the cause be the Lordes and the quarell good thy calling according it is good fighting these battels Striue for the trueth for life defende iustice vnto death Eccle. 4.2 In this case the white liuered souldier that feareth a frost shall be couered with snow If euery heare were a life and euery life a thousand liues vēter them all for him that gaue them all But againe in the dayes of peace where peace may be redeemed with lesse a doe what wise man woulde be hanged in heare of his own fancie or fal as Saul did vpon his owne sword He that loueth daunger shal perish in trouble and no man pitie him and the meeke shall possesse the earth A gentlewoman of Lacedemonia Plutar. contra Colo. and Diotorus his wife did alwayes fall out at the table and varie because the one loued oyle and the other butter and yet the qualities of butter and oyle were not much diuerse Charitie doeth couer malice enuie and hatred doeth vncouer as the boysterous Northwinde all imperfections and naturally men are giuen to prie in at other mens windowes to beate dust of their coates find motes in their eyes But Saint Paul saith Let euery man proue him selfe and not other men and so let him come to this Sacramēt When Christ foretolde that one of his disciples shoulde betray him euery one of them began to aske him Mar. 14.19 Is it I not is it he or he but euery one was desirous to proue him selfe and know whither it were he Is it I they were not like him that saide Mat. 7.4 Brother suffer me to take foorth the mote out of thine eye And doe we call them brethrē whose good name we seeke to take from them in obiecting motes and faultes A mote is a litle fault and a beame is a great faulte and neither great nor litle should be suffered especially in the eye Yet euery man is not a fit Physition the eye is a tender parte and maye as soone take hurt as good if there be not great discretion taken Let the publike minister proue all and the priuate man proue him selfe and so in fayth and loue let vs all in one repair to the Sacrament of vnitie which as goates milke shoulde breake and mollifie the stonie hearts of men Plin lib. 20. prooe lib. 3.7 cap. 4. as rayne alaieth great windes as Dauids musicke asswaged Sauls melācholie and euill spirite And yet when all this is done the best men are men still and the best earth is earth euer and will beare nettles and brambles and prickes Flesh is fraile in faith blood imperfect in loue seetheth and boyleth with a litle fire and vpon a small occasion Repētance therefore repentance alwayes in eyther is most requisite which accompanying with faith her mother and loue her sister warmeth and cherisheth them both who otherwise waxe wanne and colde and loose their force Yf any man deeme Christes death vnsufficiēt suppose his sacrifice needeth renuing imagineth any other intercessours requisite doubteth of his kingdō beleueth not his word these are great wants of faith and he neuer proued himselfe that cōmeth with this minde to the Lordes boorde where these thinges are or should be felt fed vpon Here Repentance is requisite to helpe fayth Againe if any man haue any thing against his brother or his brother against him let him go first and be reconciled before he eate and drincke the Sacramente which is of vnitie in Christ Iesus Thus examining his conscience as before and acknowledging his sinnes in his sight aske pardon with sighes teares because he eyther distrusted or disobeyed and so displeased so gratious a God so mercifull a father so perfecte a Sauiour that had commanded himselfe to be beleeued vpon our selues of our selues to be beloued in him one of another There is neuer a threede in Papistrie but is stayned They haue neither perfect faith which they deuide betwene God his creatures nor true loue which wanteth the bonde of loue true faith nor due repentance haue they For al their repentāce standeth in whispering in a Priestes eare or absteyning from the moderate vse of certaine meates in which they put a satisfaction as if God were pleased sinne done away with the eating of fish and not of fleshe or the not vsage of other his creatures reuerently with thankes giuing 1. Tim 4.3 But in deed the sowre herbes wherwith we must eate his passeouer are a penitent hearte a broken and contrite spirite because foolish flesh laboureth and werieth it selfe in sinfull wayes and doeth eftsoones offende in thought worde deede against his diuine maiestie And this if we do crauing pardon for al our sinnes and misdoings no doubt hee will consider our sighes receiue our prayers forgiue our sinnes accept vs for iust accoūt vs for his own make vs meete partakers of his heauenly table Being thus prepared instructed in fayth Meditatiō enflamed in loue after a sort repaired by repētāce thou maist present thy self before the Lord. Wherin as the wisemā willeth in an other case meditate againe and againe what is set before thee Pro. 23.1 least thy table bee thy snare thy meate thy bane thine own knife cut thine own throte Bread which is the staffe of strēgth to man wil choke the Hawke The faithfull charitable and repentant soule partaketh saluation the vnworthie receiuer eateth drinketh his owne damnation euen as the Babylonian dragon brake asūder as soone as he receiued the balles that Daniel put into his mouth as that story reporteth Wherfore thou godly man child of God ponder with thy selfe enter into thy conscience let cōuenient thoughtes meditations occupy possesse thy inward partes And that thou mayest so do remēber what thou art a doing what worke thou hast in hande Doe this in remembrance of Christ Plutar. in vlta Numae Hoe Age. feede on him in thy soule with thanks set forth liuely his death with praise Pharaohs butler forgate Ioseph Gen. 40.23 the vnclean hog neuer loketh vp to him that beateth downe the maste from the tree Lift vp your heartes wee lift them vp vnto the Lord. They are the wordes of the church seruice godly wordes It is meete right so to doe and our bounden duetie that we should at al times recorde his goodnesse but especially at the time of this action to shewe foorth his death till his comming againe agnize our sinnes which being the cause of his dying plucked the sonne of God out from the bosome of the father to be crucified on earth of amōg and for sinfull men The maymes wee receiued in Adam remaine yet in vs are three Sinne Ignorance Weaknesse The remedies whereof we finde in Christ the Physition of our soules Medicus est minister naturae that which is wanting by nature is supplied by grace Christ is a Priest to cleanse our sinnes a Prophet to instruct our
conuenient preparatiō thereunto Chrisost in 1. Cor. hom 24. For if it were a princes sacred body or but purple garment onely the matter whereof is wormes thread colour no better then the dead fishe blood yet were it not rashly to be abused with vnwashed or vncleane handes How much the more reuerent then ought the receiuing of these holy mysteries of Christs body and blood to be of all them that know what it is to stand in awe that they offend not Wherfore let a man examine himselfe saith the Apostle 1. Cor. 11.28 so let him eat of this bread drinke of this cup. Euen so therfore if not so not at all Better to abstaine then to come together for the worse As the print in waxe is more fitly receiued and fully expressed when the waxe is wrought and warmed first so like wise the effect of this Sacrament is more liuely felt and seene when wee repayre thereunto with prepared mindes wel instructed and throughly examined In which examination two poyntes chiefely are obserued wherof the one cōcerneth faith the other loue Fayth to be setled in our heartes towardes God Loue to be she wed to our neighbor The latter procedeth out of the former and both from the spirit of God Faith receiueth increase by hearing and prayer Rom. 10.17 Luk. 17.5 Mark 9.24 O Lord increase our faith Loue and faith iointly are stirred vp and strengthened by repentance in the worthy repayring to receiuing at the Lordes table Wherupon ariseth these three as agents in this examination assured faith brotherly loue earnest repentance Faith directeth in knowledge Loue is occupied in thākfulnes to God and good doing toward men Repentance euer in eyther amendeth what is omitted or done amisse and craueth pardon with humble minde and ful purpose not to offend in the like againe All which dueties as I take may be rightly considered according to the times wherin eyther we are to receiue or presently receiue or haue receiued the Sacrament The first is called a Preparation vnto the Supper the second a meditation therein the third a christian conuersation that must ensue thereupon In preparing our selues is required Preparatiō that we knowe of whom what and in what order wee must receiue It seemeth to be recorded as a commēdation Of whom we receiue 1. Sam. 1.23 that Anna nursed her owne sonne in which respect among infinite others the loue of God exceedeth all loue Wherein as he spareth no cost so hee vndertaketh any care Plutar de institu lib. which nice and vnnatural mothers refuse to do putting forth their infantes to bee nursed abroade without neede or cause Our God doeth not so neyther needeth he so to doe Isai 49.15 his breasts are neither sore nor drye at any time Of his owne good will he begat vs againe in baptisme so will he stil feede and bring vs vp to a full age perfect grouth in Christ Sufficient or abundant prouision for the house himselfe in his wisedome hath prouided the holy spirite being steward of all and as it were distributer and caruer at the board What we receiue And to come to the seconde poynt what we receiue The meate of this table is the very death of Christ the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world The story and institution whereof is recorded by three Euangelistes Matt. 26.26 Mark 14.22 Luk. 22.19 and againe commented vpon by the holy ghost at large in the former Epistle of S. Paul to the Corinthians where the Apostle beginneth the matter with a faithful saying 1. Cor. 11.23 That which I haue receiued of the Lorde I haue deliuered you For otherwise if he came with offers of his own deuising himselfe raught the Galathians what his entertainement ought to be Gal. 1.8 Let him be accused though he were an Angell of God from heauen The Lord Iesus that night that he was betrayed tooke bread and when he had giuen thanks he brake and sayde Take eate this is my bodie which is broken for you this doe in remembrance of me In like maner the cup c. For as often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke this cup ye shewe the Lordes death till he come againe Wherein wee see euidently what Christ did also in duetie what we must do In the visible signes which he tooke of bread that he brake wine that he powred foorth and in deliuering thē both to be taken eaten and drunke he manifestly declared two things the one that he woulde immediately make an oblation for the redemption of mankinde vpon the altar of the crosse the other that for euer he woulde be the euerlasting foode of their soules his body to be the bread of life his precious blood to be their comfortable drinke the Physicke of immortalitie Ignat. epist ad Eph. and preseruatiue against all euill The sacrifice oblation he intēded is plaine by these words Which is broken Mat. 26.28 which is shed for many for remission of sinnes Euen is brokē and shed because the houre wherin he should be betrayed and suffer drewe nigh and was at hande That he would be their foode is proued cleerely in that hee commaūded to take eate this is my body Nowe by the way out of these two notes may be noted two forcible reasons against the sacrifice pretended in the masse They are lately delighted with motiues and demandes may I aske them this question Doe they thinke a sinfull priest can do more at his masse then the sōne of God did at his supper I hope they will not prefer a meere man before Christ God and man the Sauiour of the worlde And if so then may they see their priest can make no sacrifice for Christ himselfe when he sate at boorde with his disciples made none but declared what he meante to make For and if he had so done the Thursday at night what needed he thē to haue suffered the Fryday at noone againe he willeth vs to take and eate and feede on him He offreth himselfe to be receiued of vs not to be offered by vs to his Father That was his owne proper and personall duety But to leaue to speake hereof our dewtie is with thankfulnes to feede on the food he offreth vs euen to eate and drinke him to partake his blessed body and precious blood Wherein notwithstanding to mistake and mingle the signes and the things signified cōfusedly without differēce were as Aug. sayth De doct Chr. a miserable thraldome to the very soule of a Christian man Christes wordes be plaine He tooke bread after thankes giuen he breake gaue bread for what he toke he brake and what he brake he gaue and therefore he gaue bread For the Apostle saith he brake bread and that he calleth his body and so concerning the cuppe for after a sort to speake of one is to speake of both Marie tooke Christ to
him and hee in vs feede on him and he our spirituall foode And this is that which we receiue at his boarde I confesse our knowledge is in parte and therefore our speach is vnperfect Those harder partes of the Lambe that could not be eaten were consumed with fire euen so if there be any thing as I graunt to me there is which wordes cannot expresse a godly mans faith may better comprehend and in heart conceiue theÌ„ I vtter It is not bare bread a sip of wine as scorners speake that we receiue but truely in deed very Christ And wheras it is so let vs go on see how such a ghest ought to be entertained â—â—we â—â—rist â—â—ght to receiâ—â— Prepare the chamber of thy soule sweepe the house of thy coÌ„science yeeld vp the keyes of thy heart prostrate thy selfe in humilitie open wide the gates of faith that the king of glory may enter therein Berengariaâ— his recantation The aduersary whetteth his teeth openeth his mouth maketh ready his belly the he might chewe and swallow vp his maker Meate for the belly the belly for meate and the Lord shall destroy them both O my brethren who euer you are this heauenly foode is not Let vs eate and drinke 1. Cor. 6 1â— and to morrowe we shall dye Here is neither venison for Isahac nor a Kid for Tobi nor Quailes in the desert nor wine in boules nor wine in flagons Who euer eateth of this celestial Manna drinketh of this spiritual rocke which is Christ shal not only walke in the strength of it fourty dayes and fourty nights as the Prophet did but shal liue for euer with God Wherfore the wicked and vngodly Faith haue no part nor portion therein They eate the bread of the Lorde but not the Lorde the bread of life because they want the hand of fayth to receiue him He that eateth Christ shall liue by the meanes of Christ but the life of the wicked is no life in their death is eternal daÌ„nation The aduersaries care litle what Iewels they cast to swine what vncleane beastes they driue into the Lordes pastures howe fine manchet they throwe to very dogges There is no communicating of Christ but in the true communion of Christ One head is head but of one body and though it giueth some heate by meanes of the heart to a rotten member that is not yet cut off yet it giueth life only to the sound partes The chaffe and huske of corne receiueth a kind of humour but the fat and heart of the seede onely nourisheth the wheate and not the chaffe The bare name of Christianitie the barke and letter of the word the outward elemeÌ„ts of the Sacrament are after a sort in common to all but true Christianitie a good vnderstanding and the inward grace of these thinges are proper to the godly and to none other The humor that the wicked receiue froÌ„ the roote serueth to encrease a great deale more chaffe and the chaffe to nourish a bigger fire the is due for a greater quantitie thereof If it were otherwise howe easely might the Apostle be answered and howe soone put to silence when he asketh what part communion 2. Cor 6.19 meaning a good societie is there betweene the faithfull and the infidels Forsooth they haue a fellowship in the participation of Christ in the Sacrament No the spirit of God suffreth no replye The Communion in this supper is two folde In respect of the giuer and the duetie of the receiuers toward him alone and amongst themselues onely The gift of communicating him is offered by grace for who euer gaue him first that it may be giuen him againe Cyril lib. 4. cap. 17. in Iohn And he is receiued by faith send forth thy faith thou hast taken holde on him The communitie which is betwixt the receiuers themselues is by charitie loue Loue seeketh not his owne Loue. and that is loue in deede which is betwixt brethren then when a man loueth another August de temp ser 256. either because Christ is in him or to the ende Christ may be in him And this is a necessary poynt which must also be brought to the worthy receiuing of Christ Some are pale with fasting and blewe with enuie tame their body as it were a wilde horse and ride out of the way wheÌ„ they haue done When you come together there are dissentions among you sayth S. Paul to the Corinthians euery man maketh his supper before he come to the Lords Supper no man tarieth one for another Ye haue made a priuate matter of the publike liturgie church duetie What shall I say shall I praise you in this I praise you not And his not praysing theÌ„ was a marueilous disprayse The rich disdained the poore the poore enuied the rich the head would not direct the foote one member was at variance with an other and yet euery member hath an interest in the next so the last and euery one eche in another and altogether among them selues The candle must not hide it selfe vnder a bushel nor flash in another mans eies being proud that one hath lighted it and litle considering that it self might be burnt or put out and another lighted in his roome Vessels conteine water not for them selues but for others if they refuse their duetie though they are ful they may be emptied There is a more excellent way if men did walke therein and if euery maÌ„ woulde cary his brothers burden The elme vnderproppeth the vine the vine is without prickes and hurteth not but is an ornament to the elme The foot beareth the head and body the head guideth them both Shall an Hebrewe wound an Hebrewe Exod. 1.13 the fathers sonne his brother and the sonne of his mother the seruant his fellowe The worlde that is wtout hateth vs ynough though we that are within hate not our selues The God of loue enflame our coldenesse in charitie mollifie our hard and cruell hearts qualifie and soften all rough and vneuen wayes and dealing Why are we not brethren of the same parent of God in his Church subiectes of one King the Lorde and vnder one Queene a gracious Lady are we not couÌ„trymen and fellowes in one familie haue we not the same hope and spirite haue wee not the same enemies friendes faith and the foode of faith the word and Sacraments Cor. Tacit. in vita Iul. Agric. Cornelius Tacitus reporteth that the olde Britons were easely conquered because they vsed no coÌ„sultation nor common consent in matters The Madianites killeth one an other Iosias fought an vnnecessary battell dyed in the field It is good to be wise and patient wise and constant patient silent in trifles when a man shall but digge in the fire the sparkles flie in his face and no good done Otherwise if a venimous spider come in the way who will not set foot vpon it Yf