is neuer lawfull If that which sometime is lawfull cannot excuse thy delaying to come vnto Christ when he cals vpon thee what mockery of God is it to alleadge that which neuer is lawfull And here also beside the offence done against thy God consider what preiudice thou dost vnto thy selfe what folly is this that because thy neighbour hath sinned against thee thou wilt also sinne against thine owne soule I suppose as thou hast said hee hath wounded thee and hurt thee in thy body goods or name is that a reason why thou shouldest contemne the calling of Christ who offers to cure thy wounds and heale al the infirmities of thy soule yea to pacifie all those passions and perturbations of minde wherewith thy impatience disquiets thee hee forewarned his owne that in the world they should finde trouble but in him they should haue peace If thou finde as he forespake trouble in the world why wilt thou not go and seeke that peace in him which hee hath promised As to thy right I require not thou shouldest loose it neyther yet forbid I that by ordinary meanes thou shouldest seeke a redresse of those wrongs which against order are done vnto thee for the law is the stay of confusion and the Sinew of the Common-wealth without which no fellowship can be entertained amongst men and God hath appointed the Magistrate that vnto good men hee should be like the raine to fields new mowen vnder whom they may flourish but should bee to the wicked like that Westerly winde which draue those Locusts into the red Sea that troubled the Land but as for grudge rancour hatred malice and such like what haue they to doe in the hart of the childe of God Since we are commanded to forgiue on another euen as god for Christs sake forgaue vs and plainely foretold that if we doe not forgiue men their trespasses no more will our Father forgiue vs our trespasses A fearefull recompence that wee should possesse our owne sinnes because wee will not forgiue the sinnes of others Certainely thou that dost so giuest out a hard sentence against thy selfe for in stead of mercy thou cryest for iudgement as oft as thou prayest forgiue me my sins as I forgiue them that haue sinned against me for that is Lord forgiue me not at all It was a horrible sin of the Iewes that they preferred Barrabas a wicked malefactor to the Lord but I pray thee consider how nere thy sin drawes to theirs if thou iudge rightly of it for when thou refusest to come to this holy table vnlesse thou haue amends of such wrongs as are done vnto thee thou saist in effect rather then I le renounce my will I will renounce my part of Christ and communion with him for heere is the verie question whether wilt thou forsake thy communion with Christ or thine owne corrupted will say not now to me these are hard speches God forbid that euerie one who is no partaker of this sacrament should in so doing forfeit his part of communion with Christ. I grant indeede they are hard speeches but true speeches and no harder then thy sin deserueth for I pray thee to what end did our Sauiour institute this Sacrament was it not that in it he might communicate himself to thee how canst thou then excuse thy selfe say thou hast â—…ot reiected him seeing thou reiects the means whereby hee is giuen to thee When Eliezer the seruant of Abraham sought Rebecca in marriage vnto Isaac what way did she testifie her consent surely not onely by word but by acceptation of those iewels of siluer and gold which he gaue her as loue tokens in the name of Isaac Now wee are sent forth to you as the Ambassadors of the liuing God to win you in mariage vnto his sonne and to prepare you that yee may bee presented a Chast spouse vnto him and wee are commaunded to minister vnto you this holy Sacrament as a pledge of his loue towards you If yee agree to the marriage and be content to forsake your fathers house and goe with vs to the house of Abraham then testifie your consent by receiuing these holy tokens of his loue which in his name wee exhibit vnto you but if yee will not then shall we stand vp as witnesses against you that wee haue called you and yee refused to come O man what wilt thou doe for thy Christ that wilt not come and banquet with him at his Table how canst thou say thou louest him when so small an impediment keepes thee back from going vnto him hast thou not cause to hang downe thy head for shame when thou art conuinced to haue lesse loue to thy Sauiour then Esau had to Iacobs pottage for loue of them he sould his birth right which he should haue kept but thou for loue of Christ wilt not forsake thy corrupt will which thou art bound to abandon Abraham for the loue of God was content with his own hands to slay his onely lawfull Sonne and thou for the loue of God wilt not slay thy vnlawfull bastard affections nor doe the holy will of God except thy wicked will be first fulfilled This euidently proues that thou hast not Abraham for thy father but art of the race of wicked Cain that hated his Brother vnto the death Assuredly except thou repent that merciles iudgement bides thee presignified in that mercilesse seruant who hauing gotten mercie from his King could shew none to his Companion Oughtest not thou to haue had pittie on thy fellow aâ—… I had pittie on thee Thy former sinnes shall bee imputed vnto thee and thou shalt be deliuered to the Iaylor till thou pay all that is due vnto thy Lord which thou shalt neuer be able to doe But that the pittifull ignorance of both these sorts of Recusants may the better appeare and farther light may arise to such as are willing to communicate wee are to consider what a banquet this is and what are the delicates vnto the participation whereof wee are here called The Apostle saith not let a man eate bread and drinke wine but let him eate of this bread and drinke of this Cup. The particle This tels vs it is no common Bread and Wine no surely the comfort is great that wee are commaunded to eate of that Bread whereof our Sauiour saith This is my body and to drinke of that Cup which he cals his Bloud of the New Testament shed for the remission of the sins of many Hee that eates of my bread and drinks of my Cup vnworthely becomes guiltie of the abuse of Gods Creatures but hee that eates of this Bread and drinkes of this Cup vnworthily becomes guiltie of the Body and Bloud of the Lord and eates his owne damnation because he discerneth not the Lords body And therefore that wee fall not into this fearefull sinne wee are to know that this Sacrament is not a simple thing but a
compound wherein are things of sundry kindes which must be distinguished and so the word of discerning imports that secret There are here things of sundry sorts wee must discerne euery thing in the owne kind so our Sauiour taught vs and after him his Apostles and this truth the auncient Fathers haue deliuered vnto vs Eucharistia said Irenaeus ex duabus rebus constat terrena coelesti The Eucharist consists of two kind of things the one earthly the other heauenly And Augustine calleth it visibile signum inuisibilis graciae the visible signe of invisible grace And Macarius calleth this Bread and Wine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Examplaria figurae seu Typi carnis sanguinis Christi Resemblances figures and Types of the Body and Bloud of Christ Iesus Now it is sure that a Type Patterne or figure must euer bee distinguished from that whereof it is a figure This Sacrament then being a compound thing must be considered not as a simple but as a compound thing If it bee asked whether a man be earthly or heauenly because hee is a compound creature It must bee answered by a distinction If it be asked how a Christian being on the earth the Apostle saith that hee hath his Conuersation in the Heauens it must be answered by a distinction and if also it be asked whether this Sacrament bee an earthly or an heauenly thing how the signe is giuen and how the thing signified how Christ Iesus is in heauen and yet present in the Sacrament All these I say must be answered by distinction Sursum est Dominus said Augustine sed etiam hic est veritas Dominus corpus enim Domini in quo resurrexit vno loco esse potest veritas eius vbique diffula est Our Lord is aboue in heauen yet here also is our Lord as hee is the truth for the body of our Lord in which hee arose from death can bee but in one place but his truth is diffused into euery place And againe Ibat per id quod homo erat manebat per id quod Deus ibat per id quod vno loco erat manebat per id quod vbique erat Hee went hence by that which was man he stayed by that which was God hee went away by that which was but in one place hee stayed by that which was in all places And againe Ascendit super omnes coelos corpore non recessit maiestate He ascended aboue all the heauens in his body but hee departed not hence in his Maiestie And Cyrill in like manner Non enim quia nunc non adest in carne ex eo putes quod spiritu medio hic non adsit Thinke not that with his spirit he is not here amongst vs because hee is not now amongst vs with his bodie Thus yee see we must vse a distinction And yet albeit we are forced here to acknowledge the sundrie natures of things compound and consider them in their owne kinds wee must for all that take heed to the wonderfull vnion and Sacramentall coniunction that is betweene them which is so strait that vnto the receiuer they are inseparable for the which also the earthly thing receyues the name of the heauenly And this must also be considered least on the other hand separating those things which God hath conioyned we make this Bread and this Wine but naked and bare signes and so iustly incur that blame which our aduersaries vniustly would lay vpon vs and in like manner this punishment which here the Lord threatens against them who are euill discerners CHAP. III. Three rules to be obserued in the right descerning the Lords bodie First that euerie thing in this sacrament be taken in his owne kinde Who failes in this and how Secondly that this sacrament bee vsed according to Christs institution How the Papists faile in this Thirdly that this sacrament bee vsed to right ends and those ends set downe The conclusion of the first part of the precept VVE are therfore to consider that for the right discerning of the Lord body these three rules are to bee obserued first that in this sacrament we take vp euerie thing in the owne nature and kinde Next that we vse euery one of them in the manner appointed by Christ and with that reuerence that is due vnto them And thirdly that this Sacrament be celebrated vnto the right ends for which our Sauiour appointed it Against the first failes both Papists and bastard professors Papists are euill discerners because they take the signe for the thing signified the earthly thing for the heauenly The men of Lystra were euill discerners when they tooke Paul and Barnabas for Iupiter and Mercurius Gods in their account and therfore would haue worshipped them as Gods but in this light farre blinder are they who will adore a creature insteade of the creator and that with the same kinde of worship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which by their owne confession is due to God onely They alleadge for their error the word of truth Iesus Christ speaking say they of the bread called it his body wee say in like manner that this bread is Christs bodie but sacramentally bâ—…t deny that the bread is transubstantiate into the verie naturall bodie of Christ as they against the principles of faith and nature falsely affirme It is strange to see what backward peruerse handlers of holy scripture these men bee where they should sticke to the letter they inforce an allegorie to serue their purpose What plainer Historie then that which Moses hath God made two great lights the greater to rule the day the lesser to rule the night yet is this place violently wrested when out of it they will gather that the Papall dignitie which as they say God hath appointed to rule ouer the spiritualtie is gâ—…eater then the regall and that the Pope by as many degrees excelleth the Emperour as the Sunne excells the Moone And againe where the Spirit of God vseth a figure there they sticke to the Letter These words according to the Letter Mandant flagitium commaund an impietie And therefore by Augustines rule should be esteemed figuratiue Si praeceptiua loquutio est aut flagitium aut facinus vetans aut vtilitatem beneficentiam iubens non est figurata loquutio si autem flagitiuÌ„ vel facinus videtur iubere aut vtilitateÌ„ aut beneficentiam vetare figurata loquutio est nisi manducaueritis inquit Christus carnem â—…ilij hominis facinus iubere videtur figura est ergo praecipiens passioni domini esse communicandum suauiter vtiliter recondenduÌ„ in memoria quod pro nobis caro eius crucifixa sit If a speech of precept either foâ—…bid some sinne or heynous deede or else commaund a profitable or a good deed then it is no figuratiue speech but if it seeme to commaund a sin or heynous deede or forbid a profitable and honest action then it is
our possession they shall be found but comfortles comforts in the end vnlesse we enjoy his fauour towards vs in Iesus Christ. CHAP. XXI Faith obtaines euery good thing that iâ—… craues Verse 27. Then hee said VPon this earnest desire of Iacob the Lord resolues that hee will blesse him we haue a promise of God Aske and it shall be giuen you we haue also manifold confirmations of this promise Zedekiah spoke it in a slattering manner to his Princes Ye know that the King can denie you nothing but it is most true in the Lord our God such is his louing affection towards all his subiects of the kingdome of grace that in very deed he can deny nothing which they ask in faith As to the wicked saith S. Iames they ask get not because they ask not in faith nor for the right end It is written of Uitellius the Emperour that one of his friends being denied his petition which was not rea sonable waxed angry and said vnto him what auailes to me thy friendship seeing I cannot obtaine that vvhich I craue vvho replyes vnto him what auailes to mee thy friendship if for thee I must do that which is vnlawful If such equitie hath beene found in man vvhat shall vve think of our God with vvhat face dare wee seeke that from God vvhich is vnlawfull to bee giuen But whatsoeuer vve aske of the Lord in faith we are sure to obtaine it or a better So rare a jewell is faith that hee vvho hath it hath all things to bee his God for his Father Iesus Christ for his Sauiour the holy Ghost for his Comforteâ—… the Angels for his ministâ—…ing Spirits this world for a sojourning place all the good creatures therein for his Seruants and the heauen for his inheritance therfore said Cyril Lata merâ—…atura est sides Before the Lord blesse him he asks Iacob what his name vvas hee answered My name is Iacob to vvhom the Lord sayes Thou shalt no more bee called Iacob onely but shalt be called Israell also I giue thee now a new name and this blessing that thou hast had power with God so hereafter shalt thou preuaile with men feare not therefore the face of thy Brother Esau. Hee that gaue thee strength in this vvrestling shall sustaine thee also in all thy conflicts with men Thus the Lord will haue Iacob vse the present experience of Gods mercy at this time as a confirmation of him in all time to come Iacob then as yee see hath two names and both of them he gets from wrestling Hee wrestled once vvith his brother Esau in the wombe of his mother and from it he receiued the name Iacob because he held his brother by the heele Now againe hee wrestleth with the Lord and from it he receiueth this other name Israel a prince of God As it was with Iacob so it is with all the true Israelits of God wrestling abides them and in wrestling they must bee exercised sometimes vvith God as Israell sometime with man as Iacob with Esau and Paul with beasts at Ephesus No man is crowned before he striue the husbandman must labour before he receiue the fruit and wee by many tribulations must enter into the kingdom of God Againe yee see that as the Lord bestoweth vpon Iacob a new name so therewithall hee bestoweth vpon him new graces increase of faith and spirituall strength to resist tentations It is not the Lords manner of dealing to set out his seruants with vaine glorious titles which imports nothing when hee giues them a new name he giueth also new graces answerable to the name by his vvord he cals things to be which vvere not Soli Deo idem facere quod loqui for vnto God it is one to speake and to doe And hee giues names to things according as they are Somtime he changeth a name from the better to the vvorse as the place once called Bethel the house of God the Lord called it Bethauen the house of vanitie and this the Lord doth not but where a change is indeed from good vnto euill Sometime againe hee changeth the name from the worse to the better Where it was said vnto you Yee are not my people it shall be said yee are the sons of the liuing God and this he doth not but vvhere a change is indeede of the persons who gets the name from euill vnto good And this is a rule whereby we may try our selues vvhether the new name that appertaineth to Christians be ginen vnto vs of the Lord or not or if vvee haue vsurped it our selues If the Lord haue changed thy name as he did Iacobs name let it appeare in this that he hath also changed thy selfe Hath he giuen thee that grace which the name imports Hast thou receiued an oyntment from that holy One Hath he illuminated thy darknes quickned thy dead heart sanctified thy vnclean affections Then maist thou be sure that thou hast receiued thy name from God but if yet we be such as remain in our naturall estate liuing in our old sinnes vnder the new name of a Christian as now the most profane men haue gotten on the couering of a Christian name Esau doth put on him the apparrell of Iacob thou that so dost maist bee sure the Lord neuer gaue vnto thee this new name but thou hast violently vsurped it vnto thy selfe It shall be no more auaileable to thee then was the garment of good king Iehosophat vnto wicked Achab yea it shall augment so much the more the wrath of God vpon thee because that vnder an holy name thou hast liued an vnholy life Beltasar sinned against God by excesse and intemperancie but that hee abused the holy vessels of the house of God to serue him to prophane drinking was a double sinne a horrible sacriledge yet not so horrible as thine Hee abused dead Vessels but thou profanest a liuing soule body they are not thine owne they were once made by the Lord and bought againe by the price of his bloud and so by all right are the Lords by Baptisme they were separate to the seruice of God and his mark put vpon them Notwithstanding all this thou darest sacrilegiously abuse them and make them weapons of vnrighteousnesse to the seruice of Sathan O miserable man what fearefull judgement maist thou looke for at the hands of God The wrath of God is reuealed against all vngodlinesse and vnrighteousnesse of man Tribulation and anguish shall be vpon the soule of euery man that doth euill euery man shall receiue according to that which hee hath done in the body Turkes and Pagans shall not escape vnpunisht but thou that abusest thy soule and body to the seruice of Sathan which by Baptisme wert separate consecrate to the Lord committest a double sacriledge and therefore must looke for a double judgement except in time thou repent CHAP. XXII It is the curse of the wicked to pray
death to follow his Lo◅d yea most desirous to be dissolued by death in so much as hee knew it to be a meane to conioyne him neerer vnto Christ. And herein he stands vp to witnesse vnto vs that vnlesse wee haue a most feruent desire to participate of this holy Sacrament which the Lord hath instituted to seale vp and increase our spirituall Communion with him wee are manifestly conuinced to be such as in whom their is no loue of the Lord Iesus If we will not goe with him to eate and drinck in his Parlour at Ierusalem it is not likely that we will follow him out of the Cittie bearing his reproach to bee crucified with him on mount Caluarie The Apostle is desirous to goe through death that hee might come to Christ and it was the notable word of that auncient Ignatius the scholler of Christs best beloued Disciple Saint Iohn Nihil visibilium moror nihil inuisibilium modo Christum acquiram I stand said hee vpon nothing visible nor inuisible I care not what torments come vpon me so that I enioy Christ Iesus and will not wee then casting away all impediments come ioyfully forward to this holy Table wherein our blessed Sauiour communicates himselfe vnto vs and wherevnto this day so louingly he inuites vs Now hee standes at the doore and he knocks offering to come in suppe with them who will open vnto him Now the maister shall say to his Disciples Take re and eate this is my bodie Now saies the bridegroome to his friends Eate O my friends and make you merrie my welb◅loued Now doth the Angel intimate that proclamation which hereafter will be resounded with greater ioy from heauen Let vs be glad and reioyce for the marriage of the Lambe is come And now the Sauiour calles vpon sinners with outstretched armes Come to me all ye who are wearie and laden and I will refresh you Those diseased creatures who lay at the poole of Bethesda wayted diligently on the occasion when they should step downe into the water for he that first stepped in after the Angell had troubled the water was made whole whatsoeuer his disease was Praysed be God though we haue not now those waters of Siloam wherein with that blind man wee may cure our bodily diseases wee haue the waters of that Shiloh of the which whosoeuer drinks shall not thirst any more these are the waters of life that are able to cure all our spirituall infirmities the benefit is not restrained to one that first sits downe at his Table but is extended to all those who make themselues readie to come vnto him Let vs not therefore neglect so faire an occasion of grace but let vs vp arise let the Bride make her selfe readie and go foorth to meete the Bride-groome Let vs begin in this wildernes to eate the fruits of our promised Canaan which is aboue Let vs open to the King of glory that knocks let vs go to our sauiour that cries come and ioyfully communicate with our Lord who commaunds Take and eate this is my body For here is giuen the greatest gift and that in the most excellent manner that God hath to giue on earth vnto the sonnes of men for here he giueth it as it were with both his hands that is not onely by his word but also by his Sacrament onely take heede to this warning let a man trie himselfe and so let him eate There is danger in hearing of the word and therefore our Sauiour forewarnes vs Take heede how you heare Ther is danger also in communicating in the preceeding verse the Apostle forewarned vs of it He that eates of this bread and drinks of this cup of the Lord vnworthely is guiltie of the bodie and blood of the Lord. In the subsequent verse hee forewarnes vs also of the danger He that eates and drinkes vnworthely eateth and drinketh his owne damnation And in this interiected verse which now by the grace of God wee haue to handle hee sheweth vs the way how to eschew them both and therefore let vs harken the more attentiuely vnto it This precept hath two parts in the first we are commaunded to try before we eate in the second wee are commaunded to eate af◅er triall Before we communicate he requires triall and after triall hee commands to communicate and so he encounters with two sorts of men whereof the one eates of this bread and tryes not and these faile against the first the other tries themselues but eates not of this bread and these faile against the second both of them are here corrected by the Apostles precept In handling whereof we begin first at the last part that such as are resolued to bide away if it please God may bee made willing to come and then by God his grace we shall return to the first that such as are willing to come may bee instructed how they should communicate And so let him eate It is not then as ye may perceiue left free vnto men to communicate or abstaine from the Communion as they please but we are bound by a commaundement to eate and drinke at this Table Doe this said our Sauiour in remembrance of mee Our first father Adam failed in eating of that tree of knowledge of good and euill whereof God forbade him to eate but many of his sonnes failes in refusing to eate of that tree of life whereof God commaunds them to eate In their words they condemne the fact of their fathers because they were Sicut omniū parentes ita omniū peremptores prius peremptores quam parentes perishers of their posteritie ◅re euer they were parents and in their deede they are dayly imitators of their folly It was a punishment vnto Adam to be debarred from the tree of life and it is but a pastime to many of his foolish posteritie to debarre themselues from it Thus stands the corrupt nature of man still in contrarie termes with the Lord And the children fulfilles the measure of their fathers iniquitie where God forbids man to eate there will he eate and where the Lord commaunds him to eate there will he not eate The Serpent spake from the earth albeit ye eate of that tree which God hath forbidden yee shall not dye and man hearkened vnto it The Lord Iesus speakes from heauen come and eate of the tree of life and yee shall liue but man will not heare him O silly and fearefull Rebellion the Seducer is beleeued and the Sauiour is not beleeued This day wisdome hath prepared his Table hee cals vpon you all Come and eate of my meate and drinke of the wine that I haue drawne hee that find eth me findeth life and shall obtaine the fauour of the Lord but hee that sinneth against mee hurteth his owne soule and all that hate mee loue death Thus are wee louingly called and fairely forewarned and all those are made
a figuratiue speech vnlesse thou â—…ate of the flesh of the son of Man saith Christ here hee seemes to commaund a hainous action and therfore it is a figure commanding vs to communicate with Christs passion and sweetly and profitably to lay this vp in our memorie that his â—…lesh was crucified for vs. And after this maner also the perpetual phrase of the holy spirit doth teach vs to interpret them when he cals circumcision the couenant the Lambe the Passeoueâ—… Baptisme the Lauer of regeneâ—…ation the Wine the cup of the new Testament In all these they are forced to acknowledge a figure Onely here This is my bodie they will ad here to the letter The learned and godly fathers haue with vs also acknowledged this for a Sacramentall speech so Tertul. Expounds Hoc est corpus meum id est â—…igura corporis mei This is my bodie that is the figure of my body And againe Dominus pane corpus suum repraesentat God represents or resembles his body by bread And Augustine said in like maner Non dubitauit dicere hoc est corpus meum cum signum daret corporis sui He doubted not to say This is my body when he gaue onely a signe of his bodie And againe Iudam adhibuit ad conuiuium in quo corporis sanguinis sui figuraÌ„ commendâ—…uit discipulis Christ admitted Iudas to his supper in which he commended to his disciples the figure of his body and blood As Iesus Christ is called a stone and called bread so is this bread called his bodie and that saies Bernard is per significationem non proprietatem by signification not that properly it is so And as for carnall professors they are also euill discerneâ—…s because they esteeme lesse of this Bread and Wine then they ought putting no difference betweene it and common bread and wine whereas it is not so indeed for in all the world there is not the like of This bread and this wine except in the like action it is changed by the ordinance of Christ and vertue of his institution not changed in the substance but in the vse and end Panis enim terrenus percipiens vocationem Dei iam non communis panis est sed Eucharistia for that earthly receiuing Gods appointment is now no common bread but the Eucharist The Lord who calleth things that are not and maketh them to bee doth here appoint this bread and this wine to a farre more excellent vse then that whereunto they serue by nature As wax stamped with the seale of a King in substance differs not from other wax and yet for value is much more excellent and may not be vnreuerently handled with out contempt of the king so this bread though in substance it differ not from other bread yet concerning the vse it is seperate and much more precious then any other Bread in the world being now appointed by God to bee a signe and a seale an exhibiting instrument of Christ his bodie and therefore cannot bee profaned nor abused without contempt of Christ Iâ—…sus Against the second condition required in the right discerning of the Lords body Papists faile in like manner because they peruert Christs institution and vse not this sacrament as hee com maunded for seeing our Sauiour is the ordayner of this Sacrament saies Cyprian â—…tique id nos facere oportet quod Christus fecit et quod faciendum mandauit Of truth wee ought to doe thaâ—… which Christ did and which he commanded vs to do And Ambrose writing vpon this same place saith plainly Indignum est domino misterium hoc aliter celebrare quam ab eo traditum est Iâ—… is an indignity to our Lord to celebrate this mystery otherwise then hee deliuered it Christ ordained it a sacrament for the communication of himselfe to the faithfull at the Table they haue turned it inâ—…o a sacrifice for the oblation of Christ to his Father on an alter Iesus brake the bread and gaue it but they if they break the bread they giue it not and if they giue it they breake it not In their daily Masse the Priest breâ—…kes the bread he abuses the words of Christ secretly whispering them accipite comedite he bids others take eat but giues them nothing when he giues he stops it whole in the mouthes of the people and breakes it not Thus most sacrilegiously they alter our sauiour his sacred institution as though of purpose they had concluded to bee contrary to him Besides this they withdraw fâ—…om the people the vse of the cup and so mutilate the holy sacrament a horrible sacriledge in like maner yet ratified by the decree of that haereticall Councell of Trent Si quis dixeret ex dei praecepto vel de necessitate salutis esse omnes et singulos Christi fideles vtramque speciem Eucharistae sumere debere Anathema sit If any man auouch that it is by Gods commaundement or vpon necesâ—…itie of our Saluation that all Christs faithfull people should receiue the â—…ucharist vnder both kinds let him bee accursed To whom it contents vs at this time to oppose the decree of their owne Pope Gelasius Comperimus quod quidam sumpta tantummodo corporis sacri portione a calice sacraticruoris abstineant qui proculdubio quoniam nescio qua superstitione docentur astricti aut integra samenta percipiant aut ab integris arceantur quod diuisio vnius eiusdemque misterij sine grandi non sit sacrilegio Wee vnderstand that certaine receiuing onely the portion of Christs body abstaine from the cup of his sacred blood which men because vndoubtedly they are trained vp in some kinde of superstition let them bee inforced either to receiue the whole sacrament or to be restrayned from the whole because this diuiding of one and the same mysterie cannot bee without great Sacriledge In this 〈◊〉 â—…mong themselues which way I pray you shâ—…ll the poore people tuâ—…ne theâ—… The councell curses all them who â—…ffirme this Sacrament should be 〈◊〉 with bread and wine The Pope saâ—…es plainly it is supeâ—…stition and sacriledge to giue the one without the other and commands that eyther we abstaine from both or retaine both together If ye follow the counsell the Pope shal condemne you if you follow the Pope the Councell shal accurse you but curse as thâ—…y 〈◊〉 the Lord shal blesse them who in faith communicate at his holy Table according to his institution and the curse of God shal not faile to cleaue vnto them surer then the leprosie of Naaman to Gehesi yea their part shall bee taken out of the booke of life who dare presume to change the ordinance of God The Apostle hath deliuered vnto vs that which he receyued from the Lord how not onely hee tooke the bread blessed it and brake it and gaue it but that in like manner hee tooke the cup and gaue also to his Disâ—…iples What boldnesse
is it then to take fâ—…om the people that which Christ by his Apostles hath deliuered vnto them and thus while they boast of antiquitie they are found fathers of noueltie And against the third they faile who vse not this Sacrament to the right endes which aâ—…e especially two The first is the commemoration of Christs death and pâ—…ssion with thanksgiuing for the which also the Gâ—…ecians called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The second is the communication of Christ to them who are his And for this the Apostle calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The first I take out of our Sauiour his words doe this in remembrance of me And from the Apostle So oft as yee eate of this bread and drinke of this cup shew forth the Lords death till his comming againe And in very deed this holy Sacrament being vsed according to Christs institution is a liuely representation of Christ crucified while as the signes of his blessed body and bloud being sundred one of them from the other the one is broken the other poured out remeÌ„bring vs how his blessed body was broken with the Crowne of thornes the Scourge the Nayles the speare and his bloud shed for the remission of our sinnes which should worke in vs so oft as wee behold it an inward contrition and godly sorrow for our sins wherewith wee peirced and wounded our blessed Sauiour vnto the death And indeed if wee be of the number of those vpon whom God hath powred out the spirit of grace and compassion so often as wee looke vpon him whom we haue peirced as here in this Sacrament wee may see him crucified before our eyes as often shall wee â—…ament for this as one mourneth for his onely Son or is sorrowfull for his first borne but of this wee shall speak God willing hereafter Now here is also discouered the vanitie of that errour of concomitance wherewith the aduersaries would excuse their disâ—…embring of this holy Sacrament for say they by concomitance where the body of Christ is ther is his bloud and therefore the bread which is his body being giuen there is no neede to giue the cup. But as the Lord asked the King of Tyrus in dirision Art thou wiser then Daniel So may wee aske of them are yee wiser then Christ will yee amend his institution This assertion takes away one of the principall ends of this Sacrament to wit the Commemoration of Christs death and passion for to haue the bloud within the body is no declaration of a crucified man nor a shewing forth of the Lords death whereas our blessed Sauiour ordained them to be exhibited and receiued sundry that it might not only be preached to our eares but represented also to our eyes how his blessed body and bloud were sundred for our sinnes The second end for which this Sacrament was ordayned is that it might bee a meanes of the communication of Christ to all them vvho are his for the sealing vp of our spirituall vnion with him ideo enim sacrameÌ„tuÌ„ illud hominibus datur vt Caput in terris corpori coadunetur And this as I sayd I take out of the word of the Apostle This bread which we break is it not the coÌ„munion of the body of Christ And in this respect this holy bread and wine are not only signes representing Christ crucified nor seales confirming our faith in him but also effectuall instruments of exhibition wherby the holy spirit makes an inward applycation of Christ crucified to all that are his And herein stands our greatest comfort for if wee had no more to doe in the celebration of this holy sacrament but to remember Christs death and passion then certainely looking to it onely were sufficient to put vs in remembrance thereof but when wee heare and see that this bread which is his body it giuen vs and vve are commaunded to take and eate it vvhat shall wee thinck but that wee are called to this high mercy as to bee pertakers of Christ and all the benefits that flow from his death The Lord doth neyther deceiue vs with words to bid vs take vvhen hee giues nothing neither calleth hee vs onely to a communion of naked bread and wine farre be it from vs to thinck so basely of this holy Sacrament Certainely hee that with any measure of light and grace wil ponder these words of our Sauiour Take and eate this is my body Shall perceiue that there is here a reall and effectuall exhibition made of the Lord Iesus to the penitent and beleeuing receiuer And yet let no man thinke that albeit the breaking and giuing of the bread be the communication of Christs body that therefore the bread is transstubstantiate into his body or that euery one receiues the body of Christ who receiues the bread for there is great difference betweene communication and acceptation on the part of God In this Sacrament there is indeede a communication and exhibition of Christ but on the part of the vnbeleeuing receiuer it fayles for fault of acceptation because they haue no saith whereby to receiue him nor a purified heart wherein to lodge him It is therefore a vile errour also of the Papists who affiâ—…me that the wicked in this Sacrament eate Christ but to their damnation It is contrary to the Word of God reformed antiquitie For whosoeuer saith Christ eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath eternall life and I will raise him vp at the last day Sacramentum quibusdam ad vitam quibusdam ad exitium res vero ipsa cuius est sacramentuÌ„ omni homini ad vitam nulli ad exitium 〈◊〉 Qui non manet in Christo in quo non manet Christus proculdubio non manducat spiritualiter earnem nec bibit sanguineÌ„ eius licet visibiliter premat dentibus Sacramentum sanguinis et corporis eius The wicked who beleeue not may with Iudas eate Panera Domini non panem Dominum The bread of the Lord but not the bread which the Lord himselfe is to his worthy receiuer Of all this then it is euident that this banquet is most heauenly and excellent wherein as there is no lesse offered then Christ Iesus so no lesse is refused by them who refuse to communicate they proclaime by their deed if they continue in it that they haue No poâ—…tion in Dauid neyther inheritance in the Sonne of Ishai But now wee leaue them and returne to speake as wee promised of that tryall which they who mind to communicate are to take of themselues CHAP. IIII. The second part of the precept commands triall before we communicate The Lord wil not that this table be a snare to vs as was Absalom to Ammon Banquetters at this table should be holy persons LEt a man therefore try himselfe This Particle therefore is relatiue to that which went before since there is a daunger will he say and many eates and drinks vnworthily therefore
kinde Pelican that sendeth out his owne bloud to nourish his young and all this hath our Lord Iesus done not grudgingly but willingly prouoked hereunto by that feruent Loue hee bare to the glory of God his father and to our saluation Which shall yet appeare more euidently out of his owne comfortable saying to his Disciples I haue greatly desired to eate this Passeouer with you O word full of consolation sundry Passeouers had hee eaten before with them but hee protesteth this was his desired Passeouer See yee not here his vnquenchable Loue hee knew it was the last hee was to eate vpon the earth he knew he was to drink no more with them of the fruit of the Vine till it was fulfilled in his Fathers kingdome hee knew that the same night they would â—…ay him and that after Supper a bitter Cup of Passion was abiding for him yet his loue ouercame all these impediments and made him thinke long to eate of this Passeouer And which is much more before euer hee gaue himselfe to bee crucified for vs on the Crosse hee prouided this Sacrament as a meanes of the communication of himselfe vnto vs thereby assuring vs that his subsequent passion should not defraude vs but rather affoord vnto vs and make ready for vs that righteousnesse and life by Christ purchased on the Crosse and communicate in his holy Table to them who are his In the one hee was prepared and made ready as the onely foode of our soules to eternall life in the other hee is applyed Communicated and giuen vnto vs both of these necessarily behooued to bee done for the work of our Saluation Sicut enim ad potandum vinum venire nemo potest nisi botrus calcetur ante prematur sic nos sanguinem Christi bibere non potuimus nisi Christus prius fuisset calcatus pressus It was a great Loue which made our Sauiour content that his bloud should be shed out on the Crosse and so should bee made both a ransome and a conuenient foode for vs for the father sent him Quasi saccum plenum misericordia in passione conscindendum vt effundatur quod in eo latet pretium nostrum So is this also a new declaration of his loue that before his body was broken and his blood was shed hee first ordeyned the meanes whereby it should be communicated vnto vs. These and many more spirituall meditations should bee vnto vs as the breathings of the mouth of God to kindle in our soules that little sparke of the loue of God which alas for fault of entertainement is almost ouer gone and extinguished with the ashes of our corruption for seeing our Sauiour longed to eate with vs shall not we long to eate with him he greatly desired to giue himself to vs in this table and for vs on the crosse shall not we earnestly desire to receiue him hee knew it was the last he should eat vpon earth that after it heauy sufferings abode him wee know that our banqueting here is the banquet that shall be accomplished in heauen it is begun here it shall not end here Comfortable is that word of our Sauiour it shall be fulfilled in my kingdome and will not we then ioyfully begin this banquet shall we be so foolish as to wait vpon lying vanities and forsake our owne mercies shall we turne our back vpon the fountaine of liuing waters and digge to our selues Cisterns that can hold no water certainely our darknesse is grosser then the darknesse of Egipt and our hearts harder then the Adamant except this burning loue of the Lord Iesus rauish vpward our hearts after him The spouse in the Canticles professeth she was sicke of the loue of her glorious husband the Lord Iesus but alas wee are not touched with the like loue wee feele not the smell of his oyntments therefore with the rest of the Virgins we runne not after him Eliah touched Elisha with his Mantle and therwithall the Lord ioyned his inward calling and suddenly Elisha left his plough of Oxen and of a husbandman became Prophet Now the Lord cals vpon vs by his word and Sacrament let vs also pray that the Lord would shed abroad in our harts by his holy spirit the sence of that loue of God then should wee neglecting all things runne after the Lord seeking onely to inioy him The men of this world maruell to beehold the suddaine change of life which is made in the children of God by his effectuall calling they maruell to see them running so feruently after Christ seeking him by continuance in prayer by hearing of his word by participation of his Sacrament and that with such an insatiable desire that in this life they can neuer be satisfied with hearing reading praying and communicating but if the Lord should in like manner touch their harts and let them feele the power of an inward calling then would they marueile no more farre lesse disdaine yea they would make hast and ioyne themselues to the company of the godly And Saul also should become amongst the Prophets The woman who had liued before a licentious life would now change it with Mary Magdalene shee had beene a great sinner in the Cittie but became an example of Repentance to all the sinners in the Cittie shee prostrates no more her body to her carnall Louers but falles downe at the feete of Christ to craue his mercy in stead of her wanton lookes her eyes poure out teares and her beautifull hayre which before shee set out as a proclaimer of her Lust now shee pulleth downe to wash the feete of Christ. Thus all the former meanes of her sin shee maketh new witnesses of her repentance the man in like manner who had sate all his dayes with Mathew at the receipt of Custome that is who had liued in the sinfull trade of vnlawfull gaine would now in like manner forsake it but where the Lord by effectuall calling workes not in the heart an earnest loue of God no meruaile they lye still in the graue of their sins and rise not to walke after the Lord. We are therfore so much the more to vse all the ordinary means which may entertaine in vs that little sparke of the Loue of God till it grow vp vnto a great flame for the farther vnion and coniunction of our Soules with Iesus Christ and this for our disposition towards God As concerning our Christian disposition to our neighbour it is vsuall to the spirit of God to comprise it vnder Loue. Our Sauiour saith that loue is the Cognisance of his Disciples and the Apostle calleth it the band of perfection and fulfilling of the Law and no meruaile for Loue speaketh with the tongue of euery Vertue All the sundry precepts wee are commaunded to doe vnto our neighbour are summarily comprehended vnder this one Loue one another As this Sacrament sealeth vp the Communion of the