any other in all the Court of Persia no not vpon King Cyrus himselfe How much then dear Christians are you indebted to your King and Spouse seeing that he hath not only purposed to redeeme ransome you with his owne dearest blood but hath powred it foorth indeed euen vnto the last drop hauing for your sake suffered so much shame so many sorrowes so many torments to free ransome you from a most cruell thraldome not of the Persian but of Sathan restored you to the free possession and iust right of a Celestiall kingdom Can you then look vpon any can you find in your hearts to bestow one thought vpon any in the whole court of this world saue onely vpon your crucified Lord Sauiour Iesus Christ Cast all your thoughts all your looks all your loue vpon him Videte palpate gustate videte behold him feele him tast and consider him recognize his loue to you and returne him loue againe for if any man loue not the Lord Iesus let him be Anathema Maran-atha 1. Cor. 16. 22. Now this our Loue cannot better be expressed then by a ioyful acknowledgement of those wonderfull benefits which wee receiue from Christ when we do worthily Commnicate and a dutifull obedience to his commandements Iohn 14. ver 15. 21. 24. The later hereof is in part touched before therefore I will in a word or two touch vpon the former which is the spiritual and corporal ioy wherwith we should bee filled at the time of our Receiuing For the time of Receiuing is not a time of moody and melancholy passion but a time of mirth and ioy in the Lord. It is Sacrum conuiuium At a banket A Holy Banquet men ought to bee very merry Our dutie then it is to Reioyce only we are to take heed that we do not reioice in sin which is against the Lord but Reioyce in the Lord. Reioyce in the Lord Philip. 4. 4. alwaies and againe I say Reioyce The Holy ghost by the Apostle doth not only permit and giue leaue to vs to make merry and reioyce but doth also exhort vs vnto it And not only to reioyce but to reioyce againe He would haue our hearts rauished with a double ioy One for the Soule and another for the Body but both in the Lord. So that not only our Soules should be ioyfull in the Lord reioyce in his saluation but also our very Bones should say Lord who is like vnto thee So that the bones which Psal 51. 8. God hath broken may reioyce Psal 35. 9. 10. And certainly we haue great reason to reioyce in God for his goodnesse to vs. For at the Communion by the hands of his Minister he doth passe vnto you vnder Seale his owne body and bloud nay his Whole-selfe and whatsoeuer benefit he wrought for mans saluation as the Remission and pardon of all your sinnes the Redemption and deliuerance of all your soules and bodies from eternall punishment in Hell Perfect Friendship and Reconciliation with God and an vndoubted right and title to the kingdom of Heauen with all the ioyes and blessednesse thereof 1 You would reioyce and be glad at the heart if being indebted but a matter of twenty or an hundred thousand pounds and not knowing which way to pay it or any farthing of it you could find one so kind and bountifull as would pay it all for you and not aske one farthing backe but only your true Loue and hearty Thankfulnesse Beloued wee are all in debt Our sinnes are Debts to God Math. 18. 24. and they are of so high a nature that all the thousands and millions in the world are not able to satisfie God for one of them and euery one of vs are in for millions of thousands Christ comes and brings a Quietus est discharging vs freely of euery one of those debts and passeth it vnder seale in the Sacrament and haue we not farre greater cause to reioyce for this then for the other For his blood is the 1 Cor. 11. 25. bloud of Remission of sinnes 2. If any of you had offended the Law in any heinous manner and for that being legally adiudged to death had the Halter about his neck vpon the Gallowes being ready to be turned off the Ladder would it not glad his heart to see one come from the King with his Pardon vnder Seale procured by the Prince to acquit him from death Verily all of vs besides the actual breaches of Gods Law committed by our selues were non prius nati quà m damnati as Saint Bernard saith No sooner borne then condemned vnder the Sentence of death The halter was about our necks and we ready to bee turned off the Ladder there was but a puffe of ayre a small blast of breath in our nostrils betwixt vs and Hell-fire betwixt our temporary life and endles tormenting death The Minister comes to vs at the Sacrament with a Pardon from the King of Heauen procured by the death of the Prince of our Saluation Iesus Christ sealed with his precious bloud and haue not we iuster cause thinke you to reioyce for our deliuerance from Hell then the Malefactor hath for his deliuerance from Tyburne 3 If our Soueraigne Lord the King were iustly fallen into hatred and enmity against any of vs and should bend himselfe and the strength of all his Subiects to bee reuenged on Him for his rebellions what a pitifull taking would that party be in how glad would he be of any that would procure and could assure him of the Kings fauour and perfect reconciliation vnto him And were not all of vs by Nature Filij irae Ephes 2. 3. and by daily multiplication of rebellions against God professed enemies to God and God enemy to vs Our Sauiour by his death wrought our Peace and attonement our perfect reconciliation with God When we were enemies wee were reconciled Rom. 5. 10. to God by the death of his Sonne And to assure our soules of this our peace and reconciliation with God Christ by his Minister in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood doth passe it vnder Seale to euery particular worthy Communicant 4. If being not borne to any foot of land his Maiestie should bestow vpon any of you a whole Shire to be yours for euer I know that person would thinke himselfe an happie man But behold the King of Heauen doeth assure euery worthy Communicant not of a Shire but of a most spacious ample and glorious Kingdome to bee possessed and enioyed not for the Euer of Time in this life but for the Euer and Euer of eternitie And haue wee not good cause to bee merry and ioyfull then God is True and faithfull of his word and promise and wee knowe that Hee by the Sacrament doth make euery true penitent Beleeuer as sure of his eternall Kingdome as any Prince if hee suruiue can bee sure to inherite his Fathers Crowne For by it wee are all made Heires of God and Ioynt-heires with Rom. 8. 17. Heb. 1. 2. Iesus Christ who is the Heire of all the world So that as I said wee haue all iust cause of mirth and ioy and would to God we could all bee so truely merry and ioyfull as wee should bee both in Body and in Soule that not onely our Soules may bee ioyfull in the Lord and reioyce in his saluation Psal 35. 9. 10. but that all our Bones may say Lord who is like vnto thee Let vs therefore whensoeuer we receiue this Sacrament bee merry a Gods Name Let vs leape reioyce and exult for our Redemption and Saluation wrought by Christ but let vs not reioyce in Surfetting and Drunkennesse nor in Chambering and wantonnesse nor in painted Pride haughtinesse For this is not to reioyce in the Lord but against the Lord this is not to bee merry in Gods Name but in the Deuils name And for all these benefites whereby both our Bodies and Soules may thus iustly be rauished with Ioy the Lord our God exacteth no great matter at our hands but that which wee may pay without any Trouble or Dammage to our selues and that is as I sayd before our Loue to God for his owne sake Loue to our Neighbours for Gods sake wee are to wish euery of them all good and to performe it vnto them to the vttermost of our power helping them in their necessities and forgiuing them the wrongs they haue done vs Euen as God for Christ his sake forgaue vs. For they are all flesh of Christ Ephes 5. his flesh and bone of Christ his bone and whatsoeuer wee doe to any of these because they are the mysticall members of Iesus Christ whether it bee good or bad Math. 25. 45. Christ accounts as done to himselfe FINIS
A CHRISTIANS PREPARATION TO THE WORTHY Receiuing of the Blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper Nunquam satis dicitur quod nunquam satis discitur LONDON Printed by Augustine Mathewes for Tho. Thorp 1622. TO THE RIGHT High and Illustrious Lady the Lady FRAVNCIS Dutchesse of Leonox Countesse of Richmond c. Most excellent Lady THe speciall grace your Grace did mee when not long since you were pleased to Discourse of the Blessed Sacrament hath emboldened mee hauing euer sithence studied how to shew my selfe thankefull to inuite your Ladiship to the reading of this my Discourse A Christians preparation to the worthy Receiuing of the Lords Supper which I most humbly present in hope of good acceptance at least of pardon as comming from Your Graces most deuoted daily Beadsman Theoph. Landauensis To the Reader CHristian Reader when this small Tractate was first written by the Reuerend Authour it was intended onely for the priuate vse of a Noble Friend of his and not for publique Cognizance But the Copie thereof being communicated to certaine High and Honourable Personages They were very earnest with Him to haue it committed to the Presse His Medestie holding it vnworthy any Estimation at all was very loath to venture it to the common Destiny of Bookes Censure Which when I being one whom he vouchsafeth to descend so low as to call Friend did vnderstand I made bold to entreat the perusing of it and afterwards hauing by incessant importunitie expugned His too much bashfulnesse I extorted from him at the last a Permission to publish it For howbeit I knew that diuers Learned and Godly Diuines had written vpon the same Subiect that eating too much Manna hath made the world sicke of a Surfeit yet I was perswaded that some of the Meaner sort of people might reape some ghostly comfort and Instruction by This as well as Others of highest Ranke had done before And further considering with my selfe his Maiesties late gracious wise and godly Directions to the Clergie touching Catechising I thought that this small Treatise agreeing and consenting with those Directions and treating of one Branch of the Catechisme might prooue not altogether vn-vsefull to any Much I will not say in Commendation of it but thus much I may and thou also wilt if neither Ignorance doe blind nor Preiudice hood-winke the eye of thy Iudgement boldly and truly affirme That it sauoreth not either of the Superstition of the One or Bastard and phantasticke Noueltie of the Other Abberration in Religion but speaketh the same Old and Orthodox Doctrin though not in the same Syllables that is comprised in the Articles the Homilies and Catechisme of the Church of England And those are our Rule to direct all our Instructions by in this kinde Thus wishing thee as much ghostly Benefit by it as the Authour did to that Religious and Noble Personage whose Pious desire did first set him on work to Compose it I rest Thine and the Authors Friend in Christ Iesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not Life to All. For to some it is Death and Destruction For He that eateth and drinketh vnworthily eateth and drinketh â—r 11. 29. his owne damnation 'T is very strange that so Contrary effects as Life and Death should spring out of one and the selfe same Cause Doth a Fountaine send out at Iames 3. 11. one place bitter water and sweet saith St. Iames That may not be granted And yet the same Sacrament of Christ his blessed Body and Blood Mors est malis vita Bonis as Aquinas In Hymno speaketh It is Death to the wicked vnworthy and Life to the godly and worthy Receiuer But Certainely these two Contrary effects doe not Naturally proceed from the Sacrament it selfe but the One viz. Death is caused by It no otherwise then accidentally and improperly For the Sacrament it selfe was ordayned by Christ to be an Instrument of spirituall Life and no cause of Death or Damnation at all But wee haue a common saying in the Schooles That Omnis causa agit secundum dispositionem Subiecti Euery cause doth worke according as the Subiect which it is to worke vpon is fitted and disposed Therefore Experience sheweth that one and the same Heate of the same Sunne doth Harden the Clay and melt or mollifie the Waxe The same meat doth nourish and strengthen an heathfull and sound body which if it be eaten by persons of sicke and corrupted stomachs doth but increase their Disease and degenerate into the malignant humour of the sicknesse it selfe So howsoeuer the Sacrament of the Lords body doth augment grace in the prepared heart of a poenitent Receiuer yet the impenitent and obstinate sinner by partaking of that holy mysterie becomes more sicke in Soule and more crazed in Conscience then before That happeneth to him in Soule which is reported to haue befalne Sabellicus lib. 8. Henry the Emperour in his body Cui in hostiâ consecratâ venenum attulit interitum Who was poysoned by receiuing the consecrated Hoast The Arke of the Couenant receiued into the house of Obed Edom for the space of three moneths brought great benefits and much happinesse with it For the Lord blesseâ— Obed. Edom and all his household 2 Sam. 6. 10. Yet for all that the Philistims had the same Arke amongst them for a much longer time and they were so far from reaping any benefite or benediction by it that the Lord powred his curses and plagues vpon them for deteining it The reason of which different effects was the Difference and Dissimilitude of the Lodging or Roome into which the Arke was receiued Obed-Edom entertained it with all humble reuerence and pious deuotion of a sanctified heart The Philistims receiued it so indeuoutly and vnreuerently that they forbare not to place it by their Idol Dagon So this 1 Sam. 5. 2. heauenly Sacrament becommeth Death to the bad and Life to the good by reason of the diuers Disposition and different preparation of those persons which are partakers of it Some like Obed-Edom prepare their Soules before hand to receiue it with Faith Penitence Humilitie and Reuerence Others like the Philistims make no such reckoning of it but receiue it hand ouer head into an impenitent an vnsanctified an vnprepared heart an heart wedded to wickednesse and doe place it among their deare and darling sinnes which they doat vpon adore no lesse then if they were their Idols That therefore we may knowe How to receiue this food of our soules in such maner as it may bring Life and Grace and Saluation to vs the Apostle setteth vs downe the way in his first Epistle to the Corinths the 11. Chapter at the 28. verse Let a man therefore examine himselfe c. Which words of the blessed Apostle containe a Double charge First that wee trie before wee eate and secondly that wee eate after triall Before wee doe Communicate the Apostle requires Triall of our selues and then after Triall and Examination hee
conuerting from Sin to God But S. Paul had studied the case thoroughly and He teacheth vs otherwise viz. That Repentance is a great deale different from godly sorrow for godly sorrow saith he causeth Repentance so that Repentance is an effect or fruite of godly sorrow and godly sorrow is the cause of repentance so that Sorrow and Repentance are not the same For Nihil est causà suiipsius Nothing is cause of it selfe Secondly some take it to be no more but Conuersion that is a leauing off to sinne and a turning to God But Conuersion is an Antecedent of Repentance and Repentance is a consequent of Conuersion as the Prophet Ieremie teacheth Surely after that I conuerted Ierem. 31. 19. then I repented So that Conuersion goeth before Repentance and Repentance followeth after Conuersion Saint Paul tells vs that Repentance is another manner of matter and consists of seuen parts An Inuentory whereof he deliuereth vnto vs For behold this godly sorrow what great 2 Cor 7. 11. carefulnesse it hath wrought in you yea what Apologie or defense yea what indignation yea what feare yea what earnest desire yea what emulation yea what reuenge or punishment These are the seuen parts of the body of true Repentance and acording to these seuen we are to examine our Consciences For true repentance requireth the whole man that is the vnderstanding part the Affections and the Body 1 The vnderstanding part must shew it selfe in Carefulnesse and Apologie 2 The Affections are to bee exercised in Indignation Feare Desire and Emulation 3. The Body in Reuenge or Punishment First then to make our Repentance sound it is required that wee bee carefull to auoyd sinnes to come and to do with diligence the works that God commands vs. This is the first part of the Body of Repentance and it pertaines to the Superiour part of the Soule the Vnderstanding and is a part of Prouidence 2 The second Act of Repentance which belongeth to the vnderstanding part is Apologie or Defence Where the Apostles meaning is not that any man should make an Apologie for his sins for he that hideth or excuseth his sins shall not prosper saith Solomon but that euery good Christian should be able to make a iust Apologie for the Truth and Sincerity of his godly sorrow for his sinnes 2 The vpper part of the Soule 1. the vnderstanding is charged with those two actions But the lower part of the Soule in matter of repentance is charged with foure Affections viz. 1. Indignation 2. Feare 3 Desire 4. Emulation 1 Indignation hath respect to Sinnes past 2. Feare is in regard of Sins to come 3. Desire hath an Eye to good things 4. Emulation hath a reference to good Persons 3 Indignation hath the first place because it is an Affection of Anger most properly belonging to Repentance Carefulnesse is a part of Prouidence But Repentance propperly is a part of Iustice vindicatiue and to vindicatiue Iustice no affection so agreeable as Anger and Indignation Wee are then to conceiue Anger against our selues for our sinnes and euery Anger will not serue the turne but it must be an high kind of Anger Indignation Now indignation presupposeth an indignity done By our sinnes wee offer indignity to God and to our owne Soules and therefore we are to conceiue great indignation against our selues for committing such indignities against so good and so great a Maiestie 4 The fourth part of our Repentance must bee an holy Feare in regard of the Time to come to fall into any sin 5 The fifth is an earnest Desire to please God in all things and to doe euery good dutie which he commandeth in his Law 6 The sixth is an holy emulation of Gods persons in striuing to match them in graces and vertues and if it bee possible to ouer-match them 7 The seuenth thing required is Reuenge or Punishment which is the very perfection and complement of Repentance without which Reuenge non agitur sed fingitur poenitentia our repentance is no repentance but hypocrisie The only way to escape the Iudgement of God in another world is to sit in iudgement against our selues in this world to giue sentence against our selues for our offences so Saint Paul teacheth If wee 1 Cor. 11. 31. would iudge our selues we should not bee iudged of the Lord. But after iudging of our selues and giuing sentence against our selues wee must streight proceed to execution and punishing of our selues for our sins for so we shall escape Eternall punishment in another world For Non erit gemina afflictio as the Prophet Nahum speaketh God will not punish twise for the same offence So that to d Wee must ioyne Reuenge of our selues with Iudging of our selues 1 Cor. 11. 31. Indicare we must necessarily ioyne Vindicare and so take vengeance of our selues for our 2 Cor. 7. 11. sinnes here that we may escape the eternal vengeance of God in Hell-fire Now the Fathers grounding themselues vpon the Scriptures haue distinguished sins into these three kinds viz. Spirituall Carnall worldly Sins of the Soule Sinnes of the Flesh Sinnes of the World And there is in Scripture a seuerall punishment set downe for euery seuerall kinde of these Sinnes 1 The Soule hath two parts Superiour and Inferiour Superiour Sins perteining to this are Pride contempt of God c. 2 Sins of the Inferiour Irascible part are wrath desire of reuenge for wrongs done 2 Lusting after vanities The Soule is a fliting thing neuer at rest but euer rouing abroad thorow a thousand desires the way to punish it is to call it home and to force it to settle vpon some vnpleasing obiect as to call to remembrance Esay 38. the yeeres of our life fore past in Amaritudine animae to tye it to thinke vpon Death and Iudgement Hell which will soone pull downe the pride of it The Irascible part we must punish by studying to be quiet and patient to put vp wrongs and be ready to forgiue The Lusting part is to be punished by setting our affections and Desires on good things or things that are aboue 2 Sinnes of the flesh are Vncleannesse Drunkennesse Gluttony ease sleepe c. For these Saint Paul saith Castigo corpus I beate downe my body 1 Cor. 9. 25. and bring it in subiection The Body desires to fare well in meats and drinkes This wee must punish by fasting either a From all sustenance as Dauid 2. Sam. 12. 17. Exod. 10. 6. à toto or if that we cannot do yet b From such a quantitie and but only gustare Acts 10. 13. à tanto If that our health will not permit that yet to fast c From such kind of meates as Dan. 10. 3. à tali from dainties and incentiues to sinne The Body desireth Ease to lye soft and richly in beds of Downe and Iuory This wee must punish 1 Sam. 12. with Dauid by lying hard as vpon the bare ground c.
with the other but both remaine distinct in the same Sacrament yet though they be in themselues distinct they are so inseperably conioyned together by Sacramentall and mysticall vnion that hee that doth receiue the one rightly doth also necessarily receiue the other And as by vertue of the Personall vnion of the two natures in Christ it commeth to passe that there is a Communication of properties by reason whereof that which properly belongs to one Nature is attributed to the other as God is said to bee Borne and to dye and the Son of Man is said to bee in Heauen when he was on Earth God is Iohn 3. 13. by reason hereof said to bee Man and Man to be God and that really and truly So by vertue of the Sacramentall vnion that is betwixt the hallowed Bread and the Body of Christ in the Sacrament the Bread is truly called the Body of Christ and the Body of Christ the Bread The Fruite of this Sacrament is the participation of the Body and Blood of Christ There is no one sentence of holy Scripture which saith that wee cannot by this Sacrament bee made partakers of Christ his Body and Blood except they be first materially conteined in the consecrated Elements of Bread and Wine or the Bread and Wine be substantially changed the one into the Body the other into the Blood of Christ This is my body This is my Blood are words of Promise we doe beleeue that God is faithfull and true of his word and doth performe what hee doth promise Albeit we doe not vnderstand the manner how nor dare prescribe vnto him the manner which way he shall make it his Body to vs either by Transubstantiating or Consubstantiating it or else we will not beleeue him Still remember that it is a Sacrament of Faith and Faith hath relation to a word of promise The word of promise is this is my Body This word I beleeue to be true because God spake it who cannot possibly lye This promise I know certainely that God will performe in making it his Body to mee because God is faithfull in performing his promise I confesse I doe not know which way or after what manner hee will or doth performe it because he hath not shewed me If I knew the manner how God did make it his Body then the Sacrament were to me as matter rather of Reason and Knowledge then a Mysterie of Faith and beliefe I beleeue that Christ was conceiued in the wombe of Mary a pure Virgin which neuer knew Man but if you aske me the manner how I confesse I know not and if I knew the manner how then that Article of Christes Conception were to mee rather a matter of Knowledge then an Article of Faith Moreouer seeing these wordes This is my Body are words of Promise and seeing that both Protestants and Lutherans and Papistes doe all agree that by the Sacrament Christ doth really and truely performe in vs his promise what doth it profit vs to know whether he doth it by Consubstantiation or Transubstantiation or some other way best knowne to himselfe which is a thing which can no wayes either further vs or hinder vs howsoeuer it stand Therefore I aduise you to follow the counsell of a most iudicious and excellent Deuine Master Hooker who willeth Eccl. Polit. Lib. 5. you to take that wherein all sides both Protestants and Papistes and Lutherans doe agree and consent and then consider by it selfe what cause there is why the rest in question should not rather be reiected as superfluous then vrged as necessary It is on all sides confest First that the Sacrament is a True and Reall participation of Christ who thereby imparteth not onely Totum sui but Totum se Himselfe wholly euen his whole entire person as a Mysticall head vnto euery Soule that receiueth him and that euery such Receiuer doth incorporate or vnite himselfe to Christ as a Mysticall member of him yea and as a fellow member of all true Christian Soules liuing on earth or triumphing in heauen Secondly it is also agreed on That to whom the Person of Christ is thus communicated to them he giueth by the same Sacrament his holy Spirit to sanctifie them as it sanctifieth him which is their head Thirdly it is likewise confest that what Merit Force Vertue or Efficacie there is in the Sanctified Body and Blood of Christ we doe freely fully and wholly receiue it by this Sacrament Fourthly all sides say that the effect thereof in vs is a real Transmutation of our Soules from sinne to righteousnesse from Death and corruption to Immortalitie and Life Fiftly all sides confesse that because the Sacrament I meane the Bread and Wine being of it selfe but a corruptible and Earthly Creature must needs be thought an vnlikely instrument to worke so admirable effects in Man wee therefore are to rest our selues vpon Gods Omnipotencie vpon the strength of his glorious and vnresistable power who is able and will bring to passe that the Bread and the Cuppe which he giueth vs shal be really and truly that thing which he promiseth This is agreed on all sides and tbis is as much as is necessary to be knowne and beleeued touching our receiuing of Christ in the Sacrament to the comfort of our Soules The second thing to be considered in Faith is Application Therefore euery Communicant must not onely know but apply that in particular to himselfe which hee beleeueth in generall as that Christes Body was crucified for him and his Bloud shed for him Saint Paul teacheth it by his owne example I liue saith hee Galat. 2. 20. by the faith of the Sonne of God who hath loued mee and hath giuen himselfe for me And this Application cannot bee better performed then in Eating this Bread and drinking this Cup for so often as we eate this Bread and drinke this Cup we 1. Cor. 11. 26. doe Commemorate the Lordes Death Euery Communion is as it were a new Crucifixion of Christ Christ was crucified at Hierusalem but Saint Paul tels the Galatians that hee was crucified among them Not that Gal. 3. 1. hee suffered death in Galatia but because of the Communion which is a Commemoration and Representation of the Death and Passion of Christ Therefore when I kneele at the Lords Table to the ende that I more effectually apply Christ to mine owne Soule I am to set my selfe as it were at the very foot of Christ his crosse and to consider Him hanging there enduring the vnknown wrath and curse of God and shedding his most precious blood for me and for my sinnes That I was the cause why Hee was wounded rent torne and most shamefully vsed That my sinnes murdered the glorious and innocent Sonne of God that he suffered nothing for his owne sake but all for mine that he sustained his Fathers wrath to turne that wrath away from me and to make God and mee friends that hee was content to be made a