Gospell exclude no man vnlesse we exclude our selues Infidelity doubtfulnes and despaire are very grieuous sinnes and strike at the very hart of God We must vnder hope beleeue aboue hope with faithfull Abraham The mercies of God and the merits of Christs obedience are infinite higher then the heauens deeper then the earth broader then the sea stronger then the lawe mightier then the Deuill and greater then all the sinnes of the world Besides God doth measure the obedience due to him rather by the affection then by the action rather by the desire to obey then by the outwarde performance of it Moreouer when one sinne is forgiuen all the rest are likewise forgiuen euen as 〈◊〉 of one sinne bringeth with it repentance of all knowne sinnes For the giftes and calling of God are without repontance Last of al we admonish them to consider that grace and faith howsoeuer they may be smothered are neuer wholly taken away by sinnes of infirmity but thereby are manifested and magnified Touching their families we say vnto them call them before you exhort them to cleaue vnto god with full purpose of heart to loue him to walke before him in feare and reuerence and to serue him in righteousnes all the daies of their life gyue them charge to learne beleeue and obey the true religion and doctrine of saluation set downe in the writinges of the Prophets and Apostles God commended Abraham for this sayinge I knowe him that he will commaund his sonnes and houshold after him that they keepe the way of the Lorde to doe righteousnes and iudgement that the Lord may bring vpon Abraham that he hath spoken vnto him Dauid gaue Salomon his sonne a notable and right noble charge before he died speaking thus to him standing before him and before the princes and peeres of the kingdome Thou Salomon my sonne know thou the God of thy fathers and serue him with a willing mind for the Lord searcheth al harts and 〈◊〉 al the imaginations of boughts if thou seeke him he will be found of thee but if thou for 〈◊〉 him he will cast thee off for euer I each them that child-hoode and youth are vanity teach them to remember 〈◊〉 creator in the daies of their youth teach them to read the scripture and to practile in their liues and conuersations what they haue read and learned Instruct them to auoide idlenes to eschew euill company to giue themselues to prayer and hearing the preaching of the word Warne thy children to loue God to reuerence their mother and to loue one another Warn them to speake euill of no man and beware of taking Gods name in vaine Put them in minde that God is their father their creator their preseruer their redeemer their sanctiher yea their iudge that shall come to iudge the quick and the dead and reward euery man according to his workes We must all appeare before the iudgement seat of Christ that euery one may receiue the things which are done in his bodye whether good or euill Put them in remembraunce not to oppresse or defraud any man for the Lorde is an auenger of all such thinges who will not blesse euil-gotten goodes but send his cursse vpon them and they shall not prosper Admonish them to shew forth their faith by good workes and to shew mercy accordinge to their powers Lastly to honour their princes parents maisters and all superiors Thus we instruct men to liue and to die that dying they may liue with God in his kingdome Thus we annoint the sicke with precious balme that shall not breake their head and with the inward and inuisible oyle of Gods grace and mercy Thus we warne them to prepare the oyle of faith in their lampes and to keepe a good conscience toward God and man that they may with ioy and comfort depart in peace render vp their soules into the hands of god cheerefullie meeting the bride-groome and entring with him into his kingdome So then the people loose nothing by 〈◊〉 of the materiall oyle the want thereof being supplyed with exhortations admonitions reproofes consolations prayers and supplications more desired of the sicke and more auaileable for the sicke And thus much of extream vnction and the other forged Sacraments whereof some wanting the outward signe some the spirituall grace signified some the word of institution some the promise annexed and all of them the commandement of Christ and testimony of the scripture we cannot admit them for any Sacramentes and so we conclude that there are only two Sacraments of the Church vnder the Gospell which are Baptisme and the Supper of the Lorde The ende of the first Booke THE SECOND BOOKE of the Sacrament of baptilme being an honorable Badge of our Dedication to Christ containing the true doctrine therof overthrowing the errots of the church of Rome and deliuering the comfortable vse of this Sacrament to all the people of GOD. CHAP. 1. Of the Word Baptisme and what it is HItherto we haue spoken of the Sacraments in General togither with the partes vses and number of them now we come to the first sacrament which is Baptisme being an Honourable badge whereby we are dedicated vnto Iesus Christ This word in Scripture hath many significations First in the natiue and proper signification it signifieth to dippe to diue and plunge vnder water as Mat. 3 16. Iohn 3 22 23 Act 8. 38 39. Secondly to cleanse and wash any thing with water euen when this sacrament is not administred as Mark. 7 wher it is said the Pharisies did not eat except first they washed So Heb. 9 x the old tabernacle did consist in washings Thirdly it signifi th the Crosse afflictions myseries persecutions and inward vexations of the spirite as Luk 12 50. where Christ saith I must be baptized and how am I grieued 〈◊〉 I be baptized And 〈◊〉 12. 22. Are ye able to drinke of the cuppe that I must drinke of and be baptized with the baptisme that I shal be baptized withall Fourthly it is taken for a liberall and plentifull distribution of the graces and gifts of God as Act. 1 5. Iohn baptized with water but ye shal be baptized with the Holy-ghost within these few dates that is ye shall receiue a greater measure of the gifts of God then ye haue done before Fiftly the word is taken for the doctrine of Iohn which he deliuered before he administred the Sacrament of baptisme as Act. 18. 25. Where Apollos is said to be an eloquent man and mighty in the scripture knowing nothing but the baptisme of Iohn Lastly it is taken for the whole worke and action of the sacrament of baptisme as Math 28 19. Go vnto all nations teach and baptize them and in this last sence we are now to speake of it Let vs therefore see what this Sacrament is Baptisme is the first Sacrament whereby by the outward 〈◊〉 of the body with water once into the name of
inhritances how carefull and circumspect men are to passe them where they ought to be passed and in such courts and vnder such officers as are authorised for such purpose that there may be no error committed in the conueiance For whatsoeuer is done and passed before him that hath not his patent to warrant his practise is held to be void and frustrate by maisters of that profession In like manner it standeth vs all vppon 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 Thirdly this condemneth the abuse and prophanation of the Sactament of baptisme in the church of Rome where women midwiues and priuate persons without any commaundement of God nay contrary to his word take vpon them this part of the ministers office to baptize children which they haue receiued from the 〈◊〉 Marcion who gaue women power to baptize which Epiphanius teacheth the holy mother of Christ was not permitted to do Such then as vsurp this calling and approue thereof neuer knew 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 to saluation which many suppose that for this supposed necessity the ordinance of God should be broken and prophaned And a man may maruell why at such times they did not rather commit the mater to priuate men to baptize then to woman whose sexe is surther remoued from execution of this office not onely because they be vncalled and priuate men but euen because they' are women and thereby are wholly vncapable though otherwise qualified of any publike charge or function in the church they are commaunded to sit stil and to be quiet Besides if in time of this extreamety and necessity which is imagened it be permitted them to minister baptisme why should it not be 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 dignity of the one Sacrament being no lesse then the other and the excellency of the word being as great as of them both If then women may iustly be condemned when they shal presume to sit down in the chaire of Moses or to minister the Supper of the Lord they cannot be iustified if they vsurp to minister baptisme For shall we make a shamefull 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 is to 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 warrant to practise the one is no greater then to do the other Wherefore let all priuate persous and midwiues consider with the mselues the fearefull examples recorded in the Scipture of such as haue rashly presumed to prophane the holy offices of the church and how God hath often visited this great sin with grieuous iudgments sometimes with fire from heauen sometimes the earth opening her mouth sometimes with suddaine death and sometimes with the most filthy disease of the Leprosie whereby as by his voice from heauen he thundered downe vpon mens disobedience and so ratifieth this law of the necessity of a vocation 〈◊〉 calling for euer Corah Dathan and Abiram taking vpon them the priest-hood without a calling fire from heauen came downe consuming Corah and his company the earth also opened and couered Dathan and Abiram that they were swallowed vp aliue none of them died the common visitation of other men but God wroght a strange worke vpon them and altered the course of nature which ought to be a parpetuall instruction and direction vnto vs to teach vs not to peruert or euert that order which God hath established to continue in his church Hitherto belongeth that which is writen of Vzzah who was smitten with suddaine and vnexpected death only for that beyond the bounds of his calling he put forth his hand to hold vp the Arke which did shake and was ready to fal which was lawfull for the Leuites onely to meddle withal although his intent and purpose wer neuer so good so that if the vnlawful intruders vpon baptisme pretend cases of necessity heere seemed as great a necessity yea his mind and meaning was as good as theirs yet it displeased god because it was done without his word and warrant So Azariah was striken with Leprosie that he was a Leaper to the day of his death for that not being content with his kingly office he would take vpon him the priests office to burn incense vnto the Lord. These worthy examples of gods most feuere iudgements executed vpon the breakers of this ordinance ought to strike such a fear into our harts that we suffer not the sacred functions and offices of the church to be prophaned and to teach vs that euery one meddle only with the approued duties of his own calling And although God do not now thus execute iudgement from heauen and work strange things in the earth in extraordinary manner when his ordinances are broken yet the sin is not therby lessened nor the punishmēt mitagated nor the hand of God shortned but stretched out still though iudgement according to desert be deferred my rather the greater wrath is reserued for his aduersaries to the great day of account when al flesh shal appear before the throne of his glorious presence For if the prophaners of the sign 〈◊〉 sacraments of the old testament did not escape but were thus sharpely and seuerely punished our sacraments established by the lord Iesus are not of lesse value 〈◊〉 worthines so that the contempt of thē shal be visited with sorer iudgments And if god did strike with his reuenging hand priuatemen when they sinned in a abusing the sacramentes and spared not kings in the pride of their hearts how should women standing a degree 〈◊〉 off and barred from the office by a stronger bolt enter into the house at a window and not be accounted as theeues and robbers So that we conclude that the necessity of a calling is as great as the necessity of baptisme And thus much of the first outward part of baptisme namely the minister Chap. 4. Of the second outward part of baptisme THe second outward part of baptisme is the word of institution which is as the forme of the Sacrament as Eph. 2 26. Christ loued the church and gaue himselfe for it that he might sanctifie it and clense it by the washing of water through the word
of the new testament his priesthood is immortall and eternall he liueth for euer therefore the Popish priesthood is a plant neuer planted by the heauenly father the true husbandman and the popish priests were neuer called of God to sacrifice the body and blood of Christ he gaue vnto them no such authority therefore 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 trie it otherwise wee must take them for vsurpers and counterfait Officers in the cittie of God Ninthlie the Apostle teacheth that without shedding of blood is no remission But in the vnblodie 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 hee doth dailie satisfie for sinne for the end of his offering is to make satisfaction as Romaines 4. 25. He was deliuered to death for our sinnes and is risen againe for our instification And Gal 1 4. He gaue himselfe for our sinnes that he might deliuer vs from this present euill world But he doth not make satisfaction for our sinnes no more then now he dieth and riseth again for then Christ would not haue said It is finished nor the Apostle u He entered 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 all true christians are Priestes to offer vp their bodies an acceptable sacrifice to God which is their reasonable seruice of God and to offer vp a broken contrite spirit as 1 Pet 3 9. Ye are a chosen generation a royall priesthood and an holy nation And Reuel 1. He hath loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes in his blood and made vs Kings and priestes 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 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 the sinnes of the deade that are come to the ende of theyr daies Indeede we deny not but the Masse may be beneficiall to the rabble of Friers and sacrificing Priestes that make it gainefull to themselues who through their sale and merchandize of Masses dwell stately goe sumptuously fare delicately drinke wine in siluer and gold abound in pleasures and heape vp great aboundaunce of all riches shall we not now say the Masse is profitable But other profit of the Masses then these to the Masse-mungers we know none We know we find we feelethem otherwise many waies pernicious 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 deade and to be a propitiation for their sinnes For Christ sayde take and eat this is my body drinke ye this is my blood but the deade cannot take any thing offered vnto them they can neither eate nor drinke wherefore this supper being spirituall meat and nourishment for the soule cannot auaile the deade who are neither fed nor nourished Secondly it profiteth as much to be baptized for the dead as to receiue the Supper of the Lorde for the deade 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 living comming to receiue the Sacrament of the Supper cannot releeue the dead Thirdly there is no forgiuenesse of sinnes after this life we haue forgiuenes in this life or neuer Whatsoeuer is bounde on earth is bound in heauen Heere is the time heere is the place heere is the occasion offered to worke as the wiseman teacheth Ec 9 All that thine hand shall find to do do it with all thy power for there is neither worke nor inuention nor knowledge nor wisedome in the graue whither thou goest And Heb 3. To day if ye wil heare his voice harden not your harts Wherfore then is a sacrifice offred for the dead for whom there is no releefe no redresse no remission Fourthly it is vaine to offer for those that haue ended their daies and are already come to the ende of their race whose estate can neuer be changed The night commeth when no man can worke and Chapt 11 Are there not twelue houres in the day if a man walke in the day he stumbleth not because he seeth the light of this world If a man walke in the night he stumbleth because there is no light in him And Paule 2 Tim 4. I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my race I haue kept the faith from henceforth is laid vp for 〈◊〉 the crowne of righteousnes But this is the state of all the dead they are entred into iudgment they are not subiect to any chang Lastly if the sacrifice of the Masse could wash away the sinnes of the dead then the sacrifice of the Masse should surmount and exceede 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 sinne then his oblation and there should be another propitiation for the sinnes of the world And thus much of the popish idoll of the blasphemous masse Furthermore did Christ deliuer his last Supper to all his Disciples that were present Did none stand by and gaze on while other receiued Then heereby fall to the ground the priuate communions of the popish Church where al is deuoured by the priest nothing deliuered to the people For whereas the ordinance of Christ and ancient order of the church was for the minister and people to receiue the Sacrament together among them the priest accompanied with his boy to make answer receiueth the sacrament himselfe alone without distribution made to others yea although the whole congregation be present and looke vpon him whereby God is dishonoured the communion is abolished the people of God are there by depryued and robbed of al comfort How is this a feast which the priest prepareth for himselfe not for others receiueth by himselfe not with his bretheren he speaketh to himselfe and not to the assembly he vseth a strange tongue and no man knoweth what he meaneth the people is
23 1 Psal 15 3 Q what is the tenth commaundement A Thou shalt not couet Q what is forbidden and commaunded in this law A The first motions and lustes to sin before consent are forbidden and loue out of a pure heart and a good conscience is required Rom. 7 7 Q 〈◊〉 any man able to 〈◊〉 these commaundementes A No man is able to 〈◊〉 them Rom iii. xxiii i Ioh i 8 Galath iii Q In what estate stand we by meanes of the breach of the law A We are the children of wrath and euerlasting damnation Gal 3 x Q What is the second part of religion A Faith to beleeue whatsoeuer God hath set down in his word the sum whereof is contained in the apostles creed consisting of twelu articles Q what is the first Article A I beleeue in God the father almighty maker of heauen and earth Q what is the second Article A And in Iesus Christ his onely sonne our Lord. Q what is the third Article A which was conceiued by the holy ghost borne of the Virgin Marȳ Q what is the fourth Article A Suffered vnder Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried he descended into hell Q what is the 〈◊〉 Article A He rose a gaiue the third day from the dead Q What is the 〈◊〉 article A He ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hand of god the father almighty Q What is the seuenth article A From thence he shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead Q What is the eight article A I beleeue in the Holi-ghost Q What is the ninth article A I beleeue the holy Catholick church the communion of Saints Q What is the tenth article A I beleeue the forgiuenes of sinnes Q what is the eleuenth article A I beleeue the resurrection of the body Q what is the twelfth article A I beleeue the life euerlasting Q what are the 〈◊〉 points of this Creed A Two concerning God or concerning the church Q what consider you in God A The vnity and the trinity 1 Iohn 5 7. Q what beleeue you of the vnity A I beleeue that in substance there is one only true and almighty God 1 cor 8. 4 Deut. 6 4 Q what beleeue you of the Trinity A I beleeue that in one God there are three distinct persons the father the sonne and the Holyghost Math. 28 19. and 3 16. 17 Q what beleeue you of God the father A I beleeue that he is almightie and therefore hath made all creatures good and gouerneth all things wel Gen. 1 1 Nehem. 9. 6 act 4. 24 Q what beleeue you of the 〈◊〉 A I beleeue that we being borne dead in finnes he came into the world to be a mediatour betweene God and man 1 Tim 2 5 Q what meane you by a mediator A I beleeue that he was sent to reconcile vs to his father and his father vnto vs and so to make peace between God and man Esa 9. 6 Eph 2 16 Q What is required of a mediatour A Two natures Iohn 1 14 Heb. 5. 6 Q what are they A The diuine nature and the human nature Heb 2 16 Q what beleeue you of 〈◊〉 diuine nature A I beleeue that he onely is the naturall sonne of God and therefore God and our Lord Heb. 1 3 Q what beleeue you of his humane nature A I beleeue two things his entrance into the world and the things that followed the same Luke xxiiii xxv xxvi Q what haue we to consider in his entrance into the world A Two things his conception and his birth Q what 〈◊〉 you of his conception A I beleeue he was begotten by the myraculous power and working of the Holi-ghost Luke i 35 Math i. xviii Q what 〈◊〉 you of his birth A I beleeue that he tooke flesh and was borne of a virgine whose name was Mary Math. 1 xx Esa 7 xiiii Q what be the things that followed his entrance and comming into the world A two his fufferings and his glorie Luke xxiii xxv xxvi 46 Q what were his sufferings A Of two sorts in bodie or soule Q what were his sufferings in body A I beleeue that Pontius Pilate the iudge giuing sentence his hands and feet were nailed to a crosse and thereby dying his body was buried in manner as others were and lay for a time vnder the dominion of death Iohn xix xviii 1 cor xv 3 4 Actes xiii xxviii 29 Psal. xxii xvi Q what 〈◊〉 you of his sufferings in soule A I beleeue that he suffered in his soule the fierce wrath of his father kindled for our sinnes to deliuer vs from the curse of the law Luke xxii 44 Gal 3 xiii Q what things are to be considered touching his glory A Three things eyther his glory which is past or present or to come 1 Pet 3. xxi xxii act i. xi Q what beleeue you touching his glorie past A His resurrection and his assention act 1 2 3 Q what beleeue you touching his resurrection A I beleeue that although for a space his bodie laie dead in graue yet after three dayes he raised it vp and gaue it life againe Math 28 6 2 cor 13 4 Ioh x 17. xviii Q what beleeue you of his ascending into heauen A I beleeue that his body being vnited againe to his soule he was personallie taken vp into the heauens after that he had bene conuersant vpon the earth 40 dayes acts 1 9 Q what is his glory present A He sitteth at the right hand of the father Marke 16 19 Q what meane you thereby A I beleeue that his father hath aduanced him into the highest honour and hath committed vnto him the gouernement of all things in heauen and earth Heb. 1 3 Psal. 110. 1 Q what is his glory to come A He shal come from heauen to iudge the quick and the dead Math. 25 31 Act 1 xi Q what meane you thereby A I beleeue that in the end of the worlde all flesh shall appeare before him both of those that haue bene deade from the beginning of the world and of those also that then shall be liuing and that then as an vpright iudge he shall throw the wicked into perpetuall cursednesse and aduance the righteous to euerlasting blessednes Math 25 32 33 1 Thes. 4. 16. 17. Reuel 20. 12 xiii x iii. Q what beleeue you of the Holy-ghost A I beleeue that he is God proceeding from the father and the sonne and 〈◊〉 all the children of God Rom 8 xi Q what beleeue you of the Church A Two things first that there is one holy Catholicke church Secondly that there are 〈◊〉 giuen vnto it Math xvi 18 Q what meane'you by a chruch A The whole company of the faithfull seruants of God which euer wer from the beginning which also be now and shal be to the end of the 〈◊〉 of which number I beleeue that I am one Iohn 10. 16 Q why do you call it holy A because none can be 〈◊〉 to God vnlesse he
be holy and seperated from the prophane of the world 2 cor 6 xvi xvii Q what meane you by calling it catholicke A I beleeue that the church is not tyed to one time or place but spreadeth it selfe throughall nations vnder heauen whomesoeuer God shall cal act x xxxiiii Reuel 5. 9 Q what are the gifts giuen to the church A Two fold first in this 〈◊〉 secondly after this life Act 2 46 47 Q what be the gifts in this life A Two the communion of saints and forgiuenes of sins 1 Iohn 1 7 Q what means you by communion of Saints A I beleeue that howsoeuer the faithfull by distance of place are far seperated one from another yet there is such a mutual compassion and fellow-feeling each of others condition that they are a like both greeued and ioyfull at each others aduersity and prosperity Act. 4 32 1 cor x. i. 25 26. Rom. xii xv xvi Q what meane you by forgiuenes of sinnes A I beleeue that Iesus christ hath already suffred for my sins and therefore they shall be freely pardoned and the punishment of them forgiuen vnto me i. Iohn 2. i. 2 Psal. xxxii 5 Q what be the gifts bestowed on the church after this life A Two the resurrection of the body and life euerlasting i. cor xv 42. i. Thess. 4 xvi xvii Q what beleeue you of the resurrection of the flesh A I beleeue that the dead bodies of al such as haue dyed from the beginning of the world shall in the end be raised again and be vnited to their soules i cor xv xxii Li Q what beleeue you of euerlasting life A I beleeue that after the body and soule bee ioyned together againe in one person the godly shal go into euerlasting ioy and felicity and the vngodly shal be cast into endles 〈◊〉 and misery Dan xii ii Q Is it sufficient to haue that Faith which beleeueth these Articles to be true A No we must haue a iustifieng faith to apply them to our selues Phil. 3 8 9 Q what is that faith A Faith is a gift of God whereby we apply to our selues particularly the promises made to vs in christ Gal 2 xx act xv x xi Q what be the meanes whereby this faith is attained A They are two the be getting and the continual nourishing of it Eph 4 xi xii xiii Q what are the meanes whereby faith is first begun and hegotten in vs A The word 〈◊〉 Rom. x xiiii Q How is this faith nourished in vs and increased A By the same preaching of the word by praier and by the sacraments act 242 Q what is prayer A Prayer is a calling vpon God alone in the name of his son Iesus christ Ioh 〈◊〉 23 Q How many kinds of praier be there A Two petition and thanks-giuing Psal 50 15 1 Tim 2 1 2 Q Haue we no rule prescribed to direct our praiers by it A Yes we haue a forme of praier which christ taught his disciples commonly called the Lords prayer Math 6 9 Luk xi 1 2 Q What haue we to consider in this prayer A Three things the entrance the petitions and the conclusion of the prayer Q What is the entrance of the praier A Our father which art in heauen Q What meane you when you say our father A Heereby I beleeue he tendreth vs as a louing father doth tender his owne children and therefore is most ready and willing to heare and to help vs Math 7 xi Esa. 49 xv Q What meane you by this that he is said to be in heauen A I learne that because he is in heauen his power is almighty and therfore he is fully able to do vs all good Luk 1 37 Rom 4 21 Dan 3 xvii Q What consider you in the petitions A Two things First they are set downe Secondly they are considered by reason Q How many petitions are there set downe A Sixe Q How are these petitions divided A The three first concerne gods glory the three last petitions concerne our owne selues Q What is the first petition A Hallowed be thy name Psal 111 1 Dan 9 7 Q What do we desire in this first petition A We pray that the name of God may continually be vsed of vs in thought word and deed with all reuerence Psal 48 xi Q What is the second petition A Thy kingdome come Q What do we desire in this second petition A We pray that God throwing downe the kingdome of sin and Satan would raigne in vs by his word and spirit and hasten vnto perfection his kingdome of glory Reuel xxii 20 Q What is the third petition A Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen Psal. 40. 7. 8 Mar. 26 42 Q What do we desire in this third petition A We pray that the reueiled wil of God may be done willingly sincerely and readily by vs men on earth as the Angels and saints in heauen do it Deut. 29. 29 Psal 103 20. Q What is the fourth petition A Giue vs this day our daily bread Gen 28. xx 30. 8 Q What do we desire in this fourth petition A We pray not onely for a competent measure of all commodities seruing both for necessity and christian delight but also thar God wold blesse them to our seuerall vses Psal. 127 1 Leuit xxvi xxvi Q What is the fift petition A Forgiue vs our trespasses Dan. 9 5 8. 9. x xi Q What do we desire God in this petition A we pray that God would freely pardon our sinues committed against him and the punishments due vnto them giuing vs peace of conscience and iustifieng vs in his Son Psal 51 1 7 8 Q Why are these wordes added as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs A For two causes First as a reason to perswade God to forgiue vs seeing euen we which haue not a drop of his infinite mercy in vs are ready to forgiue such offences as are committed against vs. Luke xi 4 Secondly to assure our owne harts of forgiuenes at the handes of god if we from our harts forgiue our brethren Math 5 7 I am 2. xiii mat xviii 32. 33. 35 Q What is the sirt and last petition A Lead vs not into tentation but deliuer vs from euil 2 Cor 12. 7 8 9 Math 26. 41 Q What do we desire in this last petition A we pray not onely to be deliuerd from the power of Satan sinne and the world but also to be directed by the spirit of god in the wayes of true obedience i. cor x xiii Q How are these petitions strengthned and confirmed by reason A For thine is the king dome and the power and glory for euer Q What is the meaning of this strength of the reason A It containeth a thanksgiuing wherin the gouernment and ordering of al things to gither with the power and glory of the same is ascribd wholly and onely vnto the Lord 1 chron 29 xi Q what signifieth this word Amen in the conclusion of
acceptation of vs to be his children ioyned with the promise of his continuall fauor loue grace and protection as Ier. 31. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will make a newe couenant with the house of Israell and with the house of Iudah not according to the couenant that I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the Land of Egipt the which my couenant they brake although I was an husband vnto them saith the Lorde but this shall be the couenaunt that I will make with the house of Israell after those dates saith the Lord I will put my Lawe in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my people Be hold the indenture of couenants written by the finger of God wherein for better assurance he hath bound himselfe to forgiue our sinnes and promised to be our mercifull God And to the ende there might be a paire of these indentures interchangeably giuen each to other party the Lord by the hand of the Apostle hath drawne as it wer the counterpane of the former word for word expressed as it is in the Prophet so that we haue a pair of indentures of couenants to shew the stablenes of Gods counsel The 3 part of the couenant in respect of god is the promise of the full possession of the heauenly inheritaunce and of eternall glory after this life God shall wipe away all teares from their eies and there shall bee no more death neither sorrow neither crying neither shall there be any more paine for the first things are passed he that ouercommeth shal inherit al things Again to him that ouercommeth will I giue to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the Paraolice of God he shall not be hurt of the second death he shall haue power giuen him ouer the Nations and rule them with a rod of iron he shall be cloaethed with white array and I will not put his name out of the booke of life he shal be a pillar in the temple of God and shall go no more out I will grant to him to sit with me in my throne euen as I ouercam sit with my father in his throne Thus we see how God on his part by writinges and euidences promiseth to giue to his people remission of sins adoption of sons and possession of heauen he hath couenanted by word and by oth to perform these things neither is he as man that he should lie nor as the son of man that he shold deceiue These are great grāts of great blessings by our great god to the great good and comfort of his children For what greter blessings can ther be then being miserable sinners to be gratiously pardond being 〈◊〉 enimies to be freely accepted as sonnes being bondslaues and prisoners of hel we are made heirs of heauen and saluation Againe the couenant on our part requireth 3. conditions First faith to God to beleeue his promises God so loued the worlde that hee hath giuen his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish hut haue euerlastiug life Again let not your hart bee troubled ye beleeue in God beleeue also in me And with the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnes and with the mouth man confesseth vnto saluation for the scripture saith whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not be ashamed Secondly god requireth of vs loue towarde our brethren for seeing he hath shewed so great loue toward vs he exacteth loue of us again as Io. exhorteth Beloued let vs loue one another for loue commeth of God and euery one that loueth is borne of God and knoweth God heerein was the loue of God made in unfest among vs because God sent his onely begotten son into this world that we might liue through him beloued if God so loued vs we ought also to loue one another Thirdly he requireth as a necessary couenant to be kept on our part holines and true obedience throughout the whole course of our life and conuersation This is repeated and vrged in many places of the word of God when they said they would serue the L. their God and obey his voice Ioshua made a couenant with them the same day ioyning God and the people togither So also 〈◊〉 stood by the pillar and made a couenant before the L. that they shold walk after the L. and keep his commandements and his testimonies and his statutes withal their hart withal their soul. Likewse to the same purpose we read 2 Chron. 15. They made 〈◊〉 to seek the L. God of their fathers and whosoeuer wil not seek the L God of Israel shal be 〈◊〉 whether he be sinal or great man or woman Thus we see the conditions of the couenaunt both what hee promiseth to doe and what hee looketh for at our hands Hee requireth of vs faith loue and obedience to become his people if we will haue him to be our God All these three parts of the couenant are mentiioned and expressed This is his commandement that we heleeue its the name of his sonne Iesus Christ and loue one another as he gaue commaundement for he that keepeth his commaundements 〈◊〉 in him and he in him and hcereby we know that he adideth in vs euen by the spirit that he hath giuen vs. The vses of the seconde end of a Sacrament are first to beholde the exceeding loue of god to ward his people vnworthy of his fauour Can there be a greater loue then this Certainely such as know the great rigour of the Law the infinit Iustice of God and the heauy burthen of sin and feele god to arraigne them the law to endite them their consciences to accuse them and their hearts to condemne them do finde nothing sweeter then to be eased of that burden to be acquitted of that iudge and to be freed from that condemnation For of all burdens sinne is the heauiest of all afslictions it is the greatest of all paines it is the sharpest and often presseth downe to the gates of hell Wherefore such as feele gods mercy in their misery May cry out with the Prophet in the reioysing of their spirit Blessed is he whose wickednes is lightned and u hose sinne is couered Blessed is the man vnto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquitse Againe let euery one be carefull to keepe the former conditions of the Couenant which are to loue him againe and our brethren for his sake and to walke in holines and righ eousnes before him all the daies of our life Our sauiour Christ directing our loue to our brethren and teaching that the ftreames there of shoulde slow vnto our enemies she weth that if we loue them which loue vs the Publicans doe the same and if we be friendly to our brethren onely this is no singular thing Behold what loue the father
yet I saw neuer the righteous for saken nor his feed begging bread And againe Tast ye and see how 〈◊〉 the Lord is blessed is the 〈◊〉 that trusteth in him Feare the Lord ye his saints for nothing wanteth to them that feare him The Lyons do lacke and suffer hunger but they which seeke the Lorde shall want nothing that is good Loe how the man shal be blessed that feareth God not onely in his owne person but in his children inasmuch as our seed is no lesse dear to him then we are as Psal 115. He will blesse them that feare the lord both small and great the Lord will encrease his graces towarde you and toward your children And to the same purpose the prophet 〈◊〉 Chap 32. saith They shal be my people and I will be their God and I will giue them one heart and one way that they may feare me for euer for the wealth of them and of their children after them Let vs all rest in his words and rely vppon his mercifull promises He is not as man that he should lie nor as the sonne of man that he should deceiue He hath said he will be our God and the God of our seed that we leaue behind vs. Behold O Lord the words of thine own lips consider the promises that are gone out of thine owne mouth We know thou art true and faithfull in all thy sayings thou wilt not alter the things which thou hast written with thine owne finger on thee we wait and in thee we put our trust let it be vnto thy seruantes according to thy free promise and according to thy gratious couenant that we may feele the accomplishment thereof in our soules Seuenthly all parents are heereby to be warned and admonished that seeing the promise of forgiuenes of sinnes and the kingdome of heauen belongeth to their seede and consequently the signe and seale therof they must be carefull to bring them vp in the true knowledge and feare of God as Eph 6. Fathers prouoke not your chrildren to wrath but bring them vp in instruction and information of the Lord So Moses teacheth Exod 12 26 27. When their children should aske them touching the paschall lambe that then it is their duty to declare and deliuer to them the true cause and occasion thereof Likewise so often as we consider how our children are by grace accepted by baptisme consecrated vnto God and 〈◊〉 made heires of life and saluation it standeth vs vppon to plant and water the sauing knowledge of Christ Iesus in them For what should it profit vs to leaue them great riches and large possessions and make them for want of instruction and information in the waies of God the children of hel If we do no more but feed them and giue them meat and drinke what do we for them which we do not 〈◊〉 the Oxe and Asse Or if our chiefest care be to cloth them wel and to apparrell them warme what doe we which the Turkes and infidels do not as wel 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 exceede theirs if we will enter into the kingdome of heauen Whereby we see that they are greatly deceiued who when they haue made honest prouision for the sustenance and sustentation of their children in this world wil 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 lead them into euil and so murther their soules For children in steade of godly and religious instruction do oftentimes heare their fathers sweare swagger lie raile and slaunder see them deale deceitfully and vniustly and marke their walking in euery euill way making their houses as it were any mage and representation of Hell it selfe by practise of all manner of abhominations leading therevnto Lastly this doctrine is very comfortable to children themselus For howsoeuer they cannot know or remember their 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 of auncient time a laudable custome in the church to haue speciall witnesses men of credit and estimation of euery childes and infants baptisme whome commonly wee call God-fathers and God-mothers The steps of this truth may be traced out if we consider what the Pprophet 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 faithfull witnesses Uriah 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 Uriah walked not with a right foot but turned aside from the pure worshippe of God to set vp the idolatrous Alter after the fashion of Damascus to seede 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 woulde be troublesome and full of many calamities For their children were named when they were 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 the Woman driuen into the Wildernesse Reuelations 12 6 and so the baptisme of many members might many times be doubted of and called into question forasmuch as no impressionabideth in the flesh as there did in circumcision the Churches haue thought it conuenient to require certaine men to bee as speciall witnesses of infantes their bringing to Christ and to the church by baptisme and of their names giuen them in their baptisme Seeing therefore children are baptized and haue by this meanes no assurance giuen them of their baptisme they haue a marueilous 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 Iohn Baptist is saide to be filled with the Holy-ghost from his Mothers 〈◊〉 and they are called 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 worlde before they had the vse of speech of reason and of vnderstanding
of all the partes and people but reading and praying in a strange tongue doe not edifie and profit the hearers as 1 Cor. 14 26 Let allthings be done to edisieng and verse 14. I speake languages more then ye all yet had I rather in the Church to speake fiue words with mine vnderstanding that I might also instruct others then ten thousand words in a strange tongue for how then should he that occupieth the roome of the vnlearned say Amen at thy giuing of thankes seeing he knoweth not what thou sayest Wherfore except we know the meaning of the words we shall be to him that speaketh Barbarians and 〈◊〉 that speaketh shall be a Barbarian vnto vs. Euen the learned languages of Greeke and Latine not in themselues but in regard of the hearers that vnderstand them not are barbarous For the Apostle doth not heere like an Orator distinguish the tongues and shew which are 〈◊〉 and rhetoricall in themselues and which rude but holdeth euery tongue barbarous 〈◊〉 Syriack Caldy Arabick 〈◊〉 and Latine to him that knoweth not the force and signification thereof And this to be most true the Scriptures teath the fathers auouch the 〈◊〉 writers warrant the very Poets declare yea their owne doctors do determine Wherfore to conclude it is the ordinance of God it is the doctrine of the Apostles it is the duty of all christians when the word is red or preached when supplycations are offered when the sacramentes are administred to vse a knowne tongue vnderstood of all and without this the scriptures are vaine the prayers are barbarous the sacraments are fruitlesse to such as know not what is read what is asked what is promised what is receiued And 〈◊〉 far of the second outward part of the Lordes Supper to wit the worde of institution for a Sacrament without the word is as a picture without sence or an image without life Chap. 5 Of the third outward part of the Lords Supper THe third outward part of the Lords supper followeth which are the elementes of bread and wine fittest signes for this purpose to signifie the spirituall nourishment of the soule by eating the body and drinking the blood of christ That these are appoynted as the substance and matter of the supper it appeareth by the wordes of Christ and his Apostles deliuering this sacrament For the Euangelists expresse that Christ tooke bread gaue it and said Takeye and eate ye So like wise it is said of the church newly planted by the Apostles that such as gladly receiued the word and were baptized Continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread And chap. 20 it is recorded That the first day of the weeke the Disciples came together to breake bread And Paule saith 1 Cor. 10. the bread which we breake is it not the communion of the body of Christ And in the chapter following the same Apostle often mentioneth and remembreth the bread of this sacrament In like manner Christ tooke the cup wherein was the fruite of the vine By these Christ is truely exhibited vnto vs he is truely offered vnto all he is effectually giuen to the faithfull as hath beene oftentimes remembred vnto vs. 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 seueral and in particular To begin we learne from hence to acknowledge a difference between baptisme and the Lords supper in baptisme we haue one signe as the materiall part in the supper we haue two signes partly to note out our whole ful and perfect nourishment in Christ hauing whatsocuer 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 sinnes by his blood are sealed vp in baptisme and in the supper yet the manner of sealing them in each is diuerse Againe baptisme is a signe of our entrance into Gods Couenant the Supper is a signe of our abiding and continuing in that couenant Touching baptisme it is sufficient for infants if they bee borne in the church in the supper the condicion of examȳning our selues and remembring the Lords death is required They differ also in often celebration of them baptisme is to be receiued but once onely in all our life because the promise once made is alwaies 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 haue beene first baptized or reputed so to be As first a child is borne before he bee fed so must Baptisme go before whereby our new-birth is sealed then the supper must follow after whereby our dayly 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 the wine The second general vse is that if Christ tooke gaue and deliuered the substance of bread and wine then they must needes retain their former nature their proper substance as well as their qualities as fight tast smell bignesse whitenesse sweetenesse rednesle roundnesse and such like properties But the Papistes turne all thinges 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 phylosophy reason sense and experience setting vp their own inuentions and building castles in the aire Let them proue the annihilation and remouing of the substance of bread wine away and the consisting of accidents without subiect which they are neuer able to doe For as the water in baptisme remaineth in his nature and substance so do the bread wine in the Lords supper And albeit in both the sacraments the signs be chāged to a special vse yet are they corrupted into shewes and turned into shadowes The heauens shal be changed at the end of the world yet hence it followeth not that they shall bee cleane abolished and consumed to nothing All young schollers are taught in the schooles that an accident hath no being without a subiect yet heere these sophisters against all the rules of Logick and groundes of reason 〈◊〉 haue accidents and shewes of bread and wine to be in no subiect Thus whereas in all places of learning we are taught that accidents may 〈◊〉 not the
except they meane this bread is the body of CHRIST this wine is his blood wherefore bread and wine remaine their nature is not changed and altered Fiftly these wordes 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 wordes must be figuratiuely vnderstood not 〈◊〉 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 sixt reason Christ is said to giue to his Disciples that which he saide 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 body which gaue and another body which was giuen But it is most absurde that he should giue and be giuen hold himselfe and beholden offer and be offered which differeth litle from the 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 〈◊〉 body made of the substance of bread which as the papists hold 〈◊〉 giuen to the disciples as likewise they teach of the headship of the church that one head is inuisible to vs m the heauens another visible to vs vpon the earth The 7. reason it destroyeth the nature of a sacrament which standeth of an earthly heauenly part one out ward the other inward one seene the other vnderstood one a signe the other a thing signified of which we haue spoken before book 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 don away vtterly The scripture speaketh as highly 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 body and blood of Christ are really 〈◊〉 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 The 10. reason if the bread be turned into his body indeede by force of a few words vttered by a priest then the priest should be the maker of his maker and so euery Masse-monger should be preferred before Christ as much as the creitor hath 〈◊〉 honnour then the creature the builder then 〈◊〉 house the work-man then the worke But they are not 〈◊〉 to publish it in their owne words and writings that the priest is the creator of his creator He that created you hath giuen you power to create him he that hath created you without your selues is created by you by the meanes of you These are the speeches of their wise-men if they be not ashamed of their owne words The 11. reason the bread in the Sacrament after the words of consecration is subiect to as many changes and chances as it was before the bread may mould putrifie and breede Wormes and was accustomably in many places burned the wine may being immoderately taken make drunken it may wax sharpe and turne into vineger yea both of them may be boyled and made hot both of them may be vomited vp as certaine lepers did both of them may be mingled with rank poyson as a certaine Monk gaue the poysoned host to Henry the 7. a noble Emperour of famous memory which when he had taken he dyed The like may be said of Victor the 3. a Pope of Rome who was poysoned after the same manner in the chalice as the Emperor was in the bread But the precious body and blood of Christ cannot be mingled with poyson but is an excellent counterpoison against the biting of the old Serpent and all infection ofsinne whatsoeuer the body cannot mould or putrifie the blood of Christ cannot become sharp or sowre as the outward signes may therefore the substance of bread and wine remaineth The 12. reason there is something in the sacrament materiall and substantiall which goeth the way of all meates according to that saying of our sauiour Perceiue ye not yet that what soeuer entreth into the mouth goeth into the belly and is cast out into the draught But none of the accidents as shape colour quality tast such like are auoyded because they are altered in the stomacke before they come to the place of auoydance and it were blasphemy to thinke that the body of Christ either entreth into the mouth or goeth downe into the belly or is cast out into the draught howsomany of them haue also maintained this monstrous impiety Therefore the substance of the bread and the wine remaine in their owne nature in the sacrament The 13. 〈◊〉 If there were a miraculous conuersion of the bread and wine it would appeare to the outward senses as Ioh. 6 The multitude saw his Miracles There was neuer Miracle wrought by any bodyly creature but sense iudged it to be so but seeing our eyes see and our tast discerneth that it is bread we cannot imagine there is any miracle The Miracles that Moyses did in Egypt when he turned water into blood and his rod into a Serpent The miracles that Christ did when he turned water into wine the eye saw the tast discerned heere was no deceit no fraud no collusion And thus euery hedge-priest should be a worker of Miracles that onely can read his portuise and say ouer his pater noster with an Aue mary This is an honor that may be chalenged but cannot be granted vnto them The 14 reason if there were any transubstantiation there shold be an actuall conuersion of the bread into the body of Christ but this cannot stand For when one thing is changed into another the matter remainetin the forme is altered but heere they make the forme to abide and the matter to be changed A strange Metamorphosis and fitting the fable of this counterfeit turning Now the matter of 〈◊〉 is not in the body of Christ because it is perfect in it selfe and so glorified that it can receiue no accesse Besides nothing can be conuerted or changed into a thing before being and pre-existing which was really before the change or conuersion as Christ turned the water into that wine which was not before Moses turned his rod into that
serpēt which was not before and Lots wife was turned into that pillar which was not before But the body of Christ is before their transubstanriation wherupon it follow weth that the bread cannot be changed into his body The 15. reason if Christ did 〈◊〉 the bread into his body when he saud This is my body then in like manner the Apostle did 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of the Corinthians into the body of Christ when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now ve are the bodie of christ and members for your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 can they alleage why 〈◊〉 should be in the one sentence more thē in the other For the whole colledge and company of diuines of Rome and Rhemes and all the multitude of papistes through out the world shall neuer be better able to proue their transubstantiation out of these words This is my body then out of the other 〈◊〉 are the body of Christ. The 16. reason if the bread were turned into the body of Christ and receiued in the mouth it should go farre better with our bodies then with our soules because our bodyes should really receiue the body of Christ but our soules should not being spirits and bodies cannot be mingled and intermedled with spirits Wherefore we cannot beleeue and receiue this real conuersion of one substance into another The 17. reason if the bread be transubstantiated into the body of christ and so receiued by vs then either it is turned into our bodies or vanisheth away into nothing or returneth and departeth back into heauen But it is not turned into our bodily substance for then we should grow bodily and not spiritually carnally not mistically into one person with him neither doth it vanish to nothing for this were horrible blasphemy once to imagine and conceiue of the body of christ neither doth it depart into heauen for he was there before and the heauens containe him to the end of all things Therefore the bread cannot be said to be turned into the body of christ except one of these be granted And thus also we may reason of the wine If it be turned into the blood of Christ it must necessarily passe into our substance or vanish away or returne to the heauens for no fourth way can be imagined But none of these can stand either with diuinity or phylosophy either with faith or reason either with scripture or nature and therfore consequently transubstantiation must fall The 18. reason if the disciples had not vnderstood christ to call the bread his body sacramentally they would haue beene greatly troubled who often doubted of the least things and demaunded the vnderstanding of them As the hearers of Christ Ioh. 6 supposing he had spoken of a carnal manner of eating his flesh were troubled and offended saying How can this man giue vs his flesh to eate And vers 60 This is an heard saying who can heare it Wherefore who seeth not that they would haue marueiled 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 maruaile not they murmur not and therfore beleeue not this iugling of transubstantiation or turning of one substance into another And if they beleeued it not how should we receiue it The 19. argument it ouerturneth sundry Articles of our Christian faith Wee beleeue that Christ Iesus was begotten of the father before all worldes and borne in time of the Virgin Mary this the Scripture teacheth this the Creed deliuereth this euery true Christian professeth and beleeueth But if the bread be transubstantiated into the body 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 Againe we beleeue that Christ was crucified and died for our sins that he was buried rose againe ascended and sitteth at the right hand of God the father almighty But if the body of Christ bee 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 died he might be where he suffered nothing lying in the graue he might bee out of the graue yea hee might be in the graue after his resurrection and rising out of the graue wherof notwithstanding the Angels said he is not heere Lastly we beleeue that christ shall come from heauen to iudge the quick and dead and that in the same manner he ascended whom 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 Christes 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 shold come daily vnto vs yet no man can see him nor perceiue his cōming Al these deuises ouerthrow 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 transubftantiation were brought to passe and the true body 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 and all his dimensions For Christ said not at his supper this is the substance of my body without accidents but This is my body which is giuen for you and which is broken for you Therefore the body was visible and seene of them all 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 Not withstanding we see not Christs body vpon the earth nor any adioy nt thereof is perceiued or discerned Where are they then Are they in 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 bee without them which necessarily implyeth a contradiction and consequently falsehood especially considering how great a difference they make betweene the body of Christ in heauen and this body that lieth and lurketh vnder the accidents and shewes of bread in their box The 21. reason it destroyeth the nature of a true body it taketh away the defence vsed against heretickes and bringeth in the heresies of Marcion of Eutiches and the Manichics which denied Christ to haue a solid and true humane body held that he had only a phantastical body without any materiall flesh blood or bone in appearance and sight some what but in deed and substance nothing For they teach that his body is in infinite places at once those discontinued voyd of quantity and
quality not circumscribed not visible nor any way sensible that being in heauē 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 esfect as much as to deny he is come in the flesh which is the very doctrine of Antichrist himselfe as Iohn speaketh Euery spirit that confesseth not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God but this is the spirit of Antichrist of whom we haue 〈◊〉 And in his 2. Epistle Many 〈◊〉 are entred into this world which confesse not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh he that is such a one is a deceiuer and an Antichrist But Orcam propoundeth this as the doctrine of the schooles that The body of Christ is euery where as God is euery where and that if there were an host that filled all the world the body of christ might be with euery part thereof when it should be consecrated And Holcot treading in the same stepes of the schooles not of the scriptures saith If there had beene a thousand hostes in a thousand places at the same time that christ did hang vpon the crosse christ had beene crucified in a thousand places But it is an vnseparable property of bodies to be locall and contained in place take away space of place and true dimensions from bodies and they are no where as Augustine teacheth Besides hence the fathers concluded the truth of Christs body becavse he might be seene and handled and because he had flesh and bones according to the 〈◊〉 Behold my hāds and my feete for it is I my selfe handle me and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me haue But if he be neither seene nor handled in the sacrament nor discerned to haue flesh and bones how shall his humanity be 〈◊〉 and maintained against heretikes impugning the same The 22. reason it taketh away iudgement from the senses and maketh the sacrament of truth to be a sacrament of forgery and falsehood for the senses of seeing of tasting of touching of handling and smelling do iudge bread and wine to be in the sacrament and not mans flesh truely and properly neither can all the senses be 〈◊〉 in their proper obiects as euen the phylosophers themselues do teach and that truely The 23. reason it is an horible act and vnnaturall cruelty for man to eate mans flesh and for man to drinke mans blood and therefore the papists are as humane as the Cyclops Canibals and other barbarous people It is more brutish and barbarous to eate mans flesh then to kill a man and to drink mans blood then to shed it Thus they make christian people eaters of mans flesh and bloode suckers which is beastly and horrible wickednesse The 24. reason the Apostle maketh an opposition between the table of the Lord and the table of deuils saying Ye cannot drinke the cup of the Lord and the cup of deuils ye cannot be partakers of the Lords table and of the table of deuils where he sheweth that to eate the flesh offered to idols is to bee partakers of the idols as the bread which we breake is the participation and communion of the body of the Lord. Hence he concludeth that they should not eate of those thinges which the Gentiles sacrifice to idols because they haue fellowship with the diuils that eate of them euen as they are vnited to Christ which partake of the bread in the supper If then the flesh offered to idols be not transubstantiated why fhold the sacramental bread be turned into the body of christ seeing it sufficeth to make vs partakers of the Lords body to eat of the bread as it was sufficient to make them partakers of the idols to eate of the thinges offered vnto them The 25. reason if the institution of Christ be a sufficient direction vnto the church what to hold in this questiō we shal easily giue this transubstantiation a fall We see in the cases of matrimony that did befall our sauiour bringeth them to the first institution and therby dissolueth the doubts and difficulties that arose saying Frō the beginning it was not so So when any controuersie ariseth about the Lords supper the ordinance of Christ is able to take it vp how great or grieuous soeuer it grow Now there is no sentence no word no sillable no iot no title in the discription of the supper that fauoreth or sauoreth of transubstantiation or signifieth and insinuateth any such matter True it is christ saith This is my body but to be doth not signifie to transubstantiate for then when he saith I am the true vine I am the dore the way and such like he shall be turned and transubstantiated into a natural vine into a materal doore into an high way from whence would follow infinite abuses and absurdities Besides if the word is in the institution fignifie is transubstantiated that is changed from one substance into an 〈◊〉 from bread into flesh from wine into blood then the change shold be made before all the words be vttered so that hence it would follow that it cannot be done by vertue of the words which goeth before the pronouncing of the words Last of al the maintainers of transubstantiation as the builders of babel haue their tongs diuided and their languages confounded they cannot accord together but vary and dissent one from another like the false witnesses that arose against christ First they knew not certainely whether the bread bee turned into his body or come in place thereof the substance departing Secondly some alow not these speaches bread is Christes body or bread is made christs body but wil haue it said christs body is made of bread others condemne this speach also that bread is made christs body Thirdly they know not what is broken whether bread or accidents or nothing others say the true body of christ is broken Fourthly they agree not whether their water in the chalyce mingled with wine be transubstantiated some say it is other say it is not some more sober then the rest are afraid what to say and aske who is able to decide the questiō Others say it is turned into the humors of his body others virknit the knot thus that the water is turned into the wine and then the wine into his blood and therefore are circumspect to giue this cautel that a litle water be mingled being afraid least if more water were put in then the wine the wine should be transubstantiated into water Fiftly they cannot agree with what words their consecratiō is wrought whether accidents be without their subiect whether the accidents norish no lesse then the substance of bread wine likwise what the rats mise do eat how srō whence the worms
the graue with them I thinke to declare it to all the world they wish Christ dead buried and forgotten for euer that the byshop of Rome might with his shauelings rule and raign as a God vpon the earth Can light and darkenesse can heauen and earth fire and water sweete and sower be more contrary then these vaine things to the institution of Christ Who neuer said keep it in vessels hang it vnder Canopies carry it in processions giue it to the dead lay it vp in their tombes bring it abroad in common iudgements but take ye eat ye drinke ye and by receiving eating and drinking shew yee forth the Lordes death vntill hee 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 box as a light put vnder a bushell but to be set on the lords table for all his ghuests to feede thereon Againe if the substance and essence of this sacrament stād in the lawful vse of eating and drinking then al eleuation holding vp of the sacrament ouer the priests head all adoration falling downe honoring it with diuine worship and calling the sacrament their lord and God as it is destitute of all antiquity so it is full of grosse and palpable idolatry For wheras it was accustomed to hold vp the almes offerings consecrated to God for the poore thereby imitating the heaue-offering of the Iewes and stirring vp the people to the like charity and deuotion 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 senselesse creatures True it is we confesse that the Sacramentes as mysteries sanctified to an holy vse as vessels of gods grace and as instrumentes fitted to worke great things are not to be 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 honor his word we reuerence his sacraments Notwithstanding we put a difference between God and the sacrament of God the same honor is not due to the one that is due to other and therefore we cannot adore the elemēts with diuine worship for many reasons First because christ in the institution of his supper said take eate drink he said not worship fal down bow the knees before the Sacra and call vpon it in time of need We heard before in the case of vnleuened bread they appealed to the institutiō of cstrist why do they now fly from it turning eating and drinking into worshipping and adoring Wherefore is it not a great iniquity and wickednes to omit what christ commaundeth and do what he commaundeth not Secondly God only is to be worshipped with diuine honor as Math. 4 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only thou shalt serue And Exod. 20. Thou shalt not bow down to them nor worship them Now the sacrament 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 sacra is visible that al may know it and see it with their eies the sacrament is eaten but God cannot be eaten and swallowed vp of vs whom the heauens and the heauens of heauens cannot contain or cōprehend Thirdly christ reproueth the Samaritans because They worshipped that they knew not but the Papistes know not the body of Christ to be contained vnder the accidentes ofbread and Wine for the scriptures haue not taught it CHRIST hath not deliuered it the Apostles haue not shewed it Besides they knew 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 the true worshippers must worship God in spirit and in truth as Christ setteth downe Ioh. 4 24 that is not according to our owne imaginations and diuises but as God hath prescribed but to fall downe to the sacrament is a bodily sernice a new-forged worship and an humane inuention Fistly without faith no man can please God but saith 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 wil-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 〈◊〉 and the sacrament of Christ therefore not to be worshipped Seuenthly no man in his wits and right mind wil honor that with diuine worship which himselfe may take in his hand and eate with his mouth and which may be deuouied by Mise Rattes dogs Wormes or other venime for how shall that be adored as God that cannot defend it selfe from the teeth of men and beastes As Ioash answeared Will ye plead Baals cause If he be God let him plead for himselfe against him that hath cast downe his altar Lastly seeing they adore Christ in the pixe where the bread is and in the chalyce wher the wine is why do they not likewise worship him in the priest and in the faithfull people and 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 when 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 well as in the golden boxe or in the gilden chalice Nay why may he not be adored in the bodies of mise and vermin by them if it fall out that they eate vp their God Shall he be any where without honor Or wil they worship him wher 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 〈◊〉 Idolatry Moreouer if christ command the bread to be eaten and the wine to be drunk 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 deep dungeō of iniquity and a monster of many heads turning the holy sacrament into an vnbloody sacrifice for the quicke and the dead abolishing the fruite and remembrance of the death of christ disanulling his priesthood giuing him to his father wheras the father hath giuen him to vs and imagining thereby to pay a price to god which he should receiue as a fatisfaction for our sins True
part his sonne to his office the minsters deliuering of the bread the fathers giuing of his sonne If then wee drawe neere to the Lords table with faith reuerence and repentance nothing can be more sure certain to vs then the taking receiuing of Christ for when we receiue the bred from the minister we with all receiue the body of christ offered by the hand of God the father Lastly the breaking of the breade pouring out of the wine and deliuering of them both into the handes of the communicants 〈◊〉 these actions of God his chastising of his sonne and breaking him with sorrowes vppon 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 outwarde signes to all receiuers but God giueth and applyeth onely to the faithfull the shedding of Christes blood for their daily increase of their faith and repentance But heere it may be obiected that not a bone of him was broken as it was figured by the passeouer and performed at his passion the verifieng and accomplishment whereof we read Iohn 19. 36. I answere there is a dubble breaking of Christ one corporall whereof the places before do speak the other figuratiuely wherby is vnderstood he 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 vppon him and with his stripes we are healed Lo what is ment 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 God my god why hast thou for saken me Wherefore let these rights be rightly marked and obserued of vs for our comfort and consolation Let vs when we see the breade broken and wine poured out meditat on the passion of christ howe hee was wounded and torne for our transgressions Although not a bone of his body was broken in pieces yet he was broken with afflictions brused 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 quickned Whosoeuer resteth in the outward works done before his eies neuer attaineth to the substāce of the sacrament Thus much of the first inward part Chap. 9. Of the second inward part of the Lords supper THe second inward part is the holy spirit who assureth vs of the truth of Gods promises 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 〈◊〉 vs so doth the spirit worke these things in the hearts of all the 〈◊〉 This appeareth in many places Rom. 8. rehaue 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 wisdome and to 〈◊〉 the word of knowledge by the same spirit to another is giuen faith by the same spirit all these thinges woorketh one and the selfe same spirite distributing to euery man seuerally as hee will So then as wee are weake in faith and slowe to beleeue so we haue the spirit giuen vnto vs to helpe our infirmities and to open our heartes to receiue the promises This truth being cleared the vses offer themselues to be considered And first of all inasmuch as the spirite worketh these things in the harts of all the faithfull from hence we gather that such as neuer finde any chaunge or renewing of the mind or reformation of life after the receiuing of the Sacramentes may iustly suspect themselues whether euer they had faith or not and whether ever they repented or not and therefore ought to vse the means to come by faith and repentance For the worke of the spirit accompanieth the outward worke in the elect of God as also we see in the hearing of faith preached hee must open the hart that is closed vppe before wee can receiue with meekenes the worde that is grafted in vs which is able to saue our soules Indeed euery person present may heare the wordes of institution may see the Wine poured out may eate of that bread and drinke of that cuppe as they may also hear the sound of the voice that commeth vnto them but the whole force effect and power resteth onely in the Spirite of GOD sealinge vppe the truth and substance of those things in the harts of all the children of God Againe seeing these thinges are done and performed by the working of the spirit they are confuted and cōuinced that thinke they cannot be made partakers of the bodye and blood of Christ and be vnited to his flesh vnlesse his body be shut vp vnder the accidentes of bread and shewes of wine and so his flesh be giuen vnto vs carnally that we may eate him with our mouthes and conuey him into our stomackes But we see heere the Holy-ghost is the bonde of this vnion hee worketh in vs faith which pierceth the heauens and layeth hold on Christ. It is saide of Abraham the Father of the faithfull that he reioiced to see the day of Christ he sawe it and was gladde For as we cannot see him with our bodily eies nor hear him with our bodily ears nor touch him with our bodily hands no more can we tast or eat 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 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 on the present with vs. If any say How can this bee can that which is absent from vs be present with vs can heauen be in earth or earth bee in heauen He ere vnto I may moste iustlye aunsweare although this bee a great mistery and marueilous 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 togither things that are seuered in place and begetteth faith in vs which is the instrumenr and hande whereby we receiue and applye Christ with all his gifts vnto our selues as Iohn 17. Father I pray thee for such as shall 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. He ereunto commeth the saying of Paule Ephe 3. Christ dwelleth in our hearts by faith Like wise Act 13. Byhim 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 〈◊〉 The spirit is the principall worker faith is the meanes and the instrument Neither must this comunction seem vnto vs impossible throgh the great distance and distinction of place We see the sun daily with oureies which though it be scituate in the heauens and seperated from vs in place communicateth his effect and power vnto vs that dwell vppon 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 righteousnesse make vs truely partakers of his flesh by the vnsearchable power of his spirit and the supernaturall gift 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 members are to become one body where of Christ is the head As the Apostle teacheth That which we haue seene heard declare we vnto you that ye may also haue fellowship with vs and that our fellowship also may be with the father with his son Iesus Christ. We see this like wise lively laid out before vs in the estate of 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 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 We need not therfore any carnall and bodily presence of Christ to ioyne vs to him seeing it is truely and certainely perfourmed 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 compasle 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 〈◊〉 he were present fleshly before our eyes And as the Sunne not discending from heauen nor leauing his place is not withstanding 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 neuerthelesse is present with vs in our congregations in our heartes in our praiers in our meditations and in the sacraments But of this we shall haue occasion to speake more in the chapter following and we haue already spoken of it in the former bookes Chap. 10. Of the third inward part of the Lords Supper THe third inward part is the body and blood of christ that is the body of our Lord deliuered vnto death for vs and his blood shed for the remission of sinnes and consequently whole christ This is the chiefest part of this sacrament For the bodie and blood of Christ are thus made and separated to be the liuelie meat of our soules and haue that force and efficacy of 〈◊〉 in our soules which bread and wine haue in our bodies This is the cause why Christ often calleth himselfe the bread of life Ioh. 6. I am that bread of life this is that bread of life vvhich commeth dovvn from heauen that he vvhich eateth of it shold not dye I am that liuing bread if any man eate of this bread he shall liue for euer Thus euery receiuer is giuen to vnderstand that as God doth blesse the bread and Wine in his Supper to preserue strengthen and comfort the body of the receiuer so Christ apprehended and receiued by faith doth nourish vs and preserueth body and soule vnto eternall life Hee died in the flesh that he might quicken vs and he poured out his blood 〈◊〉 hee might clense vs from our sinnes Wherefore whensoeuer as the Lordes ghests we see the bread on the Lordes table we must set our mindes on the body of Christ when we behold the cup of the Lord we must thinke vpon the blood of christ when we looke vpon the bread broken and the Wine poured out we must consider how the body of chirst was pierced punished crushed crucified torne tormented and his blood poured out for our sakes when we feele that by bread our bodies are nourished and strengthned and by the wine our vitall spirits are comforted and refreshed we beleeue that by the body of Christ deliuered to death for vs we are fed to euerlasting life and that by his blood poured out vpon the crosse our consciences are sāctified and we fele his quickning power which doth confirme vs in our communion with him Thus is this part of the supper spiritually to bee applyed thus are the bread and wine made a sacrament to vs and not bare signes thus the memorall of christs death is repeated whichalbeit it were once finished on the crosse and now his passion is past long ago yet to the faithfull in regard of the force it is stil fresh and alwaies present Now it is not without cause and good consideration that Christ would haue the bread first deliuered as a signe of his body and then afterward the wine as a signe of his blood seuerally and apart administred because his body and blood are not represented to vs as his humanity now dwelleth glorious in the heauens but as he was offered vp a sacrifice on the crosse his blood being 〈◊〉 out of his body For to the end it may be nourishment to vs it must be crucified For as corne of it selfe is not fit foode for vs vnlesse it bee threshed winnowed ground and baked for vs so is it touching christ he must suffer be crucified and dy that we may liue by him and raigne with him This is the truth which in this point is to be considered Now let vs lay open the vses which of vs are to be learned Is christ the inward part of the Lordes Supper represented by the bread and wine offered to all but rcceiued onely of such as are faithfull then his body is not inclosed in the bread or in the accidents ofbread nor his blood included in the wine or vnder
the time that all things are restored Likewise Phil. 3. Our conuersation is in heauen from a hence we looke for a sauior And again Luk 24. 〈◊〉 he blessed them he departed from them and was carried vp into heauen So Ioh. 12. The poor alwaies ye haue with you but me ye shall not haue alwais I am come out from the father and came into the world againe I leaue the vvorld and goe to my father If these thinges be true that Christ is 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 all thinges if we must looke for a sauiour from heauen to change our vile bodies if hee be carryed 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 lie 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 lie hid 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 infleshly manner with the mouth of the body and shold descend into the stomck which is the way that all other meates do passe when they heard him preach of eating his flesh and drinking his blood they saide This is an heard 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 swallow him vp But christ expoundeth himselfe and declareth that 〈◊〉 ment not carnally but spiritually It is the spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speake vnto you are spirit and life that is the flesh of Christ thus eaten thus chewed thus digested bodily carnally and grosly cannot profit but truely and spiritually taken it is meat indeede Now to shew what it is to eate spiritually and to pull off the garment of this similitude that the truth may more plainely appeare by spirituall eating we doe not vnderstand that which is fained standing in a conceit opinion or imagination neither that the body blood of christ are turned into a spirit but we meane by spirituall eating sucha communion participation of christ as is wrought by the powerfull working of the Holi-ghoast inasmuch also as it is attained by faith onelie and pertaineth to a spirituall and eternall life And howsoeuer the benefit of this coniunction reach vnto the body which thereby is mortified and sanctified and afterward shall be glorified yet this fruition of christ is not called corporall but spirituall because this food doth not pertaine to the maintaining of this present life but it is referred to the life which is eternall Now this 〈◊〉 euerlasting is called spirituall 〈◊〉 the bodies themselues shall bee partakers thereof which therefore by the Apostle are called spirituall bodies Thus then standeth the comparison as there is a present life that is bodily so there is another life to be thought vpon which is spirituall and eternall as we are borne to this present life so are we borne againe to life eternall as this bodily life is sustained by bodily meat and drinke so Christ with al his merits and mercies is the food of the spirituall life as the bodye hath his mouth whereby the meat and drinke is receiued and so passeth into the bodye by bodily feeding so the soule hath her mouth namely faith which apprehendeth the most holy nourishment of the body and blood of christ and lastly as the meat by a naturall force is concocted and digested that it may passe and disperse it self into the whole body so the efficacy of the spirit beginning faith in vs doeth so powerfully and mightily worke in our soules that it quickneth vs throgh christ to whom we are nearely vnited Thus we see wee haue no carnall communion with christ nor bodily eating of christ Wherefore let the capernaiticall papists or popipish 〈◊〉 prepare their faith not their teeth their Soules not their bellie to eat the flesh of christ and drink his blood And if they be ashamed of the name of the Capernaites let them also be ashamed of the error of the capernaits but if they cleane to their errour they must bee content to borrowe their name for the name and opinion must go together Sixtly Christ exhorteth the people to beware of false Prophets that come in Sheepes cloathes but indeede haue Wolues harts saying If any shall say vnto you Lo hoere is Christ or there beleeue it not behold he is in the 〈◊〉 go not forth behold he is in the secret places beleeue it not And the Apostle Paule exhorteth Col 3 To seeke those things that are aboue where christ sitteth at the right hand of God But if Christ lurke and ly hid vnder the accidents of breade and Wine then we might beleeue such as say Loe heere is Christ there is Christ he might be pointed out with the finger on euery altar and so often as the Priest lifteth vp his idoll he might say to the people behold heere is Christ whom we haue newly made looke vpon him whom we haue newly fashioned Seuenthly the fathers vnder the lawe did eat the same spirituall meate and drinke the same spirituall drinke that the 〈◊〉 and other Christians did though they had differing signes they had the same christ But they did not eate the flesh of Christ and drinke his bloode bodily for as yet he was not come in the flesh therefore he is not present in his naturall body in our Sacramentes This Paule setteth downe 1 cor 10. They did all eat the same spirituall meat they did all drinke the same spiritual drinke for they dranke of that spiritual rocke that followed them and that rocke was christ Where the Apostles 〈◊〉 is to proue that the Israelites were not inferiour to the Corinthians in respect of the Sacramentes of Gods fauour and therefore had no more to boast of then the Israelites had whereuppon he satith they had the same drinke the same Christ. Now if they did not eat the same in substance which the corinthians did eate then the Israelites were farre inferior to them touching their Sacramentes and so the Apostles reason should be of no force Eightly Christ is in such sort in heauen in his humanity as that he is not on the earth with his bodie and consequently not in the Sactament as we see Math. 9. Can the children of the bride-chamber mourne as long as the bride-groome is with them but the daies will come when the
bridegroome shall be taken from them and then they shal fast But if he were remainning on the earth and contained in the pixe the bridegroome could not nor would not be taken away And the same Euangehst chap. 26. saith Ye haue the poore alwaies with you but me ye shal not haue alwaies Like wise Iohn 13. When Iesus knew that hie houre was come that he should depart out of this world vnto the father heeriseth from supper and chap. 14. I goe to prepare a place for you but I wil come againe if I go away to prepare a place for you I will receiue you vnto my selfe that where I am there may ye be also and verse 28 ye haue heard how I said vnto you I go awaie and will come vnto you And chap. 17. Now I am no more in the world but these are in the world and I come to thee Againe act 1. ye men of Galile why stand re gazing into heauen this Iesus which is taken vp from you into heauen shal so come as ye haue seene him go into heauen If then Christ according to his humane nature be not on earth how can his 〈◊〉 body be on euerie altar how can they eat him with their 〈◊〉 how can they swallow him downe their throat Ninthlie such an eating and 〈◊〉 of the bodie and blood of christ must be holden as is profitable and comfortable to the receiuers for nothing is more 〈◊〉 and fruitfull then these being rightlie receiued 〈◊〉 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 bodilie eating the bodie carnall drinking the blood of christ for wicked men haue as great a portion in this as the godly Nay by their owne doctrin it may be 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 woulde haue the flesh of the sonne of man to be eaten of those to whom it shal be auailable to life and saluation I am the liuing bread which came downe from heauen if any man eat of this bread he shall liue for euer and the bread that I will giue is my flesh which I wil giue for the life of the world Tenthly nothing can be more grosse barbarous or inhumane then to deuour mans flesh and to drinke mans blood What doth more transforme men into sauage and 〈◊〉 beasts Nay worse then beastes which deuour not their owne kind what is more contrarie to the purenes holines of Gods law then this The words of the Lord are pure words as the siluer tryed in a furnace of earth fined seuen fold The feare of the Lord is clean 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 Iustes and that we should liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world But what can be more repugnant to godlines sobernes and righteousnes then to teare wirh the teeth and iawes mans flesh and to drink his blood from which the Capernaits abhorred what more crosseth the Religion of Christ the law of god and the light of nature then mā to deuour man and the bowels of one to be in the bowels of another And are not their stomackes strong to digest this meat did not god in the law command to abstain frō eating the blood of beasts and from strangled did not the Apostles for a time renue it amōg the christiās in respect of the weaknes of the Iews because Moses was read in their sinagogue euer saboth day to what 〈◊〉 should this be done if the church had tasted the blood of ch with their mouth or swallowed his body in their bellies And do not the Scythians and al the gentiles that are not vtterly voide of 〈◊〉 abstain from mans blood and 〈◊〉 deuouring his flesh wherefore these men are worse then the Scithians barbariās and Gentiles yea worse then the Canibals Indies that eat their enimies but these deuour ch whom they cal their L. and maist like Actcons houndes to compare one fable with another onely heer ly the differences they deuourd their Lord vnder the shape of a stag or Hart they eat their maist vnder the formes of bread and wine these fastned their mouth vpon their maister because they thoght him absent and not present vnder that shape they openly confesse their maister to be present and yet 〈◊〉 professe to deuour him with their iawes and swallow him in their stomacks wherefore these men are more cruell Eleuenthly if Christ be present in the Sacramant 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 he be present fleshly Whatsoeuer they answer they are taken onboth hands are stroken downe as with a sword that hath two edges Dare they saie he is thus present in his mortall bodie This cannot be For it is certaine he hath not now a mortall bodie but a glorified bodie this corruptible hath put on in corruption this mortall hath put on immortality and death is swallowed vp in victory This the Apostle confirmeth this the Scripture teacheth this Christian faith beleeueh Christ being raised from the dead dieth 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 Like wise Heb. 7. 25 This man because he endureth euer hath a priesthood which cannot passe from one to another seeing he euer hueth to make intercession for them And chapter 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 duly considered he cannot be present in a mortal body What then will they be helped to say he is present in his glorified body Then he cannot nowe be present in the sacrament of the supper as he 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 Crosle 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 wordes of Christ 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 uniserable glorified body should this be to be
institution of the Supper and therefore coulde not be referred vnto that which as yet was not so that Christ speaketh of spirituall eating not of carnall by faith not by the mouth whereby wee abide in him and he in vs but many eate the Sacrament of his bodie that haue not him abiding in them not themselues in him Againe without this eating of his 〈◊〉 heere spoken of no man can attain eternal life but manie haue eternall life that neuer are partakers of the Lords Supper Besides how absurd is it for those to imagine that Christ naming bread speaketh of the Sacrament of the altar for they would haue no 〈◊〉 of bread to remain but one lie the figure shew and likenesse of bread so that according to the deuise of their new-found doctrine hee might more 〈◊〉 say I am no breude or I am the sher es of bread then as he doth I am the true bread Moreouer it christ promising to giue bread for the redemption of the world had pointed out the Sacrament of his Supper then he shuld haue giuen his flesh for the saluation of mankind not vpon the crosse but in his last Supper Wherefore then serued his death What neede was there to shed his blood on the crosse Furthermore if these words be referd to his Supper then the svpper maie bee celebrated without materiall breade and Wine without giuing of thankes without blessinge without consecration without breaking and distributing of the bread without pouring our and deliuering of the wine and without remembrance of the death of christ For in this place we haue no mention of these things And shal we imagine that the sacrament is spoken off where neither the matter nor forme nor word of institution nor minister nor externall rite is once remembred Lastly to eate the flesh of Christ and to drinke his bloode is nothing else but to come to Christ and to beleeue in Christ as appeareth in the text I am that bread of life he that commeth to me shall not hunger and he that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst And speaking of faith hee faith No man can come to me except the father which hath sent me draw him This his truth is so cleere and euident that manye of the aduersaries are driuen to confesse it howsoeuer som of thē seeke to cast mistes before the eies of men that they may not espy it among the which are Sanders and Bellarmine And as we haue shewed before how the Schoolemen and Doctors of the church of Rome are together by the eares in sundry controuersies about the supper so are they about the true interpretation of Ioh. 6. some vnderstanding it of the sacramentall eating some of the spirituall eating and some of both Thirdly they obiect the omnipotency of God that he is able to turne the bread into the body and the Wine into his blood he is able to make it really present in heauen and earth and wheresoeuer Masse is said he is able to make a body to be in many places at once and yet not occupy a place I answer when all other reasons faile they flye to gods omnipotency as vnto a sanctuary and place of refuge But this will not proue a reall presence For albeit God be omnipotent and almighty must he therefore do al things yea offer violence to his owne body to maintaine their absurd and hereticall opinions of the reall presence and of transubstantiation Must his power attend vpon their fansies and dreames Cannot he be omnipotent except their positions and assertions be graunted There is no feare of Gods power albeit we withstand their carnall presence For touching the omnipotency of god we must obserue these two rules and conclusions First gods power is neuer to be opposed and set against his expresse wil plainly and certainly known for God is not contrary to himselfe Now then it is not enough to proue that God can turne bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ vnlesse they proue he will turne them into his flesh and blood We our selues can do many things which we do not and which we will not do so we must know it is with God he could haue added winges to man he might haue made many worlds if it had pleased him Christ of the stones could haue raysed vp children vnto Abraham Christ covld haue praied to his father in his afliction to send him more then 12. legions of angels but how then should the scriptures be fulfilled Wherefore we are not to reason of his power vnlesse wee bee assured of his wil reueiled in his word as we see Christ 〈◊〉 against the Saduces saith Ye are deceiued not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God Where we see he ioyneth the scriptures and the power of God together so 〈◊〉 he is truely said to be omnipotent because he can bring to passe whatsoeuer he will neither can the effect of his will be hindered or resisted Now it is the knowne will of God that christ should haue a true body that he might be a true man with his quantity and dimensions The second rule to be remembred is that in God there is no contradiction that whatsoere necessarily implieth a contradiction is an argument not of power but of weakenesse This the scripture decree this the fathers deliuer this their own schoolmen determine For in God is not yea and nay he abideth faithful he cannot deny himselfe he cannot dye hee cannot lie he cannot deny his word he cannot sin he cannot deceiue he cannot be deceiued These and such like 〈◊〉 cannot do which if he should doe he were not omnipotent For this were a token of impotency not of omnipotency of debility not of ability of want and weakenesse not of strength and power For in euery contradiction there is falsehood and a lie which cannot agree to God who is truth it selfe and therfore hee cannot make affirmation and negation truth and falsehood yea and nay to be true together which things are imposible Yea the popish schoolmen confute this popish fansie of the real presence when they teach that God cannot doe any thing wherein a contradiction is implyed and that all other things he can do and therefore is omnipotent Now who seeth not that herein 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 compassed in one certaine place and to be in a great number of Sacramentes in many places to be included in a little bread on earth which is contrary to that nature of a mans true body not to be contained therin as 〈◊〉 in heauen and there hauing the naturall properties of a true body which cannot 〈◊〉 brought within so narrow a compasse as the wafer cake Wherfore the absurd conceit of the reall presence cannot be maintained
receiuing and laying hold vppon Christ and all his benefits Euen as the hand stretched forth layeth hold vpon a thing and pulleth the same vnto it so doth saith apply the sauing promises of the Gospell to the soule as the Apostle teacheth Gal. 3. That the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Iesus Christ that wee 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 beleeuinge the same to belong vnto our selues The scripture calleth Christ a redeemer indefinitely Iob calleth him his redeemer particularly Iob 19. I knowe that my redeemer lyueth The Scriptur setteth out the lord as the god of his church Thomas vpon a special feeling of Christs fauor toward him acknowledgeth him to be his Lord and his 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 to her selfe an accounteth him her sauiour Luke 1. My spirit reioyceth in god my sauiour The Scriptur maketh Christ the L. and protector of his church Elizabeth maketh a speciall application thereof calling him her lord Luk. 1 Whence commeth this to me that the mother of my Lord should come vnto me It is an Article of our holy and christian faith to beleeue the forgiuenes of sinnes this must euery one beleeue this must euery one hold this must euery one apply 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 worlde thus to beleeue whether we respect Christ or our selues 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 mercy but when Satan shall fift him when his owne hart shall accuse him when sinne shall he heauy 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 moisture into the drought of Summer if then he can stand vpright and build himselfe vpon the rock when the floods come when the winds blow and beat vpon his house and when the ground shaketh vnder his feet this man with boldnesse and confidence may truely say and seale it vppe for an euerlasting truth My sinnes are forgiuen me For if then he can comfort himselfe in his God and apply his gratious mercies to his owne fainting hart and cry out Though the Lorde would kill me yet still I wil trust in him this is the property of a sounde faith against which the strongest gates of hel shal not preuaile This appeareth euidently vnto vs in the example of Abraham who beleeued that of his old weake withered and as it were dead body should spring children like the sande on the sea-shore and like the starres of heauen for multitude and that he should haue a seede in whom himselfe and all the nations of the world should be blessed If hee had consulted with flesh and blood what discourses might a naturall man alledge to 〈◊〉 the crediting of this promise yet hee doubted not hee disputeth not the matter but beleeued that the weake shoulde bee made strong that the barren should be made fruitfull and a ioyfull mother of children that the dead should be made aliue 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 bear and bring foorth plentifull 〈◊〉 So what can bee more difficult and hard then for vs to beleeue and be perswaded that by the death of Christ we shall haue euerlastinge life by his shame and dishonour we shall haue glory and praise that by his wounds and reproaches we shall haue the curing and healing of our 〈◊〉 that by his agonies and bloody sweate wee shall haue peace and rest by his condemnation we shall haue saluation Is not this after a sort in hell to see heauen in cursing to see blessing in humiliation to see exaltation in death to see life in condemnation to lay holde of saluation in feeling of sin to beleeue the pardon of sinnes lastly in out vnrighteousnes and misery to bee both righteous and accepted to eternall life and in the breach of the lawe to beleeue the fulfilling of the law This is indeede to haue the sauing faith of Gods elect And to say that this is an easie matter or a small thinge is plainely to betray and difcouer that wee never knew what true faith meaneth For this faith let euery one of vs labour that we may specially and particularly apprehend the promises as the Apostle declareth Galatians 2 I am crucified with Christ but I liue yet not I any more but christdiueth in me and in that that I nowe liue in the flesh I liue by the faith in the sonne of God who hath loued mee and giuen himselfe for me And againe I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith hencefoorth is 〈◊〉 vppe for me a crowne of righteousnesse which the Lorde the righteous iudge shall giue vnto me at that day Where wee 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 general faith this is the faith of the reprobates yea the Deuils know it and haue as great a part and portion therein as we yet they tremble at the remembrance of their iudgement to come as Iames sheweth Thou beleeuest there is 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 be 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 apply and appropriate vnto our selues the promises of saluation We must not onely see them a farre off but feele them in our harts We must beleeue not onely that christ is a sauior but that he is our sauior and our redeemer Thus we must euery one of vs for his owne part make proper to himselfe all the riches and graces that are in chist Iesus because in giuing himselfe to vs he giueth al his benefits in that he is God he maketh vs after a sort partakers of the diuine nature being heir of al things in heauen and earth and Lord of the world he maketh al things ours whether life or death whether things
our saluation for he that hath the sonne hath life he that hath not the sonne of God hath not life The last inward part is the faith full receiuer who stretcheth forth the hand of faith and so layeth hold on Christ and all his sauing graces For no man can communicat with his body but the same is made partaker of his benefits Let vs all prepare the true and liuely faith of Gods elect and assure our selues that Hypocrites and vnbeleeuers cannot possibly be partakers of the bodye and blood of Christ. These are the foure inward partes also of the Lord supper The similitude and relation of the outward and inward parts one to another standeth in this manner euen as the Minister by the words of institution offereth and giueth bread and wine to the communicants to feede the reupon bodily so the father by the spirit offereth and exhibiteth the body and blood of christ Iesus to the souls of the faithful to feed vppon them spiritually Thus much of al the parts of the Lords supper now folow the vses to be vnfolded The vses profit which we reap by the Lords sup are special three First to shew forth with praise and thanks giuing the death and the suffrings of chri who his own selfe bare our sins in his body on the tree by whose stripes we are healed so that we haue the chiefe cause in our selus which did crucifie christ Secōdly to teach our comunion wich christ being made flesh of his flesh bone of his bones Hence we learn that al the godly and be leeuers are made partakers of christ and his graces This is matter of great comfort in our manifold trials and tentations that we are ioynd to Ch. as members to the head and therfore neither life nor deth nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things presēt nor things to com nor hight nor depth nor any other creatur shal be able to seperate vs from the loue of God which is in christ Iesus our L. But on the other side the vngodly and vnbeleeuers haue no part or Portion in chri and his graces they are as branches cut off which wither and men gather them to cast them into the fire and to burn them 3 to declare and testifie our communion fellowship and agreement with our brethren meeting together at the same table and partaking togither of the same supper Wherfore seeing we haue not onely an vnion with christ but a comunion among our selus we are the seruants of the church to serue one another in al duties of loue to instruct them that are ignorāt to raise them that are fallen and to bind vp the broken hearted to reconcile our selues one to warde another and to keepe the vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace Hitherto we haue handled the doctrin of the Lords supper declaring what it is what are the parts and vses thereof the preparation to this work followeth consisting in the Examination of our selues and trying our owne harts by the touchstone of the lawe of god This duty is very necessary to be performd of vs for the hart of man is deceitful aboue all things and the secret corners of it past finding out We haue to deal with god in this busines Great is the profit which we reap receiue if we come rightly and 〈◊〉 prepared Great is the punishment procured by want of this try all and examination And the Sacrament it self is defiled by vnworthy receiuing This preparation principally standeth in these 4. points in the knowledge of god and of ourselues especially of the whole doctrine of the sacraments in a liuely faith in Christ seeing euery one receiueth so much as he beleeueth he receiueth in repentance from dead works and lastly in reconciliation towarde our brethren hauing peace with all men and loue towarde our enemies Thus I haue opened plainly yet truely the doctrine of the Sacramentes deliuered in the Scriptures and taught in the reformed churches I haue disclosed some part of the mistery of iniquity and discouered and laid open the skirts of that great Idoll of the Masse the reproach of christians the scorne of the gentiles the offence of the weak and the occasion of ruine to many that stumble therat to their own confusion The Lord god high possessor of heauen earth and preseruer of his people that call vpon him put it into the heart of all christian princes and rulers of the earth to pull downe this abhominable Idoll that hath aduanced itselfe against the kingdome of christ and to deface this filthy monster that hath deceiued many who trusted in it The same Lord vouchsafe to reueale his truth to the ignorant to establish them that are weake and to confound all obstinate enemies to his truth to their prince and to their country for Iesus Christs sake Amen Amen FINIS A Corollary THe Apostle Paule Christian Reader prophesieng of these last times in which Antichrist should be reueiled declareth that his comming shal be by the effectual working of Satan withall power signes lying wonders in al deceiuablenes of vnrighteousnes that so they might be damned which beleeue not the truth but haue pleasure in vnrighteousnesse In this discription the effectual working of this 〈◊〉 is set down but it is in those which 〈◊〉 For as God imparteth his power to his ministers and indueth them with his spirit to saue such as beleeue so doth Satan after an apish imitation giue power to his instruments and breath his spirit vpon them to condemne such 〈◊〉 receiue not the truth The manner and meanes of Antichrists preuailing in the children of disobedience is double to wit by worke and by worde His working is with great power which is seene by signes and lying wonders Now who it is in our daies that boasteth of wonders and I wot not what miracles Who maketh the power of working signes and miracles a note of the Church Who glory that they can euery day nay euery houre of the day miraculously transubstantiate the bread wine into the blood of christ who pretendeth that their real presence their images their priuate Masses other like superstitions haue been confirmed by miracles frō heauen Is not this the church of Rome which hath the Pope for her head her spouse and her foundation And is he not discerned by this note among other to be that very Antichrist described in scripture prophesied to com in the world 〈◊〉 now to the church and felt of euery christian Wherfore let vs carefully beware 〈◊〉 such signes and wonders carry away our eies and steale away our harts from the simplicity and sincerity of the Gospell The second meanes of his proceeding and preuailing is by word to wit by deceiuablenes of vnrighteousnes He is indeede an enemy to Christ and to his church how beit not open but secret not shewing
externall and visible which are bread and wine and besides the heauenly internal and inuisible the true body and blood of Iesus Christ together with al his gifts benefits and treasures according to the doctrine of Ireneus Thirdly we agree that in the supper of the lord we are made partakers not onely of the vertue and operation of christ but of the very essence and substance of his true body and blood which was giuen for vs to death vpon the crosse and was shed for vs so that we are most cōfortably nourished with the same vnto eternal life Fourthly we beleeue that the bread wine are not changed or transubstantiated into the flesh and blood of christ but remaine true and natural bread and wine in substance as before so that the bread is called his body and the wine his blood not only because his body and blood are signified by these and set before vs but because so often as we eate and drinke them worthily christ himselfe giueth vs his body blood truely to euerlasting life Lastly we al hold the vse of the supper in both kinds and that without the right vse of the outward signes it is no sacrament vnlesse the bread be eaten and 〈◊〉 wine drunk and therefore we condemne al 〈◊〉 and adoration of the bread al carying it about and lifting it vp by the priest to the people vsed in the Church of Rome The disagreements and diuersities in opinion among vs are in certaine adioynts and in the manner of receiuing for seeing we all reach and confesse the true communication of the true body and the true blood of our Lord Iesus christ the controuersie must needes stand in the manner of communicating and therefore the vnity of the churches is not therby plucked 〈◊〉 The difference standeth in these particulars First one part contendeth that these wordes of christ this is my body must be vnderstood literally and as the words found which yet that side doth not so vnderstand the other part holdeth that they are to be vnderstood sacramentally and figuratiuely according to the declaration of christ the interpretation of Paule and the infallible rules of our christian faith Secondly one part wil haue the body blood of christ essentially and bodily in with and vnder the bread and wine and so to be eaten as that together with the bread and wine they enter into the mouth and body of the receiuers but the other part holdeth that the body of christ which at the first supper sat at table with his disciples doth not now continue with vs vpon the earth but abideth in the heauens and shal remaine there vntil he break the heauens and discend thence to iudgement Lastly one part will haue al communicants that come to the lords table and partake the outward signs whether they come worthily or vnworthily whether they be beleeuers or insidels whether godly or vngodly tó eat the body and drinke the blood of christ corporally and with the mouth of the body so as the beleeuers doe eate him to life and saluation the vnbeleeuers to death and damnation the other side holdeth that the vnbe leeuers abuse the outward signs of bread and wine to their destruction and that only the faithful can eat the body and drinke the blood of christ by a true faith by the working of the holy ghost wherby they are made flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone being more neerely and firmely knit vnto him then the members of our body are vnited to our head and thereby drawing from him life euerlasting These are briefely the pointes of difference faithfuly not partially particularly not confusedly set downe in discussing the truth wherof howsoeuer great bitternes hath 〈◊〉 broken out betweene bretheren as likewise did betweene Paule and Barnabas yet setting the 〈◊〉 of disputation aside they were worthy members of the church zealous defenders of the faith learned teachers of the truth earnest destroiers of heresie and rare examples of golines notwithstanding the infirmities imperfections and intemperate stile of th one part And howsoere this odious mak-bate N. D. boldly auoucheth pag. 46. that these men neuer met 〈◊〉 to compound their controuersies but they haue alwaies departed more disagreeing more enimies theu euer they were before their meeting yet al men know he doth either ignorantly or maliciously conceale the seueral points of their vnion and agreement concluded and subscribed at Marpurge anno 1529. cha 15. which was in this sort credimns 〈◊〉 omnes c. we all beleeue and professe concerning the supper of the Lord Iesus Christ that the vse there of in both kinds according to the inctitution of christ is to be obserued And that the masse is not any such worke wherby one man may obtaine grace for another whether he be dead or aliue Also that the sacrament of the altar is the sacrament of the true body and blood of Iesus Christ. And that the spirituall eating of the same his body and blood is very necessary for euerie christian man Moreouer that the vse of this sacrament euen as the word it selfe is instituted of almighty God to stir vp vnto faith the weake consciences of men by his holy spirit And although it could not hither to be altogether agreed amòg vs whether the true body blood of ch be in the bread and wine corporallie yet neuertheles both parties ought to declare christian charity one toward the other so far as conscience can beare And both parts shal diligently pray vnto god that he by his spirit may vouchsafe to establish vnto vs the true vnderstà ding of that matter A men In this act which was subscribed with the hands of Luther Melanthou Brentius 〈◊〉 Oecolampadius Bucer and others we see they professe christian charity and promise earnestly to pray vnto God to reueile his truth vnto them bring them to be of one hart in the truth and confirme them to discerne of things that differ so 〈◊〉 the enimies of our church haue cause rather to enuy our agreement then to in ueigh against our disagreement It is not the custome of the true church tò delight in contention it is the fashion of the church of Rome to command to compel to enforce to presse to oppresse to ban to throw out cursings and to thunder out excommunations against those that dissent frō thē but our churches not withstanding this variance haue not so proceeded one against another as enemies we curse not but blesse we hate not but loue we parsecure not but pray one for another keeping the groūdwork of faith 〈◊〉 ioyning harts and hands we seeke to repaire the ruine of Syon and pull down the fortresses of the enemies therof Moreouer albeit it were to be presumed in men of iudgment and discretion that such as haue leysure with delight and pleasure to paint out the iars and quarels abroad either are or doubtlesse shoulde be in league and loue at home yet
the draught because the eares of well disposed persons woulde abhorre that and if we should defend it the Haeretickes and Infidels woulde 〈◊〉 at vs and laugh vs to scorne Againe hee saith euidently The mouse cannot eate it God forbidde we should euer come to that Neuertheles Alexander as bold as blind Bayard in despight of all Heretickes and Infidels aduentureth vpon that opinion If a hogge or a Dogge should eat the whole consecrated hoast I see no cause but the Lords body should go 〈◊〉 into the body of that hog or dog And that we may see the blaspemous school diuinity or 〈◊〉 villany of those 〈◊〉 men hearken once more to Antoninus that beastly Byshop of Florence If a mouse or any other creature or beaste happen to eate the sacrament through negligence of keeping let the keeper be inioyned penance 40. daies and if it be possible let the mouse be taken and burnt and let his ashes be buried neere the altar Heereunto another addeth that the Mouses entrals must be drawne out and the portion of the sacrament that there remaineth if the priest be 〈◊〉 to receiue it must 〈◊〉 belaid vp vntill it may naturally be consumed But the hoast so found in the mouses bowels may in no wise be thrown into the water as a certaine priest sometimes vsed a fly that he sound in the chalice after consecration But if a man had such a feruent zeale saith he that his stomake would serue him to eat the same without horror this were the best course of all as God 〈◊〉 did who is much commended for swallowing and receiuing the host which a leaper had vomited and cast vp And heereunto the goodly and ghostly Canons of the counsell holden at Colen vnder the 〈◊〉 Radulph If there fall any small thing of the bodye or blood vpon the pall of the altar let the stone be cut and burned and the ashes put into the holy place or cast into the fish-poole If any fall vppon the stone or vppon the grounde let the priest licke it vp if a Spider or fly be fallen into it let them be taken out warily and burnt ouer the fish-poole If a man shall vomit it vp again let the peeces be gathered vp and be giuen to a faithfull man to take and eate and let the rest of the vomit be burnt and set neere vnto the altar Can any religious hart repeate or any christian eares abide this loathsome diuinity We will therefore cease to stirre this dunghill any farther for the due reuerence which wee ought to bear to the glorious body of christ Iesus our blessed sauiour But to return back to the former question what shall we say that the beasts eate Bread it cannot be for that they say is gone by consecration Some not so grosse as the former hold they eat the shewes of bread Others say the bread returneth again and thus God must wnrke myracles to feed mise So likewise Innocentius more subtiliy then soundly saith The bread passeth away myraculously when the body commeth and the body passeth and getteth it selfe away when the mouse draweth 〈◊〉 and the bread commeth into his place again so that he holdeth that it 〈◊〉 to be a sacrament so soone as any mouse or beast toucheth it But Guidmundus and Thomas Walden affirme that when mise gnaw the Sacrament there is deceptio visus that is an errour in our fight We simply iudge they be eating and nibling but our sight is deceiued the mise be otherwise occupied And might they not as well say our eie-sight faileth in thinking them to be mise or birds whereas they may peraduenture be angels in their shapes Other hold some new matter is created in place of christs body but I would gladly knowe whether it be by vertue of these words this is my body And touching the Wormes that are ingendred in the 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 diuersity is among them Some say they are ingendred of the aire others of the substance of bread and 〈◊〉 of the quality and shewes thereof and so we shall haue substance made of accidentes in despight of all 〈◊〉 and reason Thus they are carried hither and thither vppe and downe too and fro to reconcile matters they knowe not howe and to beleeue thinges they know not what For how shall the people haue a direction and path-way what to followe when their teachers are not setled and perswaded what is the truth Against al these confusions vncertainties contrarieties blasphemies and crossing one another we teach the people what to hold and instruct them to make a diffe between ch body the sacrament of his body The sacrament is corruptible christs body is glorious and free from all corruption the sacrament is beneath christes body is aboue the sacrament is on earth vpon the table the body is in heauen the Sacrament feedeth the body and outwarde man the body of christ feedeth the soule and inward man the sacrament is eaten as well of the wicked as of the godly the body is only eaten of the faithful the sacrament may be eaten to death but the body of christ is euer eaten to saluation Wherefore howsoeuer beastes may touch or eate the substance of the bread which is the outwarde and corruptible element of the sacrament they cannot eat the body of christ which is in heauen and sitteth at the right hande of God the Father which is receiued onely by a liuely faith Fiftly they argue the case whether the shew of breade be a signe of the bodie without the bloode or whether it include the soule humours spirits and the blood it selfe Scotus saith Nonest certum that is It is vncertaine both may be defended but neither can be proued Notwithstanding Thomas of Aquin auoucheth that the blood is in the body the body in the blood by a connecting of them togither which they cal concomit antia or accompanying each other So then whereas Christ said this is my body they vnderstand him to say this is my bodie and my blood Againe when Christ said this is my blood they make his meaning to be this is my bloode and my body This is a new fancie well agreeing and answering to their newe doctrine whereby they are constrained to build vp one idle conceit with another This is a very wonderfull shiste and a marueylous sigure passing all figures whereby one thing is made two and two are made one Lastly to draw to an end where almost no end is they eagerly contend with what wordes their consecration or rather coniuration is wrought Some say christ consecrated when hee blessed Others denying this dispute how many words are precisely required to the forme of consecration Scotus shrowdeth himself vnder his own ignorāce flyeth to it as to a place of refuge saying It is a lawfull ignorance not to know how many wordes are necessarily required in the forme of consecration therefore he which thinketh he knoweth