The spiritual guide which disintangles the soul, and brings it by the inward way, to the getting of perfect contemplation, and the rich treasure of internal peace. / Written by Dr. Michael de Molinos, priest : with a short treatise concerning daily communion, by the same author. Translated from the Italian copy, printed at Venice, 1685.

CHAP. III. Wherein are shewn some of the great benefits, of which a faithful man is deprieved, by being prohibited the Communion, when he is sufflciently disposed for it.

THat the Minister may see and take good no∣tice of the hurt which he does, by deprie∣ving the faithful of the Communion, that desire and ask it without the guilt of Mortal Sin, it will be necessary to lye before him some of those infinite benefits of which he defrauds 'em, onely in one Communion, that he may undeceive himself that deprieves 'em of infinite good for mortification sake.

First he deprieves such a one of the increase of grace and glory which he receives in the Com∣munion, whose effect is infallible, ex opere ope∣rato, though he should have venial sins about him. He also deprieves him of the mortifica∣tion of all his five senses and powers, which he therein performs, whilst his Eyes, his Smelling, his Tast, his Touch, his Imagination, his Under∣standing and all his knowledge and capacity do tell him that that Host is Bread: by all this he is humbled, mortified, and subdued, whilst he be∣lieves that it is not that which he feels and tasts, but that his God and Lord is in it. He deprieves

him also, by taking the Communion from him, of the cleansing of his sins and evil habits, and being preserved from 'em for the time to come; of many helps which are therein administred to him for the performance of every good thing, and avoiding every evil one; and it may hap∣pen, that the Eternal Salvation or Damnation of a Soul may depend upon one of these helps. He deprieves him of the lessening the pains of Pur∣gatory, which is participated in every Commu∣nion. He deprieves him of the high acts of faith, hope and charity, which he exercises, by believing that he receives that God, whom he sees not, nor feels, and hoping in him, whom he has not seen and being united with him by love.

God is goodness it self, and he is willing to be communicated through love to Souls, by means of the Divine and Sacramental Bread: Is there a greater happiness in the world? can there be a greater felicity? and shall there be any Minister to deprieve the Soul of this benefit? In this wonderful Sacrament Christ is united to the Soul, and becomes one and the same thing with it. In me manet & ego in illo (St. John 5.) which fineness of love is the most profound, ad∣mirable, and worthy of consideration and gra∣titude, because there is no more to give nor to receive: and what Minister shall deprieve the Soul of this boundless grace?

All Blessings do here meet together in this pre∣cious Food, here all desires of God are fulfilled, here is the loving and sacramental Union, here's

the Peace, the Conformity, the Transformation of God, with the Soul, and the Soul with God. By receiving Jesus in this Sacrament, the Eter∣nal Father and the Divine Spirit is also recei∣ved: here are all the Vertues, Charity, Hope, Purity, Patience, and Humility: because Christ our Lord begets all Vertue in the Soul, by means of this heavenly Food: and what a Heart must the Ministers have to forbid the Soul so great a Happiness.

If one onely degree of Grace is a gift of ine∣stimable Value and so precious, that 'tis not to be bought for a thousand Worlds, being a par∣ticle of God himself, and a formal participation of the Divine Nature, which makes us his Chil∣dren and Friends, Heirs of Heaven, and the Habitation of the most Holy Trinity: and if never so little Grace be worth more than all the Vertues, Alms, and Penances, and the remo∣ving Mountains (as St. Paul says) and giving all away to the Poor, is a meer Nothing with∣out Grace: How then can it be well to deprive the Faithful of the increase of Grace, which he might find onely in one Communion? How can the Minister deprive him of that and of many others that follow it, without giving 'em other things equivalent to those they lose?

What can be of equal value with habitual Grace, which a faithful Man might receive? neither can the Humility which he may exercise, nor the Reverence, nor the Mortification, upon the account of which he leaves off the Commu∣nion, be worth so much; nor are they equiva∣lent

to that Grace onely, which he loses, and which he might have had by receiving that Communion.

And now lets make up this Account. If Re∣stitution ought to be (as all the Doctors say) conformable to the Good, which was taken from one's Neighbour, what can he restore, which deprives a faithful Man of God himself?

Would it not be great want of Charity to take from a Man a Mount of Gold, onely to gather up a little Grain? Onely for one Grain of Mortification, (if yet there is any in it) the Ministers do deprive a Christian of a whole Mount of Blessings, which are heaped up toge∣ther in the Communion: If there were no other way to mortifie and try the Soul, but this, it ought not to be used; because by this Mortifi∣cation they deprive him of a greater good: but there are infinite ways of proving and mortify∣ing the Soul besides, without doing it so great a Spiritual Prejudice.

The Blessings of this Sacrament don't end here; because, besides, the increase of Grace, it sustains and gives new strength to the Soul, to resist Temptations; it satisfies the desires, takes away the hunger of temporal things, unites with Christ and his Members, who are the Just and Righteous, breaks the power of Satan, gives strength to suffer Martyrdom, pardons the Venial Sins, to which he that Communi∣cates doth not stand affected; and keeps from Mortal Sins, by vertue of the aid which it doth contribute.

The Body of Christ (says St. Bernard, In Serm. Dom) is Medicine to the Sick, Provi∣sion for the Pilgrim, fresh Strength to the Weary, it delights the Strong, it heals the wounded, it preserves the Health of Soul and Body. And whoever is a worthy Communicant, is made more strong, to receive Contempt, more patient to suffer Reproof, more fit to indure Troubles, more ready for Obedience, and to return the Lord Thanks.

St. Leo Pope, (de praec. ser. 14. de pass. Domi∣ni) says, that when a man is Communicated, Christ comes to honour him with his Presence, to anoint him with his Grace, to cure him with his Mercy, to heal him with his Blood, to raise him by his Death, to illuminate him with his Light, to inflame him with his Love, to comfort him with his infinite Sweetness, to be united and espou∣sed with his Soul, to make him partaker of his Di∣vine Spirit, and of all the Blessings which he purchas'd us by his Cross.

Dost thou seek (says St. Bonaventure, de praec.) where God is? thou must expect to find him in this Divine Sacrament, which being worthily received, do's pardon Sins, mitigate Passions, gives light to the Understanding, satiates the Soul, revives Faith, encourages Hope, inkindles Charity, increases Devotion, fills with Grace, and is the rick Pledge of Glory.

This Sacrament (says St. Thomas. Opusc. 58. de Sacr. cap. 21. 22, 23.) drives away evil Spi∣rits, defends us from Concupiscence, washes off the Stains of the Heart, appeases Gods Anger,

illuminates the Understanding, to know him, inflames the Will, to love him, delights the memory with Sweetness, confirms the whole man in Goodness, frees him from Punishment Everlasting, multiplies the merits of good Life, and brings him to his Eternal Country. The Body of the Lord (as he pursues it, cap. 24.) produces Three principal Effects. First, it de∣stroys Sin. Secondly, it increases Spiritual Bles∣sings. Thirdly, it comforts men's Souls; and in Chap. 25. he says, it satiates the Spirit to follow what is good; it comforts and strength∣ens the Soul, to shun what is evil, it preserves the Life always to praise the Lord. As it is a Sacrifice, it remits the Sins of those who are a∣live, and lightens the punishment of those who are in Purgatory, and augments the accidental Glory of those who are in Heaven. Lastly, the Body of Christ is called the Sacrament of Cha∣rity; because it makes us partakers of the Spirit Divine, of the sweet Abode of Christ himself, and the rich Transformation of God.

'Twould be an endless thing to relate the Blessings, which, according to the saying of Saints, they do receive from this Sacrament, who come to partake of it without Mortal Sin: and of all these doth the Minister deprive a Chri∣stian, when he onely forbids him one Commu∣nion.

But more than this, deprieving 'em of the Communion, he deprieves all the Saints of Hea∣ven, all the Angels, the most holy Virgin, and Christ himself of that accidental glory which

accrues to them by every Communion received in grace. If the Saints in Heaven have a special accidental glory, by every good work, though ne∣ver so small, that is done here below, as many pi∣ous Authors are of opinion, with how much more reason will they have it by a work so sublime as the Communion is, wherein there is included an immensity of all the wonderful works of God? Memoriam fecit mirabilium suorum, Psal. 110.

And if from one onely Communion there are so many blessings, as are specified before, to be obtained, what will there be of the sacrifice of the Mass, the gravest, the highest work that is in Heaven or Earth? And shall there then be Ministers, who under pretence of Penance, Mor∣tification, or the old way, must hinder Priests so great, so holy, and so fruitful a sacrifice?

Saint Jerom said, in (Missis defunct. Pavi. c. 14) that at the least the Soul suffers not in Purgatory, whilst Mass is said for it ['twas well the Author did not point to us where this blind passage is, in Saint Jeromes Works.] Saint Austin assures us, (Ballester in the Book of the Crucifix of S. Saviour, f. 207.) that the Divine Sacrifice is ne∣ver Celebrated, but one of these two things fol∣low upon it, either the Conversion of a sinner, or the leting loose of some Soul out of Purga∣tory, [this is as much Saint Austins saying, as t'other is Saint Jeromes.] William Altisiodoren∣sis was not contented with one Soul; but affir∣med, that by every Mass there were the Lord knows how many Souls that got away from

thence. Severus in Saint Martins Life gives an account, that he set as many Souls at liberty with his Masses, as persons assisted at the hear∣ing of 'em.

Venerable Bede says, that the Priest, who, be∣ing not lawfully hindred, doth neglect to say Mass, deprieves the most holy Trinity of glory and praise, the Angels of joy, Sinners of par∣don, the Righteous of grace and help, the Souls in Purgatory of cooling and refreshment, the Church of the heavenly benefit of Jesus Christ our Lord, and the Priest himself of Medicine and help.

If every Mass therefore has all this of its own, what Minister under the colour of zeal shall be so bold as to hinder and defraud the Trinity, the Angels, the Virgin, the Church, the Righteous, Sinners, the Souls in Purgatory, and the Priests themselves that desire to celebrate, so much glory and so much good? without doubt, though this be done with zeal, yet 'tis want of consideration, and it will be well, to premedi∣tate and consider it better, before any goes a∣bout to hinder it.