of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ. Col. 1.11 What doth this word Pascha or Passeouer signifie Phase or Pesach whereof comes Pascha not of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the vnlearned thinke doth signifie a Passage or a leaping ouer a passing by or a passing ouer And in a speciall manner 1 The passing ouer not of the people as many haue thought but especially of the Angell of God that smote the first borne of the Aegyptians and passed ouer the houses of the Israelites being made free by the bloud of the Lambe according to the commaundement of the Lord e Exod. 12 12 2 By a Metonymie of the adiunct it signifieth that solemne and yearely feast or the time of the yeare when that Passeouer was kept which the Lord commaunded to be celebrated in remembrance of so great a benefit when the Angel left the Israelites vntouched and also for a patterne of that benefit which we shall haue in Christ f v. 14 Leuit 23.14 3 By a Metonymie whereby the name of a thing is attributed to the signe it signifieth the Lambe that was slaine in that feast and was eaten in euerie house amongest the Iewes to admonish them of the passing ouer of the Angell that smote the Aegyptians and spared the Elect and defended them Further also admonishing them of the going forth and deliuerance of the people out of the bondage of Aegypt g Exod 12 11 Luk 22 7.8 and mystically might shadow out the Lambe that taketh away the sinnes of the world and by his death reconciling his father vnto vs h Ioh 1 29 of whom Esay 53. As a Lambe he shall be led to the slaughter and shall be dumbe before his shearer 4 By a Metomymie wherby the name of the signe is attributed to the thing Christ himselfe is called the Passeouer to wit as the truth answering to the figure 1. Cor. 5.7 Our Passeouer is sacrificed for vs namely Christ but we doe vse it here in the third signification What is the Passeouer or the Paschall Lambe 1 An ordinarie Sacrament of the Old Testament commaunded of God both to man and woman amongst the people of Israell wherein by the killing of the Lambe at the Temple but the roasting and eating of it in euerie house once a yeare and that onely of those which were circumcised and of age the thing signified namely 1. Preseruation from the Angell that destroyed 2 The bodily deliuerance from that most grieuous bondage in Aegypt deliuerance vnto liberty the destruction of the enemies and also the spiritual deliuerance which should be wrought by the bloud of Christ from sinne death and the power of Sathan 3 Also the eating of Christ to come that is the continuall and spirituall coniunction with Christ to come the nourishment and quickening was signified called to minde and was sealed vp to them which by faith did eate this Lamb. And these again on the other side did professe their thankfulnesse towards God their deliuerer and did resigne themselues to be ruled by him 1. Cor. 10.4 5. They did all eate of the same spirituall meate that we doe and did all drinke the spirituall drinke What was the manner of offering the Passeouer There were three manners whereof two belonged to the yearly Passouer to be obserued in all ages but the third did pertaine to the first Passouer celebrated in Aegypt 1. That in the tenth day of the moneth Nisan which is called Abib Exod 13 4 that is of the straw with the eare of corne for in that countrey barley was wont at this time to shoot forth the eare or else the moneth of new fruits as a signe of renouation wherein all things are wont to spring and reuiue againe The Graecians call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying Yellowe and it answereth to part of our March and part of Aprill and it was among the Iewes the first moneth of euery holy or Ecclesiasticall and Legall yeare that is pertaining to the manner of Gods worship and feasts and began at the Equinoctiall of the spring For in respect of the Iubile when there was an intermission of the land of Rents and ciuill affaires that is of the yeare Politicke the beginning was from September that is the seuenth moneth which is called of the Chaldeans Tisri or from the Equinoctiall of the Autumne when many thinke the world was created because presently after the Creation the earth being perfect brought forth fruits that her maturitie might as it were be in her perfect estate Now the Hebrewes reckon the beginnings of euerie moneth from that time when the new Moone doth first appeare and describe the moneth by the ful reuolution of the Circle of the Moone thorow the Zodiack I say that the tenth day of that first moneth the maister of a family in euerie house of Israell by himselfe should separate from the rest of the flocke a Lambe b Exod 12.3 or in stead thereof a Kidd perfect without blemish a male of a yeare old which was not aboue a yeare old although it was not precisely and fully a yeare old c Exo 23.19 and see that it be killed for the family the fourteenth day betweene the two euenings from the ninth houre when the euening oblations began to be offered vntill night for these were the two euenings to wit one of the day now declining from nine of the clocke the other of the night approaching from the last or twelfth houre of that same day that is the last part of that day Further that he rost it all with the head feete entrals bones vnbroken with fire 2 That all of them eate the whole Lambe with giuing of thankes taking also vnto them their neighboures if one house was not sufficient to eate the Lambe And that with sweete breade that is vnleauened because of their sodayne departure out of Aegypt And with sower hearbs that they might be put in minde of their old condition and bitter seruitude in Aegypt 3 That the Israelites should dip-bunches of Hyssope in the bloud that was receiued into a vessell and might so besprinkle the vpper threshold and both the postes that when the Lord should smite Aegypt beholding that bloud he might passe ouer that doore and not suffer the destroyer to enter in to destroy them Also that they should eate it in haste there coats girt their feete shod they leaning vpon their staues and as it were ready to take their iourney and if any thing was left of it that they should burne it with fire And that they should not goe out of the doore of their house vntill morning least they should mingle themselue with the Aegyptians but that they should rest quiet and safe vnder the bloud a Exod. 12.2 Leuit. 23 5 Numb 9.2 But wee must know that the Ceremonie or commaundement touching the sprinkling of the postes and vpper threshold with bloud and of eating the Lambe standing shod and now prepared for
birth of baptisme some are admitted who discharge the office of Midwife and instructor in things belonging vnto faith and a Christian life but yet such witnesses are to be chosen as both know sufficiently and can probably performe that which they promise for the childs holy education if neede require VVhy haue children names giuen them in baptisme Because it was also the manner in Circumcision a secondly that we may know that we then obtaine name and fame at Gods hands when we are borne againe and are become new men namely the sonnes of God renouncing our former name wherby we were named the children of wrath Thirdly that as often as we remember our name we should likewise call to minde Gods couenant and promise our Baptisme and what it meaneth and further our dutie who being baptised into the death of Christ we may likewise die with him vnto sinne and rise againe to newnesse of life and lastly that being entertained into Christs seruice we may fight valiantly vnder his Banner against his enemies VVhat manner off names ought we to giue They were first giueÌ„ either vpoÌ„ the euent of things as Isaack Iacob or of the Prophetical instinct to note some secret work of God or in remeÌ„brance of some thing past as Adam Israell or somthing to come as Eua AbrahaÌ„ Iohn Now although it be in so great plenty of names a thing of it selfe indifferent what name a man haue giuen him seeing the name furthereth not a mans saluation at all yet no man will denie but that the faithfull may make a profitable choyce in this case in omitting such as belong nothing to their profession and dutie prophane and vnknowne names and calling them by proper vsuall knowne and holy names such as may bring with them some instruction and admonition as namely such whose godlinesse is published it the Scriptures and so stirre vp in vs an Imitation of them or else of our ancestors or others whose names haue not beene polluted through Idolatrie but may put vs in minde of godlinesse of innocencie and vprightnesse of life or of Gods benefits and may not recall into our mindes the remenbrance of any euill example or such as are taken from wicked and bloudy men which ought rather to be forgotten amongest all godly men a Luk. 1.54 Psal 16.4 then thus reuiued Is the Office of preaching the Gospell greater then his that baptiseth Yea For Christ whose office was to teach neuer baptised b Ioh. 4.2 and Paule baptised verie fewe For the Lord sent mee not saith hee to baptise to wit peculiarly and fully but to preach the Gospell 1. Cor. 1.10 And Peter baptised not Cornelius his family whilest hee was there present but gaue order to haue it done afterward Aâ—ct 10.48 Though therefore the Sacraments bee most holy yet it is no wisedome to attribute too much vnto them Wherein doe baptisme and the Lords Supper agree and wherein doe they differ First they differ both in the signes in the action and in their neerest ends For in Baptisme water is vsed and the spinckling thereof outwardly and the inward sprinckling of the bloud of Christ inwardly Also the neerest principall end therof is the washing from sin ct adoption to be the sons of God or the ingrafting into Christ into his Church but in the Supper is vsed bread which we break eat inwardly there is a pertaking of the body of Christ likewise there is a cup vsed out of which wee drinke and also a communion of the bloud of Christ lastly the end of the Lords supper is the spirituall foode of the inner man this is a manifest differeÌ„ce between Baptisme the Lords Svpper Secondly they differ in vse for Baptisme is not to bee iterated whereas the often and religious vse of the Lords Supper ought to serue for a Commemoration of the Lords death Thirdly they differ in subiect for Baptisme properly beloÌ„geth to children though the vse thereof pertaine properly to those of age whereas the Lords supper doth only belong to them that are of yeares But in these things they both agree they haue both one genus both one Author both consist of two parts the one earthly the other heauenly both one generall end both one signification for both doe signifie the Communion of Christ both are seales of the Couenant and of the promise of grace the dignitie of both is equall and alike for of baptisme Paule testifieth that we are ingrafted into Christ and doe put on Christ a Rom. 6.75 Gal. 3.27 but the one propoundeth Christ our lauer vnder the signe of water the other our foode vnder the signes of bread and wine Is not one of these Sacraments better and more worthy than the other No not in being that is not because in baptisme we receiue only the gifts or graces of Christ but not Christ himselfe but in the Supper the body and bloud of Christ although al doe not receiue his graces as our aduersaries wil haue it because they haue both one end to wit our consociation and coniunction with Christ which as the forme also of both is sealed both in Baptisme the Lords Supper But they differ onely in some respect both of our originall beginning in Christ and also of our encrease and conseruation in the same For by how much it is somewhat more to be begotten then to be nourished by so much the Sacrament of regeneration is to be preferred before the Sacrament of our norishmeÌ„t which is the Lords Supper but by how much it is a more excellent thing to bee nourished and cherished to eternall life that so thou maiest neuer faile to bee a man regenerate in this respect the Supper is to be preferred before baptisme But seeing that the dignitie of both of them dependeth vpon the thing signified namely vpon our Communion with Christ although Baptisme doth commend the same vnder the forme of a Lauer and the Supper vnder the forme of food yet it is better to moderate this comparison and so shall nothing bee derogated from either of them For the water of Baptisme in the Sacramentall vse is the bloud of Christ no lesse than the wine in the Super a 1 Pet. 1 2 nor is it any thing lesse in Baptisme to bee ingrafted into Christ to be crucified dead buried and rise againe with him and to put on Christ than to eate his flesh and drinke his bloud in the Supper And to conclude Christ is propounded vnto vs in Baptisme as a bath as an entrance into the house of the Lord and as a garment And in the Supper as meat and drinke to be entertained more and more by faith What are the ends of Baptisme There are two 1. That it may stand our faith in steede before God the latter that it may manifest our confession before men and that first because it setteth forth Christs death buriall and resurrection teaching the remission of sins and confirming the
temporall and brittle life for this would bring in a Capernaiticall eating of his flesh But it is spirituall not in respect of essence but in the manner of receiuing and by the spirituall strength and efficacie of our norishing by it because the spirit or minde of man doth receiue it by faith alone and really and truely for there is also in spirituall actions their realitie is nourished by the vertue of the holy Ghost and is fed vnto spirituall and eternall life And truely the benefit of spirituall life doth redounde also to the bodie it selfe forasmuch as from thence it is regenerated it is sanctified and at length shall be partaker of the blessed Resurrection but neuerthelesse that meat is not to be called corporal but spiritual because it giueth onely spiritual nourishment Therefore although there is an eating of the bodie in which respect that is to say in respect of the terme or obiect it might be called corporall notwithstanding in respect of the manner it is not a corporal eating Therefore seeing that the flesh of Christ is only spirituall meate and in like manner the bloud of Christ spirituall drinke it followeh that the flesh of Christ is eaten onely spiritually and also that his bloud is drunke spiritually that is with the mouth of the spirit or soule namely by faith which the holy Ghost himselfe doth ingender in our minds Ioh. 6.51 Because the commaunding words of the Supper Take and eate doe speake of a corporall action and of one eating with the mouth And concerning that which ought to be taken and eaten Christ saith a little after This is my bodie whether therefore is the true bodie of Christ taken by a corporall action and eating The Maior is denyed because seing that the holy Supper as hath beene said doth consist of two things earthly and heauenly or of the signe and of the thing signified there are two sorts of eating and therefore a twofold eating is commaunded one of the signe another of the thing signified that corporall and sensible but this spirituall and intelligible The word of eating is attributed to that properly but to this figuratiuely as Psal 14.4 The workers of iniquitie eate vp my people as they eate bread And Ioh 6.53 Otherwise it should followe that the bodie of Christ is to bee eaten by a corporall action which is a horrible thing and the conceipt of the Capernaits For Christ goeth not into the belly but into the heart Ephe. 3.17 therefore is not eaten with the mouth a Mark 7.18 19 And whereas to auoide this absurdity some doe faine a corporall eating which may bee done after a heauenly and supernatural manner it is a deuised forgerie vnutterable and no way is intelligible and moreouer implying a contradiction What is it to eate the bodie and to drinke the bloud of Christ It is not onely to beleeue the promise of God which doth witnesse as Christ himselfe expoundeth it Ioh. 6. vers 35. I am the bread of life hee that commeth to mee shall not hunger and hee that beleeueth in mee shall neuer thirst Where the Lord doth declare that to beleeue is to drinke and to come to Christ by faith is to Eate that the flesh of Christ is crucified for vs and his bloud shed for vs for remission of sinnes but to be spiritually refreshed and to receiue spirituall life and strength by a true communication of the bodie of Christ as it were by nourishment as Christ saith He shall not hunger nor euer thirst and moreouer to lay hold vpon Christ by faith not appearing a farre of but so vniting and insinuating himselfe vnto vs that he may be our head we his members Tractat 26. 27 vpon Iohn Whereupon Augustine in the second Sermon De verbis Apostoli saith That same manducare to eate what is it but to be refreshed that same bibere to drinke what is it but viuere to liue This is saith hee to eate that meate and to drinke that drinke to abide in Christ to haue Christ abiding in him as Christ himselfe declareth Ioh 6.56 Hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud dwelleth in mee and I in him And by this hee which dwelleth not in Christ and in whom Christ doth not dwell without doubt hee neither eateth his flesh spiritually nor drinketh his bloud although carnally and visibly hee presseth the Sacrament of the bodie and bloud of Christ with his teeth Therefore the eating of the flesh of Christ and the drinking of his bloud is not onely faith but a certaine consequent and effect of faith namely the inward coniunction of vs with Christ the effect whereof is ioye in God and moreouer life eternall a Iohn 6.51 54.56 1. Cor. 5.8 Seing that Christ is giuen daily in the word to be eaten by faith and is there eaten of the faithfull Iohn 6.35 why is there neede of the supper That by this Sacrament as by an action more euident vnto vs or by a word visible that is shewing that selfe same thing to the eyes which the word doth signifie to the eares of the hearers our faith being more exercised and more confirmed we may eat him more and more and may apply him vnto vs more nearely more effectually and moreouer by Christ so eaten we may haue more spirituall sense motion and life vntill in that last day needding the vse neither of the word nor of the Sacraments we all in Christ and with Christ being present with vs in verie deede in heauen doe enioy that euerlasting spirituall life Now therefore at the length distinguish exactly the waies of eating of the bodie of Christ As it is a Sacrament it is not taken generally for the whole action of the Lords Supper and for the taking it selfe both of the signe and also of the thing signified but for the signe it selfe Question vppon Leuiticus 57. as Augustine saith Secundum quendam modum Sacramentum corporis Christi corpus Christi est that is after a certaine manner the Sacrament of the bodie of Christ is the bodie of Christ and hee saith the same thing oftentimes Sacramentum Ecclesiae duobus constare Sacramento re sacramenti that is That the sacrament of the Church doth consist of two things of the sacrament the thing of the Sacrament In this sense one eating is outward Sacramentall Symbolicall or Sacramentall onely namely of them which in the Lords Supper doe eate that holy signe of the body of Christ with the mouth of the bodie but which without faith is of no moment to saluation Another is Mentall or spirituall only namely of the thing signified which is done by faith alone by hearing reading and meditating of the word of God concerning which Ioh. 6.53.54 55.63 and it belongeth to all times but yet onely to the faithfull and in the olde time also it was common to the Fathers a Cor. 10.3 verily verily I say vnto you Except yee eate the flesh
the wicked eate the flesh and drinke the bloud of Christ vnto the iudgement of their owne condemnation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 truely and not refusing but receiuing it are made guiltie of Christs bodie No for 1. To eate vnto themselues Iudgement or to bring Iudgement vpon themselues is not to eate Christ who is made vnto vs righteousnesse and life 2. Because the promise of grace doth promise onely to the faithfull the participation of Christ himselfe and they are Sacramentall Seales to none but to the faithfull onely For what part hath the beleeuer with the Infidell light with darknesse Nor must wee say saith Augustine that hee eateth Christs bodie that is not in Christs bodie and therefore their vnbeleefe cannot make void the faith of God and the institution of the supper 3. Because no man saith the Apostle can bee partaker of the Lords Table that is of the meate set vpon the Lords table and of the table of Diuels that is haue any thing common with Diuels and vncleane spirits 4. Because the thing signified is receiued with the heart and not with the mouth for indeede Christ is not receiued by the instruments of the body but by faith alone a Ephe. 3.17 which the wicked do want 5 Because God giueth not holy things to dogs seeing the Lord forbiddeth the same to be done Math. 7.6 6 Because there are not contrarie effects of the participating and communciating of the bodie and bloud of Christ And the power of quickening or giuing life cannot be separated from the communion of the bodie of Christ and the wicked haue not life eternall but are condemned alreadie but he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath eternall life saith our Sauiour Christ Iohn 6.51 7 Because Christs bodie eaten worketh life but being despised refused and reiected it worketh death and condemnation but this accidentally not in respect of participation but of priuation 8 Because Christ can discharge the office of a Iudge although the vnbeleeuers eat not his bodie with their mouth they eat then the Lords bread but not the bread which is the Lord hereunto tendeth that excellent saying of Augustine If thou receiue it carnally it ceaseth not to be spirituall but it is not so vnto thee Againe A good man receiueth the Sacrament and the matter of it an euill man the Sacrament onely and not the thing it selfe And againe He that disagreeth from Christ eateth not Christs bodie nor drinketh his bloud though he daily receiue the Sacrament of so great a thing vnto his owne iudgement Whereas therefore the Fathers Tract 25. vppon Iohn but especially Augustine say that the Lords bodie is sometimes receiued euen of the wicked by the word Bodie they meane the signifying signe and not the thing signifyed or matter of the Sacrament And the bodie of the Lord that is to say his symbolicall bodie is distinguished from the bodie of the Lord that is to say from the verie matter of the Sacrament 9 And lastly this consequence of our aduersaries is ridiculous Christs bodie is giuen or offered therefore it is receiued It is not receiued therefore it is not giuen Can a man be guiltie of the bodie and bloud of Christ which eateth not his bodie nor drinketh his bloud Essentially Hee may by reason of the abuse of the holy signes which is contumelious to the thing signified euen as they which dispise Christs seruants are guiltie of contemning our Lord Iesus Christ yea and of the father also Luke 10.16 And a contumely done to an Embassador redoundeth to the Prince that sent him and whosoeuer spitteth vpon teareth or trampleth vpon the kings Image or letters is guiltie of offence to the maiestie of the king himselfe to conclude the vnworthie receiuer is guiltie in that he doth not spiritually receiue and eate Christs bodie offered vnto him Whether may the minister without perill of conscience admit all to the Lords Supper seeing he cannot know who are worthie and who are vnworthie As the Church iudgeth not of hidden things that is to say doth not prye into the secret corners of our hearts but iudgeth the outward actions hauing the Decalogue rightly vnderstood for a rule therein so the ministers dutie is to leaue to God the iudgement of euerie mans heart admitting all that are not tainted with open crimes but he must restraine those that are bewitched with errors repugners of the foundation of doctrine blasphemers heretickes worshippers of Idols drunkards cozeners theeues tyrants adulterers euill and filthie speakers and those that any other way liue vngodly and walke not worthie of the Gospell which giue no signes of repentance the Ecclesiasticall Consistorie hauing first taken knowledge of them for to them belongeth that of the Poet. Procul hinc procul este profani People profane and wanting grace Packe hence and come not neare this place For Christ giueth a weightie and serious prohibition Giue not holy things vnto dogs Mat. 7.6 Neither must we communicate with other mens sinnes 1. Tim. 5.22 therefore Chrysostome saith He would rather giue his bodie to be shamefully torne in peeces then wittingly willingly reach out the bodie and bloud of our Lord to a wicked man that liueth without repentance And for this abuse Paule witnesseth that among the Corinthians many were weake and sicke and many slept Is it a thing arbitrarie or indifferent to vse the Supper of the Lord or to abstaine from it No but the contemners of the Lords table sinne grieuously for they contemne 1 That edict not humane but diuine Doe this 2 The memorie of Christs death whereby we are redeemed 3 They neglect the communicating of the bodie and bloud of Christ 4 And lastly they shew themselues vnworthie to be accounted Christs disciples Shall wee need any sacramentall signes of Christs bodie and bloud in that life that shall be euerlasting No for we shall be with our Lord Iesus Christ euen in bodily presence for there will be no place for any sacrament when Christs corporall presence shall be restored to the Church and the Church by the way of faith shall be restored to the heholding of Christ euen face to face a Rom. 8.24 1 Cor. 13.12 5.7 1 Ioh. 3.2 What is contrarie to this doctrine First the error of the Aquarians who vnder pretence of sobrietie vsed not wine but water in the Lords Supper Secondly the errors of the Papists who doe horribly profane the Supper of the Lord and disdaining the name thereof 1 Borrow the name of the Masse from the rites of Isis 2 They faine that the Masse as it is now retained among them was celebrated by Iames the brother of the Lord or by the other Apostles 3 They adorne it with Gold Siluer and pretious stones as if it were a whorish Thais to allure the more to loue and affect it 4 They doe superstitiously vse bread that is meerely without leauen 5 They doe necessarily mingle water with wine 6 They transforme the
Gospel wherby are signified those things are done which went before in Christ Neither is therefore any change in God as there is none in the father of a family who commandeth not the same things in sommer and in winter How do the Sacraments of the old new Testament agree In the Author the end the generall parts in the thing signified in manner of Phrase For God is one and the same Author of the Sacraments of each Couenant a Heb. 1 ◠There is the same end that they should bee signes of the fauour of God toward the Church There be the same parts for the Sacraments both of the newe as also of the Old Testament do consist of a signe and a thing signified and in them both the signe is one thing the thing signified another The thing signifyed or the substance is alone and the same Christ and the selfe same benefits of his namely remission of sins iustification regeneration and spirituall nourishment Rom. 4.11 Abraham receiued the signe of the righteousnesse which he had receiued in his foreskin 1. Cor. 10.2 3.4 All were baptized vnder Moses in the cloud and did all eate the meate to wit that wee doe and did all drinke of the same spirituall drinke And cap. 12.13 For by one spirit we haue all beene baptized into one bodie both Iewes and Gentiles both bond and free and wee haue all drunk into one spirit For the same thing which Circumcision did signify doth our baptisme now signifie that which the lamb did doth the Supper And therefore the fathers vnder the Law were partakers by faith of the same Christ and of the same gifts of his that we bee now vnder the Gospell they beleeued in the selfe same Christ and had the verie same promises b Heb. 11 2 c. And Iesus Christ the same yesterday to day and for euer Heb. 13.8 And the Lambe of God slaine from the beginning of the world Re. 13.8 And Augustine saith Whosoeuer did conceiue Christ in the Manna did eate the same spirituall meate that we doe Lastly the manner of speach in them both is the same to wit Sacramentall that is fytting and well agreeing to that argument Of what sort be the Sacramentall speeches Sometime they be proper to wit when that which belongeth to the signe is attributed to the signe or that which belongeth to the thing signifyed is ascribed to the thing distinctly or else when the vse and office is plainely expressed As Circumcision is the signe of the Couenant betweene mee and you Gen. 17 11. The bloud of the Lambe shall bee a signe to you of the Passeouer Exod. 12.13 Abraham receiued the signe of Circumcision and the seale of the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 4 11. Baptisme is that whereby the filth of the flesh is washed away 1. Pet. 3.21 But for the most part they are figuratiue when the names and effectes of the things signifyed are attributed to the signes And on the contrary when the names of the signes and their effectes are attributed to the thing signified by a Mutonimie or changing of the names And such phrases are in indeede vsuall in the holy Scripture and so be placed in the common vse of the Church and yet figuratiue which may be vnderstood by the nature conference of the words and things whereof the words speake or by the coherence of the parts Yet cleare because eloquent and manifest types do not obscure but illustrate an oration Now they are such because the nature and essence of a Sacracrament doth require the same which commonly is defined to bee a visible signe of sacred things And therefore if the words in the Sacraments be vnderstood nakedly without a trope simply they shall be no longer Sacraments because they shall bee no longer signes but the things themselues Now they are of the number of those which haue relation to another thing Therfore the trope is not in the things but in the words 1. Because of the analogie proportion and relation of the signe vnto the thing signified 2. Because of the similitude and comparison of the effects Whereupon Augustine saith that Sacraments from the likenesse of those things whereof they are Sacraments doe for the most part borow the names of the things themselues Quest vpon Leuit. 17 Whereupon also that Rule is to be kept the vse whereof is vsuall and much in the Scriptures The names and properties of things which be most diuerse because of some proportion similitude and likenesse of the effects are oftentimes changed and affirmed mutually one of another for instruction and admonition sake So Christ and a vine bee the names of diuerse things yet Christ doth tearme himselfe a Vine a Ioh. 15.1 for the likenesse of the effects Againe because of the pawne and certainty of the promise of God added to the signes as the Rainebowe or the bowe in the clouds is the Couenant of God b Gen. 9.9 Circumcision is the Couenant c Gen. 17 10 The Lambe is the passouer or the passing ouer of the Lord d Exod 12 11.27 So Baptisme is the lauer of Regeneration e Tit. 3 5 and the stipulation of a good conscience f 1 Pet. 3.21 The like speaches are vsed in the types and shadowes as Gal. 4.24 those two mothers Agar and Sara are two Testaments In the holy Supper the breade broken is the bodie of Christ the wine the bloud of Christ The cup is the New Testament in the blood of Christ Not because of the chāging of the signe into another thing as our Transubstantiaries would haue it Or the including of another thing in the signe as the Consubstantiaries say Not properly and of themselues but because by a Metonimie or changing of the name they are signes and testimonies pawnes yea euen meanes or instruments of the Holy Ghost in the lawfull vse whereof there is wrought through the free operation of the holy Ghost a true and not an imaginarie communication of the things which are promised in the word beeing added to the Sacraments no lesse certainly then the Minister of the Church doth certainely exhibite the sacred signes which are called Sacraments This Rule is also perpetuall in the nature of things that in the affirmation of things that bee diuerse one from another and affirming of one of them of another the speach must needes be euer tropicall or figuratiue in any kinde of things and neuer proper For as oft as in any proposition the verbe Substantiue est doth ioyne together things that bee diuerse which differ in their speciall formes then the affirmation is not proper but figuratiue As so often as the first substance or this singular Indiuiduum existing truely and actually without the minde is affirmed of another first substance such an affirmation is figuratiue But yet these figuratiue speaches must bee reduced to proper and bee explained by them as Circumcision is the Couenant that is to say it is the signe
Christs bloud doth take away the thirst of the soule 3 As wine doth make glad the heart of man b Psal 10.15 so also the promises concerning Christ do make glad the soule 4 As wine doth heat the bodie and maketh vs more cheerefull and readie to doe our businesse so the bloud of Christ receiued by faith doth quicken the soule vnto all good motions and so the vertue of the spirit doth stirre vs vp and maketh vs more nimble vnto all good wokes 5 As wine driueth away coldnes so the bloud of Christ driueth away the coldnes of loue and charitie 6 As win◠maketh vs more secure and more bold so the bloud of Christ receiued by Faith doth make vs secure and quiet before God and more constant in confession that there may be nothing at all which we ought to feare 7 As wine maketh vs wise so the bloud of Christ receiued by faith maketh vs wise in the confession and commemoration of Christs benefits 8 As wine driueth away the palenesse of the face maketh the face of man to shine as with oyle c Psal 104 15 so the bloud of Christ doth turne the colour of the soule being pale with feare of death into the verie colour of the Rose that is to say it appeaseth our consciences it maketh vs faire in the presence of God that wee may appeare before him with a fayre and ruddie face that is to say iust and accepted What if bread such as wee haue and wine be wanting in some countries with what signes is the supper to be administred With those earthly nourishments and corporall meats which all doe vse in that countrey in stead of bread and wine meate and drinke for this doth agree with the minde of Christ From hence it was granted to the Nouergian Priests as Volaterranus witnesseth necessitie requiring it that they did conscrate the mysticall cup without wine with that which they had in common seeing that wine caried into the countrey is quickly corrupted by the great force of the cold VVhat need is there now of those two signes that is to say of bread and wine seeing that the whole humanitie of Christ consisting of his parts of bodie and bloud doth liue glorious in the heauens and by reason of concomitancie that is to say a naturall ioyning together of the liuing bodie and the bloud the whole may be signified and giuen in seuerall kindes and where the quicke bodie is present there also must the bloud and soule be present and by reason of the hypostaticall vnion the diuinitie also may be there and so there may be no controuersie moued concerning those things that be equiualent but one may suffice in steed of two From whence is that Rime of Thomas Caro cibus sanguis potus manet tamen Christus totus sub vtraque specie that is to say The flesh is meate the bloud is drinke yet Christ remayneth whole vnder both kindes 1 Because the same reason of concomitancie doth belong to the Priests which notwithstanding celebrating the Masse will alwaies vse the whole sacrament 2 Because Christ Iesus who is the wisedome of the Eternall Father commending to his Church nothing superfluous ordayned those two signes and of set purpose commended the vse of the cup to all saying Drinke ye all of it to signifie the drinking of one and the same bloud shed for many common to all the faithfull without difference of Nation of sexe of estate But for mens conceipts the commaundement of God is not to bee violated who called distinctly and exactly bread the bodie not the bloud and wine the bloud not the bodie Neyther can the Church change the matter or forme 3 Because neyther for the connexion of parts in the thing signifyed is a diuulsion or diuision of the parts to be made in outward rite or ceremonie 4 Because there is not made an inclusion of Christ into the Sacramentall signes For Christ is present in the Supper not for the bread but for the man 5 Because that bodie and that bloud of Christ is not in this action represented vnto vs sacramentally as now the whole indiuided humanitie of Christ doth liue glorious but so farre forth as they were offered vnto death for vs vpon the crosse the bloud being shed out of the bodie for the words added to the signes doe plainly crie that the bodie and bloud of Christ are offered and exhibited to vs in the Supper as things separated in the sacrifice of the Crosse From whence we must conclude seeing that the concomitancie of the bodie and bloud cannot agree to the death of Christ for to be in the bodie and to be shed out of the bodie are things contrarie that that concomitancie is directly contrarie to the institution of Christ Neyther is the hypostaticall vnion of God and man therefore broken which is not broken in death although the soule and bloud be separated from the bodie Rightly therefore Beda The bread is referred to the bodie of Christ mystically the wine to the bloud And the ancient fathers spake no otherwise of this mysterie then if daily in the administration of the Lords Supper he should be slaine die and be sacrificed for vs This is in the cup saith Chrysostome which flowed out of his side and we are partakers of it But what If a man at this day be conuersant in those places where one part of the Supper is taken from the laity shall he altogether abstaine from the vse of the communion It were farre better for him to abstaine especially if hee haue learned out of the former doctrine of the Gospell that that corruption doth fight with the word of God For it is a great sin to consent to the least pollution of Christs institution against conscience Rightly therefore Ambrose He is vnworthie of the Lord which doth celebrate a mysterie otherwise then it was deliuered of him for he cannot be deuout which doth presume otherwise then it was giuen from that author What did Christ when he had taken the bread Hee instituted signes of a second kind that is the outward actions of them which do administer the Supper or rites of dispensation of the Lords Supper wherein he went before all ministers by his example What rites are they Hee gaue thanks to the father to whom he gaue all the thanks of our redemption as it were the chiefe cause thereof and in the vse as well of the Supper as of daily meat and of other things he taught vs to doe the same a Iohn 6.11 1 Tim. 4.5 by his example Moreouer also with blessing and thāksgiuing for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is blessed and gaue thanks are vsed one with another Mat. 26.26.27 concerning the Lords Supper Mark. 14.22.23 not with the signe of the Crosse as the popish Cleargie ignorantly doe thinke as though he vsed coniuring but with blessing that is with prayers vnto God he prepared he appointed and he sanctified the bread
he teacheth in the administration thereof And thē he teacheth what the whole church ought to do in the vse or taking of it For in that holy action he speaketh to the Apostles both as to the pastors or disposers of his secrets and also as representing all the company of the faithfull who must receiue And truly first of all he commaundeth the Apostles or ministers administring to take bread and wine to giue thanks to God the father to breake bread and to distribute for when he saith Luk. 22 19. And. 1. Cor. 11.25 doe this in remembrance of me the particle this is not to be referred to the bodie or the cup but to that which the lord had done about the bread and cup. Truly he offered or sacrificed not his body and bloud to God the father vnder the formes of bread and wine but he tooke bread he gaue thankes he brake he powred into the cup Neither offered he to God but gaue to the disciples with a double commaund eat drinke ye all of this Therefore the same not any other thing is commaunded to the ministers vnlesse they will be accused by Christ as false Ambassadours Neither is the signification to be regarded of the Latine worde facere that is to doe in the commaundement of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hoc facite that is do this which sometime among the latins ioyned with an ablatiue case signifieth to sacrifice for they say fafacere hac vel illa victima that is to sacrifice with this or that slain beast as in that of virgil Eclog. 3. cum faciam vitulā pro frugibus ip se venito that is when I sacrifice with an heifer or a yong cowe come you for corne But not as the popish clergy read it in a calf-like construction cum faciam vitulam sometime in the scripture namely when the thing which is sacrificed or is offered to the Lord is ioyned togither with the said verbe or where the text doth manifestly speake concerning Sacrifice as when the Scripture saith Facere that is sacrificare agnum to sacrifice a Lambe A Goat fine flower and the rest of like sort in the Hebrew construction not in the Latine as Leuit. 15.15 Moses speaking of two turtle Doues to be offered in sacrifice Facies saith hee vnum pro peccato Thou shalt make or offer one for a sinne offering the other for a burnt offering alterum in holocaustum Numb 28. Agnum vnum facies mane that is offeres seu sacrificabis Thou shalt offer or sacrifice one Lambe in the morning but no where the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this proposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signify to sacrifice but to doe this which was done in the first Supper doth belong as well to the dispensation as to the receiuing of the Supper Moreouer these words Hoc facite doe this are referred to that which the communicants must doe in the vse and taking of the Supper which is euident by that that Paule doth apply them not onely to Priests but to the whole Church of the Corinthians Therefore he biddeth that the guests or communicantes should first take and then eate the bread broken and should drinke the wine powred in which are the sacramentall rites prescribed to all commers to the Lords table namly a comely taking of the outward signes into the hands an eating and drinking of them Did not Christ in the last Supper offer himselfe to God the Father vnder the forme of bread and wine and commaund the same to be done vntill the end of the word Truly he presented both in actions and words the sacrifice which he was about to offer vpon the Crosse the day after and commaunded a remembrance thereof to be made but he neyther offered himselfe really corporally and properly in the forme of bread and wine to God the Father nor commaunded an oblation to be made for remission of sinnes 1 Because with one offering once done and perfected not with two one vnbloodie another bloudie one primarie another secondarie eyther cōmemoratiue or applicatory not by repetition of that one he hath consecrated for euer thē that are sanctified a Heb. 10.12 14.2.5.6 Beside where there is remission of sinnes there is no more offering for sinne Heb. 10. vers 18. 2 Because both by the word and also by a lawfull vse of the Sacraments outwardly and by the working of the holy Ghost inwardly and by faith the fruite of that onely offering is applyed vnto vs. 3 Because the representation or application of a thing is not the thing it selfe for those things which differ in nomber in obiect in measure in manner of doing and in adiuncts as the Supper of the Lord and the sacrifice of Christ vpon the crosse doe truly cannot be the same neither are the Image of a thing the truth it selfe the same thing vnlesse among them which are weak wited but euen the very application of satisfaction doth imply a satisfaction formerly made 4 Neither did Christ offer any sacrifice or commaunded to be offered by priests in the Supper by which they may be purged their sins forgiuen 5 Neither hath any thing power to satisfie for sins besides that one sacrifice of the crosse 6 And without shedding of blood is no remission of sins Heb. 9.22 Neither is it said in any place in the scripture that Christ was offered to God but by reason of his death For Heb. 9.25 Not that he should offer himselfe often for then must he haue often suffered 7 Neither is it apparent in the Scripture that Christ is to be sacrificed vnto God that his sacrifice may be applyed to vs but to be receiued by faith Rom. 3.25 Whome God hath set forth to be a reconciliation thorough faith in his bloud 8 Trulie he is sacrificed after a certaine manner by preaching of the gospell a Rom. 15.16 and is crucified b Gal. 3.1 but figuratiuely and spirituallie Not to God but to vs that with our whole soules we may imbrace him being receiued by true faith 9 Because since that the chiefe priest is now exhibited the Apostles substituted no second priests of the new Testamēt properly so called either to Christ or to those of old time a Heb. 7.24 10 Because the alone the same most perfect sacrifice of Christ abrogated all outward sacrifices whatsoeuer 11 Because there is no reall sacrifice outward and propitiatorie but bloudie but if there be shedding of bloud in the Supper made Sacramentally it is not therefore reallie 12 Because the place Malac 2.11 from the rising of the sunne vnto the going downe of the same my name is great among the Gentiles and in euerie place incense shall be offered vnto my name and a pure offering is not vnderstood of outward Sacrifice but allegorically or metaphoricallie by allusion to the legall ceremonies their wordes being vsed as also Esai 22. concerning spirituall sacrifices that is concerning the spiritual worship
was identical rightly expressed in these words this is the bloud of the couenant But Christ gaue to his disciples wine contained in the cup and sacramentally signified the thing by the signe of wine Therfore in the enuntiation of Christ this namely the wine which was contained in the cup is one thing that bloud of the new Testament that is the thing it selfe of that sacrament is an other thing And therfore the enuntiation of Christ is rightly expressed in these words hoc est sanguis this is bloud What is the new testament in the bloud of Christ They acknowledge that the name of Testament is the same here that Couenant is who do take it to answere to the Hebrew name Berith and therfore to declare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is an agreement begun betweene them which first did disagree which signification doth especially heere accord although it commeth all to one reckoning whether we vnderstand the new couenant begun by the bloud of christ or the wil of christ dying which is signified by the word testamēt established confirmed by his own bloud shed For the particle In in the Hebrew phrase doth not signifie a simple coniunction inexistence or reall concomitancie as though it had beene said with my bloud but the cause the manner the instrument and the adiuuant cause of any thing as Psal 33.16 The King is not saued in multo exercitu that is by the multitude of an host and Rom. 5.2 In the bloud of Christ that is by the bloud as it is expounded Coloss 1.22 Rom. 3.14 But this Testament is not any corporal draught of the bloud of Christ or drinking of wine but it is the couenant of grace reconciliation or agreement and a couenant betweene God and the beleeuers wherein God doth promise vnto vs that he forgiueth vs our sins and giueth the holy Ghost righteousnes and life eternall of his meere mercie by faith for the bloud of Christ shed vpon the crosse and wee in like manner to binde ourselues to God to receiue these his benefits by true faith in Christ and to shew thankfulnes by true obedience towards him in the whole course of our life Of which couenant Esay speaketh chap. 59.24 and Ier. 31.31 and 32.40 Heb. 9 15. Gal. 3.17 Why said not the lord This is my body of the new Testament as he said this cup is the new testament in my bloud Because although the Testament or new couenant was established by the oblation of whole Christ and by the intercession of his death Heb. 9.15.16 yet notwithstanding his death was more euident in the bloud shed then in the matter it selfe of the flesh Therfore vnder the old couenant Moses said Exo. 24.8 Heb. 9.20 Behold the bloud of the couenant which the Lord hath made with you And therfore Christ that the relation of the truth might be more plaine he applied the appellation of the New Couenant rather to his bloud then to his bodie yet so that he excluded not his bodie the bloud whereof was shed from the confirmation of the couenant and redemption of the soule Add to this that when Christ had made mention of drinking wine which he calleth his bloud he remembred the new couenant because vnder the old the vse of bloud was forbidden a Leuit. 17. Verse 10.16 which in the other signe of bread was not necessarie to expresse Which is the other branch Which for you in Luke and for many in Mathew and Marke is shed for the remission of sinnes The subiect of which speech is the Relatiue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which and it is referred properly to the bloud not to the wine Truly if you look to the construction of the words in Luke it must be referred to the cup but because neyther the cup nor the wine was shed for vs that subiect is altogether to be vnderstood of the bloud The predicate Effunditur is shed again by Enallage for Effundetur shall be shed as the common translation doth also expound it Yet the Lord doth seeme vpon set purpose in the institution of this mystery although speaking of a thing to come yet to haue vsed in both places the words of the Present Tense that the Disciples might be admonished that this is the vse of these signes that with the eyes of faith the things forthwith to be should be seene as it were alreadie present in them like as we must behold them in this action by faith as it were being before our eyes although alreadie performed long agoe that is to say the whole historie of the passion as if with these our eyes wee did see the bodie of Christ hanging and pierced through and the bloud dropping out of his wounds Therefore it is shed saith hee that is to say vpon the Crosse not into the cup or into a mouth whereby againe is signified in what manner the bloud of Christ is liuing drinke to vs not simplie as it is now clarified but as shed for vs and truly for you and for many Marke 14.24 although not for all but for the elect onely that is for their cause for the remission of sinnes which is a most exceeding wholesome end of the bloud of Christ shed not of the drinke of wine For of this it is said In remembrance of me but of the shedding of bloud For the remission of sinnes From whence doe you gather besides that Christ spake Tropically 1 From the nature and sacramentall speaches of all other Sacraments alreadie instituted from the beginning of the world wherein it commeth to passe that the name of the thing signified is giuen to the signe it selfe or the signe is named for the thing signifyed as Genes 17.10.13 Circumcision is the Couenant that is the signe of the Couenant Exod. 12.11.27 The Lambe is the Passeouer that is the signe and memoriall of the Lord The Rocke was Christ that is a signe of Christ a Exod. 17.6 1. Cor. 10.4 2 From the knowne speech concerning the same Sacrament in Paule 1. Cor. 10.16 The bread which we breake is the communion of the bodie that is to say Metonymically like as the Gospell is called the power of God that is the effectuall instrument of God Rom. 1.16 And VVe that are many are one bread and one bodie And 1. Cor. 11.29 He that eateth and drinketh vnworthily eateth drinketh his owne damnation which things vnlesse a trope be vsed cannot be vnderstood and the bodie it selfe of Christ cannot be said to be eaten but tropically 3 Because the Ascension of Christ into heauen and the veritie of the humane nature which hee tooke admitteth not a proper speech For Augustine teacheth That one place is not to bee interpreted so that it may be contrarie to many others but so that it may agree with many other De Doct. Christ 4 Because the Fathers had the same meate and drinke not only among themselues but also with vs that is to say in respect of the matter
1. Cor. 10.3 VVhat is the same but that which also wee haue saith Augustine Therefore the same meat and the same drink but to the vnderstanding and beleeuing But to the not vnderstanding that Manna alone Book de Vti lit paenitent vpon Ioh. tract 21 that water alone but to the beleeuers the same which now for then Christ was to come now he is come was to come and is come are diuers words but the same Christ 5 Because it could not be that Christ locally sitting at the table and communicating with the disciples as it is Mat. 26.29 I will not drinke henceforth of this fruit of the vine should himselfe eate himselfe really and corporally Did Christ Iesus take part of the same signes Truly no lesse then of the Paschall Lambe Concerning which let him which doubteth thinke 1 That the Lord Iesus sanctified the ordinarie Sacraments of both the Testaments in the vse thereof 2 And in instituting of the supper by his example went before in sayings doings that the whole Church may know that the first paterne is to be respected of her in that regard that it was the greatest cause why he did not abstaine whereupon Hierome saith ipse conuiua conuiuium ipse comedens qui comeditur that is Epist ad Hed. biam he is the guest and the feast he is eating and that which is eaten Is there that vertue and that sense of the words of Christ wherewith he instituted this Sacrament that as often as vpon the bread and wine they are recited by the Priest who hath a purpose to consecrate then the substance of bread and wine eyther by Analysis is resolued into the first matter or euen into nothing so that in steed thereof doe succeed the bodie and bloud of Christ or by a simple mutation is turned into the substance of the true bodie and of the true bloud of Christ so that the substance of bread is formed into the flesh of of Christ the bare accidents of breas and wine remayning hanging without a subiect God forbid 1 Because it were magicall to attribute the power of changing the substance of the signes to certaine words mumbled ouer 2 Because in expresse words of the Apostles and Euangelists the true natural substance of bread and wine is affirmed before and after consecration as they call it 1. Cor. 10.16.17 and 11.26 27.28 The bread which we breake is it not the communion of the bodie of Christ And wee that are many are one bread and one bodie because we all are partakers of one bread and As often as yee shall eate this bread ye shew forth the Lords death till he come And Whosoeuer shall eate this bread and drinke this cup of the Lord vnworthily shall be guiltie of the bodie and bloud of the Lord. And Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this cup. For whereas they say that it is called bread not which is now but which was before it is confirmed by no testimonie of Scripture or iudgement of sense and besides Math. 26.29 I will not drinke saith hee henceforth of this fruit of the Vine Thus spake Christ after consecration 3 Because the kingdome or God is not corporall meate and drinke Rom. 14.17 4 Because in the proposition the pronoune hoc this demonstratiue doth not demonstrate the bodie of Christ For the transubstantiation saith Thomas is not accomplished but in the last instāt of the pronouncing of the words neither doth it demonstrate the accidēts alone of the bread For the accidētes are not the body of Christ neither doth it demōstrate any wandring thing or singular thing vncertainly determined For there is no Indiuiduum or singular thing which is not something And therefore certaine not wandering vndetermined or indefinite and especially the Demonstratiue Hoc this doth signifie some certaine thing 5 Because it is a wicked thing to be thought and spoken that the bread it selfe is properly and substantially the bodie of Christ 6 Because of this conuersion neither doth the Scripture giue sentence nor sense or reason iudge as of the rod of Moses turned into a Serpent a Exod 4.3 and of the water turned into wine Iohn 2.9 Where the Euangelist said not simply Water but Made wine For the accidents of bread doe plainely shew that bread doth remaine and they which partake of those holy signes doe feele in themselues a taste of wine and the power of the bread and wine This is an vnanswerable reason Framed thus euerie miracle is sensible transubstantiation is not sensible therefore it is no miracle 7 Because the substance the accidents thereof remayning cannot perish neyther can the accidents subsist without a subiect nor be the accidents of bread which are not the accidents of bread 8 Because the substance being remooued and the nature of the signes the similitude affinitie habit relation and Analogie of the signes to the thing signified come to nothing For the bread signifieth the bodie of Christ because it nourisheth strengtheneth and sustaineth which accidents cannot doe 9 Because heere is no word of Christ which may signifie a conuersion or transubstantiation For the verb Est doth not signifie to be made to be changed to be turned And note that which is said to be made cannot properly be said to be for Esse to be and Fieri to be made are said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say contradictorily 10 Because a carnall eating of the bodie of Christ is no where prooued in the Scriptures 11 Because it should follow that both the faithfull and vnbeleuers doe receiue the bodie of the Lord and his quickening spirit which neuer can be feuered from his bodie And Augustine saith that They doe not eate the bodie of Christ but which are in the bodie of Christ Because that bodie cannot be spoyled of quantitie nor in an instant and without locall motion be together in heauen in earth vnlesse vpon necessitie we should make an vbiquitie of Christs bodie which the verie transubstantiators do refuse to doe and the Fathers denie and they doe determine contrarie things which say that a bodie and the quantitie are truely present and yet not by meanes of the quantitie 13 Because now the bodie of Christ cannot be separated from the bloud nor the soule from his bodie and concerning Concomitancie there is nothing extant is the word of God 14 Because they write that Victor the third Bishop of Rome died hauing drunk poyson out of a chalice giuē him by his Subdeacon and that Henrie the seuenth Emperour of Lucelburge tooke poyson from the bread taken in the Eucharist by a Monke of Senens one of the preachers order 15 Because infinite discommodities doe follow this Transubstantiation as that the accidents must remaine without a subiect that if it happen that Mice do gnaw the bread they shal be said to gnaw accidēces or that if worms do breed of the bread it
Christ because it signifieth Christ So we say with Cyprian that the forme that is that the appearance and sight of bread and wine are not changed but that the substance of breade and wine are changed into the Sacrament of the bodie and bloud of the Lord which before they were not So Chrysostome That which belongeth to the signes he attributeth to the thing signified especially in respect of faith and the cogitation of the minde What meane the ancient fathers whiles that euery where they doe admire with astonishment the mysterie of the Supper they call it the Fearfull mysterie they require Faith they celebrate the power of God they deny that the order of Nature is to be sought in the bodie of Christ they attribute a conuersion to the signes They signifie a change made by grace not of the substance that is of the naturall matter and forme but of the qualitie that is of the former office condition calling end and vse of the Elements which is the consecration appointment and adhibition or traduction of the signes from a common vse to an holy mysticall vse or office that is to the obsignation and testimony of eternall life that surely they may be nourishment not for the bodie onely for this life as in our ordinarie table or before the blessing but that by reason of Gods ordinance because they are now the Sacraments of the bodie and bloud of Christ they may feed the soule also for as much as they are taken that they may bee vnto vs most sure pledges of the bodie and bloud of Christ and of eternall life flowing vnto vs from him Whereupon Paule doth not simply call it the Supper and the cup but the Supper and cup of the Lord and 1. Cor. 10.4 he calleth the rock of which the Israelites did drinke in the wildernesse spirituall Dial. 10 8 From hence Theodoret saith The Lord honoured the signes which are seene with the name of his bodie and bloud verily not chaunging the nature it selfe but putting grace to nature because these Elements are made Sacraments or spirituall things that is outward meanes of the holy Ghost and instruments of strengthning keeping and increasing the communion of Christ in vs. Therefore this change not essentiall but Sacramentall the fathers admire as wonderfull and supernaturall and that worthily For it cannot be done without the power of God that that earthly and decaying thing which is appointed properly to nourish the bodie should begin to be vnto vs a most holy thing a spirituall and heauenly foode Neither is it a worke of nature that those signes should moue the minde so powerfully and effectually and should offer and exhibit the bodie and bloud of the Lord to bee apprehended also of our minds by faith like as it is not a worke of nature that water should be made the lauer of regeneration or washing of the new birth Tit. 3.5 Although the Sacramentall change is no more a thing miraculous and vnspeakable then when of common waxe is made an authenticall seale of a publick instrument but because that is diuine and a cause of diuine things but this is humane and an ordinance instituted to establish mens matters Whereupon Augustine saith that SacrameÌ„ts may haue honour as religious things De trinit B. 31. c 10. but not astonishment as wonderfull things Moreouer the same fathers doe require faith because faith is heere especially necessarie whereby wee may firmely determine that the breade is the bodie of the Lord that is that wee by the lawfull vse of the bread are truely made partakers of the bodâ—e of Christ Finally they doe grant that that vnspeakeable and truely meruailous fellowship of vs with Christ is established wherin the order of nature is not to be sought for because it goeth beyond all humane sence Whether when we say of a firie sword of an infant lying in a cradle of wine contained in a vessell and the like This is Fire this is an Infant this is wine And Deut. 12.23 The bloud is the life because it containeth the life by which speaches the presence of the Attribute is manifestly affirmed are therefore the words of Christ to be vnderstoode of his bodilie presence at the place where the bread is No for truely the fire doth set the sword on fire doth pierce through the whole substance thereof but it changeth not the nature of the Sword saith Theodoret and in a fired sword the fire doth keepe still the force of burning as the sword of cutting neither hath the sword the operation of fire Dial. 2 c 19. B. 3 c â—9 but the burning is the effect of fire as cutting of the sword saith Damascen By which simile the ancients declared the most streight vnion of the two natures made without confusion and not a reall effusion of the Properties of the Deitie into the humane nature But heere is a great dissimilitude For those are naturall coniunctions whereby either new qualities are applyed to bodies or substances to substances but here all things are supernaturall by the institution of Christ Besides Christ is present in the Supper not for the bread but for the man for Christ spake not these words This is my bodie for the bread as though hee were about to make a substantiall change thereof or were about to communicate his bodie to the bread but hee gaue a promise to the disciples concerning the communication of his bodie whereby he doth ioyne vs to himselfe as it were members of his bodie What is therefore the naturall and proper sense of the words of the Lords Supper This that is bread which being broken Christ did reach with his hands to his disciples is not substantially or essentially or naturally in it self but mystically or by a SacrameÌ„tal promise not by a simple bare signification but also although spirituall yet a reall signification that is true and not imaginarie but hee himselfe because nothing is so truely done as that which hee doth by exhibition of the holy Ghost vnder coÌ„dition of faith that he himselfe My bodie or as Paul doth vnfold it 1. Cor. 10.16 The bread is the CoÌ„munion of the body of Christ that is the seale effectual token or instrument or meanes of the communion of the bodie of Christ Which interpretation Augustine doth confirme The Lord doubted not to say This is my bodie when he gaue the signe of his bodie And Tertullian Against Adimantus c 12 Against Marcion b. 4 hauing taken the bread and distributed it to the Disciples he made it his bodie by saying This is my bodie that is a figure of my bodie Neither doe wee otherwise interpret that enuntiation This or this cup is my bloud that this may bee the sense of the words of Christ As often as yee which are my Disciples and beleeue in mee doe eate this bread and drinke of this cuppe let it be vnto you a sure remembrance and testimonie that you are truely but yet
which is life it selfe and the fountaine of life cannot bee the bread of life to vs c Ioh. 14 Neither can the humanitie be separated from the word neither can the humanitie subsist without the Diuinite and his benefits without the whole person and therefore the one without the other are neither giuen nor receiued VVhether in the Supper of the Lord for the thing it selfe of the Sacrament doe wee partake of his merits alone or the liuely operation gifts or benefits of Christ without Christ himself that is without participation of the body and bloud of Christ or doe we partake of Christ himselfe with his benefits Truely Christ himselfe with al his benefits both those which are giuen to vs by imputation alone and also those which are giuen by reall efficacie 1. Because Christ himselfe one and the same God and man is that liuing bread from whom life eternall doth flowe to vs d Ioh. 6.51 and is eaten of them which are endued with true faith 2. Because bread and wine are holy signes not onely of the death and benefits but of the bodie and bloud of Christ 3. Because Paule doth plainly affirme it e 1 Cor. 10.16 we ought to haue a coÌ„munion with the body it self bloud it selfe of Christ that we may be partakers of his benefits For those benefits that liuely vertue or operation which sustaineth our soules vnto life eternall cannot be seuered from the bodie and bloud of Christ and moreouer not from Christ himself to whom it cleaueth a Ioh. 5.11 no more then the effect from the cause conteining it or the qualitie from the subiect in which it is properly inherent and from which it issueth because as Cyrill saith The spirit in Christ is ioyned chiefly with the flesh of Christ and the flesh also with the spirit so that wee can neither take his flesh without the operation nor the operation without the flesh neither in the plaine worde or in the Sacraments 4. Because he which imbraceth the promises of the Gospell by faith is made partaker of Christ b Heb 3.14 5. Because the verie words of Christ doe most clearely witnesse it Take eate this is my bodie Therefore it is needfull that the bodie of Christ should bee receiued and eaten of the faithfull 6. Because the true communion with Christ himselfe God and man is established in baptisme Therefore wee must determine that the same thing is done in the Supper 7. Because the Analogie of receiuing eating of bread wine should be lost vnlesse we should spiritually receiue Christ himselfe but that we may receiue the strength of nourishing which is in the bread it is needfull that we should receiue the bread it selfe 8. Because like as we dye in Adam because we are ioyned together with him by a naturall participation so we do liue in a spirituall life in Christ and we drawe it from Christ by reason of the spirituall participation with Christ c 1 Cor. 15.22 9 Because the Scripture euery where teacheth that the Church is one bodie of one head but truely it cannot be imagined that life doth come from the head to the bodie without the ioyning together of them both 10. Because they which stick to the accidents alone and leaue the substance are in no Science to bee suffered But the death of Christ and his benefits are reckoned among the accidents Therfore it is an intollerable thing to propound the benefits of Christ alone and not Christ himselfe But this we adde like as in the plaine worde the word preached shewing Christ to vs by voice is perceiued by the sense of the eares but Christ himselfe signified by the word preached is not receiued but by the vnderstanding beleeuing and in baptisme the bodie is dipped in the water but the minde of the beleeuer is washed with the bloud signified by the water So in the Supper the bodie is fed with that bread and that wine but the soule of the beleeuer is made fat with the flesh and bloud of the Lord as Tertullian speaketh Manduâ—atio Corporissed non manducatio corporalis Therefore there is an eating of the bodie but not a bodily eating but of faith or spirituall like as the coniunction is spirituall mysticall and supernaturall for as much as it is made by the apprehension of faith by the efficacie of the holy Ghost and also in like manner the presence of the bodie of Christ is spirituall For if our sight in a moment of time be ioyned with the bodie of the sun much more is faith conioyned with Christ himselfe and moreouer with his bodie placed in heauen Can this proposition be endured The bodie of Christ is exhibited with the bread If you do referre the word with to the time wherein the faithfull doe vse the Supper that the sense may bee When a faithfull man vsing the Supper doth eate the bread of the Lord and drinketh the wine of the Lord he is made partaker not only of earthly gifts but also of heauenly that is to say of the bodie of Christ and of the bloud of the same then truely wee doe in no manner of wise mislike that proposition But if any doe referre it being taken together with the other two particles In and sub that is in and vnder to the place that is to ordaine a presence of the inuisible bodie of Christ In cum sub pane that is in with vnder the bread wee doe worthily reiect this consubstantiation inexistence and indistance seing that this is neither expressed in the words of Christ nor can rightly bee drawne out from them Of how many sorts is this vnion or coniunction in the vse of the Lords Supper Twofold one of the bodie and bloud of Christ with the bread and wine which is called Sacramentall and belongeth to the forme of the Sacrament Another is the coniunction of the same bodie and bloud of Christ with the beleeuers which although spirituall is called the mysticall reall and substantiall communion or communication and fruition of the bodie and bloud of Christ which is exhibited vnder the holy symboles of the Supper Calu. Inst b 4. c. 17 sect 19 33 and belongeth to the end of the Sacrament Notwithstanding a mixture or transfusion of the flesh of Christ is not to be imagined in our soule because it sufficeth that Christ doth breath life into our soules from the substance of his flesh yea rather doth powre into vs his owne life although the flesh it selfe of Christ doth not enter into vs. Of what qualitie is the coniunction of the signes and of the thing signified in the supper of the Lord Not consubstantiall or naturall which may make a presence of the thing signified at the place of the signe 1. Because the words of the institution do by no meanes beare it 2. It is manifest that Christ sate placed with the Disciples at the table really and corporally 3. Neither are Sacraments
vsed For whosoeuer shall eate this bread or drinke of the cuppe of the Lord vnworthily the Apostle saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is vnworthily shall bee guiltie of the body and bloud of the Lord. 1. Cor 11.27 How many sorts are of them which come to the Supper of the Lord Two one of them which eate worthily another of them which eate vnworthily Who doe come worthily These doe differ To bee worthy or vnworthie and to come worthily or vnworthily to the supper of the Lord. For no where doth the Apostle so speake That some are worthy some vnworthy but he speaketh of thē which eate worthily vnworthily Therefore they doe eate the breade and drinke the cuppe of the Lord worthily not which want the least blemish or spot of sin of which sort there are none in the world For by nature wee are all both vnworthy of so great a benefit and not sufficient to perceiue so great mysteries but our sufficiencie is of God 2. Cor. 3.5 a Col. 1.12 But. 1. The which acknowledge their owne vnworthinesse and bewaile it and rely vpon the worthinesse of Christ that is They which are truely afraid in the acknowledging of the great wrath of God against their sins and are grieued with their whole heart because they haue offended God who doe acknowledge confesse that they haue many waies deserued punishments for their sins and haue in heart and in mouth that confession of Daniell O Lord righteousnesse belongeth vnto thee and vnto vs open shame chap. 9.7 Which motion is stirred vp in vs by consideration of Gods lawe of eternall and temporall punishments but especially by thinking of the sonne of God laid groueling in the garden and hanging betweene two theeues vpon the crosse for our sinnes 2. They which haue hungrie and thirsting soules after the fauour of God and doe flee to the onely hauen of health that is to the mercie of God for Christs sake the mediatour and are lifted vp with confidence hereof and doe iudge with a firme assent that they are receiued of God into fauour for his sake and that the good promises in the Gospell are exhibited to themselues that is to say the communion of the bodie and bloude of Iesus Christ and participation of the merit and efficacie of him remission of sins renouation and life eternall a Mat. 5.6 3. They which haue a purposed endeauour to amende their liues and to yeeld newe obedience that is who haue determined nothing more surely then to referre all there purposes and endeuours to the honour of God who haue remitted wronges and all their iniuries as it is said Math. 5.24 Leaue thine offering before the Altar and Goe thy way First bee reconciled to thy brother And they which are readie to loue all the members of Christ to helpe them and to bestowe themselues for them according to the example of Christ 4. They which call to minde the sending of the son of God his passion and the whole benefit of redemption and do giue thanks to God for it 5. They which doe determine with themselues to die for the confession of the name of Christ Finally faith euen begun with repentance doth make them of vnworthy to become worthie But this worthines is not to be meant concerning perfection such as befalleth no not to the most holy But concerning the beginnings of conuersion and faith which may be felt in our selues and acknowledged of others by no obscure but evident signes and tokens But for such as doe repent and yet are earnstely afraid may not these flee the vse of the Sacrament by reason of former slips No but let them know that therefore this so great pledge is set forth that their faith may be kindled and confirmed concerning remission of sins by the vse of those things and let the minde reconciled to God call vpon him againe and serue him afterward with a good conscience Let the mindes of such rely not vpon their owne worthinesse but as the prodigall sonne returning to his father doth not plead his merits and deserts but acknowledgeth accuseth and bewaileth his fault so let vs acknowledge our pollutions let vs accuse our selues for them and let vs flee vnto Gods mercy promised for Christs sake The pledge of which mercie is the Supper it selfe in which Christ testifieth that remission of sins is giuen to vs freely that is not for our worthinesse but because he was made a sacrifice for vs and let vs knowe that this medicine is prepared for the sick that is for them which acknowledge their owne weaknesse What counsell therefore doth the Apostle giue to them which come to the Supper Let a man examine himselfe and so that is to say when as he hath examined himselfe and found himselfe fit by the grace of God Let him eat of this bread and drinke of this cup. 1. Cor. 11.28 What must we examine This Paul declareth saying 2. Cor. 13.5 Prooue your selues whether you are in the faith examine your selues knowe yee not your selues how that Iesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates Yet notwithstanding they are not forthwith to bee thought reprobates whosoeuer are not yet effectually called or whosoeuer also after calling do fal into great sins Wherefore the right examination and tryal of our selues consisteth in this that euerie one should descend into himselfe thoroughly trie and examine himselfe 1. Whether hee bee truely grieued for sinnes committed 2. Whether hee doth truely beleeue in Christ the pacifier of Gods wrath for sins 3. Whether he hath an earnest purpose afterward to auoid sins hatred lust gluttonie the like and to liue righteously holily that so he may shewe himselfe thankfull to God Who ought to take this examination Let a man examine himselfe saith Paule for 1. No body can better and more certainely iudge whether hee bee in the Faith then euery one himselfe 2. Neither doth the vnworthinesse of others condemne vs but our owne 3. Neither doth any man know what is in our heart or what our affections are towardes God more than we our selues 1. Cor. 2.11 Finally the saying of the Apostle is emphaticall that euery one may know that this he must doe least any man should dreame that the faith ' which they call implicite or folded in is onely required or that we should depend vpon an other mans faith And truely the Apostle saith let euery man examine himselfe but not his neighbour least any should be busied in iudging his neighbour or should thinke that the vnworthinesse of another may be danger to himselfe For euery one shall giue accounte of himselfe to God Rom. 14.12 Which thing notwithstanding doth not hinder the examination instruction of Pastors wherby the Pastors in the Doctrin of pietie doe make tryall of their hearers profiting which are helped if neede be with familiar instruction counsell and comfort For this latter examination doth serue for the former And euery one is bound to confesse the
For the ministers of the worde and teachers of the church 3 For friends brethren and the whole church c 1 Cor 1 2 one for another d Ier 42.2 20 1 Thess 5 15 Iam. 5 16 2 Cor 1 11 4 For enemies e Numb 16 22. Math 5 44 Acts. 7.60 5 For sinners and vnbeleeuers as Abraham for the Sodomites f Gen. 18 23.24 Lot also for zoar g Chap. 19 20 21 Moses for the people when they had most greuously sinned setting vp a calfe h Exod 32 11 so Samuell for Saul 1. Namely that of enemies he would make them friends that he would conuert them and frustrate their attempts 6 For the afflicted and sicke but for these whiles they liue with vs in this life i 1. Sam. 15 35 How must we pray for our enemies k Iam 5.13 15 2 Sam. 12 16. If they be aduersaries to a iust cause as to true doctrine wee must pray that god would maintaine his owne cause and either conuert them if they be curable or confound them if incurable if we haue wronged them we must aske them forgiuenesse and requite them if we neuer hurt them we must pray that they may become our ftiends or freed ftom the enemies both to a good cause and our person by Christs example we may pray for such as are curable and for vengence vpon the desperate For whom must we not pray 1 For the dead 1. because whatsoeuer is done without faith is sinne Rom. 14.23 But of that matter in the canonicall scriptures we haue neither commaundement nor example and therefore is not of faith For that which is reported of Iudas Machabeus 2. Machab. 12.40 sending to Ierusalem an offering for the slaine Iewes which had priuily taken thinges consecrate to the idols of the Iamnites it is not canonicall but Apocriphall and of suspected credit seeing that the author of the discourse doth craue pardon in the end of the booke which thing agreeth not to the scriptures inspired of god a 2 Tim. 3 16 nor to the writers which haue written as they were mooued by the holy ghost b 2 Pet. 2 21. and noe such sacrifice was commaunded of God to be done yea rather it was done against the law which did forbid sacrifices to be done for them who had polluted themselues with an excomunicate thing 2 Because such prayers are vnprofitable For whosoeuer doe departe from hence either they departe in faith and are blessed and therefore haue no neede of prayers or doe want faith and are damned c Ioh 3.18 36 1 Ioh. 5 16 1 Sam 16 1 and therefore cannot be holpen 2 Nor for the indurate enemies of God or them whome the lord as it were with the finger hath shewed vs to sinne against the holy ghost d but against them rather 1 That they may not make a proceeding but that they may be letted and stopped e 2 Sam. 15 31 Acts 4.29 which is a point of charity 2. That they may be cut of if with a deuilish furie they goe forward to resist god the Church the truth and are vncurable which thing belōgeth not to priuate reuēge but commeth of a singuler zeale of god So Dauid f Psal 5 10 Psal 59 5 Psal 14 13 psal 110.9 10.11 And Paul 2. Tim. 4 14. Alexander the Coppersmith hath done me much euil the lord rewarde him according to his workes So Moses against Korah Dathan and Abiram Num. 16.15 VVhat is the forme of inuocation Although there be many formes of praying as are the psalmes of Dauid and the prayers of other holy men both olde and new written well and profitablie by the spirit of Christ yet notwithstanding the shorte forme which God of his great goodnes prescribed vnto vs g Mat 6 9 Luk 9 11 2 which is called the Lords praier is to be preferred before all the rest both for the maiestie of the author the order of the things to be requested and also because it containeth in briefe all things which belong to the glorie of god and our good and what we may aske of the best god whatsoeuer is needfull to desire and what he will graciously bestowe vpon vs whereupon great fruite of comforte doth redound vnto vs because we who doe in a manner aske out of his mouth know to aske nothing absurd nothing vnmeete or vnseasonable vnto him Yet we are not tyed to euery word of this forme but it is lawfull to take no other matter of praiers and al the prayers of the faithfull ought to accord in respect of the sense to this most perfect and truly lawfull patterne but they which goe further doe add of there owne to the wisdome of God and doe despise his will and euer obtaine nothing seing that they pray without faith What are the conditions of prayer or the adiuncts and circumstances Some are inward proper and perpetuall but others are outward indifferent and changeable Which are inward 1 A minde well ordered that a man being about to pray may come with a minde voide of other cares and of fleshly wandering thoughts wherewith it may be caried about hither and thither or pressed downe from heauen towards the earth and with conuenient attention and reuerence towards the maiestie of that god to whose conference he doth goe a dan 9 3.4 5 Math 14 23 2 The sincerity of the heart or a pure heart b 2 Tim 2.22 of Daniell that he which is about to pray may lay aside all opinion of worthines and merit and may feele not feignedly but truly his owne want after the example of Iacob Gen. 32 10. I am lesse then the least of Gods mercies of Daniel Chap. 9.18 we doe not present our supplications before thee for our owne righteousnesse but for thy great tender mercies c. of Dauid Psal 14 32 Esay 64 6 and of the publcan d Luk. 18 13 I am not worthy to lift vp my eyes to heauen 3 A misliking and humiliation of a mans selfe that he may prostrate himselfe before God with an humble and free confession of his sinnes and requesting of pardon e Dan. 9 4.5 Psal 51.5 1. Ioh. 1.9 4 True repentance and a godly purpose Psal 26.6 I will wash mine handes in innocency O lord and compasse thine altar For god heareth not sinners f Ioh. 9.31 Psal 109 7 Esay 1.15 VVhen ye shall make many praiers I will not heare you because your handes are full of bloud g Rom. 10 14 Heb. 10.22 Iam. 1.6 1 Ioh. 5.14 Contrariwise If we shall aske any thing we shall receiue it of him because we keepe his commaundements 1. Iohn 5.22 And if any man be a worshiper of God and doth his will him heareth he Iohn 9.37 5 A stedfast trust of mercie and of the fauour of God for Christs sake and a sure hope of audience that he will liberallie and freely helpe them which aske according to
h 2. Cor. 2.11 1 Iohn 3.29 of which mariage the bridemen are the ministers of the word the friendes of the bridegroome are they i Iohu 3.29 that according to the world allure the bride betroath her and bring her dressed and adorned vnto the bridegroome k 2. Cor 2.11 l Exod 19 6. Reu 1.6 1 Pet. 2 5 9 11 The Elect stocke the royall Priesthood the holie People the People whome God challengeth as peculier to himselfe 12 The communion of saints by reason of the spirituall participation of Christ and all his benefites m 1. Ioh 1 8 1 Cor 1 9 Ephes 4 4 Rom. 12 5 13 Col 3 and of the mutuall communion of the giftes of the same Christ among the faithfull being one heart and one soule n Acts. 4 32 13 A flock of sheep and the sheepfold of Christ because it heareth and followeth his voice 14 The world taken in the better parte o Luk 12 32 Iohn 10 16 because it is the most noblest parte of the world and that the whole state thereof might be opposed to one people p Iohn 3 16 1 Iohn 2 2 2 Cor 5 19 15 A floare q Luk. 3 17 because as in a floare the sheafes are gathered with the straw and chaffe togither and after the threshing the wheat is discerned from the chaffe in the vanne So there are as well godly men as hypocrites assembled in the outward society of the church but straight way they are seuered by the outward preaching of the Gospell as with a vanne 16 The new Ierusalem r Gal. 4 26 Reu 3 12 and Sion ſ psalm 2 6 the kingdome of heauen or of Christ or of God 1. t Mat 5 19 20. because it is gouerned by God after an heauenly manner 2 because the Citizens thereof conteminng worldly thinges aspire vnto heauenly Last of all it is also compared to a Candlestick a Reu. 1.20 to a douehouse b Esa 60.8 to a Doue c Cant 2 2 14. 6.8 namely because these verses of the doue doe fittly belong thereunto No gall she hath yet groneth much nor hurts she with her bill Her tallents harmeles and her crop with cleane corne doth she fill To a small ship or boate d Luke 8 22 because while it is on earth it is like to a boate which one while is caried on the sea with a calme prosperous gale by and by the windes rising the waues swelling it is in danger whose Pilot is Christ whose watermē or mariners are the ministers To a field e Math. 13.24 and to a Plowed Land f 1 Cor. 3.9 to a drag net conteining fishes good and bad g math 13 47. to one singuler man h Ephes 4.13 to declare the vnitie thereof Lastly to a glasse in beholding whereof the very Angells doe good acknowledging the manifold wisedome of God in the agreement and repugnant concord of so manifold a multitude i Ephes 3 10 Why is it called an holie church 1 Because it is redeemed cleansed iustified and sanctified by the blood of Christ k 1. Iohn 1 7 Ephes 5.25 26. Heb 91 2 Because receiuing that benefite by faith through the holy Ghost it studieth holines and righteousnes by the which study the imperfect holines thereof is daily encreased but shall be perfected afterward in an other life l Rom 8.1 Ephes 5 26 27 Phil 3.12 All which are attributed to the church for the Elects sake onely m Rom 1,7 8 1. 1 Cor. 1.2 6.11 What is the finall cause of the church The true worship of God for it is elected chosen and ordained for the true seruice of God and to glorifie god both in this life and in the life eternall also n 1. Pet. 2 9 But the end whereto the church endeauoureth is God in whose presence there is fullnes of ioyes namely that heauenly inheritance which can neither perish nor be defiled nor corrupted o Psal 16.20 1 Pet 1 4 2 The verie perfection and absolute finishing of the church in that last day when all the elect shall be gathered togither from the foure windes and then at last we shall all grow vp in the vnity of faith and acknowledgment of the sonne of God vnto a perfect man and vnto the measure of the age of the fullnes of Christ Ephes 4.13 VVhat is the Effect or office of the church To heare the voice of her shepeheard to flie from the voice of a stranger to belieue gods word and to obaie it to vse the sacraments lawfully to acknowledge to receiue and to imbrace only Christ for the shephearde for the teacher for the head for the spouse and for the sauiour lastly to exercise the keies receaued from Christ that is to keep diligētly the ministery of gods word a Iohn 10.5 1 Cor 11 23 mat 16.19 18.18 Iohn 20.23 Heb. 13 17 What is the fruite and vse of the article of the church 1 That we should desire nothing more then to abide in it without which there is no saluation 2 That we being assuredly perswaded we be the citizens thereof should nothing doubt of our saluatiō grounded in christ frō whōe we cā no more be plukt thē his mēbers may be torne rēt a sūder 3 That we may perceiue that those promises perteine vnto vs saluation shal be in Sion God will for euer abide in the midst of Ierusalē that is in the church whereof mount Sion Ierusalem were tipes in times past least at any time it should be remoued b Ioel. 2.32 Addi 5.17 Psal 46.6 VVhat be the contraries to this doctrine 1 The enemies of the church which now then from Satās cāpe breaks out who like tyrāts by manifest strengh like Sophisters by corruptiō of doctrine like hipocrites by superstition like Epicures by leudnes of life do assault and fight against the church 2 The error of the prelates which exclude frō the church thē that are newly instructed infāts that are not yet entred in the sacramēts 2. which transforme the church into a ciuil kingdome that requireth a secular arme and into the greatest monarchy of the world wherin the Pope is chiefe ruler gouernour ouer all persons as well laymen as clergymen ouer Emperors Kings who hath authority in heauē in earth who is the vniuersal B. of the whole world 3. which teach that the church hath many heads that Christ indeed is the head of the church triūphāt but the Pope of the church militant which say that it is necessary to saluation to beleiue that the Bishop of Rome is ouer all churches or as it is in the article of Boniface the. 8. The greatest lord ouer all 4. which ty the catholick church not to the word onely but to a certaine place namely to the city of Rome to the Pope to the Bishops which make
for the remission of sinnes Ioh. 7 37 and imputation of righteousnesse but the staying vnder the water though but a while setteth as it were before our eyes the death buriall and mortification of our natural corruption the old Adam by the vertue of the death and buriall of Christ which is the first part of our regeneration d Rom 6.3 4 And the being taken out the reuiuing of the newe man and newnesse of life yea and proportionally our resurrection to come e Ibid. vers 4.5.13 VVhat change or coniunction is there of the signe and the thing signified in Baptisme Not any naturall for the outward signe is only the Ministers corporall action but the thing signified is spirituall and Gods worke namely to be washed with Christes bloud and regenerated with his spirit which is not to bee sprinkled with Christs bloud corporally either visibly or inuisibly but to bee receiued into Gods fauour by reason of his bloud shead that is by reason of Christs whole obedience and being grafted into his body to bee quickned by him through the working of the holy Ghost as it is said expresly of Christ Hee shall baptize you with the Holie Ghost and with fire f Mat. 3.11 Iohn 3.33 Notwithstanding for the fitnesse reference and trueth of the signe and thing signified and also for the promise made to those that vse them rightly there is a Sacramentall and Relatiue copulation by reason whereof the name and properties both of the signe and thing signified are changed Hereof Baptisme is called the Lauer of Regeneration and the water the bloud and spirit of Christ. Tit. 3.5 that is not onely the shadowe but a most certaine Testimonie that the baptized truely beleeuing are cleansed with the bloud of Christ regenerated by the holy Ghost Is the same man alwaies at one instant Baptized with water and the Holy Ghost No. 1. Because the promise of the spirit annexed to baptisme is not absolute but conditionall requiring faith and obedience 2. Because that God dealeth not in Baptisme by naturall reason as when a medicine being taken worketh with thee whether thou sleepest or wakest and fire warmeth whether thou thinkest of it or no. But as God is a most free agent sometimes the Baptisme of water is without the baptisme of the spirit as the Example of Simon Magus teacheth who although hee had an Historicall faith yet hee was not regenerated and the a Act. 8 12 baptisme of the spirit sometime goeth before sometime accompanieth and sometimes followeth the baptisme of water for both men and women when they beleeued by Philips preaching the things belonging vnto the kingdome of God and of Christ as also the Eunuch Cornelius and his friends were baptized by the Holy Ghost before they were baptized with water as appeareth by their faith and conuersion b Act. 8.13 but in infants to whom the kingdome of Heauen belongeth if wee respect Gods ordinance both Baptisme and Iustification and Regeneration do concurre out of the nature of that Couenant I will bee thy GOD and the God of thy seed Gen. 17.7 but the effect hereof is truely declared afterward in his time For the seede of the word and Sacraments lyeth as it were in the Earth couered and hid as long as the Lord seeth good to deferre grace Is Christ present after one manner both in baptisme and in the Supper He is alike present in the lawfull vse but yet the manner of his presence may be after a sort discerned for in baptisme hee is present as at the new birth In the Supper for the confirmation and nourishment of him that is newe borne But vnderstand this presence in respect of him that taketh it for nothing hath the reason of a Sacrament out of the vse instituted What is the manner of receiuing Baptisme The manner of receiuing the outward signes is naturall but of the things signified spirituall for the things themselues are effectually communicated vnto vs in respect of God that giueth the holy Ghost by the meanes of the lawfull administration of Baptisme But faith is that only gift of God whereby wee apply the substance of the Sacrament peculiarly vnto our selues Touching infantes they haue a singular priuiledge in respect of God Who are to be Baptized All men lyuing who are receiued or esteemed to be receiued into the Couenant of God without difference of sexe or nation a Act 10 47 and 11.17 and those who are of yeares which come vnto the Church and shewe their assent to the doctrine of the Gospell professe their faith in Christ and shewe forth the confession of their sinnes or repentance Mat. 3.6 and 28.19 Baptizing them that is to say those which haue giuen their names to the Gospel and haue professed themselues Disciples And Act. 2.41 They which receiued his word were baptised And Christ said first He that beleeueth afterward And is baptized Mar 16 16. So Simon Magus was admitted the Eunuch and others b Act. 8.13 37. 10 46.47 Or else the Infants of the faithfull c Gen. 17.7 Luk 18.16 and those which are begotten of Baptized parents but not of Infidels which are not in the Church and not the Children of the Baptized because their seed is contained in the couenant but not these other Act. 2.39 To you is the promise made and to your children Neither is it materiall whether the Infant bee borne of vnequall matrimonie that is whether one parent or both be faithfull and Christian for the Apostle calleth such children holie d 1 Cor 7.14 that is pure and separated for the Lord according to the forme of the Couenant Neither doth this hinder because al that are borne of faithful parents are not elected for we are not to enquire into the secret iudgements of God but probably we may duely coniecture that all which are borne of Christians are elected Are persons of yeares and infants to bee admitted vnto baptisme all after one sort No but they which are of yeares are not to be baptized before they be instructed in the faith of Christ as in the word which entereth the ignorant in Christ that is in the Rudimentes of Religion in the principles of Christianisme which is called Catechisme e Heb 6 1 Secondly when they are to be baptized they ought to confesse their faith before the Church of Christ Mat. 3.6 They were Baptized by Iohn in Iordan confessing their sins that is such as did testifie that they did earnestly embrace the Doctrine of free remission of their sinnes Such a confession was required in the antient Church of them which were able to be enstructed differing farre from that Popish shrift consisting in a proditorious enumeration of each euen secret sinnes Wherupon the Apostle 1. Pet. 3.21 calleth baptisme the answering of a good conscience hauing respect to the Interrogations of Catechists to which those which were to be instructed in the principall heades of Faith and of
who for daily sins brought in daily baptisme 10. The sinne of them which though they knowe the trueth of the Gospell yet deliuer their children to be baptized of false Pastors in the Papacie The eight and fortieth common place Of the Supper of the Lord. How is the other Sacrament of the New Testament called THE Supper of our Lord Iesus Christs 1. Cor. 11.20 In respect both of the time wherein it was first instituted namely in the euening or night going before that day wherein Christ was crucified and also of the thing it selfe for which it was instituted because it is a holy banquet not of the belly but of the minde instituted by the Lord. And it is called the Lords from the author or also from the end for it is both ordained of the Lord and it is celebrated in remembrance of him or also from the time because it was wont to bee celebrated vpon the Lords daies Act. 20 9.7 2. The breaking of bread Act. 2.42.46 and chap. 20.7 1. Cor. 10.16 But it is so called by an excellencie of speech and by way of specialtie for elswhere it is taken in general for common food Luk. 24.33 where Christ was knowne of the two Disciples in breaking of bread Ast. 27.35 Paul in the shippe brake bread and eate it And in giuing of almes Esay 58.7 Breake thy bread to the hungry Be cause it was the manner of the Iewes which did vse bread not so thick as we but broad and lesse grosse to begin their meals not with cutting of bread but breaking of it 3. By a Metonimie of the effect it is called the Communion of the bodie and bloud of Christ 1. Cor. 10.16 The cuppe of blessing which we blesse is it not the communion of the bloud of Christ The bread which we breake is it not the Communion of the bodie of Christ Because as saith Damascen in his fourth booke of the Orthodoxall or right Faith chap. 14. By it wee doe communicate with Christ and by it we do communicate and are vnited or knit one to another 4. The Lords Table 1. Cor. 10.21 by a Metonimie of the Subiect for meate and drinke which are set vpon the table Wherby it appeareth that the Apostles in celebrating the Supper of the Lord vsed not an Altar but a Table Act. 6.2 It is not meet that wee should leaue the word of God to serue the tables not Altars 5. Of the old Fathers it is called a gathering together by reason of the assembly of people which was to celebrate the Supper of the Lord because it ought to serue for the ioyning together not the diuiding of the faithfull For it is a publicke Supper of many gathered into one not a priuate Supper of one Priest 1. Cor. 11.20 21. 6. The Euchariste because of thanksgiuing without which the Supper cannot be celebrated 7 Charitie for because among the Communicants mutuall loue is required Although this brotherly word may signifie the feasts of the Church assembly which also is called brotherly fellowship 1. Pet. 2.17 and 1. Pet. 5.9 So called Iud. vers 12. because they were prepared according to the gifts bestowed giuing liberally to the vses of the poore did giue a certain testimony of their brotherly loue to which some refer that saying A. 2.46 Breaking bread at home u Or from house to house to which feasts they had wont to adde or annex the holy Supper of the Lord as it appeareth out of Act. 6.2 1. Cor. 11.21 and of Tertullian in his Apologetico chap. 39. 8. It is called an offering because of the offering of the brethrens bread cup to him that was present also for the gatherings or liberal gifts which were made to the vses of the poore also because the Supper was offered not to God but to the coÌ„municants as Iustinus teacheth in his second Apologie for the Christians or because the chiefe of the brethren doth send vp praise and glorie to the Father of all saith Iustine in the same place which oblation is most acceptable to him but he saith not that the sonne is offered to the Father by the Priest 9. A Sacrifice an Host and a burnt Sacrifice but in a little more large and broad signification and that because of the praiers and commemoration of the sacrifice of Christ once offered for vs vpon the crosse but figuratiuely because it is a remembrance of that Holocaust and onely sacrifice whereby God is pacified with vs as Christ called his bodie the sacrament of his body Otherwise Christ bidding his Disciples to take but not to offer instituted not a Sacrifice but a Sacrament 10 It is called of Cyprian a sacrament finishing and perfecting all things because it put an end to the legal ceremonies whereof the chiefe was the vse of the pascall Lamb In his traâ—tate of the Lords supper and containeth the mysterie of our perfection in Christ But that the word Masse should be taken for the supper it selfe of the Lord hath beene vnknowne to the Scripture and to the Apostolique Church Whereas some doe drawe it from the Hebrew word Missath which signifieth tribute or oblation it is not likely because the Hebrew words came not to the Latin Church but by the Greek Deut. 16.10 But wee reade no where this word vsed of the Greeke Fathers But the Greeke Church called the Supper of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say a holy Function because it is said in Act. chap. 13 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as they ministred Others and more likely doe deriue it from the Latine word Missio that is to say leaue to depart as the ancient fathers said remissing of sinnes for remission as Tertullian So in stead of Mission they said Misse 4 Booke against Marcion from whence sprung that saying Ite Missa est as in time past the ancient Romanes hauing ended their sacrifices did bid these words to bee pronounced licet Missa est as in olde time among the Grecians the Priest hauing ended his seruice did thus signifie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a dimission to the people as though he should dismisse or send the people away Apul. booke 11. Metamorph. But othersome will haue it called the Masse as it were trans-missed or sent ouer that is to say the Oblation by the Priest vnto GOD. Seing then the Masse which the Popish Clergie doe faigne to bee a Sacrifice belonging peculiarly to the Priests for remission of sinnes both of the quicke and also of the dead doth euery kind of way differ from the Supper of the Lord as it is instituted of Christ is stuffed with horrible Idolatrous madnesse it is an vnworthy thing that the Supper of the Lord should be deformed with the name of the Masse as neither doth it accord that it should be called the Sacrament of the Altar What is the Supper of the Lord It is the other Euangelical Sacrament in the Christian
Church ordained of Christ being euen now about to die for them which are full growne being alreadie baptized and examining themselues wherein by outward breaking of bread and powring out of wine into the cup is represented and as it were is set before the eyes of the faithfull the crucifying of the bodie and shedding of the bloud of Christ for vs and by giuing taking and vsing of those Elements the forgiuenesse of our sins gotten by the death of Christ the inward raking and spirituall enioying of his bodie bloud moreouer communion with Christ ful nourishmeÌ„t in Christ viuification and fellowship together with the rest of his liuely members is signified confirmed sealed to the faithful the memorie of so great benefits giuing of thanks is celebrated for the commendable vse of the faithfull assembled together that they may increase in faith and loue For as by baptisme we are borne againe so being borne again wee are fed and nourished by the Supper of the Lord and in Christ wee are as it were nourished and brought vp to life eternall Therfore when as Baptisme may once onely be administred the Supper of the Lord is to be vsed often because in it Christ is giuen vnto vs after the manner of meate but because meat and drinke doe goe away into nourishment they are often in our life time to be taken of vs. Furthermore the first example or patterne of that definition is the historie of the first Supper of the Lord expounded by Paul and of the rest of the Euangelists 1. Cor. 11.23 Mat. 26.26 Mar. 14.22 Luk. 22.19 What is the efficient principall cause of the Lords Supper The Lord himselfe who is the onely testator of the new Testament and the Authour of the Couenant of Grace and GOD the Redeemer in whome alone it haht pleased the Father to gather together all things Ephe. 1.10 And who is the way the trueth and the life Ioh. 14.6 the high priest Heb. 3.1 and the eternall King of the Church Psal 2 6. concerning whom alone the father cryed from heauen heare him Mat. 17.5 from whom it is called the Lords Supper therfore faithfully to be deliuered of the ministers reuerently to be handled neither is it to be depraued by adding minishing changing For Paul saith 1. Cor. 11.23 I haue receiued of the Lord that which I also haue deliuered vnto you namely by the reuelation of Iesus Christ Gal. 1.12 When hee was taken vp into paradise or the third heauen although this letteth not but that hee knewe very many peculiar sayings doings of Christ both from Ananias and also from other disciples of Christ which were eye witnesses and from Luke himselfe At what time was it instituted 1 Cor 1.23 In the yeare of the world 3995. of the age of Christ 33. of March 24. day which was Thursday in the euening surely that night wherein he was betrayed by Iudas vnto the Iewes was the Supper of the Lord instituted 1. First of all because of the figure going before that is to say of the eating of the Pascall Lambe or the legall solemne and Sacramentall Supper in place wherof Christ substituted the Supper EuaÌ„gelical Lu. 22.14.19 where that being performed a new institution of this in expresse words is put in the stead therof so the Apostle teacheth 1. Cor. 5.7 Christ our passeouer is sacrificed for vs. From whence it followeth that the Supper of the Lord is our Passouer For the same thing in both is signified namely Christ the true and immaculate sacrifice for the sins of the world there promised here exhibited The remembrance of the like benefite there of the deliuerance out of the bondage of Aegypt and of induction into the promised land here of freedome from the cruell slauerie of Sathan and of introduction into eternall life 2. Secondly because of his passion and death neate approching Dan 9.24 27 the remembrance of which benefit therein performed vnto vs he would set forth in this Supper 3 Thirdly that he might plainely shew a consummation and taking away of al Sacraments and Sacrifices of the Old TestameÌ„t and manner of the Paschall lambe it selfe which he had eaten before with the Disciples 4. Forthly that he might signifie or giue to vnderstand that he came in the fulnesse of time Mat. 11.13 Gal. 3.24 Gal. 4.4 5. That hee might so much the more commend his Supper which being now about to dye he so earnestly commended vnto his Seeing that Christ hauing Supped distributed the Supper to the Disciples in the euening whether is it lawfull for vs to giue it in the morning and to them which are fasting It is lawfull because circumstances of time as both of sitting downe of apparrel and of a certaine number of Communicants doe not appertaine to any mysterie neither are they substantiall pâ—rtâ— of the Sacrament neither haue they expres commandement from God because Christ said not This doe yee hauing supped or sitting or standing or so many in number for Christ first did eate the Passeouer because he would after old things institute new But the Eucharist is more conueniently distributed in the morning 1. Because it is an easier thing at that time to haue a holy meeting together forasmuch as in the day time much businesse doth happen wherby men are lead away from holy things 2. Because at that time we are more sober and wee haue a more apt and attentiue minde to perceiue excellent thing Yet notwithstanding the ancient fathers in time of a fast beecause they did spend the whole day in prayers in Sermons and in holy hymnes did giue the Supper of the Lord a little before night And in the time of Augustine in many Churches of Africa as he reporteth the thursday before Easter that the action of Christ might bee the more resembled the Eucharist was giuen to the fathfull in the night and after Supper But this custome was taken away by the sixt Synod or generall Councill which was held at Constantinople Seing that Christ being about to celebrate the Supper abased himselfe to wash the Disciples feete and said vnto them I haue giuing you an example that ye should doe euen as I haue done to you Whether are we being about to communicate tyed to this precept concerning washing of feete Not a whit because Christ did not therfore washe the feet of the Disciples that they should alwaies imitate that fact in kind but that he might driue from them the dreame of a ciuill kingdome of the Messias whereabout they did striue and that hee might shewe in himselfe a perfect example of humilitie like as elswhere hee commaunded that they should shake off the Dust from their feete that they should not beare a staffe nor scrip with them by the way that they should salute no man by the way that they which fast should annoint their head Not that they should drawe these things to a strait obseruation of words but that by this
meanes they might be brought back to a more high thought and vnderstanding neither doe we read that the Apostles obserued that washing of feete but that these parts of washing of feet in those hot countries wherein they goe not so well shod as wee appertained to women rather then to men 1. Tim. 5.9.10 VVho are the fellow helpers or administers or seruice able causes of the Supper of the Lord Only the ministers of the word lawfully called to whom the keyes of the Church are giuen whiles that they do rightly execute their office in the administration dispensation of the word of the holy Supper for no man taketh this honour vnto himsef 1 Cor. 3.9 â—â— 1 Math. 28.19 but he that is called of God as was Aaron Heb. 5.4 But the son of God who is present at hand with his Church not with a bodily presence but yet with a spiritual wholsom preseÌ„ce for vs as being the master of the feast doth so celebrate the same by the meanes of his ministers that he alone doth as truly exhibite vnto vs bread and drink of life that is to say himselfe to be enioyed by faith as he doth euidently exhibit vnto vs by the hand of his seruants the signes therof that is to say bread to be chewed in the mouth and wine to be drunk Ioh 6.51 the bread that I will giue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the world For whom is the the Supper of the Lord instituted Ioh 16.7 Not for all confusedly mixt one with another without exception for Mat. 7.6 he forbiddeth that which is holy to be giuen to the profane to dogs and to strangers from Christ but to theÌ„ which are borne again of water of the spirit that is to the disciples of Christ a Math. 26 26. Luke 22.14 1 Cor. 11.23 because he promised to these only as also he doth giue the sustenance of his quickning flesh and of his bloud And the Sacrament doth belong vnto them to whom the promise doth belong from whence in time past they which were comming on and learned the Catechisme which were not yet baptized they which were accursed out of the Church and the penitentiaries the Sermon being ended were commanded to goe out the Deacon crying let the Catechumeni that is such as learned the Chatechisme and the excommunicated goe out from thence was said the Masse that is the dimission of the Catechumeni And the Grecians did say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say holy things for holy men like as Apulcius in his second booke doth report that the Priest was wont when he was about to begin the Sacrifices to say thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is who is here to whom answere was made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if it should be said honest good men when as the polluted and vnworthy went away Of how many parts doth the institution of the Lords Supper consist Of three 1. Of the institution of Christ whereby he ordained the outward matter of this Sacrament 2. Of his words both preceptiue and also determinatiue annexed to the institution wherby he doth declare the inward matter and forme moreouer the end 3. Both of a lawful administration also of the receiuing of the Lords Supper it selfe What did Christ when he instituted his Supper He sat downe at the table with the disciples but stoode not at the Altar because he instituted a holy banquet not a sacrifice b Mat. 26 20 Mark 14 18 Luk. 22.14 wherupon againe it ought not to be tearmed the Sacrament of the Altar but the Lords Supper or the Lords Table euen as it is named by Paule 1. Cor. 11. Moreouer hee tooke and instituted the matter namely outward signes two only no more nor fewer that is to say bread the cup or wine in the cup. In like manner he added thereunto holy ceremoniall actions For as he was about both signes 1. He gaue thanks to the Father 2 Hauing taken the bread he brake it 3. He gaue it to the Disciples so also he gaue the cup or wine Iâ— not the holy Supper a double Sacrament seing that the signe thereof is double No. 1. Because euery signe seuerally by it selfe is not a SacrameÌ„t but both of them ioyned together 2 Because amongest vs it is one banquet alone not diuers where notwithstanding many meats and drinkes are set on For those two signes doe declare one action of Christ that is to say our whole spirituall nourishment For that is said to be one not onely which is simple and indiuisible or continuall but that which is perfect that is one in perfection to whose integritie all things doe concurre which are required to the end of the same as one man consisting of the essentiall parts Therefore this Sacrament is many things materially but one thing formally and perfectly in as much as in them one refection is perfected saith Thomas Part. 3. qu. 73. Artic. 20. But why would Christ haue vs vse a twofold Signe That by distinct symboles or signes he might as it were set before our eyes and imprint in our mindes his cruell and bloudie death and truly note out both the giuing of his bodie seuerally and the shedding of his bloud out of his bodie for our sinnes For as Bellarmine doth confesse in his booke of the Sacrament of the Eucharist 4. booke chap. 22. The forme alone of bread doth not exactly represent Christ as dead vnlesse the bloud also be seene on the other part as shed and the forme of wine alone doth not sufficieÌ„tly represeÌ„t Christ as offered in sacrifice for bloud alone is not a sacrifice 2 Like as in this life as Augustine saith in the 26. Tractate vpon Iohn the whole refreshing or nourishing of bodies doth consist of meate which is a due nourishment and of drinke which is a moist nourishment so let vs know that Christ is set forth vnto vs in the Eucharist distinctly as meate and drinke neyther let vs thinke any thing to be wanting vnto vs which may appertaine to our whole spirituall sustenance or nourishment and so let vs by faith apply vnto our selues the bodie and bloud of Christ and the benefit obtained by the deliuerie of his bodie and shedding of his bloud and so as it were by faith let vs eate and drinke Christ himselfe whole Iohn 6.55 My flesh is meat indeed and my bloud is drinke indeed Therefote they doe scarce leaue vnto vs halfe full satisfaction for our sinnes but a lame or halfed matter of nourishment in Christ and do take away the integritie or perfection of this Sacrament whosoeuer doe sunder the cup from the Eucharisticall bread against the precept Math. 19.6 That which God hath coupled together let no man put asunder Whether therefore doe they sinne which take away the cup from the Eucharisticall bread Yea greatly because they goe from the ordinance of Christ and do
as also the wine to an holy vse For although the word Benedicere that is to blesse be vsed 1. Concerning God blessing the creatures eyther by a generall action as Gen. 1.28 Or blessing the Church by a speciall action as Numb 6.24 For Benefacere that is to doe well vnto because God in saying doth bring to passe giueth good things eyther corporall or spirituall or moreouer concerning men eyther towards God as Blessed be the Lord God of Israell Luke 1.68 For to thanke and praise God or towards other men for to pray for Math. 5.44 as Blesse them that curse you and to gratulate b Luk. 1.42 yet notwithstanding oftentimes it signifieth the same which is to dedicate or consecrate that is to separate from profane vse to appoint an holy vse according to Gods ordinance as Gen. 2.3 God blessed the seuenth day and sanctified it From whence Ecumenius saith that the Cup of blessing which we blesse is all one thing as if it should be said which we reuerence with praiers giuing of thanks From hence commeth consecration or sanctification and blessing whereby not with a meere Historical reading of the text of the Epistle to the Corinthians or of the Gospell but with praiers with giuing of thanks with a plaine faithful repetition of the words of the Institution and of the promise of Christ alwaies effectual with a liuely significatiue exposition moreouer with all that Lyturgy or holy action which Christ commaÌ„ded vs to performe as he himself did wherin God is effectual those which were vulgar common helps of nourishing the body are made sacrameÌ„ts of the body bloud of Christ appointed set out for quickning meat drink so are translated from common natural meat to holy and spirituall meate forasmuch as they are appointed to this vse and office that it may be the bodie and bloud of Christ not of it owne nature but by diuine institution which ought to be rehearsed against Faustus booke 20 Ch. 13 and declared that faith may haue what to embrace both in the word and in the Elements Augustine saith Noster panis calix certa consecratione mysticus fit nobis non nascitur That is Our bread and cup by a certaine consecration is made but not borne mysticall vnto vs. Therefore they are deceiued which referre the consecration onely to those words This is my bodie and this is my bloud and they which doe interpret the consecration concerning the hid vertue of those words which they call operatorie whereby the substance of the bread is changed and an inclusion made of the bodie and bloud of Christ For the Lord did not speake to the bread but to the Apostles when he saith concerning the bread Take Booke 7 Epist 63 Apologie 2 book 1. Epist 1 booke 4. Ch. 57 Booke 4. of the Sacram. Chap. 4 and eate this is my bodie c. And Gregorie saith that The Apostles added the Lords prayer to consecration Iustinus saith that the Eucharist was performed with prayer Cyprian saith with inuocation of the highest God Irenaeus saith with giuing of thanks which is the thing which the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 10.16 The cup of blessing which we blesse Ambrose saith with the words and speech of the Lord Iesus And what those words are he declareth chap. 5. reciting the words of institution and Augustine saith The word commeth to the Element and so is made the Sacrament But for the Canon of the Masse without which the Popish Cleargie doe denie that eyther consecration or participation can be made no scripture doth teach that it was taught by Christ and his Apostles but it is a pontificiall ordinance sowen together like vnto pieces of many authors and diuers times and stuffed with many blasphemies against Christ What did Christ after the blessing The bread being taken he brake it and he brake it not only because hee would deuide it but because of representing his death Is the breaking or cutting of bread an indifferent ceremony It is not but essentiall and Sacramentall wholy belonging to the end or scope and moreouer to the forme of the holy Supper as also the powring in of wine into the cup forasmuch as by it the faithfull do behold with the eyes of their mind Christ not onely bestowing himselfe for vs but as it were torne in peeces beaten to peeces broken in peeces with vnspeakeable torments of minde and body and torne a sunder euen to the most violent separation of the soule from the bodie and according to his humane nature butchered as it were into two parts and trickling downe drops of bloud for our saluation Not that his bodie was broken in verie deed For not a bone in it ought to be brokeÌ„ as was shadowed out by tâ—e Paschal Lamb a Ioh. 19.33 36 Exod. 124. but we cal it broken because then it was pulled a sunder his side opened his hands and feete pierced at length also the bodie separated from the soule which also is the cause why the Apostle by a Sacramentall Metotonymie and chaunge of names doth attribute to the bodie it selfe of the Lord that which was done in that bread and ought also now to be done when as hee saith that the Lord spake this concerning the bread This is my bodie which is broken for you 1. Cor. 11 24. And from the same custome of breaking of bread the Eucharist is called breaking of bread a Acts. 2.42 20.7 And that the custome of breaking was vsuall in the Churches in Paules time it plainely appeareth by his owne words when he saith The bread which wee breake 1. Cor. 10. and this custome the Church long obserued But the manner of the Hoste 6. That is of giuing those round small little morsels the Church of Rome instituted VVhat did the Lord concerning the bread broken and the wine powred forth Hee gaue to the Disciples or hee deliuered and distributed them into the hands of the Disciples and by the selfe samse thing he taught that the faithful ought to consider with a faithfull mind the same Christ in the distribution of that bread and of that wine euen as if they did see him giuing himselfe with eternal life with his owne hand to bee vsed and enioyed which thing also he doth in verie deed by the inward vertue of his holy Spirit VVhat words did Christ ioyne to his action Three sorts some commaunding in which he commaunded what he would haue his disciples to do in celebrating of the Supper and wherein he expressed the outward forme of the Supper signified the inward some are Indicatiue Sacramentall or words of promise which for declaration sake Christ ioyned to the signs wherein he declared the inward matter or thing signified finallie some are exegeticall wherein he set forth the end of this holy action What doth he commaund his to do in the supper 1 What the ministers themselues or disposers of the supper ought to doe
cannot be truely said to be the bodie or the bodie the soule although conioyned personally in one man yet in that peculiar and beyond all example vniting of the humane nature by subsistence of the Deitie in the person of the Sonne God is said to be a man and man God against Nestorius by vnitie of person and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by naming one by the other against Eutiches According to what sense is the bread of the Lords Supper the bodie of Christ Not according to an essentiall or personall or reall but according to a mysticall meaning Sacramentall and significatiue whereby the thing which doth signifie taketh the name of that thing which it signifieth saith Augustine namely by reason of the Analogie or mutuall respect both of one to another and also to him from whom it is taken For Christ teacheth not in this proposition what that bread and that wine is in it owne nature and substance or in the same signification of diuers words or what is contained in them but what they are in signification in office in vse in proportion In nature they are bread and wine in signification they are the bodie and bloud of Christ And therefore here the predicate is spoken of the subiect Sacramentally that is to say in that kinde of signification wherin the thing signified is no lesse truely offered and to be taken spiritually by faith then the signe it selfe is deliuered to be taken with the instruments of the body What manner therefore of predication is it Not proper and regular for that proposition is not identicall wherin the same thing is said of it selfe as This is bread of bread This is a bodie of a bodie seeing that breade and the bodie of Christ doe differ in kinde neither is the speciall spoken of the singular nor the generall the difference the proper or the accident of the speciall as Peter is a man a man is a liuing creature apt to be taught white but an vnlike thing of an vnlike the thing signified of the signe yet notwithstanding proportionally as the manner of relatiues doth require for things seuered or vnlike if there bee an Analogie or signification may so be conioyned that they may make a proposition but figuratiuely as I am the vine Iohn 15.1 and the field is the word 13. Mat. 38. Therefore this predication is figuratiue and that not simplie Metaphoricall or allegoricall like as the flesh and bloud of Christ are called the meat and drinke of the faithfull but Metonimicall For most rightly it is called a Metonimie not of the continent for the conteined but of that manner whereby the name of the thing signified is giuen to the signe As in this proposition The bread is the bodie of Christ the name of the thing signified which is the bodie of Christ is giuen to the signe namely bread Therefore it is a metonimicall speaking verie familiar in the scriptures as a Gen. 41.26 the seauen kine are seuen yeares Iohn is Elias b Math. 11.14 that is to say figuratiuely for the predication of a singular concerning a singular is not true but figuratiuely Herod is a Foxe c Luk. 11.32 that is to say Metaphorically Christ is the way d Iohn 14.6 The doore e Iohn 10.7 bread f Iohn 6.53 The rock is Christ g Ier 10.4 So the bread of the Eucharist is the bodie of Christ figuratiuely metonimycally and Sacramentally For the bodie of Christ cannot bee called breade regularly and properly when as the bodie of Christ is neither the Genus nor the species nor the differentia nor the proprium nor the Accident of bread Whereby it commeth to passe that the predication of the bodie of Christ concerning the bread Eucharisticall is figuratiue seeing that euery predication is either proper or figuratiue for a third time of predication there is none For it is a foolish thing to say that Sacramentall predications are vnusuall whereof there is so frequent vse in the Scriptures And truely this figuratiue predication is not in euery word seuerally and considered in it selfe but in the whole attribution for bread is bread properly and the bodie not allegoricall not tropicall not figuratiue much lesse a spirit or vision also not a mysticall bodie which is the Church or a signe of the bodie it signifieth not the merit of Christ but the proper body of Christ for the true body of the Lord is altogether spoken of the true bread I say it is in the whole attribution because the copula or word est is doth ioyne together two things vnlike which wee may resolue thus Bread is the signe or seale of the bodie of Christ But againe it is to bee noted that it is not onely a figuratiue Metonimicall or significatiue speech as this is The field is the world that is signifieth the word and other like in parables because so it should more faintly expresse the nature of that mysterie but Sacramental because therwithal the exhibition of the thing sealed is promised as in this proposition Rods boūd together are the Romane Empire that is they do not barely nor simply onely signifie the Iurisdiction of the Romane Empire but they doe certainely testifie that the Empire together with the signes is transferred to him to whom the rods are lawfully deliuered So that which is promised by worde and is signified by signes is truely also giuen of GOD but to be taken by saith Is not the proprietie of the speach or the word to bee kept in the verie words of the Supper Seeing that the appellation of the worde is vsed sometime in a larger sometime in a stricter signification truely in the very wordes of the Supper the Sacramentall word is to be kept but this same sacramentall word is vnlike to other regular predications and it is to be made plaine by a conuenient interpretation agreeing to the nature of the Sacraments For in a Sacramentall speach not so much the letter or the sound of words as the true sense is to bee followed that is to say which doth agree with the nature of the Sacrament which Christ instituted and with all the circumstances of the institution and with the Analogie of faith Is it not a proper proposition wherein the Subiect and the attribute are vnderstood so to be coupled that the Attribute is in the Subiect or in the place wherein the subiect is as Deut. 12 23. The bloud is the life because it conteineth the life Not at al for neuer can any thing be properly predicated of another thing in which it existeth or to which it is conioyned although it be a streight coniunction but onely figuratiuely Therfore if the breade bee therefore the bodie either because some hidden thing in the breade is the bodie of the Lord or because in this breade is that bodie of the Lord it can neuer bee prooued that these words This is my bodie are a proper predication Are the places of Scripture which are
shall be said that they are brought forth out of the accidences that although the bread be broken it shal be concluded that the accidences are broken with many of the like kinde all which are against the nature both of Christs sacrament and Christs bodie Is not the bread of the Supper at leastwise by a miracle turned into the bodie of Christ No. 1 Because such a miracle doth not affect the outward senses for miracles doe plainely shew a change if there be any made and doe runne into the eyes and the rest of the senses and doe strike men with admiration as the rod did being turned into a Serpent and the water when it was made wine 2 Because miracles are ceased 3 Because miracles although they are done besides and aboue yet not so against nature as that they doe ouerturne it 4 Because this is spoken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is contradictorily that a miracle which is an extraordinarie worke of God should bee done in an ordinarie Sacrament of the Church For miracles are extraordinarie works of God and of a certaine time and belong to certaine persons if you looke to the workers of miracles But the Sacraments doe belong to all times and to the vniuersall Church and are part of the ministerie of the Gospell wherin Christ dealeth after an ordinarie manner or by certaine and perpetuall ordination not making a miraculous change in the nature or in the qualities of the Elements 5 Miracles take not together away the substance or qualities naturall and also leaue them that is they doe not implie a contradiction as when the rod of Moses was turned into a Serpent it was not together a rod and a serpent But the miracle of Transubstantiaâ—ion taketh away the substance of bread and withall keepeth the properties of bread And it repugneth this immoueable and euerlasting principle of any thing whatsoeuer eyther the affâ—â—matâ—on or negation thereof is true that is to say euerie thing is or is not 6 For the faith or credit of miracles as that in the hands of Gregorie in his booke of the super at his praiers this Sacrament was turned into a fleshie fingâ—r sometime there appeared a little boy and that the Sacrament being bored through with Laurell stickes sent out bloud aâ—d that it was turned into coales and ashes in the time of Cyprian as he wâ—â—teth we doe thus imbrace them that they may be said to be done eyther to driue away vngracious and vnworthy men from so great a Sacrament or to declare and commend the dignitie thereof but not to confirme the superstition and error concerning Transubstantiation For we know that we must not beleeue false Prophets making meÌ„ by miracles to beleeue theÌ„ a Math. 24 2 Thess 2.9 that Antichrist shal come being famous for signes lying wonders Is not that true which Christ spake and can it not be performed by him No doubt it is and is also performed the question is not concerning the truth but concerning the sense of the words namely whether it be plainely affirmed by the words of Christ that the bodie and bloud of Christ together with the bread and wine are essentially actually really present vpon earth and really corporally in the mouth of the bodie although inuisiblie receiued as well of the godly as of the vngodly which thing we denie 1 Because the words of Christ do not beare it and they which hold Consubstantiation keepe not the words of Christ as they are most properly spoken but they follow a certaine sense For Christ neither said In or vnder this bread is my bodie but this that is this bread is my bodie which things doe as much differ betweene themselues as to be and to containe something And the visible bread it selfe not any thing hidden in the bread is called the bodie of the Lord. And the Schoole men themselues doe confesse that the letter of the words is not kept if for this is my bodie thou sayest heere or vnder bread is my bodie 2 Because a reall inexistence of the bodie of Christ In with or vnder the bread maketh nothing to the spirituall taking therof which notwithstanding is the finall cause of this Sacrament Seeing that faith being taught by the word of of God and more confirmed by those holy signes doth truly receiue the bodie of Christ being in heauen by the holy Ghosts working as the sayings do teach which bid vs seeke behold Christ in the heauens a Col 3.1 Moreouer a reall and bodily presence doth bring no profit which may not be had from the spirituall presence For Iohn 6.51.54.56 The Lord promised to them which eate him life eternall and also that he will dwell in them they in him what is required more then these things 3 Because the bodie of Christ is spirituall meat and therefore of the minde not of the bodie to be eaten with faith not with the mouth Neyther is it more difficult to faith to receiue the bodie being in heauen then in the bread or in the mouth and that which is more faith of her owne nature and force looketh vpward and is not excluded by any distances of times or places 4 Because how much is giuen to the Eucharist by an Hyperbole or exaltation so much is taken away from all other sacraments by a Tapeinosis or extenuation 5 Because the opinion of the inexistence of the bodie of Christ doth confirme the worshipping of bread and the carnall opinion concerning that iornall prouision necessary to saluation for them which are about to die 6 The nature of a bodie is ouerturned whiles that it is decreed that it is substantially in many places or euery where which thing agreeth to no creature For most truly Athananasius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is That which is consubstantiall with God is euerie where And Chrysostome 2 Col. Hom. 5. Hee is God whose center is euerie where and circumference no where In like manner there is determined against nature that there is a thing not to be felt insensible inuisible vncircuÌ„scribed without qualitie quantitie forme and figure and yet corporally present that is a bodie without a bodie against the Essentiall properties of a true bodie whereby Christ prooued the true and essentiall presence of his bodie Luke 24.38.39 Iohn 20.27 saying Behold my hands and my feete For it is I my selfe handle mee and see For a spirit hath not flesh and bones as yee see me haue For hee is said not to bee seene of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 24.31 because he was taken from their sight But He denieth the nature it selfe which denieth the properties thereof or as Theodoret saith the taking away of the properties is the denying of both natures And that eistinction of corporal presence into visible and inuisible is a fained distinction For this abolisheth the manner of a bodie neither doth one nature receiue any thing contrarie and diuerse in it selfe
senses all which truely together cannot bee deceiued vnlesse they bee withholden as in the two Disciples which did thinke the Lord to be some stranger and in Marie Magdalene which supposed that he had beene the gardiner Luk. 24.16 Ioh. 20.15 Whether vnlesse the bodie of Christ be determined to be euery where by this is it separated and pulled asunder from the Diuine nature which is eueriewhere and to which it selfe is personally vnited or hath the body of the Lord obtained that by the vnion that it should be wheresoeuer the word is In no wise because of those things which are equally vnited so as one doth not stretch further then another one cannot be in any place where the other is not but if the one doe stretch further then wheresoeuer the lesse is there also is the greater but not contrariwise as wee may see in a precious stone and in a ring Because therefore the diuinitie of Christ doth exceede the humanitie wheresoeuer the humanity is there is the diuinitie with it not on the contrarie Neither is the personall vnion a making euen of the humane nature with the Diuine or an effusion of the properties of the Diuine nature into the humane that the humane nature may haue the same properties which the diuine hath but it is such an vnion wherby the humane nature doth subsist in the person of the word so as it may be as it were a part therof neither may it subsist by it selfe or without the word But it doth not follow Epist 57. ad Dard. saith Augustine that that which is in God is euery where as God is Moreouer seing that the deitie is euery where whole not by parts not as in a place it cannot be that the humane nature which it assumed can be said to be separated any where from it although it be contained onely in it owne place so as the inuiolable truth thereof doth beare But also the bodie of the sunne and the light thereof haue betweene themselues a naturall and extreme coniunction yet notwithstaÌ„ding to what places soeuer the light doth extend it self the body doth not come to them really So also the eye the sight are verie neerly ioyned together between themselues yet the sight goeth to many things to which the eye doth not extend it selfe Finally rightly said those ancient fathers in the general council of Chalcedon that the difference of natures in Christ is not taken away for the vnion but rather that the propertie is kept of both natures concurring into one person or one hypostasis But whether did that which Christ said Ioh. 3.13 No man ascendeth vp to heauen but the sonne of man which is in heauen make the humane nature of Christ while it was in earth to haue beene also at the same time in heauen No for the Sonne of man in this place signifieth the whole person of Christ which also is the Sonne of God but the humane nature doth signifie onely one part of that person which was assumed in time of the virgin Therefore that which is spoken of this person which is not man onely but also God is amisse said to be spoken of the humane nature also For by this it should be gathered that the humane nature was before Abraham before it was conceiued in the wombe of the virgine But it is certaine that the sonne of God when hee did speake in earth was in heauen in the same manner wherein hee descended from heauen For Christ doth speake of one and the same subiect that is of the sonne of man that he descended from heauen concerning whom he said that he is in heauen But the son of maÌ„ is said to haue desceÌ„ded not because his flesh fell downe from heauen but because the diuine nature is from heauen and tooke vnto it humane flesh Therefore the sonne of man when hee was vpon earth is so said to haue beene in heauen not because the humane nature but because the diuine nature of this sonne which alwaies filleth heauen and earth was in heauen namely by the Trope Synecdoche wherby both the whole is plainely vnderstood Booke 6. cap. and a part is named of the whole saith Cassian It is not vniust to subiect the nature of Christs glorious body which is called spirituall to the lawes of common nature In no wise because the glorie abolished not the trueth of the bodie nor changed it into a spirit but altogether made it subiect to the spirit a Luk. 24.36 Acts. 1.9 10 11. 7.55 56 Aug. Whether doe the Orthodoxall Fathers when they write that the bread which the Lord did reach to the Disciples not changed in forme but in nature by the almightie power of his word was made flesh Cyprian Serm. de caena domini In prologe Psal 33 That Christ bare himselfe in his hands Augustine That the bodie of the Lord doth enter into our mouth That the tongue is made bloudie with the bloud of Christ and that Christ himselfe is seene touched broken and that teeth are fastned to his flesh whither doe they I say b Chrysost Hom. 83. vpon Math. 45. vpoÌ„ Iohn hom 24 vpoÌ„ 1. Cor. speake properly and without trope No seeing that the senses themselues and experience do witnesse the contrarie and these things cannot bee spoken properly without great and Capernaiticall blasphemy Therefore those speaches of the fathers are figuratiue whereby the name and effects of bodie and bloud are giuen to bread and wine and in like manner those things which are done in the signes are attributed to the bodie and bloud of Christ but yet although somewhat hardly and by an hyperbole to commend the worthinesse of the mysterie they doe shewe in these most expresse figuratiue and Metonimicall phrases how certaine and effectuall the mystery is of our communion with Christ or our spirituall eating of Christ namely of such sort that we may bee flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones that is that being truely made one with him wee may enioy all his goods b Ephe. 5.30 In epist vpon Ioh tractat 1 serm de Crâ—mate Epist 102 ad Euodium Otherwise saith Augustin We cannot with the hand handle Christ fitting in heaueÌ„ but we can touch Christ by faith And Tract vpon Io. 50. The bodie of Christ ascended into heauen some body may aske How shal I hold him being absent How shal I send my hands into heauen that I may hold him sitting there Send thy faith thou hast hold on him And vpon Ps 73. he writeth that he did beare himself in his owne hands after a sort namely because he did beare in his own hands the SacrameÌ„t of his bodie And Cyprian saith that Sacraments haue the names of those things which they doe signifie And the same Augustin Neither let it moue thee saith he that somtime the thing which doth signifie doth take the name of that thing which it signifieth for so the rock is called
spiritually fed with my bodie giuen for you and my bloud shed for you and are nourished by it to life eternall Why had the Lord rather vse this phrase This is my bodie and this is my bloud then to say this signifieth my bodie and my bloud Because the word of signifying worthily seemed vnto him somewhat light and he would more expresly declare that those signes are not propounded that they may bee considered as they are in themselues but that it behoueth the receiuers so to behold and spiritually to apprehend with the eyes of a faithfull minde those things only in those signes which are represented by them as if that breade and that wine were not the signes of those things but those things themselues which they doe signifie Whether if the bodie of Christ bee denyed to bee in the bread of the Supper therefore Christ himselfe is said to bee altogether absent from his Supper No yet so that whole Christ is present but not the whole for Christ man is truely present 1. By the grace and operation of his spirit Where two or three are gathered together in his name Mat. 18.20 2. And by his power and maiestie a Math. 28.20 Heb. 7.26 3. That he which being absent in bodie and made higher then the Heauens yet may be whole most present by his vertue wherby he doth spiritually communicate both himselfe and all his great things to vs truely by faith 4. And by the promise of the Gospell he doth lift vp the hearts of the faithfull to himselfe euen into heauen that there they may behold namely in the celestiall sanctuarie the sacrifice offered vpon the crosse so may feed vpon it by faith Finally Christ doth truely and fully without all doubt accompish that which he promised Is the bodie of the Lord truely and Substantially present in the Supper It is present not truely by conuersion of the whole substance that is both of the matter and forme of the bread and wine into the bodie and bloud of the Lord either by impanation or assumption of the bread or locall inclusion not as an infant in the cradle for neither is it present in outward signes by in existence or indistance nor in regard of the place where the bread is neither also is it present in the bodies of men or is put into the mouth for if you respect the place the bodie of Christ is in heauen circumscribed But in the minds of the faithfull and in regard of the faith of a man lawfully vsing the holy Supper of the Lord. For that is the strength of faith that it may ioyne together most streightly things neuer so much distant asunder Therefore a true and liuely presence of the bodie of Christ in the Supper and communion of him with the beleeuers in the ministerie of the Sacraments is not reiected but onely that manner of presence which is fained at the bread is denyed Are these propositions contradictorie Christ is corporally in heauen and Christ with his body and bloud is in the Supper Not a whit because this latter is nor rightly vnâ—erstood of the presence at the place of bread but of the communion with man which is sealed and exhibited by the rite of the Supper Is not the Supper of Christ made voide if the very flesh of Christ be determined to be so farre essentially absent from this action as the heauens are from the earth In no wise because the bodie it selfe and bloud of Christ are set forth in these mysteries not simply and so farre forth as they are things subsisting in themselues but to be coÌ„sidered intellectually and are offered to the minde not to the bodie to faith not to the senses to be taken also in the mind by faith alone For truely like as those things which are heard are to be perceiued by the hearing those things which are seene by the sight so also those things which are vnderstoode by the vnderstanding so those things which are beleeued by faith neither are these things alike present to their obiects But the perceiuing of faith is a great deale more certain then all comprehension of the senses or of reason how faith can make a thing present Paule declareth Gal. 3.1 where hee saith that Christ was described in their sight and among them crucified Are earthly and celestiall gifts present after the same manner of presence Not after the same because there is no other presence of Christ in the seale of grace then in the word or promise of grace But the presence of Christ Iesus in the word adde also in baptisme yea in the whole ministerie is only spirituall not corporall or locall For as there is not made an inclusion of Christ in the voice of the minister outwardly sounding so neither in the Sacramental symbols or signes For Paul saith that Wee whiles we are strangers in the bodie are absent from the Lord and doe walke by faith and not by sight 2. Cor. 5.6.7 Neither that wee know Christ henceforth after the flesh but after the spirit vers 16. Also that Christ is aboue Col. 3.1 That Christ shall descend from heauen in the day of iudgement 1. Thess 4.16 And truely that he shall come not daily and euery moment and otherwise then he ascended that is to say inuisibly and vncircumscriptiuely but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in that manner not otherwise wherein he was seene to ascend into heauen a Act. 1.11 Wherfore the presence of Christ also in the Supper is spirituall which you may call celestiall Diuine supernaturall but not corporall or natural Which therefore is the thing signified of the Lords Supper Christ himselfe offering himselfe with all his benefits spiritually to bee apprehended in our mindes by faith for in the Lords supper wee are made partakers not onely of the operation or of the benefits and gifts of Christ but of the substance of the liuing bodie of Christ What is vnderstood by naming of bodie and bloud in the Attribute of these propositions This is my bodie and This is my bloud Not a signe thereof which some fathers call a Sacramentall bodie that is to say Sacramentally vnderstood euen as when they say that the bodie of the Lord is seene touched brused with the teeth doth fall vpon the earth is created made consumed Also not the mystical body which is the Church a Eh. 5.32 Eph. 23 For so the faithfull should seeme to cate either the signes alone or the Church although we doe not deny this that the mysticall bodie is shadowed and moreouer established by the signes of bread anâ— wine b 1 Cor. 10 16 but Synecdochically the whole humanitie of Christ both altogether and in respect of parts the true and naturall bodie of Christ deliuered for vs crucified and buried The true bloud shed for vs and his true soule yea also the whole person of Christ For truely his humanitie without the Deitie of the word
instituted that they may be hiding places of things signified but that they may bee effectual signes seales and memorials as the Scripture speaketh Aliud existentia aliud significantia saith Augustine that is being one thing and signifying another thing But meerely significatiue or relatiue that is wholy placed in this that according to Gods ordinance declared in the Sacramentall word these things in a mutuall respect reciprocall relation betweene themselues are one certaine thing for as Beda saith vppon Lu 22 Panis ad corpus Christi mysticè vinum ad sanguinem refertur that is Tho bread is referred to the body of Christ mystically the wine to the bloud and are offered to be considered and also to bee taken spiritually by faith the signes of them which doe lawfully administer the Supper but the things are giuen of the Father and Christ the son the holy Ghost working together with them Seing that Aristotle booke 5. chap. 6. of the Metaphysicks doth teach that there are fower kinds of them which are one In number figure generall Analogie which of these waies is the bread the bodie of Christ Neither in number nor figure nor generall kinde but in analogie or proportion and similitude for they are said to be one in proportion whatsoeuer are compared together betweene themselues as one thing to another according to proportion he saith What things soeuer are as one thing to another are said one in respect Therfore the bread and body of Christ or the bread of life are one thing in proportion because both of them doe giue sustenance that is nourishment and increase to a man but that to the bodie but this to the faithfull soule So the wine of the Lord and the bloud of the Lord are one in proportion because they quench thirst and doe refresh but that the bodie this the faithfull soule Whether can that supernaturall coniunction whereby the Deitie of Christ is personally conioyned with the humanity or that miraculous whereby God hauing taken some visible shapes disclosed himselfe to some men as when God is said to haue appeared to Moses in a flame of fire in a bush a Exod. 3 2 or when the holy Ghost descended vpon Christ in the shape of a Doue Mat. 3.16 or when it was giuen to the Disciples by the breathing of Christ and with firie tongues Iohn 20.22 Act. 2.3 take place here No because the the personall vnion and the Sacramentall vnion doe differ in the whole kinde and because the condition of that bread should be better then of all the faithfull men to whom the bodie of Christ is vnited not personally but only mystically Moreouer the body of Christ is one thing which cannot bee in many places God or the holy Spirit another thing which is euery where And besides we may not argue from that which is done against order by miracle to that which is ordinary in the Church of God of which sort is the Supper of the Lord according to his owne precept Doe this Finally neither that Doue which Iohn Baptist saw descending from heauen vpon Christ nor that breath wherewith he breathed vpon his Disciples nor the fierie tongues which sate vpon each of the Disciples were God or the holy Ghost essentially or had the holy Spirit in them but were signes of that spirit both in Christ and also in the Disciples Is it true in all things that those things which are ioyned by Gods ordinance in a peculiar manner are affirmed one of another as This man is God the Doue is the Holy Ghost No otherwise we might say truely in a man The soule is the bodie and in Christ The Humanitie is the Diuinitie and in a fired sword the sword is the fire or the fire is the sword which yet no man doth grant But it is true chiefly in the propositions concerning the person of Christ when as for the same substantial word they put in concrete words as wel this man as this God But the personall vnion is not placed in the Sacrament wherefore it cannot bee that that should be alike true This man is God that This bread is the body of Christ Moreouer in symbolicall and Sacramentall speaches as we read that the holy Ghost was seene of Iohn descending like a Doue because the Doue was the signe of the Holy Ghost and so we grant that the bread is the bodie of Christ But concerning a vessell of wine we say truely but yet figuratiuely This is wine seing that there are two substances their ioyned and as it were the thing contained in the thing containing as also of an Angell appearing in mans shape it might bee saide This is an Angell but as a thing in a place which that it cannot be said of the body of Christ in the bread hath beene alreadie proued at large Why therefore are the Sacramentall signes called Exhibitiue Because the Lord doth so truely exhibit and giue himselfe being the bread celestiall â—ucer comment vpon the Ephes and that of eternall life to those which are his like as he gaue truly to his Disciples the holy Ghost by the signe of the breath of his mouth or as by the touching of the hand hee gaue vnto many health of bodie and minde as sight by clay made of spittell as by circumcision of the flesh the circumcision of the heart and as by baptisme Regeneration For they which with a true faith doe communicate with the signes corporally doe receiue true confirmation and increase of the communion of the bodie and bloud of the Lord spiritually But Irenaeus saith that the Eucharist doth consist of two things of an Earthly and a Heauenly Rightly yet we must not thinke that it is compounded or whole altogether substantiall or some subsisting thing made of whole parts as a man of bodie and of soule and the bodie of an head and a trunke but it is a holy action or a diuine ordinance wherein at one time but not in one place diuers things are distinctly propounded and deliuered no otherwise then as a pledge being deliuered or the earnest of any thing the thing it selfe was wont to be deliuered also together To what purpose commaunded the Lord to make his Supper Not for an vnbloudy oblation of his body to God the Father for the sinnes of the quick and dead or for a Scenical representation of the death of Christ but for a commemoration of his death for he saith Doe this in remembrance of me that is to say to bee celebrated in the assembly of the faithfull to that end a Luke 22 19. to which purpose also serueth the words of Paule verse 26. declaring what that is In remembrance of me For as often as ye shall eate of this bread and drinke of this cup ye shew the Lords death vntill he come Verse 25. That is 1 Cor. 11.24 call to minde and speake of the whole obedience of Christ and all his benefits with a thankfull mind
and professe openly that you doe beleeue and imbrace them For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to shew is not to expresse any thing by similitude of fact or to represent by stage playing gestures but to declare and shew Neyther ought it to bee restrained to the Priests alone for seeing that whiles we are strangers in the bodie we are absent from the Lord a 2 Cor 5.6.7 we doe by this remember the Lord Iesus which is in the heauens which thing hee himselfe commaundeth vs doe till he commeth to iudgement signifying that the Church shall continue vntill that iudgement he would not haue commaunded it if he had determined to remaine with his corporally For memorie is opposite to bodily presence because remembrance is not of things to come nor of things present but of things past Of what qualitie ought that remembrance to bee Not any bare or idle remembrance of a thing past which nothing appertaineth vnto vs but operatiue and such whereby the faithfull minde in the vse of this Sacrament doth by faith lay hold vpon Christ with all his benefits doth apply to himselfe particularly and so cals to minde the sacrifice past and once performed in the flesh that thereby it feeleth present comfort gladnesse of minde peace of conscience increase of faith and of loue and moreouer doth conceiue most certaine hope of the life and happinesse to come by reason of that sacrifice Finally it is stirred vp to consider of so great loue of Christ and to offer vnto him by faith the sacrifice of prayse and to giue him thanks b Psal 50 23 From which end we doe againe vnderstand that the supper is not ordayned that it may be a reall and expiatorie or appeasing sacrifice for the quicke and the dead but a solemne and publicke thankesgiuing for the incarnation death redemption and all the benefits of Christ Which are the causes for which Christ ordained the memorie of himselfe to be celebrated amongst vs 1 His great loue the propertie whereof is that they which doe loue sincerely and from the heart do desire to liue in their minds and memorie Whereupon wee gather that Christ is neuer vnmindfull of vs. 2 The faithfull prouidence of Christ whereby hee prouided for his beloued that the benefits bestowed might truly profit and enioy their end For as by the forgetfulnesse of the benefactors a benefit receiued is lost so by memorie it is especially kept What is it to shew the death of the Lord Not onely to meditate vpon the historie but also to thinke earnestly 1 Of the iustice and wrath of God against sinne which are seene in this sacrifice 2 Of the great mercie of God towards vs. 3 Of the loue of the sonne towards mankind For so great is the seueritie of Gods iustice and the weight of sinne that there may be no reconciliation made vnlesse the penaltie due to sinne should be paid so great is the greatnesse of his anger that the eternall Father may not be pacified but by the intreatie and death of the sonne His mercie so great that the sonne is giuen for vs. So great is the loue of the sonne towards vs that he deriued this true and great anger vnto himselfe being made a sacrifice for vs doth make vs partakers of his flesh and bloud all which in the vse of the supper we must speak of meditate vpon that we may be truly feared by the acknowledgement of Gods anger we may be truly grieued for our sinnes and againe may be lifted vp with true comfort And finally that wee may celebrate our Lord Iesus Christ with true thankefulnesse heart mouth and life Is Christ to be adored in the bread of the Supper No. 1 Because he is not there present with his bodie 2 Neyther hath hee in his word tyed himselfe to the bread Therefore he is to be adored in the mysteries as saith Ambrose that is in the celebration of the supper in that he is God and in respect that he is God and man together yet so as that we rest not in the supper but that we may lift vp the eyes of faith and our hearts not to a peece of bread but into heauen where he is sitting at the right hand of God a Coll 3.1 whether also in time past the people in the administration of the supper were inuited while they were admonished Habere sursum corda that is to lift vp their hearts Not that they should bee yet taught to seeke downeward for the bodie and bloud of our Lord present in Essence either in the accidents without the subiect or in vnder or with the bread but rather to seek for him in heauen that selfesame flesh long agoe deliuered for vs and that bloud shed for vs to be touched and laid hold vpon with the hand of faith Wherefore euerie one of the Disciples did not rise that falling downe vpon their knees they might take bread and that wine out of his hand And in the little booke of Constitutions ascribed to Clement the people are commaunded to come with a certaine shame fast reuerence without tumult But concerning the shewing or lifting vp of the Sacrament we confesse that it was the custome in the ancient Church that the whole Sacrament couered with a cleane linnen cloath should be set vpon the holy table vntil it should be distributed to the people For then the minister of the Church the linnē being taken away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as saith Dionysius that is opening the mysteries did set them before the eyes of those which were present In the Lyturgy also of Chrysostome he saith that the Priest was woont to lift the holy bread a little while from the table not aboue his head to say with a loud voyce Sancta sanctis that is holy things for holy men surely in imitation of the Iewish custome among whom the Priest being about the sacrifices did shew before hand the oblation before his breast and did lift it vp a Exod. 29 24.27 Leuit. 10.15 But not in any other respect then that the people should prepare themselues to the communion But now seeing that the eleuation of the bread aboue the Priests head is the sinew of Bread-worship and prescribed neyther by Christ nor of the Apostles nor obserued in the most ancient and purest Church it is rightly taken away in Euangelicall Churches Is that which is left of the Supper to be laid vp to be caried about to be seene or to be adored as though some holines did remaine inherent in it Much lesse for the Sacraments out of the holy and lawfull vse or out of the taking of them prescribed in these words Take eate take drinke are not Sacraments like as neyther water is the water of baptisme vnlesse some body be dipped in it as is meet but when any bodie hath beene dipped or sprinckled with water the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost being called
or Bacchanalls without a Sermon or declaring of the Lords death which Paule would haue to be vsed in the Lords supper 23 By hearing or rather by looking vpon the Masse they thinke themselues armed against God and as it were with an Ammulet or preseruatiue against poyson safe from all daunger 24 That the Sacrament is once a yeare to bee deliuered or communicated to the people 25 They teach that auricular confession is necessarie for those that will be communicants 26 They celebrate the Masse in a strange and vnknowne language 27 In the Canon of the Masse besides the offering of their sacrifice they vse inuocation of Saints departed and they mixe withall imaginarie merits 28 They celebrate Masses for the honour of Saints and for the obtayning of their intercession with God whereby the remembrance and intercession of Christ is obscured and ouerthrowen 29 They thinke that the vse of the Supper is of absolute necessitie to those that are readye to depart this life 30 They vse consecrated bread for the quenching of fire and for the calming of tempests 31 They doe superstiously include it in their Armories and Cupbords 32 They burne candles before it 33 VVhen they please euen as in the olde time the Persians did the fire they carrie it about to bee worshipped Thirdly the errors of the consubstantiators who doe not admit the true doctrine of the letter and the spirit but thinke that the sacramentall speeches are to be interpreted literally according to the letter and rationallie as they meane 2 That it is offered bodily or essentially or ioyntly or after an admirable and vnspeakable manner and yet by the hand of the minister 3 They say that the bodie of Christ is cast into the mouthes euen of the wicked 4 They commend the recantation of Berengarius which was set downe to him by Pope Nicholas wherein he professeth that not onely the Sacrament but euen the verie true bodie and bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ is sensually and in truth handled and broken by the hands of the minister and torne in peeces by the teeth of the faithfull 5 They teach the reall omnipresence of the verie bodie of Christ vpon earth in many places nay in euery place 6 They attribute to the flesh of Christ many sortes of beings 7 They holde that there is a communion made by a mutuall reall and actuall conioyning of the substances 8 The doe not acknowledge the spirituall presence onely of the bodie and bloud of Christ 9 They reckon the papisticall eleuation and lifting vp of the hoast among things indifferent 10 They doe wickedly confound the twofold eating namely the one outward of the bread the other inwarde of the bodie of Christ to be but one and the same Fourthly the errour of them who haue taken away the breaking of bread in the supper of the Lord and in stead of bread broken or cut doe distribute vnto euery one that commeth to the Lords table so many in nomber of whole and severall breads or round and thin cakes 2 They haue abolished the deliuerie of the signes into the hands of the receiuers and the taking of them by their hands Fiftly the error of those who doe very seldome make mention of the sacramentall changing of the bread and wine 2 They teach that the onely merit of Christes obedience is to be accounted for the thing signified in the holy Supper of the Lord and thinke that onely the commemoration and remembrance of the death of Christ and of his benefits is taught therein and doe not vrge vs to bee by communion incorporated into Christ Sixtly the errors of them who first denie the presence of Christ in the Supper 2 They hold them to be but common signes which doe not effectually and powerfully moue 3 They account the sacramentall signes but as bare pictures and things to looke vpon whereby they may onely be stirred vp to renue the memory of Christs death 4 They take these holy mysteries but as outward notes or badges whereby they that professe themselues to be Christians may be distinguished from other profane people Seuenthly the error of them who doe vnreuerently vse these holy actions and in no other manner but as common and daily matters 2 They that thinke it is free for them eyther to come to the Lords Supper or to abstaine from it at their pleasure and therefore vse it verie seldome whereas indeed it is no small part of Gods worship and by God commaunded Eightly the error of some who alleadge that the Supper of the Lord succeedeth not the Paschall Lambe but Manna which was not an ordinarie and perpetuall sacrament nor ioyned in time with the Supper neyther had it any signe of the merite of Christ which is the chiefe thing in the Lords Suppe contrarie to the manifest institution of the Lord a Luk. 12.19 Ninthly the error or rather the dreame of a certaine libertine Iodochus Harchius a Montensian Belgan who holdeth that wee doe not eyther corporally or spiritually take and eate the verie bodie of Christ crucified but making a twofold flesh of Christ one naturall and taken of the virgin Marie now glorious in heauen the other spirituall intelligible and made by the diuine power of God of bread and wine to bee tasted and conceiued chiefely in the minde this hee imagineth to goe into the nourishment of the mysticall bodie that is to say of all the faithfull being daily taken with the mouth and by faith or otherwise he dreameth that there is a certaine power proceeding from the flesh of Christ and after a wonderfull and vnspeakeable sort infusing it selfe into the bread doth nourish the flesh of a Christian man which is cōtrarie to the expresse words of our Sauiour Christ which is giuen which is powred out which words doe euidently shew that the true bodie of Christ and the true bloud of Christ are signified and spiritually exhibited vnto the beleeuers The nine and fortieth common place Concerning Magistrates or Politicke gouernment Is the doctrine of policie or ciuill gouernment and Magistracie to be deliuered in the Church IT is Because Commonweales are the Nourceries of the Church and the consciences of both godly Magistrates and faithfull subiects are by this doctrine to bee enformed against such Fanaticall Spirits as oppugne that doctrine Whence is the Commonwealth called Politeia Policie Of the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Citie comming of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many But Ciuitas a Citie as it were Coiuitas or Ciuium vnitas the vnitie of Citizens is not onely such buildings as are comprehended in one ditch trench or wall but that multitude of people which doth inhabite those buildings And the regiment and order of that companie or people is called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 policie in Latine Respublica the Common-wealth From whence is deriued politice the Art of policie which teacheth how the Commonwealth must be ordered and preserued as also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because in respect of the circumstances of the matter it abateth the seueritie of Iustice and moderateth and tempereth the extremitie of the law which the Graecians call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the extremity of law And it is of two sorts 1. Publicke or the Iudges equitie supplying the place of that person wherby he bendeth the law vnto the cause in hand that is he doth not respect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the extremitie of law but applieth the meaning purpose of the law to the manner of the cause On the contrary the cause is bended to the law when in iudgement the extremity of law is retained and no equity admitted in respect of any circumstances And then Summum Ius summa iniuria Extreame law becomes extreame wrong In this respect it is said Ecclesiastes 7.14 Be not iust ouer much neyther make thy selfe ouer wise And Prouerb 30.33 Hee that wringeth his nose ouermuch causeth bloud to come out Yea the Lord himselfe adddeth exceptions of certaine cases to the extremitie of the law as to the law of manslaughter And lawes are generall and vniuersall rules which doe not presently fit euery particular matter and case in question And therefore they are to receiue a fit interpretation by the industrie of the Iudge In this respect Christ defendeth his disciples for plucking the eares of corne vpon the sabbath day And Dauid for the same reason contrarie to the law did eate of the shew bread a 1 Sam. 21 6 Mat. 12 3 And this is publike equitie or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Priuate equitie or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of euerie priuate man is that which 1. tolerateth the infirmitie of our neighbour 2. It couereth secret faults 3 It interpreteth doubtfull actions or words not to the worst but in the best sence where there appeare no manifest tokens of malice It doth not lay open to the world secret offences but cureth them by Instruction Counsell Admonition and brotherly reproofe Of which we read Phil. 4.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let your moderation your equitie your gentlenesse mildnesse and patient minde be knowne to all men 3 The chiefe equitie or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is that of Christ in that hee tooke the punishment of our sinnes and laid it vpon himselfe prayed for his enemies and left pardon and forgiuenes readie for all repentant sinners at what hower soeuer 4 Lastly priuate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or equitie or moderation remitteth ofences yealdeth from his owne right both in defending and reteyning the good and in repelling the euill and in reuenging of iniuries for the peace sake What politicke lawes are to be allowed Those which are agreeable to the law of nature whereof the decalogue is an abridgement and composed for the safetie of the people or those which doe not swarue from the eternall rule of the honouring of God and louing our neighbour and are made by a lawfull magistrate Those that are made after any other manner they are no better then tyrannicall bonds Isa 10.1 What things are there that giue weight and strength to the law 1 The example of the magistrate if he be a liuing law that is if he expresse in his life that which he commaundeth in his lawes for Regis ad exemplum totus componitur orbis The kings example beares such sway That all the people goe that way 2. A care of the keeping of the lawes that they bee not made like spiders webs 3. Equitie in the obseruing of them that Crowes may not bee fauoured and Doues censured that is the wicked spared and the innocent punished 4. The speedie execution of the Lawes Doth the Iudiciall lawe of Moses binde the Christian magistrate No not precisely as it was appropriated to the people of the Iewes during the gouernment of Moses Law For the lawe as the rule is bindeth none but those for whome it was made And The Lawe was giuen for a certaine time and is of no authoritie after that time But it doth binde him so farre forth as it commaundeth equitie and setteth downe punishments for sinne though not the peculier manner of the punishment which is to bee tempered according to the estate of the time place and country It is lawfull therefore for Christians to vse the Lawes of their owne nations beeing agreeable vnto reason Are tythes abolished because the Lawe Ceremoniall is abolished No because the Precept of Tythes was not simply ceremoniall but partly morall imprinted in the rationall nature which teacheth that stipends are due to such as watch for the common good The which the Apostle prooueth by arguments a 1 Cor. 9 taken from the Lawe of nature and the common custome of men saying Who goeth to warre of his owne cost or who planteth a vineyard and eateth not the fruit therof and this Christ confirmed Mat. 10 10. The Labourer is worthy of his hire But the determination of a certaine portion suppose the tenth rather then the seuenth ninth eleuenth or twelfte was a Iudiciall precept which may without sinne and ought to be obserued if it be set downe by the authoritie of the Magistrate What is vnderstoode by this name Subiect The whole multitude of people who are gouerned and the name of a subiect is more generall then the name of a citizen For euery citizen is a subiect to the Soueraine Magistrate but euerie subiect is not a cytizen For hee vpon whome onely burdens and seruices are imposed and not honours that is offices and dignities he in that common wealth in the which he liueth is not a citizen but a subiect but if in the same common wealth in the which he liueth he be partaker both of dignities seruices either in whole or part with the rest who liue vnder the same Lawes hee is a citizen a citizen also one is said to bee either in respect of his country or common wealth in which hee is borne or inrolled but a subiect in respect of the Magistrate Who are the Magistrates subiects All and euery one who liue in his Kingdome of what condition soeuer whether high or lowe politick or Ecclesiasticall persons so euen Aaron the Priest should haue obeyed Moses the ciuill Magistrate a Ex. 4 15 32 21 so the Prophets who when they were ruled by the spirit of God did couragiously constantly perform the office of reprehension cōmitted to them of God yet to their kings princes whom they did reprehend as in was meet they did reuerēce Christ the high Priest our maister did acknowledge the Magistrate and obeyed him in ciuill things b Mat. 17 24.27 the like Paul performed and commaunded Rom. 13.2 Let euery soule Emphatically that is euery man without exception bee subiect to the higher powers Whereupon Chrysostome saith that this commaundement is giuen to all to Priests and to Monks and not onely to Lay people the Apostle in the beginning declareth when hee saith Let euery soule be
vnderstand the solemne profession of the Christian faith or finally the giuing of thankes and bestowing of almes What is it to Take Amongst the Euangelists it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is properly vndrestoode of the hand from whence also euery thing whereby a thing is taken as the handle of a cuppe the eare of a pot the hilt of a weapon is called of the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Neither is it like to be true neither can it be gathered out of the historie of the institution of the Lords Supper nor by the maner of the sitting of Christ and of his Apostles at meat that Christ in the first Supper put bread into euery Apostles mouth For Io. 13 23. Iohn is said in the last Supper to haue leaned of Iesus bosome namely according to the manner of feasts of that time wherein in taking of meate they being stretched forth did leane vpon the ground or in an high chamber trimmed with beds as wee may reade Luk. 22.12 so that they did make as it were a certaine circle and the next did as it were leane vpon the former their heades alwaies within and their feete stretched out without 3. Moreouer the manner of taking both of me ate and drinke with the mouth not with the hand agreeth not to those of age and to the great ones that is to those which haue their wits exercised to discerne both good and euill a Heb. 5.14 such as it behoueth all them to bee as much as may be which are commaunded to examine themselues before they come to the Lords table but to Infants yet crying and which cannot discerne betweene their right hand and their left b Ionah 4.11 4. Furthermore that the word of Taking is to be vnderstood of the taking by the hand it is euident because otherwise there should bee a manifest Tautologie in the words of Christ when the taking of the mouth is necessarily vnderstoode out of the wordes by themselues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say Eate and Drinke 5. The practise also and vse of the ancient Church doth shewe the same whose example is extant in the worâ—s of Ambrose to Theodosius the great Emperour How wilt thou stretch out the hands from which innocent bloude doth yet drop How wilt thou take the holy body of the Lord with such hands Theodoreâ— hist Ecâ—lesiasticall bâ— 5 Chap. 8 with what rashnesse wilt thou take in thy mouth the cup of the pretious bloud since that by the furie of thy words so much bloud is vniustly shed Therefore it is a superstitious thing to forbid the communicants to take Eucharisticall bread or cup for the inner mouth is no more holie then the lips and hands Wherefore they which put in whole little morsels into the mouth not into the hands of the receiuers I caÌ„not tel with what reason they can deny that they are papisticall and do cherish the spawne of superstition amongst their people What is declared by this receiuing of bread and wine into the hands As true a spiritual sealing within vs by the instrument of faith both of Christ himselfe and also of his benefits necessarie to our saluation as there is a true and certaine receiuing of these signes into the hands of the takers What doth the bodilie eating and drinking of this bread and this wine and moreouer the conueying of it into our body signifie That Iesus Christ receiued by the instrument of faith by a Diuine vertue through the Couenant of a new league is so farre made ours that hee doth passe as it were into vs by an incomprehensible mysterie to seale vp spirituall life in vs and wee in like manner passe into him yet with this difference that in naturall eating and nourishment those things which we eate and drinke by the strength of naturall heate are changed into our substance that there may be a renewing of that which began to be consumed but in spiritual nourishing the bodie and bloud of Christ doe so nourish and renewe vs and make vs one bodie with Christ that they doe change vs but are not changed in vs because wee had neede and must bee conformed to Christ and made like to his Image Rom. 8.29 Phil. 3.10 Is the giuing of the signes and eating them with the mouth and the giuing and eating of the things signified one and the same in number and kinde No in no wise 1 For as there are two persons administring the Lords supper on of the pastor performing that which is done outwardly and without an other of Christ effecting by his holy spirit that which is done inwardly 2 And as the whole action of the Lords supper doth consist of two things one earthly corporall and to be perceiued by the senses themselues Another heauenly spiritual and to be vnderstood by a faithfull minde 3 And as there are two parts of a man whereof one is the body the other the soule so there are two diuerse giuings one to the body which is done by the minister and another to the minde performed by Christ And so many eatings that is to say one outward corporall orall naturall and sensible namely of sensible signes which also is called Sacramental which is done by the instrumeÌ„t of the mouth the other inwarde supernaturall of the things signified and to be perceiued with the eyes of faith which is called spirituall That first was instituted by Christ that it might be an expresse image of this spirituall eating and drinking This twofold eating Augustine acknowledged He which eateth within not without he which eateth in heart not which presseth with his tooth Tractat. 36. vppon Iohn b. 4. dist 1.9 And Lombard As there are two things of the sacrament so there are two waies of eating one sacramentall whereby the good and bad doe eat the other spirituall whereby onely the good doe eat For looke what those earthly gifts are to mans body the instruments thereof that are heauenly giftes to the soule the most excellent instrument thereof which is faith But earthly signes are laid hold vpon with the body and the instruments thereof that is to say sensibly and corporally therfore the celestial good things are receiued onely with the soule and with the instrumeÌ„t thereof that is to say by faith spirituallie and intellectuallie a Ioh. 6.35 froÌ„ whence also that may be gathered that the word manducandi that is of eating is taken concerning the partaking of the signes properly but concerning the participation of the bodie of Christ in a borrowed sence Seeing that the flesh of Christ is corporall is not the eating of it in the Supper also corporall Truely the flesh of Christ is corporall in respect that it is a bodie but it is not corporall by speaking properly in respect that it is meat for as much as our bodie is nourished neither with his flesh nor bloud as if it were foode for this corporall
faith and to shewe their Pastors what they think of the Doctrin taught like as Peter commandeth that VVe should be ready alwaies to giue an answere to euery man that asketh a reason of the hope that is in vs. 1 Pet. 3.15 Is it gathered from this Pronoune 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is himselfe that euerie one is to bee left to his owne priuate iudgement and that the Sacrament is not to bee denyed to any man comming to the Lords table No because all are not sufficient to examine themselues neither is it manifest concerning all whether they are or are not of the Church neither is it sufficient for them which by a lawfull knowledge going before haue beene iudged impenitent and therfore accursed out of the Church that they should be thought fit and to haue truely repented if after any manner of fashion they present themselues againe at the Lords table Who doe come vnworthily to the Lords table Not they which are simplie subiect to sinnes or any weake in faith seeing that the Supper is instituted especially for the weake And the Centurion said rightly Lord I am not worthie that thou shouldest come vnder my roofe Mat. 8.8 But they which know not what this thing is and which are all together void of the feare of God or of repentance and faith and doe continue in sinnes against knowledge In like manner they which doe nourish confidence of their owne strengths superstition and hypocrisie and false worships which doe maintaine manifest errors or doe liue in strife doe still keepe an euill purpose of fostering anger lust or other bad affections or doe despise the poore or doe come not as it were to a mysticall but as it were to a common or prophane table VVhat is the punishment of them which eate vnworthily As there are diuers degrees of vnworthinesse so the punishment or iudgement is vnlike the cheefe degree of vnworthines precisely so called is to come to the mysteries of faith without faith or any repentance which is the vse of vnbeleeuers castawaies hypocrites and wicked men They therefore which so come are guiltie of the bodie and bloud of the Lord the imputation of his death is laide vnto them that is the death of Christ it returneth vnto death not vnto life to them and as Basill speaketh They doe beare the offence of Christ crucified euen as they who through vnbeleef crucified him corporally For these men doe esteeme the bloud of Christ profane and they haue him in no other account then as an hainous offender a Heb. 10 29 concerning these men it is said he that beleeueth not shall bee condemned Mar. 16.16 These therefore doe vndergoe the iudgement of condemnation vnto euerlasting torments a 1 Cor. 11.32 Another degree of vnworthinesse taken more moderately is of the beleeuers which doe not discerne or iudge of the Lords bodie that is which although they are not altogether voide of faith yet they haue a faith as it were faint and weake and therefore not as it were effectuall by charitie and repentance neither doe they discerne the mysticall bread of the Lord from common bread but handle it vnreuerently nor in that manner as the Lord appointed it To these iudgement is threatned Paul 1. Cor. 11.29 saying Hee which eateth and drinketh vnworthily eateth and drinketh his owne damnation that is by eating and drinking he drinketh it and calleth for it But this iudgement is not of eternall damnation but of temporall punishment which the Lord doth inflict in this worlde euen vpon his owne faithfull ones which doe sinne as it is manifest out of the words following of the Apostle wherein hee doth rehearse examples of this iudgement diseases and the death of the bodie For this cause many are weak sick among you many sleepe and especially out of verse 32. where hee saith That we are therefore iudged ihat wee should not bee condemned with the wicked but that wee should be chastised of the Lord. And this iudgement is of correction and discipline To whom therefore is the Lords Supper to be giuen To all the faithfull members of the Church which can examine themselues and are taught in the mysterie of faith and can shewe forth the Lords death for to this mysterie is required the examination of a mans owne selfe and this shew forth the lords death And therefore not to Infidels not to infants not to madmen not to them that are ignorant of the mysteries or to them which knowe not what is done not to the impenitent not to them which are excommunicated by the lawfull iudgement of the Church not to the polluted either with manifest errours or with any notorious wickednesse vnlesse they haue first satisfied the Church and giuen a testimonie of their repentance Finally not to the deade nor for the dead For the oblations of bread wine which were offered in times past by the friends of the deade after a heathen custome went to the vse of the poore In like manner the sacrifices and offerings which Cyprian saith were offered for Martyrs were in his vnderstanding praises and thankesgiuings vnto God in that it pleased him to afford his Church such excellent lights as they were Are godly and honest persons to bee kept from the Lords Supper for beeing in warre or hauing controuersies depending in Lawe No for actions and lawfull warres are a part of that politique order which the Gospell doth not abolish And Constantinus and the soldiers with him which were now in the battell readie to put to the sworde the huge armie of Licinius were iustly admitted to the Lords Supper And Melchisedech receiued Abraham returning from the battell and blessed him a Ge◠14 17 And good men may without bitter hatred and desire of hurting each other dissent about inheritances contractes and other like businesses But yet both soldiers and those that goe to Lawe when they are about to receiue must bee admonished to lay aside hatred strife and other vices which happen not of themselues but by accidentes to warfare and suites in Lawe What is it to make difference of the Lords bodie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to discerne a thing and to seuer or exempt it as it were from the common order and to account it and vse it more honorably then the rest as in Iude verse 22. wee are bidden 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make a difference betweene sinners that are recouerable and those that are obstinate And 1 Cor. 4.7 Who hath made thee more excellent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore to discerne the Lords bodie is to distinguish that breade as a most precious signe of Christs bodie from other things and to vse it with fit deuotion and therefore with faith repentance and most high reuerence not to come vnto it as to common bread and drinke but as vnto the mysterie of a thing of all other most precious Doe they of the first sort of vnworthy communicants that is to say