at one time for if his body be in the Sacramēt he must needes haue so many bodies as there be Sacraments nay he must haue so many bodies as there be bits in euerie Sacramēt Thirdly it will follow that his bodie is diuided from his soule and consequētly is a dead bodie because the bread is onely changed into body and not into his soule Fourthly at will follow that the wicked and prophane and reprobate may receiue Christ as well as the godly because they haue a mouth to eate as well as the best Fiftly it will follow that Christs sacrifice once for all was not sufficient because we must sacrifice him againe and breake his bodie shed his bloud as the Iewes crucified him vpon the Crosse Sixtly it will follow that the bread being turned into the body of our redeemer hath a part of our redemption as well as Christ Seauenthly it will follow that Christ did eate his owne bodie for all the Fathers say that he did eat the same bread which he gaue to his Disciples Lastly it will follow that a Massing Priest shal be the creator of his creator because he makes him which made him all these absurdities are hatched of Transubstantiation Thus when men deuise articles of their owne while they strike vpon the handuill the sparkes flie in their face they are like the man which began to build and could not finish it When I see the Papist in so many absurdities for intertaining one error me thinks he seemeth like a Collier which is grimed with his owne coales Therefore as in manners we should think of Peters saying Whether is it meete to obey God or men So in doctrines we should thinke whether it be meete to beleeue God or men Thus you haue heard the author of this Sacrament the Lord Iesus the time when it was instituted in the night that he was betraied the manner how it was instituted after thanks giuing the end why it was instituted for a remembrance of his death and the discouery of Transubstantiation one of the last heresies which Babylō hatched Now they which haue been Patrons of it before should do like the father and mother of an Idolatrer that is lay the first hand vpon him to shorten his life Thus I end Thinke what account ye shall giue of that ye haue heard The end of the first Sermon A TREATISE OF THE LORDES SVPPER The second Sermon 1. Cor. 11. vers 25. 26. 27. 28. 25 After the same manner also he tooke the cup whē he had supped saying This cup is the New Testamēt in my bloud this doe as oft as ye drinke it in remembraunce of me 26 For as often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke this cup ye shew the Lords death till he come 27 Wherefore whosoeuer shall eate this bread and drinke the cup of the Lord vnworthelie shall be guiltie of the bodie and bloud of the Lord. 28 Let a man therefore examine himselfe and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this cup. HEre I am to speake of the second seruice as it were at the Lordes Table and of that preparatiō which is like the Wedding garment that euerie man must bring vnto this banquet These wordes are diuerslie repeated of the Euangelistes Here it is said This Cup is the New Testament in my bloud In Mathew and in Marke it is sayd This Cup is my bloud of the New Testament This is the first mētion which Christ makes of a Testament as though now his promises deserued the name of a Testament because the seale is set vnto them which before this Sacrament was not sealed but like a bare writing without a signet This word Testament doth implie a promise and therefore teacheth vs that the Sacrament doth cōfirme and strēgthen and nourish our fayth because it sealeth the promise which we should beleeue Here is to be noted that Christ doth not onely speake of a Testament but he calleth it a New Testamēt which words neuer met together before as though the Law were for the old man to mortifie him and the Gospell for the new man to comfort him agayne or as if the old Testament had so washt her face and chaunged her apparell at Christes comming that one would not thinke it the same but a New Testament because euē now she was shadowed with a thousand Ceremonies now they are gone from her like a myst at the Sunne rising As Christ calleth loue a New Commaundement because he renewed it like a Law worne out of memorie so he calleth the promise of saluation a New Testament Because as it was renewed to Sem and after renewed to Abraham and after renewed to Dauid so now he renewed it agayne which should bee alwaye new and fresh vnto vs. Euerie Testament is confirmed with bloud the old Testament was confirmed by the bloud of Goats and Bullockes and Rammes but the New Testament is confirmed by the bloud of Christ My bloud saith Christ is the bloud of the New Testament nay This Cup sayth Christ is the New Testament You may see thē that they may gather as well out of Christes wordes that the Cup is the New Testament as that the Wine is his bloud For Christ sayth This Cup is the New Testament as well as he sayth This Wine is my bloud or This bread is my body Beside when Christ speakes of a New Testament he implieth that the old Testament is fulfilled the Sacrifices and Ceremonies of the Law did signifie Christ before he came therefore they are fulfilled in his comming no mo Sacrifices no mo Ceremonies for the truth is come Sacrifices and Ceremonies are honorably buried with the Priesthood of Aaron let them rest it is not lawfull to violate the Sepulchers of the dead and take their bodies out of the earth as the Witch would raise Samuell out of his graue Therfore they which retaine Ceremonies which should be abrogated reliques of Iudaisme or reliques of Papisme may be said to violate the sepulchers of the dead and disturbe the deceased like the Witch which presumed to raise Samuell out of his graue This Testament is called a Testament in bloud because the Testament and will of a man is cōfirmed when the man is dead so Christ cōfirmed his Testament by his death Moses saith that life is in the bloud so the bloud of Christ is the life of this Testament If Christes bloud had not been shed this Testament made vnto vs had been vnprofitable as the Testamēt of a Father is to his Sonne if the Father should not dye but liue Therefore the Apostle sayth without shedding of bloud there is no remission of sinnes Therfore the Testament or couenaunt of the remission of our sinnes is called the Testament in bloud the bloud of Christ is the seale of the Testament which we haue to shew vnto God for the remission of our sinnes and the
A TREATISE OF THE LORDS Supper in two Sermons Imprinted at London by R. Field for Thomas Man dwelling in Paternoster row at the signe of the Talbot 1591. To the Reader IN the first sermon the aduersarie is confuted In the second sermon the Communicants are prepared In both are many obseruations and the words of the text expounded Now labor for thy selfe as I haue labored for thee I would haue thee profit somewhat more by this booke because it hath weakened me more then all the rest Farwell A Treatise of the Lords Supper in two Sermons The first Sermon 1. Cor. 11. 23. 24. The Lord Iesus in the night that he was betrayed tooke bread And when he had giuen thanks he brake it and said Take eate this is my bodie which is broken for you this dayes in remembrance of me THE Word and the Sacraments are the two breasts wherewith our mother doth nurse vs. Seeing euerie one receiueth and few vnderstand what they receiue I thought it the necessariest doctrine to preach of the Sacramēt which is a witnes of Gods promises a remembrāce of Christs death a seale of our adoptiō therfore Christ hath not instituted this Sacrament for a fashion in his Church to touch and feele and see as we gaze vpon pictures in the windowes but as the woman which had the bloudie issue touching the hemme of Christes garmēt drew vertue from Christ himselfe because she beleeued So Christ would that we touching these signes should draw vertue from himself that is all the graces which these signes represent Therefore as the Leuits vnder the Law were bound to prepare their brethren before they came to the Passeouer so preachers of the Gospel should prepare their brethrē before they come to the Supper of the Lord. For which purpose I haue chosen this place to the Corinthians which is the clearest fullest declaration of this Sacrament in all the scripture The Lord Iesus in the night c The summe of all these words is the institution and vse of the Lords Supper First Paul sheweth the author of it The Lord Iesus then the time when it was instituted in the night that he was betrayed then the manner how he did institute it he tooke bread and when he had giuen thankes he brake it and gaue vnto his Disciples c. then the end why he did institute it for a remembrance of his death Touching the author he which is signified by it was the author of it The Lord Iesus hath bid vs to supper I am not worthy saith Iohn to loose his shoe so we are not worthy to waite at his trencher and yet he wil haue vs sit at his table To him belongeth the power to ordaine Sacraments in his Church because he fulfilled the Sacraments of the Law When Christ came the Passeouer ceased because he is our Passeouer that is the Lamb by whose bloud we are saued When Christ came Circumcision ceased because he is our Circumcision that is the purifier and clenser of our sinnes Now these two sacraments are fulfilled he hath appointed two other Sacraments for them in steed of the paschall Lambe which the Iewes did eate he hath giuen vs another Lamb to eate which Iohn calleth the Lambe of God that is himselfe vpon whom all do feede whosoeuer do receiue this Sacrament with an assured faith that Christ died to possesse them of life The breaking of the bread doth signifie the wounding of his bodie the powring of the wine doth signifie the shedding of his blood The eating of the bread and drinking of the wine doth signifie that his flesh and bloud doe nourish in vs life eternal as the bread and wine do nourish the life present In steed of Circumcision which began at Abrahā he hath ordained Baptisme which began at Iohn a more liuely representation of the true circumcision of the hart because it representeth vnto vs the bloud of Christ which washeth our soules as the water in Baptisme washeth our bodies Touching the time In the night saith Paul therefore this Sacrament is called The Lords Supper because it was instituted at night when they vsed to sup But what night euen that night saith Paul when he was betrayed that night which he should haue cursed as Iob did the day of his birth if he had suffred against his will that night when hee should haue thought to destroy men as men conspired to destroy him that night saith Paul this Sacrament of grace and peace and life began Euen that night when we betrayed him Manie nights did he spend in watching and praying for vs is there a night now for vs to kill betray him That was a darke night when men went about to put out the sonne which brought them light Who can but wonder to see how Christ they for whom Christ came were occupied at one time when they deuised mischief against him sought all meanes to destroy him then he consulted how to saue them and instituted the same night this blessed Sacrament to conuay all his graces and blessings vnto them Euen that night when they betrayed him The reason why this actiō was deferred vntill night is because that was the time appointed by the Law to eate the Passeouer which was like a predecessor of this Sacrament The reason why he deferred vntill his last night was because the Passeouer could not be ended before the fulnesse of time and the true Paschal Lambe were come to be slaine in stead of the other Therefore how fitlie did Christ ende the Passeouer which was a signe of his suffering so presently before his suffering And beside how sweetly did he confirme his disciples faith when as they should see that the next day performed before their eyes which ouernight both in the Passeouer and in the Sacrament was so liuely resembled vnto them If any from this do gather that we ought to eate the Lords supper at night as Christ did he must vnderstand that we haue not the same cause to do so which Christ had because of the Passeouer And therefore the Church which hath discretion of times and places hath altered both the time and the place vsing the temples in stead of the chamber and the morning in stead of the euening for indifferent things are ruled by order decencie Touching the maner He tooke bread and when he had giuen thankes he brake it and gaue it vnto them He would not eate it nor breake it before he had giuē thankes to God What neede he which was God giue thankes to God but to shew vs what we should doe when we eate our selues In all things giue thankes saith Paul whereby we declare that all things come from God but the wicked beleeue easier that God doth take than that he doth giue and therefore they neuer pray heartily vnto him for any thing nor
words do prooue that the bread and wine are turned into Christes bodie Paule saith Iesus tooke bread well theÌ„ yet it is bread when he had taken it then he blessed it what did he blesse the bread which he tooke well then yet it is bread when he had blessed it then he brake it what did he breake the bread which he blessed well then yet it is bread when he had brokeÌ„ it then he gaue it what did he giue the bread which he brake well then yet it is bread when he had giuen it they did eate it what did they eate the bread which he gaue them well theÌ„ yet it is bread when they did eate it theÌ„ he said This is my body what did he call his bodie the bread which they did eate well then yet it is bread If it be bread all this while when he did take it and blesse it and breake it and giue it and they did eate it when is it turned into his bodie here they stand like the Sadduces as mute as fishes Now that ye may see that not we onelie say it is bread and wine after the consecration in the 27. Verse Christ himselfe doth call it bread and wine after he had giueÌ„ it as he did before And in Marke he saith I will drinke no more of the fruite of the vine Here Christ saith that it was the fruite of Vine which he dranke but his bloud is not the fruite of Vines but Wine therfore wine was his drinke and not bloud Beside if you would heare Paule expound Christ he sheweth that all our Fathers had the same substaÌ„ce of Christ in their Sacramentes that we haue in ours for he saith They all did eate the same spirituall meate and all drinke the same spirituall drinke Straight he sayth that this meate and this drinke was Christ Marke that he saith not onely They did eate the same meate that we eate but he saith that this meate was Christ and not onely so but to shew that Christ is not a corporall meate as the Papistes say he saith he is a spirituall meate as we say therfore you see that we do not eate him corporally no more than our Fathers but that as they did eate him spiritually so do we for spirituall meate must be eaten spiritually as corporall meate is eaten corporally Agayne for the signes to be turned into the thing signified by theÌ„ is vtterly against the nature of a Sacrament makes it no Sacrament because there is no signe for euery Sacrament doth coÌ„sist of a signe and a thing signified the signe is euer an earthly thing and that which it signifieth is a heauenly thing This shall appeare in all examples as in Paradise there was a verie Tree for the signe and Christ the thing signified by it In Circumcision there was a cutting off of the skin and the cutting off of sinne In the Passe-ouer there was a Lambe and Christ In the Saboth there was a day of rest eternall rest In the Sacrifices there was an offering of some beast and the offering of Christ In the Sanctuarie there was the holy place and heauen In the Propitiatorie there was the goldeÌ„ couering Christ our couer In the Wildernesse there was a Rocke yeelding water and Christ yeelding his bloud In the Apparition there was a a Doue the holy Ghost In the Manna there was Bread and Christ In Baptisme there is verie water which washeth vs and Christes bloud washing vs so in the Supper of Christ there is very Bread Wine for the signe the body and bloud of Christ for the thing signified or else this SacrameÌ„t is against the nature of all other Sacraments Againe there must be a proportion betweene the Passe ouer and the Lords Supper because this was figured by the other Now the Iewes had in their Passeouer Bread and Wine and a Lambe so Christ instituting his Supper left bread and wine and a Lambe which name is giuen to himselfe because he came like â— Lambe and died like a Lambe Agayne if Christes verie bodie were â—ffered in the SacrameÌ„t theÌ„ it were not a Sacrament but a Sacrifice which two differ as much as giuing and taking for in a Sacrifice we giue in a Sacrament we receiue and therefore we say our Sacrifice and Christes Sacrament Agayne euerie Sacrifice was offered vpon an Altar Now marke the wisedome of the holy Ghost least we should take this for a Sacrifice he neuer names Altar when he speakes of it but The Table of the Lord. Therefore it is no doubt but the deuill hath kept the name of Altar that we might thinke it a Sacrifice Agayne if the bread were Christes flesh and the wine his bloud as these two are separate one from the other so Christes flesh should be separate from his bloud but his bodie is not deuided for then it were a dead body Agayne that which remaineth doth nourish the bodie and relish in the mouth as it did before which could not be but that it is the same foode which it was before Agayne I would aske whose are this whitenes and hardnes and roundnesse and coldnesse None of them say that it is the whitenesse and hardnesse and roundnesse and coldnes of Christes bodie therefore it must needes be the whitenesse and hardnesse and roundnesse and coldnesse of the bread or else qualities should stand without substaÌ„ces which is as if one should tell you of a house without a foundation Agayne as Christ dwelleth in vs so he is eaten of vs but he dwelleth in vs onely by faith Ephes 3. 17. Therefore he is eaten onely by faith Agayne none can be saued without the communion of the body of Christ but if all should communicate with it corporally then neither infants nor any of our Fathers the Patriarkes or the Prophets should be saued because they receiued it not so Agayne Christ sayth not this wine but this cup and therefore by their conclusion not onely the wine should be â—urned into bloud but the cup to Again Paul saith They which receiue vnworthilie receiue their owne damnation But if it were the flesh of Christ they should rather receiue saluation than daÌ„nation because Christ sayth He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath life euerlasting Agayne if they would heare an Angell from heauen when Christes bodie was glorified an Angell said to the women He is risen and is not here as if he should say his body is but in one place at once or else he might haue been there though he was risen Agayne why doe they say in receiuing this Sacrament euer since the Primitiue Church Lift vp your hearts if they haue all in their mouthes To end this controuersie Here we may say as the Disciples said to Christ Whither shall we go from thee I meane we need not to goe to any other
as willing and able to giue it as Naaman Whether thou wouldst not deceiue if thou were in such an office as the false Steward whose master referred all vnto him and knew not when he kept any thing backe Whether thou wouldst not fulfill thy lust as Dauid did if thou haddest his oportunitie and allurement and mightest do it without daunger of law like a King as Dauid might Whether thou wouldst not tell a lie as Abraham did if it stood vpon thy life which made him twise dissemble that his wife was his sister least he should die for her beautie Finally if it should be said vnto thee as the diuell said to Christ All these will I giue thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship me that is no more but if thou wilt sin whether thou wouldest yeeld or no. If thou haue sinned thus and thus before I wil not say therefore the Lord will not heare thee but Dauid saith If I regard wickednes in my heart the Lord will not heare me that is if for any cause a man purpose and carrie a minde to sin when he is tempted the Lord is so far from helping him that he wil stand like Ball as though he did not heare him for he hath a Traitors minde as deepe as any which thinks for a dukedome I wold betray my Prince though he neuer play the Traitor in his life Thus ye haue heard how to trie spirits and how to discerne a Christian from an hypocrite and how to oppose your hearts that yee may be sure to iudge rightly what ye are Now we come to that examination which is the epitome or abridgment of all these for memorie is short and all are not of one strength but some run and some goe and some creepe and all do well so long as they striue to perfection The matters whereof principally the minde should be examined before the Sacrament are these First whether thou haue faith not onely to beleeue that Christ died but that he died for thee for as the scripture calleth him a Redeemer so Iob calleth him his Redeemer The second article is whether thou be in charitie not whether thou loue thē which loue thee but whether thou loue them which hate thee for Christ commandeth vs to loue our enimies The third article is whether thou repent not for thy open and grose sins but for thy secret sinnes and pettie sins because Christ saith that we must giue account for euerie idle word The fourth article is whether thou resolue not to sin againe for any cause but to amend thy euill life not when age commeth or for a spurt but to begin now and last til death for Christ is Alpha and Omega both the beginning and the end as well in our liuing as in our being which hath made no promise to them which begin but to them which perseuere The last article is whether thou canst finde in thy heart to dye for Christ as Christ dyed for thee for we are bid not onely to follow him but to beare his crosse and therefore we are called seruants to shew how we should obey we are called souldiers to shew how we should suffer These are the receiuers articles wherof his conscience must be examined before he receiue this Sacrament happie is he which can say All these haue I kept for the Doue was not so welcome to Noah as this man is to Christ But if thou finde not these affections within but a nest of vices leaue thine offring at the Altar and returne to thine examination againe for thou art not a fit guest to sup with the Lord vntill thou haue on this Wedding garment How is it then that some regard their other garments more than this Paule saith Examine your selues and they examine their apparell if they haue new clothes in the countrey then they are readie to receiue I haue knowne many kept from the Sacrament a whole yeare togither by their masters for nothing but for want of a new sute to set them forth with their fellowes Others respect whether it be a faire day that they may walke after seruice making that day vpon which they receiue like a Schollers Thurseday which The two brests of the Church Matth. 9. 20. 2. Chro. 35. 6. The diuision The Author Iohn 1. 27. None but Christ may ordaine Sacraments Iohn 1. 29. Reuel 7. 14. Iohn 1. 29. Gen. 17. 10. Who was therefore called Iohn the Baptist Matth. 3. 1. Reuel 1. 5. Reuel 22. 14. Time Verse 23. Iob. 3. 3. Why this sacrament was instituted at night Why it was deferred till his last night Why we receiue not the Lords supper at night Vers 23. 24. 1. Thes 5. 18. Note Mala. 1. 2. Esay 1. 3. Gene. 19. 20. Luke 11. 3. Note Mat. 26. 30. Gene. 27. Luke 22. 32. Heb. 2. 16. Iohn 17. 19. 1. Pet. 2. 24. Ephes 3. 17. 1. Sam. 17. 51. Iohn 18. 14. 1. King 18. 28. Heretickes alledge scripture like the deuill Matth. 4. 4. Psal 91. 11. Matth. 26. 26. Iohn 10. 7. 9. Iohn 15. 1. Note Gene. 3. 3. Arguments against Popish Trāsubstantiation Matth. 22. 34 Mar. 14. 25. 1. Cor. 10. 4. Vers 3. 4 Vers 4. Gene. 2. 9. Gen◠17. 11. Exod. 12. 3. Exod. 23. 11. Heb. 9. 13. Exod. 30. Exod. 25. 24. Exod. 17. 16. Mat. 3. 16. Iohn 6. 49. Iohn 1. 33. 1. Cor. 11. 19. Exod. 12. Mat. 16. 26. Iohn 1. 29. Exod. 27. Iohn 6. 54. Mat. 28. Iohn 6. 68. Iohn 6. 60. Iohn 6. 35. Iohn 6. 63. Aug. vpō the 3. Psalme Tert. against Marcion the 4. booke 4. booke 4. ca. of Sacraments In his first Dialogue Vpon the 15. of Mat. Irenae 4. book cap. 34. against Valētinus Ad ob Theod. Anathematis 1. booke of Epi. In that Gospel whosoeuer speaketh a word c. Hom. 60. to the people of Antioch To Caesarus the Monke Against Eutiches the Heretike Vpō the Canon lect 40. 1. book of the Sacr. pag. 46. Against the captiuitie of Babylon made by M. Luther Luk. 19. 22. The Papistes allegations for the reall presence Exo. 4. 8. 21 Exod. 9. 2. Thess 2. 9. Obiect Obiect Answere Mar. 1. 40. Obiect Answer Obiect Answer Luk. 8. 9. Mat. 26. 17. Exod. 12. 27. Gen. 17. 13. Gen. 12. 3. Tit. 3. 5. 1. Cor. 6. 11. Luk. 22. 20. Iohn 3. 36. Matth. 26. 26. Luk. 9. 8. Iohn 4. 33. Luk. 24. 39. Iohn 16. 5. Iohn 6. 35. Marth 26. 26. Neither Christs mortal bodie nor his immortal bodie can be in the same Dan. 4. 15. Mar. 14. 24. Christ spake not to the bread and wine but to his disciples More in the Lords Supper than bread and wine 1. Cor. 10. 16. A similitude Rom. 8. 32. Dan. 3. 25. A similitude Another similitude Augustine Luke 11. 27. Luke 8. 21. Note Iohn 16. 7. Prou. 31. 29. A way to know whither Christs