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
5. Byshop of Rome was the first that Å¿ Barth Caranza sum Concil Florent p. 458. mingled water with wine at consecration ordained that the oblation should be of vnleauened t Polid. Virg. de inuentor Rerum lib. 5. cap. 9. bread and not of leauened as till that time had beene vsed Wherefore let vs retaine and maintaine the plaine and simple institution of Christ who in his last Supper gaue wine not water to be drunke for he calleth it the fruite u Mat. 26 29. of the vine which is wine and not water Againe they may be pressed and hampered with their owne dreames and deuices For whereas they hold that the wine must be mingled with water that the elements after the words of consecration are transubstantiated and remaine in their owne nature no more I would aske this question of these Watermen rowing in the troubled sea of their owne decrees who are neere of kin a Papists are neere of kin to the old hereticks called Aquarij to the old hereticks called Aquarij whether the water mixed with the wine be turned into blood If they say it is not then they deny transubstantiation of all that is within the cup and so shake the vertue of their consecration in pieces if they say it is then will they make Christ a watery body and elemeÌ„tall besides it cannot be by vertue of Christs institution where water is neither expressed nor included So then their best defence is to answere with the Pharisies b Mat. 21.23 We cannot tell To conclude let vs not seeke to be wiser theÌ„ Christ nor to mingle together more mysteries then we haue learned of him as Paul saith of his owne practise c 1 Cor. 11 23 That which I receiued of the Lord I haue deliuered vnto you Neither Prophet nor Apostle nor Angel from heauen is to teach otherwise then Christ himselfe hath taught as he charged his disciples Teach them to obserue all things whatsoeuer I haue commanded you He hath supreame authority in the Church his doctrine alone should be heard as the Father himselfe witnesseth from heauen d Mat. 17 5. This is my beloued Son in whom I haue delight heare h m. We are not to regard what other before vs haue thought meete to do but what Christ did who is before all other and called himselfe the truth e Cyprian epist and not custome Thus much of the third outward part of the Lords Supper to wit the two signes of bread and wine CHAP. VI. Of the fourth outward part of the Lords Supper THe last outward part remaineth which are the a The fourth outward part are the communicants communicants whose actions are outward to take the bread and wine into their hands then to eate the bread drinke the wine to the nourishment of their bodyes b Mat. 26 26. as is directly proued by the institution of this Sacrament where Christ gaue the bread and cup into their hands the Disciples receiued the one and the other they did eate the bread and all dranke of the cup. These being the necessary actions of euery receiuer to take to eate to drinke it beateth downe many false doctrines of the Church of Rome as their reseruation ostentation eleuation adoration circumgestation procession and priuate communion it teacheth also many necessary truths to direct our knowledge and increase our obedience which we will consider in order Vse 1 First of al did Christ command his Disciples to eate and drinke that he deliuered and posted them not ouer to eate thereof when they were departed neither willed them to defer their eating vntill afterward then all keeping reseruing of bread in boxes pixes and other vessels of the Church for dayes weekes and months all shewing it to the people c Con. Trid. sess 3. can 5. lifting it ouer the Priests head and going with it in procession is vtterly vnlawful For it is no Sacrament vnlesse it be vsed according to Christs institution and coÌ„mandement but to the institution it belongeth as on the behalfe of the Minister to take to blesse to poure out and to distribute so on the behalfe of the communicants to take to eate and to drinke in them all to shew therby the Lords death and to do it in remembrance of him which cannot be performed but by obseruing the whole action For how can they shew the Lords death or do it in remembrance of Christ vnlesse they take and eate And as the Paschal lambe was not that passeouer vnlesse it were killed and eaten no more is the bread and wine a Sacrament except they be receiued and digested The Passeouer was the same in effect with the Lords Supper d Reuel 13 8. who was the lambe slaine from the beginning of the world Now God commanded that none of it should remaine vnto the morning but the remnant e Exod 12 10 should be consumed with fire The like may be saide of Manna the same in substance with this Sacrament it was not to be kept caried about Let no man f Exod. 16 19 reserue therof till morning Besides there is the same reason of the cup of the bread but they reserue not the wine they carry it not about to shew the people why then should they keepe the other part Likewise when Christ said to his Apostles g Mat. 28 20. Goe baptize the nations it was no baptisme by the h Hâ—â—si Confess de Euchar st cap. â—9 confession of the aduersaries themselues vnlesse there were some person baptized so when Christ said Take and eate there is no Sacrament vnlesse there be a receiuing and eating For as the one standeth in washing so doth the other in eating and drinking not in keeping and reseruing not in carying in procession on a white horse not in hanging it vp vnder a Canopy nor in bearing it to the sicke with bell and candle Christ tooke bread and gaue it to his Disciples saying i Mat. 26 26.27 1 Cor. 11 26. Eate ye he tooke the cup and when he bad giuen thanks he said Drinke ye all of this do this in remembrance of me as often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke of this cup ye shew the Lords death till he come But they hang it in the pixe beare it in boxes and carry it about in publike triumphes and in common calamities when any iudgement of war plague pestilence and famine and like visitation is among them then their Iacke in the boxe goeth abroad in solemne k Concil Trid sess 13. cap. 5. processions to be seene which is the way to increase not to slacke to kindle not to quench to prouoke not to reuoke the iudgments of God gone out against them Besides they shew this Sacrament to the simple people to fal downe to it as to a God they put it vpon the breasts of the dead and sometimes lay it in the graue with them I thinke
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
and euident For to teach publikely is a token of authority and rule ouer others inasmuch as the teacher is higher in place and authority then hee that is taught as Paul was brought vp at the feete of l Act. 22 3. Gamaliell and as the lesse is blessed of m Heb. 7 7. the greater Therefore the woman should not be admitted to be a maister in Israell a teacher of the Church and an instructer of men as 1 Tim. 2. where the Apostle forbiddeth them to teach publikely and to vsurpe authority ouer the man but requireth of them to be in subiection not to challenge dominion Againe such is the n 1 Pet. 3 7. Eccl. 7 29 30. frailenes and weaknesse of that sexe that they are easier to be seduced and deceiued and so fitter to be authors of much mischiefe being the weaker vessels therefore Paul hauing set downe the doctrine that women should not take vpon them to teach in the Church and so preach in the assembly of men presently alledgeth this reason o 1 Tim. 2 13 14. Gen. 3.6 that The woman was first deceiued of the diuell and was in the transgression hee made choise of her and made her an instrument to beguile her husband For albeit that women be capable of the doctrine of godlinesse and many examples of learned women are extant euery where and in euery nation which might easily bee produced and that such were of ability sufficient to teach the Church yet shamfastnesse and modesty the speciall ornaments of that sexe do not suffer them to enterprize and execute that function which requireth courage and boldnesse in the discharge thereof True it is among the Gentiles in their sacrifices and solemnities were women-Priests fit Priests for such purposes fit Ministers for such Gods but in the Church of God neither vnder the law nor vnder the Gospell were they allowed to serue at the Altar or to offer the sacrifice or to meddle with the seruice of holy things and therefore it is vnlawfull to haue a womanish Ministry And as Moses teacheth in the booke of Deuteronomy Deut. 22 5. that it is an abhomination for a man to put on womans apparell so it is not onely vnseemely and vndecent but vnlawfull vngodly for a woman to put on that boldnesse and manlinesse which appeareth in the countenance of a man and to put off the bashfulnesse and demurenesse which shee ought to carry with her Salomon in the description of a vertuous woman among other laudable properties as partes of her office obserueth that shee seeketh wooll and flaxe and worketh diligently with her hands Prou 31 13 19. she layeth her hands to the spindle and her hands hold the distaffe Prou. 31 13 19. It is neuer noted as the part of a good woman that she stretchech out her hand to water and baptizeth the children that are in danger Let her meddle in matters of another nature she hath nothing to do to handle these holy things True it is the gouernment of the family vnder her husband is committed and the training vp of her children in the feare of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commanded vnto her 2 Tim. 1 5. 1. Timothy 5.14 As also Lois the grandmother and Eunice the mother of Timothy bestowed no small paines to plant the vnfained faith of Christ Iesus in him howbeit they neuer presumed to baptize their children much lesse the children of others So then to commit the office of the ministry to women or any part of it were as much as to turne the nature of things topsie turny and to bury and abolish the ordinance of God For hee that should be beneath is seated aboue and he that shold be in subiection is indued with soueraignty and authority The keyes of the kingdome of heauen are committed to men not to women if then they enter into the seruices of the Church they do it by a wrong key and are no better then intruders Furthermore the Minister representeth Gods person in this holy worke and therefore he onely can offer and deliuer with power and authority the outward signe which answereth fitly to the inward matter Shall priuate persons vsurpe to be the Lords messengers to bring his letters and seales not called not allowed not authorized It cannot be without intruding of themselues and dishonour to God and confusion in the Church For as none can wash vs from our sinnes but Christ onely so none can beare his person in the outward Sacrament of the inward washing but hee whom Christ himselfe hath appointed if we will receiue the benefit of the holy seale of baptisme for the assurance of our conscience p The people cannot with comfort assure themselues to receiue a Sacrament at the hands of priuate persons that wee are washed from our sinnes And if the will and pleasure of a Prince do make that onely to be his seale which he hath set apart to seale his grants withall so that albeit another may be made right of the same matter iust of the same forme and fashion and in all points like vnto it no difference beeing to be seene betweene them yet the same is none of the Princes seale but a counterfeit stampe then how much more ought the knowne and reuealed will of the eternall God which is that they onely should minister the Sacraments that haue a publike calling and allowance therevnto to haue that authority that no Sacraments can be warranted to bee his seales but such as are signed by his Officers Againe q Beza lib. de Quest in sacra quaest 140. 141 suppose the Princes seale should bee stollen away which he hath appointed to seale his grants withall and should be set too by him that hath no authority not being the keeper thereof there can by no meanes growe any assurance of comfort to the party that hath it applyed to his writings so if it were possible to bee the seale of God which a woman should set too yet for that she hath stolen her patent and vsed it contrary to Gods commandement I see not how any man can perswade his owne heart by it to be partaker of a Sacrament but his comfort is weakened and impaired and his conscience left in doubt and perplexity Moreouer this may yet farther appeare by a comparison a forme of reasoning often vsed in the Scripture comparing different actions of things done by a calling with such as are done without a calling whereby we shall see that to haue a lawfull calling to do a thing giueth life liking and allowance vnto the dooing For wee must not onely consider what is done but also who is the dooer What is the reason that Ioab Captaine of the hoast r 2 Sam. 3.27 and 20 10. 1 King 2 5. killing Abner and Amasa two more righteous then himselfe was reserued to iudgement Å¿ Num. 6 25.7 8. whereas Phineas killing Zâ—niri and Coâ—bi it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse
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
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
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