the cause be the Lordes and the quarell good thy calling according it is good fighting these battels Striue for the trueth for life defende iustice vnto death Eccle. 4.2 In this case the white liuered souldier that feareth a frost shall be couered with snow If euery heare were a life and euery life a thousand liues vēter them all for him that gaue them all But againe in the dayes of peace where peace may be redeemed with lesse a doe what wise man woulde be hanged in heare of his own fancie or fal as Saul did vpon his owne sword He that loueth daunger shal perish in trouble and no man pitie him and the meeke shall possesse the earth A gentlewoman of Lacedemonia Plutar. contra Colo. and Diotorus his wife did alwayes fall out at the table and varie because the one loued oyle and the other butter and yet the qualities of butter and oyle were not much diuerse Charitie doeth couer malice enuie and hatred doeth vncouer as the boysterous Northwinde all imperfections and naturally men are giuen to prie in at other mens windowes to beate dust of their coates find motes in their eyes But Saint Paul saith Let euery man proue him selfe and not other men and so let him come to this Sacramēt When Christ foretolde that one of his disciples shoulde betray him euery one of them began to aske him Mar. 14.19 Is it I not is it he or he but euery one was desirous to proue him selfe and know whither it were he Is it I they were not like him that saide Mat. 7.4 Brother suffer me to take foorth the mote out of thine eye And doe we call them brethrē whose good name we seeke to take from them in obiecting motes and faultes A mote is a litle fault and a beame is a great faulte and neither great nor litle should be suffered especially in the eye Yet euery man is not a fit Physition the eye is a tender parte and maye as soone take hurt as good if there be not great discretion taken Let the publike minister proue all and the priuate man proue him selfe and so in fayth and loue let vs all in one repair to the Sacrament of vnitie which as goates milke shoulde breake and mollifie the stonie hearts of men Plin lib. 20. prooe lib. 3.7 cap. 4. as rayne alaieth great windes as Dauids musicke asswaged Sauls melācholie and euill spirite And yet when all this is done the best men are men still and the best earth is earth euer and will beare nettles and brambles and prickes Flesh is fraile in faith blood imperfect in loue seetheth and boyleth with a litle fire and vpon a small occasion Repētance therefore repentance alwayes in eyther is most requisite which accompanying with faith her mother and loue her sister warmeth and cherisheth them both who otherwise waxe wanne and colde and loose their force Yf any man deeme Christes death vnsufficiēt suppose his sacrifice needeth renuing imagineth any other intercessours requisite doubteth of his kingdō beleueth not his word these are great wants of faith and he neuer proued himselfe that cōmeth with this minde to the Lordes boorde where these thinges are or should be felt fed vpon Here Repentance is requisite to helpe fayth Againe if any man haue any thing against his brother or his brother against him let him go first and be reconciled before he eate and drincke the Sacramente which is of vnitie in Christ Iesus Thus examining his conscience as before and acknowledging his sinnes in his sight aske pardon with sighes teares because he eyther distrusted or disobeyed and so displeased so gratious a God so mercifull a father so perfecte a Sauiour that had commanded himselfe to be beleeued vpon our selues of our selues to be beloued in him one of another There is neuer a threede in Papistrie but is stayned They haue neither perfect faith which they deuide betwene God his creatures nor true loue which wanteth the bonde of loue true faith nor due repentance haue they For al their repentāce standeth in whispering in a Priestes eare or absteyning from the moderate vse of certaine meates in which they put a satisfaction as if God were pleased sinne done away with the eating of fish and not of fleshe or the not vsage of other his creatures reuerently with thankes giuing 1. Tim 4.3 But in deed the sowre herbes wherwith we must eate his passeouer are a penitent hearte a broken and contrite spirite because foolish flesh laboureth and werieth it selfe in sinfull wayes and doeth eftsoones offende in thought worde deede against his diuine maiestie And this if we do crauing pardon for al our sinnes and misdoings no doubt hee will consider our sighes receiue our prayers forgiue our sinnes accept vs for iust accoūt vs for his own make vs meete partakers of his heauenly table Being thus prepared instructed in fayth Meditatiō enflamed in loue after a sort repaired by repētāce thou maist present thy self before the Lord. Wherin as the wisemā willeth in an other case meditate againe and againe what is set before thee Pro. 23.1 least thy table bee thy snare thy meate thy bane thine own knife cut thine own throte Bread which is the staffe of strēgth to man wil choke the Hawke The faithfull charitable and repentant soule partaketh saluation the vnworthie receiuer eateth drinketh his owne damnation euen as the Babylonian dragon brake asūder as soone as he receiued the balles that Daniel put into his mouth as that story reporteth Wherfore thou godly man child of God ponder with thy selfe enter into thy conscience let cōuenient thoughtes meditations occupy possesse thy inward partes And that thou mayest so do remēber what thou art a doing what worke thou hast in hande Doe this in remembrance of Christ Plutar. in vlta Numae Hoe Age. feede on him in thy soule with thanks set forth liuely his death with praise Pharaohs butler forgate Ioseph Gen. 40.23 the vnclean hog neuer loketh vp to him that beateth downe the maste from the tree Lift vp your heartes wee lift them vp vnto the Lord. They are the wordes of the church seruice godly wordes It is meete right so to doe and our bounden duetie that we should at al times recorde his goodnesse but especially at the time of this action to shewe foorth his death till his comming againe agnize our sinnes which being the cause of his dying plucked the sonne of God out from the bosome of the father to be crucified on earth of amōg and for sinfull men The maymes wee receiued in Adam remaine yet in vs are three Sinne Ignorance Weaknesse The remedies whereof we finde in Christ the Physition of our soules Medicus est minister naturae that which is wanting by nature is supplied by grace Christ is a Priest to cleanse our sinnes a Prophet to instruct our
similitude that as in washing pooles when men goe into thē they doe off their aparell and then enter the bath and bathe their bodies so in this the olde man is put off Adams fig leaues throwen aside then with niter fullers sope nay rather with the bloode of the sonne of God all our former filthe is scoured away This dissimilitude is in this similitude our former rags are neuer resumed as sinners resume their garmentes when they haue washed Those plaguy clothes that tooke stayne and infection from sinfull Adam we burie or we burne The regenerate man hath done away his former generation dyeth to sin the gylte and dominion whereof lyeth as a dead body in the graue and hath no more power ouer the creature which is endued with the newe man freed from Satan accepted into seruice and fauour in the familie of GOD weareth the cloth of righteousnes and is apparelled as the womā in the Reuelation with the sonne of God Reue. 12.1 Wherein notwithstanding it is expedient still and euer to remember from what rocke we were he wen on what stocke we grewe what we haue lost and what wee haue founde howe fowle we were howe cleane we are that tasting howe sweete the Lord is we may as it were feele the difference betweene soote and sugar see and view the oddes betweene our crimosin blood red sinnes and the snowe white innocencie we haue obteyned in him To compare the state wherin we were by creation then in nature corrupted and nowe by grace and regeneration were to compare an innocent lyfe a deserued death life euerlasting together that is Paradise hell heauenly blisse betwixt themselues For our case at the first was no worse afterward no better and in Christ betterthen euer before Rom. ◠For as by one man came sinne and by sinne death which presupposeth a former innocencie and life so by the man Christ much more excellent is the righteousnesse that is imputed to faith imported by this Sacrament and shal be enioyed without end As the first Adam eating of the forbidden tree he susteining the person of al mankinde by his disobedience did set on edge his posterities teeth so the second Adam trode the wine presse alone and yet wee his posteritie also drinck neuer the lesse of his wine And here let no man say Prou. 9.2 I haue mixed mine owne wine I haue compassed these thinges my selfe Strength if it leane to presumption is weaker then water and the broken reede and yet the strongest thinges of man are but meere weaknesse the puritie of nature pollution libertie of will thraldome and the merite of workes a stayned cloute And then if the clothe be so course howe course is the list or if the wooll be course can the clothe be fine Adam begate Seth Gen. 5.3 and all his children in his owne likenesse For as the man that is not cannot beget himselfe that he may haue a being so man being naught can neuer of him selfe beget any thing els or him selfe to bee good againe Why thē do we presume A puffe of pride bloweth out the candle that was lightened of another at the first and cannot kindle it selfe the seconde time The debter in the Gospel was not able to make payment for the ten thousand talentes Matt. 18.24 and the more in debte in processe of time the more vnlike to come out of debt albeit he sayd as the aduersaries of the trueth saye if his Lorde would haue patience he would pay and satisfie all The three parables in Saint Luke tende all to this purpose Luke 15. to shewe mans inhabilitie in euery respect and the Lordes exceeding mercie altogether The lost groat lacketh sense the strayed sheep witte the prodigall sonne wisedome The woman lighteth the candle sweepeth the house seeketh diligently The shepheard goeth out into the wildernesse and bringeth home on his shoulders And as for the wastfull sonne God in his prouidence disposed so that by afliction and famin he should be taught and constrained to returne backe making a most true confession that hee had sinned against heauen and his father and was no more worthie to bee called his sonne Had sinned and therefore nowe onely was to stande vpon grace pardon had sinned against heauen and therefore in earth vnfit and vnable to make satisfaction had sinned against so louing a father therefore vnworthy the name of a sonne Notwithstanding while he stoode yet a great waye off his father sawe him and had compassion ranne preuented him with mercie fell on his necke and kissed him killed the fatte calfe put shoes on his feeete and a ring on his finger hyred musicians and called for the best robe clad him therewith that was vtterly destitute of al attire except such as Job speaketh of Iob. 9.31 Mine owne clothes defile me Many excellent and rich ornaments are layde together in one heape in the Prophet Ezechiel embroydred works Ezech. 16. bracelets silke siluer golde c. and all these God bestowed on them the lay dead in their blood whome he raised to life circūcised with his owne hand dryed their corruption with salte washed their vncleannes with water swadled and clad them with newe precious apparell euen with Iosephs party coloured coate or rather with the Queenes garment of needle worke which yet was not of her owne making The olde purifyings did prefigure out and as it were made the first draught thereof but the water of Baptisme most liuely expresseth his mercy compassion whose onely eye no mans els tooke pitie on vs then when we lay not wounded but dead long dead in our sinnes In this water the litle fish humble Christian resumeth life againe the lay gasping dead on the shoare before In this water the Scorpion loseth his venim Cypr. 4. lib. epist 7. and can not sting In this water Sinne Satan the flesh and the worlde lye floting drowned as in the deluge in Genesis 1. Cor. 10.1 1. pet 3.21 and red Sea in Exodus where Noah the preacher of righteousnesse and a few with him were saued in the Arke which after a sorte was a figure of Baptisme The Israelites went through on dry foot Pharao and all his hoste drowned in the red sea But for all this this is true in the letter of these stories and certaine in the trueth of a farther meaning the though Noah escaped drowning yet he was ouercome afterward with wine though the Egyptians were ouerwhelmed al yet there remained other enemies in the desert neither did Israel straightwayes enter the promised land wtout further labour fightes first had with sundry and diuers nations Hierom. ad Ocean Aug. retract lib. 1. cap. 7. Ephe. 5.25 Rom. 7. In this Sacrament though generally iniquity be pardoned and sinne drowned and wee saned yet for all this al infirmitie is not quite abolished wee are washed al Ioh. 13.10 but
conuenient preparatiō thereunto Chrisost in 1. Cor. hom 24. For if it were a princes sacred body or but purple garment onely the matter whereof is wormes thread colour no better then the dead fishe blood yet were it not rashly to be abused with vnwashed or vncleane handes How much the more reuerent then ought the receiuing of these holy mysteries of Christs body and blood to be of all them that know what it is to stand in awe that they offend not Wherfore let a man examine himselfe saith the Apostle 1. Cor. 11.28 so let him eat of this bread drinke of this cup. Euen so therfore if not so not at all Better to abstaine then to come together for the worse As the print in waxe is more fitly receiued and fully expressed when the waxe is wrought and warmed first so like wise the effect of this Sacrament is more liuely felt and seene when wee repayre thereunto with prepared mindes wel instructed and throughly examined In which examination two poyntes chiefely are obserued wherof the one cōcerneth faith the other loue Fayth to be setled in our heartes towardes God Loue to be she wed to our neighbor The latter procedeth out of the former and both from the spirit of God Faith receiueth increase by hearing and prayer Rom. 10.17 Luk. 17.5 Mark 9.24 O Lord increase our faith Loue and faith iointly are stirred vp and strengthened by repentance in the worthy repayring to receiuing at the Lordes table Wherupon ariseth these three as agents in this examination assured faith brotherly loue earnest repentance Faith directeth in knowledge Loue is occupied in thākfulnes to God and good doing toward men Repentance euer in eyther amendeth what is omitted or done amisse and craueth pardon with humble minde and ful purpose not to offend in the like againe All which dueties as I take may be rightly considered according to the times wherin eyther we are to receiue or presently receiue or haue receiued the Sacrament The first is called a Preparation vnto the Supper the second a meditation therein the third a christian conuersation that must ensue thereupon In preparing our selues is required Preparatiō that we knowe of whom what and in what order wee must receiue It seemeth to be recorded as a commēdation Of whom we receiue 1. Sam. 1.23 that Anna nursed her owne sonne in which respect among infinite others the loue of God exceedeth all loue Wherein as he spareth no cost so hee vndertaketh any care Plutar de institu lib. which nice and vnnatural mothers refuse to do putting forth their infantes to bee nursed abroade without neede or cause Our God doeth not so neyther needeth he so to doe Isai 49.15 his breasts are neither sore nor drye at any time Of his owne good will he begat vs againe in baptisme so will he stil feede and bring vs vp to a full age perfect grouth in Christ Sufficient or abundant prouision for the house himselfe in his wisedome hath prouided the holy spirite being steward of all and as it were distributer and caruer at the board What we receiue And to come to the seconde poynt what we receiue The meate of this table is the very death of Christ the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world The story and institution whereof is recorded by three Euangelistes Matt. 26.26 Mark 14.22 Luk. 22.19 and againe commented vpon by the holy ghost at large in the former Epistle of S. Paul to the Corinthians where the Apostle beginneth the matter with a faithful saying 1. Cor. 11.23 That which I haue receiued of the Lorde I haue deliuered you For otherwise if he came with offers of his own deuising himselfe raught the Galathians what his entertainement ought to be Gal. 1.8 Let him be accused though he were an Angell of God from heauen The Lord Iesus that night that he was betrayed tooke bread and when he had giuen thanks he brake and sayde Take eate this is my bodie which is broken for you this doe in remembrance of me In like maner the cup c. For as often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke this cup ye shewe the Lordes death till he come againe Wherein wee see euidently what Christ did also in duetie what we must do In the visible signes which he tooke of bread that he brake wine that he powred foorth and in deliuering thē both to be taken eaten and drunke he manifestly declared two things the one that he woulde immediately make an oblation for the redemption of mankinde vpon the altar of the crosse the other that for euer he woulde be the euerlasting foode of their soules his body to be the bread of life his precious blood to be their comfortable drinke the Physicke of immortalitie Ignat. epist ad Eph. and preseruatiue against all euill The sacrifice oblation he intēded is plaine by these words Which is broken Mat. 26.28 which is shed for many for remission of sinnes Euen is brokē and shed because the houre wherin he should be betrayed and suffer drewe nigh and was at hande That he would be their foode is proued cleerely in that hee commaūded to take eate this is my body Nowe by the way out of these two notes may be noted two forcible reasons against the sacrifice pretended in the masse They are lately delighted with motiues and demandes may I aske them this question Doe they thinke a sinfull priest can do more at his masse then the sōne of God did at his supper I hope they will not prefer a meere man before Christ God and man the Sauiour of the worlde And if so then may they see their priest can make no sacrifice for Christ himselfe when he sate at boorde with his disciples made none but declared what he meante to make For and if he had so done the Thursday at night what needed he thē to haue suffered the Fryday at noone againe he willeth vs to take and eate and feede on him He offreth himselfe to be receiued of vs not to be offered by vs to his Father That was his owne proper and personall duety But to leaue to speake hereof our dewtie is with thankfulnes to feede on the food he offreth vs euen to eate and drinke him to partake his blessed body and precious blood Wherein notwithstanding to mistake and mingle the signes and the things signified cōfusedly without differēce were as Aug. sayth De doct Chr. a miserable thraldome to the very soule of a Christian man Christes wordes be plaine He tooke bread after thankes giuen he breake gaue bread for what he toke he brake and what he brake he gaue and therefore he gaue bread For the Apostle saith he brake bread and that he calleth his body and so concerning the cuppe for after a sort to speake of one is to speake of both Marie tooke Christ to