M. Hardinge. The .8. Diuision.
Noman more expressely calleth the Sacrament by the name of God,* 1.1 then S. Bernarde in his godly Sermō de coena D••̄i ad Petrū presbyterū. VVhere he saith thus, Comedunt Angeli verbum de Deo na••ū, Comedunt homines verbū foenū factū. The Angels eate the woorde borne of God, men eate the woorde made haie, meaninge hereby the Sacrament, whiche he calleth the woorde made haye, that is to witte, the woorde incarnate. And in an other place there, he saithe. Haec est verè indulgentia coelestis, haec est verè cumulata gratia, haec est verè superexcellēs gloria, sacerdotem Deū suum tenere, & alijs dando porrigere. This is verily an heauenly gifte, this is verely a bounti∣ful grace, this is verely a passing excellent glorie, the Prieste to holde his God, and in geuinge to reache him foorthe to others. In the same sermon speaking of the merueilouse sweetenes that good Bishops and holy religiouse men haue experience of, by receauinge this blessed Sacrament, he saithe thus. Ideo ad mensam altaris frequentiùs accedunt, omni tempore candida facientes vestimenta sua, id est, corpora, prout possunt, melius, vtpote Deum suum manu & ore contrectaturi. For this cause they come the oftener vnto the bourde of the Aulter, at al times makinge their gar∣mentes, that is to say, their Bodies, so white, as they can possible, as they, who shal handle their God with hande and mouth. An other place of the same sermon, for that it conteineth a holesome instructiō, beside the affirming of our purpose, I can not omitte, I remitte the learned to the Latine, the English of it is this. They are merueilouse thinges brethren, that be spoken of this Sacrament, Faith is necessa∣rie, Knowledge of reason is (here) superfluous. This, let Faith beleeue, let not vnderstandinge require, least that either not being founde, it thinke it incredible, or beinge founde out, it beleeue it not to be singuler and alone. And therefore it behoueth it to be beleeued simply, that can not be searched out pro∣fitably. VVherefore searche not, searche not, how it may bee, doubt not whether it bee. Come not vnto it vnreuerently, least it be to you to death, Deus enim est, & quanquàm Panis Mysteria habeat, mutatur tamen in earnem. For it is God, and though it haue mysteries of Breade, yet is it chaunged into Fleashe.* 1.2 God and man it is that witnesseth Breade truly to be made his Fleashe. The vessel of e∣lection it is, that threatneth Iudgement to him that putteth no difference in iudginge of that so holy Fleash. The selfe same thinge thinke thou, O Christen man, of the VVine, giue that honour to the VVine. The Creatour of VVine it is, that promoteth the VVine to be the Bloud of Christ. This far holy Bernard.