sinnes he alth redemption iudgement and resurrection All these good thinges were geuen into the handes of Christe because he hath purchased them hath gotten the by the crosse This is the wyl of my father that hath sente me that I shoulde not lose one of those that he hath geuen me that euerye one that seeth the sonne beleueth in him maye haue lyfe euerlastynge When Christ shoulde be exalted aboue the heauens he would first huÌ„ble him self in washyng his disciples feete geuing this for an example that first in this mortall life we ought to be humble if in the other lyfe we wyll be glorious with Iesu Christe I praye and besech you brethren that euery one of you consider with deepe consideration this fact of humilitie of our Lord to the ende that we shoulde know that he came to this extreme basenesse to eralt vs. What maner of persoÌ„s were they O master whose feete thou washed it was theyrs who betrayed thee denyed thee forsoke thee in thy daunger fled away when thou stodest in moste nede of them Wherfore we ought to consider in this washynge of feete the marueylous humilitie of oure master and the feruent loue he bare towardes his enemies It was the maner in those dayes to washe straungers feete when they were bydden to any mans house therfore the Lorde rebuked the Pharisey which washed not his feete Paule would not receaue a wydow to the seruice of the Churche yf first she were not knowen to be humble and of a godly lyfe And the Apostle myndyng to declare this humilitie sayde It is erpedient that a wydowe shoulde haue wâ—â—â—ed the feete of Saintes For if any do huÌ„ble them selues after this sorte as to be content with so meane an office as to washe the feete of Saintes to serue such as haue sores and infirmities this is an euidente signe of a loue that is vnfayned He came vnto Peter Peter sayd Lorde shalt thou washe my feet Iesus aunswered and said What I do thou knoweste not but thou shalt know hereafter The wordes of Peter beyng considered as they be in apparent do declare great modestie whiche in the worlde is worthy of prayse Yt is a signe of ciuilitie not to suffer without great nede to be serued of a mans better But Christ in this that he dyd hadde occasioÌ„ wherfore he willed that Peter should beare that seruice although it were base Therfore sayd Christe thou shalte knowe hereafter Peter why I do this At this aunswere ought Peter to haue submitted hym selfe suffered his feete to be washed to haue declared a ciuill wisedome Therfore it may be sayd that in Peter doth appeare the superstitious hypocrisie of our carnall nature Peter made a conscience and feared to declare so smal reuerence to his master to suffer him to washe his feete But after forgettyng all religion treadyng vnderfeet both the loue and reuerence to his deare master with an othe forsoke hym when he ought to haue coÌ„fessed hym Chryst hath saide he that wyll not confesse me before men I wyll not confesse him in the presence of my father Peter made smal accompt of the commauÌ„dement of God denyed his master makyng lytle conscience to swere falsely with â—â—â—te shame and ignominie to Iesu Christ yet he after made a conscience and thought it sinne to suffer his master to wasshe his feete Thus doth our naturall hipocrisie it reuerenceth Christ and wyll honour hym where is no nede And agaynst his commauÌ„dement he wyll after make small accompt of that true religion wherwith god wyl be serued and worshipped Our reasoÌ„ knoweth not the cause of Gods workes nor yet can not knowe them if the spirite of the Lorde do not make manifest these secretes Therfore Peter not knowyng but as man stroue with his master and sayd thou shalt neuer wasshe my feete Peter doth not only declare hym selfe coâ—â—â—â—…tious but yf we consider thâ—â—…nswere we shall fynde Peter a great blasphemer The master had sayde before to his disciples that it was not without cause that he wasshed theyr feete Therfore Peter being obstinate resisting that he shuld not washe his feete at all shewed him selfe to be wiser then his master And the auÌ„swere of Peter hath this vnderstandynge Albeit thou art my master yet for all that thou shalte pardon me for in this doyng thou declareu thy selfe to haue smal experience touching wordly thinges I know by experience it is not decent the seruaunt woulde be serued of his master so that thy fact master doth gaynesaye the polytyke order of the world And this that I do is done politikely In Peter is declared a zele of the honour of God but this deuotion was not grouÌ„ded in the word of God Lette vs see what aunswere the wisdome of God doth make to Peter If I shall not wasshe thy feete thou shalt haue no parte with me Christ contendeth not with Peter for that he shuld not be wilfull and wyse in his owne conceite What shall we saye to the aunswere of our Lord ah is it so great a matter to washe feet was not Iudas feete wasshed yet he had no part with Christ it is verye true his feete were washed but not after that sorte as Christ doth heare declare in this Gospell The aunswere of Christ is this Peter hath not wel vnderstand my office nor yet vnderstandeth not home nedeful my seruyce is to all the whole worlde O thou fantastical man why doest thou beleue y t I am a Messias a carnall king a monarche of all the worlde to whom all nations should be subiect thou thinkest to serue this Messias but Peter thou arte deceaued For if I do not fyrst serue thee thou shalte neuer serue me yf I do not fyrst saue thee thou shalt neuer come to be saued if I do not fyrst shed my bloud for thee yf I do not first wash thy sinnes thou shalt neuer be saued nor yet haue ani porcion with me These wordes of Iesu Christ yf I washe not thy fete thou shalt haue no portion with me Albeit they bee few and appeare simply yet for al that if we coÌ„sider them depely we shall fynde that they destroy all false and cloked religion Although there bee many amongest the Iewes which lyue honestly yet for all that they be not saued in the bloud of christ nor yet haue they no part with him The Turkes albeit they say they serue god aboue glory that they haue the true religion and shewe with outwarde ceremonies a cloked holynes yet they obtayne not remission of their sinnes because they be not washed in y e bloud of Christ Our hipocrites although they doe manye good workes yet because they thynke to be washed in theyr owne merites and not in the bloud of Christ Therfore such hipocrites haue no portion with Christ at al. But let vs returne to Peter who said O lord not only my fete but my hands and head also At the first Peter was very
enstructed is as a manne should admit a brute beast to an holy banquet to the great ignominie of Iesu Christe and confusion of the church It is then erpedient that the Christian be otherwaies instructed and that he knowe what thing this Sacrament is and for what ende the Lorde hath ordeyned it for what cause also the church doth vse it what profite the faithful do receaue by it and manye other thinges which be necessary to vnderstande as this daye is made manifest I say the minister ought to vse in this Sacrament the selfe same meanes as is vsed in baptisme whē a child is baptised or yet any other person growen in yeres The whiche partie when he goeth to be baptised it is not sufficient to desire to be vnited to the church that he beleueth suerlye that this washyng is baptisme and that this sacrament is ordeined of God No nor it is no sufficient cause that the partie doeth desyre to be baptised because this belief may be both in good and euyll But the principall point that the minister doth desire to know of him that is baptised is this Whether he doth forsake the deuyll with all his works and that he that is baptised do confesse so to do openly That done the minister doth aske yf he beleue in the father in the sonne and in the holye ghost In which demaunde the mynyster doth searche out the fayth of him that receaueth the Sacrament of which faith the Church must be assured Therefore it is nedeful that euery one that is baptised shuld know to geue accompte of theyr fayth in the face of the congregation Howe muche more then oughte this to be done in the Sacrament of the Lordes supper the which is only ministred to such as be of sufficient yeres that be able to vnderstande the word preached Therfore when any man shal first communicate it is erpedient to heare his confession vppon this article For by that confession the Churche maye iudge yf suche a person bee a fitte vessell to receaue suche a Sacramente that by this meanes there maye bee a difference of Iudas and other brutysshe creatures There is then to be wysshed some other fayth muche dyfferynge from this of the Hypocrytes the whiche thynke they haue done enough whē they haue perfourmed that worke because it is so ordeyned Were it not a great folly yf one of rype yeres should be baptised and yf he were asked wherfore art thou baptised could make no other aunswere but that he is baptysed because it is so ordeyned And hauynge no other staye wherevnto the Christian fayth should staye vppon should not such one be almost iudged and taken for a dissimuled Christian Seing than y e Sacramentes be witnesses of our fayth it is needefull that they whiche wyll present them selues to this table be well instructed to geue accomptes of theyr fayth Therfore it is conuement that suche shoulde be eramined of the minister of the Churche First the minister doth aske the Christiā what is this sacramēt The faithful doth answere that this sacrament is an assuraunce and gage left of Iesu Christe in his church for that none should doubt but that his body is dead for vs that hys bloud is shed for the remission of our sinnes Then the minister shal aske him what he intendeth to do when he doth present him selfe to this supper The faithfull doth aunswere I do beleue to receaue al the merites of Iesus Christ and to receaue them in suche sorte that they bee no more Christes but that they bee myne in no lesse force then yf I with my owne proper bodye had merited the kingdome of heauen Then the minister doth thys aske and say what assuraunce hast thou to assure thy selfe after this sort of the workes of thy Lorde The faythfull doth aunswere I do thys assure my selfe vppon the wordes that Iesu Chryst spake in his last supper when he said take and eate this is my body thys is the cuppe of the newe Testamente in my bloud the whiche shalbe shed for you Agayne the minister doth aske after what maner doest thou thynke to eate thys bodye and drinke this bloud The faithful doth aunswere I do beleue to eate it spiritually in suche sort as the gospell vnder the signes of bread and wyne doth offer my fayth doth receaue The minister doth aske wherefore doest thou not thynke to eate the carnal body of Christ The faithful doth aunswere because it is the spirite that geueth me life the fleshe profiteth nothynge For this cause sayeth the Christian am I come hyther vnto the company of the faythfull for to receaue this sacrament because I beleue that the bodye of my Lorde is dead for me that hys bloud is shed for my redemptiō therfore my fayth is confirmed comforted by this sacrament The minister doth demaunde what profit commoditie receueth thy soule of thys holy supper The faithful doth answere the commoditie that I receaue therby is y e I am made a membre of Christe who is the head of the Churche And I do transfourme my selfe into my neighbour so y e I become one soule one hart one wil w t him With these other lyke instructions ought the Christian people to be instructed when they doe fyrst present them selues to thys holye supper Thys Sacramente is a witnesse of our fayth and also an open confession of the same For when we do frequent it we do declare the death of the Lord. The minister of the churh ought to admyt none to thys supper who were not very well instructed and also openly had made confession of these thynges And whē thys faith is not all thinges be decayed and of no force Let vs now then consider what difference is betwixt the fyrst fayth this seconde Thou beleuest by thy fyrst fayth that in this sacrament is the bodye and bloud of Iesu Christ What profit hast thou by this beliefe The deuil and any wicked person may haue this faith and yet for all that shall not be saued Thou beleuest that to vse this sacramēt is a good worke The deuyll beleueth also knoweth that it is a good woorke so y e this common faith maketh man no better then the deuyll or any other naughtie person Therfore it is requisite to haue some other fayth But so sone as the true lyuely fayth springeth in our hartes and speaketh to our conscience it sayeth Ah from henceforth be mery seinge Christ is wholy thine in all respectes because that in this supper thou doest receaue all hys merites he hath supped vp in his bloud all thy sinnes Confesse therefore from henceforth openly in thys Sacrament the death of thy Lord because he is present in all thy doinges This seconde fayth farre passeth the fyrst the which maketh thee no better then the Deuyll no nor than any hipocrite But this second christian faith doth geue vnto thee al that treasure enclosed and promysed in these wordes
of Iesu Christe Take eate this is my body Therefore it is nedefull that the minister of the Church be wel aduised in geuinge thys sacrament to any body yf he haue not before vnderstande his faith And by that confession which the Christian hath made in y e church to iudge that he is worthye to eate thys supper and to be made one bodi with Iesus Christ This confession is to be had of necessitie because that sacramētes be ordained for this ende that they may be witnesses also an open confession of our faith It is expedient that we liue after suche sort in thys mortall lyfe y t we helpe our neyghbour that we shuld shew our faith the which is hid in our hartes openly by some outwarde token to the Church That is bi baptisme with the supper of the lorde The gospell must bee confessed openly w t our mouth and for this cause also is this sacrament ordayned that al the worlde maye knowe that we be Christians he that vseth not the sacrament of this sort doth greuously offend hys lord What shall profit thee this fyrst faith of the hipocrites when in passing ouer of this worlde the deuilles shal tempt thee if thou shalt saye I beleue that I haue receaued the body of Chryst because it is so ordayned In lyke sort wil the deuil say And I beleue also that thou haste receaued it This faith will nothinge profit thee nor yet ease thee of thy troubles But if thou be instructed in the true fayth thou shalt aunswere the deuill say Ah Satan thou tyraunt what power haste thou in me I am armed in thys sacrament with the merites of Iesu Christ who is made mine and I am become his what canst thou do against me I do not esteme thee vse thy force I do not feare it my lorde is greater then thou With thys fayth ought euery one to be armed not only to passe ouer this lyfe but also in all parylles whiles we shall here lyue After thys sort it becommeth a Christian to be instructed yf this sacrament should profit him For yf thou hast not thys fayth although thou hadest al the Priestes of the worlde aboute thee with the Sacrament in theyr handes it should profit thee nothinge We reade in the boke of the Kynges that the people of Israell fyghting with the Philistines were ouerthrowen put to flyght and dispersed After thys ouerthrowe the Elders of the people of Israell gathered them selues together and sayde to them for thys cause are the Philistines lordes and conquerours in this warre because the arke of the couenaunte is not with vs. It was then ordayned that the arke should be brought into the army of whiche when it came al the people were glad The Iewes cryed with greate ioye thinkinge therby to haue made affrayde the Philistines triumphinge of victoritie not yet gotten The people of Israel being proude for the presence of the arke of the Lord they beganne battell a freshe with the Philistines but with great losse and more shame they were put to flight ouerthrowen Howe came this to passe that y e Iewes were thus subdued euyll handeled The arke of the lorde was present in which they had such confidence that they thought God to bee present and that he had there a peculier habitation Of thys they had no lesse confidence then hath the hipocrites of this sacrament Why dyd not God helpe the Iewes because the Hebrues were voide of faith thought by the presence of the arke to haue god to be fauourable The very selfe same thinge doth come to passe in our times to such as trust in the outward worke of this sacramēt and be not instructed with y e true faith where with a christian ought to be endued Therefore the deuill hath more power of suche after thei haue receaued y e sacrament then euer he had before Let vs then leaue of this illusion and beleue that that Christian whiche is partaker of Iesu Christe by faith doth become of the self same substaunce with his lord This is that coniunction of the church w t Christ whereof Paule spake saying that we should encrease by all meanes in Chryst who is the head whervnto the body fastened ioyned by euery kind of coniuction according to y e power mesure of euery part causeth the body to encrease in edifiyng it self by charitie Our bodies be mēbres of Iesu christ and the habitation of the holye ghost These benifites be geuen vnto vs because our lord is ioyned vnto vs both in spirite in bodi This coniunction that we haue w t Iesu Chryst can not be declared w t greater prayse then Paul did when he said that our fleshe is the fleshe of Christ and our bones the bones of him In no lesse force thē was the bones and fleshe of Eua formed of Adam Seinge we haue nowe made manyfeste the instruction that ought to be kept when a Christian will vse thys sacrament or supper It is nowe nedefull to declare what fruite and commoditie we haue of this supper I saye thys supper doth brynge forth two fruites to a Christian The fyrst is that we become after a sort the brethren of Iesu Chryst and that we be the selfe same substaunce with him The second fruite is that we be trāsfourmed after a sort with oure neighbour that we become one harte and one soule with hym And after this sort al the whole Churche is vnited with Iesus Chryst and in it self These two fruites be described of Saynct Paule who sayth The cuppe of blessynge whiche we blesse is it not the cōmunion of the bloud of Christ The bread whiche we breake is it not the communion of the bodi of Christ Because that many be one bread and one body therefore all we be partakers of one bread whensoeuer we do eate of thys bread that wytnesseth that thys meate is common to all beleuers And seyng that in this sacrament al thinges be common let vs receaue together that the whiche Chryste hath wrought for vs. Thys is that commoditie of whiche I haue so often spoken If the christian haue fayth and beleue that the body and bloud of the lorde be hys he hath then Iesu Christ in him with all hys benifites Thenceforth the hart is meri reioyseth triumpheth trustyng to be saued not by his owne goodnes but by the innocent bloud of Iesu Christ This is to be trāsfourmed into christ and to be his body bloud for that he taketh vpon him al our miseries all oure vnhappynes al our mishappes These two thinges be ioyned together and agree in one that is the goodnes of Christ and our sinne that we should be of the same health and strength if we be one soule with Iesu Christ what thynge shuld we desire more then that These and such other like thinges ought to bee preached and taught the people when they fall a reasonynge of thys sacrament for
that end that the christians may vnderstande to geue accompt to the Church of theyr sayth But ypocrisie hath nowe suche power and force that the Christians be onely geuen to ceremonyes the whiche be more supersticious then godly They vse this sacrament only because it is so ordayned because they thynke to receaue the bodye of Iesu Christ there thei stay And leauyng the true vse of thys sacrament they haue framed of their owne heades many other commodities without the warantise of the worde of god The fyrste commoditie is thys yf a man heare masse all day he can haue no harme If thou haste loste any thynge or yf thou bee robbed cause masse to be sayde and thou shalte fynde thy thinges and that shalbe restored that was robbed If thou wyll fynde grace in maryage or bee healed of any dysease or yf thou wouldeste haue a prosperous iourney or delyuered from any peryll cause masse to be sayd of suche or suche a Sainct vnto whom the wysedome of man hath grauen theyr peculyer office These be not the commodities of this supper For it is not intituled that a manne shoulde therby obtayne prosperitie honour ryches and other worldly goodes but it is principally ordayned for a remembraunce of the lordes death that we should be vnited to him neuer to be seperated There is also an other cause wherfore this sacrament is ordayned and that is that it should be in stede of an erhortation to stirre vs vp to loue and vnitie with our neighbour For this cause doth the Lord participate his bodye to vs that he may be wholy vnited to vs and we ioyned together with hym And being al ioyned in one misticall bodye we shoulde be the members one of another This societe which we ought to haue together is figured bi the bread and wine whiche be offered in this supper The bread is made of many cornes the whiche be after a sorte made one and mingled together so that the one can not be seperated from the other Euen so we Chrystians ought to be vnited together w t â—â—ch charite that one could not be seperated froÌ„ another This vnitie was described of Saint Paule as I haue sayde before who sayde that all those which were partakers of this holye breade be one body The Christian than shall reape a greate profite by this Sacrament yf he shall be transfourmed into his neyghbour and doth preferre the wealth honour and profite of his neyghbour before his owne Out of this greate charitie spryngeth these good thoughtes in vs which can not offende which can not despyse nor by any meanes tormeÌ„t our neyghbour And by that meanes is not Iesu Christ offended neither torne nor yet rente in peeces Therfore we can not be seperated from our neyghbour but we be also seperated from Iesu Christe we can not loue our brother if we loue him not in Iesu Christe We ought to haue the selfe same care of our neyghbour as we haue of our selues We be one the membre of another and we be altogether the bodye of Iesu Christe who is the head Lyke as there is no one part in our carnal body that is hurt but that all the rest of the members feele smart by the same Euen so ought we to haue compassion one vpon another when he is in trouble and suffereth any sorowe and our neyghbours busines ought no lesse to be oures then our owne This is to be mery with them that be mery to sorowe with them that sorowe and to be disposed with the selfe same mynde one towardes another These two frutes be at large set forth of S. Augustin who said The faithfull do nowe knowe this to be the bodi of Christ not to despise to be y e body of Christ They become the body of Christ yf they wyll lyue by the spirite of Christ of the spirite of Christ lyueth nothyng but the body of Christ Vnderstande this brethren that I haue spokeÌ„ Thou art a man and hast a spirit and a body thy spirite is inuisible thy body visible Tell me what lyueth liueth the spirite by the bodye or the bodye through the spirite The bodye to conclude lyueth by the spirite Wylt thou ti 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the spirit of Christ become Christes body Tell me liueth my body by the vertue of thy spirite my body liueth by his owne spirite and thy body by the vertue of thy owne spirite The bodye of Chryste can not lyue but by the spirite of Christ Therfore Saint Paule makynge manifest this breade sayde we be one bread and one bodye O Sacrament of Godlynesse O signe of vnitie O knot of charitie What oration either of Demosthenes or yet of Marcus Cicero or of any other famous wryter coulde stirre vp or moue more vehementlye to the loue of our neighbour than this sacrament moueth What prouocation can be more lyuely and sensible then this Let all the Oratoures of the worlde come forth and perswade vs to the loue of oure neyghboure with theyr polyshed Orations Let them vse all the coloures of Khethoricke and all theyr connyng they shall neuer brynge suche a perswasion as this sacrament doth preache The wyse men of the worlde perswade vs to loue our neighbour because we be of the selfe same substauncâ— thaâ— we shuld lyue together ciuilly and without disorder But this Sacrament doth erhorte vs vnto charitie because that Iesu Christe is transfourmed in vs that we should lyue by his spirite and beyng thus ioyned together to our headde Iesu Chryste one shoulde be the members of another Out of this fountayne spryngeth all these erhortations of Paule which do erhort that we shoulde loue together in suche sorte as Christ hath loued vs who hath geuen his lyfe in a swete sacrifice for our saluation This is to bee clothed with Chryste to be inflamed with the loue of thy neighbour to be continually charged with charitie euer desierous to serue thi brother O how much hath the Christian profyted in this sacrament yf he be moued stirred with a wyl to serue his neyghbour Not without cause than dyd S. Augustine name this Supper a Sacrament of Godlynesse a signe of vnitie and the bonde of charitie For as this Sacrament is a spirituall meate and swete to those that be incorporate with Iesu Christe and with their neyghbour Euen so of the contrary it is a mortal poysoÌ„ to theÌ„ whiche put not their whole trust in Iesu Christe be seperated froÌ„ their neighbour The naturall meat wheÌ„ in findeth a body full of naughtye humours turneth to poison corrupteth hurteth Euen so doeth the spirituall meate yf it fynde the soule vnfaythfull it dryueth it to vtter ouerthrowes because that to an vnfaythfull manne euery-thyng is vnfaythfull and damnable Therfore sayth Paule he that eateth and drynketh vnworthelye is worthy blame and is also a betrayer of the Lorde such one as this doth eate and drynk his owne iudgment not iudgeyng the body of the Lorde By which