Lords inheritance but in humilitie serue one another and feed the Flocke committed to their charge This last Reason would neither teach them nor vs to match our selues with our Lord Master but to submit our selues to our equals The first sheweth that as in the rest of the parts of his Ministerie so in the institution of this Sacrament although hee was the Lord and Giuer of the inward and spirituall grace yet hee did carry himselfe as the Minister of the externall Element which person now the Pastor sustaineth and hee exalted at the right hand of the Father hath declared himselfe to haue laid down the person of a seruant and to bee no more an externall Minister but the Lord and Giuer of the Spirit and inward grace by sending down the Holy Ghost from heauen vpon the Apostles Hee then who now would sit with him as his fellow must either bring him downe from heauen and abase him againe in the forme of a seruant or else hee must exalt himselfe to Sit with him at the right hand of the Throne of Maiesty in the highest places Therefore let no man in this action thinke and esteeme of the Lord Iesus according to the condition of the person that hee sustained and the carriage that hee vsed when hee did institute this Sacrament The true and right estimation of him is to be learned without question from the doctrine and word of the institution Let vs then take diligent heed and marke how there hee is propounded to be considered and esteemed of vs. There hee is the great High Priest and Sacrificer of himselfe Hee tooke Hee brake wee are the sinners for whom the Sacrifice is offered with this Sacrifice hee payeth his Vowes in the midst of the vniuersall Church Take yee eate yee Wee are the poore and hungry that eate and are satisfied Hee is the Mediator Suretie and Testator of the new and eternall Testament This is the new Testament in my Bloud VVee are the Heires and Legators who haue neither right by Nature nor Merit but by his meere Donation and Disposition onely Hee is the honourable and glorious person who in this action is to bee remembred as the Authour of eternall saluation Doe this in remembrance of mee And we are the redeemed who for the benefit of our redemption should remember him with Thankesgiuing and Praise Thus wee are taught by the words of the Institution how in this action wee should esteeme both of him and of our selues and how therein accordingly wee should behaue our selues towards him Namely as the redeemed towards their Redeemer the poore and the hungry towards their Nourisher and Feeder The adopted heire towards their Adopter and Testator and they who should giue thankes and praise towards their Benefactor SECT 10. In what respect this Sacrament is called the Eucharist AND heere we rancounter with the other end of this Sacrament which I called the praise of the glorious grace of God and of our Sauiour the Lord Iesus In respect of this end it is a commemoration and predication of the death of Christ acted not in word onely but in deed both by the Pastor and the people By the Pastor when hee representeth Christs death in the mysticall action and by the Sacramentall word maketh the donation and application thereof to the people taking breaking giuing and saying This is my Bodie this is my Bloud and by the people when they take eate and drinke in doing whereof they expose in open view to the eyes of the world the Passion and Death of the Lord Iesus and the benefit that therby they acknowledge themselues to receiue and so doth publikely and solemnely remember his goodnesse and grace to his praise and glorie and testifie that their faith and thankefulnes towards him according to the direction of our Sauiour Doe this in remembrance of me In the which precept wee are commanded first to celebrate the action as hee hath done and secondly we are admonished of the end wherfore that celebritie should be obserued namely that thereby a solemne memoriall of his death ought to bee kept So Paul interpreteth the Precept in these words immediately subioyned For so often as yee eate this Bread and drinke this Cup that is so often as yee doe this yee shew forth or shall shew forth and preach the Lords death till hee come that is yee shall doe it in remembrance of me Hereby shewing and preaching the Lords death The Apostle meaneth not a verball Sermon or a preaching made by word in the Congregation for that wee know is not the part of the people whereof here hee speaketh but a reall preaching acted by the people for their part by taking eating and drinking and therefore the Apostle saith that if they eate and drinke vnworthily they shall be guiltie of the Lords Bodie The reason is because by eating and drinking vnworthily they shew forth preach the Lords death vnworthily that is without the reuerence and respect that the worthinesse of his death deserueth for if they eate and drinke like full and drunken persons their preaching is profane and vitious if they eate and drinke with contempt of the Church and despising of the poore their preaching is disdainefull and ignominious to Christ and his Church This was the Corinthians fault who did abuse this sacred memoriall of the Lords death to his dishonour and disgrace because therein looking too basely on the elements they did not discerne by their religious reuerence and carriage the Body of the Lord from other common food wherefore the Apostle exhorteth them to try and refine themselues from the drosse of the old man their pride their profanenesse their drunkennes and contentions and so eate of that Bread and drinke of that Cup otherwise if they should eate and drinke vnworthily that is without a due regard to him who for a glorious remembrance of himselfe till his comming againe did institute this action they should eate and drinke damnation to themselues This action then as it is in respect of the end that belongeth to vs the communion of the Bodie and Bloud of Christ or the instrument and seale of that communion so in respect of this end that appertaineth to Christ himselfe and of our dutie that should be performed therein to him it is a solemne memoriall or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his death ordained to bee obserued for the praise of his grace and therefore by the ancient and recent VVriters and Doctors of the Church is rightly called the Eucharist not onely for the thankes-giuing wherewith it beginneth and which the Church is accustomed to giue after it is ended which is common to many other religious actions but because the very action it selfe is so to bee esteemed by reason of the end whereunto it is appointed from the which commonly actions receiue their nature and their name and therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a worthy and an honorable remembrance of Christ being one of the chiefe
prayer then wee come and receiue and our receiuing is in faith the mother of humility which in her selfe acknowledgeth nothing but miserie and therfore renouncing her selfe fleeth to the store-house and fountaine of mercy that is in Christ Iesus there eateth and drinketh feedeth and resteth vpon the merit of his death and the eternall Testament confirmed thereby the sense whereof is more pleasant and sweete to the taste of the soule then the hony the hony-comb is to the taste of the mouth For was there euer any thing more pleasant then the meditation of the death of Christ to the penitent soule which being wearied before vnder the burthen of sinne and bruised vnder the weight of the wrath of God well knoweth and is perswaded that Christ hath borne our griefes and carried our sorrowes That hee was wounded for our transgressions that hee was bruised for our iniquities that the chastisement of our peace was vpon him that with his stripes we were healed Thus by the meditation of faith we eate we drinke and feed on Christ with pleasure and ioy that cannot be expressed And is it possible that this ioy pleasure and delectation that wee haue in tasting the sweetnesse and goodnesse that is in him can possesse the soule without thankefulnes that is without such estimation of him and such affection towards him as presently resolueth in most earnest wishes and desires that all the world might ioyne with vs in setting forth his prayses Now what are these wishes and desires issuing from the ardent affection of loue kindled by a liuely and feeling faith but a true inward rendring of thankes Nam gratiam qui habet refert for hee that hath a thankefull heart after this sort giues thanks to God indeed So Christ is spiritually receiued first when with our eyes and eares wee deuoute him as Tertullian saith that is when by these things that wee see and heare in the Sacrament wee call to remembrance the breaking of his Bodie and sheading of his Bloud Secondly when with a spirituall hunger and thirst after the righteousnesse that wee know to bein him we ruminate we chew and eate not with the mouth and the teeth but with the minde and the serious thoughts of a celestiall meditation his death and Passion vntill wee haue sucked and drawne out of it by diuine contemplation the full assurance of reconciliation with God and of saluation And finally digest him and his death not in our belly but in our brest that is in the depths of our hearts by trusting in the All-sufficient fulnesse of the grace and goodnesse yea of the God-head it selfe that is in him wherewith our soules being satiate as with the fatnesse and sweetnesse of Marrow are enlarged with ioyes and filled with the wishes and desires of his eternall praise and glory And therefore as we do testifie our spirituall receiuing of Christ in faith by the outward actions of taking eating and drinking So should we testifie the serious wishes and desires of the heart for our owne saluation and his glory with such an outward gesture and carriage of bodie as is most agreeable to such sacred affections and exercises of the soule in this action And what is more agreeable to the humility of faith wherein we receiue and the hearty prayer and thankesgiuing wherewith wee receiue then the lowly and deuout bowing of our Knees Then to conclude vpon these three considerations first of the giuer and maner of giuing next of the gift thirdly of the manner of receiuing I ground and build this Argument Whatsoeuer Gift our Sauiour deliuereth to all not coniunctly but seuerally to euery one of them by himselfe and that all not coniunctly but seuerally should receiue from his hand with Prayer and Thankesgiuing in presence of the Congregation of the Saints and in a solemne act of Diuine Worship A gift I say that is giuen and should bee taken after such a manner may bee very lawfully receiued by euery one reuerently sitting on his Knees But the Body and Bloud of Iesus Christ in the Sacrament is a gift that is giuen and should be taken after such a manner Therefore the Bodie and Bloud of Iesus Christ in the Sacrament may very lawfully be receiued by euery one reuerently sitting on his knees Thus I prooue the lawfulnesse of Kneeling the expediencie shall bee after cleered SECT 5. The Nature of the Sacrament NOW to come to the last thing which wee propounded to bee considered in this tryall of piety that is the nature of the Sacrament The nature of the Sacrament is to bee esteemed according to the chiefe end wherefore it was instituted and these bee two the one concerneth God and our Sauiour Christ the other the Church The end which concerneth the faithfull is their vnion with Christ and amongst themselues to saluation The end that concerneth God and our Sauiour is the prayse of his glorious grace In respect of the first end it is called The communion of the Bodie and Bloud of Christ the Table and the Supper of the Lord and in respect of the second it is the commemoration and predication of the death of Christ. The action in number is one whereby these ends are attained and produced but is diuersly to be considered according to the diuersitie of these ends In respect of the first it is a representation of the sacrifice of Christ and the application thereof to vs whereby our vnion with him and amongst our selues is performed and in this respect it hath two parts In the first the death of Christ the oblation and sacrificing of himselfe which really was onely done vpon the Crosse is mystically acted in the breaking of the bread and taking of the cup whereby the breaking of his Body and sheading of his Bloud is represented and therefore it may be and is rightly called a representatiue sacrifice The next part is the application of this sacrifice to the faithfull This part is acted first mystically by the command giuen in the name of Christ Take eate and by the obedience giuen by the people in taking and eating the externall elements like as vnder the Law first the oblation was made and then the people did eate of the sacrifices Next this application is acted really and spiritually by the Sacramentall word This is my Bodie which is broken for you This cup is the new Testament in my Bloud By this word accompanied with the power of the Spirit two things are done whereby the reall and spirituall application of the Propitiatorie Sacrifice is made first the mysterie that went before is opened vp and interpreted which represented the sacrificing of Christ and the application of his Sacrifice The sacrificing of Christ which was symbolically represented in taking and breaking of the bread is explaned by that parcell of the word This is my Bodie which is broken This is my Bloud which is shed The application of this Sacrifice to the faithfull which
turned into the Lord Iesus spiritually insomuch that wee become flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones and this conuersion beginneth in this life at the soule and is perfected both in bodie and soule in the life to come Here wee are conuerted in the same minde will and affections then our bodies shall bee made like his glorious Bodie And this conuersion is wrought by the reall vnion that is betwixt our Sauiour and vs represented in this Sacrament by the naturall vnion that is betwixt the bodie that is nourished and the food whereby it is nourished and is most cleerely set downe by our Sauiour himselfe in the sixt chapter of Iohns Gospell wherein the spirituall part of this Sacrament is most accurately described containing both the benefit which wee receiue and the meanes and manner whereby we receiue it The benefit the resurrection of our bodies and life euerlasting in these words Hee that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Bloud hath life eternall and I shall raise him vp at the last Day The meanes and manner whereby wee receiue this benefit is our vnion and communion with Christ and touching the vnion hee saith Hee that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Bloud remaineth in me and I in him Then followeth the communion As the Father liueth so liue I by the Father and hee that eateth mee shall liue by mee Here we haue a fellowship with the Father and with the Sonne in the greatest dignitie and honour whereof a creature can be capable in the blessed the eternall and glorious life of God which is signified sealed vp by the Sacramentall action of eating and drinking the Bread and the Cup of the Lord liuely then any gesture or position of body can expresse SECT 4. So likewise our fellowship amongst our selues is expressed sufficiently by eating the same Bread in the Sacrament AND thus much for our fellowship communion with Christ Our communion and fellowship amongst our selues is in the same place of the Epistle to the Corinths most euidently not shadowed but demonstrated in these words Because the Bread is one wee many are one Bodie for we are all partakers of one Bread Cyprian in the sixt Epistle of his first booke thinketh that our vnion amongst our selues is onely declared by this similitude As many graines are made one Bread and many grapes one Vine so the Church that is a multitude of people is made one spirituall Bodie But the Apostles reason is demonstratiue the ground whereof is that the Bread is one whereof wee are all made partakers one not in forme and kinde onely for so many persons and bodies may bee fed with one bread but one bread in number and therefore all that feed thereon must bee one bodie for two bodie in number cannot feed on the selfe-same bread in number the bread that I eate cannot feed thee and the same bread in number that thou eatest cannot feed mee It is one bread in number that feedeth thee and another bread in number that feedeth me but all the members of my body that are many are fed with one and the selfe-same bread that I receiue and eate and therefore although they bee many yet are they all but one bodie Euen so all the members of the Church which are many are fed with one and the selfe-same Bread in number that is Christ and therefore they must all bee one Bodie This is a demonstration of the cause by the effect It is the proper effect or affection of one bodie to be fed with one bread and therefore to whomsoeuer this effect agreeth they are one body And contrariwise the vnitie of the body or the vnion of the members in one body by one forme as the immediate and proper cause that all these diuers mēbers are fed with one bread As this therefore is a demonstration of the effect by the cause all that are one body feed on one bread All the members of the Church are one Bodie Ergo all the members of the Church feed on one Bread So this is a demonstratiō of the cause by the effect Al that feed on one Bread are one Bodie all the members of the Church feed on one Bread therefore all the members of the Church are one Bodie Here you may perceiue the ground of the reason to bee that the Bread whereof all are partakers is One And this is manifest whether by the bread the signe or the thing signified bee vnderstood for if by the Bread the elementall bread bee vnderstood although that materially it bee diuided in many parts and distributed yet all these parts and pieces are formally one and the selfe-same Sacrament So that although thou receiue not the selfe-same piece of bread in number which I receiue yet thou and I and all of vs receiue the selfe-same Sacrament in number But if by the Bread the Bodie of Christ which is the Bread of life be vnderstood as principally and chiefly it must seeing the Bread which wee breake is as the Apostle saith the communion of Christs Bodie which we participate in breaking of the Sacramentall Bread then the ground of the demonstration is strong and sure That the bread is one in number whereof wee are all partakers because the Bodie of Christ is not diuided and giuen by pieces but is all and whole one and the same in number giuen to all and euery one that worthily receiueth As for the breaking of the elementall bread it signifieth not the distribution of the Bodie of Christ by pieces but the breaking of his Body on the Crosse with the sorrowes of death for our sinnes And here marke by the way that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not alway signifie to receiue with others by parts for if the thing be such as cannot be diuided then it doth signifie the same that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to receiue in common with others So in the third chapter to the Hebrews ver 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and vers 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the participation of Christ of the heauenly Calling importeth not a diuision of Christ and of the heauenly Calling whereof wee are partakers but a communion of Christ and of the heauenly Calling And so in this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to receiue not by parts but in common with others the selfe-same Bread of life in number to wit the Bodie of the Lord Iesus Christ and the selfe-same Sacrament thereof in number whereon it followeth most necessarily that wee who are partakers of that Bread must bee one Bodie Here contention being laid aside I would demand whether the Sacramentall elements and actions that are vsed about them do not sufficiently and fully declare our communion with Christ and amongst our selues or need they any accessarie gesture to supply their defects For is there or was there euer any gesture that can signifie so straite a coniunction as is represented in this Sacrament First betwixt Christ and vs and