the Church if not then from the Church They must be taken by the friends of the bridegroome ministers and magistrates The minister taketh them by doctrine Luke 3. Acts 2. Acts 10. Iohn 12. By example of life 1. Pet. 5. 1. Cor. 13. Gen. 34. 1. Pet 3. By Ecclesiasticall discipline 1. Cor. 5. Aug. de cor ca. 8. 2. Cor. 10. Luke 14. The magistrate taketh foxes by ciuil punishments 1. Esd. 8. By death 2. Par. 15. By exile Ezra 4. 2. Sam. 14. By confiscation 1. Sam. 13. By incarceration 2. Par. 33. The cause of the assemblie the matters which this scripture offereth to be spoken of Exod. 13. Psal. 117. An exhortation vnto praier What praier is and what parts it hath Psal. 49. Iohn 16. Matth. 6. Petitions or requests Supplications Intercessions Thankesgiuings Iacob 1. When where and how to praie 1. Thess. 5. 1. Tim. 2. Praier before all things Exod 3. Exod. 32. Ios. 6. Ios. 10. Dan. 3. For whom we must pray and for whom not 1. Iohn 5. 2. Cor. 12. 1. Tim. 1. Rom. 14. Praier to be made especially for kings such as are in authoritie Ier. 29. Esay 3. Iob. 34. Psal. 72. Tertul in apologet No nation more occasioned than the English to praise the Lord for their prince Psal. 117. All that are in authoritie vnder the prince must also be praied for be they good or bad be their authoritie Ecclesiasticall or Ciuill The reason why we pray for al men and for princes putteth both princes and al other men in mind of their duties Princes that they should studie to make the people liue in peace Ier. 29. 1. Reg 4. Esay 9. Luke 2. Esay 39. In pietie 1. Thess. 2. In honestie Gen. 38. 1. Sam. 15. The duetie of the people vnder their Princes is to leade a peaceable a godly and an honest life Rom. 5. 1. Iohn 1. 1. Pet. 3. What it is to liue peaceably Rom 12. Heb. 12. Matth. 4. Aug. de consen Euang. lib. 1. cap 18. The principall publike duties of godlinesse are praier hearing of the word and receiuing of the sacraments Two sacraments Baptisme and the supper of the Lord. Hom. 80. supâ—â— Matth. Of the outward signes in y â— Eucharist and how the inward grace therof is reaped not by carnall and grosse deuouring but by spirituall and heauenly feeding vpon the bodie and bloud of Christ Iesus Iohn 6. The visible elements of bread wine are neither chaunged in substance by vertue of consecration and they should in administration be giuen both vnto all not one without the other vnto priest or people Bert. l. 4. de corp sang chr Of preparation required to the worthy receiuing of this blessed Sacrament 1. Cor. 11. 2. Cor. 13. Honest life conuersation amongst men The Apostles vehemencie in exhorting to brotherly concord Three things performed in the words of S. Paul he moueth vnto vnitie taketh away lets which hinder vnitie sheweth y â— meanes whereby vnitie is maintained The Apostle requireth vnitie both in religion and affection Greg. Nazian Actâ— 4. 1. Cor. 1. 1. Cor. 1. Euerie agreement is not that vnitie whereunto we are exhorted Gen 3. Gen. 11. Gen. 19. Num. 16. Exod. 32. Psal. 2. Hilar contra Auxent Rom. 15. Iohn 17. Augustine The vnitie which is in y e Church of England at this day touching religioÌ„ the disagreement about some smaller things outwardly apperteining to religion Prou. 29. 1. Cor. 9. 1. Tim. 5. Gal. 6. 1. Tim. 5. 1. Thess. 5. Of vnitie in religion commeth that vnitie which linketh mens minds in mutuall affâ—ction eche towards other Gen. 4. Matth. 2. Sozom. l. 1. ca. 6. Prou. 6. Iohn 13. Matth. 8. The loue and vnitie which should be in the mysticall bodie of Christ which is the companie of men professing the ChristiaÌ„ faith shewed by comparison of that vnitie which is seene in the parts members of a natural body 1. Cor. 14. Heb. 13. Iosua 1. 2. Sam. 18. Rom. 9. 1. Thess. 2. Gal. 4. The first hinderance of vnitie is contention Heb. 12. Gen. 13. Gal. 5. Another hinderance is vaineglorie the mother and breeder of contention There is nothing in vs whereof wee may boast 1. Cor. 4. Esay 64. Prou. 8. Sap. 6. Num. 22. Matth. 26. Esay 40. Ier. 9. Hest. 5. Vainglorie hardly bridled Acts 12. 2. Cor. 12. The first meane to preserue vnitie is humblenes of minde Ephes. 4. Diuers kindes of humilitie Psal. 147. Eccle. 19. Col 2. Luke 18. 1. Tim. 1. The way to redresse that ouerweening which we haue of our selues Psal. 38. Esay 59. Luc. 15. Luc. 5. 2. Sam. 24. 1. Sam. 24. 1. Pet. 4. Gal 6. Augustine The second meane to maintaine concord is care not onely for our selues but for others also Gen. 34. 1. Sam. 25. Many seeme to haue a care of others whose care in deede is for themselues 2. Chron. 28. Gen. 3â— Matth. 15. Our care for others must be heartie syncere as Christs is for vs. This care of caring for others doeth principally concerne Princes Exod. 2. Gen. 14. Sozom. lib. 2. cap. 15. Euseb. lib. 10. cap. vlt. Theod. l. 2. ca 9. Socr. l. 2. c. 22. 2. Reg. 8. 2. Reg. 9. 2. Reg. 11. 2. Reg. 9. It concerneth also counsellers ministers and generally all men 2. Sam. 17. A petition to be taught the way of God and a promise to walke in his trueth In praying to be taught hee confesseth his ignorance 1. Cor. 13. 1. Cor. 10. 1. Reg. 3. The meanes whereby God doth leade men to knowledge Ios. 1. Psal. 119. Iohn 10. The contempt of the meanes wherby knowledge is attained Luke 11. Luke 11. 2. Tim. 3. Vnto knowledge praier is as needefull as meditatioÌ„ No man learneth wisdome except God be his teacher Apoc. 5. Luc. 24. Acts 16. Iohn 6. Iohn 16. Dangerous to looke for instruction by reuelations 1. Iohn 4. Luc. 16. Acts 8. Acts 10. Acts 9. The thing which the prophet desireth to learne is the way of the Lord. The woord WAIE taken diuersly in scripture Matth. 22. Acts 24. Esay 8. Iob. 34. Esay 55. 1. Cor. 2. The promise of the prophet to walke Ephâ—s 2. 1. Cor. 6. Matth. 20. 1. Cor. 7. 2. Thess. 3. â— Cor. 7. Our walking must be in trueth 1 Reg. 3. Walking in heresie Phil. 3. Walking after the flesh Gal. 5. Walking after couetousnesse Ezech. 33. Psal. 119. Walking in obstinacie Ierem. 13. Walking in the counsel of the wicked Psal. 1. Walking with the tongue 2. Thess. 3. Psal 73. Walking in trecherie Ier. 6. 2. Sam. 16. 2. Sam. 3. Gen. 34. 1. Thess. 4. The preferment of euill men y e cause why euill walkers doe abound in the Clergie Psal. 12. 1. Tim. 5. 2. Mac. 4. In the temporaltie the reason why wicked men abound is because wicked men beare rule Church-robbers vnder the name of Church-visiters Exod. 36. It is not sufficient to talke of trueth we must walke in it Esay 48. This dutie belongeth vnto all but principally to
remember vnto you for offending your chast eares the horrible filthinesse wherewith those learned Scribes those holie fathers those maiden priests those foxes were infected the smell whereof ascended vp into heauen and cryed out for vengeaunce against them Spirituall and corporall whoredome for the most part go together Who was more hoat in the seruice of Baal than Iesabel that deuoute hypocrite and yet she was but a painted harlot When Israel gaue themselues to Idolatrie they foorthwith fel vnto whoredome Mens life and religion are for the most part like a sound faith a sweete behauiour men gather not figges of thornes neither can their outward conuersation be pure whose inward perswasion is not good These are they that destroy the vines Whereunto euen nowe they haue prepared themselues For this ende and purpose they gather themselues together they boldly haue their conuenticles they contriue treacherie and deuise how to destroy the vineyard and church of God In the late euill times the professors of the Gospel found no such libertie But the saying of Christ is verified Foxes haue holes but the sonne of man hath not where to hide his head 18 Two especiall meanes they vse in seeking to destroie the vineyard force and perswasion Force of two sorts open and secret Open force of persecution that cruell beast hath alwaies practised from time to time What prince hath hee not stirred vp what nation hath he not armed to persecute the professors of true religion with fire and sword The red bloudie dragon doeth still vexe the woman with her childe Christ with his church The practise hereof all Nations haue felt and Englande cannot forget The late rebellion in this Realme raised for no other cause but by force to subuert religion by no other man than the father of these foxes is fresh in memorie 19 When by open force this beast cannot quench his thirst with the bloud of his Saints then he practiseth by secret deuises Sometimes vnder pretense of mariage and faithfull affinitie he leadeth Princes blindefold to the house of slaughter sometimes vnder colour of giuing aide to possesse kingdomes he dispossesseth them both of their state and of their life sometimes he offereth league and confederacie with such as in heart he deadly hateth thereby to stay their force till he may fitly practise his purposed mischiefe When these practises will not serue then they sell themselues to satan as did Pope Syluester they enter into an execrable league with the diuell and labour by incantation coniuration magicke sorcerie and witchcraft to consume kill and destroie the Lords annointed by picturing c. When inchantments wil not serue that no poysoned deuise be left vnattempted they flie to poysonings which practise of theirs hath taken effect in diuers Henrie the Emperour receiued poyson in sacramentall bread Victor the Pope in sacramentall wine Wherein it is to bee noted by the way that if they did offer the bodie and bloud of Christ indeede as they pretend to doe they could not mingle that sacred and glorified substance with poison Of late noble Dandelot with others haue drunke of the like cuppe So these foxes conceiue mischiefe and bring foorth most monstrous and cruel wickednesse both by open violence and by secret treacherie 20 The other meane whereby they labour to hinder the course of the Gospel and to subuert religion is fraude the naturall propertie of a foxe This fraude is practised after sundrie sorts First they labour to seduce the simple by perswasion Of persuasion they haue sundrie kindes As first the Antiquitie of their religion their fathers olde faith But they should remember that their religion is as newe as false sixe hundred yeeres after Christ vnknowne The substance of our religion is most ancient shalbe most permanent it was from the beginning it shal remaine to the end no iot nor title therof shal perish In matter of religion we may not followe our fathers further than they haue followed our Master Christ. We must thinke not what others haue said or doone before but what he which is before all others hath saide and doone Heare him The scripture hath giuen vs warning to be warie in this point God fed Israel with wormewood and gaue them waters of gall to drinke because they walked after Baalims which their fathers taught them 21 Another ground whereupon they builde their perswasion is the Authoritie of the Church and of the Pope which cannot erre There is a church of God and a synagogue of Satan The Church of God is builded vpon the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets The true church hath her markes whereby she is knowne The Gospel truely preached The sacraments syncerely ministred discipline duely executed The popish church hath neither the true foundation nor yet the right marks of the church of God her foundation is Man her markes are blasphemie Idolatrie superstition Christ is the head of his bodie the Church This head cannot erre the head of the church Antichristian is the Pope that man of sinne a lier yea a verie father of lies 22 From these general perswasions they traine the people to particulars teaching many other shamefull things but this aboue all other as most needefull to be held of all that the masse is a sacrifice auaileable for quicke and dead strong and effectuall to take away sinne forcible in ridding soules out of Purgatorie paines But S. Paul teacheth that Christ was offered vp once to take away all sinne and by that one oblation because it was perfect obteined the full deliuerie and redemption of his Church The bloud of Christ doeth cleanse vs from all sinne Therefore we neede not their aftercleansings which in trueth are defilings With these and other like false and subtile perswasions they leade the simple people to the pit of destruction 23 Or if they cannot preuaile by such perswasions they finde out Prophecies and therewith fil the peoples eares they haue the bookes of Merlin and other phantasticall spirits full of doubtfull sayings and deceitful dreames of these they make such constructions and expositions as may serue their purpose all tending to this ende that alteration is neere that the state will not continue that religion cannot endure long such and such times when this chaunge should be they haue presumed more than once to appoint But their times-master hath deceiued them they haue found him a lying spirite in the mouth of his Prophets This practise of Satan and of his impes hath brought sundrie great persons and noble houses to confusion Let their posteritie take example and warning by them 24 They haue left no meanes vnattempted whereby the hearts of the people might any way be seduced Wherefore vnto other their deceitfull practises they haue ioyned the offer of reconciliation The Pope hath sent his proctors abroad to pardon whatsoeuer is alreadie past so that men will nowe forsake the church of Christ and ioyne themselues vnto
instituted by Christ to be receiued of Christians By the one which is Baptisme we are receiued and incorporated into the Church of Christ by the other which is the Eucharist or Lords supper wee are nourished and fed vnto life euerlasting These are pledges and assurances of remission of sinnes and saluation purchased by the death of Christ. These are Gods seales added vnto his most certaine promises for the confirmation of our weake faith weake by reason of the infirmitie of our fleshe For if we were spirituall saith Chrysostome wee should not neede these corporall signes We being now prepared and purposed to be partakers of this holie mysterie the sacrament of the bodie and bloud of Christ it standeth vs vpon to haue that due consideration which the waight of a matter so neerely concerning our saluation doeth require to the end that we may to our comfort and profite receiue the same Deepely to enter into this matter the shortnesse of this time wil not permit yet somewhat I will say and giue you a tast of things needefull 21 In this sacrament there are two things a visible signe and an inuisible grace there is a visible sacramentall signe of breade and wine and there is the thing and matter signified namely the bodie and bloud of Christ there is an earthly matter and an heauenly matter The outward sacramentall signe is common to all as well the bad as the good Iudas receiued the Lords bread but not that bread which is the Lord to the faithfull receiuer The spirituall part that which feedeth the soule onely the faithful doe receiue For he cannot be partaker of the bodie of Christ which is no member of Christs bodie This foode offred vs at the Lords table is to feede our soules withall it is meate for the minde and not for the bellie Our soules being spiritual can neither receiue nor digest that which is corporall they feede only vpon spirituall foode It is the spirituall eating that giueth life The flesh saith Christ doeth nothing profite We must lift vp our selues from these externall and earthly signes and like Eagles flie vp and sore aloft there to feede on Christ which sitteth on the right hande of his father whom the heauens shall keepe vntill the latter day From thence and from no other Altar shall he come in his natural bodie to iudge both quicke and dead His naturall bodie is locall for else it were not a naturall bodie his bodie is there therefore not here for a naturall bodie doth not occupie sundrie places at once Here we haue a sacrament a signe a memoriall a commemoration a representation a figure effectuall of the bodie and bloud of Christ. These termes the auncient Fathers Ireneus Tertullian S. Augustine S. Ierome S. Chrysostome doe vse Seeing then that Christ in his naturall bodie is absent from hence seeing he is risen and is not here seeing hee hath left the worlde and is gone to his father howe shall I saith S. Augustine laie holde on him which is absent how shall I put my hand into heauen Send vp thy faith and thou hast taken hold Why preparest thou thy teeth Beleeue and thou hast eaten Thy teeth shall not doe him violence neither thy stomacke conteine his glorious bodie Thy faith must reache vp into heauen By faith he is seene by faith he is touched by faith he is digested Spiritually by faith wee feede vpon Christ when wee stedfastly beleeue that his bodie was broken and his bloud shed for vs vpon the crosse by which sacrifice offered once for all as sufficient for all our sinnes were freely remitted blotted out and washed away This is our heauenly bread our spirituall foode This doth strengthen our soules and cheere our hearts Sweeter it is vnto vs than honie when we are certified by this outward sacrament of the inward grace giuen vnto vs thorough his death when in him we are assured of remission of sins and eternall life Better foode than this thy soule can neuer feede vpon This is the bread of euerlasting life They which truely eate it shall liue by it 32 Thus I haue briefly simply and plainely vnfolded vnto you the meaning of this most holy mysterie Time wil not suffer me to let you see the absurdities of the popish vnsauourie opinions in this matter neither to confute their vaine allegations and false collections abusing the scriptures dreaming euermore with the grosse Capernaites of a carnall and a fleshly eating Beholde the one part of this sacrament consecrated is termed bread the other a cup by the Apostle himselfe Because what they were according to the substance of their natures before consecration the same they remaine after saith Bertram The like hath Theodoret Those mysticall tokens after they be sanctified doe not leaue their proper nature for they abide in their former substance figure and shape This sacrament was deliuered to the Corinthians in both kindes As Christ saith so saith Paul Bibite ex hoc omnes Drinke ye all of this That the whole sacrament should be receiued of the people and no mutilation permitted the auncient writers are most cleare as Ambrose Ierom Chrysostom Gelasius Cyprian c. This sacrament is to be receiued in remembrance of Christ crucified As oft as yee shall eate this bread and drinke of this cup ye shewe the Lords death vntill his comming 23 In what maner we ought to prepare our selues thereunto Paul teacheth saying Let a man prooue himselfe and so eate of that bread and drinke of that cuppe This condemneth Anabaptists which thinking themselues to be without sin communicate with none but such as they thinke like to themselues Euerie man shal beare his owne burthen It behooueth therefore euerie man to trie him selfe and not other men Trie whether ye be in the faith or no. Faith hath his fruites It worketh repentaunce it causeth sorowe for sinnes committed feare of sinning againe and hope of pardon It breedeth loue towards God and loue towardes our brethren If incredulitie if impenitencie if hatred and malice haue possessed thine heart then abstaine from the Lords table least with Iudas thou receiue the Lords bread against the Lord the foode of saluation to thy condemnation But if thou beleeue repent thee of thy sinne purpose to liue a charitable and godlie life if thou be cloathed with the sweete garment of the sonne of God then sit thee downe at the table of the Lorde and at the feast of the lambe For this is his feast this is doone onely in remembraunce of him this is the blessed Eucharist a sacrament of praise and thankesgiuing as for al other godly benefites so particularly and principally for the death and passion of Iesus Christ Gods onelie sonne and our onelie Sauiour 24 These dueties being thus performed vnto God wee must also endeuour to liue and leade an honest life Peace is a great meane to procure pietie and pietie should breede honestie in vs. The one
talke of the holie scriptures of God But when the heate of the sunne burst out when persecution fire followed the professors of it O Lord howe many haue shrunke yea and vtterly fallen from it Howe many persecuters nowe which then were professors Not one amongst fourtie hath taried the beame and blase of his burning and trying sunne O Lord God woonderfull is thy mercie yet their estate is pitifull These our times deare brethren haue maruelously tried what ground we bee what roote Gods word hath taken in vs. Much grauelly ground doth now appeare which before was thought to be sound and battle So it is the timeliest fruite often commeth to least proofe The freshest Gospeller in appearance in experience is found not to be the soundest and the greatest talkers oftentimes the idlest workers and such as haue bragged most when it came to be tried iâ— the field haue first fled Such are Gods iudgements who seeth farre otherwise than man can see and through a fawning face espieth a traitors heart Howe vainely therefore a great sort haue receiued and gloried in this Gospel we nowe perceiue and with mornefull hearts doe rue it The Lord forgiue them and strengthen vs with his grace vnto the ende Heere wee learne that persecution followeth this seede of God Christ testifieth that he came to send the sword amongst vs and not peace signifying that the Gospel would procure many enemies and much persecution Wherefore my sonne saith the wise man in the booke of Ecclesiasticus when thou commest to the seruice of GOD stand in iustice and feare and make readie thy soule to trial Happie is that ground which beeing tried is found good and fruitefull 11 The third sort are compared to ground ouergrowne with thornes For as thornes choke the seede which is sowne amongst them so that it cannot bring foorth that fruite which it ought to doe so the cares of the world and the pleasures of this life which bee as thornes to wound as brambles and briers to entangle the mindes and consciences of men destroie that spirituall seede which in a heart well prepared and purged from these weedes would growe vp vnto euerlasting life In this number wee may recken those base-minded worldlings mentioned in the parable who being inuited came not because their fermes their oxen and their wiues withheld them The inordinate care that some haue for their children and familie howe to finde them food and raiment more than sufficient the desire that others haue to keepe their worldly substance their possessions and riches and also to encrease the same and get to liue in wealth themselues and to leaue their children riche the pleasure that some other haue to liue in honour and to be in office finely to feede and to goe gorgeously to followe their lusts and the transitorie pleasures of this vaine world hath ouergrowne yea vtterly choked in a great sort of men a great deale of good seede Many there be whom the cares the riches and the pleasures of this sinful world haue so bewitched and drawne into so corrupt a sense that euen like the Gadarenes or Gergesites rather than loose one of their pigges tbey will bid adieu to the Gospel of Christ and beseeche the Lord of saluation to depart out of their costs Most true therfore it is which S. Paul noteth in them whose hearts are possest with carefulnesse of this worlds good They that will be riche fall into temptation and snares and into many foolish and noysome lusts which drowne men in perdition and destruction Riches are the nurces of all vaine delights and fleshely pleasures This caused our Sauiour so heauily to threaten Woe be to the wealthie Let vs therefore learne by this warning of our sauiour when the Gospel of Chiist is preached to take heede that neither it be deuoured by birds nor trodden downe with feete nor withered with heate nor choked with thornes and so made vnprofitable but rather beeing receiued kept and cherished in the ground of our heartes it may growe and encrease so aboundantlie that when the Lord shall see it readie for the sickle and send his Angels to cut it downe it may fill the reapers hands and make riche the barnes of him that looketh for fruite of it 12 Nowe as the graces of God purchased for vs by Christ are offered vnto vs by the woord so are they also most liuely and effectually by the Sacraments Christ hath instituted and left in his Church for our comfort and the confirmation of our faith two sacraments or seales Baptisme and the Lordes supper In Baptisme the outward washing of the flesh declareth the inward purging and cleansing of the spirite In the Eucharist or supper of the Lord our corporall tasting of the visible elements bread and wine sheweth the heauenly nourishing of our soules vnto life by the mysticall participation of the glorious bodie bloud of Christ. For in as much as he saith of one of these sacred elements This is my bodie which is giuen for you and of the other This my bloud hee giueth vs plainely to vnderstand that all the graces which may flowe from the bodie and bloud of Christ Iesus are in a mysterie heere not represented onely but presented vnto vs. So then although we see nothing feele and tast nothing but bread and wine neuerthelesse let vs not doubt at al but that he spiritually performeth that which he doth declare promise by his visible and outward signes that is to say that in this sacrament there is offered vnto the Church that verie true and heauenly bread which feedeth and nourisheth vs vnto life eternall that sacred bloud which will cleanse vs from sinne make vs pure in the day of triall Againe in that he saith Take eate drinke ye all of this he euidently declareth that his bodie and bloud are by this sacrament assured to be no lesse ours than his he being incorporate into vs and as it were made one with vs. That he became man it was for our sake for our behoofe and benefite he suffered for vs he rose againe for vs he ascended into heauen and finally for vs he will come againe in iudgement And thus hath he made himselfe all ours ours his passions ours his merits ours his victorie ours his glorie and therefore hee giueth himselfe and all his in this sacrament wholly vnto vs. The reason and course whereof is this In his word he hath promised and certified vs of remission of sins in his death of righteousnesse in his merites of life in his resurrection and in his ascension of heauenly and euerlasting glorie This promise we take holde on by faith which is the instrument of our saluation But because our faith is weake and staggering through the frailtie of our mortall flesh he hath giuen vs this visible sacrament as a seale and sure pledge of his irreuocable promise for the more assurance confirmation of our feeble faith
If a prince giue out his letters patent of a gift so long as the seale is not put to the gift is not fullie ratified and the partie to whom it is giuen thinketh not him selfe sufficientlie assured of it Gods gift without sealing is sure as hee himselfe is al one without changing yet to beare with our infirmitie and to make vs more secure of his promise to his writing woord he added these outward signes and seales to establish our faith and to certifie vs that his promise is most certain He giueth vs therfore these holie and visible signes of bread wine saith Take and eate this is my bodie and blood giuing vnto the signes the names which are proper to the things signified by them as we vse to doe euen in cōmon speach when the signe is a liuelie representation and image of the thing 13 Let vs therefore bee thankefull vnto our redeemer Christ for these his great benefites and so vnspeakeable and vndeserued mercies and let vs receiue this holie sacrament as a sure pledge that the vertue of his death and passion is imputed vnto vs for iustice euen as though we had suffered the same which hee did in our owne naturall bodies Let vs not be so peruerse as to drawe backe when Iesus Christ calleth vs so louingly to this royall feast but with good consideration of the woorthinesse of this gift present we our selues with a feruent zeale that we may come woorthily to this holy table Let eche man trie himselfe and so eate saith the Apostle Let vs enter into our selues therefore and examine the estate of our hearts and soules and consider in what case we stand If we be not of the sanctified houshold of God not Christs seruaunts and faithfull Disciples shall we dare presume to presse in being aliens and strangers to the Lords as most comfortable so also most dreadfull table No let no impenitent blasphemer of God no whoremonger or vile and vnrepented sinner presume to touch or tast this foode for such shall not feede vpon Christ and his merits but they receiue their owne damnation But such as wil woorthily feede at this blessed feast must earnestly and truly mourne for their sinnes past in a setled purpose and resolution neuer willingly to defile themselues againe And such as will be partakers of this bread that came from heauen Iesus Christ our one and onely Sauiour must also be as one bread or loafe and as one bodie ioined together in brotherly loue and all other offices of godlie and Christian charitie For if thou come to this banket without this vesture of loue it shall be saide vnto thee Friend howe camest thou hither not hauing on thy wedding garment A wofull speeche and an ende most miserable Let this suffice for the first point which is the blessed Apostles exhortation not to receiue the grace of God in vaine 14 Concerning the second member wherein wee are put in mind that this is the time to shewe our selues woorthie receiuers of grace he applieth to his purpose the words of the Prophet Esay who speaking vnto Christ as in the person of his father saith In an acceptable time haue I heard thee and in a day of saluation haue I helped thee The acceptable time is that whereof S. Paul speaketh When the fulnesse of time came God sent his sonne made of a woman It was indeede an acceptable time and full of grace wherein the sacrifice of Christ was so gratiously accepted and his praiers heard of God And it may well be called a day of saluation wherein his father gaue him a triumphant victorie ouer those so bitter torments of death An acceptable time was it a day of saluation not so much in respect of him who at all times was accepted as of vs who without him and his death had beene refused For in that day was your redemption wrought by our redeemer and sinners saued by his passion who had no sinne And as hee died and rose so he praied and was heard for vs. I pray for them I pray not for the world I pray for them whom thou hast giuen me saith our Sauiour Nowe the acceptable time and day of saluation which Esay spake of S. Paul doth very aptly and effectually applie to his present occasion Beholde nowe is the acceptable time beholde nowe is the day of saluation For the Fathers liued in hope of this acceptable day of grace and fauour to come but the verie time beginneth from the suffering of Christ Iesus and continueth euen to the worlds end And vnto euerie one of vs so much of this acceptable time is granted as we haue time granted here to liue Which being not long because our life is but as it were a span it may fitly be called a day or rather an houre of saluation This day therefore grace is offered vs of God Against whose maiestie forasmuch as all haue sinned and by sinne are depriued of his glorie wee must needes acknowledge that for the recouering of our losse wee stand all in present neede of his grace Nowe is the time wherein our soules doe groane to be releeued with grace and mercie For who can say My heart is sound I neede no Physitian What one man is there amongst vs all who hath loued God as he ought to doe or tendered his neighbours case as he would his owne We may dallie with our selues and thinke that we suffer not for our owne transgressions that we are not cause of that great plague calamitie which presently is come vpon our countrie Beloued do not deceiue your selues Our God is a righteous iudge who blesseth the innocent and heapeth punishment vpon the offending soule For truly if we searche our selues as we ought to doe with a single eye if we examine out thoughts take a reckoning of our words and peise our deedes and waies in an equall ballance aske our hearts and they wil tell vs enquire of our conscience it wil declare vnto vs that euerie one of vs hath wel deserued more than hath happened vnto any of vs Yea wee shall finde that all haue not suffered halfe so much as euerie one hath deserued Our first parents for tasting the fruit that was forbidden them were themselues cast out of their pleasaunt habitation and punished in all their posteritie to come for euer Haue wee being terrefied by the horror of their example withheld our hands and bridled our affections from euerie vnlawful and forbidden thing Corah Dathan and Abiram with their fauourites and confederates were swallowed vp of the earth for whispering against Moses and against Aaron Did we neuer once mutter against our good and lawfull magistrates against our iudges and against the Lordes ministers Dauid for numbring of his people procured such a plague that 70. thousand were consumed with it and are wee so vnspotted that we haue not in as heinous a matter as this offended God would
Prophet teacheth the selfesame in few words Let the wicked forsake his waies and the vnrighteous his owne imaginations and returne vnto the Lord S. Paul meaneth the same thing when he speaketh of denying vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and liuing soberly righteously and godlily in this present worlde But our Sauiour Christ shutteth vp the whole in one word Repent 18 The order of our repentance set downe by the blessed Apostle is this First of all we must remooue euill from vs. Cleanse your hands purge your hearts wash and scowre both bodie and soule make you selues cleane both from outward and inward sinnes For it is not sufficient to abstaine from euill in our externall actions but we must also chase from our hearts euil cogitations The proude Pharisee seemed to haue a pure life but he had a polluted heart If the fountaine and spring bee not pure and sweete the riuers that issue from it must needes be vnsauourie From the heart there proceede euill cogitations murthers adulteries fornications false witnessings reuilings These are the fruites of an impure heart and these are the workes of vncleane fingers The hand is but the seruaunt to execute that which the heart hath deuised It was follie in Pilate to wash his hands in token of his puritie when his heart had consented to shed the bloud of that Innocent 19 The hand hath sundrie significations in the scriptures Sometime it is taken for counsell as Is not the hande of Ioab with thee in all these things And againe They met together to doe whatsoeuer thy hand and thy counsell had before decreed to be doone Euill hands are the breeders of al mischieuous practises but such counsel is commonly woorst to the giuer Dauid praied to God to confound the traiterous counsell of Achitophel who conspired against his master and king And it came to passe that his fingers did knit a roape about his own traiterous throate to strangle himselfe withall It is written of Dauid that he fed his people in the singlenes of his heart and led them foorth in the discretion of his handes The swoord of gouernement is an edged toole it requireth the hand of wise counsell discreetely to weeld it Roboam being guided by the vnwise hands of those lustie young Counsellers who aduised him to oppresse his people with heauy burthens to bring them into bondage and to giue them short and sharpe answeres wrought in the people discontented minds alienated their hearts from their Prince which in the ende was the tearing of his kingdome into peeces Of twelue parts he lost tenne and better 20 The word Hand is also taken for crueltie and oppression because the hand is the instrument to worke these things Your hands saith the Prophet are full of bloud Such hands had Herod And such haue they not onely which kil but which hate malice and slaunder their brethren For hee which hateth his brother is a manslaier 21 Finally because the hand worketh most of al the members of the bodie in the necessarie actions of mans life therefore all pollutions in our outward deedes are conteined in the name of vncleane hands 22 The slanderer and libeller hath bloudie hands his tongue cutteth like a sharpe rasor his penne writeth in bloud For he killeth whom he defameth 23 The oppresser with his bloudie fingers pulleth the skinne off the peoples backes Aemilius being placed by Tyberius Caesar ouer Egypt oppressed the Egyptians with great vnwoonted exactions The Emperor hearing of it was wroth and wrote vnto him That he would haue his sheepe to be shorne but not flaied Such oppressers of the people greatly wrong the Prince who beeing faultlesse yet is forced to beare the burthen of that blame Such gleaners of other mens goods and pillers and purloiners although they ioine house to house yet the foundation of them being laide in bloud that building shall not continue That which commeth ill shal goe woorse away They loose as much in their consciences as they gaine in their cofers 24 Rewards likewise doe not onely blinde the eies and peruert the woords but they also defile the handes of the wise and righteous 25 All such as enter into the Church of GOD by corrupt meanes defile their hands and destroie their soules That saith S. Ambrose which the man gaue when he was ordeined Bishop was but gold and that which he lost was his soule 26 The vsurer doth so mire his fingers in monie that with his fowle filthie fists he can neuer take hold vpon the tabernacle of God 27 It were infinite to goe through all particulars We defile our hands whensoeuer our actions are corrupted infected and polluted with sinne seeme they vnto vs neuer so perfect holie and good Things highly esteemed before men are found to be as vanitie before God Our verie righteousnesse in his sight is polluted Yea many times euen when we doe good then we doe ill In our praier by coldnesse in our almes deedes by vaineglorie wee defile the hands which we lift vp vnto God and put foorth vnto men These fowle hands our Apostle biddeth vs wash Mundate manus vestras O peccatores 28 And as we must wash our fowle hands so must we purge our infected hearts The heart of man is not searched by man Who knoweth it Onely God is the searcher of hearts The hypocrite seemeth holie in the face of the world but his inward man is poisoned with sinne Of men hee is commended and reuerenced but his false impure heart the Lord doth abhorre Thy heart must bee purged before thy hands can be washed to any purpose For as all impuritie riseth from the heart and so pulluteth the hands so must first thy heart be purified and that will make all cleane If thine eye bee right all thy bodie will be cleare saith our Sauiour The stomacke well confirmed all the bodie will be in good estate But our hearts are impure neither can any man say My heart is cleane The Pharisee saide that he was righteous but he looked onely vpon his hands and did not see into his prowde and malitious heart The penitent Publicane wisely knocked vpon his heart for there laie the disease Euerie sinne breedeth in the heart from thence it hath his originall and euerie heart is possessed with sundrie sinnes and hath neede carefully to be purged 29 Pride polluteth mans heart This venome poisoned the heart of the great Angell of God of Adam the most perfect man of God of Nabuchodonozar the great and mightie Emperor of Ozias the king Their hearts were lifted vp and therefore GOD threwe them downe Pride is the first and greatest sinne and therefore with chiefest care to bee shunned This hidden poison cannot bee smothered it will burst foorth into the outward parts It will appeare in thy countenance in thy pace and in thy apparel Monstrous attire