a Sacrament THe outward parts of a Sacrament are such things as vnder a certain similitude likenes do represent and signifie heauenly things to assure vs they are as truely present and offred vs as we beholde with our cies and receiue with our hands the earthly things giuen vnto vs. The outward parts of a Sacrament are in number foure First the Minister Secondly the word of institution Thirdly the element Fourthly the receiuer All these and euery one of them are needfull to the being and nature of a Sacrament take them away or any of them and you take away the substance and bring in a nullity of the Sacrament If ther be no minister no word no element no receiuer there is no Sacrament If there be wanting either minister to deliuer it or word to 〈◊〉 it or element to represent it or receiuer to take it we cannot assure our selues to haue any sacrament of God but rather a tradition and inuention of our owne First then there is required a Minister lawfully called chosen and ordained hauing at the least the approbation and alowance of the church to pronounce the words of institution and to deliuer the outward signs to the receiuers They are not makers of the Sacrament but ministers not autors but administators not deuisors but deliuerers Earthly princes haue their letters patents their great seals keepers of the same if another shal set to the seal that is not appointed the keeper thereof is it not made an heinons crime worthy of heauy punishment So the Lord is a mightye Prince king of kings and Lord of Lords he hath appointed his seales to seale vp his promises of forgiuenes of sinnes and eternal life and he hath ordained his Officers as it were keepers of his great seals God publisheth saluation and pardon to all beleeuers by his word as by his letters pattents and he addeth baptisme and the Lords Supper as two broad seales for greater assurance and confirmation and appointeth the Ministers to be keepers thereof Whosoeuer therfore shall presume to 〈◊〉 to any of these seals without warrant without a caling without a function and direction from God himselfe being no officer no Minister no keeper of them prophaneth these seales and setteth to a counterfet stampe For as no man may preach except he be sent so no man may administer the Sacrament except he be called This is it the Apostle teacheth No man taketh this honor vnto himself but he that is called of God as was Aron and Christ tooke not to himselfe this honor to be made the high Priest but he that 〈◊〉 vnto him thou art my sonne this day begat I thee gaue it to him Now to minister the sacraments is an honour in the Church which none can take to himselfe at his owne pleasure but God must giue it They should haue in their owne consciences a witnesse of Gods calling them to this office and honour Wherefore the sacred functions ordained of God must not be prophaned by voluntary officers and vsurped offices no man must take vpon him without a lawful calling to teach hese holy misteries Of these the Lord complaineh I haue not sent these prophets yet they ranne I haue not spoken to them and yet they prophesied Thus these intruders did thrust their sickle into other mens corne The reasons why the ministers and no others are to intermedle with the Sacraments are very apparant First because euery part and member of the church hath his especiall office and his proper guifts to execute his 〈◊〉 we see in a campe the Souldiers in Warre haue their standing-place in sight of their captaine who hath chosen them to be Warriors so in the Church 〈◊〉 euery one keepe his seuerall calling in the presence of God who hath in wisdome and mercy called him thereunto We see in the natural dispositiō of the body euery member hath his speciall vse the eye to see the hand to handle the foote to walke the eare to heare and if one member should incroch vpon the office of another it must needes tend to the destruction of the body We see in the gouernment of an house and famely the husband and wife the father and sonne the master and seruant know and acknowledge their places to rule to obey to commaund to be commaunded without intruding themselues and incroching vpon the function as it were vpon the free-hold of an other If we would ascend a step higher we obserue in the affaires of state and matters of the cōmon-wealth euery man doth keepe within his owne listes and limits and no man dare presume to charge any man or enterprise any thing in the princes name and authority without a sufficient warrant from the prince himselfe so may no man take vpon him any functions in the church vnlesse hee haue a commission and commaundement from the Lord. For as the prince appointeth by what officers he will be serued so is it in the offices and officers of the Church God hath placed and ordained the Apostle to plant the Euangelist to second and assist the prophet to prophesie the pastor to feede and hath set euery one in his proper place and standing as i were in his watch-tower out of which he must not wander and depart Let euery man abide in the same vocation wherein he was called and afterward Let euery man wherein he was called therein abide with God Whosoeuer therefore medleth without a lawfull vocation as it were violently inuadeth another mans possession and cannot do it without the check and controlment of Christ Iesu who is the captaine of his own host the head of his own body the Lord of his own house and the great king of his owne church Againe Christ the prophet and teacher of his church and the prince of pastors hath committed the office of administration of the Sacraments to those alone to whom he hath committed the dispensation of his word and preaching of the Gospell therefore if any other 〈◊〉 set to the seale it is no true seale but a counterfait stamp The truth of this appeareth Indeede I haptize with water that is I that am apointed a techer in the church to make ready a people prepard for the Lord. And Paule being conuerted and called to preach to beare the name of God to the gentiles did without further word warrant or commaundement minister the Sacraments Now then as we haue seene the truth of the doctrine let vs consider the vses thereof First is the minister of the substance of the Sacrament and a principall part of Christs institution Then he must consider it is his duty being authorised from God and by his church to sanctifie the outward elementes and administer the same to deliuer the outward signes and offer them to the receiuers His workes therefore are to put a part and consecrate the signes to an holy vse to open and
mariage somuch as the word of God teacheth vs that it is an ordinance of God instituted before the fall of man while he was without sinne and blessed of God who saide It is not good for man to be alone let us make him an helper meete for him This estate Christ did not abrogate and disanull but repeated and confirmed not onely by word but by his owne presence and hath left it as a lawfull remedy against fornication and vncleannesse We account it an honorable estate of life among all and the bedde vndefiled but whoremongers and adulterers God will iudge and cast into vtter darkenesse where their worme shall neuer dy and their fire shall not be quenched as the Apostle teacheth 1 Cor. 6 Know ye not that the vnrighteous shal not inherit the kingdome of God Be not deceiued neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor wantons nor buggerers nor drunkards shal inher it the kingdome of God Notwithstanding we cannot cal and account it a Sacrament for diuerse waighty reasons euident causes First it was not instituted by Christ but was from the beginning of the world and therefore it was before the law and vnder the law how can it be a Sacrament of the new Testament Againe matrimony may be among infidels and vnbeleeuers out of the Church and society of the faithfull For the matrimony of infidels is lawfull God did institute it for all mankind The commaundement is generall increase and multiply The Apole teacheth that if the vnbeleeuing woman will dwell with the beleeuing husband he must not put her away for her infidelity and mariage is honourable amonge all persons Seing therefore it was before the fall of man before the giuing of the lawe vnder the gouernement of the lawe and made honorable among all it cannot be a Sacrament of the church of Christ and for the members onely of the Church Thirdly it is not common and commaunded to all the faithfull for it is not needfull and necessary that all in the church should be married Euery one hath his proper gift some one way some another And albeit God haue not tyed grace to the sacramentes yet they in some sort are necessary for the Church and to be partaked of the children of the Church whether we respect the commaundement of God who requireth them or whether we regard our owne weakenesse who stand in neede of all holy meanes and profitable helpes that tend to the confirmation of our faith Seeing then matrimony is not commanded to al neither serueth to confirme faith it cannot be receiued as a sacrament Fourthly the sacramentes are ordinances of god aplying Christ and his merits to al the faithful but matrymony is not an instrument whereby God applyeth Christ and al his benifits much lesse is it a common instrument of the common saluation and benefites that all haue in Christ Iesus Furthermore we haue showd how the Roman church is contrary to itselfe in this point for ou aduersaries call matrimony a prophanation of holy orders And another saieth it is more tollerable for a priest to keepe many Concubins then to marry If matrimony be an holy sa how should the sacred order of your Priesthood be prophaned polluted and defiled therby Lastly it 〈◊〉 no promise of saluation ioyned to it as it ought to haue thogh it be lawfull and vsed lawfully in euery Sacra there must be likewise an outward sign or element as water in baptism and bred and wine in the Lords supper togither with a san ctisieng word to warant it but in this supposed sacra there is neither matter nor word therfore no sacra The answer that Belarmin maketh to this last reason is as absurd as their doctrin it selfe namely that the word of iustitution is take thce which are the words expressing their mutual consent and that the matter or sign are the parties maried For not euery word can consecrate sanctifie but the word of God Again the maried persons are receiuers of this pretended and supposed Sa. so that they cannot be the matter or signe For the signe and the receiuer are two distinct outward parts of a Sa so that they cannot be consounded or mingled together as besore we declared Chap 3. The matter cannot be the receiuer the receiuer cannot be the matter The thing receiued cannot be the receiuer the receiuer canot be the thing receiued If then the persons matied be the receiuers they cannot be the signe receiued If any farther obiect and say Marriage is the signe of an holy thing to wit of the spirituall coniunction between Christ and his church I answer it was not instituted to confirm our faith in that point but for other ends which we named before Besides if we should call al signs of holy things sacraments we should treble the number of 7. for so many comparisons as we find in scripture we should haue sacraments then the stars a grain of mustard seed leauen a draw-net a shepherd a Vine a dore nay a theese a murtherer and infinite other things should be Sacramentes which sometimes are made signes of holy things This were not so much to increase the number of Sacraments as to multiply absurdities Lastly the Sabbaoth was ordayned to the Iewes to be a signe between God and his people in their generations and signified the spirituall rest in Christ yet was it no ordinary sacrament albeit it were blessed and sanctified of God Wherefore al mysticall and signifieng signes are not Sacraments But the greatest reason wher of they are most confident is where the vulgar translation and the Rhemish interpretation readeth This is a great Sacrament I answer first the worde signisieth a mystery or secret but not euery mystery or secret is a sacrament neyther will they admitte a sacrament wheresoeuer a mystery is named Secondly the Apost speaketh not of Matrimony but of the spiritual coniunction betweene Christ and his church as the wordes following doe declare This is a great mystery but I speake of Christ and of the Church Where the Appostle preuenteth this verie obiection and sheweth in what respect he spake of a mystery For wher one might happilie obiect and say Doest thou call marriage this mystery he answereth I speake not this of Marriage I speake it in respect of Christ and of his church This appeareth likewise in that he calleth it a great Mystery that is A great secret But the coniunction of man and wife is sensible not secret much lesse a great secret Nowe the Sacramentes are called mysteries in respect of the sacramentall vnion between the signe and the thing signified between the representation and the thing represented so that at the same instant that one is present to the eyes the handes the mouth and euery part and member of the bodie the other by the power and working of Gods spirit is as present in a wonderfull mystical and secret manner to
the faith beeing the eyes and hands of the soule Wherefore Cardinall Caietan not so grosse as many among them confesseth that these wordes proue not matrimony to be a Sacra Further it is euident to al that consider the circumstance of the text that the Apostle not forth marriage in this place as a similitude to represent the neere coniunction between christ and his church but 〈◊〉 he bringeth forth the exceeding and eminent loue of christ as a 〈◊〉 to declare and enforce what should be the loue of the husband toward the wife For the mayne point of exhortation is set downe verse 25. Husbands loue your wiues This is argued and enforced by the example of Christ As Christ loued the church and gaue himselfe for it Againe The man is the head of the woman as Christ is the head of the church And afterward He that loueth his wife loueth himselfe for no man euer yet hated his owne flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it euen as the Lord doth the church By all these things it is plaine and manifest that if they wil needes in this place dreame of a sacrament consisting of a signe and thing signisied Christ and the church must be the signe representation and consecrated mistery to represent man and his wife and their mutuall loue each to other and not marriage a consecrated sign of him Last of al I would know of them whether so often as the old translator vseth the word sacrament they wil haue it taken strictly properly and particularly for the Sacraments of their church I thinke if they be sober minded and well aduised they dare not say so for then godlines shal be a sacrament Gods wil shall be a sacrament The calling of the Gentiles shal be a Sacrament Yea iniquity shal be a Sacrament For in al these places the word Sacrament is vsed as wel as in this place to the Ephesians by the old Interpretor sometimes in the good part and sometimes in the euil to whom notwithstanding they cleaue and must cleaue vnder paine of the censur and curse of the councell of Trent Chap. 20. That orders are no Sccrament BY orders we must vnderstand the offices and ministry of the church as also Peter Lumbard doth We confesse when Christ led captiuity captiue he gaue giftes vnto men and ordained Some to be Apostles some prophets some Euangelists and some pastors and teachers for the repairing of the saint for the worke of the ministry and for the edification of the bodie of Christ. By these he declareth his will vnto vs he gathereth togither his scattered sheep and publisheth the glad tydings of saluation as Ier. 7. I haue sent vnto you all my seruants the Prophets rising up earlie euerie date And christ our sauiour saith Luc 10. He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you aespiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me And the Apostle Paule 2. Cor 5 teacheth God was in Christ and reconciled the world to himselfe not imputing their sins vnto them and hath committed to vs the word of reconciliation Now then are we Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you through vs we pray you in Christs stead to be reconciled to God This we hold this we beleeue this we teach touching the degrees orders and offices of the ministry of the gospell But the popish orders of the Popish churches they say are seuen whereof some are greater and higher offices some are lower lesser and inferiour The greater are three the office of Priest-hood to offer vp the sacrifice of the bodye and blood of Christ vpon the Altar of Deaconship to assist the priests in all things which are done in the Sacramentes to bring in the oblations to set them vpon the Altar to couer it with cloathes to beare the crosse and to read the Gospell and Epistle to the people of the subdeacons to bringe the chalice and patten to bring the cruet with water and the towell to the Altar and to pour out water to wash their hands These are their higher Offices aboue the rest as the higher trees among the lower shrubs The lesser orders are foure in number First of dore-keepers these receiue the keyes of the church doore to open the same Secondly of readers to reade the Bible to the people Thirdly of Exorcistes to call vppon the name of the Lorde ouer such as haue vncleane spirites adiuring and coniuring them to come out in the name of god which power of commaunding euill spirites is ceased in the Church Lastly A Colythes to prepare and carry torches and tapers when the Gospell is read to the people or the sacrifice is to be offered These seuen popish orders or rather plaine disorders and consusions we cannot receiue into the number of Sacraments of the Church For 〈◊〉 orders are so fruitefull that this bird hath hatched seauen young ones This Sacrament is so rich so rank so riotous that it hath ingendered and brought forth seauen petty and pretty sacraments and therefore these being numbred and patched vp to the sormer we should haue 13. Sacraments A goodly brood of a gallant egge For if euery one of these orders of doore-keepers readers exorsistes Acolithes subdeacons deacons and priests be Sacraments we should multiply the number of Sacramentes according to the number of these orders and so indeede of seauen we should haue 13. Sacraments which were a very disorderly order or if you list to cal it an orderly disorder And so Peter Lumbard maister of the Sentences calleth not orders a Sacrament as speaking of one but Sacraments as speaking of many saying Orders are called Sacraments because in receiuing of them grace is conferred which is represented by those things that are there performed Neither can they say they al make but one sacrament sceing they are distinct offices one from another diuerse in offices in institution in calling in ordinatiō in ceremonies and in forme of consecration so that they may by as good right and as great reason make baptisme and the Lords supper one sacrament as all these orders so diuerse and distinct the one from the other Secondly sacraments haue their institution from christ orders haue not their institution from Christ to be Sacraments of the church therefore orders are no sacraments Nay as they are retained vsed in the church of Rome they are no ordinances or institutions of christ at all For touching the osfices of priest-hood to offer vp the body of Christ for the quick and dead of deacons to serue these Baals priests at their Idolatrous alters of subdeacōs of readers and of the rest they are not found in scripture neither were ordained by the apostles neither were they receiued into the church for many yeares after Christ and his Apostles The new Testament as it doth acknowledge no other sacrificer and sacrifice but Christ so it admitteth no priests no priest-hood but
the administration of baptisme and truely performe that which is out-wardly figured and represented Heere heauen was open which for our sinnes was shut against vs heere the spirit descended in the visible forme of a doue vpon Christ to signifie vnto vs that being deliuered from the terrors of sin and iudgement we are at peace with God the voice of the father is heard from heauen saying This is my sonne in whom I am well pleased All these things note out the speciall force and dignity of this Sacrament It is not therefore to bee administred in a corner of the Church with three or foure persons present to witnesse the baptisme the rest of the body of the congregation being departed but in the face and open view thereof forasmuch as God to deliuer it from contempt hath giuen it visible markes of greater honor The Apostle saith 1 Cor. 12 Our vncomelie partes haue more comlinesse on for our comely partes neede it not but God hath tempered the body together and hath giuen more honor to that part which lacked As God hath delt with our bodies so hath he done in this sacrament That which is most subiect to contempt dishonour and disgrace God hath lifted vp with sundry excelent preheminences and prerogatiues as we haue seene in Christs baptisme And albeit there be a difference in the person baptized yet there is none in the substance of the baptisme Seeing then god so highly esteemeth of this ordinance it serueth to conuince to accuse and to condemne their carelesnesse and negligence that refuse to be present at baptisme or if they vouchsafe to bee present for a while departe before the end of the whole action and rushe out of the church before the name of God be praysed and the whole worke finished and concluded with prayer as it was Luk. 3. It came to passe as all the people were baptized and that Iesus was baptized and did pray the heauen was opened And Act. 22 Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sinnes in calling on the name of the Lord. Wherefore we are not to departe before god hath be ene prayed vnto and praysed for his benefits The Apostle chargeth that all things in the church be done in order and comelinesse Now what can be more comely and conuenient then that the Churches begin the exercises of their holy religion together and end them together Forasmuch as nothing is done in the assembly which tendeth not to the edification of the whole body Lastly if in euery true baptisme there be outward and inward parts vnited each to other then the baptisme of lohn and of Christ are in nature and substance all one Contrary to the doctrine of the Trent-councel that teacheth If any shal say that the baptisme of Iohn hath the same force with Christs baptisme let him be accursed Although it be no matter of faith nor greatly necessary in theâ—e daies to despute of Iohns baptisme seeing no man or woman is now baptized the rewith yet we will shew the truth of this point out of the Scriptures that they are al one in substance and effect not of any other kind nature For first Iohn preached the baptisme of repentance to remission of sins they haue therfore the same doctrine the same word the same promise the same repentance the same forgiuenesle of sinnes as they had the same outward element of water And the Apostle teacheth that there is One body one spirit one hopeof the calling one Lord one father one faith and one baptisme 2. The baptisme of Iohn was consecrated and sanctified in the person of christ for christ was baptised with the baptisme of Iohn 3. It may appeare as we wil proue Ch. 4 that Iohn 〈◊〉 in the name of the blessed trinity Fourthly neither Christ nor his Ap. rebaptized any that wer baptized by the ministry of Iohn Apollos did know onely the baptisme of Iohn he is taken instructed farder in the faith and waies of the Lord but we read not that he was baptized again 5 if Iohns baptisme were not the same with our baptisme it would follow that CHRIST was baptized with another baptisme then we are and that our baptisme was not sanctified in the person of CHRIST which taketh away our comfort and consolation that we which are the members of CHRIST haue one and the same baptisme with our head Sixtly if the baptisme of Iohn were not one with the baptisme of Christ heere by the errour of the Anabaptistes should be confirmed for such as were baptized of Iohn should be rebaptized Seuenthly the Apostles themselues should not be truely baptized for they no doubt were baptized of Iohn some of them being first his Disciples otherwise they should be vnbaptized For Christ with his owne hands baptized none as ap peareth Ioh. 4 1 2 and it is not likely that one of them baptized another yea they should baptize other into another baptisme then themselus had receiued Last of all Christ himselfe testi fieth that the baptisme ministred by Iohn pertained to the fulfilling of righteousnesse Math. 3 15 and Luke testifieth that the publicans and people being baptized of him iustified god but the Pharises dispised the counsell of god against themselues were not baptised Wherfore seeing Iohn bpatised with water in the name of the Trinity to remission of sins and that the blessed Trinity was present thereat we conclude his baptisme was the same with ours onely heerin lyeth the difference in the circumstance of time Iohn baptised in christ that should suffer death and rise againe we baptise in the name of Christ already dead and risen againe to life Against this euident truth directly confirmed Bellarmine the Iesuite taketh diuers exceptions and maketh many obiections all which stumbling blocks lying in the way wherat many stumble are to be remoued before we conclude this chapter For he reasoneth thus The baptisme of Iohn was instituted by Iohn himselfe not by Christ he was not the minister onely but the author thereof therefore it was no Sacrament at all especially of the new Testament and consequently not the same with the baptisme of christ I answer we must consider in this reason the base and vile account that the Iesuites make of Iohns baptisme they make it an idle and vaine Ceremony without fruite or force and no Sacrament or seale of heauenly grace Againe if Iohns baptisme were no Sacrament then CHRIST which receiued no other outward Baptisme receiued no Sacrament and we should be baptised with an other 〈◊〉 then Christ was Furthermore shal we heare with patience and hold our peace when these Iesuites or 〈◊〉 Iebusites 〈◊〉 enemies of the people of God belch out their 〈◊〉 and blot Iohns baptisme out of the 〈◊〉 of sacraments and admit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 false and 〈◊〉 Sacraments of 〈◊〉 Penance Orders Matrimony and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lastly what intolerable boldnes or blindenesse is there in these bayards
other If then any should baptize otherwise then in the name of the Trinity or should name the sonne to be vnequall to the father or should deny the proceeding of the Holy-ghost or should baptize in the name of the Virgin Mary and the Saints this cannot be the Sacrament of baptisme instituted by Christ but a Ceremony made voide and frustrate by our owne inuentions Chap. 5. Of the third outward part of baptisme THe third outward part of baptisme is the element of water which is the matter whereof baptisme consisteth This truth is taught in diuerse places of the new testament Indeeds I baptize with water And Ioh. 1 because he should bee declared to Israell therefore am I come baptizing with water Knew him not but he that sent me to baptize with water he saide vnto me vpon whom thou shalt see the spirit come 〈◊〉 and tarrie still on him that is he which baptizeth with the Holy-ghost So Act. 8 36. As they went on their way they came vnto a 〈◊〉 ater and the Enuruch said See heere is water what doth let me to be baptized then he commaunded the chariot to stand stil and they went downe both vnto the water both Phillip and the Eunuch and he baptized him And chap. 10. Can anie man forbidde water that these should not be baptized which haue receiued the Holy-ghost as well as we Nothing is so apt to set sorth the blood of christ and his merits as water which is sit to clense and wash and leaueth no filth behind vpon the body by which outwarde worke Christ would haue vs feele the inward purging and purifying of the soule The vse of this outward part is three-fold First it teacheth that the minister may not baptize with any other liquor and element then with naturall common and ordinarie water whereunto answere the flood the red sea and the Iewish purifyings vnder the law The curious questions whether wanting water we may baptise with sande or water distilled and compounded came at the first from the dangerous and bloody opinion that they are damned which die vnbaptised If any demaund whether sweet waters and distilled may be taken and vsed or mingled with common water especially when children of such as are in high place are to be baptised sealed into the couenant therby to note a difference betweene person and person forasmuch as god hath listed vp the head of one aboue another I answere all power is indeede of god and we with hart and tongue do giue honour to whome honour pertaineth and feare to whome feare belongeth Notwithstanding all mixture of the water is mans inuention and an human tradition which in GODS woorshippe is not to be admitted Whatsoeuer is mingled with common Water is a corruption whatsoeuer the partie be that is baptised The Apostle teacheth that the church hath all one baptisme not one manner of baptizinge the poore and another of baptizing the rich Besides why might wee not allowe mixture of water with Wine in the Lordes supper as well as the mixture of compound water with common water in the sacrament of baptisme Furthermore if there might lawfully bee admitted a different manner of baptising the children of rich-men and the children of poore men then in the other Sacrament the like distinction might be receiued and so a finer kinde of breade be prouided for the richer sort by themselues and a courser sort for the poore by themselues which seperation the Apostle reproueth in the church of 〈◊〉 and calleth it a despising of the Church and a shaming of the poore For in the exercises of religion there ought to be no difference of persons for all are one in Christ Iesus and therefore the Noble Eunuch mentioned Act 8. was baptised by Phillip with ordinary water Now if no composition may be mingled then much lesse may any other signe be vsed and so the element clean chaunged and the ordinance of God altred for the church of God hath no liberty to bring any other signe in place of water If a man were baptised with sande with bloude with wine with milke with snowe with oyle and such lickor it is no baptisme at all but a meere voide and ydle action such a person must afterwarde be sprinkled or washed with water not that any should be rebaptized but because all persons should be once baptised the former action being meerely frustrate Although the forme of words be retained in the administration which our sauiour commandeth and the body be washed in the name of the three persons the father the sonne and the Holy-ghost yet if such an errour be committed in the matter that the signe be changed and another foysted in contrary to the precept of Christ and practise of the Apostles ther is a nullitie of the whole work the partie be-sanded or be-bloodied or oyled is erroneously and vnlawfully not truely and effectuallye baptised Nadab and Abihu are smitten with lightning from heauen for bringing strange fire into the tabernacle whereas they should haue taken of that fire which GOD had appointed though other fire would as well haue consumed the offering And are not all other elementes as strange fire that are brought into this sacrament beside water Or haue we greater liberty to change Gods ordinaunces in the gospell then the Iewes had vnder the Law When GOD appointed the burnt offering to be offered and commanded the people to bring either bullocks out of the heard either Sheepe or Goates out of the folde either Turtle-doues or young Pigeons from amonge the birds being thus limited and restrained might they bring an Asse or an Elephant or a Camell unto him might they cut osf a dogges necke or offer swines flesh before the Lord So whereas God hath ordained the sacrament of baptisme to be administred and hath willed it to bee done with water most common most vsuall most plentifull most fit most significant shall we take sand or saw-dust oyle or other element then god hath allowed The Lorde likewise threatning a generall dearth of Corne Wine and Oyle of which things many of their offeringes and oblations consisted sheweth that the priestes shoulde Weepe and waile because the Meat-offerings and Drinke-offeringes should cease But what neede was there either that the priests shoulde haue lamented or the offeringes haue ceased if they might haue vsed other elementes other signes or other matter then GOD approoued If they might haue taken water in steed of wine or Milke in stead of oyle Or if they might haue taken vncleane beastes in stead of cleane Or the Fishes of the Sea in steade of the Beastes of the fielde Or creeping thinges for their Offerings in steed of such as chewe the cudde and diuide the hoofe Nowe howe can it bee better Warraunted to vs to take oyle for Water then it was for them to take Water for oyle Againe heereby all Popish corruptions and mixtures brought into this
the malicious man as the Apostle teachech 1 Cor. 11 18 20. When ye come together in the church I heare that there are dissentions among you this is not to eate the Lordes Supper Wherefore in that the people communicate of one and the same bread of one and the same wine it signifieth the vnion and agreement betweene all the faithfull in one body where of Christ Icsns is the head who loued vs decrely and spared not his life for vs. Let vs ioyne our selues together in loue according to the exhortation of the Apostle Rom 15 5 6. The God of patience and consolation giue you that ye 〈◊〉 like minded one toward another according to Christ Iesus that yee with one minde and with one mouth may praise God euen the father of our Lord Iesus Christ. All beleeuers must bee of one heart and minde the Wolfe and the lambe the Lyon and the calfe must dwell together in the kingdome of Christ for all are one in Christ Iesus For the Apostle hauing taught that the cup which we blesse and the bread which we breake are the communion of the body and blood of christ he addeth We that are many are one bread and one body because we are all partakers of one bread and therefore he saith 1 cor 11. When ye come together to eate tary one for another The second title giuen to this Sacrament is the Lords Supper by which name it is nowe most vsually and commonly called both because it was so instituted by Christ after his last Supper and is celebrated in the remembrance of CHRIST Heereby we learne first who is the author of this Sacrament not Peter not Paule not any of the Apostles not any man not any angell but Christ Iesus God and man and therefore it is not called the Supper of the Apostles or of any man but of CHRIST himselfe as the Apostle speaketh of baptisme Was Paule crucified for you Either were yee baptized into the name of Paule I baptized none into mine oxne name Wherefore this title serueth to teach vs and to put vs in minde of the author of this Sacrament Secondly seeing this sacrament is not a common supper but an holy and heauenly banket fully furnished not to fill the body but to feede the soule we must come with an earnest desire and longing after CHRIST hungring and thirsting after his righteousnesse and merites as after our life to bee made pattakers thereof For neuer did the body more stand in neede of corporall foode then doth the soule of this Bread of life which came downe from heauen which the father hath promited to giue vnto vs Lastly it condemneth our English Rhemistes and other romish readers of Popish diuinity that wholly condemne this name and title as vnproper and vnfit for this sacrament and vnderstande the Apostle to speake of the loue-feastes when he speaketh of the Lords Supper Indeed in the Apostles times they vsed to meete to gither in one common place not onely for the hearing of the worde for the receiuing of the Sacraments and for prayer to God but to keep certaine feasts which of their end or vse were called feasts of charity as Iude speaketh But of these the Apostle speaketh not when he named the Lordes Supper For first let them shew vs the place where euer these Loue-feasts are called the Lords Supper and then they may warrant their exposition by some colour otherwise wee cannot receiue their interpretation being of priuate motion Secondly if this title were ment of Loue-feastes to what purpose should the Apostle bring in the institution of the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ and largely handle the doctrin therof Wher as their abuses in their loue-feasts might be reformed and 〈◊〉 without this mention and remembraunce of the supper Thirdly to what end should these solemn feasts and bankets be called the Lordes supper which were not instituted in the honour of Christ but to testifie the mutuall loue of those that were members of the same body hauing God for their mercifull father the church for their tender mother and Christ for their elder brother These might rather be called the supper of men then of the Lorde being feasts of charity not of piety Fourthly the Apostles drift and purpose in this place is to teach that such as norish discention and diuision partake the Lords supper vnworthily and therefore willeth them when they come to communicate with the Lord to shake out of their minds all vncharitable affections as chaffe from good corn that so they may assemble togither with profit and not with hurt Last of al to call this sacrament by the name of the lords supper is vsuall among the ancient fathers of the church grounding themselues from the authority of the scripture and example of the Apostle 〈◊〉 some of their owne Writers call this sacrament and expound the words of saint Paule to the Corinthians If therefore they will rest themselues either in the true interpretation of the scripture or in the exposition of the auncient fathers or in the confession of their owne Writers we cannot doubt but the Apostle meaning the Lords Supper vnderstandeth the sacrament of the bodye and blood of Christ. The next title giuen to this sacrament is the breaking of bread which offereth to our considerations these vses not to be passed ouer First it she weth that the substance of bred remaineth after the words of consecration and is not altered by any strange transubstantiation For when the Apostle saith This is my body which is broken for you properly it cannot be vnderstood of the body of Christ which was not broken but of his crucifying and death by a figuratiue speech taken from the substance of the bread which christ brake to distribute it among his Disciples and to represent effectually his suffering for vs. The accidents of bread cannot be broken as we shal see afterward no more then they can feed and nourish Besides we learne heerby that tropes and figures are vsed in the Sacrament contrary to the opinion and assertion of the church of Rome as wee make plaine by the institution and as we constraine the aduersaries themselues to confesse as when it is said his body was broken where the lyterall sence cannot be retained seeing a bone of him could not be broken Likewise when it is saide the cup is the newe testament the rock was Christ the bread is the communion of the body of christ these and such like cannot be interpreted without a figure Lastly seeing of this one action the whole sacrament hath his denomination as appeareth in many places Act ii 42. and xx 7. and 1 Cor xi xxiiii we must hold that as the Apostles and other Ministers of the church were wont in the administration of the supper to breake the bread so must we follow their example as they also followed the example
taught nothing they vnderstand nothing they heare nothing they receiue nothing and a few childish apish foolish and vnseemely gestures excepted they see nothing they tast nothing they partake nothing neither comfort of heart nor memory of Christ nor benefit of his passion But Christ in his last Supper did not eate vp all alone but after the Disciples hadde supped as Mathew setteth it downe he tooke bread and blessed he brake and gaue it to them saying take ye eate ye neither did he drinke alone of the fruite of the vine but taking the cup he gaue thanks and gaue to them all saying Drink ye all of this So then albeit a certain number of communicants are not limited and determined yet Christ in these wordes apoin 〈◊〉 eth a company to be present as apeareth by the number take ye eate ye drinke ye all deuide ye it among your selues doe ye this in my remembrance ye set foorth the Lordes death when yee come together to eat tarrie ye one for another as often as ye shal eat this bread These words cannot be vnderstood of one perticular man but necessarily import a greater number of men nay the Philosopher teacheth that the word all must be verified at the least of the number of three which is the least and lowest number that would be admitted to this supper Neither do we read that so soon as one was gained to the faith that the Apostles administred this Sacrament to him much lesse would they minister to themselues alone when none were conuerted in a nation or cittie Secondly Christ expressely commandeth vs to doe as himselfe did when he left this fare-well token and pledge of his 〈◊〉 to his Disciples saying Do this in remembrance of me But he after the wordes of consecration did not offer a sacrifice to his father vnder shewes of bread and wine but gaue the bread and cup to his Disciples and left his owne example as a direction for vs to followe so that the distribution and deliuerance of the signes is of the substance of the Sacrament as well as the breaking of the bread or pouring out of the wine and it is not lawfull in any sort to change the testament of Christ or to corrupt the meaning of the testator Thirdly the Apostle teacheth how he receiued from the Lorde that which he deliuered to the churches that the people should eate of this bread and drinke of this cup and proueth that the faithfull are made partakers of the Lords table not by gazing or looking on while others eat but by eating not by standing still while others drinke but by drinking as 1 Cor. x. Wee that are l many are one breade and one body because we are all partakers of one bread Fourthly the same Apostle reprooueth the Corinthians which presumed to the Supper of the Lorde besore others and did not tarry for their brethren when they came togither to be partakers of the sacrament as we see 1 Cor 11. Euery man a hen they should eate taketh his owne supper afore this is not to eat the Lords snpper And afterward Wherefore my brethren when ye come together to eate tarry one for another Now because the Corinthians brake this order and ordinance he chargeth them to come vnreuerently to receiue vnworthily to eat and drink iudgment vnto themselues Shall they then that are faithfull christians patiently beare the iniury done them by these sacrificing Masse-mungers who neuer bid the Lordes ghuestes nor call them to his table nor tarry for them till they come to this heauenly banket but like the priests of Bell do eate and drinke vp all themselues Fistly the same Apostle willeth and warneth all persons which come to this communion diligently to proue and examine themselues and then to come to this supper as we see 1 cor 12. Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eat of this bread and drinke of this cup so that he would not haue any excluded from receiuing which haue tryed their harts by examining and are thereby rightly propared to this great worke Lastly the names giuen to this Sacrament noting the nature thereof doe affoord vs a good consideration to strike through the heart of this priuate Masse being called sometimes the supper of the Lord and sometimes a communion among our selues If it be an holy supper and spirituall banket why are none bidden and called thereunto If it be a communion why doth the Priest vncharitably swallow all alone whereby they make it a communion but without company a supper but without ghuests meat but without eating drinke but without drinking a table but without sitting downe a participation but without any that are partakers a banket but without seeding thereat the people departing as hungery and thirsty as they came Wherefore as no man celebrated the Passeouer aright or receiued profit thereby but such as did eat the flesh thereof so can none come to the supper of the Lord as he ought though he looke vpon others except he eate of the bread and drinke of the cup according to the commaundement of Christ the author thereof And thus much of the sole communions and priuate Masses brought into the church against the example of Christ against the vse of the Apostles and against the name and nature of the sacrament it selfe Hitherto we haue pulled downe the Heresies of the Church of Rome and haue raked in the dirt and dungh ill of their deuises the sauour whereof hath annoyed heauen and earth now let us obserue out of this last outward part of the sacrament how we are directed and instructed therby to further our knowledge and obedience Did Christ commaunde the faithfull of his family to eate and drinke that which he deliuereth without laying any furder burthen or bondage vpon them then we must vnderstand it is no precept of Christ to receiue the Lordes supper fasting before any other meats and drinkes True it is the people whose zeale goeth beyond their knowledge make a great scruple of conscience in this point to come fasting which custom we do not condemn but commend so it be without superstition in themselues and iudging of others But howsoeuer many make as great a matter to communicate fasting as to come in faith yet this is no necessary rule or commaundement binding the conscience to the obseruation thereof For the Worde of God and institution of the sacrament are perfect directions to the church teaching all matters of faith and obedience yet they teach no such practise And our blessed sauiour teacheth his disciples what they should do the Euangelists deliuer what they did and among all their doctrine we find not this precept of fasting Againe Christ administred it not fasting the Apostles receiued it not fasting not that we are bounde to celebrate the supper at that time but to shew that Christ would neuer haue chosen to do it after Supper if that time had bin simply vnlawful Besides
and pricked with vnfained sorrow for all our iniquities This is the right vse the true end and the sound comfort following and flowing from the death of christ To conclude we must learne and hold for euer that we haue the beg nning and chiefe cause in our selues which did crucifie christ and crush him with most bitter sorrows let vs then be reuenged of our sins and do al despite we can vnto them let vs endite them arraigne them accuse them condemne them and naile them to his crosse let vs kil thē mortifie them and bury them in his graue for euer This is the first end of the supper which is sanctified by the breaking of the bread and pouring out of the wine declaring vnto vs that as the body of our lord was broken and by violent meanes afflicted so his blood gushed out and flowed plentifully out of his gaping and bleeding wounds This must be our meditation whensoeuer we come to the lords table Chap. 13. Of the second vse of the lords supper THe second vse of the lords supper is our spirituall vnion and communion with christ This the Apostle declareth The cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the communion of the blood of christ The bread which we breake is it not the communion of the body of christ Whereby he meaneth that the faithfull which come conscionably worthily to the lords table are ioyned and vnited to whole Christ by the bread Sacramentally by faith instrumentally by the holy ghost spiritually and by them all most effectually For we take the bread into our hands and likewise we take the cup into our hands as christ commaunded saying Take ye eate ye drinke ye diuide ye Neither do we lay them apart or hide them aside or reserue them in a boxe or abstaiue from them but when we haue taken them we eate we digest them we are nourished by them and they are turned into our substance So christ being eaten of the Godly by faith is vnited to them by his spirit as we haue shewed before whereby they are made one with christ and he one with them And as meate plentifully prepared daintily dressed and only seene vpon the table doth not nourish the body or take away hunger so if the gospell be preached and the sacraments administred except we apply the promises of the gospel and beleeue that christ withal his gifts is ours they prosit nothing towards our saluation Such therefore as lawfully and worthily come to the lords supper as to a table richly furnished and to a banket liberally prouided must not onely generally beleeue that Christ suffered in the flesh and dyed for sinners but particularly for themselus yea communicateth himselfe and al his gifts to them aboundantly as certainly as themselues eate of the bread and drinke of the cup. This vnion and communion is neere and wonderfull great and therefore the apostle fitly calleth it a mistery euen a great mistery speaking of christ and of the church For what vnion can bee greater then that which is betweene the thing nourishing and the thing ' nourished We haue nothing in Adam but that which conueyeth death vnto vs so that is is needefull to be ioyned to one which maie giue life to vs that as we die in Adam so wee may liue in him This vnion cannot by reason be expressed or fully vnderstood As Christ in the daies of his flesh had a dubble kindred one earthly and carnal kindred the other spirituall that by faith receiued his worde and beleeued in his name of whom he said Behold my mother and my Brethren for whosoeuer shall do my fathers will which is in heauen the same is my brother sister and mother so is it in this vnió and felloship with him one is outward and bodily which al mankinde hath with him in that he is partaker of our flesh and blood the other inward and spirituall whereby we are made partakers of him and of al his sauing graces to euerlasting life As Christ was borne of the Virgin Mary and vnited our nature to him taking vpon him not the Angels nature but the seed of Abraham euery reprobate hath this vnion with him in that he tooke vpon him the shape of a man but there is a mysticall and marueilous vnion whereby he dwelleth in vs by faith whereby we are truely coupled to him made partakers of him deliuered from sin and made heires of euerlasting life quickning and sustaining vs as food which preserueth the life of the bodie If the arme ioined to the body haue no life no sence no benefit of vitall spirits it is no part of the bodie though it be vnited to it so the wicked liuing without faith are as it were sencelesse they haue no forgiuenes of sinnes no sanctification no saluation and therefore are no true members of Christ. If he poure not life and grace into them they are not his members if he kill not sinne in them they are not vnited spirituallie vnto him The bodily vnion with him shall profit nothing it is the spirit that giueth life Seeing then the receiuing of the bread and wine which turne into our substaunce teacheth the misticall vnion between Christ and his members we learne first from hence that all the faithfull and godly are truly made partakers of Christ and his graces as the members receiue life from the head and the tree moisture from the root For euen as the wife ioyned to her husband in marriage is thereby made partaker of his body and goods hath interrest with him in the commodities of this life and loketh for norishment food fellowship protection and gouernement from him so being made one with christ we are indued with his he auenly gifts and blessings This must be our comfort in all dangers and tentations in all tryals and assaults to consider that we are one with christ we are not only dear vnto him but nearely ioyned with him as members to the head as the wife to the husband and as the braunches to the vine and therefore can neuer be seperated from him in life or death Secondly this streight vniting of the faithfull to Christ sheweth that the vngodly haue no part nor fellowship in him and with his graces though they be ioyned to a communion of the same nature and haue many common gifts of knowledge and vnderstanding yet Christ neuer dwelleth in them with his sauing graces and with his spirite of sanctification he possesseth not their harts he worketh not in them a particular perswasion of their reconciltation to God neither an hungring desire aboue all things to bee at vnity and peace with him neyther a distaste and dislike of sinne neyther the comfortable spirite of grace and prayer all which are in some measure in all the saithful Wherfore although they may bee cloathed with the flesh of Christ they cannot be said to be couered with the grace of Christ although they be
beleeuers who vouchsafeth to be their God the god of their seed Hence likewise it appeareth that infants are to be baptized For baptisme succeedeth in place of circumcision the Apostles baptized whole houses Christ calleth infants and sucklings vnto himselfe and 〈◊〉 that to such belongeth the kingdome of Heauen they are Christ sheepe and members of his body Hence we learne that the baptisme of infantes is no vnwritten tradition but a written and diuine institution taught in the Scriptures Consider also heereby the difference betweene baptisme and the Lords Supper and that all are conceiued in originall sinne Acknowledge also a difference between them and the children os Infidels and let parents be incoraged to bring vp their children in the instruction and reformation of the Lord. Hitherto of the outward parts now follow the inward parts which also are four in number First god the father represented by the Mi. wherby our faith is gretly strengthned For whensoeuer the eie seeth the minister 〈◊〉 water on the body faith beholdeth god the father clensing the soule with the precious blood of his sonne Christ. The seconde part is the spirit of God hauing relation to the word and promise of God and therefore whensoeuer wee come to heare the word or to receiue the sacramentes we must craue the assistance of the spirit to open our harts as he opened the hart of Lydia If this in ward teacher be wanting the eare heareth and the hand handleth but the hart is hardned The third in ward part of baptism is Christrepresented by the water This serueth greatly to confirme our faith to consider with our selues when we behold with our bodily eies the water poured vpon the bodie baptizd the blotting out of all our sinnes by the blood of Christ Iesus The 4. inward part is the soul clensed P most liuely and effectualy represented by the body washed For the washing of the body representeth the clensing of the soul. This teacheth that by nature we are corrupt and abhominable so that God must worke in vs both the will and the deede These are the foure in ward parts of baptisme The agreement betweene these outward and inward parts is very euident For as the Minister by the word of institution applyeth Water to the washing of the body so the father through the working of the spirit applyeth the bloode of Christ to the clensing of the soule Thus farre of the parts of Baptisme both the outward and the inward parts now we come to the vses thereof which are principally three First to shew our placing and planting into the blood of Christ to remaine in him for euer This coniunction with Christ is not bodily or naturall but misticall and marueilous in our eyes for we are made one with Christ by the same spirit dwelling in Christ and in all the members of Christ. So then the saints triumphing in heauen and al the beleeuers fighting vpon earth as souldiers in warfar haue one and the same spirit of christ dwelling in them and therfore are one with him Secondly to assure vs of the remission of our fins that we may bee able to stand in the presence of God hauing put on the garments of Christ as Iacob receiued the blessing clad in the garments of his elder brother This ouerthroweth the doctrin or rather doting of the church of Rome which teacheth that baptism abolisheth al sins going before it and leaueth nothing that hath the name or nature of sinne If this were a truth of god not a dreame of men it is not only decent but greatly to be desired to haue baptisme deferred vntil old age nay vnto the hower of death that so we may depart hence in peace with greater assurance of Gods fauor in the pardon of our sins Thirdly to slay the old man and to kil our natural corruption by the power of the death and burial of christ besides to raise vs vp againeto holines and newnes of life by his resurection Hence it is that the Euangelists call it the Sacrament of Repentance admonishing euery one of vs to expresse the strength and power of baptisme as the Prophets of tentimes exhort the lews to circumcise the forskin of their harts and to harden their necks no more So we ought not to content our selus to be baptized in body but must labour to be baptized in soul by a daily proceeding in regeneration by bringing foorth the fruites of sanctification and applying Christ Iesus to our full iustification Thus much of baptisme the honourable badge of our profession and dedication to Christ that dyed vppon the Crosse what it is what are the 〈◊〉 and vses thereof Now wee come to the Sacrament of the body and bloode of CHRIST e which is called by sundrye names in the new testament Sometimes it is called the Communion teaching that we are one body coupled togither in Christ shewing that it is to bee receiued of many togither and admonishing vs of vnity and concorde among our selues Sometimes it is called the Lords Supper hence we see who is the author of it no man no Angell but the Lord Iesus leauing it for a fare-well token of his loue toward vs. We must also come with an earnest desire hungring after Christ that we may be satisfied with his righteousnesse Sometimes it is called the breaking of breade this sheweth that the substance of breaderemayneth after the wordes of consecration that figuratiue speeches are vsed in the Sacrament and that this externall rite of breaking the bread vsed by Christ practised by the Apostles obserued by the pastors of the church ought not to be omitted and ouerpassed Sometimes it is called the table of the Lord this teacheth that christ and his Apostles at the celebration of it vsed a table not an altar that it is a Sacrament not a sacrifice and that we ought to draw neere vnto it with all regard aud reuerence Lastly it is called the new testament or Will of Christ. This title teacheth that there is a double couenant betweene God and man the one old the other new the one of the law the other of the Gospell the firste of Workes the seconde of grace Againe it serueth to condemne the cursed sacriledge of the church of Rome which addeth and detracteth altereth and mangleth this sacrament at her own pleasure and mingleth it with the leauen of her owne inuentions This is a great comfort to all Gods children to consider that all faithfull christians are the heires of Christ to whom he hath promised saluation of their soules and forgiuenesse of their sinnes As we haue seene the seueral names of this sacrament which shew the nature there of vnto vs so now we will set downe what the lords supper is The supper of the lord is the second sacrament wherein by visible receiuing of bread and wine is represented our spirituall
THE BADGES OF CHRISTIANITY OR A Treatise of the Sacraments fully declared out of the word of God Wherein the truth it selfe is proued the doctrine of the reformed Churches maintained and the errors of the church of Rome are euidently conuinced by pervsing wherof the discreet Reader may easily perceiue the weake and vnstable grounds of the Roman religion and the iust causes of our lawfull separation Diuided into three BOOKES 1. Of the Sacraments in generall 2. Of Baptisme 3 Of the Lords Supper shewing the intention of this present worke opening the differences among vs about the question of the Supper discouering the Idolatry and diuisions of the Popish Cleargy and vnmasking the insolent bragging of the late Warn-word touching the supposed and pretended vnity thereof By WILLIAM ATTERSOLL Minister of the Word of God 1. Cor. 12 13. For by one spirit we are all baptized into one body whether we be Iewes or Graecians whether bond or free and haue bin al made to drinke into one spirit August tract 80 in Iohan. 13. Accedat Verbum ad elementum et fit sacramentum that is Ioine the word of Christs institution with the outward sign and thereof is made a sacrament Printed by W. Iaggard dwelling in Barbican 1606. To the right Worshipfull Sir Iohn Shurley Knight one of his Maiesties Iustices of the Peace in the County of Sussex Grace and peace in Iesus Christ. RIght woorshipfull it is not vnknowne that fundry means haue from time to time been offered and vsed for the reclaiming and recouering of such as dangerously follow the spirit of errour and dayly reuoult to the Romish religion which hath beene aduanced by tyrany defended by lyes and is now sought to be restored againe by trecheries and rebellions But notwithstanding the many meanes which heretofore haue beene wisely practised we see of late the aduersaries of the grace of god as a pestilent brood of vipers mightily to increase and multiply sending abroad swarmes of their Iesuites and Seminary Priestes not onely to infect the people of the land with the leauen of false doctrine and to sow their darnel in the lords field but to seduce them from their alleageance and to stir vp sedition for the lessening of whose number and suppressing of their power nothing is more necessary then to establish a godly and learned ministery in euery congregation And howsoeuer wholsome lawes haue beene enacted penalties increased conferences with them vsed disputations offered their books answered and sundry other wayes taken by magistrates and ministers yet we shall neuer attaine the ende of our desired hopes vntill euery church haue a learned and painefull Pastor to be resident and remaining among them For albeit Antichrist in this noble kingdome hath long since receiued a notable foyle and fall and the purple whore beene dismounted from her vsurped dignity yet this monster hauing taken this deadly wound will be alwayes looking backe and seeking to sette his footing againe in this realme if good corne be pulled vp and the weeds suffered to growe or if the strongest pillars bearing vp the house be remooued and rotten postes set to vnder prop it and vnlesse he be quelled and conquered by the preaching publishing of the gospell of Christ. Therefore Christ our Sauiour hauing sent out the 70. disciples into euery citty and place whether hee himselfe shoulde come to prepare the hearts of the people after their return said vnto them I saw Satan like lightning fall down from heauen And the Apostle declareth that when the lord Iesus led captiuity captiue he gaue gifts to men and ordained pastors and teachers for the gathering together of the Saintes for the woorke of the ministery and for the edification of the body of Christ. And vntill this holy order and ordinance of Christ which is the power of god to saluation vnto all that beleeue be set vp we can conceiue no hope how the ignorant shoulde be instructed the seduced be regained out of the hands of such deceitfull woorkmen as vnder a colour of conuersion of the land doe seek the vtter subuersion of the church and common wealth Hence it is that the Iesuits who haue gotten the dominion ouer the rest of that generation spare no labour refuse no paines let passe no practise by word or writing to effect their purposes In regard of whose vnweariable diligence it cannot be denied but many of vs haue been too slack slothfull in resisting the approach of these violent intruders For whiles we preach the word of reconciliation euen Christ crucified build vp our people in the doctrin which is according to godlines we doe not bende our forces as we ought to surprise and suppresse the common aduersary Whiles wee sowe the lordes fielde with good corne we suffer the enuious man to scatter his tares accounting it sufficient to teach the trueth to the flock dedending vpon vs and esteeming it better seruice to god to saue one soule then to ouerthrow and destroy many aduersaries Not much vnlike to Scipio African the Romane captain who as Plutarke witnesseth was oftentimes wont to say that he had rather saue the life of one Romane citizen then to kill and conquer a thousand enimies But it is the duty of a good builder not onely to reare vp the worke in hand but to remoue the rubbadge and reliques that hinder the building It is the duty of a good husbandman not onely to sowe his field with good seede but to plucke vp the weedes and gtub vp the thornes that choake the corne It is the duty of a good watchman not onely to see to them in the citty but to descry and discouer the enimy It is the duty of a painfull shepheard not only to feed the sheep but to follow and finde out the foote steps of the wolfe Here vpon the Apostle Paul exhorteth the elders of Ephesus to take heed to themselues and to all the flocke whereof the holy ghost had made them ouerseers to feede the church of god which he hath purchased with his owne bloude because after his departure grieuous woolues shoulde enter in not sparing the flock but speaking peruerse things to draw desciples after them If then the enimies of god and his people be vigilant and watchfull to seduce the simple and to subuert religion how carefull and cheerefull ought we to be not onely to teach the people committed to our charge but to resist with hād and hearte all those that vndermine the good estate of the church among vs. Like vnto the people of god after the returne from captiuity who did build the wal with one hand and held their swordes and weapons in the other For this cause I haue put in writing this treatise following containing the doctrine of the Sacraments being the ordinances of god and the badges of christians whereby all discreet and indifferent men may perceiue the trueth of them cleerly opened out of the woord of
and Sapphira his wife being in the number of Disciples wer no doubt baptized of the Apostles and had also receiued ofttimes the Lordes supper yet they continued in their wickednes lyinge and hypocrisie the sacrament did not take away their wickednes nor giue them a iustifying and sauing faithe which purifieth the hart by repentance and woorketh newe obedience in the soule The like we haue said of Simon the sorcerer who albeit he were baptized yet remained in the gall of bitternes and in the bond of iniquity Wherefore the Apostle teacheth that the worde profited not because it was not mingled with faith in those that heard it If the signes be receiued without faith they hurt not that Gods giftes and ordinances hurt of themselues but not being receiued aright they hurt through our sin and default As the worde not receiued by faith is an empty sound without force so the sacrament is an vnprofitable and a naked shew without substance Wherefore the Sacraments in regard of the vnbeleeuers and vngodly are no Sacraments to them because to them they are not seales of the righteousnesse of faith True it is they remaine Sacraments in respect of God who offereth his owne sonne but they lose their strength and force toward the vnfaithfull that do abuse and contemne them as the Apostle expresly teacheth Circumcision verilyts profitable if thou keepe the law but if thou be a transgressor of the law thy circumcision is become vncircumcision the same Apostle speaketh of such as vsed the Lords Supper without true godlinesse and due preparation saith This is not to eate the Lords Supper denying that to be which was not done as it ought to be Wherefore seeing the right vse of the Sacraments is when such as are truely conuerted vse them aright we learne diuerse instructions that flow follow from hence First that the reprobate though God offer the whole Sacrament to them doe receiue the signes alone without the things signified they haue the bare title without the thing the vanishing shadow without the body the outward letter without the spirit the empty box without the oyntment and the creature without the creator They are washed with the element of water but not with the grace of regeneration They eate the bread and drink the wine but they are not partakers of the body and blood of Christ Iesus to saluation They eate the bread of the Lord but they eate not the bread and the Lord because the signe without the right and holy vse thereof is not an auailable Sacrament to the receiuer of it Wee see therefore the wicked partake not CHRIST although they partake the signes of Christ as they that found his clothes but missed his body Secondly we see heereby that the elect ordained to eternall life but not yet called and conuerted to the Lord to the obedience of his will though they come often to the sacraments yet do in like manner receiue the bare signes without the things signified because as yet they want faith and repentance What then Do they nothing differ from the reprobates In this they differ not for the present time from the reprobate Not with standing that receiuing of the Sacrament which for the time present was vnfruitfull and vnprofitable shall after in them haue his good effect as the corne that lieth long couered in the earth at the length doth come vp and florish For the Sacrament receiued before a mans conuersion is afterward to the beleeuer and penitent sinner ratified and so becommeth profitable wherby the vse of the Sacrament which before was vtterly voide and vnlawfull doth then become lawfull and comfortable as we see in the word heard without fruit faith by an vnbeleeuer is made a word of saluation afterward when he is conuerted Lastly the elect already conuerted and sanctified by the spirit of God do to their profit comfort and saluation receiue both the signe and the thing signified together yet so as that for their vnworthy receiuing thereof which hapneth through their manifold infirmities and often relapses into sin they are subiect to temporall punishments for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saued in the day of the Lord Iesus For this cause many are licke and weak among you and many sleeps for if we would iudge our selues we should not be iudged of the Lord. Where the Apostle teacheth that God brought a iudgement vpon his owne house and punished this church with weakenes sicknesse and death it selfe for their vnreuerent vnworthy and disordered receiuing of the Lords Supper Although many among them no doubt were elected and all of them professed the Gospel of the kingdome yet god visited their want of preparation reuerence with diuerse diseases and great mortality according to the threatning annexed to the law If ye will not obey me nor do all these comcaundements if ye shall dispise mine ordinances or your soule abhor my lawes then wil I do this vnto you I wil appoint ouer youfearfulnes a consumption and the burning ague to consume the eies and to make the heart heauy And if ye walke stubbornly against me and will not obey me I wil then bring seauen times moe plagues vpon you according to your sinnes Wherefore when we haue receiued grace to beleeue and haue tasted the first-fruites of the spirit to the comfort of our soules we must not be puffed vp in our knowledge we must not grow secure but stir vp the giftes of God in vs when they begin to wax faint let vs seek to preuent his iudgments before they com which we may do by iudging our selus by making inquiry into our own waies and by searching the reines of our hartes with purpose to condemne all ignorance error security and vngodlinesse and as it were to take punishment of our selues then this would follow thereupon we should not be iudged and punished of the Lord. This then is the remedy to avoid the sin of vnworthy receiuing A man thus visited with sicknes weakenesse and diuerse kinds of diseases and smitten with the stroke of Gods own hand cannot possibly be restored by any creature in heauen or earth yet behold the Lord hath not left vs without meanes to remoue them and take them away to wit by taking away the cause that we may remoue the effects The cause of these punishmentes is taken away by iudging our selues Now a man in iudging of himselfe must performe foure things 1. he must examine himselfe of his sinnes 2. he must confesse them and himselfe to be guilty as the poore prisoner that standeth at the bar No denying of the fact no defending of the fault no hiding of the offence no iustifieng of our person can procure our pardon the way to haue for giuenes is to acknowledge our own wickednes 3. he must condemn himselfe and giue sentence against himself without partiality 4. he must plead pardon for
hath giuen vnto vs that we should be called the sonnes of god he loued us gratiously and free'y he loued vs when we were enemics nvto him and spared not his owne sonne but gaue him to death for vs all doe not these thinges deserue loue againe are we not bound to shew duty for these mercies and loue to our brethren for this loue of our God and yet many regard neither these blessings of god neither to walke in vprightnes of hart before him Chap. 15. Of the third vse of a Sacrament THus much of the second vse the third vse of the Sacraments is to be badges and markes of our Christian profession that therby one of vs should acknowledge an other to be of one houshold and of one family of one society and as it were birds of one feather For heereby we doe manifest whose we are whom weserue to what house we belong and to what people and church we are thereby gathered into one religion and distinguished from other sects we are gathered into one church and knit together in one as Eph. 2. Remember that ye being in times past Gentiles in the flesh and called vncircumcision of them which are caled circumcision in the flesh made with hands ye were at that time without Christ without God without hope but now in Christ Iesus ye which once were farre off are made neare by the blood of Christ. The Iewes by circumcision were distinguished from other people and the name of vncircumcifed was reprochfull they were accounted vncleane vnholy persons for the vncircum cised males wer to be cut off from the number of the people of god So by baptisme we are seperated from all other religions and are consecrated only to christian religion and such as continue vnbapti sed with contempt of that sacrament we take them not for our brethren nor for the people of god nor for members of his church because they refuse to take the sacrament of baptisme as the badge and cognizance by which they shoulde be known such as are Athiests Infidels Sarazens Turkes Persians Moores Iewes and other nations that want this mark to be discerned to belong to the family of christ Christ Iesus sending out his Apostles bad them teach and baptize the Gentiles to whom he directed them therefore where the word and Sacraments are there is a church and congregation of the people of god And he that beleeueth and is baptized shall be saued And hereunto commeth that saying When the Apostles had exhorted the people to amend their liues and to saue themselues from that froward generation Then they that gladly receiued the word were baptized and they continued in the Apostles doctrin and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayers and the same day there was added to the Church three thou sand soules Thus we see that by the sacraments as by certaine bandes and chains God knitteth and bindeth his people to himselfe and keepeth them in his couenant least they shold fall away to infidelity And the people are warned that by these outward signes they differ from the barbarous and vnbeleeuing gentiles and consequently should indeuour and prouide that they likewise differ from them in those thinges that are signified by those signes This osfereth to our considerations very good vses First heereby we are put in mind of our dignity and excellencie Such is our priuiledge and prerogatiue that we do bear the badges of christ our Lord. How do men in this world desire to weare the cloath and shroud themselues vnder the badges of great persons of countenance to protect them how much greater preferment is it to be the seruants of Christ to be gathered vnder his wings and to be his disciples whose seruice is perfect freedome and protection from all euils and whose badges are instrumentes of his sauing graces If this be the glory of the faithfull let vs seeke to maintain our dignity and freedom according as Iohn teacheth Beholde what loue the father hath giuen to vs that we shoulde be called the sonnes of god for this cause the world knoweth you not because it knoweth not him And againe in his gospell As manie as receiued Christ to them he gaue prerogatiue to be sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue in his name which are borne not of blood nor of the flesh nor of the wil of man but of god Whereas on the other side the estate and condition of vngodly men is base vile miserable and contemptible they liue to themselues and to sinne they die to iudgement and condemnation What can be more fearfull what can be more wretched Secondly if we weare the cloath and badge of Christ then we must be bold in the faith and holde out our profession notwithstanding dangers and fear of death For we serue one that is able to beare vs out We see how men belonging to those that are of high place are many times imboldned ther by in lewd practises How much more ought we that haue learned christ to be incoraged in the faith and not to shrink back for fear of offence This was the commendation of the church of Pergamus I know thy works and where thou dwellest euen where Satans throne is and thou keepest my name and hast not denied my faith euen in those daies when Antipas my faithful martir was slaine among you where Satan dwelleth So Christ our sauiour taught his disciples Whosoeuer shal confesse me before men him 〈◊〉 I confesse also before my father which is in heauen But who soeuer shal deny me before men him wil I also denie before my father which is in heauen Wherefore this condemneth those that say I will keepe my conscience to my selfe none shall know my religion but God and my selfe I will not be to forward for feare of after reckonings nor any way countenance such as be forward These men while they suppose to keep their religion to themselues do indeed proclaime openly that they are of no religion For if they did truly beleeue in their harts they would likewise confesse with their tongues according to the saying of the Apostle If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the lord Iesus shalt beleeue in thine hart that god him raised from the dead thou shalt be saued for with the hart man beleeueth vnto righteousnes and with the mouth man confesseth vnto saluation And the Apostle Iames teacheth vs to trye faith by workes as gold by the touchstone Chap 2. Shew me thy faith by thy works and I wil snew thee my faith by my works So then let vs not be ashamed of the Gospell of Christ Which is the power of God to saluation to euerie one that beleeueth and not shrink for troble as deceitfull cloath in the wetting least our maister be ashamed of vs before his father and the holy Angels Th'rdly if the Sacraments be as badges to shew foorth our profession then it
condemneth those that speake euill of men as too precise too nise too pure for their profession because they run not into the same excesse of ryot with others These are not too precise but such as scoffe at al profession are too prophane It is good to be earnest in the matters of god prouided that our zeale be tempered with discretion and all Newtets be odious to God as it is said to the Church of the Laodiceans I knowe thy workes that thou art neither cold nor hot I woulde thou werest colde or hotte therefore because thou art Luke warme and neither colde nor hot it shall come to passe that I shall spew thee out of my mouth Wherefore let vs not be discouraged in wel-doing but walking through good report and euill report let vs remember that as christ is our Lord and master so our profession and the sacraments are our badges Lastly we see what our estate and condition is that we are not our owne but are subiect to Christ to serue him For we do beare his badge then he is our maister If he bee our Maister where is the feare and reuerence due vnto him Is it not meet we shoulde shewe our selues thankefull for so great mercies and gifts Were it not intollerable vnthankefulnes and vnsufferable pride for any man to wear the cognizance of another and yet to scorne his seruice and deny him duty Might not one worthily check and controul him as Christ did the 〈◊〉 who vnwillingly paid such taxes and tributes as were laid vpon them Hee called for a penny said unto them Whose image and superscription is this They said vnto him Caesars He ansuered Giue therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesars and giue to God the thinges that are Gods So likewise might one say fitly whose badge wearest thou whose Armes bearest thou on thysleeue Doth not this put thee in mind of thy state and condition and of the seruice and honor thou owest thy Maister In like manner may it be said to vs whose badge bearest thou Is it not Christes we are not therefore our owne men as the Apostle reasoneth and concludeth 1. Cor. 6. Know yee not that your bodie is the temple of the Holy-ghost which is in you whome ye haue of God and ye are not your owne For you are bought with a price therfore glorifie God in your body in your spirit for they are Gods So many therefore as come without knowledge and true repentance break their faith giuen to Christ and betray the body of christ as much as in them lyeth Wherefore to the right vse and partaking of the sacraments there is required the knowledge of god in three persons especialy of the persō of christ perfect God and perfect man and of his three offices to saue his people to be their Priest perfectly by his sacrifice to reconcile and iustifie them to be their king by the gouernement of his church to kill sin in them to sanctifie them to be their teacher to instruct them in the wil of his heauēly father After these is required true faith and earnest repentance otherwise we cannot receiue christ in the sacraments Put food into the mouth of a dead man it cannot nourish him so if one that is vnworthy and vnfit lying dead rotting in his sin do come to the sacramēts certainly they do not giue him life and worthines but such a one doth lade himselfe with a greater burden of sin and punishment Whosoeuer shall eat this bread and drinke the cup of the Lord vnworthily shall be guiltie of the bodie and blood of the Lorde he eateth and drinketh his 〈◊〉 iudgement because he discerneth not the Lords bodie Chap 16. Of the number of Sacraments HItherto we haue spoken of the chiefe vses of the sacraments now we are come to speake of the number of sacraments according as we take the name and haue declared the nature of them Let vs see then howe manie such visible signes and seales of spirituall grace in the new testament were iustituted of God to set forth the benefits of christ for the continuall vse of the church Many liue in the bosom of the church hear the word come to publick praier take themselus to be goodly christians offer themselues to the lordes table and are made partakers of the Sacrament who yet are ignorant how many sacraments ther are what they are None almost so simple but can number his sheep and cattel he knoweth their marks he knoweth their differences but aske him how many commaundements of the law how many Articles of faith how many petitions of the Lords prayer or how many Sacraments of the New Testament he can answere nothing Such haue their wits wholly exercised on the world and on wordly things which iustle out religion the knoledge of heauenly things If we haue eares to heare let vs heare what is the faith os the Church in this point grounded vpon the infallible rule and rocke of the word of God The sacraments of the church ordained by Christ to assure our communion with him are onely two baptisme whereby we are receiued into the couenant of God in steed of circumcision and the Lordes supper whereby we are nourished maintained and retained therein insteed of the Passeouer For albeit the couenant be but one yet the seales there of are two to assure vs that by vnion with Christ we are regenerated and shall be nourished to eternall life He hath deliuered vs a few sacraments insteade of many he coulde haue instituted moe if he had thought it good for the benefit of the Church These are as it were the two eies wherby we see and behold the promises of God These are as the two hands whereby we after a sort do handle Christ crucified and lay hold on the graces of saluation Christ hath appointed no mo sacraments he hath laide on vs an easie yoke and a light burden That these two are the onely sacraments of the new testament may appear by these few reasons following First christ taught no more to his Apostles the Apostles deliuered no mo to the churches the churches embraced no moe for many yeares When the Lord Iesus liued on the earth he instituted baptisme by the ministery of Iohn baptist who as he was sent to prepare the harts of the people so he preached the baptisme of repentance Afterward the Lord Iesus established it with his owne mouth in the commission giuen to his disciples he appointed and himself first administred his last supper in remembrance of his deth vntil his 2. comming againe with power and great glory These two true sacraments of the church to wit baptisme and the lords supper were instituted and warranted by the mouth of christ himselfe and none other beside these These we receiue because christ ordained them other we receiue not because he ordained them not Secondly the Apostle Paule admonisheth the
Corinthians to beware of idolatry not to slatter themselues or to think themselues the members of christ and therefore should escape the iudgment of God because they had the sacraments for the church of the Israelites had as great priuiledges as they they had the same sacramentes 〈◊〉 the same baptisme the same supper in substaunce and effect yet God was not pleased with them but ouerthrew them in the wildernes If then the Corinthians had any moe then these two they might haue iustly replied we grant indeed in respect of these they are equall with vs but we haue other which they had not wherein they are inferiour to vs and we superiour to them and therefore are preferred before them If then the Apostles reason conclude strongly we may hence gather directly that there are onely two and no other Sacraments because the Apostle mentioneth no moe where hee purposeth to set forth the priuiledges of the Iewes and to make them equall with the Gentiles Wherefore we must receyue two Sacraments onely or else the Apostle hath reasoned weakely Furthermore the same Apostle 1 Corinthians 12. purposinge to shewe that manie members of the church are one bodie in CHRIST coupled by him as by ioyntes prooueth this pointe by a full enumeration of the sacramentes being pledges of our settinge into the body of CHRIST and continuall nourishment in the same when he saieth As by one spirit we are all baptized into one body whether Iewes or Gentiles so we haue al 〈◊〉 made to drink into one spirit Where the Apostle sheweth that al the faithfull by the effectuall woorking of the Holy-ghoast are made one body in Christ which hee confirmeth by the two Sacraments of baptisme and the Lords supper without mention of any moe Moreouer another reason may be framed by comparing the Church of the Iewes with the churches of the christians in regard of their ordinary sacraments There are no mo sacraments deliuered in the Gospel then were prefigured vnder the law for their sacraments were types answering to our sacramenst as 1. Pet. 3. Our baptisme answereth the figure of the waters representing the same that our baptisme doth True it is the sacramentes of the olde Testament were not figures of the sacraments of the new Testament for then their sacraments should be the sign and ours shuld be the thing signified and so there should be sacraments of Sacraments which were foolish and absurd Againe the Iewish Sacramentes should be signes of things altogither vnknowne vnto them and not giuen them of God for they were vtterly ignorant of Baptisme and the Lordes Supper Besides that auncient people should be saued by beleeuing baptisme and the lords supper to come for doubtlesse they were saued by beleeuing that which their sacraments did signifie but they were not saued by beleeuing baptisme and the Lords supper but by beleeuing in Christ to come Lastly the old sacramentes should haue one signification and the new another for the old should signifie the new and the new shold signifie christ and his benefits Notwithstanding the sacraments of the new testament succeede in the room of those of the old and signifie the same thinges that they doe baptisme came in place of circumcision and the Lords supper is come in place of the Paschall lamb as appeareth in that it was administred presently after it to declare the abrogating of the one and establishing of the other As then ther was the same faith and the same way of saluation by christ who was the lambe slame from the beginning of the worlde he was yesterday and to day and the same for euer so had the Iewish rites respect to Christ and all of them are reduced to our two Sacraments Wherefore as the Iewes had onely two ordinary Sacramentes circumcision and the Passeouer as appeareth If a straunger dwell with thee and will obseiue the Passeouer of the Lord let him circumcise all the males that belong vnto him so the ordinary sacramentes of Christes church are baptisme and the Lords supper agreeing to the same Now the 5. other sacraments newly inuented were not prefigured in the Law they succeed not in the place of their ceremonies they are not an swerable to any types of Iewish rudiments therefore they are no sacraments Fiftly these two sacraments baptisme and the Lords supper are altogither perfect and sufficient not onely to enter and plant a Christian into the church but also to retaine him in it and therefore all other are friuolous vaine and superstitious as superfluous braunches to be pared away Now that they are sufficient to these purposes appeareth by the effects and vses of them What other grace can we haue then to be borne againe in Christ to haue iustification forgiuenes of sinnes and all priuiledges of eternall life and then afterward to be norished and kept continually in him Al these are fullie represented and sealed vp to vs in these two wherup on it followeth that christ who ordained the fewest and best sacramentes vnder the gospell appointed these and no moe Thus then we may gather that by the institution of christ by the argument of the Apostle by comparison of the Iewish ceremonies and by the sufficiency of the two sacraments of baptisme and the Lords supper that these are the onely two sacraments the rest are forged and counterfait sacraments they seale not vppe christ they neuer flowed out of his side from whence yssued onely water and bloud Lastly this number of 2. sacraments appeareth not only by the testimony of ancient fathers but by the confession of the aduersaries For howsoeuer in many other controuersies their wordes are many and their argumentes probable and very specious yet for the auouching of 7. Sacramentes they are dumbe and silent and are not able to produce the reuerent witnesses of the elder time Bellarmine proueth the word Sacrament sometimes to be giuen to al the 〈◊〉 but this is when the word is taken in a large and generall signification for any misticall signe and token which may signifie some other thing and may more properly be called a signe then a Sacrament as the couering of the head in the woman was a signe of subiection laying on of hands in ordination of the ministry is a signe of 〈◊〉 separation to that worke and of gods presence to assist them with his grace and blessing the Saboth day was a signe of the heauenly rest In this sense Augustine calleth the mistery of the Trinity a Sacrament and fire a Sacrament because by the heat light and shining brightnesse thereof the Trinity may be shadowed out Besids the late Warn-word Pag. 91. handling this controuersie of the number of Sacraments doth not proue the number of 7. Sacraments out of the Scripture neither goeth about it neither is able to deriue it further then the counsell of Florence holden in the yeare 1440. and from Peter Lumbard who was indeede the father
and first finder and founder of this number ofseuen Augustine when he speaketh of Sacraments in the strict and proper signification taketh them for holy signes and seales not only signifieng but representing and exhibiting spiritual graces commaunded by christ succeeding in the roome of the Iewish two ordinary Sacraments and offering Christ to all faithful receiuers reckneth them as we do Haec sunt Ecclesiae gemina sacramenta 1. These be two sacraments of the church And in one other place Christ and his Apostles haue deleuered vnto vs a few sacraments in stead of many as Baptisme and the Lords supper So S. Ambrose intreating purposely of the Sacraments speaketh but of two as the reformed churches hold at this day Innocentius the third speaking also of them onely maketh mention of those two which we receiue not of the rest which we refuse Yea Thomas of Aquine the chiefe doctour of the papistes holdeth heerein the truth teaching that the forme of Bapt. and of the Lords supper is found in the Scripture but not of the other pretended sacraments and namely of extreame vnction To conclude cardinall Bessarion confesseth this Haec duo sola sacramenta in Euangelijs manifestè tradita legimus that is we read that these two onely sacraments were deliuered vs manifestly and plainly in the Gospell Now let vs come to the vses of this diuision In that Christ hath appointed so few sacraments in number hereby appeareth the great loue of God toward vs he hath not laid a burden vpon vs which neither we nor our fathers were able to beare but charged vs with two sacramentes onely whereas he might haue deliuered other moe vnto vs. The Ceremoniall law was a very heauy burden pressing downe the fathers of the olde Testament and keeping them in great bondage now the yoke is broken and we are deliuered As we see the like mercy of God in teaching a short for me of prayer as a perpetuall direction to the church and in deliuering the ten commaundements diuided into two tables so he hath not troubled vs with many sacraments whereby also our nature prone to Idolatry is respected and the grace of the new testament is wonderfully amplyfied We see how superstition grosse Idolatry haue preuailed in the church of Rome and infected with deadly poison one of the Sacramentes how much greater danger were it if moe sacraments had beene commaunded and commended vnto vs. Againe heereby we may perceiue and conceiue the difference betweene the old and new testament between the Sacramentes vnder the law and these vnder the Gospell betweene those giuen to the Iewes and these retained among Christians For ours are few in number theirs were many in number the Arke circumcision the Passeouer Manna the cloud the sea the rock many purifications oblations which are not easie to be numbred But the Gospell acknowledgeth onely two as two twins of the same father Hee reunto wee may adde not vnprofitably other material differences to be acknowledged They 〈◊〉 in time ours shew forth our communion with Christ already come and so are more firme and durable as those which are not to be chāged to the end of the world Ye shew the Lords death til he come Their Sacraments were ordained onely vntill the comming of Christ because they shewed and pointed out Christ to come so that the worke of grace was more obscure to them Again they differ in variety of Sacramentall signes and rites as the cutting of the foreskin the lambe of the Passeouer iournying through the sea sauing by the Arke drinking of the rock lifting vp the brasent Serpent raining downe of Manna washing of their body they had calues sheep Gotes doues bread wine Oyle and such like we haue onely water in Baptisme and bread and wine in the Lords Supper Thus the signes do greatly vary Fourthly they differ in easinesse For the Ceremonies committed to the people of the Iewes were hard combersome painefull to the slesh and some of them were administred with effusion sheding of blood partly of man and partly of beastes Of man as in circumcision of beasts as in the paschall lam be and in the sacrifices But our Sacramentes though Sacramentes of Christs blood shed for vs yet of themselues be voide of blood Fiftly they differ in measure of signification For our Sacramentes haue a more plentifull and full representation of grace offered and stir vp a greater measure of saith then the Sacramentes of the old Testament which were more darke and obscure the Lord reseruing a fuller measure of knowledge vnto the blessed times of the Gospe'l For as the exhibiting of Christ Iesus in the flesh and fulnesse of time and as it were in the old age of the world is of more efficacy to moue vs then the expectation of him to come so we haue better helpes and an holy aduantage to raise and rouse vp our faith to a greater assurance of grace and mercy by how much the accomplishment is more then the promise and the fulfilling greater then the foretelling Lastly they differ in respect of the people to whom they were giuen and for whom they were ordained ours belong to all people dispersed ouer the face of the whole earth that are ingrafted into the church wheras theirs wer tied to one Nation to one people to one place to the posterity of Abraham Notwithstanding these differences which are in signes and circumstances touching the chiefe thing euen the matter and substance of the Sacramentes they are equall hauing the same end and the same signification and being of one esficacy as also the word of the prophets and Apostles is One and the same God is author of them One and the same mediator betweene God and man euen the man Iesus Christ is represented in both being the lambe slaine from the foundation of the worlde They signifie and shew forth the same communion of Christ by which all the clect are saued and seale vp saluation and remission of sinnes to all that do receiue them by faith For they were giuen to bee signes and seales of grace and of the promises of God to distinguish the faithfull from all other sectes and religions in the world and that they should be receiued with profit onely of the faithfull In these and such like things the Sacramentes of the Iewish and Christian church are not vnequall although in the outward signes and circumstances they be diuers yet in the substance and in the thing signified there is no difference Thirdly we are bound to beleeue his promises and to haue strong consolation seeing he hath giuen vs 2. signes If we had onely had one signe as a seale of the mercies of God in Christ it had beene a great sinne not to haue beleeued the promise and not to haue rested therein as in a thing vnchangable For he is not as man that he should ly or deceiue his onely promise is
assured paiment yea all the promises of God in him are yea and are in him Amen vnto the glory of God But seeing the goodnesse of God hath abounded in granting vnto vs two Sacraments that where doubting aboundeth there faith might abound much more our sinne is the greater if now we wauer like a waue of the sea tossed of the wind and carried away One tree of life serued Adam to assure him life one raine-bowe sufficed Noah One returne of the fun back ward was inough to Hezekiah and they beleeued If then we seeke a signe behold we haue two giuen vnto vs that hauing two vnchangeable sacraments as it were two witnesses of his worde wee might haue strong consolation The vnbeleeuing Iewes said to christ shew vs a signe and we will beleeue thee Beholde the Lord sheweth vs two visible signes of his spirituall and inuisible graces and shal not we beleeue being stedfast in faith We desire forgiuenesse of sins and assurance therof by these two the Lorde promiseth couenanteth and indenteth to giue the same vnto vs setting the seales to his owne writing Lastly this diuision and numbring vp of the sacramentes serueth to teach that there are not seuen sacraments of the church and so do condemne the fiue supposed and falsely named sacraments maintained of the church of Rome to wit confirmation pennance Matrimony orders and extreame vnction Baptisme we embrace the Lordes supper we acknowledge of these two we moue no question we make no controuersie the other fiue whole father is vnknowne we refuse as bastards and cannot admit them into the number of sacraments the reasons whereof we will render in the chapters following Chap. 17. That confirmation is not a sacrament THe Apostles as the maister-builders of the churches planted the Gospell where the name of Christ had not bin heard Nowe because many seducers arose that trobled the peace of the church and the faith of many beleeuers began to wauer the Apostles agreede together to goe againe to the churches wher they had laid a golden foundation howsoeuer other had builded hay and stubble thereon to see how they increased or decreased as Act. 11. and they confirmed theyr heartes and established them in the faith which they hadde taught And Chap 15. Paule said vnto Barnabas Let vs returne and visit our brethren in euery Citty where we haue preached the word of the Lord and see how they do And we doubt not but when the Gospell was reueiled the Apostles by laying on hands gaue the giftes of the Holy-ghost to the beleeuers in Christ. This practise of the Apostles we finde this we confesse this we approue and allow But of any sacrament of confirmation we read not and therefore allow not Againe it was a laudable custome in the primitiue church of christian parents to bring their children to the Bishop who examined them in the principles and fundamentall points of religion he asked them a reason of their faith he instructed them farther in the misteries of godlines and that this action might haue the more reuerence and dignity they laid their hands vpon them and prayed vnto God for them that he would increase and continue the good things that he had begun in them This imposition of handes with prayer to be strengthened in the Holy-ghost and to haue increase of grace corrupted with annointings depraued with crossings and defiled with sundry superstitions is no sacrament First euery sacrament should haue warant and appointment from Christ but this hath none Secondly it hath no word of institution in the scripture nor commaundement to continue the vse of it vntill the comming of Christ and end of the world and therfore no sacrament For the word must be added to the element and so it is made a sacrament True it is they vse a forged and counterfeit forme in their confirmation I signe thee with the signe of the holie crosse and I confirme thee with the oile of saluation in the name of the father and the son and of the holi-ghost These indeed are wordes but no worde of God they shew an intollerable presumption and not to be excused But indeed a counterfeit Sacrament and there is a good agreement when both writing and seale are sutable that is both forged Thirdly it wanteth an outward signe instituted by Christ. We read oftentimes that the Apostles vsed laying on of hands but we read of no oyle or chrisme Besides we know they gaue thereby the miraculous gifts of the holy ghost which now are ceased as Act. 8. where we see when Samaria was conuerted to the faith by preaching of Phillip and baptized in the name of the Lord Iesus the Apostles sent thither Peter Iohn who praied for them That they might receiu the Holy-ghost for as yet he was fallen down on none of thē then laid they their hands on them and they receiued the Holy-ghost This confirmation thus vsed had then a profitable vse in the church of God But as the brasen Serpent commaunded by God and set vp by Moyses for good purpose was afterward abused and incense offered vnto it and lastly was by that good king Hezekiah destroyed and demolished so popish confirmation hith many intolerable abuses mingled with it it is ministred in a strange tongue that none vnderstand what is spoken and ment they call the oyle the oyle of saluation they acount him no perfect Christian that is not anointed by the Bishop they prefer it before baptisme because any of their piiests may baptize nay priuate men nay women in their supposed time of necessity but confirmation may be giuen among them onely by the hands of a byshop and lastly they blow and halow their oyle that it may be made a spirituall oyntment to purifie soule and body These errors are so grosse that of euery one they may be seene they are so palpable that they may bee felt Wherfore seeing their confirmation is wrought by anoynting seeing it hath no word of God but a word of their own seeing they haue no commaundement for it nor promise of the presence of the Holy-ghost and last of all seeing it hath many abuses ioyned with it wee haue very iust causes to thrust it out of this place and ranke of the sacraments and throw it downe from that high seate which 〈◊〉 hath long vsurped Chap. 18. That popish penance is no Sacrament THe doctrine of repentance and turning from all our sinnes to God to bring forth fruits of amendment of life is taught in the Sacraments and commended vnto all Ioel. 2. Turne you vnto me withall your heart and rent your heart not your garments There is none that liueth and sinneth not we are corrupt and become abhominable the imaginations of our hart are only euill and that continually in vs that is in our flesh or vnregenerate part there dwelleth no good thing we were conceiued and borne in sin and therfore whosoeuer saith He is
without sinne deceiueth himselfe and there is no truth in him This corruption of our nature that hath taken hold on all mankind for there is none that doth good no not one must be mortified and the new man which is spiritual regenerate by the holy ghost must be quickned Repentance therefore consisteth in an inward sorrow for our sins in an hatred of thē in suppressing the corruptiōs of nature in a purpose to obey God in a care to sorsake our sins in confessing the greatnesse of them in condemning our our selues for them in acknowledging the desart of them in an holy indignation anger against our selues that we haue beene so carelesse in looking to our owne waies in fearing least we runne into the same sins againe in desiring euer heereafter to please God and to walke more carefully before him in zeale touching the seruice of God and in taking reuenge sometimes and punishment vpon our selus for former offences For wee confesse plainely and deny not but some outward penalties and chastisements of the body may be vsed do please God not of themselues but because they are profitable meanes and good helpes to further and forward true repentance As for example he that hath offended grieuously in surfetting drunkenes and hath great heauines of hart sorrow of mind that he hath sinned against so gratious a God and mercifull father may prescribe appoint to himselfe without appearance of superstition or error of satisfaction or opinion of 〈◊〉 some fasting or abstinence for a certaine time that he may be better fitted to gods seruice and further strengthned against those sinnes into which he is fallen This doctrine we receiue as the doctrine of Christ and agreeable to the prophets and Apostles as appeareth 2 Cor. 7. where Paule setteth downe the effects or fruites of true repentance Now the question ariseth betweene the church of Rome and vs whether this repentance which is a dying to sinne and a walking in newnesse of life and whether reconciliation to the church and absolution from sinne be a Sacrament of the new Testament institvted by Christ to assure his sauing graces to vs Wee answere it is not First it was in time of the old Testament from the beginning of mans fall and transgression it was continually preached and published by the prophets and therefore before Christes comming in the flesh and cannot be a sacrament of the new Testament Secondly it wanteth an outward signe such as water in Baptisme such as bread and wine in the Lords supper now euery Sacrament must haue an outward element and signe to represent the spirituall grace therefore penance can be no Sacrament Thirdly it hath no word to commaund it no particuler promise of God which is the chiese stay and staffe of a sacrament Bellarmine affirmeth that Christ instituted the sacrament of penance when he breathed vpon his Apostles after his resurrection and said vnto them Receiue the holy ghost whose sinnes ye remit they are remitted and whose sinnes ye retaine they are retained And he saith the words of absolution are the signe and that remission of sins is the the promise of grace which is signified For answer to this assertion I would gladly aske this question whether the apostles had this ministeriall power to forgiue sinnes to repentant sinnets when they baptized to remission of sins If this power were heere first instituted and giuen vnto them Do they not by tying the authority of remitting finnes to this time make their baptisme of none effect Besides we haue shewed that it is not sufficient to haue a sound of wordes that may be heard to make an outward signe there must be a visible signe that may be seene to warrant a sacrament Now to make a Sacrament without such a signe were to make a sacrament without a sacrament Lastly as they take and vnderstand penance it is neither sacrament nor sacred it is neither holy signe nor holy thing it is neither an institution of God nor any way of God For they mean not thereby amendment of life or inward sorrow griefe of minde for the life past which is sometimes testified by weeping and mourning by sackcloth and ashes by fasting and humiliation but they vnderstād by penance 〈◊〉 external discipline satisfaction for our sinnes to God by our owne sufferings that wearing of sackcloth sprinkling of ashes chastising of the body whipping of the flesh putting on rough apparel lying on bourds and hard places abstaining from flesh and aflicting our selues by such outward exercises are a paying of the paines due to sinne part of amendes made to Gods iustice and meritorious before him This punishment this penance these penalties we abhorr as an horrible blasphemy against the blood of Christ which is the onely satisfaction to God for sinne For if we satisfie for our selues then hath not Christ satisfied for vs nor payed the price due vnto our sinnes Besides they charge God the father with iniustice in that hauing laid the guiltinesse of our sinnes vpon his owne sonne and punished them in him they make him not satisfied with that punishment but to exact the debt of vs againe for which his sonne as our surety hath fully and sufficiently answered as Esa. 53. He is punished for our transgressions he is bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace is lated vpon him and by his stripes we are healed the Lord maketh the punishment of vs all to light upon him Likewise the Apostle Iohn saith The blood of IESVS CHRIST doth purge us from all sinne And in the Reuelation he addeth Christ hath washed vs from our sinnes in his blood Whereby we see we are taught to beleeue that we are pardoned and reconciled to God not through our owne satisfaction not for our owne workes not by our owne sufferings but onely through the death and blood sheading of Christ. Wherefore their penance is to be acknowledged to be sacriledge and accepted as a Sacrament Chap. 19. That Matrimony is not a Sacrament THe Counsell of Trent vnder Pius 4. Sess. 8 decreeth If any shall say that Matrimony is not truely and properly one of the 7. Sacramentes instituted by Christ but was brought in by men into the Church and doth not conferre grace let him be accursed Heereby they would seeme to set forth the dignity of marriage aboue vs seeing they lift it vp into the number of the Sacraments of the Church Yet as a lyar seldome agreeth with himselfe they complaine that we too highly magnifie the married estate and themselues cannot abide it in their clergy because for sooth it is written Be ye holy for I am holy they which are in the flesh cannot please God Marriage therefore is too holy an ordinance for their vnholy cleargy inasmvch as they teach in this point the doctrin of deuils and are led by the spirit of error that forbid marriage which God hath left free We confesse touching
spitituall priests and a spirituall priest-hood to offer vp spirituall sacrifices of praise and thanksgiuing vnto God as appeareth Reuel 1. 6. Christ hath washed vs from our sinnes in his blood and made vs kinges and priests vnto God euen his father And the Apostle Peter in his first epiftle chap. 2. saith Ye also as liuely stones be made a spirituall house an holy priest-hood to offer vp spiritual sacrisices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ. And again afterward Ye are a chosen generation a royal priest-hood an holy nation a people set at liberty that ye should shew forth the vertues of him that hath called you out of darkenesse into his marueilous light Whosoeuer bringeth in another priest-hood then this maketh new priests abolisheth as much as in him lyeth the priest-hood of Christ. Againe what will they say of offices and dignities in the Church greater then these the office of pope of cardinall of patryarch and the rest of that vnholy hierarchy Will they discharge and cut off these from being sacraments aduance the baser orders of hedge priests and dombe deacons to so high a dignity What Do they abase and disgrace those greater places and thinke their popes and cardinals not worthy of that honor and authority or do they thinke this Sacrament to vile and base to agree to those princelike dignities of the church Or dare they preferre their priest-hood their readers their decons there doore-keepers their dog-keepers and the rest of that rabble before the pope dome the cardinalship the Patryarchship Is not this high treson against their holy father petty treason against the cardinals and other of that generation Lastly Sacraments must haue an outward element and word of institutiō as hath been often declared proued but their orders haue neither outward element nor word of institution therfore orders are no sacra Seeing therfore they can shew no materiall signe added to the promise nor gratious promise added to the signe there can be no sacrament of orders to seale vp and assure any mercy of God granted vnto vs. To omit that reason which we might 〈◊〉 vpon them namely that orders are peculiar proper to the ministry and are no sanctified instrument aply any general and common grace of the Church Wherefore asmuch as orders haue neither outward signe nor promise of grace nor institution from Christ but disgrace the higher dignities of their Church and ouerthrow their owne chosen number of seauen Sacramentes we conclude necessarily from these premises that orders are no Sacrament Chap. 21. That extreame vnction is no Sacrament THe last faigned Sacrament is the last annoynting as they call it performed by the priest in extreamety where by they teach that God assureth forgiuenesse of sinnes and promiseth ease of bodily disease if it be so exped ent if not the saluation of the soule in the life to come They vse this forme of words By this holy anoynting and his most holy mercy God doth forgiue thee whatsoeuer that hast offended by seeing hearing smelling tasting and touching This vnction cannot be a sacrament for sundry causes First themselues confesse that it hath not his institution from Christ. For the Rhem'stes in their heretical Annotations vpon Mar. 6 confesse that there is onely a preparation vnto it And Peter Lumbard saith It was instituted by the Apostle Iames. By this doctrine Christ should onely be a preparer of sacraments not an appointer a beginner not a finisher of them Now these men are all accursed by the Conuenticle of Trent If any man shad say that the sacraments of the new law were not all instituted by Iesus christ let him be accursed Again the place of the Apostle Iames maketh nothing for this sorged sacrament for there is a great difference contrariety betweene the anoynting that Iames speaketh off and the popish anealing Their priestes haue not the miraculous guist of healing whereof this 〈◊〉 was an outward signe in the primitiue church which custome afterward ceased when the 〈◊〉 of healing ceased being for a time granted to the church for the credit of the Gospell As then the guist was temporall and for a reason so must the signe bee of the same standing and continuance and the gift being taken from the church if the signe should remaine in vse and practise it should be but a lieng signe For by the same reason the brooke of Siloam the poole Bethesda the clay and 〈◊〉 which were sometimes vsed in healing the diseased might be accounted sacramēts as wel as this being all signes of healing for a certaine season as also annoynting with oyle was for the first times of the church while it was in planting Thirdly the Apostle would haue al sick persons anoynted these do anoynt with their greazy oile onely such bodies as are in manner halfe dead euen while they lie in extremity and the life is striuing to come forth The Apostle would haue all the elders called but one Masle-priest only with them bringeth the box and annoynteth the sickman The Apostle assureth health to all that are thus annoynted as I am 5. The prayer of faith shall saue him that is suke and the Lord shal raise him vp So also Mark 6. They cast out many deuels and they anointed many that were sicke with oyle and healed them whereby we see that restoring and recouering of health was certainely promised to folow the anointing But not one among many receiueth health after their popish anealing The Apostle speaketh of bodily health of the guift of miracles and of common oyle they prattle of forgiuenes of sins of a common and continuall gift of charmed and consecrate oyle and balme whereof notwithstanding can none be found of bowing their knees and saluting it saving Hailholy oyle haile holie oyntment haile holy balme nay which is more blasphemous their oyle they call The oyle of saluation which is to renounce saluation by Christ and to deny the holy spirit to sanctifie the people of God Furthermore euery sacrament must haue a word of institution but the wordes which they vse in anealing are a strange saluation of a dumbe and deafe creature not warranted nor founde in scripture as the words of consecration in the true sacraments are and therefore we cannot receiue it for a sacrament but must account it an apish imitation and a popish tradition Moreouer we haue proued before chap. 8. that the element is consecrated when the sacrament is ministred by praying thanksgiuing eating and drinking deliuering and receiuing breaking and pouring out blessing and reciting the institution therfore the oyle halowed long before by the Byshop heated with breathing vpon it charmed with much murmuring saluted with bowing of the knee and other like trumperies that hallowing I say is fond superfluous and superstitious Lastly the effect and vertue of a Sacrament is spirituall grace in Christ but extreame vnction hath no spirituall grace in Christ sealed vp for the Apostle ascribeth
the father of the sonne and of the Holy ghost the inward clensing of the sonle by the blood of Christ is represented This description of baptisme is to be opened and farther expounded vnto vs wherein fiue pointes are to be considered of vs. First it is called the first Sacrament both in respect of the other Sacrament of the Lords supper and because when the nations were conuerted to the saith and beleeued in the name of Christ they were immediatly baptized as we see the practise of the church Act. 2. 4. and Chap. 10. 47. and Ch 8 12. Where after embracing the faith we see the partaking of baptisme and the sealing vp of their conuersion Againe it is said there must be an outward washing of the body with water because the Apostle declareth therby the nature of a sacrament of baptism Eph 5. Calling it the washing of water through the Word and it hath a iust proportion or relation to the spirituall washing of our newe birth Tit. 3 5. being also called the baptisme of repentance and amendment of life for remission of sins Dipping into the water is not necessary to the being of a sacrament sprinkling of water is not necessary to the being of a Sacrament but wetting and washing with water is necessary to the being of a Sacrament Now whether the whole body should be washed or the face only and whether it should be done once or thrice is not greatly materiall but left indifferent to the church to decree and determine what shal be thought fittest to be receiued and practised Thirdly it is added in the former description that baptisme is once onely to be administred For as in naturall generation man is once onely borne so it is in spirituall regeneration And as circumcision was once only receiued in the flesh whereby the fore-skin was circumcised so is Baptisme once onely to be administred not oftentimes to be repeated Wherefore the Apostle Eph. 4. saith There is one baptisme one faith Againe Christ willed the Apostles to minister Baptisme not Baptismes Lastly in baptisme the death of Christ is represented and he died but once so that as his death was not to be repeated no more is baptisme to be reiterated Fourthly the forme and manner of doing is said to be Into the name of the father and of the sonne and of the Holy-ghost Wherby is ment that we haue fellowship with God in three persons as a wife hath with her husband who passeth into her husbands name to be subiect to him to obey him to acknowledge and call vpon him to worship no other god but the true Iehoua This therfore is not to be vnderstood onely of vsing the name of the Trinity in baptizing but by it also is ment that the persons baptized are receiued into the grace and fellowship of God to become his people and to be pertakers of his couenant to their spirituall comfort Lastly in the description before remembred it is affirmed that the outward washing of the body Representeth the inward clensing of the soule by the blood of Iesus Christ. This appeareth expresly Gal. 3. All that are baptized into Christ haue put on Christ. And Titus 3. 5. 6. According to his mercy he saued vs by the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy-ghost which he shed on vs aboundaintly through Iesus Christ our sauiour So also the same Apostle We are 〈◊〉 with him by baptisme into his death These testimonies out of the word of truth do euidently teach that this is the principall scope and end of Baptisme to assure our consciences by externall washing of the inward clensing of our soules by the blood of Christ for remission of sins This being the discription of baptisme let vs see what good vses may be made therof and euery part in order as they haue beene laid before vs. And first touching the first point mentioned before in the description that Baptisme is the first Sacrament This teacheth that such as are gained to the faith children of such as are in the profession are immediately to he baptized So was the Eunuch when he was instructed so was Paule when he was conuerted so were the Iewes when they repented And indeede this is a true saying that men cannot be incorporate into any religion whether it be true or false vnlesse they be combined together by some communion and fellowship of visible Sacraments Again Is baptisme the first Sacrament of the new Testament Then it followeth that he which is not baptized is not to be admitted to the Lords table he that hath not receiued the first Sacrament is not to bee made partaker of the second As in the old testament circumcision was the Sacrament of entrance and admission and none was admitted to eate the Passouer but such as wer circumcised as we see Exod. so none hath this right and priuiledge to come to the supper of the Lord vnlesse first they be entred and the doore opened to them by baptisme For a man must be knowne to belong to our family and houshold before he presume to eat of the childrens bread that belongeth not to strangers Touching the vse of the 2. point to wit that there must be washing with waters we learne that washing with water is of the necessity of baptisme Indeed ther may be a washing without baptisme but ther can be no baptisme without washing The washing of water through the word So that this washing is necessary because of the fit similitude that is between it and our regeneration or new-birth The water is apt to clense vs leaueth no silah behind so is our iustification 〈◊〉 sanctification repressented by the blood of christ as shal be cōsidered Therfore such as vsed sand or blood or such like matter not fit for washing did not indeed baptize but horribly prophane the Sacra of baptisme The third point in the description is that baptisme is once onely to be administred which affordeth vnto vs these three vses First it sheweth a difference between it and the Lords supper The Apostle Paule speaking of the supper of the Lord saith As oft as ye shal eat this bread and drinke of this cup and Christ our sauiour Do this as oft as ye drink it in remembrance of me therfore it must be often receiued of the church But baptisme once ministred is not againe to be repeated As we are once onely borne into the world but after our birth are dayly nourished so we are but once baptized but there is continuall vse of the Lords supper where at we are fed to eternall life Secondly this teacheth that all rebaptizing is vnlawful as we see by the examples of the Apostles who baptized not the beleeuers and members of the church the second time For Act. 2. it is noted that such as beleeued the gospel continued in the apostles doctrine in fellowship in breaking of bread prayer but not
circumcised He had dwelt int h land of Midian an Idolatrous country 40. years he began to sauour of the manners thereof but hauing called him to be a gouernor of people would not be appeased toward him vntill he had reformed his owne house For if any cannot rule 〈◊〉 owne house how shall he care for the church of God Nowe whereas he had two sonnes borne vnto him in Midian the elder no doubt was circumcised the eight day according to the order and ordinance of God why then did he deferre the circumcising of the younger No doubt he was scorned and derided among them for circumcising his first borne and his enemies were those of his owne house euen the wife that lay in his bosome yea he being then weake in faith loued the praise of men more then the praise of God and therefore the Lord would haue slaine him Albeit the signe of circumcision seemed base and contemptible in outward shew and to sauour of great cruelty toward little children yet God woulde not suffer the deferring and neglecting thereof to goe without punishment Although grace be not tyed to the sacraments and that we may bee saued without them yet it is not left to the disposition of men whether they will come to them or not God will not haue the outward signes contemned of vs for if we will be in the couenant we must not despise the seal of the couenāt Furthermore are the outward parts vnited to the inward then this serueth as a speciall meanes to comfort the verie lowest estate of men and the poorest degree in the church that they doubt not of the fatherly fauor of God towarde them but bee assured of their acceptation with God who will make them partakers of his eternall blessinges in his kingdome as well as other whose condition is greater and higher in the world When god gaue circumcision to Abraham he commaunded him circumcise all his seruants bond or free as well borne in his house as bought with his money thereby signifying that he adopted them for his children and that albert they were Abrahams bond-men yet they were the Lords free men So vnto baptisme wee admit and receiue the poore as well as the rich the seruant as well as the maister the low as well as the high without respect of persons When the lord instituted the passeouer the lambe was eaten of all the congregation So touching the Lords supper it is an holy banket for all degrees and conditions whatsoeuer and therefore the Apostle checketh the Corinthians for this abuse that wheras the poorest soule eating of the bread and drinking of the cup is as welcome to christ the gouernor of the seast as the richest they did despise the poore and shamed them that had not All these things duly considered serue to assure the very meanest lowest and simplest in the church that they are made heires of eternall life as well as other as they are partakers of the signe with other if they beleeue with faithfull Abraham This the Apostle teacheth There is netther Iew nor Graecian there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female for ye are al one in Christ. And Col. 3. There is neither Graecian nor Iew circumcision nor vncircumcision Barbarian Scithian bond free but Christ is all and in all things Fourthly are there outward rites signes and persons as externall parts of baptisme And are their likewise inward parts whereby we are consecrated to God teaching that we haue vowed to renounce the lusts of the world and to forsake the workes of the deuill Then this condemneth those that depart out of the church before this holy and publike action be taken in hand Baptisme belongeth not onely to the wittnesses and parties that bring the child but to all the members of the church that we may learne by our presence therat to renew our faith and repentance vnto God These men do too much disgrace and deface the dignity of this sacrament not vouchsafing to remain at the administration therof as if it were not worthy to be solemnized before thē wheras they should quicken their faith in the couenant of god by beholding the works of the minister and ratifieng them in their harts as we read Luk. 1. wher they are said to circumcise because they were al present at the work consenting to prayers and thanks giuings of the Church as also the Apostle saith Women pray and prophesie in the church when they sit stil and are partakers of the praiers and preaching vsed in the publike assemblies And as no member is cut off by excommunication but in presence of al to be witnesses therof to ratifie their grief for the losse of a member of their body so in Baptisme it is required to witnesse and approoue the publike worke by their presence and to 〈◊〉 themselues thereby 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and comfort hata fellow-heire is made partaker with them in the communion of Saintes Moreouer the excellency of this Sacrament is as great as of the other they are of like worthynes in themselues and to be had equal and indifferently in like price and estimation they are both commaunded and instituted by the 〈◊〉 authoritye of Christ there is the same matter and substance of both to wit Christ with all his benifits there is 〈◊〉 one and the same end of both the increase and strengthning of our faith therfore why should one Sacrament be so much extolled aboue the other and preferred before the other So that whereas many come to the Lords Supper few remaine and abide in the Church at the administration of baptisme The whole assembly heareth the word preached and deliuered by the minister the Sacramentes are instruments of our iustification by faith as well as the worde preached sauing that the word worketh by hearing only the Sacraments serue by the senses of seeing handling and tasting as well as hearing to strengthen and encrease faith in our hearts and therefore it is requisite that we ioyne in the one as well as in the other Furthermore the excellency and worthynesse of baptisme appeareth heerein in that it was instituted of God sealing vp his gratious couenant in that it was sanctified by Christ being baptized of Iohn and in that it was beautified by the heauenly reuelation of the blessed Trinity appearing thereat so great honour so great dignity and preheminence was neuer giuen to any Ceremony Did God institute it and shall we contemne it Did Iesus Christ come to Iohns baptisme and shal we disdaine to be at the baptisme of Christ Was the holy Trinity present will we be absent True it is som of the sacrifices and burnt offerings were miraculously consumed by fire from heauen but what is this to the glorious presence of the maiesty of God the blessed Trinity declaring to vs thereby that God the father God the son and God the Holy-ghost are alwaies present at
them parts of the ministers Office but this is the chiefest to labour in the word and doctrine in regard of the greater giftes required and of the fruite that floweth and followeth from thence to their hearers it being the high ordinance of god to saue such as beleeue That this is the Apostles mind and meaning appeareth by the words immediately ensuing where he reckoneth vp some whom he had baptized which he would neuer haue done or attempted without a calling True it is the dignity force of baptism dependeth not vpon the worthines or excellency of the Ministers thereof but on the authoritie and institution of god who onelie remitteth sinnes and baptizeth with the Holy-ghost This appeareth by the example of such as cast out deuils in Christs name of whom Christ saith he knew them not So Iudu was sent out with the rest of the Apostles to teach and to preach the Gospell of the kingdome and to heale euery sicknes and euery disease among the people yet he was the sonne of perdition that the scripture might be fulfilled The scribes and pharises sit in Moses his chaire For this cause Christ himselfe would baptize no man Ioh. 4 least any should esteem of baptisme by the worthines or vnworthines of the Ministers Neuerthelesse it is required that baptisme be done and deliuered by a minister of the church and one reputed so to be of the church as may be confirmed by sundry reasons First baptisme is a part of the ministry which none may vndertake but such as are thereunto lawfully called God hath ioyned the ministry of the worde and sacramentes together and what God hath coupled togither let no man separate Math 19. 6. But women or priuate persons may not be admitted to teach in the publicke assemblies in a true and well ordered chutch 1 Cor 14. Let your women keepe silence in the churches for it is not permitted vnto them to speake but they ought to bee subtect as also the Lawe saith and if they will learne any thing let them aske their husbandes at home for it is a shame for Women to speake in the churcb And 1 Tim 2 Let your women learne in silence with all subiection I permit not a woman to teach neither to vsurpe authority ouer the man but to be in silence Likewise the Apostle reproueth the church of Thyatira that it suffered a Woman to teach among them and to exercise the publicke ministry of the word contrary to gods commaundement and the practise of gods people I confesse there haue bene prophettesses in the church as Deborab Huldah Hannah the foure daughters of Phillip with some others but the examples are extraordinary and therefore cannot make an ordinary 〈◊〉 for imitation The causes heereof are direct and euident For to teach publikely is a token of authority and rule ouer others in-asmuch as the teacher is higher in place and authority then he that is taught as Paule was brought vp at the feete of Gamaliell and as the lesse is blessed of the greater Therefore the woman should not be admitted to be a maister in Israell a teacher and instructer of men as 1 Tim. 2 where the Apostle forbiddeth them to teach publikely and to vsurpe authority ouer the man but requireth of them to be in subiection not to chalenge dominion Again such is the frailenes and weakenesse of that sexe that they are easier to be seduced and deceiued and so fitter to be authors of much mischiefe being the weaker vessels therefore Paule hauing set down the doctrine that women should not take vpon them to teach in the church and so preach in the assembly of men presently alledgeth this reason that The woman was first deceiued of the deuil and was in the transgression he made choise of her and made her an instrument to be guile her busband Furthermore the minister representeth Gods person in this holy worke and theresore he onely can offer and deliuer with power and authority the outward signe which answeareth fitly to the inward matter Shall priuate persons vsurp to be the Lords messengers to bring his letters and seales not called not alowed not authorised It cannot be without intruding of themselues and dishonour to God As none can wash vs from our sinnes but Christ onely so none can beare his person in the outward Sacrament of the inward washing but he whom Christ himselfe hath appointed if we will receiue the benifit of the holy seale of baptisme for the assurance of our conscience that we are washed from our sinnes And if the will and pleasure of a Prince doe make that onely to be his seale which he hath set aparte to seale his grauntes withall so that albeit another bee made right of the same matter iust of the same forme and fashion and in all pointes like vnto it no difference being to bee seene betweene them yet the same is none of the Princes seale but a counterfcit stampe then now much more ought the knowne will of the eternall God which is that they onely should minister the sacraments that haue a publicke calling and allowance therunto to haue that authority that no sacraments can be warranted to be his 〈◊〉 but such as are signed by his officers Againe suppose the princes seales shoulde be stollen away which he hath appointed to seale his grantes withall and should be set too by him that hath no authority not being the keeper thereof there can by no means grow any assurance of comfort to the party that hath it applyed to his writinges so if it were possible to bee the seale of GOD which a woman shoulde set to yet for that she hath stolen her patent and vsed it contrary to Gods commandement I see not how any man can perswade his owne hart by it to be partaker of a sacrament but his comfort is weakened and impaired and his conscience left in doubt and perplexity Moreouer this may yet farther appeare by a comparison a forme of reasoning often vsed in the scripture comparing different actions of thinges done by a calling with such as are done without a calling wherby we shall see that to haue a lawfull calling to do a thing giueth life likinge and allowance vnto the doing For we must not onely consider what is done but also who is the doer What is the reason that Ioab captaine of the hoast killing Abner and Amasa two more righteous then himselfe was reserued to iudgement whereas Phinchas killing Zimri and Cosbi it was imputed vnto him for right cousnes What is the reason that Peter is reproued for drawing his sworde and smiting the high priests seruant being commaunded to put vp the sword because so many as 〈◊〉 with the sword shall perish with the sword whereas the higher power which is God is said to be the minister of god to take vengeance on him that doth euill and not to beare the
as it ought to be desired or if by godlesse parents it be deferred and neglected yet saluation is not tyed and glued to the outward water Away then with he doctrine of the church of Rome touching the absolute necessity of baptisme and touching children that dye without it a beastly and bloody doctrine ioyned with rigour and cruelty full of error and feare vncharitable in it selfe presumptuous by entring into Gods secret iudgments impious by binding him to second causes ordinary means iniurious to thousands of poore infants discomfortable to al good parents blasphemous against the bottomlesse mercy of a gratious God who hath saide I will be thy God and the God of thy seede where he maketh a coueuant of saluation with vs and our children not adding any condicion of baptisme if it cannot be had as it ought to be If it cannot be had by the infant the spirit of God doth worke the effectuall knitting of them to the body of Christ by a secret working as pleaseth him instead of ordinary meanes For when our sauiour had saide Mar. 16 He that shall beleeue and be baptized shall be saued 〈◊〉 doth not adde contrariwise hee that is not baptized shall be damned but annexeth only He that beleeueth not shal be condemned Thus we haue shewed the malice and madnesse of Satan against poore insants and how he hath vsed proud and pestilent instruments to effect his purpose partly the Anabaptistes who deny Baptisme to their bodies and partly the Papistes who deny saluation to their soules for want of baptisme Chap. 6. Of the forth outward part of baptisme THe last outvvard part of baptisme is the body that is washed For we haue shewed before that the sacramentes without their vse are no sacramentes And albeit the word ioyned to the signe make a sacrament yet this presupposeth a minister to administer it receiuer to take it and then the rule is most certainely to be admitted Now whether the whole body should be washed or a part of the body whether it should be washed once or oftner whether it should be dipped or sprinkled we are neither curiously to enquire nor seriously to contend nor rashly to determine but rest in practise of the church and in the custome os the countrey as in a thing in it owne nature indifferent The dipping and plunging into the water vsed by Iohn Baptist and the Apostles in Iudea and such hote regions are not a necessary rule to bee drawne into imitation especially in these cold quarters and countries But let vs see who they are that haue right and interest in baptisme and who are capable of this Sacrament For not euery one without respect without difference without distinction is to be admitted to this priuiledge because they are not fit receiuers thereof If a minister should take the outward element and vse the word of institution baptizing in the name of the father of the sonne and of the Holy-ghost yet it can bee no Sacrament vnlesse the receiuer haue warrant and authority to receiue it If he should baptize a stone or an image or a bruit beast without reason and vnderstanding these are no fit receiuers heere is an apparant and flat nullity where by appeareth farther the truth of the former rule that besides the ioyning of the worde to the outward signe their is necessarily required a fitted person to be partaker of the sacrament as is more at large expressed book 3. Chap. 3. To proceed wee must know that the receiuers are such as are within the couenant and such as professe the truth whether in truth or not wee leaue to GOD that searcheth the heartes and raines let vs not iudge another mans seruant he standeth or falleth to his owne maister Againe such as are borne in the couenant are of two sortes First men and women of yeares secondly infants that are the seede of the faithfull For the faithfull do beleeue for themselues and for others as in bargaines they 〈◊〉 and contract for themselues and their heires after them for euer Although children cannot be saide to be saued by their fathers faith no more then to liue by the fathers soule inasmuch as the prophet teacheth That the iust shall liue by his owne faith yet the faith of the parents maketh their children to be counted in the couenant who by reason of their age cannot yet actually beleeue as they that want all knowledge and vnderstanding not discerning the right hand from the left Euery man liueth this temporall life by his owne soule so euery man liueth the eternall life by his own faith True it is baptis me is a common seale But as all haue not interest to the pasture herbage and priuiledges of a Commons but onely such as are tenantes according to the custome of the mannor so all haue not title to baptize a Sacrament of the church but onely such as are the Lords people according to the tenor of the couenant Touching the first sort of such as are to be baptized they are men and women of riper yeares who adioyne themselues to the church testifie their repentance hold the foundation of religion and confesse their faith as Act. 8 If thou beleeuest thou 〈◊〉 be baptized The second sort are infants within the couenant which haue both theit parents or one at the least faithfull as 1 Cor. 7 14. The vnbeleeuing husband is sanctified to the wife and the vnbeleeuing wife is sanctified to the husband else were your children 〈◊〉 but now they are holy Where the Apostle she weth that albe it a beleeuer be vnequally yoaked and matched with an vnbeleeuer yet hee is not to be forsaken nor the marriage bedde to be accounted polluted inasmuch as their children are sanctified to God and the Church as well as if they were borne of both parents faithfull For so the children of the Isralites being of the posterity of Abraham are included in the couenant of God We are not curiously to enquire into the secret counsel election of god we must hold all the seede of the faithfull holy vntill they cut off themselues in processe of time openly declare themselus to be strangers from the promises of saluation Againe the same Apostle saith Rom. 11. If the first fruits be holy so is the whole lump if the roote be holy so are the branches So likewise God testifieth Gen. 17. I will establish my couenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an euerlasting couenant to be a God to thee and to thy seede after thee Such onely were circumcised as were within the couenaunt Notwithstanding they which were borne of vnbeleeuing parents and were strangers of the common-wealth of Israel and aliants from the promises of saluation if they acknowledged the errors in which they liued and sought forgiuenes of their former sins wer accounted the children of faithful Abraham were admitted into the Church
and receiued circumcision as the Apostles said to the Iailer humb'ed vnder the mighty hand of GOD and desiring to be instructed in the way of saluation Beleeue in the Lord IESVS CHRIST and thou shalt bee saued and thy whole houshold So the 〈◊〉 testifieth the like of Zacheus when hee had once receiued CHRIST into his house nay which is more into his heart then Iesus said vnto him This day is saluation come vnto this bouse for-asmuch as he is also become the sonne of Abraham Thus when the Sunne of rightcousnesse shineth vpon the head and maister of the family the beames thereof by a gratious influence beginne to comforr and concerue all the rest in the house like the precious oyntment vpon the head of Aaron that ranne downe vpon the beard and descended vpon the borders of his garmentes or like the dew that falleth from heauen vpon Hermon and the Mountaines of Sion which goeth downe into the vallies and maketh all the plaine countrey fertill The knowledge of this point offereth diuerse profitable vses to our consideration and consolation First it is the duty of all those that are within the couenant to giue their bodies to be washed and to receiue that washing in the face and presence of the Congregation Let such as are of yeares desire and craue this Sacrament let them claime this priuiledge let them demaund to be baptized according to the example of the Eunuch Act. 8 so soone as he was instructed in the faith of Christ by the preaching of Phillip as he came to a certaine water he saide of his owne accord See heere is water what doth let me to be baptized And to the same purpose Act. 22 Ananias stirreth vp Paule to this duty saying Why 〈◊〉 thou Arise and be baptised and wash away thy sinnes Secondly this condemneth the blinde ignorant and superstitious practise of baptizing belles practised in the church of Rome whereof now they begin to be ashamed and seeking fig-leaues to couer their shame they say they were not baptized but onely hallowed and consecrated to holy vses as Bellarmine betaketh himselfe to this shift as to a place of refuge Lib. 4 de pon Rom. cap. 12. Where the Cardinall confesseth that the people call their solemne blessing and sprinkling with holy-water the baptisme of belles And indeede what can it else be called and accounted They giue names vnto them as to their children they haue God-fathers appointed vnto them as children haue when they are baptized and confirmed they haue new garments put vpon them as the persons baptized among them like wise haue it is also permitted onely to the By shops suffragan who exacteth great summes of money for the baptizing of belles they ascribe to them a spiritual power against stormes and tempests against thunder and lightning against windes and euill spirits Lastly they sprinkle them with holy-water blesse them crosse them and so horribly corrupt this Sacrament of baptisme Yea Durand a principall schooleman not in the schooles of the prophets but of the papists a fit teacher of such schollers setteth out solemnly the praises of belles making them publike preachers and driuers away of deuils But the deuils are not feared and fraied away by fight of crosses by sprinkling of water by sound of belles and babies This kinde goeth not out but by fasting and prayer as our sauiour teacheth And the Apostle willeth euery Christian to take vnto him the whole armour of God that he may be able to resist in the euill day Stand therefore hauing your loynes grided about with verity and hauing on the brest plate of righteousnesse the shield of faith the sword of the spirit the preparation of the Gospell of peace and the grace of prayer in the spirit Heere is the vniuersall armour of God heere is the compleat furnishing of a Christian Souldier heer is perfect direction giuen to vnderstand and to withstand the assaultes of the deuill but among these wee haue neither the signe of the crosse nor the hallowing of belles nor the sound of such preachers and therefore they are no part nor parcel of spitituall armour to surnish vs to goe into the fielde against the enemies of our saluation For euill spirits which fightagainst the soule are not driuen away by hallowing of belles If then there were euer prophanation of Baptisme this may iustly bee iudged to bee one of the most vile and miserable corruptions thereof to bee detested of all true hearted Christians that grone vnder the burden of them Thirdly we may see the great loue of God to all beleeuers seeing he vouchsafeth not onely to bee their God but the God of their seede after them as God himselfe promiseth to Abraham Gen. 17. I will make my couenant betweene me and thee and thy seede after thee in their generations I will be their God walke before mee and be thou vpright And ought we not to walke in the vprightnesse of our heart before this mercifull and all sufficient God Who thus aboundesh in kindenesse toward vs and the fruite of our body Let vs returne vnto him loue for his loue who loued vs first Lastly this teacheth that infants are to be baptized and haue as great right and interest in this Sacrament as they which be in yeares able to make confession of their faith Of which we will intreate in the chapter following where we will proue this truth by testimonies of the scriptures and maintaine it against the Anabaptistes and other heretiks that condemne the same Chap. 7. That Infants are to be baptized ALthough it cannot appeare vnto vs that infantes and new borne babes brought to be baptized haue actuall faith but rather is like they want the habit of faith which haue not the vse of vnderstanding vnlesse God extraordinarily work it which lieth not in vs to iudge of yet wee baptize them and admit them to this sacrament which we doe vpon very good grounds and susficient reasons First therefore we wil proue by euident demonstration out of the scriptures the doctrin of childrēs baptisme to be conformable to the Iewes circumcisiō agreeable to the practise the Apostles allowable by the wordes of Christ answerable to the custome of the primitiue church reasonable in it selfe profitable to the infants auaileable by the ordinance of God and very comfortable to all christian parents Secondly we will maintaine this assertion against the obiections and arguments of the Anabaptists and other aduersaries that haue crossed and contradicted this truth Lastly we will shew what euident and necessary vses may be gathred from hence for the strength of faith and the increase of our obedience Touching the first that the baptising of infants is waranted by the word of God I will make it appeare by sundry reasons We see in the old testament that all males by expresse commaundement were willed to be circumcised the eight day If God made infants partakers of
is the sacra of repentance and faith though neither of these be in infancy yet they are baptised to the repentance and faith to come which albeit they be not actually formed in them yet by the fruites afterward they shal appeare to be in them Lastly if baptisme should be giuen only to those that truely beleeue it should likewise be denied to such as are of vnderstanding for wee are able to pronounce of these that they do truely beleeue and certainely apprehend the promises of the gospel Wherfore if infants are not to be baptized because they haue not faith and want repentance neither are they of sufficient age to be baptized of whom it cannot be directly and vndoubtedly said they do beleeue Simon the sorcerer mentioned in the Actes of the apostles was baptized and yet remained an hypocrite If they say profession of faith is sufficient to make members of the visible church I answer our sauiour speaketh not of a bare profession of faith when he saith He that beleeueth and is baptized shal be saued for then al that professe faith should receiue The reward of their faith which is the saluationof their soules Againe profession of faith is for such as are capable of it which agreeth not to the age of infants as they cannot deny the faith before men which they haue not acknowledged no more can they confesse the truth of doctrin which they neuer learned Now to be borne in the church and in the couenant is infants in place and stead of an actuall confession and reall profession Such as are growne vp must beleeue with the heart and confesse with the mouth the gospel of saluation it is sufficient for others to bee the children of such as haue confessed the faith Fourthly they obiect in this manner baptisme is giuen for remission of sinnes but infants haue not sinned they therefor cannot be baptized I answer infants commit not actuall sinne yet are guilty of originall sinne they want inherent righteousnesse they haue a pronenesse to all euill their whole nature is corrupted being in the seede of Adam Albeit therefore infants haue not finned after the similitude of Adams transgression in their owne persons yet they haue sinned in him and in his loynes in whom al are dead This the holy man teacheth Iob. 14. Who can bring a cleane thing out of filthinesse There is not one Likewise the prophet Dauid confesseth this truth Psal. 51. Behold I was borne in iniquity and in sinne my mother conceiued me So the Apostle Paule Rom. 5. Death reigned from Adam to Moyses euen ouer them also that sinned not after the manner of the transgression of Adam which was the figure of him that was to oome for as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Wherefore such as holde infants without all guilt of sinne neuer knewe the greatenesse of Adams fall of Gods iustice of mans misery and of Christes endlesse mercy Lastly they obiect that Christ himselfe was not baptized vntill 30 yeares of age I answer no more did he preach before he was thirty yet hence it followeth not that none ought to enter that calling before that age True it is hee that desireth that worthye office must bee no new plant no younger Scholler none lately come to the profession and gathered immediately from heathenish religion to the fellowship of the gospel yet the office of teaching is not tyed to 30 yeares the age may be lesse if the gifts be great and fit for that calling Againe Christ stood not in neede to be baptized in respect of himselfe being without originall or actuall sinne to he washed away and therefore Iohn at the first put him back yet he would be baptized for our sakes to fulfill all righteousnesse to sanctifie our baptisme in himselfe and that thereby we might know he was installed into his osfice But we stand in neede to be baptized to seale vp the washing away of our sinnes and therfore there is a great difference in this respect betweene Chrift and vs. Besides the Euangelist doth testifie that albeit our sauiour were baptized at thirty years of age yet he was circumcised at 8. daies old Now wee haue proued before that the same which circumcision was to the Iewes baptisme is to al christians If then he in his infancy wer circumcised then children in their in fancy may be baptized and are not commaunded to waite thirty yeares for baptisme is our circumcision as the Apostle teacheth but Christ in his infancy was circumcised when the eight dayes were accomplished therfore children in their infancy may be baptized Furthermore baptisme was not hitherto as yet in vse it was not commanded to be vsed when he was a child and therefore he could not possibly be baptized vnlesse we will imagin he might be baptized before baptisme was So that wee see as he would not haue his circumcision deferred one day beyond the time appoynted so hee was presently baptized so soone as baptisme was instituted of God and administred by Iohn Fiftly we are no more tied to this circumstance of time in christs baptisme then we are to other circumstances of time place and persons in the Supper he ministred it in an vpper Chamber and before his passion we in churches before dinner after his resurrection Lastly when the time appointed came that the promised sauior and redeemer of mankinde should manifest himselfe to the world then he shewed himselfe openly then he came to the preaching baptisme of Iohn began to publish the glad tidings of saluation and to exhort men to repent beleeue the gospel These are the chiefest obiections against childrens baptisme that carry any shew and probability of reason which hitherto wee haue dissolued and discussed And this is the second point before propounded Now as we haue seene the truth proued by the scripture and maintained it against all the ignorant cauils of the Anabaptistes and other Arrians of Transiluania that haue oppugned this truth so let vs come to see the benifit of this doctrine and what profit commeth by baptisme of children that are without knowledge without vnderstanding without faith and without repentance What vse can there be of this Much euery way as well as by circumcising an infant of eight daies old First consider from hence a plaine and palpable errour of the Church of Rome that teach that the baptisme of children is by tradition not by deuine institution from their word vnwritten not in the word of God written But we haue confuted the Anabaptistes by the Scriptures and conuinced them by the institution of circumcision by the tenor of the couenant by the holinesse of their birth by their redemption through the blood of Christ and by the practise of the Apostles This is better armour these are stronger weapons this is a sharper sword to cut in
made vs Kings and Priestes vnto GOD euen his father And Col. 1 14 the A postle saith In him wee haue redemption by his bloode that is forgiuenesse of sinnes Againe when wee see with our bodily eyes the Water poured vpon the body of the baptized we must behold and consider with the eyes of faith the blotting out of all our sinnes as well originall as actuall as well after baptisme as before baptisme by the pretious blood of Christ that wee may assure our selues it is no idle action For wee must not behold the Sacramentall rites as certaine dombe gestures or stage-like shewes without substance and signification but wee must make them serue to further our faith and edification Lastly it teacheth vs not to be led by the outward senses to measure the truth or to iudge of the substance of baptilme by the outward signe and visible partes but to haue our faith fixed on Christ crucified on the Crosse and signified in baptisme The infidell seeing children solemnely baptized in the name of the father of the sonne and of the Holy-ghost will rashly and ignorantly coniesture nothing to bee there but naked rites and bare Water but the faithfull and true Christian doth beholde the washing of the soule and clensing of the heart by the dearest blood of Christ. So in the Lordes Supper to the vnbeleeuer appeareth nothing but Bread and Wine because we see with our eies wee receiue 〈◊〉 our handes wee tast with our mouth no more but the beleeuer knoweth that together with these signes GOD the father offereth the body and blood of his Sonne to bee spiritually receiued and digested Euen as he that is vnlettered and vnlearned if hee looke vpon the face of a booke beholdeth onely blacke coulours and spottes vppon the Paper seeth certaine figures and charusters of Letters differing each from other but cannot read the writing or comprehende the meaning but hee that hath learned his Letters and is able to reade them reapeth greate profit and instruction thereby So is it in the 〈◊〉 Hee that resteth in the outward signe deceiueth himselfe but hee that respecteth the thinge signified receiueth the profit and aduantage The Crosse of CHRIST and preaching of the Gospell are a stumbling blocke to the Iewes and foolishnesse to the Gracians For the infidell hearing that christ was crucified and nailed vpon the crosse is offended at him accounting it a foolish weak means to saue mankind that life should spring out of death glory come out of shame power proceed out of weakenesse and triumphant victory arise out of his contemptible sufferings but the faithfull soule acknowledgeth in this mystery of Godlinesle the high hand and vnsearchable wisedome of God It may seeme ridiculous vnto some men that God should require circumcision of Abraham and of his houshold young and old bond and free maister and seruants to vncouer all their shames and to open the hidden partes of nature yet Abraham submitttd himselfe to the ordinance of God Naamaen the Syrian thought it a toyish precept prescript when he was bidden to wash himselfe 7. times in Iordin hauing many riuers in his owne countrey as good as that yet by obeying the prophet he was clensed of his Leprosie The inhabitants of Iericho scorned Ioshua and the men of Israell when they saw them compasse their Citty strong and walled and to blow with their Rammes hornes yet by this weake meanes the wall fel downe the enemies were destroyed the citty was sacked and the people of God 〈◊〉 Christ seeing a blinde man and willing to heale him he spat on the ground and made clay of spittle and annoynted the eies of the blinde with the clay and said vnto him Go wash in the poole of Siloam he obeyed he went he washed he returned seeing Thus doth God by simple base and weake things oftentimes confound the mighty strong and wise of the world that no flesh should reioyce in his presence and crosseth all the high conceites and proud imaginations of mans wil and wit Wherefore we must not follow our owne vnderstanding nor measure the matters of God by the crooked rule of our carnall reason Whosoeuer will yeald obedience to God must deny himselfe and renounce his own wisedome and become a foole that he may be wise in God as 1 cor 3 Let no man deceiue himselfe if any man among you seeme to bec wise in this world let him be a foole that he may be wise for the wisedome of this world is foolishnesse with God Thus we see that in the Sacramentes we must vnderstand more then we see and beleeue more then we can behold Such 〈◊〉 are without knowledge and faith 〈◊〉 no more of baptisme then the bodily eie directeth them vnto but the faithfull conceiue the blood of Christ to be offered to 〈◊〉 the soule and conscience from all sinn as the riuer watered the garden of Eden Chap. 11. Of the foruth inward part of baptisme THe last inward part of baptisme is the soule clensed most liuely represented by the body that is washed For as the outward receiuer giueth his body to be washed so the saithfull receiuer doth consecrate himselfe to God with ioy and forsake the flesh the world and the diuill and feeleth the inward washing of the spirit as Tit. 3 5 According to his mercy he saued vs by the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy-ghost And the same Apostle Eph. 5. Christ gaue himselfe for the church that he might sanctifie it and clense it by washing of water through the word that he might make it vnto himselfe a glorious church not hauing spot or wrinkle Wherefore this outward washing of the body commaunded by Christ fignifieth vnto me that I am no lesse assuredly clensed in his blood by the working of his spirit from the spottes of my soule that is from all my sinnes then I am outwardlie washed by water whereby the staines of the body vse to be washed away and it bindeth vs that we ought euer afterward by our workes and deeds to declare newnes of life and fruites of repentance Let vs now come to the vses of this last part of baptisme Doth the washing of the body represent the clensing of the soule And doth the soking vp of the filthines of the flesh signifie the remouing of the remnants of rebellion Then we are all by nature vnwise vncleane 〈◊〉 vnregerate vnholy disobedient disordered deceiuing and being deceiued we are the vessels of wrath the children of death the bond-slaues of Sathan the heires of damnation we haue our part and portion in the offence of Adam as Rom. 5. By one man sinne entred into the world and ch 7. I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde and leading me captiue vnto the law of sinne which is in my members O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of
at the doore life and saluation are absent so that we are neuer partakers of his graces except webe as neerly coupled to his humanity as meat and drink are coupled with our body which of al other is a most neer vnion and inward coniunction Thus we see we are seuered from the world to haue fellowshippe with CHRIST and are set once in him for euer because he that commeth to CHRIST once he casteth him not away hee shall neuer hunger he shall neuer thirst he shall not be lost but hue for euer as the Apostle saith If they had been of vs doubtles they had continued with vs And paule to this purpose saith Rom. 8 Who shal lay any thing to the charg of GODS chosen it is GOD that instifieth who shall condemne Who shal seperate vs from the loue of CHRIST shal tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednes or perill or sword in all the se we are more then conquerours through him that loued vs for I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor thinges to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to seperate vs from the loue of GOD which is in CHRIST IESVS our LORDE If once wee bee ioyned to him in spirituall Marriage notwithstanding the difference and disparagement between him and vs nothing shall bee able to worke our deuorcement from him True it is God 〈◊〉 vs wallowing in our owne filthines polluted in our owne bloode defiled by our owne vncleannes he hath made an eternall couenant with vs he hath spoken peace vnto oursoules saying Thou shalt liue euen when wee were sunke downe in sinne to death hee saide vnto vs Thou shalt liue so that he will neuer turne from vs to do vs good but we shall be his people and he will be our God he will giue vs one hart and one way that wee may feare him for euer and that it may be well with vs and with our children This made the Apostle to write Ephe. 5. 30. 32. Wee are members of his bodie of his flesh and of his bones this is a great misterie but I speake concerning christ and concerning the church Where he seemeth to allude to the first creation of the Woman made of one of the ribs of the man shadowing and 〈◊〉 our knitting and coniunction with Christe which we haue by faith not by nature by vertue of the spirit not of the flesh Now as we haue shewed that this coniunction made by Gods spirit and by our faith which he hath giuen so the meanes and instruments to worke it are the word and sacraments This is a dignity peculiar and proper to the elect to haue perpetuall fellowshippe with Christ and to growe vp into one body with him as he teacheth Iohn 17 20. 21. I pray for all them which shall beleeue in me through theyr word that they all may be one as thou O father art in me and I in thee euen that they may be one with vs that the world may beleeue that thou hast sent me If then there be not an vnion betweene Christ and vs we haue no accesse to God the father being quite cutte off from all hope of life and sa'uation As then all the substaunce and nourishment of the tree commeth from the roote and all the vitall powers of a true naturall body come from the head so it is betweene the sonne of God and vs we haue not so much as one drop of the heauenly life in vs of our selves CHRIST is the waye the truth and the life no man commeth vnto the father but by him To conclude this first vse seeing such as come to this sacrament must be christians before it appeareth to be a very corrupt custome of the people when they require Baptisme of the pastor for their children to say God hath giuen me a Pagan I desire you to make him a Christian. For Baptisme cannot make a Christian but signifie the Sacraments cannot make that which is not but assure that which is already made as seales do not giue the right but confirme it Thus much of the first vse of Baptisme the second followeth Chap. 13. Of the second vse of baptisme BEing made one with Christ we are partakers of the 〈◊〉 of his death to wit of forgiuenes of sinnes and of regeneration or new birth So then the second vse of Baptisme is to assure vs of the remission and pardon of our sinnes that we may be vnblamable and acceptable to god This is signified by the outward ceremony of washing and sprinkling to wit the sprinkling of our soules with the blood of Christ for the forgiuenes of all sinnes as appeareth Act. 2 38 Then Peter said vnto them Amend your liues and be baptized euerie one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for remission of sins And Act. 22 Ananias said vnto Paul immediately after his conuersion Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sinnes in calling on the name of the Lorde So the Euangelist witnesses Marke 1 4. that Iohn did baptize in the wildernesse and preach the Baptisme of amendment of life for the remission of sinnes And the Apostle maketh this vse col 2 12 13. Ye are buried with him through Baptisme in whome ye are also raised vppe together through the faith of the operation of GOD which raised him vp from the dead and you which are deade in sinnes and in the vncircumcision of your flesh hath hee quickned together with him forgiuing you all your trespasses The meaning of these places is not that baptisme bestoweth or giueth forgiuenesse but onely signeth sealeth and assureth our pardon euen as remistion of sins and the righte ousnesse of faith were not in the old Testament by circumcision conferred but confirmed vnto the faithfull The grace of pardon and forgiuenesse of sinnes is not attained but by faith in Christ so that the worke of baptisme will not effect it Moreouer we haue proued that it is not lawfull to baptize such as are in yeares vnlesse they make open profession of their faith in Christ and repentance from the workes of the olde man wherefore they obtaine them not by the outward washing with water in baptisme So then we are no lesse assuredly washed by the blood of Christ from the spots of our soules then outwardly we are washed with water from the filth of the body For the force of his death hath that effectuall working in clensing our soules from the corruption and filthines of sinne which naturall water hath in washing our bodies By the merit of his death we haue full forgiueneste of all our sinnes not onely originall but actuall not onely past but present and to come whose blood is neuer drawne dry but is euer fresh and full of efficacy Therefore the wordes deliuered by the minister in baptisme at the commaundement of christ namely I baptize thee in the
of Christ. Neither must this be accounted and accepted an as indifferent ceremony to be admitted or omitted at our own choise and pleasure seeing Christ Iesus the Lorde of this sacrament commaunded the scripture hath commended the Apostles haue practised and the Ministers afterward obserued the same as the Apostle witnesseth The bread which we breake is it not the communion of the body of Christ speaking of himselfe and the rest of the Ministers of the church Besides it is an essentiall expressing and tepresentation of the passion and crucifieng of Christ as also the pouring out of the wine into the cup of the Lorde Wherefore they are to be accused and conuinced as heynous breakers of the high ordinance of Christ as we see in the church of Rome who omit this breaking of the breade as impertinent and vnnecessary and as not significant For Christ Iesus commaunded his disciples to eat that breade which he had broken and this breaking pertaineth to the end of the sacrament so that it cannot be passed ouer without neglect of the institution of Christ and of the essence of the supper The next title giuen to this Sacrament is the table of the Lord and it is rightly so called as by a verye fit name For seeing it is a Supper and a most heauenly banket it is requisite there should be a table answereable vnto it that as it is the supper of the lord so there may be a table for the administration of it From hence we conclude diuers good vses for our further instruction First of al it she weth that Christ and his Apostles in the celebration of the supper vsed a table not an altar For albeit the Apostle paule speaketh vnproperly of the table and thereby vnderstand the heauenly meat and drinke which was set vpon the table for all the lords ghuests yet withal he insinuateth and signifieth the place where on they were put to wit vpon a table In like manner our fauiour Christ at the sirst institution of this sacra sate downe at the table with his Disciples he stood not with them at the altar Now according to the example of Christ and his disciples must be the practise of al churches inasmuch as christ shedding his blood on the crosse had abolished al altars and therefore the Infidels did oftentimes reprooue and reproach the Christians because they had no Altars who on the other side desended themselues that their Altars are the congregations of such as bow themselues in prayers and the spirites of iust men which smell as sweet incense in the nostrils of God other Altars then these they acknowledge none Furthermore inasmuch as the sacrament of the body blood of Christ was accustomably administred on a Table not an Altar of woode not of stone made mouable not immouable We learne from hence that it is a sacrament not a sacrifice An altar doth inferre and presuppose a sacrifice and a sacrifice is referred to the Altar whereon it is offered But we haue not now properly and sacrifice for that were to account the al-sufficient sacrifice of christ as vnsufficient and vnperfect therefore wee are not to bring Altars againe into the church There is no vse of altars in the new testament seeing the making of them togither with other types and ceremonies of the olde testament through the death of Christ is abolished as the Apostles teacheth 1 cor 9. Do ye not know that they which Minister about holy things eat of the things of the Temple and they which wait at the Altar are partakers of the altars And to like purpose Heb xiii x. We haue an altar wher of they haue no right to eat which serue in the tabernacle that is such as retain the necessary vse of the ceremonies begerly rudiments of the Iews are fallen frō Christ. Whereby we see plainly and apparently that sacrifices and Altars stood togither and sell togither and therefore whereas they would conclude the sacrifice of Masse from the vse of the 〈◊〉 wee may inuert the reason and make it serue to eueit and ouerthrowe the sacrifice of their Masse seeing it is certaine there were no Altars Lastly we must obsorue that it is not barely called a table but the table of the LORD to teach vs to draw neare vnto it with all reuerence and regard If we measure and mark our affection in earthly things we see what care and curiosity is ofttimes vsed when men come to the table and presence of Noble men howe much greater care and conscience should bee vsed of euery one of vs when wee come to this table where the King of kings and the Lord of heauen and earth is present Wherefore to stirre vs vppe to this duty and deuotion let euery one consider and meditate thus with himselfe I am this day to be the lords ghuest I am inuited to his table I am to eate of his bread and to drinke of his cuppe I haue not in this businesse to do with man whose breath is in his Nostrils but to deale with God in whose presence I do abide who is both a beholder and iudge of all my actions to whom I shall either stand or fall If I come in hypocrisie he will find me out before whom all things are naked and open if I come fitted by faith and sanctified by repentance I shall receiue Christ and all his merits to my endlesse comfort Thus much sufficeth to bee considered touching this title of the Lords table The last title of this Sacrament remaineth to be handled being called the new testament or will of Christ from whence wee may gather diuerse vses as good conclusions from this doctrine For first it teacheth that there is a double testament and couenant of God made to his people one of workes the other of grace one of the law the other of the Gospell as Ioh. 1 17 The law was giuen by Moyses but grace and truth by Iesus Christ. And Ier 31 31 32 I will make a new couenant with the house of Israell and the house of Iudah not according to the new couenant that I made with their fathers when I tooke them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt the which my couenant they brake although I was an husband vnto them But this shall be the couenant that I will make with the house of Israell after those dates saith the Lord I will put my law in their inward partes and write it in their heartes and will be their God and they shall be my people The couenant of the law is a couenant where in God hath promised to his people all blessings corporall and spirituall temporall and eternall vnder the condition of perfect obedience Leuit. 26. Deut. 28. And hath threatned all curses and death it selfe to all that continue not in all parts and points of the law to do them The couenant of grace ratisied by the death and blood of
christ is a couenaunt wherin god promiseth his loue and 〈◊〉 for euer to come vpon all that beleeue in his son assuring them of remission of sinnes and eternall life requiring of them onely faith in him as Iohn 3. God so loued the worlde that be gaue his onely begotten sonne that such as beleeue in him should not perish but liue for euer Againe if this sacrament sealing vppe the new couenant between God and man haue the name and nature of a wil or testament then it serueth to condemne the church of Rome that adde and alter mingle and mangle this sacrament at their owne pleasure For the Apostle teacheth Gal 3 15 Though it be but a mans couenant yet when it is confirmed no man doth abrogate it or addeth any thing thereto And Heb 9. 14 Hee is the mediatour of the new Testament that through his death they which are called might receiue the promise of eternall inheritaunce for where a testament is there must be the death of the testator for the testament is cōfirmed when men are dead for it is yet of no force as long as he that made it is aliue If then the Testament of man may not be abrogated or altered much lesse the testament of God confirmed by the death of the mediator Notwithstanding such is the sacriledge and presumption of that Antichristian church that the idolatrous 〈◊〉 as a bottomlesse gulfe hath ouerturned and swallowed vp the Lordes Supper turning the Sacrament into a Sacrifice administring it in a strange tongue taking away the cup from the people of God making prayers for the deade bringing in their carnall presence 〈◊〉 a monstrous 〈◊〉 setting vp a new Priest-hood a new sacrifice a newe Altar and lastly feigning vses and ends thereof which CHRIST neuer appointed the Apostles neuer acknowledged the churches succeeding neuer confessed or practised Now Masses are mumbled in memory of the Saintes they are helde auaileable not onely for the liuing but for the deade they are iudged profitable against stormes and tempests they are thought a soueraigne remedy against euery sore and sicknes of the body heathfull and helpefull for such as are going to warre to couer their heades in the day of battell as a shielde of brasse and to preserue them from the sword of the enimy good against 〈◊〉 and sorceries and fit to be applied to make tryal and proof whether a man be guilty of the crime and accusation laide to his charge But what are all these strange vses but strange abuses yea strong fancies and delusions of the man of sin burying in perpetuall forgetfulnes the true endes for the which Christ Iesus ordained his last supper All these being pestilent corruptions of the sacrament of the supper and fraudulent additions to the last wil and testament of christ do lay open to the full the 〈◊〉 abhominations of the Church of Rome the mother of 〈◊〉 Lastly the name of Christs last will and testament giuen to this sacrament serueth for the great comfort of Gods 〈◊〉 For heerin we shal find al things belonging to a ful and perfect testament For Christ Iesus is the testator all faithfull christians are appointed heires the angels are as the ouerseers the Apostles are the witnesses the legacies bequeathed are not lands and possessions or great summes of mony for the sonne of man had not where to lay his heade nor the kingdomes and gouernementes of this world for his kindome is not of this world but the forgiuenes of sinnes and euerlasting life obtained by the body of Christ giuen and his blood shed for vs and our 〈◊〉 Wherefore if God haue so loued vs if christ haue not spared his owne life to giue vs life and saluation how bitter ought our sinnes to be vnto vs and how ought we to striue against them If we will hate enimies heere are enimies for vs to hate if we will 〈◊〉 reuenge against enimies let vs fight against them that seeke our ouerthrowe and the destruction of our soule and body There is no reconciliation and attonment to be made with these enimies if thou kill not them they will kill and condemne thee for euer Hitherto of the names giuen to this Sacrament Chap 2 What the Lords Supper 〈◊〉 AS we haue in the former Chapt. considred the names and titles attributed to this Sacrament so now wee will see what the Lordes supper is For we shall neuer vnderstand the nature thereof except wee be able to define or describe it Therefore the Lords supper is the second sacrament wherein by visible receiuing of bread and wine our spirituall communion with the body and blood of Christ is represented This description is plainly proued by the institution of Christ by the first celebration of it and by other apparent testimonies of holy scripture First I say it is the seconde sacrament because such as haue interest in the Lordes supper must be first partakers of the other Sacrament for Christ and his Apostles ministred it to those that were before 〈◊〉 And howe shoulde they be continually 〈◊〉 and fed at his table who are not knowne to be of his house nor admitted members of his family We must be receiued into his protection and lurisdiction before we sit downe at his table for our refection They then that are in the house must be 〈◊〉 and fostered in the house the seuerall partes of the family haue the priuiledges of the family it is not lawfull to take the childrens bread and giue it vnto strangers Now baptisme is the true bath of our soules to clense our sores and an honourable badge whereby we are dedicated to the seruice of Christ and haue interest in the priuiledges of the church sealed vppe being partakers heereof wee come with comfort to the Lords supper Vnder the Lawe none 〈◊〉 were admitted to the passeouer If astraunger will obserue the 〈◊〉 let him circumcise all the males that belong vnto him If then the vncircumsed had bene admitted the passeouer had bin prophaned Wherfore it is not enough for vs once to be baptized and admitted into the number of the people of God we must also be partakers of Christs supper When as by baptisme we are brought into the church of God we are afterwarde nourished by this heauenly banquet to eternall life Again I say in the former description that by the bred and Wine the bodie and blood of Christ are represented Heerein consisteth the substance of this Sacrament he was 〈◊〉 giuen for vs and his blood was shed for the remission of sinnes least our faith should wander least our hope should wauer Therefore he saith to his Disciples This is my bodie which was giuen for you this is the cup of the new testament which was shedde for you and for many for the remission of sinnes Now that the description of the lords supper is prooued let the vses there of in the next place be declared Heereby
we learn first that God doth not lie nor dally with vs when we come to his heauenly table but doth truely offer those benefits in Christ which are represented to al that are admitted thereunto and therefore the Apostle said they did all eat the same spirituall meat and did all drinke the same spirituall drinke Indeede many of them did receiue onely the outwarde signes and did refuse or neglect the spirituall grace so liuely represented and truely offered vnto them but the greater was their sinne who laboured for the meat that perisheth but reiected the meat that endureth to euerlasting life Likewise christ in the administration of his Supper 〈◊〉 take eat this is my body When he biddeth vs take doth he not giue When he chargeth vs to eat and drinke doth he not offer When he commau ndeth vs to doe this doth he not apply the thing signified If then we come to this Supper and depart awaye without christ and without comfort the cause is in our selues hee is come neere vnto vs he standeth as it were at the doore knocking being reaready to enter hee mercifully offereth himselfe vnto vs but we refuse him we will none of him we bid him depart from vs and shutte the entrance of our heartes against him Againe wee see heere the excellent price and prehemenence of the Lordes Supper howsoeuer to those whose faith it doth not nourish whose assurance it doth not confirme and whose saluation it doth not further it is turned into most hurtefull and deadly poyson yet it is an holy banket for the Lordes ghuestes an instrument of grace a medicine for the sicke a pledge of saluation a comfort for the sinner an assurance of Gods promises a seale of our faith an helpe for the weake meate for the hungry drinke for the thirsty and a refuge for the distressed in time of tentation Is not this a worthy dignity Is not this a great priuiledge Is not this an high prerogatiue So that wee must highly regard and reuerently esteeme this mistery of our religion and badge of our profession to the glory of God and our owne comfort He that is not moued heerby to a reuerent regard thereof hath no sparke of gods spirit in hun but lyeth in darknesse and discomfit Thirdly heerby the aduersaries mouths are stopped and they are put to silence and shame who accuse vs to deny the blessed presence of CHRIST in the 〈◊〉 We confesse and beleeue that we receiue the body of CHRIST verily truely and indeede not a naked figure not a bare signe not an empty shaddow but euen that body which suffered death vpon the Crosse and that blood which was shed aud poured out for the remission of our sinnes This Christ himselfe teacheh Ioh. 6 Myflesh is meate indeede and my bloode is drinke indeede hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood du elleth in me and I in him And againe ver 33 Verily verily I sar vnto you except ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his blood yee 〈◊〉 no life in you 〈◊〉 eateth me euen he shall liue by me So then we teach we preach we publish we professe that there is no other substantiall foode of our soules and that whosoeuer is not partaker of his body and blood is voide of life of saluation of grace and of christ himselfe Wherefore we shall shew afterward that the difference betweene the church of Rome and vs is not whether christ be present in his supper but about the manner of his presence for we say and will neuer fly from it that as the outward signes of bread and Wine are deliuered and receiued so they represent and seale vp to euery true beleeuer God the father offering and giuing the Church also taking receiuing and applying christ crucified with all the promises of his couenant ratified in him vnto eternall life Lastly is this the matter and substance of the supper to offer and apply Christ for our wholesome nourishment Then we should often desire if wee hunger after Christ to sit downe at his Table to come to his banket to feede of his delicates and to be present at his dainties And why should any be absent that haue faith and repentance Why should they not shew that they are one body by eating all of one bread Why should not such apply christ to their iustification We know the Apostles oftentimes prepared offered deliuered the outward signs of the Lords supper exhibiting christ to all the faithful euen euery Lords day or first day of the weeke and the people receiued oftentimes the same as we see Act. 2. There he addeth to the church about three thousand soules and they continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayers And Chap. 20. 7. The first day of the weeke the Disciples came together to breake bread And this was the order and ordinance of the Church many yeares after the Apostles times In some places it was receiued euery day in many places euery Sabbaoth daye in all places often in the yeare vntill through the negligence of the Pastors in administring and the slacknesse of the people in communicating these vses were growne out of vsage and a frozen coldenesse in the practise of religion stepped in For it cannot be denyed but it proceedeth from the shop and inuention of the Deuell whosoeuer were the instrument to bring in this corrupt custome of once communicating in the yeare and that for the most parte for fashions sake Now to the end we might returne neerer to the ordinance of the Apostles that the often vse of the communnion might be retained and maintained and that the backwardnesse of the people might in part be redressed it was ordained by the Canons of many churches that euery one should communicate at the least three times in the yeare not that men should do it no oftner but least otherwise they would not do it so often or peraduenture do it not at all And if a suruey and examination wer made I feare it would be found to our great shame and beastly slouthfulnesse that scarce the tenth person hath satisfied the law in this respect in many places regarding no time of the yeare but Easter But seeing it is so necessary a sacrament let euery one consider of this holy mystery how fruitefull profitable and comfortable it is to be partaker thereof and how dangerous to neglect and contemne the same Is it not an vnkinde and churlish part amonge men when one hath prepared with great coastes and charges a rich banket killed his Oxen and his fatlings furnished his table with all prouision bidden his ghuests and set all things in order and readinesse to entertaine them were it not I say an vnkind and vncurteous parte for those that are called and bidden vnthankefully and churlishly to refuse to come Which of vs in such a case would not be moued disquieted and
discontented Who would not thinke hee had wrong and iniury done vnto him Wherefore let vs take heed least by with-holding and withdrawing our selues wee prouoke gods wrath and indignation When he calleth are ye not ashamed to say ye will not come When he saith Eate of my meate and drinke the wine that I haue drawne wilt thou desperately and dispitefully answere thou wilt not eate thou wilt not drinke thou wilt not doe it Or wilt thou saye thou 〈◊〉 a greeuous sinner thou 〈◊〉 vnworthye I would aske thee when thou wilt be worthy Wilt thou lye still in thy sinne as a man in a deepe pit and neuer striue to come forth Why doest thou not returne to God and amend thy waies Why doest thou continue in thy hordnesse and heart that cannot repent and so heapest vppe as a treasure to thy selfe wrath against the daye of wrath and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God Moreouer if thou bee vnfit and vnworthy to receiue this supper thou art vnworthy to pray thou art vnworthy to heare vnlesse thou pray as a parrat and heare as an hypocrite Consider therefore seriously and weigh earnestlye with your selues how little such fond fained and friuolous excuses shall preuaile with God When Moyses called Corah and his company to come vppe vnto the Lord they answered presumpteously We will not come When the King in the Gospell had inuited his ghuests they began all with one minde to excuse themselues and some refused saying I cannot come So in these daies of sinne albeit the supper be prepared the ghuests called and the table couered many men make light account of it and what with some that reply carelesly we cannot come and what with others that answer desperately we will not come the feast is vnfurnished God is dishonored the people are vnprepared and all the exercises of religion are lightly and slightly regarded I say vnto you that none of these men which were bidden shall tast of his Supper Againe another sort are as prophane as these which stand by as gazers and lookers on vpon them that do communicate yet communicate not themselues What is this else then a further contempt of God Truely it is great vnthankfulnes to depart away for these depart away from the Lords table they depart from their bretheren they depart from the heauenly 〈◊〉 of their soules but their fault is much greater when they stand by in contempt and wil not be partakers of this Communion What can this bee else but to haue the minister of christ in derision It is saide to all that are present Take ye eate ye drinke ye doe this in remembrance of mee With what face then with what countenance or rather conscience can ye heare these words sound in your eares and not bee touched Let vs therefore bee drawne and perswaded to this duty by the benefit that redoundeth to the worthy receiuers and fruitefull partakers thereof and on the other side feare to offend by staying and standing 〈◊〉 while the faithfull are partakers of this sacrament of the Lords supper Chap 3. Of the first outward part of the Lords Supper HItherto we haue shewed what the Lordes supper is and how to apply it to our instruction now we are to consider in this Sacrament two things his 〈◊〉 and his vses as we haue shewed in the former bookes The parts are partly outwarde and partly inwarde The outward part is one thing the inward parte is another thing the outward is taken in at the mouth the inward by the inward man the outward is turned into the nourishment of the body the inward worketh in vs to eternall life the outward is taken by some to their destruction but the inward alwaies to saluation This appeareth euidently by the wordes of the Apostle deliuering to the church what hee had receiued of the Lord and declaring howe the same night he was betrayed He tooke bread and when he had giuen thankes he brake it and said Take ye eate ye this is my body which is broken for you this do ye in remembrance of me After the same manner also He tooke the cup when he had 〈◊〉 saying This cup is the new testament in my blood this do as oft as ye drinke it in remembrance of me In these wordes wee see both the outward partes propounded and the number of them defined and determined For heere are foure outward parts handled to wit the minister the wordes of institution the 〈◊〉 and Wine and the Communicants The first minister thereof was Christ the wordes of institution are This is my body giuen for you this is the cuppe of the new testament in my blood the signes are bread and Wine the first communicants were the Apostles So then the Ministers must doe that which CHRIST did and the people that which the Disciples did the actions of CHRIST are directions to the Minister the actions of the Apostles are directions to the people Let vs then see the actions of Christ. He tooke bread he blessed he brake the bread he poured out the Wine he distributed and deliuered them both Wherefore the actions and workes of the minister are foure-fould First to take the bread and wine into his hands after the example of christ who did it to shewe that himselfe willingly giueth himselfe for his church which serueth to strengthen our faith and perswasion of his loue toward vs in whose imitation the minister dothit to represent the action of God the father giuing his son vnto vs for our full redemption The second action is blessing and giuing of thankes that is by prayer by thankes giuing and by rehearsal of the promises of God together with the institution of christ actually to separate the bread and wine so taken from their common vse to an holy vse Whereby we are giuen to vnderstand that the outward creatures are reuerently to be vsed calling vpon the name of God and crauing his assistance to vse his ordinance as we ought to do and that we should ioyfully praise God for the gratious worke of our redemption by Christ. The third action is breaking the bread pouring out the wine which are necessary rites to be obserued hauing respect and and relation to the vnspeakable torments of christ for vs who was pierced crucified and made a curse for vs vpon the Crosse as the prophet teacheth He was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes we are healed Wherefore these Sacramental rites of breaking pouring out are no to be reiected omitted being vsed by christ practised by his Apostles and retained by the churches Not as in the church of Rome where they breake not to distribute to the people neither poure out the Wine to giue vnto them So then we see that whole bread is not to be deliuered but that the bread is to be broken
couenant it self but a sign and token of the couenant as also it is afterward expounded It shall be a signe of the couenant betweene me and you The aduersaries cannot denie a figure in this speech Now what difference is there betweene these two speeches This is my couenant and this is my body are they not alike and in like manner to be vnderstood So Exodus 12. 11 It is the Lordes passeouer properly the lambe was not the passeouer but serued to put them in remembrance of that benefit and it is expounded aster the blood shall be a token for you vpon the houses where ye are this day shall be vnto vou a remembrance Likewise the Apostle sayeth 1 Cor. 10. That rocke was Christ whereas properly the rocke was not Christ but the water flowing from it did represent him Thus then we must vnderstand the words plainely truely and briefely as if Christ had saide in this manner This bread which ye haue seene me take breake deliuer and distribute and which I bid you take and cate is a signe or sacrament of my true body signifying and sealing vp vnto you that my body shal be broken crushed and crucified for you to purchase to you eternal life let these sacramental rites and actions now performed by me and you be heerafter put in practise by you and all faithfull ministers and professors for the strengthning of your faith by the remembrance of my death and by the applying of the benefit thereof euery one to your owne selues Likewise hauing finished his supper when he did eate the passeouer with his Disciples hauing taken the cup and giuen thanks he gaue it being filied with wine to his Disciples and saide drinke ye al of this for this wine in this cup is a signe and sacrament of my blood by the shedding whereof togither with my death following the full forgiuenes of sins and perfect saluation which I by my vnchangable wil decree do giue vnto you and al that beleeue in me are assured to you and all beleeuers Thus hauing opened and cleared the interpretation of the words we shal heerafter need to spend the lesse time in confuting the contrary doctrin darkenes shal flie before the light error before truth cloudy mists before the sun-shine of the day Again seeing the words of institution are variably and diuersly set down by the Euangelists and the Apostle Paul we learne that euery change of the words where the sence is nothing altered or diminished is not to be condemned as 〈◊〉 or vnlawfull so that the alteration being in the forme and frame of words not in the substance and sence of the matter the sacrament is not destroyed For if it had bene an heinous sinne to haue made any change or alteration or to haue missed of the tearmes or sillables of the institution no doubt the Euangelists would haue consented in the words and not haue swarued one from another as we see they haue done We see how the Apostles in the allegation of sundry places of Scripture borrowed out of the olde Testament do not euermore strictly binde themselues to the very wordes as Mathew 26. Hebrewes 10. 5. and in sundry other but onely to the sence and therefore sometimes they adde as Mathew 4 10. sometimes they leaue out as occasion serueth True it is to alter any substantiall part or to wrest the wordes to a wrong and contrary meaning or not at all to expresse the sence of the wordes maketh the Sacrament voide but an alteration onely of certaine circumstaunces as of number or person of Letters or sillables cannot make frustrate the whole sacrament albeit we allow not any priuate and particular man to make any chaunge of his owne heade in such circumstaunces or to bring in a new frame of wordes So in baptisme the Greeke church saith Let the seruant of CHRIST be baptized in this Water c. and heereby nothing is detracted from the truth of the sacrament because Christ Iesus hath not precisely appointed how many wordes the Apostles and pastours of the Church shoulde vse in the execution of their Ministry Not withstanding the obseruation of the words I baptize thee obserued in our churches seemeth to drawe neerer to the commaundement of Christ and to confirme more fitly and fully the faith of the baptized and to answere vnto the words of Iohn the baptist I baptize with Water Likewise in the Lordes supper whereas Christ saide Take ye eate ye doe ye this as speaking to many the sacrament is not destroyed when the words are particularly rehearsed and specially applyed in our churches saying take thou eat thou drinke thou Lastly seeing the wordes of institution are an outwarde part of the Sacrament necessary to be knowne read marked and vnderstood wherein the substance and comfortatable vse of the Lordes Supper consisteth it followeth that they are to be published and pronounced openly distinctly plainely not in a strange language but in a knowne tongue that the church of 〈◊〉 and people of God may be edified For wherefore serueth the commaundement and promise set foorth in the supper if they be not vnderstood Whether we doe read the Scriptures sing Psalmes poure out supplications receiue the sacraments or whatsoeuer 〈◊〉 we performe to God that he may be 〈◊〉 and the congregation instructed we must doe all in a knowne tongue to be vnderstood This God commandeth this the Apostle prescribeth this the true church of God practiseth this reason teacheth this the Heathen acknowledgeth 〈◊〉 the sinagogue of Rome that it might take away all fruit and comfort from the faithfull and that it might broch horrible errors 〈◊〉 and securely and not be 〈◊〉 hath not onely commanded to pronounce the words of consecration closely and 〈◊〉 but forbidden to vse the common mother tongue of all the people The people of God must not be like Parrots or 〈◊〉 or Rauens or such birds that chatter with voice record mens words and sounde a sentence but vnderstande not the meaning thereof As Plmy maketh mention of a certaine 〈◊〉 that had learnd to say Aue Caesar imperator All haile or good morrow Emperor Caesar saluting 〈◊〉 and the two young princes 〈◊〉 and Drusus And Celius Rhodiginus writeth that Cardinall Ascanius had a Popiniay that coulde pronounce distinctly and 〈◊〉 all the Articles of the Creede Such birds or rather beasts woulde they haue Christian men to be that would haue them 〈◊〉 and not vnderstand what they pray 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the reading of the scriptures but not know what is reade 〈◊〉 the sacraments but not know the meaning of the institution Things without life which giue a sounde whether pipe or 〈◊〉 except they make a distinction in the soundes howe shall it bee knowne what is piped or harped Or if the 〈◊〉 pet giue an 〈◊〉 sound who shall prepare himselfe to battell All things in the church must tend to the instruct on 〈◊〉 edification
of all the partes and people but reading and praying in a strange tongue doe not edifie and profit the hearers as 1 Cor. 14 26 Let allthings be done to edisieng and verse 14. I speake languages more then ye all yet had I rather in the Church to speake fiue words with mine vnderstanding that I might also instruct others then ten thousand words in a strange tongue for how then should he that occupieth the roome of the vnlearned say Amen at thy giuing of thankes seeing he knoweth not what thou sayest Wherfore except we know the meaning of the words we shall be to him that speaketh Barbarians and 〈◊〉 that speaketh shall be a Barbarian vnto vs. Euen the learned languages of Greeke and Latine not in themselues but in regard of the hearers that vnderstand them not are barbarous For the Apostle doth not heere like an Orator distinguish the tongues and shew which are 〈◊〉 and rhetoricall in themselues and which rude but holdeth euery tongue barbarous 〈◊〉 Syriack Caldy Arabick 〈◊〉 and Latine to him that knoweth not the force and signification thereof And this to be most true the Scriptures teath the fathers auouch the 〈◊〉 writers warrant the very Poets declare yea their owne doctors do determine Wherfore to conclude it is the ordinance of God it is the doctrine of the Apostles it is the duty of all christians when the word is red or preached when supplycations are offered when the sacramentes are administred to vse a knowne tongue vnderstood of all and without this the scriptures are vaine the prayers are barbarous the sacraments are fruitlesse to such as know not what is read what is asked what is promised what is receiued And 〈◊〉 far of the second outward part of the Lordes Supper to wit the worde of institution for a Sacrament without the word is as a picture without sence or an image without life Chap. 5 Of the third outward part of the Lords Supper THe third outward part of the Lords supper followeth which are the elementes of bread and wine fittest signes for this purpose to signifie the spirituall nourishment of the soule by eating the body and drinking the blood of christ That these are appoynted as the substance and matter of the supper it appeareth by the wordes of Christ and his Apostles deliuering this sacrament For the Euangelists expresse that Christ tooke bread gaue it and said Takeye and eate ye So like wise it is said of the church newly planted by the Apostles that such as gladly receiued the word and were baptized Continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread And chap. 20 it is recorded That the first day of the weeke the Disciples came together to breake bread And Paule saith 1 Cor. 10. the bread which we breake is it not the communion of the body of Christ And in the chapter following the same Apostle often mentioneth and remembreth the bread of this sacrament In like manner Christ tooke the cup wherein was the fruite of the vine By these Christ is truely exhibited vnto vs he is truely offered vnto all he is effectually giuen to the faithfull as hath beene oftentimes remembred vnto vs. This being the plaine and euident truth let vs see the vses first such as concerne both the signes ioyntly and in generall then such as belong to each of them in seueral and in particular To begin we learne from hence to acknowledge a difference between baptisme and the Lords supper in baptisme we haue one signe as the materiall part in the supper we haue two signes partly to note out our whole ful and perfect nourishment in Christ hauing whatsocuer is requisite for our saluation and partly to shew a fuller remembrance of his death for the wine which is a figure of his blood doth as it were present it and represent it before our eyes So then albeit the same participation of Christ and the same washing away of sinnes by his blood are sealed vp in baptisme and in the supper yet the manner of sealing them in each is diuerse Againe baptisme is a signe of our entrance into Gods Couenant the Supper is a signe of our abiding and continuing in that couenant Touching baptisme it is sufficient for infants if they bee borne in the church in the supper the condicion of examȳning our selues and remembring the Lords death is required They differ also in often celebration of them baptisme is to be receiued but once onely in all our life because the promise once made is alwaies firme and forcible to such as beleeue and repent but the supper is oftentimes to be receiued because an often renewing of that Couenant and calling it to our remembrance is necessary to increase and strengthen faith They differ also in the order which is to be obserued in the vse of them for baptisme is to be giuen before the Supper and the supper may not be giuen to any except to such as haue beene first baptized or reputed so to be As first a child is borne before he bee fed so must Baptisme go before whereby our new-birth is sealed then the supper must follow after whereby our dayly nourishment is declared and confirmed Lastly they differ in the signes there is onely one signe in baptisme which is the Water but there are two signes in the Lords Supper to wit the bread and the wine The second general vse is that if Christ tooke gaue and deliuered the substance of bread and wine then they must needes retain their former nature their proper substance as well as their qualities as fight tast smell bignesse whitenesse sweetenesse rednesle roundnesse and such like properties But the Papistes turne all thinges vpside downe matter into forme substance into accidents creatures into shewes and subiects into things adioyned they bring in new shifts and fables against all diuinity phylosophy reason sense and experience setting vp their own inuentions and building castles in the aire Let them proue the annihilation and remouing of the substance of bread wine away and the consisting of accidents without subiect which they are neuer able to doe For as the water in baptisme remaineth in his nature and substance so do the bread wine in the Lords supper And albeit in both the sacraments the signs be chāged to a special vse yet are they corrupted into shewes and turned into shadowes The heauens shal be changed at the end of the world yet hence it followeth not that they shall bee cleane abolished and consumed to nothing All young schollers are taught in the schooles that an accident hath no being without a subiect yet heere these sophisters against all the rules of Logick and groundes of reason 〈◊〉 haue accidents and shewes of bread and wine to be in no subiect Thus whereas in all places of learning we are taught that accidents may 〈◊〉 not the
are oftentims in gendred Eucharist and so consume it whether the shewes of bread be the body without the blood and the shews of wine the blood without the body It were infinite to note out all their contentions and contradictions these may suffice to shew how the enimies of God fight one against another and all of them with their own shadwoes And thus much of the late doting deuise of transubstantiation which is the soule and life of their popish religion the deniers or doubters wherof they pursue with fire and sword more eagerly then such as are enemies to the blessed trinity The last generall vse is this if christ deliuered both these signes not onely the bread but the wine also to his disciples then both kinds by the minister are to be deliuered and both kinds by the people are to be receiued not bread alone nor wine alone but bread and wine the bread in token of his body giuen for vs and the wine in token of his blood shed for vs. This is the ordinance of Christ this is a greeable to the scripture Notwithstanding the Church of Rome hath decreed that it is not necessary for the people to cómunicate in both kinds and holdeth them accursed that hold it necessary for the people to receiue the cup cósecraced by the priest Thus it appeareth they labor nothing more then to take from the faithful the sweete comfort of the Lords supper This is a sacrilegious corruption of christs institution deuised by sathan broached by Antichrist published by his adherentes in the corrupt times of most palpable darknesse as may appeare by these reasons Frist if none may drinke of the consecrate wine but the priest then none should eat of the bread but priests so that they must either exclude the people from both which I trust they dare not or admit them to both which as yet they do not For to whom Christ said Take and eate to those gaue he the cup and said Drinke ye Wherefore the signes being both equal all communicants must drinke of the one as wel as eate of the other there being the same warrant for the one that there is for the other and the let that would barre the one will hinder the other so as the thinges which God in his goodnesse hath ioyned together man without sinne cannot separate Secondly when Christ instituted this sacrament he said Drinke ye all of this and by all he vnderstood of the Communicants And the Euangelist Marke addeth They al drank of it to wit all that were present at his last supper who had before eaten of the bread of the Lord. This also appeareth by the Apostle 1 Cor. 12. They haue beene all made to drinke into one spirit This commaundement of Christ being generall imposeth a necessity vpon the people when he saith Take ye eate ye drinke ye do ye this These commaundements are perpetuall vnchangable and alwaies in force not arbitrary not temporall not repealed but bind the conscience to the end of the world against which no limitation or dispensation can be alowed being the commaundementes of God not of man Thirdly the cup is a part of Christes will and testament Now touching the nature of a testament or will the saying of the Apostle is knowne If it be but a mans testament when it is confirmed no man doth abrogate it or addeth any thing therto where he sheweth that the dead mans wil may not be changed nothing can be put to nothing taken out without forgery and salsehood This is the law of nature and Nations But the Lordes Supper is a sacrament proper to the new testament as Christ saith this cup is the new testament in my blood which is shed for you This testament the Lord Iesus made the night before he was betrayed he sealed it by shedding his most precious blood he hath giuen Legacies not of earthly and temporall but of heauenly and eternall goods And seeing he hath appointed the cup of this his testament to be deliuered and drunke of all those for whom his blood was shed it is intollerable boldnes and presumption to take away the vse thereof from the greater part of the Church and an infallible token of an vnshamefast and shamelesse harlot to alter her husbands will to defraud and defeat his children of that worthy portion which their father alotted 〈◊〉 and so to keepe backe part of their inhetitance and 〈◊〉 Fourthly the blood of Christ shed vpon the Crosse belongeth not onely to the pastors and teachers but to all the faithfull that come to the table of the Lord as appeareth by the wordes of Christ This is my blood which is shed for you and for many why then should the blood of Christ be denyed or the cup of the Lord be barred from them If then the blood of Christ were shed for the people as well as for the ministers surely the cup belongeth to one as wel as to the other If the people haue the greater who shall keepe them from the lesse If they haue their part in the thing signified who shall deny them of the outward signe For as the fruite and effect of the blood of Christ is common to the people with the pastor so should the cup also which is the communion of his blood shed for the redemptionof the peoples sinnes be diuided indifferently betweene the pastor and the people Fiftly the Apostle deliuered that to the Church which he had receiued from the Lord Iesus Now the Church ought diligently to obserue the written traditions and verities of the Apostles which are committed to posterity to be kept inuiolably But he hath deliuered how the Lord after taking blessing breaking and distributing of the bread likewise tooke the cuppe blessed and distributed it among them so saith the Apostle must the Churches do If then he receiued this from the Lorde to deliuer both kinds to the people let the Church of Rome consider with her selfe from whence she hath receiued the contrarye to withhold one of the kinds from the people for both cannot proceed from one and the same spirit of truth which is neuer contrary to it selfe Sixtly if all the faithfull that come to the Lordes Table must shew forth the Lords death vntill he come and this be done by them as wel by drinking of the cup as by eating of the bread then all the communicants must receiue the sacrament vnder both kinds vntill the second comming of christ But the faithfull must shew forth the lordes death by eating of that bread and drinking of that cup as the Apostle teacheth As often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke of this cup ye shew the Lordes death vntill he come Therefore all communicants must partake the sacrament vnder both kinds Seuenthly the Apostle giueth an expresse commaundemēt to 〈◊〉 whole church which al must obey that come worthily to this holy table Let a man examine himselfe
and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this cup. Where he giueth a double commaundement first to appeare reuerently then to receiue worthily Now al that must proue and try themselues are commaunded not only to eate bread but to drink of the cup but al must try and examine themselues therfore al are commanded both to eat and drink at the lords table If this be a commaundement to examine then the wordes following of eating and drinking are likewise commandements There is no halting in these let them admit both or let them deny both Eightly if the faithfull take not the cup in the supper of the lord the condicion of Christians vnder the Gospel shal be worse then of the Isralites vnder the law For the people of Israell in the wildernesse hauing the same sacrament in effect with vs Did all drinke of the spiritual rock that followed them and that rock was Christ as the Apostle affirmeth But out condicion is not worser and weaker then theirs therefore all the faithful are to drink of the cup of the lord Bellarmine the Souldan of the Romish Synagogue answereth thus They drunke not water out of the rock when they did eate of the spirituall meate but in another place and at an other time But this is an answearlesse answer which cannot satisfie For albeit the sacraments of the Isralites as figures and types did represent the same graces that our Sacraments do yet it is not necessary they should in all pointes answer each other and in all respectes agree together Besides the Church of Rome at no time aloweth the people to drinke of the Wine a seale of the blood of Christ they keepe them from the cup of the Lord both when they giue them the bread and at all other times and thereby make their estate worse then the estate of the Iewes Indeed if they did at any time permit al the people to drink of the cup they might pretend this example of the Israelites but inasmuch as they vtterly deny them this part of the cup they ouerthrow themselues in their malice and yet in their blindnes they do not see it Lastly many of the fathers did both eate Manna and 〈◊〉 water out of the rock if not in the same place yet at one the same time inasmuch as they gathered thereof euery morning and it ceased not vntill they entred the frontiers and confines of the land of promise But they neuer alow without a toleration and dispensation the people in any place at any time vpon any occasion and in any respect to tast of the cup in the Lords supper Ninthly if the cup of the new testament may be taken from the Lordes people in like manner the water in baptisme may be taken away froÌ„ them For the blood of christ whereby remission of sins is purchased and procured is represented by the wine of the Lordes Supper as well as by the water in baptisme But the water in baptisme without great sacriledge cannot be omitted or neglected wherefore then should the cup be taken away Lastly if any part of the supper might be taken away from the people then like wise the word of God may be taken from them for in this point there is the same reason and respect of them both A Sacrament is nothing else but a visible word and a sealing vp of the word and the offence semeth to be the same whether a man break the seale or rent the writing But the word cannot be withdrawen froÌ„ Christian people it being the instrument of faith and the life of the Church Wherefore it is the greatest wrong and iniury done to the people of God to take from them the cup of saluation The answer to this reason must be to confesse the parts and yeeld the conclusion forasmuch as by forbidding the people the reading of the Scriptures they haue robbed them of the word of God and taken from them the key of knowledge neither entring themselues into the kingdom of heauen nor suffering those that would enter No marueile then if they take the cup of blessing from the people who haue taken from them the free vse of the word of God To conclude these reasons it is Antichrist who contrary to the doctrine of christ contrary to the institution of the supper contrary to the practise of the Apostles and contrary to the vse of the former churches hath excluded the people languishing and thâ—â—sting after the blood of christ as the dry earth for the sweete shewers of raine from taking the cup of the lord and left them a dry coÌ„munion to eat the bread of the sacrament alone Hauing considered the truth of God by sundry reasons grounded in the scripture that the people haue good interest and title in the cup denied vnto them let vs answer the obiections of the aduersaries made against the former doctrine First they pretend that christ administred it to the apostles only and not to any of the people consequently the institution for taking the cup can be no general coÌ„maundement for al men thus the Rhemistes reason I answer first it may be doubted and disputed whether onely the Apostles were present at his last Supper For seeing diuerse were added vnto the church and professed the faith of christ seeing he had other disciples beside the twelue seeing many Godly men and women followed him to see his miracles and to hear the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth why should we think that none of them were admiâ—ted to his table who had often heard his preaching and depended vpon him in their liuing Again the passeouer was celebrated in that house of a faithful man as may be collected by sundry circumstances now theÌ„ either the lord Iesus annexed that famely vnto his as the law in one case appointed or else we shall haue two passe-ouers at one time in one house which hath no warrant of scripture no colour of truth no probability of reason We read in the institution celebration of the passe-ouer of ioyning house to house and taking his neighbor next vnto him in case of the insufficiency of one houshold to eate the lambe but we neuer read of killing two lambes and keeping two passeouers vnder one roofe Besides the smal remnant of the faithful among the Iewes would no-doubt rightly and religiously obserue the passe-ouer after the example of their lord and maister rather according to the precept of Moses ' then aceording to the practise of the Iewes in imitation of christ rather then according to the tradition of the elders Furthermore we are to consider that in eating the passeouer they sorted theÌ„selues together according to the number of the persons able to eate vp the lambe for they commanded to take A lambe without blemish a male of a yeare old if the houshold be to little for the lambe he shal take his neighbour which is next vnto
his house Now christ with his twelue disciples alone were not sufficient to eat vp this lambe of a yeare old being great large according to the sirian kind as may be supposed by the discription of Aristotle Pliny others Neither doth it appeare that any remained or was burned with fire according to the institution of God because the Euangelists declare that so soone as the supper was administred and a psalme sung of thanksgiuing they went out into the Mount of Oliues Why then should we not thinke that christ added and annexed other to his family seing his own disciples sufficed not especially the blessed virgin his mother who was not long from him whom afterward after his departure he commended and committed to Iohn to be protected and prouided for who from that time took her home to his house as his own mother But to leaue these consideratiōs as coniectures we answer the former obiection that in asmuch as christ deliuered both signs to the same persons they might bar the people frō the bread as wel as from the cup. For I would know why the bread is necessary but because it was instituted by christ and retained by his Apostles Wherefore the institution maketh the one as requisite as the other Besids if other heretiks should arise as great enemies to the peoples partaking of the bread as the church of Rome is to their cōmunicating of the cup of the Lord how might they better be repressed and refelled then by alleaging the first institution of christ and shewing the practise of the Apostles so that the reasons brought to confute the one wil serue directly to ouerthrow the other Moreouer the disciples at the first ministration of the supper performed not the office of the minister nor any part of his duty but of the people Christ was the minister therof he took the bread he blessed he brake he gaue the bread saiing This is my body Likewise he tooke the cup blessed gaue the same saying This cup is the new testament in my blood On the other side the disciples took it did eat and drinke which are the proper duties of all the people Lastly the Apostle saith not in the first person we ate and drink as speaking of himselfe other teachers of the church but directing his speach to all that are called and sanctified in Christ in euery place according to the inscription of the epistle he saith As often as ye shal eate this bread drinke this cup ye shew the Lords death til he come Now these Corinthians to whō he specially wrote could not liue vntill the second comming of christ to iudgement therefore this eating and this drinking belongeth to al that cal vpon the name of god to the end of the world Secondly they object against the former truth this out of Act. 2 They continued in the apostles doctrine and in breaking of bread and Ch. 20 they came together to break bread It is not said to deliuer the cup vnto the people but to breake bread wherby they gather it was ministred vnto the people in one kind onely and not in both I answer by a cōmon Synecdoche one part is put for the whole For among the Hebrewes this phrase in scripture to eate bread is to receiue whole nourishment ful refreshing by eating and drinking as appeareth by many places wher mentioning only bread for food it were madnes to imagine and gather that they drunk not Besides the Apostle putteth the other part to wit drinking of the cup for the whole celebration of the supper when he saith By one spirit we are al baptized into one body and haue been al made to drink into one spirit where we see as our sauiour added the vniuersal note drink ye al of this and as the Euangelist Mark accordeth saying they al dranke of it so the Apostle doth not pretermit it but saith al were made to drink as if the Lord Iesus the Euangelists and the Apostles would preuent before hād the corruption followed in the church of Rome Wherfore seeing drinking of the cup doth not properly note out the whole action because no man was euer so grosly blinded to suppose that the cup might be alone administred it followeth that by this member expressed we must vnderstand the other and by one part the whole Furthermore it is a ruled case among themselues that it is flat sacriledge if a priest consecrate not this sacrament in both kindes but do it in bread onely If then the former scriptures Act. 2. and ch 20. proue the receiuing vnder one kind because bread onely is expressed so the cup to be excluded it wil likewise follow they consecrated in one kinde because the wine is not expressed and therefore by these places neither priest nor people should take the cup if they will not admit a trope or figure Neither can they say that Luke discribeth not what the Apostles consecrated or receiued but what they deliuered to the people for the Euangelist declareth Act. 20. 11. not onely that the Apostle brake the bread but did eate thereof himselfe so that they must confesse that Paule also receiued in one kind and consecrated in one kind or else necessarily grant one part put for the whole as likewise we say 1 Cor. 11 where he doth expresly touch and teach both kindes to the eating of the bread ioyning the drinking of this cup yet sometimes he expresseth onely the one signe for shortnes sake the church had receiued this vsual manner of speaking to call the Lordes Supperthe breaking of bread as verse 20. When ye come together into one place this is not to eate the Lords Supper and verse 33. When ye come together to eate tary one for another likewise verse 29. He discerneth not the Lords body and yet in the sentence going before hee saith that such as eate and drinke vnworthily do eate and drinke their owne iudgement Wherefore as the Apostles alwaies celebrated the supper by conseeration both of the bread and of the cup so the people alwaies receiued in both these kinds to their great comfort and consolation Thirdly they alleage that there is an vnion and coniunction of each signe that the body is in the blood and the blood in the body that christ is wholly and perfectly vnder each kind because now in his glorious body there is no separation of the body from the blood or blood from the body I answer surely if this were so it were a fault and friuolous thing to do that by more which may be c done by fewer to vse two kindes which may as well be done and is done vnder one as a wise Philosopher teacheth Besides if one may reason in that soit the whole supper might be abrogated for we are made partakers of christ in baptisme and he dwelleth in our hearts by faith which commeth by
the word ofGod Again were not Christ and his Apostles as wise as they Were they ignorant of this vnion Did they not knowe this accompanying of the body with the blood and blood with the body Is the present church of Rome wiser then he in whom al the treasures of wisedom and knowledge are hid If they thinke so let them tell vs plainly if not let them lay their hands vpon their mouth and submit themselues vnto him who administred it in both kinds and commaunded his Apostles to do the like Moreouer Christ would haue vs in his supper consider his blood separated from his body and set his death before our eies and his precious blood shed out of his side so that deliuering the cup he said Drinke ye all of this for this is my blood of the new testament which is shed for many without which sheading there is no forgiuenesse of sins as the Apostle teacheth Wherefore seeing these two are contrary one to the other and cannot stand together to wit the blood to be in the body and to be out of the body to be shed sor vs and not to be shed and that the sacrament leadeth vs to the consideration of the death and especially of the piercing and pouring out of the blood of Christ we may conclude that this vnion of the body with the blood and blood with the body flatly crosseth and ouerthroweth the institution of Christ. And why I pray you do their sacrificing priests receiue the blood twice and the body twice drinking first the blood in the body and againe eating the body in the blood Nay doth not this vnion deuised alter the 〈◊〉 of Christ and confound the seuerall parts of it making him to speake otherwise then the euangelistes expresse For when he said This is my body they will haue him meane this is my body and blood Againe when he said this is my blood they will haue him meane this is my blood and my body Last of all this late inuention turneth and ouerturneth the nature of the partes distinguished one from the other while we eate the flesh they make vs drink the blood and while we drinke the blood they imagine we eat the body Thus to eat and to drinke shall be all one with them for wee shal eate liquid and moift thinges and we shall drinke dry and hard things And is not this drinking of flesh and eating of blood and inuerting euerting of the nature of things But thus God striketh his enemies with giddines of spirit For after they haue broken the pure institution of christ and brought in a carnal presence of his body one absurdity being granted a thousand follow infinite abuses haue ensued vpon heapes the flood-gats being set open wherof there is no end or measure Let thē therfore repent themselues of this sacriledge against god and iniury against his people restoring vnto thē the cōmunion vnder both kinds according ro the ordinance of christ and directō of the Apostles And thus much of the general vses arising from both the signs ioyntly considered Now let vs come to the particular vses offered vnto vs in each of the signes And first touching the bread Is bread simply considered the first signe in the lords supper Then it is not necessarily required that it be administred in vnleauened bread For bread is oftentimes named and repeated but the word vnleauened is neuer added Wherfore as it is in selfe indifferent whether the wine be red or white whatsoeuer the kind or colour be if it be wine so is it not greatly materiall whether the bread be leauened or vnleauened so it bee bread Which ouerthroweth the error of the church of Rome her fauorites who hold it neeessary that the bread vsed in the Sacra be vnleauened They pretend the institution of Christ who say they made the Sacra of vnleauened bread instituting it after he had eaten the passeouer which was to be eaten with vnleauened bread according to the law of Moses neither was there any leauen to be found in Israel 7. daies together Thus they charge vs to breake the institution of Christ. But see heere the 〈◊〉 and partiality of these proud spirits who fly to the institution and sticke precisely to circumstances of 〈◊〉 when it serueth any way to their purpose but when the question is of matters of substance not of circumstance as touching communicating vnder both kinds touching the necessity of eating drinking and of many receiuing together against their halfe communions priuate masses and reseruations they cannot abide to be tyed and yoked to the institution Indeed we deny not but christ might vse vnleauened bread at his last supper hauing immediately before eaten the paschal lambe This peraduenture is truely coniectured yet no such thing is expressed in the gospell nor prescribed as a rule necessarily to bee followed The Euangelists teach he tooke bread but make no mētion or distinction what bread he took nor determine what bread we should take no more then limit what wine we shal vse but leaue it at liberty to take leauened bread or vnleuened as occasion of time place persons and other circumstances serue so we take bread as their own prophets haue confessed 〈◊〉 their own coūsels haue concluded Wherfore to consecrate in vnleuened bread is not of the substance of the supper no more then to eat it at night or after supper as christ administred and the apostles first receiued it For if any would bring in a 〈◊〉 of that time as wel as of that bread which christ vsed we see as faire a warrant for the one as for the other nay we haue a more certain direction for the time which is expressed then for the kind of bread which is not defined Besides if Christ on this occasion vsed vnleuened bread it was because it was vsual common and ordinary bread at that time as we also should vse that bread which is vsual and common So the Apostle speaketh of that bread which was daily vsed among the Gentiles saying The bread which we breake he addeth neither leuened nor vnleuened but vnderstandeth that in common and continuall vse Thus then we conclude it is no breach of christs ordinance nor a transgression of the first originall institution of the Lords supper to eate either the one or the other Againe touching the other signe which is the Wine the church of Rome may iustly be charged with transgressing the ordinance of christ who by her sole authority would type vs to mingle water with wine for Great mistery signification especially for that water gushed with blood out of our Lords side So they condemne all those Churches as doing impudently and damnably that do not mixe 〈◊〉 with wine in the sacrament and say it cannot be omitted without 〈◊〉 sinne True it is the Church in former times where the wine prouided for the Lordes Table was of it selfe heady
strong hot fiery and fuming was wont to allay it with water that it might be mild and temporate least that which was taken 〈◊〉 helpe and further the soule should 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 the body This began for conueniency not for 〈◊〉 for fitnesse not for signification for sobriety not for any mistery But the water is no part of Christs institution neither can it be proued that Christ or his Apostles vsed water with their wine or commaunded others to mingle wine and water in this mistery or that Christs apostles euer receiued it as a matter of faith or taught it to be a necessary parte of this sacrament For Alexander the 5. Byshop of Rome was the first that mingled water 〈◊〉 wine at consecration and ordained that the oblation should be of vnleauened bread and not of leauened as till that time had beene vsed Wherefore let vs retaine and maintaine the plaine and simple institution of Christ who in his last Supper gaue wine not water to be drunk for he calleth it the fruit of the vine which is wine and not water Againe they may be pressed and hampered with their own dreames and deuises For whereas they hold that the wine must be mingled with water and that the elementes after the words of consecration are transubstantiated and remaine in their owne nature no more I would aske this question of these Watermen rowing in the troubled Sea of their owne decrees who are neere of kinne to the old hereticks called Aquarij whether the water mixed with the wine be turned into blood If they say it is not then they deny transubstantiation of all that is within the cup and so shake the vertue of their consecration in pieces if they say it is then will they make Christ a watery body and elementall besides it cannot be by vertue os Christes institution where water is neither expresled nor included So then their best defence is to answer with the Pharisies We cannot tell To conclude let vs not seeke to be wiser then Christ nor to mingle together more mysteries then we haue learned of him as Paule saith of his own practise That which I receiued of the Lord I haue deliuered vnto you Neither prophet nor Apostle nor Angell from heauen is to teach otherwise then Christ himselfe hath taught as he charged his disiples Teach them to obserue all things whatsoeuer I haue commaunded you He hath supreme authority in the Church his doctrine alone should be heard as the father himselfe witnesseth from heauen This is my beloued sonne in whom I haue delight heare him We are not to regard what other before vs haue thought meete to doe but what Christ did who is before all other and called himselfe the truth and not custome Thus much of the third outward part of the Lordes Supper to wit the two signes of bread and wine Chap. 6. Of the fourth outward part of the Lords Supper THe last outward part remaineth which are the communicantes whose actions are outward to take the bread and wine into their hands then to eate the bread and drinke the wine to the nourishment of their bodies as is directly proued by the institution of this sacrament where christ gaue the bread and cup into their hands the Disciples receiued the one and the other they did eate the bread and all dranke of the cup. These being the necessary actions of euery receiuer to take to eate to drinke it beateth down many falfe doctrines of the Church of Rome as their reseruation ostentation eleuation adoration circumgestation procession and pryuate communion it teacheth also many necessary truths to direct our knowledge and increase our obedience which we will consider in order First of all did Christ commaund his Disciples to eat and. drinke that he deliuered and posted them not ouer to eate thereof when they were departed neither willed them to defer their eating vntill afterward then all keeping and reseruing of bread in boxes pixes and other vessels of the church for daies weekes and months all shewing it to the people lifting it ouer the priests head and going with it in procession is vtterly vnlawfull For it is no sacrament vnlesse it be vsed according to Christs institution and cómandement but to the institution it belongeth as one the behalfe of the minister to take to blesse to poure out and to distribute so on the behalfe of the communicants to take to eate and to drink in them al to shew thereby the Lords death and to do it in remembrance of him which cannot be performed but by obseruing the whole action For how can they shew the Lords death or do it in remembrance of christ vnlesse they take and eate And as the paschallambe was not that passeouer vnlesse it were killed and eaten no more is the bread and wine a sacrament except they be receiued and digested The passeouer was the same in effect with the Lords supper who was the lambe slaine from the beginning of the world Now god commaunded that none of it should remaine vnto the morning but the remnant should be consumed with fire The like may be said of Manne the same in substance with this sacrament it was not to be kept caried about Let no man reserue thereof til morning Besids there is the same reason of the cup and of the bread but they reserue not the wine they carry it not about to shew the people why then should they keepe the other part Likewise when christ said to his Apostles Go baptize the nations it was no baptisme by the confession of the aduersaries themselues vnlesse there were some person baptized so when christ said Take and eat there is no sacrament vnlesse there be a receiuing and eating For as the one standeth in washing so doth the other in eating and drinking not in keeping and reseruing not in carying in procession on a white horse not in hanging it vp vnder a Canopy nor in bearing it to the sicke with bell and candle Christ tooke bread and gaue it to his Disciples saying Eate ye he tooke the cup and when he had giuen thanks he said drinke ye all of this do this in remembrance of me as often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke of this cup ye shew the Lordes death till hee come But they hang in it the pixe beare it in boxes and carry it about in publike tryumphes and in common calamities when any iudgement and war plague pestilence and famine and like visitation is among them then Iack in the boxe goeth abroad in solemne processions to be seene which is the way to increase not to slack to kindle not to quench to prouoke not to reuoke the iudgementes of God gone out against them Besides they shew this sacrament to the simple people to fall downe to it as to a God they put it vpon the breastes of the dead and sometimes lay it in
bridegroome shall be taken from them and then they shal fast But if he were remainning on the earth and contained in the pixe the bridegroome could not nor would not be taken away And the same Euangehst chap. 26. saith Ye haue the poore alwaies with you but me ye shal not haue alwaies Like wise Iohn 13. When Iesus knew that hie houre was come that he should depart out of this world vnto the father heeriseth from supper and chap. 14. I goe to prepare a place for you but I wil come againe if I go away to prepare a place for you I will receiue you vnto my selfe that where I am there may ye be also and verse 28 ye haue heard how I said vnto you I go awaie and will come vnto you And chap. 17. Now I am no more in the world but these are in the world and I come to thee Againe act 1. ye men of Galile why stand re gazing into heauen this Iesus which is taken vp from you into heauen shal so come as ye haue seene him go into heauen If then Christ according to his humane nature be not on earth how can his 〈◊〉 body be on euerie altar how can they eat him with their 〈◊〉 how can they swallow him downe their throat Ninthlie such an eating and 〈◊〉 of the bodie and blood of christ must be holden as is profitable and comfortable to the receiuers for nothing is more 〈◊〉 and fruitfull then these being rightlie receiued 〈◊〉 thereby remission of sinnes assured and eternall glory sealed vp vnto vs. But no fruite to our faith can come vnto vs by this kind of bodilie eating the bodie carnall drinking the blood of christ for wicked men haue as great a portion in this as the godly Nay by their owne doctrin it may be eaten of birds of beasts of Mice of Dogs of hogs of vermine to whom no profit no comfort no benefit can come whereas God woulde haue the flesh of the sonne of man to be eaten of those to whom it shal be auailable to life and saluation I am the liuing bread which came downe from heauen if any man eat of this bread he shall liue for euer and the bread that I will giue is my flesh which I wil giue for the life of the world Tenthly nothing can be more grosse barbarous or inhumane then to deuour mans flesh and to drinke mans blood What doth more transforme men into sauage and 〈◊〉 beasts Nay worse then beastes which deuour not their owne kind what is more contrarie to the purenes holines of Gods law then this The words of the Lord are pure words as the siluer tryed in a furnace of earth fined seuen fold The feare of the Lord is clean the law of God is spirituall holy iust and good And the gospell bringeth saluation to all degrees and teacheth vs that we should deny all vngodlines and worldly Iustes and that we should liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world But what can be more repugnant to godlines sobernes and righteousnes then to teare wirh the teeth and iawes mans flesh and to drink his blood from which the Capernaits abhorred what more crosseth the Religion of Christ the law of god and the light of nature then mā to deuour man and the bowels of one to be in the bowels of another And are not their stomackes strong to digest this meat did not god in the law command to abstain frō eating the blood of beasts and from strangled did not the Apostles for a time renue it amōg the christiās in respect of the weaknes of the Iews because Moses was read in their sinagogue euer saboth day to what 〈◊〉 should this be done if the church had tasted the blood of ch with their mouth or swallowed his body in their bellies And do not the Scythians and al the gentiles that are not vtterly voide of 〈◊〉 abstain from mans blood and 〈◊〉 deuouring his flesh wherefore these men are worse then the Scithians barbariās and Gentiles yea worse then the Canibals Indies that eat their enimies but these deuour ch whom they cal their L. and maist like Actcons houndes to compare one fable with another onely heer ly the differences they deuourd their Lord vnder the shape of a stag or Hart they eat their maist vnder the formes of bread and wine these fastned their mouth vpon their maister because they thoght him absent and not present vnder that shape they openly confesse their maister to be present and yet 〈◊〉 professe to deuour him with their iawes and swallow him in their stomacks wherefore these men are more cruell Eleuenthly if Christ be present in the Sacramant bodily and carnally in what body shall he be present Whether in his glorified body as he is in the heauens or in his mortall body as he was vpon the earth In one of these he must be present necessarily if he be present fleshly Whatsoeuer they answer they are taken onboth hands are stroken downe as with a sword that hath two edges Dare they saie he is thus present in his mortall bodie This cannot be For it is certaine he hath not now a mortall bodie but a glorified bodie this corruptible hath put on in corruption this mortall hath put on immortality and death is swallowed vp in victory This the Apostle confirmeth this the Scripture teacheth this Christian faith beleeueh Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more death hath no more dominion ouer him For in that he dyed he dyed once to sinne but in that he liueth he liueth to God Like wise Heb. 7. 25 This man because he endureth euer hath a priesthood which cannot passe from one to another seeing he euer hueth to make intercession for them And chapter 9. of the same Epistle he is entred into heauen not that he should offer himselfe often but he was once offered to take away the sins of many These testimonies duly considered he cannot be present in a mortal body What then will they be helped to say he is present in his glorified body Then he cannot nowe be present in the sacrament of the supper as he was present to the Apostles sitting at the table with them and preaching vnto them of his death he cannot be present in the same body that he did deliuer to his Disciples in the institution of his last supper For the body of Christ was then mortall and not glorified then he had not suffered death vpon the Crosle he was not risen and ascended into the heauens to sit at the right hand of his father so that they must seeke another place then these wordes of Christ This is my body this is my blood to build their reall presence and transubstantiation for they pointed out his mortall body because his body was not yet glorified when the sacrament was instituted Besides what a uniserable glorified body should this be to be
without many contradictions For if christs body be visible how can it be inuisible If it haue al the properties of a naturalbody how can it be without the properties of a natural body If it be finite how can it be infinite Lastly if it be an inseparable necessary adioynt to a true body to be contained in one certaine place how then can it be true that his body is in ten thousand places without any circumscription So then Gods omnipotency cannot build vp the monstrous worke of the reall presence inasmuch as the body of Christ cannot be brought within the slender compasse of a mathematicall cake without falsehood and destruction of all the properties incident vnto a true and naturall body Lastly as an esfect of Gods omnipotent power they obiect the bread and Wine are turned into the flesh and bloode of Christ appearing bread and Wine still by a wonderfull Myracle which is wrought by the wordes of consecration and by a mighty worke of God This obiection hath beene sufficiently answered already Wee haue proued that euerye Myracle may bee seene and discerned by the outward sence as the Myracles of Moses of the prophets of Christ and the Apostles and therefore the Iewes said vnto Christ Shew vs a miracle teaching that miracles are to be iudged by sight and sense When Moses turned the Waters of the Egyptians into blood the sight perceiued the tast discerned it The Myracles of Christ appeare euidently and were apprehended by the senses of the body Hee turned water into Wine the tast iudged there of the dombe spake the eare heard them speake The Lame walked the deade were raised the eies perceiued the motion all 〈◊〉 and were astonied In like manner if the bread and Wine were chaunged eyther the eye or tast should perceiue it and all the Disciples would be astonied Againe after the Gospell was plentifully confirmed and had taken roote and the Apostles were dead such Myracles ceased as experience teacheth Besides the holy supper is an ordinary Sacrament of the Church but euery miracle is extraordinary or else it is no Myracle so that vnlesse we will turne ordinary into extraordinary and make miracles as common as Sacramentes we must remoue miracles from the supper Furthermore if the real presence were wrought by a miracle euery priest should be a worker of miracles and wonders and an ordinary calling shold alwaies be accompanied with extraordinary gifts But their office of priesthood hath not this gift in their owne iudgement generally giuen vnto it Wherefore miracles being now ceased are not found in the supper Lastly Augustine gathering all the Myracles written in the Scripture yet speaketh not of this nay he not onely omitted it but slatly denyeth any myracle to bee in the Sacrament when he saith It may haue honour or reuerence as an holy thing but cannot be wondered at as a strange or myraculous thing If then it be a Myracle it must be in the number of lying Myracles spoken off by the Apostle so that Transubstantiatyon and the reall presence are reall contraryes or contradictions repugnant to the Scripture to fayth to reason to lerning to sense to natur to Gods ordinance absurd and impossible and therfore of all Gods people to be abhored abiured being a renewing of the old heresie of Eutiches who held that Christs body after his 〈◊〉 was made equall with his diuinity To conclude this vse we do not exclude all presence of Christ out of the Sacrament but distinguish the manner of his presence which we haue shewed to be in the supper truely not grosly effectually not fleshly spiritually not bodily sacramentally not carnally mistically not naturally The former vse was touching knowledge and faith instructing what to hold of the reall presence The next vse is touching our obedience and dutye For is Christ the chiefe substance of this sacrament and his body and blood giuen vs for the foode of our soules a gift farre aboue heauen and earth Then we are bound to hunger after him to desire him with an earnest appetite and desire as wee come to our meate and drinke Hunger is a great thing and we say it maketh men leape ouer a stone wall he that is hunger bitten will eate his owne flesh from his armes In this corporall hunger then are two thinges that pine and pinch men first a paine in the lower part of the belly arising from emptinesse secondly an exceeding appetite to be filled and satisfied such haue killed dressed and deuourd their own childen rather thē they would starue this paine hath beene so great this longing hath beene so extraordinary So must it be with vs in the spirituall hunger after Christ we must be inwardly pained in soule for 〈◊〉 and for the wrath of God kindled for our sinne and then haue an hungring 〈◊〉 and longing appetite that we may possesse Christ and lay hold on him to our saluation Whosoeuer commeth to his ordinary meate without hunger it were better not to eate it ingendreh grosse and euill humours aud bringeth a surfet to the body So whosoeuer desireth not christ with an hungry soule earnestly longing after him and crauing nourishment from him cannot be filled with good thinges The want of this hunger is a cause why so few receiue Christ and profit not by the meanes ordained to that end as the word and sacraments these come to them of custome rather then with conscience and for fashion rather then with faith these men are not fit to be Christes ghuests that hunger not after him Wherefore the prophet 〈◊〉 all such as faint in their soules through hunger and thirst of this foode Ho euery one that thirsteth come to the 〈◊〉 and ye that haue no siluer come buy and eate come I say buy wine and 〈◊〉 without siluer and without money And the Apostle Reuel 22. 17 Let him that is a thirst come and let whosoeuer will take of the water of life freely Likewise the Euangelist Luk 1 53. He filleth the hungry with good things and sendeth the rich empty away But where is the desire of these things Where is the hunger after this heauenly foode Where is the thirst after the waters of life Truely of all gifts this is the greatest yet the greatest number care nothing for christ nor for his gifts As the Israelites in the wildernesse loathed Manna and desired to returne into Egypt such are there among vs no desire no affection no zeale this way they spend their cogitations and indeuoures to gaine honour they thirst after Siluer and Gold they delight in earthly pleasures they couet houses landes and wealth of the world these things they abound in these thinges they make their happinesse and their heauen Such as these there are thousands in the bosome of the Church that hunger more after these transitory things then after heauenly Such are prophane persons as 〈◊〉 who preferred a
christ our sauiour they neither eate his flesh nor drinke his blood Wee must open the eyes of our faith to beholde him and the mouth of our soule to receiue him for by faith onely we are made partakers of him which the vngodly want he that drinketh of the blood of christ shal neuer be more a thirst Thirdly we know that satan the prince of darknes ruleth in all the harts of the children of disobedience sitteth in their consciences as the God of this worlde and filleth them full of iniquity as wee see in the example of Iudas Now if these receive the body of Christ then christ and the deuill shoulde dwell in one subiect togither and bee ioynt-possessors of one and the same house but this cannot be these cannot be at one these can neuer be friends reconciled there is no fellowship between righteousnes and vnrighteousnes ther is no communion between light and darkenesse there is no concord betweene Christ and Beliall Fourthly the Apostle teacheth that where christ is he worketh mortification and dying to sinne Rom. 8 If any haue not the spirit of Christ the same is not his and if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the spirit is life for righteousnes sake But the wicked are not dead to sin they are dead in their sinnes and trespasses and they haue sinne not onelie remaining but raigning in them therfore christ cannot be in them Fiftly where christ is there are all things necessary to saluation and to whom God giueth his sonne to him he giueth iustification sanctification redemption repentance remission of sinnes and eternall life as Rom. 8. If God be on our side who shall be against vs Who spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all to death how should he not with him giue vs all things also But the wicked haue not these gifts accompaning saluation they are not iustified they are not sanctified they are not regenerated therefore they cannot haue christ from whom these flow Sixtly we are charged to try and proue our owne hartes whether Christ be in vs or not that thereby we may discerne of our estate and standing in the faith 2 Cor. 〈◊〉 Proue your selues whether ye are in faith examine your selues know ye not your owne selues how that Iesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates To what purpose serueth this tryall and examination if christ may bee in vs and yet remaine reiected Wherefore Christ cannot be in vs if we bee not approued but refused of God Lastly the Apostle chargeth the Church of the Corinthians not to eate things sacrificed to idols in the idols temple because they cannot be partakers of christ and the Dinels nor drinke of the cvp of Christ and of the cup of Dyuels 1 Cor. 10. 20. 21. These thinges which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice them to Diuels and not vnto god and I would not that ye should haue fellowship with the Diuels ye cannot be partakers of the Lords Table and of the table of Diuels Where hee sheweth that a man may come polluted with idoll sacrifices to the Lords Supper but then he cannot be partaker of Christ indeede and in truth Thus we see the doctrine of the church of Rome striken to the ground which hold it as a principle of their faith and teach it to others that wicked men do receiue and eate christ himselfe in the supper making christ indeede to be no Christ. For whereas wee haue shewed that this sacrament consisteth of the outward signs which are bread and wine and the inward truth represented by them which is Christes body and blood according to the doctrine of the holy scripture and the common consent of all antiquity the Romanists haue turned this trueth topsie turuie and haue laid a new plat-forme of the 〈◊〉 of the Supper Hence it is that they haue abolished the signes of bread and wine and make Christ Iesus an outward parte as it were thrusting him out of the dores to be receiued of all both good and bad and the grace of Christ to be the inward part taken only of the faithfull Thus they make a deuorcement and a separation between Christ and his sauing graces which can neuer be parted and deuided For whosoeuer receiueth Christ pertaketh the merits and graces of christe and whosoeuer enioyeth the graces of christ imbraceth withall christ himselfe Besides if christ be the signe and the sanctifying graces of Christ the thing fignified according to the rule of the church of Rome what shall we say of the accidents and shewes of bread and wine whereunto shall they be reduced what parte shall they act and play in this comedy wherefore we hold it as a strong trueth which we haue euinced by sundrie reasons that wicked men are not made partakers of christ Chap. 12. Of the first vse of the Lords supper HItherto we haue spoken of all the partes of this sacrament as well outwatde as inwarde which is the first 〈◊〉 to be considered in the doctrine of them as we shewed before now we are to handle the vses or endes of the Lordes Supper which are principally these three first to shew forth with thanksgiuing the death crosse and sufferings of christ Secondly to teach vs our communion and growth with and in christ thirdly to declare our communion and growth in and with our brethren In these three standeth the knowledge of those rich and greate benifites which are bestowed vponall worthy communicants which haue sactified and prepared their heartes for this holy action These thinges being duely considered doe directly condemne the church of Rome who burying these true ends of the Lords Supper the commemoration of his passion the merit of his crosse our communion with Christ and our fellowship one with another haue altered it like the ship-mans hose into all forms and fashions and make it profitable for all purposes for peace and war for tempestes and calme weather for the fruites of the earth and distemperature of the ayre for the whole and sick for men and beasts for the liuing and for the dead And to begin with the last as none of the least corruptions of this Sacrament it was concluded in a Counsel that as a prayer therin is made for the liuing so the remembrance of the dead is to be made in all Masses It is adiudged an excellent remedy against storms and tempests of the sea and therefore al sea-men are warned in times of danger to call to their mindes and remember to sing the Masses d which are accustomed to be sung for tēpests And as they make it good in storms so they make it serue turn in the day of battell to saue them from the sword of the enemy for the Priests are charged to say the Masses vsed for them that go to wars Besides these abuses they make it auaileable to purge and cleer offendors suspected of any crime
as we take it in these bookes a Sacrament is a visible signe and seale ordained of God whereby Christ and all his sauing graces by certaine outward rites are signified exhybited and sealed vppe vnto vs. This discription being 〈◊〉 teacheth vs these pointes first that the force of the Sacramentes dependeth not on the worthynesse or vnworthynesse of the Minister but vpon the ordinance of God so that an euill Minister may deliuer the good thinges of God And this was the cause that Christ Iesus baptized none but his Disciples baptized that he might learne not to esteeme of the effect of the sacraments by the fitnesse or vnsitnesse of the Mynisters Againe none must adde vnto them none must take ought from them none must any way abuse them contrary to the institution and ordinance of God Lastly we learne from hence that the Sacramentes are not bare and naked signes of Christ absent but sure seales of Gods promises and of the righteousnesse of Christ who is offered to all but receyued onely of the faithfull so that the presence of vngodlye men meeting vs at the same Table cannot hurte vs in our worthye receiuing In a Sacrament we are to consider two thinges his partes and his vses The partes of a sacrament are partly outward and partly inward The outward partes are these foure First the Mynister lawfully called is necessarily required 〈◊〉 then the Mynister 〈◊〉 not administer them or if pryuate persons wil administer them they sinne against God the one for not perfourming the dutyes of his calling the other because he runneth beyond the boundes of his calling The second outward parte is the word of institution consisting of a Commaundement and a promise so that it is required of vs to vnderstand the wordes of instiâ—ution to ioyne the word with the sacramentes and to discharge those from the number of sacramentes which want the warrant of the word The third outward part of a Sacrament is the signe for wheresoeuer there is a Sacrament there must of necessity bee an outward element so that neither must wee make an Idoll of the signe by aduancing it to high nor cleane abolish it as the Church of Rome doth by their doctrine of Transubstantiation The last outward part is the receiuer so that the Sacraments without their lawfull vse are no sacraments at all so long as the signes are reserued and not applyed The inward partes also are r foure first God the father offering and applying Christ Iesus as surely as the Minyster doth the outward signe which is a great comfort to such as come to the Sacraments The second inward parte of a Sacrament is the holy spirit working by the worde so that wee can neuer heare the worde or receiue the Sacramentes aright without the speciall direction and inspiration of the spirit of GOD neyther must wee hang vpon extraordinary reuelations which openeth a wide doore vnto all disorders inasmuch as the spirâ—t is not separated from the word The third inward part is Iesus Christ who is the truth and the life of all Sacramentes now if God the father haue giuen him vnto vs how shall hee not with him giue vs all thinges else Let vs therefore laye hold vpon him especially in all discomfits and troubles when our faith is assaulted by the enemies of our saluation The last inward parte is the faithfull receiuer for except wee send out saith to bring CHRIST home to dwell with vs in our heartes wee shall in vaine looke to receiue profit by the Sacraments so that the reprobate who are vessels of wrath and the Children of perdytion cannot receiue Christ albeit they partake the signes of Christ. As for the elect who are the Lordes sealed vp to the day of redemption before their conuersion and gathering into the sheepefold of Christ they also onely receiue the outward signe without Christ inasmuch as they are without faith but after they are called with an holy calling effectually and haue receiued to beleeue vnfainedly they are partakers both of the signe and of the thing signified These are the outward and inward parces Now there is a fit proportion and agreement betweene these partes each very aptly answering the other For euen as the minister by the word of institution offereth and applyeth 〈◊〉 the outward element to the body of the receiuer so the father by the spirit offereth and applyeth Iesus christ inuisibly to the faithfull receiuer We shewed before that in a sacrament wee are to obserue two pointes his partes and his vses Hitherto wee haue spoken of all the partes both such as are outward and such as are inward Now it remaineth to handle his vses The vses of a sacrament are chiefely three first to strengthen faith secondly to scale the couenant between God and vs thirdly to be a badge of our profession and as a banner displayed to witnesse our warfare vnder our chiefe captaine Christ 〈◊〉 If these be the true vses and endes of a sacrament then wee learne to take notice of our owne failinges and infirmities of faith that GOD refuseth none for weakenesse and wauering of faith that there is an assurance of faith to be attained vnto in this life that as God euermore keepeth his promise with his people who is not as man that he should lie nor as the son of man that he should deceiue so must we be careful to keep the articles of agreement betweene God vs namely to beleeue his word to loue our bretheren to obey his will lastly as our priuiledges are great to beare the badges of Christ our Lord so it teacheth that we are not our owne but are bought at a great price not with corruptible thinges as Syluer and Gold but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lambe vnspotted and vndefiled Hitherto of the nature of the Sacramentes now of the number of them as we vnderstand the word for such as are seales of our communion with christ The sacraments of the new testament are two baptisme and the Lords supper neither are there any moe left vnto the Church For Christ taught no moe sacraments to the Apostles the Apostles deliuered no moe to the churches who yet were faithfull witnesses and reueiled the whole counsell of God without concealing and keeping backe of anye doctrine which themselues had receiued Besides these two Sacramentes are altogether perfect and sufficient both to enter a Christian 〈◊〉 the church and to retaine him continually in the same From this number of two sacramentes we learne 〈◊〉 to acknowledge the great loue of God toward vs who hath eased vs of the heauy burden of infinite Cerimonies prescribed in the law and deliuered vs a few sacramentes in stead of many Secondly wee see heereby the difference betweene the olde Testament and the New and betweene the sacramentes of the olde
testament and the new they had sundry significant signes and Ceremonies whose interpretation was not easily knowne vnto them Thirdly seeing God hath giuen vnto vs two signes and added two seals to his word and writings we ought to haue the stronger faith in his mircyfull promises For wherefore hath he doubled the signes but that wee should encrease in faith and as it were double our assurance of his graces Lastly this number of two ouerthroweth the number of seauen sacramentes maintained in the church of Rome which iust number was first broched by Peter Lumbard afterwarde ratysied in the Counsell of Florence and lastlye established in the Counsell of Trent and is now become the common doctrine of that counterfect church For besides baptisme and the Lords supper which wee receiue they haue instaled into the number of sacraments Confirmation Penance Matrimony Orders and extreame Vnction contrary to the doctrine of the scriptures contrary to the nature of Sacramentes and contrary to the euidence of sundry reasons And firist of all confirmation cannot bee lifted vppe into the seate of the Sacramentes or sit downe in this Chaire of honour because it wanteth the institution of Christ it wanteth an outward signe it hath no word to warrant it or promise of blessing for howsoeuer the Apostles by imposition of hands gaue the holy ghost those miraculous gifts are now withdrawne from the church of God Lastly they haue aduanced it aboue baptisme they administer it in a strange tongue and halow the greazy oyle to purifie soule and body Secondly their popish penance instituted by bodily chastisements to make satisfaction for sinne to God is no sacrament of the new testament nor any sacred thing being thus vnderstood For we acknowledge no other satifaction for sinne wherein God delighteth and the conscience of man 〈◊〉 but only the death and obedience of christ Besides true repentance hath beene preached and practised from the beginning of the world after that sinne entred into the world Furthermore their penance hath no visible signe as baptisme and the supper of the Lord haue Thirdly matrimony albeit it be a diuine ordinance honourable among all estates yet can be no Sacrament of the church of christ because it was instituted before the law it is ratified among the infidels which are no members of the church it hath no promise of grace and saluation ioyned to it and albeit it be honorable in all yet it is not necessary in all Lastly the Roman church esteemeth it as an vnclean thing a prophanation of holy orders a liuing in the flesh so that as with one hand they aduance it to a great dignity with the other hand they cast it downe with great disgrace and contempt as vnworthy of the high and holy priesthood Fourthly orders come in the next place which are the offices and ministry of the church but no sacrament or sacraments of the church For then according to the number of orders we should multiply the number of sacraments Neither haue they any outward element and visible signe Lastly we are come to extream vnction which we suffer not to maske vnder the name of sacraments but pul off the vizard thereof because the church had the vse of anoynting so long as it retained the miraculous gift of healing Besides it hath no word ofinstitution to warrant the continual practise of it vntill the second comming of christ Wherefore seeing the word of God teacheth the number of two sacraments onely and the church of Rome instructeth her children in the number of 7. sacraments neither moe nor lesse they must pardon vs if we harken rather to the scriptures then to their traditions rather to God then to man rather to the truth then to the spirit of error Hitherto we haue spoken of the Sacramentes in generall of their parts their vses their number now we come to speake of them in particular first of baptisme then of the Lords supper And howsoeuer baptisme hath sundry significations yet as it signifieth that washing with water which serueth to seale the couenant of the new testament it is the first sacrament wherein by the outward washing of the body with water once in the name of the father of the son and of the holy ghost the inward clensing of the soule by the blood of christ is represented This descrption teacheth that such as are not yet baptized are not to be admitted to the lords table that albeit dipping be not necessary to the being of baptisme yet washing with water is of the essence of this sacrament that such as are once baptized are not to be rebaptized albeit they haue beene baptized by heretickes and that whosoeuer is baptized hath made a solemne couenant to professe the Christian religion Now q wee are to consider in Baptisme as wee did before generally in a Sacrament these two thinges his partes and his vses The partes of baptisme are outward and inward The outward partes are these foure The first outward part is the Minister as the Messenger of God For baptisme is a part of the Minystry and God hath ioyned the ministry of the word sacraments togither Wherfore the minister must be carefull and not carelesse in the execution of his osfice who is to sanctifie the Water and to wash the party Moreouer the people are directed to whom to resort when they haue children to be baptized Lastly the Church of Rome prophane baptisme when they appoint mid-wiues and priuate persons to baptize children The second outward part is the word of institution which is as the forme of this sacrament The third part is the element of water which is the matter whereof baptisme consisteth Whosoeuer therefore baptiseth with any other liquorthen with water as with blood with sand with snow with milk or such like matter doth frustrate Baptisme and maketh it an idell ceremony Againe all Popish corruptions added and annexed to this sacrament contrary to the simplicity of the gospel as creame crosses censors tapers spettle salt and such like vnsauory trumpery are 〈◊〉 hauing also a superstitious opinion of holinesse and worship ioyned with them Also if water be an outward part the want of washing with water cannot hinder the saluation of such as dye without baptisme All perished not vnder the law that died without circumcision God is not more rigorous vnder the Gospell This therefore is a bloody and discomfortable doctrine to be abandoned and abiured of all parents of all childeren of all Christians The fourth outward parte of baptisme is the body that is washed Novv such as are to be baptized must be within the Couenant these are eyther men and Women of riper yeares or else the infantes of such vvho haue interest in Baptisme as vvell as their parentes This condemneth the Romyshe practise of baptizing bels and serueth to set forth the great loue of God to all
sunder the corrupt heresie of the Anabaptistes then the wooden dagger of humaine tradition which the church of Rome draweth out against them The Scripture is all sufficient to proue all truth and to beate downe all false doctrin that lifteth vp it selfe against God Wherefore we hold their traditions to be superstitions their vnwritten 〈◊〉 are written lies As we retaine the baptisme of children so wee haue alwaies beene ready to maintaine it by the old and new testament as by the sword of the spirit against all the aduersaries thereof Secondly let vs learne from hence 〈◊〉 acknowledge a difference betweene 〈◊〉 and the Lords supper For in baptizing of children 〈◊〉 faith not 〈◊〉 not regeneration is required but onely to bee borne in the couenant but the supper of the Lord requireth knowledge discerning trying and examining of our selues which are not required neither can be performed of young children who know not light from darkenesse nor good from euill Thirdly if infants haue interest in baptisme then hence it floweth that all are conceiued and borne in originall sin and whatsoeuer is of the flesh is flesh So the apostle saith As in Adam all dy euen so in Christ shall all be made aliue There is no difference all haue sinned and are depriued of the glorious kingdome of God we must be iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in christ Iesus by nature all are the children of wrath and borne dead in sins and trespasses infants not excepted We learne therfore that whatsoeuer is begotten of man is sinfull and corrupt it must be cut and pared away we must be renewed and borne again by the spirit of God clensing vs from our sins yea the children of the faithfull parents whose corruptions are mortified whose lustes are subdued whose flesh is tamed and brought vnder the obedience of the will of God are notwithstanding brought forth in sin because they are born by carnall generation and not by spirituall regeneration as corne winnowed from the chaffe yet groweth vp againe with it and as the foreskin cut off from the parents recurneth in the child Again haue infants of the faithful right to be baptized Then acknowledge heereby the difference betweene them and the children of infidels Iewes Pagans and Turkes As the children of the Iewes being heires of the couenant were separated distinguished from other children of the wicked Idolatrous nations and were therefore accounted the holy seed so for the same cause and reason the children of christians are called holy borne of either party and parent being faithful and a beleeuer and do differ from the prophane seede of idolatrous people Indeede whosoeuer maketh a true profession of the faith which he holdeth and is ready to lead his life according to that confession though he be not the seede 〈◊〉 child of the faithful yet is to bee baptized though hee came of the race of Turks or paganâ—s as appeareth by the speach of Phillip to the Eunuch If thou beleeuest thou maiest Thus we see that the childreÌ„ of those that professe the faith belong to the church of God the children of Pagans belong not to the church of God loe how great a difference there is betweene them Heerby then the children of the faithfull are discerned and distinguished from the prophane multitude of Atheists Epicures Libertines Arrians Anabaptistes Turkes Sarazens Persians and other barbarous nations which are without christ without hope without God in the world wheras the holy seede of all the faithfull belong to the church of God and are reckoned in the company of the church For this cause the Apostle calleth the whole posterity of Abraham holy that is consecrated and halowed to God If the roote be holy the branches are also holy Not that the children of the faithfull do want originall sinne or that they gather any actuall holinesse or inherent righteousnesse by carnall generation and propagation from their parents but because by benefit of the couenant of God and by force of his gratious promise they are separated from prophane infidels and brought into the bosome of the church as Noah was into the Arke Fiftly this doctrine setteth forth the honor and glory of God For is not God greatly glorified when he sheweth himselfe true in his promises and hath mercy vpon the faithfull for a thousand generations And is not occasion offered to vs continually to glorifie him Can we deserue that God should be our God Nay do we not deserue that hee should not be our god And yet behold he will be the God of our children also Let vs therfore neuer forget his mercies let vs fil our mouthes or rather our heartes with his praises let vs confesse before the Lorde his louing kindnesse and his wonderfull workes before the sonnes of men Sixtly all parents are heereby wonderfully comforted they haue their faith strengthened and are confirmed in the loue of GOD when they see themselues so beloued of GOD that it descendeth and floweth euen to their Children as they are assured by this visible signe This is that worthye and wonderfull promise which wee must receiue by faith I will be thy God and the God of thy seed after thee I will establish my couenant betweene me and thee and thy seed after thee A sentence to be written not onely in Golde but in the tables of our hearts to dwell with vs for euer When we must leaue the worlde and our families in poore estate behind vs and go vnto the father let vs not be dismayed discoraged or discomfited this is the stay of our hope this is the staffe of our cófort this is our Anker-hold that he wil not shut vp his mercy towarde our children but be a gracious God to them as he hath bene to ourselues so that wee may assuredly say vnto them with faithfull Abraham My sonne God will prouide Let vs be content with those things that we haue for he hath saide I will not 〈◊〉 thee neither for sake thee so that we may boldly say The Lord is my helper neither will I feare what man can do vnto me Godlines is great gaine and he that is truely godly is truely rich He that hath Christ hath all things he that wanteth him wanteth all things Heauen and earth are the Lords all the gold and siluer are his who hath promised to be an husbande to the Widdow eyes to the blind a couering to the naked a father to the fatherlesse and he will not forget his kindenesse towards vs for euer Wherefore let vs lift vp our hands and our harts which hang downe let vs strengthen our weake knees and make straight steps vnto our feet God is able to worke contentednes in all his seruants whose power is best seene in our weakenes 〈◊〉 whose glorie shineth brightest in our greatest wants Remember what the prophet saith Psal 37 25 I am young and now am olde