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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	heart_n	love_v	sin_n	9,337	5	4.8347	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02928	The vvay of lyfe A Christian, and catholique institution comprehending principal poincts of Christian religion, which are necessary to bee knowne of all men, to the atteyning of saluation. First delyuered, in the Danish language for the instruction of those people, by Doctor Nicolas Hemmingius, preacher of the Gospell, and professor of diuinitie, for the Kynge of Denmarcke, in his Uniuersitie of Hafnia: and about three yeares past, (for the commoditie of others) translated into Latine, by Andrew Seurinus Velleius: and now first, and newly Englished, for the commodity of English readers: by N. Denham, this yeare of our redemption. 1578.; Via vitae. English	Hemmingsen, Niels, 1513-1600.; Denham, Nicholas.	1578 (1578)	STC 13067; ESTC S103963	117,088	234

what is the difference to come betweene the condition of this life and of the life euerlasting In these words Christe sheweth three causes of the erronious Doctrine of the Saduces THE FIRST IS that they knew not the Scriptures which alone teacheth vs to try the trueth from falshod in all those matters which concerne the businesse of saluation Therefore Dauid faith Thy word is a lanterne vnto my feete THE SECOND CAVSE that they knewe not the vertue and power of God by the which he was able as easily to raise vp y e dead in the last day as it was not hard to him to create all things of nothing in the first day Therfore when we thinke vpon the resurrection of the dead reason is not to be admitted into counsail which is onely occupyed about these corporall things but we must looke back to the scripture and knowe that nothing is impossible before God the omnipotent creator of all things THE THIRD CAVSE of the error of the Saduces Christe assigneth to bee this that they did not consider the difference of the condition of man in this worlde and in the life eternall In this life there is neede of wedlock but in the life eternall they shal neither mary nor be maryed for they shalbe as the Angels of God in heauen And the loue of the other life doth by a thousand degrees excel the loue of this world yea that will darken this euen as the sunne rising in the morning taketh away the light from all the other starres and alone with his owne brightnesse lightneth the world THE THIRD EMBASSAGE was of the Iewes beeing made vnto Christe the very same day this is the same whereof the present text of the Gospell maketh mention VVhen the Pharises had heard that Iesus had in this wise stopped the mouthes of the Saduces they came vnto him and asked him which was the greatest comaundement in the Lawe That was doone of them not because they would learne but that they might haue some occation to destroy him For they thought thus with them selues because this fellowe bringeth in Baptisme and accuseth vs which liuing according to the Lawe doe boast our selues to be righteous by the woorks of the Lawe surely and without al doubt he contemneth the Law and doth far lesse esteeme it thē his Baptisme which if he doe there wil lye a iust action for vs against him as against one blasphemouse against God himself as one which hath the law of God in no estimation which the Lorde him selfe gaue vnto vs by his seruaunt Moses To these things Christ answereth saying the greatest and the first commaundement is Thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God with all thy heart with al thy soule and with all thy mynde And the seconde is like vnto this Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe In these two Commaundements hang all the Lawe and the Prophets Doubtlesse the Pharises looked not for such an answere to be giuen them therefore none of them could say any thing against him And so we see that neither wisdome nor prudence can preuaile against the Lorde which bringeth to naught the wisdome of the wise and confoundeth the vnderstanding of the prudent as it is in Esay Chap. 29. The seconde Doctrine TOVCHING THE LAVVE I will explicate these three things FIRST I wil speake in generall of the two cheefe Commaundements and heads of the Law that is to say Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy minde And Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe SECONDLY of the foure principall errours about the doctrine of the Lawe THIRDLY of the true vse of the Lawe ¶ Of the first THE Lawe in this place setteth beefore vs the two cheefest commaundements the first of the louing of God the other of louing our neighbour And in what manner God is to be loued it expoundeth saying Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule and with al thy minde In what manner also thy Neighbour is to bee loued it by and by addeth Thou shalt loue thy neighbour As thy selfe But what is it to loue God with all thy hart with all thy soule and with all thy minde This word of LOVE comprehēdeth three things Firste it comprehendeth a knowledge of the thing that is to be loued for of a thing vnknowen there is no desire Moreouer it comprehendeth all the affections and motions of the hart which do accompany pure loue Thirdly it comprehendeth all workes whiche are required to this loue Therefore the lawe of God ioyneth these three together when it saith Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy minde so that there be in the heart that is to say in the vnderstanding of man a cleere light and knowledge of GOD. Whome he assuredly perswadeth him selfe to bee the moste beste and moste excellente namely the Fountaine of all goodnesse Moreouer VVith all thy soule that is all the affections motions and desires of the heart shoulde tende to this end that thou maiest loue God cleaue vnto him place in him the soundnesse of thy loue whereby thou mayest keepe him moste sure in thy heart and for euer inioy him LASTLY thou shouldest loue him VVith all thy minde or with all thy strength so that thou shouldest conuert all thy cogitations indeuours and studies to set forwarde and defend whatsoeuer thinges doe appertaine vnto God and to fight against those thinges whiche are contrary vnto GOD namely by resisting the Deuill Sinne and all their troupe and garrison And so we see here in what manner the three cheefe naturall powers or abilities ingrafted into the soule of man namely REASON APPETITE and ANGER doe shewe foorth thier strengthes For REASON inquireth for the cheefest good that is to say GOD APPETITE desireth that same principall good and by loue ioyneth it selfe vnto it ANGER or Zeale is kindled to vpholde and defende that principallest good GOD and enemy like fighteth against the Deuill sinne and the occasions thereof and all other things what soeuer are contrary vnto God MOREOVER when thou hearest that thou art commaunded to loue God with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy minde heere thou must consider that God doth require a loue PVRE and PERFECT ETERNALL and SPIRITVALL so that thy loue should bee pure without spotte perfecte with out all faulte eternall without all intermission and spirituall without all affection and leuen of fleshly concupiscence THE OTHER great Commaundement is this Thou shalt loue thy Neighbour as thy selfe Heere God appointeth the rule of the loue of our neighbour to bee the loue of our owne selfe But that this may be the rightlyer vnderstanded two thinges doe come to bee considered FIRST we must discerne betweene two manners after which man loueth himselfe for of these two the one is dampnable and vnlawfull the

other is accompted good and lawfull Furthermore wee must discerne also betweene the person of man and that corruption whiche sticketh in man Man is sometime affected towardes him selfe with a blinde vnwise and hurtfull loue springing from the corrupte and depraued nature that is to say from the fountaine of sinne which by our sinne of heritage dwelleth in vs. This loue shall not be the rule of the loue of thy neighbour for to loue him after this maner were plainly before God to hate thy neighbour There is besides this a nother manner of louing him selfe and the same is lawfull and graunted whiche springeth from the holie Ghoste and faith in IESVS CHRISTE when a man directeth all his counsailes to that end that he may doe those things which are acceptable vnto God and healthsome to himselfe This loue beeing lawfull and lawdable shalbe the rule of the loue wherewith we should loue our neighbour so that from the very heart we should reioyce with him ouer all those things which may redounde to his profit and saluation by godly desires wishing him all goodnesse and by faithfull counsailes labour goods and prayers setting him forwarde and on the other parte by turning away studiously with all the minde and heart what soeuer either to his life or soule or to be short either to his goods or fame may be hurtful In another place our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christe setteth beefore vs his owne example in place of a rule to be followed Loue ye saith he one another euen as I haue loued you And therfore Christ calleth this A newe Commaundement Whereby he would teach vs that we should helpe our neighbour if necessitie require euen with the peril of our life not hauing so great regarde of our owne commodities as of the health profit of our neighbour In what manner Christe hath loued vs Paule sheweth in the 5. Chap. to the Romaines as heereafter in the thirde Doctrine shalbe saide more at large The second thing which I gaue warning of to be considered in this chiefe commaundement of the loue of our neighbour is The difference betweene the person of the man and that corruption which cleaueth vnto him The corrupt and wicked man as much as appertaineth to his corruption and wickednesse it selfe it is lawfull to hate but as much as appertayneth to the person as farre foorth as it is man partaker of humane nature with vs the same is to be loued so that what we hate in him namely sinne and corruption it selfe that wee should reprehende and againe we should loue in him that whiche deserueth loue that is y t beeing man he might be conserued as Augustine teacheth Let these things suffise touching the first member which I admonish in the beginning to be obserued concerning the law Of the second ANother thinge which I propounded was touching the errours which false teachers sowe abrode aboute the doctrine of the lawe Of these there be foure sortes In the first order are they whiche flatly reiect the lawe and vtterly deny it to be taught in Christian Churches In the seconde are they which in deede retaine the Lawe but they teache that man is able through his owne power to satisfye the law Next vnto these are they which affirme that man is not able to fulfill the whole lawe but yet some parte thereof They occupy the fourth rome which say that euery religion hath her law which is sufficient to saluation to him that fulfilleth it Theese foure errours through their poysoned contagion are very mischieuous neither are they staied vpon any other foundation then vpon the deceiptes and lyinge subtilties of the Diuell which stirreth vp men to seduce one another from the puritye of the true Doctrine of the Lawe and the Gospell I will therfore refute these erroures one by one in the same order as they were beefore of mee rehearsed THE ANTINOMIANS which flatlye reiecte the Lawe and denye it to bee taught in the congregations of Christians are scant worthy that their opinion should bee refuted with many wordes as agaynst whom not only true reason of man but also CHRIST himselfe and his Apostles and as many as haue beene faythfull teachers in the Church of Christ doe resist The Argumentes wherwith they vphold their opinion are these Christians say they haue nothing to do with Argument 1 Moses Therfore neither are they subiect to his Lawe Argument 2 Item Christians are made free by Christe Therfore Christe commaunded the Gospell to bee preached to all creatures of preachinge the lawe hee commaunded nothing at all Lastly The holy Ghoste say they is the teacher of Christians what vse then shall there bee of the law amongest them With these and other like reasons they suppose themselues to proue that the Law is neither to bee reteyned nor taught in the congregation of Christians But a man may first demaund of these men Doth it beecome Christians to loue GOD and their neighbour I beleeue there is none so possessed of the Diuell that hee dare denye this Seeinge then that Christians must loue GOD and their Neighbour why shall it not bee also lawfull for them to knowe in what sorte they ought to perfourme the same For what thing shall the woorke of loue bee vnlesse it bee directed by some certayne manner But forasmuch as the Lawe of God that is to say the tenne Commaundements doth teach vs both namely that wee should loue GOD and our Neighbour and also in what manner the same should bee doone of vs what is hee that seeth not these men manifestlye to erre which would abolishe the Lawe of God and forbidde that it should not sounde in the Christian congregations 1. Where as they obiect and say Christians haue nothing to doo with Moses that is true as farre as apperteyneth to the ceremoni●all and forensicall lawes of Moses the sacrifices Circumcision and such like outward ceremonies which ought to endure vntill the comminge of Christe onely and afterwarde to cease but it is not true as touchinge the lawe of GOD that is to say the Decalogus which was giuen vnto man in his first creation and afterwarde repeated and written in two tables of Stone that the remembraunce therof might bee perpetuall I will ceasse heere to speake howe that Christe him selfe bothe taught the lawe and expounded it at large as did also the holy Prophets and their successors 2 But that which the Antinomians affirme in the second place Christians not to bee vnder the lawe but vnder Grace I graunt this also so that it be rightly vnderstoode as Saint Paule himselfe expoundeth it Christians are not vnder the Lawe that is to say they which beleeue in IESVS CHRIST are not vnder the condemnatory sentence of the law because there is no condemnation to them which are ingraffed into Iesus Christ Rom. 8. But the Christian hath neede of the Doctrine of the lawe whiche must bee the rule of his life shewing him what doth please God and what is

diuine nature of our Sauiour is prooued The first of which testimonies is taken of the manifest worde of God in which he is called GOD. The second is taken of his diuine woorkes The third of the worship which is deseruedly giuen vnto him by all creatures The fourth of the vnited consente and experience of the whole Church of Christe FIRST by the manifest testimonies of holie Scripture it is prooued that our Mediatour and Sauiour is true eternall and omnipotent GOD. Esaie 54. The Lord of hostes is his name and thy redeemer the holie one of Israel shalbe called GOD of all the earth Iere. 23. This is the name whiche they shall call him IEHOVAH our righteousnesse Psal 6.8 IEHOVAH is his name reioyce ye before him Iohn 1. In the beginning was the VVORDE and the worde was with GOD and GOD VVAS THE VVORDE Heere he calleth Christe the worde of God because the worde of God doth sounde of him Rom. 9. Of whome according to the fleshe Christe came which is abooue all GOD blessed for euer 1. Iohn 5. And wee are in the trueth in his sonne the same is very GOD and life eternall It is to be noted that as often as Christe is called the onely begotten Sonne of GOD so often he is prooued to bee very God together with the father and the holie Ghoste beeing three persons in one diuine essence euen as all Christians according to the diuine manifestation doe confesse one God and three persons of the Godhead THE SECOND kinde of testimonies wherby the deuine nature of our sauiour is proued is taken of his diuine works For these are the works of God alone viz. to create to quicken the creature to conteine all thinges vnder the hand of his power by his owne power to raise the dead againe to see y e hearts of men to heare the inward mournings and desires of the heart of man to be present euery where and to be at one and the same time in the hearts of all Christians These diuine woorkes and properties are in the holie Scriptures attributed to Iesu Christe wherefore it is heereof rightly concluded that he is true and essentiall God This argument is of force by this rule VVhen soeuer any thing is truely affirmed of some thing and artributed vnto it which appertaineth to our nature only then of necessitie the same nature must bee also attributed vnto that same thing THE THIRD kinde of testimonies wherby the diuine nature of the Messias is proued is required of the honor and worship which is giuen and ascrybed to him in the holie scripture God saith in the Prophet My Glorie that is to say my diuine honor and worship which is dewe to me alone I will giue to none other I onely am that fountaine from whence all good things doe flowe I onely am hee whiche wipe out your iniquities I onely doe iustifie and sanctifie the people I onely am the Sauiour in me alone all people should beleeue and call vpon me alone Let all creatures Heauen and earth Angels and men honour me alone yea and whosoeuer are in Hell let them bowe their knees vnto mee Such honour and worship which is dewe vnto GOD alone is in the Scriptures attributed to our Lorde Iesu Christe 1. Corinth 1. Christe is made vnto vs of GOD VVISDOME RIGHTEOVSNESSE SANCTIFICATION and REDEMPTION that hee whiche reioyceth shoulde reioyce in the Lorde that is to saye in Iesu Christe Hebru 1. And let all the Angels of God worship him that is to say Iesus Christe Stephen Actes 7. sayeth Lorde Iesu receiue my spirite 2. Thessalonians 2. Our Lorde Iesus Christe and GOD and our Father whiche hath loued vs and giuen vs eternall consolation and good hope comforte your hearts in grace and strengthen you in all good saying and doing Paule likewise in all his Epistles wisheth to them to whome he writeth Grace from our Lord Iesu Christe 2. Cor. 13. He saith The Grace of our Lorde Iesu Christe and the loue of GOD and the felowship of the holie Ghoste bee with you all THE FOVRTH KINDE of testimonyes whereby Christe our Lorde is prooued verye GOD is the vnited consente of the Christian congregation and the sure experience in the harts of all those which with a true and liuely faith doe imbrace Christe our Lord and Sauiour Athanasius in his Simbole speaketh on this manner This is the Catholike faith that we worship one GOD in trinitie and trinitie in vnitie Neither confounding the persons nor deuiding the substance For there is one person of the Father and another of the Sonne and another of the holie Ghoste But the Godhead of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holie Ghoste is one the glory equall the maiestie coeternall Such as the Father is such is the Sonne and such is the holie Ghoste The Father vncreate the Sonne vncreate and the holie Ghoste vncreate The Father incomprehensible the Sonne incomprehensible and the holie Ghost incomprehensible The Father eternall the Sonne eternall and the holie Ghoste eternall And yet they are not three eternals but one eternall As also there be not three vncreated nor three incomprehensible but one vncreated and one incomprehensible Likewise the father is almightie the Sonne almightie and the holie Ghoste almightie And yet they are not three almighties but one almightie So the father is God the Sonne God and the holie Ghost God And yet not three Gods but one God So the Father is Lord the Sonne is Lord and the holie ghoste is Lorde And yet not three Lords but one Lorde For like as wee are compelled by the Christian veritie to acknowledge euery person by himselfe to be God and Lorde So are we forbidden by the Catholike Religion to say there be three Gods or three Lordes The Father is made of none neither created nor begotten The Sonne is of rhe Father alone neither made nor created but begotten The holie Ghoste is of the Father and of the Sonne neither made nor created nor begotten but proceeding Therefore there is one Father not three Fathers one Sonne not three Sonnes one holie Ghoste not three holie Ghostes And in this Trinitie none is afore or after other none is greater or lesse then other But the whole three persons are coeternall together and coequall Agreeable to this in all poyntes is the confession of the vniuersall Church set foorth in the Nicene Creede I beleeue in one GOD the father almightie maker of Heauen and Earth and of all thinges visible and inuisible And in one Lorde IESVS CHRISTE the onely begotten Sonne of God begotten of the father before all worlds GOD of GOD Light of Light very God of very God begotten not made beeing of one substance with the father by whome all things were made c. That addition to the Himpnes now vsed many yeeres in the church of Christe Glory bee to the father and to the Sonne and to the holie Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and euer

congregatiō felowship of the Christians to heare the word of God and to cal vpon him openly to professe thy faith vse the sacraments In like maner with thy counsail substance and diligēce to set forwarde the glory of GOD in such sorte that thou maist be knowne to bee earnestly affected in the businesse cause of God This is that which Dauid saith Psal 122. I was glad when they said vnto me we will go into the house of the Lorde Item Because of the house of the Lorde our GOD I will seeke to doe thee good In which wordes Dauid sheweth that hee bent himselfe wholy vnto this thing that his subiectes might vnderstand that he went about this thing with greatest indeuor that he might shew himself to be a minister of God in the publique congregation of the godly Which example of Dauid it becōmeth Kings princes magistrats subiects to imitate that by this meanes they might declare their faith and pietie towardes God The seconde is The innocencie of the priuate life so that euery one of vs euen when he is alone doe thinke himselfe to be conuersaunte in the sight of God and therefore to abstayne from all wantonnesse and iniquitie Hereof it is that God sayd to Abraham VValke before mee For God doth not onely see those thinges which are set foorth to the sunne light but hee also looketh into the inwarde cogitations of the hearte The third is Iustice and Loue to be exercised indifferently towardes all men So that euery man doe with a good conscience the dutie of his vocation that the inferiours to their magistrate and to others placed in authoritie doe yeelde due reuerence and obedience againe the superiours and potentates doe with counsaile and diligence assist their equals and with a fatherly care and discipline defend their subiects and moreouer as much as in them is comforte the afflicted and releeue with their plentie the poores necessitie yea doubtlesse they should esteeme al men to be members with them in our Lord Iesu Christe And therefore let them be of this minde towardes others that whatsoeuer they would to be doone to them selues the same they should do to them and neuer wittingly and willingly by any meanes through iniury and iniustice oppresse others Breefely that thou doe liue in such wise among men that thou maist haue among all men an honest testimonie of the fayth and life of a Christian The fourth is Diligence in eche mans vocacation whether it bee in the Church or in the householde or in the common wealth or in what soeuer kinde of office which beeing with fedelitie and honestie performed doth serue to the commoditie of the weale publique and common societie In this behalfe the rule of Paule Rom. 12 is to be followed by whiche he commaundeth euery man to shewe in his office faithfulnesse and diligence And that no man should forsake his lawfull vocation bothe Paule and Iohn Baptist doe giue counsaile the Commandement of Paule is this Let euery man abide in that vocation to the which he is called Iohn counsayleth that euery one bee iust in his calling When the Romane souldiers flocked together vnto him that they might be baptized of him and demaunded what they should doe he had them not forsake their offices of warfare or withdrawe themselues into the wildernesse or to put a Coule vpon them the common couering of slouthfull vnthrifts but he answered vnto them Hurte not nor quarell with no man and be content with your wages Beholde here what fruites of faith among men Iohn requireth of the Souldiers Let euery Christian set before himselfe this example euery one in his kinde of life neither let them vniustly oppresse any man but rather bestow their diligence to doe iustly the works of their vocation which may be accomplyshed with the commoditie and and vtilitie of others I wil therfore collect fiue things as it were poynts to the whiche euery one ought to haue respect in his vocation that he wander not out of the way FIRST Let the vocation be grounded vpon the worde of GOD according vnto this rule Euery office promoting the glory of GOD and making to the vpholding beautifiyng of the states ordayned by God as the politicall oeconomicall and Ecclesiastical states is commaunded by the first and fourth Commaundements Secondly Fayth and Charitie are the rules of all actions in eche vocation Thirdly If any aduersitie chaunce we must looke back to the word of God where vpon the vocation is founded and from thence consolation is to be required Fourthly let the vocation be alwayes referred to the glorye of God and the profit of the common wealth wherein eche man liueth Fiftly God is to be continually called vpon for whether the vocation be more honorable or more profitable without the ayde of God nothing can be either hapily begun or brought to perfection All these things Dauid in the 37. Psal comprehendeth in these wordes Hope thou in the Lorde and be doing good dwell in the land and verely thou shalt be fedde The thirde instrument or meane whereby Christe applyeth his benefits vnto vs are the Sacraments and seales of his grace and will But before that I come to y e handling of the sacraments of the new Testament I will weigh two things moste necessary to be knowne The first is What the custome of God hath beene in opening his will vnto men The other Why God hath giuen to the signes and sacraments instituted by him their names First therfore it is to be knowne that God from the beginning of the worlde hath accostomed to make open his wil vnto men by two meanes namely By manifest VVord and By outward Signe that by this meanes he might assist the saluation of man When God had created Adam and placed him in Paradise he opened his will vnto him by expresse worde to the which he added a double signe namely the tree of life the tree of knowledge of good and euil so that if he did obay the worde he should not waxe olde but should eate of the tree of life liue blessed for euer but if he did transgresse the cōmandement of God eate of the forbidden tre of knowledge he should die To Abraham likewise he proponed his worde wherunto he adioyned the externall signe of circumcisiō which he called his couenant Furthermore he promised vnto Moses y t he would bring his people out of the seruitude of Egypt into the land of promise to this his promise he added a signe namely the paschall Lamb. Afterwarde God promised y t he would giue vnto his people the lande of Canaan to possesse as long as they shuld obey him kepe his testament his couenant to this his word he also added an outward signe namely y e blood of the red Cow wherwith the Priest sprinkled the people and many other signes which he named by y e name of couenant Altogether after the same manner Christ in

regenerated so wee beeing cleansed and regenerated are spiritually fed and nourished by the benefite of the body and blood of Christ rightly vsing the Supper of the Lord according to his owne institution Fourthly the Supper of the Lord is a testimonie of the new Testamente that is to say of A NEVV COVENANT betweene God and man touching remission of sinnes wherby God testifyeth that hee will receiue into fauour and forgiue sinners for the merite of the death passion of Christ to All which beleeue in HIM Therfore he himselfe sayth This Cup is the new Testament in my blood that is This Cuppe is a firme and vnmoueable seale of the moste ample promise of god cōcerning y e forgiuenes of sinnes Whosoeuer therefore with a true and liuely faith vseth this Sacrament receiueth the testimonie of God himselfe whereby he testifyeth that he hath deliuered his sonne shedding his blood vpon the Altar of the Crosse for the remission of sinnes that through him as many as beleeue in him may obtaine saluation Fiftly The Supper of the Lord admonisheth vs of the secret and spirituall communion whereby we whiche doe partake this Sacrament together are vnited as it were into one body Of which thing Paule saith Because wee beeing many are one bread and ONE BODY inasmuch as we are all partakers of one breade This knitting of the Christians into one body dependeth heereon that we all as it is already said are vnited to the body of Christe by the partaking of his body and blood Sixtly The Supper of the Lord requireth mutuall loue betweene the Communicantes whereby the misticall members of the same body as we haue said shoulde with heart word and worke performe duetyes one towardes the other This Loue of Christian people which from the head CHRISTE floweth into the rest of the members that is to say the Citizens of his Church doth not take away the degrees of persons but rather confirmeth the diuersities of callings in the Congregation of all whiche there is one marke namely The Glory of God and the commoditie of thy neighbour Whosoeuer feeleth not in his heart the sparckle of this mutiall dilection and without a purpose of well dooing to his member that is to say to his neighbour commeth to the Supper of the Lorde it were better for him to abstaine vtterly from the Sacrament For who would not affirme that manne to bee mad and out of his minde whiche would set his owne members at strife one with another amongest themselues so that the handes might plucke out the eyes or cut of the feete I woulde to GOD that Christians could after the same manner marke their owne madnesse whiche they doe manifestly betray and showe forth whilste through mutuall hatreds and contentions of minde they set themselues one against another Seuenthly The Supper of the Lord is a pledge and signification of our resurrection life and eternall saluation and that by the power of Christe risen againe from the dead For whatsoeuer hath beene hetherto spoken of the Supper of the Lord are al to be referred to this principall end that they may bee vnto vs in steade of a pledge sealing of life euerlasting through Christe whose members we are made And so that is fulfilled which Christ saith He which eateth my flesh and drincketh my blood hath eternall life and I will rayse him vp in the last day By these Articles which we haue brought abroade out of the holy Scripture to the declaring of this doctrine of the supper of the Lorde euery man may easily vnderstand how needeful it is with a hygh godlynesse of minde and reuerence to approch to this supper to proue him selfe before he eate of this bread or drinke of the Cup of the Lorde For as Paule saith He which eateth and drincketh vnworthyly eateth and drincketh his owne damnation because he discerneth not the Lords body Christ affirmeth the same thing of the Gospell Hee which beleeueth not sayth he shalbe condemned And Augustine sayth of Baptisme Euen as he whiche vnworthyly eateth the body of the Lorde and drinketh his blood eateth and drincketh his omne damnation so he which receiueth Baptisme vnwoorthily which thing many Iewes doe at this day receiueth to himself damnatiō not saluation Furthermore Least any man shoulde communicate the Supper of the Lord vnworthyly let him followe the counsayle of Paule 1. Corinth 11. Let a man proue himselfe and so let him eate of that Bread and drinke of that Cuppe for he which eateth and drinketh vnworthyly eateth and drinketh damnation to himself not descerning the Lords body that is to say hee calleth vnto himselfe the punishment and Iudgement of GOD. What therefore is the true manner of prouing himselfe The same Paule prescrybeth 2. Cor. 13. when he saith Try your selues whether ye be in faith or no proue your owne selues Knowe yee not your selues that Iesus Christe is in you Heereby it appeareth that the true tryall of proouing consisteth in this that a liuely faith bee truely felt and the presence of Christe in vs by the vertue of his spirit stirring vs vp to the study of godlynesse Breifely he is truely prooued which reuerently in the feare of GOD in true repentance in true confidence and with an holy purpose commeth to this Supper And contrarywise he which is without the true feare of God and earnest repentance and wanteth liuely fayth and an holy purpose the same eateth and drinketh iudgement to himselfe bothe temporall and eternall vnlesse he be againe by faith in Iesus Christe conuerted And I nothing doubt but the greatest parte of moste heauy calamities euery where reigning in many places is therefore sente because they bee so common which participate the supper of the Lord without true and earnest repentance Paule writeth that the Corinthyans were plagued because they touched vnreuerently the holy Supper For this cause sayth he many are feeble and weake among you and many are fallen a sleep For if wee had iudged our selues wee should not haue beene iudged but when we are iudged of the Lorde we are instructed that we should not bee damned with the worlde I would to God that many at this day would not builde vpon a feeble foundation and be much deceiued with their owne opinion which then suppose themselues to come woorthyly to the Supper of Christ when they haue confessed their sinnes before the preist and obtayned absolution of him He which beleeueth him God absolueth for the death and passion of Iesus Christe For he which beleeueth saith Iohn hath eternall life If therefore the beleeuer hath eternall life hee is also without all doubt absolued from all his sinnes For Absolution is no other thing than a deliuerance from sin which is in the power of GOD alone Therefore the Ministers of the woord cannot absolue him which is without the feare of God a liuely faith and a purpose of good liuing from the least offence And he which is such