than about this time I would they did not witnesse the like again â—vs also whose breeding should remember vs of a better course and teach vs that Easter must be transitus sine reditu as in Christ so in Christians Whereupon it followeth that this meditation must make euery day to bee vnto vs an Easter day and if it bee to our soules it will hearten vs to hope well of our bodies also so that euery one of vs may boldly say with St. Bernard Declam de bonis deser Requiesee in spe caro misera My flesh fraile flesh bee still and rest in hope he that came for thy soule will come also for thee and he that reformed that will not forget thee for euer O Lord that art the life and resurrection illighten all our darkenesse that we sleep not in death of sin or for sin let vs all awake vnto righteousnesse and sin no more so shall wee in thy light see light and by the life of grace be brought vnto the life of glorie Which God grant for his Sonne Christ Iesus sake to whom with the Holy Ghost all honour glory might and maiesty be ascribed both now and euer Amen Awake thou that sleepest stand vp from the dead and Iesus Christ shall giue thee light A SERMON PREACHED IN THE CATHEDRALL Church of Wells on EASTER DAY MATTH 26. Vers 26 27 28. And as they were eating Iesus tooke bread and blessed it and brake it and gaue it to the Disciples and said Take eate this is my Bodie And he tooke the Cup and gaue it to them saying Drinke ye all of it For this is my bloud of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sinnes Supply out of LVKE 22.19 This doe in remembrance of mee And out of St. Paul 1. COR. 11.25 As often as you doe it you shew forth the Lords death till his comming againe OVR Sauiour Christ being ready to dye and by his death to redeeme his Church the whole Church that began in Adam and was to continue vntill the end of the World immediately before honoured a Sacrament of either Testament the Passeouer that was an annexe of the Old and the Eucharist that was to be the annexe of the New Testament Of the Passeouer St. Matthew speaketh in the words that goe before of the Eucharist in these that I haue read vnto you The Argument then of my Text is the Eucharist the originall thereof And of that fitting the present * The receiuing of the Communion occasion my purpose is to giue you a very plaine and a very short Exposition Wee may resolue then the Originall of the Eucharist into the Author and the Institution The Author is here called Iesus Touching the Institution we are to see 1. When and 2. How he did institute it When while they were eating How partly by practice and partly by precept In the practice wee are taught What Elements were chosen and What was done with them The Elements were two Bread and Wine Christ chose these He tooke Bread he tooke the Cup. In opening what was done with them the Euangelist informes vs of two workes first Iesus his worke and secondly the worke of his Disciples And eyther of their workes is double Iesus worke is first to consecrate and then to distribute the Elements In the Consecration we must see first How Christ did it and secondly Why. How he did it by blessing and thanksgiuing blessing of the Creature thanksgiuing to the Creatour Why that the Elements might be the bread the Body and the wine the Bloud of Christ so saith Iesus after Consecration of the bread this is my Body and of the wine this is my Bloud My is a markable word for it improues the Body and the Bloud in that they are his which is Iesus Secondly about this Body the Text instructeth vs in two other things first How it must be considered then Whereunto it was ordained Though they bee the body and bloud of Iesus Christ that is glorified in Heauen yet must they be considered as he was crucified on earth the body as it was broken vpon the Crosse and there giuen for the Church the bloud as it was shed and let out of his body on the Crosse The body and bloud so considered were ordained to establish a New Couenant therefore are they in the Text called the bloud of the New Testament this was the first end A second is to assure the Church of remission of sinnes the whole Church for the bloud is shed for many and the good that the many were to haue thereby is the remission of their sinnes Besides this first Act of thus consecrating the Elements Christ performes another Act he distributeth that which he consecrateth In the distribution wee haue two things first hee diuideth the Elements he brake the bread and the like is to bee conceiued by Analogie touching the wine for though not actually yet vertually he did diuide that in that he would haue euery one drinke but a part of the whole Hauing thus diuided he deliuereth the parcels of the bread and the wine to bee drunke by parts In this sense saith the Text he gaue the bread he gaue the cup he gaue both and both consecrated Besides this worke of Iesus we haue here a worke of his Disciples of the Disciples for none might doe the worke but they and all of them must doe it That which they must doe is they must take that which Christ giues and what they take they must eate and drink as it was consecrated Eate this which is my body drink this which is my bloud c. And they must eate and drinke it to the same end for which it was consecrated the doing of this is not arbitrary it is enioyned by the commandement of Christ Take Eate I haue shewed you Iesus his Practice which was the first mannerof instituting the Eucharist There is a second and that is by Precept that precept is here but implyed for the act being Sacramentall must continue so long as the Doctrine doth whereunto the Sacrament is annext the Sacrament of the New Testament vntill Christs comming againe for so long must the Gospell continue But the precept that is here onely implyed is in Saint Luke exprest and repeated by St. Paul with some exposition added to it The precept is Doe this in remembrance of mee which words require the Churches imitation and commemoration Imitation Doe this the Pastors the People both must performe their worke they must doe Secondly that which they must doe is this they must strictly obserue the patterne that is giuen in this place Besides their imitation here is enioyned them a commemoration what they doe they must doe in remembrance of Christ St. Paul openeth the phrase They must set forth the Lords death Finally whereas Christ did it now once and hee would haue them doe it againe wee may see a difference between Baptisme and the Eucharist this
is wanting to both in him The conscience of sinne doth deiect vs and the want of grace slack that zeale that should bee in vs repaire of cheerefulnesse in both cases is to bee sought in Christ Thus much wee are taught by the resemblance A third reason why wee hold the Sacrament to bee the body and blood of Christ is because the heauenly thing is conueyed vnto vs by the earthly the bread which wee breake is it not the communion of the body of Christ and the cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the communion of the the blood of Christ In a word the sacramentall vnion made by consecration serueth to make the sacrament fit for our participation t was so it is so in euery Sacrament of th◠old of the new Testament The addition of My to the body and bloud must not be neglected for it doth insinitely improue them when it tels vs whose they are For there is not an eminencie in the person that doth not reflect vpon this body and blood be it eminencie of dignitie or of efficacie The person is Iesus then it is the body and blood of the Sauiour of the world He is Christ then it is the body and blood of the Anointed of the Lord of the Prophet of the Priest of the King of the Church he is the Sonne of God the only begotten the dearely beloued Son how heauenly how precious must that body and blood bee which are his For our better valuation and greater consolation wee may carry My through all the attributes of this sacred person But let vs goe on The Elements of bread and wine were consecrated that they might be the body and blood of Christ But how are this body and blood to bee considered Surely not as Christ is glorified but as he was crucified for it is that body that was giuen as St. Paul speaketh was broken and the blood is that blood which was shed And so doth it best answer the sacrifices of the old Law and the Sacrament of the Passeouer And no maruell for the glory of Christ can little comfort vs except the crosse of Christ doe first proue that he hath merited it for vs. Christs merit is the pillar of Christian faith whereunto his birth is but an antecedent that hee might be able to merit and his glory a consequent witnessing that hee did merit We must therefore in the Sacrament haue an especiall eye to this And this will not onely secure our soules but settle our iudgements against the Sophistry of the Church of Rome who not distinguishing betweene Christ crucified and glorified or rather not building their conclusions answerable to this vndeniable Principle The Sacraments represent Christ crucified not glorified are driuen to coine so many new Articles 1 of reall presence corporall 2 of a metaphysicall Transubstantiation 3 of an ill applyed concomitancie All which easily vanish if we consider Christs purpose to represent himselfe in the Sacrament not as hee now is at the right hand of God but as he was vpon the Crosse Not but it is the same body and blood which is in glory but it must not be so considered as it is in glory Which will necessarily inforce vs to acknowledge that theynion betweene the thing earthly and heauenly can be no more than sacramentall and that respectiue also to what was done on earth not what is in heauen Was I say done formaliter on the Crosse but is effectiuè working in Heauen For that body which Christ sacrificed for vs he presents in Heauen to propitiate God towards vs not continuing the Act of sacrificing for that was actiua Passio or passiua Actio many others concurred thereunto besides himselfe as it is cleare in the Euangelists but perpetuating the effect of the sacrifice the Act was but once done and that only vpon the Crosse but the efficacie thereof continueth for euer though Christ sit at the right hand of God in Heauen as St. Paul proueth at large in the Epistle to the Hebrewes And this cutteth vp the very rootes from whence springeth the Masse and all Attendants thereupon The last thing which I noted in the consecration is Whereunto the Elements consecrated and by consecration made the body and blood of Christ the body as it was broken the blood as it was shed doe serue and What is intended by them Here are two excellent ends we must behold therein first the establishment of a new Couenant betweene God and vs. We need a new one that haue broken the old by our mutabilitie before the fall and since the fall through our great imbecilitie so that finding our selues vnfit for Hoc fac viues we must rest vpon Iustus fide suâ viuet It is our comfort that wee which cannot stand of our selues may subsist in Christ and though the Law be too hard for vs without the Gospel yet by the Gospel we haue a double good first it giueth strength to performe the Law and secondly because that will not reach home it assureth vs that our iudge is our father and contracts with vs in no other person Of this Couenant God speaketh in Ieremy cap. 31. and St. Paul openeth it in the Epistle to the Hebrewes Marke that the Couenant is annext to the blood and so it was in the Type the Attonement was ascribed thereunto because the burning of the Sacrifice did rather signifie a dedication of the person to God but the shedding of the blood did note the death and it was Christs death in vertue whereof God was pleased to bee attoned and to enter into a new Couenant The second end is the remission of sinnes the Sacrament is not onely vnto vs a pledge of a new Couenant and warrants Beleeue and thou shalt be saued But lest looking backe wee should be afflicted with the conscience of our sinne the Sacrament assureth vs that all shall be pardoned that is not that hath not been performed according to the Law Wee come then to the Lords Table not onely for meate but also for medicine not onely for gold but also for eye-salue this water of the Sanctuarie runneth into vs as into mare mortuum it maketh vs no lesse whole than fruitfull this is the true poole of Bethesda no sooner hath the Angell descended into it but whosoeuer entereth it may bee cured by it And so haue I opened the first Act of Iesus he consecrated the elements The second Act followeth What hee consecrated that hee distributeth In this Act there are two things the first is the diuiding of the elements the second is the bestowing of them The breaking may represent eyther the vsage of Christs body when it was sacrificing as in the old typicall Sacrifices the like also must be conceiued of the pouring out of the wine or else it may fit the Sacrifice for distribution as is vsed in a Sacrament Christ hath the fulnesse of grace but wee haue euery one but his proportion according to our capacity Euen
forward our spirituall Secondly our eating and drinking must not onely feed vpon Christs body and bloud but vpon them as the one was broken and the other was shed as they were the propitiatory Sacrifice And then thirdly wee must draw out of them and digest in our soules the two comfortable ends of the Sacrament that is first our assurance that wee are in the new Couenant secondly that our sinnes are pardoned If wee doe not take all these things in our eating and drinking we doe not take all that which is set before vs and offered vnto vs. And here we must marke a difference betweene our corporall and spirituall food Non ego mutabor in te sed tu mutaberis in me as St. Austin bringeth Christ speaking When we eate corporally our food is turned into vs but when we eate spiritually we must be turned into our foode we must be transformed into Christ First into his Grace wee must bee liuely Images of his heauenly Vertues of his Patience of his Obedience of his Humility of his Charity of whatsoeuer other Vertue shined in his mortall life And then wee shall be sure to be transformed into his Glory and by vertue of this food hee will change these our vile bodies and make them conformable vnto his glorious body And indeede this conformity doe the Fathers make a principall effect of this our spirituall foode Whom doth this feeding concerne I told you the Disciples here are two other words that may not be neglected and they are all and manie all that are Disciples and of age and those all are many for Christs bloud was shed for many Of the Poole of Bethesda it was said that it could cure but one at a time and that one which first went into the water after the Angell had stirred it but Christs Sacraments are like vnto his garments Matth. 14. of them we reade in the Gospell that as many as touched them were made whole Matth. 14. and of these it is true that as many as faithfully partake them shall as truely bee made whole spiritually as the other were corporally As many The Sacraments are sufficiently soueraigne for all not so efficiently and yet efficiently for many For although in comparison of vnbeleeuers beleeuers are but few yet considered in themselues beleeuers are many Reuel 7. both Iewes and Gentiles I will not trouble you with a dispute Whether in this place as in some other the word many is put for all I will rather obserue vnto you that this same feeding is not a thing arbitrary but enioyned the Disciples neither may they hope to haue any part in the new Couenant or Remission of sinnes except they performe this commandement And the commandement is not more than needs for whereas wee need no incitement for to take our corporall food yet were wee not incited wee would pine away for want of our spirituall therefore is God in the Prophet faine to call vpon vs Esay 55. Hoe all ye that thirst come to the waters c. and Wisedome in the Prouerbes is faine to send her Maides and say Come eate of my bread and drinke of my wine Prou. 9. so likewise doth the King at the Marriage Feast Matth. 22. and so is Christ faine to importune the Church of Laodicea Reuel 3. But remember that it is an affirmatiue commandement and so doth tye semper though not ad semper I will dwell no longer vpon the practice let vs come now briefly and see the precept The precept is not here exprest but implyed for seeing here is the Institution of a Sacrament it is the Institution of that that must be as lasting as the Doctrine whereunto it is annexed For a Sacrament is an annexe vnto Doctrine euen as a seale is set vnto a Pardon The Sacraments of the Old Testament were so annext vnto the ceremoniall Law so are the Sacraments of the New Testament vnto the Gospell As he that taketh the Charter of Pardon without the Kings seale when hee may haue it loseth the benefit of his Pardon so hee will haue but little benefit of the Gospell that is a contemner of the Sacraments they must both goe together vntill the worlds end or as S. Paul speaketh vntill the Lords comming againe 1. Cor. 11. This Institution of Christ is like that of the Creation not to bee stinted by this present act but extended to euery of the like as it doth in the other Sacrament of Baptisme yea and of Ordination and Absolution The first of euery of them was seminall and to bring out others according to its kinde Whereupon it followeth that the words of Christ in his practice are vsed by the Pastors not onely as historicall but also as operatiue And this is the ground of our faith and security in the effect of these and other sacred Rites But touching this Sacrament the precept is cleare in St. Luke Doe this in remembrance of mee Wherein there are two markable things which the precept doth require I will touch them in a word the first is Imitation Doe this the other is Commemoration in remembrance of me Doe this that calleth for the worke of the Pastour in imitation of Iesus and the worke of the people in imitation of the Disciples both must be doing in this Sacrament and except they be both doing it is no Communion Priuate Masses are a direct peruerting of Christs Institution where the Priest onely is doing but the People doe nothing at least they doe not what they should there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereas the precept doth not onely require that we doe but that wee doe this the Priest must precisely doe that which Iesus did he must take the same Elements the same in nature the same in number and when he hath taken them he must vse them as Christ did consecrate them with blessing and thanksgiuing to the end and for the vses before specified according to that of St. Paul Quod accepi à Domino tradidi vobis 1. Cor. 11. And what he hath consecrated that must he distribute and withhold no part not the Cup as the Church of Rome doth Christ gaue that and for many hundred yeares the Church imitated him so doing and now they reserue it onely to the Priest that doth execute or doe the honour to Monarches to giue them the Cup. And that may worse be withheld from the people than the body For the new Couenant and the Remission of sinnes is in the Text annext vnto the bloud as if Christ would haue them especially remember it in that Concomitancy is an idle shift for seeing a Sacrament is the participation of the sacrifice they confesse that they cannot make vp the sacrifice without consecrating both bread and wine how doe they not then defraud the people of a part of the sacrifice if they giue them the bread and not the wine or which is most absurd the Priest receiueth Christs body as it was crucified because he receiueth
iudge our selues wee should not be iudged of the Lord. Yet may we not corrupt this Doctrine as the Church of Rome doth by ouer-valewing mans Penetencie and esteeming it to bee Satisfactorie Satisfactorie I say Dignitatesuâ for any worth that is in it though it may goe for Satisfactorie Dignatione Diuinâ because God is pleased to rest contented with it Paululum supplicij satis est Patri to the Indulgence of a Father small sparkles of Grace make a good satisfaction for a great fault committed by a Child but he were a gracelesse Child that would so mis-conster his Fathers good nature as to deeme a few sorrowing teares a full ransome of his offence Our condition of being Gods children by faith in Christ and the affection of God respecting vs in Christ as his Children are the true ground why God requires no more of vs and he that instead of this Relation plods vpon a proportion betweene his Repentance and Gods vengeance doth not onely corrupt a comfortable Doctrine by his errour but for his pride deserueth to forfeit Gods gracious Pardon Let vs keepe the right path neither ouer-valewing Godly sorrow neither yet neglecting it seeing God hath vouchsafed it so comfortable an effect Let vs all especially you that are the Penitents be feeling of our Miserie that God may releeue vs with his Mercie And let this suffice concerning the Inference I come now to the Amplification to consider so much of it as is contained in this Verse here I told you King Dauid doth display the malignitie of his Sinne. Malignitie is a vexing Euill therefore in the Sin here specified we must obserue first the Euill and then the Vexation thereof and we find a double Euill noted by the two Names that are giuen to the Sinne I haue on former Verses spoken of these words but the present occasion hath made me looke farther into them and obserue moreouer that which is not vnworthy of our knowledge These words then will teach vs that Sinnes especially if they be enormous haue plaine Characters of the Diuell Hee is resembled to a Serpent and to a Lion in regard of the first Christ calleth him a Lier Iohn 8.44 in regard of the last a Murderer and where he instils Sinne hee leaueth the steps of either of these of his Lying in the errour of Mens Iudgements of his Murdering in the Rebelliousnesse of their Affections the second of these is noted by Peshang Lawlesnesse the first by Chata aberration from the scope where at we ayme he desireth not to haue men to halfes he endeauoureth to venome both the fountaines of the reasonable Soule and soldome shall you find a man misled in his Iudgement whose Affections are not violent See the truth of this first in Moralitie then in Diuinitie Let a man bee giuen to Drunkennesse if the Serpent haue taken him by the Head and made him conceiue that that beastly qualitie doth well beseeme a man the Lyon will take him by the Heart and hee will grow mad against those that will not bee as mad as himselfe the bloud that is shed in quarrels of this nature are too dayly proofes of this Truth For vnchastitie you neede no better euidence then the storie of the Sodomites 〈◊〉 1. it is no great matter to gather proofes touching other Morall defects but the occasion remembreth me especially to instance in matters of Diuinitie here you shall see if euer that the enemie of mankind hath left the markes of either of his Persons How the Serpent preuailed against the Pharisees hee knoweth not the Gospell that doth not know Christ doth therein discouer manifold errours of their Iudgement and that the Roaring Lyon had entred their Hearts is witnessed by their persecuting of Christ and his Apostles how fouly the Arians were deceiued concerning the Deitie of Christ we read in the storie of the first Nicene Councell and in the Ecclesiasticall storie we read how barbarous how bloudy they were as the Serpent had bit them so the Lyon raged in them come on to the Papists is not their erronious Iudgement accompanied with most furious Affections As they are not ashamed to put the Diuels properties into their Creede teaching an Art of periurious Lying and Meritorious Murdering so doe they act them both publishing Lyes by their tongues and pennes and practising Murders by their inchanted Assasinates the Gunpowder-treason is a Monument hereof to their eternall infamie The Anabaptists came fairely after them whose opinions were not more grosse then their dealing seditious not so few as a hundred thousand persons perished while with their Rebellious sword they laboured to make good the forgerie of their braine they made it plaine that as well the Lyon as the Serpent had taken possession of them This the Germaine stories relate at large And our owne stories will tell vs that wee haue not wanted some that haue beene kinne vnto them Hackets Coppingers and others that though they haue not gone so farre yet had gone farther then beseemes those whose profession is truth and practise should bee obedience they haue receiued nay they haue vented some thing of the Serpent and some thing of the Lyon I thinke you see by this time what I meane I meane to lance the sores of these Penitents to let it appeare that the Serpent hath got into their Head and the Lyon into their Hearts They haue had a false light that deluded their Iudgement and an vnkind heat that hath warmed their Affections they haue scanted Gods bountie in permitting vnto vs the vse of his creatures and entertained a Iewish conceit of the vnlawfulnesse of eating bloud And as their opinions haue beene erroneous in regard of Christian libertie so haue they beene also concerning Ecclesiasticall societie thinking they may seperate themselues from the Church if those whom they esteeme irreligious liuers be not excommunicated by Ecclesiasticall censures yea so farre hath the Serpent preuailed as to make them if not denie at least to doubt of the Lawfulnesse of the Leiturgie the Ministrie yea to question the very Root of all the Ecclesiasticall Authoritie both of Prince and Pastors So farre hath the Serpent beene with them And if He get in before the Lyon will follow after and indeede he hath followed in them for what Auctoritie haue they not set at naught Ecclesiasticall Ciuill either of them more then once and trod vpon them more waies then one and how Lyon-like they would haue beene if they had had power answerable to their will God knoweth the proofe wee haue had of others may make vs iustly suspect the worst This onely I wish them to take to themselues that in their Sinne there was this double Euill and if they do not therein discerne this dou ble Euill they doe not as they ought looke into their Sinne which not withstanding they should doe because so to doe is the first step of Repentance The second step doth consider the vexation that doth accompanie this Euill
were slaine with him and these murders brought out another murder euen the murder of Dauids owne child for though he died iustly by Gods hand yet was Dauid the murderer of him by reason of his sinne to say nothing of Absolons rebellion which shed much bloud and was denounced for this sinne of Dauid Dauid attending vnto these manifold iniquities of his doth wrap them vp all in this word blouds as being all the euill fruites of his sinfull flesh and bloud But we must not vnderstand onely Sinne by the name of Blouds the Scripture applieth the word vnto the Punishment of sinne also and noteth 〈◊〉 12. that all sinne proueth bloudy to the sinner and therefore the Apostle obserueth that without shedding of bloud there is no expiation for sinne whereupon it followeth that all sinnes are mortall and doe slay the sinner Chap. 2. But of all sinnes this is especially true of Murder the Law in Deutronomic doth intimate as much when it doth require so curious an expiation of vncertaine murder yea before Moses dayes God exprest so much vnto Noah not onely mystically when he forbids the eating of bloud but literally when he saith hee will require bloud-shed both from man and beast Gene 9 4.5 yea he doth so abhorre murder and pursue it vnto death that hee commands that whosoeuer hath wilfully shed bloud shall bee violently taken from his Altar if hee take Sanctuarie there and bee put to death â—â—od 21.14 Goe higher to the Old world and there see how murder is iustly called bloudy and proueth mortall to the murderer Caine was the first that shed bloud and Caine is recorded for a monument of Gods vengeance Lamech speaketh fully who is thought by some to haue flaine Caine and so to haue paide home bloud with bloud Gene. 4. I haue slaine a man saith hee to my wounding and a young man to my hurt that is the stabbe which I haue giuen to another proues a deadly wound vnto my selfe in murdering him haue I become mine owne murderer so that in effect Dauid in the phrase intimateth thus much bloud calleth for bloud and I deserue to haue my bloud shed that haue shed anothers This was that that perplext him the conscience of this was the worme that gnawed him And no wonder he had heard from Nathan that he might not build Gods House because he had shed much bloud and yet the bloud which he had then shed was onely the bloud of the enemies of Israel and it was iustly shed in battell how farre then might hee well thinke himselfe estranged from God that had so treacherously so villainously spilt the bloud of his owne subiects of his faithfull seruant yea of his owne child Saint Ambrose obserueth that seeing Dauid was of so gentle a nature that he spared the bloud of his aduersarie Saul we cannot thinke but he grieued much when hee found himselfe ouer-taken with a sinne which the goodnesse of his nature so much abhorred gesse at his disposition by his speech vnto Abigal who wisely charmed him when in a fuâ—ious moode he would haue destroyed churlish Nabal and all his family Blessed bee the Lord God of Israel saith Dauid to Abigal which sent thee this day to meete me and blessed be thy aduice and blessed be thou which hast kept mee this day from comming to shed bloud It were to bee wished that Christian Kings had as tender hearts and were as easily pacified as they are enraged there would not be so much Christian bloud shed neither would they bee such vnnaturall butchers of their owne subiects Or because that is rather to be wished then hoped for though it would make much for the publike good that murder were preuented yet I would at least that when it is committed Princes were not so altogether without remorse of that which they haue done and in godly sorrow would imitate King Dauid and be timely feeling of their offence and prouide for the safetie of their soules Though Dauid were a King and free from the danger of his owne Law yet found he a controller in his owne bosome and was indicted by his owne conscience from which the greatest Monarches cannot free themselues Nero Emperour of the Romanes Richard the third an vsurper in this Kingdome are in seuerall Histories reported to haue felt the vexation of this furie and the biting of the worme And if Monarches are not free how shall meaner men bee priuiledged And yet I cannot without griefe behold the senselessenesse of many that embrew their hands in bloud whether in their cups or for their honour and neuer call themselues to an account neuer iudge themselues before they are iudged of the Lord but smother their owne conscience with frollicke liuing vntill their wofull ends make them fearefull examples vnto others It were well for them if they felt more smart that they might with King Dauid desire ease and crie out Deliuer The word is Vox confligentis or ingementis Ingementis groaning vnder the slauerie of sinne peccatiseruitvs pessima sinne is the worst kind of flâ—uerie and therefore no wonder if it force a crie and as the children of Israel in their Aegyptian bondage so men enthrawled spiritually crie Deliuer Or if it bee not vox gementis it is vox confligentis Dauid was now in a hard conflict a conflict with remorse of sinne a conflict with the feare of punishment both were able to wrest from him this word Deliuer Sinne is compared to an armed man by the sonne of Syracke all iniquitie saith he is as a two edged sword Chap. 21. the wounds whereof cannot bee healed it is there compared also to a Serpent which will bite to the teeth of a Lyon which slaies the soules of men he therefore counselleth vs to flie from it yea and we had neede crie out too sinne maketh a hideous crie against vs it crieth in the eares of the Lord and calleth for vengeance it crieth in our conscience and gineth vs no rest there is good reason therefore why wee should crie out Deliuer deliuer vs from the inward from the outward crie which so distresseth which so afflicteth But when we crie out against the crie of bloud wee must remember that there is Mors sicca as well as Mors humida many doe murder that shed no bloud Si non pauisti occidisti Hee that suffereth the poore to perish for want of food is plainely a murderer how much more if hee take their liuing from them whosoeuer doth either of these had neede pray Deliuer me from bloud guiltinesse bloud euerie day and euerie where toucheth bloud as Hosea speaketh and yet we see little remorse and few there are that with King Dauid pray Deliuer that pray to be loosed from the bands wherein they haue ensnared themselues and to bee eased of their guilt I told you before that Bloud doth not onely signifie actuall but originall sinne and so the Fathers some of them vnderstand King Dauids
desire as if he meant that he would not any longer be flesh and bloud hee would be rid of that which is the nurserie of sinne which slakes his life in grace and disheartens his hope of glorie And it is likely King Dauid did not call onely for subuention against guilt contracted but preuention that he might contract no more he looketh backward and forward and it beseemeth vs all to pray against originall sinne 〈◊〉 7. O wretch that I am who shall deliuer me from this body of sinne Finally as Bloud signifieth not onely Sinne but the punishment thereof also Gene. 4. so much the Prayer be vnderstood to deprecate not onely sinne but the punishment also Dauid heard ringing in his eares Caines doome Maledictus because thou hast shed bloud therefore thou art accursed the doome against murder Gene. 9. which God denounced by Noah thundered in his eare 2 〈◊〉 12. He that sheddeth mans bloud by man shall his bloud be shed againe he could not forget that dreadfull voice which Nathan vttered vnto him The sword shall neuer depart from thy house and out of sense of all these as if he were euen presently ready to perish fall vpon this supplication Deliuer his Penitertials doe shew what deepe impression the terrour of Gods iudgements made vpon his soule and also vpon his body and no wonder if he that so felt them did pray to bee released from them But marke how he Prayeth first how discreetly then how zealously Very discreetly for he maketh choice of a person that can and will deliuer Can for he is Deus salutis it is his proper title to be a Sauiour In creatures you may find vanitie that will delude you or infirmitie that will faile you euen of Kings themselues it is said that their breath is in their nostrels and that they are not saued themselues by their much strength Dauid himselfe who so often deliuered Ismel and was attended with so many Worthies yet could hee not expect saluation from himselfe the Prophet Ieremies rule is peremptorie Chap. 17. Cursed is hee that maketh flesh his arme c. We must therefore resolue that saluation belongeth vnto the Lord especially when wee speake of spirituall saluation such as that is wherewith wee haue now to doe which standeth in the remission of sinnes the peace of conscience and freedome from death for who can remit sinnes but God onely And except he iustifie vs how should we haue the peace of conscience God vseth Ministers to worke these effects but they flow from grace not inherent in them but assistant to them and so they are the effects of Gods hand And to him also belongeth the issues of death for as it is his iustice that inflicteth it so except he release none can free from it But marke the phrase the God of saluation 1 Iohn 1â— is it not a periphrasis of the name of Iesus And then behold a mysterie sanguis liberat a sanguine the bloud of Iesus clenseth from all sinne and so deliuereth vs from bloud bloud whereof we are guiltie and rising againe he receiued the keyes both of death and hell and so can deliuer vs from the bloud whereunto wee are endangered As Dauid is discreet in seeking to a person that can so is he also discreet in seeking to a person that will deliuer for he calleth vpon him not only as a God of saluation but as a God of His saluation God is a God of saluation as he is the Sauiour of all men but no man can cal him the God of his saluation except he bee a faithfull man so that there are two remarkable things in the Pronoune for it is verbum faederis Euangelici fi et specâ—â—lis Dauid sheweth thereby that he is in Couenant with God euen in the Couenant of grace for no man can vse that word except he bee in so blessed a state no man can call God His except God haue appropriated himselfe vnto him and appropriate himseâ—fe he doth not but by the words of the Couenant Ero Deus tuus I will be thy God And when God doth so appropriate himself we must keepe the â—itle of the Conenant in our Prayers and direct our words vnto him as he is ours this is the exercise of a speciall saith and it is the greatest comfort of our prayer it is most likely that he shall speede that hath so neere reference vnto God he that can will helpe And marke that though he were put to the conflict yet was hee not without Armour of proofe he saw whence saluation might be had and commeth with boldnesse to the Throne of grace more doe conflict with the horrour of conscience and terrours of death then preuaile against them to conflict is common vnto all sinners but to preuaile is the prerogatâ—ue of the children of God the God ossaluation doth ease doth vnburden onely those that can truely say he is the God of their saluation Dauid prayed Discreetly and he prayed zealously also for marke how he doubles the word O God thou God Nota in repititione magnum corâ—â—â— affectum saith Gregorie such ingemminations proceed not but from ardent affections they importune God and they will take no deniall And indeede God doth not like cold suitors for that betrayech cold defires which in one that is at Gods mercie hath grieuously offended lyeth open vnto the sharpest wrath can find no fauour can promise it selfe no mercie we must therefore wrestle with God as â—acob did replie as the woman of Canaan did treble our petition as did Saint Paul if we meane that our Prayers shall pierce the cloudes climbe vp into the Heauens and enter into the eares of God Neither sacrifice nor frankincense were offered without fire vpon the one Altar or the other no more must any Prayer come from vs which is not warmed by zeale quickning it and giuing it speedie wings to flie from earth to heauen and make our words a liuely representation of those desires that are conceiued in our hearts And let this suffice for Dauids spirituall Pange I come now to the Deuotion the argument whereof is the righteousnesse of God But there is a double righteousnesse of God the one is legall the other Euangelicall The legall is that which dealeth with men according to their workes the Euangelicall is that which dealeth with men according to their faith the latter is here meant and not the former from the former a sinner can expect nothing but condemnation because this is the tenour of it Cursea is he that abideth not in cuerie point of the Law to dâ—e it from the later we may expect saluation because it stands in the renussion of sinnes therefore wee must ioyne Libera that is gone before with Iuditâ—a and so you will find that it is Iustitta liberans it is such Iustice a freeth vs from Iustice and therefore Symachus translates it not amisle Misericordia this Iustice is nothing but plaine Mercie mercie
For if Christ dealt so graciously with those that came dissemblingly to learne of him what confidence may wee haue that hee will answere vs if in singlenesse of heart and humility of spirit wee open vnto him the scruples of our conscience and desire his resolution no doubt but hee that biddeth vs to seeke Math. 7.7 will helpe vs to sinde and we shall receiue of him that biddeth vs aske and hee that biddeth vs knocke will open vnto vs. But this poynt of answering questions in Diuinity deserues to bee stood vpon a little longer and our iudgement set right that it erre not herein Wee must then learne of the Preacher that There is a time to speake and a time for a man to hold his peace Chap. 3. this distinction in the Prouerbs is fitted vnto answeres Answere not a foole according to his foolishnesse lest thou be like vnto him answere a foole according to his foolishnesse Chap. 26. lest hee bee wise in his owne conceipt So that there is a time when a mau may answere a question and a time wheu a man may not answere it and how shall wee bee able to distinguish these times Surely the time when wee may not answere is knowne either by the question or by the questionist If the question be either friuolous or curious it must haue no answere for wee must not feed mens either idlenesse or saucinesse Tit. 2 Touching friuolous questions wee haue S. Pauls rule foolish questions auoid And for curious questions we haue our Sauiours example Ioh. 21. Christ bad Peter follow him Peter asked Christ what shall Iohn doe Christ taketh him short What is that to thee follow thou mee If wee looke into the Schoolemen and the Casuists wee shall find that their wits haue beene idly busie yea and often wickedly too in answering such questions as were very vnfit to bee demanded yea the resolutions vpon Cur and Quomodo Why and How in debating articles of Faith beyond the bounds which are set downe in the Scripture haue bred the greatest distraction in Christendome while each side with words and with bloud shed maintaineth his determination of that poynt which if it had neuer beene heard of the Christian Faith had beene neuer a whit the lesse sound and the Communion of Saints had beene preserued Aug. expla 56. Take this then for your first rule that if a question bee either not behoouefull or aboue our reach it must receiue no answere nay ordinarily we must not giue answere to them that study questions which nothing concerne their calling especially if neglecting theirowne dutie they are too inquisitiue after that which concerneth other men The world is much sicke of this disease and you shall heare oftner of idle and curious questions then of those that concerne the health of mens soules and the ordering of their calling Christians are herein as ill imployed as were the Iewes Though there bee no defect in the question yet there may bee in the questonist in regard of his ill disposition bee it Obstinacie or Impietie though his question bee good hee deserueth no answere An Hereticke saith Saint Paul after one or two admonitions auoid 〈◊〉 3 10. knowing that such a man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he carrieth his doome in his owne bosome and doth wilfully withstand the truth he must not bee answered because of his obstinacie Math 7 Touching Impietie wee haue Christs Rule Giue not holy things vnto dogs and cast not your pearle among Swine lest they trample them vnder their feeet and turne againe rent you yea prophane Atheists moue questions touching God or sacred things which they disbelieue that they may therewith make themselues wickedly merry our silence must take from them all occasion to blaspheme and such questionists must receiue no answere Truth is neuer mute for want oâ— arguments of defence but sometimes silent out of holy wisedome whereas falshood hath nothing in reason to reply but yet it will be euer prating To our purpose then the premises conclude that it will be time to speak and that wee may answere though it bee a foole so the question bee profitable and the questionist be not prophane But Chrysostome setteth downe the two vsefull ends of our answere Hom in Math. 26. when we answere a foole it must be either for the publique confusion of proud folly and to make Pharisaicall spirits see they know not what they thinke they know or for the edification of the standers by those which with meeknesse will receiue the truth we may not suffer such to continue perplext through ignorance At these ends did Christ ayme in his Answere And so haue I sufficiently shewed you why Christ doth vouchsafe an answere though he that moued the question came as a Tempter Let vs now come on to the Answere that Christ vouchsafeth whereof the first branch is Thou shalt loue Wherin I will open two points 1. What is enioyned and 2. to Whom That which is enioyned is Loue and he that must loue is noted in this word Thou Chap 6. in Deuteronomie you shall find that this Thou is Israel Loue is in the number of those things quae melius sentiuntur quam verbis exprimuntur man may better feele then say what it is yet this is out of all question that it is an Affection and whereas our affections are either sensuall or rationall Loue is found in either of them There is a sensuall Loue wee see it in Beasts they loue their mates their of-spring their benefactors But wee haue not to doe with this loue farther then to note that this in man though it bee not the rationall loue yet should it be guided by the rationall And were it so as commonly it is not as appeareth by the enormous wantonnesse and monstrous lusts that haue beene that are in the world men would not proue themselues to bee worse then beasts as euery where they doe Coâ—â—dies Tragedies other Poems haue too much of this stuffe and it is the argument of two many true Histories This Loue if regulate though it bee not illicitus amor yet doth it not rise to the pitch of that Loue which is commanded here â—ut the Loue here meant is that which is in vs as we are reasonable creatures or rather religious as appeares after in Thou The Diuines commonly call it Charitie and so will I for distinction sake Though I hold that the exception of the Rhemists taken to the word Loue in our Translations is but a meere Cauill and I could easily proue it such To vnderstand what this Rationall Loue or Charitie is we must remember what God said when he had made Adam It is not good for Man to be alone let vs make him a helpe like himselfe For though that be spoken of Mariage-Charitie yet doth it containe the ground of all other For euen by the law of creation euery man is subiect to some want the supply wher of
when God was reaching vnto Christ that Cup of vengeance whereof wee all should haue drunke for our sinne had not Christ eased vs of that bitter draught the preparation for that potion which should haue bin our porion kept Christ waking and praying it cast him into an agony and drew teares of bloud from all parts of his body While he is thus affected and afflicted for vs the Apostles are at rest as if these things did nothing concerne them which their sinnes no lesse than the sinnes of others poured vpon Christ It might haue been some ease to Christ if hee had seene them compassionately deuout certainly their senselesnesse added not a little to the bitternesse of his paine the more he suffered for them the greater impression should his suffering haue made in them and they should haue had the more fellow-feeling the nearer they were vouchsafed to be to his person You haue heard enough of the Apostles drowsinesse their sinne and degrees thereof it well deserued a Reproofe And Christ doth not spare them spare first to taxe their presumption that he doth in the first word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What One word but wherein is implied that the Apostles answered not that resolution which they pretended yea that they came so short that Christ could not but wonder at their drowsinesse Both these are implied in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What is all your boasting come to this is this the courage that you would shew in my defence did you conceiue so well of your selues and so liberally amplifie your seruice all proues but vanity all argues nothing but presumption It is a naturall disease of all the sonnes of Adam that if they haue but motes of vertue they thinke they are mountaines and presume that their actions goe hand in hand with their speculations Little children when they begin first to find their feet thinke they can goe as well and as far as those that are of riper age and this conceit maketh them take many a fall The most of vs are but babes in Christ and our iudgement erreth in nothing more than in taking an estimate of our ability wherein we come so short of performing what we promise to our selues that as we may blush so Christ may wonder and breake into this question 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What is it so so great words so small deeds certainly Man euen the best of men is altogether vanity Psal 39. his vaunts are nothing but the sparkles of his pride and hee presumeth aboue his strength For what is his strength surely very small the displaying of that is a second branch of Christs reproofe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Could ye not Your strength is very small you are much weaker than you suppose you thought not of it before you haue now giuen plaine proofe of it your drowsinesse represents it plainly before your eyes it telleth you how little you are able to performe But we must not mistake for inability is to be vnderstood not physically but morally they were not simply disinabled to watch for the instances before giuen in couetous ambitious and voluptuous men shew that men can if they will breake their sleepe and what they can that they doe when the world setteth them on worke but when Heauen enioynes them then how weake are they their affections haue no vigour they are soone tired and giue ouer at the first onset so that as the Prophet speaketh of the Iewes They were wise to doe euill but to doe good they had no vnderstanding at all so may we say of our affections they are strong to sinne but to doe good they haue no vigour at all Or rather men doe not put out their strength and they are conquered because they doe not resist And indeed drowsinesse were not a sinne were it not a mixt action wherein our willing eelding to our affections which we should represse makes vs to bee guilty and this Christ meaneth when he deliuereth his checke with an interrogation Could you not as if he should say you cannot well excuse your drowsinesse Behold then an example of humane frailty and wee must all behold our selues herein what Christ said to them he may well say to vs not one but is more or lesse touched with presumption and hath infirmities whereof hee neede to bee remembred the best voweth more than he performeth and in the presence of Christ discouereth his weaknesse let the time be neuer so short appointed for our deuotion our eares grow quickly heauie when they should heare God in his Word and our eies drowsie when we should behold him in our Prayers And what wonder if we watch so little out of the Church if wee sleepe so much in it Wee must therefore euery man take vnto himselfe this reproofe which Christ directeth vnto the Apostles euen the best must take it vnto themselues seeing Christ directs it vnto the best of his Apostles As we must take the reproofe so must we the aduice also which is the second maine point of my Text I come now to it The aduice is sutable to the reproofe for they were reproued for too much confidence and too little care and they are aduised to be more carefull Watch and lesse confident Pray But in ioyning of this point to the other wee must first obserue that though the Apostles gaue good cause yet Christ did not presently reiect them for vnto his reproofe he addes aduise giuing them to vnderstand that hee touched at their fault because hee would haue them take better heed Wherehence wee may learne how to deale with others wee must neither sooth them when they doe ill and we must try whether they may be brought for to doe well Let vs now come to the parts of the aduice they are two first Aperit oculos then Ministrat alas he rowseth them out of their sleepe and furnisheth them with helpe against their danger First hee doth rowse them The Syriac speaketh fully Euigilate and indeed they were asleepe therefore they were to be awakened before they could watch to shake off their drowsinesse before they could take heed As in naturall actions the impediment must bee remoued before the creature can moue according to his forme so in morall we must be freed from the opposite of Vertue before we can haue or vse the habit thereof But because Watching is principally intended therefore the precept runneth vpon that Watching then is compounded of two things of waking and heeding waking is solutio sensuum the keeping open of the passage whereby sense may be informed of his proper obiect Heeding is the iudgement wee passe vpon the obiect considering what it doth prognosticate vnto vs whether good or euill and our senses stand sentinell to giue a timely alarum when there is any approach of danger But as our senses are of two sorts inward and outward so is the watching also here is not onely a watch set in the outward man but in the inward man also And
the Lord and wee must with him answer for our selues I will take the cup of saluation and praise the name of the Lord vnto this end is this Sacrament called the Eucharist Thus Christ conscerateth the Elements But why what good came to the elements by consecration surely much good for they are made the body and the bloud of Christ so saith Iesus This is my body this is my blood The interpretation of these words is much controuerted and it is much disputed What change of the Elements the wordes of Christ did make for that Christ changed the bread when he consecrated it wee make no doubt Whereas then there are three things in bread and wine 1. the name 2. the vse and 3. the substance wee confesse a change in the two first but deny it in the third First wee confesse a change in the name directed by St. Austines rule Ad Bonisaâ— ep 23. Because of a similitude Sacraments commonly beare the names of the things themselues the Sacrament of Christs body is after a sort the body of Christ and the Sacrament of Christ blood is after a sort the blood of Christ Of St. Aducrsus Iudaeos Austins opinion in our case was Tertullian Christ saith hee calleth bread his body And Cyprian the signifying elements and the thing signified De â—nctione Chrismatis are caded by the same name Our Sauiour saith Theodoret changed the names and called the signe by the name of his body Ambrose Chrysostome Ambros de Sacraments l. 5. c. 4. Chrysost ad 〈◊〉 sarios â—â—â—nachos and others might bee alledged to this purpose Secondly wee acknowledge a change in the vse of the Elements for there must be some ground for which the signes may beare the names of the things themselues and that is The vertue the power the operation of the flesh and bloud of Christ beeing mystically vnited to the signes doe in a wonderfull sort manifest these things by the signes through the operation of the Holy Ghost This we learne of St. Cyprian De â—nctione Chrismatis to the Element once sanctified not now their own nature giueth the effect but the diuine vertue worketh in them more mightily the truth is present with the signe and the spirit with the Sacrament De Sacramentis l. 4. c. 4. so that the worthinesse of the grace appeareth by the efficiency of the thing Ambrose also If there be so great strength in the word of the Lord Iesus that all things beganne to be when they were not how much more shall it bee of force that the mysticall Elements should bee the same they were before and yet be changed into another thing Theodoret. The signes which are seene Christ hath honoured with the names of his body and blood not changing the nature but adding grace vnto nature Thus farre wee goe in acknowledging a change of the Elements by consecration farther we goe not wee acknowledge no change in the substance of the nature of the Elements De Sacramentis l. 4. c. 3. and herein we are guided by the Fathers also Ambrose Thou camst to the Altar and sawest the Sacraments thereon and wondredst at the very ereature De Coena Domini and yet it is a solemne and a knowne creature Cyprian After consecration the Element is deliuered from the name of bread and reputed worthy to bee called the body of the Lord notwithstanding the nature of the bread still remaines Ad Coesarios Monacbos Chrysostome The substantiall bread and cup sanctified with a solemne blessing is profitable for the life and safegard of the whole man To proue this the Fathers vse to parallel the Sacrament and the Person of Christ De ieiunio 7. mensis in their disputes against Eutyches Gelasius As the bread and wine after consecration are changed and altered into the body and blood of Christ Dialogo secundo so is the humane nature of Christ changed into his diuine Theodoret hath the same parallel and so hath St. Austine as hee is cited de Consecratione distinctione secunda Hoc est quod dico Now a generall Councell not onely particular Fathers haue resolued that both natures continue in Christs person vnaltered so doe their properties so doe their actions only this honour the diuine doth to the humane nature that as it hath associated it into one person so doth it manifest her properties by it and performe her actions Euen so is it in the Sacrament the heauenly the earthly thing are both vnited to make one Sacrament but each keepeth vnaltered its owne nature properties and actions onely the heauenly doth worke by the earthly and doth not ordinarily without it manifest its operation If in the person of Christ there was no alteration of the diuine nature though the Scripture say the word was made flesh much lesse may we dreame of any alteration in the earthly part of the Sacrament though it be said the bread is the body and the wine is the blood of Christ Out of this distinction of changing of the Elements you may perceiue that Christs consecration was effectuall though not effectuall to Transubstantiation For in a sacramentall argument both substances must remaine and by reason of the mysticall vnion Disparats may be affirmed the one of the other without absurditie Whether the sacramentall vnion doe require moreouer a Consubstantiation may also here be disputed for some vrge it out of these words But their answer is briefly this The earthly and the heauenly thing may bee conioyned really though not locally And as they may be conioyned so they may bee receiued seeing the proper Exhibiter of the heauenly is the Holy Spirit and the Receiuer is our faith Our faith may ascend to Christ in heauen and the Spirit beeing infinite may vnite vs vnto Christ though we be as low as the earth Whereas then the words may haue their truth without any recourse to a miracle or contradicting any other Article of faith or forcing strange senses vpon other passages of Scripture we content our selues with this mysticall relatiue vnion and forbeare all other vnnecessary speculations Although we must needs confesse that the words make more for Consubstantiation than they make for Transubstantiation We confesse then that in the Sacrament there is the body and blood of Christ and that three manner of waies though we admit neyther of the two false waies Transubstantiation and Consubstantiation First in regard of the signe for it was not chosen for it selfe but with reference to Christ Secondly in regard of the resemblance it doth most fitly set forth the efficacy that is in Christ the strengthning the cheering efficacie you heard before out of the 104th Psalme that those properties are in bread and wine Strength is eyther increased or recouered and cheerefulnesse followeth eyther vpon the recouered or increased strength wee are Babes and must grow in Christ we are Souldiers and lose blood in his quarrell we must finde that which
in both kindes and the people as it was glorified because the concomitancy maketh them receiue both in one kinde Adde hereunto that they must mocke the people with vnconsecrated wine or beare them in hand that it is arbitrary in the Church whether they shall or shall not haue it Their other reasons are ridiculous certainly they agree not with the precept Doe this No more doth whatsoeuer they doe besides as their Reseruation their Circumgestation their Application of the Host vnto many vses whereunto God neuer ordained it But the most notorious corruption of these words is that they are made a part of the Priests Ordination as if they did giue him power to sacrifice both for quicke and dead For from these words doe they deriue that part of the Priesthood yea vpon these words they build the Masse also as if Hoc facite were as much as sacrifice and immolate Christ vnbloudily But I will not stand to refute them As the Pastors worke is enioyned in Hoc facite so is the Peoples also they must doe as the Disciples did take that which was distributed amongst them eate that which was consecrated for them and they must feed thereon with their bodies and with their soules Not only with their bodies as carnall Christians doe nor with their soules as the Papists teach their people to communicate mentally with the Priest as if a man were euer fit to communicate mentally when he is not fit to communicate corporally but we must communicate with both otherwise wee are not compleat guests of this entire Feast And though of the two better the body bee wanting than the soule because the grace that possesseth the soule will redound to the body but the food of the body cannot benefit the soule yet seeing the body and bloud of Christ is the fountaine of life spirituall to our soules immortall to our bodies our best course is to eate and drinke with both that we may liue and liue in both blessedly for euer As the People must doe this so they must take heed that beside this they doe not eyther superstitiously adore the Elements or Atheistically prophane them in swearing either by the heauenly or the earthly part of the Sacrament The last Note that I will giue is the Commemoration that is enioyned by the precept Doe this in remembrance St. Paul expounds the word thus Shew forth the Lords death And indeede the Sacrament is a liuely representation of the crucifying of Christ and but a Commemoration For the Popish Masse is refuted in this very word and St. Pauls phrase which shew that Christ is not crucified againe but the manner of his crucifying Sacramentally represented to vs and so the Fathers tooke it But as the Pastor must commemorate the sacrificing in his worke so must the People the sacrifice in taking and feeding thereupon as vpon the viaticum peregrinantium militantum Finally that which remembreth vs must be often frequented by vs so must this Sacrament Wherein it differs from Baptisme which cannot be reiterated this may yea it must The first Christians thought so who at first receiued it euery day they may make vs blush whose deuotion is now so cold But I end That death which Christ endured for vs and doth offer to vs wee must remember in such signes and apply to our selues by such meanes as he hath appointed if we meane to be benefited thereby MOst mercifull Sauiour that by thy powerfull word hast consecrated these holy Mysteries of thy most precious Body and Bloud broken and shed to be the vndoubted pledges of thy Gospell and euer-running Conduits of thy Grace curing the deadly wounds of all our sinnes and satisfying as many as thirst and hunger after righteousnesse grant that we neuer neglect to receiue and when we receiue may euer be prepared prepared both in body and soule so here by faith worthily to feed on thee as thou representest thy selfe veyled in thy Church Militant that we may hereafter fully enioy thee as thou presentest thy selfe vnueiled in the Church Triumphant And in acknowledgement of this present grace and that future glory let euery one of vs become a sanctified Eucharist that with soule and body wee may now and euer sing Glory be to thee O Lord O Lord our strength and our Redeemer Amen IHS THREE SERMONS PREACHED IN THE CATHEDRALL Church of Wells at the Feast of WHITSVNTIDE EPHES. 4. verse 7 8. But vnto euery one of vs is giuen grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ Wherefore he saith When he ascended vp c. to the 17. verse THe Apostle in former Chapters hath opened the mysteries of the Gospell but at this hee beginnes to deduce certaine rules of life which spring therefrom and hee doth specially recommend vnto the Ephesians three Christian Vertues Vnitie Pietie and Constancie he would haue them all agree in Gods truth and expresse that truth in their liues and not wauer in their liues for feare of the Crosse But more particularly touching Vnitie he tels them wherein it consists and wherefore it must be entertained Wherein it consists we learne in the verses that goe before but wherfore it must be entertained we are taught in these that now I haue read vnto you The Reasons are partly the meanes whereby and partly the end for which we receiue the gifts of God The meanes are two one Principall which is Christ the other Instrumentall which are his Ministers And the End is twofold first our Consummation in grace secondly our Preseruation from errour These bee the particulars which take vp so much of this Chapter as reacheth from the seuenth to the seuenteenth verse At this time sutably to the time I shall entreat only of the first of our meanes of Christ the principall meanes whereby we obtaine the blessings of God And here we are to see first What Christ doth then What right hee had to doe it What Christ doth is set downe three wayes but all yeelde but one sense first He giueth grace secondly He giueth gifts and thirdly He fils all things that is by him we haue Gods blessings But we may resolue them into two points the Gift and the Giuer the gift is grace and that grace hath power to fill and this is nothing but a description of the Holy Ghost which descended this day for he is the filling grace of God Of this gift the Giuer is Christ it is here called expresly his gift and he giues it discreetly because according to a measure and yet vniuersally not one of the Church which doth not partake it to euery one of vs is giuen grace This Christ doth and he doth no more than he may his right to doe it is gathered out of his Ascension which St. Paul describes to be a deserued Triumph The parts of a Triumph as they know which are read in stories were these two first the person of the Conquerour was carried in state and secondly the monuments of his
lift vp mine eies vnto that Hill but from thence commeth my saluation And no maruell that Hill is the Hill of the Lord it is lifted vp aboue all Hils the Hill of Mercie is higher then the Hill of Iudgement there the punishing Angell that with his sword drawne pursueth the sinnes of men is commanded for to sheath it It is Hieâ—usalem indeed The Vision of Peace there is the Altar there is the Sacrifice whereat God will be worshipped wherewith he will be pacified Yea where Abraham shall haue his Jsaac redeemed and a Father greater then Abraham will giue a Sonne dearer then Isaac that Isaac may liue and indeed to bee an Isaac that is a matter of true gladnesse vnto Abraham There Dauid shall find a truer Dauid Dauid out of loue to his people would haue yeilded his life to end their plagues but he findeth there a Dauid that is more louing and more beloued and which indeed there doth what Dauid was but willing to doe but was willing in vaine for no man can by any meanes redeeme his brother or giue a ransome to God for him No man if he be no more then a man can doe it it is a worke of God of Dauids Lord he it is that is the Resurrection and the Life it is his bloud that speaketh better things then the bloud of Abel Abels bloud called for vengeance euen the vengeance of eternall death and so doth all sinne which shed the bloud of a more righteous one then Abel euen the bloud of Christ himselfe it should call for vengeance vnto God But see how the voice thereof is changed and how Christ excuseth sinne before hee sacrifice for sinne Father forgiue them they know not what they doe euen in the act of his Passion he maketh this intercession when hee felt their wrongs see how he excuseth them to his Father that they may find mercie hee pleadeth for them that they doe it ignorantly How much more did hee in his Oblation for sinne speake for remission of sinnes when in his Passion hee was so indulgent vnto sinners This person doe I find on this Hill and I find him able and readie to calme all the stormes that were raised in me at Mount Sinai The storme of Death the storme of Iudgement for must I die I feare it not I am assured of life Christ is to mee life Is death the gate that leadeth to Iudgement I will enter it it shall turne vnto my gaine for the Tribunall of God is but the Theater whereon I shall bee crowned Yea Christ hath so altered both death and Iudgement that well may I say Perijssem nisi perijssem I had neuer tasted of such a life had I not beene subiected vnto death And how much of my glorie should I haue lost if I should neuer haue beene brought vnto Gods Barre O Iesuâ— how wonderfull is thy vertue what strange effects proceed from thee The Alchymists boast much of their skill that they can turne baser metals into better lead into siluâ—r copper into gold but this is their presumption whereupon they build that these baser metals are in their nature in the way to the better and they doe but perfect that which is imperfect and which by the course of nature of imperfect would haue become perfect if they had nouer laboured it But they neuer aduenture to turne drosse into siluer or dirt into gold Thou dost more much more of so base a one as I am for who is more base then a sinner who is indeed seruus seruorum a slaue of slaues for sinne is nothing but seruitude and the Master whom a sinner serueth who is it but the Deuill then whom there is none more slauish of so base a one thou makest a vessell of gold euen where there was no disposition to become such thou hast giuen so excellent a nature and makest death to become life Thou hast quickned me which was dead I that was dead in sinne am quickned by thee the fountaine of grace my vnderstanding liueth my will liueth my affections liue they liue their true life they know God they loue God they long after him they discouer the euill of sinne they hate it because it is euill and what they hate that they abhorre Are not these Euidences of life I cannot be dead so long as I feele these things in mee I feele them in me but I confesse they spring not from mee they haue a better Fountaine that is Christ He is this life of mine it began in him when he became one with mee by his personall Vnion then the Vnderstanding then the Will the Affections of man which had beene long dead began to liue As this began in part when Christ became one with mee by personall vnion so did it streame forth into me when I became one with him by Mysticall Vnion then the beames of his light cleared my darknesse the comfort of his Heate warmed my chilnes then was I quickned by the influence of his life I doe not count that life which I liued before though it goe for such with men and it seemed such to me I thought as the world thinketh that if my soule dwelt in my bodie I was aliue but alas if Christ be from my soule my soule is dead and how can a dead soule quicken my bodie the bodie of a man of such a man as should bee of the same societie with Angels Well may it make my bodie vegetable and so range it with the Planets and yet therein I shall come short of many of them It may doe more my bodie by it may become sensible and I may be of the condition of beasts and yet therein how many of them will ouermatch me Happily or vnhappily rather it may boast of more it may boast that it maketh me reasonable and indeed such faculties haue I but corrupt in that I haue a reasonable soule But this aduanceth me no higher then Deuils and herein the Deuils incomparably surmount me But that life which is the chiefe life the life which is proper to the children of God I liue not except I liue by Christ and if once I liue that life I liue indeed And heare a Paradoxe I desire to die this life maketh mee most desirous of death of any death sauing that which is opposite to this life I would not die the death in sinne but the other death I will die most gladly I would be dissolued I would lay aside this Tabernacle of my bodie Not that grace maketh me vnnaturall to my flesh No it maketh mee loue my flesh the more the more but the more truly I would haue my bodie doe aswell as my soule and therefore I mortifie it that it may bee holy as my soule is holy Flesh and bloud thinketh that fasting and watching and other castigation of the flesh is a hatefull austeritie of the soule but well may the soule replie Castigo non quod odio habeam sed quod amem and though