the signe for the thing nor the thing for the signe seeing the parts are distinguished in nature though ioyned in the person Againe albeit by gods ordinance these parts be so vnited that by taking of the signe the faithfull are made partakers of the thing signified no lesse truely then the outward signes are receiued of our bodily senses yet we must conceiue consider that these outward and inward parts remaine distinct and vnconfounded and therefore wee must take heede we take not one for another we must not ascribe to much to the outward parts and so take them for the inward which hath beene the occasion of sundry errors from time to time Some attribut too little to the outward sign and some ascribe too much both waies the Sacrament is abused and the partes are misapplied Hence sprang as a ranke weed in the Lords corne the doctrine of transubstantiation or carnall turning of the substance of bread into the body whereby the signe is swallowed vp and the outward substance with them quite abolished for their fained Christ hath consumed the outward signe as the rich deuoureth and eateth the poore Thus the signe is consumed to little regarded Others on the other side cleaue to much too the outward signe and rest in the externall worke placing holinesse and remission of sinnes in the deed done and thus the thing signified is little regarded and wholly abolished as the euill fauored and lean-fleshed kine did eat vp the fat and wel-fauored this was 〈◊〉 dreame and the other is mans deuise For these men giue all to the outward receiuing placing holynesse and remission of sinnes therein and thinking themselues sure and secure when the bread and wine is taken at the Lords table Thus all hypocrites libertines and carnall Gospellers do for all the religion deuotion and godlinesse of these idle and ignorant professors standeth in outward resorting to the Church and in an outward taking of the communion of the body and blood of Christ which is to make an Idol of the signe and to flatter themselues in their euils to their own destruction For albeit a man haue been baptized and haue receiued the Lords supper yet if he liue wickedly and walke after his owne lusts the Sacramentes shall auaile and aduantage him nothing at all but further his condemnation Lastly hath the Sacrament some parts outward and some inward some seene and some not seene with bodily eies Then it giueth occasion both to parents to teach their children the meaning of these misteries and to declare vnto them the ordinances of God as likewise to children and the younger sort to aske and inquire of their parents to heare and learne of them the doctrine of the Sacraments thereby to know the mercifull promises that God hath made to his people This appeareth directly where the the fathers are forewarned ro teach their childrē the hidden mistery of the Passeouer When your children aske you what seruice is this ye keepe then ye shal say It is the sacrifice of the Lords passeouer which passed ouer the houses of the children of Israell in Egypt when he smote the Egyptians and preserued our houses So likewise Ch. 13. 14. speaking of separating sanctifiing the firste borne for the seruice of God he chargeth parents to whet this doctrine on their children and to instruct them how God with a mighty hand and outstretched arme brought them out of Egypt out of the house of bondage Againe we see when the Lord had parted the waters of Iordan that the people might passe hee commaunded Ioshua to set vppe 12. stones in memoriall of the mighty and miraculous worke of God for his people against their enemies and when their children should aske them in time to come what was 〈◊〉 by those stones they should answer that the waters of Iordan were cut off before the Arke of the Couenant of the Lord. He would not onely haue themselues to profit by 〈◊〉 wonderfull workes but to retaine the remembrance of them he wold haue their posterity to know the cause and 〈◊〉 thereof and so g'orifie 〈◊〉 name for euer Heereunto we may fitly ioyne what the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will open my mouth in a parable I will declare high sentences of old which we haue heard and knowne and our fathers haue told us we will not hide them from their children but to the generation to come we will shew the praises of the Lord his power also and his wonderfull workes that he hath done that the posterity might know it and the children which should be borne should stand vp and declare it to their children that they might set their hope on God and not forget the workes of God but keepe his commaundements All these things serue to this purpose to shew that it is a duty and burden laid on the shoulders of all parents to acquaint their children 〈◊〉 the works of God especially with the benefits of our redemption wrought by Christ for our saluation If they aske the question why infants are baptized and washed with water into the name of the holy Trinity we must make plaine vnto them the meaning of that mistery We must say vnto them My children this is a signe of the Couenant of Gods mercy to vs and our 〈◊〉 to God it is a mistery of our saluation and teacheth that being in our selues vncleane vnrighteous 〈◊〉 y and sinful our soules are washed by the blood of Christ euen as the water in Baptisme washeth our bodyes 〈◊〉 in the mercy of God is so much the more marueilous in our cies insomuch as the 〈◊〉 were entred into the couenant by cutting lancing and effusion of blood in circumcision Againe before they come to yeares to receiue the holy Supper of the Lord we must informe them at home and declare the institution of that Sacrament and the comfortable vses therof to them so they may afterward come to this Communion with better warrant of their worke with greater comfort to themselues with lesse danger to their souls We must teach them that as the bread is broken and the Wine poured out so the body of Christ was crucified and his blood shed for the remission of our sins and that if we beleeue in the Lord Iesus we are nourished in our souls to eternal life by the passion of Christ our Sauior as certainly as our bodies are norished with the creaturs of bred 〈◊〉 wine Notwithstanding there is a generall defect of this duty in many parents neither are children readye to enquire and learne at home neither are parentes able to answere anye thing in these matters of God way wardnesse in the one and wordlines in the other and ignoraunce in them both hath taken away all care and conscience from them touching these holy duties and heauenly misteries so that neither the one teacheth nor the other learneth neyther the child enquireth nor the father answereth CHAP. 4. Of the first outward part of
are present to communicate and receiue this were to commit sacriledge not to deliuer a Sacrament Wherefore vnlesse there be a body to be washed except there be communicants to partake the Supper there can be no Sacrament This appeareth by the words of God to Abraham giuing vnto him circumcision saying Euery male-child of eight daies old shall be circumcised This also appeareth in the words of Christ speaking of baptisme and charging the Apostles to baptize the nations in the name of the father and of the son of the Holy-ghost Where he teacheth that it is not sufficient to take water but there must be a washing So. when he speaketh of his supper he saith Take ye eate ye drinke ye so that there must not only be bread but giuing taking and eating there must not onely bee wine but giuing taking and drinking thereof This truth being euidently deliuered let vs see how it may be profitably applied First of all must the Sacraments necessarily be receiued Then it teacheth that the Sacraments without their lawfull vse are no sacraments at all they are no signes of grace if they be not vsed This condemneth the keeping reseruing holding vp and carying about with pompe and ostentation the Lords supper offering vp kneeling downe vnto and adoring a piece of bread all which are horrible prophanations of that comfortable Sacrament whereby the people isrobbed and depriued of a precious part of their peace in Christ. The bread feedeth not the body reuiueth not the spirits strengthneth not the heart by looking and gazing vpon it by touching and handling it but by eating digesting and feeding vpon it so doth the sacrament strengthen faith not by reseruing and keeping it but by vsing and receiuing of it For sacramentes are actions not dumbe shewes Christ saide not Heare ye see ye gaze re on but baptize ye eate ye drinke ye doe ye this in remembrance of me Secondly are the receiuers an outward part of the Sacrament Then the persons that are to receiue must know that diuers duties are to bee done and performed of them The persons then that are to receiue must ioyne with the Minister in prayer in quickning their faith in the couenant and promises ofGod beholding the former works of the Minister blessing breaking pouring out and distributing ratifieng them in their harts and lastly by receiuing and applying to themselues the visible signes For as we haue shewed if the words of baptisme should be rehearsed ouer the water and no person to be present to be baptized it is no baptisme so if the words of institution in the supper should be spoken and repeated without eating without drinking without receiuing it were no Sacrament Wherefore we must all learne to detest the absurd opinion of Bellarmine and other procters of the Romish religion which teache that the breade and Wine being once consecrate whither they be receiued or reserued whither they bee distributed to be eaten and drunke or whether they be kept in boxes and vessels of the Church for daies moneths and long times and carried solemnly in procession are notwithstanding still the Sacrament of the body and bloode of Christ. Against which dotage wee spake in the former vse and shall speake more in the third booke following Lastly if the receiuing be an outward part then we are not to rest in the outward participation for so farre went Iudas in the Passeouer so farre went Simon that sorcerer in baptisme and so farre went the Israelites as the Apostle sheweth They were all baptized vnto Moses in the cloud and in the sea they did all eat the same spirituall meat and did al drink the same spirituall drinke c yet with many of them was not god pleased but they were ouerthrowne in the Wildernesse And therefore Iohn Baptist said to the Pharisees and Saduces when he saw them come to his baptisme O generation of vipers who hath forewarned you to flee from the anger to come bring foorthe therefore fruit worthy amendment of life Now our righteousnes must exceede the righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharisees if wee woulde enter into the kingdome of heauen Let vs all therefore haue this profitable meditatiō so often as we deale with the Sacraments and come vnto them we must looke further then to the outward sight we must consider more then the externall signe otherwise as we approch without preparation so we depart without edification And thus much of the foure outward parts of a Sacrament to wit the minister the word the signe and the receiuer Chap. 8. Of consecration BEfore we proceede to the inward parts of a Sacrament answerable to the outward by a fit proportition it shall not be amisse in this place to speake somewhat of the Consecration of a sacrament First wee must consider what it is for the truth being knowne it will cast downe errour as the light scattereth the darknesse To consecrate then is to take a thing from the ordinary and common vse and to appoint it to some holy vse This therefore is Consecration sanctification and dedication of the outward signes to apply them to an holy purpose This is done partly by the minister partly by the people and partly by them both The minister taketh the water in Baptisme which signifieth the blood of Christ and he poureth it on the person of the baptized he taketh the bread in the Lords supper and breaketh it he taketh the wine and poureth it out he deliuereth them both the people take and receiue they eate and drinke in remembrance of Christ and both minister and people ioynein praier and thanksgiuing vnto God the father for the mistery of our redemption accomplished by Christ our sauiour so that the sacrament is consecrated by the whole action of the minister and people together This maketh the difference betweene common water and the water in Baptisme this maketh the difference betweene that bread and wine of the Supper and the bread and wine which is vsed for ordinary meate and drinke True it is in nature in essence in substance there is none but in the ende and vse Common water we vse for the washing of our bodies but the water in Baptisme is sanctified by prayer to an other vse to be a signe of the clonsing of the soule Bread and wine at mens tables in their houses are set before them for the nourishment of their bodies but at the Lords l'able they are ordained of God to an higher and holier vse euen to be signes of the bodye and blood of Christ. This is noted by the Euangelistes and by the Apostle Paule that the Lord Iesus before he brake the bread and gaue it he blessed and gaue thankes to his father that he had appointed him to be the redeemer of the world and giuen him authority to institute this Sacrament in remembrance of his death and passion For wheras the Euangelist Mathew saith he blessed the other by way
and Sapphira his wife being in the number of Disciples wer no doubt baptized of the Apostles and had also receiued ofttimes the Lordes supper yet they continued in their wickednes lyinge and hypocrisie the sacrament did not take away their wickednes nor giue them a iustifying and sauing faithe which purifieth the hart by repentance and woorketh newe obedience in the soule The like we haue said of Simon the sorcerer who albeit he were baptized yet remained in the gall of bitternes and in the bond of iniquity Wherefore the Apostle teacheth that the worde profited not because it was not mingled with faith in those that heard it If the signes be receiued without faith they hurt not that Gods giftes and ordinances hurt of themselues but not being receiued aright they hurt through our sin and default As the worde not receiued by faith is an empty sound without force so the sacrament is an vnprofitable and a naked shew without substance Wherefore the Sacraments in regard of the vnbeleeuers and vngodly are no Sacraments to them because to them they are not seales of the righteousnesse of faith True it is they remaine Sacraments in respect of God who offereth his owne sonne but they lose their strength and force toward the vnfaithfull that do abuse and contemne them as the Apostle expresly teacheth Circumcision verilyts profitable if thou keepe the law but if thou be a transgressor of the law thy circumcision is become vncircumcision the same Apostle speaketh of such as vsed the Lords Supper without true godlinesse and due preparation saith This is not to eate the Lords Supper denying that to be which was not done as it ought to be Wherefore seeing the right vse of the Sacraments is when such as are truely conuerted vse them aright we learne diuerse instructions that flow follow from hence First that the reprobate though God offer the whole Sacrament to them doe receiue the signes alone without the things signified they haue the bare title without the thing the vanishing shadow without the body the outward letter without the spirit the empty box without the oyntment and the creature without the creator They are washed with the element of water but not with the grace of regeneration They eate the bread and drink the wine but they are not partakers of the body and blood of Christ Iesus to saluation They eate the bread of the Lord but they eate not the bread and the Lord because the signe without the right and holy vse thereof is not an auailable Sacrament to the receiuer of it Wee see therefore the wicked partake not CHRIST although they partake the signes of Christ as they that found his clothes but missed his body Secondly we see heereby that the elect ordained to eternall life but not yet called and conuerted to the Lord to the obedience of his will though they come often to the sacraments yet do in like manner receiue the bare signes without the things signified because as yet they want faith and repentance What then Do they nothing differ from the reprobates In this they differ not for the present time from the reprobate Not with standing that receiuing of the Sacrament which for the time present was vnfruitfull and vnprofitable shall after in them haue his good effect as the corne that lieth long couered in the earth at the length doth come vp and florish For the Sacrament receiued before a mans conuersion is afterward to the beleeuer and penitent sinner ratified and so becommeth profitable wherby the vse of the Sacrament which before was vtterly voide and vnlawfull doth then become lawfull and comfortable as we see in the word heard without fruit faith by an vnbeleeuer is made a word of saluation afterward when he is conuerted Lastly the elect already conuerted and sanctified by the spirit of God do to their profit comfort and saluation receiue both the signe and the thing signified together yet so as that for their vnworthy receiuing thereof which hapneth through their manifold infirmities and often relapses into sin they are subiect to temporall punishments for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saued in the day of the Lord Iesus For this cause many are licke and weak among you and many sleeps for if we would iudge our selues we should not be iudged of the Lord. Where the Apostle teacheth that God brought a iudgement vpon his owne house and punished this church with weakenes sicknesse and death it selfe for their vnreuerent vnworthy and disordered receiuing of the Lords Supper Although many among them no doubt were elected and all of them professed the Gospel of the kingdome yet god visited their want of preparation reuerence with diuerse diseases and great mortality according to the threatning annexed to the law If ye will not obey me nor do all these comcaundements if ye shall dispise mine ordinances or your soule abhor my lawes then wil I do this vnto you I wil appoint ouer youfearfulnes a consumption and the burning ague to consume the eies and to make the heart heauy And if ye walke stubbornly against me and will not obey me I wil then bring seauen times moe plagues vpon you according to your sinnes Wherefore when we haue receiued grace to beleeue and haue tasted the first-fruites of the spirit to the comfort of our soules we must not be puffed vp in our knowledge we must not grow secure but stir vp the giftes of God in vs when they begin to wax faint let vs seek to preuent his iudgments before they com which we may do by iudging our selus by making inquiry into our own waies and by searching the reines of our hartes with purpose to condemne all ignorance error security and vngodlinesse and as it were to take punishment of our selues then this would follow thereupon we should not be iudged and punished of the Lord. This then is the remedy to avoid the sin of vnworthy receiuing A man thus visited with sicknes weakenesse and diuerse kinds of diseases and smitten with the stroke of Gods own hand cannot possibly be restored by any creature in heauen or earth yet behold the Lord hath not left vs without meanes to remoue them and take them away to wit by taking away the cause that we may remoue the effects The cause of these punishmentes is taken away by iudging our selues Now a man in iudging of himselfe must performe foure things 1. he must examine himselfe of his sinnes 2. he must confesse them and himselfe to be guilty as the poore prisoner that standeth at the bar No denying of the fact no defending of the fault no hiding of the offence no iustifieng of our person can procure our pardon the way to haue for giuenes is to acknowledge our own wickednes 3. he must condemn himselfe and giue sentence against himself without partiality 4. he must plead pardon for
externall and visible which are bread and wine and besides the heauenly internal and inuisible the true body and blood of Iesus Christ together with al his gifts benefits and treasures according to the doctrine of Ireneus Thirdly we agree that in the supper of the lord we are made partakers not onely of the vertue and operation of christ but of the very essence and substance of his true body and blood which was giuen for vs to death vpon the crosse and was shed for vs so that we are most cōfortably nourished with the same vnto eternal life Fourthly we beleeue that the bread wine are not changed or transubstantiated into the flesh and blood of christ but remaine true and natural bread and wine in substance as before so that the bread is called his body and the wine his blood not only because his body and blood are signified by these and set before vs but because so often as we eate and drinke them worthily christ himselfe giueth vs his body blood truely to euerlasting life Lastly we al hold the vse of the supper in both kinds and that without the right vse of the outward signes it is no sacrament vnlesse the bread be eaten and 〈◊〉 wine drunk and therefore we condemne al 〈◊〉 and adoration of the bread al carying it about and lifting it vp by the priest to the people vsed in the Church of Rome The disagreements and diuersities in opinion among vs are in certaine adioynts and in the manner of receiuing for seeing we all reach and confesse the true communication of the true body and the true blood of our Lord Iesus christ the controuersie must needes stand in the manner of communicating and therefore the vnity of the churches is not therby plucked 〈◊〉 The difference standeth in these particulars First one part contendeth that these wordes of christ this is my body must be vnderstood literally and as the words found which yet that side doth not so vnderstand the other part holdeth that they are to be vnderstood sacramentally and figuratiuely according to the declaration of christ the interpretation of Paule and the infallible rules of our christian faith Secondly one part wil haue the body blood of christ essentially and bodily in with and vnder the bread and wine and so to be eaten as that together with the bread and wine they enter into the mouth and body of the receiuers but the other part holdeth that the body of christ which at the first supper sat at table with his disciples doth not now continue with vs vpon the earth but abideth in the heauens and shal remaine there vntil he break the heauens and discend thence to iudgement Lastly one part will haue al communicants that come to the lords table and partake the outward signs whether they come worthily or vnworthily whether they be beleeuers or insidels whether godly or vngodly tó eat the body and drinke the blood of christ corporally and with the mouth of the body so as the beleeuers doe eate him to life and saluation the vnbeleeuers to death and damnation the other side holdeth that the vnbe leeuers abuse the outward signs of bread and wine to their destruction and that only the faithful can eat the body and drinke the blood of christ by a true faith by the working of the holy ghost wherby they are made flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone being more neerely and firmely knit vnto him then the members of our body are vnited to our head and thereby drawing from him life euerlasting These are briefely the pointes of difference faithfuly not partially particularly not confusedly set downe in discussing the truth wherof howsoeuer great bitternes hath 〈◊〉 broken out betweene bretheren as likewise did betweene Paule and Barnabas yet setting the 〈◊〉 of disputation aside they were worthy members of the church zealous defenders of the faith learned teachers of the truth earnest destroiers of heresie and rare examples of golines notwithstanding the infirmities imperfections and intemperate stile of th one part And howsoere this odious mak-bate N. D. boldly auoucheth pag. 46. that these men neuer met 〈◊〉 to compound their controuersies but they haue alwaies departed more disagreeing more enimies theu euer they were before their meeting yet al men know he doth either ignorantly or maliciously conceale the seueral points of their vnion and agreement concluded and subscribed at Marpurge anno 1529. cha 15. which was in this sort credimns 〈◊〉 omnes c. we all beleeue and professe concerning the supper of the Lord Iesus Christ that the vse there of in both kinds according to the inctitution of christ is to be obserued And that the masse is not any such worke wherby one man may obtaine grace for another whether he be dead or aliue Also that the sacrament of the altar is the sacrament of the true body and blood of Iesus Christ. And that the spirituall eating of the same his body and blood is very necessary for euerie christian man Moreouer that the vse of this sacrament euen as the word it selfe is instituted of almighty God to stir vp vnto faith the weake consciences of men by his holy spirit And although it could not hither to be altogether agreed amòg vs whether the true body blood of ch be in the bread and wine corporallie yet neuertheles both parties ought to declare christian charity one toward the other so far as conscience can beare And both parts shal diligently pray vnto god that he by his spirit may vouchsafe to establish vnto vs the true vnderstà ding of that matter A men In this act which was subscribed with the hands of Luther Melanthou Brentius 〈◊〉 Oecolampadius Bucer and others we see they professe christian charity and promise earnestly to pray vnto God to reueile his truth vnto them bring them to be of one hart in the truth and confirme them to discerne of things that differ so 〈◊〉 the enimies of our church haue cause rather to enuy our agreement then to in ueigh against our disagreement It is not the custome of the true church tò delight in contention it is the fashion of the church of Rome to command to compel to enforce to presse to oppresse to ban to throw out cursings and to thunder out excommunations against those that dissent frō thē but our churches not withstanding this variance haue not so proceeded one against another as enemies we curse not but blesse we hate not but loue we parsecure not but pray one for another keeping the groūdwork of faith 〈◊〉 ioyning harts and hands we seeke to repaire the ruine of Syon and pull down the fortresses of the enemies therof Moreouer albeit it were to be presumed in men of iudgment and discretion that such as haue leysure with delight and pleasure to paint out the iars and quarels abroad either are or doubtlesse shoulde be in league and loue at home yet
the father of the sonne and of the Holy ghost the inward clensing of the sonle by the blood of Christ is represented This description of baptisme is to be opened and farther expounded vnto vs wherein fiue pointes are to be considered of vs. First it is called the first Sacrament both in respect of the other Sacrament of the Lords supper and because when the nations were conuerted to the saith and beleeued in the name of Christ they were immediatly baptized as we see the practise of the church Act. 2. 4. and Chap. 10. 47. and Ch 8 12. Where after embracing the faith we see the partaking of baptisme and the sealing vp of their conuersion Againe it is said there must be an outward washing of the body with water because the Apostle declareth therby the nature of a sacrament of baptism Eph 5. Calling it the washing of water through the Word and it hath a iust proportion or relation to the spirituall washing of our newe birth Tit. 3 5. being also called the baptisme of repentance and amendment of life for remission of sins Dipping into the water is not necessary to the being of a sacrament sprinkling of water is not necessary to the being of a Sacrament but wetting and washing with water is necessary to the being of a Sacrament Now whether the whole body should be washed or the face only and whether it should be done once or thrice is not greatly materiall but left indifferent to the church to decree and determine what shal be thought fittest to be receiued and practised Thirdly it is added in the former description that baptisme is once onely to be administred For as in naturall generation man is once onely borne so it is in spirituall regeneration And as circumcision was once only receiued in the flesh whereby the fore-skin was circumcised so is Baptisme once onely to be administred not oftentimes to be repeated Wherefore the Apostle Eph. 4. saith There is one baptisme one faith Againe Christ willed the Apostles to minister Baptisme not Baptismes Lastly in baptisme the death of Christ is represented and he died but once so that as his death was not to be repeated no more is baptisme to be reiterated Fourthly the forme and manner of doing is said to be Into the name of the father and of the sonne and of the Holy-ghost Wherby is ment that we haue fellowship with God in three persons as a wife hath with her husband who passeth into her husbands name to be subiect to him to obey him to acknowledge and call vpon him to worship no other god but the true Iehoua This therfore is not to be vnderstood onely of vsing the name of the Trinity in baptizing but by it also is ment that the persons baptized are receiued into the grace and fellowship of God to become his people and to be pertakers of his couenant to their spirituall comfort Lastly in the description before remembred it is affirmed that the outward washing of the body Representeth the inward clensing of the soule by the blood of Iesus Christ. This appeareth expresly Gal. 3. All that are baptized into Christ haue put on Christ. And Titus 3. 5. 6. According to his mercy he saued vs by the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy-ghost which he shed on vs aboundaintly through Iesus Christ our sauiour So also the same Apostle We are 〈◊〉 with him by baptisme into his death These testimonies out of the word of truth do euidently teach that this is the principall scope and end of Baptisme to assure our consciences by externall washing of the inward clensing of our soules by the blood of Christ for remission of sins This being the discription of baptisme let vs see what good vses may be made therof and euery part in order as they haue beene laid before vs. And first touching the first point mentioned before in the description that Baptisme is the first Sacrament This teacheth that such as are gained to the faith children of such as are in the profession are immediately to he baptized So was the Eunuch when he was instructed so was Paule when he was conuerted so were the Iewes when they repented And indeede this is a true saying that men cannot be incorporate into any religion whether it be true or false vnlesse they be combined together by some communion and fellowship of visible Sacraments Again Is baptisme the first Sacrament of the new Testament Then it followeth that he which is not baptized is not to be admitted to the Lords table he that hath not receiued the first Sacrament is not to bee made partaker of the second As in the old testament circumcision was the Sacrament of entrance and admission and none was admitted to eate the Passouer but such as wer circumcised as we see Exod. so none hath this right and priuiledge to come to the supper of the Lord vnlesse first they be entred and the doore opened to them by baptisme For a man must be knowne to belong to our family and houshold before he presume to eat of the childrens bread that belongeth not to strangers Touching the vse of the 2. point to wit that there must be washing with waters we learne that washing with water is of the necessity of baptisme Indeed ther may be a washing without baptisme but ther can be no baptisme without washing The washing of water through the word So that this washing is necessary because of the fit similitude that is between it and our regeneration or new-birth The water is apt to clense vs leaueth no silah behind so is our iustification 〈◊〉 sanctification repressented by the blood of christ as shal be cōsidered Therfore such as vsed sand or blood or such like matter not fit for washing did not indeed baptize but horribly prophane the Sacra of baptisme The third point in the description is that baptisme is once onely to be administred which affordeth vnto vs these three vses First it sheweth a difference between it and the Lords supper The Apostle Paule speaking of the supper of the Lord saith As oft as ye shal eat this bread and drinke of this cup and Christ our sauiour Do this as oft as ye drink it in remembrance of me therfore it must be often receiued of the church But baptisme once ministred is not againe to be repeated As we are once onely borne into the world but after our birth are dayly nourished so we are but once baptized but there is continuall vse of the Lords supper where at we are fed to eternall life Secondly this teacheth that all rebaptizing is vnlawful as we see by the examples of the Apostles who baptized not the beleeuers and members of the church the second time For Act. 2. it is noted that such as beleeued the gospel continued in the apostles doctrine in fellowship in breaking of bread prayer but not
of washing away sins were found in the element of water Baptisme therfore is not the washing away of sins onely the bloud of Christ clenseth vs from al sin 1. Iohn 1 7. Againe this declareth the perpetuall vse of it in the church seeing it hath this effect to assure remission and forgiuenes of sins vnto this let vs bring our children of this let vs make them partakers from this let vs by no means keepe them and in this let vs continually renew our couenant with God Chap 2. That the parts of Baptisme are partly outward and partly inward Hitherto wee haue shewed how baptisme is taken and what it is In baptism we are to consider 2 things his parts and his vses For as in the former book when we spake of the Sacraments in generall hauing shewed what a Sacrament is we discended to his parts and vses wherein the perfect knowledge thereof consisteth so wee wiil obserue the same in handling the doctrine of the sacraments in particular The parts of baptisme are first to be opened the vses are to be reserued to their proper place The parts are 2. the outward and the inward parts This appeareth 1 Pet 3 Where of the baptisme that now is answereth that figure which is not a putting away of the filth of the flesh but a confident demanding which a good conscience maketh to God and saueth vs by the resurrection of Iesus Christ. Where the A postle teacheth that sinne cannot be washed awaye by that outwarde water but by Christs inward working which the outward baptisme doth shaddow In like manner Mar. 1. Truth it is I haue baptized you ' with Water but hee will baptize you with the Holy-ghost where the baptise sheweth that hee baptized outwardly but the force of it proceedeth from Christ who baptizeth inwardly So Act 2 Peter saide vnto them Amend your liues and be baptized euerie one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes and ye shall receiue the gift of the Holy-ghost Where the A postle declareth that in such as repent and beleeue the vertue of the Holy-ghost is ioyned with outwarde baptisme The outwarde partes therefore are one thinge and the inwarde partes are another that which is seene is one thing and that which is vnderstood is another thing This diuision of the partes of Baptisme affoordeth diuers good vses and putteth vs in minde of sundrye holy duties And first of all are there outwarde and inwarde partes of baptisme then we learne hereby that the outwarde partes are no vaine ceremonies no fruitlesse rites no vnprofitable actions that may be neglected or contemned but auaileable signes and effectuall seales of the sprinkling of Christs blood for the forgiuenes of all our sinnes Againe seeing there is such an vnion of the partes betweene themselues we must not contemue or dispise or deferre baptisme Wherefore the faithfull all delaies reasons and pretences set aparte haue speedily prepared themselues to do that which God commaundeth Wee haue a worthy example in Abraham when god required him to circumcise himselfe his sonne and all the males of his house and thereby to vncouer all their shames hee doth not inquire why God required this at his hands hee doth not complaine or consult with flesh and blood ouer all doubts faith got the victory and subdued reason vnder her and caused him with diligence readines and expedition to submit himselfe to fulfill the Lords will and performe it the same day that he commaunded it Of this duty likewise we see Paule was admonished by Ananias immediately after his conuersion Act. 22. saying Why tariest thou Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sinnes in calling on the name of the Lord. Whereby he sheweth that this tarying and delay in the matters of God maketh vs culpable in his sight True it is it is not the want of Baptisme simply that is demnable as is shewed afterward but the contempt of the Sacraments is dangerous and without repentance damnable as it appeareth The Pharisies and expounders of the law despised the counsell of God against themselues and were not baptized of him We know all neglect and contempt in heauenly duties is euill and bringeth with it a certain curse as the prophet saith Cursed is he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently We see in humaine and wordly thinges wise-men will not deferre the sealing of their writings and calling of witnesses when they haue giuen a promise to other or made a bargaine with other knowing that vnnecessary delay may breede vnrecouerable danger as wee see by the example of Ieremy when he had bought a field of his vncles sonne presently he weighed him the siluer enrolled it in a booke of remembrance hee signed it he tooke witnesses and left it written in roles or records hauing an instrument or euidence fairely drawne and sealed with the common seale if any thing should be called in question in time to come 〈◊〉 he like we see in Abraham long before when he had bought a possession of the Hittites for the buriall of his dead he weighed out and paied 〈◊〉 money among Marchants so the field and the caue that was 〈◊〉 withal the trees and appurteuances that were therin was made sure to him for a possession As these men when they had made the purchase would not delay the taking of assurance and security the like delaying and vnnecessary putting off the time from Sabboath to Saboath from meeting to meeting ought to be fhunned of vs otherwise thogh we should be free from contempt we cannot excuse ourselues of the neglect of au high and holy duty to God and our children Indeede we are not pricisely tyed to a certaine day in Baptisme as the Iewes were to the 8. day in their circumcision but that which the 8. day was to them a conuenient and orderly time is to vs. Now what time can be more conuenient more comely more fitte then the Sabboath day following when the Church is assembled That so it may be administred rightly reuerently religiously and conueniently in the publike meetings of the faithfull Againe the needelesse and carelesse deferring of this worke hath a grieuous threatning annexed of assured punishment and iudgement as it is set down The vncircumcised male in whose flesh the foreskin is not circumcised euen that person snalbe cut off from his people because he hath broken my couenant Whereby we see that whosoeuer shal neglect circumcision not fuffer himself be circumcised or shal approue the negligence committed by his parents shall bee none of the peop'e of God but shall be shut out from the society and barred from the fellowship of the faithful both in this world and in the world to come vnlesse hee repent of this sin And that the neglect of Gods ordinance draweth his wrath appeareth in the example of Moyses The Lord met him and would haue killed him because his son was not
partakers of the sacrament with the faithfull seeing they are enrolled in the fellowship of the faithfull And who shall depriue them of the seale of the couenant seeing they are partakers of regeneration and remission of sinnes Heereupon thus we reason whosoeuer are in the couenant and Church of GOD to them belongeth baptisme which is the seale of the couenant but infants are in the couenant and of the Church therefore to them belongeth baptisme which is the seale of the couenant Againe to whome the promise appertaineth they may and ought to bee baptized but the promise was made euen to infants therefore they may and ought to be baptised Furthermore to whome forgiuenes of sinnes and the Holy-ghost are promised and giuen they ought by no meanes to bee denied the outwarde signe but forgiuenesse of sinnes and the Holy-ghost are promised to infantes and giuen vnto them therefore infantes ought not to bee kept from the element of Water no more then such as are of yeares of discretion Thus much of the first point putting children into the right and possession of Baptisme as if it were the right heires into their inheritance from which they haue bene wrongfully and vniuftly dispossessed Hauing now sufficiently prooued by the scripture that children are to bee baptized it remaineth that wee shoulde maintaine this assertion against the cauils of the Anabaptists For as the former reasons grounded vppon the euident demonstration of the worde as vppon a pillar that cannot be shaken may perswade vs to embrace the truth so the weakenes and sophistry which appeareth in the Obiections of the aduersaries ferueth to confirme vs in this perswasion But let vs examine what is the strength of them First they obiect it was neuer cōmanded that infants shold be baptized I answer vnblamable examples and practises not contradicted are in the nature of precepts Againe the will of God approuing and appointing childrens baptisme appeareth in that it came in place of vncircumcision Baptisme is our circumcision Besides we haue a generall commaundement Go teach all nations and baptize them And the Apostle saith all were baptized in the cloud and in the sea Christ saith al nations the Apostles saith all the Israelites let them shew where infants are excepted and exempted for wee hold this as a certaine principle that a generall commaundement includeth the particular and comprehendeth the same vnder it as well as if it were by name expresled Secondly they obiect if infants may be baptised then they may be admitted to the Lords supper for why should not the supper be giuen to the whole church as well as baptisine I answere there is not the like reason and respect of both There is great difference betweene these two sacraments For baptisme is a signe of our entrance and receiuing into the church so that the Supper is to be granted to none but to such as are baptised and are fit to beare strong meat being instituted for our confirmation and sealing vnto vs that God hauing once receiued vs into the church will also euermore preserue vs in it that we neuer fall from it nor forsake it and will nourish and cherish vs by the body and blood of Christ. Wherefore the Lord Iesus to shew that his Supper was not for children but for men would not administer it in the element of milke which is for infants and for new borne Babes but in bread and wine which are for stronge men that are of age Againe sundry conditions and considerations are required in the supper which debar young infants that although they are to be baptized yet they ought not to be admitted to the Lords supper seeing by their young yeares they are excluded For it is required of all those that come to this supper to shew foorth the Lords death to discerne the body and blood of Christ and try themselues whether they haue faith and repentance But infants cannot doe these thinges they cannot shew foorth the Lordes death they are not apt to discerne his body and blood they are not able to examine themselues and therefore infants for good causes are excluded from this Supper Thirdly they obiect that it is said Teach and baptize and again He that shall beleeue and be baptized shall be saued where vpon they conclude that such as beleeue not are not to be baptized inasmuch as Christ before baptisme commaundeth teaching and afterward ioyneth baptizing with beleeuing But infants are not capable of doctrine neither do they actually beleeue therefore they are not to be baptized Again if repentance be necessarily ioyned as Act. 2 Amend your liues and be baptized then infants must be separated and secluded who cannot repent But repentance is necessarily required therefore infants are to be barred from the sacrament of baptisme I answere first those sentences are not generall to all but belong onely to men of sufficient yeares and discretion to discerne betweene good and euill By this fraud of extending stretching and falsely applying generall sentences of Scripture a man might reare and raise many monstrous conclusions If a mā would go about to proue that children are not to be nourished and sed with coporall foode because the Aposte would haue none to eate but such as labour were he not worthy to be spitted at or hissed out of the schools because he carrieth that indifferently to all ages which is limited and restrained to a certaine age So must we not rack and rent asunder the generall sentences of scripture Except ye repent ye shall al perish faith commeth by hearing hearing by the word of God he that beleeueth and is baptized shal be saued These belong onely to men of discretion and are not to be applyed to infants whom they do not concerne Againe Christ in those words instructeth his Apostles what order they should obserue in the conuersion of the Gentiles first they must instruct them in faith then baptize them being instrued and lastly guide them in true obedience being instructed when he addeth Teaching them to obserue what soeuer I haue commaunded you Besides if they strictly vrge and stifly stand vpon the wordes as they literally lye in order why may we not first baptize them before wee teach them because it is said baptizing them in the name of the Trinity and teaching them to obserue what I commannd But hee intreateth in this place of such as are growne vppe which must first haue knowledge in the gospell faith in Christ and repentance from dead workes before they bee baptized but infants are baptized by reason of the promise made to their parentes Moreouer we might oppose vnto these the example of circumcision which we know and they are not ignorant was giuen to infantes who could not yet beleeue so that such as bar them from baptisme because they are not capable of faith and repentance might in like manner exclude the infants of the Isralites from circumcision Baptisme
are oftentims in gendred Eucharist and so consume it whether the shewes of bread be the body without the blood and the shews of wine the blood without the body It were infinite to note out all their contentions and contradictions these may suffice to shew how the enimies of God fight one against another and all of them with their own shadwoes And thus much of the late doting deuise of transubstantiation which is the soule and life of their popish religion the deniers or doubters wherof they pursue with fire and sword more eagerly then such as are enemies to the blessed trinity The last generall vse is this if christ deliuered both these signes not onely the bread but the wine also to his disciples then both kinds by the minister are to be deliuered and both kinds by the people are to be receiued not bread alone nor wine alone but bread and wine the bread in token of his body giuen for vs and the wine in token of his blood shed for vs. This is the ordinance of Christ this is a greeable to the scripture Notwithstanding the Church of Rome hath decreed that it is not necessary for the people to cómunicate in both kinds and holdeth them accursed that hold it necessary for the people to receiue the cup cósecraced by the priest Thus it appeareth they labor nothing more then to take from the faithful the sweete comfort of the Lords supper This is a sacrilegious corruption of christs institution deuised by sathan broached by Antichrist published by his adherentes in the corrupt times of most palpable darknesse as may appeare by these reasons Frist if none may drinke of the consecrate wine but the priest then none should eat of the bread but priests so that they must either exclude the people from both which I trust they dare not or admit them to both which as yet they do not For to whom Christ said Take and eate to those gaue he the cup and said Drinke ye Wherefore the signes being both equal all communicants must drinke of the one as wel as eate of the other there being the same warrant for the one that there is for the other and the let that would barre the one will hinder the other so as the thinges which God in his goodnesse hath ioyned together man without sinne cannot separate Secondly when Christ instituted this sacrament he said Drinke ye all of this and by all he vnderstood of the Communicants And the Euangelist Marke addeth They al drank of it to wit all that were present at his last supper who had before eaten of the bread of the Lord. This also appeareth by the Apostle 1 Cor. 12. They haue beene all made to drinke into one spirit This commaundement of Christ being generall imposeth a necessity vpon the people when he saith Take ye eate ye drinke ye do ye this These commaundements are perpetuall vnchangable and alwaies in force not arbitrary not temporall not repealed but bind the conscience to the end of the world against which no limitation or dispensation can be alowed being the commaundementes of God not of man Thirdly the cup is a part of Christes will and testament Now touching the nature of a testament or will the saying of the Apostle is knowne If it be but a mans testament when it is confirmed no man doth abrogate it or addeth any thing therto where he sheweth that the dead mans wil may not be changed nothing can be put to nothing taken out without forgery and salsehood This is the law of nature and Nations But the Lordes Supper is a sacrament proper to the new testament as Christ saith this cup is the new testament in my blood which is shed for you This testament the Lord Iesus made the night before he was betrayed he sealed it by shedding his most precious blood he hath giuen Legacies not of earthly and temporall but of heauenly and eternall goods And seeing he hath appointed the cup of this his testament to be deliuered and drunke of all those for whom his blood was shed it is intollerable boldnes and presumption to take away the vse thereof from the greater part of the Church and an infallible token of an vnshamefast and shamelesse harlot to alter her husbands will to defraud and defeat his children of that worthy portion which their father alotted 〈◊〉 and so to keepe backe part of their inhetitance and 〈◊〉 Fourthly the blood of Christ shed vpon the Crosse belongeth not onely to the pastors and teachers but to all the faithfull that come to the table of the Lord as appeareth by the wordes of Christ This is my blood which is shed for you and for many why then should the blood of Christ be denyed or the cup of the Lord be barred from them If then the blood of Christ were shed for the people as well as for the ministers surely the cup belongeth to one as wel as to the other If the people haue the greater who shall keepe them from the lesse If they haue their part in the thing signified who shall deny them of the outward signe For as the fruite and effect of the blood of Christ is common to the people with the pastor so should the cup also which is the communion of his blood shed for the redemptionof the peoples sinnes be diuided indifferently betweene the pastor and the people Fiftly the Apostle deliuered that to the Church which he had receiued from the Lord Iesus Now the Church ought diligently to obserue the written traditions and verities of the Apostles which are committed to posterity to be kept inuiolably But he hath deliuered how the Lord after taking blessing breaking and distributing of the bread likewise tooke the cuppe blessed and distributed it among them so saith the Apostle must the Churches do If then he receiued this from the Lorde to deliuer both kinds to the people let the Church of Rome consider with her selfe from whence she hath receiued the contrarye to withhold one of the kinds from the people for both cannot proceed from one and the same spirit of truth which is neuer contrary to it selfe Sixtly if all the faithfull that come to the Lordes Table must shew forth the Lords death vntill he come and this be done by them as wel by drinking of the cup as by eating of the bread then all the communicants must receiue the sacrament vnder both kinds vntill the second comming of christ But the faithfull must shew forth the lordes death by eating of that bread and drinking of that cup as the Apostle teacheth As often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke of this cup ye shew the Lordes death vntill he come Therefore all communicants must partake the sacrament vnder both kinds Seuenthly the Apostle giueth an expresse commaundemēt to 〈◊〉 whole church which al must obey that come worthily to this holy table Let a man examine himselfe
it is the Lords supper may after a sorte be called a sacrifice not as the church of Rome meaneth but bycause therin we offer vp praises thanks giuings to god for that sacrifice of attonement once made vpon the crosse which is most acceptable to god and because such as come aright thereunto offer vp themselues wholly to god a reasonable holy and liuing sacrifice and lastly because thereby we cal to our remembrance 〈◊〉 bloody sacrifice of christ withal 〈◊〉 circumstances therof the shame of the crosse the darkenes of the heauen the shaking of the earth the renting of the aire the cleauing of the rocks the reproches of the Iewes the taunts of the soldiers the opening of the graues the conquering of the deuil For the christians in former times perceiuing that many both Iewes and gentiles refused to embrace the faith of christ and to ioyne themselues to the church because they pretend the want of sacrifices among them and nature engrafted in all nations this principle that we haue no free accesse to God no true peace to our selus without a sacrifice the fathers to win such as were without affirmed that the church had also a sacrifice and thereupon entituled the sacrament of the supper with the name of a sacrifice for the causes before remembred But for a mortall man whose breath is in his nostrils to presume in the prid of his hart vnder the formes of bread and wine to offer vp christ the son of God in the sacrifice to his father and to dare to desire the father fauourably to behold and accept his owne sonne is idolatry blasphemy and horrible impiety to be detested of all true hearted Christians Touching the originall of the word Masse it seemeth to come from an ancient custome of the church sending away such as communicated not For the deacon was accustomed to bid them depart that were nouices in the faith and such as by Church-discipline were remoued from the communion This dimission of them was noted by the word Missa signifieng a sending away and licensing to depart and thus some of the heathen vsed it The name then being in it selfe not euill is turned into an euill practise and therfore as it is vsed and vnderstood of our aduersaries we reiect both the name and thing it selfe for these causes First no angell no man no creature is of that dignity and worthinesse that he may offer vp and sacrifice the sonne of God for the priest is aboue the sacrifice they therefore that will be the priests to offer christ aduance and lift vp themselues aboue christ Secondly if christ be really offered in the Masse then he is killed truely and indeed for a reall sacrifice proueth a reall death and when christ was sacrificed really he dyed really as when the beasts were sacrificed they wer killed And Holcot one of the schoolemen saith If there had been a thousand hostes in a thousand places at the same time that Christ did hang vpon the crosse christ had beene crucified in a thousand places Wherfore they that really sacrificed our Sauiour Christ did in that act really and wickedly kill him so that the prieste s of Baal if they wil be sacrificers of Christ must acknowledge themselues therein the reall murtherers of Christ. Thirdly new sacrifices are not to bee instituted by men without commaundement of god as Moses teacheth Deut. 12. we must not do h what seemeth good in our owne eyes but take heede and heare all these words which he commaundeth vs. Now Christ neuer saide Sacrifice ye my bodie and blood to God Fourthly Christ tooke the bread and gaue it to his disciples he did not offer it vp to God the father he tooke the cup and bad them all drinke of it he did not turne himfelfe to God and desire him then to accept the sacrifice of his body and blood Fiftly if the bread and Wine remaine in their former substance in the Lords supper then bread and wine onely are offered not the body and blood of Christ but they remaine for christ deliuered bread to his Disciples and Paule teacheth that it is the bread which is broken that as ofren asthe 〈◊〉 eat this bread and drinke of this cup they shew the Lords death therefore their reall Sacrifice is reall idolatry Sixtly it appeareth in the institution of the Supper that Christ consecrated the Bread apart and the wine 〈◊〉 and afterwarde deliuered them both apart but the bodye of Christ was neuer sacrificed without the blood nor the blood without the flesh for Christ offered vppon the Altar of the crosse the sacrifice of his bodie and blood together this is the cause that he saide Take ye eat ye drinke ye not take ye to offer and to Sacrifice Seuenthly the Scripture teacheth vs one offering and Sacrifice for sin once performed and offered Heb. 10. Wee are sanctified by the offering of Iesus Christ k once made and ver 12. This man after he had offered one saerifice for sinnes sitteth at the right hnnd of God And the Apostle 1 Tim. 2. There is one mediator betweene God and man the man Iesus Christ who gaue himselfe a ransome for all men So 1 Iohn 2. If any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteous and hee is the propitiation for our sinnes Likewise Heb 9. By his owne blood he entred in once vnto the holy place and obtained eternall redemption for vs not that he should offer himselfe l often as the high Priest entered into the holy place euerie yeare with other blood for then must he haue often suffered since the foundation of the worlde but now in the end of the worlde hath he bene made manifest once to put away sinne by the sacrifice of himselfe We haue plentifull testimonies of this truth in this Epistle as chap. x. Where remission of these things is there is no more offering for sinne If then we haue remission by the sacrifice of Christ all other sacrifices are superfluous and abrogat his al-sufficient sacrifice So Rom 6. In that he died he died for sinne once And 1. Pet. 3. Christ also hath once suffered for sinnes the iust for the vninst If then this perfect offering were once onely to be offered then he is not offered neither can be offered againe in the Masse And if the onely oblation of Christ once offered by himselfe be sufficient all other oblations and Sacrifices are vaine and superfluous For how is that perfect which is often repeated Eightly to make a lawfull sacrifice there is required necessarily a fit minister lawfully called of God for no man taketh his honor to himselfe but he that is called of God as was Aaron so likewise Christ took not to himselfe this honour to be made the high-priest but he that saide to him Thou art my sonne this day I begat thee gaue it him But Christ is the onely priest
testament and the new they had sundry significant signes and Ceremonies whose interpretation was not easily knowne vnto them Thirdly seeing God hath giuen vnto vs two signes and added two seals to his word and writings we ought to haue the stronger faith in his mircyfull promises For wherefore hath he doubled the signes but that wee should encrease in faith and as it were double our assurance of his graces Lastly this number of two ouerthroweth the number of seauen sacramentes maintained in the church of Rome which iust number was first broched by Peter Lumbard afterwarde ratysied in the Counsell of Florence and lastlye established in the Counsell of Trent and is now become the common doctrine of that counterfect church For besides baptisme and the Lords supper which wee receiue they haue instaled into the number of sacraments Confirmation Penance Matrimony Orders and extreame Vnction contrary to the doctrine of the scriptures contrary to the nature of Sacramentes and contrary to the euidence of sundry reasons And firist of all confirmation cannot bee lifted vppe into the seate of the Sacramentes or sit downe in this Chaire of honour because it wanteth the institution of Christ it wanteth an outward signe it hath no word to warrant it or promise of blessing for howsoeuer the Apostles by imposition of hands gaue the holy ghost those miraculous gifts are now withdrawne from the church of God Lastly they haue aduanced it aboue baptisme they administer it in a strange tongue and halow the greazy oyle to purifie soule and body Secondly their popish penance instituted by bodily chastisements to make satisfaction for sinne to God is no sacrament of the new testament nor any sacred thing being thus vnderstood For we acknowledge no other satifaction for sinne wherein God delighteth and the conscience of man 〈◊〉 but only the death and obedience of christ Besides true repentance hath beene preached and practised from the beginning of the world after that sinne entred into the world Furthermore their penance hath no visible signe as baptisme and the supper of the Lord haue Thirdly matrimony albeit it be a diuine ordinance honourable among all estates yet can be no Sacrament of the church of christ because it was instituted before the law it is ratified among the infidels which are no members of the church it hath no promise of grace and saluation ioyned to it and albeit it be honorable in all yet it is not necessary in all Lastly the Roman church esteemeth it as an vnclean thing a prophanation of holy orders a liuing in the flesh so that as with one hand they aduance it to a great dignity with the other hand they cast it downe with great disgrace and contempt as vnworthy of the high and holy priesthood Fourthly orders come in the next place which are the offices and ministry of the church but no sacrament or sacraments of the church For then according to the number of orders we should multiply the number of sacraments Neither haue they any outward element and visible signe Lastly we are come to extream vnction which we suffer not to maske vnder the name of sacraments but pul off the vizard thereof because the church had the vse of anoynting so long as it retained the miraculous gift of healing Besides it hath no word ofinstitution to warrant the continual practise of it vntill the second comming of christ Wherefore seeing the word of God teacheth the number of two sacraments onely and the church of Rome instructeth her children in the number of 7. sacraments neither moe nor lesse they must pardon vs if we harken rather to the scriptures then to their traditions rather to God then to man rather to the truth then to the spirit of error Hitherto we haue spoken of the Sacramentes in generall of their parts their vses their number now we come to speake of them in particular first of baptisme then of the Lords supper And howsoeuer baptisme hath sundry significations yet as it signifieth that washing with water which serueth to seale the couenant of the new testament it is the first sacrament wherein by the outward washing of the body with water once in the name of the father of the son and of the holy ghost the inward clensing of the soule by the blood of christ is represented This descrption teacheth that such as are not yet baptized are not to be admitted to the lords table that albeit dipping be not necessary to the being of baptisme yet washing with water is of the essence of this sacrament that such as are once baptized are not to be rebaptized albeit they haue beene baptized by heretickes and that whosoeuer is baptized hath made a solemne couenant to professe the Christian religion Now q wee are to consider in Baptisme as wee did before generally in a Sacrament these two thinges his partes and his vses The partes of baptisme are outward and inward The outward partes are these foure The first outward part is the Minister as the Messenger of God For baptisme is a part of the Minystry and God hath ioyned the ministry of the word sacraments togither Wherfore the minister must be carefull and not carelesse in the execution of his osfice who is to sanctifie the Water and to wash the party Moreouer the people are directed to whom to resort when they haue children to be baptized Lastly the Church of Rome prophane baptisme when they appoint mid-wiues and priuate persons to baptize children The second outward part is the word of institution which is as the forme of this sacrament The third part is the element of water which is the matter whereof baptisme consisteth Whosoeuer therefore baptiseth with any other liquorthen with water as with blood with sand with snow with milk or such like matter doth frustrate Baptisme and maketh it an idell ceremony Againe all Popish corruptions added and annexed to this sacrament contrary to the simplicity of the gospel as creame crosses censors tapers spettle salt and such like vnsauory trumpery are 〈◊〉 hauing also a superstitious opinion of holinesse and worship ioyned with them Also if water be an outward part the want of washing with water cannot hinder the saluation of such as dye without baptisme All perished not vnder the law that died without circumcision God is not more rigorous vnder the Gospell This therefore is a bloody and discomfortable doctrine to be abandoned and abiured of all parents of all childeren of all Christians The fourth outward parte of baptisme is the body that is washed Novv such as are to be baptized must be within the Couenant these are eyther men and Women of riper yeares or else the infantes of such vvho haue interest in Baptisme as vvell as their parentes This condemneth the Romyshe practise of baptizing bels and serueth to set forth the great loue of God to all
communion with the body and blood of christ Heere God is present and sitteth as president at this table he offereth vnto vs his owne sonne for our iustification and therefore this supper must be reuerently regarded and diligently frequented of vs. In this sacrament we are in like manner to consider the partes and the vses thereof The parts are partly outwarde and partly inwarde The outwarde partes are foure First the Minister who is to take the breade and Wine into his hands after the example of christ to seperate the breade and Wine so taken from their common vse to an holy to breake the breade to poure out the Wine and deliuer them both into the hands of all the people present So then they are not consecrated to be priestes of the new testament but preachers of the gospel and ministers of the sacraments and therefore priuate persons may not take this supper to themselues or deliuer it to others The second part is the word of institution this is my body that is this bread is a signe of my body which shortly shall be crucified for you this cuppe is the new testament in my blood that is this wine in the cup is a true sign of my blood presently to be shed to confirme the new couenant of God touching forgiuenes of sinnes and eternal life These words are not properly but figuratiuely to be vnderstood being sacramentall speeches Thus the Scripture speaketh of Circumcision and of the paschall Lambe The third outward part are bread and wine fit signes to signifie our spirituall nourishment by eating the body and drinking the blod of Christ In Baptisme we haue one onely signe but in this supper we haue two to note out our ful and perfect nourishment by Christ. Nether did christ deliuer the deceiueable shewes of bread and wine or cast a mist before the eyes of his desciples to make them thinke it breade which was no bread or wine which was no wine but he gaue them true breade and the true fruit of the vine as the apostle calleth them after the blessing breaking consecration Hereby falleth to the ground the mystery of transubstantiation the most misshapen monster that euer liued or was deuised It bringeth in a false Christ and turneth him into an idoll it maketh Sacraments without signes it maketh Christ to haue an infinite body who is like to vs in all things sinne onely excepted lastly it confoundeth heauen and earth together Neither let any obiect that Christ hath now a glorified body sitting at the right hand of his father and therefore his body hath a great priuiledge aboue ours to be in diuers places at the same time For first when the holy supper was instituted the body of Christ was not glorified Againe glorification doth not take away the nature of a true body but taketh away the infirmity and weaknes thereof Take away space of place from a body and it remaineth no longer a true body but the essence of it is abolished as Austine hath well determined Againe if Christ deliuered both signes the people ought to receiue vnder both kindes so that they may be iustly called church-robbers who haue taken from the people the vse of the cup and wretched depriuers of christes testament depriuing the right heires of their inheritance and ingrossing into their hands the goods of others They make it of the essence of the Sacrament to vse 〈◊〉 bread and to mingle water with wine which christe neuer ordained or commanded but that which is necessary they esteeme as needlesse and superfluous b thus transgressing the commaundement of God by their owne traditions The fourth outward part are the communicantes whose duty it is to take the breade and wine into their hands to eate the bread and to drinke the wine to the norishment of their bodies He did not bid them to reserue the outward signes to holde them and adore them or call the sacrament their Lord and their God he did not command them to offer thē vp to God the father as a propitiatory sacrifice for the quicke and dead as is vsed in their vnbloody or rather most bloody Masse which hath caused so much innocent blood of the blessed martyrs to be shed who being kild for theword of god and the testimony which they maintaind their souls vnder the altar cry day night with a loud voice vnto the L. holy and true to iudg and auenge their blood on them that dwell on the earth Lastly hereby are ouerthrown the priuat Masses of the church of Rome which now grow to be too common canot stand with the communion of Christe who deliuered the signes of bread and wine to all the disciples that were present they did not stand by and gaze one vpon another but receiued the supper of the Lord 〈◊〉 The outward parts haue bin hitherto handled which being rightly perfourmed there followeth consecration which is a seperation of the outward signes from their ordinarie vse to an holy and spirituall vse that whereas before they serued for the body now they are made instrumentes of grace and seales of the righteousnes by faith The inward parts follow which are foure First god the father who appointed his sonne to performe the gratious work of our redemption and in the fulnes of time sent him into the world who died for our sins and rose againe for our iustification Secondly the Holyghost who assureth vs of the truth of gods promises This sheweth that he is true god equall with the father and the son proceeding from the father and the son This 〈◊〉 such as suppose no partaking of the body and blood of christ except he be giuen vs in a carnall and fleshy manner whereas the spirite worketh faith in our hearts which is the ground of thinges which are hoped for and the euidence of thinges which are not seene The thirde inwarde part of the Lordes Supper is the body and blood of Christ deliuered for vs vnto death This conuinceth such of a spirit of errour who make vnbeleeuers and reprob partakers of Chr. body and blood thus his body should be prophaned and his sauing graces seperated from his person But euen as where Satan dwelleth and possesseth the heart there alwaies raigne the workes of darkenes and damnation so the gifts of Christ accompanying saluation are inseperably ioyned with the person of Christ. This also condemneth the reall presence and carnall eating of Christ which forgeth many Christs and reuiueth the Haeresie of Eutiches it crosseth sundry Articles of the christian faith and maketh faithfull men like the vnfaithfull Barbarians that deuoured mans flesh and drunke his blood True it is christ is truely present in the Sacrament howbeit not carnally and corporally but spiritually and mistically He hath giuen himselfe to be the foode of our soules let vs hunger and thirst after him and lay hold on him to
our saluation for he that hath the sonne hath life he that hath not the sonne of God hath not life The last inward part is the faith full receiuer who stretcheth forth the hand of faith and so layeth hold on Christ and all his sauing graces For no man can communicat with his body but the same is made partaker of his benefits Let vs all prepare the true and liuely faith of Gods elect and assure our selues that Hypocrites and vnbeleeuers cannot possibly be partakers of the bodye and blood of Christ. These are the foure inward partes also of the Lord supper The similitude and relation of the outward and inward parts one to another standeth in this manner euen as the Minister by the words of institution offereth and giueth bread and wine to the communicants to feede the reupon bodily so the father by the spirit offereth and exhibiteth the body and blood of christ Iesus to the souls of the faithful to feed vppon them spiritually Thus much of al the parts of the Lords supper now folow the vses to be vnfolded The vses profit which we reap by the Lords sup are special three First to shew forth with praise and thanks giuing the death and the suffrings of chri who his own selfe bare our sins in his body on the tree by whose stripes we are healed so that we haue the chiefe cause in our selus which did crucifie christ Secōdly to teach our comunion wich christ being made flesh of his flesh bone of his bones Hence we learn that al the godly and be leeuers are made partakers of christ and his graces This is matter of great comfort in our manifold trials and tentations that we are ioynd to Ch. as members to the head and therfore neither life nor deth nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things presēt nor things to com nor hight nor depth nor any other creatur shal be able to seperate vs from the loue of God which is in christ Iesus our L. But on the other side the vngodly and vnbeleeuers haue no part or Portion in chri and his graces they are as branches cut off which wither and men gather them to cast them into the fire and to burn them 3 to declare and testifie our communion fellowship and agreement with our brethren meeting together at the same table and partaking togither of the same supper Wherfore seeing we haue not onely an vnion with christ but a comunion among our selus we are the seruants of the church to serue one another in al duties of loue to instruct them that are ignorāt to raise them that are fallen and to bind vp the broken hearted to reconcile our selues one to warde another and to keepe the vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace Hitherto we haue handled the doctrin of the Lords supper declaring what it is what are the parts and vses thereof the preparation to this work followeth consisting in the Examination of our selues and trying our owne harts by the touchstone of the lawe of god This duty is very necessary to be performd of vs for the hart of man is deceitful aboue all things and the secret corners of it past finding out We haue to deal with god in this busines Great is the profit which we reap receiue if we come rightly and 〈◊〉 prepared Great is the punishment procured by want of this try all and examination And the Sacrament it self is defiled by vnworthy receiuing This preparation principally standeth in these 4. points in the knowledge of god and of ourselues especially of the whole doctrine of the sacraments in a liuely faith in Christ seeing euery one receiueth so much as he beleeueth he receiueth in repentance from dead works and lastly in reconciliation towarde our brethren hauing peace with all men and loue towarde our enemies Thus I haue opened plainly yet truely the doctrine of the Sacramentes deliuered in the Scriptures and taught in the reformed churches I haue disclosed some part of the mistery of iniquity and discouered and laid open the skirts of that great Idoll of the Masse the reproach of christians the scorne of the gentiles the offence of the weak and the occasion of ruine to many that stumble therat to their own confusion The Lord god high possessor of heauen earth and preseruer of his people that call vpon him put it into the heart of all christian princes and rulers of the earth to pull downe this abhominable Idoll that hath aduanced itselfe against the kingdome of christ and to deface this filthy monster that hath deceiued many who trusted in it The same Lord vouchsafe to reueale his truth to the ignorant to establish them that are weake and to confound all obstinate enemies to his truth to their prince and to their country for Iesus Christs sake Amen Amen FINIS A Corollary THe Apostle Paule Christian Reader prophesieng of these last times in which Antichrist should be reueiled declareth that his comming shal be by the effectual working of Satan withall power signes lying wonders in al deceiuablenes of vnrighteousnes that so they might be damned which beleeue not the truth but haue pleasure in vnrighteousnesse In this discription the effectual working of this 〈◊〉 is set down but it is in those which 〈◊〉 For as God imparteth his power to his ministers and indueth them with his spirit to saue such as beleeue so doth Satan after an apish imitation giue power to his instruments and breath his spirit vpon them to condemne such 〈◊〉 receiue not the truth The manner and meanes of Antichrists preuailing in the children of disobedience is double to wit by worke and by worde His working is with great power which is seene by signes and lying wonders Now who it is in our daies that boasteth of wonders and I wot not what miracles Who maketh the power of working signes and miracles a note of the Church Who glory that they can euery day nay euery houre of the day miraculously transubstantiate the bread wine into the blood of christ who pretendeth that their real presence their images their priuate Masses other like superstitions haue been confirmed by miracles frō heauen Is not this the church of Rome which hath the Pope for her head her spouse and her foundation And is he not discerned by this note among other to be that very Antichrist described in scripture prophesied to com in the world 〈◊〉 now to the church and felt of euery christian Wherfore let vs carefully beware 〈◊〉 such signes and wonders carry away our eies and steale away our harts from the simplicity and sincerity of the Gospell The second meanes of his proceeding and preuailing is by word to wit by deceiuablenes of vnrighteousnes He is indeede an enemy to Christ and to his church how beit not open but secret not shewing
THE BADGES OF CHRISTIANITY OR A Treatise of the Sacraments fully declared out of the word of God Wherein the truth it selfe is proued the doctrine of the reformed Churches maintained and the errors of the church of Rome are euidently conuinced by pervsing wherof the discreet Reader may easily perceiue the weake and vnstable grounds of the Roman religion and the iust causes of our lawfull separation Diuided into three BOOKES 1. Of the Sacraments in generall 2. Of Baptisme 3 Of the Lords Supper shewing the intention of this present worke opening the differences among vs about the question of the Supper discouering the Idolatry and diuisions of the Popish Cleargy and vnmasking the insolent bragging of the late Warn-word touching the supposed and pretended vnity thereof By WILLIAM ATTERSOLL Minister of the Word of God 1. Cor. 12 13. For by one spirit we are all baptized into one body whether we be Iewes or Graecians whether bond or free and haue bin al made to drinke into one spirit August tract 80 in Iohan. 13. Accedat Verbum ad elementum et fit sacramentum that is Ioine the word of Christs institution with the outward sign and thereof is made a sacrament Printed by W. Iaggard dwelling in Barbican 1606. To the right Worshipfull Sir Iohn Shurley Knight one of his Maiesties Iustices of the Peace in the County of Sussex Grace and peace in Iesus Christ. RIght woorshipfull it is not vnknowne that fundry means haue from time to time been offered and vsed for the reclaiming and recouering of such as dangerously follow the spirit of errour and dayly reuoult to the Romish religion which hath beene aduanced by tyrany defended by lyes and is now sought to be restored againe by trecheries and rebellions But notwithstanding the many meanes which heretofore haue beene wisely practised we see of late the aduersaries of the grace of god as a pestilent brood of vipers mightily to increase and multiply sending abroad swarmes of their Iesuites and Seminary Priestes not onely to infect the people of the land with the leauen of false doctrine and to sow their darnel in the lords field but to seduce them from their alleageance and to stir vp sedition for the lessening of whose number and suppressing of their power nothing is more necessary then to establish a godly and learned ministery in euery congregation And howsoeuer wholsome lawes haue beene enacted penalties increased conferences with them vsed disputations offered their books answered and sundry other wayes taken by magistrates and ministers yet we shall neuer attaine the ende of our desired hopes vntill euery church haue a learned and painefull Pastor to be resident and remaining among them For albeit Antichrist in this noble kingdome hath long since receiued a notable foyle and fall and the purple whore beene dismounted from her vsurped dignity yet this monster hauing taken this deadly wound will be alwayes looking backe and seeking to sette his footing againe in this realme if good corne be pulled vp and the weeds suffered to growe or if the strongest pillars bearing vp the house be remooued and rotten postes set to vnder prop it and vnlesse he be quelled and conquered by the preaching publishing of the gospell of Christ. Therefore Christ our Sauiour hauing sent out the 70. disciples into euery citty and place whether hee himselfe shoulde come to prepare the hearts of the people after their return said vnto them I saw Satan like lightning fall down from heauen And the Apostle declareth that when the lord Iesus led captiuity captiue he gaue gifts to men and ordained pastors and teachers for the gathering together of the Saintes for the woorke of the ministery and for the edification of the body of Christ. And vntill this holy order and ordinance of Christ which is the power of god to saluation vnto all that beleeue be set vp we can conceiue no hope how the ignorant shoulde be instructed the seduced be regained out of the hands of such deceitfull woorkmen as vnder a colour of conuersion of the land doe seek the vtter subuersion of the church and common wealth Hence it is that the Iesuits who haue gotten the dominion ouer the rest of that generation spare no labour refuse no paines let passe no practise by word or writing to effect their purposes In regard of whose vnweariable diligence it cannot be denied but many of vs haue been too slack slothfull in resisting the approach of these violent intruders For whiles we preach the word of reconciliation euen Christ crucified build vp our people in the doctrin which is according to godlines we doe not bende our forces as we ought to surprise and suppresse the common aduersary Whiles wee sowe the lordes fielde with good corne we suffer the enuious man to scatter his tares accounting it sufficient to teach the trueth to the flock dedending vpon vs and esteeming it better seruice to god to saue one soule then to ouerthrow and destroy many aduersaries Not much vnlike to Scipio African the Romane captain who as Plutarke witnesseth was oftentimes wont to say that he had rather saue the life of one Romane citizen then to kill and conquer a thousand enimies But it is the duty of a good builder not onely to reare vp the worke in hand but to remoue the rubbadge and reliques that hinder the building It is the duty of a good husbandman not onely to sowe his field with good seede but to plucke vp the weedes and gtub vp the thornes that choake the corne It is the duty of a good watchman not onely to see to them in the citty but to descry and discouer the enimy It is the duty of a painfull shepheard not only to feed the sheep but to follow and finde out the foote steps of the wolfe Here vpon the Apostle Paul exhorteth the elders of Ephesus to take heed to themselues and to all the flocke whereof the holy ghost had made them ouerseers to feede the church of god which he hath purchased with his owne bloude because after his departure grieuous woolues shoulde enter in not sparing the flock but speaking peruerse things to draw desciples after them If then the enimies of god and his people be vigilant and watchfull to seduce the simple and to subuert religion how carefull and cheerefull ought we to be not onely to teach the people committed to our charge but to resist with hād and hearte all those that vndermine the good estate of the church among vs. Like vnto the people of god after the returne from captiuity who did build the wal with one hand and held their swordes and weapons in the other For this cause I haue put in writing this treatise following containing the doctrine of the Sacraments being the ordinances of god and the badges of christians whereby all discreet and indifferent men may perceiue the trueth of them cleerly opened out of the woord of
10 hee sealeth vp the promise maketh it eff 〈◊〉 Christ Iesus chap. 1 who is the truth and 〈◊〉 of all sacraments the faithful receiuer c. xii 〈◊〉 christ apylieth him to himselfe the Vses see this letterb. the vses of a sacrament are three to strengthen and confirme faith chap. 13 〈◊〉 God is true in his promises Many of the faithfull first beleeued before they didde partake the sacraments to be a seale of the 〈◊〉 chap. 14 these are the articles of agreement between God who promiseth Forgiuenesse of sinnes Adoption of son nes Possession of Heauen Man 〈◊〉 hoe promiseth to beleeue the promises to loue his Brethren Enimies to performe Obedsence to be badges of our christian profession chap. 15 the number of them See the letter a that Baptisme and the Lords supper are the two onely sacramentes of the New testament chap. 16 that 〈◊〉 is no sacrament chap 17 that popish pennance is no sacrament chap. 18 that Matrimony is no sacrament chap 19 that Orders are no sacrament chap 20 that extreame unction is no sacrament chap 21 A Table of the contents of the Second Booke Baptism is the first sacramēt wherin by outward washing of the bodie once in the name of the father the son and of the holy ghost the inward cleansing of the soule is represented chap. 1 In Baptisme consider the partes are twofold chap. 3 Outwarde partes Minister chap. 3 whose dutie it is to Sanctifie the water Wash the party Word of institution Baptise in the name of the father of the sonne and of the holy ghost chapt 4 Element of water chap 5 Receiuers are all such as are in the couenant chap. 6. Men and women in yeares that are in the faith Infantes of them chap 7 Inward partes God the father chap 8. who Offereth the bloud of his sonne Giueth Christ to the beleeuers Holy spirit chap 9 who perfourmeth that which is promised in the word Christ Iesus chap 10 ratifieng our Regeneration Remission of sinnes Soule clensed represented by the body washed cha 11 The vses of baptisme are these 3 To shew our planting and ingrafting into the body of christ cha 12 to assure vs of the remission of sinnes cha 13 Original Actual to teach to die to sinne and liue to righteousnesse cha 14. A Table of the principall points contained in the last Booke The Lordes supper called by 〈◊〉 names ch 1 is the second sacrament wherein by visible receiuing of bread and wine is represented 〈◊〉 spiritual communion 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 ch 2 In this sacra obserue the work it selfe where in obserue the parts Outward Minist chap. 3 whose duty is To take the bread and mine into his hands to blesse and 〈◊〉 the words of institution to breake the bread and poure out then ine to distribute the bread and Wine The word of institution and promise contained therein chap. 4 The outward signes chap. 5 which are Bread Wine The cōmunicāts chap 6. whose actions are to take the bread and cupinto their handes to eate the bread drink the wine Inwarde God the father ch 8 who offereth christ to al commers Giueth christ for the redemtion of the fat Spirit who assureth vs of the truth of Gods promises ch 9 the body and bloud of christ prepared to be the liuely food of our soules ch x the faithfull receiuer chap. 1 〈◊〉 hose duties are to apprehend receiue christ his benefits to appropriate and apply him to the soule the Vses see this letter c to shew forth with thankesgiuing the sufferings of christ chap 12 to teach our communion and growth in christ chap. 13 to declare our communion and growth with our brethren chap. 14 Preparation to the worke See the letter d The necessitie in respect of Gods presence with whom we haue to do and to deale Our owne profit being rightlie prepared Our owne practise in preparing and taking our ordinarie meates The sacrament it selfe defiled by vnreuerent receiuing the punishment procured by want of this care the partes the knowledg of God and our selues especially of the whole doctrine of the sacraments chap 16 Faith in Christ seeing euerie one receiueth so mnch as he beleeueth he receiueth chap. 17 Repentance from dead workes daily renewed for daily sinnes Reconciliation to our brethren chap 19. THE FIRST BOOKE of the Sacraments in generall containing the true Doctrine therof ouerthrowing the errors of the Church of Rome and deliuering the comfortable vse ofthem to all the people of GOD. CHAP. I. Of the agreement and difference betweene the word and Sacraments GOD euen from the beginning added vnto the preaching of the word his Sacramentes in the Church as the Scripture teacheth outwardly representing vifiblie offering to our sight those things that inwardly hee performeth to vs as the tree oflife and the tree of the knowledge of good and euill in the Garden After mans fall when a new necessity was added in regard of mans want and weaknesse he testified his loue and ratified his Couenant by sacrifices and Ceremonies to our first Parents He gaue the Arke to Noah and his sonnes to confirm them in the promise which he made to them that they should not be drowned with the rest of the world He added to Abraham the signe of Circumcision as a seale of the 〈◊〉 of faith and to the Israelites he gaue the Passeouer Manna oblations purifications the brazen Serpent the Rock and such like spirituall tipes whereby he assured them of the promise that God for the onely sacrifice of Christ vvrought vpon the Crosse would giue to all that beleeue forgiuenesse of sinnes and euerlasting life Now the world of God may fitly be resembled to writtings and euidences and the Sacraments to seales which the Lord alone setteth to his owne letters They are as a visible Sermon preaching vnto vs most liuely the promises of God that as the vvord we hear doth edifie and instruct the minde by the outward eares so doth the Sacraments by the eyes other senses First then that we may vnderstand the doctrine and nature os the Sacraments we are to consider what the word Sacraments haue in common and how they agree one with another then what they haue peculiar and proper each to other and how they differ one from an other The agreement betweene them standeth in these points First both are ofGod and instruments which the holy ghost vseth to this end to make vs more and more one with Christ and partakers of saluation 〈◊〉 that God needeth them or that he is tyed vnto them for as he can nourish without meate and drinke so he can saue without word or Sacraments but because we neede them he vseth them when he will and as often as it pleaseth him The same which is published and promised by the word of God is signified and sealed by the Sacraments For they are not a deliuering of new promises and
matrimony and extreame vnction wanting either the word or promise or both and therefor we cannot receiue we cannot acknowledge we cannot beleeue them Thus much of the second outward parte namely the word of institution Chap. 6. Of the third outward part of a sacrament THe third outward part of a Sacrament is the element or outwarde signe For whersoeuer there is a Sacrament there must of necessity bee a signe such as water is in Baptisme and bread and Wine in the Lordes Supper not of their owne nature but by the ordinance of God which are sanctified by the especiall worde and praier Therefore Iohn the baptist baptized with water and Christ when he instituted his last Supper tooke bread and brake it and gaue it to his Disciples Likewise hee tooke the cup wherein was the fruit of the Vine as appeareth when he said I will drinke no more of the fruit of the Vine vntill that day that I drinke it newe in the kingdome of God Seeing then it is cleare there must in euery Sacrament be a visible sign that may be seen handled let vs see how we may profitably apply this to our instruction First seeing the signes and Sacramentall rites are outwarde partes we must take heede wee ascribe not too much to the outward signe and so commit idolatry to the creature For the Water in Baptisme hath not power in it selfe and force to wash away sin but by the ordinance of God it is made a signe and seale of regeneration Euen as the Water of Iordan where Iohn baptized was no better then the waters of other places and countries neither had any strengthe and vertue to clense the Lepers that washed in it yet by the bleising of God Naaman the Syrian washing himselfe 7. times therein according to the direction of the Prophet was clensed and healed of his leprocie so the water vsed in the Sacrament of Baptisme is in nature and substance the same with ordinary and common Water neither hath it vig our and vertue to clense the soule yet by the institution of God it is appointed to seale vp the asturance of remission of sinnes Not with standing this confidence in the outward signe which in it selfe is as nothing hath since the fall of man rested and remained in his corrupt nature flattering himselfe and deceiuing his owne soule This fond and salse opinion was in Adam immediately after his transgression hee did attribute too much to the tree of life which hadde in it selfe no more life then the rest of the trees in the garden and therefore God would thrust him out of the garden least he should beguile himselfe with that conceite and immagination Thus did the Israelites trust too much in the Arke a signe of Gods comfortable presence and protection attributing saluation thereunto sayeinge It maye saue vs out of the handes of our Enemyes therefore God ouerthrew them and gaue them into the hands of the Philistims Againe we are taught heereby that the Sacraments that haue no signe no seale no element to signisie to strengthen and to seale vp the promises of saluation For as we shewed before that euery Sacrament must haue gods word to warrant it so must it haue an outward signe to approue the receiuing of it and to signifie the spirituall grace offered by it Herby we learn what to hold of transubstantiation a doctrin teching that the bread and wine is turned into the very body blood of Christ namely that it is a very fable to mock fooles withal For whatsoeuer ouerthroweth the nature and vse of a sacrament is not to be admitted but omitted neither to be receiued but reiected But transubstantiation ouerthroweth and ouerturneth both the nature and vse of a sacrament and therefore not to be admitted and receiued into the Church For touching the nature of a Sacrament it is confessed that it consisteth of two parts the one earthly and the other heauenly but if after the words of consecration the bread and wine are transubstantiated into the body and blood of Christ then the signe is taken away the element is ouerthrowne the materiall part is abolished and consequently the nature of a Sacrament is ouerturned And touching the vse of a Sacrament there must be an analogy and propoition betweene the signe and the thing signified As in Baptisme the element of water washeth and purgeth the body so the Holy-ghost through the blood of Christ clenseth and sanctifieth the soule Like wise in the Lords Supper as the substance of bread wine receiued strengthneth and comforteth the body so Christ receiued by faith norisheth feedeth the soule The very true principall vse of this sacrament is to coÌ„firme our faith that as surely as those earthly creatures taken and aplyed feed our bodies to a bodily life so the body and blood of Christ receiued and applyed by saith feede our souls to eternal life And do not al the faithful seel a swect comfort so often as they come to the Lords table by this similitude and agreement to coÌ„sider and know assuredly that as the substance of bread serueth to nourish and doth feed our bodies so Christ doth feede our soules But if we must beleeue that the substance of bread and Wine is changed and cleane gone that nothing remaineth but accidents where is this comfort and consolation How can we be assured and strengthned that as our bodies are nourished with the materiall elements so in like manner our soules by feeding on Christ Wherefore while they take away the substance of bread which should nourish the body the nature and vse of the Sacrament is destroyed and we are spoyled of the comfort of our hearts and strengthning of our faith which we should haue by this notable comparison and resemblance of the partes So then if wee woulde receiue comfort in comming to this Communion we must retaine the substance of the sign as a staffe to stay vp our faith that it do no faile And thus much of the third outward part to wit the signe Chap. 7. Of the outward part of a sacrament THe last outward part of a sacrament is the receiuer which is as needfull as the outward sign We vnderstand and take heere a receiuer in generall for euery one that commeth to the Sacrament whether good or euâ—ll godly or vngodly faithfull or vnfaithfull Such a receiuer is likewise a necessary part of the Sacrament For no signe hath the substance and essence of a Sacrament vnlesse it be receiued Though ther be a minister to administer it a word to warrant it a signe to represent it yet vnlosse there be a fit person to receiue it ther can be no Sacrament If the minister should sprinkle water and alledge the words of institution wher ther is no party to be baptized this were a prophaning not a solemnizing of Baptisme or if he should take bread and Wine with prayer and thanksgiuing where none
of exposition say Hegaue thanks so that the blessing heere spoken of is Giuing of thanks which also appeareth compared with Ioh. 6 11. And the Apostle saith Euery creature of God is good if it be receiued with thank sgiuing for it is sanctified by the worde of God and prayer We see then that Consecration is when a thing is separated from a common and ciuil vse to a more special vse which is done by the authority of the worde and by the vertue of prayer whereby it hath his full force power and vertue The knowledge of this point serueth to cleere our doctrine and to ouerthrow sundry errors of the church of Rome First it sheweth that we hold teach a consecration that is a sanctifieng of the water in Baptisme and of the bread and wine in the Lords supper by the word by prayer and by thanksgiuing The bread wine are changed not in nature but in quality not in substance but in vse not in essence but in the end not by force of certaine words but by Christs institution We acknowledge and confesse a consecration not a conuersion a sanctification of the signes not a transubstantiation of the substance into the body and blood of Christ. He blessed and praised his father as mediatour of the Church for the mistery of the redemption of mankind and hee blessed the creatures that they might be effectual signes and serue for the confirmation and increase of our faith Secondly we are taught that consecration is not a magical charme and incantation by force of certaine wordes as though these word This is my body being murmured and spoken ouer the bread and This cup is the new testament in my bloud whispered ouer the wine did fully finish a consecration and made the elements to be immediatly changed into the body and blood of Christ without any other obseruing of the institution And hence it is that the forme of Christs giuing of thanks is not set down by any Euangelist because our corrupution and superstition is so great that if we had the words we would ascribe power force to the words sillables and letters and therefore the manner of his thanksgiuing is pretermitted This inclination of the hart is apparently seene in the Romish church who ascribe efficacy operation to the pronouncing of certain words which is a part of sorcery and a part of witch craft Wheras we auouch that the whole action of taking breaking pouring out distributing eating drinking praysing rehearsing the institution of Christ are the consecration that is the separation of these creatures to this vse Thirdly if after the Sacramentall actions if after thanksgiuing to god if after prayer that we may vse the creatures to the confirmation of our faith there do follow consecration sanctification and change of the elements to another vse then the power effect and working of the Sacrament dependeth not vpon the intention of the minister therfore the popish opinion is to be refused and reprooued that holdeth it to be no Sacrament if the minister haue not an intent and purpose in the ministration thereof at least to do that which the church doth that is to consecrate the elements and to make a Sacrament If his mind be not on his matters his hart on his busines in hand they hold it can be no Sacrament For otherwise saith Bellarmine If a priest should read the Gospell at the table of prelates and religious men and in reading should pronounce these words This is my body this is my blood then all the bread and wine vpon the the table should be consecrate and changed into Christs body and blood which is not so because his intent is wanting Againe if a father should lead his sonne to the bath and there dip him in the water And say I wash thee in the name of the father and though he thinke nothing of Baptizing him yet it should bee baptisme if an intent of baptizing were not required But I would gladly haue him answere this question what if a father should intend Baptisme by dipping his child in the bath whether that were baptisme or not Or suppose the priest we spake off reading at the prelates table should haue a mind and meaning to consecrate all the bread and wine vpon the table must 〈◊〉 of necessity be a Sacrament and reall change of all Or admit the former priest being in the saide prelats wine seller supposing himselfe to be in the Church and to stand at the alter should pronounce there words of consecration with a purpose and intent to make a sacrament should all the wine in that 〈◊〉 be turned into the blood of Christ Or if he being in a bakers shoppe should there solemnely say This is my body with the foresaide resolution should all that bread be changed into the body of Christ Let them speake plainely let them tel vs directly what they hold I thinke they will not say so I am sure it is not so For other things are wanting that are needefull in this matter We haue shewed that a Sacrament is not made by bare pronouncing of certaine wordes ascribing force to them after the manner of enchanters but the whole institution of Christ must be obserued there must be distributing and receiuing there must be praier and thankesgiuing and from the vse of these followeth Consecration all which are wanting in the former examples suppositions there is no taking no breaking no distributing no pouring out no receiuing no praying no thanksgiuing We see touching the word of God with what intent and vnder what pretence soeuer it be preached if the minister teach Christ crucified howsoeuer he be affected it may haue his effect in the heart and worke saith in 〈◊〉 hearer so is it in the Sacramentes they haue their efficacy and operation howsoeuer the hart of the minister be disposed And as Isaac intended not to blesse Iacob but Esau yet it hindered not the purpose and determination of God so the corrupt intent the wandering imagination and rouing conceite of the minister cannot hinder the blessing of god in the sacramēts being his own ordinaces For the force of the Sacrament dependeth no more vpon the intention of the giuer then it doth vpon the intention of the receiuer Againe if the right receiuing of the Sacrament depend vpon the intent of the minister what assurance can any man haue that hee hath euer receiued or shall euer receiue a Sacrament What perswasion can we haue in our hearts that we euer were baptized What knowledge that we were euer partakers of the body and blood of Christ in the supper of the Lord Doth not this leaue vs vncertaine and vnsetled without comfort without fruite without benefit by comming to the sacraments and setteth the poore distressed consciences of men vpon the rack Alas we cannot kno the hart and vnderstand the intentes thereof For what man
condemneth those that speake euill of men as too precise too nise too pure for their profession because they run not into the same excesse of ryot with others These are not too precise but such as scoffe at al profession are too prophane It is good to be earnest in the matters of god prouided that our zeale be tempered with discretion and all Newtets be odious to God as it is said to the Church of the Laodiceans I knowe thy workes that thou art neither cold nor hot I woulde thou werest colde or hotte therefore because thou art Luke warme and neither colde nor hot it shall come to passe that I shall spew thee out of my mouth Wherefore let vs not be discouraged in wel-doing but walking through good report and euill report let vs remember that as christ is our Lord and master so our profession and the sacraments are our badges Lastly we see what our estate and condition is that we are not our owne but are subiect to Christ to serue him For we do beare his badge then he is our maister If he bee our Maister where is the feare and reuerence due vnto him Is it not meet we shoulde shewe our selues thankefull for so great mercies and gifts Were it not intollerable vnthankefulnes and vnsufferable pride for any man to wear the cognizance of another and yet to scorne his seruice and deny him duty Might not one worthily check and controul him as Christ did the 〈◊〉 who vnwillingly paid such taxes and tributes as were laid vpon them Hee called for a penny said unto them Whose image and superscription is this They said vnto him Caesars He ansuered Giue therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesars and giue to God the thinges that are Gods So likewise might one say fitly whose badge wearest thou whose Armes bearest thou on thysleeue Doth not this put thee in mind of thy state and condition and of the seruice and honor thou owest thy Maister In like manner may it be said to vs whose badge bearest thou Is it not Christes we are not therefore our owne men as the Apostle reasoneth and concludeth 1. Cor. 6. Know yee not that your bodie is the temple of the Holy-ghost which is in you whome ye haue of God and ye are not your owne For you are bought with a price therfore glorifie God in your body in your spirit for they are Gods So many therefore as come without knowledge and true repentance break their faith giuen to Christ and betray the body of christ as much as in them lyeth Wherefore to the right vse and partaking of the sacraments there is required the knowledge of god in three persons especialy of the persō of christ perfect God and perfect man and of his three offices to saue his people to be their Priest perfectly by his sacrifice to reconcile and iustifie them to be their king by the gouernement of his church to kill sin in them to sanctifie them to be their teacher to instruct them in the wil of his heauēly father After these is required true faith and earnest repentance otherwise we cannot receiue christ in the sacraments Put food into the mouth of a dead man it cannot nourish him so if one that is vnworthy and vnfit lying dead rotting in his sin do come to the sacramēts certainly they do not giue him life and worthines but such a one doth lade himselfe with a greater burden of sin and punishment Whosoeuer shall eat this bread and drinke the cup of the Lord vnworthily shall be guiltie of the bodie and blood of the Lorde he eateth and drinketh his 〈◊〉 iudgement because he discerneth not the Lords bodie Chap 16. Of the number of Sacraments HItherto we haue spoken of the chiefe vses of the sacraments now we are come to speake of the number of sacraments according as we take the name and haue declared the nature of them Let vs see then howe manie such visible signes and seales of spirituall grace in the new testament were iustituted of God to set forth the benefits of christ for the continuall vse of the church Many liue in the bosom of the church hear the word come to publick praier take themselus to be goodly christians offer themselues to the lordes table and are made partakers of the Sacrament who yet are ignorant how many sacraments ther are what they are None almost so simple but can number his sheep and cattel he knoweth their marks he knoweth their differences but aske him how many commaundements of the law how many Articles of faith how many petitions of the Lords prayer or how many Sacraments of the New Testament he can answere nothing Such haue their wits wholly exercised on the world and on wordly things which iustle out religion the knoledge of heauenly things If we haue eares to heare let vs heare what is the faith os the Church in this point grounded vpon the infallible rule and rocke of the word of God The sacraments of the church ordained by Christ to assure our communion with him are onely two baptisme whereby we are receiued into the couenant of God in steed of circumcision and the Lordes supper whereby we are nourished maintained and retained therein insteed of the Passeouer For albeit the couenant be but one yet the seales there of are two to assure vs that by vnion with Christ we are regenerated and shall be nourished to eternall life He hath deliuered vs a few sacraments insteade of many he coulde haue instituted moe if he had thought it good for the benefit of the Church These are as it were the two eies wherby we see and behold the promises of God These are as the two hands whereby we after a sort do handle Christ crucified and lay hold on the graces of saluation Christ hath appointed no mo sacraments he hath laide on vs an easie yoke and a light burden That these two are the onely sacraments of the new testament may appear by these few reasons following First christ taught no more to his Apostles the Apostles deliuered no mo to the churches the churches embraced no moe for many yeares When the Lord Iesus liued on the earth he instituted baptisme by the ministery of Iohn baptist who as he was sent to prepare the harts of the people so he preached the baptisme of repentance Afterward the Lord Iesus established it with his owne mouth in the commission giuen to his disciples he appointed and himself first administred his last supper in remembrance of his deth vntil his 2. comming againe with power and great glory These two true sacraments of the church to wit baptisme and the lords supper were instituted and warranted by the mouth of christ himselfe and none other beside these These we receiue because christ ordained them other we receiue not because he ordained them not Secondly the Apostle Paule admonisheth the
and first finder and founder of this number ofseuen Augustine when he speaketh of Sacraments in the strict and proper signification taketh them for holy signes and seales not only signifieng but representing and exhibiting spiritual graces commaunded by christ succeeding in the roome of the Iewish two ordinary Sacraments and offering Christ to all faithful receiuers reckneth them as we do Haec sunt Ecclesiae gemina sacramenta 1. These be two sacraments of the church And in one other place Christ and his Apostles haue deleuered vnto vs a few sacraments in stead of many as Baptisme and the Lords supper So S. Ambrose intreating purposely of the Sacraments speaketh but of two as the reformed churches hold at this day Innocentius the third speaking also of them onely maketh mention of those two which we receiue not of the rest which we refuse Yea Thomas of Aquine the chiefe doctour of the papistes holdeth heerein the truth teaching that the forme of Bapt. and of the Lords supper is found in the Scripture but not of the other pretended sacraments and namely of extreame vnction To conclude cardinall Bessarion confesseth this Haec duo sola sacramenta in Euangelijs manifestè tradita legimus that is we read that these two onely sacraments were deliuered vs manifestly and plainly in the Gospell Now let vs come to the vses of this diuision In that Christ hath appointed so few sacraments in number hereby appeareth the great loue of God toward vs he hath not laid a burden vpon vs which neither we nor our fathers were able to beare but charged vs with two sacramentes onely whereas he might haue deliuered other moe vnto vs. The Ceremoniall law was a very heauy burden pressing downe the fathers of the olde Testament and keeping them in great bondage now the yoke is broken and we are deliuered As we see the like mercy of God in teaching a short for me of prayer as a perpetuall direction to the church and in deliuering the ten commaundements diuided into two tables so he hath not troubled vs with many sacraments whereby also our nature prone to Idolatry is respected and the grace of the new testament is wonderfully amplyfied We see how superstition grosse Idolatry haue preuailed in the church of Rome and infected with deadly poison one of the Sacramentes how much greater danger were it if moe sacraments had beene commaunded and commended vnto vs. Againe heereby we may perceiue and conceiue the difference betweene the old and new testament between the Sacramentes vnder the law and these vnder the Gospell betweene those giuen to the Iewes and these retained among Christians For ours are few in number theirs were many in number the Arke circumcision the Passeouer Manna the cloud the sea the rock many purifications oblations which are not easie to be numbred But the Gospell acknowledgeth onely two as two twins of the same father Hee reunto wee may adde not vnprofitably other material differences to be acknowledged They 〈◊〉 in time ours shew forth our communion with Christ already come and so are more firme and durable as those which are not to be chāged to the end of the world Ye shew the Lords death til he come Their Sacraments were ordained onely vntill the comming of Christ because they shewed and pointed out Christ to come so that the worke of grace was more obscure to them Again they differ in variety of Sacramentall signes and rites as the cutting of the foreskin the lambe of the Passeouer iournying through the sea sauing by the Arke drinking of the rock lifting vp the brasent Serpent raining downe of Manna washing of their body they had calues sheep Gotes doues bread wine Oyle and such like we haue onely water in Baptisme and bread and wine in the Lords Supper Thus the signes do greatly vary Fourthly they differ in easinesse For the Ceremonies committed to the people of the Iewes were hard combersome painefull to the slesh and some of them were administred with effusion sheding of blood partly of man and partly of beastes Of man as in circumcision of beasts as in the paschall lam be and in the sacrifices But our Sacramentes though Sacramentes of Christs blood shed for vs yet of themselues be voide of blood Fiftly they differ in measure of signification For our Sacramentes haue a more plentifull and full representation of grace offered and stir vp a greater measure of saith then the Sacramentes of the old Testament which were more darke and obscure the Lord reseruing a fuller measure of knowledge vnto the blessed times of the Gospe'l For as the exhibiting of Christ Iesus in the flesh and fulnesse of time and as it were in the old age of the world is of more efficacy to moue vs then the expectation of him to come so we haue better helpes and an holy aduantage to raise and rouse vp our faith to a greater assurance of grace and mercy by how much the accomplishment is more then the promise and the fulfilling greater then the foretelling Lastly they differ in respect of the people to whom they were giuen and for whom they were ordained ours belong to all people dispersed ouer the face of the whole earth that are ingrafted into the church wheras theirs wer tied to one Nation to one people to one place to the posterity of Abraham Notwithstanding these differences which are in signes and circumstances touching the chiefe thing euen the matter and substance of the Sacramentes they are equall hauing the same end and the same signification and being of one esficacy as also the word of the prophets and Apostles is One and the same God is author of them One and the same mediator betweene God and man euen the man Iesus Christ is represented in both being the lambe slaine from the foundation of the worlde They signifie and shew forth the same communion of Christ by which all the clect are saued and seale vp saluation and remission of sinnes to all that do receiue them by faith For they were giuen to bee signes and seales of grace and of the promises of God to distinguish the faithfull from all other sectes and religions in the world and that they should be receiued with profit onely of the faithfull In these and such like things the Sacramentes of the Iewish and Christian church are not vnequall although in the outward signes and circumstances they be diuers yet in the substance and in the thing signified there is no difference Thirdly we are bound to beleeue his promises and to haue strong consolation seeing he hath giuen vs 2. signes If we had onely had one signe as a seale of the mercies of God in Christ it had beene a great sinne not to haue beleeued the promise and not to haue rested therein as in a thing vnchangable For he is not as man that he should ly or deceiue his onely promise is
made vs Kings and Priestes vnto GOD euen his father And Col. 1 14 the A postle saith In him wee haue redemption by his bloode that is forgiuenesse of sinnes Againe when wee see with our bodily eyes the Water poured vpon the body of the baptized we must behold and consider with the eyes of faith the blotting out of all our sinnes as well originall as actuall as well after baptisme as before baptisme by the pretious blood of Christ that wee may assure our selues it is no idle action For wee must not behold the Sacramentall rites as certaine dombe gestures or stage-like shewes without substance and signification but wee must make them serue to further our faith and edification Lastly it teacheth vs not to be led by the outward senses to measure the truth or to iudge of the substance of baptilme by the outward signe and visible partes but to haue our faith fixed on Christ crucified on the Crosse and signified in baptisme The infidell seeing children solemnely baptized in the name of the father of the sonne and of the Holy-ghost will rashly and ignorantly coniesture nothing to bee there but naked rites and bare Water but the faithfull and true Christian doth beholde the washing of the soule and clensing of the heart by the dearest blood of Christ. So in the Lordes Supper to the vnbeleeuer appeareth nothing but Bread and Wine because we see with our eies wee receiue 〈◊〉 our handes wee tast with our mouth no more but the beleeuer knoweth that together with these signes GOD the father offereth the body and blood of his Sonne to bee spiritually receiued and digested Euen as he that is vnlettered and vnlearned if hee looke vpon the face of a booke beholdeth onely blacke coulours and spottes vppon the Paper seeth certaine figures and charusters of Letters differing each from other but cannot read the writing or comprehende the meaning but hee that hath learned his Letters and is able to reade them reapeth greate profit and instruction thereby So is it in the 〈◊〉 Hee that resteth in the outward signe deceiueth himselfe but hee that respecteth the thinge signified receiueth the profit and aduantage The Crosse of CHRIST and preaching of the Gospell are a stumbling blocke to the Iewes and foolishnesse to the Gracians For the infidell hearing that christ was crucified and nailed vpon the crosse is offended at him accounting it a foolish weak means to saue mankind that life should spring out of death glory come out of shame power proceed out of weakenesse and triumphant victory arise out of his contemptible sufferings but the faithfull soule acknowledgeth in this mystery of Godlinesle the high hand and vnsearchable wisedome of God It may seeme ridiculous vnto some men that God should require circumcision of Abraham and of his houshold young and old bond and free maister and seruants to vncouer all their shames and to open the hidden partes of nature yet Abraham submitttd himselfe to the ordinance of God Naamaen the Syrian thought it a toyish precept prescript when he was bidden to wash himselfe 7. times in Iordin hauing many riuers in his owne countrey as good as that yet by obeying the prophet he was clensed of his Leprosie The inhabitants of Iericho scorned Ioshua and the men of Israell when they saw them compasse their Citty strong and walled and to blow with their Rammes hornes yet by this weake meanes the wall fel downe the enemies were destroyed the citty was sacked and the people of God 〈◊〉 Christ seeing a blinde man and willing to heale him he spat on the ground and made clay of spittle and annoynted the eies of the blinde with the clay and said vnto him Go wash in the poole of Siloam he obeyed he went he washed he returned seeing Thus doth God by simple base and weake things oftentimes confound the mighty strong and wise of the world that no flesh should reioyce in his presence and crosseth all the high conceites and proud imaginations of mans wil and wit Wherefore we must not follow our owne vnderstanding nor measure the matters of God by the crooked rule of our carnall reason Whosoeuer will yeald obedience to God must deny himselfe and renounce his own wisedome and become a foole that he may be wise in God as 1 cor 3 Let no man deceiue himselfe if any man among you seeme to bec wise in this world let him be a foole that he may be wise for the wisedome of this world is foolishnesse with God Thus we see that in the Sacramentes we must vnderstand more then we see and beleeue more then we can behold Such 〈◊〉 are without knowledge and faith 〈◊〉 no more of baptisme then the bodily eie directeth them vnto but the faithfull conceiue the blood of Christ to be offered to 〈◊〉 the soule and conscience from all sinn as the riuer watered the garden of Eden Chap. 11. Of the foruth inward part of baptisme THe last inward part of baptisme is the soule clensed most liuely represented by the body that is washed For as the outward receiuer giueth his body to be washed so the saithfull receiuer doth consecrate himselfe to God with ioy and forsake the flesh the world and the diuill and feeleth the inward washing of the spirit as Tit. 3 5 According to his mercy he saued vs by the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy-ghost And the same Apostle Eph. 5. Christ gaue himselfe for the church that he might sanctifie it and clense it by washing of water through the word that he might make it vnto himselfe a glorious church not hauing spot or wrinkle Wherefore this outward washing of the body commaunded by Christ fignifieth vnto me that I am no lesse assuredly clensed in his blood by the working of his spirit from the spottes of my soule that is from all my sinnes then I am outwardlie washed by water whereby the staines of the body vse to be washed away and it bindeth vs that we ought euer afterward by our workes and deeds to declare newnes of life and fruites of repentance Let vs now come to the vses of this last part of baptisme Doth the washing of the body represent the clensing of the soule And doth the soking vp of the filthines of the flesh signifie the remouing of the remnants of rebellion Then we are all by nature vnwise vncleane 〈◊〉 vnregerate vnholy disobedient disordered deceiuing and being deceiued we are the vessels of wrath the children of death the bond-slaues of Sathan the heires of damnation we haue our part and portion in the offence of Adam as Rom. 5. By one man sinne entred into the world and ch 7. I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde and leading me captiue vnto the law of sinne which is in my members O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of
name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy ghost should alwaies be in our eares euen vntill the last gasp and by them we ought to be assured of the ful forgiuensse of our offences against God For the blood of Christ by which we are once washed can neuer be drawne dry but is euer fresh full of force and strength to the continuall clensing of our filthinesse and iniquities so that they neuer come into the sight of God neither are imputed vnto vs. Wherefore it is like vnto a sealed charter whereby is confirmed that all our sinnes are blotted out We are all taught by our baptisme that none of the enemies of our saluation shall be able to lay any sinne to our charge Art thou tempted to thinke that Christs blood was not shed for thee That thy transgressions are not pardoned That thou shalt be brought to iudgement for them Doth Sathan 〈◊〉 thy tender conscience with them thou maist as well doubt that thou wast not baptized and washed with Water as doubt thy sinnes are not blotted out thou maist as well surnize thou perishedst in the water as suppose thou shalt perish in thy wickednesse the floods where of howsoeuer they go ouer thy head yet shall not be able to preuaile against thee sully and ouercome thee sinally This ouer throweth the false doctrin of the false church of Rome the Mother of abhominations which teacheth that by the grace of Christ receiued in baptisme all our sins going before it are rased and blotted out and leaueth nothing in the party baptized that hath the name and nature of sinne But albeit our sinnes be freely and fully forgiuen for Christs sake pardoned and not imputed coucred and remembred no more yet the stain blot and remnants of sinne remaine though not raigne in our flesh so long as we liue in this world which in the end of our daies togither with the mortality and corruptions of our bodies shall be taken away and abolished Indeede the scripture teacheth that Christs blood clenseth washeth and taketh away sinne Ioh. 1. 29. Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sin of the world but this is not by an actuall purging of vs from all corruption but in freely acquiting and truely discharing vs from the guilt offence and punishment before God as Psal. 32 Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sins are lightned blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sinne I herefore though they be forgiuen yet they remaine as appeareth If we say 〈◊〉 haue no fin we deceiue our selues and there is no truth in vs. And Solomon in his worthy prayer saith If any sinne against thee for there is no man that sinneth not So the Apostle teacheth toucheth this truth by his owne experience Rom. 7 I see another lawe in my members rebelling against the Law of my minde and leading me captiue vnto the Law of sinne which is in my members We are all as a filthy cloth the fsesh rebelleth against the spirit and in nothing we can do the things we woulde so that if God enter into iudgement with vs we 〈◊〉 stand in his sight And if Originall sinne were extinguished and vtrerly abolished in baptisme then they which are baptized shoulde sin no more but we see they sin again after their baptism To conclude baptisme is auailable not only for sins before but it is a seale for confirmation of faith touching the remission of those sinnes that are committed after baptisme as well as done before as our 〈◊〉 sauiour teacheth Mark 16 16. He that shall beleeue and be baptized shall be saued but he that will not beleeue shal be damnd Faith then beleeueth the forgiuenes of all sins past and to come inasmuch as the bood of Christ clenseth from al sins And the Apostle accordeth heereunto Titus 3 5 7. According to his mercie hee saued vs by the washing of the new birth and the 〈◊〉 of the holy ghost that we being iustified by his grace should be made heirs according to the hope of euerlasting life Where we see that the promise of iustification 〈◊〉 generall against all sins Thus much of the second vse Chap 14. Of the third vse of Baptisme THe third vse of baptisme is to kill and bury our naturall corruption by the power of Christs death and buriall and to raise vs againe to sanctification of our nature and newnes of life by his resurrection Hence it is that sin hath his deaths wounde and is stricken to the hatt so that it cannot liue and raigne in the children of God Hence it is that baptisme is often called the sacrament of repentance 〈◊〉 Luke 3 Iohn came into all the parts and coasts about Iordan preaching the Baptisme of repentance for the remission of sinnes So likewise Marke 1 4. Iohn did baptise in the Wildernes and preach the baptisme of amendment of life And the Apostle affirmeth as much col 2 xii xiii declaring that the one end of baptism is the death and burial of the old man by the almighty power of God This also was taught in those liuely types answering our baptisme to wit the flood that drownd the old world while Noah and his family were preserued in the Arke Also the red sea in which Pharaoh and his host perished but the people of God were deliuered For as God destroyed in the waters and as it were buried in the flood the world but saued a remnant of grace so doth God through christ mortifie the old man raise againe the new man and seale them both in our baptisme Likewise as GOD deliuered his people out of the hands of Pharaoh and opened them a way through the red sea and drowned their enimies that they saw them no more aliue so by baptisme he assureth our deliuerance from the thral dome and bondage of sinne which bringeth greater slauery and captiuity then any slaue is in vnder his earthly maister and the destruction of the flesh that it shall not hurt or condemn vs. We are al born in sins and trespasses we haue need of repentance and regeneration We see then what vse we are to make of our baptisme euen labor to attaine to the efficacy and fruit of it that it may not be a bare and barren signe Moses and the Prophets earnestly exhort the people of Israell to shewe forth the force and effect of their circumcision to cut away the fore-skin of their harts and harden their necks no more as we see Deut 10. 16. The Lorde did set his delight in thy fathers to loue them and did chuse their seed after them euen you aboue all people Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your hearts and harden your neckes no more And in another place The Lord thy GOD will circumcise thine heart and the hearte of thy seede that thou maiest loue the LORD thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soule that thou maiest liue
So the Prophet Ieremy saith Breake vppe your fallowe grounde and sowe not among thornes be circumcised to the Lorde and take away the fore-skinnes of yonr heartes ye men of Iudah and inhabitantes of Hierusalem least my wrath come foorthe like fire and burne but none can quench it because of the wickednes of your inuentions Circumcision was the thing wherin they bosted aboue althings it was their glory wheros they bragged to be a cirpeople peculiar to God Now the Prophets recall and reclaime them from trusting in outwarde signes and lying words that shall not profit and stirre them vp to confider the power and effect therof not to rest in cutting off a thin peece of skinne but to cut off quite and cleane their lusts and corruptions which rebell against the spirit This the Apostle teacheth euidently He is not a Iew which is one outward neither is that circumcision vvhich is outvvard in the flesh but he is a Ievv vvhich is one vvithin and the circumciston is of the hart in the spirit not in the Letter vvhose praise is not of men but of God The outward Letter is of no moment with God it must be the circumcision of the heart otherwise the circumcising of the flesh is nothing So if we woulde haue God to take vs for his people and heritage we must be all baptized in our hearts and our soules What will some say baptized in soule and in heart What is that Or how can this be Can the water wash the soule Surely the Water cast vppon our bodies is nothing if we haue not the truth of it As then the apostle Paule maketh a difference between inward circumcision of the spirit and outward circumcision of the letter insomuch that if they would haue the true circumcision indeed they must haue that which is within so is there a great difference between the baptism of the spirit and of the letter between that of the soul and the other of the body betweene that which is outwarde and that which is inward Whosoeuer would haue the true baptism indeed he must be clensed within repent of his Wickednesse mortifie his imaginations deny himselfe renounce his affections and offer vp his soule and body in sacrifice to God that he may renew and regenerate vs otherwise it is a certaine thinge we were neuer indeede and in truth baptized For as the Iewes were charged to be vncircumcised though the fore-skin of the flesh were cut off and so they were circumcised in body so we may in like maner be charged to be vnbaptized albeit we haue bin outwardly washed with water The Iewes chosen aboue all Nations to be the people of God were oftentimes condemned of forgery and fasehood for breaking the couenant of God and not answering to the truth thereof and were 〈◊〉 with the vncircumcisednesse of their heartes that they were worse then the heathen themselues a bastard broode witches children and vnworthy to be accounted Abrahams seede to the end they should bragge no more of their circumcision as Act. 7. Stephen a faithfull witnesse of God obiecteth against them Ye stiffe-necked and of vncircumcised heartes and eares ye haue alwaies resisted the Holy ghost as your fathers did so do you they shew the prophets which shewed before of the comming of that iust of whom ye are now the betrayers and murtherers where we see he discouereth their hypocrysie and setteth their sinnes before their faces telling them that as their fathers rebelled against god so the children followed their fathers footesteppes Do not these things concerne vs Though we haue not circumcision in action and practise belong they not to vs now a daies Yes euen to vs For we shall bee condemned for our vnclensed and vnsanctified heartes not answering to the truth of our baptisme For so much we profit by baptisme as we profit in mortification If then we be once baptized and washed with water we shall pay dearely for our desiling that sacred water which God hath appointed to so holy an vse True it is the water of it selfe is as nothing no other in substance and nature then that wherewith wee washe our hands but when once it is ioyned to the word and applyed to an holy end it is as it were an authenticall seale which God hath engrauen in it Now he that counterfaiteth the seale of a Prince shall hee not bee punished Behold baptisme is the seale of GOD which serueth not to seale conueyances of earthly possessions as house and landes but to assure vs that wee are called to the heauenly life and bringeth good assurance and warrant with it that we be washed from our sinnes by the blood of our Lorde I esus christ and borne again by his holy spirit Shall we break al and escape punished Let vs not then boast of our baptisme and Christianity to say oh we are baptized wee are christened we weare the badge of God these things these things I say will cost vs deere if we make not our baptisme auaileable to our selues and our owne soules by killing our corruptions for thereby we shew our selues like vnto the foole that maketh a vow and immediately after breaketh it Now although we professe the Gospell yet you shall finde a great number that knowe not this vse of baptisme neither wherto it auaileth nor to what endes it was ordained They cal it indeed their christend ome but are altogether ignorant of the nature therof are vnacquainted with the effect of it This will cost them decrely for abusing such a pledge-token at Gods hands seeing it is a meanes whereby we are vnited to our Lord Iesus christ and ingrafted into his death and resurrection Wherefore whereas many haue receiued baptisme in their infancy and haue liued 40. or 50. yeares in the world without knowing to what end they were baptized it had been better for them that they had beene borne dead or perished in their mothers wombe as as vntimely fruite then to haue vnhalowed so holy and precious a thing Thus of the third and last vse of baptisme as also of the parts thereof and generally touching this whole Sacrament The end of the second Booke THE THIRDE BOOKE of the lords Supper being Christs farwel-token to his church and a sweet pledge of his woonderfull kindnesse toward mankinde where in the truth of this Sacrament is manifested the parts are deliuered the vses are shewed the doctrine of the reformed Churches is cleered the errors of the church of Rome are euidently conuinced and the meanes set downe how euery one is to be prepared to the worthy receiuing thereof with fruite and comfort CHAP. 1. of the names and titles of this Sacrament together with the reasons and vses thereof IN the former Booke we haue spoken of baptisme the first sacrament of the church together with the partes and vses thereof Now we are to set downe the doctrine of the Lordes supper which is the second sacrament For after that God
hath brought vs into his Church by baptisme and made vs as it were of his houshold seruants then as a good father of the family he feedeth vs spiritually with the flesh of his sonne applying vnto vs the merit of his death and passion This sacrament of the body and blood of Christ is declared in the scripture by diuerse names to deliuer the nature thereof vnto vs. Sometimes it is called the communion as 1 Cor 10. The cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the communion of the blood of Christ The bread which wee breake is it not the communion of the body of Christ Sometimes it is called the Lords supper as 1 Cor. 11 20. When ye come together into one place this is not to eate the Lords supper Thirdly sometimes it is called the breaking of bread as Act. 2. 42. They continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayers and Chap. 20 7. The first day of the weeke the disciples being come together to breake bread Paule preached vnto them ready to depart on the morrow Fourthly sometimes it is called the table of the Lord as we see 1 Cor. 10 21. Ye cannot drinke the cup of the Lord and the cup of diuels ye cannot be partakers of the Lords table and of the table of deuils Moreouer we shall nothing offend if we cal it the testament or will of Christ This cup is the new testament in my blood this do as oft as ye drinke it in remembrance of me and our sauiour thus speaketh Math. 26 This is my blood of the new testament that is shed for many for the remission of sinnes These are the chiefe and principal names giuen to this Sacrament in the Scriptures I am not ignorant that the ancient fathers and times succeeding haue giuen vnto it other names and not vnfitly but my purpose being not so much to alle age the councels or doctors of the church as to instruct the simple and vnlearned I wil content my selfe with expounding such termes and titles as are penned in the word of God and pointed out by the spirit of God Now then let vs render the reasons of such names as this Sacrament is entituled withall It is called the communion because we haue a communion fellowship with Christ and he with vs both which are sealed vp the in this Sacrament It is called the Lords supper both because it was instituted by the Lord Iesus at is last supper which circumstance of time the church hath changed because therin is offered to vs a spiritual banket in which the faithful are spiritually fed and nourished It is called the breaking of bread both because this is a necessary action vsed of Christ not to be omitted and because it representeth the crucifieng of christ and tormenting of his body so that we should neuer be present at this significant ceremony but wee must call to remembrance the sorrowes and sufferings of CHRIST now if Christ were thus tormented for vs surely wee ought greatly to bee griped and grieued for our owne sinnes which was also shewed by the sower herbes of the Passeouer Exod. 12 8. It is called the table of the Lord because he doth feede vs at it as this we know is the end and vse of Tables in our houses to set our meates and drinkes vpon them prepared for our nourishment and this is the scope and end of the Lords table onely heere lyeth a plaine and maine difference our Tables serue for bodily nourishment but the Lordes is prepared for the spirituall nourishment of our soules Lastly it may be called the testament or will of Christ because it setteth forth vnto vs asolemne couenant betweene God and vs touching forgiuenesse of sinnes and eternall life which couenant is racified established by the death of the son of god so that heerin we find all things belonging to a full and perfect testament as we shall see after ward Out of these seuerall names and titles thus interpreted arise most aptly and fitly sundry vses which in order as they haue beene propounded wee will consider The first title is the Communion from whence wee deduct these necessary conclusions First of all is the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ called a communion And so called of our communicating together Then hereby all the faithfull openly testifie that they be all one body coupled together in Christ Iesus we professe him and all his benefits we receiue him we enioy him we reioyce in him God the father doth giue him the holy-ghost doth assure him faith doth receiue him by this hand we are ioyned to him and haue spirituall fellowship with him Wherefore al beleeuers are made one by Christ and this is not an vnion in imagination but in truth and in deed neither by transsusion of the properties of the God-head or manhood into vs but by one and the same spirit dwelling in christ and in all the members of Christ as 1 Cor. 6 He that 〈◊〉 to the Lord is one spirit And the Apostle Iohn testifieth that Christ dwelleth in vs and we in christ by the spirit He that keepeth his commaundements dwelleth in him and he in him and heereby we know that he abideth in vs euen by the spirit which he hath giuen vs so that the spirits of iust and perfect men in heauen and all beleeuers vpon the earth how farre socuer sundred in place hauing one and the same spirit of christ dwelling in them are al one in Christ their head God hath giuen his owne sonne vnto vs freely and fully our faith receiueth CHRIST by beleeuing him and all his gratious benefits to be ours as Ioh. 1 12 As many as receiued him to them he gaue prerogatiue to be the soxnes of God euen to them that beleeue in his name Thus we see we are one with Christ and christ with vs. Secondly as this sacrament being a communion admonisheth that we are all one in Christ so it teaeheth that it is to be receiued of many together in the church not of one alone and therefore it ouerthroweth the priuate Masses of the church of Rome where one partaketh all and the rest of the Church nothing at all There is a flat opposition betweene these two so that the communion cannot be a priuate Masse and priuate masse cannot be a communion That which is ordained and prepared for many deliuered vnto many and receiued of many cannot stand with the Masse where the priest prepareth for himselfe not for the people hee speaketh to himselfe not to the church hee receiueth himselfe alone not with his bretheren all which are directly contrary to the Apostles rule Tary one for another Lastly if it be a communion it teacheth that this is a sacrament of vnity and concord and wee are there by put in mind to avoid discord and dislention For christ neuer communicateth himselfe to
the malicious man as the Apostle teachech 1 Cor. 11 18 20. When ye come together in the church I heare that there are dissentions among you this is not to eate the Lordes Supper Wherefore in that the people communicate of one and the same bread of one and the same wine it signifieth the vnion and agreement betweene all the faithfull in one body where of Christ Icsns is the head who loued vs decrely and spared not his life for vs. Let vs ioyne our selues together in loue according to the exhortation of the Apostle Rom 15 5 6. The God of patience and consolation giue you that ye 〈◊〉 like minded one toward another according to Christ Iesus that yee with one minde and with one mouth may praise God euen the father of our Lord Iesus Christ. All beleeuers must bee of one heart and minde the Wolfe and the lambe the Lyon and the calfe must dwell together in the kingdome of Christ for all are one in Christ Iesus For the Apostle hauing taught that the cup which we blesse and the bread which we breake are the communion of the body and blood of christ he addeth We that are many are one bread and one body because we are all partakers of one bread and therefore he saith 1 cor 11. When ye come together to eate tary one for another The second title giuen to this Sacrament is the Lords Supper by which name it is nowe most vsually and commonly called both because it was so instituted by Christ after his last Supper and is celebrated in the remembrance of CHRIST Heereby we learne first who is the author of this Sacrament not Peter not Paule not any of the Apostles not any man not any angell but Christ Iesus God and man and therefore it is not called the Supper of the Apostles or of any man but of CHRIST himselfe as the Apostle speaketh of baptisme Was Paule crucified for you Either were yee baptized into the name of Paule I baptized none into mine oxne name Wherefore this title serueth to teach vs and to put vs in minde of the author of this Sacrament Secondly seeing this sacrament is not a common supper but an holy and heauenly banket fully furnished not to fill the body but to feede the soule we must come with an earnest desire and longing after CHRIST hungring and thirsting after his righteousnesse and merites as after our life to bee made pattakers thereof For neuer did the body more stand in neede of corporall foode then doth the soule of this Bread of life which came downe from heauen which the father hath promited to giue vnto vs Lastly it condemneth our English Rhemistes and other romish readers of Popish diuinity that wholly condemne this name and title as vnproper and vnfit for this sacrament and vnderstande the Apostle to speake of the loue-feastes when he speaketh of the Lords Supper Indeed in the Apostles times they vsed to meete to gither in one common place not onely for the hearing of the worde for the receiuing of the Sacraments and for prayer to God but to keep certaine feasts which of their end or vse were called feasts of charity as Iude speaketh But of these the Apostle speaketh not when he named the Lordes Supper For first let them shew vs the place where euer these Loue-feasts are called the Lords Supper and then they may warrant their exposition by some colour otherwise wee cannot receiue their interpretation being of priuate motion Secondly if this title were ment of Loue-feastes to what purpose should the Apostle bring in the institution of the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ and largely handle the doctrin therof Wher as their abuses in their loue-feasts might be reformed and 〈◊〉 without this mention and remembraunce of the supper Thirdly to what end should these solemn feasts and bankets be called the Lordes supper which were not instituted in the honour of Christ but to testifie the mutuall loue of those that were members of the same body hauing God for their mercifull father the church for their tender mother and Christ for their elder brother These might rather be called the supper of men then of the Lorde being feasts of charity not of piety Fourthly the Apostles drift and purpose in this place is to teach that such as norish discention and diuision partake the Lords supper vnworthily and therefore willeth them when they come to communicate with the Lord to shake out of their minds all vncharitable affections as chaffe from good corn that so they may assemble togither with profit and not with hurt Last of al to call this sacrament by the name of the lords supper is vsuall among the ancient fathers of the church grounding themselues from the authority of the scripture and example of the Apostle 〈◊〉 some of their owne Writers call this sacrament and expound the words of saint Paule to the Corinthians If therefore they will rest themselues either in the true interpretation of the scripture or in the exposition of the auncient fathers or in the confession of their owne Writers we cannot doubt but the Apostle meaning the Lords Supper vnderstandeth the sacrament of the bodye and blood of Christ. The next title giuen to this sacrament is the breaking of bread which offereth to our considerations these vses not to be passed ouer First it she weth that the substance of bred remaineth after the words of consecration and is not altered by any strange transubstantiation For when the Apostle saith This is my body which is broken for you properly it cannot be vnderstood of the body of Christ which was not broken but of his crucifying and death by a figuratiue speech taken from the substance of the bread which christ brake to distribute it among his Disciples and to represent effectually his suffering for vs. The accidents of bread cannot be broken as we shal see afterward no more then they can feed and nourish Besides we learne heerby that tropes and figures are vsed in the Sacrament contrary to the opinion and assertion of the church of Rome as wee make plaine by the institution and as we constraine the aduersaries themselues to confesse as when it is said his body was broken where the lyterall sence cannot be retained seeing a bone of him could not be broken Likewise when it is saide the cup is the newe testament the rock was Christ the bread is the communion of the body of christ these and such like cannot be interpreted without a figure Lastly seeing of this one action the whole sacrament hath his denomination as appeareth in many places Act ii 42. and xx 7. and 1 Cor xi xxiiii we must hold that as the Apostles and other Ministers of the church were wont in the administration of the supper to breake the bread so must we follow their example as they also followed the example
christ is a couenaunt wherin god promiseth his loue and 〈◊〉 for euer to come vpon all that beleeue in his son assuring them of remission of sinnes and eternall life requiring of them onely faith in him as Iohn 3. God so loued the worlde that be gaue his onely begotten sonne that such as beleeue in him should not perish but liue for euer Againe if this sacrament sealing vppe the new couenant between God and man haue the name and nature of a wil or testament then it serueth to condemne the church of Rome that adde and alter mingle and mangle this sacrament at their owne pleasure For the Apostle teacheth Gal 3 15 Though it be but a mans couenant yet when it is confirmed no man doth abrogate it or addeth any thing thereto And Heb 9. 14 Hee is the mediatour of the new Testament that through his death they which are called might receiue the promise of eternall inheritaunce for where a testament is there must be the death of the testator for the testament is cōfirmed when men are dead for it is yet of no force as long as he that made it is aliue If then the Testament of man may not be abrogated or altered much lesse the testament of God confirmed by the death of the mediator Notwithstanding such is the sacriledge and presumption of that Antichristian church that the idolatrous 〈◊〉 as a bottomlesse gulfe hath ouerturned and swallowed vp the Lordes Supper turning the Sacrament into a Sacrifice administring it in a strange tongue taking away the cup from the people of God making prayers for the deade bringing in their carnall presence 〈◊〉 a monstrous 〈◊〉 setting vp a new Priest-hood a new sacrifice a newe Altar and lastly feigning vses and ends thereof which CHRIST neuer appointed the Apostles neuer acknowledged the churches succeeding neuer confessed or practised Now Masses are mumbled in memory of the Saintes they are helde auaileable not onely for the liuing but for the deade they are iudged profitable against stormes and tempests they are thought a soueraigne remedy against euery sore and sicknes of the body heathfull and helpefull for such as are going to warre to couer their heades in the day of battell as a shielde of brasse and to preserue them from the sword of the enimy good against 〈◊〉 and sorceries and fit to be applied to make tryal and proof whether a man be guilty of the crime and accusation laide to his charge But what are all these strange vses but strange abuses yea strong fancies and delusions of the man of sin burying in perpetuall forgetfulnes the true endes for the which Christ Iesus ordained his last supper All these being pestilent corruptions of the sacrament of the supper and fraudulent additions to the last wil and testament of christ do lay open to the full the 〈◊〉 abhominations of the Church of Rome the mother of 〈◊〉 Lastly the name of Christs last will and testament giuen to this sacrament serueth for the great comfort of Gods 〈◊〉 For heerin we shal find al things belonging to a ful and perfect testament For Christ Iesus is the testator all faithfull christians are appointed heires the angels are as the ouerseers the Apostles are the witnesses the legacies bequeathed are not lands and possessions or great summes of mony for the sonne of man had not where to lay his heade nor the kingdomes and gouernementes of this world for his kindome is not of this world but the forgiuenes of sinnes and euerlasting life obtained by the body of Christ giuen and his blood shed for vs and our 〈◊〉 Wherefore if God haue so loued vs if christ haue not spared his owne life to giue vs life and saluation how bitter ought our sinnes to be vnto vs and how ought we to striue against them If we will hate enimies heere are enimies for vs to hate if we will 〈◊〉 reuenge against enimies let vs fight against them that seeke our ouerthrowe and the destruction of our soule and body There is no reconciliation and attonment to be made with these enimies if thou kill not them they will kill and condemne thee for euer Hitherto of the names giuen to this Sacrament Chap 2 What the Lords Supper 〈◊〉 AS we haue in the former Chapt. considred the names and titles attributed to this Sacrament so now wee will see what the Lordes supper is For we shall neuer vnderstand the nature thereof except wee be able to define or describe it Therefore the Lords supper is the second sacrament wherein by visible receiuing of bread and wine our spirituall communion with the body and blood of Christ is represented This description is plainly proued by the institution of Christ by the first celebration of it and by other apparent testimonies of holy scripture First I say it is the seconde sacrament because such as haue interest in the Lordes supper must be first partakers of the other Sacrament for Christ and his Apostles ministred it to those that were before 〈◊〉 And howe shoulde they be continually 〈◊〉 and fed at his table who are not knowne to be of his house nor admitted members of his family We must be receiued into his protection and lurisdiction before we sit downe at his table for our refection They then that are in the house must be 〈◊〉 and fostered in the house the seuerall partes of the family haue the priuiledges of the family it is not lawfull to take the childrens bread and giue it vnto strangers Now baptisme is the true bath of our soules to clense our sores and an honourable badge whereby we are dedicated to the seruice of Christ and haue interest in the priuiledges of the church sealed vppe being partakers heereof wee come with comfort to the Lords supper Vnder the Lawe none 〈◊〉 were admitted to the passeouer If astraunger will obserue the 〈◊〉 let him circumcise all the males that belong vnto him If then the vncircumsed had bene admitted the passeouer had bin prophaned Wherfore it is not enough for vs once to be baptized and admitted into the number of the people of God we must also be partakers of Christs supper When as by baptisme we are brought into the church of God we are afterwarde nourished by this heauenly banquet to eternall life Again I say in the former description that by the bred and Wine the bodie and blood of Christ are represented Heerein consisteth the substance of this Sacrament he was 〈◊〉 giuen for vs and his blood was shed for the remission of sinnes least our faith should wander least our hope should wauer Therefore he saith to his Disciples This is my bodie which was giuen for you this is the cup of the new testament which was shedde for you and for many for the remission of sinnes Now that the description of the lords supper is prooued let the vses there of in the next place be declared Heereby
all sides that without consecration and sanctification there can be no Sacrament for without this halowing the matter in 〈◊〉 is bare water the bread in the Supper is bare bread the Wine is Common Wine Now euery creature is sanctified by the word of God and by prayer as the Apostle teacheth 1 Tim. 4. and therefore we cannot assure our hearts that god wil blesse any other creatures as fish or flesh in stead of bread water or beere in stead of Wine seeing the word hath not sanctified these elementes for this purpose They are sanctified by the worde for the ordinary nourishment of our bodyes but they are not by any speciall worde sanctified for the vse of the Sacramentes If then it be simply vnlawfull to change any thing in the matter of the 〈◊〉 no pretence or necessity can 〈◊〉 make it lawsull And as when a lawfull Minister is wanting a pryuate person may not be taken so when the matter appoynted for the administration of this sacrament is missing an other may not bee assumed For as well may wee change the minister of the Sacrament into a pryuate man as the bread and Wine being the signes into another matter If the Sacraments cannot be had according to the precise and pure institution of Christ they may lawfully be deferred or omitted for the danger standeth not in the want as wee haue declared before so long as we are free from the contempt of them The fourth generall vse arising ioyntly from both the signes is if Christ deliuered and the Disciples receiued bread and wine as the outwarde signes of this Sacrament then we learne that the doctrine of transubstantiation is a dotage of mans inuention Though this deuise be now receiued in the Roman church as a matter of saluation as an Article of faith and a maine point of religion that by vertue of these words This is my body this is the cup of the new Testament the substaunce of breade and wine is gone and nothing remaineth but onely the shewes likenes and appearance of them yet if we examine the matter by the words of institucion by the nature of a sacrament by the proportion of faith by the true properties of a true humain body by force of reason by iudgement of the sences by confession of the aduersaries themselues and by the manifold contradictions among themselues we shall find it to be a late deuise inuention of the Papists first decreed and determined in the counsel of Laterane vnder pope Innocentius the 3. in the raigne of King Iohn of England not yet 400. years ago There it was hatched at that time and made a main matter of faith aproued in the church of Rome but yet not then receiud ouer al the world This error is a spice of the error of Marcus who went about to make his fellows and followers beleeue that he did trāsubstantiate wine into blood in the sacrament Thus do the church of Rome at this day he was he noted for an heretick by the fathers I wil not for shortnes sake bring all the reasons that might be broght to ouerthrow and ouerturn the turning of the bread into the body of Christ and the wine into his blood but alleage some few among many wherunto we require them to answer if they can Neither let thē pretend that they haue bin answerd already inasmuch as no sound and certain answer can be brought vnto them to satisfie vs or themselues Our reasons for the present shal be these First that which Christ took in his hands he brake that which he brake he gaue that which he gaue his Disciples he commanded them to eat that which hee commaunded them to eate hee calleth his bodye This appeareth by the testimony of the Euangelistes and coherence of the words But he tooke bread and brake it therefore he gaue bread he commanded to eat bread he saide of the bread This is my body Now if he tooke bread but brake it not or if he brake bread but gaue it not or if he gaue bread to his Disciples to eat but told them not this which he gaue them but some other thing beside that was his body the latter part of the 〈◊〉 starteth from the beginning and the middle swarueth from them both Secondly the Apostle after the words of consecration doth oftentimes call it bread as 1 Cor. 11. As often as ye shall eat this bread and drinke this cup ye shew the lords doath til he come And againe Whosoeuer shall eat this bread and drinke the cup of the Lord vnworthily shall be guiltie of the bodie and blood of the Lord. And againe Let a man examme himselfe and so let him eat of this bread and drinke of this cup. These men say it is not bread the Apostle saith it is bread whether of these we shall beleeue iudge you So in the former chapter hee saith the bread which we breake is it not the commanion of the body of Christ Likewise touching the other signe our sauiour expressely calleth it wine after the thanks giuing Mat. 26. I will not drinke hencefoorth of this fruit of the vine vntill that day when I shall drinke it new with you in my fathers kingdome This fruit of the vine is wine therfore the substance of it remaineth Now if the bread had bene turned into the body or the wine into the blood of Christ and if the Apostle would haue spoken properly he should haue said As often as ye shall eat not this bread but this body of Christ vnder the forme of breade the blood of Christ vnder the forme of Wine And againe he that eateth the body and drinketh the blood of Christ vnworthily And againe let a man examine himselfe and so let him eat and take in his mouth the very body of Christ his creator But thus the Apostle hath not spoken neither could he so speake truely properly and fitly therefore we do truely properly and fitly conclude that there is no 〈◊〉 Thirdly Christ speaking of the cup saith Take diuide it among you and of the bread he saith he tooke it and brake it But if the substance of bread be abolished or changed into the body of Christ and likewise the nature of the wine turned into the blood of Christ there could be no true distributing or breaking for the blood of Christ is not deuided into parts neither is his body broken Fourthly if the strength or force of transubstantiation depend vpon these words of institution This is my body This is my blood then there can be no reall change before these words be fully finished and pronounced to the end I herefore when they begin to say 〈◊〉 is What is it What mean they I say it is Is it any other then bread and wine by their owne confession till the wordes bee ended So then these sentences shall not be true when they say 〈◊〉 is my body this is my blood
quality not circumscribed not visible nor any way sensible that being in heauē he is really and corporally on earth though not in the distance betweene heauen and earth nor in those places where the host is not which is to assigne innumerable bodies to our sauiour Christ and consequently to make him no body which is in esfect as much as to deny he is come in the flesh which is the very doctrine of Antichrist himselfe as Iohn speaketh Euery spirit that confesseth not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God but this is the spirit of Antichrist of whom we haue 〈◊〉 And in his 2. Epistle Many 〈◊〉 are entred into this world which confesse not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh he that is such a one is a deceiuer and an Antichrist But Orcam propoundeth this as the doctrine of the schooles that The body of Christ is euery where as God is euery where and that if there were an host that filled all the world the body of christ might be with euery part thereof when it should be consecrated And Holcot treading in the same stepes of the schooles not of the scriptures saith If there had beene a thousand hostes in a thousand places at the same time that christ did hang vpon the crosse christ had beene crucified in a thousand places But it is an vnseparable property of bodies to be locall and contained in place take away space of place and true dimensions from bodies and they are no where as Augustine teacheth Besides hence the fathers concluded the truth of Christs body becavse he might be seene and handled and because he had flesh and bones according to the 〈◊〉 Behold my hāds and my feete for it is I my selfe handle me and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me haue But if he be neither seene nor handled in the sacrament nor discerned to haue flesh and bones how shall his humanity be 〈◊〉 and maintained against heretikes impugning the same The 22. reason it taketh away iudgement from the senses and maketh the sacrament of truth to be a sacrament of forgery and falsehood for the senses of seeing of tasting of touching of handling and smelling do iudge bread and wine to be in the sacrament and not mans flesh truely and properly neither can all the senses be 〈◊〉 in their proper obiects as euen the phylosophers themselues do teach and that truely The 23. reason it is an horible act and vnnaturall cruelty for man to eate mans flesh and for man to drinke mans blood and therefore the papists are as humane as the Cyclops Canibals and other barbarous people It is more brutish and barbarous to eate mans flesh then to kill a man and to drink mans blood then to shed it Thus they make christian people eaters of mans flesh and bloode suckers which is beastly and horrible wickednesse The 24. reason the Apostle maketh an opposition between the table of the Lord and the table of deuils saying Ye cannot drinke the cup of the Lord and the cup of deuils ye cannot be partakers of the Lords table and of the table of deuils where he sheweth that to eate the flesh offered to idols is to bee partakers of the idols as the bread which we breake is the participation and communion of the body of the Lord. Hence he concludeth that they should not eate of those thinges which the Gentiles sacrifice to idols because they haue fellowship with the diuils that eate of them euen as they are vnited to Christ which partake of the bread in the supper If then the flesh offered to idols be not transubstantiated why fhold the sacramental bread be turned into the body of christ seeing it sufficeth to make vs partakers of the Lords body to eat of the bread as it was sufficient to make them partakers of the idols to eate of the thinges offered vnto them The 25. reason if the institution of Christ be a sufficient direction vnto the church what to hold in this questiō we shal easily giue this transubstantiation a fall We see in the cases of matrimony that did befall our sauiour bringeth them to the first institution and therby dissolueth the doubts and difficulties that arose saying Frō the beginning it was not so So when any controuersie ariseth about the Lords supper the ordinance of Christ is able to take it vp how great or grieuous soeuer it grow Now there is no sentence no word no sillable no iot no title in the discription of the supper that fauoreth or sauoreth of transubstantiation or signifieth and insinuateth any such matter True it is christ saith This is my body but to be doth not signifie to transubstantiate for then when he saith I am the true vine I am the dore the way and such like he shall be turned and transubstantiated into a natural vine into a materal doore into an high way from whence would follow infinite abuses and absurdities Besides if the word is in the institution fignifie is transubstantiated that is changed from one substance into an 〈◊〉 from bread into flesh from wine into blood then the change shold be made before all the words be vttered so that hence it would follow that it cannot be done by vertue of the words which goeth before the pronouncing of the words Last of al the maintainers of transubstantiation as the builders of babel haue their tongs diuided and their languages confounded they cannot accord together but vary and dissent one from another like the false witnesses that arose against christ First they knew not certainely whether the bread bee turned into his body or come in place thereof the substance departing Secondly some alow not these speaches bread is Christes body or bread is made christs body but wil haue it said christs body is made of bread others condemne this speach also that bread is made christs body Thirdly they know not what is broken whether bread or accidents or nothing others say the true body of christ is broken Fourthly they agree not whether their water in the chalyce mingled with wine be transubstantiated some say it is other say it is not some more sober then the rest are afraid what to say and aske who is able to decide the questiō Others say it is turned into the humors of his body others virknit the knot thus that the water is turned into the wine and then the wine into his blood and therefore are circumspect to giue this cautel that a litle water be mingled being afraid least if more water were put in then the wine the wine should be transubstantiated into water Fiftly they cannot agree with what words their consecratiō is wrought whether accidents be without their subiect whether the accidents norish no lesse then the substance of bread wine likwise what the rats mise do eat how srō whence the worms
and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this cup. Where he giueth a double commaundement first to appeare reuerently then to receiue worthily Now al that must proue and try themselues are commaunded not only to eate bread but to drink of the cup but al must try and examine themselues therfore al are commanded both to eat and drink at the lords table If this be a commaundement to examine then the wordes following of eating and drinking are likewise commandements There is no halting in these let them admit both or let them deny both Eightly if the faithfull take not the cup in the supper of the lord the condicion of Christians vnder the Gospel shal be worse then of the Isralites vnder the law For the people of Israell in the wildernesse hauing the same sacrament in effect with vs Did all drinke of the spiritual rock that followed them and that rock was Christ as the Apostle affirmeth But out condicion is not worser and weaker then theirs therefore all the faithful are to drink of the cup of the lord Bellarmine the Souldan of the Romish Synagogue answereth thus They drunke not water out of the rock when they did eate of the spirituall meate but in another place and at an other time But this is an answearlesse answer which cannot satisfie For albeit the sacraments of the Isralites as figures and types did represent the same graces that our Sacraments do yet it is not necessary they should in all pointes answer each other and in all respectes agree together Besides the Church of Rome at no time aloweth the people to drinke of the Wine a seale of the blood of Christ they keepe them from the cup of the Lord both when they giue them the bread and at all other times and thereby make their estate worse then the estate of the Iewes Indeed if they did at any time permit al the people to drink of the cup they might pretend this example of the Israelites but inasmuch as they vtterly deny them this part of the cup they ouerthrow themselues in their malice and yet in their blindnes they do not see it Lastly many of the fathers did both eate Manna and 〈◊〉 water out of the rock if not in the same place yet at one the same time inasmuch as they gathered thereof euery morning and it ceased not vntill they entred the frontiers and confines of the land of promise But they neuer alow without a toleration and dispensation the people in any place at any time vpon any occasion and in any respect to tast of the cup in the Lords supper Ninthly if the cup of the new testament may be taken from the Lordes people in like manner the water in baptisme may be taken away froÌ„ them For the blood of christ whereby remission of sins is purchased and procured is represented by the wine of the Lordes Supper as well as by the water in baptisme But the water in baptisme without great sacriledge cannot be omitted or neglected wherefore then should the cup be taken away Lastly if any part of the supper might be taken away from the people then like wise the word of God may be taken from them for in this point there is the same reason and respect of them both A Sacrament is nothing else but a visible word and a sealing vp of the word and the offence semeth to be the same whether a man break the seale or rent the writing But the word cannot be withdrawen froÌ„ Christian people it being the instrument of faith and the life of the Church Wherefore it is the greatest wrong and iniury done to the people of God to take from them the cup of saluation The answer to this reason must be to confesse the parts and yeeld the conclusion forasmuch as by forbidding the people the reading of the Scriptures they haue robbed them of the word of God and taken from them the key of knowledge neither entring themselues into the kingdom of heauen nor suffering those that would enter No marueile then if they take the cup of blessing from the people who haue taken from them the free vse of the word of God To conclude these reasons it is Antichrist who contrary to the doctrine of christ contrary to the institution of the supper contrary to the practise of the Apostles and contrary to the vse of the former churches hath excluded the people languishing and thâ—â—sting after the blood of christ as the dry earth for the sweete shewers of raine from taking the cup of the lord and left them a dry coÌ„munion to eat the bread of the sacrament alone Hauing considered the truth of God by sundry reasons grounded in the scripture that the people haue good interest and title in the cup denied vnto them let vs answer the obiections of the aduersaries made against the former doctrine First they pretend that christ administred it to the apostles only and not to any of the people consequently the institution for taking the cup can be no general coÌ„maundement for al men thus the Rhemistes reason I answer first it may be doubted and disputed whether onely the Apostles were present at his last Supper For seeing diuerse were added vnto the church and professed the faith of christ seeing he had other disciples beside the twelue seeing many Godly men and women followed him to see his miracles and to hear the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth why should we think that none of them were admiâ—ted to his table who had often heard his preaching and depended vpon him in their liuing Again the passeouer was celebrated in that house of a faithful man as may be collected by sundry circumstances now theÌ„ either the lord Iesus annexed that famely vnto his as the law in one case appointed or else we shall haue two passe-ouers at one time in one house which hath no warrant of scripture no colour of truth no probability of reason We read in the institution celebration of the passe-ouer of ioyning house to house and taking his neighbor next vnto him in case of the insufficiency of one houshold to eate the lambe but we neuer read of killing two lambes and keeping two passeouers vnder one roofe Besides the smal remnant of the faithful among the Iewes would no-doubt rightly and religiously obserue the passe-ouer after the example of their lord and maister rather according to the precept of Moses ' then aceording to the practise of the Iewes in imitation of christ rather then according to the tradition of the elders Furthermore we are to consider that in eating the passeouer they sorted theÌ„selues together according to the number of the persons able to eate vp the lambe for they commanded to take A lambe without blemish a male of a yeare old if the houshold be to little for the lambe he shal take his neighbour which is next vnto
the word ofGod Again were not Christ and his Apostles as wise as they Were they ignorant of this vnion Did they not knowe this accompanying of the body with the blood and blood with the body Is the present church of Rome wiser then he in whom al the treasures of wisedom and knowledge are hid If they thinke so let them tell vs plainly if not let them lay their hands vpon their mouth and submit themselues vnto him who administred it in both kinds and commaunded his Apostles to do the like Moreouer Christ would haue vs in his supper consider his blood separated from his body and set his death before our eies and his precious blood shed out of his side so that deliuering the cup he said Drinke ye all of this for this is my blood of the new testament which is shed for many without which sheading there is no forgiuenesse of sins as the Apostle teacheth Wherefore seeing these two are contrary one to the other and cannot stand together to wit the blood to be in the body and to be out of the body to be shed sor vs and not to be shed and that the sacrament leadeth vs to the consideration of the death and especially of the piercing and pouring out of the blood of Christ we may conclude that this vnion of the body with the blood and blood with the body flatly crosseth and ouerthroweth the institution of Christ. And why I pray you do their sacrificing priests receiue the blood twice and the body twice drinking first the blood in the body and againe eating the body in the blood Nay doth not this vnion deuised alter the 〈◊〉 of Christ and confound the seuerall parts of it making him to speake otherwise then the euangelistes expresse For when he said This is my body they will haue him meane this is my body and blood Againe when he said this is my blood they will haue him meane this is my blood and my body Last of all this late inuention turneth and ouerturneth the nature of the partes distinguished one from the other while we eate the flesh they make vs drink the blood and while we drinke the blood they imagine we eat the body Thus to eat and to drinke shall be all one with them for wee shal eate liquid and moift thinges and we shall drinke dry and hard things And is not this drinking of flesh and eating of blood and inuerting euerting of the nature of things But thus God striketh his enemies with giddines of spirit For after they haue broken the pure institution of christ and brought in a carnal presence of his body one absurdity being granted a thousand follow infinite abuses haue ensued vpon heapes the flood-gats being set open wherof there is no end or measure Let thē therfore repent themselues of this sacriledge against god and iniury against his people restoring vnto thē the cōmunion vnder both kinds according ro the ordinance of christ and directō of the Apostles And thus much of the general vses arising from both the signs ioyntly considered Now let vs come to the particular vses offered vnto vs in each of the signes And first touching the bread Is bread simply considered the first signe in the lords supper Then it is not necessarily required that it be administred in vnleauened bread For bread is oftentimes named and repeated but the word vnleauened is neuer added Wherfore as it is in selfe indifferent whether the wine be red or white whatsoeuer the kind or colour be if it be wine so is it not greatly materiall whether the bread be leauened or vnleauened so it bee bread Which ouerthroweth the error of the church of Rome her fauorites who hold it neeessary that the bread vsed in the Sacra be vnleauened They pretend the institution of Christ who say they made the Sacra of vnleauened bread instituting it after he had eaten the passeouer which was to be eaten with vnleauened bread according to the law of Moses neither was there any leauen to be found in Israel 7. daies together Thus they charge vs to breake the institution of Christ. But see heere the 〈◊〉 and partiality of these proud spirits who fly to the institution and sticke precisely to circumstances of 〈◊〉 when it serueth any way to their purpose but when the question is of matters of substance not of circumstance as touching communicating vnder both kinds touching the necessity of eating drinking and of many receiuing together against their halfe communions priuate masses and reseruations they cannot abide to be tyed and yoked to the institution Indeed we deny not but christ might vse vnleauened bread at his last supper hauing immediately before eaten the paschal lambe This peraduenture is truely coniectured yet no such thing is expressed in the gospell nor prescribed as a rule necessarily to bee followed The Euangelists teach he tooke bread but make no mētion or distinction what bread he took nor determine what bread we should take no more then limit what wine we shal vse but leaue it at liberty to take leauened bread or vnleuened as occasion of time place persons and other circumstances serue so we take bread as their own prophets haue confessed 〈◊〉 their own coūsels haue concluded Wherfore to consecrate in vnleuened bread is not of the substance of the supper no more then to eat it at night or after supper as christ administred and the apostles first receiued it For if any would bring in a 〈◊〉 of that time as wel as of that bread which christ vsed we see as faire a warrant for the one as for the other nay we haue a more certain direction for the time which is expressed then for the kind of bread which is not defined Besides if Christ on this occasion vsed vnleuened bread it was because it was vsual common and ordinary bread at that time as we also should vse that bread which is vsual and common So the Apostle speaketh of that bread which was daily vsed among the Gentiles saying The bread which we breake he addeth neither leuened nor vnleuened but vnderstandeth that in common and continuall vse Thus then we conclude it is no breach of christs ordinance nor a transgression of the first originall institution of the Lords supper to eate either the one or the other Againe touching the other signe which is the Wine the church of Rome may iustly be charged with transgressing the ordinance of christ who by her sole authority would type vs to mingle water with wine for Great mistery signification especially for that water gushed with blood out of our Lords side So they condemne all those Churches as doing impudently and damnably that do not mixe 〈◊〉 with wine in the sacrament and say it cannot be omitted without 〈◊〉 sinne True it is the Church in former times where the wine prouided for the Lordes Table was of it selfe heady
of the new testament his priesthood is immortall and eternall he liueth for euer therefore the Popish priesthood is a plant neuer planted by the heauenly father the true husbandman and the popish priests were neuer called of God to sacrifice the body and blood of Christ he gaue vnto them no such authority therefore in time shall be rooted vp If they pretend the precept and planting of God let them shew their commission that we may see it and let them bring forth their charter that we may trie it otherwise wee must take them for vsurpers and counterfait Officers in the cittie of God Ninthlie the Apostle teacheth that without shedding of blood is no remission But in the vnblodie Sacrifice of the Masse there is not effusion of blood he doth not suffer he is not killed he doth not shed his blood he doth not die therefore in the Masse is no remission of any sins Tenthly if Christ be daily offered in the Masse then hee doth dailie satisfie for sinne for the end of his offering is to make satisfaction as Romaines 4. 25. He was deliuered to death for our sinnes and is risen againe for our instification And Gal 1 4. He gaue himselfe for our sinnes that he might deliuer vs from this present euill world But he doth not make satisfaction for our sinnes no more then now he dieth and riseth again for then Christ would not haue said It is finished nor the Apostle u He entered once into the holy place Wherefore no more sacrifice for sinne remaineth to be offered by such as iniuriously vsurpe the priesthood of christ Last of all all true christians are Priestes to offer vp their bodies an acceptable sacrifice to God which is their reasonable seruice of God and to offer vp a broken contrite spirit as 1 Pet 3 9. Ye are a chosen generation a royall priesthood and an holy nation And Reuel 1. He hath loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes in his blood and made vs Kings and priestes vnto God his father These are the Priests that now remaine this is the priesthood which we professe Whosoeuer maketh himselfe any priest of another order in the new testament abrogateth and abolisheth the Priesthood of christ being after the order of Melchizedech who was both king and priest Now then as they commit sacriledge against Christ that presume to offer him vp an vnbloody sacrifice to God the father to make peace and attonement betweene God and man so they adde another iniquity as drunkennesse to thirst making their oblation not onely profitable to take away the sinnes of the liuing but auaileable to clense the sinnes of the deade that are come to the ende of theyr daies Indeede we deny not but the Masse may be beneficiall to the rabble of Friers and sacrificing Priestes that make it gainefull to themselues who through their sale and merchandize of Masses dwell stately goe sumptuously fare delicately drinke wine in siluer and gold abound in pleasures and heape vp great aboundaunce of all riches shall we not now say the Masse is profitable But other profit of the Masses then these to the Masse-mungers we know none We know we find we feelethem otherwise many waies pernicious in themselues dishonourable to God and hurtfull to the people For first the Sacrament was instituted to no such end and purpose as to helpe the deade and to be a propitiation for their sinnes For Christ sayde take and eat this is my body drinke ye this is my blood but the deade cannot take any thing offered vnto them they can neither eate nor drinke wherefore this supper being spirituall meat and nourishment for the soule cannot auaile the deade who are neither fed nor nourished Secondly it profiteth as much to be baptized for the dead as to receiue the Supper of the Lorde for the deade for both Sacraments were instituted of Christ and there is the same respect of both But it can doe no good to baptize one for another the liuing for the dead therefore the living comming to receiue the Sacrament of the Supper cannot releeue the dead Thirdly there is no forgiuenesse of sinnes after this life we haue forgiuenes in this life or neuer Whatsoeuer is bounde on earth is bound in heauen Heere is the time heere is the place heere is the occasion offered to worke as the wiseman teacheth Ec 9 All that thine hand shall find to do do it with all thy power for there is neither worke nor inuention nor knowledge nor wisedome in the graue whither thou goest And Heb 3. To day if ye wil heare his voice harden not your harts Wherfore then is a sacrifice offred for the dead for whom there is no releefe no redresse no remission Fourthly it is vaine to offer for those that haue ended their daies and are already come to the ende of their race whose estate can neuer be changed The night commeth when no man can worke and Chapt 11 Are there not twelue houres in the day if a man walke in the day he stumbleth not because he seeth the light of this world If a man walke in the night he stumbleth because there is no light in him And Paule 2 Tim 4. I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my race I haue kept the faith from henceforth is laid vp for 〈◊〉 the crowne of righteousnes But this is the state of all the dead they are entred into iudgment they are not subiect to any chang Lastly if the sacrifice of the Masse could wash away the sinnes of the dead then the sacrifice of the Masse should surmount and exceede the sacrifice offered by christ himselfe vpon the Crosse. For this helpeth the liuing it auaileth not the dead and so we should haue other meanes to take away sinne then his oblation and there should be another propitiation for the sinnes of the world And thus much of the popish idoll of the blasphemous masse Furthermore did Christ deliuer his last Supper to all his Disciples that were present Did none stand by and gaze on while other receiued Then heereby fall to the ground the priuate communions of the popish Church where al is deuoured by the priest nothing deliuered to the people For whereas the ordinance of Christ and ancient order of the church was for the minister and people to receiue the Sacrament together among them the priest accompanied with his boy to make answer receiueth the sacrament himselfe alone without distribution made to others yea although the whole congregation be present and looke vpon him whereby God is dishonoured the communion is abolished the people of God are there by depryued and robbed of al comfort How is this a feast which the priest prepareth for himselfe not for others receiueth by himselfe not with his bretheren he speaketh to himselfe and not to the assembly he vseth a strange tongue and no man knoweth what he meaneth the people is
Thus much of consecration and the vses thereof Chap. 8. Of the first inward part of the Lords supper HItherto we haue spoken of the outward parts of this Sacrament by doing whereof confirmation is performed now follow the inward parts to be considered For in Sa. we must consider not what they be of themselues but what they signifie vnto vs These inward partes are foure in number to wit the father the spirit the body blood of christ and the faithfull All these haue a Sacramentall relation to the outwarde partes and declare the inwarde truth of them The actions of the minister are notes of the actions of God the father the word of institution is made effectuall by the holy spirit the breade and wine are signes and seales representing the bodye and blood of Christ the outward actions of euery receiuer do note out the inwarde actions and spirituall workes of the faithfull Thus then the agreement answeareth aptly and the proportion falleth fully betweene the parts As the Minister by the words of institution offereth vnto the communicants the bread and wine to feed thereupon corporally and bodily so GOD the Father by the Spirit offereth and giueth the body and blood of CHRIST to the faithfull receiuers to feede vppon them spiritually Now then let vs remember the sencible and externall actions of the Minister that thereby we may consider the spirituall and inward actions of God the Father And first of all the taking of the bread and wine into his hands and the consecrating or blessing of them by reapeating the promise by 〈◊〉 and thanksgiuings doth seale vp these holie actions of God the father by which he from all eternity euen before the foundation of the world did seperate elect ordaine chuse and call his son to performe the osfice of a mediator between god and man and when the fulnes of time came did send him into the worlde to performe that Osfice whereunto he was appointed This we see proued vnto vs in many places as Iohn 6. Labour not for the meat which 〈◊〉 but for the meat that endureth vnto euerlasting life which the sonne of man shall giue vnto you for him hath God the father sealed that is hath installed him into his office to reconcile men vnto God and to bring them to euerlasting life And Ch. Iesus gaue himself that he might deliuer vs from this present euill world according to the will of God euen our father so that whatsoeuer Christ did he did it by the will and appoinment of his Father According to the testimony of the Apostle Heb 5 Christ took not to himself 〈◊〉 honor to be made the high Priest but he that saide vnto him 〈◊〉 art my sonne this day I begat thee gaue it him And as the father ordained him to that office so in time he sent him as the Euangelist 〈◊〉 The spirit of the L. is vpon me because he hath annointed me that I should preach the 〈◊〉 to the poore bind vp the broken hearted preach liberty to the captiues c. So likewise 1 Iohn 4. Heerein is that loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs and sent his sonne to be areconciliation for our sinnes And Gal. 4 When the fulnesse of time was come God sent 〈◊〉 his sonne made of a 〈◊〉 and made vnder the lawe that hee might redeeme them that are vnder the lawe Thus we see the inwarde actions of God the Father aunswearing to the outwarde actions of the Minister Now let vs come to the vses of this part First of all this sealing and sending of his sonne serueth to confirme and assure vs of our saluation in Christ. For seeing GOD hath 〈◊〉 and appointed him into this office our faith cannot faile our confidence cannot fall our hope cannot make ashamd seeing the loue of God is thus shed abroad in our harts through the Holyghost who beareth Witnes with our spirit that we are the children of God and by whom we are sealed vnto the day 〈◊〉 redemption Againe let vs seeke saluation no where else then in him alone whome God the Father hath sealed and set apart to that end For euen as the body is norished by no other meates and drinkes then by such as God hath appointed to this purpose as a staffe to sustaine vs so is the soule fed by no other meanes then God hath before ordained The cause of our saluation is in the loue of God toward vs which is notably represented by the taking blessing of the outward elements He might haue left vs to our selues to work out our own destruction but his mercy is greater then his iustice Thirdly by these outward actions of the minister wee must seeke confirmation and strength of our faith being assured that God the father tooke his sonne and appointed him to these endes We must not wander and gaze about and thinke we haue nothing to do but when we take and receiue the bread and the cup into our hands we must in euery sacramentall rite consider the thinges signified and ponder in our hearts the fitnesse and agreement betweene them both So then as we behold with our bodily eies the minister representing the person of the father taking blessing and separating the bread and wine to that bodily vse so surely and certainely we must learne that God the father hath ordained and sent his only begotten sonne in whom he is well pleased to bee the meditator for the pardon of our sinnes Hence we see the infinite loue of God toward vs and let vs labor to comprehend the length bredth height and depth therof that spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all vnto the death hence we see that exceeding compassion of the sonne that loued his enemies more then himselfe and accounted not his owne life precious to himselfe hence we see the gratious and glorious worke of our redemption wherin the mercy and iustice of God meete together and kisse each other teaching vs to take sweete delight and comfort in the meditation thereof day and night withal thanksgiuing hence wee haue assurance of saluation and consolation in all troubles and tentations hence we see the greatnesse of our owne sinnes that could not be pardoned but by the death of the son of God and therefore we must hate them with an vnfained hatred as our greatest most dangerous and deadly enemies and lastly hence wee see that if God the father thus loued vs we ought earnestly to loue him againe and to serue him in all duties of holynesse and true righteousnes neyther ought we to loue him onely but for him all our brethren as the Apostle reasoneth Brethren if God so loued vs wee ought to loue one another Thus we haue shewed how the taking of the bread by the minister signifyeth the fathers appointing of his sonne the ministers blessing the fathers separating and setting a
O father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in vs. He ereunto commeth the saying of Paule Ephe 3. Christ dwelleth in our hearts by faith Like wise Act 13. Byhim euery one that beleeueth is iustified that is absolued and discharged And Iohn 3. so many as beleeue in him shall not perish but haue euerlasting life Thus we see our fellowship with christ is from the spirit and by our 〈◊〉 The spirit is the principall worker faith is the meanes and the instrument Neither must this comunction seem vnto vs impossible throgh the great distance and distinction of place We see the sun daily with oureies which though it be scituate in the heauens and seperated from vs in place communicateth his effect and power vnto vs that dwell vppon the earth neither doe we maruell thereat and yet is the sunne but a creature subiect vnto vs and distributed to all the people vnder the whole heauen to serue their vse Shall not Christ then the sonne of righteousnesse make vs truely partakers of his flesh by the vnsearchable power of his spirit and the supernaturall gift of a liuely faith who can as easily ioyne together things farre off as those that are nigh Are not the faithfull seuered in place and scattered through the world ioyned as neerely together as the members are to become one body where of Christ is the head As the Apostle teacheth That which we haue seene heard declare we vnto you that ye may also haue fellowship with vs and that our fellowship also may be with the father with his son Iesus Christ. We see this like wise lively laid out before vs in the estate of 〈◊〉 though the husband and wife be sundred for a time and separated one farre from another yet the band of matrimony doth so ioyne and vnite them that the wife is one flesh with her 〈◊〉 albeit he be a thousand miles distant from her so is it betweene Christ and the faithfull he loued the church and gaue himselfe for it and they are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones which coupling and combining together with Christ is wrought as we haue shewed by the spirit principally by faith instrumentally by both most effectually We need not therfore any carnall and bodily presence of Christ to ioyne vs to him seeing it is truely and certainely perfourmed by these meanes whereby we grow to a perfect man in him For as the Sunne is more comfortable to the world by his refreshing beames and sweete influence being absent then if his naturall body and compasle lay vpon the earth so the flesh of christ being in the glory of his father much more comforteth and refresheth our soules and bodies by his heauenly grace and spirituall influence then 〈◊〉 he were present fleshly before our eyes And as the Sunne not discending from heauen nor leauing his place is not withstanding present with vs in our chambers in our houses in our hands and in our bosomes so christ being in the highest heauens not comming downe nor forsaking his glorious habitation yet neuerthelesse is present with vs in our congregations in our heartes in our praiers in our meditations and in the sacraments But of this we shall haue occasion to speake more in the chapter following and we haue already spoken of it in the former bookes Chap. 10. Of the third inward part of the Lords Supper THe third inward part is the body and blood of christ that is the body of our Lord deliuered vnto death for vs and his blood shed for the remission of sinnes and consequently whole christ This is the chiefest part of this sacrament For the bodie and blood of Christ are thus made and separated to be the liuelie meat of our soules and haue that force and efficacy of 〈◊〉 in our soules which bread and wine haue in our bodies This is the cause why Christ often calleth himselfe the bread of life Ioh. 6. I am that bread of life this is that bread of life vvhich commeth dovvn from heauen that he vvhich eateth of it shold not dye I am that liuing bread if any man eate of this bread he shall liue for euer Thus euery receiuer is giuen to vnderstand that as God doth blesse the bread and Wine in his Supper to preserue strengthen and comfort the body of the receiuer so Christ apprehended and receiued by faith doth nourish vs and preserueth body and soule vnto eternall life Hee died in the flesh that he might quicken vs and he poured out his blood 〈◊〉 hee might clense vs from our sinnes Wherefore whensoeuer as the Lordes ghests we see the bread on the Lordes table we must set our mindes on the body of Christ when we behold the cup of the Lord we must thinke vpon the blood of christ when we looke vpon the bread broken and the Wine poured out we must consider how the body of chirst was pierced punished crushed crucified torne tormented and his blood poured out for our sakes when we feele that by bread our bodies are nourished and strengthned and by the wine our vitall spirits are comforted and refreshed we beleeue that by the body of Christ deliuered to death for vs we are fed to euerlasting life and that by his blood poured out vpon the crosse our consciences are sāctified and we fele his quickning power which doth confirme vs in our communion with him Thus is this part of the supper spiritually to bee applyed thus are the bread and wine made a sacrament to vs and not bare signes thus the memorall of christs death is repeated whichalbeit it were once finished on the crosse and now his passion is past long ago yet to the faithfull in regard of the force it is stil fresh and alwaies present Now it is not without cause and good consideration that Christ would haue the bread first deliuered as a signe of his body and then afterward the wine as a signe of his blood seuerally and apart administred because his body and blood are not represented to vs as his humanity now dwelleth glorious in the heauens but as he was offered vp a sacrifice on the crosse his blood being 〈◊〉 out of his body For to the end it may be nourishment to vs it must be crucified For as corne of it selfe is not fit foode for vs vnlesse it bee threshed winnowed ground and baked for vs so is it touching christ he must suffer be crucified and dy that we may liue by him and raigne with him This is the truth which in this point is to be considered Now let vs lay open the vses which of vs are to be learned Is christ the inward part of the Lordes Supper represented by the bread and wine offered to all but rcceiued onely of such as are faithfull then his body is not inclosed in the bread or in the accidents ofbread nor his blood included in the wine or vnder
the time that all things are restored Likewise Phil. 3. Our conuersation is in heauen from a hence we looke for a sauior And again Luk 24. 〈◊〉 he blessed them he departed from them and was carried vp into heauen So Ioh. 12. The poor alwaies ye haue with you but me ye shall not haue alwais I am come out from the father and came into the world againe I leaue the vvorld and goe to my father If these thinges be true that Christ is departed from vs if he be no longer among vs if he be taken vp into heauen if he must be contained there vntill the restoring of all thinges if we must looke for a sauiour from heauen to change our vile bodies if hee be carryed vp to his father and haue left the world then he is not now present with vs his body is not in euery altar he doth not lurke and lie vnder the shewes of bread and wine For to be departed from vs and not to be departed from vs to be contained in heauen and not to be contained in heauen to leaue the world and yet to remaine in the world to sit at the right hand of God and to lie hid vnder euery altar cannot stand together any more then to be a man and no man to be christ and not christ to be a sauiour and no sauiour to be God and not God Fiftly christ reproueth the caparnaits because they thought his body was to be eaten infleshly manner with the mouth of the body and shold descend into the stomck which is the way that all other meates do passe when they heard him preach of eating his flesh and drinking his blood they saide This is an heard saying who can heare it They murmured and departed from him because they thought they must eate him with the mouth and teeth chew him and swallow him vp But christ expoundeth himselfe and declareth that 〈◊〉 ment not carnally but spiritually It is the spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speake vnto you are spirit and life that is the flesh of Christ thus eaten thus chewed thus digested bodily carnally and grosly cannot profit but truely and spiritually taken it is meat indeede Now to shew what it is to eate spiritually and to pull off the garment of this similitude that the truth may more plainely appeare by spirituall eating we doe not vnderstand that which is fained standing in a conceit opinion or imagination neither that the body blood of christ are turned into a spirit but we meane by spirituall eating sucha communion participation of christ as is wrought by the powerfull working of the Holi-ghoast inasmuch also as it is attained by faith onelie and pertaineth to a spirituall and eternall life And howsoeuer the benefit of this coniunction reach vnto the body which thereby is mortified and sanctified and afterward shall be glorified yet this fruition of christ is not called corporall but spirituall because this food doth not pertaine to the maintaining of this present life but it is referred to the life which is eternall Now this 〈◊〉 euerlasting is called spirituall 〈◊〉 the bodies themselues shall bee partakers thereof which therefore by the Apostle are called spirituall bodies Thus then standeth the comparison as there is a present life that is bodily so there is another life to be thought vpon which is spirituall and eternall as we are borne to this present life so are we borne againe to life eternall as this bodily life is sustained by bodily meat and drinke so Christ with al his merits and mercies is the food of the spirituall life as the bodye hath his mouth whereby the meat and drinke is receiued and so passeth into the bodye by bodily feeding so the soule hath her mouth namely faith which apprehendeth the most holy nourishment of the body and blood of christ and lastly as the meat by a naturall force is concocted and digested that it may passe and disperse it self into the whole body so the efficacy of the spirit beginning faith in vs doeth so powerfully and mightily worke in our soules that it quickneth vs throgh christ to whom we are nearely vnited Thus we see wee haue no carnall communion with christ nor bodily eating of christ Wherefore let the capernaiticall papists or popipish 〈◊〉 prepare their faith not their teeth their Soules not their bellie to eat the flesh of christ and drink his blood And if they be ashamed of the name of the Capernaites let them also be ashamed of the error of the capernaits but if they cleane to their errour they must bee content to borrowe their name for the name and opinion must go together Sixtly Christ exhorteth the people to beware of false Prophets that come in Sheepes cloathes but indeede haue Wolues harts saying If any shall say vnto you Lo hoere is Christ or there beleeue it not behold he is in the 〈◊〉 go not forth behold he is in the secret places beleeue it not And the Apostle Paule exhorteth Col 3 To seeke those things that are aboue where christ sitteth at the right hand of God But if Christ lurke and ly hid vnder the accidents of breade and Wine then we might beleeue such as say Loe heere is Christ there is Christ he might be pointed out with the finger on euery altar and so often as the Priest lifteth vp his idoll he might say to the people behold heere is Christ whom we haue newly made looke vpon him whom we haue newly fashioned Seuenthly the fathers vnder the lawe did eat the same spirituall meate and drinke the same spirituall drinke that the 〈◊〉 and other Christians did though they had differing signes they had the same christ But they did not eate the flesh of Christ and drinke his bloode bodily for as yet he was not come in the flesh therefore he is not present in his naturall body in our Sacramentes This Paule setteth downe 1 cor 10. They did all eat the same spirituall meat they did all drinke the same spiritual drinke for they dranke of that spiritual rocke that followed them and that rocke was christ Where the Apostles 〈◊〉 is to proue that the Israelites were not inferiour to the Corinthians in respect of the Sacramentes of Gods fauour and therefore had no more to boast of then the Israelites had whereuppon he satith they had the same drinke the same Christ. Now if they did not eat the same in substance which the corinthians did eate then the Israelites were farre inferior to them touching their Sacramentes and so the Apostles reason should be of no force Eightly Christ is in such sort in heauen in his humanity as that he is not on the earth with his bodie and consequently not in the Sactament as we see Math. 9. Can the children of the bride-chamber mourne as long as the bride-groome is with them but the daies will come when the
bridegroome shall be taken from them and then they shal fast But if he were remainning on the earth and contained in the pixe the bridegroome could not nor would not be taken away And the same Euangehst chap. 26. saith Ye haue the poore alwaies with you but me ye shal not haue alwaies Like wise Iohn 13. When Iesus knew that hie houre was come that he should depart out of this world vnto the father heeriseth from supper and chap. 14. I goe to prepare a place for you but I wil come againe if I go away to prepare a place for you I will receiue you vnto my selfe that where I am there may ye be also and verse 28 ye haue heard how I said vnto you I go awaie and will come vnto you And chap. 17. Now I am no more in the world but these are in the world and I come to thee Againe act 1. ye men of Galile why stand re gazing into heauen this Iesus which is taken vp from you into heauen shal so come as ye haue seene him go into heauen If then Christ according to his humane nature be not on earth how can his 〈◊〉 body be on euerie altar how can they eat him with their 〈◊〉 how can they swallow him downe their throat Ninthlie such an eating and 〈◊〉 of the bodie and blood of christ must be holden as is profitable and comfortable to the receiuers for nothing is more 〈◊〉 and fruitfull then these being rightlie receiued 〈◊〉 thereby remission of sinnes assured and eternall glory sealed vp vnto vs. But no fruite to our faith can come vnto vs by this kind of bodilie eating the bodie carnall drinking the blood of christ for wicked men haue as great a portion in this as the godly Nay by their owne doctrin it may be eaten of birds of beasts of Mice of Dogs of hogs of vermine to whom no profit no comfort no benefit can come whereas God woulde haue the flesh of the sonne of man to be eaten of those to whom it shal be auailable to life and saluation I am the liuing bread which came downe from heauen if any man eat of this bread he shall liue for euer and the bread that I will giue is my flesh which I wil giue for the life of the world Tenthly nothing can be more grosse barbarous or inhumane then to deuour mans flesh and to drinke mans blood What doth more transforme men into sauage and 〈◊〉 beasts Nay worse then beastes which deuour not their owne kind what is more contrarie to the purenes holines of Gods law then this The words of the Lord are pure words as the siluer tryed in a furnace of earth fined seuen fold The feare of the Lord is clean the law of God is spirituall holy iust and good And the gospell bringeth saluation to all degrees and teacheth vs that we should deny all vngodlines and worldly Iustes and that we should liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world But what can be more repugnant to godlines sobernes and righteousnes then to teare wirh the teeth and iawes mans flesh and to drink his blood from which the Capernaits abhorred what more crosseth the Religion of Christ the law of god and the light of nature then mā to deuour man and the bowels of one to be in the bowels of another And are not their stomackes strong to digest this meat did not god in the law command to abstain frō eating the blood of beasts and from strangled did not the Apostles for a time renue it amōg the christiās in respect of the weaknes of the Iews because Moses was read in their sinagogue euer saboth day to what 〈◊〉 should this be done if the church had tasted the blood of ch with their mouth or swallowed his body in their bellies And do not the Scythians and al the gentiles that are not vtterly voide of 〈◊〉 abstain from mans blood and 〈◊〉 deuouring his flesh wherefore these men are worse then the Scithians barbariās and Gentiles yea worse then the Canibals Indies that eat their enimies but these deuour ch whom they cal their L. and maist like Actcons houndes to compare one fable with another onely heer ly the differences they deuourd their Lord vnder the shape of a stag or Hart they eat their maist vnder the formes of bread and wine these fastned their mouth vpon their maister because they thoght him absent and not present vnder that shape they openly confesse their maister to be present and yet 〈◊〉 professe to deuour him with their iawes and swallow him in their stomacks wherefore these men are more cruell Eleuenthly if Christ be present in the Sacramant bodily and carnally in what body shall he be present Whether in his glorified body as he is in the heauens or in his mortall body as he was vpon the earth In one of these he must be present necessarily if he be present fleshly Whatsoeuer they answer they are taken onboth hands are stroken downe as with a sword that hath two edges Dare they saie he is thus present in his mortall bodie This cannot be For it is certaine he hath not now a mortall bodie but a glorified bodie this corruptible hath put on in corruption this mortall hath put on immortality and death is swallowed vp in victory This the Apostle confirmeth this the Scripture teacheth this Christian faith beleeueh Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more death hath no more dominion ouer him For in that he dyed he dyed once to sinne but in that he liueth he liueth to God Like wise Heb. 7. 25 This man because he endureth euer hath a priesthood which cannot passe from one to another seeing he euer hueth to make intercession for them And chapter 9. of the same Epistle he is entred into heauen not that he should offer himselfe often but he was once offered to take away the sins of many These testimonies duly considered he cannot be present in a mortal body What then will they be helped to say he is present in his glorified body Then he cannot nowe be present in the sacrament of the supper as he was present to the Apostles sitting at the table with them and preaching vnto them of his death he cannot be present in the same body that he did deliuer to his Disciples in the institution of his last supper For the body of Christ was then mortall and not glorified then he had not suffered death vpon the Crosle he was not risen and ascended into the heauens to sit at the right hand of his father so that they must seeke another place then these wordes of Christ This is my body this is my blood to build their reall presence and transubstantiation for they pointed out his mortall body because his body was not yet glorified when the sacrament was instituted Besides what a uniserable glorified body should this be to be
messe of pottage before the blessing and as the Gadarens who preferred theirswine before christ therfore besought him to depart out of their coastes But let vs learne better thinges for all these shall vanish and come to nothing And what shall it profit a man if he win the whole world and lose his owne soule Let vs not labour for the meate that perisheth but for the meate that endureth to euerlasting life which the Sonne of man shall giue vnto vs. Therefore let vs remember whensoeuer we come to his table to be partakers of this Supper to come with a great longing after life and saluation from him as we desire bodily meate when we are hungry and drinke when we are thirsty then shall we by him be satisfied and saued otherwise we cannot lay hold on him we may receiue the outward signe but we cannot receiue the graces of christ offered vnto vs. Thus much of the third inward part of this Sacrament Chap. II. Of the fourth inward part of the Lords Supper THe last inward part of this sacrament of the supper remaineth which is the faithfull and christian receiuer As euery communicant sensibly and outwardly taketh the bread and wine giuen vnto him eating the bread and drinking the Wine for the nourishment of his body so the faithful receiuer apprehendeth and layeth hold on christ by the hand of faith and applyeth him particulally that the feeling of his true vnion with christ may daily be increased according to that saying Ioh. 1. As many as receiued him to them he gaue prerogatiue to be the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue in his name And 1 Cor. 10. The cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we breake is it not the communion of the body of Christ Wherefore when we do faithfully and worthily take the bread and the cup into our hands we must consider that withall we take and receiue Iesus christ himselfe offered vnto vs. When we eate the bread and drinke of the cup and so apply them to our bodily vses we must consider that we apply christ Iesus to our selues euen to our soules particularly that he is meate indeede and that he is drink indeed vnto vs if we bring with vs the hand of saith For faith is like the mouth of a vessell if you poure Lyquor vppon it all the daye longe vnlesse the mouth of the vessell bee open to receiue it the Water is spilt on the ground the vesselremaineth empty so may a man come to the lords table euery month receiuing the bread wine that represent whole christ yet except he bring with him faith which is the mouth of the soule hee receiueth not Christ vnto a spirituall life to be his righteousnes and sanctification And this is the reason why we receiue a little portion and a small quantity as well of bread as wine because the end of our eating and drinking serueth for the sanctification of the spirit not for the silling of the body Now let vs see what vses are offred to our consideration in the meditation of this truth First seeing onely the faithfull are partakers of the things signifyed in this Sacrament we see all doe not receiue alike there is a difference to be made among receiuers But as you snatch after the leaues of the tree and let go the fruit want the profit of their labour so is it among many men in this worlde who take the signe of Christ but let goe Christ. Nowe as Moses intreating of thinges cleane and vncleane noteth out foure sorts of beasts some onely chew the cud and some onely diuide the hoofe some neither chew the cudde nor diuide the hoofe and some both chew the cud diuide the hoofe or as in the dayes of the Gospell some were circumcised in heart not in flesh as Titus some were circumcised in the flesh not in the hart as Iudas some were circumcised neither in flesh nor in the spirit as the gentiles and some were circumcised both in the flesh and in the spirit as Timothy so is there a difference among receiuers some receiue Christ onely spiritually not sacramentally some onely sacramentally not spiritually some neither receiue him spiritually nor Sacramentally and some receiue him both spiritually and Sacramentally Of these we will speake 〈◊〉 and in order as they haue bin propounded The spirituall eating is by faith whereby we are made one with Christ and partakers of his benefits without the Sacramentes where of Christ speaketh He that eateth my 〈◊〉 and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him Thus to eat him is to beleeue in him and therfore he vseth these words as being of one force to beleeue in him and to eat him to drinke him and to come vnto him This is the 〈◊〉 of God that ye beleeue in him vvhom he hath sent I am that bread of life hee that commeth to mee shall not hunger and he that beleeueth in me shall neuer thrist Againe Christ attributeth the same fruit and effect to them that beleeue in him that hee doth to them which eat his body drink his blood therefore by eating and drinking hee meaneth nothing but beleeuing He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life And in the 40. verse of the same chapter he saith This is the will of my father that euerie one that beleeueth in the sonne should haue cternall life and I vvill raise him vp at the last day Heerby we may see that Christ attributeth the same to beleeuing which in the other place hee did to eating and 〈◊〉 so that the meaning of Christ is that to beleeue in him is to eat him And thus many receiue Christ eating and drinking his body and bloode that neuer came to the Sacramentes Heere 〈◊〉 some will obiect If this doctrine be true then are the Sacraments needlesse For if we may 〈◊〉 christ by faith spiritually without any vse or comming to the Lordes supper to what ende serueth the Supper It seemeth by this to be made void and superfluous God forbid for the sacraments are the holy ordinances of Christ by his blessing appointed for our help and benefitte so that the most perfect christians of the strongest faith haue need to seeke the strength ofsaith against weaknes and wauering in the promises of God Notwithstanding we must confesse to the glorie of god and the great comfort of manie persons that the faithfull soule maie and doth often feed vpon christ to saluation beside the vse of the sacrament For the spirituall grace is not of necessitie tied to the outward signes as if without them God cannot or doth not sometimes bestow the same We see in the acts of the Apostles Cornelius and his company was sealed with the spirit of God before the receiuing of the outwarde sacrament Abraham beleeued the
and pricked with vnfained sorrow for all our iniquities This is the right vse the true end and the sound comfort following and flowing from the death of christ To conclude we must learne and hold for euer that we haue the beg nning and chiefe cause in our selues which did crucifie christ and crush him with most bitter sorrows let vs then be reuenged of our sins and do al despite we can vnto them let vs endite them arraigne them accuse them condemne them and naile them to his crosse let vs kil thē mortifie them and bury them in his graue for euer This is the first end of the supper which is sanctified by the breaking of the bread and pouring out of the wine declaring vnto vs that as the body of our lord was broken and by violent meanes afflicted so his blood gushed out and flowed plentifully out of his gaping and bleeding wounds This must be our meditation whensoeuer we come to the lords table Chap. 13. Of the second vse of the lords supper THe second vse of the lords supper is our spirituall vnion and communion with christ This the Apostle declareth The cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the communion of the blood of christ The bread which we breake is it not the communion of the body of christ Whereby he meaneth that the faithfull which come conscionably worthily to the lords table are ioyned and vnited to whole Christ by the bread Sacramentally by faith instrumentally by the holy ghost spiritually and by them all most effectually For we take the bread into our hands and likewise we take the cup into our hands as christ commaunded saying Take ye eate ye drinke ye diuide ye Neither do we lay them apart or hide them aside or reserue them in a boxe or abstaiue from them but when we haue taken them we eate we digest them we are nourished by them and they are turned into our substance So christ being eaten of the Godly by faith is vnited to them by his spirit as we haue shewed before whereby they are made one with christ and he one with them And as meate plentifully prepared daintily dressed and only seene vpon the table doth not nourish the body or take away hunger so if the gospell be preached and the sacraments administred except we apply the promises of the gospel and beleeue that christ withal his gifts is ours they prosit nothing towards our saluation Such therefore as lawfully and worthily come to the lords supper as to a table richly furnished and to a banket liberally prouided must not onely generally beleeue that Christ suffered in the flesh and dyed for sinners but particularly for themselus yea communicateth himselfe and al his gifts to them aboundantly as certainly as themselues eate of the bread and drinke of the cup. This vnion and communion is neere and wonderfull great and therefore the apostle fitly calleth it a mistery euen a great mistery speaking of christ and of the church For what vnion can bee greater then that which is betweene the thing nourishing and the thing ' nourished We haue nothing in Adam but that which conueyeth death vnto vs so that is is needefull to be ioyned to one which maie giue life to vs that as we die in Adam so wee may liue in him This vnion cannot by reason be expressed or fully vnderstood As Christ in the daies of his flesh had a dubble kindred one earthly and carnal kindred the other spirituall that by faith receiued his worde and beleeued in his name of whom he said Behold my mother and my Brethren for whosoeuer shall do my fathers will which is in heauen the same is my brother sister and mother so is it in this vnió and felloship with him one is outward and bodily which al mankinde hath with him in that he is partaker of our flesh and blood the other inward and spirituall whereby we are made partakers of him and of al his sauing graces to euerlasting life As Christ was borne of the Virgin Mary and vnited our nature to him taking vpon him not the Angels nature but the seed of Abraham euery reprobate hath this vnion with him in that he tooke vpon him the shape of a man but there is a mysticall and marueilous vnion whereby he dwelleth in vs by faith whereby we are truely coupled to him made partakers of him deliuered from sin and made heires of euerlasting life quickning and sustaining vs as food which preserueth the life of the bodie If the arme ioined to the body haue no life no sence no benefit of vitall spirits it is no part of the bodie though it be vnited to it so the wicked liuing without faith are as it were sencelesse they haue no forgiuenes of sinnes no sanctification no saluation and therefore are no true members of Christ. If he poure not life and grace into them they are not his members if he kill not sinne in them they are not vnited spirituallie vnto him The bodily vnion with him shall profit nothing it is the spirit that giueth life Seeing then the receiuing of the bread and wine which turne into our substaunce teacheth the misticall vnion between Christ and his members we learne first from hence that all the faithfull and godly are truly made partakers of Christ and his graces as the members receiue life from the head and the tree moisture from the root For euen as the wife ioyned to her husband in marriage is thereby made partaker of his body and goods hath interrest with him in the commodities of this life and loketh for norishment food fellowship protection and gouernement from him so being made one with christ we are indued with his he auenly gifts and blessings This must be our comfort in all dangers and tentations in all tryals and assaults to consider that we are one with christ we are not only dear vnto him but nearely ioyned with him as members to the head as the wife to the husband and as the braunches to the vine and therefore can neuer be seperated from him in life or death Secondly this streight vniting of the faithfull to Christ sheweth that the vngodly haue no part nor fellowship in him and with his graces though they be ioyned to a communion of the same nature and haue many common gifts of knowledge and vnderstanding yet Christ neuer dwelleth in them with his sauing graces and with his spirite of sanctification he possesseth not their harts he worketh not in them a particular perswasion of their reconciltation to God neither an hungring desire aboue all things to bee at vnity and peace with him neyther a distaste and dislike of sinne neyther the comfortable spirite of grace and prayer all which are in some measure in all the saithful Wherfore although they may bee cloathed with the flesh of Christ they cannot be said to be couered with the grace of Christ although they be
in examining ourselues before we come No great thing can bee done well without good care and endeuour In all humane things of any importance nothing is attempted or atchiued without some preparation more or lesse going before according to the nature of the matter Before men sit downe to eat or drinke their ordinary food before they sleepe before they wash before they walke before they work some preparation goeth before Before the ground is tilled it is prpared Before the law was deliuered before the Saboth was sanctified before the sacrifice was offered before the Passeouer was killed before the worde was receiued before prayers were vttered the heart was in some sort prepard One of the greatest duties required of vs is to dy well whereunto all our life should be a preparation and euery day should be a meditation of death that we may not be found vnready and vnprepared when the bridegroome shall come So the Supper of the Lord being an excellent misterie and the food of our soules whereby we receiue Christs body and blood there is required of euery one a trying prouing and examining themselues least seeking comfort by their comming they bring vpon themselues iudgement through want of preparing This trueth deliuered hath the witnesse and consent of many Scriptures for the confirmation thereof The Prophet 2. Chron. 35. saith Kill the passeouer and sanctifie your selues and prepare your Brethren that they may do according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses And the holy man Iob when the daies of the banketting of his children were gone about sent and sanctified them and rose vp earely in the morning and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all Also the wiseman 〈◊〉 4. Take heede to thy foote when thou enterest into the house of God and be more neare to heare then to giue the sacrifice of fooles for they know not that they do euill Likewise the prophet Ieremy Lament 3. Wherefore is the liuing man sorrowfull Man suffereth for his sinne let vs search and try our waies and turne againe to the Lord. To the same purpose the prophet Dauid saith Psal. 4. Tremble and sinne not examine your owne heart vpon your bed and be still and Psal. 119. I haue considered my waies and turned my feete into thy testimonies The Apostle Paule is very direct in this point as Gal. 6. 4. Let euery man proue his owne worke and then shall he haue reioycing in himselfe onely and not in any other Also 1 Cor 11. Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this cup where he speaketh of purpose of the Lordes Supper So then it is a duty required of all persons that come to the Lordes Table or any other exercise of religion to search their owne heartes and consciences narrowly how they bee affected and disposed touching the discharge of this duty And if wee would farther consider the necessity of this examination we fhould finde it standeth vpon many sufficient reasons and causes as vpon certaine foundations that cannot be remoued Doe we not see men when they come into the presence of some honourable and Noble person to addresse themselues to doe it with all renerence Ioseph being sent for to come before Pharaoh King of Egypt shaued his hed and changed his raiment and pro 23. When thou sittest downe with a ruler at meate consider diligently what is before thee Therefore when wee sit at the Lordes table to sup with him and are admitted to be his welcome ghuests we ought much more to be caresul to sanctifie our soules with al solemnity Consider with me a little our own practise We will not put our ordinary meates in a dish vnwashed nor our common drinks into a cup vnclensed and shall we put the signes of bread and Wine which are chosen instruments to conueigh Christ vnto vs into vnsanctisied soules vnprepared heartes and 〈◊〉 consciences Doth not our sauiour Christ reproue such hy pocrisie when he saith Ye can discerne the face of the skie and 〈◊〉 you not discerne the signes of the times And if that vpper chamber wher the supper was first administred were trimmed and garnished should not our hearts be prepared into the which it is receiued Shall Christ himselfe offer to come into our houses and shal not we sanctifie our harts to entertain such a ghest This were to great carelesnesse and contempt Moreouer waigh with me the profit that commeth to our selues to moue vs to this examination The comfort is great the fruite is excellent the benifit is vnspeakeable to those that partake the mystery of the Supper worthily they receiue christ they receiue remission of sinnes they receiue saluation they receiue assurance of eternall life For if the woman diseased with an yssue of blood loe twelue yeare comming behind Christ and touched onely the hemme of his garment was made whole then assuredly the spirituall receiuing of the body and blood of christ shal not bring lesse profit if the faith be equall which notwithstanding is wholly lost without preparation Ponder with me also how by neglect of this triall of our selues not onely this profit is lost but the Sacrament it selfe is after a sort defiled For howsoeuer it be in it selfe by the ordinance of God an holy and heauenly banket yet to the vngodly vnregenerate and vnsanctified it becommeth vnholy and wholly earthly as the prophet Haggai teacheth Chapter 2. If a polluted person touch an holy thing it shall be vncleane The person must be holy that will haue sound profit by the holy thinges of God the man that is vnholy defileth every thing he toucheth the polluted Person polluteth all thinges For as to the pure all thinges are pure but vnto them that are defiled and vnbeleeuing is nothing pure but euen their mindes and consciences are corrupted so the prophane Person defileth all thinges and turneth wholesome meate into noysome poyson We must therefore vse sanctifyed thinges with sanctfyed hearts and for spirituall meate we haue spirituall vessels Furthermore marke the great danger punishment that is procured and purchased by this want of preparation For the vn worthie receiuer is guilty of the body and blood of Christ as the Apostle specifieth 1 cor xi Whosoeuer shall eate this bread and drinke the cup of the lord vnworthily shall be guiltie of the body and blood of the Lord. And againe He that eateth and drinketh vnworthily eateth and drinketh his own iudgement because he 〈◊〉 not the lords body for this cause many are sick and weak among you and manie sleepe Where he teacheth that such as come vnworthily vnreuerently and otherwise then such misteries should be handled doe despise and treade vnder their feet Iesus Christ himselfe prouoke the Lords 〈◊〉 and bring on themselues swift damnation Not that he is carnally and bodily present but because the reproache which is vsed in the signes
can clense and wash the things that are without reason without vnderstanding without sense and without life But in the sacrament of the supper a reuerent giuing an attentiue hearing a certaine vnderstanding of that which is spoken a wise receiuing and eating and a carefull considering of whom to take and what to take is required into the outward work how much greater iudgement is required to know that God the father giueth the body and blood of his sonne to be receiued by faith Thus then this examination maketh a distinction betweene both the sacramentes of the new testament and sheweth that it is not necessary to the saluation of infants that they com to the Lords table Thirdly seeing no man must presume to come thither without a serious examination of himselfe it debarreth from the Lords supper fiue sorts of persons to wit children furious and mad men ignorant persons prophane persons and all sorts of insidels First of all if there be a necessity of searching and trying our selues it excludeth all infants and children in age who vnderstand not what the holy spirit speaketh in this Sacrament what God the father offereth what the Sonne performeth and what faith receiueth they know not what it is to eate christ spiritually and to be nourished by him effectually Secondly all foolish furious and mad men being such as want the vse of naturally gifts of reason wit descretion and iudgement the defect whereof whatsoeuer they are in age and yeares maketh them as children in gifts not being able to examine themselues are to be separated Thirdlyly howsoeuer many haue yeares of discretion and the common vse of naturall gifts of vnderstanding yet if they neither haue the knowledge of God nor the knowledge of themselues nor the knowledge of the doctrine of the Sacramentes and other fundamentall points of religion they are not to be admitted but refused Fourthly if they haue all these things and want neither ripenesse of age nor yeares of discretion nor vse of reason nor knowledge of the doctrine which is according to godlinesse yet if they remaine prophane vngodly vnrepentant stubborne malicious reuenging open contemners of God of godlinesse and of his word idolaters adulterers blasphemers drunkards and such in whom appeareth no amendment of life these and such like are not interessed in this Sacrament Lastly it excludeth and shutteth out all such as are without God in the world all Atheists Insidels Turkes Iewes and Heretikes all such as haue not yealded themselues to the Church of GOD and haue not made profession of their faith and such as are worthily excommunicated from the Church by the power of the keies Whereby we see that al infants and children that want years all furious and foolish persons that want the vse of reason all blind and ignorant persons that want the knowledge of God and of themselues all vnrepentant persons that bring not with them faith and repentance all infidels and vnbeleeuers with others that are out of the bosome of the church are to bee kept backe from this Supper being such as either cannot or will not submit themselues to this holy necessary duty of examination thereby hauing no right or title to come to his table For such as haue not the church to be their mother cannot be nourished with this meate of the church to wit the Supper of the Lord. Fourthly if all persons are to prepare themselues to this Sacrament then none are willingly and wilfully to abstain and refraine from comming vnto it For as such sinne grieuously who present themselues vnworthily to this blessed communion so do they greatly offend on the other side that ofset purpose absent themselues from this spirituall banket prouided for them God is dishonored both these waies as well by receiuing vnreuerently as by abstayning carelesly from this Sacrament For he lyeth vnder an heauy curse deseruedly that doth any of the Lords works negligently Euen as the patient which being sicke maketh no account of the dyet which the Physition hath prescribed is no lesse blame worthy then he that abuseth it disorderly in as much as both sorts do it oftentimes to their danger and destruction so is he no lesse faulty that maketh that reckoning of the receit which the chiefe Physition of our soules the Lord Iesus hath appointed then he that misuseth and misapplyeth the same because both do it with great perill and hazzard to themselues We know that such as being bidden by the King to the wedding of his Sonne made light of it and refused to come were destroyed as wel as he that came without his wedding garment We know when the word of God is preached which is the power of God to saluation to all that beleeue such as absent themselues from the hearing of it perish iustly as wel as they that come without faith and repentance We know when the passeouer was celebrated such persons as were negligent to obserue and keepe the same according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses were to be cut off from his people Because they brought not the offering of the Lord in his due season they shal be are their sin In like manner such as neglect to come to this communion and abstaine from it for feare of communicating vnworthily depriue themselues of great comfort And this is the very cut-throat of al godlines and religion For why doe they not by like proportion of reason refrain from inuocation and calling vpon the name of god for feare of praying amisse And why may they not absent themselues from hearing the word of God fearing to hear amisse So that if this pretence were a lawful warrant to abstaine from the Lords Supper for feare of vnworthy receiuing we might bid all godlines farewel in asmuch as it openeth a gap for men to abstaine from performing all duties of piety and godlines Wherfore let not such persons flatter themselues with vaine excuses and lying words that cannot profit neither daube with vntempered morter saying we are vnworthy we cannot come rather let them labor to shake off their vnworthines and to cast away euerything that presseth down and the sin that hangethso fast on that so they may be worthy receiuers Let them not contemne the commaundement of christ which saith take ye eate ye do this in remembrance of me Christ hath commanded we must obey he saith come shall we be so vnthankfull to say we will not come He calleth shall we not answer He biddeth his ghests shall we make excuses He sendeth his messengers and prepareth his feast shall we not prouide and prepare to eate thereof He offereth himselfe vnto vs shall we contemne the blessed remembrance of his death and passion euen the price of our redemption and shut our selues from the communion which the faithfull haue with him and one with another So that wee are to perswade our owne hearts that God is prouoked to anger as well by negligence in abstaining as by
vnworthinesse in receiuing the Supper Chap. 16. Of the knowledge of God the first part of examination AS we haue waighed the necessity of preparing and examining our selues so let vs consider the manner how it is to be performed Such as will in an holy manner prepare themselues to celebrate the Lords Supper to the glory of God and comfort of their owne soules must diligently acquaint themselues with these 4. pointes with knowledge faith repentance and reconciliation to those whom they haue offended It is required of all persons that come to this Sacrament to know the grounds of religion and vnderstande the doctrine of the sacramentes Secondly to beleeue in christ and to looke for saluation in him alone inasmuch as there is no other name vnder heauen by which we must be saued So then we must come with faith which is the hand to apprehend christ Thirdly to abhorre and detest our sins to hate them with an vnfained hatred as our deadly and most dangerous enemies and to haue godly sorrow for them which may cause repentance not to be repented off Lastly to loue our bretheren truely and sincerly yea euen our enemies If we find not these things in our selues we must carefully vse al holy meanes appointed for this purpose to begin them in vs otherwise our estate will proue to be fearefull and dangerous We must with al sincerity conscience and zcale vse prayer the word read and preached conference meditation and such like helpes as may further them in vs. If we do find them in vs though feeble and in great want and weakenesse we are not to abstaine from the sacrment but to come thereunto to seeke strength of faith encrease of obedience Wherfore our sauiour calleth such vnto him come to me all ye that are weary and sore laden and I will ease you take my yoke on you and ye shall find rest vpon your soules for my yoake is easie and my burden is light And Chap 12. A brused reede shall he not breake and smoking flaxe shall he not quench till he bring forth iudgment vnto victory Touching the first we are to obserue that such as wil come aright to the lords Supper must haue the knowledge of Gods word which is the foundation and ground-work of faith We must know what to beleeue and must learne the doctrine of saluation out of the Scripture Our Sauiour Christ in that heauenly prayer which he made a little before his passion vseth these words to his father This is eternall life to know thee to be the onely very God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ. We must know how miserable all men are of themselues that we are seperated from God the children of wrath by nature as wel as others and the very firebrands of hel They that want this knoledge cannot iudge aright of the partes and vses of this Sacrament nor desire this heavenly meate which nourisheth to eternall life So then knowledge must necessarily go before faith for it is the nature of faith to beleeue that which it knoweth and therefore where there is small knowledge there is a little faith and where there is no knowledg ther can be no faith according to the doctrine of the Apostle Roman 10. Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God The knowledge required of vs when we approach to this Sacrament standeth in these two pointes first in the knowledge of God Secondly in the knowledge of our selues In these two braunches standeth the first part of examinarion And these two pointes are so neerely ioyned and knit together that no man can throroughly know God vnlesse he know himselfe and no man can haue the perfect knowledge of himselfe except he know God in whom he liueth moueth and hath his being Vnder these two heads many particular points are containd necessary to be known of those that offer themselues to bee partakers of this sacrament First that there is onely one God that hath made himselfe knowne in three persons the Father the sonne and the Holy-ghost Secondly that God made man and all other creatures good and gouerneth all thinges well Thirdly man did fall through the entisement of the Deuill and his own wilful disobedience in breaking the commandements of God Fourthly there are ten commaundements diuided into two tables where of the foure first commaundements concern our duties to God the sixe last our dutyes toward our neighbour Fiftly we cannot keepe these commandements nor any one of them but we breake them daily in motion in thought in worde and in deede the breache where of deserueth the cursse of God that is all miseries in this life death in the ende of this life and Hell fire after this life Sixtly there is no meanes or remedy in ourselues or in any creature but onely in Iesus Christ the eternal son of god who is god man God that he might ouercom death and man that he might die for our sins He hath pacified gods wrath fulfild the righteousnes of that law sanctified our nature adopted vs to be the children of god and maketh our duties though weake acceptable to his father Seuenthly all haue not deliuerance by him but onely such as beleue in Christ whose obedience and righteousnes is made ours by a liuely faith whereby we are perswaded that through him our sinnes are forgiuen and wee made the children of God Eightly faith is a gifte of God applying Christ and al his merits particularly to our selues and teaching that he is a Sauiour vnto vs. Ninthly beeing saued by christ thrugh faith we may not liue as we list this vnspeakeable mercy teacheth vs to deny all vngodlinesse and all worldly and sinfulllusts to to liue soberly righteously and godly in this present euill world and to walk in newnes of life because no vnrighteous person shal enter into the kingdome of heauen Tenthly this faith which bringeth forth a reformed life is wrought in our heartes by the Holy-ghoaste through the preaching of the word being truely expounded and profitably applyed with doctrin confutation exhortation correction reformation and consolation and it is encreased besides by reading praying and receiuing of the sacraments Eleuenthly touching prayer we haue a perfect platforme left vs by Christ in the Gospell which containeth sixe petitions the three firste concerning the glorie of God and the three last concerning the necessities of our owne bodies and soules 12. the sacraments are another help to strengthen and increase faith which are outward signes and seales ordained of God to assure vs that Christ all his sauing graces are giuen vnto vs. These are two in number Baptisme the Sacrament of our regeneration and new birth assureth vs by the washing of water that our sins are for giuen by the blood of Christ and wee borne a new to god The Lords supper assureth vs that by bread and wine giuen and receiued according to gods ordinance
as we take it in these bookes a Sacrament is a visible signe and seale ordained of God whereby Christ and all his sauing graces by certaine outward rites are signified exhybited and sealed vppe vnto vs. This discription being 〈◊〉 teacheth vs these pointes first that the force of the Sacramentes dependeth not on the worthynesse or vnworthynesse of the Minister but vpon the ordinance of God so that an euill Minister may deliuer the good thinges of God And this was the cause that Christ Iesus baptized none but his Disciples baptized that he might learne not to esteeme of the effect of the sacraments by the fitnesse or vnsitnesse of the Mynisters Againe none must adde vnto them none must take ought from them none must any way abuse them contrary to the institution and ordinance of God Lastly we learne from hence that the Sacramentes are not bare and naked signes of Christ absent but sure seales of Gods promises and of the righteousnesse of Christ who is offered to all but receyued onely of the faithfull so that the presence of vngodlye men meeting vs at the same Table cannot hurte vs in our worthye receiuing In a Sacrament we are to consider two thinges his partes and his vses The partes of a sacrament are partly outward and partly inward The outward partes are these foure First the Mynister lawfully called is necessarily required 〈◊〉 then the Mynister 〈◊〉 not administer them or if pryuate persons wil administer them they sinne against God the one for not perfourming the dutyes of his calling the other because he runneth beyond the boundes of his calling The second outward parte is the word of institution consisting of a Commaundement and a promise so that it is required of vs to vnderstand the wordes of instiâ—ution to ioyne the word with the sacramentes and to discharge those from the number of sacramentes which want the warrant of the word The third outward part of a Sacrament is the signe for wheresoeuer there is a Sacrament there must of necessity bee an outward element so that neither must wee make an Idoll of the signe by aduancing it to high nor cleane abolish it as the Church of Rome doth by their doctrine of Transubstantiation The last outward part is the receiuer so that the Sacraments without their lawfull vse are no sacraments at all so long as the signes are reserued and not applyed The inward partes also are r foure first God the father offering and applying Christ Iesus as surely as the Minyster doth the outward signe which is a great comfort to such as come to the Sacraments The second inward parte of a Sacrament is the holy spirit working by the worde so that wee can neuer heare the worde or receiue the Sacramentes aright without the speciall direction and inspiration of the spirit of GOD neyther must wee hang vpon extraordinary reuelations which openeth a wide doore vnto all disorders inasmuch as the spirâ—t is not separated from the word The third inward part is Iesus Christ who is the truth and the life of all Sacramentes now if God the father haue giuen him vnto vs how shall hee not with him giue vs all thinges else Let vs therefore laye hold vpon him especially in all discomfits and troubles when our faith is assaulted by the enemies of our saluation The last inward parte is the faithfull receiuer for except wee send out saith to bring CHRIST home to dwell with vs in our heartes wee shall in vaine looke to receiue profit by the Sacraments so that the reprobate who are vessels of wrath and the Children of perdytion cannot receiue Christ albeit they partake the signes of Christ. As for the elect who are the Lordes sealed vp to the day of redemption before their conuersion and gathering into the sheepefold of Christ they also onely receiue the outward signe without Christ inasmuch as they are without faith but after they are called with an holy calling effectually and haue receiued to beleeue vnfainedly they are partakers both of the signe and of the thing signified These are the outward and inward parces Now there is a fit proportion and agreement betweene these partes each very aptly answering the other For euen as the minister by the word of institution offereth and applyeth 〈◊〉 the outward element to the body of the receiuer so the father by the spirit offereth and applyeth Iesus christ inuisibly to the faithfull receiuer We shewed before that in a sacrament wee are to obserue two pointes his partes and his vses Hitherto wee haue spoken of all the partes both such as are outward and such as are inward Now it remaineth to handle his vses The vses of a sacrament are chiefely three first to strengthen faith secondly to scale the couenant between God and vs thirdly to be a badge of our profession and as a banner displayed to witnesse our warfare vnder our chiefe captaine Christ 〈◊〉 If these be the true vses and endes of a sacrament then wee learne to take notice of our owne failinges and infirmities of faith that GOD refuseth none for weakenesse and wauering of faith that there is an assurance of faith to be attained vnto in this life that as God euermore keepeth his promise with his people who is not as man that he should lie nor as the son of man that he should deceiue so must we be careful to keep the articles of agreement betweene God vs namely to beleeue his word to loue our bretheren to obey his will lastly as our priuiledges are great to beare the badges of Christ our Lord so it teacheth that we are not our owne but are bought at a great price not with corruptible thinges as Syluer and Gold but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lambe vnspotted and vndefiled Hitherto of the nature of the Sacramentes now of the number of them as we vnderstand the word for such as are seales of our communion with christ The sacraments of the new testament are two baptisme and the Lords supper neither are there any moe left vnto the Church For Christ taught no moe sacraments to the Apostles the Apostles deliuered no moe to the churches who yet were faithfull witnesses and reueiled the whole counsell of God without concealing and keeping backe of anye doctrine which themselues had receiued Besides these two Sacramentes are altogether perfect and sufficient both to enter a Christian 〈◊〉 the church and to retaine him continually in the same From this number of two sacramentes we learne 〈◊〉 to acknowledge the great loue of God toward vs who hath eased vs of the heauy burden of infinite Cerimonies prescribed in the law and deliuered vs a few sacramentes in stead of many Secondly wee see heereby the difference betweene the olde Testament and the New and betweene the sacramentes of the olde
is deceiued the Greekes vse not the same forme that we do yet we deny not but that they consecrate Thus hee concludeth the whole matter with an Ignoramus Vnto these heads before remembred we might also adde many foolish friuolous and ridiculous questions disputed among them as whether in the sacrament the foote of Christ bee confounded with his face his hand with his head and whether one part be distinguished from another Whether the host falling the body of Christ falleth and whether it be moued to and fro as oft as the host is moued Whethe it be fittest for the host to be eaten after a 〈◊〉 hath vomited it vp or a drunken man in his drunkennes Whether christ leaue heauen to come into the place of bread Whether in comming he passe through the aire Whether he forsake the earth againe so soone as the shewes of bread are touched with the teeth or whether he go downe into the stomacke How long he stayeth in the stomack Whether he tarry and waite his attendance there till the forme of bread be disgested and whether he change himselfe at such time into the foule or body of the communicant or whether he vanish into nothing or else returne to heauen They make a quaere likewise when the sacrament beginneth to be God how long it continueth God when it is god and when it is no god When we may adore and how long we may adore it without danger and so safely cease and leaue off Whether the body of Christ haue dimension of quantities proportion of body and distance of parts one from another as between eie and eie eare and eare head and foote as it is in other naturell bodies Whether christ speake of the Eucharist Ioh. 6. Gabriel Biell Cusanus Caietan Lyra and others deny it but Sanders and Bellarmine hold otherwise go about to confute the former Againe whether the matter of the Sacrament may be bread of any kind of graine and corne or only of wheaten bread Some hold the signe of the Sacrament must onely be made of Wheat as Scotus some of Wheate or barly as Albertus and Thomas de Argentina Others holde consecration rightly to bee made in any vsuall and common bread whatsoeuer it bee as Caietan They cannot agree likewise whether the priest may be saide to be the creator of his creator With a thousand such questions or rather fooleryes they blot Paper wast time and weary the Reader neuer knowne nor heard off in auncient Writers no not 800. yeares after christ which argueth that they neuer dreamed of any carnall presence But not to stand vpon all the the contradictions among them which were without end and without 〈◊〉 wee will come to the m wordes of institution which albeit they be short and easie cleere and euident in themselues yet they haue corrupted them with many glozes and crossed one another in their peruerse interpretations Christ saith of his last Supper when hee had taken blessed and broken the bread This is my body which is broken or giuen for you do this in remembrance of me In like manner he tooke the cup saying This cup is the new testament in my blood this doe as oft as ye drinke it in remembrance of me As if hee should say this bread is a signe or sacrament of my body which is deliuered to death for you and for your saluation Christ tooke nothing but bread he brake that which he tooke he deliuered that which he brake as the Apostle saith The bread which we breake is it not the communion of the body of Christ So touching the other part when he saith This cup hee meaneth this Wine in the cup is a sacrament of the new testament of our reconciliation with God now to bee fulfilled of our communion and participation of Christ with all his benifits This interpretation is agreeable to the circumstances of the text to the proportion of faith and to the exposition of the ancient fathers who call the sacrament a representation a remembrance an image a token a signe a figure and such like But because our aduersaries can abide no figures let vs heare what the Doctours of the Church teach who thought it no heresie to expound the wordes of Christ by a figure Tertullian one of the most auncient saith Christ receiuing the bread and the same being diuided vnto his Disciples made it his body saying This is my body that is to say a figure of my body And Chrysostome If Christ died not whose token signe is this sacrifice Ambrose also hath these words After consecration the body of christ is signisied Adde vnto these the testimony of Augustine who taught the people thus christ at his last supper commended and gaue the figure of his body blood And epist 23. ad Bonifac. The sacramēt of the body of christ is after a sort the body of christ And in another place The Lord doubted not to say this is my body when he gaue a token of his bodie Lastly the Glose vpon the Canons dissenteth not heerin frō the fathers Dicitur corpus christi sed improprie vt sit sensus It is the body of christ but vnproperlie the meaning is it is called Christes body that is it signifieth christs body Gelasius saith in the same māner There remaineth still in the sacra the nature or substance of bread and wine To conclude Augustin saith else where Quod videtis panis est that is the thing that ye see is bread He doth not say it seemeth bread and is none or it is the shew and forme of bread but he speaketh euidently it is indeede bread Now our aduersaries that can abide no tokens no figures no signes no significations in the wordes of the supper are notwithstanding driuen to make so diuerse so doubtfull so many so monstrous so mad and senseles expositions of the word of institution as al the tropes figures metaphors allusions allegories and rhetoricke in the world wil not serue them to salue vp the braunches of their interpretations of these short and few words First they finde in the word bread a whole swarme of figures They say the Sacrament is called Bread sometimes because it was bread before sometimes because an Infidell taketh it to be bread sometimes because the accidents and shewes of bread remaine sometimes because the same accidentes nourish the body by a miracle as if it were bread sometimes because it is that spirituall bread which came from heauen and lastly because the bread sometimes returneth againe after consecration Againe these words lying together he tooke hee blessed he brake going before the words which Christ spake are strangely expounded on this manner he tooke the bread hee blessed that is he turned and changed the bread he brake that is the accidents or shewes of bread and sometimes they vnderstand It seemeth to be broken so that when the Euangelists saith he
misrable people led by such blind guids O miserable guides of such blind people What a wofull condition is this that a man shal liue al the daies of his life in the bosom of their holy mother the church yet her sons and daughters can neuer assure themselus to haue bin baptized thogh they make the want therof a mark of reprobation or euer to haue receiued the Lords supper or euer to haue bin 〈◊〉 or absolued seeing al hangeth vpō the priests intention obseruation ordination This is the lamen table condition of all those that liue vnder the heauy yoake and greeuous bondage of superstition Ther is no peace no comfort no ioy of hart in such a doubtful and doleful religion Wherfore as the Holy ghost saith Go out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sinnes and that ye receiue not of her plagues Now among all other abuses of the church of Rome and prophanations of the blessed sacrament of the bodye and blood of Christ none is more notable and notorious then that great Idoll of the Masse being indeede a masse of many abominations And howsoeuer it be greatly liked of those that are enamored of it as the things that are not faire yet seeme faire to them that are in loue it is knowne to the true church to be an heape of errors a lumpe of confusions a bottomlesse gulfe of all blasphemies and an engine that ouerturneth the foundatiō of religion They make the Lordes Supper to bee a sacrifice not a sacrifice of praise and thansgiuing but propitiatory to be offered by a masse-priest for the quicke and the dead to saue man and not onely to saue man but sometimes their Pigs and their Swine from diseases For they haue a masse commonly called the Masse of Saint Antony Yea if a poore womans hen be sicke and ready to be lost shee may procure a Masse to be said for it And heereby although no good redounde to the party yet some gaine shall returne to the Priest who if he see no money wil say no Masse And are not these more beastly and vncleane then swine yea more mad then mad men thus to abuse the holy ordinance of Christ and to turne that to their owne profit which was instituted for the peoples comfort Do they not by this means make the death of Christ of none effect while they offer vp a new that only sacrifice which being once offered hath sanctified vs for euer and yet behold more abhominations then these The right ends of the institution are basely esteemed they make it of speclall force against tempests against sicknes against Warres auaileable to saue cattell to cure the feauer to restore lost things yea profitable for the deade and that Ex opere operato sine bono motu vtentis that is onely being present at the worke done though there be neuer a good motion brought thereunto by him that is present Thus they make the Masse deuised by Antichrist more precious then the holy supper instituted by Christ. Touching the word Masse we must vnderstand that neither the name nor thing ment by the name by the Church of Rome is found in the Scripture nor in any 〈◊〉 and approued Writer for foure hundered yeares after Christ to call the Sacrament or sacrifice by that name Tertullian Cyprian Ierome Augustine Lactantius knew it not these Lataine fathers vsed it not Againe the fathers of the Greeke Church Chrisostome Basill Nazianzene Gregory Nissene and other were neuer acquainted with it they passe by it as a stranger vnto them But as there go many forged and 〈◊〉 Writings vnder the names of the fathers so I deny not but the word Masse may be found in such base and bastard bookes as in Augustines Sermons de tempore Ierom on the Prouerbs which books were neuer made by them but are of another style and of a later stampe And howsoeuer some would deriue it from the Haebrew word Missath which signifieth an oblation yet it seemeth rather to be all one with Missio which importeth a sending away and a licensing to depart and therefore Saint Cyprian saith remissa peccatorum in stead of remssio For this was the order and custome of the Church in former times Nouices and such as were newly planted in the Church being conuerted srom paganisme to Christianity and from infidelity to the faith of Christ and not yet baptized till they were able to giue an answere to such as asked of them a reason of their profession were not suffered to come to the Lords table Likewise such as denying the faith by sinking and shrinking vnder the heate of persecution or committing some other heinous offence were enjoyned to make satisfaction to the church whom they had greeuously offended no withstanding they might be present at the publike praiers the church and at the preaching of the word yet might not be present at the administration of baptism nor receiue the sacrament of the lords supper Wherefore after the prayers were finished and the sermon ended the deaconsaid to such as wer barred either by age or want of susficient knowledge or their owne offence from the sacraments Ite missa est that is Go ye hence ye may depart Moreouer such as would not communicate with their bretheren were willed to depart not to trouble the rest of the church that staied to communicate Of this dismissing and sending away al nouices 〈◊〉 and carelesse persons which either might not or 〈◊〉 not communicate and of this proclamation of the deacon the whole action of the holy communion in processe of time was called the Masse that is a dismissing of all such persons as wer not to communicate But whē through negligence of the people or couetousnes of the priests this order was altered yet the name was retained and now it is vsed for another thing to wit for that solemne action whereby the sacrament is made a sacrifice and offered vp to god to take away the sins of the quick and dead And in this sense we haue iustly abolished both the name and the nature of the Masse inasmuch as it hath frustrated the death of CHRIST and taken from vs the comforte of the Lordes Supper And albeit we deny not but the Lords Supper may truely be called a sacrifice being a memoriall of the real sacrifice of christ offered vpon the crosse being a thaks-giuing to god for the worke of our redemption being a presenting and giuing vppe our selues our soules and bodies to God a liuing holy and acceptable sacrifice and being ioyned with almes and releefe to the poore according to euery mans ability which is a testimony of our thankfulnesse to God yet as they vnderstād it to be a real external bodily and vnbloody sacrifice in the natiue and proper signification and themselues to be truely and propely priests according to the order of Melchisedech to offer
the prayer A It signifieth So be it Deut 27 xv xvi Q what vse is there of it A It sheweth both our feruent desire to obtaine and an assuraunce to our hearts that we shall obtaine that which wee aske 2. Cor. 1. 20. Q what is a Sacrament A It is a visible signe and seale that Christ and all his benefits are giuen vnto vs. Rom 4 xi Q what is to be considered in a Sacrament A Two things his parts and his vses Math. 3 xi Q what are the parts of a Sacrament A Two the outward parts and the inward Rom. 4. xi xii Gen 17 xi 1 cor x 1 2 3 Q How many are the outward parts A Foure the Minister the word the signe and the receiuer Math. 26 26 27. Q How many are the inward parts A Foure God the father the spirit Christ and the faithfull Math. 3s15 16 Q what proportion is there betweene these parts A Euen as the Minister by the worde offereth and applyeth visibly the element vnto the body of the receiuer so the father by the spirit offereth and applyeth Iesus Christ inuisibly vnto the faithfull receiuer Act. 1 36. 37 Q What be the vses of a Sacrament A Three first to norish faith Rom. 49. x xi Secondly to be a seale of the couenant between god and vs Gen 17 Thirdly to be a badge of our christian profession Eph ii xi xii xiii A How many Sacraments are there A Two Baptisme and the Lords Supper 1 cor xii xiii and chap x 1 2 3. 4 Q what is baptisme A Baptisme is the first sacrament wherein by the outwarde Washing of the body with water once in the name of the father of the sonne andof the holy-ghost the inward clensing of the soule by the blood of Christ is represented Math 28 29 Q What is to be cosidered in Baptisme A Two things his parts and his vses Q What are the parts of baptisme A Outward and inward parts Act 2 38 Q How many are the outward parts of baptisme A Foure the Minister the word of institution the element of water and the body washed Math. 28 19 Q How many are the inward parts A Foure God the father the holy spirit Christ and the soule clensed Math 3. 15 16 Mar 16 16 Q What is the proportion betweene these parts A Euen as the minister by the word of institution applyeth the water to the washing of the bodye so the 〈◊〉 through the working of the spirit applyeth the blood of Christ to the clensing of the soule Luk 3 16 Ioh 1 33 Q What are the vses of baptisme A Three first to seale vp the remission and forgiuenesse of sinnes act xxii 16 Secondly to shew our setting and engrafting into the body of christ Gal. 3 27 Thirdly to teach vs to dy to sin and rise againe to righte ousnes Rom. 6. 1 2 3 4 Q What is the Lords Supper A The Lords supper is the second sacrament wherein by visible receiuing of the bread and Wine is represented our spirituall communion with the body and bloode of Christ 1 Cor. 10. 16 17 Q What things are to be be considered in the Lords Supper A Two things his parts and his vses Math 26. xxvi xxvii xxviii Q What are the parts of the lords Supper A Two outward and inward 1 Cor x xvi Q How many are the outward parts A Foure the minister the word of institution bread and wine and the communicant Luk xxii 19 xx Q How many are the inward parts A Foure the father the spirit the body and blood of christ and the saithfull i cor xii xiii Ioh. 6 xxvii Q What is the proportion betweene these parts A Euen as the minister by the word of institution offereth bread and wine vnto the communicants to feede thereupou bodily and corporally so the father by the spirit offereth giueth the body and blood of christ vnto the soule of the faithfull to feede vpon them spiritually i cor xi xxiii xxiiii xxv xxvi c. Q What be the vses of the Lords supper A three first to shew forth the death and sufferinges of christ with all thanks giuing i cor xi xxvi Luk. xxii xix Secondly to teach vs our communion and groweth in Christ 1 Cor x 16 Thirdly to declare our communion and agreement with our bretheren 1 cor x. 17 c. ch xii 13. Q How may wee come aright to the lords table A By preparing and examining ourselues i cor xi 28 Q What is the right manner of preparing our selues A First we must haue a knowledge of God of mans fall and his restoring againe into the couenant by Christ. Ioh xvii iii. Secondly true faith in christ ii cor xiii 5. Thirdly repentance from al dead workes daily renued for our daily sinnes Psal. xxvi 6. Lastly reconciliation to our brethren yea euen our enemies Math 5 23 xxiiii Now to him that is able to keepe you that ye fall not and to present you faultlesse before the presence of his glory with you to God onelie wise our sauior be glorie and Maiestie and Dominion and power both now and for euer Amen Iude verse 24 25 Gentle Reader I am to desire thee to amende these escapes with thy pen either altering the sence or hindering the vnderstanding The rest I remit to thy fauourable construction and correction page 6. line 13. read is heere full P. 18. l 17. and not make p. 19 l. xxi vnfitly p 37. l 3. that they are no. p. 83. l. 36. a connterfect word is fit enough for a counterfect sacrament p 88 l 7. and not accepted p. 〈◊〉 l 33 dele which is good p 136. l xv and euil workers speed p 148 l 6 by the practise and xiijj but reach eth not p 155 l 32 to baptisme P 163 lin 〈◊〉 they were admitted P 165. l. 1 accesse p 170 l xxi are not able p 179. l 22 an assurance P 201 l 1 escape vnpunished and xxii as an and 13 thus much P 209l 4 naming the P 238 l 29 and 31 change P 240 l 29 yet was he 250 l. iii inhumane P 253 l 4. all the. P. 228 l 24 in the cup. P 285 l. 22. out of the holy vse p 290 l. 4. consecration a 2 Thes 2 b Luke x 1 c Ephe 4 `8 d Ro. 1 16 e 〈◊〉 18 f Titus 1 1 g Mat 13 25 h 〈◊〉 pet 5 2 i Plutar. in vita 〈◊〉 k 1 cor 3 〈◊〉 l Ezeck 33 m 〈◊〉 4 17 Gen 28 o Psa. 138 Iuuenal li. 3. Saty. 2 p 1 sam 2 Senecade remed for 〈◊〉 Senec. de Benef. lib 3 cap 1 Cicero de offic lib. 3 Persi sati 1 1 tim 4 8 Act. xx 32 a the number of them c Vses are three d preparation to the worke consisting in Examination of our selues chap. 15 wher in weigh two things a God alway gaue his sacraments to his Church b Gen. 2 9. c Gen. 6 14. d Gen. 17. 11. e Rom. 4 11 b