And againe In Christ ye are circūcised with circūcision made without hands by putting off the sinfull body of the fleshe through the circumcision of Christ Euen so is not Baptisme ante bare signe Baptisma eius saith Chrisostome etiam passio eius est Christes baptisme is Christes passion They are not bare signes it were blasphemie so to say The grace of God doeth alwayes woorke with his Sacramentes but wee are taught not to seeke that grace in the signe but to assure our selues by receiuing the signe that it is giuen vs by the thing signified We are not washed from our sinnes by the water we are not fed to eternall life by the bread and wine but by the precious blood of our sauiour Christ that lieth hid in these Sacraments Bernard saith Datur annulus ad inuestiendū c. The fashiō is to deliuer a ring when seisin and possession of inheritance is giuē the ring is a signe of the possession So that hee which hath taken it may say the ring is nothing I care not for it it is the inheritance which I sought for In like maner whē christ our Lorde drewe nigh to his passion hee thought good to giue seisin possession of his grace to his disciples y ◠they might receiue his inuisible grace by som visible signe Chrisost saith In nobis non simplex aqua operatur sed cū accepit gratiam spiritus abluit omnia peccata Plaine or bare water worketh not in vs but when it hath receiued the grace of the holy Ghost it washeth away all our sins So saith Ambrose also Spiritus sanctus descendit consecrat aquā The holy Ghost cōmeth down halloweth the water And Praesentia Trinitatis adest There is the presence of the Trinitie So saith Ciril Quemadmodū viribus ignis aqua c. As water throughly heat with fire burneth as well as the fire so the waters whiche washe the bodie of him that is baptized are changed into diuine power by the working of y ◠holy ghost So said Leo sometimes a bishop of Rome Dedit aquae quod dedit matri Virtus enim altissimi obūbratio Spiritus sancti quae fecit vt Maria pareret saluatorem eadē fecit vt regeneret vnda credentē Christ hath giuen like preeminence to the water of Baptism as he gaue to his mother For that power of the highest and that ouershadowing of the holye Ghoste whiche brought to passe y ◠Mary should bring forth the sauiour of the world hath also brought to passe that the water should beare a new or regenerate him that beleeueth Suche opinion had the auncient learned fathers and such reuerent wordes they vsed when they entreated of the Sacraments For it is not man but God which worketh by them yet is it not the creature of bread or water but the soule of man that receiueth the grace of God These corruptible creatures neede it not we haue need of Gods grace But this is a phrase of speaking For the power of God the grace of GOD the presence of the Trinitie the holy Ghost the gift of God are not in the water but in vs. And wee were not made because of the sacramentes but the sacraments were ordeined for our sake Now for the number of Sacraments howe many there be it may seeme somewhat hard to say that it cannot be spoken without offence For mens iudgments herein haue swarued very much some haue said there are two others three others foure and others that there are seuen Sacramentes This difference of opinions standeth rather in tearmes then in the matter For a Sacramēt in y e maner of speaking which the Church vseth in the writings of the holy scripture of auncient fathers sometimes signifieth properly euery such Sacrament which Christ hath ordayned in the newe Testament for which he hath chosen some certain element and spoken speciall wordes to make it a Sacrament and hath annexed thereto the promise of grace sometimes it is vsed in a generall kinde of taking and so euery mysterie set downe to teach the people and many thinges that indeed and by speciall propertie be no sacraments may neuerthelesse passe vnder the generall name of a Sacrament The sacraments instituted by Christ are only two the sacrament of Baptisme of our Lords Supper as the auncient learned fathers haue made acompt of them S. Ambrose haueing occasion of purpose to entreate of y e Sacraments speaketh but of two De Sacramentis saith he quae accepistis sermonē adorior I begin to speak of the Sacramēts which you haue receiued And yet in his whole treatise deuided into sixe bookes he writeth but of two his booke is extāt if any man doubt this he may see it S. Augustine reckoneth them to be but two Haec sunt ecclesiae gemina Sacramenta These be the two Sacraments of the church Again he saith Quaedam pauca pro multis eademque factu facilima c. Our Lord his Apostles haue deliuered vnto vs a few sacraments in steede of many the same in doing most easie in signification most excellent in obseruation most reuerend as is the Sacrament of Baptisme and the celebration of the bodie and blood of our Lord. Thus Augustine and Ambrose vnto whom I might also ioyne other auncient fathers recken but two Sacramentes Let no man then be offended with vs for so doing wee doe no newe thing but restore the ordinance of Christ and keepe the example of the holy fathers What then Doe we refuse confirmation penance orders and matrimonie Is there no vse of these among vs doe we not allow them yes For we doe confirme and teache repentance minister holy orders and account matrimonie so vse it as an honorable state of life We visit y e sicke among vs and anoynt them with the precious oyle of the mercy of God But we cal not these sacraments because they haue not the like institution Confirmation was not ordeyned by Christ penance hath not any outward element ioyned to the worde the same may be sayd of orders And matrimony was not first instituted by Christ for God ordeined it in paradise long before But in these two we haue both the element and the institution In Baptisme the element is water in the Lords Supper bread and wine Baptisme hath the word of institution Teache al nations baptizing them in the name of y ◠Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost The Lords supper in like maner hath the worde of institution Doe this in remēbrance of me Therfore these two are properly and truly called the Sacraments of the Churche because in them the element is ioyned to the word and they take their ordinance of Christe and be visible signes of inuisible grace Nowe whatsoeuer lacketh eyther of these it is no Sacrament Therefore are not the other fiue which are so reckoned and make vp the number of
them and confirmed them which were baptized of Iohn But that proueth not this confirmation that was extraordinarie it was a miracle The holy Ghost came downe vpon them and lightened their hearts by this laying on of the Apostles handes But it is not so nowe the holy Ghost doth not now descende in visible forme vpon those which are confirmed there is no such miracle wrought There is no neede that it should so be There was no commandement either to appoint it vnto the Church or to continue it vntyl the comming of Christ and the end of the worlde Therefore it is no Sacrament by the institution of Christ Hitherto of the vse Now somewhat of the abuse Nothing so good and holy but it may be abused The worde of God hath bene abused to Heresies to Necromancie to Charmes and Sorcerie and Witchcrafte The supper of the Lord was abused in y â— time of S. Paul He telleth the Corinthians This is not to eate the Lords Supper Lesse marueile then if this happen to a ceremonie Time rusteth and consumeth all things maketh many a thing to proue naught in the ende which was first deuised for good The brasen Serpent at the first was made by Moses and set it vp for good purpose But after warde it was abused The children of Israel did burne incense vnto it and therefore Ezechias brake it in pieces The first abuse in confirmation was that it was done in a strange tongue y â— no man might vnderstand what was ment Then that they receiued to confirmation such children and so young as were not able to make profession of their faith so that the infant promised he knew not what and the Bishop ratified and confirmed where there was nothing to be confirmed he set to his seale where there was nothing to be sealed These abuses were farre vnmeete for the Church of God Besides these ther was great abuse in the manner of doing For thus the Bishop said Consigno te signo crucis confirmo te chrismate salutis I signe thee with the signe of the crosse and coÌ„firme thee with the oyle of saluation Thus they vsed to doe these were their words with the oyle of saluatioÌ„ They tooke not this of Christ nor of his Apostles nor of the holy auncient fathers It agreeth not with our Christian faith to giue the power of saluation vnto oyle He that sâ—eketh saluation in oyle looseth his saluation in Christ and hath no parte in the kingdome of God Oyle for the bellie and for necessarie vses of life It is no fit instrument without commaundement or promise by the worde to worke saluation More they said he was no perfect ChristiaÌ„ that was not anointed by the Bishop with this holy oile This was another abuse For whosoeuer is baptized receiueth thereby the full name of a perfect Christian and hath the full and perfice couenaÌ„t and assurance of saluation he is perfitely buried with Christ doth perfitely put on Christ and is perfitely made partaker of his resurrection Therefore they are deceiued that say no man is a perfite Christian that is not marked with this oyle Els the Apostles and holie Martyrs were but halfe Christians because the lacked this oyle Els what hope and comfort might the pore fathers haue In what state shall he thinke to finde his childe if he die before confirmation passe without perfite Christendome verely they write thus Sine oleo Chrismatis nemo potest sisti ante tribunal christi Without y e oyle of chrisme no maÌ„ can appeare before the Iudgment seat of Christ Againe they say confirmation is more honorable then baptisme because any priest may baptize but confirmation is giuen onely by a Bishop or a suffragain So doe they giue a greater preeminence to confirmation which is diuised by man then to the holy sacrament of baptisme which Christ him selfe ordained I neede not speake more hereof the errour is so grosse so thicke so sensible and palpable Againe when they blessed or halowed their oyle they vsed these wordes Fiat domine hoc oleum te benedicente vnctio spiritualis ad purificationem meÌ„tis corporis O Lord let this oile by thy blessing be made a spritual ointmeÌ„t to purifie both soule body O Christ Iesu where was thy crosse where was thy blood and the price of thy death and passion when a drop of oyle was of power to worke remission of all sinnes to saue and defende against al the dartes of the wicked spirites and to refresh both bodie and soule Yet so were we taught so were wee lead I faine not these things The words may be seene Neither do I speake this to bring you to a misliking or loathing of our latter fathers but onely that wee may humble our heartes and giue thankes to GOD that hath brought vs out of that darkenes and giuen vs better knowledge Nowe a worde or two of the bringing vp of children and preparing them to confirmation Wherein I woulde God the olde order were duely obserued that they were instructed perfitly to know relygion theyr duetie to God and so might be brought before the Congregation and make an open profession of their faith with promise that neither tribulation nor anguish nor persecution nor famine nor nakednes nor fire nor sword nor life nor death shall euer make them denie their faith Hereof might much be spoken but I will be short The whole standeth in knowledge and in the feare of God that they may knowe God walke before him in reuerence and in feare and serue him in holines and righteousnes al the dayes of their life The Iewes are a miserable people they liue in errour they die in their owne blood yet haue they so much vnderstanding that they bringe vp their children in the knowledge of God and that knowledge they teach out of the worde of God They remember what charge God gaue them Thou shalt teach them thy sonnes and thy sonnes sonnes Therefore a father must teache his childe what God is That he is our father that he hath made vs and doeth feede vs and geueth vs all thinges needefull both for body and soule that he is our Lord and therefore we must serue him and obey him and do nothinge whereby he may be displeased that hee is our iudge and shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead and that all men shall come before him to receiue according as they haue done in the flesh He must put his childe in minde of his baptisine and teach him that it is a couenent of Gods mercie to vs and of our duetie to God that it is a misterie of our saluation that our soule is so washed with the blood of Christ as the water of baptisme washeth our bodie So must he also teach his childe the misterie of the Lordes supper what and how he receiueth there to his comfort that as the bread is broken and the wine poured out so the bodie of Christ was
lande whereof I sware to their fathers but their carcases shall fall in this wildernes they shal not enter into my rest with this blindnes god doth punish those which obey not his word The Lord shal smite thee sayth Moses with madnes blindnes w t astonyinge of heart thou shalt grope at noone daies as the blinde gropeth in darknesse I wil take my spirit frō thee I wyl command the cloudes that they shal not giue thee raine thou hast forsaken me I wyl forsake thee I wyll cause the sunne to go downe at noone I wyll darken the earth at cleare day saith the Lorde I will send a famine vpon the lande not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water but of hearing the word of the Lord thei shal seek the word of the Lord and shal not finde it Saint Paul tolde the Iewes at Antiochia Seeing you put the word from you and iudge your selues vnworththy of euerlasting life loe we turne to the Gentiles you shal be left in your filthines Now what shal be done to these hard hearted blind builders of y e spiritual Hiericho Christ telleth vs it shalbe easier in that day for thē of Sodom then for that citie which wil not receaue the Disciples And againe Except ye beleeue that I am hee you shall die in your sinnes The ende of such is worse then the beginning Al those plagues vtter destruction came vpon Hierusalem because shee knew not the time of her visitation euen the daye of Gods mercy as they were foretolde by the Prophet Ieremy Behold that which I haue built will I destroy that which I haue planted wyll I pluck vp euen this whole lande So dooth god plague one sinne with another letteth thē whiche are filthy grow in filthinesse because of the hardenes of their hart which can not repent wherby they heape vnto themselues vengeance against the day of the Lords wrath such are not worthy to see Hierusalem therefore are they left to perish in Hiericho As for the eloquence and deceitefull persuasion of the learned I wyll say nothing Notwithstanding it hath bene and is so vsed to the restoringe of Hierico that a blinde man may perceiue it and all the world may rue it One saide sometimes that were the matter neuer so false hee woulde prooue it by eloquence to bee true Another sayde the sunne and moone stand stil and the earth goeth about Another sayde that snow is blacke and that hee was able well to proue it and there were many whiche beleeued them Such were they of whom it is written in the Prophet Esay that spake good of euill euil of good which put darkenes for light and light for darkenesse and put bitter for sweete and sweet for sowre So they mocked the eyes of the ignoraunt and abused the giftes of God Thy wysedome and thy knowledge saith the Prophet they haue caused thee to rebel and thou hast sayde in thine heart I am and none els thou art wearyed in the multitude of thy Counsels let now the Astrologers the Starre gasers and Prognosticatours stande vp and saue thee from these thinges that shall come vpon thee We may answere such learned disputers as Dauid answered the proud Goliah thou com mest to me with a sword and with a speare and with a shield that is with great eloquence shew of learning but I come to thee in the Name of the Lord of hostes the god of the host of Israel whom thou hast rayled vpon By the Prophet Ieremie thus sayeth the Lord. Let not the wise man glory in his wisdome nor the strong mā glorie in his strength neither the rich mā glorie in his riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that he vnderstandeth and knoweth me Agayne it is written sayth the Apostle I wyll destroy the wisedome of the wise will cast away the vnderstanding of the prudent And Eliphaz saith He taketh the wise in their craftines the counsel of the wicked is made foolish he wyl open their errors he will bewray theyr craftinesse he will ouerthrow the cunning deuises of their wit these helps shal not suffice to builde vp cursed Hiericho Now to speak of the third help of the power of Princes whom the wicked builders of this spirituall Hiericho haue in all ages deceiued The authoritie of a prince is great he is the seruant of God he carieth y e sword for God to take vengeance on hym that dooth euill Salomon saith The wrath of a king is as messēgers of death Unto thē these builders haue recourse accuse the seruants of the lord which haue waited vpon Iosuah and haue done y e Lords wyll vpon this wilfull and rebellious citie The Heathen and Infidels vsed this helpe against the Christians they accused thē before Kinges that they were wicked that they worshipped strange gods that they liued in adulterie and incest that they killed theyr Children and dyd feede vpon mans flesh Before them they charged the Christians with diuisions and schismes sayinge You Christians agree not among your selues you haue so many sects and one sect is at defiance with another and condemneth one another therefore your religion is not true it is not of God Since the time wee forsooke our Gods these and these euils are come vpon vs. They charged Christians that they were stirrers vp of rebellion and that they disquieted the mindes of the people Let these Christians said they be cast to the Iyons Such complayntes were brought before Kinges and Princes againste the Christians of the Primitiue Church and these false charges haue bene thoughte true therefore were there sharpe lawes made agaynst them It was comaunded that no man shoulde speake in the Name of Christ and who did not obey this shoulde dye the death Who is able to expresse the miseries whiche followed in the execution of those Lawes There was no sworde nor weapen no racke nor torment no fire nor water but they were prepared for and stayned with Christian blood Souldiers were kept in whole garisons princes made Leagues kepte Councils deuised new and cruell lawes vsed conspiracies practised al kindes of strange and terrible deathes for the defence of Hiericho they kylled Christians by thousandes Maximianus burnt in one Temple twentie thousande assembled together to celebrate the memorie of the Natiuity of Christ Dioclesian made proclamation for the ouerthrowinge of the Christian Churches throughout all the Romane Empyre hee caused the Bookes of holy Scripture to bee burned in the open Market place and displaced with great ignomie suche Christians as were Magistrates and all other that bare any office These thought that heerby the gospel of Christ should be abolished and quite ouerthrowne But the Lorde which was mightie to saue Daniel in the middes of the lyons and Ionas in the whales bellye and his three seruantes in the flaming fire and Israel in the redde Seat whose
the Gospel to be heresie and that the things which he hath done for vs are wrought by the power of Beelzebub and which as good watchmen attending their warde may stirre vp the people to knowe the season that the night is passed and the day is come that it is time to cast away the workes of darkenesse and to put on the armour of light shall witnesse for them what zeale they beare to the house of God If the ministers be mindefull to perfourme their duetie if the Lordes haruest be not neglected if the defence for the Gospel finde vpright Iudges if all that giue outward shew of zeale be in deede zealous and worke the fruites of zeale what hope may they of Iericho haue that their cursed dwellings shal stand or why shall Israel mistrust that the Temple of God shall not receiue againe the former and perfect beautie Nowe because euery where in these sermons hee commendeth the necessary vse of godly learning and is an humble suter for patronage thereof I can not but present them vnto your honours our patrones and fathers right honourable Chauncelours of both the Vniuersities that seeing the benefite of this your gracious protection hath and doeth and shall reache it selfe so farre to do so much good to the whole Church of God you may at home and with your selues reioyce in the comfort of a good conscience for the manifold fruites of your fauour bestowed in such sort and all that haue the loue of the trueth may earnestly praye vnto God for your honours that he will continue his goodnesse towardes you and giue you long and prosperous dayes in this life and after a ioyfull enterance into his glorie Your honours most humble to command Iohn Garbrande ⧠Certaine Sermons of B. Iewell Ioshua 6. And Iericho was shut vp and closed because of the children of Israel neither might any man goe out or in 2. And the Lorde saide vnto Ioshua behold I haue giuen into thine hand Iericho and the King thereof and the strong men of warre 3. And yee shall compasse all the Citie c. IN diuers maners god spake opened himselfe to our fathers by visions dreames by sacraments by angels by plaine expresse words by allegories by secret mystical vnderstanding where one thing is couered vnder another And al this did he that he might cōdescende to our capacitie that wee might bee conuerted and saued that we might be guyded in the right way and not goe aside neither to the right hande nor to the left By vision GOD spake to Ezechiel as appeareth in the firste Chapter of his prophecie The wheeles which he saw were horible to behold they were ful of rings and the rings were full of eyes the foure beasts were also terrible they had faces like a man like a lion like a bullock and like an eagle In dream God spake to Samuel saying Beholde I wil doe a thing in Israel wherof whosoeuer shal heare his two eares shall tingle c. Touching Sacramentes God him selfe saith Thou shalt shew thy Sonne in that day saying this is done because of that which the Lord did vnto me whē I came out of Egipt thou shalt set apart vnto the lord al that first openeth the wombe c. And whē thy sonne shal aske thee to morrow saying What is this thou shalt then say vnto him with a mighty hande the Lorde brought vs out of Egypt out of the house of bondage For when Pharao was hard hearted agaynst our departure the Lord then slue al the first borne in the lande of Egypt from the first born of man euen to the first born of beast therefore I sacrifice vnto the Lorde all the males that first open the wombe but al the first borne of my sonnes I redeeme Sometimes he spake by Angels as by sundrye examples it may appeare Sometimes by him selfe in his owne person as he spake to Moses face to face Sometimes by playne expresse wordes Thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule and with all thy might And againe Thou shalt haue none other goddes before my face thou shalt make thee no grauen image c. These are playne woordes these are the woordes which our Lord GOD hath spoken Some tymes he expressed his holy will not in words or visions or in such sort as I haue shewed but onely by some mysticall or secret Allegory by some deede which the people sawe done before their eyes of which kynd is this which we haue now to consider Therefore hath God sayde by the Prophet What coulde I haue done any more to my vineyard that I haue not done vnto it What shoulde I doe but it hath byn done What shoulde I say but it hath been sayde what warning shoulde I giue but it hath byn giuen I haue byn carefull for my people that they shoulde repent and turne to me that all Israel shoulde be saued If they perish I am free from their destruction they perishe in their owne wilfulnesse they haue none excuse Now touching an Allegory whereof we are at this present to say God opened his minde sometimes not by wordes but by some notable kinde of deede and the people heard GOD speak vnto them not with their eares but with their eyes The people of Israel as they were passing through the wildernesse lacked water to drinke and were like to perishe there stood a mighty great Rocke of harde stone whiche Moses smote with his rodde it opened and yelded out a great streame of water the whole people dranke of it and was refreshed the same people being likewise in the same wildernesse vtterly voyde of bread and all other substenance was like to famish God sent them Manna from heauen aboue they gathered it they ground it and they ate of it it was sweet and delicate and full of comfort This was an Allegorie that is to say a secret and mysticall kinde of vtterance For by this Manna and by this Rocke the people was ledde to vnderstand and thinke on that bread and that water that should come from heauen Saint Paul saith the Rocke was Christ his side was clouen his blood issued out it is a water springing vp into euerlasting life we drink of it and liue for euer So likewise that Manna was the bodie of Christ the people did eate of it and liued by it Christ had not yet taken vppon him a naturall bodye yet they did eate his bodie he had not yet shedde his blood yet they dranke his blood Saint Paule saith all did eate the same spirituall meate that is the body of Christ and all did drinke of the same spirituall drinke that is the blood of Christ and that as verily and as truely as we doe nowe and who so euer then did so eate Christ liued for euer not because the rocke was turned into his flesh or the water into his blood it was an Allegory as
his Epistle to Traianus that they were a sect which would not offer vp to Idols which coulde not be compelled to blaspheme Christ but were wont at certayne times appointed to meete together and sing hymnes to one Christ their God that they were of one mynd agreed among themselues and did absteine from theft murther and adultery and did keepe their faith and defraâ—â—ed no man Euen such should we be thus ought we to liue these things are examples for vs to follow we should meet often to sing hymnes and giue thankes to our God we should lament our former wickednes wherwich we haue called Gods anger vpon vs. But alas there appeareth not in vs that chaunge of life that ought to be in such as turne to Christ we are as proude as couetous and wicked in abusing the holy name of God as euer we were in the time of ignorance Thus we abuse the great mercy of God thus we withhold his trueth in vnrighteousnesse We say we know God but giue him not the glorye that is due vnto God And besides this wee are in loue with our owne corruption and as the Prophet sayeth we reioyce when we haue done wickedly wee cannot abide to haue our fault touched our pride is growen vp as hie as heauen our couetousnesse is sunke as deepe as hell our poore weake brethren be offended and think that these be the very fruites of Christes gospel Yet we can in no wise suffer to be reproued we say to the Preacher peace and talke not to vs in the name of the Lord tell not vs of the Scriptures tel not vs of Christ of Peter Paul we did him speake vs faire and blesse those things that be accursed by Gods owne mouth We say he is too busie he medleth with that he knoweth not Yes yes man he knoweth it wel inough he knoweth that pride is pride that vsury is vsury that sinne is sinne and thou thine owne conscience knowest it too if thou wouldest be knowen of it yea thou knowest it indeede in thy heart of force art weary of it And this is extreeme miserie that we are so farre plunged in sinne that wee can neither abide our owne faultes nor yet the amendinge of them Is this the repentaunce of our life Are these the fruits of Gods Gospell are these the fruites of the innocent blood that we see shead before our eyes Are these our teares for the sinnes wee haue commited Is this the thanks that we render vnto God for giuing vnto vs so great blessings But what sayd I blessings Would God we were so blessed that we might consider our blessednesse Many alreadie bewray the weakenesse of their stomakes they brooke not the Gospell yea they seeme already weary of these Preachers they call them Pulpit men men of the spirite and I knowe not what as though they themselues had nothinge to doo with Gods spirite Ha mercifull God what way may GOD take to winne you Alas what are wee what haue wee offended you Are we become your enemies for tellinge you the trueth I feare mee this murinuring is not agaynst vs but against the Lord. You haue had the Masse and that you worthely hated you haue now the Communion and that you regard not God hath sent to call you with fire and fagots those which vsed that seueritie crueltie you called tyrants He hath sent vnto you now simple men that bringe you nothing els but the kingdome of God and seeke for nothinge but onely for your saluation and them you disdaine It is eueÌ„ now come to passe that Christ said We haue piped to you you haue not danced we haue mourned to you you haue not wept but wisedoms is iustified of al her children Many of you are euen ful of the gospel ful weary of these schoolemaisters Therfore shal God send amongest you an other maner of schoolemaister y â— shal intreat you after another sorte that shall pull the pride from your neckes the ruffes from your shaulders I will saye I woulde God I might not speake thus in y e spirit of truth I would to God it might proue vntrue and neuer come to passe But God is iust and the extreame disdaine of Gods trueth and his holy Gospel iustly deserueth the extremitie of Gods vengeance and this Gospell that you are already so weary of shal be taken away from vs. The kingdome of God shalbe taken away from vs and shalbe giuen to a nation that shal do the fruites of it The kingdome of God which is the true vnderstanding of Gods word shalbe taken away And theÌ„ what shall remaine but blindenes and falshood which is the kingdome of the Diuel I will send saith God a famine in the land not a famin of bread nor a thirst of water but of hearing the word of the Lord. Let vs therefore good brethren remember for what causes God suffred his temple at Hierusalem to be destroyed burnt by y e Chaldees let vs remember wherefore God tooke from vs his holy Gospel that he had planted amongst vs of late time let vs now thankefully receiue it with teares and repentance for our former life let vs not make our selues vnwoorthye of the great grace and blessing of God To you this holy promise is made you are the children of Abraham to you Christ spreadeth out his armes to embrace you receiue not the grace of God in vayne let vs not put out that heauenlye light which God hath kindled let vs pray to God to giue vs new heartes and to put a newe spirite within vs Why should you perish you that are so dearely saued why should you perish O you the house of Israel Let vs once fal to the building vp of Gods holy temple let vs not driue it off any longer The Foxes haue boroughes and the birds of the aire haue nests but the Sonne of man hath not yet a place to rest his head in God calleth to vs by the Prophet Bring wood builde this house I will be fauourable in it Is it time for your selues to dwel in your sieled houses this house lie waste Your houses are fresh faire furnished yet my house lieth desolate flat vpon the ground Behold the miserable desolation of my holy place my flock is scattered in the mountaines behold your brethren y e lie in chaines in a thousande places bound beaten tormented and drawen to most cruel death not for any offence they haue coÌ„mitted but only for the building of my temple and professing of my name They are your owne body flesh and blood My bones are scattered vpon the face of the earth my blood is shed without compassion as it were water vpon y e grounde O what cruel eyes haue you that can see this not be moued that can buyld your owne houses serue your owne pleasures and leaue my house forsaken Thus almighty God speaketh to vs O good brethren let vs not
Gods hands is to haue prophets preachers by whō they may be instructed When y ◠prophet declareth y ◠mercy of God towardes Israel y ◠he would put an end to their afflictions bring thē home again from Babylō he saith thus Behold saith the Lord I wil send out many fishers they shal fish thē In the like sort saith Esai How beautiful vpō y ◠moūtaines are the feet of him that declareth publisheth peace that declareth good tydings publisheth saluatiō saying vnto Siō thy god reigneth The voice of thy watchmē shalbe heard they shal lift vp their voyce shout together And Baruch Nor the Agarēs that sought after wisdom vpō the earth nor the marchāts of Nerrā Themā nor the expoūders of fables nor the scarchers out of wisdom haue known the way of wisedome There were the giāts famous frō the beginning that were of so great stature so expert in war Those did not the Lord choose neither gaue he the way of knowledge vnto thē but they were destroyed because they had no wisdome perished through their own foolishnes He hath foūd out al the way of knowledge hath giuē it vnto Iacob his seruant to Israel his beloued And againe O Israel we are blessed for the thinges that are acceptable to god are declared vnto vs. He hath not dealt so with euery nation neither haue they knowledge of his iudgmēts saith the Prophet Dauid But when God taketh away his ministers whiche should preach peace open vnto the people the wil of God make known his iudgemēts it is a token that God is highly displeased with his people Where there is no visiō the people decay they know not what to beleeue Of this misery speaketh Iere. The young children aske bread but no mā breaketh it vnto them Of this speaketh Esay The poore needy seeketh water there is none They would haue some counsell some comforte and there is no man to giue it them My sheepe wandered saith God through al the mountaines and on euery high hill yea my flock was scattered through all the whole earth and none did seeke or searche after them They were full of diseases they were pined for hunger and taken vp by the wolfe but none had care to deliuer them In such state as the flocke is in which hath no shepheard or the shippe which is tossed by the tempestes amiddes the surges and rockes of the Sea and hath no skilful Pilote to guide it or the yong sucking childe that hath no nource to feede it euen in such stace are your soules if you haue not the ministery of Gods worde abyding with you You are children the Preacher is your nource you are a shippe in daunger of many wreckes through the boysterous tempests of this worlde the Preacher is your Pilote to guide you safely towardes the hauen of rest you are the flocke the Preacher leadeth you from dangerous places to feede vpon the whole some pastures of Gods holy worde Whosoeuer they be which reioyce not in the increase of the Lords haruest hee forsaketh them and leaueth them comfortlesse and giueth them fewe or no labourers Wherfore pray the Lorde of the haruest that he would send forth labourers into his haruest It is the Lorde which casteth the firste seede into the earth whiche doeth moysten the ground and maketh it fruitful and giueth forth his sunne that it may come to ripening Al the soile field corne and the husbandry therof is the Lordes Let vs pray to him to send forth labourers to trauaile and take paines Notwithstanding we ought to praye to God that hee will stirre vp and set foorth men to instruct his people yet that nothing embarreth the authority of princes For as God calleth him inwardly in the heart whom he wil haue to bee a minister of his word so must he be authorized of his Prince by outward and ciuil calling as I could shew at large if time would suffer it So Salomon the king deposed Abiathar the high priest and set vp Sadoc So Iustinian deposed two bishops of Rome Siluerius Vigilius authorized others And the same Iustinian was wont to say that he had no lesse regarde to the Church of God thē he had to his own soule So Constantinus Valentinianus and Theodosius called themselues Vasallos Christi The vasals of Christ And Socrates in his story saith Wee haue also herein comprised the Emperours liues for that sithence the Emperours were first christned the affaires of y ◠church haue depended of them the greatest counsels both haue byn are kept by their aduise It pertaineth therefore also to kings and Princes to send out labourers into the haruest Labourers they must be and not loyterers For Christ compareth the teaching of his people to thinges that be of greate labour as to plowing and fallowing of the grounde to planting of a Uine to rearing of a House to threshing of Corne to feeding of sheepe to leading of an Hoste and keeping of warre in which thinges is required much diligence and labour Cato in his bookes of husbandry saith it was an old saw among husbandmen Qui terram colit ne sedeat est enim aliquid semper quod agat He that plougheth the ground must not sit stil for he hath alwaies somwhat to do The worke of the husbandman is neuer ended hee falloweth stirreth soweth harroweth weedeth and tendeth his land Therefore if they he Pastours let them feede the flocke if they be Doctours let them teach the people if they be watchmen let them stande vppon their watche if they bee messengers let them doe their erraunt This is the way to buylde vp the Churche of Christ This commission Christ gaue vnto his Disciples Ite in mundum vniuersum c. Goe ye into al the world and preach the Gospel vnto euery creature Thus by twelue poore Apostles al the world was conquered Princes and kings and Emperours were subdued to the faith of Christ This is the key that openeth the conscience this is the two edged sword which entreth through euen to the diuiding asunder of y e soule and the spirit Therefore the Apostle saith The weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God to cast downe holds casting down the imaginations euery hie thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing into captiuity euerie thought to the obedience of Christ This is the only instrumēt wherwith we may cut down and haue in the haruest of God For all mens deuises Actes Iawes or commandements be the authority thereof neuer so great yet are not sufficient to content one mans conscience For the wisedome of man is but follie before God God knoweth the fancies and cogitations of men that they be but vayne and foolish Aristotle the great wise Philosopher on a time being sick when the phisition came to him to minister him
in darknes Our sauiour therefore saith The wordes y ◠I spake vnto you are spirite and life To eate the bodie of Christ and to drinke his blood is not the parte of the bodie it is rather a worke of our mind And therefore S. Ambrose saith Non corporali tactu Christum sed fide tangimus We touch not Christ by bodily touching but we touch him by faith And againe Stephanus in terris positus Christum tangit in caelo Stephen being in the earth toucheth Christ being in heauen By faith therefore wee eate Christ and by faith we drinke Christ by faith wee are apparelled and clothed with Christ And this is that the Apostle saith Put ye on the Lorde Iesus Christ Let vs bee incorporate in him Let God see nothinge in vs but the image of his sonne so shall he dwell in vs wee in him Take no thought for the flesh to fulfill the lustes thereof The sonnes of God rest vpon the prouidence of God their father He giueth thē water out of the rockes hee raineth downe breade from heauen hee openeth his handes and filleth euery liuing thing w t his blessing The Prophet saith The Lorde is my shepheard I shall not want The thinges of this worlde shall haue an ende they fade away and will not continue If riches abounde wee must not set our heart vpon them but rather bee carefull for the life to come We must seeke the kingdome of God the righteousnes thereof then al these things shalbe ministred vnto vs. He doeth not forbid honest moderate forecast and prouision as if it were not lawfull for Christians to deale in matters appertaininge to the good estate of this life For he hath said vnto Timothie If there be any y ◠prouideth not for his own namely for them of his houshoulde he denieth the faith is worse then an infidel again he saith no mā euer yet hated his owne flesh but nourisheth it and cherisheth it Agayne writing to Timothie drinke no longer water but vse a litle wine for thy stomakes sake and thine often infirmities In whiche speéches hee sheweth we are bonde to nourish and feede and bee carefull for our bodies Though the conuersation of the faithfull bee in heauen and they seeke after the thinges which are on high yet whiles they passe the pilgrimage of this lyfe they must needes haue the felowshippe and company of their naturall bodies the whiche they must not so weaken that thereby they shall become vnprofitable and not hable to doe seruice in the Churche of god and yet so keepe them vnder that they may be made obedient to the spirite Onely wee may not bee ouer carefull To take great care for the body is to cast away all care for the soule For they that will bee riche fall into temptation snares and into many foolish and noysome lusts which drowne men in perdition and destruction for the desire of mony is the roote of al euil which whiles some lusted after they erred from the fayth and perced themselues with many sorrowes Of this care speaketh our sauiour It is easier for a Camel to go through y ◠eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of God No care can satisfie the vncontented minde The righteous eateth is satisfied but the bellie of the wicked euer wanteth Hee hath enlarged his desire as hell and ladeth hym selfe with thicke clay he encreaseth that which is not his and cannot be satisfied The horse leache hath two daughters whiche cry giue giue There be there things y ◠wil not be satisfied Yea foure y ◠say not it is enough They care not by what meanes they make their gaynes they liue in vsurie a most fylthye trade a trade which God detesteth a trade which is the verye ouerthrow of all Christian loue They eate vp the people as they eate breade Such are the wayes of euery one that is greedy of gaine He wolde take away y ◠life of y ◠owners thereof They haue hardened their heart against God they doe not serue God but Mammon But their gayne shall be to their losse their mony to their destruction He that giueth his money vnto Usurie shall not dwell in the tabernacle of the Lorde nor rest vppon his holy mountayne Wee haue here no continuing Citie wee are straungers as were al our fathers before vs. If we gather riches to our selues be not rich in God he shall say vnto vs O foole this night will they fetch away thy soule from thee Then whose shall those things be which thou hast prouided Let him therefore that hath this worldes goods be as if hee had them not They are the giftes of God The Lorde giueth them and the Lorde taketh them away Settle not your hearts vpon thē As they come so wil they fade away they bee vncertaine they will deceiue you Set your desier vpon heauenly thinges seeke after the life which is to come in the lande of the liuing When wee shall see those vnspeakable ioyes wee shal perceiue that all the pleasures of this life in comparison of them were nothing Now somewhat more specially to applie the woordes of the Apostle to this present time It is now time also that wee should arise from sleepe God hath deliuered vs also from the night We may say This is the day which the Lorde hath made Let vs reioyce and be glad in it Wee may say he hath shewed his mercies towardes vs and the truth of the Lorde endureth for euer Let vs looke backe to the time late past and beholde the night of errour and ignoraunce What shall I say Where should I beginne or howe may I ende The matter is of great compasse the time I haue to speake is but shorte and I haue no delight to speake of darknes After God had deliuered the people of Israel and giuen them passage through the red sea Marie the Prophetesse sister of Aaron looked backe into Egipt There she remembred Pharao and his crueltie howe he plagued the children of God she remembred how by a mightie hande and out stretched arme hee deliuered them and wrought his wonders vpon Pharao and all the lande of Egipt She looked backe vpon the great darknes and vpon the frogges and flies and botches she behelde the waters turned into blood the killinge of the first borne of man and beast the ouerthrowe of Pharao and all his Charets in the middes of the sea And therefore she answered the men Singe yee vnto the Lorde for he hath triumphed gloriously The horse and his rider hath he ouerthrowen in the sea Euen so let vs cast backe our eies make a view of the Church Loth I am to speake of it Yet it is nedefull to say somewhat thereof that we way reioyce in our deliueraunce All thinges were done in a strang tounge the priest spake and
who haue bin constant in y ◠faith haue suffred death for Christs sake That so they may be taught by their name to remēber whose name they beare y t they neither speake nor doe anie thing vnworthy of their name As if any bee called Iohn that hee praye for grace and desire to be filled with grace that he giue witnesse of Christ that hee is the Lambe of GOD which taketh away the sinnes of the worlde that hee rebuke vice boldelie as Iohn did in Herode though hee were a mightie Prince Or if he be called Paule that hee so become a follower of Paule as Paule was of Christe and saye with Paul That I might liue vnto God I am crucified with Christ Thus I liue yet not I now but Christ liueth in mee and heare Christ speaking vnto him as did Paul fal down say Lorde what wilt thou that I doe So let him that is called Thomas touche the bosome of Christ and handle his woundes and make a good confession as Thomas did and say My Lord and my God Let Matthew forsake his custome euen the deceitful gaines of y ◠world and followe Christ Let Daniel remember Daniel and though he should be throwen in to the denne of Lions or be burnt in the fire or suffer any cruell tormentes yet let him not therfore forsake God but put his whole trust in him Thus should our names teach vs that whether we write them or vtter them or heare them spoken they may put vs in minde of christian duetie and Godlines The other Sacrament of Christes Church is the sacrament of the Lordes Supper whiche some haue called the Sacrament of the Altar some the Sacrament of the holie table some the Sacrament of bread and wine but wee most properly may call it the sacrament of the bodie and blood of Christ And that we wander not at large but may stande in certaine ground I wil expounde those words of our Sauiour This is my bodie and this is my blood of the newe testament that is shed for manie for the remission of sinnes This matter these two or three hundreth yeeres late past hath beene encumbred with manie questions and much controuersie Some saie the woordes are plaine Christe him selfe spake them hee is almightte and can doe what soeuer hee will hee hath not spoken otherwise then hee meant If wee expounde them by signes and figures wee take away the force of the holy mysterie and make nothing of it the woordes muste bee taken euen as they lye they must not haue any other construction Therefore at this day many wise men which yeelde from other pointes of superstition and in many other thinges receiue the truth stand here and sticke at this and cannot yeeld I will declare the whole matter simplye and plainely and submit my selfe to the vnderstanding and capacitie of all men That which I will vtter heerein shall not be of my selfe but of the Fathers of the Churche not of those whiche haue beene of later yeeres but of the most auncient not of the Heretiques◠but of the most Catholique which euer haue beene the enemies and confounders of Heretiques I wil shewe the vse and order and faith of the Primitiue Churche whiche was in the times of the Apostles and of Tertullian Ciprian Basill Nazianzene Hierome Augustine Chrysostome and others Catholique and godly learned Fathers Let no man regarde mee or my speeche I am onely a finger these are cleare and bright starres I doe but shewe them vnto you and poynt them that you maye beholde them God giue vs grace that wee may see them truely and by them bee able to guyde and to direct our waye let vs laie aside all contention and quietly heare that shall bee spoken Whatsoeuer shall bee saide if it bee true if it bee auncient if it be Catholique if it bee so cleere as the sunne beames let vs humble our heartes and beleeue it There is no trueth but of God Whosoeuer resisteth the truth resisteth God First I will shewe you that we doe truelie and indeede eate the bodie of Christ and drinke his blood And this shall be the foundation and key of entraunce into all the rest Secondely I will open these woordes This is my body and there howe by what sort in what sense and meaning the bread is the body of Christ Thirdly that the bread abideth still in former nature and substance as before euen as the nature and substance of water remayneth in Baptisme Fourthly how the body of Christ is eaten whether by faith or with the mouth of our bodie and how the body of Christ is present in the Sacrament Fiftly What difference is betweene the body of Christ and the Sacrament of the body of Christ Sixtly howe wee ought to prepare our mindes and with what faith and deuotion wee must come to the receiuing thereof Wee saie and beleeue that wee receiue the body and blood of Christ truelie and not a figure or signe but euen that bodie whiche suffered death on the crosse and that blood which was shed for the forgiuenes of sinnes So saieth Christ My fleshe is meate in deede and my blood is drinke indeede And againe Except yee eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drink his blood ye haue no life in you And againe He that eateth me euen he shall liue by me Wee say there is no other substantiall foode of our soules and that hee is diuided among all the faithfull and that hee is voyde of saluation and the grace of Christ whosoeuer is not partaker of his body and blood This we say and may not flee from it hereafter Yet least happily any should be deceiued we say this meate is spirituall and therefore it must be eaten by faith and not with the mouth of our bodie Augustine saith Vt quid paras dentes ventrem crede manducasti Why preparest thou thy teeth and thy bellie beleeue and thou hast eaten And againe Nolite fauces parare sed cor Prepare not your iawes but your heart As material bread nourisheth our bodie so doeth the bodie of Christ nourishe our soule and is therefore called bread Deus panis intus est animae meae saith Augustine God is the inward bread of my soule For wee receiue him and eate him and liue by him But heereof hereafter more at large Nowe let vs consider the wordes of Christ This is my body this is my blood These woordes you say are plaine open easie and manifest So are they yet albeit they are plaine they must haue a right construction The plainest woordes that bee vnlesse they bee duelie expounded may breede errour S. Iohn saith The word was made flesh These words are plaine yet of these plaine wordes Apollinaris did breede an heresie Christ saith My father is greater then I. His woordes are playne yet did the Arrians gather thereof an heresie that Christe is not equall with his
Father Christe saith of Iohn the Baptist This is Elias which was to come Hee saith not hee doth signifie Elias but he is Elias The wordes are plaine yet were there some that stood in the mayntainance of their erorour therby and said that the soule of Elias did abide in Iohn Baptist Christ saith If thine eye cause thee to offend pluck it out and cast it from thee And If thy hand or foot cause thee to offend cut them off cast them from thee The wordes are plaine yet he meaneth not that you should pick out your eyes out of your head nor choppe off your hands or feete from your bodie Iohn saith of Christ He wil baptize you with the holie ghost with fire These words are plaine yet hereof some raised this errour y t children at the time of their baptisme should bee marked in the forehead with a hot burning iron S. Paul saith He hath made him to be sinne for vs which knew no sinne The wordes are plaine Yet Christ neuer sinned Hee is the Lambe of God in whom there is no spot He is hereby sayde to be the sacrifice for sinne Christ saith They two shalbe one flesh And They are no more two but one flesh These wordes are plaine Yet if you trie the wordes by common sence it is not so they are not one but two of seuerall fleshe Christ saith You are the salt of the earth you are the light of the worlde The wordes are plaine yet indeede the Apostles were neither materiall light nor materiall salt Christe saide of Iudas One of you is a diuel The words are plaine Yet Iudas in nature and substance was not a Diuell S. Paul saith of Melchisedech He was without father without mother without kinred hath neither beginning of his dayes neither end of his life These words are plain Yet indeede hee had father and mother and was a man and was borne and died as other men So he saith The rocke was Christ So Moses saith The life of al flesh is his blood And so is Christ called a Lambe a lion a worme a way a bridegrome a head a doore a vine the light bread water a garment These speeches and infinite others the like are plaine open and euident yet are they not true as y t words sound them literally For Christe is not a Lambe in substāce nature but a spiritual Lambe So is he a spiritual garment spiritual light spiritual water and spiritual bread Christ said to Nicodemus Except a man bee borne againe he cannot see the kingdom of God These words are plaine yet Nicodemus mistooke them and was deceiued said Howe can a man be borne that is old can he enter into his mothers wombe again be born Christ meant y e spiritual birth of the soule the spirit not y t natural corporall birth of y e body And to come neerer to the matter in hande whē Christ said I am y e bread which is come down from Heauē except ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man drinke his blood ye haue no life in you and my flesh is meate in deede and my blood is drinke indeede He that eateth of this bread shall liue for euer The Capernaites thought these words plaine enough therfore they say How cā this mā giue vs his flesh to eate This is an harde saying who can heare it And they departed away frō him Then said Iesus The words that I speak vnto you are spirit life Upon occasiō hereof S. Augustine writeth thus Spiritualiter intelligite quod loquutus sum vobis Non hoe corpus c. Vnderstand yee spiritually that I haue spoken vnto you Ye shal not eate this body that ye see neither shal ye drink that blood that they shall shed that shall crucifie me I haue recōmended vnto you a certain sacrament being spiritually vnderstoode it will giue you life Euen so Chrysostome What is it that he saith the flesh profiteth nothing He speaketh it not of flesh indeed God forbid but of such which take the things carnally y t are spoke And what is it to vnderstād carnally Euen to take things simply as they be spoken to seeke no further meaning For the things which are seene are not so to be iudged of but al mysteries should be considered with inward eies that is spiritually Againe vpon these wordes If any man eate of this bread he shal liue for euer he saith Panem vero siue doctrinam hoc in loco salutem fidem in se siue corpus suum dicit vtrumque enim animam fortiorē reddit Hee calleth bread in this place either doctrine and saluation and faith in him or els his bodie For either of these maketh the soule stronger S. Paul saith He that eateth or drinketh vnworthily eateth and drinketh his own dānation Dānation is a spiritual thing which is not receiued in by the mouth or broken with the teeth So Christ saith This cup is the new Testament in my blood which is shed for you Yet nowe is not his blood shed any more for he is risen dieth not And these wordes which are so plaine if they be examined wil not be so plaine to yeelde the sense vnto which they are forced It is written He tooke bread whē he had giuen thāks he brake it gaue to thē saying this is my body This bread is my bodie The bread was stil bread neither flesh nor his bodie And this cup is the new testament In due and right open meaning the cup cannot be the new testament Here we see how the wordes are not al so plain but must haue a reasonable cōsiruction It is a rule in the law In fraudē legis facit qui verbis legis saluis sententiam eius circumuenit Hee doth wrong to the law that following onlie the bare words defraudeth the meaning of the Law Orig. saith Est et in nouo testamento litera quae occidit eum c. There is also in the new testamēt a letter which killeth him that doth not spiritually vnderstande those thinges which are spoken For if he folow this after the letter where it is said except ye eat my flesh drink my blood This letter killeth Mark if ye take the word of Christ barely and nakedly as the letter soundeth it killeth S. Augustine saith In allegoria omni haec regula tenenda est vt pro sententia praesent is loci consideretur quod per similitudinem dicitur This rule is to be kept in euery allegory that what is spoken by similitude be weighed by the meaning of the present place Hierō saith Nō in verbis Scripturarum est euangelium sed in sensu The gospel is not in the words of Scriptures but in the meaning And Non in superficie sed in medulla non in sermonum folijs
sed in radice rationis It is not in the outward shew but in the inner marow not in the leafes of wordes but in the roote of reason When Christ saide Destroy this Temple and in three dayes I wil raise it vp againe The Iewes following the bare letter did beare false witnesse against him saying We heard him say I will destroy this temple made with handes and within tree dayes I will builde another made without handes Wee may not take the letter in all places of the scripture as it lieth The scriptures stand not in the reading but in the vnderstanding By taking the bare letter the Iewes founâ—â— matter to put Christ to death Orig. saith There is a let ter in the new Testament which killeth Ierome saith The gospel is not in the wordes of the Scripture not in the outward shewe nor in the leaues but in y e meaning in y e marow in the root which are hid not open manifest So y t they may not be takeÌ„ by y e bare sound but must haue some other construction But what shall be the construction of these wordes This is my body whose interpretation or iudgement of them shal stand The learned men which haue been of late yeres which yet liue are suspected Let vs heare the elder ancieÌ„t fathers whom there is no cause that any should suspect they were not Sacramentaries nor Zuinglians nor Lutheranes they were not deuided into any of these sectes Tertullian an ancient father who liued more then 1300. yeeres since expoundeth them thus Acceptum panem distributum discipulis corpus suum illum fecit dicendo hoc est corpus meuÌ„ id est figura corporis mei Figura autem non esset nisi veritatis esset corpus CaeteruÌ„ vacua res quae est phantasma figuram capere non potest Christ taking the bread distributing it to his disciples made it his body saying This is my body y t is to say this is a figure of my body But a figure it coulde not bee vnlesse there were a body of a truth in deed For a void thing as is a fantasie can receiue no figure Chrysostome saith Si mortuus Christus non est cuius SymboluÌ„ ac signum hoc sacramentum est If Christ died not whose signe and whose token is this Sacrament Againe The very bodie of Christ it self is not in the holie vessels but the mysterie or Sacrament thereof is there conteined Augustine against the heretique Adimantus writeth Non dubitauit Dominus dicere hoc est corpus meum cum signum daret corporis sui Our Lorde doubted not to say this is my body when he gaue a tokeÌ„ of his body And in another place Christ tooke Iudas vnto his table wherat he gaue vnto his disciples the figure of his bodie Saint Hierom saith Christ represented the veritie of his bodie S. Ambrose saith Before consecration it is called another kind after consecration the body of Christ is signified And again In eating and drinking that is in receiuing the holy communion we signifie the bodie blood of Christ that was offered for vs. So also Gelasius saith Imago similitudo corporis sanguinis in actione mysteriorum celebratur The image and similitude of his body blood is shewed in the action of the mysteries It woulde be ouerlong to lay forth vnto you what other reuerende olde Fathers haue written to like effect and haue expounded those woordes of Christ by suche termes as you haue hearde of signe figure token image and likenesse I trust no man be offended these speeches are not mine owne but the speeches of moste auncient Fathers and haue beene spoken or written and continued in the Church these 1200 1300. and wel neere 1400. yeres and neuer condemned in them as false though many of late times haue sought otherwise to vnderstand the words of Christ The glose vppon the Canons ioyneth herein with the Fathers Dicitur corpus Christi sed impropriè vt sit sensus uocatur corpus Christi c. It is called the body of Christ but vnproperly the meaning thereof may be this it is called Christes bodie that is to say it signifyeth Christes bodie Therefore doeth S. August giue vs good and wholesome aduertisements thus hee writeth to Bonifacius Vnlesse sacraments had a certain likenes of the things of which they be sacrameÌ„ts then indeed they were no sacraments And of this likenes oftentimes they beare the names of y t things themselues that are represented by the sacraments And again In sacrameÌ„ts we must coÌ„sider not what thei be in substance nature but what they signify Againe he saith It is a dangerous matter a seruitude of the soule to take the signe in stead of the thing that is signified And again if it be a speech that commandeth either by forbidding an horible wickednes or requiring that which is profitable it is not figuratiue but if it seeme to require horrible wickednes to forbid y t is good profitable it is spoken figuratiuely Exceptyee eate saith Christ the flesh of the sonne of maÌ„ drink his blood ye haue no life in you He semeth to require the doing of that which is horrible or most wicked it is a fygure therfore coÌ„manding vs to coÌ„municate with the passion of Christ coÌ„fortably profitably to laie vp in our remeÌ„braÌ„ce that his flesh was crucifyed wouÌ„ded for vs. In another place hee saith It is a more horrible thing to eate maÌ„s flesh theÌ„ to kil it to drink maÌ„s blood theÌ„ it is to shed it Againe he saith Wee must beware that wee take not a figuratiue speeche according to the letter for therto it pertaineth that the Apostle saith the letter killeth Besides that which hath been shewed you out of the godlie learned olde fathers howe they haue expounded these wordes who soeuer wil aduisedly consider these principall sentences or rather rules of Saint Augustine shall be holpen muche and directed to the due and Catholique construction and meaning of them The nexte matter and the thirde of the sixe is whether the breade and wine abide still in former nature and substaunce as before euen as the nature and substaunce of water remayneth in the Sacrament of Baptisme There are some that saye by vertue of these woordes Hoc est corpus meum the bread is chaunged into the bodie of Christ that the substaunce of bread is gone and nothing remayning but onely accidentes that is a shewe and appearance and likenesse of bread They say it seemeth to be the same it was but it is chaunged it seemeth to bee bread but it is not bread and the wine by the taste and colour seemeth to be wine but it is not wine They say we may not beleeue our eye sight nor stand to the iudgement of our senses They say Christ is almighty he spake the word and al thinges
were made he hath said Hoc est corpus meum therfore it is now no more bread but his body and that this is the faith of the Church in which we were borne and christned In deede this hath lately beene receiued as a matter of faith But if we examine it well wee shall finde it to bee an errour and no point of faith I saye it hath beene receiued of late for our olde Fathers neuer beleeued it as I will declare and prooue and let you see that it hath not beene the Catholike faith nor the faith of the Primitiue churche nor of the Apostles of Christe and therefore no faith at all The opening of this matter will be somewhat darke and where with you haue not beene acquainted but giue me your attendance lend me your senses and I trust by the grace of God I shall make it playne They say the bread is changed and done away vtterly and that it is no breade though it seeme to be bread that in this case we may not trust our eyes but leane to faith Marke I saye they tell vs that the bread remayneth not and for trial hereof they require vs not to leane to any other thing then faith Wee will then close and shut vp our senses and hearken what Christ what S. Paul what the holy fathers of the church who are best able to instruct our Faith haue spoken S. Paul to the Corinthians in one piece of a Chapter calleth it bread foure times Read the place yee shall finde it so in the eleuenth of the first Epistle The Lord Iesus in the night that he was betrayed tooke bread And as often as ye shall eate this bread and drink this cuppe yee shewe the Lordes death till hee come Againe Whosoeuer shall eate this bread and drinke the cup of the Lorde vnworthelie shall bee guiltie of the body and blood of the Lorde And againe Let a man therefore examine himselfe so let him eat of this bread and drink of this cuppe They say it is not bread but Paul saith and so manie times saith it is bread And of the wine Christ saide after he had giuen thankes and it was consecrate and after his Supper I wil not drinke of this fruit of the vine hēceforth vntil that day when I shall drinke it newe with you in my fathers kingdome The fruite of the vine is wine therfore the selfe same fruit of the vine the same wine in substaunce did abide still after consecration as before S. Augustine calleth this holy mystery Sacramentū panis vini The sacrament of bread wine Iustinus Martyr saieth Diaconi distribuunt vnicuique praesentium de pane in quo gratiae actae sunt de vino aqua ad eos qui non sunt praesentes deferunt The Deacons deuide vnto euery one of them that are present part of that bread ouer which thankes were giuen and they carry of the wine and water to such as are not present Againe he saith Alimento humido sicco admonemur quae propter nos Deus dei filius perpessus sit By drie moyst food whereby he meaneth the sacrament wee are taught what things God the Sonne of God hath suffred for vs. What meāt he by dry food but bread or by moist food but wine It can not be avoided but that he thought y ◠bread wine remaine after the consecration He liued 1400 yeres since And before him Ignatius Vnus panis omnibus fractus It is one bread which is brokē for al. So Iraen who also liued 1400. yeeres since saith Eum calicem qui est creatura c. He made y t cup which is a creature his body by which he increaseth our bodies Therfore when the cup of mixture the bread whiche is broken receiueth the worde it is made the sacramēt of the body blood of Christ by which the substance of our flesh is increased nourished Hee saith after consecration it is a creature and suche a creature as nourisheth the substance of our flesh Origen who liued wel nigh 1400 yeres since saith Ille cibus qui sanctificatur per verbum Dei perque obsecrationem iuxta id quod habet materile in ventrem abit in secessum eijcitur The meate which is sanctified by the worde of God by praier as touching the materiall substance therof goeth into the belly and is cast out into the priuy Certainly vnles bread in the substance and nature of bread did remaine in the sacrament these words were too horrible to be spoken Dionisius saith Pontifex opertum panem aperit in frusta concidit The Bishop vncouereth the bread that was couered cutteth it in pieces He noteth that the loafe of the communion was of some bignesse and that the minister after consecration deuided it and gaue to euery man a portion S. Cipriā writeth Dedit Dominus noster in mēsa in qua vltimum cū apostolis participauit cōuiuium c. Our Lord at the table whereat he receiued his last Supper with his Disciples with his own hands gaue not his very body very blood really but bread wine but vpō the crosse he gaue his own body by y ◠hands of the souldiers to be wounded He maketh a difference betweene that which Christ gaue vppon the crosse that which he gaue at the table At the table he gaue breade and wine vppon the crosse hee gaue his body and blood Againe he calleth the bread after consecration Panem ex multorū granorum adunatione cōgestum Bread made not of formes and accidents but of the substance and moulding of many cornes Ambrose saith Quanto magis operatorius est sermo Dei vt sint quae erant in aliud cōmutentur How much more effectual is the worde of God that the bread and wine may be in substance and nature the same that they were before and yet bee changed into another thing They are changed into a Sacrament which they were not before and remaine bread and wine which they were before Chrisostome saith In similitudinē corporis sanguinis Christi panē vinum secundum ordinem Melchisedec nobis ostendit in sacramēto He shewed vs in a Sacramēt bread wine after the order of Melchisedec to bee the likenes of the body and blood of Christ What should I strande to trouble you with the rest As these say so say the other that the thinges which are seene in the sacrament are bread and wine But say they it is called bread because it was bread or because it hath a likenes of bread A pretie shift but it wil not helpe For S. Augustine saith Quod videtis panis est calix quod vobis etiam oculi renuntiant The thing that you see is the bread and the cup which thing your eyes do testify Gelasius saith Non desinit esse substantia panis vel natura vini
Et certè imago vel similitudo corporis sanguinis Christi in actione mysteriorum celebratur There leaueth not to be the substance of bread or the nature of wine And indeede the image or represētation likenes of the body blood of Christ is published in the ministration of the mysteries He saith it leaueth not it remaineth it is stil not the forme or appearance but the substance and nature Chrysostome saith Natura panis in Sacramēto remane◠The nature of bread remaineth in y e sacramēt And Theodoretus Signa mystic a post sanctificationem nō recedūt a natura sua manēt enim in priori substātia figura forma The mystical tokens or sacramēts after the cōsecration depart not frō their own nature for they remaine stil in their former substāce forme figure Not only in forme and figure not onely in shewe but it remaineth breade and wine in nature and substance Likewise Cirillus Christus fragmēt a panis dedit discipulis Christ gaue fragmēts or pieces of bread to his discipies It was verye bread deuided into sundrie pieces And Rabanus saith Sacramētū ore percipitur in alimētum corporis redigitur The sacrament is receiued with the mouth and is turned into the nourishment of the body Bertramus saith Secundum creaturarum substantiam quod fuerunt ante consecrationem hoc postea consistunt Touching the substance of the creatures of bread wine they abide y e same after as they were before the cōsecration Euen so saith Clemēs Vinum esse illud quod benedictum est ostendit rursus dicens non bibam amplius ex hoc germine vitis Christe shewed that that was wine which was blessed by saiyng againe I will no more drinke of the fruite of the vine I will bring forth no more witnesses in this matter you haue enough and so manye as maye satisfie any reasonable man You see the consent of the old doctors I know not howe any thing may bee more plainely set downe and declared Why then say you how came transubstantiation into the Church How it came in I cannot shew you The husbandmā that findeth his field ouergrowen with cockel and ill weeds knoweth not how they come They grow of thēselues he soweth them not But when or since what time it hath been receiued and allowed of I wil tel you It was first determined enacted in the Councel of Laterane vnder Pope Innocentius the third in the time of king Iohn king of England in the yeere of our Lorde a thousand two hundreth fifteen that is 350 yeres ago not before Then was it first so named and made a matter of faith and neuer before This I speake not of my selfe they that maintaine that errour confesse it the most learned and wisest sagest of them say it And yet then was it no Catholike faith for it was onely receiued in the Church of Rome the other churches ouer all the worlde receiued it not as appeareth by a Councel holden at Florence Therefore if transubstantiation be a matter of faith it is a newe late founde faith and no old and Catholique faith In the time of our great graundfathers it was not so taken Afterwarde Pope Honorius 3. commaunded that it should be kept vnder a canopie and that the people should worship the sacrament And after him Vrbanus 4. made a newe holie day in honour of it which he called corpus Christi day And all these thinges haue been done within these fewe yeeres For before in the times of Augustine Ierome Chrisostome and the old fathers they were neuer heard of But to returne to that we haue in hand whether the bread and wine in the Sacrament remayne in their proper nature Yes verily for so is it auouched by our Sauiour by Saint Paul by Ignatius Iustinus Irenaeus Origen Dionisius Cyprian Ambrose Chrisostome Augustine Gelasius Theodoretus Cirillus Bertramus and Rabanus By so many good and lawfull witnesses it appeareth that the bread and wine remayne in the same nature and substance as before I seeke not to astonishe you by bringing in such a heape of Authors nor yet to seeke mine owne glorie therby God is my witnes and his Christ If I would seeke mine owne commoditie I shoulde holde my peace and not vnfolde these errours wherewith the Churche of God hath byn disquieted these late yeeres As for glorie I haue none in these things shame come vpon them that seek the glory and commendation of men our glorie is to discharge our cōscience and to speake the truth that wee may be blamelesse in the day of our Lord. And yet in speaking thus of the sacrament of the Lordes supper and denying the strange and new learning of transubstantiation and making it knowen that the bread and wine continue stil that they were before we do not conceiue basely or vnreuerently of the sacrament wee doe not make it a bare or naked token Let no man bee deceiued We doe both thinke speake soberly and with reuerence of the holy mysteries As we cannot cal them more then they are so may wee not esteeme them lesse then they are by the ordinance and institution of Christ We say they are changed that they haue a dignitie and preeminence which they had not before that they are not now common breade or common wine but the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ a holy mysterie a couenant betweene Christ and vs a testimonie vnto our conscience that Christ is the Lambe of God a perfite seale sufficient warrant of Gods promises whereby God bindeth himselfe to vs and we stand likewise bounden vnto God so as God is our God and we are his people In Baptisme the nature substance of water doth remaine stil and yet is not it bare water It is changed made the sacrament of our regeneration It is water consecrated made holy by the blood of Christ They which are washed therein are not washed with water but in the blood of the vnspotted Lambe One thing is seene and an other vnderstande Wee see the water but wee vnderstande the blood of Christ Euen so wee see the bread and wine but with the eies of our vnderstanding we looke beyonde these creatures wee reache our spirituall senses into heauen and beholde the raunsome and prise of our saluation Wee doe beholde in the Sacrament not what it is but what it doeth signifie When wee receiue it with due reuerence and faith we say as sayde Gregorius Nyssenus Ego aliam escam agnosco quae c. I know another kind of meate bearing the likenes resemblāce of our bodily meat the pleasure and sweetnes wherof passeth only into the soule It goeth not into the mouth or belly but onelie into the soule and it feedeth the minde inwardly as the other outwardly feedeth the body We say as S. Aug. Ipse est panis cordis nostri Christ is the bread
the receiuing of this Sacrament If any bee such a one I require hym by the body blood of Iesus Christ and by the iudge of the quicke and the dead that he come not to the Lordes table that he betraie not the sonne of God It were better he had neuer bene borne and that a milstone were hanged about his necke he throwne into y e sea Let vs not deceiue our selues God wil not be mocked He receiueth dānation y t receiueth vnworthely Let vs fall downe before our Lorde and giue thankes vnto hym Let vs say what shall I giue vnto the Lord for al that he hath giuen vnto me I wyl take the cup of saluation call vpon the name of the Lord. Let vs say O Lord our Lord how wonderful is thy name in all the world Let vs say prayse the Lord O my soule and all that is within me prayse his holy name Let vs purpose and promise amendement of our lyfe let vs goe out with Peter and weepe let vs fall at Christes feete with Marie Magdalene and with our teares washe his feete Let vs saye with Dauid I haue sinned to the Lorde Let vs saye with the Prodigal sonne father I haue sinned agaynst heauen and against thee I am no more worthy to bee called thy sonne Let vs saye haue mercy on mee O God accordyng to thy great mercie thou art my God I am thy seruāt O saue me for thy mercies sake Let vs offer vp our bodies a liuing pure holy and acceptable sacrifice to God So shall we be partakers of the death of Christ and of his resurrection Thus haue we briefly gone through the whole matter of the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ and followed the same order which was set down First that we do in the Sacramente truely eate the bodie of Christ Secondly what is the meaning of the wordes Hoc est corpus meum Thirdely whether y ◠bread remeaine in nature substance Fourthly whether it be eaten with the mouth of the bodie or by faith onely Fiftly what difference is betweene the bodie of Christ and the mysticall signes Sixtly howe we must be prepared and with what deuotiō we ought to come to receiue this Sacrament Hauing thus treated of the Sacramentes of the newe testament and said so much as is needfull for you to knowe of them both as well of Baptisme which is the sacrament of our regeneration as of our Lordes supper which is the sacrament of our refection or nourishment I will now in fewe wordes speake something of confirmation of matrimony of ecclesiastical ministerie which some call holy orders of repentance or penance and of extreme vnctiō which some of late yeeres haue called Sacraments and by ioyning these to the other haue made vp the nomber of seuen Sacramentes so haue charged the Church with fiue sacramēts more then Christ did euer ordaine For these fiue wante either the worde or the element or both and therefore may not bee taken for true sacraments Such as haue with all their skil shewed them selues helpers and furtherers of our aduersaries yet haue plainely cōfessed that they are not sacraments of Christes institution Alexander of Hales saith of confirmation The sacrament of confirmation as it is a Sacrament was not ordained either by Christ or by the Apostles but afterwarde in the Counsel of Melda Which Counsel was kept many yeres after Christ And Durandus saith of matrimonie Matrimonie in due and proper kinde of speach is no Sacramēt And Bessarion a Cardinal cōfesseth as it was shewed before that in due and right consideration none of these fiue may be called Sacramentes We reade saith he that these two onely Sacramentes were deliuered vs plainely in the Gospel First of Confirmation which is so called because that which was done on our behalfe in baptisme is ratified and confirmed many parentes had not such due care as they ought in the godly bringing vp of their childrē so that many children knew not whether they were baptized or no many were neuer taught what couenant was made betweene them God in their baptisme many swarued away from Christian profession and caried them selues to the fellowship of the heathens and of the sonnes of God became the sonnes of the deuel Upon this occasion the Churche of God laieth charge vpon the parentes and the witnesses of the baptizing of younge children that they teach thē the waies of the Lorde to know y e holy mystery that they haue receiued and what they haue promised and professed in baptisme that they put them in minde howe God hath called them out of the kingdome of darknes vnto his wonderfull light and to the fellowship of the saintes in light When the children of the Christiās were thus brought vp had learned the religyō of Christ and to walke in the waies of Godlines they were brought to the church by their parents presented vnto the Bishop and yeeled a reason of their faith openly before the whole congregation they professed they would so beleue that they would liue and die in that faith Then the Bishop and all the people fell downe on their knees and prayed vnto God that he would continue the good thing hee had begonne and the bishop laying his hande vpon them cōmended them vnto God This was the ratifying of the professiō which they made by others at their baptisme and for that cause called Confirmation Now whether it be a sacrament and when I say a sacrament I meane a ceremonie commanded by God in expresse wordes For God onely hath the authorytie to institute a Sacrament Sacraments are confirmations seales of the promises of God and are not of the earth but from heauen As Christ saith The babtisme of Iohn Whence was it from heauen or of men Chrysostome saith The misterie were not of God nor perfect if thou shouldest put any thing to it Marke and iudge your selues shal see whether this were a sacrament instituted by Christ Augustine said Accedat verbum ad elementum fit sacramentum Ioine the worde to the creature it is made a sacrament This creature or element is visible as are water bread wine The word which must be ioyned is the commandemēt institution of christ without the word and the commandement and institution it is no sacrament I protest y t the vse and order of confirmation rightly vsed is profitable and necessarie in the Church no way to be broken But all y t is profitable necessarie is not a sacramēt Christ did not commāde it he spake no word of it Looke and reade if you doubt it Christes wordes are written and may be seene You shal neuer finde that hee commanded Confirmation or that hee euer made any special promise to it Therefore may you conclude that it is no sacrament Otherwise being rightly vsed it is a good ceremonie wel ordeined of our auncient fathers The Apostles layde their handes on