will raise him vp at the last daye Who seeth not heere that Christ attributeth the same force to beleeuing that in the other verse he did to eating and drinking and therfore vseth y â— wordes indifferently as beyng of one meaning I myght stay vpon many other places wherein the holy Ghost wytnesseth that we haue eternall life by beleeuing in Christ as in the same place He that trusteth in me hath eternal life but the matter is needelesse and the time will not suffer me Therefore by Christes owne wordes to beleeue in Christ is to eat Christ That you may not thinke this is a new deuise proceeding from my selfe or from the Preachers of thys tyme hearken you what S. Augustine sayeth This is the bread that came from heauen that if any doe eate of it he shoulde not die but that stretcheth to the Vertue of the Sacrament not to the visible Sacrament He that eateth within not he that eateth without he that eateth with the hart and not he that presseth it with his teeth Marke I pray you y â— he attributeth the true effectuall eating not to the pressing with the teeth and bodyly mouthe but to the inward eating with the hart and what is that but by faith and beleeuing spiritually to eate him and so he expoundeth himselfe in an other place This it is therefore fayeth he to eate that foode that perisheth not but remaineth to eternall lyfe What preparest thou thy tooth and thy belly beleeue and thou hast eaten And againe To beleeue in hym that is it to eate the bread of lyfe Cyprian also to the same purpose writeth These things so often as wee doe wee sharpen not our teeth to byte but with sincere fayth wee breake and diuide that holye breade Some happily thinke that this spirituall eating by faith is but a â—leight matter and of no great weyght and so the teachers of the Churche of Rome woulde perswade men but they consider not the great vertue power and strength of Faith By Fayth wee knowe Christ and the true meane of our saluation by hym By Faith wee bee graffed into Christ as braunches into the roote and stocke so that wee lyue now by him and by his spirit as the braunches doe by the Iuice that commeth from the bodye of the tree By Fayth wee bee so vnited vnto Christ that we may iustly saye whatsoeuer is hys is ours also by fayth we are made the chyldren of God and heyres of eternall lyfe By fayth wee haue peace wyth God and are assured of hys fauour in the myddest of all our troubles by fayth wee dare boldly approche to the throne of Gods mercie This might and strength of fayth they feele not that thinke it so simple a matter to eate Christ by fayth Christ witnesseth That by eating him by faith and beliefe we haue saluation and eternall lyfe and that hee will raise vs at the last daye Wherefore I woulde knowe of them what other eating there is beside thys whereby wee maye assure our selues of Saluation Truely the Scriptures mention none And that carnall eating for which the Churche of Rome striueth is suche as they themselues confesse that Iudas and all wicked persons may vse and bee damned Nowe I appeale to the consciences of them that feare GOD and will not willyngly runne into errour whether wee or they deale with the people of God more sincerely They without any euident proofe of the Scriptures contende as I haue sayde for that reall and bodily eating with which damnation maye bee ioyned wee endeuour to perswade men that manner of spirituall eatyng by faythe throughe which by the testimonie of the whole Scriptures wee shall be assured of eternall lyfe and with which damnation can not bee ioyned Some perchaunce wyll saye vnto mee or wyll thinke with themselues in their mynde If this doctrine bee true then are Sacramentes needelesse For wee may eate Christ by fayth spiritually in such sort as you haue sayd without any vse of the Lordes supper and therefore it maye seeme superfluous God forbydde that the most perfect Christians and of strongest fayth should once thinke Sacramentes to bee superfluous and needelesse They bee the blessed and holy ordinaunces of Christ by his mercy and goodnesse appoynted for our great helpe and benefite as I haue in the former Sermon declared And yet I must confesse to the great comforte of many godlye persons that the faythfull Christian maye and doth often feede vpon Christ to saluation beside the vse of the Sacrament For the spirituall grace and benefites which as I haue sayd before is the principall parte of a Sacrament is not of necessitie alwaye so tyed to the outwarde signes that without them God can not or doth not sometime bestowe the same I doubte not but the Theefe vppon the Crosse without vse of the Sacrament dyd eate the bodye and blood of Christ in such sort that he was the same day w t him in Paradise We see in the Actes of the Apostles that Cornelius and hys company was sealed with the spirite of GOD before the receauing of the outward Sacrament in such sort that if he had then immediatly departed out of this life he should haue gone to heauen which coulde not bee vnlesse he had spiritually by fayth eaten the true foode of euerlasting life that is Christ Jesus crucifyed which he fed vppon most assuredly whyle he heard Saint Peter preach Christ There were in tyme of the Primitiue Churche great numbers of godly Martyrs saued which neuer outwardly receaued the Sacrament of the Lordes supper and yet fruitfully and effectually did eat Christ by faith And so doe many at this daye which either by sicknesse or by imprisonment or by any other lyke cause of necessitie are tyed from the outwarde vse of the Sacraments Yet as I haue fayde God forbyd that we shoulde thinke the Sacrament of the Lordes supper superfluous but rather exceeding profitable In the vse of y t Sacrament there is a double eating of which one helpeth the other †As manne consisteth of two partes bodie and soule so the bodye feedeth vppon the outwarde elementes of bread and wyfe but the soule feedeth in deede and truely vpon Jesus Christ crucified The outward eating by y â— instrumeÌ„ts of our body causeth al our senses our hearing our seeing our feeling our tasting to helpe our inwarde eating by faith by the same quickeneth stirreth strengtheneth increaseth our faith y t we may eate y t body and blood of Christ more effectually fruitfully For when the faithful christian heareth the wordes of Christes institution sounde in his eares This is my body that is giuen for you this is my blood that is shed for the remission of your sinnes it stirreth vppe his faith for faith is by hearing to lay strong howfast vppon this promise in his hart doth assure himselfe that Christ dyed and shed his blood not
that beleeueth not is condemned alreadie because he dothe not beleeue in the name of the sonne of God And in the 6. Chapter This is the will of my Father that sent mee that he that seeth the Sonne beleeueth in him should haue eternall life The full consent of the Prophets doth iustifie this Meane of our saluatioÌ„ For as Peter sayth To this all the Prophetes beare witnesse that through his name all they which beleeue in him shal receaue remission of sinnes The whole Church of Christ beareth witnesse to this which in all hir generall councells doth teach euerie true Christian to say I beleeue that Iesus Christ descended from heauen for vs and for our saluation that he was made man borne suffered died rose againe and was receaued into Heauen c. And all to this end that by this Sauiour we myght haue remission of sinne Resurrection of the fleshe and euerlasting lyfe All these things doth y t EuaÌ„gelist S. Iohn affirme in one little sentence These thinges are written that you may beleeue that Iesus Christ is the sonne of God and that in beleeuing ye might haue life through his name By these wordes wee are taught why the Gospell is written and preached to men that is that they should beleeue and iustifie God in his promise to be true Secondly that by beleeuing they should haue the fruites of Christes comming in the flesh and therefore faith and beleefe is the Meanes to apply Christ and his benefites vnto vs. Thirdly that wee haue life and saluation onely by the meere mercie of God in Christ and not by any merite of ourselues or other meÌ„ or by the dignitie and worthinesse of our selues or our doinges whatsoeuer going before or comming after This benefite therefore to applye Christes merites and fruites of hys Passion vnto vs can not in any wyse bee imputed to any other workes or vertues bee they neuer so excellent but to fayth onely and that not for the dignitye of faythe neyther but for this cause onely for that faythe resperteth no other thyng but doth rest and staye it selfe vppon the sure and vnfallible promyse of God grounded and founded on the grace and merite of Christ This promyse doth faythe apprehende as I haue sayde and doth assure hymselfe to bee partaker of it because God is true and can not deceaue And thoughe our faythe sometyme bee weake and not so strong as it shoulde bee yet wee maye not dispayre for this our weakenesse and infirmitie but wee must comforte our selues wyth thys sweete promyse that he which paydr the price of our saluation as the Prophete witnesseth Doth not breake the brused reede nor extinguishe smookyng Flaxe Onely let vs saye wyth him in the Gospell I beleeue but O Lorde helpe myne vnbeliefe And with the Apostles O Lorde increase our Faith For as Christ saith If wee haue fayth no more than a graine of mustarde seede we shall by it worke great things This doctrine of apprehending the benefites of our saluation and applying the fruites of Christes Incarnation death passion by faith onely The patrons and teachers of the Church of Rome haue most impugued Their voyces thereof ring in euery mans cares their bookes and writings agaynst the same lye open to all mens eyes so that no man can doubt of it wherein their obstinate blindnesse doth more than in all other things too plainly appeare For whereas they bee great braggers of the generall consent of the Vniuersall Church and by countenance of it will seeme to maintaine their other errours and corrupt doctrine yet they reiect this doctrine that is witnessed by God the Father confirmed by the Sonne established in the hartes of the faithful by the holy Ghost testified by all the Prophetes and Apostles and acknowledged by the generall Consent of the whole Church in their beliefe and ratified by the subscription of a great number of the auncient Fathers and Catholike writers yet I say they of the Church of Rome doe impugne it and speake altogether most reprochefully of faith and wrongfully challeng the Preachers of the Gospell that by this doctrine of our Justification and saluatition by faith onely in the merite of Christes Passion they doe disproue good workes and leaue open a gappe to wickednesse and Loosenesse of lyfe Which commeth to passe because they will not vnderstand what true ChristiaÌ„ faith is nor why faith is sayd to iustifie vs before God that is because it apprehendeth the mercie of God in his promyse assuring vs that we shall haue remission of sinne saluation and eternall life through the merite of Christes Passion onely I neede not therfore to put you in minde what conclusion maye bee inferred vppon the premises against the teachers of the Church of Rome that is that not the Preachers and professors of the Gospell which teach this Article to the full but they rather of the Churche of Rome are the false Prophets that are couered with sheepes clothing because the fruites of their doctrine do plainely proue them to be such By this that I haue hitherto spoken you may perceiue that wee doe not striue with the Churche of Rome nor separate our selues from it for trifles and toyes of no weyght and value but for matters of great importaunce touchyng the principall Articles of Christian faythe and the true meanes of our Saluation For although Sathan in these dayes dothe not so commonlye rayse vp hys Instrumentes to impugne the Trinitie the two natures of Christe or the Diuinitie of the holye Ghost as he did in the Primitiue Churche yet he is not Idle but craftely turnyng himself into an Angel of light by such as not onely professe themselues to be Christians but take vppon them to bee the principall patrones and directors of Christian faith he disgraceth and extenuateth the dignitie and perfection of Christes merite and passion he peruerteth the office of the holy Ghost he abuseth the name authoritie of the Catholike Church and setteth vp an other Church he altereth the principall doctrine of our beliefe touching fayth in our Lord Jesus Christ and transferreth and almost bringeth to nothing the trueth of our iustification and the ende of our fayth He chaungeth the Sacramentes and bringing in a new sacrifycing worship altereth the Institutions and ordinaunces of Christ fâ—aâ—ly and plainely layde downe in his worde Wherfore dearely beloued I earnestly require all such as haue care of their saluation to remember Christes admonition that he gyueth in this place when he saith Beware of false Prophetes that come to you in sheepes clothing c. The first way to beware of them is with earnest and hartie Prayer to call vppon God that by his gracious benefit and lyghtning of our heartes by his spirit wee may know the false Prophetes and by his prouidence he wil preserue vs from them and sende out into his haruest faithfull and true labourers and that he will by his goodnesse
Certaine Sermons vvherin is contained the Defense of the Gospell nowe preached against such Cauils and false accusations as are obiected both against the Doctrine it selfe and the Preachers and Professors thereof by the friendes and fauourers of the Church of Rome * ∗ * ∗ * Preached of late by Thomas by Gods sufferance Byshop of Lincolne Imprinted at LondoÌ„ by Ralphe Newbery dwelling in Fleet street Anno Domini 1580. To the Godly disposed Reader BEhold louing Reader the great goodnesse prouidence of God towards thee These sweetâ— SermoÌ„s not for the ElequeÌ„ce which this ReuereÌ„d Father chaleÌ„geth but for the inestimable coÌ„fort to all the Godly as sweet sounding TruÌ„pets in respect therof may well be called 12. friendly AlaraÌ„s to cal sommoÌ„ thee to the knowledge of thy selfe and thy state and to make ready thy Weapons here sorted out for thee against the common enimye of all quietnesse the bloody Papist These sweete warninges I say had well nigh slipped thy hands had not Gods mercifull prouidence prouided thee a remedy therefore vsed the meanes of certaine zealous and Godly Ministers earnestlye to craue and begge that they mighte be openlye knowne and published for thy greater benefite and that they might be as Mithridaticum or Triacle in euery mans house a redy remedy for three sortes of poisoned infections now abrode First for the obstinate Papist neuer in greater expectation for his loÌ„g desired purpose than eueÌ„ now Secondly for the senceles Epicure or secure Worldling drowned in the cogitatioÌ„s of this world in a deepe profouÌ„d sleepe of vanity foreseing no peril fearing no danger but crying al is wel al is wel peace peace is at warre with theÌ„ that tel of any danger Lastly for the counterfeit Gospeller who bearing the name of a shepe is in deede a rauening Wolfe lookes but for oportunity to ioyn with thy cheefe aduersarie to tel thee in vauÌ„ting wise that he was neuer other but one of Machiuels order a deepe dissembler but be thou of good comfort feare not stay thy selfe vpon gods prouidence behold here inclosed a present remedye for thee take it vse it imbrace it bee thankefull for it and farevvell in the Lorde Vale. T. N. ¶ Sermons contayned in this Boke and in what leafe to finde them 1 The first Sermon vpon the 16. Verse Rom. 1. Fol. 1. 2 The second Sermon vpon the same Verse Fol. 19. 3 The third Sermon vpon the same Verse Fol. 46. 4 The first Sermon vpon the 15. Ver. Math. 7. Fol. 67. 5 The second SermoÌ„ vpon the 16. Ver. Mat. 7. Fol. 82. 6 The third Sermon vpon the 16. Ver. Mat. 7. Fol. 98. 7 The first SermoÌ„ vpon the 1. Ver. 1. Cor. 10. Fol. 116. 8 The secoÌ„d SermoÌ„ vpoÌ„ the 3. Ver. 1. Cor. 10. Fol. 136. 9 The third Sermon vpoÌ„ the 5. Ver. 1. Cor. 10. Fo. 159. 10 The first Sermon vpon the 3. Ver. Math. 13. Fo. 177. 11 The secoÌ„d SermoÌ„ vpon the 5. Ver. Mat. 13. Fol. 196. 12 A Sermon vpon the 46. Ver. Ioh. 8. Fol. 207. Faultes escaped in the Printing of this Boke  Faultes  Correction Leafe Line  Percipitati  praecipitati 13 9.  capitaine  captiue 15 7.  Saniour  sauoâ—â— 33 3.  poculus  poculum 34 27. For charisima reade charisma 38 3.  goly  godly 73 5.  do  â—o 97 15.  alio  also 122 27.  Nasareth  Bethlem 198 34.  vvith triall  vvithout triall 228 15.  7. of Chro.  2. of Chro. 240 25. In these Folios For 16. 19. for 56. 58. for 48. 84. for 192. 194. for 193. 195. for 186. 198. for 206. 224. for 225. 223. ¶ Three Sermons made vppon this Text. Rom. 1. 16. Non me pudet Euangelij est enim potentia Deiad salutem omni credenti c. That is I am not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ for it is the povver of God to saluation to euery one that beleue et c. THis sentence that I haue redde Dearelye beloued contayneth fewe wordes great and ample matter and is of that sort which Rhetoricians call Enthemematicae comprehending both parts of a breefe Argument the Antecedent and Conclusion As if S. Paule had sayd The Gospell of Christ is the mightie power of God Therefore I am not ashamed of it And these two partes of this short Argument I meane with Gods assistaunce at this time to speake of First how the Gospell is the mightye power of God to saluation and secondly that for that cause we should not be ashamed of it whatsoeuer carnall wisedome would otherwise perswade vs either that the wickednesse of this world or of the Diuill would intice vs and seduce vs. As touching the former parte In what estimation the world had the Gospell of Christ in S. Paule his time himselfe in the first to the Cor. doth very well declare where he sayth that to the Iewes it was a great offence and to the wise and learned Grecians very folly and madnesse Both partes were offended not only with the Doctrine but with the base estate of Christes owne person who as you know in countenance of the world was but meane and simple Ioseph taken for his Father being but a poore Carpenter himselfe scantly hauing an house to put his head in keping company with the contemned sort of Publicans sinners In the ende being put to moste vile and reprocheful death And therefore euen in the time of Augustine and Chrisostome We reade that if a gentleman or noble person had bene turned to the Gospel his kin and aliance would come vnto him and say What Tu credis crucifixo Art thou not ashamed to hope for saluatioÌ„ in him that being put to extreme punishment was not able to saue himselfe And as they were then offended in y â— person of Christ so in y â— doctrine also they thought it great folly y â— learned wise meÌ„ should beleeue those things that by reason they were not able to conceiue as y â— one person should be both God and man y t the sonne of God should die y t he being man dead should rise againe to life y t to attaine iustice before God they must vtterly renouÌ„ce their own iustice good works acknowledge themselues to be most heinous sinners that they must abandon the world all the pleasures thereof y t they must for Christes sake for go their wife their childreÌ„ their goods all that they had finally y t they should mortifie their fleshe take their crosse by ignominie reproche persecution follow Christ This seemed to them not onely a shame and a folly but an extreme madnesse also And therefore they had the professors of the Gospell in no estimation but accounted them fooles and doating persons The greater more famous that the place citie was the greater more greeuous was the contempt
it must not adde diminish alter or change or otherwise by wrested interpretatioÌ„ draw it to another meaning then the Analogie of our fayth and the conference of one place with another place of it in it self may warrant And therefore it is strangely written of Hossius that if a man haue the Interpretation of the Sea of Roome vppon anye place of the Scriptures though he knowe not nor cannot vnderstande howe it can possibly agree with the wordes of Scripture yet is it sayeth hee the moste certaine worde of GOD. Yea they say that the interpretation of the scripture Varyeth with the practise of the Church so that as that changeth the interpretation of the Scripture chaungeth also Of this Vsurpation of authoritie ouer the worde of GOD and of this discrediting of the scriptures it commeth not onelye that they make in manye places Interpretations repugnant to the Text as when they interprete Datur for Offertur and Facite for Sacrificate But also that the moste parte of their Doctrines are contrarye to the expresse wordes of GOD and the Analogie of oure fayth As by example of a fewe you shall take the measure of the residue As for interpretations when Christ sayth in the matter of the Sacrament This is my body that is say they this is Transubstantiated or hath the substance of it turned into my Body contrary to all writers and the nature of al tongues expounding est the Verbe substantiue is by Transubstantiatur Let them shew eyther any auncient Father yea or anye latine writer that euer did the like and let them take the victorie Agayne where Christ sayth This is my body that is Giuen for you that is say they that is Offered for you So that that which he meÌ„t to be giuen to death vpon the crosse as al good christians vnderstand the place they to mayntayne their Sacrifice of the Masse drawe it to this that Christ then presently in the time of the Ministration offered his body to God the Father in waye of a Sacrifice And so for to mayntayne a deuise of their owne they doe robbe the people of God of that sweete promise and comfortable legacie wherein Christe in his last will assureth them that his body shoulde be giuen to Death for their redemtion In like manner when christ sayth Do this in remembraunce of me that is say they Sacrifice this in my remembraunce Wherein with as great absurditie as before they doe peruerte the meaning of Christ For where his purpose was to giue a warrante to all christian people to vse and celebrate this Sacrament in remembraunce of his death they bring it to bee spoken to Priestes only wringing them vtterly contrary to that exposition of Christes wordes whiche S. Paule maketh 1. Cor 11. saying So often as you eate this bread and drinke this Cuppe you shewe the Lordes death vntill he come Nowe as touching their Doctrines repugnaunte to Gods word you shall â—â—te these few examples in steede of many mo The Scripture teacheth that we haue redemption and iustification by fayth in Christes blood onelye without the helpe of our owne Vertues and good workes For S. Paule saith Therefore we gather that a man is iustified by faith without the deedes of the lawe And to the Ephe. 2. Ye are iustified by grace and that not of your selues it is the gift of God not of works least any man should boast And yet if wee beleeue not that our workes doe helpe vs to our iustification and remission of sinnes the Churche of Rome will condemne vs as Heretikes The scriptures teach vs that Christ By once offering himselfe on the Crosse made perfect all them that are sanctified For so saith S. Paule to the Hebr. And yet by the Churche of Rome are they horrible heretikes that say there is not daylye sacrifice propitiatorie for our sinnes in their Masse The scriptures teach vs y t Christ is ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hande of God the Father and from thence and no place else he shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead yet contrarie to this article of our faith and contrarie to the nature of Christes humanitie if wee beleeue not that Christ euen in his fleshe is still in earth with vs yea and that in a. 1000. places at once we must be pronouÌ„ced detestable heretikes The scripture saith in the vse of the Lordes Supper Bibite ex hoc omnes Drinke ye all of this The Churche of Rome saith it is heresie to affirme that y e lay people should drinke of the Lordes Cuppe The scriptures say Thou shalt make thee no grauen image nor thou shalte not bow downe to worship it The Church of Rome saith it is godlye to haue the churche full of Images to kneele downe before them to set vp candels to them and with incense to honour them The scripture saith In the Church it is better to speake fiue wordes vnderstanded to edifie than to speake tenne thousande in a tongue not vnderstanded yet you knowe the churche of Rome hath defined it that it is more fruitfull and godly to haue all the diuine seruice in a straunge and vnknowen tongue Wherefore howe truely they can claime to haue this first marke of Christes churche I doubte not but those consciences that haue the feare of God can easily perceiue As for the sacraments it is not onely sufficient to haue them but to haue those that Christ appoynted and to vse them accordyng to hys institution Saint Ambrose sayth verie notablye Qui aliter presumunt accipere quam Christus instituit deuotus esse non potest i. Hee that presumeth to receaue it he meaneth the sacrament of the bodye and bloud of Christ after another sorte then Christ hath ordained can not be accounted to be truely deuoute But howe they haue altered the Sacraments both in number and in the right vse of them no man almost can bee ignoraunt Where the Scriptures mention but two they haue appointed seuen I will not now stand vpon the number of sacramentes I will speake only of those which both parts agree to be sacraments Baptisme the Lordes Supper First as touching Baptisme we teache not onely as some falsely father vppon vs that it is signum Initiale a Signe wherby we be first consecrated Christians but wee adde also that we by faith and the operation of the holy Ghost doe put on Christ as a garment that is that wee haue him so fastened and appropriated to vs that he is ours and wee his and that he hydeth and couereth our nakednesse according as S. Paule saith As many as are Baptized haue put on Christ We beleeue and teache that Baptisme is to Christians the Fountaine of life whereby our sinnes are washed away So saith S. Peter Baptizetâ—r vnusquisque vestrum in nomine Jesu in remissionem peccatoruÌ„ i. Let euerie one of you
be Baptized in the name of Iesu for the remission of sinnes And Ananias vnto S. Paul Arise and be Baptized and washe avvaye thy sinnes Yet doe we not attribute the operation hereof to the water or outward element but to the might of Gods word y e power of y e holy Ghost working by faith as S. Aug. saith Quomodo fit quod aqua corpus tangat cor abluat nisi faciente verbo noÌ„ quia dicitur sed quia creditur i. How commeth it to passe that water toucheth the body washeth the soule but by the working of the word not because it is spokeÌ„ but because it is beleued Where it is to be noted y t it is not y â— sound of y e words vttered in y t way of a charme by y e minister but the words beleeued in y â— harts of y â— faithful y t maketh y â— promise of Christ effect of y e SacrameÌ„t to be fruitful to y â— receiuer We beleue moreouer teach y t the sacrament of Baptisme is as it were y e wombe of y e church of Christ where we are newe borne become of y â— childreÌ„ of wrath y e children of God are prepared by this our second birth to enter into the kingdome of God Vnlesse you be borne again saith Christ by water the holy ghost you caÌ„ not enter into the kingdome of God And saint Paul saith Not by the works of righteousnes that wee did but according to his mercye hath he saued vs thorough the fouÌ„taine of regeneratioÌ„ innouation of the holy ghost We beleeue also teach as touching this sacrament y t not onely we but our seede also hath by it the benefite of saluatioÌ„ therfore doe we defend y â— Baptizing of our childreÌ„ against y e wicked heresie of the Anabaptists They which consider these things simply with a charitable christiaÌ„ minde I trust wil cleare vs of y t odious report wherwith our aduersaries slaunderously do burden vs as though we contemned y e sacraments sleightly taught the fruits benefites of them Now on y â— contrarie part let vs consider how corruptly the Churche of Rome teacheth as touching this sacrament and how horribly they haue abused it First they teache that Baptisme dothe conferre grace and washe away our sinnes Ex opere operaeto that is Euen by the verie vvashing only of the vvater thoughe there be no good motion of faith or beleife in the hearte of him that is Baptized This is the common opâ—â—â—â—â— of all the Scholemen And Gabriel Biel sayth Siâ— quod prâ—ter exhibitionem signi foris exhibiti non requiritur â—oâ—â—â— motus interior ex suscipiente i. So that beside the giuing of the outward signe there is no good motioÌ„ inwardly required of him vvhich receiueth it What shall I say of the prophane and wicked abusing of Christes sacrament to the baptizing of Bells the curing of sicknesse and the driuing away of spirites and Diuels with the water thereof This I may not omitte that in using this one outward sacrament of Christ by water they practised fiue or sixe of their owne ordinaunce without any warrant of Gods worde at al blasphemously attributing vnto them the like effectes that in trueth are gyuen to Christes institution and to no other First they adde salte with this interpretation Vt sapientia conditus foetore iniquitatis careat vltra non putrescat vermibus vitiorum i. That he being seasoned with salt may not haue the filthie sent of iniquitie nor any more by rottennesse abound with wormes of vice and wickednesse Next is Breathing Vt exuffletur pellatur malignus Spiritus â— That the wicked spirit may be blowne and thrust out of the partie Thirdly the sacrament of Spittle Vt tactu supernae sapientia aures aperiantur ad verbum dei audiendum naris ad discernendum odoreÌ„ vita That both the eares may be opened to heare the word of God and the nose to sent the sauour of life Moreouer Annointing of the breast Vt muniatur aduersus hostem ne noxia persuadere possit that he may be fenced from the enemie that he may no more perswade him to doe those things that be hurtfull Also Annointing of the shoulders that he may receiue strength and might to beare the burden of the Lorde Likewise Annointing on the crowne of the head that by hauing his portion of the spirit of God he may worthily be called a ChristiaÌ„ be made the heire of eternall life by holy vnctioÌ„ c. What christian heart can heare these things without great griefe and horrour Who can suffer y â— the effectuall graces of Christes word and sacraments and the operation of the holy Ghost in the heartes of the receauers shall with horrible blasphemyes be attributed to the vaine ordinaunce of man without any promise or assuraunce of Gods worde To take from vs the rottermesse of sinne to expell out of vs the wicked spirit to opeÌ„ our eares fruitfully to heare Gods word to giue vs sense of the Sauiour of lyfe to defend vs from the wicked assaultes of Sathan to strengthen vs in bearing the burthen of the Lorde to make vs the heyres of eternall lyfe are the myghtie and most gracious workes of the holy Ghost throughe the merite of Christ our sauiour and not of Salt not of Breathing not of Spittle not of Annoynting c. And they are to bee gyuen and applyed to vs eyther by the worde of GOD or by those Sacramentes by hym ordayned and not by the Deuises of men I wyll now passe to the next Sacrament As touching the Lordes Supper I say with S. Paule That vve haue receiued of the Lord that doe we deliuer to the people of God We vse Christes single Institution without any addition diminutioÌ„ or alteration We vse it as a feast or supper as it is termed in the Scripture We take bread we take the cuppe we drinke we set forthe the beathe of Christ the vse and effect of the Sacrament wee declare to be this And I desire all good Christians to obserue and note our doctrine that they may well vnderstand that wee teach not so sleightly or contemptibly of this Sacrament as our aduersaries would haue men to beleeue that we doe For in deede wee teach beleeue that it is one of the sweetest and moste excellent comfortes that Christe at hys departure lefte vnto hys people Yea I dare saye that that Christian which with a single and charitable hearte shall vnderstande our doctrine wyl conceiue more fruite thereof than euer he dyd whyle the doctrine of the Churche of Rome preuayled in hys heart First wee teache that it is a reuerent and blessed memoriall of the deathe of Christ in celebrating whereof we shewe our selues thankefull for hys great and vnestimable benefytes towardes vs accordyng to these wordes Doe this in remembraunce of mee Secondlye we
that they might bee saued And therefore God shall sende them strong delusions to beleeue lyes c. Thys warnyng principally toucheth vs vppon whome the latter endes of the worlde hath lyghted that wee shoulde carefullye take heede that by Wonders and Myracles and Apparition of Spirites wee bee not Seduced eyther to beleeue errour or to refuse the trueth of the Gospell offered vnto vs. Christ gyueth vs a speciall chargeâ— Beware saith he I haue tolde you of it before hand Therefore if you doe not harken vnto him but yeelde your selues by suche meanes to be caryed into Superstition Errour and Idolatrie the daunger shall bee the greater And Saint Paule addeth a terrible threatning Because they receyued not the loue of trueth God shal sende them stronge delusions that they may beleeue lyes that all they myghte bee damned whiche beleeued not the trueth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse Let them looke therefore carefully to themselues which by suche Myracles are Induced or confyrmed to beleeue the corrupte errours of Pilgrimages and worshypping of Images of praying to Sainctes departed of Purgatorie of Masses and Trentalles of praying and offering for the synnes of the Deade and suche other infinite errours as hath beene brought into the Churche by Monkes Fryers and other false Teachers of the Churche of Rome It is a wonder to see the Heapes of such Myracles as of late yeeres haue beene put in writyng by Vincentius and a number of other like authors so that to such as feare God there is scant any greater Token that Antichrist is come and hath set a long time in the Church then this is That their doctrines are altogether confirmed rather by such Myracles Apparition of spirites then by the scriptures and word of God When the riche glutton as it is mentioned in the Euangelist desired of Abraham that one myght rise from death to life and warne hys brethren that they came not to that place of torment where he was Abraham aunswered They haue Moyses and the Prophetes if they will not beleeue them they will not beleeue though one rise from death to life Wherby the â—â—lye Ghost doth Signifie that after the true doctrine of Christes Gospel first published was throughly confirmed and bâ—yng generally receaued was put in writing and so remaineth as a perfect Testimonie of the worke of our redemption that the prouidence of God towarde the latter ende of the world woulde vse no moe Myracles least hee should thereby seeme rather to Discredite the truth of his written word than by such meanes conserue them For whosoeuer wil not beleeue the doctrine of truth confirmed by the expresse and euident worde of God will not beleeue y t same though they sawe a. 1000. myracles Take example hereof by y â— Jewes who continually called for Signes and Wonders but when they had seene many they neuer the sooner Beleeued but sclaunded the doinges of Christ and sayd that he and his Apostles wrought by the power of Beelzebub c. Christians therefore must learne some Rule wherby they may iudge false and deceitefull Myracles done by the power of the Diuell from them that bee done directly by the Worde of God in his Saintes And this rule is the ende wherevnto myracles doe tende Godly myracles bee alwayes shewed by God to confirme the Diuine nature and office of Christ in the worke of our redemption and that he is the true and onely Messias and Sauiour or to iustifie and proue the doctrine of the Gospel to bee good According as Christ sayth in the last of S. Marke Goe yee into the whole worlde and preache the Gospell to euerye creature he that shall beleeue and bee Baptised shall bee saued but he that wyll not beleeue shall bee damned and these tokens shall followe them that beleeue In my name they shall cast out Diuells and shall speake with newe tongues and shall take away Serpentes and if they drinke any euill thing it shall neuer hurte them they shall laye their hand vpon the sicke and they shall recouer c. Those Myracles then that bee done to this ende to direct the people to acknowledge Christ to bee the only ful and perfect redeemer of mankynde and to embrace the doctrine of the Gospell by the holye Scriptures confirmyng the same are good and godly and to bee esteemed true Myracles But contrariwyse if they leade men from Christ and directe them to put their trust of Saluation remission of sinnes in any other name vnder Heauen then Christ Jesu or to beleeue any other doctrine than that which by Gods word is euidently confirmed or to accept any other worshippe of God than by himselfe is appoynted are false Myracles and delusions of the Diuel wrought to deceiue men Let vs therefore beware of these thinges and looke into these myserable delusions wherewith the Diuell and his Ministers haue bewitched the worlde nowe these manye yeeres by Spirites Ghostes Goblines and many vaine Apparitions and faygned Myracles c. ⸪ ¶ The seconde Sermon vppon this part of the Texte Exfructibus eorum cognoscetis eos By their fruites shall ye knovv them IN this place we haue diligentlye to obserue the great difference y t Christ our Sauiour in this louing and Fatherly admonitioÌ„ doth make betwene the clothing the fruits By their fruites you shall know them he saith not by their garmeÌ„ts or outward clothing for wyth that y â— false Prophets vse to colour countenance all their crafts deceiptes of corrupt doctrine Now what these fruites be whereby they are knowne let vs consider by y t similitude or parable y t Christ here vseth Do they saith he gather Grapes of Thornes or figges of Thistles Euery kinde of tree hath fruit by which it is knowne to be good or bad The Apple tree by the Apple the Plumtree by the Plumme c. so euerie trade occupation or state of lyfe hath certaine proper and peculiar workes by which it is discerned either to be good or bad in it selfe or differing from other The Carpenter by right squaring framing of his Tymber the Mason by his buylding c. the Lawyer by his Counsaile the Phisition by his cure is iudged skilfull or ignoraunt euen so is the Preacher or Prophet knoweÌ„ by his doctrine that proceedeth from him which is the peculiar worke and sruite of his trade and occupation In all the olde Testament God doth accuse the false Prophetes to bee euill because they deliuered vnto his people false doctrine corrupt worship contrarie to his holy will and worde Heare not saith God by Ieremie the wordes of the Prophets that prophesie vnto you teach you vanitie They speake the vision of their owne heart and not out of the mouth of the Lord. And agayne Howe long doe the Prophetes delight to prophesie lyes euen prophesying the deceipt of their owne hart And immedately after Therfore beholde I will come against the
to haue written hys Epystle but his whale Gospell also to this ende only and principallye that Christyans shoulde vnderstand that Christ only and no other thing or person is the meanes to bring to the people of God remissyon of sinne Justification Redemption and all the Benefites and parts of our saluation For in that gospell Christ is declared to be the Lambe of god that taketh awaye the sin of the world The fulnes of Gods grace of whose fulnesse all we take part The brasen Serpent that only healeth the sting of the olde Serpent Sathan The Fountaine of liuing water of which he that drinketh shall neuer thyrste The bred of life which he that eateth shal neuer die The true foode and drink of our soules of which hee y ◠eateth drinketh shall be sure to haue eternall life The Lighte of the world which only scattereth disperceth the clowds of ignorance and errour maketh vs to see the truth of God and right way of Saluation The good Sheapheard that giueth his lyfe for the benefite of his Sheepe The onlye Doare whereby we enter into the Church of GOD and so into eternall Lyfe The very Waye Truth and Lyfe without which Waye there is no walking to Heauen but wādring by wrong pathes vnto the Diuell without which Truth there is nothing but falshood and errour withoute which Life there is nothing but death eternal The true Vine by which only as branches we sucke the sweete and liuing iuyce of Gods holy spirite and without which wee are hable to doe nothing The onelye giuer of the blessed comforter that doth worke the peace of our Consciences and direct vs into all truth c. What good christian hart waying these things doth not thereof conceaue vnestimable comfort and more quietnesse of conscience then in all the heapes of mens deuises which they haue imagined to purchase vs the fauour of GOD and remission of sinne Yea what faithfull minde after the vnderstanding and imbracing of this sweete Doctrine doeth not deteste as blasphemous and wicked all suche as directe vs to any other meane of Saluation then the bloode of Christe onlye Wherefore the people of GOD muste bee well assured by this seconde rule of Saint Iohn that not onely they are false Prophets Wolues and of the spirit of Antechrist that in grosse tearmes denie Christ to haue come in fleshe but they also whiche will seeme constantlye to confesse this Article to bee moste true and yet in verye deede colourably and as it were vnder sheepes cloathing denie impugne and disgrace the causes Fruite Profite and effectes thereof by attributyng the same to other things than vnto the Death and merites of Christ only Now whether the Teachers of the Church of Roome doe this or no let such as haue the feare of god and care of their saluation vnfaynedly consyder They teach that Christe is not our onlye Mediatour and intercessoure vnto GOD or if they say so in wordes in effecte they denye it when they affyrme that wee haue infinite other that is all the Sayntes in heauen that be our Mediatours and Intercessoures for vs to directe our praiers to thē or by them They teach that Christs death is not a full satisfaction for the whole sinnes of the World or if in wordes they will saye so in Trueth they denye it when they affyrme that Christe his bodye was offered vppon the Crosse for the debte of Originall Sinne only and that for oure other daylye Offences it is offered in the Sacrifice of the Masse Or when they affyrme as Gabriell Biell doeth That althoughe Christe his Passion be the principall Merite for which grace is gyuen and the Kingdome of Heauen is opened yet it is neuer the only and whole meritorious cause thereof because there euer concurreth with the merite of Christe some worke or merite of him that receiueth the grace They teach that we haue not remission of sins the fauor of god only by christ but partly by the merites of Saynts partly by our fasting Almes deeedes and other good workes partly by pardons by Pilgrimages by Masses by building of churches erecting of chaunteries by holy water and such other thinges Wherefore I may conclude euen by this rule by whiche S. Iohn directeth vs to trie y ◠spirits of preachers whether they be of God or no y t the teachers maintainers of the Doctrine of the Churche of Rome are not suche as Christian men ought to beleeue and giue credite vnto but rather to beware of them and take heede that they bee not seduced by them The thyrde poynte of Doctrine is how we may be partakers of Christe comming in fleshe and how the benefites thereof are truely and rightly applied vnto vs. A doctrine surely no lesse needeful then the two former for in vayne to no purpose in respect of vs doth Christ come in flesh and suffer death if the benefits therof be not applied to vs and we made partakers of the same Now what this Mean is S. Ioh. in the same Epist doth euidently declare vnto vs saying Let that remain in you that you haue herd frō the begining For if that remain in you that you haue heard at the beginning you also shall abide in the son in the father What it is to abide in that which they heard in the beginning he afterward playnely expoundeth that is constantly with sure fayth to beleeue y ◠premises of God in his Gospel assuring vs of Saluation in Christes Sonne For this he writeth Euery one that is borne of God ouercōmeth the world this is the victory that ouercōmeth the world euē our faith Who is he that ouercommeth the world but he that beleueth that Iesus Christ is the sonne of god And after He that beleueth in the son of god hath the witnes in himself he that beleueth not god hath made him a liar becaus he beleued not in the witnes of God which he testified of his son And this is the record that God hath giuen vnto vs eternal life and this life is in his sonne In these words we haue first that saluatiō eternall life is y e gift of God not a thing of vs deserued Secōdly y ◠God the Father by his witnes promise doth assure vs that we shall be partakers therof for the merite of Christe his Sonne only This life sayeth hee is in his Sonne Lastlye that the meanes to be made partakers hereof is assuredlye to beleeue the truth of GOD promissing this in his sonne or else by infidelitie wee make God a lyer and leese out partes of his promise Christ himselfe also beareth witnesse of the same Meanes to apprehend our saluation So God loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer doth beleeue in him should not perishe but haue eternall life c. And agayne He that beleeueth in him is not condemned but he
these manye hundred yeeres and by that meanes it is come to passe that the Texte of the Scriptures is nowe better vnderstanded than euer it was in anye age That sundrie poyntes of doctrine bee refourmed without which men can not possiblye haue anye true sense of Christianitie as the doctrine of Originall Sinne of the Lavve and the Gospell of Repentaunce of Faythe of Hope and Charitie whiche before were maruaylouslye corrupted and wrapped in darkenesse and errour Principally the wholesome doctrine of the grace and merite of Christ of Remission of Sinnes of eternall lyfe receyued by fayth in Christ and Sealed and confirmed by his Sacramentes doth in these dayes bryng vnestimable comforte to troubled consciences as well at all other tymes as chiefely at the houre of death when Sathan most seeketh to shake mennes consciences wyth desperation The sence hereof the godlesse Epicures and secure Hypocrites haue not but suche as feare God and haue any touche of conscience conceiue exceeding comforte thereby Men in these dayes also are better instructed to praye and call vppon the name of God and indeede doe the same more sincerely because they vnderstande what they speake whereas before when they were taught to praye in a straunge tongue it coulde not possibly bee that their heartes and lyppes coulde goe together which of al other was a most myserable seducing of the people and as it were a mocking of God and his seruice and a singular instrument of the Diuell to keepe the people in errour and blindnesse Lastlye as I haue fayde reformation of manners and lyfe in verye many hath beene wrought and I doubt not but a great deale of euyll in these myserable and corrupte latter dayes restrayned by the sincere Preachyng of the Gospell and earnest callyng of men to repentance whiche otherwyse surelye according to the infection of this tyme woulde haue broken out to greates corruption of mannes lyfe These fruites and a number suche lyke althoughe the aduersaryâ—â— wyll not acknowledge I trust suche as feare GOD and wyll but indifferently iudge of thinges can not choose but perceaue and wyth comforte confesse to bee true Thus haue you hearde that externall shewe of honest lyfe ordinarie callyng and succession the Tytle and Name of the Catholike Churche the vse and workyng of Myracles bee in deede the clothing of Christes true sheepe but yet that rauening Wolues oftentymes hyde themselues vnder them to deceaue Gods people You haue hearde that the fruites whereby false Prophetes are discerned and knowen is corruption of doctrine and teaching of errours and lyes And you haue hearde it euidentlye proued as well by the testimonie of Saint Iohn as other partes of the Scripture that those fruites haue beene in the Churche of Rome and not among vs whiche submit all our doctrines to the touchstone of Gods holye worde Lastly you haue hearde by comparison that the good fruites of godly life and detesting of sinne hath more prospered among the professors of the Gospell than among the patrones of the Churche of Rome The Lorde graunt vs the grace of his holye spirite that to his glorie vice and wickednesse may dayly bee more repressed and vertue and honestie more aduaunced ⸪ Amen ¶ Certaine Sermons made vppon this Text. 1. Cor. 10. 1. c. Moreouer brethren I would not that you should be ignorant that al our fathers were vnder the cloude and all passed through the Sea and were all Baptized vnto Moses in the cloude and in the Sea and did all eate of the same spirituall meate and all drunke of the same spirituall drinke for they dranke of the spirituall Rocke that followed them and the Rocke was Christ But with manye of them God was not pleased c. SAint Paul dearely beloued from the beginnyng of this Epistle blamed the Corinthians for sundry faultes and corruptions among them As that they had factions and dissentions one parte against another that they more esteemed in their Preachers eloquence of speeche then the simplicitie of Christ crucified that they made small accompt of him in coÌ„parison of some other corrupt teachers that they suffered incest among them vnpunished that they resorted to Idolatrous feasts with the heathen and did eate of those things that were offered to Diuels contrary to the sinceritie of true Christians Now because men are very prone to flatter their owne mindes by vaine pretences and to feede themselues in euill doing he preuenteth an obiection or excuse y â— happily they might make for themselues For they might haue said Sir we beare y â— name of Christ and bee Christians wee haue his Gospell among vs and vse hys Sacramentes whereby his merite is sealed in vs. Therefore wee are sure that wee are in the fauour of God and that his displeasure and plague shal not lyght vpon vs. c. To this S. Paule aunswereth that this trust and secure confidence in the profession of Christianitie and vse of the Sacramentes is but vayne vnlesse they approue make good their fayth and outward profession of Christ wyth the exercise of honest lyfe and Godly conuersation This he confyrmeth by comparison of the Israelites The people of Israell sayth S. Paule were the chosen people of God they had his law and Ceremonies among them yea they had promise of saluation by the same blessed sede that we haue they did vse in effect the same Sacramentes that we doe they were baptised in the Cloude and in the Sea they did eate of the same spirituall meate that we doe they did drinke of the same spirituall drinke that we drinke of for the Rock that they dranke of was Christe And yet many of them by Gods heauy hand perished in the Wildernesse And if you looke into the cause you shall fynde it to be nothing else but for y â— they were inclinable proane to the corruption of Idolatrie that they were giuen to fornication and vncleannesse that they tempted Christe and munnured against God and committed other like naughtinesse against the will of God c. Seing it is so you may be sure that God is no changeling but will deale in the same manner with you nowe as he did with his people before time Now for so much as S. Paules reason doth principallie stand vpon the vse of the Sacramentes and that the people in those dayes were more skilfull and better taughte the effecte nature and strength of a Sacrament theÌ„ in this time they be through slacknesse of teaching and way wardnesse in learning before I come to that which S. Paule principallye respecteth in this place I thinke it necessary for your better instruction fyrst to speake generally of Sacraments and to shew what a Sacrament is of what partes it standeth for what causes they are ordayned and what fruite maye be taken of them Secondly because he sayth The Rocke was Christ and that they did eate and drinke of the same Christ I will declare what manner of speethe this is and shew why Chist
and his blood is called meate and drinke and how he is to be eaten and drunken in the sacramente truely and in deede And lastly I will let you vnderstand that the bare professyon of Christianitie the externall vse of the sacramentes and outward exercise of praying and other â—the thinges are not sufficient without the inwarde worshipping in spirite and truth and christian obedience to the will and lawe of God A sacrament is a reuerend and holy misterie ordayned of God wherin he by his holy word and promise doth both stirre vp and practise the faith of his people and by y â— operation of the holy ghost increase his grace in them bestoâ— his benefites and blessinges vpon them wee on the other part testifye our obedience toward him vnity of faith among our selues The authour and ordainer of sacrameÌ„ts is none but God himself No Patriarche nor prophet nor Apostle nor Father nor the whole church hath authoâ—â—â—â— to ordayne a sacrament Who is authour of Sacraments sayth Ambrose but the Lord Iesus These SacrameÌ„ts came from Heauen c. A sacrament is a part of Gods worship but no creature can ordayne any part of Gods worship but himself according to that saying of the Prophet In vaine they worship me teaching the traditions of men In the old Testament if a man had offered any sacrifice not appointed by God it was esteemed little better then Idolatrie It is knowne what happened to the sonnes of Aaron for that they brought strange syre to the Alter of God much lesse may any appoint straunge sacramentes not ordayned by the expresse word of God in his scriptures Sacramentes be seales that confyrme Gods promises and looke what a counterfeyted seale is to a mannes writing or deede that is a sacramente in the Churche not ordayned by GOD. If this be true as in deede it is moste true what shall we saye of the Church of Roome which hath presumed not only to alter those Sacraments that Christ appoynted but also to ordayn sundry other sacramentes without any iust warrant of gods word onlye vpoÌ„ forced interpretacioÌ„s deuised of theÌ„selues Penance Orders Matrimony corrupt Doctrine being taken froÌ„ theÌ„ be good things to be exercised in y â— church so likewise are prayer fasting and almes deedes yet I see nâ— cause why they shold be called sacrameÌ„ts Ther is a great differeÌ„ce betwene a sacrameÌ„t an other godly exercise coÌ„manded in y â— church as herafter you shal better vnderstaÌ„d Seing therfore christ is author of sacrameÌ„ts none other you may not think theÌ„ to be trifles vaine Ceremonies and mens deuises y â— you may vse or not vse at your pleasures as you list but you ought to reuereâ—â—â— theÌ„ as y â— ordinance of God to receiue theÌ„ euen as at Christs own hand For as wheÌ„ gods word is taught you by the ministery of men you must not receiue it as mans word but as the word of God as it is in deede and therefore the Prophet sayd the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it euen so the Sacraments when you receiue them at the hands of a fraile and mortall yea and sometime a sinfull man you must looke to the Authour and in your faith see the hande of God offering the same vnto you The sacramentes take not their excellencye and worthinesse of him that Ministreth them though he be neuer so holy neyther be they disgraced or weakened though the Minister be wicked and euill And therfore the errour of y â— Donatistes Anabaptists and some other is sharpelye to bee reprooued that thinke the sacramentes of Christ to bee of leesse value if they be ministred by an euill or sinfull man In deede the haud of the receiuer being withoute Fayth maketh the sacramentes that of themselues bee good to bee vnto him of no Force because of his vnbeleefe But a wicked Minister cannot in anye wyse make frustrate or deceiue the Fayth of the Godlye Receauer Iudas was a wicked and false Traytoure and a Couetous naughtys person al the time that he followed Christ yet I doubte not but that the baptisme that he ministred was as auailable to the faithful receiuer as the baptisme of Peter was or of any other of the Apostles S. August vseth the same example Whereas fayth he there was great difference betweene Peter and Iudas yet was there no difference betweene the baptisme ministred by Peter that was ministred by Iudas that was all one but of the partyes one was a member of Christ another a member of the Deuill And agayne he sayth Such are the Sacramentes as they are that come vnto them Whereby one maye profitablely receiue the Sacrament of an ill minister so he himselfe be good This is a great comfort to the godly that in receiuing the SacrameÌ„t they neede not to loke into the life of the Minister but to examine theire owne hartes Now as touching the partes of a Sacrament you shall vnderstande it consisteth of three partes The fyrste is the externall signe as the Lambe in the Passouer the cutting of the fore skinne in Circumcision water in Baptisme bread and wyne in the Lordes supper Because of these outwarde â—ignes a Sacrament is called a signe a Seale a Visible word so that it were a Monster to haue a sacrament without an externall signe or elemente to the outewarde substaunce of it Water in Baptisme signifieth that as water naturally hath a propertie to wash and clense the filth froÌ„ the body so doth the grace of God through Christ his blood wash away the gilt and filthinesse of our soules As breade and wine by naturall effect nourisheth our bodyes strengthneth and comforteth oure spirites so doeth the heauenlye foode of Christes body and blood broken and shead for vs vpon the Crosse nourish our soules and quicken our Spirites to eternall life with God As the breade is made of many graynes kneaded into one loafe and the Wine pressed out of many Grapes into one cuppe so the multitude of Christians communicating at the Lordes Table thoughe many in number are ingrafted into Christ made meÌ„bers of his misticall body and ioyned in mutuall loue one with the other so that nowe they liue by the spirite of Christe as the members of a naturall bodye lyue and haue sence by that Spirite that commeth from the harte and from the heade This proportion and similitude betweene the signes and the spirituall effectes of the sacrament S. Cyprian acknowledgeth As this coÌ„mon bâ—ead saith he being chaunged into fleshe and blood breedeth life to to our bodies so by the accustomed nature of thinges the weakenesse of our fayth being holpen is taughte in sensible argument that in visible Sacramentes are the effect of eternal life These godly instructions and â—weâ—e comfortes the Church of Roome weakeneth and â—aketh away by their monstrous doctrine of TransubstaÌ„ciation Wherein they
must next consider how this blessed meat is truely rightly eaten both in the sacraments without the vse of of Sacramentes This question hath vexed all Christendom nowe for the space of certaine yeres hath exercised the pennes and tongues almost of all learned men of this age with great vehemencie on eche side But surely if they would with single mindes without heat of contention truely consider howe the fruite and benefite of this heauenly foode is receaued this controuersie might bee easily ended and many a troubled conscience quieted which now almost only are by this meanes stayed from embracing the trueth of the Gospell They doe not so greatly mislike the other parts of our doctrine but this sticketh in their consciences that wee denie the body and blood of Christ really and carnally eaten and drunken in the Sacrament Wherefore I hartely desire al such for the time to laye aside that settled perswasion wherewith their mindes hitherto hath beene so holden that they could not abide to heare any thing of the contrarie and with indifferent and charitable mindes carefully to consider that which in parte I haue and now hereafter shall speake touchyng this matter First therefore you must call to your remembraunce that Christes bodye is not carnall meate and drinke for our bodyes but spirituall meat and drinke for our soules and for that cause S. Paul in this place so calleth it saying That the olde Fathers did eate of the same spirituall meate and drinke of the same spiritual drinke And yet I must needes confesse that this spirituall meate is profitable not to the soule onely but to the body also For Christ dyed for preseruation both of soule and bodye But this benefite of nourishment is not first receaued of the bodye and throughe it passeth to the soule for that were monstrous but beeyng first receaued of the soule it profiteth the bodye For as Christ sayth That which entreth into the bodily mouth defyleth not the man but that commeth out of the mouth from the corrupte hearte and mynde So contrariwyse not that good thing that entreth by the bodye dothe profyte the soule but that which entered first by the soule and is receaued by it profyteth also the bodye For the body and bloud of Christ beeyng in deede the true foode of lyfe when it is spiritually eaten by the soule through the operation of the holye Ghost maketh vs apte to Resurrection and in due tyme transformeth our mortall bodyes to the lykenesse of his glorious bodye If the spirite of him that raised Christ from death dwell in vs he that raised Christ from the dead shall also quicken our mortall bodies because that his spirit through Christ dwelleth in vs. The better to vnderstand what it is to eate this spirituall foode and how it is truely effectually receaued to eternall lyfe I must put you in minde of the comparison that before I vsed betweene the body and the soule As the bodye is sayde to eate when it receaueth that sustenaunce wherewith the hunger thereof is stayed and satisfied and as it is sayde to drinke when it receaueth that liquour wherewith the thirst is quenched euen so our soule is sayde to eate and to drinke when it receaueth that heauenly and blessed foode of Christ Jesus crncifyed wherewith the hungry and thirstie appetite thereof that is the vehement desire of the fauour of God and saluation is fully satisfyed and appeased As there commeth no benefit to the body of meat drinke vnlesse it bee eaten and drunken so the bodye and blood of Christ crucified doth not helpe vs anye thing if it bee not worthily and truely receaued The body receaueth hys foode by the mouth of the body the soule receaueth hirs by the mouth of the soule As it is not sufficient to hunger and thirst nor to receaue sustenaunce vnlesse there be a naturall strength in our bodyes to receaue concoct and digest the same so there must be in our soules that strength that may surely receaue Christ and wrappe him or embrace him in the bowels of our heart that he may thereby as it were be turned into vs and wee into him but that strength is not in our selues but is giuen of God We must therefore haue it from him from whom all good giftes proceede that is From the father of lyghtes And this gift wherewith Christ is truely and effectually receaued is nothing but faith For by fayth we receaue Christ and assure our selues in our hartes that wee are partakers of that redemption which by his death he hath procured for vs and with that firme perswasion lay him vp in the bowels of our heartes that in all our temptations and troubles we may feede vpon him and gather strength and comfort in the assuraunee of Gods fauour purchazed by him so that so often as our heartes bee shaken with mistrust and feare this faith doth comforte and releeue vs agayne Nowe that faith is the mouth and meanes whereby onely wee receaue and eate Christ to saluation I will let you vnderstand it both by Christes owne wordes in S. Iohn and by the iudgement of diuers learned and auncient Fathers For Christ vseth these wordes indifferently and as of one force and signification To beleeue in him To eate him To drinke him To come vnto him and doth attribute to eche of these y â— same effectes To beleeue in Christ is the proper worde to eate Christ or to come vnto him are Metaphores and figuratiue speeches but all of one force I am the bread of life saith Christ he that commeth to me shall not hunger and he that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst Marke diligently deerely beloued what Christ sayth He that commeth to me shall not hunger therfore to come vnto Christ is to eat Christ And againe he saith He that beleeueth in mee shall neuer thirst therfore to beleeue in Christ is to drinke Christ To eat and to drinke are meanes to take away hunger and thirst but to come vnto Christ to beleeue in him as Christ himselfe saith doth take away hunger and thirst therefore to come vnto him and to beleeue in him is to eate him and to drinke him An other out of the same place is this Christ attributeth the same effectes and fruits to them which beleeue in him that he doth to them that eate his bodie and drinke his blood therefore by eating and drinking he meaneth nothing but beleeuing His wordes bee these Iohn 6. verse 54. He that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my blood hath eternall life and I will raise him vp at the last daye Note the effectes that he gyueth to eatyng his fleshe and drinking his blood that is to haue euerlasting lyfe and bee raysed at the last daye In the. 40. verse of the same Chapter hee sayeth This is the wyll of my father that sent mee that euerie one that seeth the sonne and beleeueth on him should haue eternall life I
onely for the redemption of the whole worlde generally but for hys also particularly and that he vndoubtedly is partaker of that blessed worke of our redemption When wee heare these woordes Doe this in remembrance of me our faith is assured y t it is Christs commaundement that wee shoulde vse this Sacrament to call to our remembraunce the benefite of our faluation by the death of Christ and in hart and minde at al times but then especially to shew our selues truely thankefull to him for the same When our sight beholdeth vpon the Table the bread and wyne by Christes ordinaunce broken and powred out for vs to vse the Fayth is moued this to thinke As surely and truely as my bodily eyes behould vpon the table of the Lord the Creatures of bread and wine as the outward parte of his sacramente and see the same broken and poured out for mee so assuredly doe I with the eye of my faith beholde the body and blood of Christ broken and shead for me vpon the Alter of the Crosse and the same my Sauiour sitting now on the right hand of god the father with the same body and blood now gloryfyed wherewith vpon the Crosse he payd the price of my redemption WheÌ„ we see the Minister offering to vs the bread and the cup and wee receaue the same in our hande and by our sence feele them inwardly in our hartes our fayth is mooned to haue this cogitacion As truely as our Sauioure Christe vpon the Crosse by his body broken and his blood sheade wrought our redemption and offered the benefite thereof to all that would beleeue generally so truelye am I assured that now in the vse of this holy Sacrament by his minister he offereth the same to me particularly to be applied to my selfe And as surely as my hande receaueth the outwarde creatures so surelye by my fayth doe I receyue Christ himselfe and in my hart feele him and with my spirituall armes imbrace him as the onely price and meanes of my saluation When we eate of the holy breade and drinke of the reuerend cuppe and by our cast haue sence of the sweetenesse of them and fele them passe downe into our stomache there to rest that they may be according to their nature meanes to nourishe and strengthen our bodie to continue it in lyfe the fayth is stirred vp by these sences thus to thinke Euen as certainly as my taste feeleth the sweetenesse of Breade and wyne and thereby perceiue in deede that their operacion is to nourish and strengthen my body and to quicken my naturall spirites which without suche nourishmente would perishe euen so the taste of my faith and sence of my hart doth feele the sweetenesse of Christe his body and blood broken and shead for mee and all mankinde vppon the Crosse and perceiue it thereby to be the onely foode of my soule without which I shoulde perishe both soule and bodye Eternallye And as certainlye as I feele with bodilye sence that the Breade and Wyne passeth into my Stomache and there according to their proportion feede strengthen and quicken my Naturall bodye and Spirites so assuredlye doe I with my inwarde and Spirituall sence perceiue the bodye and blood of Christe and the whole benefite of his death and passioÌ„ to passe into the stomache of my soule and bosome of my hart there through the strength of a true ChristiaÌ„ faith to be laid vp wrought and digested as that onelye nourishmente that keepeth the life of the soule and preserueth mee both soule and bodye to eternall life They that will Christianlye and charitablely and in the feare of GOD weighe and consyder these thinges I truste will not thinke eyther that wee make lighte accoumpte of the Externall Sacramente or in oure Doctrine teache a syngle and sleighte manner of eating of Christ by fayth as the fauourers of the church of Rome doe charge vs. And I appeale to the Consciences of all them that followe theire Doctrine whether euer they were taughte to take suche sweete instruction and comfort in the vse of that blessed Sacrament or no. These good Fruites of that Sacramente are muche furthered and increased by sunderye other Godlye cogitations which the Scriptures teache true Christians to vse in the administration of it The worde of GOD teacheth that the vse of the externall Sacramentes is a manner of confession whereby men acknowledge themselues before GOD and the World that they are Christians Therefore the faythfull receauer when hee commeth to the Sacrament thinketh this with himselfe I by comming to this place proteste before GOD and his Angels and before all the Creatures of Heauen and earth that in my harte I deteste the Religion of Jewes Turkes Infidels Heretiques and all other that denye saluation to come by the death of Christe and I acknowledge my selfe vnfaygnedlye to bee of the number of them that hope to haue the fauoure of GOD and to bee saued by the merite and passion of Christe onelye The worde of GOD teacheth that Sacramentes are as it were Seales to confyrme the truth of Gods promises and to strength our fayth Therefore by this seale of the Lords Supper wee assure oure selues that wee are partakers of all that Legacie which Christ our Sauyour in his last will bequeathed to vs that is that his bodye was broken vpon the Crosse for our redemption and his blood sheadde for the remission of oure Sinnes The Scriptures teache that in the vse of the sacramentes through Fayth wee bee vnited vnto Christ and ingraffed into his Mysticall body so that wee liue nowe onelye by him and whatsoeuer is his by the truth of his promise is oures also The worde of God teacheth that the Sacrament of the Lordes supper is a linke of vnitye that knitteth vs together as members of one Mysticall bodye and therefore that wee oughte to bee ioyned in mutuall loue and charitie among our selues and that it is a foule reproch both to Christe oure head and to the whole body if we hate hurte or hinder one another For by the vse therof we confesse y â— we are all members of one bodye all Seruantes of one Mayster all Children of one Father all Subiectes vnder one Lorde and King all Partakers of one redemption all Heires of one Heritage and Gifte of Eternall Lyfe And in so manye Lâ—â—â—es of Vnitye to be at discorde among ourselues is in Gods iudgemente an heauy testimouie agaynst vs in the day of his wrath Finally the word of God teacheth vs that the Sacrament of the Lordes supper is our heauenlye Feaste in whiche the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the worlde is offered vnto vs spiritually to feede vppon in our fayth that by him as I haue before declared we maye be nourished strengthened and preserued to eternall life and therfore that we ought to bee verye carefull so coprepare oureselues that we may be worthy Guestes for that blessed table Wherefore
Magistrate and tooke the reproche thereof vnto himselfe And therefore caused the earth to swallow vp the cheefe ring leaders of that mischeefe and destroyed of the residue 14700. Hereby they maye learne what is due vnto them and what wil come vpon them which not onlye in their harts secretly but openly in their assemblies wheÌ„ they dare murmure at our gracious Gouernour whome God hath appointed to deliuer vs out of Aegipt and by the Gospell of his sonne Christe to bring vs into the Lande of promise and cause their patrones and defenders in their flaunderous Libels and bookes openly published like traitoures to disgrace her magestie with titles of an Vsurper a scismatike a feducer of the people from the Churche of God and they that be at home giue oute the same thinges in their secrete speeches And all as truely and iustly as Dathan and Abyram charged Moyses with vsurping authoritie ouer them and with leading of the people purposely to destroy them in the Wildernesse But I doubt not the God of truth wist as hither to be hath done take vpon him the defence and preseruatioÌ„ of his lawfull Magistrate and Gouernour agaynst these traiterous murmurers and mutterers and in the end vnlesse they repente will sende them their iust reward In the meane time we oughte in our prayers earnestly to call vpon God that hee will holde his mercifull hande ouer vs and that hee will mooue the mindes of oure Prince and Counsaile to haue a more careful eye to these murmurers which openly shewe themselues by forbearing oure communion in Prayers Sacramentes and in the meane time with greedy mynds lust long for that â—ay in which they may poure out their traiterous malice toward God their Prince Moreouer it is written in Esay That euen in the time of that good king Ezechias who had cast out superstition and idolatrie and very exactly reformed Gods true Religion accordyng to his law yet that the â—â—uell Tyranâ—â— Sennacherib the Assyrians entred Jewrie spoyled the countrey destroyed all their great Cities beseeged the Citie Hâ—â—â—â—â—alem the king himself in it then which calamitie the people of God had scantly at any time felt a greater or more greeuous And what I pray you might be the cause hereof vndoubtedly because the people did vnthankefully receaue y â— godly happie reformation of ReligioÌ„ Some murmured at it kept their monuments of idolatrie for a day some receaued it holowly coldly either to please the Prince to haue some benefite or countenaunce by it or else to keepe themselues from the penaltie daunger of the Lawe The most that did soundlye embrace it did not conforme themselues in life accordingly but w t little or no amendmeÌ„t continued their old corruption Some notable faultes were also in y t king himselfe though otherwise a blessed Prince Therefore God vsed that sharpe scourge as well instly to punishe the obstinate as also to bring the repentaunt home to hys mercy reformation of life By this we are taught that â—lbâ—it it hath pleased God by our Prince to cast out superstition and idolatrie to driue awaye the vsurped power of the Bishop of Rome to restore true religion the right vse of the Sacraments by lawe and authoritie to confirme y â— same yet we may not herein flatter our selues as though we were safe from Gods displeasure or greatly in his fauour For if we doe not thankefully receaue this his vnestimable benefit in lyfe and godly conuersation conforme our selues vnto it that his name may be glorified in vs we must assure our selues that this wil fal to our great iudgement that in the time of our Ezechia he wil plague vs as he did the Jewes by Sennacherib in time of their good king Thus haue I noted vnto you three or foure examples that by them you may know how to apply the resâ—ue Now least by rashnesse and ignoraunce men vncharitably condemne the 〈…〉 and good man because hee seeth him touched with affliction and trouble I must let you vnderstand that beside the iust punishment of the open and notorious 〈…〉 whereof hitherto I haue spoken there is also an other cause wherewith God is moued to seâ—â—â— among men myselfe trouble affliction and griefes of this worlde that is to trie and proue suche as bee good and godlye that theyr vertues maye more shyne among men to the honour and glorye of God The fornace sayth Jesus Syrache tryeth the Potters vessell and affliction tryeth the iust and godly And Salomon As â—iluer and Golde is tryed by fire so doth God proue and trie the heartes of men Your Fathers sayeth Judith were tempted that they myght bee tryed and prooued whether they truely from their hearte worshipped God In this maâ—â—â—r GOD tempted and prooued his faythfull seruantes Abraham Ioseph and Iob that by the tryall of their constancie theyr fayth myght hee the more notable and famous and both themselues more in faythe confyrmed and GOD as I haue sayde by them more glorifyed When God cast vppon Iob all those myseries which the Scriptures mention hys vnnaturall wyfe and vnkynde friendes with rashe and vncharitable iudgement woulde needes perswade hym that it was the anger of GOD and iust punishment for hys sinnes that brought all those thinges vppon hym But he stayed vppon the testimonie of a good conscience and the constancie of hys fayth assured hymselfe of the good wyll and fauour of GOD and therefore hee tooke all patiently saying The Lorde gaue it and the Lorde hath taken it awaye euen as the Lord will so be it In which wordes wee haue to learne the exceedyng comforte which the godly take in the myddest of their troubles by the doctrine of the prouidence of God whereof I spake before For because nothyng is done wythout hym by hys onely sufferaunce Tyrauntes persetute they spoyle men of theyr goods they cast them into banishment into prison bondes they kyll them and exercyse all kynde of crueltie agaynst them It is his wyll also that men bee afflicted wyth sickenesse wyth pouertie wyth hunger wyth colde with sclaunder and reproche wyth losse of children and goodes and with all myseries that may fall in the lyfe of man But because the same Lorde and God which as a iust iudge sendeth all these thinges is also a most mercyfull tender and kynde father vndoubtedly hee wyll not suffer any thing to happen to vs but that shall bee profitable and a furtheraunce to our saluation Wherefore in all troubles and myseries seeme they at the beginning neuer so greenous and vntollerable the godlye receaue them and adyde in them not onely wyth patience but wyth ioye and gladnesse They are perswaded as the truth is That God chasâ—iseâ—h euerie sonne that he receaueth and therefore with cheerefull heartes They glorye in their afflictions knowing that tribulation bringeth patience patience experience experience hope and hope confoundeth not nor maketh ashamed
This comforte it was that made Iob so patiently to abyde losse of goodes the spoyle of hys landes and houses and the myserable destruction of hys chyldren The same comfort caused Ioseph wyth lyke patience to endure bondage imprisonment sclaunder reproch and daunger of his lyfe For he was assuredly perswaded that nothyng was done without the certayne prouidence of hys louyng and mercifull Lorde and God and therefore was assured that it woulde fall out to the best in the end This if wee soundly and truely consider wee shall neither rashely condemne other whose sinnes bee not notoriouslye knowne and when any euill happeneth to our selues by this comfort we shall sustayne it patiently Nowe haue I briefely declared vnto you as you haue heard first that outwarde profession and externall seruice and vse of Sacramentes is not sufficient for Christians but that to the glorie of God they must confirme their calling with the practise of a vertuous godly life Secondly whensoeuer misery or plague happeneth to maÌ„ it commeth not by chaunce or fortune or by a course of nature as vaine worldly men imagine but by the assured prouidence of God that seeth knoweth worketh all things Thirdly that God is moued with two causes to cast such miseries and afflictions vpon men somtime by iust punishment of sinne for transgression of his holy lawe and secondly to trie the faithfull and godly And lastly I haue tolde you what good instructions are to be taken of true Christians in both those wayes It remaineth that we pray vnto God most hartely that this doctrine may be so imprinted in our harteâ— as it may bring forth due fruites to hys glorie to whom bee honour and glory foreuer and euer So â—â— it ⸪ ¶ Certayne Sermons vppon this Text. Mat. 13. 3. The seede sower went out to sowe his seede and some fell by the high wayes side and the foules of the aire came and deuoured it vp some fell on stonie ground where it had not much earth and anone it sprong vp because it had no deepenesse of earth but when the Sunne rose it was burned and because it had no roote it withered c. THe holy ghost in the scriptures sundry times resembleth God to a husbandman And as there be sundry kindes of husbandry so doth he in diuers respectes compare the Churche people of God to the partes thereof Auncient writers make three parts of husbandry Pasturing Vintage Tillage To al these do the scriptures compare the Church of God The Lorde is my sheepard saith Dauid therfore caÌ„ I lack nothing He shall lead me forth in a greene Pasture c. And againe We are the people of his pasture and the sheepe of his handes And Christ himselfe saith I am the good Sheepard c and my sheepe heare my voice As touching Vintage Christ saith I am the true Vine my father is the Husbandman In Esay God maketh a long discourse declaring his Churche people to be his chosen Vineyard planted in a very fertile grouÌ„d To which parable Christ also alludeth in S. Matth. To Tillage he compareth his Church in S. Joh. Doe not you say there are foure monethes and then Haruest commeth Behold I say vnto you lift vp your eyes looke vpon the countries round about you because they are white readie to Haruest and he that reapeth shall haue his rewarde that he may gather in fruites to euerlasting life And in S. Mat. There is a large haruest few workmen desire the Lord of the haruest that he will thrust forth labourers into his haruest But in no place more plainely than in this parable of the seede sower which now I haue recited vnto you This y e spirit of God doth of purpose by these familiar similitudes to set before our eyes and to impresse more deepely in our minâ—â—s partly the great goodnes and singular care of god toward vs partly to teach vs our duetie toward him As the husbandman trauaileth and hath great care of his pasture his Vineyarde and Tillage and leaueth nothing vndone whereby he may further them so ought they to aunswere his expectation to yeelde fruit accordingly But as touching this parable of the seede sower ye haue to note these partes God is the husbandman the Preachers of the word are the seede sowers the seede is the worde of God the grounde is the heartes of men the duiersitie of the grouÌ„nde noteth the diuersitie of mens dispositions in hearing the worde of God If preachers bee the seede sowers then haue they authoritie froÌ„ God as doyng his seruice and as comming in hys message and therefore sayth Paule Let man so esteeme vs as the seruaunts of Christ and bestowers of the secretes of God They must bee heard therefore as the messengers of GOD they must be esteemed as hys seruauntes that come to sowe the seede of saluation in the heartes of men It is the worde of God that they vtter and ought to haue the Maiestie of hys person though it bee vttered by the mouthe of a mortall and fraile man The Prophets say thus Thus saith the Lorde The mouth of the Lord hath spoken and yet were they men that deliuered the message So God honoureth his messenger that though he bee couered wyth fraile fleshe sometime also stayned with sinne yet he maketh hym his mouth to open his will vnto his people When you receaued the worde of me you receaued it not as the worde of man but as it was in deede the worde of God And to the Galathians You refused not my infirmitie in fleshe but you receaued mee as the Angell of God yea euen as Christ Iesus And agayne to the Thessalonians Hee that reiecteth vs reiecteth not vs but God who hath giuen his holye spirite vnto vs. And for that cause sayeth Christ He that heareth you heareth me and he that reiecteth you reiecteth me And God in his Prophetes alwayes taketh as to himselfe that contempt or that reproche that was shewen to his Ministers whom he sent vnto hys people threatneth for the same most greeuous punishments This should they consider which in these dayes make so small accompt of Preachers and Preaching of gods word that they esteeme neither any thing of lesse price nor any persons of lesse credite But therein they shew both howe little regard they haue of their owne saluation and howe lyghtly they esteeme the glorie and Maiestie of God who offereth that benefite vnto them by his Preachers The worde of God by Christes owne exposition is the seede and so saith S. Peter also You are new borne not of mortall but of immortall seede through the worde of God that liueth and abideth foreuer All fleshe is grasse and all the glory thereof as the floure of grasse grasse withereth and the floure falleth but the worde of God abydeth for euer and this is the vvorde which
to foules of the ayre to take it away and to deuoure it The foules that eate vp the seede of gods word in the high way are the Deuill his Impes Ministers of his own begetting breding which be in number infinite but I will speake only of two or three which I may iustly compare to the rauenous filthie Harpies which y â— Poets speake of The first is Worldly Securitie the secoÌ„d godlesse Gentilitie the third Obstinate Papistrie Worldly Securitie lulleth men asleepe in the delights and cogitatioÌ„s of worldly pleasure so y t they caÌ„not fruitfully heare either y t sweete songes of Gods mercifull prouidence alluring theÌ„ to repentance or the dreadfull threatninges of his iudgements fearing them from euill doing But still they lye as it were be 〈…〉 ed and senceles in a dull heauye slumber much like vnto theÌ„ y t be taken with y e drousie sicknesse called Lethargus Speake crie vnto them as loud as you wil they heare nothing nor will shew any tokeÌ„ that they are aliue if you prick them with a pinne they will open their eyes and looke sternely a little while but by and by they are aslecpe agayne and lye as they weredead Euen so they whose hartes be ouer whelmed with Securitie if a man preach Gods word vnto them be it neuer so godly or earnestly done it nothing moueth them but if you prick them a little or pearse them to the quicke in any matter perticularly touching themselues they will looke vp somwhat stearnelye for the time as though they were angrie with you but by and by they are asleepe agayne and shew no sence of any good counsayle that you haue giuen them If we cry generally to all that professe Christianitie and principally to this Realme of Englande that God of his exceeding goodnesse in these latter perilous dayes hath beyonde all our expectations almost myraculouslye restored to vs the truth of his Gospell not that we should continue in sinne and wickednes to the defacing of his glory but that wee being lightned with the brightnesse thereof should learne that Christ Jesus our sauiour hath payd the price of our redemption deliuered vs froÌ„ the captiuitie of sinne sathan death and hel that We might walke before him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life If we tell them y t by their baptisme they couenanted with God to forsake the Deuil al his workes that they are baptized into the death of Christ y t as they bee partakers of his death so also should they bee partakers of his cosurrectioÌ„ to the end that as Christ is risen from death so also we shold rise from y â— death of siun to newnes of life If we preach vnto theÌ„ neuer so ofteÌ„ y t by the benefite of Christ his Passion we are made the heires of God w t him and the children of light therfore y t we should walk as is worthy our vocation not to be partakers of y â— workes of darknes and passe our time in surfeting in banqueting in dronkennes in chaÌ„bring wantonnesse in â—oÌ„tention strife Emulation but y t we should put on Christ Jesus not satisfye y â— lusts of the flesh to the lyking thereof If we say y t we are by our profession Citizens of heauen of the housholde of God for that cause that our conuersation should be Heauenly w t manifest declaratioÌ„ of y â— conteÌ„pt of this miserable world the transitory vanities therof yet I saye though we preach this often though we still cal vpon theÌ„ Security so lulleth theÌ„ on sleepe that they cannot heare these sweete and Godly exhortaâ—â—â—s Yeâ— though we change out copye and ringe in their eares the terrible threatninges of God and declare that this lamentable vnthankefulnesse in receauing the Doctrine and light of his truth muste needes prouoke Gods iustice most greeuously to plague vs when we in this manner crie out vnto them it will not waken them We tel them often that God must be the same God toward vs as he was toward his people of the Iewes that he must shew the same Justice to England that he didde to Hierusalem Vnto Hierusalem Christ with lameÌ„table mind sayd Oh Hierusalem Hierusalem which killest the Prophets and stonest theÌ„ to death which are sent to thee how often woulde I haue gathered thy Children vnder my winges as the Henne gathereth her Chickens yee would not Beholde your habitation shall be lefte vnto you desolate And to England he now sayeth O Englande Englande how often times haue I called thee how sundrie wayes haue I prouoked thee howe aboundantlye haue I powred out my benefites and blessinges vppon thee howe earnestlye haue I by the mouth of my Preachers clocked and cried to thee as an Henne doeth to her Chickens that thou mightest awake out of thy securitie and by repentaunce returne vnder the shadowe of my wings there to be safe from al the gredy Kites Eagles that houer ready to pray vpon thee yet thou wilt not therefore thy house shal come to confusion I will take the light of my Gospell from thee and giue it to a people that shall shew the fruites thereof Thy eninimies yea thy auncient enimies shall raigne ouer thee and kepe thee in subiection The glory and renown of thy kingdome shall fall and decay and thy people shall come to desolation and al because thou wilt not know the mercifull day of thy visitation so often and so sundery times offered vnto thee These wordes mighte shake stonie Rockes and cause them to tremble and yet they wil not moue English harts nor wake them out of their Securitie â—o although GOD let them see with their eyes y t the worldly hope of their Securitie hangeth by a twine thread I meane y â— fraile life of a tender Ladie after which they theÌ„selues caÌ„ looke for nothing but heapes of mischiefe and miserie and so much the sooner for that by Gods iust iudgement they nourishe in their owne boosoms the instrument of their confusion The Lord open our eyes mollifie our hartes y t wee may in time see and feele his mercie affected towarde vs and chase out of our mindes this foule Harpie Securitie that deuoureth the seede of Gods blessed word and will not suffer it to bring forth fruite among vs. Another birde is as ougly and lothsome as this doth as much harme which is Heathenish Gentilitie which raigneth in the hartes of godlesse persons Atheistes and Epicures which passe neither for heauen nor hell nor for God nor the Diuell but thinke those things to bee no better than Poeticall fables or at the least Bugges by policie deuised to feare Babes Therefore they iest scoffe at all Religion and make themselues merie with talke of Preachers For they passe not which end goe forwarde or whether Christ or Antichrist preuaile so that they maye singe with
make smalle accompt of them The last reason is that God our heauenly father knoweth that wee haue neede of those things and therefore for the tender and fatherly care that he hath ouer vs his children he will not suffer vs to want so much as shall be necessarie conuenient for vs. Wherefore we ought to bend our whole studie to seeke the kingdome of God and the glory thereof and leaue the cares of this world and the immoderate desire of earthly ryches least the same pull from vs and extinguish in vs the happie desire of hearing the worde and so through the deceiptfulnesse of Riches the word of God bee vtterly choked in vs and we of faire blossomes become vnfruitefull hearers and vnfit members for the kingdome of heauen c. ¶ A Sermon made vpon this text John 8. 46. Quis ex vobis arguit me de peccato Si veritatem dico vobis quare non creditis mihi Which of you can rebuke me of sinne and if I say the truth why doe yee not beleeue mee WHen I was assigned to this place and pervsed the Text of the Gospell for this day seeing the first verse thereof to bee these wordes which nowe I haue recited vnto you I could not but thinke it to bee some part of Gods gracious prouidence there-by to put mee in minde giue mee full occasion to speake of those things which in conscience I thinke most necessarie at this time and in this place to bee vttered These wordes deerely beloued are a parte of that notable conference which was betweene our Sauiour Christ and the Jewes Ioh 8. Wherein both of them are so earnest in defence of their part as hardly the lyke is to be found in the whole historie of the Euangelistes The Jewes in defence of their Synagogue denie Christ to bee the light of the world that shoulde open the true way of saluation to men but affirme that he was an aâ—bitious and vaine glorious man bearing witnesse of himselfe for his owne credites sake yea they say he is a Samaritane a worker with diuells a blasphemer of God and therefore lastly take vp stones and draue him by violence out of the place A verye ryght paterne of the enemyes of Christ and hys Church On the other part Christ in deede mooued wyth the true zeale of Gods house after hee had declared that hee was the lyght of the worlde which hee that followed should not walke in darkenesse but see the truth of euerla sting life he euidently proueth that the Jewes were not as they pretended to bee the right seede of Abraham for then they would doe the workes of Abraham nor the children of God for then they would haue receaued him who was sent vnto them from God but earnestly affirmeth that they are of the seede and ofspring of Sathan the father of lying and vntrothe and therefore euen by very corruption of nature they could not abyde the truth Then Christes knowing that they woulde obiect against him that they denied not his doctrine because it was the truth as he charged them but because he was an euill man and a seducer of the people and not like a person that should deliuer the truth vnto the people of God Therefore Christ to preuent this obiection wherewith they went about to deface and discredite his doctrine speaketh in such sorte as ye haue heard Quis ex vobis c. Which of you can rebuke me of sinne c. In which wordes you see Christ doth two things First he standeth to the integritie of his cause euen as well in the vpright dealing in his office as in Innocencie of lyfe Secondly he iustifieth the truth of his doctrine and therefore requireth them to beleeue it if they will shewe themselues to be of God in deede This dealing of Christ all Christians generally but especially Byshops Preachers and all such as are called to the ministerie of the word ought to set before their eyes as a right paterne of their doyngs if they will be the true Ministers of Jesus Christ And these two things I meane w t Gods assistaunce to speake of at this time and in this order First I will declare what the office of a Preacher or Minister is by his calling and what daunger hangeth ouer them if they doe it not Secondly because men may deale wyth good consciences and yet be subiect to great infamie and sclaunders for euen Christ in this place notwithstanding his integritie heard of hys aduersaryes Nonne bene dicimus quod Samaritanus es daemonium habes c. i. Say we not well that thou arte a Samaritaine and hast the Diuell Therefore I will let you vnderstande what blame they deserue and what daunger they are in that falsely vncharitably defame the Ministers Preachers of Gods worde and truth of purpose to discredite their doctrine Thirdly I will prooue that the doctrine of the Gospell which we haue preached in this land these 20. yeeres and more which vnder hir Maiesties gracious protection authoritie of hir lawes hath bene established is the truth and no truth of doctrine but that and therefore y t it ought to be beleeued receaued and without exception to bee confirmed of all them that be of God As touching the first S. Paul saith Sic nos aestimet homo c. Let a man so esteeme vs as the Ministers of Christ the bestowers of his mysteries The mysteries of God are the true doctrine of saluation in Christ Jesu and al the other benefites and commodities of his holy word mentioned by S. Paule to Timothie A good Bishop therefore and a right Preacher must out of y â— holy scriptures teach true doctrine sincerely he must confute error superstition idolatrie zealously he must exhort to vertue earnestly he must without respect of persons reproue vice and wickednesse boldly and freely he must comfort the afflicted conscience sweetely and gratiously This is the charge that God layeth vpon vs in his word very earnestly with greeuous daunger if we doe it not In Esay God speaketh in thys wyse Get thee vp into the high mountaine thou that teachest in Syon thou that preachest the Gospell in Hierusalem lyfte vp thy voyce with strength lyfte vp thy voyce I saye and feare not tell the Cities that the Lorde their God commeth You heare that wee are commaunded to tell the Cities that is the particular Churches of Christ that the Lord their God commeth to visite them eyther in mercy offering them his worde and callyng them to repentaunce or in iustice to punish them for the contempt of his worde and want of repentaunce And this wee must doe not in secrete corners but in the face of the worlde for wee must stande vppon the toppe of the Mountaine that we may bee seene and shewe our selues not ashamed of the Gospell We must not doe it slackly but zealously lyfting vp our voyce with strength
is so hard a thing for him that aboundeth in Riches too bee saued Fol. Folio 202. 203 Two meanes to withstād the mischiefes of Riches and worldly wealth Folio 204 There is no assurance to bee had of worldly Riches Folio 204 The estimation that is to be had of all earthly things and consequently of Riches Folio 205 S. Sacrament ¶ What a Sacrament is Folio 118 How the body and bloud of Christ are sayde to be meate and drinke thys concerneth the Sacrament Folio 137. 138 Against the carnal eating and drinking of Christ body and bloud in the Sacrament Folio 142. 143 What to eate Christes bodie and to drinke his bloud as in the Sacrament Fol. Folio 144. 145. 146 The eating of Christ by faith is no derogation to the dignitie of the Sacrament and profit therof Folio 147 In the vse of the Sacrament is a double eating to be noted Folio 148 Our sences in the vse of the Sacrament are helpers to our better receyuing of the same Folio 148. 149. 150 The dissention of the Protestantes for the Sacrament is no such greate matter as the Papists make it Folio 56 The wickednesse of the minister doeth not derogate any thing from the effect of the Sacrament c. Folio 119 The faith of the receiuer not the life of the minister doth helpe or hinder in the effect of the Sacrament Folio 120 Fruiteful actions and doctrines concerning the Sacrament of the Lords supper Folio 33 Christ his body c. receiued in the Sacrament of the Lords supper Folio 34 The enemie of Christ in the Sacrament is not carnally to be vnderstoode Folio 35 Papisticall vntruthes and abuses concerning the Sacrament of the Lordes supper Folio 35 Blasphemous doctrine of wicked mens eating of the bodie of Christe in the Sacrament refelled Folio 152 153 How we ought to prepare our selues to the worthye receiuing of the Sacrament of Christs bodie and bloud Folio 154 How we are to make triall of our selues before we come to receiue the Sacrament of Christs bodie and bloud Folio 154. 155. 156. A briefe and pithie prayer for communicāts to say before they receiue the Sacrament of Christs bodie and bloud Fol. Folio 157. 158 The faithful togither with the outward signe receiue the inwarde thinges in the Sacrament Folio 128 Sacraments ¶ The difference betwixte the Iewes Sacrament and ours consisteth in externall signes respect of time Folio 133. 134 Sacramēts are badges by which we christians are knowne from Idolaters Folio 150 Sacraments are the seales whereby Gods promises are confirmed vnto vs. Folio 151 How Christes bodie and bloud is truely and rightly to be eaten and drunken as well in the Sacraments as without them Folio 142 What the internal part of Sacraments is Fol. Folio 122 Sacraments are seales whereby the letters patents of our saluation in Christ are confirmed vnto vs. Folio 123 Why Sacraments were ordayned Folio 125 Our infirmitie the first cause why Sacraments were ordayned Folio 125 The second cause why Sacraments were instituted is oure exercise in the remembraunce of Christs benefits Folio 126 The thirde ende wherevnto Sacramentes were appointed Folio 126 Sacraments consist of three parts Folio 120 The second part whereof Sacraments doe consist is the spiritual or inward thing Fol. Folio 122 The third part wherein Sacraments consist is the words of Christs institution and promise Folio 124 The fourth cause why Sacramentes were ordayned Folio 126 The last cause why Sacraments were appointed Folio 127 God the only author of Sacraments Folio 118 Sacraments vnite vs vnto Christ Folio 151 Sacraments are too linke vs togither in brotherly vnitie Folio 151 Papisticall Sacraments of their owne deuise Folio 32 Papistes cannot be knowne to be of the true Church by their Sacraments Folio 30 Papisticall number of sacraments Folio 30 Sacraments markes of Gods Church Folio 23 What diffeeence is to bee obserued betwixt the Sacramentes of the olde Iewes c. Folio 129 Saluation ¶ Christonly is al in al to Saluatiō Folio 85. 86 It is not sufficient to Saluation to be idle professours of God but also doers of godly deedes Folio 160. 161 Blasphemous derogation to the merits of Christs working our Saluation Folio 91 The letters patents and seales of our Saluation what they are Folio 123 The old Iewes vnder the law hadde the same hope of Saluation by Christ that we now haue Folio 129. 130. 131 Protestants doctrine of Saluation is the doctrine of the Scripture Folio 234 Scismes ¶ Christēdome torne by Popish Scismes Fol. Folio 103 Scismes in the East Church whiche were Christians Folio 58 Scismes between diuerse of the auntient fathers Folio 58. 59 The Papistes cannot without their own great shame obiect Scismes to Protestants Folio 59 Scriptures ¶ The learned aduersarie refuseth to be tryed by the Scriptures and why Folio 25 Why Papistes doe refuse tryall by the Scriptures Folio 26 Blasphemie of the Papistes againste the Scriptures Folio 26 The written Scriptures onely are and ought to bee sufficiente to trye all truth Folio 23 The Papistes refuse triall by the Scriptures Folio 24 Three poyntes shewing how the Papistes esteeme the Scriptures Folio 24. 25 How the Church may iudge or vse the Scriptures concerning their truth Folio 27 Greuous faults in the Church of Rome by taking hir authoritie ouer the Scriptures Folio 27. 28 Manifest false interpretations of Scriptures vsed by Papistes Folio 28 Doctrines of Papists againste the Scriptures in sixe perticulars Folio 28. 29 Sectes ¶ Protestantes are not to be blamed for the Sectes that happen in the time of the Gospell Folio 55 Sectes do more agree to Papistes than to Protestants Folio 55 Papisticall Schoolemen which diuided themselues into Sectes and how hurtfull that is to Christianitie Folio 6 Sinne. ¶ God is not the author of Sinne. Folio 166 The punishment of Sinne and what are the causes that moue God to plague men Folio 168 We cannot acknowledge a God but that withall he must punish sinne Folio 191 Wicked menne are plaged of God for their owne Sinnes to our example Folio 162 Soule ¶ Faith the mouth of the Soule whereby Christ is eaten Folio 144 A comparison betwixte the body and the Soule Folio 138 What the Soule is to the body that is God to the Soule Folio 138 How Christ was prepared to bee the foode of our Soules Folio 139 Christ the foode of our soules Folio 136. 137 Succession ¶ Papistes obiect Succession as a true note of their Church Folio 36 How the argumente of Succession hathe bin vsed by the fathers Folio 37 Succession is nothing without the doctrine of the Apostles Folio 38 The true Church better proued by doctrine than succession c. Folio 39 Personall Succession is no sure proofe that the Romish Churche is the true Church Folio 42 T. Transubstantiation ¶ The absurditie of Transubstantiation Fol. Folio 121 V. Vniuersities ¶ The cause of few Diuines in Vniuersities of the best sorte of wittes Folio 64 Diuersitie of opinions betwixt