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
Male nor Female therefore as well women as men may teach in the Church contrary to the expresse doctrine of the Scripture set downe by Paul himselfe I permit not a woman to speake in the Church 1 Cor. 14. 1 Tim. 2. But I will spend no moe words in answering such trifles Thus much concerning the obiections Now as the truth is plaine and euident so the vse is Vse 1 profitable and comfortable First if the minister be one outward part of baptisme then he must be ready and carefull to performe his duty which is to wash the vncleane body with water in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost to call vpon God and to follow the institution of Christ as it is left in the Scripture for his direction For if there be the outward sign of baptisme as the matter of the Sacrament if there be a party to bee baptized which is the receiuer and if there be a minister to administer it yet vnlesse he perform his duty there can be no baptisme So then we must know that the actions of the Minister i What are the actions of the Minister are double first there is required of him a sanctifying of the water secondly a washing of the party The sanctifying of the water is the separation and apointing of it by the word and prayer to this vse to signifie the bloude of Christ The outward washing is a certain pledge vnto vs of our inward washing by the blood and spirit of Christ Secondly if it bee the office of the Minister to baptize Vse 2 then this giueth direction and instruction to the people to whom to repaire and resort when they haue any Children to be baptized It is required of them to haue recourse to the ministers as to the officers of God We see in the affairs of the Common-wealth and in passing conueyances of houses of lands and of inheritances how carefull and circumspect men are to passe them where they ought to bee passed and in such Courts and vnder such officers as are authorized for such purpose that ther may be no error committed in the conueyance For whatsoeuer is done and passed before him that hath not his patent to warrant his practise is held to be voide and frustrate by maisters of that profession In like manner it standeth vs all vpon when a matter of an higher nature and of greater importance is in hand then the sealing and assuring of temporall possessions to looke carefully to the diligent performance of this speciall duty that the signing of our infants and sealing them in the Couenant be made by the hands of such Officers as are appointed by God for that purpose and by no other Vse 3 Thirdly this condemneth the abuse and prophanation of the Sacrament of baptisme in the church of Rome where women midwiues and priuate persons without any commandement of God nay contrary to his word take vpon them this part of the Ministers office to baptize children which they haue receyued from the Hereticke Marcion i Epip haere 42 who gaue women power to baptize which Epiphanius k Epi. con haer 2 teacheth the holy Mother of Christ was not permitted to do And the fourth Councell of Carthage Can. 100. hath without exception decreed that a woman ought not to baptize Such then as vsurpe this calling and approoue thereof neuer knewe the force of our adoption in Christ nor the strength of the couenant nor that the elect are saued by the good pleasure and will of God Therfore there is not that absolute necessity of baptisme vnto saluation which many suppose that for this supposed necessitie the ordinance of God should be broken and prophaned And a man may maruell why at such times they did not rather commit the matter to priuate men to baptize then to women whose sexe is further remooued from execution of this office not onely because they be vncalled and priuate men l 1 Tim. 2 11 12. 1 Cor. 14 34. but euen because they are women and thereby are wholly vncapeable though otherwise qualified of anie publike charge or function in the Church they are commanded to sit still and to bee quiet Besides if in time of this extreamity and necessity which is imagined it be permitted them to minister baptisme why should it not bee suffered in like necessity and danger of death that they minister the Lords Supper and preach the Gospell in case they be able and men vnable or vnwilling the dignitie of the one Sacrament being no lesse then the other the excellencie of the worde being as great as of them both If then women may iustly bee condemned when they shall presume to sit downe in the Chaire of Moses or to minister the Supper of the Lord they cannot be iustified if they vsurpe to minister baptisme For shall wee make a shameful and double diuorcement of those things that God hath coupled betweene the word and Sacraments and likewise betweene the one Sacrament and the other This â—s too great contumely and contempt offered to baptisme to allow it in those that may neither publikely preach nor lawfully minister the Lords Supper seeing their want to practise the one is no greater then to do the other In a priuate Family it is a great disorder to see the maister play the seruant and the seruant to do the office of the maister the husband to loose his authority and the Woman to step into his place In the Common-wealth it is a wonderful confusion to see base persons and peasants set on horsebacke Eccl. 10 6 7. and Princes walking as seruants vpon the ground Is this vnseemely and vncomely in the priuate house and in the Common-welth and it is not as vndecent in the Church when the distinct partes of the same office are diuided and parted asunder that priuate persons are set in Moses his chaire and pastors are put at the feete of the people Or when the Ministers of the word do occupy the place of Teaâ—hers and the administration of the Sacraments is committed or at lest permitted to the Parishioners and people and which is worse to Women And when different offices are so shuffled and shaken together that it cannot be determined to whom of right they do belong Wherefore let all priuate persons and Mid wiues consider with themselues the fearefull examples recorded in the Scripture of such as haue rashly p esumed to prophane the holy offices of the Church and how God hath often visited this great sinne with greeuous iudgementes sometimes with fire from heauen sometimes the earth opening her mouth sometimes with sodaine death and sometimes with the most filthy disease of the Leprosie whereby as by his voice from heauen he thundred downe on mens disobedience and so ratifieth this law of the necessity of a vocation calling for euer When the men of Bethshemesh pried into the Arke without a calling the Lord smote of the people fifty
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
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
g TransubstaÌ„tiation ouerthrowne whatsoeuer ouerthroweth the nature and vse of a Sacrament is not to be admitted but omitted neyther to bee receiued but reiected But transubstantiation ouerthroweth and ouerturneth both the nature and vse of a Sacrament and therefore not to be admitted and receiued into the Church For touching the nature of a Sacrament it is confessed h Iren. lib. 4. contr haer cap. 34. that it consisteth of two parts the one earthly and the other heauenly but if after the words of consecration the bread and wine are transubstantiated into the body and blood of Christ then the signe is taken away the element is ouerthrowne the materiall part is abolished and consequently the nature of a Sacrament is ouerturned And touching the vse of a Sacrament there must be an analogy and proportion betweene the signe the thing signified As in Baptisme the element of water washeth and purgeth the bodye so the Holy-Ghost through the blood of Christ cleanseth and sanctifieth the soule Likewise in the Lords Supper as the Substance of bread and wine receiued strengtheneth and comforteth the body so Christ i Ioh. 6 33. receiued by faith nourisheth feedeth the soule The very true principall vse of this Sacrament is to confirme our faith that as surely as those earthly creatures taken and applyed feed our bodies to a bodily life so the body and blood of Christ receiued and applyed by faith feed our soules to eternall life And do not all the faithfull feele a sweete comfort so often as they come to the Lords table by this similitude agreement to consider and know assuredly that as the substance of bread serueth to nourish and doth feede our bodyes so Christ doth feede our soules But if wee must beleeue that the substance of bread and wine is changed cleane gone that nothing remaineth but accidents where is this comfort and consolation How can wee bee assured and strengthened that as our bodies are nourished with the materiall elements so in like manner our soules by feeding on Christ Wherefore while they take away the substance of bread which should nourish the body the nature and vse of the Sacrament is destroyed and wee are spoyled of the comfort of our hearts and strengthning of our faith which wee should haue by this notable comparison and resemblance of the parts So then if wee would receiue comfort in comming to this Communion wee must retaine the substance of the signe as a staffe to stay vp our faith that it do not faile Lastly seeing God giueth vnto vs outward signes of his grace it serueth to teach vs that wheresoeuer and among whomsoeuer God continueth his signes he purposeth to bestow vpon them the things signified by the signes on the other side where God denyeth the meanes he also denyeth the thing wheÌ„ he taketh away the sign he taketh away the grace also This we see in the Turkes and Sarazins because he denyeth vnto them saluation hee taketh from them the seales and assurances of saluation and because he refuseth them to be his Church hee vouchsafeth not vnto them the prerogatiues and priuiledges of his Church Thus it falleth out in the preaching of the word vpon those whom God determineth to saue and to bestow vpon them the guift of faith whereby they are entred into the kingdome of heauen hee sendeth vpon them his word and causeth it to be preached vnto them but when he will not shew mercy but leaue a people in their miserable estate and condition he withdraweth the Ministry from them as we see in the Acts of the Apostles Chap. 16. When they were gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia They were forbidden of the holye Ghost to preach the word in Asia and after they were come to Mysia they assaied to go into Bithinia but the Spirite suffered them not Euen as when God will bring a famine vpon a land he with-holdeth the early and latter raine making the heauen to be as brasse and the earth as iron but when he will send plenty and open the windowes of heauen he sendeth a gracious raine and showers vpon the earth so when he will send a famine not of bread nor a thirst of water but of hearing the word of God hee taketh away his word and the meanes of saluation that they shall wander from sea to sea and runne to and fro to seeke the word of the Lord and shall not finde it but faint for thirst If any aske the question wherfore the Lord forbad Paul to preach the word in Asia and to come into Bythinia we cannot assigne this to be the cause that they were vnworthy to haue the doctrine of saluation offered vnto them forasmuch as they were as worthy as the Macedonians to whoÌ„ the Gospell was preached no more vnworthy then the other Gentiles Neither can we say this was the cause that God foresaw how euery one would receiue or entertaine the Gospel that as he saw them ready and inclined to accept of the word or to reiect it so he vouchsafed or not vouchsafed the same vnto them for hee pronounceth openly that he appeared to them of whom hee was not sought and spake vnto them that neuer asked after him Besides this were to ground the cause of saluation vpon our selues which is out of our selues and to ascribe it to our owne merite which is due onely to his mercy We are all by nature the children of wrath and destitute of the guift of faith if there be any willingnesse in vs to obey it proceedeth from the Spirite of God who as he electeth freely so he calleth freely Now that which is spoken of the preaching of the word may also be applied to the vse of the Sacraments When he purposeth to strengthen the faith which hee hath giuen vnto vs hee vouchsafeth the outward signes and seals of his promises that thereby wee should be assured he meaneth to bestow vpon vs the inward grace represented by them He dealeth iustly and vprightly with vs hee hath no purpose to beguile vs and deceiue vs. For they are no bare or naked much lesse false and lying signes but effectual instruments of the Spirite to conuey the mercies of God in Iesus Christ into our hearts and therefore we must bee carefull to vse them conscionably as certaine pawnes and pledges which God hath commended and committed vnto vs that they might be as witnesses of his loue and fauour towards vs. And thus much of the third outward part to wit the signe CHAP. VII Of the fourth outward part of a Sacrament THe last outward paâ—t of a Sacrament is the a The receiuer is an outward part of the Sacrament receiuer which is as needfull as the outward signe We vnderstand and take heere a receiuer in generall for euery one that commeth to the Sacrament whether good or euill godly or vngodly faithfull or vnfaithfull Such a receiuer is likewise a necessary part of the
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
the forgiuenesse of sinnes and of our adoption in Christ Doth not the ſ Rom. 8 15 16. Holy Ghost testifie vnto vs particularly the adoption of children the remission of sinnes and saluation of our soules As Rom. 8. Wee haue not receiued the Spirite of bondage to feare but the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba father the Spirite beareth witnesse with our spirits that we are the children of God In these words Gods sanctifying Spirit our sanctified spirit are made the two witnesses of our adoption This we must certainely beleeue by faith And this made the Apostle t Rom. 8 38.39 most confident in the end of the same Chapter saying I am perswaded that neyther death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. If any obiect we may hope well for forgiuenes of sins but we cannot beleeue the same I answere Faith and hope cannot be separated they doe alwayes as louing friends accompany each other they are neuer sundered and diuided so that if we may be assured of our saluation by hope it followeth we may be certainely perswaded True hope followeth true faith as the effect doth the cause and no man can truely hope that is not truely assured Besides this is the property of hope u Rom. 5 4 5. it neuer maketh any ashamed they shall not be confounded and disappointed they shall attaine vnto the thing hoped for according to the doctrine of the Apostle Experience bringeth foorth hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the loue of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is giuen vnto vs. Hitherto of the first end of a Sacrament CHAP. XIIII Of the second vse of a Sacrament THe second end of a Sacrament is this a The second vse of a Sacrament is to be a seale of the Couenant It serueth to bee a seale of the Couenant betweene God and vs that hee will bee our God and we will be his people as Gen. 17 I am God b Gē 17 1 11 all-sufficient walke before me and be vpright The Sacraments are assured testimonies and confirmations of the fauour and good will of God who is well pleased toward vs in Christ his Sonne By them as by certaine pledges giuen and receiued God of his great mercy doth as it were binde himselfe to vs wee binde our selues to him to remaine his people and to walke in obedience before him for they bee as strong chaines to compasse vs as sure cords to hold vs and as fast knots to keepe vs that we do not depart from him and cast off the feare of his name Circumcision was a seale of Gods promise to Abraham and a seale of Abrahams faith and obedience toward God But let vs see what c What the couenant is betweene God man this couenant is what are the Articles of agreement betweene God and vs and what things each part interchangeably couenanteth and contracteth each toward other The couenant of God in respect of himselfe hath three parts He promiseth d Rom 11 26 Ier. 33 8. Esay 43 25. first of all forgiuenesse of our sinnes for The deliuerer shall come out of Sion and shall turne away the vngodlinesse from Iacob and this is my couenant to them when I shall take away their sinnes Secondly the adoption e Ier. 31 31.32 33. 2 Cor. 6 16.18 Zach. 8 8. of sonnes and acceptation of vs to be his children ioyned with the promise of his cōtinuall fauour loue grace and protection as Iere. 31. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will make a new couenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Iudah not according to the couenant that I made with their fathers when I tooke them by the hand to bring them out of the Land of Egypt the which my couenant they brake although I was an husband vnto them saith the Lord but this shall be the couenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those daies saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my people Behold the indenture of couenants written by the finger of God wherein for better assurance he hath bound himselfe to forgiue our sins promised to be our mercifull God And to the end there might be a paire of these indentures interchangeably giuen each to other party the Lord by the hand of the Apostle writing to the Hebrewes hath drawn as it were the counterpane of the former word for word expressed as it is in the Prophet f Heb. 8 10 11 so that we haue a paire of indentures of couenants to shew the stablenes of his counsell The 3. part of the couenant in respect of God is g Reuel 21 4.7 the promise of the full possessiō of the heauenly inheritance and of eternall glory after this life as Reuel 21. God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow neither crying neither shall there be any more paine for the first things are passed he that ouercometh shal inherit all things Also cha 2. To him that ouercommeth will I giue to eate of the tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradice of God he shall not be hurt of the second death he shal haue power giuen him ouer the Nations and rule them with a rod of iron he shal be cloathed with white array and I wil not put his name out of the booke of life hee shall be a pillar in the Temple of God shal go no more out I will grant to him to fit with me in my throne euen as I ouercame fit with my Father in his throne Thus we see how God on his part by writings and euidences promiseth to giue to his people remission of sins adoption of sons possession of heauen he hath couenanted by word by oth to performe these things neither is he as man that he should lie nor as the son of man that he shold deceiue These are great grants of great blessings by our great God to the great good cōfort of his childrē For what greater blessings can there be then being miserable sinners to be graciously pardoned being vtter enemies to bee freely accepted as sonnes beeing bondslaues and prisoners of hell to be made heires of heauen and saluation Againe the couenant on our part requireth three conditions for when men intend to couenant and contract one with another they set downe articles as well on the one side as on the other First faith to God to beleeue his promises as Iohn 3.16 God so loued the world that hee hath giuen his onely begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him
and large possessions and make them for want of instruction and information in the waies of God the children of hell If we do no more but feed them and giue them meate and drinke what do we for them which we do not for the Oxe and Asse Or if our chiefest care be to cloth theÌ„ well and to apparell them warme what do we r 1 Tim. 5 8. which the Turks and Infidels do not as well as we Haue not they as great a portion in this as we but our obedience to the wil of God and duty to our children must exceed theirs if we will enter Å¿ Mat 5 20. into the kingdome of heauen Whereby we see that they are greatly deceiued who when they haue made honest prouisioÌ„ for the sustenance and sustentation of their children in this world will say they haue done their part although they haue not taught them to know God these haue the greatest and chiefest account to make for their soules Now if this be a greeuous sinne to neglect the teaching of our children the feare of God then they increase and double their iniquity who by their corrupt example do leade them into euill and so murther their soules For children in stead of godly and religious instruction do oftentimes heare their fathers sweare swagger lye taile blaspheme and slander see them deale deceitfully and vniustly and marke their walking in euery euill way making their houses as it were an image and representation of Hell it selfe by practise of all manner of abhominations leading thereunto Lastly this doctrine is very comfortable vnto children Vse 8 themselues For howsoeuer they canot know or remember then owne baptisme yet they are to consider that they liue in a Church and among a people where infants are ordinarily baptized and sealed with the signe of the couenant of God Besides it is and euer hath bin A laudable customâ— of the Churâ—h whom God-fathâ—rs and God mothers of ancient time a laudable custome in the Church to haue special witnesses men of credite and estimation of euery childes and infants baptisme whom commonly wee call God-fathers and God-mothers The steps of this truth may be traced out if we consider u 〈◊〉 â— 1. â— â— what the Prophet Esay saith Chap. 8. where he declareth that so soone as his wife had borne him a son he gaue him his name which was done at circumcision and tooke two Parâ—nts no 〈◊〉 witnesses of thâ—â— ownâ— châ—ldrens baptisme faithfull witnesses Vriah and Zechariah to testifie the circumcision of his sonne and the solemne giuing to him of that name in the presence of the congregation And howsoeuer Vriah walked not with a right foot but turned aside from the pure worshippe of God to set vp the Idolatrous Altar after the fashion of Damascus to feede the fancy of Ahaz yet he was a man of reputation whose testimony was sufficient to assure the naming of the Prophets Sonne because the times to come would bee troublesome and full of many calamities For their children were named when they were b Gen 21 â— Luk. 1 59. and 2 21. circumcised as now our children are named when they are baptized So likewise the Church oftentimes lyeth vnder the crosse and is subiect to persecution as c Reuel 11 6. the woman driuen into the Wildernesse Reuelations 12 6. and so the baptisme of many members might many times be doubted off and called into question forasmuch as no impression abideth in the flesh as there did in circumcision the Churches haue thought it sit and conuenient to require certaine men to be as speciall witnesses of infants their bringing to Christ and to the Church by baptisme and of their names giuen them in their baptisme True it is there is no expresse commandement in the Scripture neither is it a thing in it selfe necessary to haue chosen witnesses which they call God-fathers to vndertake for the child Neuerthelesse it is commendable and not rashly to be reiected and refused For first it is not contrary to the Scriptures and the doctrine contained therein Secondly it hath bin a very ancient custome in the Church which seemeth to haue sprung from the baptisme of those that were called Catechumeni being as it were nouices and newly taught in the principles of christian religion These being asked concerning their faith did not onely make answere themselues but gaue witnesses sureties of their faith in imitation of whom it is now extended generally to the baptisme of euery one euen of infants Thirdly it containeth and commandeth nothing vniust or vnhonest or vnlawfull or any way inconuenient Fourthly it proceedeth from charity both of the fathers which chuse such God-fathers to bee an helpe vnto them in bringing vp their children and of such also as promise for them and in their name Last of all it tendeth vnto the good of the childe and of the whole Church Of the Childe when beside the parents who may depart out of this life and leaue their children young there are others as guardians and assistants to haue an eye ouer them who should not cease to call vpon them to learne true religion and to cleaue vnto it to the end Of the Church because by this meanes they that belong vnto it are better prouided for touching their education and instruction in the feare of God and their young yeares are more easily seasoned with the best things betimes So then we see that this custome is good and lawdable in it selfe so that there bee no abuse of it nor superstition in it nor matter of necessity vrged vpon it Seeing therefore children are baptized and haue by this meanes an assurance giuen them of their baptisme they haue a maruailous benefit bestowed vpon them that they so soone obtaine the partaking of Christ and all his benefits God worketh in the Children of the faithfull belonging to his couenant by waies vnknowne to vs as d Luk. 1 15.41 Iohn Baptist is said to be filled with the Holy-Ghost froÌ„ his mothers wombe and they are called e 1 Cor. 7 14. holy by the Apostle insomuch that they cannot perish whom God calleth some sooner and some later all in his owne appointed time as seemeth good to his heauenly pleasure The remembrance whereof when children come to age greatly comforteth them in the loue and feare of God when they call to mind that they are so greatly esteemed and highly regarded of God from the first comming into the world before they had the vse of speech of reason and of vnderstanding Christ Iesus shed his blood for them hee dyed for all the Children of God f Ioh. 11 52. Reuel 20 12. he redeemed them whether they be old or young small or great as Ioh. 11. He must dye not for that nation onely but should gather together in one the children of God which are scattered And the same apostle Reuel 20. saith I saw the dead both great and small stand before God
be the food of life Psal 81 16. Thirdly as this naturall life is sustained by bread so through Iesus Christ the bread of life our soules are nourished to a spirituall and eternall life Fourthly Psal 104 15. as the heart of man is strengthened and fortified by bread so the merit of Christs body doth sustaine support the soule to eternall life Gen. 18.5 Fiftly as bread slaketh the hunger of the body so the force and efficacy of Christs body doth asswage and alay the hunger of the soule Sixtly as bread profiteth such as are hungry Esay 58 7. Prou. 27 7. but doth no good to them that are already filled and glutted so the merit of Christs body bringeth a benefit to them onely that hunger after righteousnesse but as for such as are proud and puffed vp with a conceit of their owne righteousnes it yeeldeth no profit at all vnto them 1 Cor. 10 17. Seauenthly as the bread distributed and diuided among many is a signe of vnity and concord so the body of Christ offered vp for many vpon the Crosse is a pledge vnto vs of his loue toward vs and of the loue that ought to bee among our selues 1 Cor. 10 16 17. Lastly as one loafe is made of many graines so we that are many are become one mysticall body of Christ which are partakers of one bread Thus we haue seene a similitude and likenesse betweene the properties and effects of bread and of the body of Christ Reasons why Christ made choice of wine now let vs see wherefore Christ vsed wine and commanded it to be vsed after his owne example why he preferred it before all other things and what is the resemblance betweene it and the blood of Christ First of all as wine is the sweetest liquor proceeding from the Vine Iudg. 9 13. so the blood of Christ is the most pleasant drinke of the soule that was shed for vs and flowed out of his side who is the true Vine Ioh. 15 1.7 Secondly Prou 9 5. as wine doth quench the thirst of the body so the merit of Christs blood doth take away the thirst of the soule that it shall neuer thirst againe Ioh. 4. Thirdly as wine doth cheere vp the heart of man Psal 104 16. so the promises of Christ do cheere and refresh the soule Fourthly Prou. 31 6. as wine doth warme the body and make it more apt and fit to do businesse so the blood of Christ receiued by faith doth stirre vp and inflame the soule to all good motions and maketh vs more prompt and ready to euery good worke Fiftly as wine taketh away fearefulnes Prou. 23 32. and causeth men to be more bold and secure so doth the blood of Christ applyed to the conscience by faith assure vs of Gods fauour ease vs of the curse of the law and make vs constant in the confession of Christ Lastly Prou. 21 29 30. as wine putteth away the palenesse of the face and maketh the countenance shine so the blood of Christ turneth the colour of the soule into a comely hue which before was pale and wan through feare of death that is it quieteth the conscience Rom. 5 1. appeaseth the wrath of God and maketh vs gracious before him so that we appeare righteous and acceptable in his sight This being the plaine and euident truth let vs see the vses first such as concerne both the signes ioyntly and in generall then such as belong to each of them in seuerall and in particular To begin we learne from hence to acknowledge a difference betweene baptisme and the Lords supper in baptisme we haue one signe as the materiall part in the Supper we haue two signes e Why we haue two signes in the Lorâ—s Supper aâ—d only one in baptisme partly to note out our whole full and perfect nourishment in Christ hauing whatsoeuer is requisite for our saluation and partly to shew a fuller remembrance of his death for the wine which is a figure of his blood doth as it were present it and represent it before our eyes So then albeit the same participation of Christ and the same washing away of sins by his blood are sealed vp in baptisme and in the Supper yet the manner of sealing them in each is diuers Againe baptisme is a signe of our entrance into Gods Couenant the Supper is a sign of our abiding and continuing in that couenant Touching baptâ—sme it is sufficient for infants if they bee borne in the Church in the Supper the condition of examining our selues and remembring the Lords death is required They differ also in often celebration of them baptisme is to bee receiued but once onely in all our life because the promise once made is alwayes firme and forcible to such as beleeue and repent but the Supper is oftentimes to be receiued because an often renewing of that Couenant and calling it to our remembrance is necessary to increase and strengthen faith They differ also in the order which is to be obserued in the vse of them for baptisme is to be giuen before the Supper and the Supper may not be giuen to any except to such as are knowne to haue beene first baptized or are at least reputed so to be As first a Child is borne before he be fed so must Baptisme go before whereby our new birth is sealed then the Supper must follow after whereby our daily nourishment is declared and confirmed Lastly they differ in the signes there is onely one signe in baptisme which is the water but there are two signes in the Lords Supper to wit the bread and wine The second generall vse is that if Christ tooke gaue and deliuered the substance of the bread and wine then they must needs retaine their former nature their proper substance as well as their qualities as sight taste smell bignesse whitenes sweetnes rednes roundnes and such like properties But the Papists turne all things g Against the bare shewes of bread and wine and accidents without subiect vpside downe matter into forme substance into accidents creatures into shewes and subiects into things adioyned they bring in new shifts and fables against all diuinity philosophy reason sence and experience setting vp their owne inuentions and building Castles in the ayre Let them prooue the annihilation and remouing of the substance of bread wine away and the h Arist phis lib. 1. cap. 3. consisting of accidents without subiect which they are neuer able to do For as the water in baptisme remaineth in his nature and substance so do the bread and wine in the Lords Supper And albeit in both the Sacraments the signes be changed to a speciall vse yet are they not corrupted into shewes and turned into shadowes The heauens i Psal 102 26. shall be changed at the end of the world yet hence it followeth not that they shall be cleane abolished and consumed to nothing
which he commanded them to eate he calleth his body This appeareth by the testimony of g Mat. 26 26. Mar. 14 22. Luk. 22 19. the Euangelists and coherence of the words But he tooke bread and brake it therefore he gaue bread he commanded to eate bread he said of the bread This is my body Now if he tooke bread but brake it not or if he brake bread but gaue it not or if he gaue bread to his Disciples to eate but told them not this which he gaue them but some other thing beside that was his body the latter part of the sentence starteth from the beginning and the middle swarueth from them both Secondly the Apostle after the words of consecration doth oftentimes call it bread as 1 Cor. 11. As often as yee shall eate this h 1 Cor. 11.26 27 28. 1 Cor. 10 16. bread and drinke this cuppe yee shew the Lords death till hee come And againe Whosoeuer shall eate this bread and drinke the cup of the Lord vnworthily shall bee guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. And againe Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this cup. These men say it is not bread the Apostle saith it is bread whether of these we shall beleeue iudge you So in the former chapter he saith The bread which we breake is it not the communion of the body of Christ Likewise touching the other signe i Mat. 26 29. our Sauiour expresly calleth it wine after the thanksgiuing Mat. 26. I will not drinke henceforth of this fruite of the Vine vntill that day when I shall drinke it new with you in my Fathers kingdome This fruite of the Vine is wine therefore the substance of it remaineth Now if the bread had bin turned into the body or the wine into the blood of Christ and if the Apostle would haue spoken properly he should haue said As often as ye shall eate not this bread but this body of Christ vnder the forme of bread the blood of CHRIST vnder the forme of wine And againe He that eateth the body and drinketh the blood of Christ vnworthily And againe Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate and take in his mouth the very body of Christ his Creator But thus the Apostle hath not spoken neither could he so speake truely properly and fitly therefore we do truely properly and fitly conclude that there is no transubstantiation Thirdly Christ speaking of the cup saith Take k Luk. 22 1◠19. diuide it among you and of the bread he saith he tooke it and brake it But if the substance of bread be abolished or chāged into the body of Christ and likewise the nature of the wine turned into the blood of Christ there could bee no true distributing or breaking for the blood of Christ is not deuided into parts neither is his body broken Fourthly if the strength or force of transubstantiation depend vpon these words of institution This is my body This is my blood then there can be no reall change before these words be fully finished and pronounced to the end Therefore when they begin to say This is what is it What meane they I say it is Is it any other then bread wine by their owne confession til the words be ended So then these sentences shall not be true when they say This is my body this is my blood except they meane this bread is the body of Christ this wine is his blood wherfore bread and wine remaine their nature is not changed and altered Fiftly these words This is my body must be vnderstood as the words following This cup is the new Testament but the cup is not turned into the new Testament nor into the blood of CHRIST therefore the other words must be figuratiuely vnderstood not literally for there is one respect of them both neither can any reason be rendred why a figure should be admitted in the one part rather then in the other The 6. reason Christ is said to giue to his Disciples that which he said was his body If then this be properly taken we shall thereby make a proper Christ and make him a monster of two bodies as they also make the church a monster of two heads For so there must be one bodye which gaue and another body which was giuen But it is most absurd that he should giue and be giuen hold himselfe and be holden offer and be offered which differeth little from the l Theodoret de sabul haeretic lib 2. August de haeresib cap. 32. heresie of the Helcesaits who held ther were sundry Christs two at the least one dwelling in heauen aboue the other in the world heere beneath so these make Christ to haue a double body visible and inuisible a visible body sitting at the table and an inuisible body made of the substance of bread which as the papists hold was giuen to the Disciples as likewise they teach of the headship of the Church that one head is inuisible to vs in the heauens another visible to vs vpon the earth The 7. reason It destroyeth the nature of a Sacrament which standeth m Iren. lib. 4. cont haer cap. 34. of an earthly and heauenly part one outward the other inward one seene the other vnderstood one a signe the other a thing signified of which we haue spoken before booke 1. chap. 3. But if there be an actuall transubstantiation then the outward part is abolished and disanulled The 8. reason In baptisme the substance of water remaineth though it haue words of consecration and be made a Sacrament of our regeneration and therefore in the Lords Supper the bread and wine are not changed and done away vtterly The Scripture speaketh as highly n Mat 26 26 1 Pet. 3 20 21 of the one as of the other The ninth reason If bread be really turned into the body of Christ and the wine into his blood then the bodye and blood of Christ are really separated for the words are seuerally pronounced first of the bread then of the wine yea the soule of Christ should be separated from his body for the bread is turned onely into his body and not into his soule But his soule his body and his blood are not really separated So then if the bread be his very flesh and the wine his blood and the one really separated from the other then Christ must necessarily bee slaine afresh euery time the Supper is celebrated and we are found to be crucifiers of the Lord of life whereas it is contrary to the doctrine of the Scriptures that he should dye any more being ascended far aboue all principalities and set downe at the right hand of his Father The 10. reason If the bread be turned into his body indeed by force of a few words vttered by a Priest then the Priest should be the maker of his maker so euery massemonger should be preferred before Christ
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
to declare it to all the world that they wish Christ dead buried and forgotten for euer that the Bishop of Rome might with his shauelings rule and raigne as a God vp on the earth Can light and darknesse can heauen and earth fire and water sweet and sowre be more contrary then these vaine things to the institution of Christ Who neuer said keepe it in vessels hang it vnder Canopies carry it in processions l Orig in Leuit. hom l. 5. giue it to the dead lay it vp in their tombes bring it abroad in common iudgements but take ye eate ye drinke ye and by receiuing eating and drinking shew ye forth the Lords death vntill he come to iudgement to iudge the quicke and the dead This Sacrament is an holy feast an heauenly banket and therefore not to be hidden in a boxe as a light put vnder a bushell but to be set on the Lords Table for all his guests to feed thereon Againe if the substance and essence of this Sacrament Vse stand in the lawful vse of eating drinking then all eleuation holding vp of the Sacrament ouer the Priests head al adoration falling downe honouring it with diuine worship and calling the Sacrament m Guil. Alan de sacrific Euchar cap 41. Bristo moti 26. their Lord and God as it is destitute of all antiquity so it is full of grosse and palpable Idolatry For whereas it was accustomed to hold vp the armes offerings consecrated to God for the poore therby imitating the heaue-offering of the Iewes and stirring vp the people to the like charity and deuotion it degenerated to the lifting vp of the host and bread in the Sacrament So that where Christ saith take ye eate ye these bread-worshippers haue changed it into looke ye gaze ye worship ye giuing his glory to dumbe and senceles creatures True it is we confesse that the Sacraments as mysteries sanctified to an holy vse as vessels of Gods grace and as instruments fitted to worke great things are not to bee contemned or refused but to be receiued with due regard and to be vsed with all sobriety yea we confesse that Christ God man is to be worshipped euery where we honour his word we reuerence his Sacraments Notwithstanding n The Sacrament is not to be adored we put a difference betweene God and the Sacrament of God the same honour is not due to the one that is due to the other and therefore we cannot adore the Elements with diuine worship for many reasons First because Christ in the institution of his Supper said take eate drinke he said not worship fall downe bow the knees before the Sacrament and call vpon it in time of need We heard before in the case of vnleuened bread they appealed to the institutiō of Christ why do they now flye from it turning eating drinking into worshipping adoring Wherfore is it not a great iniquity wickednes to omit that Christ commādeth do what he commādeth not Secondly God only is to be worshipped with diuine honour o Mat. 4 10. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God him only thou shalt serue And Exod. 20. Thou shalt not bow downe to thē nor worship thē Now the Sacrā is not Christ it is an institution of Christ it is not God but an ordinance of God for God is not visible but the sacrament is visible that al may know it see it with their eyes the Sacram. is eatē but God cannot be eatē swallowed vp of vs p 1 Kin. 8 27. Acts 7 48 49. whom the heauens the heauens of heauens cannot containe or comprehend Thirdly Christ reproueth the Samaritans because They worshipped that q Ioh. 4 22. they knew not but the papists know not the body of Christ to be contained vnder the accidents of bread wine for the Scriptures haue not taught it Christ hath not deliuered it the Apostles haue not shewed it Besides they know not the Priests intent whereon they say the essence of the Sacrament dependeth so as if he had no purpose of consecration they cannot deny themselues to be Idolaters and bread worshippers Fourthly r Ioh 4 24. the true worshippers must worship God in spirit and in truth as Christ setteth downe Iohn 4 24. that is not according to our owne imaginations and deuices but as God hath prescribed but to fal downe to the Sacrament is a bodily seruice a new forged worship and an humane inuention Fiftly without faith no man can ſ Heb. 11 6. please God but faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God which yet they could neuer shew vnto vs therefore they can haue no assurance of pleasing God in their will-worship Sixtly if this Sacrament be to be worshipped then it is vnited personally to Christ because adoration should not be due to Christ as man except God and man in the vnion of person were one Christ but there is no personall vnion betweene Christ and the Sacrament of Christ therefore not to be worshipped Seauenthly no man in his wits and right mind will honour that with diuine worship which himselfe may take in his hand and eate with his mouth which may be deuoured by Mice Rats dogs wormes or other vermine for how shall that be adored as God that cannot defend it selfe from the teeth of men and beasts As Ioash answered t Iud. 6 31 32. Will ye plead Baals cause If he be God let him plead for himselfe against him that hath cast down his Altar Lastly seeing they adore Christ in the pixe where the bread is and in the chalice where the wine is why do they not likewise worship him in the Priest and in the faithful people euery man in his brother when they haue created and eaten him vp The same Christ that was surely inclosed in the pixe is by their doctrine really contained in the body of Priest and people whē they haue eaten and drunken their supposed sacrifice Why then adore they not the flesh of Christ after that it is entred into the mouth of man as wel as in the goldē boxe or in the golden chalice Nay why may he not be adored in the bodies of mice and vermine by them if it fall out that they eate vp their God Shall he be any where without honour Or will they worshippe him where they list and ouerskip him where they please Howsoeuer therefore Christ is to be worshipped yet we must take heed we worship not a piece of bread in stead of Christ which is most grosse and horrible Idolatry Vse 3 Moreouer if Christ command the bread to be eaten and the wine to be drunke then they are not to be offered vp to God the Father as is vsually wont to be done in the pageant of the Masse This is a deepe dungeon of iniquity and a monster of many heads u 〈…〉 turning the holy Sacrament into an vnbloody sacrifice for
Fathers appointing of his Son the Ministers blessing the Fathers separating and setting apart his Sonne to his office the Ministers deliuering of the bread the Fathers giuing of his Sonne If then wee draw neere to the Lords table with faith reuerence and repentance nothing can be more sure and certaine to vs then the taking and receiuing of Christ for when we receiue the bread from the Minister wee withall receiue the body of Christ offered by the hand of God the Father so that as we are assured of the one we need not doubt of the other Vse 4 Lastly the breaking of the bread pouring out of the wine and deliuering of them both into the hands of the Communicants seale vp these actions of God his chastising of his Sonne and breaking him with sorrowes vpon the Crosse for our redemption offering him vnto all euen vnto hypocrites and giuing him truely to the faithfull with all the benefits of his passion Indeed the Minister giueth the outward signes to all receiuers but God giueth and applyeth onely to the faithfull the shedding of Christs blood for the daily increase of their faith and repentance But heere it may be obiected Obiection that not a bone of him was broken t Exod. 12 45 as it was figured by the Passeouer and performed at his passion the verifying and accomplishment whereof we reade Iohn 19 36. I answere Answere there is a double breaking of Christ one corporall whereof the places before doe speake the other figuratiue whereby is vnderstood u Esa 53 4.5 hee was tormented and euen torne with paines as Esa 53. He was wounded for our transgressions and broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes we are healed Lo what is meant by the breaking of the bread his soule was tormented his spirit was crushed his hands and feet were pierced he sweat drops of Water and blood and cryed out aloud vpon the Crosse My Maâ— 27 46. God my God why hast thou forsaken me Wherefore let these rites be rightly marked and obserued of vs for our comfort and consolation Let vs when wee see the bread broken and wine poured out meditate on the passion of Christ how he was wounded and torne for our transgressions Although not a bone of his body was broken in pieces yet hee was broken with afflictions bruised with sorrowes and tormented with bitter anguish of his soule by whose stripes we are healed by whose condemnation we are iustified by whose agonies we are comforted by whose death we are quickened Whosoeuer resteth in the outward workes done before his eyes neuer attaineth to the substance of the Sacrament Thus much of the first inward part CHAP. IX Of the second inward part of the Lords Supper THe second inward part is the a The second inward part of the Lords Supper is the holy Spirit holy Spirit who assureth vs of the truth of Gods promise As we haue in the word of truth the forgiuenes of sins increase of faith groweth in sanctification a great measure of dying to sin and a greater care to liue in newnes of life promised vnto vs so doth the Spirit worke these things b Rom. 8 15. Gal. 3 2 5. in the hearts of all the faithfull This appeareth in many places Rom. 8. Ye haue receiued the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father the same Spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God To one is giuen by the Spirit the word of wisedome to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit to another is giuen faith by the same Spirit all these things worketh one and the selfe same Spirit distributing to euery man seuerally as he will So then as we are weake in faith and slow to beleeue so wee haue the Spirit giuen vnto vs to helpe our infirmities and to open our hearts to receiue the promises For the Lord Iesus raigning continually in his Church and performing the office of a Prophet doth make the words of his Ministers liuely by his Spirit in our hearts and causeth them to be of perpetuall force and efficacy assuring vs of his promises made vnto vs and vniting the signe with the thing signified This truth being cleared the vses offer themselues Vse 1 to be câ—nsidered And first of all inasmuch as the Spirite worketh these things in the hearts of all the faithfulll from hence we gather that such as neuer finde any change or renewing of the minde or reformation of life after the receiuing of the Sacraments may iustly suspect themselues whether euer they had faith or not and whether euer they repented or not and therefore ought to vse the meanes to come by faith and repentance For the worke of the Spirite accompanieth the outward worke in the elect of God as also we see in the hearing of faith preached he must open the heart that is closed vp before wee can receiue with meekenesse c Iam. 1 21. the word of that is grafted in vs which is able to saue our soules Indeed euery person present may heare the words of institution may see the wine poured out may eat of that bread and drinke of that cup as they may also heare the sound of the voice that commeth vnto them but the whole force effect and power resteth onely in the Spirit of God sealing vp the truth and substance of those things in the hearts of all the Children of God Vse 2 Againe seeing these things are done and performed by the working of the Spirit they are confuted and conuinced that thinke they cannot be made partakers of the body and blood of Christ and be vnited to his flesh vnlesse his body be shut vp vnder the accidents of bread and shewes of wine and so his flesh be giuen vnto vs carnally that we may eate him with our mouths and conuey him into our stomackes But we see heere the Holy-Ghost is the bond of this vnion he worketh in vs faith which pierceth the heauens and layeth hold on Christ It is said of Abraham the Father of the faithfull that d Ioh. 8 56. he reioyced to see the day of Christ he saw it and was glad For as we cannot see him with our bodily eyes nor heare him with our bodily eares nor touch him with our bodily hands no more can wee taste or eate him with our bodily mouths By the hand of faith we reach and apply him by the mouth of faith we receiue and eate him Let vs beleeue in Christ and we e Aug. tract in Iohn 26. 27. haue eaten Christ let vs not prepare our teeth and our belly but a liuely faith working by loue Wherefore albeit the humane nature of Christ goe not out of the highest heauens yet we that liue vpon the earth are partakers of his bodye contained in the heauens and his flesh and blood are communicated to vs as truely and effectually as if he were there
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
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
popish Schoole-men k Thom contra gent. lib. â— cap. 84 â—nâ— lib. 2 â—a 25. confute this popish fancy of the reall presence when they teach that God cannot doe any thing wherein a contradiction is implyed and that al other things he can do and therefore is omnipotent Now who seeth not that heerein is a manifest and notable contradiction that Christs body is made visible and inuisible together finite and infinite circumscribed and vncircumscribed to haue dimension and to want dimension to be coÌ„passed in one certaine place and to be in a great number of Sacraments in many places to be included in a litte bread on earth which is contrary to the nature of a mans true body and not to be contained therein as sitting in heauen and there hauing the naturall properties of a true body which cannot be brought within so narrow a compasse as the waâ—er-cake Wherefore the absurd conceit of the reall presence cannot be maintained without many contradictions For if Christs body be visible how can it bee inuisible If it haue all the properties of a naturall body how can it be without the properties of a naturall body If it be finite how can it be infinite Lastly if it be an inseparable and necessary adioynt to a true body to be contained in one certaine place how then can it be true that his body is in ten thousand places without any circumscription So then Gods omnipotency cannot build vp the moÌ„strous worke of the reall presence inasmuch as the body of Christ cannot be brought within the slender compasse of a piece of bread without falshood and destruction of all the properties incident vnto a true and naturall body Obiection 4 Lastly as an effect of Gods omnipotent power they obiect the bread and wine are turned into the flesh and blood of Christ appearing bread and wine still by a wonderful miracle which is wrought by the words of consecration and by a mighty worke of God This obiection hath beene sufficiently answered already Answere Wee haue proued that euery miracle may bee seene and discerned by the outward senses as the miracles of Moses of the Prophets of Christ and the Apostles and therefore the I wes said vnto Christ l Ioh. 1 18. Shew vs a miracle teaching that miracles are to be iudged by sight and sense When Moses turned m Eâ—o â—â— c the waters of the Egiptians into blood the sight perceiued the taste discerned it The miracles n Ioh. 2 9. of Christ appeare euidently and were apprehended by the senses of the body He turned water into wine the taste iudged thereof ' the dumbe spake the eare heard them speake The lame walked the dead were raised the eyes perceiued the motion all maruelled and were astonied In like manner if the bread and wine were changed either the eye or taste should perceiue it and all the Disciples would be astonied Againe after the Gospell was plentifully confirmed and had taken roote and the Apostles were dead such miracles ceased as experience teacheth Besides the holy Supper is an ordinary Sacrament of the Church but euery miracle is extraordinary or else it is no miracle so that vnlesse we will turne ordinary into extraordinary and make miracles as common as Sacraments o No miracle in the Lords Supper we must remoue miracles from the Supper Furthermore if the real presence were wrought by a miracle euery Priest should be a worker of miracles wonders and an ordinary calling should alwayes bee accompanied with extraordinary guifts But their office of Priesthood hath not this guift in their owne iudgement generally giuen vnto it Wherefore miracles being p Chrysost in 5. Cor. ca. 2. hom 6 now ceased are not found in the Supper Lastly Augustine gathering all the miracles written in the Scripture q Aug. de Trin. lib. 3. cap. 10. yet speaketh not of this nay he not onely omitted it but flatly denyeth any miracle to be in the Sacrament when hee saith It may haue honour or reuerence as an holy thing but cannot be wondred at as a strange or miraculous thing If then it be a miracle it must bee in the number of lying miracles spoken off by the r 2 Thes 2 â— Apostle so that transubstantiation and the reall presence are reall contraries or contradictions repugnant to the Scripture to faith to reason to learning to sense to nature to Gods ordinance absurd and impossible and therefore of all Gods people to be abhorred and abiured being a renewing of the olde heresie of Å¿ The errors of Eutiches Marcion Eutiches who held that Christs body after his incarnation was made equall with his diuinity and likewise of Marcion who held that Christ appeared not in the very natural body of a man but onely in a fantasie or shew of a mans body To conclude this vse we do not exclude all presence of Christ out of the Sacrament but distinguish the manner of his presence which we haue shewed to bee in the Supper truely not grosly effectually not fleshly spiritually not bodily sacramentally not carnally mystically not naturally The former vse was touching knowledge and faith instructing Vse 2 what to hold of the reall presence The next vse is touching our obedience and duty For is Christ the chiefe substance of this Sacrament and his body and blood giuen vs for the food of our soules a guift farre aboue heauen and earth Then we are bound to hunger after him to desire him with an earnest appetite and desire as wee come to our meate and drinke Hunger is a great thing and we say it maketh men leaâ—â—e ouer a stone well he that is hunger bitten will eate his owne flesh from his armes In this corporall hunger then are two things that pine and pinch men first a paine in the lower part of the belly arising from emptinesse Secondly an exceeding appetite to be filled and satiâ—fied such haue t Deut 28.53 57. killed dressed and deuouted their owne children rather then they would starue King 6 29. Lam 4 10 this paine hath beene so great this longing hath bin so extraordinary So must it be with vs in the spirituall hunger after Christ we must be inwardly pained in soule for sinne and for the wrath of God kindled for our sinne and then haue an hungring desire longing appetite that we may possesse Christ and lay hold on him to our saluation Whosoeuer commeth to his ordinary meat without hunger it were better not to eate it ingendreth grosse and euill humors and bringeth a surfet to the body So whosoeuer desireth not Christ with an hungry soule earnestly longing after him and crauing nourishment from him cannot be filled with good things The want of this hunger is a cause why so few receiue Christ and profit not by the meanes ordained to that end as the word and Sacraments these come to them of custome rather then with conscience and for fashion rather then with faith
plenty of outward things that haue poore and leane and staruen soules like to perish and pine away The wise man saith Prou. 29 18. When vision faileth the people perish and Christ chargeth Peter againe and againe to feed his sheepe and his Lambes to wit Ioh. 21.15 with wholesome doctrine of the word and sound nourishment by the Sacraments For the soule hath need of meat and drinke as well as the body and doth oftentimes decay and dye eternally for want of this spirituall food as well as the body doth through the want of temporall food 1 Sam. 30 12 This hath made the faithfull from time to time acknowledge that there is no bodily food so sweet so delicate so delightsome and so to be desired as the immortall food of the soule The Apostle saith All flesh is as grasse 1 Pet. 1 24 25 and al the glory of man as the flower of grasse the grasse withereth and the flower thereof falleth away but the word of the Lord endureth for euer c. The Prophet Dauid declareth as much Psal 19. Psal 19 10. The iudgements of the Lord are more to be desired then gold yea then much fine gold sweeter also then hony and the hony-comb And Psal 84. Psal 84 2. My soule longeth yea euen fainteth for the Courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh cryeth out for the liu ng God Likewise in another Psalme Psal 41 1 2. As the Hart panteth after the water brooks so panteth my soule after thee O God Wherefore we ought all of vs to bee more carefull to seede our soules then our bodies and to frequent with great desire and delight the heauenly and precious feasts that are kept and solemnized in the house of God We are content to take long walkes wearysome iournies great paines to feed our hungry bodies Gen. 42 1 2. as we see by the example of Iacob and his sonnes in the time of famine God hath richly prepared his Table for vs and giuen vs his owne and onely Sonne to be meat indeed and drinke indeed howbeit it is not made ready for such carrion-creatures as hop below vpon the earth and minde onely their backe and belly but it is furnished for Eagles that flye vp aloft to heauen and minde especially spirituall things Woe then to the fearefull negligence or rather open and odious contempt of many dissolute professors that come sildome to the Lords Table some once a yeare some scarce so often if they could tell how handsomely to shift it off and to couer their fault that they might not be espied some cut off themselues quite and cleane from the house of God and the place of his worship Let all such take heed least when they would enter into the kingdome of heauen they bee shut out and cut off from Gods mercy for euermore Thus then we see that so often as we resort to this Sacrament we must call to minde that we are going to a spirituall feast appointed to feed the soule and not to fill the body He that tasteth of this banket aright hath eternall life Iohn 6.54 Now such as the meat and drinke is such also is the manner of eating and drinking the meate is spirituall the partaking of it therefore must needs bee spirituall For the flesh of Christ which is meat indeed and the blood of Christ which is drinke indeed hath the consideration of meate and drinke not as it is flesh and blood or in regard of the substance thereof for so it should be corporall food but as they were giuen for the life of the world inasmuch as he suffered for all the elect of the whole world Hee suffered the most bitter death of the Crosse and was as it were broken with paines that cannot bee expressed hee sweat drops of blood in great measure Math. 26.31 and 27.46 Mat 26 31. 27 46. and complayneth that he was forsaken of God and men his Soule was exceeding sorrowfull euen vnto death Reuel 19.15 Reuel 19 15. and he trod the wine-presse of the fiercenes and wrath of almighty God If the Church did lament and complaine thus Lament 1 12. Lamen 1 12. Haue ye no regard O all ye that passe by the way Consider and behold if euer there were sorrow like my sorrow which was done vnto mee wherewith the Lord did afflict mee in the day of the fiercenesse of his wrath much more may Christ renue this complaint to whome it doeth more fully and fitly agree then vnto any other for he was in such great distresse as neuer was any and in that distresse he had no man to regard him no man to pitty him no man to comfort him no man to care for him Now whereunto tend al these his sorrowes and sufferings but to make vs a feast of his owne flesh For all this he endured for our sakes that he might bee made a most pleasant meat to refresh vs and a most comfortable drink to quicken vs according to the testimony pronounced from his owne mouth Hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath eternal life Ioh 6 54. which he hath giuen to death for the life of the world Seeing therfore Christ Iesus hath done so great thinges for vs shall we doe nothing againe vnto him Or rather shall we doe nothing for our selues Shall we absent our selues from the feast that he hath furnished And will wee not taste of the meate which he hath prepared at so deare a rate Doubtlesse we deserue to perish for euer and are worthy to haue our soules famished vnto death that refuse to come to his holy Supper And if we will not suppe with him heere in his Church he will neuer suppe with vs heereafter at his Table If we will none of his banket prouided on earth we shall be sure to bee shutte out of his banket that hee will make in heauen And if we will not bee his guests to eate the bread of the LORD set foorth for them that will receiue it wee shall neuer eate breade in his heauenly kingdome Thus much of the third inward part of this Sacrament to wit the body and blood of Christ CHAP. XI Of the fourth inward part of the Lords Supper THe last inward part of this Sacrament of the Supper remaineth which is the a The fourth inward part of the Supper is the faithful receiuer faithfull and Christian receiuer As euery Communicant sensibly and outwardly taketh the bread and wine giuen vnto him eating the bread drinking the wine for the nourishment of his body so the faithful receiuer apprehendeth and layeth hold on Christ by the hand of faith and applyeth him particularly that the feeling of his true vnion with Christ may daily be increased b Ioh. 1 12. according to that saying Ioh. 1. As many as receiued him to them he gaue prerogatiue to be the Sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue in his
his priuate and secret prayers Lu. 18.13 Thirdly we maintaine the confession made to the Church when any person hath openly offended the Congregation by any notorious crime and is for the same excommunicated This doth testifie the conuersion and repentance of such as haue fallen Lastly we teach that confession ought to be made to our neighbour for the offences which we commit one against another when wee haue vpon any occasion wronged and offended him and therefore our Sauiour saith Math 5. Mat. 5 23 24. If thou bring thy guift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leaue there thy guift before the Altar and go thy way first be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy guift These kindes of confession we confesse and beleeue but what maketh all this for the whispering confession vsed in popery and iudged to be necessary to saluation A tirrannous law binding vs to reckon vp euery one of our sinnes in the eare of a Priest as if forgiuenesse of our sinnes stood in this Whereas we say and are not afraid to auouch that this confession pressed vpon men to be made of all sinnes to a popish Priest vpon paine of damnation is no better theÌ„ another Inquisition Would wee then know what this shrift is and how to esteeme of it and what effects it worketh It is the mocking of God What popish shrift is the inuention of the diuell the pride of the Clergy the pick-pursse of the people the racke of the Conscience the shame and reproach of the offender the bewrayer and discouerer of the secrets of Princes and states the piller of popery the ape of repentance the nurserie of despaire the cherisher of vncleannesse and to be short the bawd of all sinnes It getteth a pardon for all that is past it giueth free passage for such as are present and purchaseth a priuiledge for them that are to come Thus sinne is made no sin it is a light matter that no man need to trouble himselfe for it for asmuch as the Priest may pardon him with a word speaking Wherefore albeit this institution be ful of humane wisedome and policy for the vpholding and strengthning of the kingdome of Antichrist yet there is no title in the word of God to prooue it or confirme it I confesse indeede it was a custome sometimes in the Church of Constantinople Sozomen Eccl â—â—â—â—ter lib. 7 cap. 17. but when it hapned that a noble matron was dishonoured and dishonested by a certaine Deacon of vncleane life Nectarius the Bishop of that place by the consent of others did abolish it out of the Church VVhat would he haue done if hee had liued in the times and places of popery where such examples are not straunge but common If one fast were of sufficient force to thrust it out of that Church doubtlesse many hundred presidents that might bee produced not inferiour vnto it ought to serue as a whip to whippe and scourge it out of other Churches and as a strong barre to keepe it out for euer that it neuer get footing and enâ—rance into it againe Hence it is that the Church remained in the liberty of Confession twelue hundred yeares and had no snare to intangle the conscience laide vppon it vntill the Councell of Lateran in which the law of auricular Confession was first of all inacted whereby it is come to passe that they haue secret intelligence of all secretes for by this occasion they know the hearts affections and dispositions of all persons and by this meanes they finde an easie way to enrich that couetous and ambitious See with the riches and reuenues of the world and by them both ariseth a twofold benefite because both they knowe howe to shift for themselues and to preuent a mischiefe before it come vpon them But to leaue these wee exhort men to make Confession of their sinnes to GOD the onely beholder of our thoughtes and heartes who hath promised to forgiue them and will neuer vp-braide vs with them And herein wee doe no otherwise then the holy and ancient fathers of the Church did before vs who send the people from men to God from the earth to heauen from the fellow seruants to the common maister of all It was well sayed of Augustine What haue I to doe with men Confess lib. â—0 cap 3. Curiosum genus ad cognoscendum vitam alicitaâ— that I should make confession to them as if they could heale all my sores It is a curious kinde of people to search into other mens liues but most slothfull to reforme and amend their owne The like we might say of Chrysostome who is plentifull in this argument I doe not compell thee to confesse thy sinnes to others And againe If thou be ashamed to confesse them to any man because thou hast sinned say them dayly in thine owne soule Homil. 2. in Psal 50 ser de poenit Hom. 4. de Laza I doe not bid the confesse them to thy fellow seruant who may cast them in thy teeth but confesse them vnto God who is able to heale them In another place hee sayeth Why should we be ashamed to confesse our sinnes that he may pardon them Doth God therefore commaund them to be confessed that after the manner of men he might punnish vs Hee doeth it not to punnâ—sh vs but that he might pardon vs. I will alledge one testimony more and then conclude Homil. de incomprehens natura dei I doe not leade thee as it were into an open stage of thy fellow seruants I doe not compell thee to vncouer thy sinnes to men vnfould thy conscience before God shew thou thy woundes to the Lord the best Physitian and craue of hâ—m to heale them Thus ought we to do let vs fly to God when we want helpe who is the God of all mercy and the father of all consolation And when wee minde to come to the holy Communion of the body and bloud of Christ let vs not think to fit our selues vnto it by a foolish numbring vp of our sins to men but not to God of custom but not of conscience by obseruing the traditions of the Church but not by seeking to obtaine pardon of our offences The order which we ought to obserue in the examination of our selues is laid downe vnto vs in the Chapters following Thus much touching the first reproofe The second reproofe 2. Reproofe serueth to condemne all such as are very precise and curious in searching into the liues and conuersations of others that say stand aparte and come not neere me for I am holier then thou These abstaine from the Communion becauâ—e of the presence of euill men and cannot be perswaded to take the Supper with them Such as are of the separation reprooued for not ioyning with vs in the worship of God In the former part of this Booke we haue answered sundry obections which sundry persons alledge for
despaire on the other side but to beleeue which is seated in the middest is supernaturall To haue a dead faith commeth of our selues but to haue a liuely faith proceedeth from God to whome we ascribe all glory and praise Now the proper office and function of this iustifying faith standeth in apprehending receiuing and laying hold vppon Christ and all his benefites Euen as the hand stretched foorth layeth hold vpon a thing and pulleth the same vnto it so dooth faith apply the sauing promises of the Gospell to the soule as the Apostle teacheth Gal. 3. That the blessing of Abraham might come vnto the Gentiles through Iesus Christ i Gal 3 14 that we might receiue the promise of the Spirit through Faith Where he teacheth that we embrace and receiue the precious promises of saluation and forgiuenesse of our sinnes by faith beleeuing the same to belong vnto our selues The Scripture calleth Christ a redeemer indefinitely Iob calleth him his redeemer particularly Iob 19 25. I know that my Redeemer liueth The Scripture setteth out the Lord as the God of his Church Thomas vpon a speciall feeling of Christes sauour toward him l Ioh 22.28 acknowledgeth him to be his Lorde and God Iohn 20. Thou art my Lord and my God The Scripture propoundeth Christ as the Sauiour of his people the blessed virgin taketh this as spoken vnto her selfe m Luke 1 â—â— and accounteth him her Sauiour My spirit reioyceth in God my Sauiour The Scripture maketh Christ the Lord Protector of his church Elizabeth maketh a speciall Luk. 11 43. application thereof calling him her Lord. Luk. 1 Whence commeth this to me that the mother of my Lord should come vnto mee It is an Article of our holy and Christian faith to beleeue the forgiuenes of sins this must euery one beleeue this must euery one hold this must euery one apply o Math. 5 2. as Christ did to the sick man of the Palsey Mathew 9. Sonne be of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiuen thee It is the hardest thing in the world thus to beleeue whether we respect Christ or our selues An hardthing to beleeue It is an easie matter for a man when he neither knoweth nor feeleth the burden of sin to say he hath faith and beleeueth in Gods mercie but when Sathan shall sist him when his owne heart shall accuse him when sinne shall lye heauie vpon his soule when the vnsupportable and vnsufferable anger of God shall presse his conscience to the nethermost hell and the flame thereof consume his bones and turne his moysture p Psalm 32 4. into the drought of Summer if then he can stand vpright and build himselfe q Math 7 24. vpon the rocke when the floods come when the winds blow and beat vpon his house and when the ground shaketh vnder his seete this man with boldnesse and confidence may truely say and seale it vppe for an euerlasting truth My sinnes are forgiuen mee For if then he can comfort himselfe in his God and apply his gracious mercies to his owne faint heart and cry out r Iob. 13 15. Though the Lorde woulde kill me yet still will I trust in him this is the propertie of a sound faith against which the strongest gates of hell shall not preuaile This appeareth euidently vnto vs in the example of Abraham Å¿ Ro. 4 17 c who beleeued that of his olde weake withered and as it were deade body should spring children t Genes 1â— 5 like to the sande on the Sea shore and like the Starres of Heauen for multitude and that hee should haue a seede in whome himselfe and all the nations of the world should bee blessed If hee had consulted with flesh and bloode what Discourses might a naturall man alleadge to hinder the crediting of this promise yet he doubted not he disputeth not the matter but beleeued that the weake should bee made strong that the barren should be made fruitfull and a ioyfull mother of children that the dead should be made a liue to dwell with a family springing out of his owne body which was to reason as vnlikely and vnpossible as for a dry and dead tree pulled vp by the rootes to bud beare and bring foorth plentifull fruit So what can be more difficult and hard then for vs to beleeue and be perswaded that by the death of Christ we shall haue euerlasting life By his shame and dishonour we shall haue glory and praise That by his wounds and reproches we shal haue the curing and healing of our sores That by his agonies and bloody sweate we shall haue peace and rest By his condemnation we shall haue saluation Is not this after a sort in hel to see heauen In cursing to see blessing In humiliation to see exaltation In death to see life In condemnation to lay hold of saluation In feeling of sinne to beleeue the pardon of sinnes Lastly in our vnrighteousnesse and misery to be both righteous and accepted to eternall life and in the breach of the law to beleeue the fulfilling of the law This is indeed to haue the sauing faith u Tit. 1 1. of Gods elect And to say that this is an easie matter or a small thing is plainely to betray and discouer that we neuer knew what true faith meaneth For this faith let euery one of vs labour that we may a Gal. 2 20. specially and particularly apprehend the promises as the Apostle declareth Galathians 2. I am crucified w th Christ but I liue yet not I any more but Chrict liueth in me and in that that I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith in the Sonne of God who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me And againe b 2 Tim 4 â— I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith hence forth is laâ—d vp for me a Crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue vnto me at that day Where we see a speciall application to himselfe of the benefits of CHRIST and therefore it is not sufficient to beleeue that Christ came into the world that he was crucified died was buried rose againe from the dead and ascended into heauen for this is a generall faith this is the faith of the reprobates yea the Deuils know it and haue as great a part and portion therein as wee yet they tremble at the remembrance of their iudgement to come as Iames sheweth c Iames 2 19 Thou beleeuest there it one God thou doest well the deuils also beleeue and tremble There is more required of vs then to beleeue the histories and doctrine of the Scriptures to bee true and to make an outward profession of it to vnderstand and assent vnto the couenant of grace made by Christ that it is certain and shal be verified in the members of the church we must besides this generall and confused faith applie and appropriate vnto
our selues the promises of saluation Wee must not onely see them a farre off but feele them in our hearts Wee must beleeue not onely that Christ is a Sauiour but that he is our Sauiour and Redeemer Thus wee must euerie one of vs for his owne part make propâ—r to himselfe all the riches and graces that are in Christ Iesuâ— because in giuing himselfe to vs hee giueth all his benefiâ—s in that he is God he maketh vs after a sort d 2 Peter 1 4â— partakers of the diuine nature being heire of all things in heauen and earth e 1 Cor 3 22. and Lord of the world hee maketh all thinges ours whether life or death whether things present or thinges to com recouering in him the possession of those things which we lost â—n Adam being the beloued sonne of the father hee maketh vs acceptable and well-pleasing vnto him leading captiuity captiue and giuing giftes f Eph. 4 8. to men hauing Dominion ouer the diuell sinne hell the world the flesh and all our enemies he protecteth vs that they cannot ouerthrowe vs and hath g Reuelat. 1 6 made vs Kings and Priests to God euen his father in that he is happie and immortall he maketh vs partakers of his blessednesse and immortality When we shall seuerally and particularly apply all the actions and benefits of Christ our Lorde vnto our selues wee may boldly come to the Lords Table where we shall finde Christ and enioy him to our endlesse comfort knowing that we liue alwaies by faith but not alwaies by feeling Neither are we to abstaine and hang back from comming to the Supper nor to dispaire of our selues nor to bee too much cast downe when we feele sundry defectes and wants in our faith For h There are 2. degrees of true faith there is a weake and feeble saith which is yet a true faith as well as the strong faith There are two degrees of faith profitable to be knowne and comfortable to be considered The weake faith i what a weak Faith is is an earnest and vnsaigned desire to bee reconciled vnto God in Christ which willing desire in vs God accepteth as the deede it selfe he accounteth the desire of faith as faith it selfe the desire of reconciliation and forgiuenesse of sinnes by the death of Christ shall be auaileable to worke out our attonement and redemption The strong faith is a full perswasion assurance k What a strong faith is of the mercies of God when the faithfull can truly say with the Apostle Rom. 8 38 l Roma 8 38. 39. I am perswaded that neither life nor death nor things present nor things to come neither Angels nor principalities nor powers neither hetâ—hth nor depth nor any other creature shall separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lorde To this assurance we labour to come and in this assurance we endeuour to grow and to go on from saith to faith and from strength to strength vntill we learne to stand fast as it were vpon the battlements of heauen and to set the world at defiance and to treade the earth vnder our feete saying with the Apostle Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect Or who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ This is the greatest measure and highest degree of faith this is the top strength and full ripenesse of faith heere vnto wee are to striue and endeuour and neuer to giue rest vnto our soules vntill we be resolued and setled in our consciences that all our sinnes are assurredly pardoned and we accepted to euerlasting life This greatnesse of faith was in Abraham m Rom. 4 20 who was not weake but strengthened in faith being fully perswaded Hee that had promised was able also to do it All that liue in the bosome of the Church doe not attaine to this full measure of a perfect faith but euen as it is in the estate of the body we are Babes before wee come to be men of ripe yeares first we be weake before we be strong n 1 cor 3 1 â— first we are fedde with milke before wee can digest strong meate We see o Mar. 4 2â— Corne first in the grasse then in the blade before it come to the stalke and haue ripe corne in the eare There must bee in all things a beginning before there can be a proceeding to perfection The tree sendeth foorth his tender branches and putteth foorth his leaues before his fruite commeth So is it with euery Christian man and woman first they are babes in Christ and haue certaine seeds and beginnings of faith springing in them to eternall life afterward they grow from strength to strength from grace to grace from degree to degree p Roma 1 17. and from faith to fayth vntill they come to a full perswasion and assurance vvithout wauering q Psalme 23 6 which ariseth after many experiences of Gods manifolde mercies and fauours in the course of our liues as we see Psal 23. Doubtlesse kindnesse and mercie shall follow me all the daies of my life and I shall remaine a long season in the house of the Lord. Wherefore let vs not be dismayed discouraged when our faith is feeble for a feeble faith wil apply Christ as well as a strong faith it will drawe Christ home to dwell in our hearts r Ephes 3 17. through whom we shall not perish but haue euerlasting life He that had but a weak eie and a dim sight to behold the brazen Serpent in the wildernesse Å¿ Numb â— 1 â— was healed from the deadly stinging of the fiery serpents as well as he that saw clearly and perfectly afarre off He that hath but a leprous and sickly hand is able to holde that which is offered vnto it as well as a sound and strong hand So he that hath a little faith in the son of God shall neuer haue his saluation denied nor forgiuenesse of his sins kept from him if with an humble heart hee pray to God to haue them pardoned The Apostles beleeued that Christ was the Sauior of the world t Luke 24 â—5 yet they were ignorant of his death and resurrection which are the chiefe meanes of saluation and they are saide to be men of little faith So our Sauiour when the u Luke 17 5 6 Disciples had asked encrease of their faith declareth that if our faith be in quantity but as a graine of Mustard-seed it should be powerfull and effectuall seeing hee will not a Marke 2 23 quench the smoaking flaxe nor breake the bruised Reede but cherish the lost sparke and measure of grace giuen vnto vs from aboue This likewise was the faith of that Father whose childe was possessed with a dumbe and deafe spirit when Christ said to him b Math. 7 7 8 If thou canst beleeue all things are possible to him that beleeueth straight way he cried with tears