It followeth This is my bodie Here is the fruite of his thankes before hee prayed that the bread and wine might be blessed they were blessed As Isaacks blessing shewed it selfe vpon Iacob whom he blessed so Christ his blessing appeared straight vpon these mysteries for it could not be said before This is my bodie because it was meere bread but now it may be called his bodie because his blessing hath infused that vertue into it that it dooth not onely represent his bodie but conuey his bodie and himselfe vnto vs. The efficacie of this blessing is in this Sacrament euer since sanctifying it vnto vs as well as it did to the Apostles euen as Christs praier staied Peters faith after Christ was dead Now ye haue heard the meaning of these words He tooke bread and blessed it and brake it and gaue it you shall see with what a mysticall resemblance they vnite Christ and vs First as Christ in the Supper tooke bread to feede vs so in his birth he tooke our flesh to saue vs. Secondly as Christ when he had taken the bread blessed the bread to make it a spirituall food so Christ when he had taken our flesh powred foorth most rich and precious graces into it to make it food of life vnto vs. Thirdly as Christ when hee had blessed the bread brake the bread so Christ when hee had filled his bodie with most precious graces brake it vp like a rich treasure house his handes by the nayles his backe by the stripes his head by the thornes his side by the speare that out of euerie hole a riuer of grace and goodnesse might issue flow forth vnto vs. Lastly as Christ gaue the bread when he had broken it so Christ by a liuely faith communicateth his bodie after he hath crucified it Hereby wee are taught that when we see the Minister take the bread to feed vs we must conceiue that Christ being God from euerlasting tooke our flesh to saue vs. When we see the Minister blesse the bread to a holie vse we must conceiue that Christ by vniting the Godhead vnto it sanctified his flesh for our redemption When wee see the Minister breake the bread to sustaine our bodies we must conceiue that Christ in his death brake his bodie to refresh our soules When wee see the Minister giue the bread to our handes we must conceiue that Christ as truly offereth himself to our faith to be receiued of vs. Because vpon these wordes the Papists ground their Transubstantiation that is that the bread is changed into Christs flesh the wine is turned into Christes blood whereby we eate the same bodie which dyed vpon the Crosse drinke the same blood which issued out of his side That you may see the blindnes of this Popish dreame I would haue you but marke euerie word of this scripture how they make against transubstantiation that ye may see them slaine like Goliah with their owne sworde Euen as God made Caiphas speak against himself so the scriptures which heretikes alledge do make against thēselues like the Baalites which wounded their owne flesh I may liken their allegations to Satans when he tempted Christ in the wildernesse he alleadged but one sentence of scripture for himselfe and that Psalme out of which hee borrowed it made so plaine against him that he was faine to picke here a word and there a word and leaue out that which went before and skip in the middest and omit that which came after or else hee had marred his cause the scripture is so holie and pure and true that no word nor sillable thereof can make for the diuell or for sinners or for heretikes yet as the diuell alledged scripture though it made not for him but agaynst him so doe the Libertines and Epicures and heretickes as though they had learned at his schoole Now there is no sentence of the scripture which the wiser Papists alleadge boldly for their Transubstantiation but this that Christ sayd This is my bodie by which they may proue as well that Christ is a doore because he saith I am the doore or a vine because he saith I am a vine for his sayings are like Figuratiue speeches must not be construed literally but this is heretikes fashion If you mark you shall see throughout that all the testimonies which the Papists alledge for their heresies are either tropes or figures or allegories or parables or allusions or darke speeches which when they presume to expound allegoricallie or literallie without conference of other scriptures then they wander and straie from the marke or else it is impossible that the truth should maintaine error that is that the scripture should speake for heresie if it were not peruerted therefore wee see that Eue neuer erred vntill she corrupted the text Now we will enter the lystes with our aduersaries and see whether these wordes doe proue that the bread and wine are turned into Christs bodie Paul saith Iesus tooke bread well then yet it is bread when he had taken it then he blessed it what did he blesse the bread which hee tooke well then yet it is bread when he had blessed it then he brake it what did he breake the bread which hee blessed well then yet it is bread when hee had broken it then hee gaue it what did hee giue the bread which he brake well then yet it is bread when he had giuen it they did eate it what did they eate the bread which hee gaue them well then yet it is bread when they did eat it then he sayd This is my bodie what did hee call his bodie the bread which they did eat well then yet it is bread If it be bread all this while when hee did take it and blesse it and brake it and gaue it and they did eate it when is it turned into his bodie here they stand like the Sadduces as mute as fishes Now that ye may see that not we only say it is bread and wine after the consecration in the 27. verse Christ himselfe doth cal it bread and wine after he had giuen it as hee did before And in Marke he saith I will drinke no more of the fruit of the vine Here Christ saith that it was the fruit of the vine which hee drank but his blood is not the fruit of vines but wine therefore wine was his drinke and not blood Beside if you would heare Paul expound Christ hee sheweth that all our Fathers had the same substance of Christ in their Sacraments that we haue in ours for hee sayth They all did eate the same spirituall meate and al drinke the same spiritual drinke Straight hee saith that this meat and this drinke was Christ Marke that he sayth not onely They did eat the same meat that we eate but he saith that this meat was Christ and not onely so but
earthly and the other heauenly Cyril saith our Sacraments auouch not the eating of a man Cyprian saith the Lord calleth bread made of many graines his bodie and called wine made of many grapes his blood Athanasius sayth Christ made mention of his ascension into heauē that he might withdraw his Disciples from corporall and fleshly eating Chrysostome sayth God giueth vs things spirituall vnder things visible and naturall And againe being sanctified it is deliuered from the name of bread and is exalted to the name of the Lords body although the nature of the bread still remaine And because they beleeue that the Pope cannot erre Pope Gelasius setteth too his hand and sayth with the rest Neyther the substaunce of the bread nor nature of the wine cease to be more then they were before Tell vs Papist do not these Fathers speake as plaine as we Canst thou auouch Transubstantiation more flatlie then they denie it How had this heresie bene chased if the diuel had hatched it in their time Thus the Scriptures on the one side and the Fathers on the other side did so trouble three Archpapists Biel Tonstal and Fisher that Gabriel Biel sayth how the bodie of Christ is in the Sacrament is not found in the Canon of the Bible Tonstall saith It had bene better to leaue euerie man to his owne coniecture as they were before the Councell of Laterane than to bring in such a question Fisher saith No man can proue by the words of the Gospell that any Priest in these dayes dooth consecrate the verie bodie and blood of Christ Here is fulfilled Out of thine owne mouth I will condemne thee But we will not carrie the matter so because a Iudge must haue two eares therefore now let them speake Because they cannot tell how the bread wine should bee turned into flesh and blood and yet appeare bread and wine still they say it is a myracle but how doe they prooue it If they contende it is a myracle they must shewe vs a signe for euerie myracle may be seene like all the myracles of Moses and Christ and the Apostles and therefore a myracle is called a signe because it may be seene like a signe and the word signifieth a wonder And the Iewes crauing a myracle sayd Shew vs a myracle as though they were taught to iudge of myracles by sight All which doth shew that a myracle may be seene but here no myracle is seene Againe a myracle especially in the time of the Gospell is an extraordinarie thing but they make this an ordinarie thing for if the bread and wine be turned into flesh blood then myracles are as common as Sacraments and so because they haue Masse euerie day they should worke myracles euerie day Lastly this seemeth strange that Augustin whom they so much honour gathered all the myracles which are written in the scripture and yet amongst all speaks not of this therefore then it was counted no myracle but Paule speakes of lying myracles and this is one of them If they say that Christ can turne bread and wine into his bodie and therefore hee doth First they must proue that he wil for they can doe many things themselues which they doe not because they will not therefore it is an old answere that from Can to Will no Argument followeth The Leper did not say vnto Christ If thou cāst thou wilt but If thou wilt thou canst But the question which they think cannot be answered like their inuincible Nauies is this If the bread be not his bodie why doth he call it his bodie Resolue this knot and all is cleare Marke then and we will loose it as well as we can He saith This is my bodie as he saith after which is broken for you Why his bodie was not broken before he suffered how did he say then which is broken before it was broken There is no sense of it but this the bread was broken and signified that his body should be broken Now as the breaking of the bread did signifie the breaking of his bodie so the bread must needes signifie his bodie but as his bodie was not broken indeede when the bread was broken so the bread could not be his bodie indeed for then his body should haue bin broken when the bread was broken Yet let them obiect what they can If say they the bread and wine bee not changed into his bodie and blood why doth hee speake so darkly hee might haue spoken plainer I answere though this seeme darke to Papists yet it was not darke to the Apostles they vnderstood his meaning well inough and all the rest for 1215. yeares after Christ before Transubstantiation was spoken of If the Apostles had not vnderstood his meaning they would not sticke to aske him as their manner was vntill they were acquainted with Christs phrase whensoeuer they doubted vpon any of his speeches they were wont to come vnto him and say Master what is the meaning but they were vsed to such phrases for it was Christes manner to teach by similitudes shewing one thing by another which is the plainest manner of teaching and most vsed in holie scripture especially in the types and shadowes of this Sacrament For example Christ calleth the Lambe the Passeouer in place whereof this Sacrament succeeded and therefore presentlie after they had eaten the Passe-ouer Christ instituted this Sacrament to be vsed for it Christ I say called the Lambe the Passe-ouer and yet the Passe-ouer was this an angel passed ouer the houses of the Israelites and stroke the Egyptians this was not a Lambe and yet because the Lambe was a signe of this Passe-ouer as the bread and wine is of Christes bodie therefore Christ called the Lambe the Passeouer as hee calleth the bread and wine his bodie Againe Circumcision is called the Couenant and yet Circumcision was nothing but the cutting away of a skinne but the Couenant is In Abrahams seede all Nations shall be blessed I will be their God and they shall be my people I will defend and saue them they shall serue and worship me This is not Circumcision and yet as though circumcision were the couenant it selfe it is called the couenant because it signifieth the Couenant so bread and wine are called Christes bodie because they signifie Christs bodie Againe Baptisme is called Regeneration and yet Baptisme is a dipping of our bodies in water but regeneration is the renuing of the minde to the image wherein it was created This is not Baptisme and yet as though Baptisme were Regeneration it selfe it is called Regeneration because it signifieth Regeneration so the bread and wine are called Christs bodie because they signifie Christs bodie Againe the Cup is called the new Testament and yet the Cup is but a peece of mettall filled with wine but the new Testament is He which
Doe this in remembrance of me that is these signes shall bee a remembrance of my death when you breake the bread you shall remember the wounding of my body and when you drinke the wine you shall remember the sheading of my blood If wee doe this is remembraunce of Christs bodie which was broken like the bread it is an argument that his bodie is not there because remembrance is not of thinges present but of things absent we remember not but wee see that which is before vs. This might put the Papists in remembrance that Christ is not sacrificed now when we do but remember his sacrifice this is not Christes sacrifice but a remembrance of his sacrifice he was sacrificed before and now it is applied lest his sacrifice should be in vaine This was done once reallie when he offered himselfe vpon the crosse therefore that offering was called a sacrifice because he was sacrificed indeed but this offering is called a Sacrament because it is but a signe of his sacrifice If Christ in this Sacrament were offered indeede then it should bee called a sacrifice as his once offering was but because it is but a remembrance of his sacrifice therefore it is called a Sacrament This is not a sacrifice of Christ but a sacrifice of our selues Lest we shoulde take it to bee a sacrifice of Christ Christ himselfe calleth it a remembrance of his sacrifice Do this in my remembrance Here is our worke as Christ hath done so must we doe so we minister and so you receiue wee can giue you nothing but that which we haue receiued from him as Paul saith Therefore if Christ did not giue his mortall bodie which stood before them and could not profite them nor his glorified bodie which was not glorified then and when it was glorified ascended vp vnto heauen and there abideth how can these iugling Priests make their God againe which made them They can no more turne wine into blood bread into flesh than they can commaund a gnat to become a camell for it is a greater worke to make God than to make the world Therefore as Christ saith When they tell you here is Christ and there is Christ beleeue them not So when they tell you that Christ is in heauen and that Christ is in earth in this place and that place beleeue them not for Elias ascension was a figure of Christes ascension when Elias was ascended yet some sought for his bodie vpon earth so though Christ be ascended yet manie seeke his bodie vpon earth but as they could not finde Elias bodie so these cannot finde Christes bodie although they haue sought three hundred yeares But if his bodie were vpon earth as they say should we handle it and touch it now it is glorified After his resurrection he sayd vnto Marie Touch me not because his bodie was glorified that is not to bee touched with fingers any more but with faith Therefore we reade of none which touched his bodie after it was risen but onely Thomas to settle his faith Thus you see wee neede to suborne no witnesses for euerie word in this Text which they alleadge for Transubstantiation doth make agaynst Transubstantiation whereby if Antichrist doth signifie those which are against Christ you see who may be called Antichrist There is no question in Poperie except Purgatorie the Popes publican and tasker about which the Papistes are at such ciuill warres among themselues as about this Transubstantiation They cannot tell when the chaunge beginneth nor what manner of change it is nor how long the change continueth some hang one way and some another like the Midianites which fought one against another And no maruell though their consciences stagger about it for to shew you the right father of it it was one of the dreames of Innocentius the third in the yeare of our Lorde 1215. so manie yeares passed before Transubstantiation was named and then a Pope set it first on foote so it came out of Rome the grandame of all heresies and for want of scriptures hath bene defended with fire and sword and swallowed mo Martyrs than all the gulfs of the Papall sea beside Now when the doctrines of men goe for scriptures you shal see how many errors rush into the Church for graunt but this to Pope Innocentius as the Papists do that the bread and wine are chaunged into Christes bodie First it wil follow that Christs body is not ascended vp to heauen because it remaineth vpon earth and so one of the articles of our faith shalbe falsified which saith He is ascended into heauen or if he be ascended and descended againe another article will be falsified which saith That hee sitteth at the right hand of his father that is as Peter saith he abideth in heauen Secondly it will follow that Christ hath not a true bodie but a fantasticall bodie because it may bee in manie places at one time for if his bodie be in the Sacrament he must needes haue so many bodies as there bee Sacraments nay hee must haue so many bodies as there be bittes in euerie Sacrament Thirdly it will follow that his bodie is diuided from his soule and consequentlie is a dead bodie because the bread is onely changed into his bodie and not into his soule Fourthly it will follow that the wicked and prophane reprobate may receiue Christ as well as the godlie because they haue a mouth to eate as well as the best Fiftly it will followe that Christes Sacrifice once for all was not sufficient because we must sacrifice him againe and breake his bodie and shed his blood as the Iewes crucified him vpon the Crosse Sixtly it will follow that the bread being turned into the bodie of our Redeemer hath a part of our redemption as well as Christ Seuenthly it wil follow that Christ did eate his owne bodie for all the fathers saie that hee did eate the same Bread which he gaue to his Disciples Lastly it will follow that a Massing Priest shalbe the creator of his Creator because hee makes him which made him All these absurdities are hatched of Transubstantiation Thus when men deuise Articles of their owne while they strike vppon the anuill the sparkes flie in their face and they are like the man which began to build and could not finish it When I see the Papist in so many absurdities for entertaing one errour me thinks hee seemeth like a Collier which is grymed with his owne coales Therefore as in maners we should thinke of of Peters saying Whether is it meete to obey God or men So in doctrines we should thinke whether it be meete to beleeue God or men Thus haue you heard the Author of this Sacrament The Lord Iesus the time when it was instituted in the night that he was betraied the manner how it was instituted after thankesgiuing the end why it was instituted for a remembrance of his death
Institution and vse of the Lords supper First Paul sheweth the author of it the Lord Iesus then the time when it was instituted in the night that he was betraied then the manner how he did institute it he tooke bread when he had giuen thanks he brake it and gaue vnto his disciples c. then the end why hee did institute it for a remembrance of his death Touching the Author he which is signified by it was the author of it The Lord Iesus hath bid vs to supper I am not woorthie saith Iohn to loose his shoo so wee are not worthie to wait at his trencher and yet hee will haue vs sit at his table To him belongeth the power to ordaine Sacraments in his Church because he fulfilled the Sacraments of the Law When Christ came the Passeouer creased because he is our Passeouer that is the Lambe by whose blood wee are saued When Christ came Circumcision ceased because he is our circumcision that is the purifier and cleanser of our sinnes Now these two Sacraments are fulfilled he hath appointed two other Sacraments for them in stead of the pascall Lambe which the Iewes did eat hee hath giuen vs another Lambe to eate which Iohn calleth the Lambe of God that is himselfe vpon whome all doe feede whosoeuer doe receiue this Sacrament with an assured faith that Christ died to possesse them of life The breaking of the bread dooth signifie the wounding of the bodie the pouring out of the wine doth signifie the shedding of his blood The eating of the bread and drinking of the wine doth signifie that his flesh and blood doe nourish in vs life eternall as the bread and wine doe nourish the life present In stead of Circumcision which began at Abraham he hath ordeined Baptisme which began at Iohn a more liuely representation of the true circumcision of the heart because it representeth vnto vs the blood of Christ which washeth our soules as the water in baptisme washeth our bodies Touching the time In the night saith Paul therefore this Sacrament is called the Lordes Supper because it was instituted at night when they vsed to sup But what night Euen that night saith Paule when he was betraied that night which he should haue cursed as Iob did the day of his birth if hee had suffered against his will that night when he should haue thought to destroy men as men conspired to destroy him That night saith Paul this Sacrament of grace and peace and life began Euen that night when we betraied him Many nights did he spend in watching and praying for vs and is there a night now for vs to kill and betraie him That was a darke night when men went about to put out the Sunne which brought them light Who can but wonder to see how Christ and they for whom Christ came were occupied at one time when they deuised mischiefe against him and sought all meanes to destroy him then hee consulted how to saue them and instituted the same night this blessed sacrament to conuey all his graces blessings vnto them Euen that night when they betraied him The reason why this action was deferred vntill night is because that was the time appointed by the Law to eate the Passe-ouer which was like a predecessor of this Sacrament The reason why he deferred it vntil his last night was because the Passe-ouer could not be ended before the fulnesse of time and the true Paschall Lambe were come to be slaine in stead of the other Therefore how fitlie did Christ end the Passe-ouer which was a signe of his suffering so presently before his suffering And beside how sweetly did he confirme his Disciples faith when as they should see that the next day performed before their eyes which ouer night both in the Passe-ouer and in the Sacrament was so liuely resembled vnto them If anie man from this doe gather that we ought to eate the Lordes Supper at night as Christ did he must vnderstand that we haue not the same cause to doe so which Christ had because of the Passe-ouer And therefore the Church which hath discretion of times and places hath altered both the time and the place vsing the Temples in sted of the chamber and the morning in sted of the euening for indifferent things are ruled by order and decency Touching the manner He tooke bread and when hee had giuen thankes hee brake it and gaue it vnto them Hee would not eate it nor breake it before he had giuen thankes to God What neede he which was God giue thankes to God but to shewe vs what wee should doe when we eate our selues In all things giue thanks saith Paul whereby we declare that all things come from God but the wicked beleeue easier that God doeth take then that hee doth giue and therefore they neuer praie hartily vnto him for anie thing nor feelingly thanke him for it For which the Lord complaineth saying I haue loued you yet ye say wherein hast thou loued vs Shewing that we are worse then the oxe which knoweth his feeder And if wee acknowledge all things from God yet wee doe like Lot Is it not a little one saith he when he craued to go vnto Zoar as though it were not much which he asked so we mince extenuate the giftes of God before we receiue them and after like them which haue a grace for dinner and none for breakfast as though they had their dinners from God and breakfasts of their owne Our example did not so although it was but bread which hee receiued yet hee was more thankfull for bread then many which burie the foules and fishes and beastes in their bellie for if a count of all were kept for one that praieth Giue vs this day our daily bread a hundred take their bread and meat and sleep too which neuer pray for it After hee had giuen thankes hee brake it and gaue vnto them and saide Take eate for when he had giuen thankes to God then it was sanctified and blessed and lawfull to eate So when thou seruest God then it is lawfull for thee to vse Gods blessinges then thou maiest eate and drinke as Christ did but not before for these thinges were created to serue them which serue God if thou doest not serue him for them thou encrochest vpon Gods blessinges and stealest his creatures which are no more thine then thou art his for the good God created all things for good men as the diuels possessions are reserued for euill men Therefore as Christ would not breake the bread before hee had giuen thankes to the founder so know that there is some thing to be done before thou receiue anie benefite of GOD and presume not to vse his creatures with more libertie than his sonne did which did not eate without giuing thankes nor rise againe without singing a Psalme
to shew that Christ is not a corporall meate as the Papists say he sayth hee is a spirituall meate as we say therefore you see that wee doe not eate him corporally no more then our Fathers but that as they did eate him spiritually so do wee for spirituall meate must be eaten spiritually as corporall meate is eaten corporally Agayne for the signes to bee turned into the thing signified by them is vtterly against the nature of a Sacrament and makes it no Sacrament because there is no signe for euerie Sacrament doth consist of a signe and a thing signified the signe is euer an earthlie thing and that which it signifieth is a heauenly thing This shall appeare in al examples As in Paradise there was a very Tree for the signe and Christ the thing signified by it in Circumcision there was a cutting off of the skinne and the cutting off of sinne in the Passe-ouer there was a Lambe Christ in the Sabboth there was a day of rest and eternall rest in the sacrifices there was an offering of some beast and the offering of Christ in the Sanctuarie there was the holie place and heauen in the Propitiatorie there was the golden couering and Christ our couer in the Wildernesse there was a Rocke yeelding water and Christ yeelding his blood in the Apparition there was a Doue and the holy Ghost in the Manna there was bread and Christ in Baptisme there is verie water which washeth vs and Christs blood washing vs so in the Supper of Christ there is verie bread and Wine for the signe and the bodie and blood of Christ for the thing signified or else this Sacrament is against the nature of all other sacraments Againe there must bee a proportion betweene the Passe-ouer and the Lords Supper because this was figured by the other Nowe the Iewes had in their Passe-ouer Breade and Wine and a Lambe So our sauiour Christ instituting his last Supper left Bread and Wine and a Lambe the which name is giuen to himselfe because hee came like a Lambe and died like a Lambe Againe if Christs verie bodie were offered in the sacramēt then it were not a sacrament but a sacrifice which two differ as much as giuing and taking for in a sacrifice we giue and in a sacrament wee receiue and therefore wee say our sacrifice and Christs sacrament Againe euery sacrifice was offered vpon the Altar Now marke the wisedome of the holy-Ghost least we should take this for a Sacrifice hee neuer names Altar when hee speakes of it but The Table of the Lord. Therefore it is no doubt but the diuell hath kept the name of Altar that we might think it a sacrifice Againe if the bread were Christes flesh and the wine his blood as these two are separate one from the other so Christs flesh should be separate from his blood but his bodie is not deuided for then it were a dead bodie Againe that which remaineth doth nourish the bodie relish in the mouth as it did before which could not be but that it is the same food which it was before Againe I would aske whose are this whitenesse and hardnesse and roundnes and coldnesse None of them say that it is the whitenesse and hardnesse and roundnesse and coldnesse of Christs body therefore it must needes bee the whitenesse and hardnesse and roundnesse and coldnesse of the bread or else qualities should stand without substances which is as if one should tell you of a house without a foundation Againe as Christ dwelleth in vs so hee is eaten of vs but hee dwelleth in vs onely by faith Ephe. 3. 17. Therfore he is eaten only by faith Agayne none can bee saued without the communion of the body of Christ but if all should communicate with it corporally then neither infants nor any of our fathers the patriarkes or the prophets should be saued because they receiued it not so Againe Christ sayth not This wine but This cup and therefore by their conclusion not onely the wine should bee turned into blood but the cup too Againe Paul saith They which receiue vnwoorthilie receiue their owne damnation But if it were the flesh of Christ they should rather receiue saluation then damnation because Christ saith Hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath life euerlasting Iohn 6. 54. Againe if they would heare an Angell from heauen when Christs bodie was glorified an Angell sayd to the woman Hee is risen and is not here Mat. 28. as if he should say his body is but in one place at once or else he might haue bene there though he was risen Againe why doe they say in receiuing this Sacrament euer since the primitiue Church Lift vp your hearts if they haue al in their mouthes To end this cōtrouersie here wee may say as the Disciples said to Christ Whither shall we go from thee I meane wee neede not to go to any other expositor of Christ then Christ himselfe therefore marke what he saith at first when Christ said that he was the bread of life that al which wold liue must eate him they murmured vntill he expoūded his words how did he expound his words Thus Hee that commeth vnto mee hath eaten and he that beleeueth in mee hath drunke After when hee instituted this Sacramēt in like words they murmured not which they would as before if hee had not resolued thē before that to eat his body and to drinke his blood was nothing but to come to him and beleeue in him After hee had said so they murmured not because they did see some reason in it as it is plainlie said This is my bodie so it is plainlie saide These words are spirite that is they must be vnderstood spirituallie and not literallie But if it be flesh indeed why doe they not satisfie the simple people how they may eate this flesh in Lent when they forbid them to eate any flesh they must needs eate it doubtfully and he which doubteth saith Iames receiueth nothing therefore hee which eateth the masse receiueth nothing I did not alleage the Fathers in my Sermon but if any suspend his assent till they bring in their verdit let him heare thē make confession of their beleefe Augustine saith the Lord doubted not to say This is my bodie when hee gaue onely a signe or Sacrament of his bodie Tertullian saith This is my bodie that is a signe of my bodie Ambrose saith the bread and wine remain still the same thing that they were Theodoret sayth after the consecration the mysticall signs doe not cast off their own nature but abide still in their first substance and forme Origene sayth the bread that is sanctified with the word of God as touching the materiall substance thereof goeth into the bellie and foorth againe like other meats Irenaeus saith that it hath two things in it one
beleeueth in the Sonne shall be saued This is not a Cup and yet as though the Cup were the new Testament it selfe it is called the new Testament because it signifieth the new Testament so the bread and wine are called Christes body because they signifie Christs bodie They which knewe that the Lambe is not the Passe-ouer though Christ called it the Passe ouer that Circumcision is not the Couenant though God calleth it the Couenant that Baptisme is not Regeneration though it be called Regeneration that the Cuppe is not the newe Testament though Christ called it the newe Testament could they not as well vnderstand that the bread wine were not Christs bodie though Christ called them his bodie As they vnderstood these speeches so they vnderstood this speech therefore they which say that the bread and wine are Christes bodie because Christ saith This is my bodie may as well say that the Lambe is the Passe-ouer because Christ calleth it the Passe-ouer that Baptisme is Regeneration because Paule calleth it Regeneration that the Cup is the new Testament because Christ calleth it the newe Testament If euerie Sacrament was called by the thing which it signified and yet neuer anie Sacrament was taken for the thing it selfe what reason haue they to take this Sacrament for the thing it selfe more than all the rest It is the consent of all Writers that a Sacrament is a signe therefore not the thing signified no more than the bush at the doore is the wine in the seller If I call the Prince a Phoenix the Vniuersitie a Fountaine the Court a Peacocke the Cittie a Sea the Countrey an Hermite why can the Papistes vnderstand mee and not vnderstand Christ What a darke and straunge and intricate and incredible speech had this bene for them to vnderstand groslie and literallie Would they thinke that they did eate Christs bodie when his bodie stood before them and he had told them before that his bodie was like their bodie Nay this would haue required moe wordes and made them come againe with Master what is the meaning for they were not so instructed yet before the resurrection to beleeue euerie thing without questioning if it were contrarie to sense and reason but as they asked who had giuen him anie meate when he said that he had meate they could see none so they would haue asked what meate is this which we see not How can euery one of vs eat his body yet he hath but one bodie that body is whole when we eat it Loe he standeth before vs saith that his body is like vnto ours yet he takes bread breaks it giues it vnto vs to eat when we eate it This is my body yet his body standeth before vs stil If his body be like ours as he saith how can it be eaten be there for ours cannot Thus they wold haue questioned if they had not bene vsed to such phrases but as they could vnderstand him when he called himself a stone a rock a doore a window a vine so they pickt out his meaning when hee sayd that bread was his bodie for hee had told them before that hee was the bread of eternall life Now the bread of eternall life is not eaten with teeth for the bodie cannot eate spiritually no more then the soule can eate corporally and therefore hee is such a bread as is eaten with faith and so himselfe saith in the Gospell of Iohn Marke this eating by faith and all the strife is ended Flesh and blood indeede neede not faith to chew them for the teeth can chew them well inough Therefore if the bread and wine were the bodie of Christ then we neede not faith to eate it but all which haue teeth might eate Christs bodie yea the Myce might eate it as well as men for they eate the same bread that wee doe as well after it is consecrated as before If this be not inough to batter the ruines of this vpstart Heresie I will come to Interrogatories and see whether they haue learned it by roate or by reason If they grounde their Transubstantiation vpon these wordes of Christ This is my bodie which hee spake to his Disciples I aske them whether they receiue that bodie which was mortall or that bodie which is glorified because one of these bodies they must needes receiue either his mortall bodie or his glorified bodie If they say that it is his mortall bodie the mortall bodie will not profite them for you see that mortall foode is but for this mortal life neither hath Christ a mortall bodie now to communicate vnto them because it is changed to an immortall bodie therefore they cannot receiue the mortall bodie because Christ hath not a mortall bodie to giue vnto them If they saye that they receiue his glorified bodie then they must flie from this Text for at that time Christ had not any glorified bodie When this Sacrament was instituted and Christ sayde This is my bodie his bodie was not glorified because the Sacrament was instituted before his death and his body was glorified after his resurrection Therefore if they receiue the same body which the Apostles receiued as they say they doe they cannot receiue a glorified bodie because then Christ had not a glorified bodie to communicate vnto them Thus the rockes and sandes are of both sides them they receiue a bodie neither mortall nor immortall if Christ hath any such body iudge you Here they stande like a foole which cannot tell on his tale Nabuchadnezzar dreamed a dreame and knew not what it meant Beside I aske them to whom Christ spake when he said This is my bodie Marke sayth hee spake to them that is to his Disciples well then if these wordes This is my bodie were not spoken to the signes but to the persons not to the bread and wine but to the Receiuers as the words which follow Doe this in remembrance of mee if these wordes were not spoken to the bread and wine then it is plaine that they doe not change the nature of the Bread and Wine If the nature of them be not altered then the substance remaineth and then wee receiue no other substance with them because two substances can not be in one place What then is there nothing in the sacrament but bread and wine like a hungry nunscion Nay wee say not that the sacrament is nothing but a bare signe or that you receiue no more then you see for Christ saith that it is his body and Paul saith that it is the communion of Christs body and blood Therefore there is more in sacramentall Bread then in common bread though the nature be not changed yet the vse is chaunged it dooth not onely nourish the body as it did before but also it bringeth a Breade with it which nourisheth the soule for as sure as wee receiue breade so sure wee receiue
Christe not onelie the benefites of Christ but Christ although not in a popish manner yet we are so ioined vnto him as though wee were but one bodie with him As the spouse dooth not marrie with the landes and goods but with the man himselfe and being partaker of him is made partaker of them so the faithfull doe not onelie marrie with Christes benefites but with Christ himselfe and being partakers of him they are made partakers of his benefites for Christ may not be deuided from his benefites no more then the Sunne from his light It is said The Father gaue vs his Sonne and so the sonne giueth vs himselfe For as the Breade is a signe of his bodie so the giuing of the Bread is a signe of the giuing of his bodie Thus he lieth before vs like a Pellicane which letteth her yoong ones sucke her blood so that wee may say the Lord inuited vs to supper and hee himselfe was our meate But if you aske howe this is I must aunswere It is a mysterie but if I coulde tell it it were no mysterie Yet as it is sayd when three men walked in the midst of the furnace One like the sonne of God walked amongst them So when the faithful receiue the Bread and Wine one like the sonne of God seemeth to come vnto them which fils them with peace and ioy and grace that they maruell what it was which they receiued besides bread and wine For example thou makest a bargaine with thy neighbour for house or land and receyuest in earnest a peece of golde that which thou receiuest is but a peece of golde but now it is a signe of thy bargaine and if thou keepe not touch with him happily it will claspe thee for all that thou art woorth so that which thou receiuest is bread but this bread is a signe of another matter which passeth bread Againe thou hast an obligation in thy hand and I aske thee what hast thou there and thou sayest I haue here an hundred pounds why say I there is nothing but paper inke and waxe Oh but by this sayest thou I wil recouer an hundreth pounds and that is as good So beloued this is as good that vnder these signes you receiue the vertue of Christs body and blood by faith as if you did eate his bodie and drinke his blood indeede which is horrible to thinke that any should deuour their God thinking thereby to worship him neuer any heretike nor Idolater conceiued so grosly of their god before the Papist We reade of a people which did eate men but neuer of any people which did eat their God All the Apostles say that it was needfull that Christ should take our flesh but no Apostle sayth that it is needfull that we should take Christes flesh for all the blessinges of Christ are apprehended by faith nothing is fit to apprehend him whome wee see not but fayth and therefore one of their owne pillars sayd Beleeue and thou hast eaten Faith dooth more in religion then the mouth or else we might say with the woman Blessed are the breasts which gaue thee sucke and so none should be blessed but Marie but Marie was not blessed because Christ was in her bodie but because Christ was in her heart and least this should seeme incredible vnto you because Marie is called blessed among women when Christ heard the women say Blessed are the breasts which gaue thee sucke he replied vnto her Blessed are they which heare the word of God and keepe it these are my brethren and sisters and mother sayth Christ as though the rest were no kin to him in heauen though they were kin in earth Thus if Christ were in thy body and thou shouldest say as this woman Blessed is the bodie that hath thee in it nay would Christ say Blessed is the heart that hath me in it If Marie were no whit better for hauing Christ in her armes nor for hauing her in her bodie howe much better art thou for hauing him in thy bellie where thou canst not see him Must the sunne needs come to vs or else cannot his heate and light profite vs nay it dooth vs more good because it is so farre off so this Sunne is gone from vs that hee might giue more light vnto vs which made him saie It is good for you that I go from you therefore away with this carnall eating of spirituall things Manie daughters haue done vertuously but thou saith Salomon surpassest them all So manie heretikes haue spoken absurdlie but this surpasseth them all that Christ must be applied like phisicke as though his blood could not profite vs vnlesse we did drinke it and swallow it as a potion Is this the Papists vnion with Christ Is this the manner whereby wee are made one flesh with Christ to eate his flesh nay when hee tooke our flesh vnto him and was made man then we were vnited to him in the flesh and not now Christ tooke our flesh we take not his flesh but beleeue that he tooke ours therefore if you would know whether Christs bodie be in the sacrament I say vnto you as Christ said vnto Thomas touch feele and see In visible things God hath appointed our eyes to be iudges for as the spirite discerneth spirituall obiects so sense discerneth of sensible obiects As Christ taught Thomas to iudge of his bodie so may we and so should they therefore if you cannot see his body nor feele his body you may gather by Christes saying to Thomas that hee would not haue you beleeue that it is his body for my bodie saith Christ may be seene and felt And thus Transubstantiation is found a liar Nowe if you aske mee why Christ calleth the signe by the name of the thing it selfe I aske thee againe Mayst thou say when thou seest the picture of the Queene this is the Queene and when thou seest the picture of a Lyon this is a Lyon and may not Christ say when he seeth a thing like his bodie This is my bodie I shewed you before that euery Sacrament is called by the name of the thing which it dooth signifie and therefore why should we stumble at this more then the rest The reason why the signes haue the name of the things is to strike a deeper reuerēce in vs to receiue this sacrament of Christ reuerētly sincerely and holily as if Christ were there preset in body and blood himselfe And surely as hee which defaceth the Queenes seale is conuicted of contempt and treason to her owne person so he which prophaneth these seales of Christ doth not worship Christ but despise him and that contempt shall be required of him as if hee had contemned Christ himselfe This is the reason why Christ calleth the signes of his bodie his bodie to make vs take this Sacrament reuerently because we are apt to contemne it as the Iewes did their Manna It followeth
and the discouerie of Transubstantiation one of the last heresies which Babylon hatched Now they which haue bene Patrons of it before should doe like the father and mother of an idolater that is laie the first hand vpon him to shorten his life Thus I end Thinke what account ye shall giue of that ye haue heard The end of the first Sermon A TREATISE OF THE Lords Supper THE SECOND SERMON 1. Cor. 11. 25. 26. 27. 28. 25 After the same manner also hee tooke the Cuppe when he had supped saying This Cup is the New Testament in my blood this doe as oft as yee drinke it in remembrance of me 26 For as often as yee shall eate this bread and drinke this Cuppe yee shewe the Lords death till he come 27 Wherefore whosoeuer shall eate this bread and drinke the Cuppe of the Lord vnworthily shall be guiltie of the bodie and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a man therefore examine himselfe and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this Cuppe HEere I am to speake of the second seruice as it were at the Lordes table and of that preparation which is lyke the Wedding garment that euerie man must bring to this BaÌ„quet These words are diuersly repeated of the Euangelists Here it is sayd This Cup is the New Testament in my blood In Mathew in Mark it is said This Cup is my blood of the new Testament This is the first meÌ„tion which Christ makes of a Testament as though now his promises deserued the name of a Testament because the seale is set vnto them which before this Sacrament was not sealed but like a bare writing without a singet This word Testament dooth implie a promise and therefore teacheth vs that the Sacrament dooth confirme and strengthen and nourish our faith because it sealeth the promise which we should beleeue Here is to be noted that Christ doth not onely speake of a Testament but hee calleth it a New Testament which words neuer met together before as though the Law were for the olde man to mortifie him and the Gospel for the new man to comfort him againe or as if the olde Testament had so washt her face and chaunged her apparell at Christes comming that one would not thinke it the same but a newe Testament because euen now she was shadowed with a thousand Ceremonies and now they are gone from her like a mist at the Sunne rising As Christ calleth Loue A new Commandement because hee renewed it like a Law worne out of memorie so he calleth the promise of saluation a New Testament because as it was renewed to Sem and after renewed to Abraham and after renewed to Dauid so now hee renewed it againe which should bee alway new and fresh vnto vs. Euery Testament is confirmed with blood the olde Testament was confirmed by the blood of Goates and Bullockes and Rammes but the new Testament is confirmed by the blood of Christ My blood saith Christ is the blood of the new Testament nay This Cup saith Christ is the new Testament You may see then that they may gather as well out of Christs words that the Cup is the new Testament as that the Wine is his blood for Christ sayth This Cup is the new Testament as well as he saith this Wine is my blood or this bread is my bodie Beside when Christ speakes of a new Testament he implieth that the old Testament is fulfilled the sacrifices and Ceremonies of the Lawe did signifie Christ before hee came therefore they are fulfilled in his comming no moe Sacrifices no mo Ceremonies for the truth is come Sacrifices and Ceremonies are honorablie buried with the Priesthood of Aaron let them rest it is not lawfull to violate the sepulchers of the dead and take their bodies out of the earth as the witch would raise Samuel out of his graue Therefore they which retaine ceremonies which should be abrogated reliques of Iudaisme or reliques of Papisme may be said to violate the sepulchers of the dead and disturbe the deceâ—sed like the Witch which presumed to raise Samuel out of his graue This Testament is called a Testament in blood because the Testament and Will of a man is confirmed when the man is dead so Christ confirmed his testament by his death Moses saith that life is in the blood so the blood of Christ is the life of this Testament If Christes blood had not bene shed this testament made vnto vs had bene vnprofitable as the Testament of a Father is vnto his sonne if the father should not die but liue therfore the Apostle saith without shedding of blood there is no remission of sinnes Therefore the Testament or Couenaunt of the remission of our sinnes is called the Testament in blood the blood of Christ is the seale of the Testament which wee haue to shew vnto God for the remission of our sins and the two Sacraments are a seale of that blood to witnesse that it was shed Againe this is a matter regarded in testaments and Willes to the Testament of him that is dead no man addeth or detracteth but as the testator made it so it standeth without alteration so should this testament of Christ and this sacrament of Christ no man should alter it now hee is dead for hee which addeth or detracteth hath a curse in Gods booke Therefore Christ when he instituted this Sacrament commaunded Doo this that is doo as I doo least they should swarue one whit from his owne manner yet how many gaudes haue the Papists added to it that he which had heard Christ say Doe this in remembraunce of me and should see how they handle the matter in their Masse coulde see nothing to remember Christ by but a vayle to hide Christ from him Therefore this Commaundement was repeated againe when hee gaue the Wine Doe this c. As hee commaunded them to eate the Bread in remembraunce of him so hee commaundeth them to drinke the wine in remembraunce of him nay hee speakes more precisely of the wine then of the bread for hee saith of the wine Drinke you all of this which hee saith not of the breade Surely Christ did foresee that some proud heretikes would doe otherwise after him euen as it is come to passe for the Papist doth break this Commandement of Christ as flatly as Saul brake the commaundement of Samuell Samuell commanded him to kill the fat and the leane Saul killed the leane but not the fat so Christ commaundeth to receiue bread and wine they teach to receiue breade but not wine Christ sayth Drinke you all of this they say drink not al of this Christ gaue the bread and wine to all they giue the bread to all and the wine to some their Priests receiue all but the people must content themselues with halfe the Priest eates and drinkes but the people must not drinke for spilling on their cloathes Is
them which breake the lawes of men but to suffer and suffer and euer to suffer all that the diuels would heape vpon vs. Then came the mercie of God for Christ which shedde his bloud like an vmpire betweene God and vs and saide as Esay saide to Hezechia Thou shalt not dye but liue loose him let him goe for hee is mine So we were staied like the widdowes sonne when he was carried to his graue This is the benefite of Christes death and this Sacrament is the remembrance of it and therefore whensoeuer we receiue it this addition commeth with it which is shed for the remission of sinnes our fault was so hainous and greeuous that no ransome could counteruaile it vnlesse God himselfe had suffered for vs. Being in this extremitie neither man nor angel offered his life for vs but the prince himselfe which should haue crucified vs came to be crucified of vs for vs y t we might say with stedfast faith I beleeue the remission of sinnes not the satisfaction of sinnes but the remission of sinnes Marke this distinction against Popish merites of workes or penance Christ hath satisfied and not we we are remitted and not Christ therefore we say in our confession I beleeue the remission of sinnes which I may call the mercifull Article because it is the quintessence and sweetnesse of all the twelue Therefore who but Antichrist durst depraue it If there be a satisfaction for our sinnes by our works or by our pilgrimages or by our masses or by our penance let Christ neuer be called a forgiuer but an exchanger like the Pope which selleth his pardons Wretched creatures which will not receiue the Lord when he comes to their doore Christ saith Take for nothing and they say no we will not take but buy Vile base miserable men disdaine to take grace of God without satisfaction but they will cope with the Lord and giue him so many pilgrimages fast so many daies heare so many masses and paie so manie workes for it vntill they haue done as much good as they haue done euill Our sinnes are infinite and God is infinit but our works are finite in number and measure how can they answere then to that which exceedeth number and measure Therefore be content with Iosephs brethren to take your money againe and say that you haue corne for nothing that is you are saued for nothing or else when you say I beleeue the remission of sinnes you lie vnto God because you doo not beleeue the remission of sinnes but satisfaction for sinnes like the Papists It followeth As often as yee shall eate this bread and drinke this cuppe yee shall shewe the Lords death till he come Here are three inuincible arguments against Popish transubstantiation like the three witnesses vnder which euerie word doth stand First we are sayd to eate bread then it is not flesh but bread Secondly we are saide to shew the Lordes death then it is but a shewe or representation of his death Thirdly it is said vntill hee come if hee be to come then he is not come if he be come how can we say vntill hee come The effect of this verse was shewed in these wordes Doe this in remembrance of me For to say Doe this in remembrance of me and to say So oft as you doe this you shew my death is much at one so that if you call this Sacrament a shewe of Christes death as it is called here then it is not Christ or if you call it a remembraunce of Christ as it is called there yet it is not Christ but a shewe or remembrance of Christ but this is such a shew and remembrance that the next verse saith Whosoeuer receiueth it vnworthily is guiltie of the bodie and bloud of Christ Will yee know who receiueth vnworthely In the nine and twentith verse Paul saith he discerneth not the Lords bodie that is which putteth no difference betweene this bread and other but eateth like a childe the meate which hee knoweth not and after the bread seemeth stones to him and the wine poyson because his conscience telleth him I haue receiued vnwoorthelie before I could say like Dauid My hart is prepared My sheepe saith Christ know my voyce as they discerne Christs wordes so they discerne Christes bodie and therefore so often as they come to the Lordes table they seeme to come into the Lords presence there they greete and kisse and embrace one another with affections which none can know but they that feele like Iohn which leaped in the wombe so soone as Christ came neare him Will yee know beside what it is to bee guiltie of the bodie and blood of Christ euen as Iudas was guiltie for betraying him and Pilate for deliuering him and the Iewes for crucifying him so they are guiltie which receiue this Sacrament vnworthily as Pilate and Caiphas and Iudas were If they be guiltie of Christs death they are guiltie of theyr owne death too as if they had committed two murthers and therefore Paul saith after that many of the Corinthians dyed onely for the vnwoorthie receiuing of this Sacrament As the Worde is the sauour of death to them which receiue it vnworthelie so the Sacrament is the sauour of death to them which receiue it vnworthelie it neuer goeth into their mouth but they are traitors ipso facto may say to Hell this day haue I taken possession of thee because I am guiltie of Christes blood Therefore it followeth immediatlie Let a man examine himselfe before hee eate of this bread or drinke of this wine as if he should say If he which receiueth this Sacrament vnworthely bee guiltie of Christes death like Iudas which hanged himselfe if these signes be receiued to saluation or damnation like the Word the next lesson is to examine your selues before you receiue lest you receiue like the sonne of perdition which swallowed the bread and the Diuell together Therefore Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate that is let him examine first and receiue after for if wee should receiue the bread of the earth reuerentlie how should we receiue the bread of heauen When Iehonadab came to Iehu his chariot hee sayd Is thy heart vpright as my heart is toward thee So when wee come to the Lordes table hee would haue our hearts vpright to him as his heart is to vs for who feasteth his enemies and mockers The golden Ring sitteth highest at our table but the Wedding garment sitteth highest at this table It is safer eating with vnwashen handes than with an vnwashen heart The Iewes were taught to choose the Lambe of the Passe-ouer on the tenth daye of the first moneth in which moneth they came out of Egypt and on the fourteenth daye after they were taught to eate him so they had foure daies respite betweene the choosing and the killing to prepare
if wee did eate him not as the Papists doe in their Masse but as the meate is turned into the substance of the bodie goeth through euerie part of man so Christ and his Word should goe from part of part from eare to heart from heart to mouth from mouth to hand til we be of one nature with them that they bee the verie substance of our thoughts and speeches and actions as the meate is of our bodie This is to eate Christ and his Word or else we do not eate them but chew them when our taste is satisfied spue them out againe Thus we must put on Christ for the Worde signifieth so to put him on as if thou wouldest put him in that he may be one with thee and thou with him as it were in a bodie together As hee hath put on all our infirmities so we must put on all his graces not halfe on but all on and claspe him to vs and gird him about vs and weare him euen as we weare our skinne which is alway about vs. Then there shall be no neede of Wyres nor curles nor perriwigs the husbands shall not be forced to racke their rents nor inhaunce their fines nor sell their lands to decke their wiues but as the poore mantle of Eliah seemed better to Elisha than all the roabes of Salomon so the Wedding Garment shall seeme better than all the flaunts of vanitie put euery fashion out of fashion which is not modest and comely like it selfe If you will know farther how to put on Christ you shall see how your Text will Catechize you in his three names Lord Iesus Christ The Apostle seemeth to spell out the way vnto vs how we should weare this Garment First we must put him on as Lord then we must put him on as Iesus lastly we must put him on as Christ Thou must put him on as Lord that is thy ruler to command thee thy tutor to gouerne thee and thy master to direct thee thou must be no mans seruant but his take no mans part against him but say with the Apostle Whether is it meete to obey God or you Thou must put him on as Iesus that is thy Sauiour in whom thou trustest thy protector on whom thou dependest thy redeemer in whom thou beleeuest thou must not look for thy saluatiō from Angel nor Saint nor anie thing beside him For the name of Iesus signifieth a Sauiour and is giuen to none but him and he is not onely called the Sauiour but the Saluation in the Song of Simeon to shew that he is the onely Sauiour for there may be many Sauiours but there can be but one saluation as there may be many tortures and yet but one death Therefore when hee is called the Saluation it implieth that there is no Sauiour beside him Thou must put him on as Christ that is a King to rule a Prophet to teach a Priest to praie and sacrifice and pacifie the wrath of God for thee For this name Christ doth signifie that hee was annoynted a King a Priest and a Prophet for man a King to rule him a Priest to offer sacrifice for him a Prophet to teach him So that hee putteth on Christ as Lord which worshippeth none but him hee putteth on Christ as Iesus which beleeueth in none but him and he putteth on Christ as Christ which worshippeth none but him beleeueth in none but him and heareth none but him You put on Christ first when you are baptized then you were sealed and consecrated to his seruice so soone as you came into the world you vowed to renounce the world and follow God How many haue put on Christ thus and since haue put him off againe which haue broken the first promise that euer they made and were neuer faithfull to God since You put on Christ againe when you are called and sanctified that is when you cast off the olde man which is corrupt with the lusts of the flesh the pride of life and the cares of this worlde and put on the newe man which is regenerate in righteousnesse holinesse to the Image of Christ or likenesse of Adam in his innocencie for to put on the new man is to become a newe man as if thou were borne againe and conceiued of the holie Ghost Of this Iob speaketh when he sayth I put on Iustice and it couered mee You put on Christ againe when you receiue his holy Sacrament and are partakers of his bodie and blood that is the merites of his obedience and passion by Faith which heareth him as if she did see him and seeth him as if she did feele him and feeleth him as if she did taste him and tasteth him as if she did digest him then Christ is become yours and dwelleth in you and feedeth you with his grace to eternal life as the bread and wine sustaineth the life present Lastly when you haue put on Christ in these three sortes which is your Garment for this world after you shall put on Christ in heauen and be cloathed with his glorie and that shall be your last vesture which shall neuer weare out Thus haue you heard what is ment by putting on Christ first to cloath our selues with righteousnes and holines like Christ then because our own righteousnes is too short to couer our armes and legges and thighes of sinne but still some bare place will peere out and shame vs in the sight of God therefore we must borrow Christes Garments as Iacob did his brothers and couer our selues with his righteousnes that is beleeue that his righteousnes shal supply our vnrighteousnes his sufferings shal stand for our sufferings because he came to fulfill the lawe and beare the curse and satisfie his Father for vs that all which beleeue in him might not die but haue life euerlasting Now I haue shewed you this goodly Garment you must go to another to helpe you to put it on and none can put this Garment vpon you but he which is the Garment the Lord Iesus Christ Therefore to him let vs pray FINIS THE WAY TO VVALKE IN. Rom. 13. 13. Let vs walke honestly as in the day not in gluttonie and dronkennesse neither in chambering and wantonnesse nor in strife and enuying c. HAuing alreadie shewed you a kingdome nowe I will shew you wherein this kingdome consisteth and in what it doth not cōsist as in the fourteenth of the Romanes hee sheweth that it consisteth not in meates and drinkes c. but in righteousnesse and peace ioy in the holy Ghost But because I am to speake of some vices which this text calleth me vnto I will first proceede in them beseeching you as you can heare them to bee condemned so speedily to proceed in execution to put them to death and so to go forward with the rest of your sinnes Let vs walke honestly as
before ye come to the Lords Supper Purge the olde leauen of maliciousnes and wickednesse out of your hearts that is the leauen which you should purge out of your houses Therefore marke what the Apostle writeth to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 11. I beleeue it is a matter which you did neuer consider For this cause many are weake and sicke among you and many sleepe or die For what cause Because they receiued this holy Sacrament vnworthily and vnreuerently before they were prepared with faith and hope and repentance for this cause many are weak and sicke among you and many die Who did euer thinke that his sicknes or his wants or his infirmities did grow for that he receiued the Lords supper vnworthilie Many causes haue bin supposed but this cause was neuer thoght of Haue any of you said in distresses of bodie or minde This is come vnto me because I did receiue the blessed Sacrament of Christ vnworthilie because I came not prepared with that minde as they which beleeue and know God Yet the Apostle which by his diuine spirit knewe the cause of these calamities among the Corinthians dooth depute their strange diseases sodain death to none other cause but to their vnworthie and vnreuerent receiuing of this holy Sacrament Nay hee saith further That hee which eateth and drinketh this Sacrament vnworthilie eateth and drinketh his owne damnation that is he taketh possession of death hell and damnation euen while he eates as the diuell entred into Iudas while he receiued Nowe if your Phisitian should warne you of such a thing that you take it in season in measure or els it is poison wil kil you I suppose you wold obserue the season and measure and take it in such order as he prescribeth as neere as you could if you beleeue him so if yee beleeue the Apostle that you receiue the Sacrament to your damnation if you receiue it vnworthilie I am sure you will not take it vnreuerently or rashly for all the world If I had the words of motion to speak that which might be spoken of this matter it would fright Iudas himselfe that no man would come to this holy banquet without his wedding garment Consider but this how you would come into the presence of God how would you prepare your selues to come before the maker of heauen and earth which searcheth the reynes knoweth euery corner of the heart If euer ye did approach vnto God if euer yee came neere vnto the Lord you neuer came so neere as now when you come to receiue his bodie and blood and are vnited vnto him in one spirituall body and yet peraduenture many come not so prepared so clensed so dressed so trimmed into the presence of God as Hester did into the presence of Assuerus What doe you thinke of these elements what doe you imagine of this bread and wine They are seales What seales Seales of his word seales of Gods promise seales of your adoption If euer you were instructed or comforted out of this book that instruction comfort is confirmed and ratified vnto you now by Christs seale Christ hath not ordained Sacraments in his church for a fashion or dumb shew that you should feele or see or tast but as the woman which had a bloodie flix when she touched the hem of Christs garment hee said that vertue was gone out of him that is all the graces which these signes represent that is all the blessings that Christ Iesus hath purchased vnto man by his death Now because if you receiue this Sacrament rightly you are vnited vnto Christ as the members with the head if euer you did beleeue or loue or repent before this requireth you to beleeue and loue and repent more because now you are Christs body which shewes that ye must obey Christ the head like members of the bodie for the bodie is ruled by the head What haue you now to receiue al these blessings If ye haue not faith how can you lay hold of any promises or merits of Christ to say this is mine If you had a hand to take and a fayth to apprehend now you might eat of that bread which is better then Manna which he that tasteth doth not hunger again after any pleasure in the worlde Heere is enough for Abraham and Abrahams seede Come vnto it all that thirst and it will refresh you Happiâ—r is that man nowe that hath his wedding garment than the rich glutton that fareth deliciously and goeth in purple euerie day Now you are the Lords guests and the Lord himselfe is your feast and this feaste is before you the holiest meat that euer you did eate and the comfortablest meate that euer ye did eate and yet the dangeroust meate that euer you did eate you stand vpon life or death you eate to saluation or damnation there is nothing in this world which you can receiue with greater benefite or with greater perill Adam did not eate the forbidden fruite with greater danger Adam could not tast the tree of life with greater fruite than you may taste and receiue this Sacrament The Arke was a signe of mercie yet Vzziah was slaine for touching the Arke vnreuerentlie Circumcision was a good thing yet Circumcision did not profite the Sichemites but was away to make their enemies slaie them because they were not circumcised for Religion but for lucre so if ye receiue for custome and not for deuotion this Sacrament shall bee to you as Circumcision was to them Therefore take heede how you receiue as they receiued least you meere with a curse when you looke for a blessing If thou remembrest any sin against God or against thy neighbour leaue thine offering at the Altar and be reconciled before thou come into his presence for if stubble come to fire there is no waie but burne now beloued let faith and loue and repentance haue their perfect worke that you may receiue this Sacrament as Christ would haue you rceiue it God grant you as much profit by it as is offered in it so much comfort of it as it hath brought to any whosoeuer haue receiued it faithfully reuerently and worthily before you FINIS THE GODLIE MANS REQVEST PSALM 90. 12. Teach vs O Lord to number our daies that wee may applie our hearts to wisedome THis Psalme was compyled by Moses as ye may see by the title at what time the Spies returned from the land of Canaan and God for the murmuring of the people pronounced that al which were aboue twentie yeares old should die in the wildernes except Caleb and Iosua that encouraged their brethren to goe to Canaan Now when Moses heard the sentence of death pronounced against himselfe and all the Iewes which came out of Egypt except only two Caleb and Iosua that all should die before they came to the land which they sought he prayeth thus for himselfe and the rest Teach vs O Lord to number our daies
from it So much for our food now we come to the qualitie of our foode It must be sincere Sincere both in his sauor and also in effect and operation for as in nourishing our bodie naturally our blood cannot be good if our diet be vnholsome so in feeding our soules spiritually neither our hearts nor affections nor our words nor our workes can be good vnlesse the milke bee wholsome whereupon we feed and therefore as our Sauiour bâ—ds vs take heede what we heare so the Apostle to the like effect giues a caueat to take heede vpon what we feede for there is a pure and fresh doctrine in Ier. 1. 7. and there is a sower and leauened doctrine in Matth. 16. 6. There is a new wine of the Gospel in Matth. 9. 17. there is mixed wine in the cup of Fornicators in Reu. 17. 4. There are wholsome wordes in 2. Tim. 1. 13. and there are corrupt and vnwholsome words Ephes 4. 29. There is a doctrine of God Ioh. 7. 16. and there is a doctrine of Diuels 1. Tim. 4. 1. There is an edifying and a building worde and there is a fretting and a cankred word 2. Tim. 2. 17. As the Prophets children cryed out death in the pot so some places may say death in our foode and hereof it is that we are so often for warned in Scripture to beware of the leauen of the Scribes and Pharisies to take heede of the Prophets which come to vs in sheepes cloathing to beware that no man seduce vs through Philosophie to trie the spirites whether they be of God or no as we must taste our foode before wee digest it to trie our gold before wee treasure it Christ tasted the vineger but would not drinke so when wee taste false doctrine we must reiect it There are many greedy of milke but it is Dragons milke they take great paines to learne but it is to learne the language of Ashdod not the language of Canaan they run to heare but to heare fables and vntruthes Nimrod was as paineful in building of Babel as Salomon in rearing the holy temple Micah entertained a Leuit consecrated his siluer but to an idolatrous worship The Israelites melted their eare-rings but to erect a calfe Iezabel fed a great rout of trencher chaplains but to honor Baal Many desire to haue milke but they wil haue it from dragons poysoned and therefore we are here warned to desire the sincere milke c. For the Lord will not haue the wine of his word to be mingled and mashed with the water of humane inuentions He that hath my word let him speake faithfully what is the chaffe to the Wheat God would not haue one fielde sowed with two kindes of graine to shew vs that hee would not haue one heart filled with two kindes of doctrine Dagon could not stand with the Lords Arke no more can Christs trueth holde any fellowship with the word of error and therefore as the ministers must beware that they make not merchandise of the word of God so must the people also that they drink not any milke but that which is sincere And here ye ought my beloued more carefully to behaue your selues as yee see the diuell more subtilly to assault you and vnder the cloake of zeale and reformation to bring into the Lordes sanctuarie most wicked prophanation As a man will be more warie to trie euery peece of gold when he sees many counterfeit and Flemish angels to flie abroad so when yee see many sortes of doctrine crawling daily like Locusts out of the bottomles pit yee must bee more diligent to taste and trie which is sound and sincere It followeth That ye may grow by it Here is the end of our hearing That we may grow in grace and increase in the faith of righteousnes for the faithfull are called the trees of righteousnes because they must bee alwaies springing liuing stones because they must growe in the building good seruants which must trade and traffique the Lords talents to increase fruitfull branches which must be purged pruned by the hande of the heauenly husbandman Isaac must not alwaies hang on Saraes breast but must be weaned so we must not alwaies be children but grow vp and increase and profite more and more As the star neuer ceased till it came ouer Christ so we must neuer rest walking till wee come to GOD. If we haue faith we must proceede from faith to fayth if we haue loue we must increase and abide in loue if we haue zeale we must endeuour to be consumed with zeale if wee be liberall to the distressed saints of GOD wee must double our liberalitie as Elkana gaue Annah a double portion If we read the Scriptures we must go on and continue in prayer if we giue almes we must step on one foote further and giue them with cheerefulnes and thus as the Eagle continually soareth till she come to the highest so must we still increase till we come to perfection Let vs be led forward vnto perfection as if a faithfull man were like a ship vnder sayle neuer anchoring till he arriue at heauen The greater is our sinne which heare and heare but are neuer the more reformed for our hearing like Pharaohs ill fauored kine which deuoured the fat kine but remained as il fauoured as they were before so many of vs when we haue lugged the breast almost drie after twentie or thirty yeares feeding are as skregged and leane as we were before No man almost among vs is more zealous no maÌ„ more faithfull no man more constant for the truth no man more feruent in religion no man more sanctified no man more diligent in practising nor lesse vitious now then he was one hundred sermons a goe as if wee were night black-rauens which cannot bee washed with all the sope of the Gospel Though wee haue long heard and stil desire to heare yet we doe not grow by our hearing wee are verie dwarfes in Christ scant able to goe little in faith little in loue little in patience little in obedience little in zeal like Zacheus so little that wee cannot see Christ This is an vndoubted euidence that we haue not fleshly but stony hearts which though they bee washed yet they cannot be watred with the sweete showers of the Gospell For is there not in euery tauerne and in euery shop and in euery house and in euery hall as much couetousnes as much briberie as much cosening as much wantonnes as much maliciousnes after this long shine of the word as ther was before Are we not now as slothfull in Gods seruice as dissolute in the practise of Christian dueties as dishonest in our dealing between man and man as proud in our attire as light in our behauiour as hypocritical abroad as sinnefull at home as we were before And what is the reason hereof but that we come to the fountayn rather to
large within but narrowe without so they which are within the Church haue greater light than they which are without They sit like Pharaoh in the darkenes of Egypt when the other dwell like Israel in the light of Goshen Knowledge is easie to him which loueth knowledge sayth Salomon but the scorner seeketh knowledge and findeth it not saith Salomon Pro. 14. The spiritual man saith Paul searcheth the deepe things of God but The naturall man saith Paul perceiueth not the things of GOD. Thou hast reuealed these things to babes saith Christ but thou hast hid them from the wise of the world If any man will doe Gods will he saith Christ shall vnderstand the doctrine but to the obstinate Iewes Christ saith you cannot vnderstand my talke My sheepe heare my voice saith Christ but to the wicked Christ saith you cannot heare my words Beleeuest thou for this saith he to Nathaniel thou shalt see greater things than these but If ye beleeue not sayth Esay ye shall not vnderstand That these Scriptures might bee fulfilled you see that as sin is called blindnes 2. Chro. 6. 18. so sinners are called blind Esay 56. 10. and may be called Strangers in Israel Vntill we be borne again we are like Nichodemus which knew not what it was to bee borne againe Iohn 3. Vntill we become zealous our selues we are like Festus which thought zeale madnes Act. 26. Vntill we be humble our selues we are like Michol which mocked Dauid for his humilitie 1. Sam. 6. 16. It was true then and it is true now and it will bee true alwayes which Paul obserueth 1 Corin. 1. 18. that to some religion shall seem foolishnesse The reason of all this Paul layeth downe in a word If ye aske why the wicked cannot vnderstand heauenly things he sayth Because they are spiritually discerned 1 Corin 2. 14. therefore how should he discerne them that hath not the spirite For this cause wisedome is not said to bee iustified of any but of her owne Children Mat. 11. 19. neither doth Christ say that any sheepe heare his voyce but his owne sheepe My sheepe sayth hee Iohn 12. 27 heare my voyce they followe their shepheard they heare his voyce they vnderstand his Lawe they iudge of his iudgements they haue the measure of his Wordes all is open and plaine and manifest and cleare vnto them they search deeper and iudge righter and know sooner and though they haue no learning yet they haue better iudgements than the learned wheras the other that labour and study without God walke in a labyrinth fall into doubts while they seeke resolutions When a wicked man reads the Scriptures he seeth no difference betweene the worde of God and the wordes of men like Cleopas which talked with Christ knew not Christ When he speakes of Religion he flutters like a young bird which cannot flye because her wings are not growen when he prayeth his prayer is like a childes grace that vnderstandeth not one word that he saith hee which hath but a shew of holines hath but a shewe of wisedome a little knowledge is in his head but there is no knowledge in his heart An euill man may knowe some thing and speake something of his reading hearing as Iob saith There is a spirit in man that is euery man hath a kind of knowledge but the inspiration of the Lord giueth vnderstanding as though the sinners vnderstanding did not deserue to be called vnderstanding If the wicked man speake any thing that is good hee speakes by roate but hee which speakes not out of the abundance of his hart is soone drawne drie The preaching of the Word doth not become him it is harsh and vnkind in his mouth as though it came out of a wrong bowe or like vnto a shittle which flittereth from the hand of a child he is in the pulpit as the guest at the banquet which wāted his wedding garment he speakes not like one which hath authoritie but as one that hath no authoritie and alwaies his conscience sounds vnto him What hast thou to do to take my word in thy mouth seeing thou hatest to be reformed Therefore bee renued that ye may knowe what the will of GOD is this is the Abce and Primmer and Grammar the first lesson and last lesson of a Christian to knowe the good and perfect and acceptable will of God which must make vs good and perfect and acceptable our selues the will of God is alwaies good and acceptable perfect howsoeuer it seeme to vs though it condemne vs of euill yet it is good though we see not how it is perfect yet it is perfect nay it is so perfect that we cannot see the perfection of it as the Sunne is so bright that wee cannot behold the brightnes of it first it seemes good vnto a man before it bee acceptable when it is acceptable then it seemes perfect and as Gods will doth seeme to vs so we doe seeme to him if his will cannot seeme good and acceptable and perfect to vs much lesse may our will seeme good or acceptable or perfect vnto him for this is our goodnesse to acknowledge his goodnesse If it be such a contentment to knowe the will of GOD what shall keepe vs from the knowledge of it shall sinne which is the worst thing in the world Because we will not renue our mindes therefore we are ignorant of so many things which we would knowe and vntill we be willing to followe the word wee shall neuer throughly vnderstand it but buzze and grope at it like Owles which prie at the sunne out of a barne Oh! what a benefite had Salomon lost if he had lost his wisedome which God gaue him as great a benefite doest thou loose if thou loose the knowledge of Gods will for from the day that a man cannot discerne the will of Sathan from the will of Christ euerie Heresie seemeth trueth euery euill seemes good and this hath been the beginning of al errors in the Church because men did not loue the trueth therefore God would not reueale his trueth vnto them therefore I conclude as I began Be ye chaunged by the renuing of your mindes that ye may proue what is the good will of God and acceptable and perfect Now a word of the Sacrament there is an infant to be receiued into the Church which putteth vs in minde of the promise which we made vnto God when we were receiued into the Church our selues This Sacrament was instituted by Christ when he was baptized of Iohn in the riuer of Iordan and it succeedeth Circumcision as the Communiō was ordained in stead of the Passeouer so soone as we are borne we are baptized In the name of the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost to signifie that we owe a duetie vnto God from the day that wee come into the world In this Baptisme our bodies are washed with water to signifie how
our sinnes are washed with Christes bloud when our bodies are washed they are taken out of the water againe to signifie how we shall be raised from death to life by the resurrection of Christ and how we should rise from sinne to righteousnesse thus we begin our life with a solemne promise to God before the Church to serue him with our bodies and soules till death vs depart Now let vs remember how we haue kept this promise with the Lord or rather how we haue broken promise with him then we gaue our selues to GOD but since we haue giuen our selues to sinne then wee promised to renounce the world but euer since we haue embraced the world therefore now let vs begin to pay that which we ought so long and pray the Lord which hath instituted this Sacrament as a seale of his mercie to receiue this child into his fauour as we receiue it into his Church to baptize it with his spirit as wee baptize it with water and powre vpon it his grace as we giue it the signe of grace FINIS THE PILGRIMS WISH PHILIP 1. 23. I desire to bee dissolued and to bee with Christ. HEere is Pauls desire to be dissolued and the cause that he might be with Christ wherein first you shal see the difference betweene the faithfull and the wicked how one loatheth this life and the other longeth after it Secondly because the Apostle seemes to desire death you shall see whether any man may wish to die Thirdly because after his dissolution hee hopes to bee with Christ you shall see the diuersitie of iudgements betweene Paul and the Papists which think when they are dead that they shall goe on to Purgatorie Lastlie because the soules which are with Christ cannot walke as they did when they liued vpon the earth you shall heare a little of walking spirits which haue beene so much talked of in the time of poperie and were taken for the soules of them which were dead after wee will speake a little of the Sacrament which yee come to receiue and so commit you to God I desire to be dissolued Before Christes comming when the Kings or Patriarches died it is said that they went to their fathers as we read of Dauid and Salomon c. but after Christs comming when the faithfull die they are said to go to Christ as we read of the penitent thief Luke 23. 43. Not because the Patriarches went not to Christ as well as they but because yet Christ was not ascended to heauen therefore they are not to go to Christ although if they went to heauen they must needes go to Christ because Christ touching his Godhead was alwaies in heauen I desire to be dissolued As the wordly long for Christ to come to them so the faithful long to go to Christ for vnlesse we ascend to him as he descended to vs his descending is in vaine because he came downe that we might go vp he descended to take our flesh we ascende to take his kingdom he descended to be crucified we ascende to be glorified he descended to hell we ascend to heauen that is to ioy to glory to blisse to our father to our Sauiour to our comforter to Angels to Saints to eternall life therefore good cause had Paul to desire to be with Christ that he might be at rest for no doubt it was the sweetest voice that euer the theefe heard in this life when Christ said vnto him This day shalt thou bee with me in Paradise Luke 23. chapt vers 45. Besides as Paul persecuâ—ed before so he was after persecuted himselfe as he tels the Corinthians 2. Cor. 11. 24. I was thrise beaten with rods I was once stoned I suffered thrise shipwrake c. Therefore good cause had Paul to desire to be with Christ that he might be out of trouble Yet he wil not dissolue himself but desireth to be dissolued that is that he which brought him into this world would take him out of the world neither doth he wish or pray or make any petitioÌ„ to God to take away his life but tels him his desire desiring to be dissolued to desire is not to pray but shewes what we approue neither doth he desire so to be dissolued as though he were weary of his labors would suffer no more for Christ but he is content to liue as he saith in the 24. vers Neuertheles for me to abide in the flesh were better for you as if he should say to do you good I am content to suffer euil and stay still from Christ whom I long to be with Seeing then that he wil not dissolue himself nor pray to be dissolued but is content to liue stil why doth he say I desire to be dissolued Onelie to shew what he preferreth in his desire if hee might choose life or death for his owne respect he could be content to leaue friends and riches and pleasures and life and all onely to bee with Christ This seemes to be a good lesson for sickemen when they can liue no longer then to be with Christ were better then to be with the glutton which neuer thought of heauen til he was in hell but Paul was not sicke nor sore when he desired to be dissolued therefore this is not onely for the sicke but for the whole If he had wished to liue stay still in the world no man need to be taught to say after him for yong old desire not to be dissolued but few are content to bee dissolued To a naturall man in this life nothing is so sweete as life it selfe and he which is in loue with this world seldome dyeth quietly vpon his bed but to a minde which misliketh this worlde nothing can come so welcome as death because it takes him out of the world This it is which Paul would haue vs learne that nothing in this world is so pretious or pleasant that for it we should desire to liue or stay from God one hower though all may not wish to die yet all must subscribe to this that death is better then life because it leads to Christ which when Paul had throughlie tasted he was satisfied for all things else and desired to liue no longer that he might bee with Christ heerein appeareth the end of mans life which when he hath obtayned he desireth to liue no longer how great riches and honours and friends soeuer he leaue behind him From the time he knoweth Christ crucified and begins like Enoch to walke with God he cryeth euer after with the Apostle I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ who shall deliuer mee from this bodie of sinne death weare to me aduantage Euen as Simeon reioiced that Christ came to him so the faithfull reioice that they shall go to Christ The necessitie of sinne is so irksome to him which knoweth the vilenesse of sinne that the faithfull man but to doe good would not liue