also very great grosse sins and that oftentimes haue ouertaken yet doe the better sort of men they themselues holde veniall sins not to be sins simplie but improperlie Wherupon it should follow by their construction that Iames should speake but in this sense in many thinges we sinne all not simplie but improperlie And counting such a number of sins veniall as they do I wonder they are not ashamed yet to bolde that they are not contrary to the law but besiâ—s it For what perfectioÌ„ were there in the rule of righteousnesse prescribed therein if it left such a number of sins vncheckt and incountred That they all should be but at the omitting of a letter in writing of much or as some others haue said but as a few small motes in a faire garment and therfore to be pardoned either for their own littlenes or to be wiped clean away by such trifling means as they to that end say wil serue it is strange that any that haue any knowledge of God or his iustice or of his written word should either so say or thinke For who knowes not that God requires the whole heart soule of man and that al the faculties and powers both of body and soule shoulde whollie serue him and that as hee himselfe is puritie it selfe so his iustice is so infinite pure that it can abide nothing that hath anye imputitie in it And who can read Christes exposition but of these two commaundementes thou shalt not kill thou shalt not commit adultery and of that parte of the third thou shalt not forsweare thyself Mat. 5.12 c. but he shall euen therby plainely perceiue that Christ there hath taught vs that a number of those which they count their veniall sinnes are grieuous sins before God directly forbidden in his law and such as if the Lord should but enter into iudgement with vs for we were neuer able to abide it For there to be angry vnaduisedly to say to another â—aca to call one foole to looke on a woman to lust after her to sweare vainely at all by the smallest thing that is are there expresselye forbidden by Christ as contrary to these lawes and as sinners euerie one of them worthy of grieuous and heauy punishmeÌ„t And yet many of these if not all they must needes confesse be such as they count but veniall smnes Let not any man therefore liften vnto these men thus seeking to extenuate the vilenes and heauines of any sin how small soeuer but rather let euery one learne of Christ to account the smalest sin that he falleth into in thought word or countenaunce damnable inough of it own nature if God lay it to the charge of the committer thereof That concupiscence or the first motions to sinne arising in our minde are not sinne may I woulde thinke appeare sufficiently to be false in that Paule so complaineth thereof as he doth and woulde so saine be rid of it as we reade Romans 7.7.17.24 and that expresly it is forbid in the last commaundementâ— thou shalt not lust after or desior any thinge that is thy neighbours Which to be so by this it is enident that by Christes owne oxposition as we haue heard lust confented vnto but secretly in thought is condemned and forbid in the former commandementes For there is no probabilitie that the Lorde of purpose setting downe the summe of his law so breeflie as he doth in these 10 commaundementes of his and distinguishing it into 10. expresly as he doth Deut 4.10 that either he would forbid one thing often or confounde one commaundement and the matter thereof with an oother which of necessitie must be granted yet to be so vnlesse for the distinction of this last commandement from the former we say that therein bare and naked vnlawfullust or concupiscence though not consented vnto is expresly condemned and in the other the same yealded and consented vnto And thus it seemeth Paule tooke it and vnderstood it in sayinge he had not knowne lust meaning that it is sinne but that the law saith thou shalt not lust Romains 7.7 and there vpon doubtlesse he is driuen to acknowledge as he doth there the lawe to be spirituall and himselfe vnable to answere in his flesh the perfection thereof And God requiring as I said before and as we are taught by the summe an abridgement of the law often repeated in the scriptures that we shoulde loue him with our whole heart and our neighbour as our selfe howe can our heartes be wholie his when there are but these first filthie motions to sinne neuer so little a while flying vp and downe there Wherefore if sinne be as Iohn hath defined it the transgression of the law 3.4 and hereby the verie life of the lawe and the substance thereof be broken as doubtlesse it is howe can it be but that bare lust and the first euill motions to sinne though by and by resisted are sinne and that simplie and properlie Nowe as for the last fillie shiftes of Bellermine to say that the law was not giuen to the sence but to the minde and therfore that Paule obeying the lawe in his mind was no breaker thereof though he found that in his members which led him to the contrarie what is it else but to say so we serue God in our minde it makes no matter howe we behaue our selues in our bodies or flesh as though the same God that created the soule created not the bodie also and therefore required not as well that the one parte of man as the other though first he would haue the soule shoulde serue him Who therefore of any wisedom or learning would haue thought that such a beggerly and fond answere as this would haue serued to haue clean dasht answered such an inuincible argument as he takes vpon him to answere herewith And as for his other 2. they are verie ridiculous For what is it to proue that the keeping of the lawe is possible to the regenerate to say that if thay fall into any mortall sinne repenting therof and hauing the same forgiuen then they are counted still as keepers therof For this is not by their meritte and perfect keeping of the law but by the grace of the gospel which offereth pardon to these that repent though they haue trasgressed the lawe And as forthe last which as his answere to Augustines place 1. retract Cap. 19. that thereby indeed is confessed a want of perfection in mans keeping of the lawe and not a transgression of any commandement how can it stand seeing as it is cleare in deed in Augustine and he himselfe is therefore enforced to confesse it that his answere is there that the perfection required by the lawe cannot be found in man in this life otherwise then whiles all thinges therein commaunded are accounted as doone when whatsoeuer is not done is pardoned And as in deed in other poore lahours of mine already in print I haue shewed the ancient fathers are most
when the one is onely named to vnderstand the other also Nowe for as much as the meate and drinke talked of in any of these places to satisfie the hungrie and thirsty is neither earthly nor such as we vse to take in by the mouth and other instrumentes of the bodie but altogither heauenly and such as must be eaten drunken by the mouth of our soules therefore we may be sure that herein there is a metaphor vsed and that in this phrase and speech by a similitude betwixt the hunger and thirst of the bodie and the affections of the soule by those termes the Lord meaneth the like passions and affections of the soule afore towards the meare and drinke prepared therefore as is founde in the bodie after meate and drinke meeâ—e and fit for it What it is to thirst Seeing then that the ground and foundation of such metaphors is alwaies the analogie and resemblance betwixt the metaphoricall wordes and the thinges for the expressing whereof they are vsed we shal the better vnderstande what is ment heereby by the hunger and thirst of the soule if we doe but consider that bodily hunger is an earnest longing after meat for the body proceeding from a sensible feeling of emptines and want thereof and that bodily thirst is an earnest longing after moysture to remooue the heate and drinesse that for lacke therof troubleth the bodye for what is this spirituall hunger and thirst else but an earnest longing for saluation onely in Christ Iesus proceeding from an effectuall feeling of nothing but damnation to be due vnto vs in respecte of our selues And therefore the soule that is inwardlie tormented vexed troubled and disquieted with a due sighte and feeling of the owne emptinesse to iustifie or saue it selfe yea that naturallie findeth it selfe promised with nothing else but with the scorching heate of sinne and drought of all goodnesse doubtlesse will so hunger and thirst that is so earnestly and vnfamedly long and desire to be deliuered from this state and condition that in trueth without all hypocrisie it will be readie to say with Daeuid that as the Hart brareth after the riuers of matters so it doth after the liuing God Psal 42. verse 1. 2. But to put it out of all doubt that here by the hungrie and thirstie are ment onely such compare here with the very like speech of Christ Math. 11. vers 28. where he said Come vnto me all ye that are wearie and laden and I will case you For euen there as heere he first describeth them to whom he spake secondly he telleth them what he would haue them to doe and lastly hee giueth them a sweete promise which they should enioy if they would so doe So that though there be some difference betwixt the wordes of Christ there and heere in sound yet little or none is there in sense wherefore in steede of the hungry and thirstie here in this place he there placeth the wearie and laden whereby he vnderstandeth them that being heauy laden with sin as we are all are growne also to be wearie thereof which no man may or can thinke himselfe to be as long as he continueth securely in going on in sinne so adding sin to sin For he that is weary of his burthen hath a desire to be eased therof and in the meane time vntill he can get quite to be discharged of it he himselfe rather daily seeketh to lessen it then to increase it The broken and contrite heart therefore vnder the burthen of sinne and that groneth and is inwardly disquieted in his verie soule with the feeling and smarte thereof is the man that will hunger and thirst after Christ that so in him and by him he may be eased and deliuered and theresore such are the onely men to whom Christ heere speaketh At this pointe was Dauid Psalm 6. when he wrote vers 2. 3. Haue mercie vpon me O Lord for I am weake O Lord heale me for my bones are vexed and my soule is also soretroubled c. But being againe in the same case as it appeareth Psa 51. he comforteth himself with this ver 17 That the sacrifices of God were a contritespirit and that a contrite spirit and broken hart he would not despise And good reason hath euerie man to be of his mind For Esay 61 1.2.3 for so Christ himselfe hath taught vs to apply it it is said of Christ that the spiritte of the Lorde was vppon him and that therefore he had annointed him and sent him to preach good tidinges vnto the poore to binde vppe the broken hearted to preach libertie to the captiues and to them that are bounde the openinge of the prison c. And therefore after in the person of GOD saith the prophet to him will I looke euen to him that is poore and of a contrite spiritte and trembleth at my wordes wherefore heare the worde of the Lorde yee that tremble at his wordes Esay 66. verse 6. and euen to this Christ had an eye Matth. 5.3.4.5 saying Blessed are the poore in spiritte for theirs is the kingdome of heauen Blessed are they that mourne for they shal be comforted Blessed are the meeke for they shall inherite the earth c. And hence came it that the proude pharisie puft vppe with a conceite of his owne righteousnesse wente home vniustified and the poore publican throwne downe and humbled before GOD in the sight of his owne sinnes and therefore crying Lorde be mercifull vnto me a sinner wente home more iustified Luke 18.9 c. for as Christ said Mat. 9.12.13 so it is most true the whole neede not the phisition but they that are sicke and he came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance And alwaies it hath beene the Lordes fashion to resist the proud and to giue grace vnto the humble 1. Pet. 5.5 And therefore the blessed virgin obserueth that in her song that as he scattered the proude in the imagination of their heartes and put the mightie downe from their seates and sendeth away the rich emptie so he exalteth them of lowe degree and filleth the hungrie with good thinges Luke 151. c. This was the verie reason why Christ was so curteous to publicans and sinners Matth. 9.10 and so bitter to the scribes and pharisies as he was Matth. 23. vers 11. c. And this made him say to the chiefe priestes and elders of the Iewes verilie verilie the publicans and harlotes goe before you into the kingdome of God Matth. 21.31.13 And hereunto I take it he had an eye when he said the kingdome of heauen suffereth violence and the violent take it by force For whereas they that are not broken and contrite hearted for their sinnes but eyther liue in them in securitie or are puft vp with a swelling conceite of their owne merittes make no haste to Christ they that are throughlie and duely humbled in and vnder their sins are glad to heare of him and to
what he can to keepe vs from this hunger and thirst proceeding from a deepe and due feeling of our sinnes and the grieuousnesse thereof that so eyther lothing this heauenly foode or not sufficiently finding our neede and want thereof through our owne fault we may be neuer the better for it And the meanes whereby he most preuaileth heerein be ignorance security and errour By ignorance hee preuaileth with all those be they Iewes Turkes Papistes or whatsoeuer whom by any cunning he can keepe in ignorance eyther of the lawe person or office of Christ of which sort wonderfull manie be By securitie he preuaileth not onely also with the former but likewise shamfully with the carnall gospellers beguiling their heartes being as yet indeed for all their faire outward shewe in words quite voyde of al true loue and delight either in the law or gospell through the deceitfulnes of sinne and by teaching of them to turne the grace of God into wantonnes and most lewdly to abuse the mercies of God in Christ by presuming therby to haue their sinnes forgiuen them when and howe they liste though they as longe as they list continue therein By errour also he preuaileth mightilie with verie many and nowe a daies wonderfully amongst the papistes For as though directly they had conspired with fathan to keepe men from euerhauing that hunger and thirst after Christ that I haue proued to be most necessary notwithstanding the great light that shineth in the world and discouereth and detecteth their dealing herin to be too too bad they haue set abroach and defend a number of opinions which can lead to no better or other end but toblunt and to dull the edge very greatly at the least of alsuch hungring and thirsting after Christ For to what other or better end serueth either their refusing to ioyne with vs or their teaching as they doe in the doctrines of original sinne and mans free will in things spirituall and good with vs they will not holde that originall sinne is such an vniuersall inbred and inborne corruption and priuitie in man where by not onely it is euident that Adams sin is imputed vnto him and that the guiltines thereof therefore is his withall the other bad fruites and consequentes thereof but also amongst all other this that naturally euen by the force and power thereof he is altogether in al the powers both of his body and soule corrupted and prone to all euill and backward to euery thing that is good but to the full constitution of the nature thereof they hold that it is inough to say it is either a want of originall righteousnesse which ought to be in vs or an habituall auersion from God which they hold to be but such as that therewith may and doth in some yet stand mans free will to good that it is so quite taken away and abolished in the baptisme of euery one that thenceforth there remaines not though concupiscence remaine still anie reliques thereof at all or cause why man should be grieued either at or with the feeling therof as at or with sin And such frewil is it which they hold man hath after his fall euen to and in that which is spirituall good as that man in his first conuersion to God hauing but the outward means thereof sufficiently offred vnto him that euen that grace is sufficient to conuert him if he would himselfe which they holde he might if he list and being once conuerted that is as they take it the outward meanes being once so fully and effectually proferred him as whereby he taketh occasion rightly to vse his frewill in accepting of grace so offered then they holde by the meanes of grace ther vpon bestowed vpon him which they count and call the habit of charitie he can will freely and worke any good thing Whereas wee as we haue often shewed enforced both by the scriptures fathers reason and all experience confesse and teach that by the fall of Adam our freewill to and in that which is good indeed is so lost as that what good meanes so euer at any time be outwardly presented vnto vs yet thereby we shall neuer be able to will well by any power left in vs nor euer shall indeede vnlesse GOD inwardlie by his spirite withall first create and frame in euerie one of vs a new heart and will to choose that which is good and then alwaies after assist strenthen and guide the same therein Who may not therefore euen hereby plainlie see that fathan mightily preuaileth by their doctrine to holde men backe from hungring and thirstinge after Christe as they shoulde For if originall sinne bring no deeper nor vniuersaller corruption with it then they teache it doth into the nature of man and may and is so quickely and vtterly abolished out of the same againe by baptisme and man hath in him selfe remaining such a free will to good that before his conuersion vpon the offering of the outward means thereof sufficiently he may be conuerted if he wil himselfe and that after he needs no daily or further supplie of the spirit to leade his wil alwaies therevnto but that which he receiued in his first conuersion to worke together with the natiue or hereditarie free will that was before in man then surely what is there left either by the cōsideration of our originall sinne or by the viewe of our lacke of free will to good an inseperable companion thereof to make vs to long and to thirst after Christ For by their doctrine if we bee but baptized we are quite rid and freede from the former and as for the latter we haue it naturallie so as yet it is not quite taken from vs by Adams fall but onely by our sinnes originall and actuall so settred and hindred that either vpon sufficient meanes but outwardly offered we may vse it againe euen to the accepting thereof to our conuersion or after but by vertue of grace receiued at once in our conuersion for euer then vse and shewe it free to the working out of our owne saluation After baptisme then you see they hold it needlesse for a man to trouble his conscience with originall sinne or any parte thereof and to deliuer the other out of captiuitie where into it is brought by sinne that so as some of them speake they may goe with the owne foote thereof and flie with the owne winges and feathers thereof which it had before though it coulde not vse them there is no more in effect to doe but to haue the outwarde meanes sufficientlie profered for that euen therevpon if man wil vse his free will as they say he may doe if he will all the rest touching the full freedome there of wil follow Their doctrine also of satisfying for our sinnes by our selues and others of the force and validitie of indulgences masses and such like thinges purchased for vs likewise either by our selues or others either whiles we are aliue or dead and
of purpose not onely to keepe still fresh in our remembrance his precious death with all the fruites thereof both generally and particularly but also without all doubt to offer to deliuer and to feale the doliuery to as many as rightly as they should receiue the same a most certaine vnion and communion with whole and full Christ himselfe And to teach vs plainly so much Paule saith 1. Cor. 10.16 The cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the communion of the blood of Christ the breade which we breake is it not the communion of the bodie of Christ As certainely therefore as by bodily eating and drinking in that sacrament or elsewhere the eater and drinker of bread and wine makes himselfe partaker of all the force and goodnesse therein by making themselues first his owne to the chearing and strengthening of this life in the bodie so by such eating and drinking of the bodie broken and blood shed for him of Christ which are the thinges in this sacrament signified and offered vnto him as is fit to make such foode his owne by as verily the worthy and right receiuer in soule feedeth vpon and is nourished to eternall life with the broken bodie and bloodshed of Christ Iesus And to assure al such of this by Christ the bread is faid to be his body broken and the wine his blood shed for the remission of their fins and both so termed and called by his ordinance broken and powred forth are particularly to be giuen to euery such communicant and they are likewise to receiue them and therefore doubtlesse thereby taught not only by that which they see and he are in the administration herof with thankfull and penitent hearts to remember his death and sonowe therein his bodie was broken and his blood shed and seuered from his body and that therefore these so handled are the heauenly and spirituall foode prepared for the maintenance of their spirituall life before God but also by that which further is deliuered and they receiue that they are to assure themselues euerie one in particular that Christ died for them and therefore shall nourish and feede them to eternall life by vniting himselfe most certainely vnto them to that ende and purpose Further yet to teach vs that this moste certaine and reall vnion with Christe is for the whole Church and for the saluation thereof most necessary those other metaphors also serue whereby be is compated to the heade and husband of the Church as of his bodie and wife Ephes 1.12 Cap. 5.32 or to the vine stocke whereinto his heauenly father engrasteth all those branches that euer shall being forth much fruite that he may be glorified Io. 15.5.6.7.8 For hereby we are taught that as it is with these heade husband and stocke in respect of the bodie wife and branches so is it betwixt Christ and all those that shall be saued As therefore vnlesse the head really growe and be vnited to the bodie yea though there can but a haire goe betwixt the one and the other the bodie can haue no life from the head and as mariage beeing consummate it maketh them that were strangers before one bodie one flesh yea one selfe fame Ephes 5.28.29 and that otherwise vnperfected it hath no such effect and lastly as it is not inough for the braunches to touch the vine stocke yea nothing to haue life from thence vnlesse they so growe therin that it and they be as it were one euen so is it in this case betwixt Christ and all those that would be saued by him And therefore to expresse as much Paule saith That such as are his they are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones Ephe. 5.30 yea 1. Cor. 1.13 he maketh the Church and Christ but as one perfect man whereof Christ is the heade and the Church his bodie in so much as Ephes 1.23 he calleth the Church his fulnesse to shew that such loue there is betwixt Christ and his Church and that there is also such a perfect vnion betwixt them that though he be he that filleth all thinges and is the perfection thereof that he accounteth himselfe as a heade without a bodie without the true vnion and connexion of the Church with him And therfore Iohn 17.23 he was an earnest suter vnto his father that he might be in his as he his father was in him that so they might be made perfect in one and heerein he knew he was so heard that he accounteth the affliction of any sound member of his Church as the persecution of his owne self and therefore when Saule persecuted such he said vnto him Saul Saul why persecutest thou mee Act. 6.4 And yet better to assure them thereof he also reckoneth his owne ioyes to be theirs as well as their sorrowes to be his that will open vnto him and be his and therefore to encourage such so to doe and bee he said vnto them Reue. 3.22 that to such he would giue to sit with him vpon his throne and that he woulde sup with them and that they likewise should sup with him The cuidence of this doctrine beeing most strong and apparant as you he are and the papistes themselues not seeming to doubt thereof at all but that theiudgements of God are vnsearchable and that they haue deserued for their wilfull seeking to darken the light of the gospel will they nill they shining amongst them to be made drunke and so quite to be caried away in the most just iudgement of God by a strong dilusion of the enchanted cup ful of formications profered vnto them vged vpon them by the garish whore of Babilon it is a wonder that withal they are not enforced to see to perceiue the most of the absurdities heresies they hold tou ching the article of iustificatiō saluation For how can it otherwise bee but that they that are thus vnited to Christ he to them must needs most certenly as it were sensi bly vnderstād it so to bee by the wonderful alteration that therupon thorowout both in body soule wil grow in thē by the inseparable graces of the spirit alwaies accōpanying his vnion with his And therfore in him there being also as alwaies there is full and certain remission of sins prepared for al them that be so nilie his he neuer going without his perfect righteousnes being as he is the very fountaine of al Gods fauours mercies towards man how is it possible that he should be a mans owne he know it also but that he may and must without any wauering or doubting thereof fully and firmly be assured that his sins are forgiuen him that his righteousnes is his that therfore he may haue a most speciall assurance and confidence of the mercy of God to his most perfect faluation For these graces and fauours of God are neuer seuered frō the person of Christ therfore wheras he is once really truely
againe by repentance that there is no more sacrifice to be offred for their sins that there is nothing left for them but a fearefull expectation of irreuocable iudgment and condemnation Now doubtles the verie waye and means to come to this dreadfull estate is for them that haue seemed to stand by professing once the sounde faith to be carelesse in maintaining and preseruing conscience in their liues and conuersation and therefore to teach vs asmuch Paul calles vpon his Timothie to maintaine and nourish togither faith and a good conscience for that whiles some as namely Hymineus and Alexander haue made no carefull reckoning of the one they haue made shipwracke of the other 1. Tim. 1.19 20. Let him therefore that seemeth to stande take heede he fall not 1. Cor. 10.12 and in anie case also let him that would seeme to be in deede in Christ Iesus be a new creature 2. Cor. 5.17 for such haue crucified the flesh with the affections and lustes thereof Gal. 5.24 they walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit as ye haue heard Rom. 1. and they are a people zealous of good workes Tit. 2.14 Wherefore let vs neuer once thinke that our sinnes are in Christ Iesus couered vnlesse we finde our selues cured thereof or that for his sake they are pardoned vnlesse we in truth perceiue our bodies and soules purged at the least thereof that sinne raigne not in our mortall bodies Rom. 6.12 For they that so are of God Iohn saith flatly they cannot sinne meaning so as that sinne raigne in them for that they are borne of God and his seede remaineth in them 3.9 Howsoeuer therefore Hypocrites and such as haue but a temporarie faith may and often doe fall headlong into obeying sinne with their full and whole consent as their lawfull king in whose obedience willingly they take delight and so such worthily quite lease those giftes and good graces which they seamed to haue before and consequently by their so falling away as the same Iohn teacheth in the former Chapter Cap. 2. Ver. 10. make it euident that they were neuer of the number indeede that by a liuelie faith were in Christ Iesus for then as he saith they would still haue continued with such yet so it is neither finally nor at any time after with those that once haue vnfainedly and rightly indeede put on Christ For as Paul teacheth most euidently and forciblie Rom. 6. throughout and Col. 1.2 such haue so put him on and are in him that as he once for all died and was buried to put away their sinne and rose againe ascended into heauen and sitteth there at the right hand of the father to confer bestowe vpon them a perfect righteousnes iustification so by the power and efficacie of Christ dwelling in them they are deade to sinne and aliue to righteousnes and therefore howsoeuer will they nill they they may by some reliques of sinne remaining in them to humble them and to wrastle against be inforced with the same Apostle in the next chapter cōplaining of the tyranny of sinne to cry out I do not that good I would but that which I hate that doe I yet all such with a good conscience may comfort themselues againe with him and say if I doe that I would not doe and hate it is not I that doe it but sinne that dwelleth in mee Cap. 6.15 20. And in the end they may be sure that the spirit that dwelleth in them will so strenthen them against the flesh that they shall get in the end of the battle the victorie and that in the meane time the flesh shall neuer be able vtterly to preuaile as they may reade Gal. 5.17 24. For that Spirit being once com into thefield though old Adā muster all his beaten woūded souldiers neuer so oft yet that man in whose hart the field is once pitched fought may assure him selfe that it is as absurd for him to think that either in the end or at any time the flesh shall preuaile to driue that spirit out of the field as it is to thinke that a base creature can ouercome God the Creator And to assure all such hereof Christ hath promised when he sends once this Spirit of his vnto them that it shal be their cōmforter that it shal abide with thē for euer Iohn 14.16 that he would beg of his father that he shoulde so doe And therfore they may be sure that he hath done it hath also obtained his sute for he is truth it selfe Iohn 14.6 therfore true in his promise besids he tels vs that he knew his father alwaies heard him Iohn 11.42 Let not that wrong therfor be offerred either to Christ or to his Spirit that any should but once think that either of these can be driuen out of possession after once they haue taken it in theirs either by Sathan the world or the flesh they may be busy to grieue trouble them but neuer shal they preuaile for they are alwayes the strōgerin finitely and their loue care to keep preserue theirs is like them selues that is eternal most constant indeed in that Christ here in our text promiseth his spirite not only in vnder the name of water but of riuers of waters that of life flowing out of their bellies that should doe as before he cōmanded al this being to be vnderstood of the giftes graces of the spirit which he would bestow vpon all such as we haue heard as thereby we are taught that he will giue them to such not in a scant but in a very plentious manner and measure for that he is a liberall giuer Iames 1.5 so by calling them Riuers of the water of life he teacheth vs and assureth vs that they will neuer altogither die or be dried vp for his giftes giuen to such are without repentance Rom. 1.29 They shew also by the other addition of flowing out of their bollies that they will not be smothered and kept in within the bellies of the beleeuers owne selfe whatsoeuer the state of the time be wherein hee liues For they must flow out of their bellies and therefore such must let their light shine be fore men to the glorie of God and good example and profit of others as Christ hath taught them Math. 5.16 Wherefore let the first of these lessons occasion euery one that is desirous to haue any comfortable assurance that this promise is made to him appertaineth vnto him to striue by al lawfull and good meanes to haue the sanctifying giftes of the spirit in such plentifull and abundant measure in him that he may feele and others finde by experience that they may worthily be compared to riuers of water And by the second let euery such one also learne for the better certifying of his owne heart that he is such an one indeed that he must perseuere vnto the end Math. 10.22 euermore bringing forth more
our mediatour Iesus Christ as that hereby our heartes breake and rente a sunder for sorrowe we make euident demonstration that we are more blockish and sencelesse than these sencelesse creatures so we shal proue that we are none of those to whome Christ here speaketh But if here by as Ioel hath taught vs Cap. 2. ver 13. we take occasion to rent our hearts and not our garments and so to hunger and thirst aright for comforte from Christ then whatsoeuer we haue beene before of Christ it hath beene said vnto vs both for good direction herein and euerlasting comforte A brused reed shall he not breake and smoking flaxe shall he not quench Esaie 42.3 when the Lorde therefore by reading or preaching of his worde or by any other meanes that it shal please him to vse to that purpose bringeth all these or any of these to our remembrance then we are to make our reckoning that of his good grace fauor therby he giues vs iust occasion so to see our sins that in the sight feeling of the burthen therof we should thus hunger thirst after him that through him we might be deliuered from them And the more and better we dwell vpon the mediation of these fower thinges the Lord withall opening our eyes and heartes rightlie to vnderstand them and the vse thereof to this ende the more forcible we shall finde them to worke this effect But the trueth is through our originall sin we haue brought with vs into the world such a generall forwardnesse to all euill and backwardnesse to all good ioyned with such grosse blindnesse in thinges spirituall and by actuall sinnes daily flowing from this bitter fountaine in vs we haue al of vs so hardned our owne heartes that though the Lord by sounding these thinges outwardlie in our eares may make vs without all excuse if hereby we take no occasion thus to be humbled before him yet most certaine is it that the hearing of these things neuer so often outwardlie beaten vpon will neuer prooue forcible and effectual inwardly to breede in vs this true spiritual hunger and thirst vntill the Lorde himselfe of his speciall fauoure and grace both open the eyes of our mindes and mollifie and soften our hard heartes and so indeede himselfe by his owne hand and power heereby worke this in vs. This taught Moses the Iewes saying yet the Lord hath not giuen you an heart to perceiue and eies to see and eares to heare vnto this day Deut. 29.4 And yet this is in deede the Lordes speciall worke he sheweth the same people againe by his prophet Ezechiell saying I will put a newe spirit within their bowels I wil take away the stonie heart out of their bodies and will giue them an heart of flesh Cap. 11.19 when therefore we finde that neither the meditation of the lawe nor yet of the iudgementes threatned nor executed against the breakers thereof nor the hearing nor thinking of Christes passion with the cause thereof can breede or prouoke this to be in our harts we crie vnto God with Ephraim Ier. 31.18 Conuert thou me I shal be conuerted for thou art the Lord my God and with Dauid Psal 119.18 open mine eies that I may see the wunders of thy lawe And so in his good time if we be his doubtlesse we shall finde all these so worke together to the breaking of our hard hearts with remorse for our sinnes that euen in respect thereof we may say with him also Haue mercy vpon me O Lord for I am weake O Lord heale me for my bones are vexed my soule is sore troubled I fainted in my mourning I cause my bedde euerie night to swimme and water my couch with my tears Psalm 6.2 c. yea with a good conscience without all dissembling we shall be able to say with him as the hearte brayeth for the riuers of water so panteth my soule after thee O God euen for the liuing God Psal 42.1.16.2 For when we haue the due sence and feeling in deed of our sinnes that we ought to haue before euer we will seek after Christ as we should we will and must as I haue shewed before be vndoubtedly wearie thereof and desirous to be easd of the most heauie burden of them And let vs not thinke that it is inough thus to be once in al our life namelywhen first we come to Christ and turne vnto him aright For though then it be most necessarie in respect both of our originall and actuall sinnes wherein perhaps we haue liued a long while before thus to be affected when we seeke first pardon and remision thereof in him yet for as much as after we be come vnto him and haue put him on though thenceforth sin shall reigne no more in our mortall bodies it will yet doe what we can be found so cleauing vnto vs dwelling in vs that if we should say we haue no sinne we should deceaue our selues 1. Ihon 1.8 For that when by experience we are enforced the best of vs with Iames. 3.2 to confeste that in many thinges we sinne all we are still from time to time as long as we liue so to looke into the glasse of the lawe and to meditate vpon the rest as that thereby we may take occasion continually to nourish earnest hunger and thirst after Christ that for our newe and daily sinnes we may more and more seeke vnto him and applie him dayly afresh vnto vs. For both Dauid and Paule long before they wrote the one the 51. Psalme the other the 7. to the Romaines were in the state of grace and the fauour of God the former by faith in the messias to come the other by faith in him alreadie come and yet as it is euident in both those places both these conferring the pure and spirituall lawe of God with their owne liues take occasion thereby not onely to see and confesse their owne sinnes but also in a spirituall manner to hunger and thirst after forgiuenesse thereof and therefore to fly to God in the person and mediation of Christ Iesus for that they were perswaded that if he tooke in hād the washing of them in his precious bloodshed they shoud be whiter then snow be cleandeliuered frō the sinful body of the flesh Let vs therefore first and last and when souer we would come vnto Christ which we shall haue neede to doe continually as long as we liue here this way that I haue shewed you both seeke to beginne and still to continue this spirituall hunger and thirst in vs after him Sathan our malitious olde and subtile enemie knoweth full well all this to be most true Sathans deuises take vs from thirsting First shewed and then confuted and therfore whereas he was too weak to stay God from prouiding vs thus in his sonne meate and drinke to satisfie our hungrie and thirstie soules withall and to seed on to saluation we may be sure yet that he will doe
they bring idle wordes must be pardonable euen for the littlenes thereof must not be accounted contra legem that is contrary to the law but only praeter legem that is to saye besides the lawe and such as may be washt and doone away by knocking of the breaste by holye water by saying the Lordes prayer by fasting a day by an almes giuing by generall confession of sinnes or by a Bishops blessing yea as one saith though these be done without any inward good motion at all Yea if all these will not serue their great Bellarmine will not yet be put or driuen from this position of the ablenesse of man to keepe the lawe For after he had tried with other of his fellowes what these coulde doe to wipe away the obiections made against the same pressing Paules experience to the contrarie Rom. 7. though it be there neuer so plaine that by the law euen then he found himself a breaker of the lawe and therefore no perfect keeper therof yet for that Paule there to comfort him selfe with all confesseth that in his mind or inward man he delighted in the lawe allowed of that which was good and condemned the contrarie he sayeth that in so saying Paule prooues and shewes that he was for all the lawe in his members which likewise he saith rebelled against the lawe of his minde and led him captiue vnto the lawe of sinne a perfect keeper euen then of the lawe For the lawe saith he is not giuen to the sence or flesh but to the minde and spirit of man wherein Paule kept the lawe though in the other respect he had such cause to complaine And whereas he knewe that such as they counte no veniall but deadly sinnes haue beene found and may be againe euen in the regenerate yet such he will defend may be counted perfect keepers of the lawe when they haue risen againe by repentance and haue had those their sinnes forgiuen in Christ Yea though he be enforced by a place out of Saint Augustines first booke of his retractions Cap. 19. to confesse that there is aduouched by him some imperfection in the best mens keeping of the lawe yet to doe the best that he coulde to couer and cure the wounde that that saying had giuen his cause he would make his reader beleeue that the imperfection that he findes therein is but Carentia perfectionis the want of perfection and not the transgression of any one commaundement which he resembled to the omitting of one letter in writing of much If this be learnedlie to defende a position or the maintenance thereof not onelie to fall into so manie absurdities as these be and then besides to be driuen to vse such a sort of friuolous and fruitles shiftes as these be what position can possible to be foolish and false but that a man of any wit may defende it And who can be so simple and blinde but he must needs perceiue that in all this geare whether they see it or not that Sathan directly by their mouthes and pens laboreth and sweateth most egerly and directly to make men so drunken and full with a conceite of their owne perfection or at least small imperfection that they hunger nor thirst after Christ as they haue cause in deede to doe Who but men bewitched with an opinion that whatsoeuer their Romain prelates alow for currant and found doctrine how contrary so euer it be in deede to scriptures fathers reason and all would euer hold either al or any of these For most plentifully by all these a number of times wee haue shewed them their vanitie and folly in all of these and to this daie they neither haue nor euer will be able to answere vs to the purpose herein And assure thyselfe that herein I haue charged them with nothing but with that which I finde in the best and most famous writers of their side as namely in Andradius Osorious Canisius Vega Fransciscus de victoria the censure of Colen their Rhemish notes of the new testament and in Bellarmine But howsoeuer therfore they may stand ressolute herein yet I hope euen the bare recitall hereof maketh thee Christian reader to see the verie grosse absurditie thereof also If there were noe more to cause thee to see it but this that the rest of all these their doctrines plainelye tendes and is as I haue shewed to driue man either to thinke his soules sicknes through sinne not to be so daungerous and grieuous as it is indeede and therefore as we teach it to bee or for his recouery thereof to trust to other phisick or Phisitions then to the onely phisition of our soules Christ Iesus euen that surelye were and is sufficient For how can that doctrine be any way found or good that naturally bringeth forth or breedeth eyther of these cursed fruites so daingerous to mans saluation or so iniurious to the honour and glorie of Christ Iesus Yet that thou maist not be without thy particular counterpoyson in a readines against euery one of these their poisons to Iustifie our doctrine and to confute theirs touching original sin free will remember that with vs against them it is written touching the former thus The imagination of mans hart is only cuil euen from youth Gen. 6.5 8.21 the naturall man perceiueth not the thinges of the spiritte of God neither can he knowe them 1. Cor. 2.4 Yea that before our conuersion we are said to haue hard and stonie heartes Ezech. 11.19 Rom. 2.5 but also to be darknesse Ephes 5.8 and dead by sinne Ephes 2.5 and that touching the other Paule hath most plainely taught the Saintes at Phillippis that it was God that wrought in them both the will and the worke and that of his owne good pleasure Cap. 2.13 and that Christ himselfe most plainely hath said that no man can come vnto him but whom the father draweth Ioh. 6.44 and that without him we can doe nothing Iohn 15.5 And their next three are sufficiently confuted euen in that we read and we knowe it is most certaine that our Christ is able perfectly to saue al them that come vnto God by him seeing he euer liueth to make intercession for them Heb. 7.25 and hath offered himselfe once for all to take away the sinnes of many Cap. 9.28 yea with that one offering hath consecrated for euer them that are sanctified 10.14 especially it beeing also most plainely written as it is that as there is but one God so there is but one mediatour betwixt God and man the man Christ Iesus 1. Tim. 2.5 and that there is no other allowed doore whereby at all to enter into Gods sheepefolde but onely the same Christ Iesus Iohn 10.1.9 c. For these places are most pregnant to cut the throte for euer of all those deuises and may satisfie and will anie that are not wilfullie disposed to wrastle for the aduauncing of the creature and his owne founde deuise though to the darkening and obscuring
plaine and pregnant in this to show that the perfection of our righteousnes lyeth rather in the sight of our own manifolde vnrighteousnes to vrge vs to thirst after the making of vs righteous through the righteousnes of Christ Iesus thē in any finding at any time of any perfect inherent righteousnesse in our selues Wherefore these thinges considered I trust you will rather vse the meanes before laide before you by mee according to Gods worde to breede in you true hunger and thirst after Christ thē that you wil end any eare at al to these subtilties of Sathan to holde you there from such therefore hopping that by those meanes either God hath heretofore made you or at this present hath or wil let vs proceed The next thing beere to be considered of The commande ment which containes 2. things b. what it is to come vnto Christ is the commandementes here giuen by Christ vnto such as I haue spoken of and haue laboured to make all you wherein as I saide in the beginning he requireth of all such two thinges namely that they shoulde come vnto him and then drinke of him where by comming vnto him we haue not as Augustine hath noted in his 26. and 32 tractes vpon Iohn to vnderstand a comming vnto him by the feete of the bodie For so manie came vnto him touched him and througed him and yet were neuer the better Mat. 5.31 but a comming vnto him by the direction of the eies of the soule by the feete of sound knowledge of him what he is in person and what he is in office When this worde is vsed alone as Mat 11.28 in those wordes of his come vnto me all ye that be wearie and heauie laden and I will ease you then thereby doubtlesse we haue not onely to vnderstand thus much but that therby further is required of vs faith in him grounded vpon this our knowledge of him as vpon the foundation thereof But wher it is coupled with other wordes that either expresly or in effect call for faith as it is here then thus as I haue said it is to be taken as Iohn 6.40 compared with this place makes it euident For there insteed of comming vnto him he saith he that seeth the sonne not vnderstanding thereby the seeing of him with bodily eies but with spirituall and then he goeth on saying and beleeueth in him shall haue euerlasting life Wherefore vntill by the light of the gospell men haue so profited through the inward working of Gods holy spirite in them that they knowe and acknowledge Christ aright both in person and office they haue neither eies not feete in Christes sence here to come vnto him by or withall Pray we therefore for this light and the countenance thereof amongst vs. For certainely the naturall man perceiues not the thinges of God neither can he because they are spirituall 1. Cor. 2.11.14 c. But they that haue the light of the gospell shinning amongst them though before they sat in darknesse and in the shadowe of death yet if the faulte be not in them selues they may see a greate light and life is risen vp to them in this behalfe Mat. 4.16 Peter by this light directing him and shinning vnto him shewed that with these feet he was come to Christ Mathew 16.16 confessing Christ to be the sonne of the liuing God and therefore to his greate comforte and to encourage others so to come vnto him also Christ answered him and said Blessed arte thou Simon the sonne of Ionas for flesh and bloode hath not reuealled this vnto thee but my father which is in heauen Mat 16.17 Surely we here in England Gods name be blessed for it haue had nowe this greate while the light clearely shining amongst vs to direct vs in our comming to Christ to make streight steps vnto our feet least that which is halting be turned out of the way as we are councelled Heb. 12 13. And yet I feare there is such bad and smale cōming to Christ sound amongst vs that he in respect of most of vs hath too too iust cause to say vnto vs as he did to the Iewes in his time This is the condēnation that light is come into the world men loue darknes better then light because their deeds are euil Io. 3.19 wher for we haue cause to thinke that also which in an other place he said vnto some of them euen to be spoken of vs all yet a little while is the light with you walke whiles ye haue light least the darknesse come vpon you for he that walketh in the darke knoweth not whither he goeth and therefore while ye haue light beleeue in the light that ye may be the children of the light Iohn 12.31.36 But that this his aduise and counsell may be in time and that effectually taken to heart and followed of vs in this case in walking aright vnto Christ by the direction of this light whiles it shines amongst vs we are seeing our owne vnablenesse other wise so to doe at all to be as it is to pray him according to his promise made to his disciples that he woulde also praie his father to bestow vpon vs euen the spirite of trueth to teach vs all thinges Iohn 14.16.17.26 and to leade vs vnto all truthe 16.13 For if euer we attaine by this light to the sound and perfect knowledge of Iesus Christ wherein euen the wisedome of God in a mysterie as Paule speaketh is contained 1. Cor 2.7 doubtlesse we shall haue cause with him to say further as he doth there also Ver 10.11 God then hath renealed it vnto vs by his spirite for that searcheth all things even the deep thinges of God For what man knoweth the thinges of a man saue the spirit of man which is in him euen so the thinges of God knoweth no man but the spirite of God Seeing then that Christ commaundeth vs here to come vnto him and to come vnto him is nothing else but according to the light of the gospell directing vs therein by his spirite to be enabled rightly to knowe him acknowledge and confesse him it stan deth vs vpon diligently to marke and to consider howe therein he is described and set forth vnto vs. Which if we doe we shall soone finde What Christ is in person that the summe and substance of all set before vs therein tendeth ether to set out what he is in person or in office let vs therefore before we proceed any further the better to teach vs and to enable vs to doe as Christ here biddeth vs a little consider what in these two respects it hath taught vs. Touching the former what he is in person therein thus much we may learne that whereas most certaine it is as our catholike saith teacheth vs and the whole course of the scriptures proueth that there is but one eternal true and almightie God the maker and gouenour of all the world and yet in the vnity of Godhead that there
accidentall form for that God the father hath none such but his very essence substance And this his being in the same forme with his father likewise cuts the throte of Gentilis of al Tritheites for it most strōgly sheweth one form or essence to be one self same most perfectly to distinct persons therin lastly the cōparisō equality betwixt him his father set down in the other words for asmuch as such comparisō could not be if he his father were but one persō named onely by diuers names is as pregnant for euer to confounde Sabellius and Praxeas But the lordes name be blessed praised for it if these words wernot plain inough to proue this doctrine of the son of God to be most cleare against these heretiques we haue else where in the scriptures the same most plentifully and plainelie taught For what can be plainer to this purpose then these words of Iohn Cap. 1.1 and 2. In the beginning was the worde and the word was with God and the word was God For the first clause shewes his existence and being from euerlasting the second his distinct existence and being in person from his fathers and that last his vnitie in essence with him Plaine also to this ende is that which we read Heb. 1.2.3 For there the Apostle cals him the sonne of God whom his heauenlie father hath made heire of all things and by whome he made the world and he termeth him the brightnes of his glorie and the ingraued forme of his person bearing vp all thinges by his mighty worde For herein his being before the world was the distinctiō his of person from his fathers and yet the vnitie of effence betwixt them in most forceable words is aduouched let these therefore be sufficiente for this pointe Now if we would know what he became and is by his incarnation in person further as I said before the rest of the wordes of faint Paule before alleadged out of his 2. Chapter to the Philliplans most notablie lay that also down before vs. For the Apostles purpose being to shew the Phillippians how Christ humbled and abased himselfe for the good of his Church that he doth in shewing them how first he did it by taking vpon him the forme of a seruant and by beeing made like vnto men and by beeing found in shape of a man so setting down the misterie of his incarnation and after by telling them howe beeing so become man he humbled himselfe to be obedient euen vnto the death for them to purchase their redemption Note therefore diligentlie welbeloued and marke religiouslie the wordes of the Apostle before alleadged to expresse the mysterie of his incarnation First he faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we english but he abased himselfe and made himselfe of no reputation which wordes teach vs that though it be moste true that we haue heard of him before that voluntarily yet to shewe his obedience to the will of his father and his loue towards his Church when the time appointed of his father was come he was content though not to cease to be that which he had alwaies beene before which was impossible yet so to haue the glorie and shining brightnesse wherein alwaies thither vnto he had beene in with his father for a time darkned obscured and hid as that in comparison thereof he might be said and thought euen much to haue abased himselfe yea to haue made himselfe of no reputation Nowe to shewe vs more particularly and speciallie wherein this abasing of himselfe laie and how he did it the Apostle sayeth he did thus euen himselfe abase himselfe by taking the forme of a seruant c. thereby vnderstanding the verie nature of man withall the properties and naturall infirmities thereof sinne onely excepted as we are taught to vnderstand it Heb. 2.17 7.26 where the Apostle most plainelie teacheth that in all things he in his manhood was made like vnto his brethren but that he was without sinne And these three wordes forme shape and similitude vsed by the Apostle heere himselfe make it euident that he had a purpose as substantially as might bee to expresse as much Yea the word seruant shews further that voluntarily also he became amongst men to deliuer men from seruitude euen the cōmon seruant of men to serue vnder the burthen of their sins as one in whom there was neither forme nor beauty who was reiected and despised of men as in that respect the prophet Isayah discribs him 53.2.3.54 The Apostles meaning is therefore heereby to teach that Christ being frō euerlasting very God with his father though a distinct person from his father that at he was not thus abased against his wil for that beeing so he thoght it no robery to be equal to his father but that he himself most freely willingly was cōtent thus to strip himself or to empty himself of that glory equality which he had naturally with his father in taking vnto himselfe as he was is in the second person in the trinity the whole nature of man with all the sinles harmles and naturall properties therof both in body soule and in vniting the same immediately in the creation thereof yea in the very same instant and moment with himselfe as he was the sonne of God personally that so as he was before in that he was the sonne of God almighty infinite incomprehensible and eternall so he might bee as he was the soune of man weake finite comprehended and mortall The better yet once againe to make you see that the Apostles meaning in these his wordes stretch thus farre besides that which I haue noted already therin obserue and marke further that he saith not the forme of God eyther abased it selfe tooke the forme of a seruant or was made in the likelihoode or similitude of men but he the which was in the forme he made himself of no reputatiō was made so and found also in the shape of a man to teach vs if we will speake like the Apostle and so accordingly beleeue we must not say nor beleeue that nature tooke nature but the person of the sonne tooke vnto himselfe the nature of man and so that as he was created so it was immediately vnited vnto that person to haue togither with that person a personall vnion and neuer to haue first any existence or beeing a part by or in it selfe For then the Apostle would haue said aswell that the thing assumed was he that was in the forme of a seruant as he had said that the assumer was he that was and had a beeing in the forme of God which he doth not The assumer thefore was the second person in the trinity the sonne of God and neyther father nor holie Ghost nor yet the bare essence of God but as in it this second person had his existence and being and the assumed was not a person of a man first beeing and existing a part but
the nature with all the assentiall and inseparable harmelesse properties thereof of a true and verie man both in respect of his body and soule That by this forme of a seruant he ment not any other created nature but the nature of man he sufficiently she weth by adding that he was made in the similitude of man and in shape found as a man For Marcion and other heretiques heere upon gathering that he assumed not the verie nature of man but the showe and phantasme of a man they doe most wilfullie but cauill and foolishlie seek to darken a most manifest truth For besides that all the story of his conception birth life and death and most plaine speeches and phrases continually vsed of him in the scriptures prooue that he was a verie true and perfect man both in bodie and soule these wordes giue them no ground to build any such conclusion vpon For Adam is said to haue begot Seth according to his owne image or likenesse Gen. 5.3 and yet we might iustly counte them verie fond that therefore woulde inferre that Seth had not the verie nature of a man that Adam had but a bare shadow or similitude thereof The woordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commonly englished taking and made well vnderstood made it most cleare that the second person tooke vnto it selfe personally the nature of man so that he vnited so verilie and personally with him selfe as he was the sonne of God and the second person in the trinitie that nature of man that he assumed that Iohn might iustlie say the word was made flesh Cap. 1.14 and that we may most safely beleeue that he that before subsisted onely in the forme of God now also subsistes in the forme of a seruant and that as in respect of the one nature he is the verie sonne of God equall to his father so also in respect of the other he is the verie sonne of his mother and verie man and so lesser and inferiour to his father In the olde testament we reade he appeared in diuerse formes vnto men but yet we neuer can say that then he made him selfe of no reputation by taking such forms vpon him neyther therefore was he made the thinges he appeared to bee because he neuer assumed theÌ„ so to himself that he personally vnited himselfe vnto them And heereby also we may further learne in that the assumer and thing assumed are thus both described heere the one to be that that had his beeing in the forme of God before and in this worke remained still himselfe and the other to be the forme of a seruant accompanied or inuested with the likenesse shape of a seruant that both these notwithstanding this personall vnion are entire and perfect in their owne nature without any abolishing of eyther nature or confounding of other in themselues or in the properties with the other in Christ Lastly these wordes are plaine and forcible to make vs see that notwithstanding the assumer of the forme of a seruant vnto himselfe thereby is made in the likenesse of a man and found in shape as a man that yet he is but one person nowe subsisting both in the true forme of God and in the verie nature or forme of man For as of one person after the finishing of this his incarnation both heere and else where alwaies the gospel speaketh of him Dreame therefore we may not that this vnion of the nature of man personally with the son of God is either in the commixtion of the two natures or by the inhabitation of the one in the other or by the adioining of the one vnto the other or by the assisting of one the other neither yet by the real coÌ„munication of the properties of the one with the other so as that the one nature may simply properly be said to be of the same properties that the other is For though water wine be mixed in one cup the spirit of God dwel in the seruants of God God adioyn him self vnto theÌ„ assist theÌ„ most aparaÌ„tly euery where yet caÌ„not wine the spirit or God be said to haue so taken vnto theÌ„selues water the harts of men or the seruaÌ„ts of God that therefore wine is made water the spirit of God or God the heartes of men or the seruants of God themselues as we heere see him that hath beene alwaies in the forme of God said to haue beene made in the forme of man by his taking vnto himselfe the forme of a seruant And though most certaine it be and therefore most vsuall in the scriptures also the better to note the true reall essentiall and personall vnion betwixt the sonne of God and the nature of man to heare those things that properly appertaine to the manhood to be affirmed of our blessed God and Sauiour and also those things that properlie belong vnto him onely as he is God spoken of the man Christ yet to make it euident that as it is heretical to confound the one nature with the other that so it is also and hath beene euer so accounted of all those who by the motion of Gods spirit and not of their owne haue written the scriptures to coÌ„municate properly the special properties of the one vnto the other they haue neuer so spoken or writ but speaking of these two natures in the concrete that is as the wordes vsed to signifie the same not the person subsisting in the essence and neuer speaking thereof in the abstract as the schoolemen speake that is as the words vsed note the naked and simple essence in it selfe And therefore for this true essentiall and personall vnion of the sonne of God with the forme of a seruant we say according to the trueth and to the scriptures that Christ is God and man but we vse not to say he is Godhead and manheade and we say they crucified the Lorde of glorie so noting that person that was and is the Lord of glorie and vnderstanding this of his person not in respect of that nature whereby he was so the Lord of glory but in respect of the other nature personally vnited thereunto wherein he was passible and might be crucified And so likewise speaking of his person in respect of the other nature we may say and say truely the man Christ is almightie euerie where and infinite because he is so in that respect that he is the sonne of God but we may not say that his manhoode is so For we must vnderstand and alwaies remember that whensoeuer any thing is affirmed of Christ in respect of the one nature that properly belonges vnto aâ—â—ther that the meaning thereof neuer is to inuest the one nature with the properties that are peculiar to the other but that so we speake to shewe the personall vnion of both in one person Wee may see a prettie good image heereof in a man as he consistes of bodie and soule for because of the concurring but of those two
natures together to the constitution of a man as they doe though infinitely it come short of the reaching to the excellencie of this mysterie that we now speake of may truely be said in diuerse respectes to be a heauenly creature and an earthly mortall and immortall heauenly and immortall in respect of his soule and earthlie mortall in regard of his bodie and diuerse thinges that are proper to the bodie are yet saide of the soule and contrarie they which are speciall to the soule are affirmed of the bodie as for example we say somtimes the soule of man awaketh or sleepeth which are properly saide of the bodie and we say the bodie heareth seeth or vnderstandeth when as in deede the body can doe none of these but by the soule and yet as wee thinke they destroy the nature of man that eyther for the vnion or coupling of these two together to make a man or for any of these phrases woulde eyther turne the one of these into the other confounde one of these with the other or inuest the one nature reallie with the properties that be speciall and peculiar vnto the other so holde we it most firmely in this case that it is plainely hereticall to doe the like These things therfore thus weied and considered we haue iust cause to say and thinke with the Apostle That great is the mysterie of Godlines namely euen this that God is manifested in the flesh and yet iustifyed in the spirit seene of Angels preached vnto gentiles beleeued on in the worlde and receiued vp into glorie 1. Tim. 3.16 And by these thinges we may so clearely see our Christ in person to be verie God and verie man and yet for all that but one person as that both with the Apostle Paul we may call him The mightie and blessed God for euer 2. Tim. 2.13 and the man Christ Iesus 1.2.5 and yet still speake of him as but of the one person as hee doth in both these places And to conclude this pointe heereby also euen sufficientlie we may see and heare all the heretiques and their heresies confuted that euer yet haue sette themselues against anie pointe or parte of the trueth of this doctrine of his person For heereby againste Ebion Cerinthus and Photinus denying his Godheade that hath beene a duouched and against Marcion confessing that and denying the truth of his manhoode that hath beene likewise plainely prooued and consequently Arrius that held rightly of neyther affirming that in respect of the one he was but a created spirit and in regard of the other a bodie onely without any other soule then his created Godhead and Apollinaris that denied that he had the minde or reasonable soule of a man howsoeuer he granted him the sensitiue and growing soule are confounded also especially remembring further that Christ himselfe as plainely to teach them by his wordes that he had a verie soule of a man as by experience they sawe and found he had the very body of a man said not onely that his soule was heauy vnto death Math. 26.38 but dying as Luke reporteth 23.46 cryed with a lowde voyce Father into thy handes I commend my spirit And Nestorius that helde the two natures in him only to be vnited by consociation and assistance and that therefore he had stil a Godhead and a manhood not onely distinct in their natures but also so that in him the sonne of God was one and the sonne of the virgin an other as he was condemned in the counsel of Ephesus for one that was led by the spirit of Antichrist for his so loosing or dissoluing of Iesus so hath the Apostle directly confuted him in this place to the Phillipians and Iohn also as I haue shewed in setting downe plainely that he that was in the forme of God whome Iohn called the worde so tooke vnto himselfe the forme of a seruant that he was made very man or flesh Eutiches also who to ouerthrowe Nestorius taught that the two naturs are so vnited after the incarnation that howsoeuer they were two before after they are but one cannot stand with the apparant distinction that Paule hath made betwixt the assumer and assumed nature both before in and after the assuming of the one by the other vnto himselfe And whereas if this opinion of his were true it should thereupon follow that then eyther the Godhead shoulde be turned into the manhoode or the manhoode into the Godhead for that of the commixtion of both a third thing should growe Euerie one of these absurd consequentes Paule hath refelled also by teaching vs both to remayne without eyther turning of the one into the other or confounding one of them by anie commixtion or otherwise one with an other as we haue hearde And consequentlie heereby both the Lutherans and Papistes who for the maintenance of their grosse reall presence and mouth eating of Christ both God and man doe most eagerlie striue and contende to entitle the manhoode of Christ with the peculiar properties of the Godheade as to be muisible incircumscriptible c. are most plainly prooued to teach heerein hereticall and damned doctrine for that thus confounding the properties with Eutiches in deede and trueth they confounde the natures themselues and therefore let them as they may iustly take the condemnation of Eutiches in the councell of Calcedon to bee also directly their condemnation Vnder this same condemnation come the heretiques 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so called because Eutiches being condemned they durst not say whom they followed though with him they hold but one nature after the incarnation to remaine and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that thought the diuine nature was turned into the humaine and that therfore they might say that it suffered and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also which holding that there was nothing lefte but the diuine nature and that the other was absorpte of that yet helde that that nature was ignoraunte of manie thinges and the Aphterdoxitae who helde that the humaine nature was impassible for the coniunxion that it had with the diuine and also the Monothelites who therefore taught that there was but onelie will in the person of Christ For all these stumbled and fell with Eutiches in vrging so the vnion of the two natures that they in effecte one waie or other ere they had done eyther by confounding the natures or the properties left but one in effecte Let vs therefore whatsoeuer heretiques eyther olde or newe haue thought or doe or shall thinke to the contrarie moste constantlie holde this as the verie rocke and foundation whereupon if we bee builte and stande faste the verie gates of hell shall neuer preuaile against vs that Christe Iesus in person is verie GOD the seconde person in the trinitie and also verie man the sonne of the blessed virgine Marie and therefore that both these two are so personally vnited in him that he is one person and that without any conuersion of the one nature into
proone this our vnion with Christ to be spirituall not any grosse or carnal mingling or conioyning of him and vs togither it verie well serueth that Christ him selfe in the fixt of Iohn hath both absolutely and most confidently saide verily verily I say vnto you except yee eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloode yee haue noe life in you vers 53. And also a little after that he is the breade of life that came downe from heauen and his flesh is meate indeede and his bloode is drinke indeede whereof whosoeuer eateth and drinketh hath eternall life Verse 51.54.55.56 For this being thus he might wel say to all that would be saued from the beginning of the worlde to the ende therof as we reade he saide to his Ioh. 15.4.5.6 Abide in me and I in you as the branch cannot beare fruite of it selfe except it abide in the vine no more can yee except yee abide in me I am the vine yee are the branches he that abideth in mee and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me can yee doenothing c. For as it hath from the beginning beene a most certaine truth that to the beginning of the being and life of man and to the continuance of the same his bodie and soule must be vnited togeather so hath it alwayes beene is and euer willbee to make whole man to haue any acceptable being before God or life in his sight that he must haue a true vnion and communion with Christ both God and man For as there is but one God so the Apostle hath taught vs There is but one mediator betweene God and man the man Christ Iesus 1. Tim. 2.5 neither is there saluation in any other for amongst men there is giuen no other name vnder heauen whereby we must be saued as Peter most stoutly aduoucheth Act. 4.12 Whereupon it must needs follow that eyther there was none saued before Christ was God and man which was not before the world was 4000. yeare old more which once to imagine were most absurd and notoriously iniurious to all the godly Patriarkes Prophets and others that liued in the time of the old Testament or else that it is most certaine true that Paul hath taught as it is indeed of such that they did all not onely eat sacramental bread drinke sacramental drinke as we doe but that they did eate the same spiritual meat drink the same spiritual drink which was Christ that we do 1. Cor. 10.3.4 c. Christ therefore than hauing no manhood really but only in the purpose and promise of God it could not bee that otherwise then by the worke meanes of the spirit of God they fed vpon him were vnited vnto him God man which yet then was necessary for their saluatiō Though therfore now he be come gone againe in his manhood hoode out of the worlde vnto his father in the highest heauens which also shal containe him vnto the restitution of al things as Peter hath taught vs Act. 3.21 yet we know also that he is of that almighty power that as his hauing not then yet takē mans nature could not then stop the godly Patriarkes and Prophets from their necessary vnion communion with him God man so much lesse he hauing taken it now and hauing finished the worke of our redemption being risen againe ascended set at the right hand of his father can the distance of place betwixt heauen and earth hinder or let the grouth of this vnion betwixt him his For we see the distance of place betwixt man and wife or father and child doth not loose the knot or impeach the vnion that by mariage nature was before betwixt them And we see find by experience that though the head in situation and place be much aboue the feet that yet by the means that but nature hath to vnite them togither there is such an vniō betwixt them that frō the head life is conueied down euē to the soales of the feet likewise in the mistical body of Christ though the mēbers be neuer so farre disioyned seuered in place yet that so little hindreth the cōmuniō of Saints that Paul hath said we that are many are one bread one body bicause we al are partakers of one bread 1. Co. 10.17 Seing therefore by that which I haue said it sufficiently appeareth that it is the wil pleasure of God that there shoulde bee a true and certaine vnion betwixt Christ and his Church he being as he is almightie and therefore perfectly able to doe whatsoeuer he will let not the difficultie any way or the incomprehensiblenes of the bringing of it to passe at all make vs to doubte of the truth of the thing For alas so shorte is our reach in comprehending the wonderful workes of God that though we be neuer so sure that we haue soules euery one of vs vnited to our bodies yet the manner how we cannot conceiue therefore it being now made clere and apparant that Christ here by saying drinke hath taught vs to make him our very owne and that this must bee though most truly yet after a spirituall manner to proceede it is necessary now to learne how thus we may eate him and drinke him and so make him our owne To eat and drinke Christ is to beleeue in him aright And for this we neede not seeke farre for whereas if Christ should haue continued the manner of phrase that he began with all he both easily could would and shoulde haue saide in the next verse he that drinketh of mee of purpose doubtlesse to shewe vs that to drinke him or of him is nothing else indeede but rightly to beleeue in him he saith he that beleeueth in mee as saith the scripture c. And the verie same like course hath he taken Vers 35. of the former chapter For hauing saide he that commeth vnto me shall not hunger by and by in steade of saying he that drinketh of mee he addeth he that beleeueth in mee And to the same ende it may well be noted that in that chapter the very same things that are promised to the eater of his flesh and drinker of his blood are also promised to the beleeuer in him and likewise ther the same things that are threatned against the one are threatned against the other as if you compare the 45. verse with the 39. and the 53. with the 64. yee shall soone perceiue Yea if one marke diligently Christs discourse in that chapter he shall easilye finde that there to assure vs that to eate his flesh and to drinke his blood is to beleeue in him he hath of set purpose stoode both vpon the proposition and assumption whereupon necessarilie by the rules of right reasoning that must follow for the conclusion For first there he dwelleth vpon this that to eate the breade of life is to beleeue in him for that he is
will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Iohn 1.12 13. And Christ hath most plainely said Iohn 3.5.6 Verely verely I say vnto thee except a man be borne of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdome of God that which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that which is borne of the Spirit is Spirit And yet more plainely to assure vs of the trueth of this point Paule in expresse words hath taught vs that faith is the fruite of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 Ordinarily the worde preached But yet we must not thinke though the Spirit can extraordinarily worke this faith without meanes immediately where when and in whom it listeth that yet notwithstanding ordinarily it doth it by the ministrie of the word and that preached For so Paule concludeth saying Rom. 10.17 Then faith is by hearing and hearing by the worde of God And therefore accordingly 1. Cor. 1.17 he writeth That seeing the world by wisedome knew not God in the wisedome of God it please him by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue those that beleeue And therefore also he notes it is an especial fruit and effect of Christes ascension Ephes 4.10.11 c. that he gaue and bestowed sundrie ministries there mentioned vpon his Church for the repairing of the Saintes for the worke of the ministrie and for the edification of the bodie of Christ Till we all meete togither in the vnitie of faith and the acknowledging of the sonne of God vnto a perfect man and vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ that we henceforth be no more children wauering and caried away with euerie winde of doctrine by the deceit of men and craftinesse whereby they lay in waite to deceiue Saint Peter also agreable heereunto in his first Epistle Cap. 1.22.23 c. noteth that our souls are purified in obeying the truth thorow the spirit being borre again not of mortall seed but of immortal by the word of God which after there he saith endureth for euer and is that which is preached amongst them Whereupon therefore in the next chapter he exhorteth them to lay aside all malitiousnes all guile dissunulation enuie and euill speaking and as new borne babes to desire the sincere milke of the worde that they may grow vp thereby if it be so they had tasted how bountifull the Lord was Vers 1.2.3 Whereunto we had as much neede to listâ—n as euer they had For these are the daies wherein we liue wherin that prophecie of Christ is fulfilled Mat. 34. touching the danger that should be by false prophets and teachers able if it were possible to seduce the verie elect Verse 24. and wherein he may behold multitudes for lacke of foode and faithfull preachers and teachers as sheepe hauing no sheepheard dispersed and scattered and therefor in respect wherof he may also say Surely the haruest is great but the labourers are few And by the administration of Sacraments I woulde to God therefore we coulde and woulde euerie one of vs according to his counsell there Praie the Lord of the haruest to thrust out labourers into his haruest Matth. 9.3.6 c. Besides the bare preaching of the worde as it is well knowne and confessed of all for the better both breading and nourishing of this our faith as an outward good meanes for the spirite to worke that effect in vs by our most gratious and louing GOD knowing howe slowe to beleeue we woulde bee hath left and giuen vnto vs visible and palpable Sacramentes thereby as it were to seale and more particularly to apply vnto vs all the good promises of saluation in Christ Iesus as namelie nowe baptisme and the supper of the Lorde to vs of the newe Testament The first whereof offereth vnto vs and sealeth the deliuerie to the right receiuer thereof of his regeneration teaching him to looke for it at the handes of God the Father through God the Sonne by the mightie working of the holie Ghost onelie in that onelie he is baptized in water in their names And the other is a Sacrament of his continuall nourishment to eternall life in and by the broken bodie and bloodeshed of Christ Iesus And therefore as to be a man it is necessarie but once to be borne but yet after often to bee sedde so is it most necessarie for those that woulde euer growe to bee perfect men in Christ Iesus but once to bee baptized but often to receiue the other Sacrament And it must be remembred alwaies that both these offer and set before vs one and selfe same Christ the one that he may by his blood wash vs cleane from our sinnes and regenerate vs that we may beginne to lead a newe and a holy life the other that by his body broken and his bloode shed for vs he may be both meate and drinke and sufficient spirituall foode and nourishment vnto our hungrie and thirstie soules but then withall we may vnderstand that the same Christe to the same endes is offered still vnto vs when his Gospell is preached vnto vs onely this is the difference as I said before that the worde offers and sets him before vs in generall and these in particuler and speciall manner leade vs vnto him And whereas the word to breede or nourish faith in vs stricketh onely the sense of our hearing these duely ministred doe not onely the better to prouoke and strengthen the same mooue and strike that but also our sight smelling tast and feeling And therefore as it was noted by Paule Heâ—â—â— 2. that the cause why the worde which the Iewes heard in the wildernesse profited them not because it was not mixed with faith in those that heard it so is it most certaine that these shall not profit vs though outwardly we be partakers thereof neuâ—r so much if we haue not faith to pearse further than to the outward elementes and if it be a fault so to harden our heartes when the worde is but preached that we take not occasion thereby to beleeue it must needes be a farre greater fault if these added therunto we be still vnfaithfull And therefore as in respect of hearing of the word the Apostle said Heb. 3.5 So long as it is said to day harden not your heartes as in the prouocation for some when they heard prouoked him to anger so say I vnto you in respect of both much more To this ende neuer forget the examples of Simon Magus and of Iudas whereof though the one was baptized as we read he was Act. 8.18 and the other was with Christ at the institution of the other Sacrament as it appeareth Luke 22.21 yet as it appeares in both those chapters for that they neither of them had any sound or true faith they were neuer the better but the worse for that to their other sinnes they added in the receiuing of these the prophaning as much as lay in them of both thes If when the word is preached
It standes therefore euery one in hand that receiue these Sacraments to haue a greate care not onelie to beleeue that GOD for his parte will performe that which thereby he bindeth himselfe vnto but also for their partes to fulfill that whereunto they tie themselues otherwise sure they are no better than dissemblers before men and hypocrites before GOD. If the Etimologie of this worde Sacrament be but considered it might teach vs in anâ—e case to deale with these alwayes Sacra mente that is with a sacred and a holy minde The worde is taken and vsëd so generally often that euery outward thing by Gods ordinance signifying a further grace or benefite hath beene called a Sacrament And therfore Iohn Chappâ—â—s in his CoÌ„mentary vpon Raymunds summe of the Sacraments tract 1. thought he had found in Hugo de sancto victore in his sixt booke of Sacraments a verie perfect definition of a Sacrament when he found that he defined it to be Naturale elementum extrinsecùs oculis suppositum ex institutione figurans ex similitudine repraesentans ex sanctificatione aliquam gratiam inuisibilem conferens that is A naturall element set outwardly before the eyes by institution figuring by similitude representing and by sanctification conferring some inuisible grace And in verie deede it somewhat well restraineth the ouerlarge vse of the word and there is nothinge therein but it is true of Sacraments properly taken as I take them now But to make it fully to expresse the nature of a sacrament thus taken and noe more I woulde thereunto adde and I am sure it ought to be so that the institutor must bee God himselfe that sometime the outward partis not onely one element to be seene with the eies but more then one and that it is not enough that by sanctification it conferre any visible grace whatsoeuer but that that grace be euen Christ himselfe with such graces as in him re prouided for our saluation And therfore I define a Sacrament as nowe I speake thereof to be A visible signe or signes ordained by Christ to be ministred in his Church to theÌ„ that be his not only to figure represent himselfe and what he hath done for their saluation but also whereby to offer himselfe with grace necessarie to saluation and to deliuer himselfe with the same and to seale the communication and deliuerie thereof to euery worthy receiuer of the outward element or elementes according to his institution And such we finde no more now in the newe Testament but Baptisme and the Lordes Supper The other fiue vrged as Sacrament by the Romanists of our daies howsoeuer in some generall improper sense they maybe so called in this they cannot For some one or other necessary thing mentioned in this definition is wanting in euery one of them And yet there is nothing in this definition that can be omitted if we minde so to define or describe a Sacrament as that indeed truely and fully we meane to expresse the nature thereof as it is common but to these two Baptisme and the Supper To the constitution therefore of a Sacrament by this we may see that it is first necessarie that Chrst be the author and institutor thereof Secondly that there haue a commandement passed from him to administer it in his Church Thirdlie that it consist of such outward visible element or elementes as he hath chosen and appointed for that purpose And fourthly that according to his ordinance they be taken as meanes to put him on by and to make him ours with all such graces as in him are prouided for our saluation So that asto the making of a perfect maÌ„ there must concurre bodie and soule in one and to the being of our Christ to be a fit person to be our Messias and Sauiour Godhead manhood so to the full beeing of a Sacrament according to Christs ordinance an outward element or elements and Christ himselfe and his grace fit and needfull for our saluation are necessary And therefore as neither bodie soule in man nor Godhead manhood in Christ without falling into a grosse errour there about can or may be said or thought to be eyther confounded with the other or annihilated or absorpted sorpted of the other so neyther may we say or thinke of these two partes in a Sacrament When therefore we come to receiue any Sacrament as outwardly we receiue the outward element so inwardly we must seeke to receiue also the heauenly thing thereby offered vnto vs or else by our default we seuere those thinges which we should coupple and as much as lyeth in vs ouerthrowe the nature and vse of the Sacrament Nowe to descend from the consideration of a Sacrament thus in generall Of Baptisme to these two particuler Sacramentes In Baptisme which is the first we haue Christes ordinance for it and commaundement also for the ministring of it Math. 28.19 where Christ said vnto his disciples Goe and teach all nations baptising them in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost And thereby also the worde baptise signifying as it doth to dippe in water or therewith to sprinkle we may see the outward element to be water Which is also coÌ„firmed by al the practise of the Churches in the Apostles times as appeares both in the storie of their Actes written by Saint Luke and elsewhere And that the thing therby signified offered deliuered is Christ himselfe and so in him remission of sinnes regeneration and dying to sinne and liuing againe vnto righteouspesse it sufficiently appeareth in these places of the Scriptures Knowe ye not that all we which haue beene baptised into Christ haue beene baptised into his death we are then buried with him by Baptisme into his death that like as Christ was raysed vp from the dead to the glory of the Father so we also should walke in newnes of life Rom. 6.3.4 All ye that are baptised into Christ haue put on Christ Gal. 3.27 Be baptised euery one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes Act. 2.38 Christ loued the Church and gaue himselfe for it that he might sanctifie it and cleanse it by the washing of water through the word c. Ephe. 5.25.26 According to his mercie he saued vs by the washing of the new birth and renewing of the holy Ghost Tit. 3.5 Baptisme that now is saueth vs by the resurrection of Iesus Christ 1. Pet. 3.21 They therefore that are desirous not onely to be accounted baptised with the outward Baptisme of water must as you see according to Paules counsell Rom. 13.14 put on the Lord Iesus Christ himselfe and take no thought for the flesh to fulfill the lustes of it For if they be partakers of the other part thereof in the blood of Christ they are washed and cleansed and so must and are bound to liue as men dead to sinne and aliue to righteousnesse Baptisme therfore Is a Sacrament of the new
of their owne nature but as they are by his institution sacred signes simbols representations similitudes pledges and seales of those thinges whose names they beare And therefore we call vpon you most earnestly whensoeuer you receiue in the feare of God reuerently so to take them and so by marking what is said of them and done with them to take occasion first to call effectually to your remembrance how Christs body was broken with sorrowes and tormentes and his pretious blood shed and seuered in his passion from his body to satisfie the iustice of God his heauenly father for mans sinnes yea euen for euery one of your sinnes and therefore withall heartily to sorrowe for your sinnes that put him to al these paines and yet vnsainedlie also with thankefull heartes to reioyce that he woulde take such paines for them that were so vnworthy thereof Which you are notably occasioned to doe when in the administration of this Sacrament you first see the bread broken and the wine powred forth and both particularly offered vnto euerie one of you seuered and apart the one after the other yet bearing the names of his bodie broken and bloode shed for you Secondly knowing the natures of bread and wine as you doe and to what vse they setue touching this life they bearing heere the names of the bodie broken and blood shed of Christ as they doe we assure you that thereby most iustlie we are occasioned to beleue that in the bodie broken and blood shed of Christ both the breade and drinke that is all the foode that is necessary for the maintenance of our spirituall life for euer before God lieth and that therfore there it is only to be sought And in that these further thus called and vsed are giuen vnto euery one of you that come vnto the Lordes boarde and you take them thereby the Lord by vs his ministers particularly offers his bodie broken and his blood shedde vnto cuery one of you to feede and nourish you to euerlasting life and you by taking of them in outward shew answere both him and vs that you doe most firmly and stedfastly euery one of you particularly beleue that he will doe so indeede Wherefore in any case when you streach forth your hands and open your mouthes to take breade and wine thus called at our hands take Christes so calling of them to be a most follemne promise to his to assure you that if indeede then you beleeue that his body was once broken for you and his blood shedde for the remission of your sins as the story of his passion and this Sacrament which is a visible commemoration therof shewe that then vndoubtedly without all question you doe not nor cannot more ceratinly by those instrumentes of your bodies take the breade and wine feede thereof then by this faith of yours the very mouth of your soule in this case you feede vpon his broken bodie and bloode shedde But then I say once againe faile not but when your hands and mouthes are occupied about the taking feeding vpon the outward elements let this faith of yours which is in steede of both to your soule be feruently occupied in beleeuing that by the broken body bloodshed of Christ Iesus your saluation was is fully purchased These three vses thus made taken in the receite of this Sacrament in that you finde by experience knowe it to be most certaine that by the force ordinary worke of nature bread and wine receiued in disgested are conuerted to fit foode for our nature so there growes an vnion betwixt our nature and them so this Sacrament thus receiued is and ought to be vnto vs as a sealed couenant of Christ Iesus by the mightie working of his Spirite to assure vs that he will finde the means most certainlye to vnite himselfe vnto vs to nourish and to feed vs so with himselfe that in him we shall growe to be perfect men in his house And lastly as this Sacrament serues first to these ends so notably to strengthen our faith in Iesus Christ crucified so serues it also as a most notable meane outwardly both before God and men to make confession of the same our faith by to distinguish vs as by our recognisance from others that are not of that fayth to prouoke vs continually to offer vnto God the sacrifice of thankesgiuing for this most sweete sacrifice of his sonne heerein brought fresh still to our remembrance and so beleeued in and vpon and to be a bond of loue and vnitie amongest all the receiuers thereof For as Paule saith We that are many are one bread and one bodie because we are all partakers of one bread 1. Cor. 10.17 So that by the receite heereof as first our vnion and communion with Christ is sealed vnto vs so also is it the seale and bond of the communion that the Saintes of God haue amongst themselues Wherefore as it straitely bindeth vs hauing receiued it vnlesse we would haue it appeare that we receiued it vnworthily afterwardes to liue as they that liue in and by Christ so it bindeth vs also all that receiue as members knit together in one bodie vnder one head to liue together in perfect peace and vnity Worthilie therefore all these thinges considered may we say of it as Augustine did in his time O Sacramentum pietatis ô signum vnitatis ô vinculum charitatis that is O Sacrament of pietie O signe of vnitie O bond of charitie tract 26. vpon Iohn Who should come vnto it how And if these thinges were well remembred as they ought neyther should ministers as they doe in most places without any due preparation of their people before admit them tag and rag one and other to this sacred table neyther would the people so rudely ignorantly and prophanely presse thereunto for a fashion onely as to too commonly they doe For if at any time that commaundement of Christ binde vs ministers as doubtlesse it doth or else Christ woulde neuer haue giuen it vs Giue ye not that which is holie vnto dogges neyther cast ye your pearles before swine Math. 7.6 it most directly bindeth vs heere to doe what lyeth in vs to know that they be neyther dogges nor swine to whome we offer this blessed sacrament before we so doe For heerein we see Christ Iesus that is the true bread of life whose flesh is meate indeede and whose bloode is drinke indeede as he himselfe hath assured vs Iohn 6.35.51.55 is offered to the right commers thereunto therefore here that saying of Christ is most true it is not good to take the childrens breade and to cast it to whelpes Math 15.16 In the ould Testament the Lord hath set downe an expresse Lawe that none that were vncircumcised should be admitted to the eating of the Pasouer Exod. 12.48 Yea Numb 9.6 c. we reade that God by his expresse Oracle shewed Moses that they that were but ceremonially vncleane were
worthily kept backe and that all such alwayes after should a moneth after the rest eate the Passcouer and not before that in the mean time they might purifie themselues Likewise Leuit. 7.20 the Lord saith If any doe eate of the flesh of the Peace offerings that appertaine vnto the Lord hauing his vncleannes vpon him the same person shal be cut off from his people And therefore the godly priest Iehoiada had such a care that these lawes should be obscrued that to his commendation for euer it is recorded of him 2. Chro. 23.19 that he set Porters by the gates of the house of the Lord that none that was vncleane in any thing should enter in And when this is not done the Lord complaineth saying VVho is there among you that would shut the dores c. Mal. 10. Seing then here by it is euident that in the olde Testament God was thus carefull to haue none vnfit admitted to the Sacramentes thereof we may be well assured that he hath as greate care for the Sacraments of the new Our warraÌ„t to admit childreÌ„ to the other is that they be borne and descended of such parentes as professe faith in Christ and therfore to whome and their seede God hath made Couenant to be their God and the other reasons before alleadged to that purpose incourage vs withall to the same but in that Saint Paule as we heard already woulde haue euery one before he eate of this bread and drinke of this cup in this Sacrament to trie examine and iudge himselfe we may plainely learne that none but such as haue discretion and knowledge so to doe and so doe indeede are fit to be admitted to this Most christianly therefore it is prouided that none shoulde presume heere in England to present himselfe to the Lordes table before notice thereof giuen to his minister that he may try whether he can answer his Catethisme or otherwise if he know him to be out of charitie or guiltie of any notorious crime he may put him off vntill he can answere it and vntill he haue satisfied the congregation by the testifying of his repentance and be reconciled vnto the partie whom he hath wronged And not without great and vrgent cause is Christostome so earnest as we may read he was in his 83. Homilie vpon Mathew to perswade the ministers of his time in no case willingly to admit any wicked person to this table willing them that if they durst not or coulde not keepe backe such to tell him for he would die rather then he woulde admit eyther Consull Duke or King for any feare that he knew to be vnfit I would to God therfore that generally all we of the Ministerie would take better care of this then hitherto too many of vs haue done Otherwise doubtlesse we shall not onely before the Lord be guiltie of the monstrous sinne of prophaning his holy misteries in prostituting of them to prophane and filthie persons but also both to the peril of our owne soules and our peoples we shall willingly or carelesly and negligently at the least let them runne apparantly to eate and drinke their owne damnation whose saluation we are bounde to tender and to further what we may as our owne And therefore that complainte of the Lordes vsed in the like case Mal. 1.6.7 will he take vp and vrge against vs saying vnto all such carelesse and negligent ministers O Priestes that despise my name and ye say wherein ye offer vncleane breade vpon mine aultar and ye say wherein haue we polluted thee In that yee say the table of the Lorde is not to be regarded Which after he prooues indeede and effect they did whatsoeuer their wordes were in that contrarie to the lawe they offered the blinde lame and sicke for sacrifice For into this verie fault we runne when we admit as too commonly we doe vnto the receiuing of this Sacrament any whome we before knowe not to be fit both for knowledge and life to receiue the same worthilie Howsoeuer welbeloued let the nature and vse of this Sacrament perswade you that be the people in no case to offer your selues vnto this Sacrament before you finde in your selues an heartie hunger and thirst after Christ Iesus therin offered vnto you as you haue heard and so true repentance for your sinnes past and then a liuely faith grounded vpon Gods promises in him and lastly both these testified vnto your owne soules and consciences by the true fruits of both dying euerie day more and more to sinne and liuing to righteousnesse to be without all hypocrisie and dissimulation For of these quarters and partes must the wedding garment be made which he must bring with him and haue vpon his backe that when the maister of this feast comes in to view his guestes would be approued of him Otherwise let him come neuer so readily with the other guestes heerewith apparrelled indeede and then handle the matter neuer so cunningly to cause all them to take him to be as worthy a guest as any of themselues yet when this suruey your comes that searches the hearts and reynes he shall quickly be confounded and not able to answere one word for his defence in coÌ„ming so irreuerently so shall heare that fearfull sentence which will he nill he he must vndergoe pronounced on him Take him and binde him hande and foote and let him haue his place in vtter darknesse where is weeping and gnashing of teeth Math. 22.12.13 O therefore deare brethren before we come bither let vs deuoutly religiously and reuerently consider who we are who it is that hath called vs whither we are called before whom we shall appeare and to what end that if not these single yet these ioyntly and together may moue vs to come in that worthy sort that is meete If we had but to intertaine our Landlord a man of worship or noble man we would haue a care to put on our best apparell to decke cur houses in the best manner and in any case to prouide that no fluttish corner be found therein where he should come to offend him or when we are in his presence that any irreuerent or vnseemely worde or deede should passe from vs how much more ought we to haue this care heere where by our comming we make a shew that we meane to intertaine and receiue in Christ Iesus himselfe our Lorde and Sauiour for euer to dwell in vs that all thinges within vs then be prepared accordingly Saint Paule hath tolde vs and we may trust him that we may not take the meÌ„bers of Christ and make them the members of of an harlotâ— 1. Cor. 6.15 that we cannot drinke the cup of the Lord and the cup of Deuils be partakers of the table of the Lord and the table of Deâ—iâ— 1. Cor. 10.20 and that as righteousnesse hath no fellowship with vnrighteousnesse or light with darknesse so Christ hath no concord with Beliall or the vnbeleeuer part with the beleeuer 2. Cor. 6.14.15
thereof As therefore we see him worthily condemned of disloyally to the Prince her selfe that offers a manifest abusage to her coyne to her Seale Scepter crowne seate royall robes of estate or picture so we may be sure much more is he to be accounted guiltie of the bodie and blood of Christ and so worthie of damnation that not discerning aright that bread and wine are the Sacraments of the body blood of Christ with prophane handes mouth and heart receiues the same The foolish sonnes of Ely and the armie of the Israelites abused but the Arke which was a testimonie and signe of God amongst his people by fetching it into the campe when they fought against the Philistines and we reade the wrath of the Lord broâ—â—â— at both against them and the whole armie to their shamefull ouerthrow and destruction 1. Sam. 4.4 c. And so likewise when the Philistines prophaned it and abused it by setting it after they had taken it in the house of Dagon euen therefore 1. Sam. 5.2 c. not onely in the wrath of the Lord their idoll Dagon fell downe and brake his necke and the inhabitantes of Ashdod and of al the coastes thereof were miserably thereupon smitten with Emerods but also they coulde haue no rest or ease vntill they restored it home againe to the people to whom it did appertaine Yea when it was come home againe what else was the cause why the Lord with sudden death smote fiftie thousand men of Bethshemesh as we reade he did 1. Sam. 6.19 but that they to whom it did not appertaine to doe so looked into it And why did God manifest vnto Dauid his dislike of that fact of his for the manner thereof by striking of Vzza with sudden death for laying his hande to the Arke to stay it because the oxen did shake it though otherwise Dauid and Vzza had neuer so good meanings the one in bringing of it home and the other in so staying it but because it was carted home whereas the Leuites should haue brought it and he touched it that should not 2. Sam. 6.7 Wherefore once againe I say not to driue you from the Lordes table but of a desire that when you come you may come to your comfort examine your selues before you come as Paule hath bidden you 1. Cor. 13. whether you be in the faith or no and whether Christ be in you or no. For vntill you be in him you are as dead men before God For he is The way the trueth and the life Iohn 14.6 so that whosoeuer liueth indeede before God with Paule he may must say I liue yet not I any more but Christ liueth in me Gal. 2.20 and our life is hid with Christ in God and therefore when Christ which is our life shall appeare then shall we also appeare with him in glory Collof 3.2.4 Whereupon it followeth as to eat and drinke for the sustenance and maintenance of this bodie of ours be actions of one aliue that hath alreadie bodie soule conioyned and vnited so none indeed can eate the flesh of the sonne of man drinke his blood but he that already liueth by faith in him as Paule speaketh Gal. 2.20 so alreadie hath Christ dwelling in him And therefore plainly toteach vs thus much saith Christ Except ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloode ye haue no life in you and then thereupon immediately addeth whosoeuer eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloode hath eternall life and a little after hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me I in him Iohn 6. Whereupon most plainly Saint Augustine in his 26. tract vpon Iohn inferreth thus Hoc est ergo manducare illam escam illum biberepotum c. that is This therfore is to eate that meate to drink that drink to abide in Christ and to haue Christ abide in thee And by this saith he he that abideth not in Christ in whom Christ abideth not without all doubt neither doth he spiritually eate his flesh nor drink his blood though carnally and visibly Premat dentibus SacramentuÌ„ corporis sanguinis Christi He presse with his teeth the Sacrament of the bodie and blood of Christ but rather he eateth and drinketh the Sacrament of so great a thing to his iudgement because beeing vncleane he presumed to come to the Sacramentes of Christ And therefore also most learnedly sundrie times there in that tract he shewes that Aliud est Saeramentum aliud virtus Sacramenti One thing is the Sacrament and an other thing is the vertue therof that it is he that Christ saith shal not die but liue that eateth of his flesh that pertaines to the vertue of the Sacrament and not to the visible Sacrament which eates within and not without which eates in heart not he whtch presseth with teeth For he is most resolute there also that Resipsa cuius est Sacramentum est omni homini ad vitam nulli ad exitium qui eius particeps fuerit c. that is That the thing of the Sacrament is to euery man that is partaker therof to life to none to destruction whereas immediately before he had yet written that the Sacrament therof De meÌ„sa dominica quibusdaÌ„ sumitur ad vitam quibusdam ad exitium that is That the Sacrament thereof might of some from the table of the Lord be receiued to life and of some to destruction And most certaine is all this howsoeuer some would darken all this cleare light and wipe away all this cleare euidence by saying that none else but the faithfull indeede can worthily eate the flesh of Christ and drinke his bloode which are the thinges of this Sacrament but yet vnworthily they may For though we read 1. Cor. 11.27 of an vnworthy eating of the bread and drinking of the cup that maketh them guiltie of the bodie and bloode of the Lord as we haue heard yet we neuer reade nor shall in all the Scriptures of an vnworthy eating of his bodie and drinking of his bloode For if there had beene any such Christ neyther could nor would haue said so simplie absolutely and confidently as he hath Iohn 6.54 and as we haue alreadie heard he did Whosoeuer eateth my flesh drinketh my blood hath eternall life and I will raise him vp at the last day No no it is not the taking or feeding therupon that can hurtany but the not doing so that bringeth the daunger especially then when yet we would make a showe to doe both and yet indeede doe nothing lesse Christ is fed on both God and man But all this while I vrging the right commumcant in the vse of this Sacrament to seeke inwardly by faith to feede vpon the body broken and bloode shed of Christ Iesus himselfe when outwardly he feedeth vpon bread and wine I would not be so taken as though my meaning were to teach that faith heere were to reach no further
then to the vniting of Christes bare bodie and bloode and the right communicant togither For as he both in bodie and soule standeth neede of him to be his Sauiour so it is certaine as Christ both God and man perfecte God and perfecte man in one person is the head and husband of his Church and the redeemer and Sauiour thereof so here faith is to feed so vpon his body broken blood shed as that withall it must stedfastly conceiue and beleeue that it was is the body and blood of such an one as was and is both very God and man and yet but one person For thence it cōmeth that the things done for vs by his broken bodie and blood shed though in number and time wherein they were done they were finite are in the sight of the heauenly Father of infinite value and dignitie as once I said before to worke our perfect redemption and saluation that they were done by such a man that had not onely a perfect bodie and soule of a man and in them both was such an one as it became vs to haue that was seperate from sinners Heb. 7.27 but also was and remaineth for euer a true euerlasting God and therefore was able thus to dignifie the workes done for vs in his manhood And to this end it is most heauenly and diuinely noted Heb. 9. that the force that the offring that Christ made of himselfe vpon the crosse for vs to purge our consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God commeth and riseth from hence that then by his eternall Spirit he offered himselfe without fault to God for vs. And though I am not ignorant that Chrisostome to very good purpose in his 46. Homilie vpon Iohn interpreting those wordes of Christ Iohn 6.63 It is the spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing the wordes that I speake vnto you are spirit and life notes that they were spoken by Christ not to disable his flesh altogether from being profitable because so to thinke is absurd but to warne vs that carnally we vnderstand not his wordes which by his interpretation there we doe if we take his wordes simplie as they sound thinke no otherwise of them for that as he saith all misteries are to be considered with inward eies that is spiritually yet I cannot but thinke with others also that in so saying Christ meante not onely to teach vs that his wordes were not grosly and camally to betaken that he had spoken of the eating of his flesh and drinking of his bloode as the Capernaits and such of his hearers that beleeued not then tooke them but spiritually as his beleeuing disciples who notwithstanding them taried with him when the other murmured or departed by occasion thereof but that therin he had this further meaning and purpose to shew them that if his flesh and blood were as they tooke them but the flesh and bloode of a man then they could not be indeed such foode for their soules as he had taught them to be but beeing as they were the flesh and blood of such an one as withall was a spirit and that an eternall creating Spirit euen very God thence they might be sure that they rightly fed on by faith and the spirite both could and would bring life Thus therefore we teach and exhort all men in the vse of this Sacrament to feede vpon the bodie broken and blood shed of our Christ and Sauiour And yet thus we speake with Christ and according to the phrase vsed in the institution therof because as by Christ God and man as by our onely mediatour we come to the Father so it hath pleased God in his word to reueale him vnto vs that by his manhood and the workes done therin we should grow on to faith in his Godhead vnited thereunto and so shining manifesting it selfe vnto vs therin Thus then I hope by this time euen by this plaine and short declaration onely of our faith and iudgement concerning the doctrine and nature of this Sacrament The conclusion of this our doctrine you may most clearely see and perceiue that we are wonderfully wronged and slandered and that so also are all the Churches of our profession by our aduersaries whiles to discredit vs withal they would make men belecue that we make it but a naked Supper of bread and wine and so seeke to feede our people therein but with bare signes and figures For you may see and heare that most plainely and earnestly we vrge our hearers therein to seeke to feed to their eternall saluation of Christ Iesus himselfe both God and man and so many other notable vses thereof as you heare we teach that euen in respect thereof all the names and titles that any sound antiquitie hath honoured this Sacrament withal may most iustly be giuen vnto it as it is ministred and vsed by vs. We finde it hath beene called the Supper of the Lord the Table of the Lord the Sacrament of his bodie and bloode the Eucharist a Sacrifice and Synaxis and vsually with vs it is called the Cōmuniō And which of these is it not with vs It is the supper of the Lord because as we teach at the last supper he instuted it and it is his Table because therin he feedeth his with himself it is the Sacrament of his body blood because to his it is a sacred meanes of the Lord to nourish strengthen and exercise their faith therein it is the Eucharist because thereby we are so directly forceably occasioned as we are to yeeld all heartie thankes vnto God for the death and passion of Christ lesus whereof it is so notable a memorial and a Sacrifice euen therfore also it may be tearmed also Synaxis it is because it is an excellent bond of our assemblies and meetings together to receiue it and lastly worthily we may and doe call it the Communion be cause it is a seale first of our communion with Christ and then of one of vs with an other in him And yet for all this though this most certainely be the generall doctrine held with one consent by all the Churches that professe the Gospell with vs except of a fewe peeuish and wilfull Lutherans our aduersaries nor these neither will not be satisfied but when we haue said and done what we can all is nothing with them that in this case we say or doe vnlesse we will with them by vertue of Christes wordes spoken by him in the institution heere of hold such a real presence of Christes bodie and blood in this Sacrament as that by the mouthes of all commers thereunto and receiuers thereof haue they true faith or no his verie bodie and blood really be taken in and sed vpon Which beeing a doctrine so directly contrarie to that which lutherto I haue taught you rouching our vnion and communion with Christ by faith and his spirit onely especially seeing also it is to be feared that a number
offered Heb. 7.24 c. If they say that that which they offer is another than that which Christ himselfe offered then why and nowe shoulde it be saide That hee by his owne bloode entered once into the holy place and hath obtaynedeternall redemption for vs. Heb. 9.12 And to say that it is the same onely repeated againe by them what neede that seeing by this by himselfe once offered as we reade Hebre. 7.27.9.26 10.10 hee hath done it sufficiently for our redemption Whether therefore they woulde make it the same or an other which they say their priestes offer they cannot escape but that they must imuriously goe about both to robbe Christ and his sacrifice of that honour and prerogatiue that is due vnto them Paule takes it for graunted that if Christ himselfe shoulde offer himselfe often then he must often die Hebre. 9.26 and that thereupon it came that his offering of himselfe once for all was sufficient to procâ—â—â— vs that by him so offered which he calles the newe and liuing way Capâ—oâ— 20. â—eeke to come to heauen first that he was a man without sin Heb. 7.26 and such a man as liueth for euer and so hath a presthoode that cannot passe from one to an other 24. and then that hee offered himselfe without faulte to GOD by the Aeternall spirite What an absurde thing then were iâ— to imagine that a popish sinfull Priest that hath no such eternall spirit in him to dignifie his offering can offer Christ againe or can without attempting to pull Christ out of beauen to the crosse againe take vpon him to offer him to his Father I know they say their sacrificing or offering of him is vnbloodie and so they thinke they can auoyde these absurdities as long as they leaue onely to Christ the offering of the bloody But this will not serue their turne one whit For if Christes bloodie sacrifice of it selfe be sufficient as these places most strengly prooue it is what neede is there of this vnbloodie sacrifice of theirs For where perfect remission of sinnes and iniquities is such that God according to his conenant will remember them no more there is no more offering for sinne saith Paule Heb. 10.17.18 and in confessing theirs to be vnbloodie they must confesse that howsoeuer they haue picked the purses of men both aliue and deade with the contrarie perswasion it is utterly vnauailable to put away the sinnes eyther of the aliue or deade For without shedding of blood is no remission Heb. 9.22 A sacrifice sometimes the Fathers call is because it is the commemoration of Christes sacrifice and so that which occasioneth vs to offer vnto God the sacrifice of thankesgiuing in regard whereof they call it also the Eucharist but a reall offering againe of Christ to his Father for the sinnes of others aliue or dead visible or inuisible bloodie or vnbloodie neuer any of them thought or taught iâ— to bee We haue to offer our selues bodies and soules a liuing sacrifice to God which we doe in seruing of him according to his word Rom. 12.1 An acceptable sacrifice to God is a broken and contrite heart Psal 51.17 and we are willed Heb. 13. to offer the sacrifice of praise alwaies to God that is the fruit of our lipâ— which confesse his name mamely in powring forth our prayers pralses vnto him to do good to distribute we are there also commaunded for that with such sacrifices God is pleased Other sacrifices then this we are not taught to offer and offering these well we may boldly trust to the most perfect and absolute sacrifice that Christ made once for all which for euer remains fresh and new in the sight of the heauenlie Father to make vs acceptable vnto him in his beloued Hoc facite doe this though Virgill helpe them with his phrase Cum faciam vitula when I sacrifice Calues is too caluish a reason or grounde to make them thus proude and saucie to take vpon them any way to offer Christ againe to his Father for the sinnes of men But whither will not foolish man runne when once he hath left the beaten way of the Lord in his word to follow his owne deuise and conceite Christes offering of himselfe by himselfe doubtlesse was neuer applied to the good of any that whiles they were aliue tooke not hold of it and yet such is the impudencie of these men that nowe they hold the intention of their Priest in saying of his Masse shall carie the benefit of this sacrifice whether he list to liue or dead Yea heereby seeing their credit growe as it hath and their gaines come rowling in they haue not beene ashamed not yet are in this greate light to make their sacrifice in the Masse a salue for all sores and phisicke for all diseases both of man and beast Well yet this is not all the mischiefe that their conceit of reall presence by transubstantiation hath brought them vnto For besides this heereupon they are growne euen to honour and worshippe their hoastes once consecrated euen as Christ himselfe and therefore whereas Christ commanded that which he eate brake and gaue to be eaten streight they hoyst it vp ouer their heades that all the people may gaze vpon it adore and worshippe it for their Christ and Sauiour and then when they haue plaide with it their fill for the most part they eate vp all themselues alone that be the massing priestes and if they leaue anie them they hang vp in a Pixe ouer the Altar to serue them an other time which all commers into the Church in the meane time must adore and reuerence though so hanged vp and hidden from their eyes Wherein doubtlesse they committe most grosse idolatrie For first they themselues manie of them holde that the priest must haue an intention to consecrate or else though he vtter the wordes there followes no transubstantiation thereupon and therefore wisedome woulde if they had anye care to auoyde Idolatrie that they shoulde be sure of the priestes intention before they fell to worshippinge of the hoaste or rather because they can neuer bee sure of that because no man can know a mans thought but himselfe and euery one can and often doth dissemble and make show to thinke that which he doth not they should and would if there were any feare of God in them vtterlie abstaine therefrom Againe vnto this day they cannot agree amongest themselues of the wordes and meanes of consecration their Schoolemen I am sure Scotus Petrus de Aliaco Occam Thomas Aquinas Durand and others wonderfully haue iarred about this matter and as yet I cannot finde they are fully agreed In the meane time therfore whiles they be they should in all reason be better aduised what they doe But to let these reasons alone who can or may thinke that it can stand with Christes saying Iohn 4.24 God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and trueth that they should nowe thus
vse and estimation Bertram in a set treatise written of this matter as it is thought in Carolus Calunus time by manie argumentes proues bread and wine still to remaine And Elfricke about the yeare 996. as Fox noteth in two Saxon Epistles which to that ende he recordes therein taught bread and wine heere no otherwise to be the bodie and bloode of Christ then Manna and the water of the rocke in the wildernes were Christ which all men knowe they were but by representation and signification and not really for that then Christ was not become man And the same man as maister Fox noteth translated a sermon out of Latine into the Saxon tongue which he insertes wholly in his story also by him then appointed to be red on Easter day to the Saxons inhabiting then this land which who so readeth shal finde that it contains much direct matter proofe both against transubstantiation and grosse reall presence built thereupon In Bedes time also who died about the yeare 734. the same doctrine was continued heere and elsewhere as it appeareth by that which he hath written vpon the institution as it is set downe by Luke 22. where he shewes as I haue noted before not onely the likelyhoode of the vse of bread and wine in nourishing and cheering our bodies to be the cause they beare the names of the bodie and blood of Christ which semblablie nourish and feede our soules but also he so speaketh and writeth thereof that yet he shewes he tooke them to be bread and wine still And as by this you may see then that both Scriptures and Fathers are against them herein so questionles is all sound reason most stronglye which as long as it is not controwled or crost either by the doctrine of faith or good manners taught in the Scriptures is worth the listening vnto Now reason and all our sences and the experience that we haue had and may haue of the sowreing of the wine of the mouling and corrupting of the hoasts so that wormes may and haue bred thereof and that Dogges Battes Rattes and Mise and so not onely vnbeleeuers can feede thereof are most sure euidence vnto vs that for all their great brags to the contrary with all their crossing whispering breathing becking and doucking and demure pronuncing of the words they cānot neither once remoue the substances of bread and wine away nor bring Christes bodie or blood into the romphs thereof For neither can these things that I haue spoken of all or any of thē be incident to bare accidents neither yet to the most precious body blood of Christ Iesus God and man For who knoweth not that bare accidents are not nor can be subiectes of such accidents as these bee Neither can they be matter to nourish and feed eyther man or beast withal or to breede any such thinges vpon And howsoeuer these men can finde in their heartes to grant that the bodie of the Christ whom they serue may be subiect to all these thinges sure I am the bodie of the true Christ that the saying of the Psalmist might be verified therof Thou wilt not suffer thy holie one to see corruption Psal 16.10 could not possiblie be helde of death vntill it rotte and therefore much lesse will the heauenly Father now that it is glorified let it be eyther meat for such filthie vermin or for the mouthes of wicked men or to be subiect to putrefaction that wormes shal breede theron But I knowe though some of them haue not beene ashamed to saie that he can and may be eaten of such beastes as well as of such men whereof none of them now doubt yet generally they say when such thinges fall out with the outward elements as I haue spoken of then Christ by his almightie power conueyeth himselfe away and lets the olde substances come againe and ioyne themselues with their accidentes In the meane time then I would the best studied of them in this point could eyther tell vs what was becomde in the meane time of the substances or how their accidentes were kept or vnderpropt without substances and so subiectes to be in And if it were granted then that Christ to exempt and to preserue his bodie from these inconueniences remoues it away before any of these can fal out vnto it yet then they graunt that the best shift that their popish Christ hath in this case is to runne away or to giue place Such a Christ may become such kinde of Christians but surely the wise hearted Christians would be loth to trust to such a Christ for their saluation whose best shift is thus to flie that a Mouse eate him not and I would aduise them not to trust themselues too much to such a dastardly Christ I would thinke that they should would rather hold that he driues all these away then that indeede he should be driuen away of any of them and that therefore when any such thing seemeth to fall out otherwise eyther the priest consecrated not well and so failed and came short of transubstantiation or that the sences are deceiued in thinking any such thing in haue happened But seeing they like better to prouide for their Christ by his suddaine departure I would haue them to tell mee whether they worke a greater miracle in transubstantiating breade and wine into him or these kinde of cattell in trasubstantiating him againe into the old bread and wine And I would be glad once to here a substantiall reason why Christs wordes should not or did not proue as powerfull to driue the accidents away as the substance or why they beleeuing notwithstanding Christs plaine wordes that accidents of bread and wine remaine because the senses telles them so they should not or will not beleeue the same senses as plainly assuring them that the substances themselues also remaine that therefore they are there also But what should I trouble my selfe by reason and sense to confute them which as it should seeme haue herein for the maintenance of their owne wilful conceit pride pompe cōmoditie lost both sense reason and religion Notwithstanding to all such as haue these I trust I haue said sufficient to make not onely the verity of our owne doctrine touching this Sacrament sufficiently to appeare but also to the full displaying disgrasing for euer with such of the vanity of both these our aduersaries herein Wherefore to returne to my text and so to goe on againe therewith I hope yet by this that I haue saide of this matter you now plainly perceiue that notwithstanding the doctrine and vse of this Sacrament the vnion and communion that we must seeke to haue with Christ though it be true reall in respect of him and vs the persons things to be vnited that yet it is not grosse carnall to be attained vnto by the instruments or members of our bodie at all as these our aduersaries teach but that by the worde Sacraments God offers him
besides you see that the Lord hath alwaies taken a delight thus to speake of the spirite and giftes thereof that they shoulde receiue that would onelie seeke to come to the Father by him Wherefore seeing the ground of such metaphoricall speeches is alwaies the similitude and resemblance as once I haue said alreadie betwixt the metaphore and the thinges metaphorized The right vse and application of the promise let vs see and viewe what likelihoode there is betwixt riuers of waterof life flowing out of ones bellie and the giftes and graces of Gods spirite promised to them that thus come vnto Christ and beleeue in him Marke therefore amongest manie other properties that water hath it hath these soure that is first to wash and make cleane then to soften and mollifie and next to make fruitfull that which otherwise would be barren and lastly to quench and coole For as you knowe cloathes and other thinges a number are washed and made cleane thereby the earth that otherwise woulde be as Brasse and Iron vnder vs is softened and thereby it falling vpon it in due season and manner it is made fruitefull also and thereby likewise we see fire quenched and heate much cooled and abated Wherefore in that Christ promiseth his spirite vnto those that thus come vnto him and make him theirs by beleeuing in him vnder the name of waters thus much to beginne withall vnlesse we might thinke that he coulde not tell howe to speake aptly which but to imagine were absurd euen hereby we are taught that the spirite of God in such must and will be as water and therefore of power to wash and make them cleane of the soule errours and sinnes wherewith before they were defiled and so also of power to soften their stonie and harde heartes that the seede of the worde may sinke deepe inough therein and to make them bring forth fruite alwaies in due season and finally likewise it will shew it selfe of force to quench in them the fire of concupiscence and to abate the heate of all other sinne Let not any man therefore flatter himselfe and thinke he hath done what heere Christ commaunded vnlesse he can approoue it by the beeing and dwelling of the spirite in him in that sorte and measure that it may worthilie beare the name of water in all these respectes For Christ was and is of infinite power and wisedome and therefore we may be sure he hath made heere no other promise but that which he both can and will performe Neyther lacke of abilitie to be as good as his worde nor rashnesse or vnaduisednesse in passing of it at any time was euer found in him wherefore let vs not be behind in performing the commaundement and nothing is more certaine than that he will not be behinde with vs in performing of his promise If therefore we finde our hearts and liues still delighted with our old filthie errours and sinnes stonie and slinty that the worde can take no roote in or that cannot tremble at the judgementes of God barren of all goodnesse and burning still with lust and on heate with and after other sinnes then whatsoeuer we can prate or talke of Christ or faith in him as yet we are meere strangers from them both Without figure or Metaphor that you may see the plaine euidence thereof marke I beseech you but amongst infinite other places these most plame testimonies of Scripture concerning this point The fruite of the stirit it in al goodnes righteousnes and truth Ephes 5. Ver. 9. They that are in Christ and so partakers of his death and resurrection they must be and are therby and by the power of his spirit deade to sinne aliue to righteousnes Rom. 6. Ver. 3. c. Collos 2. Ver. 11. 12. They that are Christes haue crucified the flesh with the affections lustes thereof Gal. 5. Ver. 24. And with such old thinges are passed away and all things are become newe and therefore they must be new creatures 2. Cor. 5. Ver. 17. For by him we are deliuered from the handes of our enemies to serue him in holines and righteousnes all the daies of our liues that before him and as in his sight without feare Luk. 1.74.75 And therefore we must not walke after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 8.1 c. and so put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnes and true holines being renewed in the spirit of our minde and casting off the conuersation that was in times Past the olde man Ephe. 4. Vers 22. c. yea we may not dare call him Father vnles we passe the time of our dwelling here in feare in being holy as he is holy 1. Pet. 1. Vers 16.17 and if we say we haue fellowship with him and walke in darknes Saint Iohn will plainely tell vs we lie and doe not the truth Epist 1. Chap. 1. Ver. 6. Whereby it is most euident whatsoeuer we haue beene before when once we are come to Christ and haue pur on him the case must be so quite changed and altered with vs that then though Paule may say of vs you were once such and such yet now he may haue cause to say as he saide in the like case of the Corinthians but yee are washed but yee are sanctified but yee are iustified in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the spirit of our God For Dauid can say hauing an eie to Christ then far off purge me with Hisop and I shall be cleane wash me and I shall be whiter than snow Psal 51. Vers 7. How then may we doe that dishonour vnto Christ being come as either to think that we are washed in his bloode and so iustified and yet remaine still foule filthie or hauing seemed to be clensed and escaped from the filthines of the world through the knowledge of our Lord Sauiour Iesus Christ to suffer our selues to be tangled and ouercome therewith againe If we should thus doe we doe him the greatest dishonour discredit that we can For what cleanly landresse would not take it to be a shame vnto hir to be said or thought to haue washt her clothes they remaining still as foule filthy as euer they were And most certaine it is if hauing put our hand to the plow we looke back againe we are by Christs owne sentence alreadie pronounced vpon vs not meete for the kindom of heauen Luk. 9.62 and if we be backsliders and reuolters Saint Peter hath told vs what we may trust to namely that then our latter end shal be worse than our beginning yea that we are no better than dogs turned to our vomit or than sowes after they are washt returning to the wallowing in the mire 2. Epist Cap. 3.20 And most seareful is that which we read Heb. 6.4 c. 10.26 c. touching apostataes reuolters from the faith for there such are told that it is impossible that they should be renewed