stomacke that we might be able to digest it and to be nourished and susteined by it Minister I perceiue Eusebius that you were not in sleepe at my sermon who doe so faithfullie rehearse what you haue heard O that it might please God that all the rest of my auditours woulde bee so attentiue and had so great and singular desire to make profite by the worde as I verilie beleeue you haue But the further I proceede in my excercise I haue the better experience that for the most part they are so cold and carelesse that I am constrained to complaine of them and to shew you my griefe in that behalfe Eusebius If I be diligent to learne the worde of God and in anie small measure capable of the knowledge thereof I am bounde to render vnto him all praise and thankes and to confesse that without his Spirite of my owne nature I shoulde haue as litle taste and feeling thereof as the most carnall and earthlie manne in the worlde But to the ende we do not discontinue and breake off our former matter if memorie faile not for a further and more full declaration of the mysterie whereof we do now intreate to the former similitude of sainct Augustine you ioyned another taken from the bodie of man the members whereof cannot by any meanes haue part of the life which springeth proceedeth from the soule remaining in the bodie except they be vnited and ioyned with it no more is it possible for vs to be quickened by this fulnesse of the Godheade which as sainct Paul saieth dwelleth bodily in Iesus Christ Coloss 2. and giueth life to the whole Church except we be members of his bodie flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone Minister You haue sufficientlie declared how the humanitie and flesh of Iesus Christ is the meane of our life But as concerning Faith whereof the Prophet and Apostle haue written Abac. 2. Rom. 1. that the iust shall liue by it how are we to vnderstand this point Euseb I said at the first that there is no life without God and next that there is no God without Iesus Christ nowe I saie following the like course that there is no Iesus Christ without Faith for by Faith we rcceiue him as Sainct Iohn witnesseth Iohn 1. and he commeth to dwell in our hearts as Sainct Paul writeth to the Ephesians Ephes 3. by Faith which he confirmeth by his owne mouth saying If anie man loue me he wil keepe my word and my Father will loue him and we will come vnto him and will dwell with him For the vnion which we haue with him is spirituall and like to that which is betweene the husbande and the wife For euen as they be ioyned and coupled together for euer by mutuall promises and by that faith and truth wherin those promises are mutuallie accepted notwithstanding that their bodies do change neither the outward shape forme ne yet their natural kind and sexe and that for this coupling and knitting of man and wife it is not required or meant that both of thē shold visibly become one body like as wine and water being mingled together in one cuppe or vessel so to marrie and to ioyne vs to Iesus Christ it is not needeful that our bodies shold be bound in one with his bodie as we see the members of one bodie are bound together by the muscles cordes sinewes and gristles of the same which happening it would be the most monstrous thing that a man could imagine to be in nature But the chiefe and onelie matter is that those promises which he maketh vnto vs namely to comfort vs if we wil come vnto him to defend vs to saue to quicken vs to redeeme vs to raise vs vp from the dead to pardon vs and such like that his promises I saie be beleeued of vs and firmelie perswaded that wee like and accept of them and haue assurance in them promisinge vnto him in like manner on our behalfes that we acknowledge none other then him alone for our King and Priest our sheppard and our Prophet that we wil heare no other voice or doctrine but his that for our satisfaction remission and saluation we wil vse no other sacrifice thē that which is once offered for vs that we wil chuse none other Aduocate or Attornie then him when we would be recommended in anie of our necessities to the good grace and fauor and ayde of his Father that for our defence and safegard against the euil spirit and against al other our enemies we wil haue recourse and put our whol affiance in his powre and strength and to be breife that we wil not hold our life and our whole felicitie of any other then of him In these promises giuen taken and kept of both parties consisteth the alliance and league that we haue with Iesus Christ And euen as a woman that is lawfullie married to an husband misdoubteth not albeit her husband abide at Constantinople and she at Paris that notwithstanding the sundring of their bodies and greate distance betweene the places where they abide they are neuerthelesse one flesh and that there is a perfect coniunction betweene them and such a bonde and knot of friendship as is not to be loosed so albeit that Christ Iesus be in heauen and we vpon the earth we ought certeinely to be perswaded that after the marriage made betweene him and vs by the meane of Faith wherein we haue accepted his foresaide promises we are one with him and that this vnion is nothing impeached by the difference of places where we abide and continue Minist Then your meaning is that Faith is not the cause of our life but inasmuch as it doth marrie vs to Iesus Christ by whom we are afterwarde ledde and conducted euen to God with whom we finde all the happinesse that we can aske and desire This is verie well meant and vnderstoode of you But what will you say to that which Sainct Paul hath written touching the word of the Gospel Rom. 1. that it is the power of God vnto saluation to all beleeuers Euseb Sainct Paul saieth so because there is no Faith without the worde no more then there is Iesus Christ without Faith Rom. 10. for Faith commeth by hearing hearing by the word of God And to this purpose is the preaching of the Gospel and the administration of the sacraments By the one the Spirite of God inspireth and planteth Faith in our hearts by the other he confirmeth and establisheth the same to the end that by this meane being made the members of Iesus Christ we might draw nearer vnto God and liue in him Minist Then the sum of al that you haue hitherto discoursed is that our blessed estate eternal life is to possesse God and to possesse him to be members of Iesus Christ and to be his members to haue Faith and to haue Faith that the Gospell be preached and the Sacraments administred
fauour without the which we can hope neither for life nor saluation Minist You say Eusebius that the principal point that is taught vs in the mysterie of the supper and that we are to learne therein and to cal to remembrance so often as we come to the table to celebrate the same is that Iesus Christ is our life neuerthelesse it seemeth that this is contrarie to that which you lately saide speaking of the fruites of Faith and attributing thereunto our saluation and further repugnant to that which is written in the Psalmes where Dauid magnifying the graces of God Psal 36. saieth That in him is the wel of life and that our light proceedeth onelie from his brightnes Fo if the humanitie of Iesus Christ crucified and offered vp vnto God for our redemption is the cause of our life how can it be that God our Faith are the causes and occasions thereof Euseb The one of these is no hinderance to the other as you declared vnto vs at large in one of your sermons It is most certeine and of al men confessed that God is the author of our life and that in him we haue our being feeling mouing and vnderstanding Further that in beholding his shining countenance consisteth the full contentment of all our desires and our most perfect and blessed estate because it is the chiefest most souereigne good which comprehending vnder it all other particular good things hath sufficient in that respect to content and satisfie all our appetites and desires when we haue obteined do enioie the same But the meane to haue fruition and possession thereof and to drawe neere vnto him is Iesus Christ his son For euen as without God there is no life so without Iesus Christ there is no God as S. Iohn doth witnesse sayeng 1. Ioh 2. whosoeuer denieth the Sonne the same hath not the Father and whosoeuer confesseth the Sonne the same hath the Father also And Sainct Paul in his Epistles written to the Galathians and Ephesians to whom hee sheweth that in the time of their ignorance and when they knewe not Iesus Christ they were without God in the world And this is the cause why he was called by the Angel and by the Prophet Emanuel which in Hebrewe is as much to say as God is with vs to shew vnto vs that there is no other meane to ioyne and knit vs together with him then that meane of his sonne which may also be prooued by this reason It is not possible for vs to haue anie fellowshippe with God who is righteous and a most cleare and perfect light so long as wee continue in our sinnes and darknesse in as much as two things so fully and directlie contrarie cannot meete together ne endure ech other Wherefore it must needes be that before any agreement or league can be entreated of betwene him vs we are to be freed deliucred from the causes of our separation from God which can by no other meane be compassed and obtained then by Iesus Christ For he is the true light which enlighteneth euerie man thâ—â— commeth into the world Ihon 1. he is the Lamb that taketh awaie our sinnes Whereupon it foloweth of necessity that if we wil be reconciled and ioyned vnto God wee must bee made partakers of the righteousnesse of his sonne and must be lightened by his spirit to the end that he couering our filthynesse imperfections with the one and driuing away by litle and litle the darkenesse that dwelleth in vs with the other may hereby take away the lettes and hinderances by the which this happie league and agreement is broken and turned aside from our benifite And forasmuch as he is the way by the which we are to come to this agreement and so consequently to the life and felicitie that dependeth thereon For this cause he is called life as well as his Father Iohn 6. Whosoeuer eateth my flesh saith he drincketh my blood hath eternal life for my flesh is meate in deed my blood is drinke in deed He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him As the liuing Father hath sent me so liue I by the Father and he that eateth me euen he shal liue by me Al which places do serue to no other end purpose then to giue vs to vnderstand that his humanitie crucified for our sinnes hath the power to bring vs to life to quicken vs by reconciling vs vnto God when we eate thereof that is to saie when we by a true and liuelie Faith do as it were get a propriety in the saâ—e vnto our selues and being vnited ingrafted into it do lie there as it were at a sure anker by a firme and stedfast trust and confidence For by this meane we are ioyned vnto the diuinitie which is the wel of life of al blessednesse For this cause Tertullian saieth that our flesh is fedde with the flesh of Iesus Christ to the end that our soule maie be refreshed filled with God To which purpose we may refer two notable places of S. Augustine the one in his commentaries vppon S. lohn where he saieth speaking of the faithful man By Christ thou commest to Christ by Christ man to Christ God By the word which was made flesh to the worde which was in the beginning with GOD by the breade which is eaten of men to that which is eaten of Angels The other place is in one of his Homilies vppon the Psalmes where he setteth foorth a most excellent comparison taken from the Nource and her young childe The nource and the childe saieth hee doe eate one selfe and the same meate but after a diuerse manner for the milke which the childe sucketh out of her brestes is the breade that his nource before had eaten but for the better preparing and ordering of it in such sort as the childe might let it downe and thereby receiue his nourishment it was needefull that first iâ— should be incarnate in her and that it should be tourned into blood in her lyuer to the ende it might become the more sweete and delicate for the childe his drinking and being carried from the lyuer to the brests that it shoulde be there chaunged into milke and euen there should receiue a straunge kinde of whitenesse least the childe seeing it in the former colour should haue beene afraide of it and abhorre it Euen so saith he soone after applying his comparison the Angels and we do liue and are fedde with one and the same foode for neither they nor we haue anie strength or life or liuelinesse but by the onelie euerlasting and almightie worde of God neither is there anie other difference but that the foode that they receiue in meate wee receiue in milke for by reason of our infirmitie and weakenesse it was needefull that this word should be made flesh and by that meane should be applied to the capacity and strength of our
great lamentation deuised sharpe inuectiues against the Iewes Pontius Pilate Herod Iudas and those that had executed and put to death Iesus Christ yet in the meane time flattered themselues gloried in their merites and considered not narrowlie that Iudas Pontius Pilate and Herod were none other then the executours and ministers of their impieties and offences Let vs consider therefore in the breaking of the bread that our sinnes yea the sinnes of euerie one of vs in particular haue crucified the Sonne of God and haue broken him with the paines of the first and second death And euen so is it preciselie witnessed in the Supper that the bodie of Iesus Christ was broken for vs and that his blood was shedde for the remission of our sinnes And our heauenlie Father himselfe doth testifie the same by the mouth of his Prophet Isaiah saying Isa 63. But he was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities Now if it be so that our sinnes being weyed in the balance of God his iustice are found to be of so greâ—t consequence and importance that his anger and displeasure conceiued against vs can by no meanes be appeased but by the death of his onelie Sonne yea by the cruel and shamefull death vpon the crosse by which alone satisfaction is per 〈…〉 ed why should we not hencefoorth abhor 〈…〉 ur sinnes wickednesse the cruell and bloodie murtherers of the onely Sonne of God Behold the Sunne the Moone the elements the vaile of the Temple the stones rockes were mooued at the death of Iesus Christ and shewed tokens of sorow heauinesse and shal not we which beare about vs the cause of this death abhorre so foule euil-fauored and vnfortunate a guest who hath taken vp his lodging in our heartes and shall we suffer him to abide or rather to dwel within vs vntill he haue brought euerlasting death into his lodging No verely But contrariwise we ought to esteeme him most detestable as one that first did set vp a wall of separation between vs and God our souereigne happinesse and as one that hath caused vs to loose that image and resemblance of God whereunto at the first we were created It is he that hath defiled vs within and without it is he that hath spoyled vs of our holines and righteousnes it is he that hath driuen chased vs out of Paradise it is he that hath brought vs in bondage to the tyrany of the Deuil it is he that hath made vs subiect to pouertie and sicknesse and finally to the first and second death It is he that after he had barred and diuided vs from God caused vs to see our filthines and brought vpon vs shame blacke reproch that caused vs to tremble at the voice of our God which before was to our eares most sweete amiable It is he by whom the wrath of God is heaped vp against al mankind which is in cause that the earth becoÌ„meth barren and bringeth forth thorns and bryers that women do labour and bring foorth children in sorowe and that men eate their bread with the sweate of their face trauaile of their bodies Now seeing that sin doth bring vpon vs continually so many euils mischiefes it followeth that we ought to retire withdraw our selues from it except we will be voluntarie hinderers and enemies of our happines saluation And heere I call into presence al such as wallowing in al kind of sinne and wickednesse and giuing occasion of grieuous offence to the children of God are neuerthelesse so shamelesse as they dare presume to present themselues at the Lord his table I would haue them to answere what it is that they promised to God to his church in their Baptisme They wil saie they promised to forsake the Deuill and al his works Euen so but sinne is one of the cheife and principall workes of the Deuill why then do they not abstaine from it why are they trayterous and disloyal to God and to his Church why haue they conspired with the Deuil the world and the flesh against their owne saluation how dare they present themselues before God to craue pardon remission of their sinnes at his hands seeing that from time to time they doe heape sinne vpon sinne and outragiouslie crucifie again as much as in them lyeth the Sonne of God or at the least deride the purgation of his blood which was applyed to them in Baptisme Let the case be of an offendor beggerly needy and destitute of al helpe succour that he were fallen into a fowle and filthie bogge whereout by his owne strength wit he could not escape and of a King his sonne passing by the said place that he tooke the paines to draw him out of this myrie hole that he made him cleane and that he decked him richlie with braue and costly attire If this miseralbe wretch shal returne againe into this pit of filth mire defiling therein both his bodie his garments and further placing his life in extremity of danger maie we not iustlie thinke him to be vnthankful aboue measure and carelesse of that princelie bountie and humilitie On the other side maie we not boldlie affirme that he hath wittingly willingly taken an othe as it were against his owne life and safetie and that he is worthy to come to ruine and to perish without al helpe and succour Like is the case betweene vs and Iesus Christ We are al fallen into the fowle pit of sinne in the person of Adam we are al offendors before God worthie of innumerable gibets we cannot of our selues by any meanes possible get out of this pit of our destruction into the which we are fallen by our owne defaulte and follie The Sonne of God the King of Kings the Lord of Lords not onelie draweth vs out of this filthy pit but washeth vs cleane also with his pretious blood vouchsafeth to cloath vs with his owne garment of righteousnesse innocencie If we fall to tumble and to wallow againe in the pit of sinne if we please our selues therein if we defile and stayne the garment of innocencie which he gaue vs in Baptisme cleane and vnspotted do we not manifestlie contemne the loue and the benefit of Iesus Christ not able no be valued esteemed are we not worthie to rot an hundred thousand times in our vncleannesse or rather with the Deuill in hell to gnash our teeth for euer It is out of al controuersie Then sith it is so that the end of our redemption Baptisme iustification requireth that we should abstaine from sinne so farre as is possible and the fraylenes of mans nature can permit it behooueth vs to employ al our paine diligence by the mightie power of the Spirit of God to driue out of our soules bodies al vncleannes filthines idolatrie blasphemie rebellion hatred murther whoredome stealing vsurie and al other things contrarie to his holy
vnto vs in as much as Faith is engendred by the word and after confirmed nourished and encreased in vs by the Sacraments thereunto annexed Euseb You propounded vnto vs a similitude of the lampe which seemed vnto me a verie fitte and proper waie to declare vnto vs in some good manner the properties and vse as well of Faith as of the Sacraments you said that Faith was like vnto the fire in as much as by the light thereof it bringeth vs to the sight and knowledge of God of Iesus Christ our sauing health and of our selues that the cotton about the which the fire is lighted did resemble the word the gracious promises whereon the said Faith is built and founded and that the sacraments are as the oyle that serueth to keepe in the fire so as it neither be diminished nor put out altogether Minist Can you remeber the matter which I drew out of this similitude the end wherefore I brought it into my discourse Euseb I take it that it was to shew vnto vs that the Supper can serue vs to small purpose vnlesse that first we be furnished with Faith in our hearts that is it of no more vse then oyle is in a lampe when no fire is lighted or then a seale to a letter wherein is nothing written Minist Then you may perceaue Eusebius and vnderstande that it is not without great reason that the ancient fathers haue called these two ceremonies of Baptisme and of the Supper mysteries and sacraments the deepe diuine and hidden sense and meaning of them considered and that S. Augustine hath not amisse applied that vnto them which is written of God by Dauid in the Psalmes Psal 18. that He made darkenesse his secret place and his pauilion round about him euen darkenesse of waters ana cloudes of the ayre For who woulde thinke at the first assaie that the gracious fauour of God the benefite of Iesus Christ the forgiuenesse of sinnes and generally all the partes of our saluation and redemption were so excellentlie set out in a little water breade and wine as you haue â—eclared vnto vs in particularitie Dauid called the ancient ceremonies the order that was kept in the Church in his daies The face of God Psal 24. because the faithfull did therin see and behold as in a glasse his promises his fauour and his gracious goodnesse But this name may be more properlie giuen to our ceremonies because they are more significant and doe beare the markes and tokens of his fauour towardes vs more liuelie and perfectlie set out and more deepelie imprinted in them then the other But I suppose you haue nowe sufficientlie declared how our faith is edified by the Sacramentes proceede to the rest and shewe me by what meane our charitie is instructed Euseb 1. Cor. 10. Sainct Paul saieth that we that are manie are one breade and one bodie because we all are partakers of one bread Euen as therefore in the supper we are taught that there is no other meane to obtaine saluation then by Iesus Christ deade and crucified for vs so wee doe protest by the bread and wine that we receiue that if we wil be partakers of this saluation we must be vnited and made one with him and in him al of vs together one with another Wherunto is required a charitie not of the tongue the outward gesture or speach not common or ordinarie not cold and remisse but an ardent and heartie affection holding vs also fast and locking vs at it were so sure and so close together in one bodie that if it were a thing possible a man might no sooner sunder deuide vs one from an other then the grains of corne after the bread is baken or the grapes can be deuided when the wine is tunned Minist Yea but can it be that when wee come to the table we should so perfectlie loue each other as that there be not in the whole body of the Church more then one heart one soule one spirite and one minde Euseb In this case we doe not speake of that Faith and Charitie which we haue or can haue when we celebrate the supper but of that onely which is taught vs therin for I haue heard you say and rehearse often that their is great difference betwene the power of man and the duetie of man betweene his practise and his precepts and that we are alwaies more indebted then we vse to pay euen as we are euer better taught and instructed then we can learne or followe For the wisdome of God being perfect and infinite it cannot be but the law as Dauid saieth proceeding from him Psal 19. must needs be verie entire and perfect But if our power and habilitie to keepe the lawe be either none at all or so weake as it can verie hardlie stirre ad remooue it selfe how is it possible that our obedience should not be vnperfect in like manner our faith our charitie and in generall whatsoeuer we doe or whatsoeuer proceedeth from vs Minist You saie well Eusebius we maie not confound or trouble the order that is to be kept in handling of this matter and it suffiseth that you haue now shewed vs what is taught and signified vnto vs in the Supper for you shall more fitlie and more conuenientlie shew forth the propertie of Faith Charitie which we are to bring with vs to this Supper when we shall entreate what course and meane we ought to follow to come vnto it worthilie Now to continue the veine of your discourse you shall giue vs to vnderstande who they be that are inuited and bidden to this supper and whither that all manner of persons indifferentlie are fit to celebrate the same Euseb As they did eate saith S. Mathew Iesus tooke the breade and after hee had giuen thankes hee brake it and gaue it to his disciples He noteth plainely that the bread which he did take and breake in the supper was giuen onelie to his disciples and scholers to signifie vnto vs that we doe eate it vnworthilie if we know not Iesus Christ be not in some good measure instructed in his gospel And so by this reason are excluded barred from this feast al ignorant persons all Infidels contemners and blasphemers For if the Sacrament was not ordeined to any other purpose as was said before then for the confirming exercising and increasing of our faith what benefite would it be vnto vs if there were no faith to be found in our heartes Furthermore is the end whereunto it was deputed be to shadow foorth and to set before our eyes Iesus Christ crucified how can this end be attained and compassed if our eyes be out and we remaine in blindenes For the light is for none other then for such as haue eyes to see it Againe if we be dead as in truth we are no better being vtterly voide of knowledge and beleife the breade that is ordeined onely to shape and to