rudenesse a Kinge to conquere our enemies But his Priesthoode and his sacrifice we chiefly celebrate in this Sacrament which also may be and is termed therfore a Sacrifice not of Christ but to Christ in remēbrance of his the sacrifice of praise the calues of our lippes the incense of thankes giuing and this Leuites fire should neuer go out and in the present flame all abroad Wherein we beleeue in heart confesse with mouth that Iesus Christ came into the world to saue sinners being perfite God was made perfite man Man that he might die God the in dying he might satisfie for mankind for because that the flesh alone profiteth nothing his manhood was not sufficient except also he had bene very God Wherfore God euen our God so exceedingly loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten sonne and therefore he also naturaly God the sonne like the father to bee the ransome for the sinnes of the world Isai 53 5◠The chastisement of our peace was vpon him the peace ours the chastisement his all sufficient for all the sinnes both of body and soule of all sinners The grieuousnes and bitternes of which cup may be considered in that our Sauiour after a sort tasted thereof and it tasted bitter put forth his hand to take it pulled it in againe began to tremble his very soule was sorowful praied earnestly went out and prayed againe that if it were possible it might passe ouer needed an Angell for comfort swet water drops of blood If there were nothing herein but an vsuall death woulde Christ thus haue bene afflicted The heathē haue suffred more with more pacience apparant therfore there must be and was more in it and yet he is not come to the bitternes in the bottom of the cup. Those former agonies were but hony in comparison of the conflict with Sathan which followed and the wrath of his father which ensued when all sinnes as heauy as hell more then the starres of heauen or the sand of the sea were layed in one vpon him and he for them made a curse and execration Isa 53.8 the iust executed for the vniust one for all A childe is borne to vs and giuen vnto vs and liued for vs. This might comfort Ierusalem at the heart but the end perfection of our ioy and his sorowe was his death on crosse wherein consisteth the thankfull meditation I speake of holpen by breaking of the bread and the powring foorth of the wine before our sight wherein the default of our aduersaries appeareth greatly that debarreth the people of so great an helpe For be it that perfect Christ be communicated in the bread yet in the wine significātly is resembled his bloodsheding most And howe dare they alter the Lordes institution As he tooke bread euen so he tooke the cup 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then if bread be requisite so is the cup also For as he tooke the one so he tooke the other Eckius in ench Eckius woulde proue his halfe cōmunion out of his Paternoster giue vs this day our daily bread A begger is neuer out of his way What scripture wil not serue for any purpose if that do for his Saint Paul teacheth what the Lorde did and what the Corinthians should do till Christ his comming in the cloudes hee meaneth what al posteritie was to do For those Corinthians are gone the way of all fleshe their church rased He telleth them in them vs Other thinges at his comming he would dispose of as of indifferent circūstances But for the lawfull and inuiolable vsage of the Sacrament in both kindes he deliuered as he had receiued Dauid slewe the Gyant with one stone but he toke more then one out of the brook Christ is receiued in his word by his spirit in baptisme sacramentaly in either or rather in both the signes of the Supper ioyntly taken as he ordeyned So sufficiently and aboundantly hath the Lord prouided for his houshold bread made of many graynes and also wine of many grapes the answerably we being many may bee one in him and hee in vs expecting the accomplishment of our ioy to the full no more in signes figures in earth but apparantly to eate and drincke at Christes table with him in the kingdome of heauen where we shal sit on seates iudge the twelue tribes of Israel Luke 22.30 Amen There are certaine kindes both of byrdes and beastes Conuersation whose meate wil not tarie with them but passeth quickly away recto intestino Such beastes neuer chew the cud And some men not vnlike or worse then beastes meditate litle of whom they were begotten and fed what they feede on or in what sorte much lesse doth the meat digest with them to make thē strōg men in Christ as if Sara were their mother Agar their nurse or as if they were nursed with milke weaned with poyson and the meate naught and woulde not proue with them so doe they liue In comming to the Seruice Sacramentes eyther for company or custome sake they looke one way with the godly but in their conuersation they row another way and shewe in their deedes of what felowship they are They passe through the redde sea but murmure in the wildernes nay euen at the redde sea offend they God In pretence somwhat they are but inwardly nothing and in fact naught Their windows be not scued as Salomōs were to giue a full light into the house to their owne heartes in hypocrisie somewhat is shewed the window wide enough outwardly Fayth Loue Repentance to sight are set forth in performāce euery one is for him selfe neyther thankefull to God neyther charitable to his neighbor and both without remorse These thinges ought not to be so this Passeouer would not be so eaten our loynes so soone vngirded our staues throwen away the water of Baptisme trampled on the bread and wine or the body and blood of Christ thus receiued all in vaine Were it that the naughtye liuer could bee a good beleeuer for the time or were it that as water he might be whote immediately before and at the action of receiuing yet if when the fire is remoued the cold qualities returne againe what auayleth the former heate A cole is red while it is in the fire when the fire is out his blacke and naturall colour returneth by by againe and then light it againe and it seemeth red againe but yet in the ende it consumeth to ashes The bone that is often set in ioynte August de tem Ser. 58. will hardly be wel ioyned often Let no man presume of sinning nor yet despaire of mercie The Sacraments as they are seales of mercy so are they also bondes of obedience as God will perfourme on his part al so must we endeuour to shew our selus duetiful in al good works Wherunto to perswade if there were nothing els but this this may suffice that
To the right honourable Sir Francis Walsingham Knight chiefe Secretarie to her Maiestie Chaunceller of the Order one of her highnes priuie Counsell all grace and peace in Christ Iesu THe endelesse making of bookes was a vanitye in the dayes of Salomon when Printing was not The end of all is the seate of God Certainely men may not make it a light matter in conscience to trouble the worlde with vnprofitable writinges Yet as in the shewebread that was shewed to the people as a figure of Christ the olde loaues hauing serued to their use were remoued and other supplied in their roome yet still breade in nature twelue loaues in nomber so those writinges that figure out Christ and set foorth Christian duetye may be oftentimes treated of and eftsoones repeated and added to other mens doinges not withstanding no great variety in the matter or maner of handling It hath beene thought expedient I write publishe this litle treatise Wherupon right Honorable therewithal I haue thought it my boundē duetie humbly to present it to your honours viewe the rather in parte to excuse mine ouer great boldnesse else when but principally to craue such furtheraunce in the setting out therof as your honors piety and place accustometh to shewe to such as in their calling with their talentes eyther fiue two or but one labour to set foorth the trueth to instruct the simple to saue soules This hath bene mine endeuor the successe whereof is to be prayed for of the almightie and merciful God who alwayes preserue your honour to the glorie of his name the benefite of his Church and this our countrie in all faithfull seruice to her Maiestie and great cōforte of her louing subiectes in the Lorde Februarie 14. Anno. 1582. Your Honours most humble and bounden Iohn Prime The Preface AS the vse of all things is most precious so is their abuse most pernicious Many excellent thinges are spoken of the Sacraments of Christian faith They are the Lordes owne ordinances memorials of diuine promises monuments of our duety signes to the word which we professe assured seales of his good will strong bandes whereby we stande bounde first to God in obedience and then in mutual loue amongst our selues Notwithstanding these sacred mysteries the very instrumentes of the holy Ghost haue they not bene of olde or are they not now either vnthankefully refused or vnworthily receiued or lesse duetifully regarded then was and is behoofeful Ful hands can not apprehend any other thing they are full already fowle handes and soyled in the clay and brickeworke of sinfull thoughtes and deedes they are profane and should not presume to touch his Iewels Want of true knowledge in the worde of God hath bred sundry distemperatures and diseases errors and heresies in the body of Christes Church in this behalfe When the writing is not knowen the seales are lesse or more then duely and neuer aright esteemed of the ignorant man Whē the light of the Scriptures was hidde vnder the busshel of a strange tōgue the Sacramēts also in the darke were most irreligiously contemned superstitiously abused carnally and grosly mistaken As good haue a seale to a blancke as to a writing drawen in strange characters and letters that cannot be read or if read yet vnderstoode but of a fewe and of them no further then it pleased the masters of corrupt time at their leasure or begging Fryers for their gaine to expounde in miserable maner to hungry poore and sterued soules And then as good no bread at all as so vile a prouender made of mixtures eyther hard or dowbaked and clammie eyther they coulde not chewe it or it coulde not nourishe them Thus was the Lordes inheritance abused Iren. lib. 3. cap. 19. famished for want of true foode or fedde as Irenee speaketh with lyme water in stead of milke The Deuil knewe he could not beguile in the light and therefore no sleight of Satan euer like to this to deceiue men Mar. 12.24 and slay soules Whiles that Christians were wise they neuer sought in pilgrimage from shrine to shrine S. P. Q. R. Beda neyther to Rome nor to Ierusalem nor to any singular place vnder heaven with obseruation of the place Luke 17.20 as if God were more tyed to this region then to that one or other The true worshippers worshipped in spirit trueth In trueth without hypocrisie Ioh. 4.23 and in spirite without externall respectes For as the Conye is acquainted with his owne burrowe safe rocke Prou. 30.26 so Christians then knew where to seeke whither to runne and howe to finde rest in heauē for their soules They asked help alwayes of an able hande trode the kings high way knocked at the right gate builded their house on the onely foundation that is they beleeued in Christ called vpon God were guyded by his spirite trusted in his promises hoped in his mercies manifestly layde abroad and sufficiently reuealed in his written worde Iohn 20.31 and as certainely confirmed by the pledges of his will the holy Sacramentes whereof this treatise is intended for all such as can be content to learne in fewe wordes of a simple teacher Of the Sacraments in generall The nature of a Sacramēt A Sacrament is a sensible signe to the eye instituted of God to be continued in his Church for the further assurance and increase of spirituall graces in the faithful Of which sort is Baptisme and the Supper August epist 118. and onely these two euen as they are ioyntly specified by the Apostle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 10. In the generall may bee obserued these foure notes chiefely The institution to bee of God The signe visible in sense and resemblance conuenient The graces secret and mystical but singular benefites to the faithfull man The continuance is the Churches duetie rightly to vse and to enioy his ordinaunces as beseemeth the Church of God The institution 1 Concerning the institution as God onely is to be hearkened vnto in his sayings so must hee alone he followed in his wayes wheresoever he goeth before vs and leadeth vs after him with the least thread Reason not directed by faith is a disputing and a busie mistresse in the forge of mans braine and she will be leader in all things Zeale likewise without knowledge is a rashe fire that licketh vp euery fonde deuise feedeth and glutteth her selfe on superstitious fancies whereupon ambition in the man of pride The Papacie taking her aduantage of the former two hath stollen away the peoples heartes from their God vnder pretence of deuocion but in deede superstition enthronised her selfe in the consciences of men and exerciseth a proude dominion ouer the Lordes inheritance in his holy Temple Notwithstanding of the Apostle we haue learned a contrary lesson Iam. 4.12 that the onely Lawgiuer in Israel is the Lorde because he alone seeth the heart whereunto the Lawe is principally proposed searcheth the reines
conuenient preparatiō thereunto Chrisost in 1. Cor. hom 24. For if it were a princes sacred body or but purple garment onely the matter whereof is wormes thread colour no better then the dead fishe blood yet were it not rashly to be abused with vnwashed or vncleane handes How much the more reuerent then ought the receiuing of these holy mysteries of Christs body and blood to be of all them that know what it is to stand in awe that they offend not Wherfore let a man examine himselfe saith the Apostle 1. Cor. 11.28 so let him eat of this bread drinke of this cup. Euen so therfore if not so not at all Better to abstaine then to come together for the worse As the print in waxe is more fitly receiued and fully expressed when the waxe is wrought and warmed first so like wise the effect of this Sacrament is more liuely felt and seene when wee repayre thereunto with prepared mindes wel instructed and throughly examined In which examination two poyntes chiefely are obserued wherof the one cōcerneth faith the other loue Fayth to be setled in our heartes towardes God Loue to be she wed to our neighbor The latter procedeth out of the former and both from the spirit of God Faith receiueth increase by hearing and prayer Rom. 10.17 Luk. 17.5 Mark 9.24 O Lord increase our faith Loue and faith iointly are stirred vp and strengthened by repentance in the worthy repayring to receiuing at the Lordes table Wherupon ariseth these three as agents in this examination assured faith brotherly loue earnest repentance Faith directeth in knowledge Loue is occupied in thākfulnes to God and good doing toward men Repentance euer in eyther amendeth what is omitted or done amisse and craueth pardon with humble minde and ful purpose not to offend in the like againe All which dueties as I take may be rightly considered according to the times wherin eyther we are to receiue or presently receiue or haue receiued the Sacrament The first is called a Preparation vnto the Supper the second a meditation therein the third a christian conuersation that must ensue thereupon In preparing our selues is required Preparatiō that we knowe of whom what and in what order wee must receiue It seemeth to be recorded as a commēdation Of whom we receiue 1. Sam. 1.23 that Anna nursed her owne sonne in which respect among infinite others the loue of God exceedeth all loue Wherein as he spareth no cost so hee vndertaketh any care Plutar de institu lib. which nice and vnnatural mothers refuse to do putting forth their infantes to bee nursed abroade without neede or cause Our God doeth not so neyther needeth he so to doe Isai 49.15 his breasts are neither sore nor drye at any time Of his owne good will he begat vs againe in baptisme so will he stil feede and bring vs vp to a full age perfect grouth in Christ Sufficient or abundant prouision for the house himselfe in his wisedome hath prouided the holy spirite being steward of all and as it were distributer and caruer at the board What we receiue And to come to the seconde poynt what we receiue The meate of this table is the very death of Christ the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world The story and institution whereof is recorded by three Euangelistes Matt. 26.26 Mark 14.22 Luk. 22.19 and againe commented vpon by the holy ghost at large in the former Epistle of S. Paul to the Corinthians where the Apostle beginneth the matter with a faithful saying 1. Cor. 11.23 That which I haue receiued of the Lorde I haue deliuered you For otherwise if he came with offers of his own deuising himselfe raught the Galathians what his entertainement ought to be Gal. 1.8 Let him be accused though he were an Angell of God from heauen The Lord Iesus that night that he was betrayed tooke bread and when he had giuen thanks he brake and sayde Take eate this is my bodie which is broken for you this doe in remembrance of me In like maner the cup c. For as often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke this cup ye shewe the Lordes death till he come againe Wherein wee see euidently what Christ did also in duetie what we must do In the visible signes which he tooke of bread that he brake wine that he powred foorth and in deliuering thē both to be taken eaten and drunke he manifestly declared two things the one that he woulde immediately make an oblation for the redemption of mankinde vpon the altar of the crosse the other that for euer he woulde be the euerlasting foode of their soules his body to be the bread of life his precious blood to be their comfortable drinke the Physicke of immortalitie Ignat. epist ad Eph. and preseruatiue against all euill The sacrifice oblation he intēded is plaine by these words Which is broken Mat. 26.28 which is shed for many for remission of sinnes Euen is brokē and shed because the houre wherin he should be betrayed and suffer drewe nigh and was at hande That he would be their foode is proued cleerely in that hee commaūded to take eate this is my body Nowe by the way out of these two notes may be noted two forcible reasons against the sacrifice pretended in the masse They are lately delighted with motiues and demandes may I aske them this question Doe they thinke a sinfull priest can do more at his masse then the sōne of God did at his supper I hope they will not prefer a meere man before Christ God and man the Sauiour of the worlde And if so then may they see their priest can make no sacrifice for Christ himselfe when he sate at boorde with his disciples made none but declared what he meante to make For and if he had so done the Thursday at night what needed he thē to haue suffered the Fryday at noone againe he willeth vs to take and eate and feede on him He offreth himselfe to be receiued of vs not to be offered by vs to his Father That was his owne proper and personall duety But to leaue to speake hereof our dewtie is with thankfulnes to feede on the food he offreth vs euen to eate and drinke him to partake his blessed body and precious blood Wherein notwithstanding to mistake and mingle the signes and the things signified cōfusedly without differēce were as Aug. sayth De doct Chr. a miserable thraldome to the very soule of a Christian man Christes wordes be plaine He tooke bread after thankes giuen he breake gaue bread for what he toke he brake and what he brake he gaue and therefore he gaue bread For the Apostle saith he brake bread and that he calleth his body and so concerning the cuppe for after a sort to speake of one is to speake of both Marie tooke Christ to
because Christ our Passeouer is offered vp 1. Cor. 5. we keepe an holy feast vnto the Lorde not in the leauen of wickednes but in the sweete bread of a syncere conscience and vpright conuersatiō in Christ Iesu A prayer vpon consideration generally of the Sacraments O Almightie God most merciful Father who of thy tēder kindnesse hast chosen thine elect to euerlasting saluation before al times and in due time hast called them to the knowledge of thy good will reueiled in thy word sealed with the Sacraments of thine own ordaining we thy humble seruants and by mercie in Christ thine adopted sonnes pray thy fatherly goodnes to make vs meete partakers of these al other thy benefits so largely euer more bestowed and powred vpon vs. Let vs not O Lorde neither detaine the trueth of thy word in the vnrighteousnes of a sinfull life neither suffer vs deare Father to receiue the pledges of thy endles loue in vaine but to the endes that thou hast appointed them Wherefore graunt vs thy heauenly grace that we thy chosen people may vse thy holy ordināces to most holy purposes namely to the further increase of our weake faith to the comfort of our wan hope to the enflaming of our colde and frozen charitie in these hard and euill dayes to the dutifull and thankefull setting foorth of the glory of thy holy name Amen A prayer to be saide with meditation of our Baptisme MErciful Father we miserable and sinfull men feele with in our selues and therefore are forced to breake forth cōfesse that in our flesh dwelleth no good thing O Lorde thou lookest downe from heauen and beholdest the sonnes of men and their sinnes they are infinitely great and in nomber mo then the heares of our head or the starres of heauē they can not be hidden Our children gather stickes our fathers kindle the fire our mothers kneade dough to make cakes to serue other gods There is not one that doth good no not one We are all borne in sinne conceiued in iniquity and the whole race of our life is naturally naught We are not able to dreame of a good thought and when we haue done all that we can doe or if we could do al that we are commaunded yet were we vnprofitable seruants and therefore we appeale from thy iustice O most iust God to thy mercie seate and throne of grace for we feare nothing more then the examination of our drossy workes O Lord wash thou vs that we may be white for in our selues we are altogether blacke purge vs that we may be cleane sanctifie vs that we may be holy circumcise our eares and heartes and other partes seare our polluted lippes with the cole of thy spirit create a new heart win vs this olde heart of ours will not serue wash vs more more and we shal be cleane This thou hast promised in thy word O gracious God and in the Sacrament of our newe birth is this nowe fully set forth and sealed wherefore with confidence wee appeare before thee in prayer not trusting in our owne merites which are not but in thy manifolde and endlesse mercies which as a great and pure streame of water shall make vs whiter then the snow and clearer then the Christall glasse O Lorde haue mercie vpon vs according to thy great mercy put away our iniquities pardon our offences cancell the bill of debt quench the flames of lust plucke out the sting of sinne mortifie our flesh more more kill and burie the olde man bruise the serpents head drown the spirituall Pharao and all Egypt that we in a good time may bee presented perfectly blamelesse in thy sight through Christ our Lord Amen A prayer to be said immediatly before the receiuing the holy Communion O Almightie GOD who in thy eternal wisedom hast built thee an house and he wen out the pillars thereof chosen a Church which shall not faile killed thy vittayles mixed thy wine prepared a Table hast sent foorth thy ministers to cry in the open streetes and to inuite vnto this feast in thy worde and Gospell and yet hast denounced that the scornefull the wicked and the wilfull sinner shall haue no part nor portion with thee graūt vs grace O Lord that we may effectually heare and willingly followe the voyce of thy calling and that the seede of thy worde being shed in to our eares may take deepe roote in our heartes and bring forth fruit accordingly in a godly conuersation And whereas not only by thy worde but by thy Sacraments also we are fed at thy hande and specially in the Supper of thy Sonne our Lorde his institution we craue the assistance of thy holy spirite worthily to prepare vs for the receiuing of so heauēly a banquet Otherwise who or what are we to entertaine or to be entertained in this manner we are vnworthy the least of thy mercies much lesse are we worthie that the heire of all should enter vnder the roofe of our soule or that our vncleane feete shoulde once step within thy courts and yet thou hast commaunded we shoulde repaire to thy Temple and receiue at thy table Wherefore good Lorde prepare thou vs aright that wee may bee prepared dwell in vs that we may dwell in thee knocke at the gates of our heartes that we may opē vnto thee sup with vs that we may sup with thee encrease our faith and loue toward thee and in thee towarde our neighbours And albeit we offend often fall many times yet stay thou vs by thy mercifull hand that we neuer fall away Finally strengthen our weakenes with thy euerlasting foode neyther looke vpon our imperfections but on the perfectnesse of thy sonnes oblation in whose name we pray that thou endue vs euer with an humble and a contrite spirite for all our sinnes past with a constant purpose alwaies hereafter vnfainedly to serue and please thee in newnes of life to our liues ende through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen A thankes giuing vpon the receiuing of the holy Communion MY soule praise thou the Lorde and all the powers within me praise his holy name My heauie soule awake praise the Lorde forget not his benefites shewe not thy selfe an vnthankefull thistle being watered with so many graces He fashioned the roūd world all the is therein yea with a more speciall care he guideth the feete of his Saintes He clotheth the lilies of the fielde and feedeth the birdes of the ayre but he apparelleth his chosen with the cloth of righteousnesse in the familie of his Sonne and feedeth them with the bread of life In him we are and are regenerate by him wee liue and are fed at his owne table in him by his spirit we moue with al godly motions and this comforte no man can take from vs. Al good giftes descend from aboue and the prayse of all is due to thee O Lord euen as the waters ishue from the sea and to the sea returne againe O then what shall we render vnto our louing God for all his kindnes he hath not spared his onely begotten sonne to the death the death of the Crosse for our sakes Thou O Lord art not pleased with mans inuentions onely thou hast willed that wee bee a thankfull people and that wee continue a freshe and gratefull remembrance of thy goodnes for euer The calues of our lippes the incense of prayer and the sacrifice of prayse thou wilt accept Wherefore O my soule praise the Lord set forth thy Sauiours death remēber his passion shew not thy selfe vnkinde feede on him in thy heart and be thankful in a full assurance of all his mercies in Iesus Christ Amen FINIS Imprinted at London by Christopher Barker Printer to the Queenes most excellent Maiestie