yee must bee borne in the bodie of Christ his spirit must quicken you This is called the quickning and liuing spirit of Christ by Iohn And so soone as this spirit cometh what doth it It chaseth away darknesse out of the vnderstanding whereas before I knewe not God now I see him not onely generally that he is a God but that he is my God in Christ what more doth the holy spirit It opneth the heart as well as the minde and what doth it there Those things whereon I bestowed the affection of my heart and imployed the loue of my soule are by the working of the holy spirit made gall to mee he makes then venome to mee and to bee as deadly hated of mee as poyson Hee worketh such an inward disposition in my soule that hee makes mee to turne and flie from those things whereon I imployed my loue before and to imploy it vpon God This is a great perfection Alwayes in some measure he makes mee to loue God better then anie other thing Hee changeth the affections and inclinations of my soule he changeth the faculties and qualities of my soule And though our hearts minde be made new yet the substance of them is not changed but onely the faculties and qualities are changed in respect of the which change wee are called new creatures except you be found newe creatures Conclusion with an exhortation yee are not in Christ Now to come to the poynt This secret Coniunction is brought to passe by faith and by the holy spirit by faith wee lay hold on the bodie and bloud of Christ And though wee bee as farre distant as heauen and earth are the spirit serues vs as a ladder to conioyne vs with Christ As the ladder of Iacob which reached from the ground to the heauen to the selfe same vse serueth the spirit of God to conioyne the bodie of Christ with my soule Then obserue the whole in a word what makes you to haue anie right or title to Christ Nothing but the spirit Nothing but faith What should bee your studie then Seeke by all meanes possible to gett faith That as Peter Acts the 15.9 sayeth your hearts and consciences may be sanctified by faith And if you endeuour not as well to get faith in your hearts as in your mindes your faith auaileth not What auaileth the faith that fleeteth in the fantasie and brings a naked knowledge without the opening of the heart and consent of the will So there must be an opening of thy hart and consent of thy will to doe that thing that God commandeth or else thy faith availeth not Then striue to get faith in your hearts and mindes and doing so yee doe the duties of Christians This is not done without the diligent hearing of the word and diligent receiuing of the Sacrament Then be diligent in these exercises and be diligent in prayer Praying in the holy Ghost that hee would nourish your soules inwardlie with the body and bloud of Christ That hee would increase faith in your hearts and mindes and make it to grow vp more and more daily vntill you come to the full fruition of that blessed immortality Vnto the which the Lord of his mercie bring vs and that for the righteous merits of Christ Iesus To whome with the Father and the holy Ghost bee all honour praise and glorie both now and euer Amen THE THIRD Sermon vpon the Lords Supper 1. Cor. 11.23 For I haue receiued of the Lord that which I also haue deliuered vnto you to wit that the Lord Iesus in the night that hee was betraied tooke bread c. WE haue heard wel-beloued in Christ Iesus in our last exercise what names were giuen to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper as well in the Scriptures as by the Auncientes of the Latine and East Churches wee hearde the chiefe ends wherefore and wherevnto this holy Sacrament was at first instituted wee heard the things that were contained in this Sacrament what they were how they are coupled how they are deliuered and how they are receiued wee heard also some obiections that might bee obiected to the contrarie of this doctrine wee heard them propounded and as God gaue the grace refuted wee heard how the faythfull soule is said to eate Christs bodie and drinke Christs blood Wee heard the manner how Christ is or canne bee receiued of vs And we concluded in this poynt That Christ Iesus the Sauiour of mankinde our Sauiour cannot bee perceiued nor yet receiued but by a spirituall way apprehension Neyther the flesh of Christ nor the bloud of Christ nor Christ himselfe can bee perceiued but by the eye of fayth can bee receiued but by the mouth of faith nor can be layd hold on but by the hand of fayth Now faith is a spiritual thing for fayth is the gift of God poured downe into the heartes and mindes of men and women wrought in the soule of euery one and that by the mightie working and operation of the holy spirit So the onely waie to laie holde on Christ being by faith and faith of it owne nature beeing spiritual it followeth therefore that there is no waie to lay hold on Christ but a spirituall way there is not a hand to fasten on Christ but aspirituall hand there is not a mouth to digest Christ but a spirituall mouth The Scriptures samiliarly by all these tearmes describe the nature and efficacie of faith How we are said to eate the flesh and drinke the blood of Christ Wee are said to eate the flesh of Christ by faith and to drink his bloud by faith in this Sacrament chiefely in doing of two things First in calling to our remembrance the bitter death and passiof Christ the blood that hee shedde vpon the crosse the Supper which he instituted in remembrance of him before he went to the Crosse The commandement which hee gaue Doe this in remembrance of me I say wee eate his flesh and drinke his bloode spiritually First in this poynt in recording and remembring faithfully how hee died for vs how his blood was shedde vpon the crosse This is the first poynt a point that cannot be remembred truly except it be wrought by the mightie power of the holy spirit The second poynt of the spirituall eating standeth in this That I and euerie one of you beleeue firmly that he died for mee in particular That his bloud was shedde on the crosse for a full remission and redemption of me and my sinnes The cheefe and principall poynt of the eating of Christ his flesh and drinking of his blood standeth in beleeuing firmely that that flesh was deliuered to death for my sinnes that that blood of his was shedde for the remission of my sinnes and except euerie soule come neere to himselfe and firmely consent and agree and bee perswaded that Christ died for him that soule can not be saued that soule cannot eate the flesh nor drinke the blood of Christ Then the
vvhether so-euer the soule goeth to the same place shall the conscience repaire and looke in vvhat estate thy conscience is when thou departest out of this life in the selfe same estate shall it meet thee in the great Day So that if thy conscience was a tormentor to thee at the time of thy death if thou gette it not then pacified it shall be also a tormentor to thee in that generall Iudgement Therefore this matter vvould bee vvell vveighed and euerie one of you should studie to haue a good conscience that vvhen the soule is seuered from the body leauing your conscience at rest and peace with God it may be restored vnto you meet you againe with as great peace and quietnes Thus farre concerning conscience what it is I beseech the liuing Lord so to sanctifie your memories that ye may keep these things and that euery one of these things may be so imprinted in your harts that ye may be mindful of them all your liues The second thing that we are to speake of is this We are to consider wherfore we should try our consciences for what causes we should examine our own soules and cōsciences I wil declare the reasons briefly It behooueth euery one of you to try your conscience Why Because the Lord will make his residence in no other part of the soule but in the conscience Hee hath appointed his dwelling to be in the hart of man and in the will and conscience of man and therefore it becomes you to make his dwelling place cleane to take heeed vnto your harts Next though the Lord of heauen made not his residence there yet in respect the eye of GOD is an all-seeing eye and able to pearce throgh the very thicknesse of mans flesh how darke and grosse soeuer it be and to enter into the very secret corners of thy conscience for vnto the all-seeing eye of GOD the most secret corner of the conscience is as cleare and manifest as any outward or bodily thing in the earth can be to the outward eye of the body In respect therefore that this eye is so pearcing and that hee casts his eye onely vpon our harts it behooueth vs to try our harts Thirdly hee is the Lord of the conscience There is no Monarch on earth that hath any soueraigntie or lordshippe ouer the conscience onely the GOD of heauen onely Christ Iesus King of heauen and earth is Lord of the conscience hee hath power onely to saue and lose Therefore vvhen thou commest to this Sacrament of the Lords Table thou oughtest carefully to looke vnto thy conscience to try and examine the state of it Last of all vvhich is a chiefe reason It behooueth thee to prooue thy conscience because the welfare and health of thy soule dependeth vpon thy conscience If thy conscience that is within thy soule be well if it be at peace and rest thy soule is vvell if thy conscience be in a good estate thy soule must needs be in a good estate if thy conscience bee in good health of necessity thy soule must be in good health for the good health happinesse of the soule dependes vpon a good conscience therefore it concerneth euery one of you to try well your consciences There vvas neuer any lavv made or deuised that forbade vs to haue a care of our healths it is lawfull for vs to seeke such things as may procure and preserue it but the health of thy soule standeth in the health of thy conscience and in preseruing thereof therefore by all lawes thou oughtest to attend thy conscience If thou keepe thy conscience wel thy soule is in health and if thy soule be in health let troubles come what will vpon thy bodie thou wilt indure them all but if thy soule be diseased with an euill conscience thou shalt not be able to beare out the least trouble that shall come vnto thy bodie vvhereas if the conscience were at rest and in good health that trouble could not happen vnto thy bodie but the strength of a good conscience vvould beare it out Then haue yee not reason and more then reason to take heed to your consciences to try and examine your consciences in vvhat estate and disposition they stand Now Certaine lessons to be learned by which a man may preserue health in his soule cōscience because it is a fruitlesse thing to tell you that health is necessarie and not to shew the vvay how this health may be obtayned and preserued therfore to keep your consciences in quiet good health I will giue you these few lessons First of all bee sure that yee retaine stedfast a perswasion of the mercie of GOD in Christ Iesus examine vvhen thou lyest downe and examine when thou risest vp in what estate thou art with God whether thou maist looke for mercy at his hands or not Art thou perswaded of mercy Assure thy selfe thy conscience is in a good estate thou hast health in thy soule for by the keeping of faith the conscience is preserued as saith the Apostle 1. Tim. 1.19 Keepe this perswasion preserue it vvhole and sound hurt it not bring not thy soule into doubting stay not nor hinder thy perswasion if thou desire to keep health in thy soule for if thou doubt or any way diminish thy perswasion and assurance assuredlie thy assurance cannot so soon be hindered nor diminished but at that very instant shall follow the diminishing of the health of thy soule yea it cannot be but in that very article of time shall follow the hurt of thy conscience for faith will not dwell but in a whole conscience Therefore at what time thou doost any thing against thy conscience at that very time thou losest a degree of thy perswasion of the mercy of God and vntill such time as thou fall downe at the feet of Christ and obtaine mercie for that wicked deed purchase peace at his hands and repaire thy persvvasion thou shalt euer doubt of mercie and vvant health in thy conscience Then this is the first lesson to keepe health in your soules To be perswaded of mercie The second lesson to keepe a good conscience or to keepe health in thy soule is this Yee must flie eschew and forbeare vvhatsoeuer may trouble the health of your soule whatsoeuer may trouble the quietnesse peaceable estate of your conscience cast it out forbeare it and eschew it This generall is good But let vs see vvhat it is that troubles the quiet estate of the conscience Onely sinne nothing but an euill nature Therefore vvee must of necessitie to keepe health in our soules forbeare and eschew sinne we must flie and auoyde sin It is not possible that ye can both keepe a good conscience and serue the affections of your hart therefore to keepe peace health in thy soule thou must take leaue of thy lusts thou must renounce the lusts and affections of thy hart and thou must not doe as thou wast wont
before hee beeing I say lost by this sinne and left in this desperate estate in himself what doth God The euerliuing God only wise whose waies are vnsearchable hath found out a way how that man this way lost yet hee may bee saued heerein hee sought counsell from whom Not from any creature but hee counselled with himselfe The persons of the Trinitie tooke counsell of them selues one God was moued to seeke counsell from himselfe only moued in himselfe for hee had not an externall principall without himselfe to induce him So he seeking this counsaile at himselfe and being moued in himselfe thereto As Ephes 1.9 what doth hee when all men should haue died for euer it pleased him of his infinite mercie to select out of all and to elect a certaine number out of the lost race of Adam that should haue perished for euer In this his counsell and decree moued I say of himselfe and seeking counsell from himselfe only he selects a certaine number out of this rotten race which certaine number hee will haue sanctified hee will haue iustified hee will haue glorified And therefore to bring to passe the worke of their saluation what doth hee hee appointes his owne naturall sonne for hee had but one naturall sonne hee appointes the second person of the Trinitie his owne naturall sonne God in power glory and maiestie as high as himselfe equall with God the father in all things hee appoints him to worke this worke to bring to passe this worke of our redemption and eternall saluation This is but the mysterie of it in some measure disclosed And therefore in the fulnes of time for hee dispenseth all things according to his wisdome at such time as hee appointed hee makes his sonne to come downe to seise himselfe in the wombe of the Virgin to take on our flesh to take on the likenes of sinne hee tooke not on sin but he tooke on the likenes of sinne what call I that likenes our flesh is the likenesse of sinne he tooke on our flesh and nature the likenes of sin which was perfectly sanctified the verie moment of his conception in the verie wombe of the Virgin Hee tooke on this flesh that in this flesh and nature sin might be banished and cast out of vs foreuer And whereas we should all of vs haue gone one way for there was no exception of persons by nature Chr. Ies our sauiour hath elected vs according as his father in his secret election before the beginning of the world had elected vs the same Chr. Iesus in his owne time calleth vs and maketh vs partakers of that saluation which he hath purchased he repaires not only that image which was lost in our forefather Adam he placeth vs not in a terrestriall paradise where Adam was placed at the beginning and what more could haue bin sought by vs but he giues vs a far more excellent image thē we lost he placeth vs in a more high in a more celestial paradise thē we lost For so much the more heauēly is the paridise which he giues vs as the 2d Adam is more excellent then the first and as the son of God God himselfe is farre aboue any creature that euer was man or Angell Therfore it comes to passe that by the benefit of the second Adam Chr. Iesus our Sauior the son of God whereas had we remained in that Image wherin our forefather was first created wee should haue settled our selues in the earth for euer wee could not haue craued a beter paradise then an earthly paradise for earthly Tabernacles By benefit of the sonne of God I say it commeth to pass that we are plucked vp out of the earth to the heauen to a heauenly paradise And what haue wee to doe with heauen Are wee not made of the earth to returne to the earth Becomes not an earthly paradise an earthly bodie yet the Lord in his mercy sendeth downe his sonne to draw vs vp out of the earth to the heauen This is so high a thing that it cannot bee easily considered For this drawing of vs to a heauenly paradise is a thing more then could haue beene thought on That wee should liue the life of Angels in heauen how could the heart of man thinke on this yet it pleased the liuing Lord in the great riches and bowels of his mercie and in the exceeding greatnes of the power of his mercie towards vs The Apostle in that Epistle to the Ephesians cannot get words enow to expresse this he knowes not how to begin nor how to end when hee speakes of the riches of that mercie And if yee looke well into that Epistle to the Ephesians yee shall finde more high and excellent stiles giuen to the riches of that mercy in that Epistle then in any other part of the Scripture It pleased him I say of his own mercy not to giue vs simply the Image which wee lost nor to leaue vs in this earth but it pleased him to giue vs a better Image and beside that to place vs in heauen there to remaine with him for euer Now resteth his mercie and grace heere No But that this saluation which hee hath alreadie purchased and brought about by his sonne our Sauiour Christ Iesus that it might be wholly accomplished hauing nothing wanting in it As hee redeemed vs in his owne person perfectly So he makes this same redemption to come to our knowledge and make vs sure of it in our consciences and to this end what doeth hee As by his death he purchased our full redemption so hee makes it knowen vnto vs hee intimates it vnto vs by our inward calling letting vs both finde and feele in our hearts what hee did in his bodie for vs. For our Lord when hee makes his seruants to proclaime this redemption and to intimate it to our consciences hee workes this Iewell of faith in our soules which assures vs that the son of God hath died for vs For what could it auaile vs to see our redemption to see our saluation and our life a farre off if a way were not found out a hand and meanes giuen vnto vs whereby wee may apprehend that saluation and applie it to our selues What can it auaile a sicke man to see a drugge in an Apothecaries shoppe except hee may haue it and apply it to his sicke bodie So to the ende that this worke of our redemption and saluation may bee fully and freely accomplished looke how freely hee hath giuen his onely sonne to the death of the crosse for vs as freely hath hee found out this way and meanes and offered vs this hand whereby wee may take hold on Christ and applie him to our soules This meanes to conclude is faith There is not a way nor an instrument in the Scriptures of God whereby we can applie Chr. to our soules but only the instrument of faith therfore fayth cannot be enough cōmended Turn to faith it will make thee
THE MYSTERIE OF THE LORDS SVPPER CLEERELY MANIFESTED IN FIVE SERMONS Two of Preparation and Three of the Sacrament it selfe BY A REVEREND AND FAITHfull Preacher of Gods word IOHN 6.54.63 Whosoeuer eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternall life and I will raise him vp at the last day It is the Spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speake vnto you are spirit and life AT LONDON Imprinted for Thomas Man 1614. THE PRINTER TO THE READER I Present here vnto thy viewe good reader a learned and godly treatise wherein the Doctrine of the Lords supper is both plainely and fully handled A worke which heretofore hath beene in diuers mens hands yet not without some inconuenience for being at first borne in another soyle then our owne it was written in a language though but the same with ours in substance yet by reason of the peculiar dialect or propriety so often varying and more then sufficient to make them that are not throughly acquainted with the difference to mistake euen things that to our vnderstanding are much more familiar then the holy mysteries of our saluation The consideratiō of which incommodity did moue a worthy and truly religious Gentleman M. S. Michell to take the paines to peruse and polishe so good a worke to the end to publish it that so it might be profitable to all But hauing scarse finished and prepared it for the presse it pleased God to take him to himselfe before he could see a finall end of this and many other his religious and honest endeauors yet least the Church should haue lost so precious a Iewell his zeale of good doing continuing vnto the end he committed the execution of this so godly a desire to the speciall care of one of his good and trusty friends who being faithfull in the trust committed vnto him is a principal meanes that now it commeth safely to thy hands receiue it therefore and esteeme it as the most godly and iudicious haue euer done the best and most profitable treatise that euer hath bin published of this subiect and cease not to thanke God for raising vp so many meanes to procure thy good whose sole end in all their labours is Gods glory and the furthering of thy true happinesse Farewell Thine in Christ Iesus F. B. The first Sermon vpon the Sacraments in generall 1. Corin. 11.23 For I haue receiued of the Lord that which I also haue deliuered vnto you to wit that the Lord Iesus in the night that he was betrayed tooke Bread c. THere is nothing in this world nor out of this world more to be wished of euery one of you more to be craued and sought of euery one of you then to bee conioyned with Christ Iesus then once to be made one with the God of glory Christ Iesus This heauenly and celestiall coniunction is purchased and brought about by two speciall meanes It is brought about by meanes of the word and preaching of the Gospell and it is brought about by the meanes of the Sacraments and ministration thereof The word leadeth vs to Christ by the eare the Sacraments lead vs to Christ by the eye Two senses of all the rest which God hath chosen as most meet for this purpose to instruct vs and bring vs vnto Christ For that doctrine must be most effectuall mouing that wakeneth and stirreth vp most of the outward senses that doctrine that wakeneth not onely the eare but the eye the taste the feeling and all the rest of the outward senses must moue the heart most must be most effectuall and pearcing in the soule But so it is that this doctrine of the Sacraments moues stirres vp and wakens most of the outward senses therfore it must bee if wee come well prepared vnto it most effectuall to stirre vp the inward senses of the dull heart But there is a thing that yee must euer remember there is no doctrine neither of the simple word nor yet of the Sacraments if Christ abstract his holy spirit that is able to moue therefore when euer yee come to heare the doctrine whether it be of the Sacraments or of the simple word craue of God that hee would be present by his holy spirit or otherwise all the doctrine in the earth will not awaile you Alwaies this doctrine of the Sacraments stirres vp and wakens most of the outward senses and therefore there is no question but it is an effectuall and potent instrument to waken prepare and stirre vp our hearts Then to let you see what the word Sacrament meaneth The diuerse taking of the word Sacrament and to remoue the ambiguitie of it it is certaine and out of all question that the Latine Diuines who were most ancient did interpret the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the word Sacrament and they vsed the Greeke word not onely to signifie the whole action of the Supper of the Lord and the whole action of Baptisme but they vsed the word Mystery to signifie whatsoeuer is darke and bid in it selfe and not frequented in the common vse of men as after this manner the Apostle calleth the vocation of the Gentiles a mysterie Ephes 3.9 Ephes 5.32 This coniunction which is begun heere betwixt vs and Christ is called a Mysterie and the Latine Interpreters call it a Sacrament and to be short ye will not finde in the booke of God a word more frequent then the word Mysterie But as for the word Sacrament wherby they interpret the Greeke word we finde not this word by the same Diuines to be taken so largely neither is it takē so largely in any part of the booke of God Alwayes the word Sacrament is very ambiguous in it selfe and there ariseth about the ambiguitie of this word many controuersies which are not yet ceased nor will not cease while the world lasteth whereas if they had kept the Apostles words and called them as the Apostle calleth them Signes and Seales all this digladiation strife and contention appearingly had not fallen out but where men will be wiser then God and giue names to things without warrant from God vpon the wit of man which is but meere folly all this stirre falleth out Well then to come vnto the purpose The ancient Diuines tooke the word Sacrament as we may perceiue in a fourefold manner Sometime they tooke it for the whole action that is the whole ministery of the Elements sometime they tooke it not for the whole action but for the outward things that are vsed in the action of Baptisme and of the Supper as they tooke it for the vvater and sprinkling of it for the Bread and Wine breaking distributing and eating thereof Thirdly againe they tooke it not for the whole outward things that are vsed in the action but onely for the materiall and earthly things the Elements as for Bread and Wine in the Supper and water in Baptisme And after this sort saith Augustine the wicked eate
thou doost except it flow from faith it can profit nothing Thus farre briefly concerning the word Now it wil be demaunded What need is there that these Sacraments seales should be annexed to the word wherfore are they annexed seeing we get no more in the Sacrament then we get in the word and wee get as much in the very simple word as we get in the Sacraments Seeing theÌ„ we get no new thing in the SacrameÌ„t but the same thing which we get in the simple word wherefore is the Sacrament appointed to be hung vnto the word It is tru certainly that we get no new thing in the Sacrament nor wee get no other thing in the Sacrament then we get in the word for what more wouldest thou craue then to get the Sonne of God if thou get him well Thy hart cannot wish nor imagine a greater gift then to haue the Sonne of God who is King of heauen and earth therefore I say VVhat new thing wouldest thou haue for if thou get him thou gettest all things with him thy hart cannot imagine a new thing besides him Wherefore then is the Sacrament appointed Answere 1 Not to get thee any new thing I say it is appointed to gette thee that same thing better By the Sacrament we possesse Christ more fully then by the simple vvord then thou haddest it in the vvord The Sacrament is appointed that we may take better hold of Christ then we could in the simple vvord that we may possesse Christ in our harts and mindes more fully and largely then we did before in the simple vvord That Christ might haue a larger space to make residence in our narrow harts then he could haue by the hearing of the simple vvord and to possesse Christ more fully it is a better thing For suppose Christ be one thing in himselfe yet the better hold thou hast of him thou art the surer of his promise The Sacraments are appointed that I might haue him more fully in my soule that I might haue the boundes of it enlarged that he may make the better residence in me This no doubt is the cause wherefore these Seales are annexed to the euidence of the simple word They serue to this end also to seale vp and confirme the truth that is in the word They serue to confirme the truth contained in the vvord for as the office of the Seale hung to the Euidence is not to confirme any other truth then that which is in the Euidence and though ye belieued the Euidence before yet by the seales yee belieue it better euen so the Sacraments assure me of no other truth then is contained vvithin the vvord yet because it is a seale annexed vnto the vvord it perswades me the better of the same for the more the outvvard senses are wakened the more is the inward hart and minde perswaded to belieue Now the Sacrament wakeneth all the outward senses as the eye the hand and all the rest and the outward senses beeing mooued no question the spirit of GOD concurring there-with moues the hart the more The Sacraments are then annexed vnto the vvord to seale vp the truth contained in the word and to confirm it mâ—re and more in thy hart The word then is appointed to worke beliefe and the Sacrament is appointed to confirme you in this beliefe But except yee feele the truth of this inwardly in your harts except yee haue your harts as ready as your mouth thinke not that any thing will auaile you All the seales in the world wil not work except the spirit of God concur and seale the same truth in your harts which the Sacrament seales outwardly Except hee make cleere the sight of thy minde inwardly and worke a feeling in thy hart both word and Sacrament shall lose their fruite and effect which they should haue All the Scriptures are full of this the whole Scriptures of God are but a slaying letter to you except the spirit of God concurre to quicken inwardly Exhortation Therefore your whole indeuour should be to prease to feele Christ inwardly in your harts that finding him in your harts and seeing him in your minds both word and Sacraments may be effectuall If not your soules remaine dead ye are not translated from that death wherin ye were conceiued Therefore all the study of Christians should be when they see the Sacraments and heare the word to labor to finde and feele in their harts and mindes that which they heare and see and this I call to finde Christ quick in your ovvne soules This cannot be except yee sanctifie his lodging for if all the corners of thy soule remaine a dunghill Christ cannot dwell there and therefore except ye studie for continuall growth in sanctification seuer your selues from euery thing that seuers you from Christ it is not possible that hee can liue or dwell in you This is a great lesson and it is not possible to doe this except as I haue said a stronger come in possesse vs and make vs to renounce our selues Then the seales had not been annexed to the word except for our cause for there is no necessity on Gods part that God should either sweare or confirme by seales the thing that hee hath spoken for his word is as good as any oath or seale But the necessity commeth of vs there is such a great weaknesse in vs that vvhen hee hath sworne and set his seales vnto his vvord wee are as neere to belieue as if hee had neuer spoken a vvord So to helpe our beliefe our vveakenesse and inabilitie that is in vs for we are so vnable by nature that we can belieue nothing but that which is of our selues and the more wee leane vnto our selues the further we are from God I say to helpe this wonderfull weakenes whereby we are ready to mistrust God in euery word he hath annexed his Sacraments besides his Sacraments hee sweares the things that concerne most our saluation As in the Priesthood of Christ Psal 110.4 He will not speake onely but he sweares and that for our weakenes and infirmities but yet if he abstract the ministery of his spirit all these meanes will do no good Now the last thing is how the Sacrament is peruerted Faults w th peruert the Sacrament and how we are defrauded of the fruit and effect thereof Two sorts of faults peruert the Sacrament and defraude vs of the profit and vse thereof and these faults are either in the forme or in the person In forme if the essentiall forme be spoyled we gette nothing for when the Sacrament is spoyled of the essentiall forme it is not a Sacrament There is an essentiall forme in Baptisme and an essentiall form in the Lords Supper which if they be taken away ye lose the vse of the Sacrament The essentiall forme of Baptisme is I baptize thee in the Name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost leaue out any of
whereby they are receiued is visible and corporall The thing signified by the bread and wine is not receiued by the mouth of the body no the Scripture denieth that plainly but it is receiued by the mouth of the soule Then there are two mouthes that bread and that wine which are the signes are receiued by the mouth of the body Christ vvho is the thing signified is receiued by the mouth of the soule that is by a true faith Then bring not to the Lords Table one mouth onely for if yee bring the mouth of your body onely it auaileth nothing but bring with you also the mouth of your soule a constant perswasion in the death of Christ for that is availeable Novv concerning the manner hovv the signes are receiued and the manner how the thing signified is receiued yee may easily knowe that these corporall naturall signes must be receiued after a corporall and naturall maner they must be taken with the hand or mouth of the body Againe a supernaturall thing must be receiued after a supernaturall manner A spirituall thing must be receiued after a spirituall manner So as the signes are corporall and receiued after a corporall manner with the hand or the mouth of the body In like manner the thing signified is spirituall and receiued after a spirituall manner with the hand and mouth of the soule which is true faith Thus yee haue briefely deliuered vnto you the whole preparation that is necessary for the vnderstanding of this Sacrament Now what doctrine gather I from this Of this last point vvhere I say that Christ is the thing signified and cannot be preceiued but by faith cannot be receiued nor digested but by a faithfull soule what kinde of receiuing confirme I in this Sacrament I establish no kind of receiuing of Christ What kinde of receiuing Christ is established in the Sacrament but a spiritual receiuing he can not be perceiued nor receiued but by faith and faith is spirituall Therefore in this Sacrament I establish onely a spiritual taking of Christ not a carnall or fleshly receiuing This is the ground Novv let vs see what inconuenience can follow vpon this ground Inconueniences cast in by the Papists against the spirituall receiuing of Christ in the Sacrament The Papists say that vpon this ground this inconuenience shall follow If there be no receiuing of Christ but a spirituall receiuing then say they your Sacrament is in vaine this Sacrament of the Lords Supper was instituted to no end And what is their reason If there be no way to receiue Christ say the Papists but by faith what need you then a Sacrament Yee receiue Christ by faith in the word by the naked and simple preaching of the word ye get faith So the simple word may serue the turne What need haue ye of a Sacrament if ye get not some new thing in the Sacrament which yee could not get in the word This is their Argument whereof ye see their conclusion to be this Wee get no other new thing in the Sacrament First inconuenience That the Sacrament is superfluous then we doe in the vvord if there be no receiuing but spirituall Ergo The Sacrament is superfluous VVee admit the Antecedent to bee true vvee get no other thing nor no new thing in the Sacrament but the same thing which we got in the word I would haue thee deuise and imagine vvith thy selfe what new thing thou vvouldest haue let the hart of man deuise imagine and wish he durst neuer haue thought to haue such a thing as the Sonne of GOD hee durst neuer haue presumed to haue pearced the clowdes to haue ascended so high as to haue craued the Sonne of GOD in his flesh to be the foode of his soule Hauing the Sonne of God thou hast him who is the heire of all things who is King of heauen and earth and in him thou hast all things What more then canst thou wish What better thing canst thou wish Hee is equall with the Father one in substance with the Father true GOD true man vvhat more canst thou wish Then I say vvee get no other thing in the Sacrament then wee had in the vvord content thee vvith this But suppose it be so yet the Sacrament is not superfluous But wouldest thou vnderstand what new thing thou obtainest what other thing thou gettest I will tell thee Refutation of the first Inconuenience Suppose thou get that same thing which thou haddest in the vvord yet thou gettest that same thing better What is that better Thou obtainest a greater and surer hold of that same thing in the Sacrament then thou hadst by the hearing of the vvord That same thing which thou possessedst by the hearing of the word thou doost possesse now more largely it hath larger bounds in thy soule by the receiuing of the Sacrament then other-wise it could haue by the hearing of the word onely Then wilt thou aske what new thing wee get I say wee get this new thing we get Christ better then before we get the thing which we had more fully that is with a surer apprehension then we had it before we gette a greater hold of Christ now For by the Sacrament my faith is nourished the boundes of my soule are enlarged and so whereas I had but a little hold of Christ before as it were betweene my finger and my thumbe now I get him in my whole hand and still the more that my faith groweth the better hold I get of Christ Iesus So the Sacrament is very necessary and if it were no more but to get Christ better and to get a faster apprehension of him by the Sacrament then vvee could haue before Now if it were true that the Sacrament is superfluous by the same reason it shold follow also that the repetition of the Sacrament is superfluous For when yee come to the Sacrament the second time ye get no other thing then yee did the first time vvhen ye come vnto the Sacrament the third time yet get no other thing then yee did the first time and yet no man will say that the third and second comming is a superfluous thing And vvhy Because by the second comming my faith is augmented I vnderstand better I growe in knowledge I growe in apprehension I grow in feeling and in getting the growth of all these as oft as I come there is no man will say that the oft comming to the Sacrament is superfluous if it were euerie day once So their first inconuenience auailes not Wee get no new thing in the Sacrament Ergo the Sacrament is superfluous Thus farre for the first Then there depends another thing on the same ground If Christ be not perceiued but by faith then say we no wicked body can perceiue him hee that lacketh faith cannot perceiue him He that lacketh faith may perceiue that Sacrament of that bread and that vvine and may eate of that bread and drinke of
that wine but hee that vvanteth faith may not eate drink of the body bloud of Christ signified by that bread by that wine So this is the groūd no faithlesse people can perceiue Christ nor eate the body of Christ in the Sacrament Against this ground they bring their Argument out of the same words of the Apostle which I haue read the words are these Hee that eateth of this Bread vnvvorthily saith the Apostle and drinketh of this Cuppe vnworthily is guilty of the body and blood of Christ There is their ground Second incōuenience So that their Argument will suffer this forme No man can be guiltie of that thing vvhich hee hath not receiued they haue not receiued the body and bloud of Christ therefore they cannot be guiltie of the body and bloud of Christ but so it is that the Apostle saith they are guilty therefore they haue receiued the body and bloud of Christ I answere vnto the Proposition Refutation of the second inconueniēce obiected wher in are sundry reasons giuen why the wicked are counted guilty of the body and bloud of Christ and I say it is very false They could not bee guiltie of that body and bloud except they had receiued it for they may be guilty of that same body of that same bloud suppose they neuer receiued it But marke the Text The Text saith not that they eate the body of Christ vnworthily but it saith that they eate that bread and drinke that wine vnworthily And yet because they eate that bread and drinke that wine vnworthily they are counted before God guiltie of the body and bloud of Christ Now wherefore is this Not because they receiue him for if they receiued him they could not but receiue him vvorthily for Christ cannot be receiued of any man but woorthily but they are accounted guiltie of the body and bloud of the Son of GOD because they refused him For vvhen they did eate that Bread and drink that wine they might if they had had faith haue eaten and drunke the flesh and bloud of Christ lesus Now because thou refusest the body of Christ offered to thee thou contemnest his body offered vnto thee if thou haue not an eye to discerne and indge of this body that is offered For if they had had faith they might haue seen his body offered with the bread by faith they might haue taken that same body by faith they might haue eaten that same body Therefore lacking their wedding garment wanting faith whereby they should eate the bodie and drink the bloud of Christ wanting faith which is the eye of the soule to perceiue and the mouth of the soule to receiue that body which is spirituallie offered they are counted guiltie of that same body bloud Now let vs make this more cleere by a similitude Ye see among worldly Princes their custome is not to suffer their maiestie to be impeached in the smallest thing that they haue VVhat meaner thing is there that concerneth the maiestie of a Prince then a seale for the substance of it is but wax yet if thou disdainfullie vse that seale and contemne it and stampe it vnder thy feet thou shalt be esteemed as guilty of his body and bloud as hee that laid violent hands on him thou shalt be punished accordingly Much more if thou come as a swine or as a dog to handle the seales of the bodie and bloud of Christ much more maiest thou bee rockoned guilty of his body and of his bloud Thus farre of the eating of the body of Christ The vvicked cannot eate the bodie of Christ but they may bee guiltie of it The Apostle maketh this more plaine yet by another speech vvhich I haue sometimes handled out of this place In Hebr. 6.6 it is said that Apostates they that fall away they crucifie the Son of God againe and their falling away maketh thē as guilty as they were who crucified him He is now in heauen they cannot fetch him frō thence to crucify him yet the Apostle saith they crucifie him Why Because their malice is as great as theirs that crucified him because they match in malice with thē that crucified him so that if they had him on the earth they vvould doe the like therefore they are said to crucifie the Sonne of GOD. So in Heb. 10.29 there is another speech the wicked are said to stampe the bloud of Christ vnder their feet Why Because their malice is as great as theirs that stamped his bloud Now they are accounted for this reason to be guiltie of the bodie and bloud of Christ not because they eate his body but because they refused it vvhen they might haue had it Now the time remaines yet wherein we may haue the body Exhortation and bloud of Christ This time is very precious and the dispensation of times is very secret and hath it owne bounds if yee take not this time now it will away This time of Grace and of that heauenly foode hath been dispensed vnto you very long but how ye haue profited your liues and behauiours testifie Remember therefore your selues in time and in time make vse of it for yee knowe not how long it will last craue a mouth to receiue as well the food of your soules that is offered as ye doe the food of your bodies and take this time while yee may haue it or assuredly the time shall come when yee shall cry for it but shall not get it but in place of Grace and mercie shall come iudgement vengeance the dispensation of vvrath They will not leaue this matter so but they insist yet and they bring more Arguments to prooue that the vvicked are partakers of the bodie Third incōuenience and bloud of Christ That Bread say they yee vvill grant vvhich the vvicked man eates is not naked bread but is that bread vvhich is the Sacrament Thus then they make their Argument The Sacrament hath euer conioyned vvith it the thing signified But the Sacrament is giuen to all therefore the thing signified is giuen to all What if I grant to them all this Argument Refutation of the third inconuenience There should no inconuenience follow For the thing signified may be giuen to all that is offered to all as it is offered to all men and yet not receiued of all Giuen to all therefore receiued of all it followeth not I may offer you tvvo things yet it is in your owne will whether you will take them or no but ye may take the one and refuse the other and yet hee that offers offered you the thing that ye refused as truely as the thing which ye tooke So GOD deceiueth no man but with the word and Sacraments assuredly hee giueth two things if they would take them By his vvord hee offers the word to the eare hee offers Christ Iesus to the soule By his Sacraments hee offers the Sacraments to the eye hee offers Christ Iesus
to the soule Now it may be that where two things are truly conioyntlie offred a man may receiue the one and refuse the other Hee receiueth the one because he hath an instrument to take it he refuseth the other because he wanteth an instrument I heare the word because I haue an eare to heare it with I receiue the Sacrament because I haue a mouth to receiue it with but as for the thing which the word and Sacraments represent I may refuse it because I haue not a mouth to take it nor an eye to perceiue it and therefore the fault is not on Gods part but on our part The wicked get the body and bloud of Christ offered to them conioyntly with the word Sacraments but the fault is on their part that they haue not a mouth to receiue him and God is not bound to giue them a mouth Mark this That if it were not of Gods speciall grace and mercie that he giueth mee an eye to perceiue him and a mouth to receiue him I would refuse him as well as they So this Argument holdeth not Christ is offered to all Ergo hee is receiued of all Happy were they if they could receiue him Thus far for the 3. Argument What resteth now for the ful vnderstanding of the Sacrament These things remain That we vnderstand the Sacramentall speeches that are vsed in the Sacrament for we vse to speake of them God vseth to speake of them and the Ancients vse to speake of them Wee vse to say that the soule eateth the body of Christ and drinketh the bloud of Christ How the soule is said to eate the body and drinke the bloud of Christ These speeches wold be opened to you how the soule is said to eate the body drink the bloud of Christ these speeches are Sacramental yet yee are not the wiser but I will make it plaine by Gods grace They are Sacramentall what is that Ye knowe it is proper to the bodie to eate and drink they are the proper actions of the body only Now they are ascribed to the soule by a translation by a figuratiue maner of speaking That which is proper to the body is ascribed to the soule and it is said that the soule eateth drinketh The eating of the soule doth resemble the eating of the bodie then the eating of the soule is no other thing but the applying of Christ to the soule to belieue that he hath shed his bloud for mee that he hath purchased remissiō of sins for me Wherfore then cal you this an eating what call you the eating of the body They body eateth when thou appliest the meat to thy mouth If then the eating of the body be no other thing but the applying of meat to the mouth the eating of the soule is no other thing but the applying of the nourishment to the soule Then yee see what is meant by the eating and drinking of the soule no other thing but the applying of Christ to my soule and the applying of his death passion to my soule and this is onely done by faith therefore he that lacketh faith cannot eate Christ Thus farre for the eating and drinking of the soule vvhich are Sacramentall speeches There remaineth now of all these great things Obseruation and of all this doctrine which hath bin taught but this one lesson That thou learne to apply Christ rightly to thy soule Thou art a great Diuine if thou hast learned this wel for in the right applicatiō of Christ to the sick soule to the wounded conscience and diseased heart heere beginnes the fountaine of all our felicitie the wel-spring of all our ioy And I wil tell you what this application worketh Obserue what the presence of thy soule within thee suppose thou want Christ in thy soule doth to this earthly body to this lump of clay as by the presence of the soule it liueth it mooueth it feeleth as the soule giueth to the body life mouing and senses that same very thing dooth Christ vnto thy soule Hast thou once laid hold of and applyed him to thee As the soule quickens thy body so hee quickens thy soule not with an earthly or temporal life but with the life which hee liueth in heauē he makes thee to liue that same life which the Angels liue in heauen hee maketh thee to moue not with worldly motions but with heauenly spirituall celestiall motions Againe he inspires in thee not outward senses but heauenly senses he worketh in thee a spiritual feeling that in thine own hart conscience thou mayst find the effect of this word So by the coniunction of Christ with my soule I get a thousand times greater benefits then the body doth by the soule for the bodie by the presence of the soule getteth onely an earthly temporall life subiect to continual misery but by the presence of Christ in my soule I see a blessed life I feele a blessed life that same life takes daily more more increase in me Then the ground of all our perfection blessednes standeth in this coniunction suppose thou mightest liue Methushelaes yeeres and wert euer seking yet if in the last houre thou get this coniunction thou maist thinke thy trauel well bestowed thou hast gotten enough for if we haue obtained Christ wee haue gotten all with him Then the applying of Christ to my soule is the foūtaine of all my ioy felicitie Now let vs see how we get this coniunction This is a spirituall coniunction a coniunction hard difficult to be purchased obtained gotten of vs How then is this coniunction brought about which are the means of this cōiunction on Gods part which are the means on our part to get Christ to put Christ in our soules to make Christ one with vs There is one means on Gods part that helpeth vs vnto Christ there is another on our part On Gods part there is the holie spirit which offereth the body bloud of Chr. to vs and on our part there must be a means or else though he offer we will not receiue Therefore of necessity there must be faith in our soules to receiue that which the holy spirit offers to receiue that heauēly food of the body bloud of Chr. which she holy spirit offers Thē faith the holy spirit are the two means of this spiritual heauenly coniunction By these 2. means by faith by the holy spirit I get the body of Chr. the body of Chr. is mine he is giuen to my soule Now heer comes in the question How canst thou say that the body of Christ is giuen or deliuered to thee seeing the body of Christ is sitting at the right hand of God the Father look how great distance is betwixt heauen and earth as great distance is there betwixt the body of Christ and thy body how then say yee that the body of Christ is giuen to you The Papists
vnderstand not this therefore they imagin a gross carnal coniunction Except the spirit of God reueale these things they cannot be vnderstood The spirit of God must illuminate our mindes and be planted in all our harts before wee can come to the vnderstanding of this Then wouldest thou vnderstand hovv Christ is giuen thee This ground is true that the bodie of Christ is at the right hand of the Father the bloud of Christ is at the right hand of the Father yet notwithstanding though there be as great distance betwixt my body and the bodie of Christ as is betwixt heauen and earth yet Christes body is giuen to me because I haue a title to his body giuen to mee the right and title which is giuen to me of his body and bloud makes me to possesse his body and bloud The distance of the place hurteth not my title nor my right for if any of you haue a peece of Land lying in the farthest part of England if ye haue a good title to it the distance of the place cannot hurt your title so I say the distance of place hurts not my title and my right that I haue to Christ But though he be sitting at the right hand of the Father yet the title and right that I haue to him makes him mine so that I may say trulie this Christ is my property Then Christ is not made mine because I fetch him out of the heauens but he is mine because I haue a sure title right to him hauing a sure title and iust right to him the distance of place how farre soeuer it be can no wayes hurt my title nor right but where-euer he be he is mine because I haue a right title to him Yea not onely haue I a title to him but this title is confirmed to mee For as I gette a title to him in the vvord and if I got not that title to him in the word I durst not come to the Sacrament so in the Sacrament I get the confirmation of my title I get the Seale which confirmes my title Then to come to the point Christs bodie is sitting at the right hand of the Father and yet he is mine and is deliuered to me because I haue right to his bodie be it where it will hee was borne for mee giuen to mee and deliuered to mee So distance of place hurts not the suretie of my title as propinquitie of place helpes not the suretie of the same Though Christ would bow the heauens and touch thee with his bodie as he did Iudas yet this could not helpe thee for if thou hast not a title to him thou darest not call him thine So it is not the neernesse nor proximity of place that makes Christ mine It is onely the right that I haue to him I haue right to him only by faith So by faith only Chr. is made mine But they thinke they haue gotten a great vantage of vs if we be so farre from Chr. as the heauen is frō the earth but this shal be answered by Gods grace I haue a title to his body his body is distant frō my body yet his body is not distant from me that is from my soule I say his bodie and my soule are conioyned It is a strange ladder that will reach from the earth to the heauens yet let me tell you there is a corde that extendeth from the earth to the heauens Faith is that which couples vs and Christ and coupleth mee and Christ together and this is onely true fayth By true faith Christ though he be in the heauens is coupled and conioyned with me who am heere on earth I will shewe you this by a similitude Similitude taken from the sunne Is not the bodie of the sunne in the firmament It is impossible for you to touch the bodie of the sun yet the bodie of the sunne and yee are conioyned How By those beames that shine on you by that light that shineth vpon you Why may not the bodie of Christ then though it be in the heauens be conioyned with mee that am on the earth namelie by the beames by the light and gladnes that floweth from his bodie My bodie Christs body are conioined by the vertue and power flowing from his bodie which vertue and power quickneth my dead soule maketh me to liue the life of Christ to beginne to die to my selfe and euer the more I die to my selfe the more I liue to Christ This coniunction nowe is the ground as I told you of all our felicitie and happinesse and I haue made it cleere to you at this time so farre as God hath giuen me insight Alwaies yee see this coniunction is brought to passe by two speciall meanes by the holy spirit and by faith If there bee no other meanes but these two what needest thou a carnall or a visible coniunction Faith is invisible and the spirit is inuisible therefore thou canst not see it nor take it vp with the eye of thy bodie The power of the holy spirit is so subtile secret and inuisible that thou canst not perceiue it nor take it vppe with the eye of thy bodie and it will worke great effects in thy soule or euer thou perceiuest his working In respect therefore that the meanes of this coniunction are so subtill secret and spirituall why thinkest thou to get a sight of this coniunction with the eye of thy bodie why imaginest thou such a carnall coniunction as this which would doe thee no good if thou hadst it knowst thou not that the spirit that coupleth vs and Christ is infinite so that it is as easie for the spirit to couplevs and Christ how farre distant soeuer wee bee as it is easie for our soules to couple our head and the feete of our bodies though they be distant Then seeing this coniunction is the ground fountaine of all our happinesse And seeing this ground of happinesse is so subtil and so spirituall What is your part Remoue all your outward senses remoue al your naturall motions remoue your naturall discourses and your naturall reason and follow the sight and information of the spirit of God Craue that it would please him to illuminate your vnderstanding that by the light of his spirit yee may see cleerely the spirituall coniunction Except the eye of the spirit be giuen you to perceiue this spirituall coniunction It is not possible that yee can get any insight in it But if the Lord of his mercy will bestowe some measure of his holy spirit vpon you out of question yee shall soone come to the vnderstanding of it and yee shall thinke the time happie that euer yee heard this word Except yee haue some part of this spirit it is not possible that yee canne bee spirituall That which is borne of flesh and bloode will remaine flesh and bloud except the spirit come in and make it spirituall Therefore yee must bee borne againe of the spirit
eating of the flesh and drinking of the blood of Christ standeth in a faithfull memorie in a firme beleefe and in a true applying of the merits of the death and passion of Christ to my owne conscience in particular Ther were sundry things obiected against this kind of receiuing I wil not insist to repeat them But beside all the obiections which ye heard obiected against this kind of spiritual receiuing by faith They say If Christ his flesh nor his blood be not perceiued nor receiued but by the spirit by fayth in the spirit Then say they yee receiue him but by an imagination If hee bee not receiued carnally nor corporally but onely by the spirit and by faith Then is hee not receiued but by way of imagination conceite and fantasie So they account faith an imagination of the minde a fantasie and opinion fleeting in the hearts of men I cannot blame them to think so of faith For as none can iudge of the sweetnesse of honnie but they that haue tasted of it So there is none can discerne nor iudge of the nature of faith but they that haue felt it and rasted in their hearts what it is And if they had tasted and felt in their soules what faith brings with it alas they would not call that spirituall Iewell and onely iewell of the soule an imagination They call it an imagination and the Apostle describing it Heb. 11.1 calleth it a substance and a substantiall ground Marke how well these two agree An Imagination and a substantiall ground They call it an vncertaine opinion fleeting in the braine and fantasie of man Hee callâ—th it an euidence and demonstration in the same definition See how directly contrarie the Apostle and they are in the nature of faith Vpon this they inferre that as it is true in generall hee can not be deliuered nor giuen but that same way that hee is receiued and looke what way any thing is receiued the same way it is giuen and deliuered So as they say hee being receiued by way of Imagination hee is also in their fantasie giuen and deliuered by way of Imagination For if hee bee not giuen say they to thy hand to thy mouth nor to thy stomach corporally hee cannot be giuen but by an imagination and fantasticall opinion The reason that moueth them to thinke that Christ cannot bee theirs nor giuen to them truly in effect and really except he be giuen carnally is this That thing which is so far absent and distant from vs as the heauen is from the earth cannot be said to bee giuen to vs nor to bee ours But by your owne confession say they to vs Christ his bodie is as farre absent from vs as the heauen is from the earth Therefore Christ his bodie nor his flesh cannot be giuen vnto vs except by way of imagination and so not truely nor in effect This argument framed in this sorte would at the first sight seeme to be of some force But let vs examine the proposition of it The proposition is this That thing which is so farre absent from vs as the beauen is from the earth cannot be said to be deliuered to vs to be giuen to vs or any waies to be ours Now whether is this proposition true or false I say this proposition is vntrue and the contrarie most true A thing may be giuen to vs may become ours though the thing in person it selfe be as far distant from vs as the heauen is from the earth And how proue I this What maketh any thing to be ours What maketh any of you esteeme a thing to be giuen vnto you Is it not a Title Is it not a iust right to that thing If yee haue iust right giuen vnto you by him who hath power to giue it and a sure title confirmed to you by him who hath the power though the thing that he giueth vnto you be not deliuered into your handes yet by the right and title which hee granteth to you is not the thing yours There is no doubt of it for it is not the neerenesse of the thing to my bodie and to my hand that maketh the thing mine for it may bee in my hand and yet not belong to mee Neyther is it the distance nor absence of the thing that makes it not to be mine but it may be farre absent from mee and yet be mine because the title is mine because I haue gotten a right to it from him who hath the power to giue it So then this ground is true It is a sure title and a iust right that maketh a thing though it be farre distant from vs to bee ours But so it is that a liuely and trew faith in the blood and death of Christ maketh vs to haue a sure title and a good right to the flesh and blood of Christ and to his merits look what he merited by his death and shedding of his bloud vpon the crosse all that together with himselfe also appertaineth to mee and that by a title and a right which I haue gotten to him of God which is faith And the surer that my title is the more sure am I of the thing that is giuen mee by the Title Now this Sacrament of the Lords Supper was instituted to confirme our title to seal vp our right which wee haue to the bodie and blood to the death and passion of Christ and so the bodie of Christ is said to be giuen to vs The blood of Christ is said to be deliuered to vs when our title which we haue of him of his death of his bodie blood is confirmed in our hearts For this Sacrament was instituted for the grouth and encrease of our faith for the increase of our holinesse and sanctification which fayth the greater that it is in our hearts the more sure are wee that Christ his death appertaineth to vs. I grant as I haue said that the flesh of Christ is not deliuered into my hands his flesh is not put into my mouth nor entreth into my stomacke Yet God forbidde that thou shouldest say Hee is not truly giuen although Christs flesh bee not put into thy hand nor mouth of thy bodie and wherefore should it Hath hee not appointed breade and wine for the nourishment of the bodie and may not that content you Are they not sufficient to nourish you to this earthly and temporall life Hath he not appointed Christ to bee deliuered to the inward mouth of thy soule to be giuen into the hand of thy soule that thy soule may feede on him and be quickned with that life wherewith the Angels liue wherewith the sonne of God and God himselfe liue So the flesh of Christ is not appointed to nourish thy body but to nourish thy soule in the hope yea in the growth of that immortall life and therfore I say though the flesh of Christ bee not deliuered into the hand of thy body yet it is deliuered to that part that it should
nourish the soule is that part that it should nourish therefore to the soule it is deliuered Yea that bread that wine are no more really deliuered to the body to the hand of the body then the flesh of Christ is deliuered to the soule and to the hand and mouth of the soule vvhich is faith therefore craue no more a carnall deliuerie nor thinke not vpon a carnall receiuing Thou must not thinke that eyther GOD giueth the flesh of Christ to the mouth of the bodie or that thou by the mouth of thy bodie receiuest the flesh of Christ For yee must vnderstand this principle in the Scriptures of GOD our soules cannot be ioyned with the flesh of Christ nor the flesh of Christ cannot be ioyned vvith our soules but by a spirituall band Not by a carnall band of bloud and alliance not by the touching of his flesh with our flesh but hee is conioyned with vs by a spirituall band that is by the power and vertue of his holy Spirit And therefore the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 12.13 That by the meanes of his holy spirit all wee who are faithfull men and vvomen are baptized into one body of Christ That is wee are conioyned and fastened with one Christ by the meanes saith he of one spirit not by a carnall band or any grosse coniunction but onely by the band of the holy spirit That same holy spirit that is in him is in euery one of vs in some measure and in respect one spirit is in him and in vs therefore wee are accounted all to be one body and to bee members of one spirituall and mysticall body And in the same verse the Apostle saith Wee are all made to drink into one and the selfe same spirit that is we are made to drink of the bloud of Christ And this bloud is no other thing but the quickning vertue and power that floweth from Christ and from the merits of his death we are made all to drinke of that bloud when wee drinke of the liuely power and vertue that floweth out of that bloud So there is not a band that can couple my soule with the flesh of Christ but onelie a spirituall band and a spirituall vnion And therefore it is that the Apostle 1. Cor. 6.17 saith Hee that is ioyned vnto the Lord is one spirit And Iohn saith That vvhich is borne of the spirit is spirit So it is onely by the participation of the holy spirit that we are conioyned with the flesh and bloud of Christ Iesus That carnall band vvhether it bee the band of bloud vvhich runnes throrough one race or the carnall touching of flesh vvith flesh that carnall band I say vvas neuer esteemed of by Christ In the time that hee was conuersant heere vpon earth hee respected nothing that band for as hee vvitnessed himselfe by his owne vvords hee neuer had that carnall band in any kinde of reuerence or estimation in respect of the spirituall band But as for the spirituall band whereby we are coupled with him by one spirit hee euer esteemed of this band in the time that he was conuersant on earth in his word he hath left the praise and commendations of the same To let you see how lightly he esteemed of the carnall band of bloud and alliance which wee esteeme so much yee may see in the eight of Luke 20.21 for there they comming to him say Master thy Mother and thy Brethren stand vvithout and vvould see thee ye shall heare his answere vnto them how little he esteemed of that carnall band in the 21. verse in a manner denying that band hee saith My Mother and my Brethren are those which heare the vvord of God and doe it As if he would haue said It is not that carnall band that I esteeme it is not that carnall coniunction that I reuerence it is the spirituall coniunction by the participation of the holie Spirit vvhereby wee are mooued to heare the word of God to giue reuerence to it and to obey it This carnall band was neuer profitable as that in the 8. of Luke doth plainly testifie for if the touching of Christes flesh had been profitable the multitude wherof mention is made in that chapter that thrusted and preased him had beene the better by their carnall touching But so it is that there was neuer any of them the better by their carnall touching therfore the carnall touching profiteth nothing Saith not Christ himselfe Iohn 6.63 to drawe them from that sinister confidence they had in his flesh onely My flesh profiteth nothing It is the spirit that quickneth To touch him by the holie Spirit and by faith in thy soule this touching by faith hath euer been profitable and wee haue a plaine example of it in the same chapter Euen so the poore vvoman that had long been diseased vvith a bloudie issue the space of twelue yeeres and had vvasted and consumed the greatest part of her substance in seeking remedie shee found no helpe by the naturall and bodily Physition at the last by vertue of the holie Spirit working faith in her heart shee vnderstands and conceiues that shee is able to recouer the health of her bodie and the health of her soule from Christ Iesus vvho came to saue both body and soule And vpon this perswasion which shee had in her hart that Christ could cure both body and soule shee came vnto him and as the Text saith shee preased thorough the multitude to come to him and when she was come it is not said that she touched his flesh with her hand in case the Papists would ascribe the vertue which came out of him to her carnall touching but it is said that she touched onely the hemme of his garment with her hand and with faith vvhich is the hand of the soule shee touched her Sauiour God and man And to let you vnderstand that shee touched him by saith hee saith to her at the last Goe thy way thy faith hath saued thee Shee touched him not so soon by faith but incontment there came a power out of him which power and vertue shee felt by the effect of it in her soule and our Sauiour felt it vvhen it went from him The effect vvhereby shee felt it was the health of her soule and the effect wherby he felt it was the going from him And so soone as hee felt it goe from him he saith Who is it that hath touched mee Peter who was euer most suddaine answereth and saith Thou art thronged and thrusted by the multitude and yet thou askest Who hath touched thee Our Sauiour answers againe It is not that touching that I speake of it is another kinde of touching There is one hath touched me who hath drawn a vertue and power out of mee the multitude takes no vertue from me The poore woman thinking she had done amisse and perceiuing that she could not be hid came trembling and said I haue done it Hee answered her at the last
sanctifying they call whispering And the whispering of those fiue words they call the consecratiō of the elements And whē the words are after this manner whispered they presuppose such a secret mōstrous vertue to be inclosed in the syllables That the vertue power which floweth from the words is able to chase away wholly the substance of the bread so that the very bread substance of it is altogether destroied by this power Secondly that this power which floweth from these words is able to fetch pull downe an othersubstance to wit the flesh blood of Christ Iesus that fitteth at the right hand of his father is able to put it within the compasse of that bread This is a strange and a great vertue that not only wil ouerthrowe that substance but put it within the compasse of that bread The same fiue words whispered in this maner haue such a monstrous operation say they that they are able both to chase a way the one substance to pull downe an other and to put it within the compasse of that bread We altogetheir denie That there is such a vertue in these words for as I haue said before wee denie not that the word hath a vertue but denie that there is such a vertue inclosed in the words wee denie the qualitie of the vertue or that it floweth from such a fountaine For we grant that the word hath a vertue there is neuer a word that God speaketh heere but it hath a vertue ioyned withit but wee deny that this vertue is inclosed in the syllables in the whispering or pronouncing of the words for if there were such avertue and power inclosed in the syllables by the same reason it should follow that there were avertue in the figure and shape of the letter that makes vp thewords Now there is noman wil think that there is any vertue in the figure or shape of the letter and there is as little vertue in the syllables or pronouncing of the words themselues So wee denie that there is anie vertue inclosed in the syllables or resident in the word But wee say that there is a power conioyned with the word and this power is not resident in the word but is resident in the eternal word in the essential Word wherof Iohn the Euangelist makes mention Cap. 1. The word which was from the beginning that is the sonne of God Christ Iesus wee say there is not a dram weight of this vertue and power resident in any creature that euer God created but it is onely resident in Christ Iesus And therefore there floweth no vertue from the sillables nor from the words that are spoken but from Christ and his spirit who giues the vertue to those words So wee differ in this we say that there is not anie vertue resident in the sillables wee say that the sillables and pronouncing of the sillables work nothing but wee say that the vertue is resident in the person of the sonne of God and heeworkes by his owne word Now wee say that there cannot be such a monstrous change as to say the whispering of so manie wordes should change the owne substance of the bread pull down the substance of the bodie of Christ and put his bodie in so narrow a compasse wee say that cannot bee And this I shall proue by these three rules namely Refutation of the doctrine of trāsubstantiation by 3. sorts of arguments By the veritie of the flesh of Christ Iesus By the articles of our Beliefe And by the true end of the institution of this Sacrament And so we shall see by Gods grace the infinite absurdities that follow vpon their opinion The first principle that I lay is this The first sort of argument Seeing that Christ Iesus the Sonne of GOD in the time appointed tooke true flesh of the wombe of the Virgin and vnited himselfe with our nature in one personall vnion to the end that our nature which fell altogether from integritie in the first Adam might recouer the same in the second Adam yea not onely the same but so much the greater as our second Adam excells the first in all de grees And in respect hee tooke on him a body like vnto ours in all things sinne excepted of necessity it must follow that the definition of a true body and the inseparable properties therof must be competent to him But these are the inseparable properties namely to be in one certaine place to be finite circumscribed visible and palpable for all these concurre quarto modo as the Logicians say to a body so that they cannot be separate from the subiect without the distraction thereof Then Treason on this manner A true humane body is in a certaine place Christ Iesus body is a true humane body therefore it is in a certaine place I call a place a certaine condition of an instrumentall bodie whereby it commeth to passe that where-euer the body be of necessitie it is limited within that place and vvhile it is there it cannot bee elsewhere If you would haue the probation of my Proposition from the Doctors read Augustine to Dardanus speaking of this same body of Christ Take avvay a certaine roome from the bodies and they shall be in no place and if they be in no place they are not The same Augustine writing vpon Iohn in his 30. Treatise saith The body in the which the Lord did arise of necessity must be in a place but his diuine efficacie and nature is diffused euery where And in his third Epistle he saith How much soeuer the body be or how little soeuer the body be it behoues to occupy the bounds of a place And besides these the history of the Acts proueth most euidently Christ his body to be in a certain place as Acts 3.21 the words are these Whom the heauens must containe vntill the time that all things be restored vvhich God had spoken by the mouth of all his holie Prophets Though I need not to insist in the probation of these things yet I proceede Secondly then I reason after this manner A humane body is finite and circumscribed but the body of Christ is a humane body What warrant from the Doctors haue I for this I leaue many purposely will alleage onely Augustine who writing to Dardanus Belieue saith he Christ to be euery where in that he is God but onely to be in heauen according to the nature of a true body And in his 146. Epistle I belieue saith he the body of Christ to be so in heauen as it vvas on the earth vvhen hee vvent vp to heauen But it was circumscribed in a certaine place on the earth Ergo it is so in the heauen And consequently it cannot be in the Masse-bread and in heauen both at one time The last reason is this A humane bodie is visible and palpable but Christ hath a humane body and hee is corporally present as they say therefore Christ his body is
visible and palpable I proue my Proposition by Christ his owne words taken out of Luke 24.39 In the which place to perswade the Apostles of the verity of his body and to proue euidently that it was not fantasticall heevseth the argument taken from these tvvo qualities and he commands his Apostles to feele and see giuing them thereby to vnderstand that as these two senses are the most certaine of all the rest so are they most able to discerne whether hee was a body or a spirit As if he would haue said If I be visible and palpable ye may be out of doubt that I haue a true body For as the Poet saith which Tertullian citeth also to this same purpose Tangere enim et tangi nisi corpus nulla potestres By these arguments it may be euidently seen how this Transubstantiation may no way stand with the verity of the bodie of Chr. Iesus And as it fights with the flesh of Christ Iesus so it repugnes directly the articles of our faith For in our Beliefe we professe Second sort of argumeÌ„t that Christ ascended out of this earth to the heauen where hee sits at the right hand of the Father vvhere hee gouerns and directs all things in heauen and earth from the which place he is to come at the last day to iudge the world This article teacheth vs that hee hath changed his dwelling vvhich hee had amongst vs on the earth and is ascended into the heauens where he sits at the right hand of his Father and shall remaine there according to the testimony of Peter which I cited out of the Acts 3.21 vntill the last day If hee sit at his Fathers right hand and be to remaine in heauen vntill the last day theÌ„ is he not corporally in the bread But the article of our Beliefe saith That he sitteth at the right hand of his Father and Peter saith in that place that the heauens must containe him vntill the last day Therefore this Transubstantiation is directly against the articles of our Beliefe the manifest place of the Scripture Thirdly it is opposite vnto the end Third sort of argumeÌ„t wherefore this Sacrament was instituted this is most euident for the end of the Sacrament is spirituall as the effect that floweth thereof is spiritual and the instrument whereby this spirituall food is applyed to vs is also spiritual But from a naturall and corporall presence a spirituall effect can neuer flowe therefore the corporall and naturall presence of the body and bloud of Christ Iesus repugnes directly the end of this Sacrament for the corporall presence must haue a corporall eating of this eating followeth a digestion in the stomacke and the thing that is digested in the stomack is neuer able to feed my soule to life eternall So this corporall presence must euer tend to a corporall end which is directly contrarie vnto the end wherefore this Sacrament was instituted Further Other arguments vnto the same effect if the bread were transubstantiate it should become the thing signified if it become the thing signified this Sacrament should want a signe and so it should not be a Sacrament for euery Sacrament as yee haue heard is a signe Now to say that the accidents of true bread as the colour and the roundnesse of it that they may serue as signes that is more then folly for between the signe and the thing signified there must be a conformity but there is no conformity between the accidents and the body and bloud of Christ Iesus For if that were so the accidents behoued to nourish vs corporally as the body and bloud of Christ Iesus is appointed to nourish vs spiritually Againe if the bread become the body and bloud of Christ Iesus it should follow that he had a body without bloud for hee hath instituted another signe besides to represent his bloud Also if there had been such a wonderfull thing as they speak of in this Sacrament there would haue been plaine mention made thereof in the Scripture for God himselfe works neuer a notable worke but he declares it either openly or more secretly in the Scripture that thereby hee may be glorified in his wonderfull works As yee may read in the Euangelist â—ohn 2.8 where the vvater was changed into wine Gene. 2.22 where the rib of Adam was changed into Heua Exodus 7.10 where Aarons rodde was turned into a Serpent there ye see that changing is manifestly expressed Therefore I say if there had bin such a monstrous change in these elemeÌ„ts of the Supper as they affirm the Scripture would not haue concealed it but expressed it but in respect there is no meÌ„tion made of this change in the Script therfore there is no such change in this action Further if there were such a change as they say either it is before these words of consecration be spoken or followes after the same words be spoken If the change be before the words of the coÌ„secration be spoken the consecration is superfluous their Proposition is false if the change be after the words be spoken This bread is my body their Proposition is false also because the word bread is spoken before the last syllable of their fiue words is pronounced These and infinite moe absurdities follow of this doctrine And yet they obstinately perseuer and vrge vs with the letter affirming that the words of Christ are so plaine that they admit no figure They would haue spoken more aduisedly if they had sought counsell of Augustine to haue discerned between a figuratiue speech and a proper speech for he in his third booke and 16. chapter of Christian doctrine speakes after this sort If the speech saith hee seeme to commaund a vvickedness or mischeife on to forbid any happinesse or any vvelfare it is not proper it is then figuratiue And he adds for an example a place out of Iohn 6.53 Except saith our Sauiour ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud yee haue no life in you Whereunto Augustine addeth This speech saith he sesmeth to coÌ„maund a mischiefe therefore it is a figuratiue speech vvhereby wee are commanded to coÌ„municate with the sufferings of Christ Iesus and with gladnes to keepe in perpetuall memory that the flesh of the Lord was crucified and wounded for vs. For otherwise it were more horrible as the same Augustine maketh mention in the second booke against the Aduersaries of the lavv to eate the flesh of Christ Iesus really then to murther him and more horrible to drinke his bloud then to shed his bloud Yet notwithstanding they are not ashamed still to hold maintaine that those words ought to be taken properly So that it appeareth that of very malice for contradiction sake to the end onely that they may withstand the truth they will not acknowledge this to be a sacrameÌ„tall speech For they are compelled will they nill they in other speeches of the like sort to acknowledge a
by the outward feeling of the hands or taste of the mouth it is outwardly present Or if any thing be perceiued by the inward eye by the inward taste feeling of the soule this thing can not be outwardly present but it must bee spiritually inwardly present to the soul So I say euery thing is present as it is perceiued So that if you perceiue not a thing outwardly it is outwardly absent and if ye perceiue not a thing inwardly it is inwardly absent It is not distance of place that makes a thing absent nor propinquitie of place that makes a thing present But it is onely the perceiuing of any thing by any of thy senses that makes a thing present the not perceiuing that makes a thing absent I say though the thing it self were neuer so far distāt if thou perceiue it by thine outward sense it is present vnto thee As for example my body and the sunne are as farre distant in place as the heauen is from the earth and yet this distance stayeth not the sunnes presence from mee why Because I perceiue the sunne by mine eie and other senses I feele it and perceiue it by the heate by the light and by his brightnesse So if a thing were neuer so farre distant if wee haue senses to perceiue the same it is present to vs. Then the distance of place makes not a thing absent from thee if thou hast senses to perceiueit likewise the neerenesse of place makes not a thing present be it neuer so neere if thou hast not senses to perceiue it As for example if the sunne shine vpon thine eyes if thou bee blinde it is not present to thee because thou canst not perceiue it A sweete tune will neuer be present to a deafe eare though it be sung in the eare of that man because hee hath not a sense to perceiue it And a well told tale will neuer bee present to a foole because hee cannot vnderstand it nor hath no iudgement to perceiue it So it is not the neerenesse nor distance of place that maketh any thing present or absent but only the perceiuing or not perceiuing of it Now the word being made cleere How the bodie of Christ is present aske you how the bodie of Christ is present To giue our iudgement in a word as yee haue heard from time to time hee is present not to the outward senses but to the inward senses which is fayth wrought in the soule For this action of the Sacrament and of the Lords Supper is partly corporall and partly spirituall I call this action partly corporall not in respect onely that the obiects that is That bread and that wine are corporall but also in respect my mouth whereunto these things are offered the instrument whereby and the manner how these things are receiued are all corporal and naturall I call the same action againe partly spirituall not onely in respect of Christ Iesus who is the heauenly and spirituall thing of the Sacrament but also in respect of my soule whereunto Chr. is offered and giuen in respect the instrument whereby and the manner how hee is receiued are all spirituall for I get not Christ corporally but spiritually So in these respect I call this action partly corporall and partly spirituall Now confounde not these two sorts of actions The corporall and naturall signes with the spirituall thing signified thereby againe confound not the mouth of the bodie with the mouth of the soule Thirdly confound not the outwarde manner of receuing by the hand of the bodie with the spirituall manner of receiuing by the hand of the soule And so it shall bee exceeding cleere to see that each thing shall bee present to the owne instrument that is The bodie of Christ which is the spirituall thing signified shall be present to the spirituall mouth and hand and the bread and wine which are the corporall signes are present to the corporall mouth and hand Then how is any obiect present A corporall obiect is corporally present and an inward obiect is inwardly present Of what nature is the thing signified It is of an heauenly nature Then aske you how is he present He is spiritually and heauenly present to the soule and the mouth of the soule which is faith For it were a preposterous thing to make the thing signified present to thy belly or to the mouth or eye of thy body for if that were so it should not be spiritually present because euery thing is present as it agreeth in it owne nature Is it a bodily thing it is bodily present if it be a heauenly thing it is spiritually present So I thinke no man can doubt how the bodie of Christ is present hee is not carnally present but spiritually present to my soule and to faith in my soule Thus far concerning the manner of his presence Now the last part of our difference is this The last point in controuersie betwixt vs and the Papists wee haue to consider to whom the words ought to be directed pronounced For we the Papists differ in this last point we say that the words ought to be directed pronounced vnto the people to the faithfull communicants They on the contrary say that the words ought not to be directed nor pronounced to the people but to the elements not to be cleerly pronounced but whispered on the elements So that if they be spoken to the people or spoken openly their charme auailes not Now I say that as this holy action is peruerted by them in all the rest so they peruert it in this point also in speaking that to the dumbe elements which they should speak to the people of God For I shall proue it cleerely by three arguments taken out of the Scriptures that the words ought not to be spoken to the bread but to the people of God And first I say The promises of mercie and grace ought to be directed and pronounced to them in whom the Lord performs them makes them effectual But so it is That the promises of mercie and grace are performed and made effectuall not in bread and wine but in faythfull men women Therefore these promises should be directed to faythfull men women Now here is the promise of mercy grace This is my bodie which is broken for you and this promise is made to no other thing but to the faithfull and so to them onely it ought to bee directed Secondly wee haue to consider That this Sacrament seales vp a couenant of grace and mercie Now with whom will God make his couenant of mercy and grace will hee make a couenant with a peece of bread or any dumbe element There is no man will enter into couenant with his seruant much lesse will enter into couenant with a dumbe element So in respect this Sacrament seales vp a couenant this couenant of necessitie must bee made with a faithfull soule and in no wise with the
turne to God so conioyne thee with God make all thine actions well pleassing vnto him There is no good actiō that we do though it seeme neuer so good before the world but it is abhomination before God if it be not done in fayth and will forward our condemnation hauing fayth all the creatures of god are seruiceable vnto vs they must all conspire to the furtherance of the worke of our saluation As on the contrarie wanting fayth there is none of the creatures of God but shall bee enemies vnto vs and conspire to our damnation For fayth conioynes vs with the God of heauen and makes vs heauenly This Iewell of faith seasons all the gifts graces which God giueth vnto vs All the riches of the earth is of no value to my soule without fayth And what auailes it any man to haue all the knowledge and wisdome in the earth without fayth For the diuell hath all this knowledge and is not the better What auailes it me to conquer all the Monarches kingdomes and whole riches in the earth what can all these auaile my soule Nothing but accuse mee if I want fayth Therefore all the benefits and gifts of God without faith auail nothing but to augment our misery All the gifts and graces of God are abused without fayth Fayth onely makes thee to vse the benefits and graces of God rightly Fayth onely should bee sought kept and intertained heere in this life hauing fayth all the rest of Gods graces are profitable vnto thee for this Iewell keeps them al in order makes them al fruitful whereas wanting this iewel there is nothing here on earth but it wil testifie against thee Let vs then speak of this faith how it is wroght in you I take my groūd out of the Euangelist Iohn How faith is created in our soules 6.44 where our Sauiour saith No man canne come to me except the Father which hath sent mee drawe him In the which words we see cleerely that except wee bee drawen except wee bee compelled except we be thrust except of vnwilling wee bee made willing by God the father it is not possible for vs to come to his sonne What is the reason of this that the spirit of God must drawe vs and make vs willing or euer wee come to God Because by nature wee are not only wounded and launced by sinne and iniquitie but as the Apostle sheweth Ephes 2.1 wee were wholly dead in trespasses and sinnes yea obserue how voide any dead bodie is of a naturall life so voide are our soules though they be liuing the naturall life so voide are they of the life of God of that heauenly and spirituall life whereunto wee in this life doe aspire vntill such time that the spirit of God draw our harts and mindes that is quicken our harts and mindes No it is not a drawing as wee commonly speake it is a very quickning of a dead thing It is a quickning of that thing which was voide of the life of the spirit Then except the spirit of God drawe vs that is quicken vs with that spirituall and heauenly life it is not possible for vs to come to heauen And except hee nourish this life which hee hath begunne it is not possible that wee canne stand in this life So the spirit of God is said to drawe vs that is to beginne this life in vs and by the same holy spirit to continue and nourish this life in vs. Now by the drawing of the spirit our soules are quickned and by the drawing of the spirit I vnderstand no other thing but the framing and creating of fayth in our soules which makes vs new creatures Now let vs see what order the spirit of GOD keepeth in drawing vs and informing and creating this faith in our soules First of all I diuide the soule into no more parts then commonly it vseth to bee diuided that is into the heart and the minde Our minde then being a cloud of darknesse altogether blinde naturally there being nothing in that minde of ours but vanitie error and ignorance whereby wee vanish away and can neuer long continue in any good resolution or purpose What doth the spirit of God The first worke that euer the spirit of God doth he taketh order with the minde and what doth hee to the minde he banisheth darknesse he chasethout vanitie and blindnes that naturally lurketh in the mind and insteed of this darknes he placeth in the minde a light a celestiall and a heauenly light a light which is resident in Christ Iesus only Then the spirit chaseth out that cloude of miste darknes and placeth light in the minde And what worketh he by this light We getting this inward and heauenly light in the minde a sanctified vnderstanding incontinent hee makes vs to see God not only as he is God the creator of the world but also as hee is God the redeemer and hath redeemed vs in his son Christ Iesus Now before I obtaine this light what is my heart mind doing There is not one of you but haue experience as I my selfe haue in what estate the heart and minde is before that this light enter The minde lieth drowned in blindnesse and the heart is hardned and they both conspire together in vice to sette vp an Idoll in stead of God a domesticall and inuisible Idoll what sort of Idoll is that No doubt some worldly or fleshly affection or other this is sette vp in the throne of thy heart and on this Idoll thou bestowest the seruice of thy whole heart of thy whole minde of thy whole soule and bodie So that the seruice both of the soule and bodie which should be bestowed vpon God only is imployed vpon that Idoll which is set vp in thy heart that is in the place of God in the steed of the most high God And thou art more addicted to the seruice of that Idoll then euer thou wast to the seruice of the liuing God yea vntill such time that this Idoll of ours bee banished and that this blindnes whereby this Idoll is serued be taken away there is not one of you but are seruants to one lust or other thy soule that should bee consecrated to the seruice of the liuing GOD is imployed vpon one affection or other vpon some worldly or fleshly lust of thine owne But from the time that the Lord beginneth to scatter the cloudes of our naturall mindes and vnderstandings and beginneth to chase away this thicke mist of the darke soule and placeth therein some sparke of heauenly light which floweth out of Chr. and whereas we were children of the night and darknesse before hee makes vs to be light in the Lord and to be children of the light and of the day Then we see that all the things in the world besides the liuing God are vanities deceiueable allurements vnconstant shadowes fleeting and flowing without any abiding and and then wee see that our hearts
euer God had Mark the speech of the Apostle Wee are alwaies in doubt saith hee but wee despaire not So doubting and faith may lodge in one soule And from whence floweth this doubting VVee knowe that in the regenerate man there is a remnant corruption for we haue not our heauen in this earth though wee beginne our heauen heere yet we get it not fully heere And if all corruption vvere avvay vvhat should there vvant of a full heauen heere So it is onely begunne in this life and not perfected therefore there remaines in the soule a great corruption which is neuer idle but continually occupied This corruption is euer bringing foorth the birth of finne more or lesse euery sinne hurts the conscience a hurt conscience impaireth the perswasion and so comes in the doubting For there is not a sinne that we commit but it banisheth light and casteth a myst ouer the eye of our faith whereby wee doubt and stagger in our sight and were it not that the Lord in his mercy taketh vs vp giueth vs the gift of repentance and maketh vs euery day as oft as wee sinne to cry as oft for mercy and so to repaire the losse that wee haue of faith to repayre the losse that vvee haue of the feeling of mercie we would wholly put out that same light But it pleaseth the Lord though wee be euery day sinning to giue vs the gift of repentance and by repentance to repaire our faith to repaire the sense and feeling of mercie in vs and to put vs in that same state of perswasion wherein wee were before Therefore if GOD beginne not continue not and end not with mercie in that very moment that hee abstracts his mercy from vs wee will decay So wee must be diligent in calling for mercy wee must be instant continually in seeking to haue a feeling of mercie Thus much for the doubting Novv howsoeuer it be sure and certaine A doubting and weake faith is faith shal neuer decay that the faith of the best children of GOD is often subiect to doubting yet it is as sure and certaine that it is neuer wholly extinct albeit it were neuer so vveake yet it shall neuer vtterlie decay and perish out of the hart wherein it once maketh residence This comfort consolation the Spirit of God hath sette downe in his vvord to support the troubled hart That hovvsoeuer faith be weake yet a weake faith is faith and where that faith is there will euer be mercie Yee haue in Romans 11.29 that The gifts and calling of GOD are vvithout repentance But among all his gifts that are of this sort faith is one of the chiefest therefore it cannot be reuoked againe Yee haue in Iude 3. That faith vvas once giuen vnto the Saints Once giuen that is constantly giuen neuer to be changed nor vtterly taken from them The Lord will not repent him of this gift but the soule which he hath loued once he will loue perpetually It is true and certaine that the sparkles of faith which are kindled in the hart by the Spirit of GOD may be obscured smothered for a long time they may be couered with the ashes of our owne corruption and with our own ill deedes and wickednes into which we daily fall It is true that the effects of a liuely faith will be interrupted and that thy lusts and affections will preuaile for a long time so that when thou lookest on thy selfe vpon the Iudgements of God that hang ouer thy soule and body and when thou lookest vpon thy dissolute life and on the anger of God against this dissolute life In the minde in the hart and conscience of him that hath so smothered and oppressed his faith it will oft times come to passe in his owne iudgement hauing his eyes fixed on himselfe onely that hee vvill thinke himselfe to be a reprobate to be an out-cast and neuer able to recouer mercy Where this corruption bursteth forth in this grosse maner after that the Lord hath called thee looke how soone the Lord beginneth to vvaken thee againe incontinent thou fixest thine eyes vpon thine owne life and entrest into a deepe consideration as well of the weight of thy sinne as of the weight of the wrath of GOD which thou seest following thereupon and art loath to remit these cogitations to thinke vpon the deepenesse of the mercie of God Resting on these considerations it cannot but come to passe that in thine owne iudgement thou art an out-cast And yet GOD forbidde it were so for though these sparks of the Spirit be couered by the corruption that is vvithin thy soule yet these sparkles are not wholly put out And to let you see that they are not extinguished The sparkles of faith though they be smothered they are not wholly put out nor are idle though they break not forth in the outward effects that the world may knowe thee to be a faithfull man as heeretofore yet these sparkles are not idle and thou shall finde them not to be idle in thee As for confirmation of my Argument that howsoeuer our bodies are let loose to all dissolution after our effectuall calling within vs in our soules that yet the sparkles are not idle ye see that though the fire be couered with the ashes yet it is a fire there is no man will say that the fire is put out though it be couered No more is faith put out of the soule though it be so couered that it neither giue heat â—or light outwardly An example of this we haue cleerely in the Prophet Dauid after his lamentation in that Psalme of Repentance Psalme 51.11 hee prayeth to GOD in these words Cast me not away from thy presence And what addeth he And take not thy holy Spirit from mee Had he not lost the Spirit by his adultery and murther No for he would not haue said then Take it not from mee But Restore it to mee It is true that he vseth the like in the verse following Restore mee to the ioy of thy saluation Not that hee wanted the spirit wholly but that the spirit lacked force in him and needed strengthening and fortification it would be stirred vp that the flame of it might appear Therfore I say in that Dauid speaketh so plainely after his adultery and murther Take not that Spirit from mee it is a certaine argument that the faithfull haue neuer the spirit of God alwaies taken from them in their greatest dissolutions The second point is this How proue I that these sparkles are not idle though the outward effects be interrupted As Dauid felt this in his conscience so euery one of you may feele it in your owne consciences The Spirit of God in mans hart can not be idle but these sparkles during the time that the body is let loose to all dissolutions these sparkles are accusing thy dissolution are finding fault vvith thy manners these sparkles suffer thee not to take the pleasure of thy bodie