. There is no time or degree to be determined in this preparation; but they, “ to whom much is forgiven, will love much;" and they,-who understand the excellence and holiness of the mystery, the glory of the guest that comes to inhabit, and the indecency of the closet of their hearts, by reason of the adherences of impurity, the infinite benefit then designed, and the increase of degrees by the excellence of these previous acts of holiness,will not be too inquisitive into the necessity of circumstances and measures, but do it heartily, and devoutly, and reverently, and, as much as they can, ever esteeming it necessary, that the actions of so great solemnity should, by some actions of piety, attending like handmaids, be distinguished from common employments, and remarked for the principal and most solemn of religious actions. The primitive church gave the holy sacrament to infants immediately after baptism, and, by that act transmitted this proposition, That nothing was of absolute necessity but innocency and purity from sin, and a being in the state of grace; other actions of religion are excellent addition to the dignity of the person and honour of the mystery; but they, were such, of which infants were not capable. The sum is this: After the greatest consociation of religious duties for preparation, no man can be sufficiently

d Clem, Rom. lib. viii. Constit. c. 20. Concil. Tolet. i. c. 11. S. Aug. ep. 23. ad Bonif. et ep. 107. et lib. iv. de Trin. c. 10.

e Habentem adhuc voluntatem peccandi gravari magis dico eucharistiæ perceptione quàm purificari: sed hoc de iis dico quos capitalia et mortalia non gravant. - Gennad, lib. iii. de Eccl. Dogmat. c. 53.

worthy to communicate: let us take care that we be not unworthy, by bringing a guilt with us, or the remanent affection to a sin.

:

Est gloriosus sanè convictus Dei;

Sed illi qui invitatur, non qui invisus est.

16. When the happy hour is come, in which the Lord vouchsafes to enter into us, and dwell with us, and be united with his servants, we must then do the same acts over again with greater earnestness and intension; confess the glories of God and thy own unworthiness, praise his mercy with ecstasy of thanksgiving and joy, make oblation of thyself, of all thy faculties and capacities, pray, and read, and meditate, and worship and that thou mayest more opportunely do all this, rise early to meet the bridegroom, pray for special assistance, enter into the assembly of faithful people cheerfully, attend there diligently, demean thyself reverently, and, before any other meat or drink, receive the body of thy Saviour with pure hands, with holy intention, with a heart full of joy, and faith, and hope, and wonder, and eucharist. These things I, therefore, set down irregularly and without method, because, in these actions, no rule can be given to all persons; and only such a love, and such a religion, in general, is to be recommended, which will overrun the banks, and not easily stand confined within the margent of rules and artificial prescriptions. Love and religion are boundless, and all acts of grace, relating to the present mystery, are fit and proportioned entertainments of our Lord. This only remember, that we are, by the mystery of " one bread," confederated into one body, and the communion of saints, and that the sacrifice, which we then commemorate, was designed, by our Lord, for the benefit of all his church: let us be sure to draw all faithful people into the society of the present blessing, joining, with the holy man that ministers, in prayers and offerings of that mystery, for the benefit of all sorts of men, of Christ's catholic church. And it were also an excellent act of Christian communion, and agreeable to the practice of the church in all ages, to make an oblation to God for the poor; that, as we are fed by Christ's body, so we also should feed Christ's body, making such returns as we can, a grain of frankincense in exchange for a province, an

act of duty and Christian charity as eucharistical for the present grace, that all the body may rejoice and glory in the salvation of the Lord.

17. After thou hast received that pledge of immortality and antepast of glory, even the Lord's body in a mystery, leave not thy Saviour there alone, but attend him with holy thoughts and colloquies of prayer and eucharist. It was sometime counted infamous for a woman to entertain a second love, till the body of her dead husband was dissolved into ashes, and disappeared in the form of a body. And it were well, that so long as the consecrated symbols remain within us, according to common estimate, we should keep the flame bright, and the perfume of an actual devotion burning, that our communion be not a transient act, but a permanent and lasting intercourse with our Lord f. But in this every man best knows his own opportunities and necessities of diversion. I only commend earnestly to practice, that every receiver should make a recollection of himself, and the actions of the day, that he improve it to the best advantage, that he show unto our Lord all the defects of his house, all his poverty and weaknesses: and this let every man do, by such actions and devotions which he can best attend, and himself, by the advice of a spiritual man, finds of best advantage. I would not make the practice of religion, especially in such irregular instances, to be an art, or a burden, or a snare, to scrupulous persons: what St. Paul said in the case of charity I say also in this; "He that sows plentifully, shall reap plentifully, and he that sows sparingly, shall gather" at the same rate; "let every man do, as himself purposeth in his heart." Only it were well in this sacrament of love, we had some correspondency, and proportionable returns of charity and religious affections.

18. Some religious persons have moved a question, Whether it were better to communicate often or seldom? some thinking it more reverence to those holy mysteries to come but seldom; while others say, it is greater religion or charity to come frequently. But I suppose this question does not differ much from a dispute, Whether is better to

1 Malè olim actum est, cùm sacrificia compotationibus finierant. ̓Απὸ τούτου γε φασι τὸ μεθύειν ὠνομάσθαι, ὅτι μετὰ τὸ θύειν ἔθος ἦ τοῖς προτέροις οινοῦσθαι. — Philo.

pray often, or to pray seldom? For whatsoever is commonly pretended against a frequent communion, may, in its proportion, object against a solemn prayer; remanent affection to a sin, enmity with neighbours, secular avocations to the height of care and trouble: for these either are great indecencies, in order to a holy prayer; or else, are direct irregularities, and unhallow the prayer. And the celebration of the holy sacrament is, in itself and its own formality, a sacred, solemn, and ritual prayer, in which we invocate God by the merits of Christ, expressing that adjuration, not only in words, but in actual representment and commemoration of his passion. And if the necessities of the church were well considered, we should find that a daily sacrifice of prayer, and a daily prayer of sacrifice, were no more but what her condition requires: and I would to God the governors of churches would take care, that the necessities of kings and kingdoms, of churches and states, were represented to God by the most solemn and efficacious intercessions; and Christ hath taught us none greater than the praying in the virtue and celebration of his sacrifice. And this is the counsel, that the church received from Ignatius: "Hasten frequently to approach the eucharist, the glory of God. For when this is daily celebrated, we break the powers of Satan, who turns all his actions into hostilities and darts of fire." But this concerns the ministers of religion, who, living in communities and colleges, must make religion the business of their lives, and support kingdoms, and serve the interest of kings, by the prayer of a daily sacrifice. And yet, in this ministry, the clergy may serve their own necessary affairs, if the ministration be divided into courses, as it was, by the economy and wisdom of Solomon, for the temple.

19. But concerning the communion of secular and lay persons, the consideration is something different. St. Austin gave this answer to it: " To receive the sacrament every day, I neither praise nor reprove; at least, let them receive it every Lord's days." And this he spake to husbandmen and merchants. At the first commencement of Christianity, while the fervors apostolical, and the calentures of infant Christendom did last, the whole assembly of faithful people

Gennadius, c. 54. de Eccles. Dogmat.

communicated every day; and this lasted in Rome and Spain until the time of St. Jerome: concerning which diligence he gives the same censure, which I now recited from St. Austin; for it suffered inconvenience by reason of a declining piety, and the intervening of secular interests. But then it came to once a week; and yet that was not everywhere strictly observed. But that it be received once every fortnight, St. Hierome counsels very strongly to Eustochium, a holy virgin: "Let the virgins confess their sins twice every month, or oftener; and, being fortified with the communion of the Lord's body, let them manfully fight against the devil's forces and attempts." A while after, it came to once a month, then once a year, then it fell from that too; till all the Christians in the west were commanded to communicate every Easter by the decree of a great council above five hundred years since. But the church of England, finding that too little, hath commanded all her children to receive thrice every year at least, intending that they should come oftener; but of this she demands an account. For it hath fared with this sacrament as with other actions of religion, which have descended from flames to still fires, from fires to sparks, from sparks to embers, from embers to smoke, from smoke to nothing. And although the public declension of piety is such, that, in this present conjuncture of things, it is impossible men should be reduced to a daily communion; yet that they are to communicate frequently is so a duty, that, as no excuse but impossibility can make the omission innocent, so the loss and consequent want is infinite and invaluable.

20. For the holy communion being a remembrance and sacramental repetition of Christ's passion, and the application of his sacrifice to us and the whole Catholic church; as they who seldom communicate, delight not to remember the passion of our Lord, and sin against his very purpose, and one of the designs of institution; so he cares not to receive the benefits of the sacrifice, whoso neglects their application, and reducing them to actual profit and reception. "Whence

h Epist. 80. ad Lucinum.

i Itaque sicut nobis licet vel jejunare semper, vel semper orare, et diem Dominicum, accepto corpore Domini, indesinenter celebrare gaudentibus, &c.-Idem.

* Concil. Lat.

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