church as we learne by Theodore Beza VVhere there is no vse of bread wine or no store thereof as it chaunceth at some certain time there the Lords supper is orderly ministred if in steed of bread and wine that be taken which supplieth the place of bread wine ether by common vse or at such tymes And he obserueth rightly enough Christs meaning who not for nouelties sake taketh in steed of bread wine such things as haue though not equal yet like proportion or analogie of foode As in like mâ—â—ner if water be wanting yet the baptizing of some child may not wel be differred with edification I truly wold baptise with any other liquor as wel as with water By warrant whereof in many places of Christendom where bread wine is haâ—d to come by stockfish with single ale more coÌ„mon in vsual diet there the Protestant communion is wel orderly ministred if the minister with 3. or 4. brethern go together into a tauerne eate a litle stockfish drinke a draught of ale he bid them to remember the Lords death For whereas the words of Christs institution are no waves necessarie but al dependeth on the faith of the bretherne which communicate here we learne that bread wine are not so requisite but that other meate drinke may supply the want thereof whereas in this coÌ„munion which here I note is both the matter and also the forme of a Protestant supper who can deny but it is a veâ—â—e complete perfite coÌ„munion And that not only if a man vse stockfish but also by like reason any other meate that nourisheth though not in equal degree as bread doth yet in some like sort And then as any flesh â—apon pâ—g goose beef or mutton may serue for the one kind so match-beer strong or smale ale good water metheglin or any such vsed liquor may serue for the other So that we now draw somwhat nigh to the perfectioÌ„ esseÌ„t al forme of that which ouâ— gospellers cal the supper of the Lord which we see may be had at euery breakefast at euery dinner supper beuer where there is bread beere or cheese water oâ— flesh and wine or any such â— things which nourish our bodies as bread wine do though not in so large maner yet with this sober caution that the bretherne which meete at this coÌ„munion remember the death of Christ vse these other kinds of meate not for loue of â—â—eltie but for loue of Christian libertie hatred of Papistrie because forsooth they wil shew that they hate the Catholike church which vseth superstitiously as they suppose those only 2. elements But now let vs go one step farther put the case that 3. or 4. gossips meete together at a drinking and after much good how shold talke in sine they remember them selues then one willeth the other to remember the death of the Lord so drinke one to the other and eate some such gossiping meate as they haue brought some applepie or flawne or so forth whie is not this as true a Protestant coÌ„munion as any yet mentioned Here is the matter of the coÌ„munion that is some foode that nourisheth the body here is faith which is the forme here is remembrance of Christ and his death then what wanteth to make vp and perfite the coÌ„munion Truly I can not imagine any default touching the substance essence but that this is as ful complete a communioÌ„ as any at this day ministred in England or Scotland For that which perhaps some man may obiect to be here wanting vz. a minister is an obiection more â—it for a Papist or Catholike then a Protestant or heretike Among whom very few there are who haue written especially bookes of coÌ„mon places but they discourse at large wemen no lesse then men to be priests of the new testament although for maners sake they may not in al places vse practise such their priesthod I in paâ—t agree with them that euery woman is as â—it lawful a minister as any who ministreth in the Scottish and English congregations Certainly Luther hath made long treatises heapeth tegether a number of allegations out of the holy scriptures to proue al that are baptized wemen no lesse then men to be priests by vertue thereof to haue power both to preach minister sacraments In the second Tome of his works he particularly rehearseth al ecclesiastical functions proueth as wel as he can that the execution of them al is a like common to al that are baptized Among much other talke to that purpose thus he writeth The first office of a priest is to preach the word of this depend al the rest But this is coÌ„mon to al. Next is to baptize and this also may al do euen wemen when they baptize they execute a lawful priesthod an ecclesiastical ministerie which is proper to priests only The third is to consecrate bread wine But this also is commoÌ„â—o al no lesse then priests And this I aduouch by the authoritie of Christ him self saying do this in remembrance of me This Christ spake to al there present to come afterwards who so euer should eate that bread drink that wine Ergo what so euer was there bestowed was bestowed on al. Nether can the Papists oppose any thing against this besides their Fathers Councels custome This also is witnessed by S. Paule who 1. Cor. 11. repeating this applieth it to al the Corinthians making them al as him self was that is to say consecrators c. Forthwith after a few words he concludeth Igitur si quod maius est collatum est omnibus etiam mulieribus c. If then that which is greater be geuen indifferently to al men and women I meane the word and baptisme then that which is lesse I meane to consecrate the supper is geuen also to them VVhich argument as a most principal he vrgeth againe a few leaues after VVhen the office of teaching the word is graunted to any together therewith al that is vsed in the church is graunted I meane to baptise to consecrate to bynd to lose to pray to iudge For the office of preaching the gospel is the chief a very Apostolical office which geueth the foundation to al other offices which al are built thereon The like hath he in sundry places and bookes Only he requireth that whereas the right power thus to minister is coÌ„mon to al that are baptized wemen no lesse then men yet that nether men nor wemen vse this right of theirs but where there is want of better ministers then also that they do it with modestie To which purpose clearing of his assertion he maketh an obiection to himself in an other booke thus But the Papists obiect the saying of the Apostle Let wemen hold there peace
of what matter and in vvhat sort he must preach is that word vvhich is so necessarie and vvhich maketh the sacrament In vvhich discourse first of al the Christian reader may note the good opinion that these Ministers haue of them selues and their owne vvords These signes seales albeit they be ordeyned by Christ to signifie and seale as hath bene often tymes said yet are they dead the bread is commoÌ„ bread the vvine is common vvine notvvithstanding Christs ordinance institutioÌ„ Many times the Protestant vvriters vvil beare vs in hand that the auncient fathers vvheÌ„ they speake of Consecâ—ation meane thereby nothing els but the application of the bread vvine from prophane vse to holy from serving coÌ„mon tables to â—â—â—â— the table of the Lord. The bread water and wine when in baptisme the supper they are applied to holy vses then are they consecrated saith M. Ievvel Bullinger This is their Consecration saith Caluin when they are applied to spiritual vses And so commonly vvrite Peter Martyr Zuinglius â—â—â—a and the rest But novv albeit the bread and vvine be brought from the tauerne to the church and there remaine vpon the table al the bretherne and sisters attend ready to receiue it in memorie of the Lords death vvhich is from prophane vse to apply it to maruelous holy yet notvvithstanding stil it remaineth coÌ„mon bread coÌ„mon wine a dead elemeÌ„t vvithout life sowle like a dead carcas If a Catholike priest take such bread and vvine and hauing vvith him a sufficient company to make a communion after their praiers ether priuate or publike purpose farther to consecrate this common bread by rehearsing al the words of Christ ether after S. Maâ—thevv S. Marke S. Luke or S. Paule al this vvorketh nothing thus to recite Christs vvords is magical inchauntment and it is grosse beastlines doltishnes to suppose that they are of any effect to vvorke any thing say Caluin and Zuingliê° The Papists do perversly superstitiously ascribe force of sanctification to recital of such vvords Nulla est vis in recitatione verberum Domini there is no vertue at al in reciting the words of the Lord ether in baptisme or in the supper saith Bullinger But yet after al this if a minister of Calvins creation vvho hath as much authoritie to make this sacrament as hath his vvise and nether of them more then they haue to create a nevv Sunne or Moone if such a minister come tel a tale of his owne spend perhaps an houâ—e oâ— more in railing at the church discipline at the Pope at Papists or in some such other argument vvhich is the coÌ„mon subiect of their sermoÌ„s for fevv ministers folovv M. B. order of preaching prescribed here then forsooth the whole action is quickened then the bread and vvine receiue life and sowle and from common bread become sacramental bread significatiue bread sealing bread vvhereby it is sealed and confirmed to al the bretherne and sisterne that they haue spiritually eaten the flesh of Christ by faith Is not the blindnes of these men vvonderful that can thus iustle our Christ to thrust in them selues can reiect his vvords and so magnifie their ovvne And where find they in any part of the scripture old or nevv that a Sermon is required as a necessarie part of the sacrament VVhat Apostle or Euangelist vvriteth so vvhat Doctor or Councel euer so expounded the scripture or gathered any such rule or conclusion thence VVe find in the Evangelists the vvhole entier forme vsed by Christ when first of al he instituted this sacrament which before we haue in particular declared and that according to the iudgement of a learned and siue Caluinist Nether in the text of the Evangel noâ— yet in the exposition of this Euangelist is any such preaching mentioned much lesse is it made a necessarie part of the sacrament vvhereon the life of it dependeth Our sauiour after the deliuerie of it in S. Iohn maketh a long sermon I graunt but nether is that adioyned as a part of the Supper nether toucheth it the sacrameÌ„t the institution oâ— administration or explication or declaration there of to the people which only declaration of the mysterie to the people saith Caluin maketh the dead elemeÌ„t to become a sacrament In the other sacrament of baptisme this â—â—oward perversitie sheweth it self much more For to vvhom wil they preach there To vvhose vse frame they their sermon To the infants or to the people present if any be If to the infant this in deed were very magical not preaching but inchauntement to preach to the infant who vnderstandeth never a vvord To the people Hovv so vvhereas the sacrament is not for them the baptisme is not to be applied to them the signe or element must be ioyned to make a sacrament not for the standers by but for the receiuers ¶ Because this vvhereof vve now intreate is the most necessarie and substantial part of the sacrament and also of these sermons we must somvvhat more exactly sift and search the true meaning of this word preached which is of so great authoritie and operation in geving life and spirite to the Scottish and Geneua sacraments otherwise very dead and deadly VVherefore I desire a litle more particularly to be resolued and ansvvered vvhat word preached this is whereof dependeth the life and sovvle of their sacrament Hath euery sermon this grace Doth every idle preaching of a minister geue life and sowle to the sacrament and with common bread make such a wonderful coniunction of Christs body as M. B. telleth vs VVhat if out of the pulpit he tel a tale of Robin hood and litle Ihon VVhat if he do nought els but inveigh against the Pope the Cardinals Purgatorie praying to Saints so forth VVhat if he fal in commendation a common argument among the ministers of love matters and chamber-worke as VVigandus an Archprotestant one of the framers of the Magdeburge Centuries writeth that once him selfe was present vvhen a gospelling minister in his sermoÌ„ to that effect cited aboue 20. verses out of Ovid dâ— arte amandi which also to be a common veine of preaching in Scotland it is wel knovven testified Doth every such pulpit talke geue sowle to your sacrament Yovv wil say no. For albeit both in ScotlaÌ„d EnglaÌ„d a number of CoÌ„munions are currant passe wel with such Sermons both the CoÌ„munions Sermons are compted perfite enough the multitude both of ministers and Protestants like this kind of preaching best yet vvhen they come to M. B. scanning he as vve may here perceiue vvil dislike them find theÌ„ deficient VVherefore let vs put the case somwhat more indifferent VVhat if the Minister make his sermon of the creation of the vvorld of the fal of Adam of the patriarchs mariages of the deluge of the childreÌ„ of Israels captivitie of the old law VVhat if he talke of
of among the Paganes most infamous haue found it vve may assuredly conclude that this inuention came not from the holy ghost vvho according to Christs promise euer assisted his church and lead the pastors thereof into al truth conuenient necessary for the perfit instruction thereof but from the enemy of mankind from SataÌ„ the aduersarie of Christ into vvhom such detestable Apostataes of so sovvle and filthy life serued for fit instrumentes and vvith vvhom the first princes of this nevv gospel vvere most familiar as hath bene noted before of one and of others is commonly knovven by their ovvne testimonie vvritings The Scottish Supper compared vvith Christs institution The Argument M. B. his doctrine of signes elemental and céremonial vsed by Christ and al necessarie to the essence of the Supper Thereof is inferred proued that no Supper ministred after the Scottish order or Caluin institution car be a sacrament of Christ for that it wanteth diuers things done by Christ and therefore necessarie to the essence and nature thereof To make this more plaine and to preuent al cauils is it in particular declared out of the Sacramentaries and according to their doctrine what were those actions ether in word or deed which Christ vsed at his last supper and most apperteyned to the nature essence thereof Of mingling the wine with water and blessing the sacramental bread and cup. The maner of ministring the Scottish Supper or communion It â— is compared particularly with Christs institution and plainly shewed that the Scottish supper lacketh 5. or 6. essential points vsed by Christ whose chalice was mingled with wine water for want whereof especially the words of Christs Institution which are cleane omitted that communion is no more to be accompted Christs supper then any vulgar dinner or breakfast vsed by Christian men Chap. 5. FRom this doctrine of the seales common to both their sacraments M. B. descendeth more particularly to entreat of the sacrament or rather signes of the supper VVhich signes saith he ar double both subiect to the eye the one he calâ—â—th elemental signes as bread and wine the other ceremonial as the breaking distribution and geuing of the same bread and vvine VVhere vnto he addeth lest any man shoud mistake him that he meaneth not these to be ceremonial as though they were vaine For saith he there is neuer a ceremonie which Christ instituted in this supper but it is as essential as the bread and the wine are and ye can not leaâ—â— a iote of them except ye peruert the whole institution In what euer Christ commaunded to be done what euer he spake or did in that whole action it is essential and must be done ye can not leaue a iote thereof but ye peruert the whole institution These vvords might seeme to proceede from M. B. somvvhat vnconsideratly vpon to much zeale vvere it not that afterwards he in precise exact maner repeateth them again again For saith he Christs institution mon be kept looke what he said looke what he did loâ—â—â— what he commaunded to do al that mon be said done obered There is nothing left in the register of the Institution but it is essential Again In the celebration of Christs institution â—â— mon take tent to what so euer he said did or coÌ„maunded to be done Thow mon first say what so euer he said and then do whâ— so euer he did Finally he coÌ„cludeth If we leaue any kind of circumstance or ceremonie of this institution vndone we peruert the whole action ¶ By this so precise and peremptorie asseveration that what so euer Christ spake or did in that whole actioÌ„ is as essential as the bread and wine and can not be omitted but withal ye peruert the whole action we learne many things First the sacrilegious boldnes of the Geneuian ministers that they are peruerters corrupters of Christs vvhole institution For first concerning the bread and wine which rightly he maketh most essential vve haue shevved before that those ministers haue taken to them selues authoritie to dispense there vvith and geue free libertie to minister the Communion not only in bread and vvine but also in ale and rootes or vvater stockfish or any like nutriment vvhen bread and vvine are not easely to be gotten VVhereof it folovveth that most arrogantly they alter the essence so peruert the vvhole ordinance and institution of Christ Next if what euer Christ commaunded to be done and not only that but also what euer he spake or did in that whole action be essential and no iote can be omitted vvith out peruerting the vvhole then also the coÌ„munions of Zurick of Geneua of Svizzerland Scotland are al corruptions depravations of Christs ordinance For Christ in that vvhole action did many things vvhich al these good bretherne omit as that first of al after the eating of the paschal laÌ„b which vvent immediatly before the institution of this holy sacrament Christ rising from that supper and addressing him self to this holy institution laid aside his garments and taking a towel therewith girded himself He put water in to a basen he washed his disciples feete and wiped them with the towel wherewith he was girded That being finished towards al his Apostles vnto this eremonie which serued not only for exaÌ„ple of humilitie charitie as Caluin supposeth but also for mysterie signification of the great puritie vvhich is required in theÌ„ that come to receiue the blessed sacrament as S. Cyprian S. Ambrose S. Bernard declare our Sauiour ioyned divine learning instruction For hauing taken his garments and being set dovvne at the table with them he said â—â— them know yow what I haue done to yow yow cal me maister and Lord and yow say wel for I am so If then I your lord and maister haue washed your feete yow also ought to wash one an other feete For I haue geuen yow as example that as I haue done to yow so yow do also Amen Amen I say to yow a seruant is not greater then his lord nether is an Apostle greater then he that sent him If yow know these things yow shal be blessed if yow also do them Thus Christ did thus Christ spake this Christ coÌ„maunded to be done If then what so euer Christ commaunded to be done what so euer he spake or did in that whole action be essential and must be done so necessarily that one iote thereof 〈…〉 can not be left but ye peruert the whole action it folovveth that the Scottish ministers vvho of al this vvhich Christ spake and did practise not so much as one iote but leaue out euery iote omit euery part and parcel more and lesse peruert the whole action of Christ deface his institution so haue a communion not of Christs Institution beâ— of their ovvne inuention Nether vvil it serue for their defence to lye with Caluin
leaueth that office to the people to distribute and diuide the bread amonge them selues as though al grace came to them from them selues vvithout Christ and his spirite of vvhom they had no need and vvithal he maketh a grosse lye vpon Christ which may stand for a fourth difference betvvene their Communion and Christs Supper that Christ commaunded them so to do VVhereas in the quotations with which they most foolishly paint their margent there is no such thing but the cleane contrarie as before out of the Gospel and the very places which they quote by Musculus hath beneshevved Christ mingled the cup vvhich he consecrated vvhich thing albeit Musculus directly affirmeth not yet he supposeth it most likely and probable yea he nothing doubteth of it being the vniuersal custome of the country VVherevnto if he vvould adde that the text of the Euangelists is indifferent as expressing nether cleane wine nor wine mingled with vvater but only the cup or chalice in every place vvhich vndoubtedly speaketh of the Sacrament for the place of S. Matthevv vvhom S. Marke foloweth vvhere is mentioned the fruite of the vine is doubtful and by auncient fathers expounded diuers vvaies albeit being exactly coÌ„ferred vvith S. Luke and the Ievves maner of eating their Paschal lamb it seemeth most probably to apperteyne not to the cup of Christs Supper but to the cup of that Paschal lamb being applied to the supper of Christ though it include the one it excludeth not the other then lay vnto the Gospel being indifferent the general maner of the country of the lavv of the Iewish Synagoge of the sacrifices especially of that singular sacrifice which most expressely foreshevved this al making for the mixtion of vvater vvith it the vniversal consent of the Christian church and al antiquitie besides he should not deny but Christâ—o tempered the chalice vvhereof he made the sacrament So testifieth S. Iames the Apostle vvho vvas present in his Liturgie Likewise after supper Christ tooke the chalice mingling it with wine and water geuing thankes sanctifying and blessing it gaue it to vs his disciples c. So writeth the most auncict Christian doctor S. ClemeÌ„t a man of the Apostolical age mentioned commended by S. Paule S. Ireneus nameth it temperamentum calicis calicem mistum the chalice mingled or tempered S. Cyprian a number of times epaeteth that Christ so deliuered that Christ offered his chalice mingled with wine water So vvitnesseth S. Basile in his Liturgie And finally to omit al other because it is a thing vvel knovven that the vvhole primitiue church consenteth herein so vvitnesseth the 6. Councel of Constantinople and proveth it by great authoritie The vvords are The vse of mingling water and wine in the chalice in al churches is kept as delivered from god him self For S. Iames the brother of Christ and first bishop of Ierusalem likewise S. Basil that most glorious archbisshop of Caesarea having put in writing this mystical sacrifice declare that the holy chalice should haue in it water wine And the fathers of the Councel of Carthage in vvhich Councel vvas S. Austin plainly and precisely decree that in the sacrament of Christs body and blud nothing be offered more then Christ him self delivered that is to say bread and wine mingled with water Out of al vvhich the fathers of this Councel of Constantinople conclude If therefore any bishop or priest folow not this order delivered by the Apostles but offer the immaculate sacrifice not mingling water with wine in the chalice let him be deposed from his office This general or rather vniversal consent custom of al Christendome coming thus directly from the Apostles might suffise to overpeise for our side especially the vvord of the Gospel being indifferent or rather coÌ„pared vvith the old lavv more bending to the same side But because I vvil charge M. B. and his felovv-ministers no farther then they charge them selues and they plainly confesse not Christs chalice to haue bene tempered vvith vvater or at lest thinke not theÌ„ selues bound to folovv Christs example herein because it is not euidently specified in the Gospel nether vvil I vrge them farther vvith breach of Christs ordinance in this behalfe But the last and the same most pregnant principal of al that vvhich geueth light to al the precedent actions of Christ the vvords vvhich Christ adioyned to declare and expresse the meaning of the â—est the vvords vvhich as Musculus truly auoucheth Christ by his diuine wisedome ioyned to his doing and so bound the one with the other that his disciples might see in his doing and heare in his speaking that whereby they might be instructed in this sacrament and thereby al occasion cut of from mans rasbnes to inuent any new thing or corrupt any part of this sacrameÌ„t these vvords I say so vvisely disposed so necessarily ordeyned so significantly declaring our sauiours meaning and intentioÌ„ these vvords so diuine so mystical and effectual vvhere are they Hovv chaunceth it that they appeare no vvhere Are Christs vvords not vvorth the rehersing Or chalenge yovv to your selues a souerain vvisdome aboue the eternal vvisdome of God If not vvhy disioyne yow most sacrilegiously that vvhich he conioyned VVhy separate yovv and pul a sunder that vvhich Christ bound and coupled together After these precedent signes and actions vvhy here vve not This is my body geven and broken for yow This cup is my blud of the new testament which is shed for yow to remission of sinnes VVhy is this inexplicable benefite omitted vvhich vvas principally intended by al the Evangelists so specially remeÌ„bred If you list not to reherse them vvith the opinion of Catholikes or Papists as yovv cal true Christians as though there vvere some force vertue effect and operation in them vvhich vvas the faith of al the auncient and primitiue church as hath bene shevved yet at lest reherse them historically by vvay of narration as is the guise of the English comunion for that in the storie of the gospel so they stand and there ought to haue their place M. B. vvil perhaps reply O Sir vve omit them not For in the beginning before our Sermon the minister reherseth such vvords out of S. Paule But vvhat maketh that to your Communion vvhat maketh the ministers talking out of the pulpit before the Sermon to his communion vvhich he ministreth sitting at the table long after the Sermon is ended VVhat if the minister before he came to the church read the vvhole chapiter in his ovvne hovvse vvhat if over night Christs order is that they should be vsed ioyned vvith those other doings and actions in the administration of his supper Yow thrust them away from that place Christ tooke bread gaue thanks blessed diuided distributed to his disciples and then telling them what it was vsed those words Yow first take bread and then
also vvould they haue ministred the sacrament VVhich although M. B. his vvise ministers in quiet times can speake of and say so they should have done yet I vvâ—â—ne both he and they vvould haue bene better advised before they did it if them selues vvere put to the trial ¶ His third end is true if it vvere spoken and applied to Christs holy sacrament but being applied to the Scottish signe or Geneuian seale is very fond and ridiculous vvhich because it dependeth on the first end vvhich is the principal therefore by shewing the vanitie of the first I shal consequently vvith one labour declare the baldnes of the third In the first he saith that this sacrament was appointed chiefly for this end to represent our spiritual nurriture VVhere vve learne that the chief grace of these mens sacraments is to figure represent vvhich end M. B. proveth vvith no other reason then his ovvne only bare vvord and authoritie And therefore as before so here every vvhere perpetually let the reader marke hovv these men having of them selues invented coyned vs a definition of sacraments and â—iamed the nature and vse of this sacrament especially in their ovvne forge brayne stil confirme it by their ovvne only vvord never mentioning S. Paule or S. Peter or Gospel or Epistle or any sacred authoritie of god or man For in vvhat chapter of al the gospel or al S. Paules epistles find they that this sacrament vvas chiefly instituted to represent to signifie to figure our spiritual nurriture being in deed instituted for this end to nourish to feed and actually to preserue vs to life spiritual and eternal as Christ came in to this vvorld not chiefly to signifie to represent to figure to teach our redemption and reconciliation but truly to vvorke it performe it Not that I deny the sacrameÌ„ts this namely to figure to represent and signifie for that is the first word in euery sacrameÌ„t both old and nevv both Iewish and Christian that it be a signe and signifie but this is not the chief but meanest not highest and supreme but lovvest and lest accountable vertue incident to this sacrament and vvhich if it be made chief quit deâ—aceth and destroyeth the nature of a sacrament in the nevv testament For this signification not only addeth nothing to these sacraments above the Ievvish but also it addeth to them nothing aboue the force and abilitie of man and any good man may make many a sacrament as good as this and better to if such signification be the chief and best part of it But that we deceiue not ourselues misconster M. B. his meaning let vs heare him more at large declare this chief end of his sacrament vvhich he doth in this maner Nothing is so fit as bread and wine for this sacrament as nothing is so fit for baptisme as water VVhy so for that as nothing is meeter to wash with then water so nothing is meeter to wash the sowle then the blud of Christ And the reason why in baptisme is but one signe that is water alone is this because water is sufficient inough to do the whole turne But in the other sacrament it is not so there must be two VVine can not be sufficient alone nor yet bread For he that hath bread only and wine only hath not a persit nurriture corporal Therefore that they might represent a persit nurriture Christ hath geuen vs both bread and wine for the persit nurriture corporal stands in meate and drinke to represent the ful and persit nurriture of the fowle Here is the chief and supreme sacramental grace of the Scottish and Geneua signe Hereof he coÌ„cludeth thus Looke how ful persite a nurriture he hath to his body that hath store of bread and wine so he that hath Christ hath a ful and persite nurriture of his sowle This is M. B. discourse touching that which he accompteth the chief end of this sacrameÌ„t VVherein let the ChristiaÌ„ reader first of al note the true ground of the Geneva resolutioÌ„ for altering the matter of this sacrameÌ„t For when they coÌ„clude that it may be very wel ministred not only in bread and wine but also in bread beer in ale flesh fish or any thing els which bodily nourisheth for that such bodily food aptly represeteth the food of the sowle this resolutioÌ„ hath his ground hence that to signifie figure is the chief end why the sacrameÌ„t was instituted and therefore where this significatiâ— is reteyned there is the substance of the sacramenn sufficiently coÌ„served as our M. Iewel also expresly affirmeth And nâ—w to come to M. B. Theologie who vpon this simple g 〈…〉 bulldeth his sacrameÌ„t what if a man deny al his ground both in the one signe in the other what if a maÌ„ deny that as Christs blud washeth away the spots staynes of sinne so this is best represented by water as Christ is the persit nurriture of our sowle so this is best represented by bread and wine For touching both the one and the other both washing and feeding not only his laundresse or wife if she be demaunded the question and wemen having by the gospel such power and sway geven to them in ecclesiastical matters as hath bene declared doubtles their sentence in such cases is greatly to be esteemed wil answere in both negatively that nether only water washeth and clenseth best nor only bread and drinke be it wine or ale is ful and persit nurriture but also reason common experience and the scripture it selfe wil iustifie this their negatiue For everie one that vseth to wash and scoure cleane knoweth that water alone is not of best force so to do And the scripture when it wil signifie persite and best washing requireth somewhat els as where the prophete saith If thow wash thy selfe with nitre and multiplie the herbe Borith or after Malachie the fullers herbe yet thow art stil vncleâ—â—e VVhich Nitre as likewise many other natural liquours or herbes to be of greater power to scoure out spots and steynes then is running water daily practise philosophie teacheth vs. And on the other part the coÌ„mon diet thorough out Scotland and England assureth vs the contrarie of that M. B. so confidently affirmeth every man and woman I say wil deny that who soever hath bread and drinke hath by by ful and persit nurriture as on the contrarie side some times and in some places countries ful persit nurriture hath bene without ether of them ether bread or wine In the first age before the deluge when men lived 700. 800. yea 900. yeres they had persite ful nurriture yet never knew what wine meant perhaps nether bread For albeit the scripture vse once that vvord bread in our vulgar translations yet it is wel knowen to al vvhich knovv ought that the hebrew word especially in that place signifieth
any food in general vvhereby man liveth as vvel herbes rootes apples yea flesh fish as our kind of bread vvithout vvhich as then doubtles men might live vvel so at this present it is sure and certain that both in Africa and in America there are vvhole nations vvho liue far longer then vve do vvho vntil this time never knevv nor savv ether bread or vvine and now they knovv both yet preferre they their rootes siuit vvhich they of old vsed iâ— steed of bread vvine before ether the one or the other And since the ChristiaÌ„ faith was published in the world hovv many good men of longest life as for example â— Antonie S. Paule the first Eremites of vvhich the one lived 105 the other 113. yere haue perpetually absteyned from vvine yet vvanted not for al that ful perfite nurriture or els they could neuer haue liued so long And the holy scripture vvhen it vvil describe sufficiencie and fulnes requisite for mans sustenance sometimes yea commonly expresseth it not by bread and vvine but otherwise somtimes vseth those 2. but ioyneth other things vnto them VVhen God promised to the Hebrues a land where they should find no vvant but haue plentic of such nurriture as M. B. telleth vs os generally it nameth a land not abounding vvith bread and wine but vvith milke and hony as appeareth in the old testament every vvhere Sometime it mentioneth bread alone sometime vvith bread ioyneth not wine but water that vvas to thovvsands as ful and perfite nurriture as vvine from vvhich among the Ievves many for very religion absteyned yet had their ful and perfite sustenance At other times it rehearseth corne wine and oyle And yet after al these ful and perfite sustenance and nutriment is made by flesh fish and other such commodities no lesse then by the premisses vvhich therefore God in like sort gave to the hand of man saying al birdes of the ayer al fishes of the sea al beasts of the earth shal be to yow for food and nurriture VVherefore if M. B. in saying that bread and vvine is ful and perfit nurriture and therefore may signifie Christ vvhich nourisheth vs persitely speake of bread vvine in such sense as the scripture doth vvhich vnder the name of bread and vvine compriseth al food as I confesse he speaketh truly so in that sense bread by it self or bread and vvater or mylke and hony or flesh or fish is a ful perfite nurriture and may signifie Christ as vvel and so serue as vvel for a sacrament If he speake as he seemeth after the vulgar sense of men namely of our countrymen in Scotland England vvhere bread signifieth one special and particular kind of food and vvine an other then is his vvord false then doth not his sacramental bread and vvine represent Christ as a perfite and ful nurriture of our sovvles for that only bread and vvine are not ful perfite nurriture of our bodies according to our speech fashion and dyet and so is his sacramental signe a false signe and seale vvhich sealeth a false doctrine as not having a perfite representation of ful and perfite nurriture And albeit against the right sacrament of the church vvhere the principal part of the sacrament is an other maner of grace vertue and sanctification vvhereof this significative qualitie dependeth as an accident of the substance as an accessorie of the principal this argument be vveake concludeth nothing yet against them who make not any spiritual effect and operation but such tropical figuring and representation the chief effect and substance of the sacrament the argument standeth strong forcible sufficient to destroy the vvhole entier sacrament because it destroyeth the perfit signification vvherein the sacrament principally chiefly consisteth Furthermore if the chief point and part of this sacrament is to be dravven from that vvhich geveth ful perfite nurriture to our body then that meate vvhich best fullest nourisheth our body is the best sacrament as fittest to signifie our ful nurriture vvhich vve haue in Christ and so if to bread vvine we ioyne a good peece of mutton a fat capon vvhich questionles nourisheth better then bread vvine alone this because it nourisheth the body best shal be fittest to signifie and so to make the Scottish sacrament For this sequele can not be denyed nor avoyded that if vve measure and define the sacrament as he doth by feeding the body and so consequently representing spiritual foode if it be true as vvith M. B. our English Iewel vvriteth that the substance of the sacrament iâ— to shew vs that like as material bread feedeth our body so the body of Christ crucified eaten by faith feedeth the sowle then that vvhich in this kind excelleth the same is most significatiue most sacramental so vve shal be everyday varying our sacraments according as the Phisicians â—nforme vs vvhich meate is most nourishing And thus in fine vve shal proceed to take our sacraments from the kitchin or from Galen and Hippocrates rules of fatting the body not from Christs gospel his Apostles order of feeding the sovvle And breefely hereof it ensueth that every man and vvoman can make as good a sacrament as this For vvhat man or vvoman that hath a litle skil in phisike or cookery can not geue to every dish of meate sod baked rost fried to every banqueting dish every good restoratiue every good vvine beere ale or vvhat so ever is nutritiue this signification and say to her ghests that as this capon this venisoÌ„ nourisheth your body so Christ in heaven or crucified nourisheth your sowle VVhich being so that truly such meate nourisheth the body as vvel as bread wine it consequently may represent the nurriture of the sovvle as vvel as the bread and vvine vvhich is to be as good a sacrament as is their bread vvine If he replie that Christ ordeyned the one not the other and therefore the one is so much to be preferred before the other because it is appointed by Christ to signifie represent so that is holy bread it is holy wine a holy signe seale for that it signifieth by Christs institution I ansvvere first that it is more agreable to the Protestant doctrine that Christ instituted it not but only vsed it being in practise long before among the Ievves And as he first instituted not baptisme but tooke it from S. Iohn so did he not first ordeyne or appoint this but left it as he found it a mere Ievvish ceremonie vvith this only difference which the course of time gaue vnto it that it should thence forvvard signifie a thing past as of old it had signified a thing to come I ansvvere next supposing that Christ did institute it that albeit in deede betvvene Christ man there is infinite difference so yet betvvene this signe of
apperteines not to one or two to thanke god only but as we are al partaken of his temporal and spiritual benefites so we ought al publikely to geue thankes therefore These are al his reasons against private receiving of the sacrament by several persons which reasons a man of common iudgment and sense might suppose to haue bene vttered in mockeâ—ic and derision of these mens learning and Theologie were it not that M. B. doth preach them to his audience so formally and thus setteth them sorth vvithout any other assistaÌ„ce helpe or authoritie to coÌ„mend or support theÌ„ For to begin with the last what prophane blindnes witles impietie is it to say that we may not make a private thankes geving for a publike benefite in which vve privately haue as great an interest as any Is it against the preaching and teaching of the Scottish ministrie for the brethrene privately in their chambers at morning or evening to geue god thankes for the publike benefites vvhich they receiue ether spititual or temporal for their creation for their sanctification for their rest by night or day for the goods of the earth for their peace by sea and land and so forth If because Christ is a coÌ„mon thing not private therefore the sacrament may not be received of one but al the brothers and sisters must meete together vvhy baptise they any one severally seing Christ signified by that sacrament is a common thing and the same thing vvhich is signifyed by the bread and drinke of their supper VVhy say they ever in private the Lords prayer seing god is a common thing not private and the very first vvord is not my father but our father VVhy doth M. B. severally enioy the light of the sunne the benefite of the ayer vvater land c. vvhich be al publike and general benefites not restrayned or limited to him or to any one in particular Are these men Christian reader in their right vvits vvho vvith such mad braynsick devises dare oppose them selues to the most auncient pure Apostolike church the Catholike church of al times ages But S. Paule calleth the Sacrament a Communion or Câ—munication of Christs body True And vvhat maketh this against private coÌ„munion vvhich it rather coÌ„firmeth For vvhy may not one man alone as vvel coÌ„municate receiue Christs body in this sacrament as one alone may coÌ„municate receiue remissioÌ„ of his sinnes in the sacrameÌ„t of baptisme By what reason or shew of reason doth the coÌ„municatioÌ„ of Christ embarre any private man from the sacrament May a private man evermore and every vvhere by faith communicate Christ truly really and perfitely vvhich is the greater matter and may he not at the ministers hand priuatly receiue bread and wine vvhich is by many degrees the lesse May he commendably enioy the principal the body and must he be excluded from the accessoâ—e from the shadow How vehemently doth Caluin refute this in his disputation against the Anabaptists vvhen he argueth in this very sort Si pueri rei sigâ—â—tae sunt participes cuâ— a signo arcebuntur c. If children before baptisme and vvithout baptisme be partakers of the thing signified by baptisme why should they be debarred from the signe If already they pessesse the veritie why should they be kept from the figure And hovv rashly is it auouched by him that this seale man be ministred publikely otherwise it is no sacrament and the definition of it requireth that the seale be ministred publikely not privately in a societie and congregation of the faithful otherwise ye â—â—â—â— the communion vvhereas the next reformed congregatioÌ„ of his Genevian bretherne preach and practise the contrarie Knovveth he not the maner of the English Church is not there allovved communion of the sicke in their private hovvses Is it not there expreslely declared defined against his definition that in the time of plague sweate or such other contagious sicknesses the minister alone may communicate with the sicke person Do the English ministers tyne destroy the sacrament so abuse mocke the poore sicke brother vvho is novv to depart the vvorld Do they pervert Christs Institution for that they minister the seale not publikely in the coÌ„gregation in a societie of faithful â—â—â— privatly in a chamber to one alone vvhere to such societie of the faithful bretherne is assembled â—â—â—s iâ— M. B. Iohn Calvins vvisdom Theologie vvherein they resemble one the other very aptly that is not to caâ—â— vvhat they say nor vpon hovv â—nvoloâ—â— and 〈…〉 〈…〉 in they speake nor vvhom they condemne so that like vvise and grave Theologes they may 〈…〉 and 〈…〉 their ovvne inventions For even vpon these most vvitles and childish sophismes did Calvin condemne in the Lutherans such private receiving and ministration of the sacrameÌ„t as not agreing vvith the rule of Christ and disallowed by the nature and definition of a communion Vnto vvhom and iâ— him to M. B. thus answereth VVestphalus setting vvithal against his three trifling cavils twise as many substaÌ„tial reasons The summe effect of vhich in his ovvne vvords I vvil briefly comprehend because they serve also against a number of our English preachings pamphlets VVhereas Calvin obiected Christs rule vvhich requireth a multitude VVestphal demaundeth VVhere is any such rule any such law made by Christ Christ saith he never made any such law concerning tyme place or number He never commaunded that the whole congregation should meete together and in one time and place receive the sacrament Yow Calvinists are they who make such a law at your pleasure Christ never forbad that a few three two or one should participate this helthful foode He promised to be present in the middest of two or three gathered together in his name signifying that the church was where two or three godly disciples were And wil he not stand to his promise VVil he not be present to two or three or one when â—â— receiveth the holy Eucharist Thus much for that first argument For the second taken from the nature of communion vvhich M. B. also much grateth on vz. that it is a common supper and banquet and therefore not to be received privatly this learned Protestant vpon that they ground maketh an argument cleane contrarie Quid audio câ—nâ— non erit contra communicationis c. VVhat say yow shal it not be accompted a supper Is it against the nature of a supper of a communion or communication if one alone or with a few be refreshed at iâ— CHRIST mercifully ordeyned his supper to refresh hungry sowles He ordeined a communion By order of his institution no man that desireth it is to be excluded but by right of this common supper is to be admittâ—â— though he be alone And the very law of Communion requireth that no man be debarred from participation of this supper except by
only such as be of naughtie life but also of evil and heretical faith if they be not plain Apostataes Of the Calvinists special iustifying faith by which last refuge as al Catholikes be excluded from their spiritual communicatioÌ„ of Christ so yet other most detestable heretikes thereby receiue Christ as wel as the Calvinists And their doctrine of special faith the very roote of dissolute life plainely directly concludeth against M. B. that in their supper the worst Calvinists receiue Christ as wel as the best CHAP. 15. THe next matter not handled before is a couple of arguments vvhich M. B. obiecteth as in the behalf of Catholikes for the real presence The first is this The Apostle saith He that eates of this bread vnworthely is guiltie of the body and blud of Christ There iâ— their ground VVhereof they frame this argument No man can be guiltie of that thing which be â—â—â— not received Evil men receiue not the body of Christ Therefore they can not be guiltie of it This is the argument as he maketh it His answere to this as likewise to the next is out of Calvin thus First I say the first proposition is very false For they may be guiltie of that same body and that same blud suppose they never received it But take heed to the text The text saith not that hey eate the body of Christ but that they eate that bread drinke that wine vnworthely And yet because they eate that bread drinke that wine vnworthely they are counted before God guiltie of the body and blud of Christ not because they received him for Christ can not be received of any man bâ—â— worthely but because they refused him For when they did eate that bread and drinke that wine they might if they â—ad had faith eaten and drunken the flesh and blud of Christ Nâ—â— because thow refusest the body of Christ offered vnto thee thâ—â— contemnes it and so art guiltie of it In this answere whereas M. B. wisheth the reader or hearer to take heede to the text so do I to so shal he find M. B. to be as right a minister that is to say as right a falsifyer of the text as are coÌ„monly his felow ministers For where findeth he in the text except it be a false corrupted text that such men eate that bread and drinke that wine vnvvorthely Certainely not in any text of S. Paule For thus stand the words even as I find them translated by Beza and Calvin Therefore who so ever shal eate of this bread and drinke of this cup vnworthely shal be guiltie of the Lords body and blud But let every one proue him selfe and so eate of that bread and drinke of that cup. For who so eateth and drinketh vnworthely eateth drinketh damnation to him self for that he discerneth not the Lords body These are the words of the Apostle and thus are they translated by Calvin Beza And novv take as good heed as yow can to the text VVhere find ye that evil men eate bread drinke wine VVhat godles dealing is this to wil your auditour to take heed to the text then your self to abuse the holy scripture to corrupt the text coosen your auditor or reader most vvhen most yow pretend honestie simplicitie vvil him to take heed to the text And let not the reader suppose that the corruption is smale or of no great moment For it is vile grosse and in this place so heretical that he had bene as good to have made a text of his owne as to have made the Apostle thus to speake For the Apostles vvords are divinely exactly set downe and Apostolically expresse the real presence For in naming this bread in vrging and repeating that bread vvhich in greeke is significantly put and declareth a singular bread he meaneth that bread of God which came from heaven that bread which geueth life that body vvhich in the old testament sometimes and in the Gospels oft times in one chapter of S. Iohn a dosoÌ„ times at lest is called bread vvhich bread our saviour him self assureth vs to be his flesh which was to be geven for the life and salvation of the world In naming the cup or that cup vvhich is Christs owne vvord and vvhich vvord being common to any thing conteyned in the cup be it the blud of the new testament which was shed for vs be it wine be it water be it ale or beer or any maner drinke to al vvhich the vvord cup may vvel agree our saviour restreyneth to the blud of the new testament shed for remission of sinnes and so restreyneth that it can not be referred to wine or any other thing S. Paule most assuredly meaneth the same and so in the one and other truly describeth the Catholike faith of the church Against vvhich M. B. telling vs that the Apostle saith such evil men eate that bread and drinke that wine most vvickedly by thrusting in his wine redueeth the vvord bread to a vulgar base signification because talking of bread and wine no man can conceive othervvise vvhereas the vvord bread being in scripture common to al foode vvhereby man liveth and the vvord cuppe being in his kind as large and general doth not signifie nether that our vulgar kind of bread nor this wine more then it signifieth flesh and ale or fish and vvater and being o 〈…〉 self indifferent other places of the scripture necessarily determine it to one certain more high and divine signification as hath bene declared Now vvhereas M. B. maketh a discourse that a man may be guiltie of a thing vvhich he receiveth not which no vvise man doubteth of and so a man may be guilty of Christs body and blud vvhich yet is not eaten oâ— drunken ether corporally or spiritually vvhich is a plaine case for Pagans and persecutors are guilty of Christian blud vvhich vniustly they shed though yeâ— they drinke it not and Pilate Herode Caiphas and the Ievves vvhich crucified Christ vvere guiltie of his death of â—ath body vvhich they eate nether vvay nether as Catholiks nor as Protestants al this is labour spent in vaine and talke to no purpose VVe argue not vpon vvords of condemnation or guiltines in general but vpon the vvords as they are put in the Apostle and ioyned vvith other vvords of his so they clearly prove a real presence and M. B. his interpretation is maledicta glâ—ssa a cursed glose and exposition because it is cleane not besides but against the text For saith M. B. the fault of these men vvhom S. Paule reproveth is because they eate not that divine bread nor drinke that diuine cup S. Paule saith their fault is because they do eate it and drinke it M. B. putteth the indignitie and vnworthines in refusing not receiving it S. Paule in receiving it not refusing For they do receiue eate it but
in an other place In consecrating the Sacrament the priest saith he vseth not his owne words but he vseth the words of Christ Therefore the word of Christ maketh this Sacrament VVhat word Euen the selfe same word by which al things were made Our lord commaunded and the heauen was made He coÌ„maunded the earth was made He commaunded the seas were made Thou seest then how puissant is the word of Christ And in this sort he continueth a verie long pithiâ— disputation grounded vpon manifold scriptures to proue the infinite povver of Christs vvord in consecration of the blessed Sacrament vvhereof this is his conclusion Now therefore to answere thee it was not the body but bread before consecratioÌ„ But after when Christs words are ioyned therevnto then is it the body of Christ Likewise before the chalice had in it wine and water but when Christs words haue wrought thereon there is made present the blud which redeemed the people Thou seest then how many waies the speach of Christ is able to chaunge al things An ignorant puâ—as nobis esse virtuâ—em mysticae benedictionis saith S. Cyâ—illus Archbishop of Alexandria Thinkest thow we know not the vertue or force of the mystical benediction to worke the real presence of Christ with vs VVhere he vseth many of the examples brought by S. Ambrose namely that of Moses rod of the riuers of Aegipt made blud of passing the red sea to proue that we should make no doubt touching the veritie of this misterie nor Iewishly aske how Christ can make his body present in so many places at once To like effect and purpose notable are the words of Eusebius Emissenus or as some suppose of Faustus bishop of Rhegium touching my purpose it is not material whether for that ech of them liued about 1200. yeres since and so are good witnesses of the faith of that auncient church which are these VVhen the creatures bread and wine are set on the holy altars to be blessed before they are consecrated with inuocation of the high god there is the substance of bread and wine but after the words of Christ it is the body and blud of Christ. And what meruaile is it if be that with a word could create can now alter the things which he hath created Nay it seemeth a lesser miracle if that which he is confessed to haue made of nothing the same now being made he chaunge in to a better substance And what may be hard for him to do to whom it was easie by the commaundement of his wil to make al things both visible and invisible These few in steed of a number may serue to declare what saith the auncient church and fathers had of the strength and efficacie of Christs words in the blessed Sacrament Now let vs vew on the other side the opinion of Zuinglius the Sacramentaries This Zuinglius him self maketh to be the very state of the question betwene him Luther Controuersia quâ—e nobis cum Luthero est in hoc versatur c. The controuersie betwene vs Luther resteth in this point that we on our side can neuer graunt that Christs words in the supper should be pronounced to this end as though any thing were wrought by vertue of them And albeit he can be content to permit them to be read as other parts of the scripture historically for knowledge of the stone as perhaps in the old Testament when the Paschal lamb was eaten in the time thereof the Iewes might reade the 12. chapiter of Exodus and yet that also he greatly liketh not and holdeth it not so conuenient but admitteth it no wares necessarie yet hovv so euer that be very couragiously he assureth his reader that Luther can neuer yeld any sound reasoÌ„ or authori tie that commaundeth the words of the institution to be read in ministring the supper The like he vvriteth of the sacrament of baptisme Non damno vsitatam baptizandi formulam in nomine patris c. I condemne not the vsual forme of baptising in the name of the father of the sonne and of the holy gost yet in the meane season I nether may nor wil omit to speake the truth which is this that Christ appointed not in these words a forme of baptisme which we should vse at the Diuines hitherto haue falsely taught And the meaning of these words is not as if Christ wold haue said VVhen yow baptise any pronounce these 3 names ouer them but rather he warneth that such as were strangers from god and true religion them should the Apostles bring to the true god dedicating binding them to his seruice by some external signe And Caluin caâ—leth it magical inchauntment to thinke that the words of Christ worke any thing in the sacrament for that sola explication ad populum facit vt mortuum elementuÌ„ incipiat esse sacramentum Only the declaratioÌ„ of the mâ—sterie to the people causeth the dead element to become a sacrament The like vvriteth Bullinger Zuinglius his successor in the chaire of Zurick The Papists superstitiously attribute force of sanctification to the words vttered in administration of the sacrament For not the words but the faith of the baptized causeth that baptisme is of force and vertue And in the gospel when Christ instituted the supper he commaunded nâ—t to rehearse or pronounce any thing by vertue whereof the elements might be chaunged or the things signified broughâ— downe from heauen and ioyned to the symboles And therefore there is no vertue at al in rehearsing the words of the Lord in the supper As the figure or forme of letters is of no valew so there is no force in pronouncing the words or in the sound of them For Plinie saith words as also charmes or inchauntements are of no power or efficacie In vvhich vvords the Christian reader may first of al note vvhat Doctors these men folovv in matters of faith vvhen Plinie an heathen and faithles man is brought in as a great author to determine of the vertue of our Sauiours vvords in the sacrament VVith like grace as Theodore Beza expoundeth the same vvords symbolically by the graue authoritie forsooth of Homer the poete as he is commonly called father of lyes Next it may be obserued vvhether Brentius the Lutheran had not lust occasion to vvrite of Bullinger his companions as by vvitnesse of Bullinger him self he doth to vvit These Zuinglians saith he are wont to measure and limite as they please the omnipotencie of god To which end they vse the verie self same arguments quibus Plinius ille Atheus Epicureus omnipotentiam Dei oppugnauit by which Plinie that godles Epicure fought against the omnipotencie of God Then by conference of the sayings of Zuinglius Caluin and Bullinger vvith those former of Iustinus the martyr S. Ambrose S. Cyril and Eusebius Emissenus as vve may farther perceiue an
vsed by Caluin Beza Martyr Musculus and lightly euerie other sacramentarie that the Iewish Manna vvater out of the rocke their passing ouer the sea and baptisme in the cloud vvas as good and effectual as our sacraments of baptisme the Eucharist and that the Ievves in those figures receiued the self same foode in the one spiritual benefite in the other as vve do in these sacrameÌ„ts of ours the ansvvere is that they al sovvly corrupt and peruert the Apostles vvords and sense The Apostle saith not that the Ievves had the self same spiritual foode which Christians baâ—â— as though he compared Ievves and Christians together but that the Ievves amonge them selues good bad iust and vniust receiued those benefites there mentioned For the Ievves al alike passed the redde seaâ— they vvere al directed alike by the cloud they al alike did eate of Manna vvherein the evil men had as great preeminence as the good they did al alike so did their beasts drinkâ— of the water which issued out of the rocke albeit most of them were wicked men in whom god was not pleased This is al that the Apostle saith These vvere temporal benefites bestowed vpon the Iewes which in no place of the Scripture haue annexed vnto them spiritual grace or remission of sinnes as haue the Christian sacraments wherevnto they are impiously opposed And therefore S. Basil with great zeale mueâ—gheth against them which make such odious comparison as men who vtterly disgrace and extenuate the maiestie of the nevv testament For saith he what remission of sinnes what regeneration or renouation of life was geuen by the sea what spiritual gift was geueÌ„ by Moyses what mortificatioÌ„ of sinne was wrought by his ceremonies or sacraments As for the vvord spiritual applied by S. Paule to Manna the vvater he calleth it spiritual partly because it proceeded from a spiritual diuine miraculous cause as in the storie is noted partly because it signified as did almost al things in the old lavv euen the very stones and timber of Salomons temple spiritual things which vvere to be exhibited in the nevv testament in Christ and his church For that of it self it vvas not ordeyned for a spiritual foode but for a corporal the very text proueth which assigneth the vse of it to al indifferently no lesse to euil men then to good yea no lesse to beasts then to men and our Sauiour him self vvho plainlie separateth it from the diuine Manna of the nevv testameÌ„t directly affirmeth it to haue bene geuen for a corporal foode to differ as much from his diuine body geuen in the sacrament of the nevv testament as doth any vulgar bread or flesh And thus do the auncient fathers agreably to Christs words expound it acknovvleging it for his proper and peculiar vse to haue bene an earthly foode though besides it vvere a signe a figure an image a shadovv and signification of Christ the spiritual Manna and heauenly bread vvhich in deed came from heauen in vvhich first vvord of the definition of our sacraments for every sacrament is a signe that Manna and water of the rocke agree with our sacraments and therefore some times so far forth they are by S. Austin compared together but touching the effect of grace never made equal And now if it shal please the reader to conferre these last 6. rules or obseruatons gathered out of the doctrine of Caluin and the Caluinists with that his first magnifiing of Christs real presence in the Sacrament of the Supper he shal very easely discouer him to be a vvicked hipocrite and also find everie parcel point of that whole paragraph gainsayd and refuted by ech one of these 6. obseruations ensuing vvhich if a man vvould gather in to a table after the example before shevved he should fil a great deale of paper and find at the lest so many contradictions in these later against that first as be sentences perhaps lines in that first He shal vvithal be able to frame to him selfe some certaine and sure knovvledge to sure at lâ—st as may be gathered out of the vvritings of such vvethercockes vvho according to the Apostles vvords are tossed vp and dovvne vvith everie nevv conceite as a light clovvde is caried here there vvith every puffe of vvind vvhat the Caluinian supper is to vvit after his ovvne description bread and vvine or some like nutriment voyd of Christs body and blud or any vertue thereof or any other grace instituted for this only purpose to put vs in remembrance of Christ in no respect or comparison better then the significatiue bread or sheeps flesh vsed by the Iewes in their Paschal suppers ¶ And thus much touching the equalitie of their sacrament with the Ievves as they graunt vve accept so herevpon a litle farther we proue vvhich perhaps they vvil deny that the Ievvish sacraments vvere better then thens not only for that the Ievvish had their Institution from god and his holy prophets vvhereas this supper proceedeth directly from the deuil his Ministers but also for that comparing the sacraments thus by them described in them selues the Ievvish much excelled VVhereof this only reason in their diuinitie is a most sure demonstration The preper vse institution and end of the sacrament is this and in this confuteth the benefite thereof that it stiriâ—th vp our â—aith moveth ouâ— external and internal 〈…〉 to consideration of the thing signified that is Christ his death VVhereof â—â—â—â—lâ—vvâ—th that where this 〈…〉 is most â—ound where a signe is most lâ—â—â—â—y 〈…〉 and 〈◊〉 to moue ouâ— senses 〈…〉 iy to quicken ouâ—â—aith and excite our mynds to the consideration of Christ his death that â—gâ—e hath in it so much the more singularly and in a more high and excellent degree the nature of a sacrament But this was saâ— better and more effâ—â—â—â—ally wrought by 〈…〉 ng a lamb by pâ—wâ—â—g out the â—lud thereof then by 〈…〉 bread and drinking beare 〈…〉 or wine I or both the lamb is a more noble câ—eatuâ—e then is bread therefore more apt to â—gâ—â—â—â—c Christs body the noblest creature that euer was the innocency of a lamb to signifie Christs innocencie that lamb killed that flesh that blud was a more lâ—â—â—ly signe or this lamb of god killed for â—s of his body of his blud giuen for â—s then breaking of bread drinking of any wine or beare be it neuer so strong Therefore in that wherein consiâ—â—eâ—â— the proper nature of a sacrament the â—ewâ—â—h excelled ours Againe an other saâ—â—â—mental signification and the same very principal 〈…〉 they in this that as the bread and wine nourisheth our bodies corporally so Christ caâ—e by faith nourisheth our sâ—wâ—es spiritually But that Iewish supper hauing in it yong tender nourishing flesh of a lamb together with bread and vvine nourished corporally and so signified Christ body nourishing
spiritually far better then only bread and 〈…〉 much better then their vvater 〈…〉 oâ— such other leâ—â—er nourishing foode in vvhich the 〈…〉 aâ— supper may be ministred If 〈…〉 to take some one other or the Ievvish sacraments Maâ—â—â— for example this excellencie vvil yet appeare much more That was a sacrament of theirs saith Caluin and also Beza correspondent to our holy Supper the one eâ—uâ—l to the other say they but far surpassing ay I if these mens doctrine of sacraments hold for good P. Martyr vvriting vpon the same place of the Apostle gathereth out of Aâ—â—n â—â—â—a other Rabbines certaine miraculous qualities proprieties apperteyning to that sacrament of Manna vvhereof I vvil note some fevv 〈…〉 ing vvithal the present comparison vvhich I â—â—ue in hand That Manna saith Peter Martyr had many proprieties whereby it did most apâ—ly represent foâ—â—shew Christ as first in that it was geuen them without al labour paâ—ne of the Iewes VVherein it signified Christ geuen sent from god the father to men not for their works and deserts but of his mere goodnes and mercy The bread of â—aluâ—â— being procured by ordinary labour traualle of plovving â—oâ—ving reaping baking can signifie no such thing vvith Manna but rather the cleane contrarie 2. That raâ—ned downe from heauen after a very miraculous sort So Christ also had a celestial and diuine nature as god and as maâ— framed to him els a body of his mother a virgin without the seed of man by the diuine operation of the holy ghost In respect of vvhich his dâ—â—ine and celestial incarnation for that in this sort he tooke flesh the Apostle Paule opposeth him to the terrestrial and earthly Adam termeth him the second Adam celestial and heauenly from heauen and his body a spiritual body vvhose generation of a virgin quis enarrabit who is able to declareâ— saith the prophete I say Al this being signified by the Ievvish Manna miraculously coming from heaven no one iote is signified by the bread of this nevv Genenian Supper but the contrarie as vvhich hath a contrarie nature proceeding out of the earth not from heauen by mans labour and toyle not by any miraculous operation and therefore more fitly leadeth the coÌ„municants to thinke that Christ vvas begotten as other men are baâ—ely and carnally according to the old herâ—â—sâ—e of the 〈…〉 tes then by the diuine operation of the holy ghost as is the Christian beleefe 3. The Iewes wondred at Manna and therefore exclamed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 VVhat thing is this vvhence also Manna had his name They vvendered partly because they knevv not the original of â—t paâ—â—y because they saâ—â— vvonderful effects in it In like maneâ— Christ was designed so to come that alâ—â—â— in general al the levves knâ—â—â— that he vvas to come from the sâ—ocke of Abraham and 〈…〉 yet in special from vvhat liâ—e in vvhat maâ—â—â—â—e by vvhat meanes vvhat perâ—on he should be thâ— was vnknowen to them and therefore they â—y Christ the Meâ—stâ—â— vvhen he shal come nâ— man shâ—l know whence he is 〈…〉 as the â—evves vvondered at Manna for the stâ—aâ—â—ge effects thereof vvhereof one vvas that he vvho gathered most had no more then â—e tâ—â—â— gathered leâ—â—â— contraâ— vvâ—se he vvho gathered leâ—t vvas as abundaantly satisfied as he that gathered most vvhich is also dâ—â—â—â—ly fulâ—â—led in the blessed Sacrament so Christ did shevv â—orth many vvenderful effects miraculous vvorks for vvhich al the people continually vvondered at him â—eth in his vvords and in his vvorks as the â—â—oâ—e of the â—ospâ—l euery vvhere recordeth Al vvhich being so aptly represented by Manna vvhat one title or point of like signification is found in this bakerly Communion of the Caluâ—â—â—is vvhere at none of the bretherne them selues vvonder say MAN HV VVhat â—â— this because they â—novv it to be nothing but ordinatie commoÌ„ vulgar bread â—â— their owne doctors charge them to make nâ— diuine or â—â—gâ—â—â— esteeme of â—t VVhereof Muscul ' vvriting 〈…〉 eth S. Chrysost for that vpon Mat. how â—3 â—â— saâ—tâ— It is not mans power to make these â—iuine mysteries Christ â—eâ—u that maâ—â— them â—n that first upper he also maketh them at this present VVe oâ—â—u â—e the place of seruants but he â—â—s qui sanctificat et immutat that sanctifieth and châ—unâ—eâ—h the â—hese vvords of Chrysost sa â—â— Muscul ' are spoken rather râ—etorically then truly â—atâ—er as became a 〈…〉 then aâ— honest plain man as the truth of the maâ—ter required and if he respect Christs câ—mâ—â—◠〈…〉 Hâ—â— facâ—â—e do this iâ— iâ— altogether false For Christ bad vs nether anctiâ—e nor chaunce bread and wine but to â—â—eaâ—â— bread and part it amongst vs and with thankesgeuing to eate and drinke it as a sacrament or signe of his body and blud in memorie of him quae sacramentalis câ—remoniâ— humanam virtutem non superat which sacramental ceremonie exceedeth not the power of man VVhich is most true For euery man can make such a ceremonie and euery tankardbearer and good wife can as wel minister such a Communion of breaking bread and drinking wine with thankes-geuing in memorie of Christ by vertue of their vocation as the minister by vertue of his So then this Caluinian bread and drinke is nothing like to Manna here is no admiration no wondering at it therefore nothing coÌ„parable is it to that Iewish bread for representing Christ most glorious and wonderful in al his doings from his first conception to the last howre of his being here in earth and ascension to heauen 4. 5. Manna nourished abundantly it had diuers very sweet and wonderful kinds of tast suaâ—es et admirandos sapores to signifie that Christ should suffise to nourish al the world and that the fruition of him was most ioyful and delectable of whom it is written Tast and see how sweet the Lord is This Geneua bread nourisheth no more then other doth it hath no better tast then other bread if it haue so good so in this it nothing figureth Christ like to the Iewes Manna 6. Finally omitting a number and euery one very sufficient to preferre that sacrament of the Iewes before this of the Caluinists that Manna of the Ievves was very white the scripture specially mentioneth that colour not without misterie for thereby was signified saith P. Martyr Christs immaculate puritie innocencie who neuer committed sinne nether was there found guile in his mouth according to the prophet This puritie can not be signified by the Caluinian bread which as by the English order should be taken of such common bread as men vse ordinarily at their tables so my self and diuers other haue some times seene it so browne or rather blacke that as Clebitius the chief Zuinglian minister of Heidelberge writeth of Heshusius their Lutheran Superintendent that when the siluer pixes there
circuâ—cised afterward received the signe of circumcision a seale of the iustice of faith which he had being yet vncircumcised that he should be the father of them thaâ— beleeue c. And vvhat maketh this for the sacrament of the Supper vvhat to our purpose here Certainly as much as circumcision resembleth the supper For first it vvâ—l not folovv in any reason ether humane or divine that vvhich is spoken of one particular streight vvays to be extended to al. The argument on the contraâ—ie side is good from al to some or any one But from one to al is as vvise as if I should say M. B. is minister eâ—go al men are ministers For questionles not al sacraments of the old lavv vvere such signes and seales of iustice For so al that vvere vvashed or purified Iudaically al that eate the Paschal lamb or vnleavened bread yea by the Protestant doctrine al that passed the red sea and eate of Manna or drunke of the vvater issuing out of the rocke vvhich the Protestants make as good sacraments as are the Christian should haue bene iustified vvhich iâ— flat against the Apostle and should from god him self haue received the seale and testification that they vvere iust before him Next if a man deny the sacraments of the old and new law to be of one qualitie as al Catholikes do ever did then againe the collection from circumcision to the supper is fond foolish Thirdly it wil not folow from this of Abraham to any sacrameÌ„t that it is a seale of iustice to the receiuer For albeit it were so in AbrahaÌ„ of whom the scripture testifieth that before this time he was iustified and afterwards receiving the signe of circumcision that was to him a seale and confirmation of iustice as the plain storie and sequele of the Scripture sheweth and S. Chrysostom expoundeth yet this signe can be no such seale to al others except they haue the like warrant and testimonie of their iustice from god out of his word as Abraham had which to affirme fighteth directly against the Protestants doctrine who teach that many were as then circumcised so now baptized who are not iust before god but remayne stil in their sinnes So nether baptisme now nor circumcision then could be to such men a seale and confirmation of iustice which they then had not nor novv haue Fourthly this vvas to Abraham a seale not of iustice only but also of an other promise as vvitnesseth S. Paule â—â— fiereâ— pater multarum gentium that he should become the father of many nations both of Ievves Gentilessuch as beleeved For as before his circumcision he vvas iustified by his faith to testifie that the Gentiles might be iustified if they beleeved and did as he did vvithout circumcision so after vvas he circumcised to testifie that in like â—ort the circumcised Ievv should be iustified as he vvas And as to him his circumcision vvas a seale of his iustice by â—aith so vvas it also a seale assurance that he should be the father of many natioÌ„s vvhich beleeved vvere they circumcised or no. Which both parts the Apostle in one brief sentence for this cause coupleth together And nether this Apostle nor any other nether Evangelist noâ— prophet ever calleth circumcision a seale but in this special place and that no doubt for this special reason So that this being a proper privilege and prerogatiue geâ—eâ— in singular sort to Abraham in testimonie of his obedience and faith as Beza also in part confesseth pecâ—liari ratione hoc convenit Abrahamo cui vni dictum est in â—ebenediâ—entur omnes gentes this saith Beza agreeth to Abraham after a verie special and peculiar sort vnto whom only it was said in thee shal al nations be blessed M. B. must learne as the laâ—v and common reason teacheth him that priuilegia paucorum non faciunt legem communem The priuileges of a few much lesse of one make no common'law for al. And therefore al sacraments can not be called seales although the sacrament of circumcision was so to Abraham Fiftly which is the principal in this place how soeuer that were to Abraham a seale of iustice whether as Origen interpreteth it because it shut vp the iustice of faith vvhich vvas in the time of the gospel to be plainly opened so that this carnal circumcision vvas a secret feale and presignification of the internal circumcision vvhich vvas to be vvrought spiritually after or as S. Chrysostoni interpreteth it vvas a kind of bond and obligation vvhich God tookâ— of Abraham to bynd him and his posteritie the more deeply to gods service for as vvhen vve distrust mens vvords vve take some pledge of them so god knovving the inconstancie of mens mynds vvould haue this signe and assurance from them saith S. Chrysostom or as some other vvil a signe and seale to put men in memorie of their dutie to god in vvhich soâ—t also our sacraments of baptisme and the Eucharist are signes and seales of Christs death his paâ—sioÌ„ and resurrection to the cogitation and remembrance vvhereof vve are induced by the vse of them or vvhat so euer good sense of this word is geuen by good men no good man ever expounded it to signifie that it is oâ— waâ— a seale to confirme the promises of god or gods woâ—d preached which is the point of our question here intreated Finally of this place amongst other let the Christian reader stil nâ—â—â— the frowardnes of our adâ—ersaries vvho in al the nevv Testament having this only tâ—â—t vvhere a sacrament of the old lavv is called a seale and that peculiarly in one man vpon that one place being so doubtful in deed not applicable to other sacraments wil needs reproue the vsual speech of the church vvhich though not found in scripture as they suppose yet can they not deny but it was vsed in the primitiue church from the beginning For so M. B. confesseth as a thing certain and out of question that the Latin Theologes who were most auncient did interprete the Greeke word 〈◊〉 by the word sacrament and applied it to baptisme and the Supper and vvith a litle study and humilitie he might fynd the vvord thus taken in the scripture it self Vpon this so vveake and pitiful a foundation that is vpon this one vvord of seales once vsed by the Apostle in one only place applied to one only man by special privilege never attributed to baptisme never to the supper that is to say vpon his ovvne mere fansie or at lest vpoÌ„ the fansie of Caluin a vvicked and proud heretike condemned not only by Catholikes but also by most of his felow heretikes of this age M. B. buildeth his entier definition of sacraments VVhich therefore if in this discourse I refute vvith any contemptible words or comparisons let the Reader vvel vnderstand me that In ever intend any such vvord or comparison
against any sacrament of the church of Christ mentioned in the gospel and practised among Christians but only against the inventions of that pernitious Apostata vvhich hovv soeuer he terme by the honorable name of the church sacraments as likevvise he every other heretike calleth his proper devised heresie by the name of Christs gospel yet I esteeme them no othervvise then the devises of the poorest carter in Scotland then the devises of Robin Hood and litle Iohn auncient rank riders in the borders of Scotland and England yea much vvorse for that their deuises ended only in robbing mens purses and at the farthest in killing temporally their bodies vvhereas these SacrameÌ„tarie devises tende to robbe men of their Christian faith and to kil eternally vvith their bodies their soules also And therefore vvhereas I esteeme them such as such also vvil I speake of them and vvith gods assistance by the gospel of Christ and doctrine of Christs Catholike church refel them And for distinction sake and to separate their toyes from the true sacraments I vvil so far as commodiously I can cal them by the names vvhich M. B. and the Sacramentaries better allovv that is signes and seales not sacraments vvhich is the churches word and not so meete to be applied to the signes and seales of their congregations albeit oftentimes especially in this first Sermon I shal be constreyned to cal them sacraments as they do His definition of sacraments taken from Caluin is this The sacrament is a holy signe and seale that is annexed to the preached word of god to seale and confirme the truth contayned in the same word This definition thus he more at large declareth I cal not only the seale separated from the word a sacrament For as there can not be a seale but that which is the seale of an evidence and if the seale be separated from the evidence it is not a seale but what it is by nature no more so there can not be a sacrameÌ„t except it be hung to the evidence of the word But looke what the sacrament was by nature it is no more VVas it a common peece of bread it remaines a common peece of bread except it be hung to the evidence of the word Therefore the word only caÌ„ not be a sacrameÌ„t nor the elemeÌ„t only can not be a sacrament but the word the element coniunctly That to the making of a sacrament is required the word is out of controversie among al Catholikes But vvhat meane yovv by the word not that vvord of god vvhich the Catholikes do For that is in these mens Theologie magical but they meane by the word the vvord of a minister a sermon preached by him For so it solovveth By the word I meane the word preached For the word preached distinctly and al the parts of it opened vp must go before the hanging to of the sacrament and the sacrament as a seale must folow and be appended there after Then I cal a sacrament the word and seale coniunctly the one hung to the other But here some vvil perhaps obiect vvhat need such hanging of seales to the vvord vvhereas the vvord of god is by it self of sufficient autoritie and needeth no such seales for confirmation thereof To this M. B. answereth with Calvin that the seales be annexed to the word for our cause For there is no necessitie on gods part but the necessitie cometh of vs. There is sicke a great weakenes in vs and inhabilitie to beleeue that to helpe this wonderful weakenes whereby we are ready to mistrust god in every word he hath hung to his sacraments Thus much for the general nature of sacraments as they are vsed in the Scottish congregation vvherein there is scarce any one vvord vvhich carieth not vvith it very sovvle absurditie even against the first principles of Christian faith For to examine a litle the definition vvhereon dependeth al I demaund hovvamong Christians can bread or wine or vvater vvhich be the signes of baptisme and the Supper confirme the faith of the preached vvord Is it in respect of the vvord it self or of Christians to vvhom the vvord is sent Not of the vvord it self For that vvere iniurie to god vvhose vvord it is therefore of sufficient credit vvithout such confirmation as Caluin first next M. B. here graunteth Then it remayneth to be in respect of Christians and here againe I must demaund in respect of vvhat sort of Christians strong or vveake perfit or vnperfit â—â—r so vve find them in scripture and in the church generally divided Truly of nether sort if they be right Christians and setled in their Christian faith For is there any true Christian a Christian I say rightly brought vp in the faith of Christ that beleeveth in one god almighty maker of heauen and earth a god vvhom every peece and parcel of his faith teacheth to be most iust most potent most true yea truth it self vvho possibly can not vtter any salsitie is there any Christian thus beleeving and thus he beleeveth or els he is no Christian for vvhom only the sacraments are appointed vvho beleeveth the vvord of god any thing the more for that he seeth bread and vvine and vvater in the ministers hands The Apostles first disciples Martyrs of the Primitiue church replenished vvith the holy ghost vvho being most assured of every vvord and sillable that Christ had taught them vpon confidence and warrant of such invincible and vnmoveable faith ventered them selues in a thousand dangers and perils of death perils on the land perils on the sea perils among Iewes perils among Gentiles c. vvho 300. yeres space together suffered al kind of prisons of miseries of banishments of torments of rackings of fier of being torne in peeces cast to beasts devoured of Lyons c. of vvhom it is vvritten that some thus vvished and prayed Come fier come gallowes come wild and savage beasts breaking of my bones renting in sunder of my quarters come on me al the torments of the devil so that at length I may enioy Christ they who being condemned to be devoured of beasts vvhen they heard the Lyons and Tigres roring for greedines of their pray exclamed VVe are gods wheate let vs willingly be grinded with the teeth of these beasts that we may be made cleane flower these men vvho as S. Paule speaketh died every day for Christs gospel and the truth thereof vvhen they resorted to the sacrament resorted they for this end that vvhereas othervvise they mistrusted god by receiuing these seales of bread and vvine they might confirme their faith towards him vvhich vvas alredy a thousand tymes better confirmed then it could be by any such vveake seales Doubtles as Calvin saith of them that they are signes memorials to helpe weake memories if a maÌ„ were otherwise myndful inough of Christs death this helpe of the supper
were superfluous so vpon this his reason and ground may vve confideÌ„tly say in this place that howsoever they are helpes for weake Christians vvho mistrust god doubtles to these Apostles and Apostolical men ful of the holy ghost to these Martyrs and Confessors these seales were altogether superfluous and served to no purpose for that othervvise they vvere as strong in faith as they could be by any such poore helpes And yet those most blessed most faithful and constant Saints who by their strong faith were able and did remoue rocks and mountaynes stayed the rage of fluds commaunded the sea frequented this sacrament no men more Ergo there is an other vse and nature of this sacrament then to serue for seales to confirme wavering weake Christians It wil be replied perhaps that the greatest multitude of Christians are not such for them principally serue these signes If so yet then vve see that to the best Christians this sacrament is vnnecessarie And yet the holy scripture calleth the figure of this sacrament principally in respect of this sacrament it self and the perfection thereof panem caeli celestial and heavenly bread and therefore most convenient for divine and heavenly persons such as the best men are It calleth it for like reason bread of Angels or as the Protestants coÌ„monly translate it paneÌ„ fortium or as their translation printed in London anno 1572. with the Q. Priuilege hath panem magnificorum the bread of heroical glorious men strong in faith and radicated therein And without doubt by Christs institution it vvas appointed as wel for the one as for the other But come vve to vveake Christians Hovv doth it confirme and strengthen their feeble faith As for example sake Some vveake brother there is who beleeving al this nevv gospel which consisteth more of infidelitie then faith beleeveth not yet the first article of his Creede that God is omnipotent namely that he is able to make his ovvne body or any body to be at one time in tvvo places And that this supposition be not counted fond or slanderous to omit M. B. who thus preacheth hereafter I produce a man of an indifferent good faith as the Sacramentaries measure faith P. Martyr the lose Monke one of our first Apostles in Oxford who vvriteth in sundry places most expresly Dei potentia fieri non potest vt humanum corpus codem tempore sit in multis locis c. Gods power is not of sufficient abilitie to make that the body of a man be at one time in divers places For this is to take from a body his limites and lineaments nether of which in this mans conceite is god able to do Deus humanum corpus absque suis finibus et terminis facere non potest God saith he is not able to make a mans body to lacke his bounds and limites The like he hath in sundry for their to manifest assistance and support yelded to the Anabaptists in their furious madnes as Zuinglius calleth their gospel VVherevnto he addeth an Appendix vvhich I could vvish M. B. vvel to vveigh and consider of for his ovvne good Quapropter ipse quoque ingenâ—e fatâ—or c. VVherefore I my self also confesse frankly saith he that a few yeres sithence I being deceived with this error thought it better to differ the baptisme of yong children vntil they came to perfite age As much as if he had confessed in plaine termes that him self also as great a clarke as meÌ„ esteemed him so long as he thought the sacrameÌ„ts to be instituted for seales and confirmation of faith so long vvas he in mynd a very Anabaptist so long vvas he an enemy to the baptisme of infants nether had he any other vvay to shake of that Anabaptistical heresie but first of al to leaue and forsake that vvicked opinion vvhich here M. B. so seriously teacheth vvhich so long as he holdeth so long can he not blame men if they suspect him to be an Anabaptist vvhose heresie doth so directly folovv of this his doctrine VVhereas then vve find these seales to confirme the vvord preached or faith of the vvord nether in respect of the vvord it self nor of strong Christians nor of vveake nor of yong infants to vvhom principally these seales of baptisme and the supper apperteyne hovv can they in any sort be applied to confirme the word preached It remayneth only to say that they confirme the vvord to the hearers in respect of the minister that vvhereas othervvise the minister should vvant credit novv forsooth vvhen he exhibiteth these seales of bread vvyne and vvater forthvvith the bretherne may be confirmed in the word preached by the minister and be vvarranted that he hath preached the word rightly and rightly opened al the parts of it But nether can this hold For vvhen vve knovv that the ministers in that they are ministers are by the nature of their ministerie lyers and therefore seldome yea never vvhen they speake out of their chaire that is vvhen they speake as ministers and teach any doctrine of their nevv gospel speake any truth as the holy ghost assureth vs of al heretikes and nevv preachers vvhich lacke lavvful vocation both in the old testament and the nevv we must looke for better seales and they must shevv better and stronger then these before we beleeue the vvord preached by them to the confirmation vvhereof seales of bread and butter are as fit as these their seales of bread vvyne and al the seales of the vvorld can not geue a Christian man sufficient ground and assurance to trust them ¶ And novv finally if vve shal a litle consider these seales in them selues abstracting them from men ether strong in faith or vveake or children or ministers as they are seales to confirme gods promises so as these men describe them we shal yet more perceive the inuention of them to be very fond fantastical and ridiculous and fit for such light ministers for that neuer any Diuine or good Christian of any grauitie conscience would thus talke or dreame not only for that there is no ground in scripture whereon any such doctrine may be framed but also because their writing and speaking in this matter is against al wit reason For seales vvhich are vsed to confirme any thing must by common discourse of reason and light of nature be more euident and manifest then that thing for confirmation vvhereof they are vsed For men confirme not strong things by weake manifest by obscute certain and knovven by vncertaine and doubtful Yet so falleth it out here For the promise vvhich these men vrge He that eateth my flesh shal liue for euer He that beleeueth is baptized shal be saued being taken of Christians for the vvord of god is forthvvith to them sure certaine and manifest vvhereof they neuer doubt But when they see vvater sprinkled on a child oâ—
and rayle at the Catholiks for obseruing the like ceremonie once in the yere nether yet to say that Christ hereby gaue an instruction that we should humble our selues not once a yere but euery howre vvhich the Catholiks knevv both in speculation practise before he or his gospel vvere engendred For albeit true it is that this action signifieth a brotherly charitie and mutual beneuolence and humilitie to be continued so long as we liue euer yet this setteth not Christians free from vsing the ceremonie neuer no more then the bread and wine of the supper vvhich by these mens doctrine signifieth their perpetual nourishement vvhich they haue from Christs flesh and blud continually quitteth and setteth them free from receiuing their Supper as is the Scottish order once a â—â—neth And lest of al can M. B. thus argue who accompteth al that Christ did al that he spike in the whole action 〈…〉 be so essential that it must necessarily be done as doubtles Caluin did not After our Sauiour had thus spoken done he s 〈…〉 dovvne againe vvith the tvvelue al men and no vvomen so that in to this companie he admitted not the most pure and immaculate virgin his dearest mother and with these 12. kept the celebration of this sacrament at night vvhich time also the Apostle specifieth which two obseruations of number and time our English Ievvel seemeth to hold for matters of some weight For of the first he writeth that Sainct Basil reporteth an Ecclesiastical decree or Canon that at the receiuing of the holy communion there ought to be 12. persons at the lest and neuer vnder Of the second in the same place he saith that it appeareth by S. Austin and certain old Canons that in the primitiue church the Communion some times was ministred after supper as though he would gladly haue it brought to such a time again And in this folovveth M. B. and his Scottish ministerie the example of Christ Do they as he did minister they their communion not in the morning but at night to twelue and no more nor lesse al men and no women I suppose not Only I find in their coÌ„munion special and precise order taken that the minister siâ—t at the table that every man and woman in like wise take their place to sitte as occasion best serveth This one circumstance among so many and this as litle needful as the lest of al other the booke carefully observeth but of the rest not one Let vs then proceed in examining Christs institution and conferring it with the Scottish supper that so we may see how wel it observeth that which M. B. him self accounteth in it so necessary and essential ¶ But because I may perhaps misse in vrging Christs Institution as by an erroneous iudgement for that I am not of their spirite supposing that to apperteyne to the institution which is nothing sâ— and this our English Superintendent goeth as far wide for that commonly by a froward and perverse iudgement he taketh together he careth not what rather telling what other men say then declaring what him self thinketh and that more to trouble his adversarie then to iustifie his owne cause for nether did him self minister his communion at night notwithstanding S. Austin and those certaine old Canons nether had he present at his communion 12 persons at the lest and never vnder albeit S. Basil report an ecclesiastical decree or Canon so requiring except he lye as in deed he doth our English communion booke approveth it for a very lavvful sufficient communion where there be 4. or 3. yea somtime the minister vvith one alone sufficeth to avoid al quarelling partial dealing I vvil take the parcels of Christs institution out of one vvho seemeth most of others to agree vvith the Scottish religion vvith M. B. very order division making this as it vvere a preface entrance to his explication For so much as the Lordâ— Institution consisteth not in words only but in words deeds we must consider both the one the other For it was not done without great wisdome that be instituted this sacrameÌ„t nether by doing without words nether by words with out doing but so ioyned both together that his disciples might see in his doing heare in his words that whereby they might be instructed in this matter so kept from error afterwards Thus much in general Come vve novv to the particulars first concerning Christs action doing and after concerning his vvords Concerning the action and doing of Christ saith he so much as perteyneth to the Institution of this sacrament first he tooke bread into his hands 2. He gaue thankes vnto his father 3. He brake the bread 4. He gaue the same to his disciples which were with him at the Supper 5. He likewise tooke into his hands the cup of wine 6. As before at the bread so here at the cup he againe gaue thankes to his father 7. He gaue also the cup to his disciples In these parcels is conteyned the doing of Christ and external forme of this sacrament These actions of Christ especially some vvhich he counteth most important he more at large declareth thus That he tooke bread into his hands gaue thankes brake and gaue it to his disciples might have seemed to bene done as a thing of custom but the tenor of the words which be addeth in way of exposition admonished them sufficiently that this doing of his was not to be accoÌ„pted among things vsual and ordinarie but that it conteyned the order and institution of a sacrament Concerning the cup of vvine â—â—us he vvriteth I nothing doubt but in those East parts of the world where the wines are must strong it was an vniuersal custom to delay their wine with water vvhich vniversal custom vvas also authorised by the lavv of God For so S. Hierom affirmeth and willeth to be observed that the wine which was offered to God in sacrifice in the old law was mingled with water VVhereby that maner of mingling the vvine became so vniversal in al cases whether divine or humane that as Musculus graunteth the Hebrew word which signifieth to mingle is vsed also for powring out Proverb 9. 23. Esai 5. And hereof I thinke it came to passe saith he that the Bishops of the East and after them the Italians began to mingle their wine with water as in their vulgar vse so also in the mystical Al which he applieth to declare that it is most probable Christ to haue done so likewise Howbeit because it is not expressed in the gospel he would not haue the church bound thereto And yet this may farther be added somwhat more strongly to confirme Musculus iudgement that in the special figuratiue cup of the legal sacrifice foreshewing this of Christ there was water mingled with the blud of the sacrifice and therefore more
the Communion vvas ended and the CoÌ„municants had drunke their parts didst not thow forbid me to powre backe again in to the tankard the wine that remained VVhen the breads appointed for the Eucharist were spent and new were to be taken and deliuered out didst not thow repeate againe the institution of Christ and that in solemne musike VVhen as in the congregationâ— would not willingly permit to thee the administration of the cuppe didst not thow commaund thy colleag that in the face of the congregation he should take the cup from me by force And for that cause did not I hold it fast and with both my hands So bissie vvas this good minister to hold fast the cup lest he should leese his drinke and to omit al the former vvranglings bravlings quarellings by your Diuinitie so bissie was Christ in heauen also to make correspondeÌ„ce as yow cal it concurrence and ioynt effering with him to resemble the action of this minister ¶ Again hovv chaunceth it that yovv forget so soone the forme of ministring your Communion vvhere it is precisely noted that the people not the minister distribute and diuide the bread among themselues and so this your sacramental signification of Christ as bissie as the minister when as the minister sitteth stil and doth nothing is cleane lost and Christ left as quiet and voyd of such bissines in heauen who in deed medleth nothing vvith your communions as he vvas before Thirdly which is the chief I maruel you perceiue not your owne vvrong and false application of your communicating vvhen yovv so expresse eating of Christs flesh and drinking his blud by the ministers action deliuering the bread as though the only instrument of deliueringâ— vvere the minister and the broad and as though vvith the bread it were stil deliuered when as yow make such a ioynt-offering and concurrence as here yovv describe that the signe and thing signified are offered both together one time and in one action say other where that so 〈◊〉 is the body blud of Christ conioyned with that bread 〈…〉 wine that as soone as thou receiuest that bread in to thy mouth if thow be a faithful man or woman so soone thow receiuest the body of Christ in to thy sowle that by faith Know yow not that this doctrine is refuted by every SacrameÌ„tarie Protestant I suppose that ever wrote of the sacraments VVho is there among them al that ever wrote a booke of common places but he hath one railing invectiue against the Papists because they taught that Gratia dei est alligata sacramentis Gods grace his body and his blud remission of synnes is ioyned or annexed to the sacraments For by alligata they meane not tyed or bound as a thief is with ropes but as by gods creation phisical vertue is ioyned to causes natural moral vertues to causes moral and theological graces to sacraments which are like causes efficient and instruments theological by Christ ordayned to such effects and ends Reade vvith a litle more diligence Calvins Institutions whereas yovv vvil haue the body and blud of Christ truly conioyned with your bread and vvine and likevvise grace of regeneration vvith the vvater of baptisme yovv shal synd that Caluin chargeth yovv in any case not to say so nor to thinke that any vertue at al much lesse that fountayne head-spring of al vertues is conioyned with any sacrament Reade his commentaries vpon S. Paule to the Ephesians and yovv shal see him most strongly after the principles of your gospel to beate dovvne al this ioynt offering and ioynt receiving The libertie of gods spirite and grace of god is not tyed to the signes saith he and many receiue the signe that are not partakers of the grace not only through their fault because they refuse it but euen by the very nature of the sacrament and ordinance of God therein For that the signe is common to al good and bad but the spirite which delivereth the thing signified is â—euen only to the elect chosen Reade Zuinglius and he vvil teach yovv that herein yovv erre notably Some there are saith Zuinglius which suppose the sacraments to be such signes as when we vse them that is inwardly done in our harts which outwardly is signified by the sacrament But this is false For so the libertie of gods spirite should be bound if he were driuen to worâ—â— inwardly vpon those whom we marke with the sacraments outwardly Reade Musculus and yovv shal find that be vpon the like ground condemneth your opinion as vnreasonable according to the Protestant theologie VVhen Christians are baptized saith Musculus the things signified by the external sacrament are wrought in the elect as pleased the spirite of Christ ether before or after or in the very act of baptizing And therefore let no man thinke that the spirite is so tyed to the external sacrament that he worketh spiritually and effectually ether in the harts of al that be baptized or ever in the very act of baptisme He is a mad man that so thinketh c. And it is very absurd to tye the operation of the holy ghost which is most free to the external act of baptisme Reade Bullinger and he vvil teach yovv that faithful Christians do not then first receiue gods grace and beauenly gifts when they receiue the sacramental signes But first they haue the things signified after at leasure they take the signes c. So when we baptise children we protest clearely that we do not then first in baptisme geue them the grace of god which before they wanted but by baptisme we seale and confirme that which they had receiued before and in like maneris it in the supper eodem modo fit in caena Finally reade Peter Martyr Bucer Beza Occolampadius any Zuinghan Caluinist or Anabaptist and yovv shal find them to reproue this your opinion as Papistical And vvhat need I to obiect particular doctors vvhereas the vniuersal scope and preaching of al Caluinists and Caluinisme is plaine contrarie So soone saith this man as thow receiuest the bread into thy mouth if thow be faithful thow receiuest the body of Christ by faith in to thy sowle So soone say yovv and no sooner not before VVhen at your supper there be 2 or 3. hundred doth not the last maÌ„ â—ate Christ by faith before his turne come to receiue the bread into his mouth Al the time of the Sermon al the time of the thankes geuing al the time of the communioÌ„ when he seeth the bread brâ—ker and wine powred cut and he by occasion thereof thinketh on Christs passion doth he not spiritually by faith eate Christ Do not yovv defend this to be the proper spiritual eating of your supper It is evident and manifestly declared before VVherefore this is a very iest and plaine mockety to say that so soone as thow
receiuest the bread into thy mouth so soone thow receiuest Christs body by faith whereas it is receiued as wel before as wel after and no more nor no sooner vvith that bread then vvithout it ¶ Yovv vvil ansvvere I suppose that vvhat so ever your vvords are yet your meaning is that this coniunction ioynt offering is only sacramental that is after your sense tropical significatiue as in a signe and so the minister deliuereth Christs body and blud and vvith the bread vvine the body and blud is truly conioyned for that as aftervvards yovv say that signe wakeneth al the outward senses and putteth vs in remembrance of Christs body and blud vvhich is the only coniunction that yovv or your maisters can stand to See novv vvherevnto this your great wonderful coniunction as treacherously yow cal it is come to Christ is conioyned vnto it because vvhen vve see bread broken and vvine povvred out this wakeneth our senses causeth vs to remember Christ As much doth bread eaten and vvine povvred out of the flagon in the feast of every good Christian man or if it do not at lest the vvine and bread is as apt to signifie so much at every Christian mans breakefast dinner beâ—uer and supper as in your communion the nature of the bread being al one and Christian men having euer sâ—ue faith as vve must presuppose vvhich is nothing bettered by the breaking of the bread in one place more then in an other As much doth the cutting vp of a capon of a hen eating of a good peece of beef or mutton or vvhat so ever soode besides For any one of these or the like vvakeneth al our outvvard sensés as vvel as your bread and vvine And then supposing this to be eaten of good Christians who as the Apostle teacheth vvhether they eate or drinke or vvoorke or play geue thankes to god for al things in the name of Christ Iesus and so questionles haue a faith by vvhich only and no other vvaies Christ is eaten in the communion as M. B. teacheth and is the vniuersal doctrine of the sacramentaries and Caluinists hereof it folovveth cleerly and plainly that the second part of his coniunction of Christ with the sacramental bread al this ioynt offering ioynt receiving al this concurrence this secret and mystical coniunction for by these many vvords laborious affectatioÌ„ of divers phrases he wovld make his auditory imagine some great matter in their bread vvine is as vvel truly found performed vvheÌ„ ChristiaÌ„ meÌ„ together eate any kind of meate or drinke any kind of drinke VVhat need I to stand vpoÌ„ the termes of meate drinke vvhereas Christ is as truly eaten vvithout al meate aud drinke yea better a great deale vvhen vve fast and eate nothing For the eating of Christ by faith vvhich only they acknovvledge and the same no lesse out of the supper then in it is vvhen by any occasion vve thinke on Christ VVhich vve may do far better vvhen vve fast then vvhen vve feast vvhen vve absteyne from breakefast dinner and supper then vvhen vve supper as also by considering any creature of God vve haue cause to thinke of Christ that is thus to eate Christ as vvel as vvhen vve see the bread of their communion broken or the vvine povvred out VVhen vve see the Sunne or Moone shine and thinke that Christ is the light sent in to the vvorld by faith we eate Christ as vvel as in this communion bread VVhen vve looke vpon a riuer or founteyne and thinke that his spirite is the founteyne of living vvater vve truly eate Christ VVhen vve see a lamb a covv a calf or any thing vvhich hath any resemblance of Christ and by it remember Christ vve eate Christ by faith yea vvhen vve see an heretike or thinke on them and blesse our selues desire God to keepe vs from them as S. Iohn did vvhen he savv Cerinthus vve eate Christ and in al these a thousand like yea as hath bene said in al creatures of the vvorld vvhen they occuâ—re to the remembrance of a good Christian and put him in mind of Christ he eateth Christ and Christ is as truly offered to his sovvle and there is the very self same ioynt offering and ioynt-receiuing and concurrence and secret mystical coniunction vvith and in euery sticke stone tree vniuersally euery creature to euery good Christian and faithful man as is vvith their bread in their bread euery one of these creatures as much wakeneth the outward senses vvherein coÌ„sisteth the vertue efficacie of their signe as doth the bread and vvine in their Scottish or Geneuian supper hovv so ever they set a face and floorish on the matter to make it seeme somvvhat els ¶ Nay if M. B. could learne once to speake plainly and properly and agreably to his ovvne doctrine as I feare he vvil neuer he should not attribute to the receiuing of the bread and vvine any communication of Christs flesh and blud at al but only a sealing and ratification of the same flesh and blud afore eaten by faith For as the â—eale of the evidence to vse his ovvne explication sense similitude vvords geueth not the right of any thing but the consent of the parties and bargaine or contract betvvene them made before vvherevnto being drawen in to an autentical forme and instrument the seale is ioyned for confirmation and ratification of such antecedent contract euen so these men in their communion hauing first seene the bread broken whereby their sight informed did conuoy to the mynd the remembrance of Christ vvhich is the eating of his flesh or hauing heard the word preached distinctly and al the parts opened vvhich also is eating of Christ by faith thereafter receiue the sacramental bread and wine as seales appended to that former eating vvhereby they are assured that they haue eaten rightly This is also our English theologie in this case the same most agreable to Iohn Caluin Although saith M. Ievvel vve vse to say that the sacrament ioyneth vs to God God to vs yet in plaine speach it is not the receiuing of the sacrameÌ„t that worketh our ioyning to God consequently by like reason nether the ioyning of god or Christ to vs. For who so euer is not ioyned to god before be receiue the sacraments he eateth and drinketh his â—â—â—â— iudgment The sacraments be seales and witnesses and nâ—â— properly the causes of this coniunction And M. B. him self within a few pages after vtterly destroyeth this ioynteffering of Christs body with the bread and in very precise termes flatly denyeth that which here he affirmeth whereof forth with I shal entreate One thing first of al the reader may note that whereas this man so magnifieth the worke of our renovation from the state of sinne to gods grace and saith that this worke of our new creation
no other truth then is coÌ„teined in the word Yet because it is a seale annexed to the word it perswades me better of the same VVhereof having said before sufficieÌ„tly I vvil not stand to repeate or make any nevv discourse here Only thus much wil I vvarne the reader that this nevv found doctrine of seales to confirme gods vvord and promises vvhich these extraordinarie ministers so much inculcate never before heard of in the vvord of god of the old testament or nevv never in the Gospels or Epistles Canonical noâ— yet in general Councels or auncient fathers or practise of Christs Catholike church seemeth to haue had his first original roote from the corrupt maners of these ministers and their scholers VVho continually boasting of their only faith without vvorks and hauing as false a faith as euer had any Carthaginian or Greeke because they coÌ„monly lye dissemble and circumuent and vvhen they looke most simply meane most traiteiously vvhen they counterfeite much grauitie â—obrietie and religion then are ful of craft guilefulnes falsitie as also Caluin truly vvitnesseth of them they finding this in them selues and that they can not trust one an other vpon vvords and promises but must haue seales and obligations besides from their ovvne corrupt behaviour dravv this to the church of Christ and make like reckening of Gods vvord and sacraments as they do of their ovvne vvords vvritings and obligations and as they applie seales and bonds to coÌ„firme their ovvne graunts promises because othervvise no man vvil trust them they induce like opinion vpon God his vvord as though the credit thereof depended in like maner vpon seales and obligations But as at this present there is many a simple people in the vvorld that hath not the vse of seales but trust one an other as vvel vpon their â—â—â—e word or vvriting without farther assurance and many a good plaine and honest man I knovv vpon vvhose vvord a man might veÌ„ture as much as vpon his seale and as truly infallibly vvould he performe it so much more do al true Christians make like accompt of gods word vvhich as it infinitely overpeiseth the vvord of the best man so infinitely is it lesse holpen by these fantastical seales of bread vvine VVhich vvord of God albeit M. B. tel vs that his bretherne beleeue the better by the seales of bread drinke yet shal he be hardly able to persvvade that to any vvise man For first it is a very bad and miserable faith to say no more that fully perfitly absolutely beleeueth not God vpon his only vvord that vvord vvhich he knoweth questionles to be gods and to proceed from him Again it is as vveake miserable a faith to speake plainly litle differing from vvitles foly and infidelitie vvhich casting any doubt of the vvord vvhich he acknovvlegeth to be gods is any vvhit any iote confirmed therein or mooued to beleeue it the more for these sophistical signes and seales as sure certain as vvethercocks for that as they turne here and there north south east and vvest in to euery quarter and corner of the world vvith the turning of euery vvind euen so these seales hauing al their strength grace authoritie from the ministers sermon vvhich geueth life sowle to them may be applied by the minister to signifie that is to seale things as contrary as the east is to the vvest or north to the south as hath bene in part touched before and here cometh somvvhat more to be spoken of in this place Of the VVORD necessarily required to make a sacrament The Argument Of the word which M. B. and the Calvinists require to be ioyned to their bread wine water to make them sacraments By the word they meane a Sermon VVhich opinion is refelled as wicked and vtterly false The nature of this word is farther examined and refelled by the example of Christ and manifest reason drawen thence ioyned with the authoritie of the English congregation which in this part of faith reproveth the Scottish ministerie as plainly Anabaptistical This opinion concludeth most of the communions and baptismes vsed thorough out England and Scotland to be no sacraments as is declared by 4. sensible demonstrations 5 It is the high way to abolish al vse both of Sermons and also of Sacraments CHAP. 10. HAving hetherto spoken of the general consideration of the elements saith M. B. it restes that we say somwhat concerning the word which I cal the other part of the sacrament I vnderstand and take the word for that thing which quickens this whole action which serves as it were a sowle and geveâ— life to the whole action For by the word and the appointement of Christ in the word the minister knowes what is his part the hearer what is his part and every one is prepared the minister how to deliver and the hearer how to receiue Of this vvord vvhich is principally to be attended in the sacrament and vvhich as M. B. truly speaketh if he rightly vnderstood his ovvne vvords applied them as he ought is the life of the sacrament and geveth al force and grace vnto it he afterwards somwhat more at large discouâ—seth â—hus As the Papists we agree that the word man concurre to the nature and constitution of a sacrament so when we come to know what is meant by the word we differ much Let the Papists opinion vvhereof yovv sceme to haue litle skil-as shal appeare hereafter in place conuenient â—est for this present and helpe vs to vnderstand your ovvne opinion concerning this word vvith vvhich yovv are better acquainted By the VVord necessarily required to make this sacrament we meane saith M. B. the whole institution of Christ Iesus what so euer he said what so euer he did or commaunded to be done And this whole institution ought to be intreated after this maner First there ought a lawful pastor who hath his calling from god to intreat it And this lawful pastor ought to intreat it lawfully VVhat is that He ought to preach it to proclame it and publikely with a cleare voyce to denounce it He ought to open vp and declare the â—ail parts of it what is the peoples part and what is his owne part â—ow â—e ought to deliuer and distribute that bread and wine and how the people ought to receiue it and how they ought to receiue the body blud of Christ signified by it This â—e ought to do in a familiar and homely language that the people may vnderstaÌ„d him For except ye heare Christ in such a language ye can â—â—â— vnderstand Except ye vnderstand it is not possible for â—oâ— iâ— beleeue and without beleef there is no application of Christ This is the sâ—mme of M. B. preaching touching this point the effect of al cometh to this that the Sermon of the minister to whom yet he prescribeth somvvhat like a Superintendent
sacraments And then must it needs folow that the sacraments may be ministred to those only which are able to heare the word whereby infants are secluded from baptismâ— And in deed this is one of the strongest arguments that the Anabaptists haue This for al Christians to come so that hence forward by M. B. Theologie baptisme must no more be ministred to children or infants but we must expect with the Anabaptists vntil they come to yeres of discretion that then they hearing the minister preach may haue the right sacrament endued with life and sowle and perfite essence which now for want of such preaching is to them mere water without the spirite a dead body without life or sowle and as our Puritanes speake iust according to Caluin M. B. nothing but seales without writing and plain blanks After foloweth an authoritie of Zuinglius to prove his purpose which because it is very long would fil vp a leaf at lest I willingly omit The summe of Zuinglius allegation and my L. application is that the word preached is not the life and perfection of the sacrament but that the sacraments are perfite without it and that M. B. and al other in teaching this doctrine plainly ioyne hands with the Anabaptists Thus my Lord of Canterbury Vnto whose reasons one more I wil adde which M. B. his preaching before and the general doctrine of the sacramentaries yeldeth against this toy or rather madnes It is agreed among them very generally that the baptisme of S. Iohn was the self same that Christ his Apostles after deliuered to the church we now enioy VVhich being so then must it needs folovv that it had the same matter forme the same elemeÌ„t word that ours hath This is evident can not be denyed Let vs then proceed because of the matter element which was water in both there is no controversie let vs consider the forme that is the life and sovvle the word preached without vvhich baptisme is nothing but water as their other signe of the supper conteyneth nothing but coÌ„mon bread VVhen S. Iohn ministred baptisme to Christ did he preach the word as here vve haue it defined did he with a cleere voyce denounce and proclame to Christ al the parts of baptisme Did he tel Christ vvhat was his owne part and dutie as likevvise what was Christs part dutie How Christ ought to come receiue the baptisme and so furth as here vve haue the vvord defined and explicated Let M. B. make choise of vvhich part he vvil and answere yea or no I suppose he shal perceiue his ovvne error and foly and that as in ansvvering truly he must deny al his preaching hetherto about this VVord so if he vvil stand to maynteine his vvord and say that S. Iohn vsed in his sacrament such a word such preaching and opening al parts of the sacrament this affirmation in the iudgement of sober men wil conuince him not so much of folie as furie not of heresie as of phrenesie the particular consideration vvhereof I leaue to him selfe ¶ Novv let vs a vvhile sequester al authoritie both of god and man of scripture and father old or nevv saving M. B. him self and examine this matter by it self according to indifferent trial M. B. his ovvne preaching If vve marke vvel vvhat vvord it is that he requireth to geue life to the sacrament vve shal find it to be such a word as proueth the tenth part of English and Scottish baptismes and communions to be no sacraments at al. For first vvhereas in very many churches of England and I thinke the like of Scotland baptismes and communions are ministred vvithout Sermons in many some poore homilie is read in steed of a Sermon in al these churches the sacraments are dead things the communion bread is nought els but common bread the vvater of baptisme is coÌ„mon prophane vvater nether of these any sacrament And that the reader thinke not my asseveratioÌ„ bold or straunge vvhere I say that in England in many churches are so fevv Sermons let him vnderstand that albeit there be in deed order prescribed that in euery parish church there should be 4. sermoÌ„s in the yere euery quarter one vvhereas in the yere there are baptismes and communions perhaps 2. or 3. hundred yet this is soil obserued that notvvithstanding such order takeÌ„ the CaÌ„bridge doctors them selues testifie that they know parishes not far from Cambridge so principal an Vniuersitie for preachers where one of these sermons was not in 4. yeres together which if it be so so nere to Cambridge say they what is to be thought of other places of the realme And els where the same parties affirme that in most churches of England there is none that ether can or wil preach so that this one clause maketh voyde thousands of baptismes and thousands of Communions in England and Scotland For this must be obserued by the vvay that such reading of Homilies in the church is not according to this definition not these mens opinion preaching of the word with a cleere voyce no more say they then a mens pen or hand is his tongue and voyce vvho furthermore vtterly deny such reading to be comprised in the name of preaching despise it altogether and say that it is as il as playing on a stage and worse to Next to omit Homilies come to sermons whereas this vvord is appointed by Caluin to be preached after one certaine forme vz that the minister preach the promise and leade the people thether where the signe directeth how many thousand ministers faile in preaching this promise who doubtles in al the Gospels where after the Protestant-Theologie mention is made of the sacrament can not possibly find any such promise as Caluin surmiseth for that assuredly there is none such For to tel vs that these vvords This is my body is a promise is as blunt ridiculons a toy as if a man would make the articles of our Creed promises as if some vvise minister would tel vs that these verities Christ was borne of the virgin he suffred death vnder Pilate be rose againe and ascended vvere promises which are of like qualitie with that promise of Iohn Caluin And if in Christs words vvhere he instituteth this sacrameÌ„t there be no promise hovv then shal the minister preach with a lowd cleer voyce vpoÌ„ this promise which is not If to helpe forward the matter we shal take M. B. his expositioÌ„ that the minister must tel the people whereto the signe tendeth and directeth them that is looke how able the bread is to nurish them corporally so able is Christ to nurish them spiritually to eternal life which spiritual nurriture is sealed coÌ„firmed in them by these reuerend sealeâ— of bread vvine first this similitude is taken not from the scripture but from the doctors fâ—thers and therefore a
in it besides common bread because to passe ouer the former 11. points prescribed by M. B. of which very probable it is that in most CoÌ„munions many of them were omitted 12. by very order of their communion booke some words which Christ spake in deed were most importaÌ„t concerning the sacrament are purposely least out Fourthly I conclude that in most of the Caluinian Communions the communicants do more commonly according to their ovvne doctrine eate the flesh of their lavvful Superiors to vvhom God hath subiected them then the flesh of Christ and so consequently their table is rather the table of Devils then of god they at that table coÌ„municate ten tymes more vvith the Devil then with God For vvhereas among that rayling generation no one argument is more common then to rayle at the Pastors of Christs Church at the Catholike doctrine vvhereas nothing is more vsual and frequent with them then to slaunder Popes Cardinals Bishops Priests the Catholike church of al ages vnto vvhose obedience Christ hath bound theÌ„ vnder paine of damnation when after such raylings and slaunders they eate their tropical bread and vvine they eate as truly to speake the lest the flesh of Popes bishops Catholike Princes and people as they ever do the flesh of Christ and after such a raylative sermon the breaking of their bread and povvring out of their vvine signifieth as directly and autentically the flesh and blud of the Popes and bishops which they not spiritually but spitefully not by right faith but by grosse and froward infidelitie and detraction teare rent pul in peeces spilâ—as at an other more sober sermon if any such be it signifieth the flesh blud of Christ And the bread and vvine being appended afterward serue as aptly in the one sermon time place to seale and confirme the malicious and slaunderous eating of the flesh of Bishops and Christian people as in the other sermon time and place it serueth to seale and confirme the spiritual eating of Christs flesh and the vvord of the one sermon determineth and limiteth as wel and perfitely the general signification of the bread and vvine to the one sense as the vvord of the other sermon restrayneth it to the other sense Finally I conclude that this doctrine is the high way to remove from the CoÌ„munion al vvord of God one or other ether preached or not preached For let vs suppose vvhich may be very easely that halfe a dosen Euangelical bretherne knovv as vvel as the minister vvhereto the signe of bread and vvine is referred that the one signifieth Christs flesh the other his blud that as by bread they are nourished temporally so by the other they are nourished eternally item that by oft frequenting the communion they know their owne dutie they knovv the ministers dutie and so forth if such bretherne come to supper vvhat need is there of a sermon Nether let M. B. deny my supposition For it is a thing most easie facile and no doubt many there are vvhich by reading his booke and perhaps this or by hearing it so oft told them out of pulpits without any â—ers sermon haue it stil fresh and deepely imprinted in their memorie Here in this case what need a sermon To geue life to the action The life is geuen alredy To quicken it It is quickened alredy To put them in remembrance of their dutie I presuppose they remember it vvel inough To keepe the fashion and custome of the church That is not spoken like a Minister And if I graunt that order is good and so not to be neglected for regard of other ignorant men yet hereof it folovved that the vvord preached after your owne fashion often tymes geveth not life to the action but the action the sacrament is as lively as quicke as ful of sovvle without it as with it And to this coÌ„clusion M. B. him self bringeth the whole effect and drift of the vvord preached and his so diligent explication thereof Al vvhich saith he must be done in a familiar language that the people may vnderstand that vnderstanding they may beleeve that beleeving they may applie Christ to them which is to eate him by faith Then if these communicants of vvhom I speake vvithout such a sermon vnderstand as I presuppose already and beleeue and so applie Christ to them vvhich is to eate him spiritually what necessitie is there of the vvord and preaching at al vvhich serveth only for novices or infidels to make them vnderstand and beleeve in Christ and not for faithful such as vnderstand Christ already So that M. B. word preaching thereof so necessarily required to make their supper or signe presupposeth in deed al the bretherne and sisterne vvhich come to receiue to lacke faith and vnderstanding of Christ to be faithles without beleefe of Christ vntil the minister by the vvord preached engender faith in them VVhich defects being not in these communicants of whom I speake for I hope al Caluinists be not in so short space of a few yeres by the preaching of the word become plain infidels though they may be in a good degree towards it what vse or at lest what necessitie is there of the word to be preached vvhen that effect is present before hand to the vvorking vvhereof the preaching serveth VVhat needeth a candle vvhen the Sunne shineth VVhat foly it is to vvater a vvel grovven tree vvhich hauing deepe roote in the earth is able to nourish it self VVhat nurse vseth to feed the child vvhich is 10. or 12. yeres old and able to feed it self If these fevv brethren being of good memorie and hauing zeale to the vvord remember these points of the vvord vvhich maketh the bread to haue life and become a signe if they vnderstand Christ and believe in him by vertue of old sermons vvhich they haue heard of this matter before vvhat needeth this Battologie this idle repetition of one and the self same thing this casting of vvater in to the sea this bringing of a sevv sticks in to the maine vvood This is the islue of this nevv devised vvord to induce contempt neglect of both vvord sacrameÌ„t to make every prophane eating drinking as good as the SacrameÌ„t VVhich thing as before â— haue shevved by other arguments of theirs so here the very vvord whereof they vaunt most and glorie in ten deth to the same scope induceth the same conclusion For it can not be denied but according to this theologie and explication of the vvord 3. or 4. such brethern as I require vvithout preaching of the vvord at any commoÌ„ table at any common breakfast haue a communion a sacramental signe and seale as good effectual as they should haue and others haue with the minister in the church VVhich being very true that their breakefasts at home be as good and sacramental as their suppers in the church it were wel done
Caluinisme And here to the vntruths afore told ye adde one other that vve acknowlege not this speach of Christ hoc est corpus meum to be a sacramental speech For so vve acknowlege it now and so did in the church before yow or any of your sectmaisters vvere borne as by vvhich vvords the sacrament vvas first made instituted by which it is at this present made conseciated and there is no Catholike vvriter scholemaÌ„ or other but he coÌ„sesseth these vvords to be properly sacramental as vvhich import the nature of this sacrameÌ„t most essentially If by the vvoid sacramental yow meane tropical figurative significative as appeareth by that vvhich after ensueth then as I vvish the reader stil to remember your double dealing iugling vvho as ashamed of your owne doctrine stil hide and cover your self vvith this ambiguoâ—s phrase vvhich in the beginning and after yow condemne as inuented by the foly of man against the wisdâ—â— of God so vve vtterly deny that these vvords of Christ are to be taken tropically or figuratively require yow once to geve vs a Theological proofe thereof And thâ—â— yow vndertake here and performe it in this sort For they are compelled say yow wil they nil they in otâ—â— speeches of like sort to acknowledge a figure as Genes 17. 10. Circumcision is called the covenant that is a figure of the covenant and Exod. 12. 11. the lamb is called the passeoâ—er and Matth. 20. 28. the cup is called his blud and Luc. 11. 20. the cup is called the new testament and 1. Cor. 10. 4. the rock is called Christ Al these speeches are sacramental that is figurative and tropical receiues a kind of interpretation yet they malitiously deny it in these words Hoc est corpus meaÌ„ which they are compelled to graunt in the rest especially where S. Paule cals Christ the rock This argument is to the purpose For if yow can prove these words of Christ to be taken tropically then yow directly refel that vvhich the Catholikes beleeve both in general touching the sacrament and in special touching these vvords vvhich as we beleeve to be sacramental as hath bene said so vve vtterly deny to be figurative ortropical and affirme them to be taken literally as the vvords signifie and therefore this your argument to the contrarie is to be examined a litle more diligently And first of al I must tel yow that vvhere yow say these speeches vvhich here yow recite are of like sort vvith that of Christ this is one grosse falsitie to begin vvithal Then vvhere yow say we are compelled to acknowledge a figure in them as one vvay it is true so in the sense vvhich yow meane it is false That al these are not of one sort vvith Christs vvordes nor any one of them as yow take them it is euident to the eye For vvhen vve say circumcision is the covenant a lamb is the passeover the cup that is as yow meane it the material câ—p vvhich Christ held in his hand is Christs blud the same cup is the new testameÌ„t the rock that is a hard stone is Christ in al these propositions one divers and cleane different nature is attributed to an other vvhich if vve take literally as the vvordes lye includeth a contradiction and the later distroyeth the former as much as if a man vvould say black is vvhite for in so saying he saith black is not blacke For in like maner the material rocke can not be Christ because a creature can not be the creator the cup of earth â—in silver or gold can not be the blud of God or man for so could it not be a material cup vvhose nature substance essence is so cleane different that vvho so saith this is blud he denieth it to be gold or silver and vvho affirmeth it to be siluer of neceâ—siâ—ie in that affirmation includeth the contrary negation that it is not blud And therefore al such parabolical speaches vvhereof the scripture is ful and M. B. might have found many more as good as these by the very force of the vvords and meaning of the first speaker and consent of al hearers conteyne a figure and require so to be expounded a number vvhereof Zuinglius and Oecolampadius heaped together in the beginning of this heresie to prove that vvhich M. B. entendeth If Christ had said of material bread or vvine This wine is my blud This bread is my body then I confesse the speaches of Christ and those alleged by M. B. had bene of like sort But Christ spake far otherwise as is manifest by that vvhich hath bene declared before And the plaine sense of Christs speech caÌ„ not be better conceiued then if vve confer them to his doing at the mariage-feast in Cana of Galilee if vvhen he had caused the vvater pots to be filled and presented to the steward he had said hâ—c est vinum this is wine VVhich example I alleage the rather for that S. Cyril the auncient bisshop of Ierusalem applieth it to like purpose In Canâ— of Galilee saith he Christ turned water in to wine And haâ— not we thinke him worthy of credite that he â—â—â—uâ—geth wine in to his blud cum ipse tâ—m asseuerâ—â—â—r diuerit when as he so â—râ—cisely and peremptorily hath said that it is his bluâ— As likewise when he hath pronounced of that bread being consecrate This is my body who can ever doubt of it So that these speaches be of like sort This vvateâ— turned and altered is vvine This bread consecrated is my body This vvine consecrated is my blud Or els of the first This is wine of the second This is my body of the third This is my blud vvhich are Christs owne vvords though the sense of that â—iâ—st and this second be al one ¶ Now if from this general vve shal descend to particulars and examine every one of these examples a part vve shal much more discouer the povertie of this minister and note the infinite inequalitie betwene most of these speaches and that of Christs That circumcision was a figure of the couenaÌ„t vve interprete so both for the reason now geuen and also because the scripture expresly so teacheth But the scripture nether â—aith bread or vvine is Christs body and blud nor yet that bread is the signe of the one or vvine a signe of the other That the lamb is called the passeouer is a text of Zuinglius wicked making and M. B. his foolish imitating For in the place quoted there is no such matter vvhereof I shal more conueniently speake by and by Nether find I that in S. Matth. 20. 28. the cup is called Christs blud Al that I find in that place is this He that wil be first among yow shal be your seruant even as the sonne of man is not come to be ministred vnto but to minister and to geve his life a redemption for
15. Hebra 5. 14. Sacraments confirme not gods vvord to perfit Christians Act. â—â— â— Cor. 11. â—5 Câ—stanciâ— of the first Christians Hiero. de scrip â—oribus ecclesiast Ignatius Ignatius epist â—â— ad Rom. â— Cor. 1â— â—1 Before pa. â—â— Act. 1. 5. ca. 2. 4. ca. 4. 31. Luc. 17. 6. Gregor Nyss in orat de â—â—â—a Greg. Tâ—â—u matuâ—gâ— Ruffin hist li. â— ca. â— Act. â— 42. Obiection Ansvvere Psal 77. 24. psal 104. 40 psal 77. 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sacraments confirme not gods vvord to vveake Christians In the 3. Sermon pa. 158. See after cap. 21. num 1. Martyr defensio contra Gardiner par 1. obiect 147. Ibid. part 1. obiect 7. Infidilitie of Calvinists M. B. doctrine Anabaptistical Zuing. vbi supra Zuinglius som time an Anabaptist Sacraments confirme not the ministers preaâ—â—â—ng â— Reg. â—â— 2â— Ierem. 14. 14 27. â—0 〈…〉 â—3 7. â— Tiâ—â—th 4. 2. 2. Pat. 2. 4. Ioan 6. Man â—6 Vse of seales among men Seales diuine Marc. â—6 2. 1. Corint 14. 22. 〈…〉 sacramâ—â—â—â— are called 〈…〉 by the 〈…〉 Doctâ—râ— August contra â—aust lib. 19. â—a 11. Nazianzen oratio 39. dâ— baptis Augustin dâ— catechiâ—â—nd â—udib ca. 26. Apocalyp 5. â— Ambros lib. â— dâ— sacrament cap. 2. Sacrament of confirmation Euseb hist lib. 6. ca. 35. Seâ— S. Ambroâ—◠〈…〉 qu 〈…〉 tur cap. 7. Leo Sermo 4. de natiuitate Domini Signaculum â—â—â—â— aterna Bezaes glorious bosting of him self Before pag. 106 107. Beza ad Rom. ca. 4. v. 11. See their liveâ— 1. Cor. 5. 1. Genes 19. Ioan. 14. v. 16. 17. 26. â— 16. 1â— Mat. 28. Before pa. 4â— 42. See after cap. 20. num 4. pa. â— 9. VVhat is essential necessarie to the Supper Sermâ— â— pa. â—â—1 pa. 1â—â— The Gineua ministers dispense against Christ Before pa. 59 60. Actions of Christ at hiâ— last supper Ioan. 1â— â— 12. Caluin in IoaÌ„ cap. 13. v. 1â— Cyprian sâ—â—â—â— de ablutione pedum Ambros de sacrament lib. 3. cap. 1. Bernard dâ— cana Domini Serm. 1. Ioâ—n 13. v. 13. 14. â— Thâ— Scottish ministerie condemned by M B Obiection of Calv. in Ioan. ca. 13. v. 14. Ansvvered 1. Cer. 11. â— 23. Ievvel Reply contra Hard. artic 2. â— iuis 10. pag. 31 Ibi. Diuis 11. pag. 31. The Scottish communion booke M. Ievvel The English communion booke Muscul loc coâ— cap de â—ana pa. 32 In Christs supper are to be marked Actions VVords Christs actions 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Halâ—it rationem er instiâ—tionem sacramenti 5 Ibid pa. 32â— Hieron quâ—stion Hebraiâ— in Paralip lib. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of mingling the â—â—â—lice vvith vvater Exod. 24. v. 6. â— Heb. 9. v. 19. 6 Matth. 26. 26. cap. 14. 19. Luc. 9. 16. Marc. 10. 16 â— Cor. 10. 16 Beza in 1. Corinth 10. v. 16. Christ sanctified and blessed the bread Ievv cont Haâ—d aâ—tiâ— 1 diuis 9. pa. 23 Cal. in 1. Cor. ca. 10. v. 16. Blessing and geving thaÌ„ks differ much 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Muscul Com ment in Mat. cap. 14. pag. 425. Et in locis communibus câ— de â—ana pa. 321. Pa. 14â— Luke 9. 16. Pag. 144. M. â— agument against 〈…〉 tâ—â— bread â—â— VVicked and vnchristian God blessâ—â— al â—â—â—â—â—â—atuâ—es 1. Tâ—â—â—t 4. 4 Marc 6. 41. â—â— ca. â— 7. Genes 1. 2â— 2â— â—â—â— 2. â—â—â—utâ—â—oâ— 2â— v. â— Psu 64. 12. Genes 3. 14. 17. â— â— â—9 Marc. 11. 21 VVhat is blessing Christ 〈…〉 a and sanctified â—â—◠〈…〉 7 pag. â—â—â— Christs breaking of bread vvhat it signifieth Ibi. pa. â—â—â— 8 Christs vvords pag. â—â—â— T 〈…〉 me o 〈…〉 The vvoâ—as of the communion â—oâ—ke â—â—â—â—â— 22. â— â—â—â—â—â— 14. â— â—â—â— 22 b. â— â—or 11. c. Matth. 16. â— 2. Cor. 2. d. â—â—â— 11 c. 〈◊〉 10. Matth 2â— b 〈◊〉 22. b â—â—or 11. c. Matth. 26. â— Mar. â—â—â— â— Luc. 22. c. â— Cor. 10. d. Many diffrences 〈…〉 iâ—â—â— Supper the Scottish communion 1 2 3 4 5 Matth. 26. 27. Marc. 14. 23 Luc. 22. 20. 2. Cor. 11. 25 Matth. 26. 29. Marc. 14. 25 Luke 22. 1â— Before cap. 3. â—um 7. Before pa. 5. Christs chalice â—â—d in it vvater vvine Liturg Iacob Clement Constitutiâ— Apostolic lib. â— cap. 17. Philip. 4. 3. â—â—â— lib. 4. ca. 57. lib. 5. cap. 1. Cyprian lib. a epist 3. Basil in Lit gia Anno domiâ— 6â—0 ConciliaÌ„ Constantinop ca. 32. Concil Corthâ— gâ—â— 3. ca. 24. Conâ—â—â— African ca. 4. 6 Christs vvords cleane omitted in the Scottish Supper Before pa. 49 50. 51. The English communion Obiection Ansvvers Sacrilegious corruption Caluinists offended vvith Christs vvords Before p. â— â—â— Luther Tom. 7 defensio verso â—um cana sol â—â—3 adâ—â— racite ac lenitâ—r gressâ—â— figunt â—â—si super â—viâ— ambulaâ—ent ac si diabolus â—llâ—â— a â—â—rgo in â—â—arâ—t The Scottish Supper is no sacrament of Christ by M. â— graunt pa. â— pa. 9. 10. Before pa. â—â— Any vulgar dinner as good as the scottisâ—â— Supper 1. Timoth. â—â— 4. 5. pag. 10. Hovv the sacrament is a signe Christs body conioyned vvith the sacrament pa. 1â— pa. 1â— Christs body deliuered in the sacrament Beza epist Theolog. 65. Before pa. 75 76. pa. 13. the same is repeated serm 2. pa. 65. 66. pa. 14. Christs flesh truly deliuered in the sacrament pa. 11. Obiections â— 2 Sâ—â— after cap. â—9 Ansvvere of M. B. to the first pa. 15. To the second pa. â—6 pa. â—7 pa. â—8 Catâ—â—â—ike veriâ—ies taught by M. B. 1 Christ present in the sacrament 2 in substaÌ„ce of his flesh 3 pa. â—5 Christs presence in the sacrament is vvonderful pa. 26. 4 Spiritual and mystical yet true 5 Ioan. â— Real presence pa. 18. â—eâ—m 2. pa. â—5 pa. 14. The real presence expresly taught by M. B. pa. 67. Rom. 10 10. Christs body ro ally receiued causeth resurrection to our bodies Ireneus lib. â— ca. 2. Idem lib. 4. ca. 34. Tertul. lib. do resurrectionâ— carnis Gregor Nysse nus oratio Ca teâ—heâ— cap. 36 37. Vide Euthymium in pamplia partâ— 2. tit 21. Cyril in Ioan lib. 4. ca. 15. 22. 23. Vide eundem lib. 10. â—â— loan ca. 13. lib. 11. ca. 2â— Chrysost in Matth. homil â—1 Before pa. 22 Athanas in tractat super illa verba Qâ—â— unque dixent verbuÌ„ contra c. Optat. lib. 6. contra Taâ—m Hilar. lib. â— de Trinitate Ioan. 6. Cyril in Ioan. lib. 4. ca. 14. An obiection â—â—svvered Christs presence in the sacrament singular â—â—p 6. num 1 The crâ—â—t of heretikes Matt. 7. 15. Rom. 16. 18. 2. Pet. 2. 1. â— Before pa. 69 71. 72. 73. Esai 19. 14. 3. Reg. â—â— 22. 1. Timot. 4. â— pa. 23. 24. pa. â—â— pa. 2â— 27. Hovv Christs body is ioyned to the sacrament pa. 2â— Ibidem pa. 29. In the 2. Sermon pa. 77. 78. Christs body no vvays ioyned to the sacrament Iud. 9. Genes 3. 14. Matth. 4. 1â— Movv Christ is conioyned vvith the Geneua Supper Nazianz in Iulian. oratio â— pa. 27.
three or fovver bretherne eating and drinking their symbolical bread and vvine hovv can ether that confirme to vs the child to be saved or this that such eaters and drinkers eate spiritually Christs flesh and thereby shal haue eternal life Certainly if the minister out of the vvord did not tel them so much before the bread and vvine vvould neuer confirme nor scarce signifie such spiritual eating much lesse eternal life ensuyng thereof So that vvhereas ordinarily in common practise vvhence these men take their Theologie in this point seales confirme words and vvritings among men and vvithout a scale the vvord and vvriting is of no great force or value in lavv to make a bond and obligation the seale geuing al strength force thereto here it is cleane contrarie For al dependeth of the vvord and the vvord geueth strength vertue and force to the seale not the seale to the vvord and the vvord vvithout the seale is altogether sufficient carieth vvith it ful entier and perfit authoritie vvhereas the seale vvithout the vvord is nothing at al but as M. B. truly saith a common peece of bread so that truly to speake the vvord is rather to be accompted a seale to the bread then the bread a seale to the vvord Again these men in making such comparison vvaigh not the true nature and difference of vvords and seales as they are vsed in things diuine humane In humane because men are mortal and mutable and false so that vve can not take hold of their vvord vve are enforced to vse other meanes for our assurance and certification as first to put their vvords in vvriting and then to ratifie both vvord and vvriting by sealing But in God and things diuine it is not so But for so much as God is immortal immutable and constant vvhose vvord is vvorking and vvhose vvord once vttered is as sure certaine infallible and irreuocable as if it vvere vvritten in faire velem in a thousand exemplars confirmed by as many seales here can be no vse of any such seales as is amoÌ„g men because no such seale can add any more authoritie or certaintie to his vvord as it doth to ours How beit it pleaseth him some times to vse some kynd of confirmation vvhich may not vnfitly be compared to a kind of sealing as vvhere the Euangelist saith that vvhen Christ was ascended his Apostles preached euery vvhere our lord working with them and confirming their dostrine and preaching with signes and miracles of vvhich kynd of confirmation the storie of the Acts of the Apostles is ful But these were miraculous noâ— sacrameÌ„tal seales applied truly properly to speake not to coÌ„firme gods vvord or promises but to confirme vnto the heaâ—ers the authoritie and credit of the preachers the prophets Apostles and disciples of Christ as euery vvhere appeareth both in the old testament nevv And therefore as S. Paul teacheth such miraculous signes and seales properly are not for faithful men Christians but for faithles and infidels to dravv them to faith and Christianitie And this is a far different kind of seales from the sacraments vvhereof vve here entreat vvhich neuer any learned father or vvriter called seale in the Protestant sense For albeit sometime S. Augustin vseth the vvorde and applieth it to the sacraments as also do some other Doctors yet they neuer meane nor applye them as do the Protestants but cal them seales ether because they signe the faithful vvith such a marke vvhereby they are distinguished from the vnfaithful or because they conteyne in them a secret holy thing that is inuisible grace in vvhich sense the booke of the Apocalyps is said to be signed vvith 7. seales in both vvhich senses S. Austin S. Gregorie Nazianzene calle them seales or because they geue perfit and absolute grace vvhereby a Christian being vvashed from his sinnes and made the child of god in baptisme receiueth farther strength to persist and stand fast in his Christian prosession and fight constantly against the enemies of Christ and his church the deuil and his ministers is confirmed in hope and hath as it vvere a pledge of eternal life in vvhich sense S. Cornelius an auncient Pope and martyr and after him S. Leo the Great calle the sacrament of confirmation a seale The vvords of the first are VVhereas Nouatus the heretike was only baptised but afterward tooke not such other things as by order of the church he ought neque Domini sigillo ab Episcopo obsignatus suit nether was signed with the seale of our lord by the bisshop in the sacrament of confirmation how I pray â—ow receiued he the holy ghost to strengthen him in his Christian saith S. Leo in his 4. Sermon de natiuitate Domini Stand fast in that faith in which after yow were baptised by water the holy ghost yow receiued the Chrisme of saluation the seale or pledge of eternal life In these senses and perhaps some other tending to like effect the auncient godly fathers calle the sacraments seales as questionles euery sacrameÌ„t and especially that of the most blessed Eucharist is a most admirable signe and seale and confirmation and demonstration of gods infinite mercy and Christs infinite loue towards mankynd But the sense of the Protestants as it is foolish fond nevv vvithout al vvit and reason and not only so but also wicked impious heretical Anabaptistical as hath bene shevved neuer taught by the holy scriptures of god by any Apostle Evangelist auncient father or Councel so I can not greatly enuy at Bezaes glorious triumph vvhich he maketh to him self and his maisters for the first invention thereof wherein he so flattereth and pleaseth him self that hauing expressed the same in such sort as here M. B. doth and I before out of Beza haue alleaged he suddenly from explication of the scripture breaketh out in to admiration of him self and his companions in these vvords This my exposition coÌ„cerning circumcision a seale of iustice al other sacraments seales in like maner if a man compare with such things as not only Origenes but also sundry other of the auncient fathers albeit for godlines and learning most famous haue written vpon this place he shal doubtles find what greâ—â— abundant light of truth the lorde in this time hath powred out vpon vs of al other men most vnworthy thereof No doubt a vvorthy doctrine for such Doctors and in deed to be vvondered at vvhich being so necessarie for the church as these men make it for it conteyneth the true faith of the sacraments vvhereas Origen S. CypriaÌ„ S. Austin S. Ambrose S. Leo. S. Basil S Gregorie Nazianzene and sundry other for holines and learning most famous as he confesseth could neuer find it out and yet these men Caluin Beza and Iohn Cnox for learning not very famous and for horrible filthines and abomination of life not to be named and not heard