A treatise of the holy sacrifice of the masse, and excellencies therof. Written in Spanish by the R. F. Ant. de Molina, a Carthusian monke, & translated into English by I.R. of the Society of Iesus. VVith order, hovv to be present at the said Holy Mystery, vvith deuotion & profit

Of the Reuerence, due vnto Churches and holy Places. CHAP. XV.

I will conclude this Trea∣tise with this poynt of the respect and Reuerence, that is due vnto Temples, Churches, and other holy places, where the holy Sa∣crifice of the Masse is offered. To stire vp in vs this Reue∣rend affection, it may suf∣fice

that we open our eyes of fayth and consideration, & marke that Churches are truly & properly the houses of God. By this title they are honoured by our Lord himselfe, in many places of holy Scripture, and parti∣cularly in the second Chap∣ter of S. Iohn, where he saith, Make not the house of my Father, an house of negotiation. And in the one & twentith Chap∣ter of S. Matthew, our Saui∣our alleadgeth in confirma∣tion hereof the saying of the Prophet,* 1.1 My house is the house of prayer. The fact of our Sa∣uiour

related by both these Euangelists in those places, is very notable, and of great consideration for our pur∣pose. For the modesty and mildnes of Christ IESVS, being exceeding great and wonderfull, that in all the tyme of his lyfe, we do not reade, that he chastised any offence with his owne han∣des; hauing seen and dayly seeing so many, and so grie∣uous, and hauing had so many occasions to doe it, that once they would haue cast him downe headlong from a mountayne, and an

other tyme they tooke sto∣nes to stone him to death, & diuers tymes they vsed vnto him rude and blasphemous wordes: In all these and many other like occasions, our Sauiour behaued him∣selfe with very great mode∣sty and mildnes: & towar∣des all sinners in generall he shewed this meekenes in great excesse, scarse euer in any occasion shewing dis∣pleasure or indignation. Yea he did sharply rebuke at a certayne tyme some of his Disciples, because they as∣ked him leaue, that they

might make fire come downe from Heauen, vpō the Samaritās that had byn so discourteous towardes him, as not to let him haue any lodging or entrance into their Citty. All this being so, yet the first tyme that he ascended vnto Hie∣rusalem with his Disciples, finding some that had lost all respect and reuerence towardes the holynes of the Temple, buying and sel∣ling, and negotiating in the same, though these negoti∣ations were about thinges belonging vnto the Sacri∣fices

that were therein day∣ly and howerly offered, yet he tooke such indignation and displeasure against thē, that he made a whippe of certayne cordes he there found, and therewith set vpon them, and droue them out of the Temple, threw downe their tables, cast their siluer and moneys on the ground, rebuked them sharply & with hard tear∣mes, in a manner calling them theeues, saying, Make not of the house of my Father a denne of theeues. This happe∣ned not only once in

the beginning of his holy Predication, but also the second tyme he did the ve∣ry same, towardes the end of his life, the very last time, or the last sauing one that euer he entred into the Temple. By this fact giuing vs to vnderstād, what great account he maketh, that all decency & religious respect should be vsed towardes his house, and holy Tem∣ple, because only against the breach hereof he shewed such extraordinary displea∣sure, and with demonstra∣tiō of anger against the pro∣phaners

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of his house, he would beginne and con∣clude the course of his prea∣ching. Wherupon the holy Euangelist noteth, that his Disciples reflecting vpon this his fact, called to mind and vnderstood, that to him agreed that which is writ∣tē in the Psalme sixty eight, The zeale of the house of God, eateth vp my very bowells, and the disorders of them that beare not respect vnto it, fall vpon me, and are an heauy and burden∣some load vnto me.

Now we are to note, that our Churches are tear∣med

the house of God, not only for the reason in re∣gard of which the Temple of Ierusalē was so entitled, which many times, and ab∣solutly is tearmed in holy Scripture, the house of God, because there lodged the Ark of Couenāt, there God was worshipped and adored, there Sacrifice offered vnto him, there he gaue audience vnto men, and heard the petitions they made vnto him. Not only for these re∣spects Christians Churches be tearmed the House of God, but also vpon greater

reasons, in regard of which this honorable stile, doth belonge vnto them, much more properly then it did vnto the auncient Temple, to wit, because God him∣selfe dwelleth in them real∣ly & personally in the most Blessed Sacramēt, in which the person of the Worde, and only begotten Sonne of God abides in more par∣ticular manner then in any other parte, or creature in the world. For not only there he is according to his Diuinity, in regard of which he is euery where, by Es∣sence,

Presence, & Power, but also the most sacred Hu∣manity of our Lord Iesus Christ, the which is seated in Heauen at the right hand of the eternall Father; this selfe-some Humanity with the selfe same Glory, Maie∣sty, and Greatnes is really and personally in the most holy Sacrament, though couered with the sacramen∣tall formes of Bread, so that his presence is inuisible, but only vnto eyes enlightned with fayth, who see his wordes verified, This is my body, and his promise accō∣plished,

Behold I am with you all dayes, vnto the consummatiō of the world.

This is the glory, and most singular priuiledge of the Christiā people, to haue Iesus Christ the true GOD for their Neighbour, & a so∣iourner in all the Churches of Christianity, in such sort that there is not any Catho∣like Towne, or Villadge, how small and contemp∣tible soeuer, wherein our Lord hath not his proper and peculiar house: so that, if in a Village there be but twelue Neighbours, he

maketh the thirteenth. Thus God would honour and fa∣uour the Christian people, a thing most worthy to be e∣steemed and honoured in farre more excellent man∣mer then we doe honour and esteeme the same. For this cause I sayd in the be∣ginning of this Chapter, that there is no need to say much of this poynt, but on∣ly that we open the eyes of fayth, and consider attenti∣uely, that Temples be the house of God, and that in euery one of them IESVS Christ our Lord is really,

and personally present with all his Glory and Maiesty; a truth most sure & certayne, yea that also many thousāds of Angels accompany him, making the Church his Court therein, yielding him perpetuall prayses and con∣tinuall honour. And so in the prayer of the holy Di∣uine Office, wherewith the last Houre and Compline is concluded, sayth in this manner: Visit we beseech thee o Lord, this habitation, and let thyne Angels who dwell therin, keepe vs. The glorious Apostle S. Paul in

Epistle to the Hebrews see∣mes to affirm no lesse where he sayth,* 1.2 You are not come to a materiall mountayne, nor vnto a fire that may be seene, but you are come to the mountayne of Sy∣on the Citty of the liuing God, the Heauenly Ierusalem, the resort of many thousandes of Angels, the Church of the Primitiues. If this be so, as without que∣stion it is, to the end that we beare due respect, reuerence, and veneration vnto holy places, no more is needfull, but that we open our eyes, and consider the great reue∣rence and veneration that is

due vnto the Holy places, which are the true houses of God where he is present, & hath his aboade, togeather with his Celestiall Cour∣tyers.

And if we looke into ho∣ly Scripture we shall find it a very auncient custome of holy Men, to beare great re∣spect vnto such places where God was present, or did ma∣nifest himselfe in particular manner. In Genesis is writ∣ten of the Patriarch Iacob, that flying from the house of his Father to auoyde the wrath of his Brother Esau,

the first dayes iourney he was benighted, in a forlorne place. There falling a sleep he saw a great Ladder which did reach from Heauen vn∣to earth, vpon the which Angels went vp & downe, and God stood on the toppe thereof. The holy Iacob a∣waking out of his sleepe, conceaued so great reuerēce vnto that place, because he had seene the former vision therein, that full of feare and astonishment he sayd: How dreadfull is this place, verily here is nothing else but the court of God & gate of Hea∣uen.

In testimony wherof, he cō∣secrated the sayd place as far as he could, raysing vp the stone that he had laid that night vnder his head, an∣ointing it with oyle (which was still taken for the signe of consecration) and lea∣uing the same there as a tokē that the place was sacred, and honour and veneration due vnto it, because God had therin shewed himself: and vnto the Citty that was neere vnto that place called Luza, he gaue the name of Bethel, which signifyes House of God.

In Exodus, it is recorded that holy Moyses leading the flocke of his Father-in-law through the most soli∣tary & woodiest part of the Mount Horeb, God appea∣red vnto him in a very strāg and meruaylous manner, to wit, in a Bush which did burn with a great fire, but did not consume. And when Moyses did approach to see the sayd Miracle more di∣stinctly nigh at hande, the Angell that represented the person of God cryed vnto him: Stand still, approach no nearer for the place wher

thou art is holy land. Moy∣ses hearing the voyce decla∣ring God to be there present fell prostrate on his face, not dearing to lift vp his eyes, nor to cast them towardes the place where God did a∣bide. And from that tyme euer after the Mountayne was held in great veneratiō, and called the holy Moun∣tayne, the Mountayne of God, as appeares by the third Booke of Kinges, the ninteenth Chapter. In this respect the Apostle S. Peter calleth the Mount Thabor the holy Mountayne where

our Sauiour was transfigu∣red, because there he once, shewed his Maiesty and glo∣ry.

Now if these places, be∣cause God once appeared in them became so specially ve∣nerable, and reuerenced, how much more ought our Temples to be honoured where our Lord himselfe makes his mansion and his aboade, as in his ordinary residence and pallace, where he worketh dayly so many wonders, and bestoweth on men so many fauours? If those holy Patriarchs wor∣shipped

with such humble respect the place, where once or twice they saw God, or an Angel that spake to thē in his name; what honour would they beare, what re∣spect would they shew to our Churchs, had they liued in so happy an age as we liue in, but through rudenes and ingratitude, doe not e∣steeme nor acknowledge our happines? If the holy Patriarch Iacob conceaued such dread and reuerence to the place, where in his sleep he saw a lader on which the Angels went vp and down,

what reuerence and dread would he conceyue should he see (as we dayly see with the eyes of fayth) the very Son of God to come down, and place himselfe in the handes of Priests. And this not seene in sleepe or in a dreame, but by sight more certayne, & more infallible then any thing can be, that we see with eyes, and feele with handes; with how far greater reason would he ex∣clayme: Verily dreadfull is this place, verily God is in this place? And with much more truth haue sayd, verily

this is the house of God and entrance of Heauen? If holy Moyses cōceaued such feare and reuerence, not daring to looke on the Bush out of which an Angell spake vnto him in the name & person of God, what reuerence would he conceaue, what deuo∣tion would he declare, if he should enter into our Chur∣ches and see the most vene∣rable Sacrament, knowing as certaynly as we do▪ that there God is in person being made Man for our sake, and so sweet and courteous to∣wardes men, that he is re∣ceaued

and eaten of them. Oh holy Patriarches, me thinkes, that frō your seates of Heauenly glory you be∣hold vs on earth, and are a∣shamed to see our stupidity and rudenes, who know not how to esteeme and honour such sacred and venerable places as are our Churches, nor how to enter into them, and stay in them with the dread and reuerence, as rea∣son requireth of vs. One day you shalbe our Iudges, and condemne vs as rude & vn∣mannerly, seing we do not

imitate your example in worshipping holy places, our Temples being with great excesse, more venera∣ble and glorious then those which you did so highly e∣steeme and honour.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Isa. 56.
• * 1.2

  Heb. 12.