that it sauoureth very strongly of a Magicall incantation and I am so much the more confirmed in this because the Papistes reioycing as Inchaunters and Sorcerers doe in their odde numbers haue added one word that is enim to the wordes of institution saying Hoe est enim corpus meum as may appeare in their Missall or Masse booke 3 The grosse and palpable absurdities which follow this opinion of Transubstantiation are sufficient and strong inough of them selues to make it out of credite with al persons indued with holie wisedome and vnderstanding to cause them to esteeme of it not onely as a thing false and erronious but very vngodly and blasphemous also To reckon vp all or largely to discourse vpon the particulars it is not my purpose but onely to touch some shortly yet so as the vanitie and falsehood of this great corruption may thereby easily appeare 1 First I say that this doth vtterly destroy the nature of a Sacrament which must euer consist of two partes to wit of visible elements and inuisible graces which can not be if so be it that the nature and substaunce of the elementes be either chaunged or vanish away and the things represented by the same come in their place because that the one part of the Sacrament to witt the visible signe is then and there wanting 2 Secondly I affirme that it is iniurious to the glorified bodie of our Sauiour not onely while it bringeth him from heauen the place of all blessednesse into earth the place of all miserie wretchednesse but also whilest it maketh it to be rent and torne in peeces not onely with the teeth of good men a matter which Nature abhorreth but with the teeth of the wicked and vngodly yea with the teeth of Mise Dogges and other vnreasonable creatures yea whilest it maketh it which is immortall in immortal glorie subiect to putrifaction corruption and Wormes by reason of the long reseruation thereof and at the last to consuming in the fire a fact of horrible crueltie if it were Christes flesh because it may not otherwise be made away as they them selues confesse if it be ouertaken with horinesse moldinesse or any such like 3 Thirdly I say that by a consequent it doth wonderfully confound if not vtterly destroy the humanitie of our Sauiour with his Godhead whilest that which is proper and peculiar to his eternall Deitie to witt to be euery where is attributed and ascribed to his humanitie which as hath been before shewed and shall be more plainely prooued hereafter is and must of necessitie since his ascension be circumscriptible and tied to a place For otherwise if the glorification of Christes bodie haue taken away that propertie of tying to a place then the like shall be perfourmed in all the bodies of the faythfull because he shall change our base and vile bodyes that they may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body Philip. 3. 21. But to say that our bodyes shall be euery where were a beastly and blasphemous assertion because it should ascribe that vnto vs which is proper and peculiar onely to God For vnto him alone it pertaineth to fill heauen earth and all places Therefore this assertion concerning Christes glorified body must of necessitie be such likewise 4 Fourthly it doth destroy all the Articles of our Fayth which concerne Christes ascension in heauen sitting at the right hand of the Father and his comming againe together with all the places of Scripture that confirme those most holy comfortable and necessarie poyntes For if he be heere in respect of his bodily power presence how can he be iustly said to haue ascended in respect of his bodie into heauen and to sit there at the right hand of his Father making continuall intercession for vs Or how can it be affirmed that from thence hee shall come with great power and glorie to iudge the quicke and the dead seeing he is heere on earth already Let men of the world deeme what they list this is the truth that God hath sanctified vnto vs in his word and doe steadfastly beleeue it in my heart and will through Gods goodnesse and strength alwayes confesse the same with my mouth that from the time of his ascension the heauens must containe Chistes naturall bodie vntill the time that all thinges be restored Actes 3.21 that is euen to the worldes end 5 Fifthly I say that this opinion doth depriue vs of all the spirituall graces and comforts that God the father in his sonne Christ by sending the holy Ghost the third person in the Deitie hath bestowed vpon the whole Church generally and euery particular member thereof For doeth not our Sauiour Christ say Iohn 16.7 I tell you the trueth It is expedient for you that I goe away for if I goe not away that Comforter will not come vnto you But if I depart I will sende him vnto you Either this then must be true that we haue the holy Ghost by the bodily absence of our Sauiour Christ giuen to the Church as before is sayd or else if Christ be heere bodily present the holy Ghost is not yet come which you may see plainely ouerthrowne Act. 2.1.2 6 Sixthly this assertion accuseth Christ of manifest lying and vntrueth For he himselfe hath said Math. 26.11 The poore yee haue alwayes with you but me ye shall not haue alwaies And yet this people dare affirme that wee haue him continually not in respect of his spirituall power and presence onely in which respect he filleth all places both in heauen and in earth and is sayd to be with the beleeuers euen vnto the end of the world Matth. 28.20 But in respect of corporall and bodily presence then the which nothing can be more absurde as hath been before shewed But heere arise vp three speciall obiections to be answered two whereof are taken for the wordes of the text of holy Scripture the third from the omnipotencie almightie power of our Sauiour Christ common thinges indeede and might as easily be reiected as obiected but yet both for the strengthening of them that stand for the satisfying instruction of them that be weake and ignoraunt I will in a word or two as it were make a short yet a sound sufficient and true answere I hope to euery one of them seuerally and by them selues The first place obiected were these wordes out of Iohn 6.13 Except yee eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his blood yee haue no life in you Wherevnto I answere first that neither these wordes neither the rest of the Chapter can properly be vnderstoode of the Lords supper because that was not at that time instituted and ordeined but rather of our communication or partaking with Christ by the meanes of fayth apprehending the worde and applying particularly vnto our selues all the gracious and sweete promises that the Lord hath made and offered vnto vs therein which may appeare partly because hee persisteth by a
the eye of mans reason and vnderstaÌ„ding yet we know that this is sensibly set foorth vnto vs by seuerall meanes and instrumentes some outward as the Elementes in the Sacrament and some inwarde as the spirituall Grace represented thereby For we are not Angels but men consisting of bodie and soule and therefore the Lord by the vse of his Word and Sacramentes hath prouided for both partes as the Word for our Eares and our Eares for hearing of the same that so Fayth might be wrought in our heartes Rom. 10.17 and the Elementes in the Sacramentes for our taste sight feeling c. and yet our soules to be nourished not with any or all of these outward thinges for how can outward and corruptible things nourish inward and immortall substaunce but onely with the spirituall graces offered vnto vs therein this also to be wrought in vs though our Sauiour be in Heauen in respect of his body and wee heere as Pilgrimes and Strangers on the Earth by the wonderfull vnsearchable working of his holy Spirite in vs and by the meanes of a liuely and assured Fayth both which being knit togeather doe easily ioyne togeather things that be as farre asunder in respect of distaunce of place as one ende of the earth is from the other and as farre asunder as heauen and earth them selues are or else how could we either beleeue the holy Catholike Church and feele the communion of Saintes seeing it commonly falleth out that the members of that holy fellowshippe are sundered one of them from an other in respect of great distance of place or be assured that Christes righteousnesse is become ours seeing he is in heauen wee on the earth if by Fayth we did not take hold of the same and apply it vnto our selues Besides if men should imbrace this sacramentarie opinioÌ„ what were it but to euert as the trueth of Christes promises so the certaintie and assurednesse of his word who in plaine tearmes calleth this holy Sacrament His bodie 2 The second extreamitie is that of consubstantiation some affirming that there is deliuered to the people and they receiue togeather with the substance of Bread the yery substance of Christes very naturall body so that there is as it were an intermingling of both the substaunces in the action of the Supper This opinion is iustly to be disliked and reproued not onely because of the absurdities which it hath common with the heresie of transubstantiation whereof wee will speake in the next place but also because it is quite and cleane contrarie to common sense and reason confounding and iumbling togeather two seuerall and distinct substances and making the lesse to witt the substance of bread to comprehende the greater that is Christs humaine body yea euen his verie Godhead which heauen and earth is not able to containe Besides it doth vtterly take away an essentiall propertie of Christes body for if Christ in respect of his humanitie be like vnto vs in all thinges sinne onely excepted and we know by the light of reason and vnderstanding that God hath bestowed vpon vs yea by verie experience that our bodies are circumscriptible and tyed to a place it must needs follow that Christ in respect of his Manhood or Christ as he is Man is and must be tyed to a place and not be in euery place as he must be if these mens assertions be true which is nothing els indeed but vtterly to destroy Christes body which I proue against them thus Whosoeuer taketh away the essentiall propertie of any thing taketh away the thing it selfe this Proposition is prooued by this Maxime in Logike If the definition of a thing which chiefly consisteth of the essentiall propertie of euerie thing be taken away then the thing defined it selfe also falleth As for example If a reasonable liuing creature which is the definition of a man be taken away what shall become of man or where shall he appeare which is the thing defined But these men take away the essentiall propertie of a thing to witte of a body which is to be circumscriptible or tyed to a place which is indeed an essentiall propertie of the body of man and therefore of Christes body as he is man If any will denie this it may easily be prooued both by the definition of a body which is a quantitie that may be deuided according to the threefold measuring receiued amongst men that is length breadth thicknesse and also by the description of a place which is defined to be a nighnesse or touching of the thing containing and the thing conteined The conclusion therefore is that in taking away place from the body of Christ which they doe whilest they place it in euerie place whereas in the nature thereof it can be but in one place at one time they doe vtterly destroy the body or humanitie of Christ or at the least confound it so with the Godhead as Eutyches did that they make a confusion whereas in all trueth and vprightnesse there should remaine a distinction of the proprieties of either nature in his blessed person But of this ynough in this place because it is somewhat philosophicall and because also in the next â—ection we shall haue occasion to deale with the like 3. The third extreamitie is that of transubstantiation maintained altogether by the Romish Catholikes which hold that the Bread and Wine the substance thereof vanishing away and nothing being left but the accidentes or qualities thereof as roundnes whitenesse rednesse moysture c. are changed and that by the power of certaine wordes spoken by the Priest as they cal him ouer the Elements they are turned into the verie naturall body and bloud of our Sauiour Concerning this point and the branches thereof I will speake particularly and first for the name Transubstantiation I fear not to affirme that it is verie new and neuer heard of before the dayes of Pope Innocent the third who was about the yeare of our Lord 1205. much lesse was it confirmed as an article of faith before the Councell of Constance a Citie so named in Germanie in the dayes of Pope John the xxiii which was about the yeare of our Lord 1415. and therefore by the Popish reason of reiecting new thinges easily ynough reiected for the noueltie thereof 2 That there is a change I doe not deny but this is not in respect of the nature of the thinges themselues but in respect of the vse and ende whereunto they are applyed because that they are by the Lordes institution separated from the common vse yea and from common Bread and Wine and applyed not onely to a holy vse but dedicated also to a holy ende that is to be sure seales and pledges of holy things to witt of Christs body and bloud and of the effectes that by his death and passion we receiue But that this change should be wrought by any wordes I am so farre off froÌ„ allowing it as true that I am verily perswaded
TWO Treatises 1. The holy exercise of a true Fast described out of Gods word Written by T. C. Joel 2.12.13 Turne you vnto me saith the Lord with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning And rent your heart and not your clothes and turne vnto the Lord your God for he it gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse and repenteth him of the euill 2. The substance of the Lordes Supper Written by T. W. Imprinted at London for I. Harison and T. Man Anno. 1610. THE HOLY EXERCISE OF a true Fast described out of Gods word IT IS AN euident declaration of a marueilous blindnesse which is in vs to order our steppes towardes the kingdome of heauen that like children new come into the world we know not when to eate and when to forbeare eating no further then wee haue our direction out of Gods word But it is yet more maruaile that in so small a matter scarse the hundred person of those which professe the name of Christ know either how to enter into this way or how to turne them in it when they are entred to any glorie of GOD or profite of them selves For to let the Papists goe which through a shamefull superstition in it rather pine away their soules then take downe their bodies it is a shame to speake how few there are of those which beare the name of Gospellers that haue so much as the knowledge of this exercise so farre are they from any lawfull and right practise of it For a great number as a needlesse thing reiect it altogeather For shaking off the Popish yoke from their owne necks by vsing or rather abusing their libertie they suffer their seruants to remaine still vnder it Which custome vnlesse it be through infirmitie of body or some other weightie cause it can hardly escape the hotte and vehement suspition either of belly-Gods if thinking it religious in their seruantes they them-selues will not obserue it or of a couetous minde if hauing no such opinion of it they doe notwithstanding constraine their seruantes therevnto An other sort there bee which being afraide of the reproche of Belly-gods and thinking it fitting to the Christian profession to keepe the flesh in some bridle allow in deede of the exercise of Fasting but for want of knowledge of a better they sticke still in the mire of the Popish fast For remedie whereof there followeth a Treatise whereby the true Fast being vnderstanded as well the prophane opinion of those which reiect this exercise as the foolish superstition of those which content them selues with a shadow thereof is laid open Fasting therfore is an abstinence commanded of the Lord thereby to make solemne professiō of our repētance Wherein that which is sayd of the Lord commaunding it is to be considered against those which would thrust this exercise out of the doores of Christian Churches For the repressing of which errour let that be called to remembrance which the Lord commanded by Moses * Leuit 16.29 30 31 23.27 to 33 Num. 29.7 That euery soule once a yeare should humble it selfe in fasting before the Lord in one of the great assemblies of his people For although the ceremonie of the day be taken away by the cōming of our Sauiour Christ yet the thing it selfe is no more taken away thē a rest for Gods seruice is banished because the Iewes Saboth is abolished For when as no doubt the consideration of the Fast was that the wrath of GOD should not breake out against them or being broken out should be caused to returne home againe the same cause remaining there is good reason the same effect should continue And when it is an humbling of a man before his God was there any degree of casting downe necessarie for that people which is not necessarie for vs Either ought they to haue gone downe lower into the conceite of their vnworthinesse then we into the conscience of our guiltinesse Whose benefites as they are greater then theirs so the abuse of them should driue vs to the lowest humiliation that can be so it be lawfull warrantable by the word of God But if this holy exercise of Fasting doe not clearely enough appeare to be no fading or shadowing ceremonie by this set and ordinarie Fast because the like doth not agree with the time of the Gospell yet by other moueable and vncertaine Fastes which were holden vpon occasion the same may bee more strongly strengthened For where we see the like occasion of fast that was then there we may be assured of the same commaundement to fast that was giuen them commaundement I say least any man thinking it to be a will worship taken vp at the pleasure of men might thinke he had as good or better right to lay it downe then they had to take it vp For proofe whereof that one place of the Prophet Ioel shall suffice Ioel. 2.22 which vpon occasion of a great dearth in the Land commaundeth in the Lords behalfe to sanctifie a Fast By which one commaundement it is euident that other Fastes which were kept either by the Churches publiquely or by some of the faythfull priuatly were done in obedience and not at the randon of mans inuention If this be not sufficient to subdue our sturdie affections to this so holy an exercise yet at the least let them stoupe vnder so manifest both doctrine examples hereof by the Churches of God vnderneath the Gospell For when as our Sauiour Christ being charged by the Pharises and Iohns Disciples Luke 5.33 that his Disciples fasted not so answered that he did not onely not condemne it but highly also commend it so it were done seasonably It is plaine that the libertie which the Gospell bringeth hath not remoued the auncient bound of a Christian Fast And if we looke into the practise whereby the way chalked out by his doctrine is troden and beaten plaine vnto vs by examples it will soone be seene how greatly they deceiue them selues which vnder the colour of greater perfection attained vnder the Gospell cast away the assistance that the Lord offereth by this exercise For if we enquire of the Churches Apostles fasting then was it most often when they were fullest of the graces of God that is after the solemne sending of the holy Ghost If wee thinke then that this exercise of fast be too ceremonious because it was tied to a certaine day the commaundement to hold it without any such restraint vnto a certaine time ought to correct that thought of ours If we stand in feare that it should be too Iewish the doctrine of the Gospell is ready to pull vs out of that feare If presumption of greater graces then those which should neede such a supplie doe bring this Fast out of conceit with vs the practise of it by the holy Apostles at the highest toppe of their perfection in this world will easily set vp the credite thereof
time extending this exercise at the least to some part of the night When notwithstanding it is to be noted that as wel in the former abstinence from meate as in this withdrawing of some part of sleepe that neither is so streightly required of the Lord but that those whose either disease or other infirmitie will not beare this abstinence without hazard of their health may vse so much libertie as shall serue for the preseruation of their health so they take heed they vse not this gentle dealing of the Lord as a cloake to hide the lustes of their flesh withall A third kind of abstinence is in the apparel that albeit they put not on Sackcloth and Ashes as the holy Fathers did in times past yet that they content thē selues with a common kind of attire auoyding all such costlinesse curiositie whereby in tricking trimming vp them selues the flesh may take occasion of being proud Thus the Lord whē he would haue the children of Israel to humble them selues before him spake to Moses saying Exod. 33.5 Speake vnto the children of Israel that for the present time they lay aside their Iewels and Ornamentes that I may know what I shall doe with them And thus farre hath it been spoken of the outward Exercises which are generall and to be done of al which make this solemne profession of repentaunce There is one yet which is more speciall belonging vnto married persons alone which is that they for the time 1. Cor. 7.5 should with consent abstaine from the mutuall felowship one of an other which is so straitly required Ioel. 2.16 that euen the Bridegrome the Bride which of all other ought to haue the greatest priuiledge in that poynt are bidden at such times to come out of their chambers Rom. 14.17 But for as much as the kingdome of heauen standeth not in these thinges and the Lord being a Spirit will be worshipped in spirite and trueth either these exercises must lead vs to some farther thing or else the same accusation will lie against vs wherewith the Prophet charged the Israelites who contenting them selues with the outward ceremonie of abstinence Esay 58.3 were sent home as emptie as they came And indeed vnlesse we bring more with vs then this our abstinencie our Fastes may be matched with the Beasts Fast of Niniuie Ionas 3.7 for they also both eate nothing and were couered with Sackcloth yea the Beastes Fast may be so much better then ours as there be some kinds of Beastes that can longer endure without meate and sleepe then we Where the Papistes fast which was shewed before to be childish may heere be prooued to be beastly and brutish For if they did onely abstaine from Meate they iudged them selues to haue holden a good Fast vnto the Lord. There follow the inwarde vertues helped forward by the bodily exercise which in the number * Ezdra 6.21 two The one is the humbling and casting downe of our selues before the high Maiestie of God with sorrow for our sinnes The other is the assuraunce that we haue that with forgiuenesse of them we shall obtaine the thing that we stande in need of and make suite for Here therefore first commeth to be considered our hūbling casting downe which is a vile esteeming of our selues answering to the outward exercise For therfore doe we abstaine for a time that we might thereby haue a quicker feeling of our owne vnworthines Therefore we bring downe the body that the minde may be likewise brought downe Therefore we crucifie the flesh that the deserued death of the spirite may be the better knowen Therfore we abstaine from our pleasures and commodities Mark 2.20 Luk. 5.35 Math. 9.15 that through conscience of sinne and feeling of the wrath of God either present or to come for the same we might draw our selues to a greater sorrow In which respect the exercise which the other Euangelistes call Fasting Saint Mathew calleth Mourning Herevpon it commeth Ioel. 2 17. 1. Sam. 7.6 that weeping which is a witnesse of our sorrow is annexed vnto the Fast which the children of God haue done so plentifully in this exercise 2. Sam. 7.6 that they haue bin sayd to haue drawne whole Buckets of Water which the deapth of the sorrow for their sinnes and the anger of God against them hath ministred And as these outward exercises are commaunded to draw vs to a feeling of our vnworthines so in the feeling thereof by them wee make a solemne confession of the same For the children of God in time past by their abstinence from meate drinke confessed them selues vnworthy so much as of a crumme of bread or drop of water by putting on Sackcloth vnworthy of the worst rag to couer their shame with So that if common honestie and health would haue suffered they wold haue stripped them selues starke naked The same is to be vnderstanded of the benefite of Sleepe and company of Mariage as also of all other the commodities of this life whereof they did not onely confesse them selues vnworthy but in that they put Dust and Ashes vpon their heades they gaue to vnderstande that they were vnworthie of the life it selfe and that they deserued to bee as farre vnderneath the ground as they were aboue it yea if there had been any thing apter to haue set forth their euerlasting condemnation in Hell of that also would they haue borne the marke thereby to declare their guilt desert of the same So that hereby they do iustifie the Lord in that vengeance against thē whereof by this humbling of thē selues they seeke redresse If then we keepe a holy Fast vnto the Lord wee must thereby be humbled in our selues before the Lord but if vpō confidence of our fasting Luk. 5.33 Luk. 18.11 wee waxe bolder to sinne in a perswasion that through obedience giuen vnto him in this one poynt we may be bolder to be disobedient in others or if the vse hereof do make vs swell against our brethren and after the example of the Pharisees despise thē which doe not Fast as wee doe then is the Fast appoynted of the Lord for our medicine become our bane and poyson And therefore here now we giue a new charge vpon the Popish Fast a great deale more hotte then the former For seeing that they with the proude Pharisee boast of the merite of their fastes setting these fastes as other workes in the place of the Blood of Christ It is manifest that their Fastes are so farre from humbling them that through the opinion of them they rise vp against the Lord and doe their best to set them selues euen in the throne of God so that vnto the childishnesse and brutishnesse of their Fast abouementioned heere they haue added an horrible and blasphemous sacriledge To the compassing of this true humbling of our sinnes is annexed necessarily an information and meditation of the filthinesse of our sinnes and of the iust
glorie and the profite one of an other those especially which are not of the same lande with vs wee make small accompt off And seeing the naked treasure of the holy Gospell had beene a rich reward of a most seruiceable subiection it comming vnto vs not alone but accompanied with so long a peace with so great a wealth so plentyful aboundance of al things as this Land hath neuer or seldome vsed other Landes about vs haue long looked after maketh our guilt a great deale more because that in thy so great a largis towards vs we haue been so vngratious towards thee againe Here therefore is an other Stayer whereby our sinne clymeth higher For that wee in the commodities of this life surmounting our auncestours of the same profession of the Gospell in King Henrie and King Edwardes time are for the fruites that such a liberalitie asketh at our hands a great deale worse then they and going beyond other landes in these outward blessinges are out-run of them euen in the very outwarde testimonies and tokens of our obedience towardes thee And besides this huge heape and as it were reeke of our generall common sinnes we haue to confesse at the barre of thy iudgement seate the particular sinnes that we haue kocked vp in our seuerall estates For our gouernours O Lord for the most part beeing more mindfull of the fulfilling of their affections then either of thy glory or of their good estate which are committed vnto them haue not helde so steadie a hande as they ought to haue done either for the stablishing of the Lawes by which vnder thee they should haue ruled vs and we by them should haue bin gouerned of thee or for the thorough execution of so many and so farre foorth as they haue been wel established Our Iudges and other Ministers of Iustice likewise haue either ignorantly or corruptly declyned from righteous iudgement or giuing sentence for the trueth they haue done it diuers of thē with no conscience of thy true feare or loue of trueth but for respect either of vaine glorie or of persons The Ministers which should haue been Lightes vnto all estates haue for the most part no light in themselues and their estate in whose good constitution and sound health the rest should haue recouered their health is of all other the most sicke vnto death For if the whole number be surueyed scarce the hundred wil be found to be in the lot of a faythfull Ministerie For ah alas how many are there which occupying the place of Ambassadours ei ther for want of abilitie or for that they loue ease and sleepe carrie no tollerable Ambassage at all how manie which carrying the light of the Gospell in their mouthes carry also in their handes the filthy water of ambition couetousnesse to quench it with And those which by thy grace are for their might and will in some good measure iustifiable notwithstanding for the most part beare it with such infirmitie through slippes aswell in a sound and substantiall maner of teaching as also in an euen life answering thervnto that if thy blessing were not marueilous vpon their labours we should not need to feare the quenching of this fire of the holy Gospell kindled among vs by the enemies as that which hauing so small attendance of blowing would die of it selfe Finally the people beare so small loue vnto their Gouernours of all sortes in loue so small reuerence in them both so little willing obedience that it may be not vneasely seene that all the practise of the Church and common wealth haue conspired to prouoke thee Lord against them These our great and ouergrowen sinnes albeit they are gotten aboue our heades yet rest they not heere For where thou hast by thy holy Seruantes the Ministers of thy blessed worde sharpely chidden with vs and in a seuere denouncing of thy iudgments due vnto them fearefully threatened vs for them yet haue we not trembled at thy voyce at which the Mountaynes doe melte and the Rockes doe rent asunder A strange thing that the Lion should roare and the weake Lambes should not be affraide that the Lord of Hoastes should proclaime Warre against vs we should not goe foorth and meete him for intreatie of peace Nay his wrath as hath been shewed hath been and yet is kindled amongest vs and yet as sencelesse men and as dead flesh we are not mooued Wee are pricked and wee feele it not Wee are wounded and wee doe not so much as aske Who hath stricken vs The tempest that is comming towarde vs threateneth our vtter drowning and yet as a drunken man we lie sleeping in the verie toppe of the Mast Whereby it is euident against our selues that vnto the multitude of our sinnes wee haue added an other degree of wickednesse which is the continuaunce in them vnto our disobedience we haue ioyned stubbornesse and the Byles and Botches of our rebellion being ougly in thy sight doe through the putrifaction festrednesse of them cast out such stincke as the earth which we tread vpon the waters which we drinke and the ayre which we breath are tainted and poysoned with the infection of them Yea Lord taught by the wonderfull iustice of thy righteous Law we charge vpon our heads all the sinnes of our Fathers and Graundfathers to the vttermost of our generations which are past as those wherevnto wee are iuster inheritours then vnto any Landes or Goods that they haue left vs. Whereby it falleth out against vs that our sinnes touch the Cloudes yea breake into the Heauens of thy Maiesties owne residence whose measure being alreadie as it seemeth filled there remaineth nothing but that it should be turned vpon our heades wherevpon wee make against our selues an other confession that we are vnworthy of all the benefites of this life or of the life to come both those which wee either haue or yet hope to enioy from the greatest to the smalest from the kingdome of heauen to one onely drop of Water That we are worthie of all the Plagues which either haue heretofore ceased or been yet possessed of vs. Yea if thou shouldest ransake all the hid and secret treasures of thy fearefull iudgmentes which in thy Lawe thou threatnest against the breakers thereof not only to the rasing and sweeping vs from the face of the earth but also to the throwing of vs headlong into the bottomlesse pitte of hell yet would we therein also acknowledge thy righteous iudgementes for vnto vs belongeth shame confusion of faces but vnto thee glory and righteousnesse All which both guilt of sinne and desert of punishment notwithstanding O father of mercies and God of all comfort wee trusting vnto the Promises which thou hast made vs in Iesus Christ are bold through him humbly to call for the performaunce of them And first we humbly desire thee to forgiue vs all our sinnes Thou hast said that if wee confesse our sinnes thou art faithfull to forgiue vs them