Againe Titus 3. For we our selues also were in times past vnwise disobedient deceiued seruing lusts and diuers pleasures liuing in maliciousnesse and enny full of hate and hating one another But after that the kindnesse and loue of God our Sauiour to manward appeared not by the deeds of righteousnesse which wee wrought but of his mercy hee saued vs by the fountaine of the new birth and with the renewing of the holy Ghost which he shedde on vs aboundantly through Iesus Christ our sauior that we once iustified by his grace shuld be heires of eternal life through hope This is a true saying But I wil make an end for I am too tedious Dearely beloued repent your sins that is bee sorrie for that which is past beleeue in Gods mercy for pardon how deepely soeuer you haue sinned and both purpose and earnestperuse a new life bringing forth worthy and true fruites of Repentance As you haue giuen ouer your members from sin to sin to serue the diuel your tongues to sweare to lye to flatter to scold to iest to scoffe to beastly talk to vaine iangling to boasting c. Your hands to picking groping idlenesse fighting c. Your féete to skipping going to euil to dancing c. Your eares to heare fables lyes vanities and euill things c. So now giue ouer your members to godlines your tongues to speak your eares to heare your eyes to sée your mouthes to taste your hands to work your féet to go about such things as may make to Gods glory sobriety of life and loue to your brethren and that daily more more diligently for in a stay to stand you cannot eyther better or worse you are to day then you were yesterday But better I trust you be and will be if you mark my Theame that is Repent you The which thing that you wold as before I haue humbly besought you euen so now yet once more I do again beseech you and that for the mercies of God in Iesus Christ our Lord Repent you repent you for the kingdome of heauen that is a kingdome full of all riches pleasures mirth beauty swéetnesse and eternall felicity is athand The eye hath not séene the like the eare hath not heard the like the heart of man cannot conceiue the treasures pleasures of this kingdome which is now at hand to such as repent that is to such as are sorry for their sinnes beléeue Gods mercy through Christ and earnestly purpose to leade a new life The God of mercy through Christ his Sonne grant vs his holy Spirit and worke in our hearts this sorrow faith and new life which through his grace I haue spoken of both now and for euer Amen AN Other Sermon made also by the sayd Master IOHN BRADFORD vpon the Lords SVPPER 1. Cor. 10.16 The Cuppe of blessing which we blesse is it not the Communion of the bloud of Christ The bread which we break is it not the Communion of the body of Christ THere are two Sacraments in CHRISTS Church the one of imitatiō that is wherwith we be enrolled as it were in the houshold family of God which Sacrament we call Baptism the other wherwith we be conserued fed kept and nourished to continue in the same family which is called the Lords Supper or the body bloud of our Sauior Iesus Christ broken for our sins and shed for our transgressions Of the former Sacrament that is of Baptisme to speake now I am not purposed because occasion and time serue not so thereto Babtism is in place of Circumcision Christian mens children ought to be baptized Of the second therefore will I speake something by Gods grace if that first you remember this that Baptisme in Christs Church now since Christs death is come in place of Circumcision which was in the same Church afore Christs comming Whereby we may sée that Christian Parents seeme to be no lesse bound to offer their Infants and Babes to be baptized that they may be taken and accounted of vs as members of Christs mysticall body wherunto they are receiued and sealed Gal. 4. then were the Hebewes their children to be taken as pertayning to the couenant and league with God wherwith they were inrolled alonely the circumstance of of the eight day not necessarie to be obserued being now abrogated But to come againe Of the Lords Supper I am purposed presently to to speake through the helpe of God because we are assembled in Christ I hope to celebrate the same Now that the things which I shall speake may be better obserued and caried away of you I will tell you how and in what sort I will speake of it Thrée things would I haue marked as the principals and scopes whereto I will referre all that I shall at this tyme speake thereof They be these Who what wharfore That is to make it more plain Who did institute this thing which we are about to celebrate this is the first The second is What the thing is whch is instituted And the last is Wherefore and to what end it was instituted whereby we shall be taught how to vse it Who did institute this Sacrament For the first Who did institute this Sacrament and Supper You all doe know that things are more estéemed sometime for the dignitie and authority of the person sometime for the wisedome of the person sometime for the power and magnificence of the person sometime for the tender loue kindnes of the person If néed were I could by examples set forth euery one of these but I hope it is not necessary Now then how can the thing which we be about to celebrate but be esteemed of euery one highly in that the author of it doth want no dignity no authority no wisdome no power no magnificence no holinesse no tender loue kindnesse but hath all dignity authoritie wisedome power magnificence c. and all that can be absolutely wished He is God eternall coequall and substantiall with the Father and with the holy Ghost the Image of the substance of God the wisedome of the Father the brightnesse of his glory by whom all things were made are ruled and gouerned Hee is the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords He is the Messias of the world our most deare and louing Brother Sauiour Mediatour Aduocate Intercessour Husband Priest So that the thing which commeth from him cannot but bee esteemed loued and embraced if dignity authority wisdome power glory goodnesse and mercy like vs. Yea if any thing that can bee wished like vs then cannot this which our Lord did institute but like vs and that so much the more by how much it is one of the last things which he did institute and conmaund God open our eies to see these things accordingly so shall wee come with more reuerence to this Table of the Lord which thing hee grant for his mercies sake Amen And thus much for the first who did
same spirit which they had then wold they neuer haue consented to Transsubstantiation For with great admiration some of the Fathers doe say that the bread is changed or turned into the body of Christ and the wine into his bloud meaning it of a mutation or change not corporall but spirituall figuratine Sacramentall or mysticall For now it is no common bread nor common wine beeing ordained to serue for the food of the soul The Schoole-men haue vnderstood it as the Papists now speake of a substantiall changing as though it were no great miracle that common bread should now be assumed into that dignity that it should bee called Christs body and serue for a celestiall foode and be made a Sacrament of his body and bloud As before therefore I haue spoken Christs presence in the Supper I would wish that this Sacrament should bee esteemed and called of vs Christian men after Christs words namely the bread Christs body and the wine Christs bloud rather then otherwise Not that I meane any other presence of Christs body then a presence of grace a preseruer to Faith a presence spiritually and not corporally really naturally and carnally as the Papists doe meane For in such sort Christs body is onely in heauen on the right hand of God the Father almighty whether our faith in the vse of the Sacrament ascendeth and receiueth whole Christ accordingly Yea but one will say that to cal the Sacrament on that sort An obiection is to giue an occasion of Idolatry to the people which wil take the Sacrament which they see simply for Christs body as by experience wee are well taught and therefore it were better to cal it bread and so lesse harme should be especially in this age To this obiection I answere An answer that indéed great Idolatry is committed to and about this Sacrament and therefore men ought as much as they can to avoyd from occasion or confirming it But in as much as the holy Ghost is wiser then man and had foresight of the euils that might be and yet notwithstanding doth call it Christs bodie I thinke we should do euill if we should take vpon vs to reforme his spéech If Ministers did their dueties in Catechizing and Preaching then doubtlesse to call the Sacrament Christs body and to estéeme it accordingly could not giue occasion to Idolatrie and confirme it Therefore Woe vnto them that preach not There be two euils about the Sacraments which to auoyde the holy Ghost hath taught vs. For least we should with the Papists think Christs body present in or with the bread really naturally and corporally to be receiued which our bodily mouth where there is no other presence of Christs body then spirituall and to the faith in many places he kéepeth still the name of bread as in the Epistle to the Corinthians the tenth and eleuenth Chapters And least we shold make to light of it making it but a bare signe and no better then common bread the holy Ghost calleth it Christs body whose spéech I wish we would follow and that not onely as well to auoyde the euill which is now a dayes most to be feared concerning the Sacrament I meane of contemning it as also for that no faithfull man commeth to the Sacrament to receiue bread simply but rather yea altogether to communicate with Christs body and bloud For else to eate drink as Paul saith they haue houses of their owne The contempt of the Sacrament in the dayes of King Edward hath caused these plagues vpon vs presently the Lord bee mercifull vnto vs. Amen And thus much for the obiection of calling the Sacrament by the name of Christs body Another obiection of Christs presence in the Sacrament What saith one to call the Sacrament Christs body and to make none other presence then by grace or spiritually to faith which is of things hoped for and of things which to the bodily senses do not appeare is to make no presence at all or to make him none otherwise present then he is in his word when it is preached and therefore what néede we to receiue the Sacrament in as much as by this doctrine a man may receiue him dayly in the fielde as well and as much as in the Church in the celebration and vse of the Sacrament So this obiection I first answere that indeede neither the Scripture nor Christian Faith wil giue vs leaue to make any carnall reall naturall corporall or any such grosse presence of Christs naturall body in the Sacrament For it is in Heauen and the Heauens must haue it as saith Peter till Christs comming to iudgment except wee would denie the humanity of Christ and the verity of mans nature in him The presence therefore which we beléeue and confesse is such a presence as reason knoweth not and the world cannot learne nor any that looketh in this matter with other eyes or heareth with other eares then with the eares and eyes of the Spirit and of Faith Which Faith though it be of things hoped for and so of things absent to the corporall senses yet this absence is not an absence indéede but to reason and the old man the nature of Faith being a possession of things hoped for Therefore to grant a presence to Faith is not to make no presence at all but to such as know not Faith And this the Fathers taught affirming Christ to be present by grace and therefore not only a signification but also an exhibition and giuing of the Grace of CHRISTS body that is of life and of the seede of immortality as Cyprian writeth Wae eate Life and drinke Life faith Saint AVGVSTINE We féele a presence of the Lord by Grace or in Grace saith Chrystome We receiue the celestiall foode that commeth from aboue saith Athanasius We receiue the propertie of the naturall coniunction Athanasius Hylarius and knitting together saith Hillarius We receiue the nature of the flesh the blessing that giueth life in bread and Wine saith Cyrillus Cyrillus And else where he sayth that with the bread and Wine we eate the vertue of Christs proper flesh life grace and the propertie of the body of the onely begotten sonne of God which thing he himselfe expoundeth to be life Basilius Basilius saith that we by the Sacrament receiue the mysticall Aduent of Christs grace and the very vertue of his very nature Ambrosius Ambrose saith that we receiue the Sacrament of the true body Epiphanius Epiphanius saith we receiue the body or grace And Hierome saith that we receiue spirituall flesh Hieronimu which he calleth other flesh then that which was crucified Chrisostome saith Chrisostomus that wee receiue influence of grace and the Grace of the holy Ghost Saint Augustine saith that we receiue grace and veritie the inuisible grace and holinesse of the members of Christs body All the which sayings of the Fathers doe confirme this our faith and doctrine of
the Sacrament wee granting in all things héerein vnto them and they in like manner vnto vs. And therefore the lying lippes which both belye the Doctors as thogh they granted a carnall and reall presence of Christs body naturally and corporally after the Papists declaration and meaning and which belie vs also as though we denied all presence of Christ and so made it but a bare signe These lying lips the Lord will destroy if they repent not and with vs beleeue and teach the truth that the Sacrament is the foode of the Soule a matter of faith and therefore spiritually and by faith to be talked of and vnderstanded which faith they want and therfore they erre so grossely in that they would haue such a presence of Christ as is contrary to all the Scriptures and to our Christian Religion whereby commeth no such commodity to the receiuer as by the Spirituall presence which wee teach and according to Gods word doe affirme For wee teach these benefits to be had by the worthy receiuing the Sacrament namely that wee abide in Christ and Christ in vs. Againe that we obtaine by it a celestiall life or a life with God moreouer that by Faith and in Spirit wee receiue not onely Christs body and blood but also whole Christ God and man Besides these we grant that by the worthy receiuing of this Sacrament we receiue remission of our sinnes and confirmation of the new Testament Last of all by worthy receiuing wee get all increase of incorporation with Christ and amongst our selues which be his members then which things what more can be desired Alas that men consider nothing at all how that the coupling of CHRISTS body and blood to the Sacrament is a spirituall thing and therefore there néeds no such carnall presence as the Papists imagine Who will deny a mans Wife to be with her Husband one body and one flesh although he be at London and shee at Yorke But the Papists are carnall men guided by carnall reason onely or else would they know how that the holy Ghost because of our infirmitie vseth metaphorically the words of abiding dwelling eating and drinking of Christ that the vnspeakeable coniunction of Christ with vs might something bee knowne God open their eyes to see it And thus much for this Now to that part of the obiection which sayth that wee teach CHRIST to bee no otherwise present in the Sacrament then in his word I would that the Obiectors would well consider what a presence of CHRIST is in his word I remember that Saint Augustine writeth how that Christs body is receiued sometime visible and sometime inuisible The visible receit he calleth that which is by the Sacrament the inuisible receite hee calleth that which by the exercise of our faith with our selues we receiue And saint Hierom in the third booke vpon Ecclesiastes affirmeth that we are fed with the body of Christ and we drinke his blood not only in mystery but also in knowledg of Scripture Wherin he plainly sheweth that the same meat is offered in the words of the Scriptures which is offered in the Sacrament so that no lesse is Christs body and bloud offered by the Scriptures then by the Sacraments Vpon the 147. Psalme hee writeth also that though these words He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood may bee vnderstood in mysterie yet he saith it is more true to take Christs body and his blood for the word of the Scriptures and the doctrine of God Yea vpon the same Psalme he saith plainely that Christs flesh and bloud is powred into our eares by hearing the word and therfore great is the perill if we yeeld to other cogitations whilst we heare it And therefore I thinke Saint Augustine saith that it is no lesse perill to heare Gods word negligently then so to vse the Sacrament But hereof may no man gather that therefore it néedeth not to receiue the Sacrament or to affirme that a man may as much by himselfe meditating the word in the field receiue Christs body as in the Church in the right vse of the Sacrament For Christ ordainth nothing in vaine or superstitiously hee ordaineth nothing whereof wee haue not neede Although his authority is such that without any questioning his ordinances are to be obeyed Againe though in the field a man may receiue Christs body by Faith in the meditation of the word yet deny I that a man doth ordinarily receiue Christs body by the only meditation of Christs death or hearing of his word with so much sight and by such sensible assurance whereof God knoweth our infirmitie hath no small need as by the receit of the Sacrament not that Christ is not so much present in his word preached as hee is in or with his Sacrament but because there are in the perception of the Sacrament more windowes open for Christ to enter into vs then by his word preached or heard For there I meane in the word he hath an entrance into our hearts but onely by the eares through the voice and sound of the words but heerein the Sacrament he hath an entrance by all our senses by our eyes by our nose by our taste and by our handling also And therefore the Sacrament full well may be called seeable sensible tasteable and touchable words As therefore when many windowes be opened in an house the more light may come in then when there is but one opened euen so by the perception of the Sacraments a Christian mans conscience hath more helpe to receiue Christ then simply by the word preached heard or meditated And therefore mee thinketh the Apostle full well calleth the Sacraments obsignations or sealings of Gods promise Read Romans the fourth of Circumcision And thus much for the answere of the obiection aforesayd Now to returne from whence wee came namely to the consideration of the second thing what the Sacrament is I haue told you that it is not simply Bread and Wine but rather Christs body so called of Christ and so to be called and esteemed of vs. But heere let vs marke what body and what blood Christ called it Christs presence in the Supper The Papists still babble This is my body This is my blood But what body it is what blood it is they shew not Looke therefore my dearely beloued on Christs owne words and you shall see that CHRIST calleth it his body broken and his blood shedde Marke I say tha Christ calleth it his body which is broken his blood which is shed presently and not which was broken or shall be broken which was shed or shall be shed as the Greeke Texts do plainely shew thereby teaching vs that as God would haue the Passeouer called not which was the Passeouer or shall be the Passeouer but plainely the Passeouer to the end that in the vse of it the passing ouer of the striking Angell should be set before their eyes as present so in the celebration of the Lords Supper the
Fatherly care for his Commons Nurcely solicitude for Religion c. Nay so many things are to be spoken in commendation of Gods exceeding graces in this Child that as Salust writeth of Carthage I had rather speake nothing then too little in that too much is too little This gift God gaue vnto vs English men before all nations vnder the Sunne and that of his exceeding loue towards vs. But alas alas for our vnthankfulnes sake for our sins sake for our carnality and prophane liuing Gods anger hath touched not only the body bâ—â— also the mind of our King by a long sicknesse and at length hath taken him away by death death cruell death fearefull death O if Gods iudgement be begun on him which as he was the chiefest so I thinke the holiest and godlyest in the Realme of England alas what will it be on vs whose sinnes haue ouergrowen so our heads that they are climed vp to heauen I pray you my good brethren know that Gods anger towards vs for our sins cannot but be great yea too fell in that we sée it was so great that our good King could not beare it What befell Iewry after the death of Iosias Lord saue England and giue vs repentance my heart will not suffer me to tarry longer herein I hope this will cause some repentance If therefore the prayer for Gods feare the looking in Gods glasse and the tag thereto will not burst open the blockish heart yet hope I that the repetition of these examples especially of our late King and this troublesom time will moue some teares out of thine heart if thou wilt pray for Gods Spirit accordingly For who art thou thinke alwaies with thy selfe that God should spare thée more then them whose examples thou hast heard What friends hast thou Were not of these Kings Prophets Apostles learned and come of holy Stockes I deceiue my selfe thinke thou with thy selfe if I beléeue that God being the same God that he was will spare me whose wickednesse is no lesse but much more then some of theirs Hee hateth sinne now as much as euer hee did The longer he spareth the greater vengeance will fall the deeper he draweth his Bow the sorer will his shaft pierce But if yet thy heart be so hardened that all this will not moue thee then surely art thou in a very euill estate and remedy now I know none What sayd I none Know I none Yes there is one which is suresby as they say to serue if any thing will serue You looke to know what this is Forsooth the Passion and Death of IESVS CHRIST You know the cause why CHRIST became man and suffered as hee suffered was the sinnes of his people that hee might saue them from the same Consider the greatnesse of the sore I meane sin by the greatnesse of the Chyrurgion and the salue Who was the Chyrurgion no Angel no Saint no Archangel no power no creature in heauen nor in earth but onely he by whom all things were made all things are ruled also euen Gods own Deareling and only beloued Son becomming man Oh what a great thing is this that could not be done by the Angels Archangels Potentates Powers or all the creatures of God without his owne Sonne who of necessity must come downe from heauen to take our nature become man Here haue ye the Shyrurgion great was the cure that this mighty Lord tooke in hand Now what was the salue Certainly of an inestimable valew and of many compositions I cannot recite al but rather must leaue it to your hearty consiberations Thirty-three yeares was he curing our sore Hee sought it earnestly by fasting watching praying c. The same night that he was betrayed I read how busie he was about a plaister in the Garden when he lying flat on the ground praying with teares and that of bloud not a few but so many as did flow downe on the ground againe crying on this sort Father sayth he if it bee possible let this Cup depart from me That is If it be possible that else the sinnes of mankind can be taken away grant that it may be so Thou heardest Moses crying for the Idolaters Thou heardest Lot for the Zoarites Samuel Dauid and many other for the Israelites And deere Father I onely am thine owne Sonne as thou hast sayd in whom thou art well pleased wilt thou not heare me I haue by the space of thirty-three yeares done alwaies thy Will I haue so humbled my selfe that I would become an abiect amongst men to obey thee Therfore deere Father if it be possible grant my request saue mankind now without any further labour salues or plasters But yet sayth he not as I will but as thou wilt But Syr what heard he Though he sweat bloud and water in making his plaister for our sore of sinne yet it framed not Twice he cryed without comfort yea though to comfort him God sent an Angell wee know that yet this plaister was not allowed for sufficient vntill hereunto Christ Iesus was betrayed forsaken of all his Disciples forsworne of his dearely beloued bound like a Thiefe belyed on buffeted whipped scourged crowned with thorns crucified racked nailed hanged vp betweene two theeues cursed and railed vpon mocked in misery and had giuen vp the ghoâ—t then bowed downe the head of Christ that is God the Father which is the head of Christ then allowed he the plaister to bee sufficient and good for the healing of our sore which is sinne Now would God abide our breath because the stinke that is damnation or guiltinesse was taken away by the sweet sauor of the breath of this LAMBE thus offered once for all So that here dearely beloued we as in a glasse may see to the brusing of our blockish hard hearts Gods great iudgement and anger against sin Gen. 6. Gen. 19. The Lord of lords the King of kings the brightnesse of Gods glory the Son of God the Deareling of his Father in whom he is well pleased hangeth between two theeues crying for thes me and for vs all My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Oh hard hearts that we haue who delight in sin Look on this see the very hart of Christ pierced with a speare wherein thou maist see reade Gods anger for sin Woe to thy hard heart that pierced it And thus much for the first part of Repentance I meane for the meanes of working contrition First vse prayer then looke on Gods Lawe thirdly Gen. 19. see his curse fourthly set examples of his anger before thee and last of all set before thee the precious death of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ From this and prayer cease not til thou feele some hearty sorrow for thy sinne The which when thou feelest then labour for the other part that is faith on this sort As first in Contrition I willed thee not to trust to thy free will for the attaining of it so doe I will thee
bread The fift reason Fiftly that the substance of bread remaineth in the Sacrament as the reasons before brought forth do proue so doth the infinition of a Sacrament For the Fathers do affirme it to consist of an earthly thing Ireneus Augustinus Chrysostomus and of an heauenly thing of the word and of the element of sensible things and of things which be perceiued by the minde But Transubstantiation taketh clean away that earthly thing the keement the sensible thing and so maketh it no Sacrament And therefore the definition of a Sacrament ful wel teacheth that bread which is the earthly thing the sensible thing and the element remaineth still as saint Augustine saith the word commeth to the element he saith not taketh away the element and so it is made a Sacrament The sixt reason against Transsubstantiation Sixtly the nature and property of a Sacrament teacheth this also which I haue affirmed for as Cyprian wrieth that Sacraments beare the names of the things which they signifie so doeth Saint Augustine teach Cyprian in Sermone de Chrismat Augustinus ad Bonifacium that if Sacraments haue not some signification with the things whereof they be Sacraments then are they no Sacraments Now in the Lords Supper this similitude is first in nourishing that as bread nourisheth the body so Christs body broken féedeth the soule Secondly in bringing together many into one that as in the Sacrament many graines of Corn are made one bread many Grapes are made one lyquour and Wine so the multitude which worthily receiue the Sacrament are made one body with Christ and his Church Last of all in one vnlikely likelinesse or similitude that as bread eaten turneth into our nature so we rightly eating the Sacrament by faith turne into the nature of Christ So that it is plaine to them that wil sée that to take the substance of bread away is cleane against the nature and propertie of a Sacrament I will speake nothing how that this their doctrine of Transubstantiation beside the manifold absurdities it hath in it which to rehearse I omit it vtterly ouerthroweth the vse of the Sacrament and is cleane cōtrary to the end wherefore it was instituted so is no longer a Sacrament but an Idol and is the cause of much Idolatry conuerting the peoples harts from an heauenly conuersatiō to an earthly and turning the Communion into priuate action and a matter of gazing and piping of adoring worshipping the worke of mens hands for the liuing God which dwelleth not in Tempels made with mens hands much lesse lyeth he in Pixes and Chests whose true worshippe is in spirit and verity which God grant vs all to render vnto him continually Amen The seuenth reason against transubstantiation The Sacrament of Baptisme doth also teach vs that as the substanae of the water remaineth there so in the Lords Supper remaineth the substance of bread after consecration For as by Baptisme we are engrafted into CHRIST so by the Supper we are fedde with Christ These two Sacraments the Apostle gladly coupleth together 1. Cor. 10. and 1. Cor 12. We are baptized into one body saith he and haue drunke all of one spirit meaning it by the Cup as Chrysostome and other great learned men doe well interpret it As therefore in Baptisme is giuen vnto vs the holy Ghost and pardone of our sinnes which yet lie not lurking in the water so in the Lords Supper is giuen vnto vs the Communion of Christs body and bloud that is grace forgiuenesse of sins innocencie life immortality without any Transubstantiation or including of the same in the bread By Baptisme Gal. 3. the old man is put off and the new man put on yea Christ is put on but without Transubstantiating the water And euen so it is in the Lords Supper We by faith spiritually in our soules do féed on Christs body broken do eate his flesh and drinke his blood doe dwell in him and he in vs but without Transubstantiation An answer to the Papists cauill for the foresayd reason As for the cauill they make that wee are baptized into one bodie meaning thereby the mysticall body and not the naturall body of Christ whereby they would enforce that we are fed with the naturall body of Christ but we are not ingrafted into it but into the mysticall body and so put away the reason aforesaid As for this cauill I say we may soone auoyde it if so be that we will consider how that Christ which is the head of the mysticall body is not seperate from the body and therefore to be ingrafted to the mysticall body is to be ingrafted into the naturall body of Christ to be amember of his flesh and bones of his bones as Pope Leo full well doeth witnesse in saying that Corpus regenerati fit caro crucifixi The body saith he of the regenerate is made the flesh of Christ crucified And hereto I could adde some reasons for the excellency of Baptisme I thinke it be more to be gotten then to be nourished As for the excellent miracle of the patefaction of the Trinity and the descending of the holy Ghost in Baptisme in a visible forme the like whereto was no seene in the Lords Supper I will omit to speake of further then that I would you should know how it were no mastery to set forth the excellency of this Sacrament as well as of the Supper The eight reason It is a plaine signe of Antichrist to deny the substance of bread and wine to bee in the Lords Supper after consecration for in so dooing and granting Transubstantiation the propertie of the humane nature of Christ is denied For it is not of the humane nature but of the diuine nature to bee in many places at once As Dydimus De spiritu sancto doeth proue thereby the diuinity of the holy Ghost Now grant Transsubstantiation and then Christs naturall body must néeds be in many places which is nothing els but to confound the two natures in Christ or to deny Christs humane nature which is the selfe same that S. Iohn saith to deny Christ to be come in the flesh And this who so doeth by the testimony of S Iohn is an Antichrist in his so doing whatsoeuer otherwise he do prate Reade S. Augustine in his Epistle to Dardanus his 50. and 30. Treatise vpon Saint Iohn and easily you shall see how that Christs body must needes be in one place Oportet in vno loco esse But his Trueth is in all places The ninth reason If there be no substance of bread in the Sacrament but Transsubstantiation then Christs body is receiued of the vngodly and eaten with their téeth which is not onely against S. Augustine calling this spéech Except you eate the flesh of the Sonne of man c. A figuratiue speech but also against the plaine Scriptures which affirme them to dwell in Christ and Christ in them and they
to haue euerlasting life that eate him which the wicked haue not although they eate the Sacrament He that eateth of this bread saith Christ shall liue for euermore Therefore they eate not Christs body but as Paul saith they eate in iudgement and damnation which beléeue it is an other manner of thing then Christs body This doth S. Augustine affirm saying None do eate Christs body which is not in the body of Christ that is as hée expoundeth it in whom Christ dwelleth not and he in Christ Which thing the wicked doe not because they want faith and the holy Spirit which be the meanes whereby Christ is receiued To the things which I haue brought hereforth to improue transsubstantiation I could bring in the Fathers to confirme the same which succeeded contnually many hundred yeares after Christ Also I could shew that Transsubstantiation is but a new doctrine not established before Sathan which was tyed for a thousand yeeres was letten loose Also I could shew that euer hitherto since it was established in all times it hath been resisted and spoken against Yea before this doctrine the Church was nothing so endowed with goods lands and possessions as it hath béen since It hath brought no small gaine no small honour no small ease to the Cleargie and therefore no maruaile though they striue and fight for it It is their Maozim it is their Helena God destroy it with the breath of his mouth as shortly hee will for his names sake Amen If time would serue I could and would here tell you of the absurdities which come by this doctrine but for times sake I must omit it Onely for Gods sake see this that this their doctrine of Transsubstantiation is an vntrueth already I haue proued and forget not that it is the whole stay of all Popery and the pillar of their Priesthood whereby Christs Priesthood Sacrifice Ministery and Truth is letted yea peruerted and vtterly ouerthrowne God our Father in the bloud of his Sonne IESVS CHRIST open the eyes and mindes of all our Magistrates all other that beare the name of CHRIST to see to it in time to Gods glory and their owne saluation Amen Now to returne to the second matter what the Sacrament is you see that to the senses and reason of man it is bread and wine Which is most true as by the Scriptures and otherwise I haue already proued and therefore away with Transsubstantiation But here lest we should make it no Sacrament for a Sacrament consisteth of two things and least a man should by this gather that we make it none other thing but bare bread and a naked signe and so rayle at their pleasure on vs saying How can a man be guilty of the body bloud of Christ by vnworthy receiuing it if it bee but bare bread and so forth For this purpose I will now speake a little more hereabout by Gods grace to stop your mouthes and so to stirre vp your good hearts more to the worthy estimation and preception of this holy mystery When a louing friend giueth to thée a thing or sendeth to thee a token as for an example a napkin or such like I thinke thou doest not as thou shouldest doe if that with the thing thou considerest not the mind of thy friēd that sendeth or giueth the thing and according thereunto estéemest and receiuest it And so of this bread thinke I that if thou doe not rather consider the minde of thy louer Christ then the thing which thou seest yea if thou do not altogether consider Christs mind thou dealest vnhonestly and Strumpetlike with him For it is the property of Strumpets to consider the things giuen and sent them rather then the loue and mind of the giuer and sender whereas the true louers doe not consider in any point the things giuen or sent but the minde of the party So we if we be true louers of Christ must not consider harely the outward thing which we sée and our senses perceiue but rather altogether wee must and should sée and consider the minde of Christ and hereafter and accordingly to it to esteeme the Sacrament But how shall we know the minde of Christ Surely as a mans minde is best knowne by his word so by Christs word shal we know his mind Now his words be manifest and most plaine This saith he is my body therefore accordingly should wee esteeme take and receiue it If hee had spoken nothing or if hee had spoken doubtfully then might wee haue been in some doubt But in that hee speaketh so plainly saying This is my body Who can may or dare bee so bolde as to doubt of it Hee is the trueth and cannot lye he is omnipotent and can do all things therefore it is his body This I beléeue this I confesse and pray you all heartily to beware of these and such like words that it is but a signe or figure of his body Except ye will discerne betwixt signes which signifie only and signes which also do represent confirme and seale vp or as a man may say giue with their signification As for an example An Iuy bush is a signe of Wine to be sold the budding of Aarons Rodde did signifie Aarons Priesthood allowed of the Lord the reseruation of Moses Rod did signifie the rebellion of the children of Israel the stones taken out of Iordan Gedeons fléece of woole c. Such as these be signes significatiue and shew no gift But in the other signs which some cal exhibitiue is there not only a signification of the thing but also a declaration of a gift is in a certaine manner a giuing also As Baptisme not onely signifieth the cleansing of the conscience from sinne by the merits of CHRISTS bloud but also is a very cleansing from sinne And therefore it was sayd to Paul that he should arise and wash away his sins and not that he should arise and take onely a signe of washing away his sinnes In the Lords Supper the bread is called a partaking of the Lords body and not only a bare signe of the Lords body This I speak not as though the elements of these Sacraments were Transsubstantiate which I haue already impugned eyther as though Christs body were in bread or wine or that they were tyed to the elements otherwise then Sacramentally and spiritually either that the bread and wine may not and must not be called Sacramentall and externall signes but that they might be discerned from significatiue and bare signes only and he taken for signes exhibitiue and representiue By this meanes a Christian conscience will call and estéeme the bread of the Lord as the body of Christ For it will neuer estéeme the Sacraments of Christ after their exterior apearance but after the words of Christ Whereof it commeth that the Fathers as Chrysostome and others doe speake with so ful a mouth when they speake of the Sacrament for their respect was to Christs words If the Schoole-men which followed had the
very Passion of Christ should be as present beholden with the eyes of Faith For which end Christ our Sauiour did specially institute this Supper saying Doe ye this in remembrance of mee or as Paul saith Shew you the Lords death till he come The Supper of the Lord then is not simply Christs body and blood but Christs body broken and his blood shedde Wherefore broken Wherefore shedde Forsooth that teacheth Christ himselfe saying Broken for you Shed for your sinnes and for the sins of many Here now then we haue occasion in the vse of the Sacrament to call to mind the greatnes and grieuousnesse of sinne which could not be taken away by any other meanes then by the shedding of the most precious bloud and breaking of the most pure body of the only begotten Sonne of GOD Iesus Christ by whome all things were made all things are ruled and gouerned c. Who considering this thing shall not be touched to repent Who in the receiuing of this Sacrament thinking that Christ saith to him Take eate this is my body which is broken for thee This is my blood which is shedde for thy sinnes can but tremble at the grieuousnesse of his sinnes for the which such a price was payd If there were no plague at all else to admonish man of sinne how grieuous a thing it is in Gods sight surely that one were enough But alas how are our hearts bewitched through Sathans subtilties and the custome of sinne that we make sinne a thing of nothing God open our eyes in time and giue vs repentance which wee sée this Sacrament doth as it were enforce vs vnto in the reuerence and true vse of the same Againe in hearing that this which we take and eate is Christs body broken for our sinnes and his bloud shed for our iniquities we are occasioned to call to mind the infinite greatnesse of GODS mercy and truth and of Christs loue towards vs. For what a mercie is this that God would for man beeing lost through his wilfull sinnes be content yea desirous to giue his owne onely Sonne The Image of his substance the brightnesse of his glorie being in his own bosome to be made man for vs that we men by him might be as it were made Gods What a mercie is this that God the Father should so tender vs that he would make this his Sonne being equall with him in diuinitie a mortall man for vs that wee might bee made immortall by him What a kindnesse is this that the Almighty Lord should send to vs his enemies his deare Darling to bee made poore that wee by him might bee made rich What bowels of compassion was this that the omnipotent Creator of Heauen and earth would deliuer his owne onely beloued Sonne for vs creatures to be not onely flesh of our flesh and bone of our bones that we might by him through the holy Ghost be made one with him and so with the Father by communicating the merits of his flesh that is righteousnesse holinesse innocencie and immortalitie but also to bee a slaine Sacrifice for our sinnes to satisfie his iustice to conuert or turne death into life our sinne into righteousnes hell into Heauen misery into felicitie for vs What a mercy is this that GOD will rayse vp this his Sonne CHRIST not onely to iustifie and regenerate vs but also in his person to demonstrate vnto vs our state which wee shall haue for in his comming we shall be like vnto him Oh wonderful mercy of God which would assume this his Christ euen in humane body into the heauens to taken and kéepe their possession for vs to leade our captiuitie captiue to appeare before him alwaies praying for vs to make the throne of Iustice a throne of mercy the seat of glory a seat of grace So that with boldnesse we may come and appeare before God to aske and finde grace in time conuenient Againe what a verity and constant trueth in God is this that he would according to his promise made first to Adam and so to Abraham and others in his time accomplish it by sending his sonne so graciously Who would doubt hereafter of anything that he hath promised And as for Christs loue oh whose heart can be able to thinke of it any thing as if deserueth He being God would become man He being rich would become poore He being Lord of all the world became a seruant to vs all hee being immortall would become mortall miserable and taste of all Gods curses yea euen of hell it selfe for vs. His bloud was nothing too deare his life nothing considered to bring vs from death to life But this his loue néedeth more heartie weighing then many words speaking and therefore I omit and leaue it to your considerations So that in the receiuing of this Supper as I would you would tremble at Gods wrath for sin so would I haue you to couple to that terror and feare true faith by which ye might be assuredly perswaded of Gods mercie towards you and Christs loue though all things else preached the contrary Do euery of you surely think when you heare these words Take eate this is my body broken for your sinnes Drinke this is my bloud shed for your sins That God the eternal Father embracing you Christ calleth clippeth you must louingly making himselfe one with you and you one with him and one with another amongst your selues You ought no lesse to be certaine now that God loueth you pardoneth your sinnes and that Christ is all yours then if you did heare and Angell out of heauen speaking so vnto you And therefore reioyce and be glad and make this Supper Eutharichiam a thankesgiuing as the Fathers named it Be no lesse certaine that Christ and you now are all one then you are certaine the bread and wine is one with your nature and substance after you haue eaten and drunke it Howbeit in this it differeth that you by faith are as it were changed into Christ and not Christ into you as the bread is for by faith he dwelleth in vs and we in him God giue vs faith in the vse of this Sacrament to receiue Christ as he giueth vs hands to receiue the element simbole and visible Sacrament God grant vs not to prepare our féeth and belly as Saint Augustine saith but rather of his mercy he prepare and giue vs true and liuely faith to vse this and all other his ordinances to his glory and our comforts He sweep the houses of our hearts and make them cleane that they may bee worthy Temples and lodgings for the Lord. Amen Wherefore the Sacrament was instituted Now let vs come and looke on the third and last thing namely wherefore the Lords did institute this Sacrament Our nature is very obliuious of GOD and of all his benefits And againe it is very full of dubitation and doubting of GODS loue and of his kindnesse Therefore to the end these two things might be something
reformed and holpen in vs the Lord hath instituted this Sacrament I meane that we might haue in memorie the principall benefite of all benefits that is Christs death and that we might be on all parts assured of Communinon with Christ of al kindenes the greatest that euer God did giue vnto man The former to be the end wherfore Christ did institute this Sacrament he himselfe doeth teach vs saying Doe ye this in remembrance of me The latter the Apostle doeth no lesse set forth in saying The bread which we breake is it not the partaking or Communion of the body of Christ Is not the Cuppe of blessiing which we blesse the partaking or Communion of the bloud of Christ So that it appeareth the end wherefore this Sacrament was instituted was and is for the reformation and helpe of our obliuion of that which we should neuer forget and of our dubitation of that whereof we ought to be most certaine Concerning the former namely of the memorie of Christs death what commoditie it bringeth with it I will purposely for times sake omit Onely a little will I speake of the commodities comming vnto vs by the partakeing CommunioÌ„ we haue with Christ First it teacheth vs that no man can communicate with Christ but the same must néeds communicate with Gods grace and fauor where-through sinnes are forgiuen Therefore this commodity commeth here-through namely that we should be certaine of the remission and pardon of our sinnes The which thing wee may also perceiue by the Cup in that it is called the Cuppe of the new Testament to which Testament is properly attributed on Gods behalfe obliuion or remission of our sinnes First I say therefore the Supper is instituted to this end that hee which worthily receiueth should bee certaine of the remission and pardon of his sinnes and iniquities how many and great soeuer they be How great a benefit this is only they know which haue felt the burthen of sinne which of all heauy things is the most heauy Againe no man can communicate with Christs body and bloud but the same must communicate with his spirit for Christs body is no dead carkasse Now he that communicateth with Christs Spirit coÌ„municateth as with holines righteousnes innocency and immortality and with all the merits of Christs body so doth hee with God and all his glory and with the Church and all the good that euer it or any member of it had hath or shall haue Note though I apply this thus yet I would not that any man should think that Communionem sanctorum in the Creed is not set forth there for the better explication of that which preceedeth it namely what the holy Catholique Church is This is The communion of Saints which we beleeue in our Creede which hath wayting on it Remission of sinnes Resurrection of the flesh and life euerlasting To the end that we should be most assured certain of al these Christ our Sauiour did institute this his Supper and therefore would haue vs to vse it So that there is no man I thinke which seeeth not great cause of giuing thanks to God for this holy Sacrament of the Lord whereby if we worthily receiue it wee ought to bee certaine that all our sinnes whatsoeuer they bee are pardoned cleerely that we are regenerate and borne againe into a liuely hope into an inheritance immortall vndefiled and which can neuer wither away that wee are in the fellowship of God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost that we are Gods Temples at one with God and GOD at one with vs that wee are members of CHRISTS Church and fellowes with the Saints in all felicitie that wee are certaine of immortalitie in soule and body and so of eternall life then which thing what can bee more demanded CHRIST is ours and wee are Christs hee dwelleth in vs and we in him Oh happy eyes that see these thinges And most happy hearts that féele them My deare brethren let vs pray vnto the Lord to open our eyes to see these wonderfull things to giue vs faith to feele them Surely wee ought no lesse to be assured of them now in the worthy receiuing of this Sacrament then wee are assured of the exteriour symboles and Sacraments If an Angel from Heauen should come and tel you these things then would you reioyce and be glad And my deare hearts in the Lord I euen now though most vnworthy am sent of the Lord to tel you no lesse but that you worthily receiuing this Sacrament shall receiue remission of all your sinnes or rather certaintie that they are remitted and that you are euen now Gods Dearlings Temples and fellow inheritors of all the good that euer hee hath Wherefore sée that you giue thankes vnto the Lord for this his great goodnesse and prayse his Name for euer An obiection of vnworthy receiuing Oh saith one I could be glad in very deed and giue thanks from my very heart if that I did worthily receiue this Sacrament But alas I am a very grieuous sinner and I féele in my selfe very little repentance and faith and therefore I am afeard that I am vnworthy The answere To the answering of this obiection I think it necessary to speak something of the worthy receiuing of this Sacrament in as great breuitie and plainenesse as I can The Apostle willeth all men to proue and examine themselues before they eate of the Bread and drinke of the Cup for they that eate and drinke vnworthily eate and drinke their owne damnation Therefore this probation and examination is necessary If men will try their Gold and Siluer whether they bee Copper or no is it not more necessary that men should trie their consciences Now how this should bée the Papists teach amisse in sending vs to their auricular Confession which is impossible The true probation and tryall of a Christ an conscience consisteth altogether in Faith and Repentance Faith hath respect to the Doctrine and Articles of our Beliefe Repentance hath respect to manners and conuersation Concerning the former I meane of Faith wee may see the Apostle teacheth vs 2. Corinthians 11. Concerning the latter for our conuersation those sinnes which are commonly called mortal or deadly are to be remoued These sins are discerned from other sins by the Apostle Rom. 6. in saying Let not sinne raigne and beare sway in your mortall bodies For truely theâ— we sinne deadly when wee giue ouer to sinne and let it haue the bridle of his libertie when wee striue not against it but allow it and consent to it Howbeit if wee striue against it if it displease vs then truly thogh sinne be in vs for wee ought to obey God without all resistance or vnwillingnesse yet our sins be not of those sinnes which separate vs from God but for Christs sake shall not be imputed vnto vs beléeuing Therefore my dearely beloued if that your sinnes doe now displease you if you purpose vnfainedly to bee enemies to sinne in your selues and in others as you may during your whole life if you hope in Christ for pardon if you beleeue according to the holy Scriptures and Articles of the Christian Faith set forth in your Creede if I say you now trust in Gods merey through Christs merits if you repent and earnestly purpose before God to amend your life and to giue ouer your selues to serue the Lord in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of your life although before this present you haue most grieuously sinned I publish vnto you that you are worthy ghests for this Table you shall be welcome to Christ your sinnes shall be pardoned you shall be endued with his Spirit and so with Communion with him and the Father the whole Church of God Christ will dwell in you and you shall dwell in him for euermore Wherefore behaue your selues accordingly with ioyfulnes thanksgiuing Doe you now appeare before the Lord make cleane your houses and open the doores of your hearts by repentance and faith that the Lord of Hostes the King of glory may enter in and for euer hereafter beware of all such things as might displease the eyes of his Maiestie Flie from sinne as from a Loade come away from Popery and all Antichristian Religion be diligent in your vocations be diligent earnest in Prayer hearken to the voyce of God in his Word with reuerence liue worthy your profession Let your light in your life so shine that men may sée your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heauen As you haue beene darkenesse and followed the works of darknesse so now henceforth bee light in the Lord and haue societie with the works of light Now hath God renewed his couenant with you in Gods sight now are you as cleane and healed from all your sores of sinnes Goe your waies sinne no more lest a worse thing happen vnto you Sée that your houses béeing new swept bée furnished with godlinesse and vertue and beware of idlenesse lest the Deuill come with seuen spirits worse then himselfe and to take his lodging and then your latter end will be worse then the first God our Father for the tender mercie and merits of his Sonne bée mercifull vnto vs forgiue vs all our sinnes and giue vs his holy Spirit to purge cleanse and sanctifie vs that wee may bée holy in his sight through CHRIST and that we now may bee made ready and worthy to receiue this holy Sacrament with the fruits of the same to the full reioycing and strength 〈◊〉 of our hearts in the LORD 〈…〉 to whom bée all honour and glory world without end Amen To GOD be all Praâ—â—â— FINIS