whole volume of such differences howbeit I will leaue them in their owne deuises and come to the third point which is to answere those that pleade the cause of Baal and are bold to speake what they dare for the whore of Babell who albeit they liue among vs and would bee thought to bee of vs yet they are neyther affrayd nor ashamed to affirme n Against such as would not haue it disputed and determined how Christ is present that the controuersie of the Supper is not so manifest as we teach nor the words of Christ so easie as we affirme nor the iudgement of the Fathers so cleer as we pretend nor the maner of eating so necessary to be holden as we define that we are to beleeue that Christ is present but how he is preseÌ„t we should not dispute whether it be carnally or whether it bee spiritually Indeed we feare not to teach that there is no transelementation or transubstantiation that is no reall turning of the bread into the body and the wine into the bloud of Christ but when he said This is my body hee intendeth not to change one substance into another but meaneth This bread is a signe or Sacrament of my body which is deliuered to death for vs and for our saluation And when he saith This Cup is the new Testament in my bloud hee vnderstandeth that the wine in the Cup is a Sacrament of the new Testament of our reconciliation to God and of our communion and participation of Christ with al his benefits therefore we doubt not to call this Sacrament a representation a remeÌ„brance an image a token a type an antitype a signe a figure and such like Now that it may appeare that the wordes of institution are truely expounded and haue the constant consent and full approbation of al antiquity o The ancieÌ„t Fathers teach the same touching the Supper that we doe let vs produce our witnesses and see what the Fathers of the grayest heads before vs haue declared deliuered But before we come to fight hand to hand with these aduersaries and to discharge the volly of shot which we haue in store it shall not be amisse to set downe certaine inducements as it were certaine preparatiues to leade vs to beleeue that the Doctours of the Church are no lesse ours in this cause and controuersie then Caluine and Beza and the later writers For first we shal neuer read in all the monuments of former times any mention of adoration or eleuation of the host or that the maner was to lick vp the drops of the Challice or to sweepe the place where a drop was falne or to burne the wormes which haue corrupted or consumed it or to seeke out the host wheÌ„ it is vomited vp to commend those that will swallow it againe Secondly Ierome teacheth that after the communion they had a common banket in the Church whereat they did eate vp all that q Ierom. vpon 1 Cor. 11. remained after the administration of the Supper If then it were the manner of many Churches to eate the residue at their loue feasts and ordinary bankets doubtlesse they did not thinke it was Christ himselfe which was eaten therein Thirdly the custome was in some places to burne the remainder of the r Hesych lib. 2. in Leuit. ca. 8. Eucharist and therefore it could not bee that they should beleeue that the bread was the very body of Christ forasmuch as it had beene horrible impiety and a most detestable prophanation to burne it as a Å¿ Gregory 7. an Atheist NecromaÌ„cer certaine Pope in his rage and fury cast the Eucharist into the fire because it did not answere to his questions when he consulted with it or else peraduenture the body of Christ seeing the flame of fire comming toward it fled vp into heauen for feare of beeing consumed by it Fourthly another teacheth that in other Churches the custome was to giue the parts that were not spent and vsed to little children t Niceph lib. 17. cap. 25. frequenting the Schoole who are barred from partaking of the Supper by the Apostle because they are not able u 1 Cor. 11.28 to examine themselues and therefore they were not of opinion with the Church of Rome Fiftly the Masse it selfe vsed at this day and the prayers vsed in it do speake for the truth against their Idolatrous practise Heereunto commeth their sursum corda when they exhort to lift vp the heart on high to God and the prayers crauing of God that their oblation may be acceptable which is the figure and signe of the body and blood of our Lord whereas if the Church had beleeued that they did eate Christ with their mouths they might haue stayed their eyes beneath gazing and gaping vpon that which the Priest held in his hands and needed not to haue lifted vp their harts to Christ Iesus which sitteth at the right hand of his Father in the highest heauens Sixtly they teach vniformely that a body cannot be but in one place and that if we take space of place from them we destroy the being of a body and thereupon one saith a Virgil. lib. 1. Contr. Eutich The flesh of Chrâ—st was not in heauen when it was vpon the earth and now because it is in heauen it is not on earth And Augustine in his 57 Epistle to Dardanus hath these words The humane nature of Christ is destroyed if there bee not giuen vnto him after the manner of other bodies a certaine space wherin he may be contained The popish purgers and correcters could not suffer the waight of this sentence and therefore haue b Printed at Paris Anno. 1571. raced it out of some of their late editions and yet Bellarmine doth alledge it and obiect it against himselfe howbeit it is likely he did not remember himselfe but had forgotten to consult with his good companions who blot out that which they cannot answere These sixe considerations are as certaine inducements to sharpeÌ„ our taste to break the Ice and so to prepare the way now let vs set downe the seuerall testimonies themselues and see how they depose for vs. Tertullian one of the most ancient faith c Tertul cont Marci lib. 4. Christ receiuing the bread and the same being diuided vnto his Disciples made it to be his body saying This is my bodye that is to say a signe of my body Theodoret saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that is the mysticall signes depart not from their nature no not after consecration for they remaine in their former substance figure and forme Can any thing be spoken more plainely Doubtlesse Theodoret was in this point a Lutheran or a Caluinist one of those whom the bastard Catholikes call heretickes Augustine is a man of great authority in the Church therfore a sufficient witnesse beyond all exception he saith for vs d Aug. cont Adamantâ— â—2 The Lord made no doubt
present with vs. If any say How can this be Obiection Can that which is absent from vs be present with vs Can heauen be in earth or earth be in heauen Heereunto I may most iustly answere Answere although this be a great mystery and maruellous in our eyes yet we must confesse and consider that the Holy-Ghost is the author of this vnion and as it were the Conduit-pipe of this coniunction who by his diuine power ioyneth together things that are seuered in place begetteth faith in vs which is the instrument hand f 1 Ioh. 17 20. whereby we receiue and apply Christ with all his guifts vnto our selues as Ioh. 17. Father I pray thee for such as beleeue in mee that they may be one as thou O Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in vs. Heereunto commeth the saying of Paul Ephe. 3. Christ dwelleth in our hearts by faith Likewise Acts 13. By him euery one that beleeueth is iustified that is absolued and discharged And Iohn 3. So many as beleeue in him shall not perish but haue euerlasting life Thus we see our fellowship with Christ is from the Spirit and by our faith The Spirit is the principall worker faith is the meanes and the instrument Neither must this coniunction seeme vnto vs impossible through the great distance and distinction of place For there are diuers manners of presences that which is present to the sight is not present to the hand Molin de Eucharist cap. 2. and that which is present to the eare is not present to the eye that which is present to the body is not present to the soule and things present to the soule are oftentimes absent from the body Things are said to bee present with vs according as they cause themselues to bee perceiued of our senses or of our soules Whereby it appeareth very plainely after what fashion Christ may be said to be presēt with vs in his Supper to wit according as he communicateth himselfe vnto vs which is to our spirits not to our bodies and therefore his presence is spirituall and not corporall And the Apostle telleth vs Romanes 8. Rom. 8 9 11. that the Spirit of Christ dwelleth in vs which teacheth vs how we are vnited to Christ namely by the bond of one and the same Spirit dwelling both in him and in vs. Thus is the coniunction wrought betweene him and vs so that there is another presence which is true and in deed besides that which is bodily This is that which we reade in the Apostle Iohn 1 Ioh 4 13. Heereby know we that wee dwell in him and hee in vs because he hath giuen vs of his Spirite And Paul saith Romanes 8. Rom. 8 9. Hee that hath not the Spirite of Christ hee is none of his For as by one and the same soule all the members of the body are knit and coupled with the head and so doe liue in like manner all the faithfull albeit they remaine vpon the earth and their head be in the heauens are really vnited with him through one and the same Spirit and being vnited do liue thereby Ioh. 6 63. The like wee may say of faith whereby Christ dwelleth in our hearts Ephesians 3 17. Eph. 3 17. And our Sauiour teacheth that by beleeuing in him we eate his flesh and drinke his blood Iohn 6 35. Ioh. 6 35. If then any aske how we may obtaine and hold fast Christ Iesus seeing hee is absent from vs Or how wee may put forth our hands to take him sitting at the right hand of his Father in heauen I answere with Austine August tract 50 in Iohan. fide mitte et tenuisti Send forth thy faith and thou holdest him fast Thus Christ being absent from vs is present with vs for except he were present with vs he could not be possessed of vs nor communicated by vs. These are the two hands giuen vnto vs which the soule hath to wit the Spirit and faith The hands of the body lay hold on bodily things the hands of the soule lay hold on spirituall things There is a presence also to the sight We see the Sun daily with our eyes which though it be scituate in the heauens separated frō vs in place cōmunicateth his effect power to vs that dwel on the earth neither doe we maruell thereat and yet is the Sunne but a creature subiect vnto vs and distributed to all the people vnder the whole heauen to serue their vse Shall not Christ then the Sonne of righteousnes make vs truely partakers of his flesh by the vnsearchable power of his Spirit and the supernaturall guift of a liuely faith who can as easily ioyne together things farre off as those that are nigh Are not the faithfull seuered in place and scattered through the world ioyned as neerely together as the mēbers are h 1 Ioh. 1 3. to become one body whereof Christ is the head As the Apostle teacheth That which we haue seene and heard declare wee vnto you that ye may also haue fellowship with vs and that our fellowship also may be with the Father and with his Sonne Iesus Christ We see this likewise liuely laid out before vs in the estate of marriage though the husband and wife be sundred for a time and separated one farre from another yet the band of matrimony doth so ioyne and vnite them that the wife is one flesh with her husband albeit he be a thousand miles distant from her so is it betweene Christ and the faithfull he loued the Church and gaue himselfe for it and they are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones which coupling and combining together with Christ is wrought as we haue shewed by the Spirit principally by faith instrumentally by both most effectually Wee neede not therefore any carnall bodily presence of Christ to ioyne vs to him seeing it is truely and certainely performed by these meanes whereby we grow to a perfect man in him For as the Sunne is more comfortable to the world by his refreshing beames and sweete influence being absent then if his naturall body and compasse lay vpon the earth so the flesh of Christ being in the glory of his Father much more comforteth and refresheth our soules and bodies by his heauenly grace and spirituall influence then if he were present fleshly before our eyes And as the Sunne not discending from heauen nor leauing his place is notwithstanding present with vs in our Chambers in our houses in our hands and in our bosomes so Christ being in the highest heauens not comming downe nor forsaking his glorious habitation yet i Mat. 28 20. neuerthelesse is present with vs in our congregations in our hearts in our prayers in our meditations and in the Sacraments But of this we shall haue occasion to speake more in the chapter following and wee haue already spoken some-what of it in the
once onely to be offered then he is not offered neither can be offered againe in the Masse And if the only oblation of Christ once offered by himselfe be sufficient al other oblations and sacrifices are vaine and superfluous For how is that perfect which is often repeated Eightly to make a lawfull sacrifice there is required necessarily a fit Minister lawfully called of God for o Heb. 5 4 5. no man taketh this honour to himselfe but he that is called of God as was Aaron so likewise Christ tooke not to himselfe this honour to be made the high-Priest but he that said to him Thou art my Sonne this day I begat thee gaue it him But Christ is the onely Priest of the new testament his Priesthood is immortall and eternall he liueth for euer therfore the popish Priest-hood is a plant neuer planted by the heauenly Father the p Ioh. 15 1.2 true husband-man and the popish Priests were neuer called of God to sacrifice the body and blood of Christ he gaue vnto them no such authority q Mat. 15 23. and therfore in time shall be rooted vp If they pretend the precept and planting of God let them shew their commission that we may see it and let them bring forth their charter that we may trye it otherwise we must take them for vsurpers and counterfeit Officers in the citty of God Ninthly the Apostle teacheth that without shedding of blood is no r Heb. 9 22. remission But in the vnbloody sacrifice of the Masse there is not effusion of blood he doth not suffer he is not killed he doth not shed his blood he doth not die therefore in the Masse is no remission of any sins Tenthly if Christ be daily offered in the Masse then he doth daily satisfie for sinne for the end of his offering is to make satisfaction as Rom. 4 25. Å¿ Rom. 4 25. He was deliuered to death for our sinnes and is risen againe for our iust ficat on And Gal. 1 4. He gaue himselfe for our sinnes that bee mâ—ght deliuer vs from this present euill world But he doth not make satisfaction for our sinnes no more then now he dyeth and riseth againe for then Christ would not haue said t Ioh. 1â— 30. It is finished nor the Apostle * Heb. 9 12. He entred once into the holy place Wherefore no more sacrifice for sinne remaineth to be offered by such as iniuriously vsurpe the Priesthood of Christ Last of all al true Christians are Priests to offer vp their bodyes an acceptable sacrifice vnto God which is their reasonable seruice of God and to offer vp a broken and contrite spirit as 1 Pet. 3 9. Ye are a chosen generation u 1 Pet. 2 9. a royall Priesthood and an holy nation And Reuel 1. Hee hath loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes in his blood made vs Kings and Pr ests vnto God his Father These are the Priests that now remaine this is the Priesthood which we professe Whosoeuer maketh himselfe any Priest of another order in the new testament abrogateth and abolisheth the Priesthood of Christ being after the order a Heb. 6 20. Psal 110.4 of Melchizedech who was both King and Priest Now then as they commit sacriledge against Christ that presume to offer him vp an vnbloody sacrifice to God the Father to make peace and attonement betweene God and man so they adde another iniquity as drunkennesse to thirst making their oblation not onely profitable to take away the sinnes of the liuing but auaileable to clense b The Masse is no propitiatory sacrifice fâ—â— the dead â—o wit the price and redemption of â—oules the sinnes of the dead that are come to the end of their dayes Indeed we deny not but the Masse may be beneficial to the rabble of Fryers and sacrificing Priests that make it gainefull to themselues who through their sale and merchandize of Masses dwell stately go sumptuously fare delicately drinke wine in siluer and gold abound in pleasures and heape vp great aboundance of all riches shall we not now say the Masse is profitable But other profit of the Masses theÌ„ these to the Masse-mongers we know none We know we finde we feele them otherwise many waies pernitious in themselues dishonourable to God and hurtfull to the people For first the Sacrament was instituted to no such end and purpose as to helpe the dead and to be a propitiation for their sinnes For Christ said Take and eate this is my body drinke ye this is my blood but the dead cannot take any thing offered vnto them they can neither eate nor drinke wherefore this Supper being spirituall meate and nourishment for the soule cannot auaile the dead who are neither fed nor nourished Secondly it profiteth as much to be baptized for the dead as to receiue the Supper of the Lord for the dead for both Sacraments were instituted of Christ and there is the same respect of both But it can doe no good to baptize one for another the liuing for the dead therefore the liuing comming to receiue the Sacrament of the Supper cannot releeue the dead Thirdly there is no forgiuenesse of sinnes after this life we haue forgiuenesse in this life or neuer Whatsoeuer is bound on earth is bound in heauen Heere is the time heere is the place heere is the occasion offered to worke as the wise man teacheth Eccl. 9. All that thine hand shall find to do do it with all thy power for there is c Eccl. 9 10. neither worke nor inuent on nor knowledge nor wâ—sedome in the graue whither thou goest And Heb. 3. To day if ye will heare his voyce harden not your hearts Wherefore then is a sacrifice offered for the dead for whom there is no reliefe no redresse no remission Fourthly it is vaine to offer for those that haue ended their dayes and are already come to the end of their race d Ioh. 9 4. and 11 9 10. whose estate can neuer be changed This the Euangelist Iohn teacheth Chap. 9 4. The night commeth when no man can worâ—e and Chap. 11. Are there not twelue houres in the day If a man walke in the day hee stumbleth not because hee seeth the liâ—ht of this world And chap. 11.9 10. If a man walke in the night he stumbleth because there is no light in him And Paul 2. Tim. 4. I haue fâ—ught a good fight I haue sin shed my race I haue kept the faith from henceforth is laid vp for me the crowne of righteousnesse But this is the estate of all the dead they are entred into iudgement they are not subiect to any change Lastly if the sacrifice of the Masse could wash away the sinnes of the dead theÌ„ the sacrifice of the Masse should surmount and exceed the sacrifice offered by Christ himselfe vpon the Crosse For this helpeth the liuing it auaileth not the dead and so we should haue other meanes to take away
but we deny that Christ is thus present in the Sacrament for his body cannot be vnder so little a quantity of bread and wine besides it is impiety to auouch that the person of Christ or his bodye and blood can be truely receiued of Dogges Swine and Mice be chewed with the teeth swallowed downe the throat digested in the stomacke and be cast out into vncleane places This we deny this we do not beleeue this we abhorre and detest from the bottome of our hearts What is it then we teach and professe We deny that the body and blood of Christ are carnally contained vnder the shewes and shaddowes of bread and wine we deny them to be eaten and drunken of wicked men or vnreasonable creatures we deny that they are truely and properly both in heauen and on the earth in pixes and on the Altars These are k Aug tract 25 in Iohan. meate for the minde not for the mouth for faith not for the teeth for our beleefe not for the belly for the soule not for the body For this cause Chrysost hom 24. in 1 Cor. saith well Vbi cadauer ibi aquilae c. that is where the carkasse is there are the Eagles the carkasse is the Lords body because of his death he calleth vs the Eagles to shew that he must flye vp on high that will come neere to that body This carnall eating of Christ is l Sundry reasons rendred to refel the real presence confuted and conuinced by many reasons First Christ sate downe at the Table and the Disciples with him afterward he tooke bread gaue thanks brake it gaue it and said This is my body likewise he tooke and gaue the cuppe and saide Drinke yee all of this whereby we see when the Apostles receiued m Luk. 22 19. the Sacrament Christ sate at the Table with his true body but the body which they tooke sate not at the Table therefore they tooke the signe of his body Likewise the blood which they receiued was not in the body which sate at the Table therefore it was not properly Christs blood which was not as yet really and actually shedde The same body could not sit at the Table and not sit at the Table the same body could not be in their hands and out of their hands the blood of Christ could not be out of his veines in the cup and in his veines within his body hee could not sit visible at the Table and be inuisible in the mouths and bellies of the Disciples Wherefore the reall prsence bringeth with it reall contradictions which cannot stand together Secondly the end of the Lords Supper is to call his death to a continuall remembrance as Luke 22. Do this in n Luk. 22 19. remembrance of me and the Apostle 1 Cor. 11. Ye shew the Lords death vntill he come Now to what end should we neede the remembrance of Christ if hee were corporally present in the Sacrament if he were taken in the hands if he were holden in the mouth if he were eaten with the teeth And to what purpose should wee shew the Lords death till hee come if he come daily and be present bodily in the Sacrament Besides the wisest among the Philosophers teach vs that o Arist lib. de memoria sence is of things present but remembrance is of such things as are abseÌ„t as hope is of such things as are to come not seene p Rom. 8 24. and this the Apostle teacheth Thirdly Christ receiued a true body with all the naturall properties of an humane body like to vs in all things sinne q Heb. 4 15. onely excepted and is therefore called the sonne of Dauid the sonne of Mary the sonne of man our brother partaker of flesh and blood he is said to haue taken vpon him the seede of Abraham and not the Angels nature r Luk. 24 â—9 to be visible Luk. 24 39. Behold my hands and my feet for it is I my selfe handle me and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me haue For if he may be in many places together in some place visible and in some inuisible in some to be handled in others not to be handled hee can haue no true body of a true man And if this were not a strong reason It is not felt and seene therefore no humane body the Disciples might haue answered vnto Christ why doest thou bid vs behold thy hands and see thy feete and handle thy body and therby to try thy humanity seeing thou hast a body which cannot be seene touched or handled â—ourthly Christ hath left the earth with his bodily presence and is ascended vp into heauen farre aboue all principalities and powers and is sit downe Å¿ Act. 1 9. and 3 22. on the right hand of his Father as Act. 1. While they beheld hee was taken vp And Mar. 26. After the Lord had spoken vnto them he was receiued into heauen and sate at the right hand of God So Act. 3. Whom the heauens must containe vntill the time that all things are restored Likewise Phil. 3. Our conuersation is in heauen from whence we looke for a Sauiour And againe Luk. 24. As he blessed them he departed from them and was caried vp into heauen So Ioh. 12. The poore alwayes ye haue with you but me ye shall not haue alwayes I am come out from the Father and came into the world againe I leaue the world and goe to my Father If these things be true that Christ is t Catechism Triden in exposit Simbo Apostol departed from vs if he be no longer among vs if he be taken vp into heauen if he must be contained there vntill the restoring of al things if we must looke for a Sauiour froÌ„ heauen to change our vile bodies if he be carried vp to his Father and haue left the world then he is not now present with vs his body is not in euery Altar he doth not lurke and lye vnder the shewes of bread and wine For to be departed from vs and not to be departed from vs to be contained in heauen and not to be contained in heauen to leaue the world and yet to remaine in the world to sit at the right hand of God and to lye vnder euery Altar cannot stand together any more then to be a man and no man to be Christ and not Christ to be a Sauiour and no Sauiour to be God and not God Fiftly Christ reproueth the Caparnaits because they thought his body was to be eaten in fleshly manner with the mouth of the body should descend into the stomack which is the way that all other meates do passe when they heard him preach of eating his flesh drinking his blood they said u Ioh. 6 60.36 This is an hard saying who can heare it They murmured and departed from him because they thought they must eate him with the mouth and teeth chew him and
Church remained maintaining those opinions which that present Church holdeth They teach that which was neuer taught for sixe hundred some things which were neuer knowne for a thousand yeares after Christ Answere to those that ask where our Church was before Luther Mark 1 27. The true Church of GOD hath alwayes beene taxed with this imputation and accusation of nouelty as appeareth by the words of the Iewes to Christ the master and of the Philosophers to Paul the Scholler They say to Christ what new doctrine is this Marke 1 27. Wee know that God spake vnto Moses as for this fellow wee know not from whence he is Ioh. 9 29. Ioh. 9 29. So the Epicures Stoikes tooke Paul and brought him to Areopagus the highest Court in Athens saying May wee know what this new doctrine whereof thou speakest is Act. 17 19. Indeed in the hottest times of persecution Reuel 12.6 the woman fled into the wildernesse where she had a place prepared of God that they should finde her there a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes But what an absurd thing and how iniurious dealing is this to persecute vs with fire and faggot and to driue vs as poore banished men from place to place and from corner to corner and then to aske where our Church is and to complaine against it that it is inuisible Neuerthelesse that great Dragon and old Serpent which deceiueth the whole world Ver. 8 9. and all his instruments shall not preuaile because to the woman wer giuen two wings of a great Eagle that she might flye into the wildernesse to her place where she was nourished for a time Ver. 14. and times and halfe a time so that the gates of hell shall not be able to ouercome it and to preuaile against it And albeit the Church be vnknowne to the world and oftentimes to the particular parts themselues as it was in the dayes of Eliah 1 King 19 14 Rom. 11 3. 2 Tim 2 19. Galath 1.9 who complaineth that he was left alone yet it is not hidde from God who knoweth who are his and described fully in the Scriptures which cannot deceiue vs. If wee or an Angell from heauen should teach otherwise let him bee accursed It was our Church that shined with glorious myracles confirming the faith which we professe that was dyed with the blood of so many Martyrs confessing the truth which we imbrace It was our Church which conuinced the Arrians Macedonians Nestorians PelagiaÌ„s Manichees such like hereticks The general Councels celebrated in former times at Nice Popish opâ—nions not heard of for 600. yeares after Châ—ist at Constantinople at Ephesus and at Chalcedon stand on our side But where was the Popish Conuenticle which nowe boasteth it selfe to be the only Church for six hundred yeares after Christ which were the purest times Had they any Church any where that worshipped images that decked them and then ducked downe vnto them that held that the old vulgar Translation of the Bible is authenticall that no interpretation of Scripture is to be allowed against that sence which the Church of Rome holdeth that the Virgine Mary was exempted from originall sinne that the Scriptures are vnperfect and no sufficient rule of faith that the holy Scriptures and the traditions of the Church are to be reuerenced with equall affection that the Bishop of Rome is iudge of all controuersies of Religion Had they any Church vpon the face of the earth that beleeued that the Pope was euer called a God and the spouse of the Church that held that veniall sinnes are cleansed and done away with holy water that the Pope is aboue a generall Councell that the Pope may dispense by his omnipotency wâ—thin the degrees of affinity and consanguinity forbidden in the Law that by dispensing the merites of Saints by indulgences hee is able to deliuer Soules at his pleasure from the paines of Purgatory that the Pope defining out of his Chaire cannot erre Were all these or any of thâ—se preached or professed in the true Church of God which are now broached and beleeued in the Church of Rome But to passe ouer these as impertinent to this present Treatise New doctrins of Popery touching the Supper and to speeke onely to the matter in question concerning the Sacraments what Church did beleeue the reall presence or Transubstantiation or priuate Masses or receiued in one kinde or held that there are seauen Sacramenss neyther more nor lesse or beleeued accidents without their subiect or called the Sacrament his Lord and God or administred it in a strange tongue or lifted it vp ouer his head or worshipped it as his Maker and Creator All these are now made articles of faith and principles of religion such as without them a man cannot be saued yet which of them were imbraced for sixe hundred yeares I might adde more after Christ These were neuer heard off neuer dreamed off which are now the chiefest dreams of the Romish Prelates And no maruell For seeing they haue in a manner banished and buried the remembrance of CHRIST it may not seeme strange that they haue abolished his Supper instituted in memory of his death and passion Christ our Sauiour sitteth in heauen at the right hand of his Father and maketh continuall intercession for vs Sadeel de spiri manduc cap. 1 and wee must feed vpon him spiritually which is not a faigned or forged presence bred in our owne idle fansie and consisting of our priuate opinion neither doth it signifie and import that which is onely inuisible and not offered to the obiect of the eye or that we go about to turne and transforme the body and blood of Christ into a spirit but we call it spirituall eating and feeding vpon him spiritually The reasons why we are said to eate Christ spiritually for three causes First because the eating of Christs flesh and drinking of his blood is brought to passe by the worke of the holy Spirit for it may well be saide to be receiued in that manner seeing it is effected by that meanes Secondly because this mystery is wrought by the instrument of faith which we send vp to the Throne of God as the Eagle which mounteth vp to heauen inasmuch as it is opposed to the fleshly eating of him wherein the Papists are like to the Capernaites Ioh. 6. that dreamed of a carnall and corporall eating and drinking Ioh. 6 63. which profiteth nothing and helpeth no man and bringeth no good Thirdly because this most excellent and precious food belongeth to our spirituall and eternall life seeing wee receiue the signes not to nourish our bodies but to feed our soules The summe and effect of this Booke These things the iudicious Reader shall finde largely discussed in this Treatise which I haue therefore called The New Couenant because it layeth open the doctrine of the Sacraments which serue to confirme and strengthen vs in that Couenant and
is Christ Iesus offered by God the Father in the Vse 2 right vse of the Sacraments then God doth not deceiue or delude those that come vnto them If any that come to the Sacraments depart without grace without Christ without fruite the cause is in themselues the fault is not in God for l Christ is offered to all but receiued onely of the faithfull he offereth Christ to all euen to the vnfaithfull but they haue not hands to receiue him If a Prince should offer a rich present and he to whome it is offered haue no hand to receiue it he goeth away empty When the Sunne giueth light vpon the earth if men shut their eyes and bee wilfully blinde they receiue no profite by it When God offereth himselfe and his graces to vs by his word and Gospell if we stop our eares and harden our hearts it turneth to be the fauour of death to death so is it in the Sacraments when wee come to them God doth not feede our eyes with naked vaine and idle shewes but ioyneth the truth with the outward token and giueth the grace signified with the signe If we bring the hand of faith with vs which openeth the gate of the kingdome of heauen for vs Christ is both offered and giuen to vs. But howsoeuer the signe be alwayes inseparably ioyned with the grace that is signified in respect of God yet hence it followeth not that both of them are of all receiued For the outward signe is offered to the hand to the senses and instruments of the bodye which because all bring with them all are partakers of the outward parts But Christ who is signified by the signe is offered to the soule and faith of the receiuer m 2. Thes 3 which because many want they loose the fruite of their worke and the benefite of their labour Thirdly if the right receiuers receiue Christ and with Vse 3 him all sauing graces needfull to eternall life then the presence of vngodly men that come to the same Sacraments with vs and meete vs at the same Table cannot hinder and hurt vs in our worthy receiuing The vnbeleeuers and vnrepentant persons come indeed into the assembly of the faithfull to heare the worde of God read preached and expounded and as they come without faith so they depart without fruite yet their company defileth not the sauing hearer So is it in the Sacraments I confesse it were to bee wished that the Church were pure without spot and perfect without corruption faire without blemish and they euen n Gal. 5 12. out off that trouble the same yet sometimes it o Reuel 2 14.20 wanteth that good censure and godlye seuerity which is required to separate such as may infect with the leauen of their life and doctrine Againe as the faith of the wise and worthy receiuer cannot sanctifie the conscience of the hypocrite and offensiue liuer so the infidelity or iniquity of another shall not barre the faithfull soule from fruitfull receiuing to his saluation according to that p Ezek. 18 20 saying The righteousnesse of the righteous shall be vpon him and the wickednesse of the wicked shall be vpon himselfe Euery one is to prooue and examine himselfe not to enter into the consciences and conuersations of other men wee shall giue an account of our owne wayes and workes not of the deformities of others which we cannot reforme and redresse Furthermore as in an Army euery man hath his standing so in the Church euery man hath his calling it is not in the q Priuat men are not to meddle with the censures of the church power of priuate persons but of the Gouernors of the Church to draw out the censures of the Church against notorious offendors and therefore in their slacking and negligence the people must tollerate that which they cannot amend and not make a separation or rent in the Church as the manner of some is disturbing the peace quietnes thereof Vse 4 Fourthly if Christ be offered giuen and sealed vp to vs in the Sacraments then the Sacraments must be holden of vs in great price and estimation for their profites sake not lightly to be regarded but reuerently to be esteemed They that respect Christ in whom the tresures of al graces are laide vp must regard the Sacramentes of Christ and such as reiect them reiect Christ with all his benefites Vse 5 which who so doth sinneth against his owne soule Lastly if they be signes and seales of grace offered then the Sacraments make not a Christian no more then the seale giueth the purchase or possession The faithfull and the children of the faithfull are true Christians differing from Pagans and Heathen before they be baptized The Sacraments are signes not causes of grace And whosoeuer is not a Christian before he receiue baptizme baptizme can make him none which is onely the seale of the graces of God and his priuiledges before receiued The worde of God and the Sacraments of God are both of one nature but the word is not able to conferre grace but onely to declare and publish what God will confer inasmuch as to some it is the sauour r 2 Cor. 2 16. of death to death therfore also the Sacraments of themselues do not confer and bestow grace hauing it tyed vnto them or shut vp in thē For if the Sacramentes did actually and effectually giue grace by inherent power and vertue in themselues it would follow from hence that euery person baptized is certainely saued and hath his sinnes remitted or else that his sins remitted may returne and remaine and bee againe imputed But when God graciously pardoneth sinne ſ Ezek. 18 22. he remembreth it no more Besides that which is proper to God ought not to be ascribed to the creature Againe we see Abraham was not iustified by his circumcision hee was iustified by his faith for t Gen. 15 6. Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse and afterwarde hee receiued u Rom. 4 10 11. circumcision to bee the signe and seale of his iustification Notwithstanding the Sacraments may bee saide to conferre the grace of regeneration and remission of sinnes as they are instruments vsed of God and as they are pledges tokens to vs. They are meanes to offer and exhibit to the beleeuer Christ with all his benefits wherby the conscience is assured of comfort saluation as the Princes letters are saide to saue the life of a malefactor whereas they only signifie to him and others that it is the Princes pleasure to fauor him Again they may not vnfitly be said to giue vs grace because the signe exhibiteth the thing signified the out-ward washing of the bodye is a pledge and token of the grace of God so that whosoeuer vseth the signe aright shall receiue forgiuenesse and life euerlasting CHAP. III. That the parts of a Sacrament are partly outward and partly inward WE haue seene what
the Lords Supper When we receiue the outward signes God the Father offereth his Sonne all his graces with him to confirme our faith therby The signe is but a figure and token Christ is the truth substance This we shewed before Chap. 2. in the description of a Sacrament that therein Christ and all his sauing graces are truely offered sealed vp and giuen to the faithfull that beleeue in his name Heereunto commeth the doctrine of the Apostle where he teacheth that the Iewish Sacraments being in the truth of them the same with ours did signifie b 1 Cor. 10 1 2 3 4 5. Christ for They dranke of the spirituall Rocke that followed them and that Rocke was Christ So he doth teach elsewher that by baptisme we c Gal. 3 27. put on Christ we are buried into his death and are planted d Rom. 6 4 5. Col. 2.11.12 into the similitude of his resurrection Wherefore this is the vse and end of the Sacraments to leade our faith to the onely Sacrifice of Christ once offered vpon the Crosse as to the onely ground-worke and foundation of our saluation as touching the other Sacrament the same Apostle sheweth that the breaking of the bread sealeth vp the e 1 Cor. 10.16 communion of his body and the pouring out the wine the communion of his blood So then this is an euident plaine and manifest truth confirmed by testimony of the Scripture that Christ is the matter and substance of a Sacrament Vse 1 Heereby we gather great strength of faith If Christ be offered with all his merites then let vs lay hold vpon him and not let him goe let vs stretch forth the hand of faith and receiue him into our hearts Wherefore when Sathan assaulteth vs touching our faith in Christ and affiance in his promises perswading vs we are not elected iustified and indued with faith and thereby seeketh to cut off our hand from applying or to blinde our eye from looking vpon the brazen Serpent that is Christ sitting at the right hand of his Father let vs runne vnto him let vs hunger and thirst after his righteousnesse let vs acknowledge him to bee our wisedome our righteousnesse our sanctification and redemption and let vs looke for our saluation from him and in him What though our faith be fraile and weake What though it be as a graine of a Mustard-seede which is very little and small What if it bee but as the growth and strength of a Childe which is ready to fall except he be stayed vp yet this weake this small this little this fraile this feeble faith is able and sufficient to ingraft vs into Christ A childe taking a staffe in his hand is able to hold it as truely though not as strongly as a man so if wee lay holde vpon Christ by faith though we doe it with many wants much weaknesse yet it shall serue and suffice vs to saluation For God looketh not so much to the perfectiō as to the truth of faith neither so much to the measure as to the manner of our beleeuing Euen as f Mar. 8 24. the blinde man in the Gospel when he began to perceiue the mouing of men and saw them walking as trees when yet hee could not discerne their bodies did as truely and certainly see them as other did though not so cleerely plainely and distinctly So when we haue the least sparke of faith it will as truely assure vs of our saluation as a stronger The poore prisoner that lyeth in a deepe and dark dungeon may as wel discerne the light of the Sunne at a little hole and creuice as he that walketh in the open ayre so albeit we be compassed about with ignorance doubtings weakenesse and manifold fraileties of the fles◠yet by a dimme light and sight of faith we may certainly apply vnto vs the mercies of GOD and the merites of Christ as well as if we had a strong and perfect perswasion of our election and saluation before the foundations of the world Thus we see howsoeuer the faithfull may be afflicted yet g 2 Cor. 4 8 9 they are not distressed thogh tempted yet not ouerwhelmed though cast downe yet they perish not For h 1 Iohn 5 4. this is their victory that hath ouercome this world euen their faith whereby they apprehend Iesus Christ who is offered of God the Father in the Sacraments to all the faithfull Secondly if Christ be giuen vs how should not the Vse 2 Father with him giue vs all things else as the i Rom. 8 32.22 23. Apostle concludeth If God spared not his owne Sonne but gaue him for vs all to death how shall he not with him giue vs al things also When we enioy him we enioy al things if we want him it is nothing though wee abound in all things else Wherefore when the Father gaue him for vs it is more then if he had giuen to vs heauen and earth For hauing right interest in him we haue possession of all things his righteousnes his sanctificatiō his obediēce his innocency whatsoeuer he hath is made ours He that hath Christ who is the Lord of al cānot doubt but he is made partaker of that which is his He that hath Christ who is heire k Heb. 1 2. of al things may assure himself to be made fellow heire with him This is it the Apostle saith l 1 Cor. 3 21. Let no man reioyce in men for all things are yours whether it bee Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death whether they be things present or things to come euē al are yours ye Christs Christ Gods Whē a parcel of ground is purchased and made ours thereby the profit and commodity thereof is made ours also so whē Christ by the free donatiō o◠God the father is giuē vnto vs his righteousnes obedience becommeth wholy ours together with him Hee then that hath Christ hath al things he that hath not Christ hath nothing howsoeuer he thinke himselfe to be somthing If we haue him giuen vnto vs let vs take no thought for any other thing whatsoeuer He is the maine and greatest guift the rest are but appurtenances vnto it or dependants vpon it Let vs therefore watch ouer our hearts that they be not set vpon other guifts more then vpon him and reioyce more in that the Father hath giuen vs his owne Sonne then if wee had receiued a great possession and an earthly kingdome Vse 3 Thirdly is Christ the substance and inward part of a Sacrament the signe being as it were the body and the thing signified as the soule Then there hath been from the beginning the same truth of religion the same faith and the same meanes of faith Wee haue had the same Sacraments for substance throughout all generations There was a difference in the manner and outward dispensation according vnto the seuerall ages growth of the Church
according to the seuerall times and seasons that God hath appointed howbeit the substance and effect the truth things signified are one and the same as the bodye is one albeit it receiue diuers garments to couer it The Passeouer and Supper of the Lord agree in the inward signification both of them representing teaching and offering the merites of Christs death Baptisme circumcision are likewise the same in substance the one cutting off the other washing away the naturall contagion and corruption of sinne by the shedding of the blood of the Messiah The same Gospell was preached to Adam by the Lord himselfe and afterward reuealed to Abraham and his posterity as also it was published by Christ and his Apostles albeit in the time of the lawe more darkely and obscurely but in the time of grace more plainely and cleerely The same sauing and iustifying faith was in Abraham the Father of the faithfull and in all other that euer were or shal be saued And therefore Iohn 1 29. Reuel 13 8. Christ is called The Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world And in another place The lambe slaine from the foundation of the world To this purpose the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 10. That the Israelites did eate the same spirituall meat and dranke of the same spirituall drinke that wee doe for they dranke of that spirituall Rocke which followed them and that Rocke was Christ Likewise in the Epistle to the Hebrewes Chap. 13. Iesus Christ yesterday and to day and the same for euer Hee was alwayes the foundation of the Church and the Fathers were saued by no other meanes then we are that is through him onely God hath appointed him ouer al things to be the head of the Church and the Sauiour of his body Ephes 1 22 and 4 16. There is giuen no other name vnder heauen whereby we must bee saued Acts 4 12. No man knoweth the Father but the Sonne and he to whome the Sonne will reueale him Math. 11 27. Ioh. 14 16. Lastly he saith of himselfe I am the way and the truth and the life In which words hee speaketh exclusiuely shutting out all others and meaneth that hee is the way alone the truth alone and the life alone by which Adam and all his posterity that beleeued attained vnto saluation No man therefore commeth vnto the Father but by him He sheweth Iohn 8.56 that Abraham reioyced to see his day and he saw it and was glad They which liued vnder the law and before the law as well as such as liue vnder the Gospell were no otherwise iustified reconciled and saued then by the blood of the onely mediator Christ Iesus who indeed was the end of the law forasmuch as the Gospell is no other then the law promised Rom. 1 2. 1 Pet. 1 10. and the lawe is no other then the Gospell exhibited and accomplished and all the Prophets beare witnesse of Christ and his Gospell Acts 10. For albeit he was manifested in the flesh in the last age of the world and was crucified when the fulnes of time came yet his death was as effectual to the faithfull before the flood and after the flood before the law and after the giuing of the law as to the faithfull that liued with Christ and after the ascension of Christ and it was as powerfull and profitable to them that liued before he dwelt vpon the earth as when hee did hang vppon the Crosse This point duely marked offereth vnto vs diuers good meditations to bee pondered in our hearts First that there is but one faith and one true religion one way to heauen and one truth in all the Sacraments albeit they haue diuers formes and figures We haue one Lord and one Baptisme saith the Apostle Ephes 4. Gal. 1 8. We haue but one Christ and one Gospell If an Angell from heauen preach any other Gospell any other faith any other Christ any other Sacraments let him be accursed Secondly the Fathers before Christs incarnation and taking flesh of the blessed Virgin were saued and went in soule to heauen as directly and certainely as they doe that dye now in the faith of Christ The gates of the kingdome of heauen were not as a Pallace that is locked and barâ—ed but they were opened to all beleeuers before the resurrection and ascension of Christ as wel as in our daies when he sitteth at the right hand of his Father and maketh continuall intercession for vs. Enoch and Elias were translated from the earth and ascended into heauen they were in Abrahams bosome Luke 16.26 and 23 42.43 which is no other then heauen Luke 16.26 So the penitent theefe before Christ rose again went with him into Paradice Luke 23. which is nothing else but the kingdome of heauen as appeareth by comparing the request of the theefe with the answere of Christ The Prophet Dauid saith Psalme 112. The righteous shal be in euerlasting remembrance And Salomon Prou. 10 7. The memory of the iust is blessed For seeing they are iustified by the same meanes that we are why should they not receiue the crowne of glory and reward of righteousnesse in the same manner that we do This serueth to ouerthrow the doctrin of the Church of the Romanists I doe not meane the true Church to which Paul wrote but the false Church of the Romanists that now glory in the name of a Church as they do in the name of Catholikes But like Church like Catholikes a bastard Church bastard Catholikes Their Church is antichristian and they themselues heretickes they haue a name that they liue but they are dead These men as if they were of counsell with God take vpon them to tel vs many secrets and hidden mysteries in heauen hell as if they had searched the vtmost bounds and borders of them The popish orders of Angels In heauen they sticke not to define the degrees and orders of Angels and they number vp nine seuerall names of them Principalities rules powers dominions thrones Cherubim Seraphim Angels and Archangels Likewise they make foure infernall and subterrestriall places hell purgatory limbus infantum The popish diuision of Hell limbus patrum Hell is made the lowest roome where the Reprobate and damned abide in euerlasting fire from whence is no redemption Purgatory is the next hotte house where the soules of such as dye in veniall sinnes lye puling and purging themselues till they bee helped out by dirges and masses and pardons and such like trumpery and foolery that I doe not say impiety and blasphemy The third dungeon is called limbus puerorum where children remaine and continue that dye vnbaptized which hauâ— lost the glory of heauen and yet lye there without paine and torment a gentle kinde of hell inuented by themselues and contradicted also by their owne writers among whom many teach that the want of heauen is as great a punishment as the sense of hell The last Cabbine of hell which
thousand threescore and ten men 1 Sam. 6 19. m Numb 16 9 Ps 106 17 18 Corah Dathan and Abiram taking vpon them the Priesthood without a calling fire from heauen came down consuming Corah and his consortes the earth also opened and swallowed vp Dathan and couered the companie of Abiram that they were swallowed vp aliue none of them died the cōmon visitation of other men but God wrought a strange worke vpon them and altered the course of nature which ought to be a perpetuall instruction and direction vnto vs to teach vs not to peruert or euert that order which he hath established to continue in his Church Hitherto belongeth that which is written of Vzzah n 2 Sam. 6 7. who was smitten with sodaine and vnexpected death onely for that beyond the boundes of his calling he put foorth his hand to vphold the Arke which did shake and was readie to fall which was lawfull for the Leuites onely to meddle withall althogh his intent purpose were neuer so good so that if the vnlawfull intruders vpon baptisme pretende cases of necessity heere seemed as great a necessity yea his minde and meaning was as good as theirs if they pretend deuotion yet it displeased God because it was done without his word and warrant So Azariah was striken with leprosie that he was a Leaper to the day of his death for that not being content with his Kingly o 2 Kings 15 5 office hee would take vppon him the priestes office to burne Incense vnto the Lord. These woorthy examples of Gods most seuere iudgements executed vpon the breakers of this ordinance ought to strike such a feare into our hearts that we suffer not the sacred functions and offices of the Church to bee prophaned and to teach vs that euery one meddle onely with the approued duties of his owne calling And although God doth not now thus execute iudgement from heauen and worke strange things in the earth in extraordinary maner when his ordinances are broken yet the sinne is not thereby lessened nor the punishment mitigated nor the hand of God shortened but stretched out still though iudgement according to desert bee deferred nay rather the p Nah. 1 2. Eccl. 8 11.12.13 greater wrath is reserued for his aduersaries to the great day of account when all flesh shall appeare before the throne of his glorious presence For if the prophaners of the signe and Sacraments of the old Testament did not escape but were thus sharply and seuerely punished our Sacraments established by the Lord Iesus are not of lesse value and worthinesse so that the contempt of them shall be visited with sorer iudgements And if God did strike with his reuenging hand priuate men when they sinned in abusing the Sacraments and spared not kings in the pride of their hearts how should women standing a degree farther off and barred from the office by a stronger bolt enter into the house q Ioh. 10 10. at a window and not be accounted as theeues and robbers So that we conclude that the necessity of a calling is as great as the necessity of baptisme And thus much of the first outward part of baptisme namely the Minister CHAP. IIII. Of the second outward part of baptisme THe second outward part of baptisme is the word of institution a Word of institution is the forme of baptisme which is as the forme of the Sacrament as Eph. 2. Christ loued the Church gaue himselfe for it that hee might sanctifie it clense it by the washing of water b Eph. 5 26. Mat. 28 19. through the word This also is expresly set downe Math. 28. Goe teach all nations baptizing them into the name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy-Ghost This both declareth the vse of the Sacrament and promiseth Christ with all his benefits For to be baptized into the name of the blessed Trinity is to be made one of Gods family which is his Church and to bee partaker of the priuiledges thereof This promise is contained vnder the commandement c Gen. 48 19. as we may see by sundry testimonies of the Scripture as Gen. 48. Iacob saith The Angell that hath deliuered me from all euill blesse the children and let my name be named vpon them and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac whereby hee meaneth they should be ioyned to his family and accounted in the number of them Vse 1 Now the vses remaine to be considered First hereby it is manifest what a solemne couenant and contract what a neere coniunction is made by the washing in baptisme betweene God and the persons baptized for God the Father vouchsafeth to receiue them as his children into fauor the Sonne to redeeme them the Holy-Ghost to purifie and preserue them to comfort and regenerate them to protect and defend them from al euill This is the staffe and stay of our hope and comfort Now to be baptized in the name or into the name of the Trinity is all one and therefore in the Scripture they are vsed indifferently without difference or distinction They are said to be baptized in the name of Christ Acts 2.38 and Chapter 10.48 they are saide to be baptized into the name of Christ Mathew 28. Acts 8.16 and 19 3 4 5. The comfort which we receiue from hence standeth vpon the right vnderstanding of these words To be baptized into the name of the Father is to haue assurance giuen vnto vs that God the Father through Christ our Lord is become our Father and that therefore wee stand bound to performe the duty of obedient children toward him To bee baptised in the name of the Sonne is to haue assurance giuen that being baptised we are in the number of them that are redeemed by him and reconciled to the Father through his blood and therefore stand bound to obey him as our mediator and redeemer To bee baptised into the name of the Holy-Ghost is to haue assurance giuen that euery true beleeuer is sealed vp and sanctified by the Holy-Ghost against the day of his full redemption Now we can haue no greater comfort then this to bee assured that GOD the Father is become our Father that GOD the Sonne is become our Redeemer and that GOD the holye Ghost is become our Sanctifyer Secondly consider on the other side that the parties thus Vse 2 baptized do promise and vow to acknowledge beleeue serue worship and call vpon the name of no other Gods but of the true God which is the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost and consequently to renounce the workes of the deuill the fashions of the world and the lustes of the flesh Baptisme is as it were a solemne oath taken in the sight of God and in the face of the congregation whereby the person baptized bindeth himself wholly to God three in persons but one in substance Indeed we deserue to be cast out of the fauour and family of God yet hee
as the Lord our God shall call Obiection Answere Neuerthelesse will some say we reade not directly that any infants were heere baptized in these places But do we reade that any were excluded And seeing the scripture expresseth all the houshold who shall dare to debar infants Are not they a principal part of the house Besides if the baptisme of children be not to be beleeued because it is not named and expressed wee might with as good reason shut out women from the Lords Supper if any were as great an enemy to the communicating of women as many are to the baptizing of Children seeing we do not expresly reade that they were admitted to the Lords table in the Apostles times Besides by like reason we may say that the Apostles were not baptized because we do not reade it But the argument is weake and nothing worth to argue from not written to not done forasmuch as many things were done which are not written Iohn 20.30 and 21 25. Wherefore childrens baptisme is no humane tradition no apish imitation no ancient corruption of this Sacrament but is grounded on the vnblameable practise of the Apostles which hath the force and strength of a coÌ„mandement Thirdly Christ by his owne example alloweth and approueth their baptisme as we see Mar. 10. when the Disciples rebuked those that brought little children to Christ that he might touch them he said o Mar. 10 13 14 15. Suffer little children to come vnto me and forbid them not for of such is the kingdome of God verily I say vnto yâ—u whosoeuer shall not receiue the kingdom of God as a little child he shall not enter therein Where we are to obserue that he saith not of these only is the kingdome of heauen but of such like infants which shall be in al ages and times of the Church In this act of Christ embracing the Infants brought vnto him and sharply rebuking his Disciples that forbad them we are to consider that he commandeth children to be brought vnto him addeth a reason To such belongeth the kingdome of heauen If any obiect Obiection It is said he imbraced them it is not said he baptized them or if any reply and say that there is no agreement and resemblance betweene baptizing and imbracing I answere Answere he layeth his hands vpon them he prayeth for them hee commendeth them to his Father and saith The kingdome of heauen is theirs All this is a great deale more then to giue them the outward signe For if reason require they should bee brought to Christ why should they not bee receiued to baptisme which is a signe of our vnion with Christ If the kingdome of heauen belong vnto them why should the signe be denied vnto them whereby the doore of entrance into the church is opened Why should we driue them away from Christ whom Christ calleth himselfe Neither let any say these children were of yeares growne vp in age able of themselues to come and repaire to Christ For the Euangelist vseth such * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 words as signifie such young Infants as are babes and hang vpon their mothers breasts p Luk 2 12.16 and 1.44 therefore by comming in this place he meaneth to draw neere or to haue accesse Againe they were such as were brought to Christ by q Luk. 18 15. others Luk. 18.15 they were caried in their armes they walked not on their feete and Christ also tooke them in his owne armes Besides heereto agreeth the practise and custome of the primitiue church for no Teacher so profound no Doctor so learned no Writer so ancient which doth not refer the beginning heereof to the r Orig. lib. 5. comment ad Rom. Hieron in fine lib. 3. contra Pelag. August de bap paruuâ— cap. 20. libri de Origen animae precise times of the Apostles Let the Anabaptists and aduersaries of this truth tell vs who was the first author and inuenter of childrens baptisme if they refer it not to Christ who first administred it What was his name if they can tell let them not hide it Let them declare the time when it began Let them shew the place where it was deuised Let them name the childe first baptized and in what assembly or church it was If they cannot do these or any of them let them acknowledge the baptisme of children to be the ordinance of God and not of man warranted both by doctrine of the Scripture and practise of the church Moreouer if there were no writer to auouch this ancient truth yet is it in it selfe very right and reasonable For do we not see and behold daily very babes and infants Å¿ ChildreÌ„ admitted to câ—ppi holds by custoâ—e of the Mâ—nour among men oftentimes among men admitted to their inheritance haue they not liuery and season of land and haue they not the wand or turfe taken into their hands according to the vse of the country or custome of the Manour of which they holde They know not what is done they perceiue nothing what the Lord of the Manour or stewarde speaketh vnto them yet we see among the wisest men in this world this is not thought foolish neither is such an admission called into question but they are afterward instructed what they haue done what they haue vndertaken taken vpon them what seruices and duties they owe what their Lord requireth of them and how they hold their lands Thus they are admitted in their infancy to a temporall inheritance and possession this they hold to the ende of their life and of the validity of such entrance no tenant maketh doubt Why then should it seeme vnreasonable to giue them baptisme the signe of the couenant beeing borne heires of the promise that after they come to discretion they may make vse of it as the rest of the members of the Church They shall vnderstand afterward that which they vnderstand not for the present yet if it please God to take them in mercy to himselfe from the miseries of the world before they know the mystery of their baptisme he worketh extraordinarily by waies best knowne to himselfe the force of their baptisme in their hearts and sealeth vp their engrafting into Christ Iesus If then children haue the white wand deliuered vnto them to assure them of the inheritance which they hold let none deny vnto them the partaking of this Sacrament whereby they are assured of an eternal inheritance howsoeuer for the present time they are not capable of the knowledge thereof Lastly the priuiledges and prerogatiues of children are no lesse then those of elder yeares For infants are a part of the Church of God t Children are Christs sheepe and members of his body they are the sheepe of Christ they are the children of the heauenly Father they are inheritors of the kingdome of heauen they are redeemed with the blood of Christ and engrafted into his body why then should they not beare the marke
seed to remember the ordinance of God that baptisme is the seale of his couenant and lastly to make them diligent in nurtering and instructing them in true religion that so their children may learne betimes to become the children of God For what can more inslame vs and set an edge vpon vs to bestow paines and labour in the teaching and training of them vp in the feare of God and the knowledge of his waies then to consider that God loueth them and vs and sheweth himselfe the God both of them and of vs. Lastly this comfort reacheth to the infants themselues that are baptized Comfort to infants baptized when they shall marke that they are solemnly set into Christ and receiued into the bosome of the Church For they haue this lauer of regeneration as it were a pawne of Gods loue alwaies lying by them and committed vnto their trust to apply it in time of need to the assurance of their iustification and sanctification to the strengthning and confirmation of them in all tentations against terrors and feares of conscience Ionathan Sauls son tooke comfort from hence and an occasion to rest and trust in God and to assure himselfe of his helpe when hee spake to his armor bearer Come let vs go ouer vnto the garrison of these vncircumcised 1 Sam. 14 6. it may be that the Lord wil work for vs for there is no restraint to the Lord to saue by many or by few The like we see in Dauid wheÌ„ he was to encounter with Goliah and to deliuer the host of Israel from that blasphemous enemy Thy seruant slew the Lyon and the Beare that tooke a Lamb out of the flocke 1 Sam. 17.26 now this vncircumcised Philâ—stim shall be as one of them seeing he hath defied the armie of the liuing God Wher we see how they coÌ„fort themselus in that which they went about because themselues were circumcised bare a sign of the couenant in their flesh because they had to do with those that were vncircumcised Thus ought our baptism wherby we haue put on Christ as a garment to be as a shield and buckler to defend vs in the houre of tentation and as armour of proofe against the assaults and fiery darts of the Diuell assuring our selues that our engrafting into his body is not an idle ceremony but serueth to make vs strong in the Lord and in the power of his might who will bee neere vnto vs and stand round about vs in the day of trouble Thus much touching the fourth and last inward part of Baptisme CHAP. XII Of the first vse of baptisme HItherto we haue handled the parts of baptisme both outward and inward now let vs proceed to the vses the last point to be obserued in this Sacrament The vses of baptisme are in number a Three vses of baptisme three first to shew our planting ingrafting and incorporating into the body of Christ Secondly to seale vp the remission and forgiuenesse of all our sinnes Thirdly to teach vs to dye vnto sinne and liue vnto righteousnesse and true sanctification These ends b Rom. 6 3 4.5 6. appeare euidently by the words of the Apostle Rom. 6. Know ye not that all we which haue beene baptized into IESVS CHRIST haue beene baptized into his death We are buried then with him by baptisme into his death that like as Christ was raised vp froÌ„ the dead to the glory of the Father so we also should walke in newnesse of life For if wee bee planted with him to the similitude of his death euen so shall wee be to the similitude of his resurrection knowing this that our olde Man is crucified with him that the body of sinne mâ—ght be destroyed that henceforth we should not serue sinne In this place the Apostle seteth before vs the former ends of baptisme expresly Touching the first vse c The first vse oâ— baptism is to shew our ingrafting into Christ he sheweth that by it is signified and sealed our vniting setting d 1 Cor 12 13. and inserting into the body of Christ to remaine in him for euer as branches in the vine as 1. Cor. 12. By one Spirit we are all baptized into one body whether we be bonde or free where he teacheth that by baptisme we become one body with Christ And Gal. 3. All ye that are baptized into Christ haue put on Christ This coniunction with Christ is not bodily or naturall it is not by bands in the flesh it is not by neerenes of blood for such wee see may be separated as the father from the sonne the husband from the wife the brother from the sister but this is wholy mysticall and spirituall aboue reason and aboue sence because it is wrought not by naturall wayes as by ioynts sinewes arteries ligaments and such like but by spirituall meanes to wit by the power of the Spirit and by vertue of faith he sendeth downe his Spirit wee send vp our faith First he must send downe his Spirit because all goodnes is of him Indeed we loue him but it is because he loued vs first giuing vs e Rom. 8 15. the Spirit of adoption to cry Abba father Indeed we come vnto Christ to be eased and refreshed as he commandeth but it is because f Ioh. 6 44. the father draweth vs. Indeed we perseuer in faith and loue but this is because he perseuereth in louing of vs. Indeed we repent and turne vnto God but this is because hee g Ezek. 36 26 27. taketh away our stonie heart and giueth vnto vs an heart of flesh Secondly as he putteth his Spirit within vs so our faith mounteth vp to the heauens and apprehendeth Christ sitting at the right hand of the Father And thus his Spirit descending our faith ascending and both of them ioyning the members to the head the branches to the vine vs to Christ being once ingrafted h Ioh. 15 5 6. we are neuer separated as Ioh. 15. He that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth foorth much fruite for without me ye can doe nothing If a man abide not in me he is cast foorth as a branch and withereth and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they burne No man can be partaker of Christs benefits to saluation which is i We are ioyned to Christ in spirituall mariage not made one with him As a woman cannot be partaker of the riches and honour of some great man haue interest in his person except she be ioyned to him in marriage that they become one body and one flesh and as the members cannot draw life from the head except they bee ioyned with it so there is no partaking of Christ except there be an vnion and communion with him k Ioh. 6 53. as himselfe teacheth vs Ioh. 6. Verâ—ly verily I say vnto you except yee eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his blood yee haue
2 Tim. 4 â— Col. 3 16. and he would haue it dwell plentifully in all that are hearers that they might be richly furnished with the knowledge of it And the more we know it the more we will respect it and reuerence it and the deeper we search into it the farther we shall be from the contempt of it and the more we shall learne to magnifie it and the author of it So it is in the Sacraments if once we know the vertue and value of them we shall esteeme them according to the dignity and worthinesse of them True it is indeed that ouer-common vse of temporall things breedeth contempt because the neerer we come vnto them the more familiar we are with them and they with vs the more we see the imperfections of them and the lesse we see in them to admire them but the neerer we come to spiritual things the more we behold the excellency and glory and goodnes of them Euen as it is in things that are visible before our eyes the neerer we are vnto them the greater they seeme but the farther they be distant the lesse they do appeare so the more we are conuersant with heauenly things and haue them continually before vs the greater respect we will haue of them and the more excellent they will seeme vnto vs whereas the farther they are remoued from vs and we from them the lesse we will account of them and they will seeme very small to our sight Would wee then be in loue with the word and Sacraments and haue a reuerent account of them Let vs come oftentimes vnto them and neuer thinke our estate and condition better then wheÌ„ we are partaking of the one or the other Neither let vs feare by our often drawing neere vnto them to run into the open contempt of them for whether we do consider the honour of the place where we meet or the reuerence of the person before whom we appeare or the worthinesse of the mysteries whereof we partake or the danger of the iudgements which we incurre by our carelesnesse and negligence all these are able to preserue vs from a society and loathing of the Sacraments and are sufficient to bring vs to haue a good stomacke to them as the hungry man hath to his meat and thirsty man to his drinke The sixt obiection Thus much we haue to say against those cauillers now we come to another sort that pretend they haue a great desire to come to the Lords Table they say they are so farre from loathing it that they earnestly long after it howbeit their often infirmities and manifold imperfections do discourage them Their measure of faith and grace is so little that they are afraid of comming vnworthily and therefore they thinke it better to stay vntill they may be better prepared Answere If these things proceed from an inward feeling of their wants and weakenesses these men are not to be sleighted as the former but wee must put too our shoulders to helpe them beare their burden and hold out our hands to raise them vp that are fallen and to stay vppe such as are ready to fall This is true loue and a right compassion to take pitty of the soules of our brethren It is saide of Christ Mathew 12 20. Mat. 12 20. A bruised reede shall hee not breake and smoaking flaxe shall hee not quench till hee send forth iudgement vnto victory Thus ought it to be with vs we must by all good means nourish good things in those that are weake in grace and not altogether destitute of grace as we must warne them that are vnruly so we must comfort the feeble minded support the weake 1 Thes 5 14. and be patient toward all men To this end and purpose I would haue them obserue these foure conclusions First that the feeling of the want of grace with griefe for that want is grace For such as are altogether grace-les and faith-les do not finde at any time any defect of grace and faith in themselues The step to true spirituall riches is to feele our owne pouerty Mat. 5 3. and such Christ pronounceth to be blessed Then are we righteous before God Hier. lib. 1 cenâ— Pelag. when we acknowledge our selues to be vnrighteous The beginning of perfection is to know our selues to be vnperfect August ad simplici If we be grieued inwardly because we cannot pray we do thereby pray indeed forasmuch as our sighes and sobs the grones and gripings of the perplexed heart haue the force and effect of prayer it selfe and therefore the Apostle saith The Spirit helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray as we ought Rom. 8 26. but the Spirit it selfe maketh intercession for vs wâ—th gronings which caÌ„not be vâ—tered The second point is diducted out of the former which is that no man must please himselfe in his owne wants and nourish the weaknes that is in himselfe For albeit â—od condemneth no man for his wants neither withholdeth his graces from him for his imperfections yet he must not make much of theÌ„ nor delight in them nor thinke himselfe the better for them but rather with might and maine striue against them and craue a supply of them Mat. 11 â—5 God reuealeth the knowledge of the Gospel to the simple howbeit no man should please himselfe in his simplicity he maketh known the mysteries of his kingdome to Babes howbeit no man must reioyce in his owne infirmities nor purpose with himselfe to continue in them The third meditation must be this that it is a dangerous tentation of Sathan against our soules when he councelleth and perswadeth any man to with-draw himselfe from the Communion for want of grace if hee haue any in sincerity albeit it be the least measure albeit it be but as a graine of mustard-seede The Lord regardeth the truth of grace more then he doth the measure of it and if there be in vs a ready and willing minde 2 Cor. 8 12. he accepteth vs according to that which we haue not according to that which we haue not This Supper of Christ was iustituted for the weake not for the strong for the poore not for the rich for the hungry not for the full for the sicke not for the whole forasmuch as the Sacrament is as phisicke to cure him as balme to refresh him as a salue to heale him as wine to cheare him as bread to strengthen him and as a staffe to stay him Shall any reasonable man then reason so vnreasonably and absurdly that he will not eate because he is hungry that he will not drinke because he is thirsty that he will admit no plaister because he is wounded that he will not take phisicke because he is sicke and diseased that he will not stay himselfe with his staffe because he is ready to fall If we all see this to be a foolish consequence what vanity or rather impiety is it to yeeld
heauens containe him vntill the times of restitution of all things Besides he should euery day ascend which ouerthroweth our faith and withall ouerturneth the truth of his ascension and bringeth in a strange maner of his taking vp neuer beleeued or receiued or deliuered or dreamed of in the Church Furthermore as the body of Christ is first supposed to be receiued and then the blood so the body should first asceÌ„d without the blood and afterward the blood alone without the body Lastly as wel we may hold and beleeue that he dyeth often riseth againe often is conceiued and borne oftentimes as hold his continual and daily ascension Thus also we may reason coÌ„cerning the wine If it be turned into the blood of Christ what becommeth of that blood Either it must necessarily passe into our substance and then Christs blood should be mingled with our blood as the blood of the Galileans was mingled with their sacrifices Lu. 13. Luk. 13 1. Or else it must perish and come to nothing and then it should dry vp as water and vanish away as smoake consume as a vapour Or lastly it must returne into heauen which doth ouerturne his ascending from the earth in as much as it was there before And as there can no other way be deuised so none of these can stand either with diuinity or philosophy either with faith or reason either with Scripture or nature and therefore th se pillars being remoued this tower of Babell I mean the doctrine of transubstantiation must of necessity fall to the ground The 18. reason If the Disciples had not vnderstood Christ to cal the bread his body sacramentally they would haue bin greatly troubled who ofteÌ„ doubted of the least things demanded the vnderstanding of theÌ„ As the hearers of Christ I h. 6. supposing he had spoken of a carnall manner of eating his e Ioh. 6 52 60 flesh were troubled and offended saying How can this man giue vs his flesh to eate And ver 60. This is an hard saying who can heare â—t Wherfore who seeth not that they would haue maruelled and required farther if they had vnderstood Christ to haue changed the bread into his body and the wine into his blood But they doubt not they demand not they maruell not they murmure not therefore beleeue not this iugling of transubstantiation or turning of one substance into another And if they beleeued it not how should we receiue it If they receiued it not how should we beleeue it The 19. argument It ouerturneth sundry Articles of ouâ— Christian faith We beleeue that Christ Iesus was begotten of the Father before al worlds and borne in time of the Virgin Mary this the Scripture teacheth this the Creed deliuereth this euery true Christian professeth beleeueth But if the bread bee transubstantiated into the bodye of Christ and the wine into the blood of Christ then his body is made and borne of bread and wine and the Priest after the words of consecration may say a little pretty son is borne vnto vs and newly made Wherefore in the Missal of Sarum after that the Priest hath consecrated hee maketh a low leg worshipping the worke of his owne hands and saith Aue which is as much as God saue you Sir or you are welcome to towne Againe we beleeue that Christ was crucified and dyed for our sinnes that he was buried rose againe ascended sitteth at the right hand of God the Father almighty But if the body of Christ be made of bread as often as the Eucharist is celebrated then Christ being on the Crosse might be elsewhere then on the Crosse when he dyed he might be where he suffered nothing lying in the graue he might be out of the graue yea he might be in the graue after his resurrection and rising out of the graue wherof notwithstanding the Angels said f Mat 28 5. he is not heere Lastly wee beleeue that Christ shal come from heauen to iudge the quick and dead and that in the same manner he ascended g Reuel 1 7. whoÌ„ we doubt not but men shall see as Reuel 1.7 Euery eye shall see him yea euen they which pierced him through But if Christs body be made of bread he shall stare and start out of the pixe and not come from heauen and that in another shape then when he ascended nay thus he should come daily vnto vs and yet no man can see him nor perceiue his comming All these deuices ouerthrow the foundation of faith sauour of nouelty and bring in heresie against all certaine grounds of true religion The 20 argument If by vertue of Christs words transubstantiation were brought to passe and the true bodye of Christ were really present on the earth then the bread should be changed into whole Christ that is into his body indued with his magnitude quantity quality colour all his dimensions For Christ said not at his Supper this is the substance of my body without accidents but h Luk. 21.16 1 Cor. 11 24. This is my body wh ch is giuen for you and which is broken for you Therefore the body was visible and seene of them al it was felt it had all accidents agreeable thereunto and the substance of Christs body alone without his qualities was not crucified on the Crosse neither yet could be crucified Notwithstanding we see not Christs body vpon the earth nor any adioynt thereof is perceiued or discerned Where are they then Are they in the substance of Christs body which is in heauen And not in the substance of his body which is on the earth Then they make Christ to haue two distinct bodies for one and the same body cannot haue his properties and dimensions and yet be without them which necessarily implyeth a contradiction consequently falsehood especially considering how great a difference they make betweene the body of Christ in heauen and this body that lyeth and lurketh vnder the accidents and shewes of bread in their boxe The 21. reason It destroyeth the nature of a true body it taketh away the defence vsed against hereticks bringeth in the heresies of Marcion of Eutyches and the Manichies which i August ad Quod vult de denyed Christ to haue a solid and true humane body and held that he had onely a phantasticall body without any materiall flesh blood or bone in appearance and sight somewhat but in deed and substance nothing For they teach that his body is in infinite places at once and those discontinued void of quantity and quality not circumscribed not visible nor any way sensible that being in heauen he is really and corporally on earth though not in the distance betweene heauen and earth nor in those places where the host is not which is to assigne innumerable bodies to our Sauiour Christ and consequently to make him no body which is in effect as much as to deny he is come in the flesh k 1 Ioh 4 3. and
appearance of worshipping the Sunne and so were they charged to do by the Gentiles Tert. in Apol. yet in it selfe it is not vnlawfull to turne to the East in prayer The fact of Paul in ioyning with the Iewes in a worke of the ceremonial law Act. 21. to wit purifying might as well as this gesture be drawne within the compasse of the former precept as making for the confirming of the Iewes in the necessity of keeping the ceremoniall law Many such instances might be brought to this purpose I take it therefore that this gesture of kneeling cannot be said to be the appearance of euill but onely in respect of the circumstances as if among Papists receiuing with adoration a Protestant should receiue and kneele heere indeed is appearance of euill Or a person that is doubted of whether hee bee a Consubstantiast or Transubstantiast should receiue with kneeling and would not receiue otherwise this would breed great suspition kneeling would proue in such a person the appearance of euill But being vsed of vs renouncing these doctrines it is not so Wherefore that precept must thus be vnderstood whatsoeuer hath in it selfe an appearance of euill is to be auoyded simply But not so that which may haue some such appearance by reason of some circumstances of time or place or persons Remoue those circumstances as they are in this case remoued with vs and the thing then may be vsed and yet no appearance at all of euill These reasons and answeres to obiections I receiued from a graue and iudicious Diuine which I haue heere set downe which I dare be bold to affirme are of more force greater importance then any thing that euer I haue read or heard obiected against our kneeling at the Communion And therefore if we will not be wedded to our owne iudgment or carried away violently as it were with the streame of selfe-loue and a preiudicate opinion let vs yeeld our selues to the strength of these arguments and acknowledge the weakenesse of the contrary obiections Now that I might omit no defence of those that are otherwise minded vnanswered and thereby leaue those of weaker iudgment that relye too much vpon them vnsatisfied let vs particularly examine the arguments which are as the grounds and foundations whereupon they build First they obiect The first argument that kneeling at the Communion is an humane inuention of no necessity vsed and abused to Idolatry I answere that touching the administration of the Sacraments there is alwayes hath bin aliquid humani that is something left to man to order and appoint In all times of the Church God hath had his Sacraments and at all times he hath left somewhat arbitrary whereof he hath spoken nothing but left it to the discretion of men Take the first Sacrament for an example in a setled Church I meane Circumcision The cutting off of the fore-skin is appointed and the day of the administration of it is limited but by what Minister or by what instrument or with what prayers or with what words of institution it is to be practised is neither expressed neither can be collected The like wee might say touching the Passeouer who is able to tel vs how it was consecrated snd with what prayers it was solemnized yet we may not thinke that they were as dumbe shewes that had no word to informe the consciences of such as were partakers of thē We see also that it is left to the iudgement of the Church what prayers shall be vsed both at baptisme at the Lords Supper In baptisme dipping or washing once or often in the Supper what bread it shall be of what matter of what forme of what quantity we are to take and touching the wine of what colour and in what cups it shall bee put and sundry such like circumstances euery Church determineth freely Therefore all inuentions of men are not meere corruptions of the matter The like we might say of the precise times of celebrating the Sacraments which are not tyed to certaine dayes all which are as waighty as sitting is And touching things abused to Idolatry wee are not bound by and by to leaue them for the abuse but retaining the vse remoue the abuse For who knoweth not that the bread it selfe hath beene and also is shamefully and grosly abused to Idolatry and yet we are not to depart from the institution of God for the superstitiō of man If any alledge against these things Obiection that some humane inuentions may be vsed in Gods seruice and some things which are abused to Idolatry may be vsed in Gods seruice but not humane inuentions abused to Idolatry Heereunto I answere Answere three things First if humane traditions may be admitted into the worship of God and likewise things abused to superstition then why not humane traditions abused to superstition If they may be receiued seuerally why not ioyntly together and if either of them why not both of them Secondly kneeling at the Communion is not meerely humane nor meerely diuine but rather a mixt action compounded of both Caluine in that learned and worthy worke of his Institutions mouing the question whether kneeling at time of solemne prayer be an humane tradition that a man may refuse or neglect at his pleasure answereth thus Caluin Instit lib 4 cap. 10. sect 30. I say it is so an humane tradition that withall it is diuine Gods it is so farre foorth as it is a part of that beauty whose care and obseruation is commended vnto vs by the Apostle and it is mans or of men so far forth as it specially designeth what was shewed in the generall The substance of which answere I take it to be this that in the generall it is diuine but in the speciall it is humane So touching the communion this gesture may be called diuine in some part because it is enioyned by the church which we are commanded to hear required by the Magistrate to whom we must be obedient for conscience sake Mat 18 17. Rom. 13 5. and administred with a solemne and effectuall prayer The body of our Lord Iesus Christ which was giuen for thee preserue thy body and soule to euerlasting life c. in former time as the Minister did vse this prayer so the people did testifie their consent and ioyne with the Minister saying Amen Hist li. 7. cap. 9. Hence it is that Eusebius in his Ecclesiasticall history witnesseth that bowing the hand they did receiue the body of Christ and answered Amen And albeit this be not enioyned and commanded yet I doubt not but euery right receiuer and true religious heart doth testifie his assent secretly vnto God and desireth that inwardly betweene God and his owne soule which the Minister outwardly vttereth and expresseth Thus may kneeling be said not vnfitly to be diuine and inasmuch as it is appointed by men and from men I confesse it may be said to be humane Lastly it were no hard
former bookes CHAP. X. Of the third inward part of the Lords Supper THe third inward part is a The third inward part of the Lords Supper is the body blood of Christ the body and blood of Christ that is the body of our Lord deliuered vnto death for vs and his blood shed for the remission of sinnes and consequently whole Christ This is the chiefest part of this Sacrament For the body and blood of Christ signified by the bread and wine are thus made and separated to bee the liuely meat of our soules and haue that force and efficacy of feeding in our soules which bread and wine haue in our bodies This is the cause why b Ioh. 6 48 50 Christ often calleth himselfe the bread of life Ioh. 6. I am that bread of life this is that bread of life which commeth downe from heauen that hee which eateth of it should not dye I am that liuing bread if any man eate of this bread he shall liue for euer Thus euery receiuer is giuen to vnderstand that as God doth blesse the bread and wine in his Supper to preserue strengthen and comfort the body of the receiuer So Christ apprehended and receiued by faith doth nourish vs and preserueth body and soule vnto eternall life He dyed in the flesh that he might quicken vs and he poured out his blood that hee might clense vs from our sinnes Wherefore c How the sacramentall rites do serue to strengthen our faith whensoeuer as the Lords guests we see the bread on the Lords Table we must set our mindes on the body of Christ when we behold the cup of the Lord we must thinke vpon the blood of Christ when we looke vpon the bread broken and the wine poured out we must consider how the body of Christ was pierced punished crushed crucified torne tormented and his blood poured out for our sakes when we feele that by bread our bodies are nourished strengthened and by the wine our vitall spirits are comforted refreshed we beleeue that by the body of Christ deliuered to death for vs we are fed to euerlesting life and that by his blood poured out vpon the Crosse our consciences are sanctified and we feele his quickening power which doth confirme vs in our communion with him Thus is this part of the Supper spiritually to bee applyed thus are the bread and wine made a Sacrament to vs not bare signes thus the memoriall of Christs death is repeated which albeit it were once finished on the Crosse and now his passion is past long ago yet to the faithfull in regard of the force it is still fresh and alwaies present Now it is not without cause and good consideration that Christ would haue the bread first deliuered as a signe of his body then afterward the wine as a signe of his blood seuerally and apart administred because his body and blood are not represented to vs as his humanity now dwelleth glorious in the heaueÌ„s but as he was offered vp a sacrifice on the crosse his blood being shed out of his body For to the ende it may be nourishment to vs it must bee crucified For as corne of it selfe is not fit food for vs vnlesse it be threshed winnowed ground and baked for vs so is it touching Christ he must suffer be crucified and dye that wee may liue by him and raigne with him This is the truth which in this point is to be considered Vse 1 Now let vs lay open the vses which of vs are to be learned Is Christ the inward part of the Lords Supper represented by the bread and wine offered to all but receiued only of such as are faithfull then his body is not inclosed in the bread or in the accidents of bread nor his blood included in the wine or vnder the shewes of wine d Against the real presence he is not personally locally carnally corporally naturally really substantially and sensually present in the Sacrament The question is not e The true state of the question set downe whether the words of Christ be true for they are knowne confessed and beleeued so that as he is the truth so all his words are words of truth neither is the question whether the Sacrament be a bare signe or bare figure we say Christ is truely represented sealed and exhibited neither is the question whether God be omnipotent almighty this is a part of our faith an Article of christian beleefe neither is the question simply of the presence of Christ whether he be truely and vndoubtedly present in the Sacrament of his last Supper we acknowledge and receiue as much For Christ is present among vs sundry waies by his Spirit by his grace by his diuinity by faith dwelling in our hearts he is present in his word he is present in the ministry of baptisme he is present in the Sacrament of his body we onely deny that grosse and fleshly presence which many go about to fasten vpon vs. But the whole question is of the meaning and vnderstanding of the words of institution and of the manner of his presence We confesse teach the people committed vnto vs that Christs f Confess Gal. lic art â—7 Confess Anglic. art 12. Cal instit lib. 4. cap. 17. body and blood are truely verily and indeed giuen vnto vs that we truely eate and drinke them that we are releeued and liue by them that we are made bone of his bone that Christ dwelleth in vs and we in him yet we say not that the substance of bread and wine is abolished or that Christs body descendeth from heauen or is grosly corporally present in the Sacrament we are taught to lift vp our hearts to heauen g Col. 3 1 2 3 where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God the Father and there to seed vpon him But heere is the state of the question and controuersie betweene vs. The Church of Rome teacheth that after h Con. Trid. sess 13. cap. 1. the words of consecration the bread and wine are abolished and the body and blood of Christ come in place so that they make them corporally present not onely in the Sacrament to be eaten with the mouth but in the pixe in the Masse and in their solemne processions where is neither eating nor drinking Yea Berengarius in his recantation was taught to say and forced to subscribe that i De con dist 2. ego Bereng Christ is in the Sacrament sensibly or sensually is touched with the fingers diuided broken rent with the teeth and not onely the accidents Moreouer they make it to be eateÌ„ not only of euill men but of beasts and to fill vp the measure of blasphemy to be cast out into the draught as some of them haue taught and affirmed Thus then the difference standeth betweene vs they hold that Christs body and blood are carnally eaten of wicked men without faith of brute beasts without reason
you into heauen shall so come as yee haue seene him goe into heauen If then Christ according to his humane nature be not on earth how can his true body bee on euery Altar How can they eate him with their teeth How can they swallow him downe their throat Ninthly such an eating and drinking of the body and blood of Christ must be holden as is profitable and comfortable to the receiuers for nothing is more auaileable fruitefull then these being rightly receiued Mat. 26 26. hauing thereby remission of sinnes assured and eternall glory sealed vp vnto vs. But no fruite to our faith can come vnto vs by this kind of bodily eating the body carnall drinking the blood of Christ for wicked men haue as great a portion in this as the godly Nay by their owne doctrine it may bee eaten of Birds of Beasts of Mice of Dogs of Hogs of vermine to whom no profit no comfort no benefit can come whereas God would haue the flesh m Ioh. 6.50 of the Sonne of man to be eaten of those to whom it shall be auaileable to life and saluation as Ioh. 6. I am the liuing bread which came downe from heauen if any man eate of this bread hee shall liue for euer and the bread that I will giue it my flesh which I will giue for the life of the world Tenthly nothing can be more grosse barbarous or inhumane then to deuoure mans flesh and to drinke mans blood What doth more transforme men into sauage and cruell beasts Nay worse then beasts which deuoure not their owne kinde What is more contrary to the purenes and holines of Gods law n Psal 12 6 and 19 9. then this The words of the Lord are pure words as the siluer tryed in a furnace of earth fined seauen fold The feare of the Lord is cleane the law of God is spirituall holy iust and good And the Gospell bringeth saluation to all degrees and teacheth vs that we should deny all vngodlines and worldly lusts and that we should lâ—ue soberly râ—ghteously and godly in this present woâ—ld But what can be more repugnant to godlines sobernes and righteousnes then to teare with the teeth o Cyril anot 11. and iawes mans flesh and to drinke his blood from which the Capernaus abhoâ—red What more crosseth the religion of Christ the law of God the light of nature then man to deuoure man and the bowels of one to be in the bowels of another And are not their stomacks strong to digest this meat Did not God in the law coÌ„mand p Leuit. 17 13 to abstaine from eating the blood of beasts from strangled Did not the Apostles for a time renue it q Act. 15 20. among the Christians in respect of the weakenes of the Iewes because Moses was read in their Synagogue euery Sabboth day To what end should this be done if the Church had tasted the blood of Christ with their mouth or swallowed his bodye in their bellies And do not the Scythians and all the Gentiles that are not vtterly voide of humanity abstaine from mans blood and from deuouring his flesh Wherefore these men are worse r Hom Odis li. 10. Virg aeneid lâ—b 3. Plin. nat hist lib. 7. cap 2 â—â—â—d Mâ—t. li. 3. then the Scithians Barbarians Gentiles yea worse then the Canibals and Indies that eate their enemies but these deuoure Christ whom they call their Lord and Maister like Acteons hounds to compare one fable with another onely heere lye the differences they deuoured their Lord vnder the shape of a Stag or Hart they eate their maister vnder the formes of bread wine these fastened their mouths vpon their maister because they thought him absent and not present vnder that shape they openly confesse their Maister to be present and yet odiously professe to deuoure him with their iawes and swallow him in their stomacks wherefore these men are more cruell then they yea heerein they passe the Idolatrous Gentiles for the Egiptians did not eate those creatures which they adored as Gods but these doe deuoure their God and Sauiour like bread Eleuenthly if Christ be present in the Sacrament bodily and carnally in what body shall he be present Whether in his glorified body as he is in the heauens or in his mortall body as he was vpon the earth In one of these he must be present necessarily if hee bee present fleshly Whatsoeuer they answere they are taken on both hands and are strokeÌ„ downe as with a sword that hath two edges Dare they say he is present in his mortall body This cannot be For it is certaine he hath not now a mortall body but a glorified body this corruptible hath put on incorruption t 1 Cor. 15 54 this mortall hath put on immortality and death is swallowed vp in victory This the u Rom. 6 9.10 Apostle confirmeth this the Scripture teacheth this Christian faith beleeueth Christ being raised from the dead dyeth no more death hath no more dominion ouer him For in that he dyed he dyed once to sinne but in that he liueth he liueth to God Likewise Heb. 7 25. This man because he endureth euer hath a Priesthood which cannot passe from one to another seeing he euer lâ—ueth to make intercession for them And chap. 9. of the same Epistle he is entred into heauen not that he should offer himselfe often but he was once offered to take away the sins of many These testimonies duely considered hee cannot bee present in a mortall body What then will they be helped to say he is present in his glorified body Then he cannot now be present in the Sacrament of the Supper as hee was present to the Apostles sitting at the table with them and preaching vnto them of his death he cannot be present in the same body that he did deliuer to his Disciples in the institution of his last Supper For the body of Christ was then mortall and not glorified then he had not suffered death vpon the Crosse he was not risen and ascended into the heauens to sit at the right hand of his Father so that they must seeke another place then these words of Christ a Mat. 26 26. This is my body this is my blood to build their reall presence and transubstantiation for they pointed out his mortall body because his body was not yet glorified when the Sacrament was instituted Besides what a miserable glorified body should this be to be subiect to the pleasure of euery Priest to come at his call to stay till he commandeth nay to suffer himselfe to be torne with the teeth of euery receiuer Wherefore the presence of his glorified body cannot be grounded vpon these words of Christ touching the Sacraments This is my body Neither let them say as Campâ—on that boasting Champion like another Goliah b 1 Sa. 17.10 challenging the hoast of God sometimes said in the Tower-conference that this is a fallation
to this Sacrament to know the grounds of religion and vnderstand the doctrine of the Sacraments Secondly to beleeue in Christ and to looke for salâ—ation in him alone inasmuch as there is no other name vnder heauen by which we must be saued So then we must come with faith which is the hand to apprehend Christ Thirdly to abhorre and detest our sins to hate them with an vnfained hatred as our deadly and most dangerous enemies and to haue godly sorrow for them which may cause repentance not to be repented of Lastly to loue our brethren truely and sincerely yea euen our enemies If we finde not these things in our selues we must carefully vse all holy meanes appointed for this purpose to begin them in vs otherwise our estate will prooue to be fearefull and dangerous We must with all sincerity conscience and zeale vse prayer the word read and preached conferrence meditation and such like helpes as may further them in vs. If we do finde them in vs though feeble and in great want and weaknesse we are not to abstaine from the Sacrament but to come therunto to seek strength of faith and increase of obedience Wherefore b Mat. 11 28 our Sauiour calleth such vnto him Come to me all ye that are weary and sore laden and I will ease you take my yoke on you and yee shall finde rest vpon your soules for my yoake is easie and my burden it light And chap. 12. A bruised c Mat. 12 26 reeds shall he not breake and smoaking flax shal he not quench till he bring forth iudgment vnto victory Touching the first we are to obserue d The 1. part of examination is knowledg of Gods word that such as will come aright to the lords supper must haue the knowledge of Gods word which is the foundation and ground-worke of faith Wee must know what to beleeue and must learne the doctrine of saluation out of the Scripture Our Sauiour Christ in that heauenly prayer which hee made a little before his passion vseth these words to his Father e Iohn 17 3. This is eternal life to know thee to be the onely very God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ We must know how miserable all men are of themselues that we are separated from god the children of wrath by nature as wel as others and the verie fire-brands of hell They that want this knoledge cannot iudge aright of the parts and vses of this Sacrament nor desire this heauenly meate which nourisheth to eternall life So then knowledge must necessarily go before faith for it is the nature of faith to beleeue that which it knoweth and therefore where there is small knowledge there can bee but little faith and where there is no knowledge there can be no faith acording f Rom. 10 17. to the doctrine of the Apostle Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God The knowledge required of vs when we approach to this Sacrament standeth in these two g What particular pointes â—re necessâ—tie to be knowne oâ— al that com to the Communion pointes first in the knowledge of God secondly in the knowledge of our selues In these two branches standeth the first part of examination And these two points are so neerely ioyned and knit together that no man can thoroughly know God vnlesse he know himselfe and no man can haue the perfect knowledge of himselfe except he know God in whom h Acts 17 28 he liueth mooueth and hath his being Vnder these two heads many particular points are containd necessary to be known of those that offer themselues to bee partakers of this Sacrament First that there is onely one God that hath made himselfe knowne in three persons Iohn 5 7. the Father the Sonne and the Holy-ghost Secondly that God made man and all other creatures good and gouerneth all things well Thirdly man did fall through the enticement of the Deuill and his own wilfull disobedience in breaking the commandements of God Fourthly there are ten commaundements diuided into two tables whereof the foure first commaundements concerne our duties to God the sixe last our duties toward our neighbour Fiftly we cannot keepe these commandements nor anie one of them but wee breake them daily in motion in thoght in word and in deed the breach wherof deserueth k Deut 27 25 the curse of God that is all miseries in this life death in thâ— end of this life and hell fire after this life Sixtly there is no meanes or remedy in our selues or in any creature but onely in Iesus Christ the eternall Son of God l Luke 1 35 who is God and Man God that he might ouercom death and Man that he might die for our sinnes Hee hath pacified Gods wrath fulfilled the righteousnesse of the Law sanctified our nature adopted vs to be the children of God and maketh our duties though weake acceptable vnto his Father Seuenâ—hly all haue not deliuerance by him but onely such as beleeue in Chrâ—st m 1 Cor. 1 30. whose obedience and righteousnesse is made ours by a liuely faith whereby we are perswaded that through him our sinnes are forgiuen and we made the children of God Eightly faith is a gift of God applying Christ and all his merits particularly to our selues and teaching that he is a Sauiour vnto vs. Ninthly beeing saued by Christ through faith n Luke 1 74 we may not liue as we lift this vnspeakable mercie teacheth vs to deny all vngodlinesse and all worldly and sinnefull lusts to liue soberly righteouslie and godly in this present euill world and to walke in newnesse of life o Ephesia 6 5 because no vnrighteous person shal enter into the kingdome of heauen Tenthly this Faith which bringeth foorth a reformed life is wrought within our heartes by the Holie-ghost p Rom 10 14. through the preaching of the word being truely expounded and profitably applyed with doctrine consutation exhortation correction reformation and consolation and it is encreased besides by reading praying and receyuing of the Sacraments Eleuenthly touching prayer wee haue a perfect platforme left vs by q Mat 6 9. Christ in the Gospell which containeth 6. petitions the three first concerning the glory of God and the three last concerning the necessities of our owne bodies and soules Twelfely the Sacraments are another helpe to strengthen and increase faith which are outward signes and seales ordained of God to assure vs that Christ all his sauing graces are giuen vnto vs. These are two in number Baptisme the Sacrament of our regeneration and new birth assureth vs by the washing of water that our sins are forgiuen by the blood of Christ we borne anew to God The Lords Supper assureth vs that by bread and wine giuen and receiued according to Gods ordinance Christ is giuen vs to be our spirituall nourishment to euerlasting life These grounds of religion must be knowne and vnderstood that we may
neede of nothing if wee flatter and deceiue our selues comparing our selues with our selues or with others and not with the rule of Gods word God will examine vs and sit in iudgement vpon vs. If he enter into m Psal 130 ◠iudgement with vs no flesh shall be iustifyed in his sight for if thou O Lorde streightly markest iniquities O Lord who shall stand Hee will be reuenged of our sinnes and bring many plagues vpon vs he will send sundry diseases vppon our bodies and a troubled spirit vpon our soules he will add one punishment to another vntill we repent as he teacheth by manie examples in the scriptures The Apostle saith He that eateth and drinketh vnworthily eateth and drinketh n 1 Cor. 11 29 30 32. iudgement to himselfe For this cause many are weake and sicke among you and many sleepe for if wee would iudge our selues we should not be iudged But when we are iudged we are chastened of the Lord because we should not be condemned with the world So the Israelites being myraculously fedde by the Lords owne hand lusted and became vnthankfull and therefore while the meate was yet in their mouthes o Psa 78 30 32 The wrath of God fell downe vpon them and slew the strongest of thē and smote downe the chosen men of Israel Iudas chosen to be one of the twelue p Iohn 13 27. comming vnwoorthily to the Passeouer Satan entred further into him wroght in him his owne confusion and brought vpon him fwift dam nation The ghest in the Gospell q Mat. 22 22 13. that pressed vnto the supper without his wedding garment was taken speechelesse bound hand and foot and cast into vtter darkenesse where shal be weeping and gnashing of teeth Let no man therefore put off and deferre his repentance from day to day least he draw vpon himselfe finall destruction of soule and body and find his hart exceedingly hardened through continuance in sinne but while r 2 Cor. 6 2. the acceptable time is let vs both purpose and endeuour to forsake our euill waies our wicked workes and all knowne sins reuealed vnto vs by the sacred Oracle of the word of God And because we haue daily wants and do commit daily and new sins through infirmity of the flesh ſ Renewed faith and renewed repentance required of vs. we must haue renewed faith renewed repentance t Luk. 22 32 because euery new sinne requireth a new acte of repentance and appealing to Christ by faith Then we are aright disposed to the Lords table when we are liuely touched with a sense and feeling of our corrupt dispositions and daily fallings in our saith obedience For the repentance of euery faithfull man must be double first generall repenting of originall and actuall sinnes generally receiuing power of God to change our minds wils and affections u Mat. 3 1. whereof Iohn Baptist faith Repent for the kingdome of heauen is at hand This is giuen and granted vnto vs at that time when first we receiue to beleeue it maketh an alteration in vs slayeth the olde man quickeneth the life of the new man beginneth in weaknes continueth in greater strength and groweth more more vnto perfection Secondly speciall for speciall sinnes and continuall failings into which we fall which we must practise to the end of our dayes Now as we said in the former chapter that no man for the feeblenes of his faith is to absent himselfe from this Supper so must wee remember touching our repentance though it be in great weaknesse and frailety yet if it be a sound and sincere hatred of all sin not a forsaking of some sinnes onely as Saul Herod and Iudas did keeping other in themselues to their own confusion our imperfections shal be couered our wants shall be supplied our weaknesse shal be remitted by the death of Christ who was annointed sent to preach Luk. 4 18. the Gospell to the poore to heale the broken hearted to publish deliuerance to the Captiues recouering of sight to the blinde and to set at liberty them that are bruised And he pronounceth such b Mat. 5.3 blessed as are poore in spirit For theirs was the kingdome of heauen Wherefore if thou feele in thy selfe great defects of faith of repentance of sanctification pray to God earnestly that hee will vouchsafe to increase his gifts let vs confesse with Dauid c 2 Sam 12.13 we haue sinned let vs weepe with Peter d Luk. 22 62 and 7 38. and the sinfull woman let vs acknowledge our vnworthines and say with the Centuriō Lord e Mat. 8 8. We are not worthy that thou shouldst come vnder our roofe Let vs cry out with the Publican f Luk. 8 13 O God bee mercifull to me a sinner Let vs not be ashamed to speake it with Daniel that to vs belongeth open shame and confusion of faces This is the way to make vs worthy this is the means to fit vs to the Lords Table this is to be practised of such as will be his guests CHAP. XIX Of reconciliation to our brethren the last part of Examination HItherto in examination of our selues we haue shewed what we are to doe in respect of God the root whereof is knowledge the body is faith the fruite is repentance Now to conclude we are to handle the last part which is a Loue toward their brethren is required of al that come to the Lords Table loue toward men and reconciliation of our selues vnto our neighbours for iniuries wrongs and offences done vnto them which are as poyson to this banket For in vaine we shall pretend knowledge boast of faith glory of repentance if we faile in duties toward our brethren First we must looke to be at peace with God and to be reconciled to him For we shall neuer be at peace with our brethren except we be reconciled to God The greatest war is betweene God and our owne soules so that nothing can bring peace to vs vntill we be at one with him but when once we are at one with him we shall quickly be at one with all others For heere is the touchstone and tryall of all the rest euen our obedience to the second Table which concerneth the duties of loue toward our brethren Heereunto commeth b Mat. 5 23. the doctrine of Christ set downe in the Euāgelist Mat. 5. If thou bring thy guift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leaue there thy gift before the Altar and goe first be reconciled to thy brother then come and offer thy gift Where he teacheth that he so approueth this duty that he will haue his owne immediat seru ce cease and giue place for a time till i◠be performed So in the Sermon which he made to his Apostles before he was betrayed to death he did diligently beat vpon this point saying c Ioh 13 35. By this shall all men know
partes A man is a compound creature made of flesh and of a reasonable soule as Athanasius speaketh in his Creede If the question were asked whether man were a mortall creature or immortall earthly or heauenly visible or inuisible No man coulde rightly answere without a distinction to wit that he is earthly touching his body heauenly touching his spirit In like sort we must consider touching the lords supper which is made of an earthly and an heauenly thing and therefore if the question be demaunded whether it be an earthly or an heauenly thing Wee must resolue that in part it is earthly and in part heauenly earthly in the figure and heauenly in the matter that is signified We must acknowledge from hence the diuers natures and partes of it distinguishing the one from the other Then had neuer risen so great contētion confusion in the Church of Christ touching this Supper if this distinction had heene wisely obserued and if what is proper vnto the outward parts and what proper to the inwarde had beene duely marked The ignorance of this point hath bred much debate and kindled a fire that will very hardly bee quenched The outward parts are m The outward parts are foure foure First the Minister who is to take the bread and wine into his handes n 1 Cor. 11 23 after the example of Christ to separate the Bread and Wine so taken from their common vse to an holy to breake the bread to poure out the Wine and deliuer them both into the handes of all the people present for it is not for euerie man to minister in the Church of God and to bestowe and dispose the Mysteries of Christ The Apostles were present at the Supper not as dispensers but as communicants not as Ministers but as ghesse Christ was as the maister and maker of the Feast instituting with his owne hands the Sacrament of his grace So then they are not consecrated to be Priestes of the New testament but preachers of the Gospell and ministers of the Sacraments and therefore priuate persons may not take this Supper to themselues or deliuer it to others The second part is the word of Institution o Luke 22 19 This is my body that is this bread is p Tertul. lib. 4. cont Marcio august conr adimant cap. 12. a signe of my bodie which shortly shall be crucified for you this cup is a true signe of my Bloode presently to be shed to confirme the new Couenant of GOD touching forgiuenesse of sins and eternall life These words are not properly but figuratiuely to be vnderstood beeing Sacramentall speeches Thus the Scripture speaketh of q Gen. 17 10 Circumcision of the Paschall Lambe The third outward part are bread wine fit signes to signify our spirituall nourishment by eating the body and drinking the bloode of Christ In baptisme wee haue one onely signe but in this supper r Mark 14 12 we haue two to note out our full and perfect nourishment by Christ Neither did Christ deliuer the deceiueable shewes of bread and wine or cast a mist before the eies of his Disciples to make them thinke it Bread which was no bread or wine which was no wine but he gaue them true bread and the true fruite of the vine ſ 1 cor 10 16 as the Apostle calleth them after the blessing breaking consecration Heereby falleth to the ground the mystery of transubstantiation the most mishapen monster that euer liued or was deuised It bringeth in a false Christ and turneth him into an Idoll it maketh Sacraments without signes it maketh Christ to haue an infinite body who is like to vs in all things t Heb. 4 15 sinne onely excepted Lastly it confoundeth heauen and earth together Obiection Neither let any obiect that Christ hath now a glorified body sitting at the right hand of his Father and therfore his body hath a great priuiledge aboue ours to bee in diuers places at the same time Answere For first when the holy Supper was instituted the body of Christ was not glorified Againe glorification doth not take away the nature of a true body but taketh away the infirmity and weaknes thereof Take away space of place from a body and it remaineth no longer a true body but the essence of it is abolished u Aug. epist 57. ad Dardan as Austine hath well determined Againe if Christ deliuered both signes the people ought to receiue vnder both kindes so that they may be iustly called Church-robbers who haue takan frō the people the vse of the cup and a Gal. 3 15. wretched deprauers of Christs testament depriuing the right heires of their inheritance ingrossing into their hands the goods of others They make it of the essence of the Sacrament to vse vnleauened bread and to mingle water with wine which Christ neuer ordained or commanded but that which is necessary they esteeme as needles and superfluous thus transgressing the commandement of God by their owne traditions The fourth outward part are the Communicants whose duty it is c Mat. 26 26. to take the bread and wine into their hands to eate the bread and to drinke the wine to the nourishment of their bodies He did not bid them to reserue the outward signes to hold them vp and adore them or cal the Sacrament their Lord and their God he did not command them to offer them vp to God the Father as a propitiatory sacrifice for the quicke and dead as is vsed in their vnbloody or rather most bloody Masse which hath caused so much innocent blood of the blessed martyrs to be shed d Reu. 6 7.10 who being killed for the word of God and the testimony which they maintained their soules vnder the Altar cry day and night with a loud voice vnto the Lord holy and true to iudge and auenge their blood on them that dwell on the earth Lastly heereby are ouerthrowne the priuate Masses of the Church of Rome which now grow to be too commō e 1 Cor. 11 10 and cannot stand with the Communion of Christ who deliuered the signes of bread and wine to all the Disciples that were present they did not stand by and gaze one vpon another but receiued the Supper of the Lord together The outward parts haue bin hitherto handled which being rightly performed f What Consecration is there followeth consecration which is a separation of the outward signes from their ordinary vse to an holy and spirituall vse that whereas before they serued for the body now they are made instruments of grace and seales of the righteousnes by faith The inward parts follow g The inward parts of this Supper are foure which are foure First God the Father who appointed his Son to performe the gracious worke of our redemption and in the fulnesse of time sent him into the world h Rom. 4 2 5 who dyed for our sinnes and rose againe for our
meditation of the life to come where this corruptible shall put on incorruption and this mortal shall put on immortality o 1 Cor. 15 54 according to the exhortation of Christ and his Apostles in many places as Math. 6. Seeke ye first the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and all things shall be ministred vnto you And 1. Cor. 7. This I say brethren because the time is short hereafter that both they which haue Wiues be as though they had none and they which weepe as though they wept not and they that reioyce as though they reioyced not and they that buy as though they possessed not and they that vse this world as though they vsed it not for the fashion of this world goeth away And p Phil. 3 20.21 the same Apostle saith Our conuersation is in heauen from whence also wee looke for a Sauiour euen the Lord Iesus Christ who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things vnto himselfe So 2. Cor. 4. c. Therefore we faint not 2 Cor. 4 16.17 18. and 5.1.2 3. but though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed daily For our light affliction which is but for a moment causeth vnto vs a farre more excellent and an eternall weight of glory while wee looke not on the things which are seene but on the things which are not seene for the things which are seene are temporall but the things which are not seene are eternall For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle be destroyed we haue a building giuen of God that is an house made not with hands but eternall in the heauens for therefore we sigh desiring to be cloathed with our house which is from heauen because if we be cloathed we shall not be found naked And the q Eccl. 1 â— 14 wiseman Eccle. 1. Vanitie of vanities saith the Preacher vanitie of vanities all â—s vanity I haue considered all the workes that are done vnder the Sunne and behold all iâ— vanity and vexat on of spirite So 1. Ioh. 2. Loue not this world r 1 Iohn 2 15.16 17. neither the things that are in this world If any man loue this world the loue of the Father is not in him for all that is in the world as the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of this world and this world passeth away and the lust thereof but hee that fulfilleth the will of God Reuel 14 13. and 7 16 17. abideth for euer And the same Apostle in his Reuelations I heard a voice from heauen saying Write the dead which dye in the Lord are fully blessed euen so saith the Spirite for they rest from their labours and their workes follow them They shall hunger no more neyther thirst any more neyther shall the Sunne light on them neyther any heat for the Lambe which is in the midst of the throne shall gouerne them and shall leade them vnto the liuely fountaines of Waters and God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes Moreouer we put them in minde to examine themselues and their life 's passed how they haue offended God and their brethren and admonish them to make an humble hearty confession of their sinnes to God that they haue not liued as they ought to do to be sorry and grieued for the same and to promise amendment of life if they recouer Thus the faithfull Å¿ Psal 51 1.2.3 4 5. and 32.3 4. and 38.3 4. haue done as wee see in Dauid Psal 51. Haue mercy vpon me O God according to thy louing kindnesse according to the multitude of thy compassions put away mine iniquities I know mine iniquities and my sinne is euer before me against thee against thee haue I sinned and done euill in thy sight that thou maist bee iust when thou speakest and pure when thou iudgest Behold I was borne in iniquity and in sinne hath my mother conceiued mee And Psal 38. There is nothing sound in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there rest in my bones because of my sinne for mine iniquities are gone ouer mine head and as a weighty burden they are too heauy for me This practise we see also in Daniel t Dan 9.7 Ezra 9 â— Nâ—he 9 16. 2 Chro. 33 12 13. in Nehemiah in Manasses and in many others Wee mooue them to labour to be at one with God to be reconciled to their brethren and to remember the poore Especially we stirre them vp to prayer in regard of their present necessities and of the mercifull promises of God resting themselues on the perfect and all-sufficient sacrifice of Christ Gracious u Psal 145 18 and 50 15. and precious are the promises that God hath made to all that come to the throne of his mercy as Psal 145. The Lord is neere to all that call vpon him yea to all that call vpon him in truth hee will fulfill the desire of them that feare him he will also heare their cry and will saue them and Psal 50. Call vpon me in the day of trouble so will I deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me And our Sauiour Math. 7. Mat. 7 7 8. Aske and it shall be giuen you seeke and ye shall finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto you for whosoeuer asketh receiueth and hee that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened So the Apostle Iames The prayer of faith shall saue the sicke Iam. 5 15 16. and the Lord shall raise him vp and if he haue committed sins they shall bee forgiuen him Acknowledge your faults one to another that ye may be healed for the prayer of a righteous man auaileth much if it be feruent Now when they are sufficiently humbled for their sinnes wee moue them to hunger and thirst after the merites of Christ a 1 Cor. 1 30. who of God is made vnto vs wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Wee alleadge vnto them b Mat. 11 28.29 1 Tim. 1.15 1 Ioh. 1 7 and 2 1 2. these and such like comfortable places of Scripture Come vnto me all ye that are weary heauy laden and I will ease you This is a true saying and by all meanes worthy to be receiued that Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners of whom I am chiefe These things write I vnto you that ye sinne not if any man sinne wee haue an aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the iust whose blood cleanseth vs from all sinne he is the reconciliation of our sinnes and not for ours onely but also for the sinnes of the whole world He is euermore about those that are his he maketh their bed in all their sicknesse d Cant. 8 3. Rom. 14 7 8. his left hand is vnder their heads and with
his right hand he doth imbrace theÌ„ so that whether they liue they liue vnto the Lord or whether they dye they dye vnto the Lord whether they liue or dye they are the Lords This is true happinesse Furthermore we raise them vp with sweet comforts consolations of the worde of God against e 1 Cor. 15.54 55 56 57. Rom. 8 1 38.39 Phil 1 12. Ioh. 11 25. 2 Tim. 4 7 8. all terror and feare of death as 1 Cor. 15. Death is swallowed vp in victory ô death where is thy sting ô graue where is thy victory The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law but thankes bee vnto God which hath giuen vs victory through our Lord Iesus Christ. And Rom. 8. There is no condemnation to theÌ„ that are in Christ Iesus which walke not after the flesh but after the Spirite I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels principalities powers nor thâ—ngs present nor things to come neither any creature shall bee able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Christ is to vs aduantage whether in life or in death Such as beleeue in him yea though they were dead shall liue Death is to vs as a sleepe and the graue as a bed of rest A crowne of righteousnes is laid vp for vs which the righteous iudge shall giue vnto vs so that an euill death can neuer follow where a good life hath gone before forasmuch as hee cannot possible dye ill who hath liued well Death indeed is a Scorpion or serpent but his sting is pulled out hee may well hisse but he cannot hurt he may well threaten but he cannot destroy for Christ hath quelled and conquered him Now f How sicke persons may put away the tediousnes paines of sickenesse to put away the griefe and tediousnesse of sicknes wee will and wish them to meditate on the things they haue heard and learned by the ministry of the worde from time to time in their health to consider with themselues how God sometimes suffereth the wicked to prosper for a time and flourish like a greene g Psal 37 35.36 37 38. bay tree how he punisheth them in the end reseruing wrath and iudgement for them how he blesseth or correcteth his children in this life how he hath prepared eternal torments for the wicked and vnspeakable glory for the godly but aboue all the workes of God h 1 Cor. 2 7.8 9. Psal 85 10 11 we teach them deepely to thinke vpon the glorious and gracious worke of our redemption wherein the infinite mercy and iustice of God doe meete together and kisse each other taking delight and comfort therein with all thanksgiuing Wherfore we perswade theÌ„ to beare the paines and griefes of sicknes with patience constant perseuerance because all sicknesse is Gods hand who being the God of the spirits of all flesh i 1 Sam. 2 6 7. killeth and maketh aliue bringeth downe to the graue and raiseth vp againe Thereby we are indeed chastened for our sins but they are nothing in comparison of that anguish and agony which Christ suffered for vs neither are they worthy of the exceeding glory which shall be shewed vnto vs and it is their duty to blesse God with all their hearts that they suffer no more seeing their afflictions if they were greater are inferior to their sins and seeing the same Lord that hath in mercy laid this gentle correction vpon theÌ„ made them to drink of his fatherly cup for their good might iustly punish them in all the parts of their bodies and in al the powers of their soules and then cast them into hel to haue their portion for euer with the Diuell and his Angels But God hath predestinated vs k 2 Tim. 2 11 12. to be like the image of his son so that the deeper we sinke downe in sorrowes the more perfectly we resemble Christ it is the great mercy of God we are not vtterly consumed that his louing kindnes is not at an end toward vs. The sicknes of the body is phisick for the soule for the striking of the one is the healing of the other by the Crosse wee must enter the kingdome of heauen and learne to loath the pleasures profits of this present life If they fall to despaire and doubting l Remedies against doubting and despaire of Gods fauour loue toward them in Christ m Ezek. 34 4. Luke 19 10. we labor to strengthen the weake and binde vp the broken hearted we are ready to leaue ninety and nine in the wildernes and seeke that lost one We bring them to God that hath striken theÌ„ and made the wound considering that the sonne of man is come To seeke and to saue that which is lost God is mercifull and his mercy endureth for euer he desireth not the death of a sinner but that he turne vnto him His mercy is ouer all the workes of his hands it is like the Ocean-sea where no bottome can be found or sounded It is the expresse commandement of God n 1 Ioh. 3 20. that wee should beleeue in Christ who hath triumphed gloriously against sinne against Sathan against hell against death against damnation against desperation The promises of the Gospell exclude no man o Esay 55 1 2 Mat. 11 28. vnlesse we exclude our selues Infidelity doubtfulnesse and despaire are very greeuous sinnes and strike at the very heart of God Wee must vnder hope beleeue aboue hope with faithfull Abraham The mercies of God and the merites of Christs obedience are infinite p Esay 54 10. higher then the high Heauens deeper then the earth broader then the Sea stronger theÌ„ the law mightier then the Diuell and greater then all the sinnes of all the world combined and heaped together Besides God doth measure the obedience due to him q Rom. 7.20 rather by the affection then by the action rather by the desire to obey then by the outward performance of it Moreouer when one sinne is forgiuen all the rest are likewise forgiuen euen as repentance of one sinne bringeth with it repentance of all knowne sinnes r Rom. 11 29. For the gâ—fts and call ng of God are without repentance Last of all we admonish them to consider that grace and faith howsoeuer they may be smothered are neuer wholy taken away by sinnes of infirmity Å¿ Rom. 5 20. but thereby are manifested and magnified Touching their families we say vnto them call them before you exhort them to cleaue t How sicke persons are to behaue theÌ„selues in respect of their families vnto God with full purpose of heart to loue him to walke before him in fear and reuerence and to serue him in righteousnesse all the dayes of their life giue them charge to learne beleeue and obey the true religion and doctrine of saluation set downe in the writings of the Prophets and