and nailed vpon the Crosse is offended at him accounting it a foolish and weake meanes to saue mankinde 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 godlines the high hand and vnsearchable wisedome of God It may seeme ridiculous vnto some men i Gen. 17 10. that God should require circumcision of Abraham and of his houshold young olde bond and free maister and seruants to vncouer all their shames and to open the hidden parts of nature yet Abraham submitted himselfe to the ordinance of God Naaman the Syrian thought it a toyish precept and prescript when he was bidden to wash himselfe seauen times in Iordan hauing many Riuers in his owne country as good as that yet by k 2 Kings 5 11 12 14. obeying the Prophet he was cleansed of his leprosie The inhabitants of Iericho scorned Ioshua and the men of Israell when they saw them compasse their Citty strong walled l Iosh 6.20 and to blow with their Rammes hornes yet by this weake meanes the wall fell downe the enemies were destroyed the Citty was sacked and the people of GOD preuailed Christ seeing a blinde man and willing to heale him he spat on the ground m Ioh. 9 6. and made clay of spittle and annointed the eyes 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 weak things oftentimes confound the mighty strong and wise of the world that no flesh should reioyce in his presence and crosseth all the high conceits 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 yeeld obedience to God must deny himselfe and renounce his owne wisedom n 1 Cor. 3 18.19 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 be 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 Sacraments we must vnderstand more then we see and beleeue more then we can behold Such as are without knowledge and faith comprehend no more of baptisme then the bodily eye directeth them vnto but the faithful conceiue the blood of Christ to be offered to purge the soule and conscience from all sinne o Gen. 2 10. as the riuer watered the garden of Eden CHAP. XI Of the fourth inward part of baptisme THe last inward part of baptisme is the soule a The soule clensed is the last inward part of baptisme cleansed most liuely represented by the bodye that is washed For as the outward receiuer giueth his body to be washed so the faithfull receiuer doth consecrate himselfe to God with ioy and forsake the flesh the world and the Diuell and feeleth the inward washing of the Spirit as Titus 3 5. According to his b Tit. 3 5. Eph. 2 26 27 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 hee might sanctifie it and cleanse 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 commanded by Christ signifieth vnto me that I am no lesse assuredly cleansed in his blood by the working of his Spirit from the spots of my soule that is from all my sins then I am outwardly 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 Vse 1 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 vnrighteous vnregenerate 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 c Rom. 5 10. 7 23 24. as Rom. 5. By one man sin entred into the world and ch 7. I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my mind and leading me captiue vnto the law of sin which is in my mēbers O wretched man that I am who shal deliuer me from the body of this death Hereunto also commeth that which the d Ioh 3 5 6 7. Euangelist setteth downe in the conference betweene Christ and Nicodemus Ioh. 3. That which is born of flesh is flesh and that which is borne of the Spirit is Spirit maruell not that I said vnto thee ye must be borne againe For this cause are infants baptized because they are conceiued in sin borne in iniquity and cannot become spiritual but by a new birth wrought by the Spirit which is sealed vp by the water in baptisme Vse 2 Againe this serueth to strengthen our faith whē we behold the outward washing pouring out of the water and baptizing of the body it assureth the inward clensing of the soule by the blood of Christ offered to all and receiued of those that are elected to eternall saluation This then is the right and holy vse of baptisme Doest thou feele inwardly in thine heart that through the corruption of thy nature strength of concupiscence thou art moued tempted and prouoked to commit sin And doost thou feele thy selfe ready to yeeld to Sathan and so to fall from God into euill Begin to haue some holy meditation of that solemne vow which thou madest to God in baptisme when thou diddest consecrate and giue vp thy selfe wholy to his seruice and didst renounce obedience to the suggestions of Sathan to the allurements of the world and to the corruptions of the flesh For baptisme is the e Baptisme is a Christian mans ensigne to fight vnder it the battels of the Lord. Christian mans ensigne giuen of God to vs that we should fight as it were vnder it against al the enemies of our saluation ouercome It is the badge and banner of our Captaine that we shrouding our selues vnder his colours should not cowardly turne our backe in the skirmish but couragiously looke the enemy in the face nay tread him vnder our feete for euer For we must learne that when we are once baptized whereby wee put on the profession of Iesus Christ and receiue his cognizance we
death hath that effectuall working in cleansing our soules from the corruption and filthinesse of sinne which naturall water hath in washing our bodies By the merit of his death we haue full forgiuenes 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 ful of efficacy Therfore the words deliuered by the minister in baptisme at the commandement of Christ namely e Mat. 28 19. I baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy-Ghost should be alwayes in our eares euen vntill the last gaspe and by them we ought to bee assured of the full forgiuenes of our offences against God For the blood of christ by which we are once washed can neuer bee drawne dry but is euer fresh full of force and strength to the continual clensing of our filthines and iniquities so that they neuer come into the sight of God neither are imputed vnto vs. Wherefore it is like vnto a sealed charter wherby is confirmed that all our sins are blotted out We are all taught by our baptism that none of the enemies of our saluation shal be able to lay any sin to our charge Art thou tempted to thinke that Christs blood was not shed for thee That thy transgressions are not pardoned That thou shalt bee brought to iudgement for them Doth Sathan tempt thy tender conscience with theÌ„ Thou maist as well doubt that thou wast not baptized and washed with water as doubt thy sinnes are not blotted out thou maist as well surmize thou perishedst in the water as suppose thou shalt perish in thy wickednes the floods wherof howsoeuer they go ouer thy head yet shall not be able to preuaile against thee fully and ouercome thee finally This serueth to conuince diuers hereticks that are altogether ignorant of the right vse of Baptisme The Messalâ—ans beleeued that baptisme was onely auaileable to take away former sinnes De diuin decre ca. de bapt But Theodoret teacheth that baptisme is the earnest of future graces not as a razor to cut away onely the sins that went before The Papists suppose no sinne forgiuen by baptisme in infants but one sin only which is originall In those that are baptized being of age whereof there is small or rare vse in these daies they inlarge and extend it thus farre as that it taketh away both originall and actuall sinnes before baptisme onely wherein although they would seeme to open the Lords hand very wide toward vs yet they are indeed notable Church-robbers who to maintaine their bellies their lusts do vtterly spoile vs not of a piece but of our whole saluation in Iesus Christ whilest they send vs to our owne satisfactions by prayers fastings whippings and such like Note therefore that our Sauiour saith He that beleeueth and is baptized Mar. 16 16. Tit. 3 5. 1 Pet. 3 21. shall be saued Saint Paul saith Tit. 3 5 that baptisme hath saued vs and Peter affirmeth that it doth saue vs 1 Pet. 3 21. Where the saluation that we haue through faith in baptisme being applied to the time past present and to come that is to all times it is euident that baptisme doth as well seale vp vnto vs the remission of the sinnes that wee commit at the last houre of death as the in-borne sinne wherein we were first conceiued in our mothers wombe This Saint Austine saw and therefore teacheth Aust de nuptijs concup lib. 1. cap. 33. that by the lauer of regeneration and word of sanctification all the euils of regenerate men are cleansed not onely sinnes past but such as are committed afterward by ignorance or infirmity so that great is the pardon of baptisme This then ouerthroweth the false d Concil Trid. sess 5. doctrine of the false Church of Rome the Mother of abhominations which teacheth that by the grace of Christ receiued in baptisme all our sinnes going before it are razed and blotted out and leaueth nothing in the party baptized e Bellar. lib. 1. de bapt cap. 13. that hath the name and nature of sin But albeit our sinnes be freely and fully forgiuen for Christs sake pardoned and not imputed couered and remembred no more yet the staine blot and remnants of sinne remaine though not raigne in our flesh so long as we liue in this world which in the end of our dayes together with the mortality and corruption of our bodies shall be taken away and abolished Indeed the Scripture teacheth that Christs blood cleanseth washeth g Iob. 1.29 Psal 32.1 and taketh away sin Ioh. 1. Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sin of the world but this is not by an actual purging of vs from all corruption but in freely acquiting and truely discharging vs from the guilt offence and punishment before God as Psal 32 Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sins are lightened blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sin Therefore though they be forgiuen yet they remaine g 1 Ioh. 1 8. as appeareth Iohn 1 29. If we say we haue no sin we deceiue our selues and there is no truth in vs. And Salomon in his worthy prayer saith If any sin against thee 1 Kings 8 46. Rom 7 23. Eph. 4 23. Col. 3 3. Esay 64 6. for there is no man that sinneth not So the Apostle teacheth and toucheth this truth by his owne experience Rom. 7. I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my mind and leading me captiue vnto the law of sin which is in my members We are all as a filthy cloth the flesh rebelleth against the Spirit and in nothing we can do the things we would so that if God enter into iudgement with vs wee cannot stand in his sight And if originall sinne were extinguished and vtterly abolished in baptisme then they which are baptized should sin no more but we see they sin againe after their baptisme To conclude baptisme is auaileable not onely for sins before but it is a seale for confirmation of faith touching the remission of those sins that are committed after baptisme as well as done before as our blessed Sauiour teacheth Marke 16 16. Hee that shall beleeue and bee baptized shall be saued but he that will not beleeue shall be damned Faith then beleeueth the forgiuenes of all sinnes past and to come inasmuch as the blood of Christ cleanseth froÌ„ all sins And the apostle accordeth heereunto Titus 3 5 7. According to his mercy hee saued vs by the washing of the newe birth and the renewing of the Holy-Ghost that we being iustified by his grace should be made heires according to the hope of euerlasting life Where we see that the promise of iustification is generall against all sinnes Thus much of the second vse CHAP. XIIII Of the third vse of Baptisme THe third vse of baptisme is to kill and bury
Fathers appointing of his Son the Ministers blessing the Fathers separating and setting apart his Sonne to his office the Ministers deliuering of the bread the Fathers giuing of his Sonne If then wee draw neere to the Lords table with faith reuerence and repentance nothing can be more sure and certaine to vs then the taking and receiuing of Christ for when we receiue the bread from the Minister wee withall receiue the body of Christ offered by the hand of God the Father so that as we are assured of the one we need not doubt of the other Vse 4 Lastly the breaking of the bread pouring out of the wine and deliuering of them both into the hands of the Communicants seale vp these actions of God his chastising of his Sonne and breaking him with sorrowes vpon the Crosse for our redemption offering him vnto all euen vnto hypocrites and giuing him truely to the faithfull with all the benefits of his passion Indeed the Minister giueth the outward signes to all receiuers but God giueth and applyeth onely to the faithfull the shedding of Christs blood for the daily increase of their faith and repentance But heere it may be obiected Obiection that not a bone of him was broken t Exod. 12 45 as it was figured by the Passeouer and performed at his passion the verifying and accomplishment whereof we reade Iohn 19 36. I answere Answere there is a double breaking of Christ one corporall whereof the places before doe speake the other figuratiue whereby is vnderstood u Esa 53 4.5 hee was tormented and euen torne with paines as Esa 53. He was wounded for our transgressions and broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes we are healed Lo what is meant by the breaking of the bread his soule was tormented his spirit was crushed his hands and feet were pierced he sweat drops of Water and blood and cryed out aloud vpon the Crosse My Maâ— 27 46. God my God why hast thou forsaken me Wherefore let these rites be rightly marked and obserued of vs for our comfort and consolation Let vs when wee see the bread broken and wine poured out meditate on the passion of Christ how he was wounded and torne for our transgressions Although not a bone of his body was broken in pieces yet hee was broken with afflictions bruised with sorrowes and tormented with bitter anguish of his soule by whose stripes we are healed by whose condemnation we are iustified by whose agonies we are comforted by whose death we are quickened Whosoeuer resteth in the outward workes done before his eyes neuer attaineth to the substance of the Sacrament Thus much of the first inward part CHAP. IX Of the second inward part of the Lords Supper THe second inward part is the a The second inward part of the Lords Supper is the holy Spirit holy Spirit who assureth vs of the truth of Gods promise As we haue in the word of truth the forgiuenes of sins increase of faith groweth in sanctification a great measure of dying to sin and a greater care to liue in newnes of life promised vnto vs so doth the Spirit worke these things b Rom. 8 15. Gal. 3 2 5. in the hearts of all the faithfull This appeareth in many places Rom. 8. Ye haue receiued the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father the same Spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God To one is giuen by the Spirit the word of wisedome to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit to another is giuen faith by the same Spirit all these things worketh one and the selfe same Spirit distributing to euery man seuerally as he will So then as we are weake in faith and slow to beleeue so wee haue the Spirit giuen vnto vs to helpe our infirmities and to open our hearts to receiue the promises For the Lord Iesus raigning continually in his Church and performing the office of a Prophet doth make the words of his Ministers liuely by his Spirit in our hearts and causeth them to be of perpetuall force and efficacy assuring vs of his promises made vnto vs and vniting the signe with the thing signified This truth being cleared the vses offer themselues Vse 1 to be câ—nsidered And first of all inasmuch as the Spirite worketh these things in the hearts of all the faithfulll from hence we gather that such as neuer finde any change or renewing of the minde or reformation of life after the receiuing of the Sacraments may iustly suspect themselues whether euer they had faith or not and whether euer they repented or not and therefore ought to vse the meanes to come by faith and repentance For the worke of the Spirite accompanieth the outward worke in the elect of God as also we see in the hearing of faith preached he must open the heart that is closed vp before wee can receiue with meekenesse c Iam. 1 21. the word of that is grafted in vs which is able to saue our soules Indeed euery person present may heare the words of institution may see the wine poured out may eat of that bread and drinke of that cup as they may also heare the sound of the voice that commeth vnto them but the whole force effect and power resteth onely in the Spirit of God sealing vp the truth and substance of those things in the hearts of all the Children of God Vse 2 Againe seeing these things are done and performed by the working of the Spirit they are confuted and conuinced that thinke they cannot be made partakers of the body and blood of Christ and be vnited to his flesh vnlesse his body be shut vp vnder the accidents of bread and shewes of wine and so his flesh be giuen vnto vs carnally that we may eate him with our mouths and conuey him into our stomackes But we see heere the Holy-Ghost is the bond of this vnion he worketh in vs faith which pierceth the heauens and layeth hold on Christ It is said of Abraham the Father of the faithfull that d Ioh. 8 56. he reioyced to see the day of Christ he saw it and was glad For as we cannot see him with our bodily eyes nor heare him with our bodily eares nor touch him with our bodily hands no more can wee taste or eate him with our bodily mouths By the hand of faith we reach and apply him by the mouth of faith we receiue and eate him Let vs beleeue in Christ and we e Aug. tract in Iohn 26. 27. haue eaten Christ let vs not prepare our teeth and our belly but a liuely faith working by loue Wherefore albeit the humane nature of Christ goe not out of the highest heauens yet we that liue vpon the earth are partakers of his bodye contained in the heauens and his flesh and blood are communicated to vs as truely and effectually as if he were there
but we deny that Christ is thus present in the Sacrament for his body cannot be vnder so little a quantity of bread and wine besides it is impiety to auouch that the person of Christ or his bodye and blood can be truely receiued of Dogges Swine and Mice be chewed with the teeth swallowed downe the throat digested in the stomacke and be cast out into vncleane places This we deny this we do not beleeue this we abhorre and detest from the bottome of our hearts What is it then we teach and professe We deny that the body and blood of Christ are carnally contained vnder the shewes and shaddowes of bread and wine we deny them to be eaten and drunken of wicked men or vnreasonable creatures we deny that they are truely and properly both in heauen and on the earth in pixes and on the Altars These are k Aug tract 25 in Iohan. meate for the minde not for the mouth for faith not for the teeth for our beleefe not for the belly for the soule not for the body For this cause Chrysost hom 24. in 1 Cor. saith well Vbi cadauer ibi aquilae c. that is where the carkasse is there are the Eagles the carkasse is the Lords body because of his death he calleth vs the Eagles to shew that he must flye vp on high that will come neere to that body This carnall eating of Christ is l Sundry reasons rendred to refel the real presence confuted and conuinced by many reasons First Christ sate downe at the Table and the Disciples with him afterward he tooke bread gaue thanks brake it gaue it and said This is my body likewise he tooke and gaue the cuppe and saide Drinke yee all of this whereby we see when the Apostles receiued m Luk. 22 19. the Sacrament Christ sate at the Table with his true body but the body which they tooke sate not at the Table therefore they tooke the signe of his body Likewise the blood which they receiued was not in the body which sate at the Table therefore it was not properly Christs blood which was not as yet really and actually shedde The same body could not sit at the Table and not sit at the Table the same body could not be in their hands and out of their hands the blood of Christ could not be out of his veines in the cup and in his veines within his body hee could not sit visible at the Table and be inuisible in the mouths and bellies of the Disciples Wherefore the reall prsence bringeth with it reall contradictions which cannot stand together Secondly the end of the Lords Supper is to call his death to a continuall remembrance as Luke 22. Do this in n Luk. 22 19. remembrance of me and the Apostle 1 Cor. 11. Ye shew the Lords death vntill he come Now to what end should we neede the remembrance of Christ if hee were corporally present in the Sacrament if he were taken in the hands if he were holden in the mouth if he were eaten with the teeth And to what purpose should wee shew the Lords death till hee come if he come daily and be present bodily in the Sacrament Besides the wisest among the Philosophers teach vs that o Arist lib. de memoria sence is of things present but remembrance is of such things as are abseÌ„t as hope is of such things as are to come not seene p Rom. 8 24. and this the Apostle teacheth Thirdly Christ receiued a true body with all the naturall properties of an humane body like to vs in all things sinne q Heb. 4 15. onely excepted and is therefore called the sonne of Dauid the sonne of Mary the sonne of man our brother partaker of flesh and blood he is said to haue taken vpon him the seede of Abraham and not the Angels nature r Luk. 24 â—9 to be visible Luk. 24 39. Behold my hands and my feet for it is I my selfe handle me and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me haue For if he may be in many places together in some place visible and in some inuisible in some to be handled in others not to be handled hee can haue no true body of a true man And if this were not a strong reason It is not felt and seene therefore no humane body the Disciples might haue answered vnto Christ why doest thou bid vs behold thy hands and see thy feete and handle thy body and therby to try thy humanity seeing thou hast a body which cannot be seene touched or handled â—ourthly Christ hath left the earth with his bodily presence and is ascended vp into heauen farre aboue all principalities and powers and is sit downe Å¿ Act. 1 9. and 3 22. on the right hand of his Father as Act. 1. While they beheld hee was taken vp And Mar. 26. After the Lord had spoken vnto them he was receiued into heauen and sate at the right hand of God So Act. 3. Whom the heauens must containe vntill the time that all things are restored Likewise Phil. 3. Our conuersation is in heauen from whence we looke for a Sauiour And againe Luk. 24. As he blessed them he departed from them and was caried vp into heauen So Ioh. 12. The poore alwayes ye haue with you but me ye shall not haue alwayes I am come out from the Father and came into the world againe I leaue the world and goe to my Father If these things be true that Christ is t Catechism Triden in exposit Simbo Apostol departed from vs if he be no longer among vs if he be taken vp into heauen if he must be contained there vntill the restoring of al things if we must looke for a Sauiour froÌ„ heauen to change our vile bodies if he be carried vp to his Father and haue left the world then he is not now present with vs his body is not in euery Altar he doth not lurke and lye vnder the shewes of bread and wine For to be departed from vs and not to be departed from vs to be contained in heauen and not to be contained in heauen to leaue the world and yet to remaine in the world to sit at the right hand of God and to lye vnder euery Altar cannot stand together any more then to be a man and no man to be Christ and not Christ to be a Sauiour and no Sauiour to be God and not God Fiftly Christ reproueth the Caparnaits because they thought his body was to be eaten in fleshly manner with the mouth of the body should descend into the stomack which is the way that all other meates do passe when they heard him preach of eating his flesh drinking his blood they said u Ioh. 6 60.36 This is an hard saying who can heare it They murmured and departed from him because they thought they must eate him with the mouth and teeth chew him and
is the sound comfort following and flowing from the death of Christ To conclude we must learne and hold for euer that wee haue the beginning 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 condemn them and naile them to his crosse let vs kill them mortifie them and bury them in his graue for euer This is the first end of the supper which is signified by the breaking of the bread and powring out of the wine declaring vnto vs that as the body of our Lord was broken and by violent meanes afflicted so his bloud gushed out and flowed plentifully out of his gaping and bleeding woundes This must be our meditation whensoeuer wee come to the Lords table For the passion of Christ as the breaking of his body vppon the crosse the powring out of his bloud and the separating of the Soule from the body must be both spoken of by the Pastor and remembred by the receiuer in the Supper if the one would deliuer it faithfully and the other receiue it fruitfully We must call to minde that Christ humbled himselfe to death for vs euen to the accursed death of the crosse that hee apprehended and felte the whole wrath of God vpon him in Soule and body whereby he was brought into a grieuous agony his body being rent with nayles beaten with scourges pricked with thornes pearced with a speare and his Soule pressed with the burden of all our sins which were cast vpon his shoulders he standing as a pledge and surety in our places What shall wee returne vnto him for this mercy and what loue ought wee to render for this great loue Shal we not crush the very head of sin that hath thus crushed our head Let vs not therefore wound him that hath cured vs nor pierce him with our sinnes that was killed for our sins or crucifie him by the lusts of the old man who was crucified to make vs newe men And thus much of the first end of the Lords Supper CHAP. XIII Of the second vse of the Lords Supper THe second vse of the Lords Supper is our spirituall vnion and communion with Christ 1 Cor. 10 16 This the Apostle declareth The cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the cōmunion of the blood of Christ The bread which we breake is it not the cōmunion of the body of Christ Whereby hee meaneth that the faithfull which come conscionably worthily to the lords table are ioyned and vnited wholy to Christ by the bread Sacramentally by faith instrumentally by the Holy ghost spiritually and by them almost effectually For wee take the bread in our hands and likewise we take the cuppe into our hands as Christ commaunded saying b Mat. 26 26. Take ye eate ye drinke ye deuide ye Neither doe wee lay them apart or hide them aside or reserue them in a boxe or abstaine from them but when we haue taken them we eat them we digest them we are nourished by them and they are turned into our substance So Christ being eatē of the godly by saith is vnited to them by his spirit as wee haue shewed before whereby they are made one with Christ and he one with them And as meate plentifully prepared daintily dressed and onely 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 gospell and beleeue that Christ with all his guifts is ours they profite 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 c Gal. 2 20 particularly for themselues yea communicateth himselfe and all his guifts vnto them aboundantly as certainely 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 mystery euen d Eph. 5 32. a great mystery speaking of Christ of the Church For what vnion can be 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 it is needfull to be ioyned to one which may giue life to vs that as we dye in Adam e Rom. 5 19. so we may liue in him This vnion cannot by reason be expressed or fully vnderstood As Christ in the daies of his flesh had a double kindred one earthly and carnall kinred the other spirituall that by faith receiued his word and beleeued in his name of whom he said f Mat. 12 44. 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 vnion and fellowship with him one is outward bodily which al mankinde hath with him in that he is partaker of our flesh and blood the other inward spirituall whereby we are made partakers of him and of all his sauing graces to euerlasting life As Christ was borne of the Virgin Mary vnited our nature to him taking vpon him g Heb. 2 16. not the Angels nature but the seed of Abraham euery reprobate hath this vnion with him in that hee tooke vpon him the shape of a man but there is a mysticall and maruellous 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 body If the arme ioyned to the body haue no life no sence no benefit of vitall spirits it is no part of the body though it be vnited to it so the wicked liuing without faith are as it were sencelesse they haue no forgiuenesse 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 spiritually vnto him The bodily vnion with him shall profite nothing it is the Spirit that giueth life Seeing then the receiuing of the bread and wine which Vse 1 turne into our substance teacheth the mysticall vnion betweene Christ and his members wee learne 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 interest with him in the commodities of this life g Gen. 20.16 and looketh
whole volume of such differences howbeit I will leaue them in their owne deuises and come to the third point which is to answere those that pleade the cause of Baal and are bold to speake what they dare for the whore of Babell who albeit they liue among vs and would bee thought to bee of vs yet they are neyther affrayd nor ashamed to affirme n Against such as would not haue it disputed and determined how Christ is present that the controuersie of the Supper is not so manifest as we teach nor the words of Christ so easie as we affirme nor the iudgement of the Fathers so cleer as we pretend nor the maner of eating so necessary to be holden as we define that we are to beleeue that Christ is present but how he is preseÌ„t we should not dispute whether it be carnally or whether it bee spiritually Indeed we feare not to teach that there is no transelementation or transubstantiation that is no reall turning of the bread into the body and the wine into the bloud of Christ but when he said This is my body hee intendeth not to change one substance into another but meaneth This bread is a signe or Sacrament of my body which is deliuered to death for vs and for our saluation And when he saith This Cup is the new Testament in my bloud hee vnderstandeth that the wine in the Cup is a Sacrament of the new Testament of our reconciliation to God and of our communion and participation of Christ with al his benefits therefore we doubt not to call this Sacrament a representation a remeÌ„brance an image a token a type an antitype a signe a figure and such like Now that it may appeare that the wordes of institution are truely expounded and haue the constant consent and full approbation of al antiquity o The ancieÌ„t Fathers teach the same touching the Supper that we doe let vs produce our witnesses and see what the Fathers of the grayest heads before vs haue declared deliuered But before we come to fight hand to hand with these aduersaries and to discharge the volly of shot which we haue in store it shall not be amisse to set downe certaine inducements as it were certaine preparatiues to leade vs to beleeue that the Doctours of the Church are no lesse ours in this cause and controuersie then Caluine and Beza and the later writers For first we shal neuer read in all the monuments of former times any mention of adoration or eleuation of the host or that the maner was to lick vp the drops of the Challice or to sweepe the place where a drop was falne or to burne the wormes which haue corrupted or consumed it or to seeke out the host wheÌ„ it is vomited vp to commend those that will swallow it againe Secondly Ierome teacheth that after the communion they had a common banket in the Church whereat they did eate vp all that q Ierom. vpon 1 Cor. 11. remained after the administration of the Supper If then it were the manner of many Churches to eate the residue at their loue feasts and ordinary bankets doubtlesse they did not thinke it was Christ himselfe which was eaten therein Thirdly the custome was in some places to burne the remainder of the r Hesych lib. 2. in Leuit. ca. 8. Eucharist and therefore it could not bee that they should beleeue that the bread was the very body of Christ forasmuch as it had beene horrible impiety and a most detestable prophanation to burne it as a Å¿ Gregory 7. an Atheist NecromaÌ„cer certaine Pope in his rage and fury cast the Eucharist into the fire because it did not answere to his questions when he consulted with it or else peraduenture the body of Christ seeing the flame of fire comming toward it fled vp into heauen for feare of beeing consumed by it Fourthly another teacheth that in other Churches the custome was to giue the parts that were not spent and vsed to little children t Niceph lib. 17. cap. 25. frequenting the Schoole who are barred from partaking of the Supper by the Apostle because they are not able u 1 Cor. 11.28 to examine themselues and therefore they were not of opinion with the Church of Rome Fiftly the Masse it selfe vsed at this day and the prayers vsed in it do speake for the truth against their Idolatrous practise Heereunto commeth their sursum corda when they exhort to lift vp the heart on high to God and the prayers crauing of God that their oblation may be acceptable which is the figure and signe of the body and blood of our Lord whereas if the Church had beleeued that they did eate Christ with their mouths they might haue stayed their eyes beneath gazing and gaping vpon that which the Priest held in his hands and needed not to haue lifted vp their harts to Christ Iesus which sitteth at the right hand of his Father in the highest heauens Sixtly they teach vniformely that a body cannot be but in one place and that if we take space of place from them we destroy the being of a body and thereupon one saith a Virgil. lib. 1. Contr. Eutich The flesh of Chrâ—st was not in heauen when it was vpon the earth and now because it is in heauen it is not on earth And Augustine in his 57 Epistle to Dardanus hath these words The humane nature of Christ is destroyed if there bee not giuen vnto him after the manner of other bodies a certaine space wherin he may be contained The popish purgers and correcters could not suffer the waight of this sentence and therefore haue b Printed at Paris Anno. 1571. raced it out of some of their late editions and yet Bellarmine doth alledge it and obiect it against himselfe howbeit it is likely he did not remember himselfe but had forgotten to consult with his good companions who blot out that which they cannot answere These sixe considerations are as certaine inducements to sharpeÌ„ our taste to break the Ice and so to prepare the way now let vs set downe the seuerall testimonies themselues and see how they depose for vs. Tertullian one of the most ancient faith c Tertul cont Marci lib. 4. Christ receiuing the bread and the same being diuided vnto his Disciples made it to be his body saying This is my bodye that is to say a signe of my body Theodoret saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that is the mysticall signes depart not from their nature no not after consecration for they remaine in their former substance figure and forme Can any thing be spoken more plainely Doubtlesse Theodoret was in this point a Lutheran or a Caluinist one of those whom the bastard Catholikes call heretickes Augustine is a man of great authority in the Church therfore a sufficient witnesse beyond all exception he saith for vs d Aug. cont Adamantâ— â—2 The Lord made no doubt
according to the seuerall times and seasons that God hath appointed howbeit the substance and effect the truth things signified are one and the same as the bodye is one albeit it receiue diuers garments to couer it The Passeouer and Supper of the Lord agree in the inward signification both of them representing teaching and offering the merites of Christs death Baptisme circumcision are likewise the same in substance the one cutting off the other washing away the naturall contagion and corruption of sinne by the shedding of the blood of the Messiah The same Gospell was preached to Adam by the Lord himselfe and afterward reuealed to Abraham and his posterity as also it was published by Christ and his Apostles albeit in the time of the lawe more darkely and obscurely but in the time of grace more plainely and cleerely The same sauing and iustifying faith was in Abraham the Father of the faithfull and in all other that euer were or shal be saued And therefore Iohn 1 29. Reuel 13 8. Christ is called The Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world And in another place The lambe slaine from the foundation of the world To this purpose the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 10. That the Israelites did eate the same spirituall meat and dranke of the same spirituall drinke that wee doe for they dranke of that spirituall Rocke which followed them and that Rocke was Christ Likewise in the Epistle to the Hebrewes Chap. 13. Iesus Christ yesterday and to day and the same for euer Hee was alwayes the foundation of the Church and the Fathers were saued by no other meanes then we are that is through him onely God hath appointed him ouer al things to be the head of the Church and the Sauiour of his body Ephes 1 22 and 4 16. There is giuen no other name vnder heauen whereby we must bee saued Acts 4 12. No man knoweth the Father but the Sonne and he to whome the Sonne will reueale him Math. 11 27. Ioh. 14 16. Lastly he saith of himselfe I am the way and the truth and the life In which words hee speaketh exclusiuely shutting out all others and meaneth that hee is the way alone the truth alone and the life alone by which Adam and all his posterity that beleeued attained vnto saluation No man therefore commeth vnto the Father but by him He sheweth Iohn 8.56 that Abraham reioyced to see his day and he saw it and was glad They which liued vnder the law and before the law as well as such as liue vnder the Gospell were no otherwise iustified reconciled and saued then by the blood of the onely mediator Christ Iesus who indeed was the end of the law forasmuch as the Gospell is no other then the law promised Rom. 1 2. 1 Pet. 1 10. and the lawe is no other then the Gospell exhibited and accomplished and all the Prophets beare witnesse of Christ and his Gospell Acts 10. For albeit he was manifested in the flesh in the last age of the world and was crucified when the fulnes of time came yet his death was as effectual to the faithfull before the flood and after the flood before the law and after the giuing of the law as to the faithfull that liued with Christ and after the ascension of Christ and it was as powerfull and profitable to them that liued before he dwelt vpon the earth as when hee did hang vppon the Crosse This point duely marked offereth vnto vs diuers good meditations to bee pondered in our hearts First that there is but one faith and one true religion one way to heauen and one truth in all the Sacraments albeit they haue diuers formes and figures We haue one Lord and one Baptisme saith the Apostle Ephes 4. Gal. 1 8. We haue but one Christ and one Gospell If an Angell from heauen preach any other Gospell any other faith any other Christ any other Sacraments let him be accursed Secondly the Fathers before Christs incarnation and taking flesh of the blessed Virgin were saued and went in soule to heauen as directly and certainely as they doe that dye now in the faith of Christ The gates of the kingdome of heauen were not as a Pallace that is locked and barâ—ed but they were opened to all beleeuers before the resurrection and ascension of Christ as wel as in our daies when he sitteth at the right hand of his Father and maketh continuall intercession for vs. Enoch and Elias were translated from the earth and ascended into heauen they were in Abrahams bosome Luke 16.26 and 23 42.43 which is no other then heauen Luke 16.26 So the penitent theefe before Christ rose again went with him into Paradice Luke 23. which is nothing else but the kingdome of heauen as appeareth by comparing the request of the theefe with the answere of Christ The Prophet Dauid saith Psalme 112. The righteous shal be in euerlasting remembrance And Salomon Prou. 10 7. The memory of the iust is blessed For seeing they are iustified by the same meanes that we are why should they not receiue the crowne of glory and reward of righteousnesse in the same manner that we do This serueth to ouerthrow the doctrin of the Church of the Romanists I doe not meane the true Church to which Paul wrote but the false Church of the Romanists that now glory in the name of a Church as they do in the name of Catholikes But like Church like Catholikes a bastard Church bastard Catholikes Their Church is antichristian and they themselues heretickes they haue a name that they liue but they are dead These men as if they were of counsell with God take vpon them to tel vs many secrets and hidden mysteries in heauen hell as if they had searched the vtmost bounds and borders of them The popish orders of Angels In heauen they sticke not to define the degrees and orders of Angels and they number vp nine seuerall names of them Principalities rules powers dominions thrones Cherubim Seraphim Angels and Archangels Likewise they make foure infernall and subterrestriall places hell purgatory limbus infantum The popish diuision of Hell limbus patrum Hell is made the lowest roome where the Reprobate and damned abide in euerlasting fire from whence is no redemption Purgatory is the next hotte house where the soules of such as dye in veniall sinnes lye puling and purging themselues till they bee helped out by dirges and masses and pardons and such like trumpery and foolery that I doe not say impiety and blasphemy The third dungeon is called limbus puerorum where children remaine and continue that dye vnbaptized which hauâ— lost the glory of heauen and yet lye there without paine and torment a gentle kinde of hell inuented by themselues and contradicted also by their owne writers among whom many teach that the want of heauen is as great a punishment as the sense of hell The last Cabbine of hell which
that the Lord is so gracious and mercifull that he will shew mercy to a thousand generations and therefore why should we shrinke in the sinewes of it and penne it vp in a narrow roome as if the couenant did not belong to such infants nor the seale of it Or by what law are they to beare part of the punishment that are no way guilty of the crime It is the rule that God hath left in his word that the soule which sinneth shall dye They then are greatly deceiued that hold opinion that when once the parents are cut off from the Church their children haue right to no benefit or priuiledge of the Church Beza handling this question in his 10. Epistle declareth at large that all such as are not called and accounted the members of the Church must not be held in the same ranke Beza epist 10. nor haue equal iudgement giuen of them Of such persons there are foure kindes farre differing the one from the other The first is of those who neither according to election neyther in themselues are any way members of Christ who are no better then reprobates and vessels of wrath ordained of old to condemnation Iud 4. albeit through outward shew and profession and through a temporary faith wherby they deceiue both themselues and others they are reputed to be among the members of the Church Such was Esau whom God determined to hate Rom. 9. Rom. 9 13. Ioh. 17 12. 1 Ioh. 2 19. and such was Iudas the sonne of perdition Ioh. 17. and of such speaketh the apostle Iohn If they had beene of vs doubtlesse they would haue continued with vs. The second sort is of those who according to eternall election are elected in Christ and consequently are the members of Christ albeit they be not yet called or conuerted These are not members actually but in the eternall counsell of God In this sense Paul saith that God had separated him from his mothers wombe Gal. 1 15. and called him by his grace Gal. 1. Whereas a long time hee was after a sort a member of Sathan persecuting the Church And in another place he saith Grace was giuen vs in Christ Iesus before the world began 2 Tim. 1. 2 Tim. 1 9. Likewise he speaketh in his owne person and in the person of the beleeuers that when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son Rom. 5 10. Rom. 5 10. The third sort is of such as both according to election and their present condition are really and actually the Sonnes of God vnited to Christ by faith beeing iustâ—fied and sanctified by his Spirit and expressing the power of it Rom. 8.14 as the Apostle saith Rom. 8. As many as are led by the Spirite of God they are the Sonnes of God The fourth and last soâ—te is of such as doe most properly belong to the matter wee haue in hand who being elect of God and ingrafted into Christ yet falling through infirmity and giuing offence vnto others are deliuered vnto Sathan that godly sorrow may worke in them repentance Such cannot bee cut off from Christ forasmuch as the seed of faith remaineth in them albeit the sense of faith be lost vntil they renew their repentance Our Sauiour saith All that the Father giueth me shall come to me and him that commeth to me I will in no wise cast out Ioh. 6 37. Heereunto commeth the saying of Iohn 1 Ioh. 1 19. If they had been of vs they would no doubt haue continued with vs. And Paul saith The foundation of God remaineth sure 2 Tim. 2 1â— and hath this seale The Lord knoweth who are his 2. Tim. 2. The application of all this we heard before that we must be ruled by the law of charity to hope well and to iudge the best euen of such as are holden captiues in the snare of the diuell and therefore farre bee it from vs to conclude that because the parents are excommunicated the children pertaine not to the kingdome of God Vse 3 Thirdly we may see the great loue of God to all beleeuers seeing he vouchsafeth not onely to be their God but the God of their seede after them as God himselfe t Gen. 17 1.2.7 promiseth to Abraham Gen. 17 I will make my couenant betweene me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations I will be their God walke before me 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 aboundeth in kindnesse toward vs and the fruite of our body Let vs returne vnto him loue for his loue who loued vs first Vse 4 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 intreat in the chapter following where we will proue this truth by testimonies of the Scriptures and maintain it against the Anabaptists and other hereticks that condemne the same CHAP. VII That Infants are to be baptized ALthough it cannot appeare vnto vs that infants and new borne babes brought to be baptized haue actual faith but rather is like they want the habite of faith which hue a Deut. 1 39. Luk. 1 15 44. not the vse of vnderstanding vnlesse God extraordinarily worke it which lyeth not in vs to iudge of yet wee baptize them and admit them to this Sacrament which we do vpon very good grounds and sufficient reasons First therefore we will proue by euident demonstration out of the Scriptures the doctrine of childrens baptisme to be conformable to the Iewes circumcision agreeable to the practise of the Apostles allowable by the words 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 gathered from hence for the strength of faith and the increase of our obedience Touching the first that the baptizing of infants is warranted by the word b Reasons warranting the baptizing of children of God I wil make it appeare by sundry reasons Wee see in the olde Testament that all males by expresse commandement were willed to bee circumcised the c Gen. 17 12. Phil. 3 5. eight day If God made infants partakers of circumcision why should we not hold the same of baptisme being instituted for vs in stead of circumcision d Col. 2 11. there being the same promises in both and there being the same ends of both If then the couenant made with Abraham remaine stable and stedfast it doth no lesse belong to the children of Christians at this day then
of Christ seeing they are a principall part of his possession If they be a part of the houshold they ought to haue entrance into the house if they belong to the Citty of God who shall dare to shut the gates against them Or if they bee in the number of the sheepe of Christ who shal presume to keepe them from the sheepefold Or if they be sound members of the body of Christ who shall cut them off as rotten members Wherefore then u Gen. 17 7. Acts 2 39. 1. Cor 7 14. should they not receiue the seale whereby the promise is confirmed vnto them seeing they haue the promise it selfe of saluation Why should they not bee partakers of the outward signe a Mat. 19 14. seeing they are partakers of the thing signified Why should they be put backe from the figure seeing they haue the truth it selfe Why should they not be partakers of the Sacrament with the faithfull seeing they are enrolled in the fellowship of the faithfull And who shall depriue them of the seale of the couenant seeing they are partakers of regeneration and remission of sinnes Heereupon thus we reason whosoeuer are in the couenant and Church of God vnto them belongeth baptisme which is the seale of the couenant but Infants are in the Couenant and of the Church therefore to them belongeth baptisme which is the seale of the Couenant Againe to whome the promise appertaineth they may and ought to bee baptized but the promise was made euen to Infants therefore they may and ought to be baptized Furthermore to whom forgiuenesse of sinnes and the Holy-Ghost are promised and giuen they ought by no meanes to be denied the outward signe but forgiuenesse of sinnes and the Holy-Ghost are promised to Infants and giuen vnto them therefore infants ought not to be kept from the element of water no more then such as are of yeares of discretion Thus much of the first point putting Children into the right and possession of Baptisme as if it were the right heires into their inheritance from which they haue beene wrongfully and vniustly dispossessed Hauing now sufficiently proued by the Scripture that children are to be baptized it remaineth that we should maintaine this assertion against b Obiections of Anabaptists impugning childrens baptisme anâ—wered the cauils of the Anabaptists For as the former reasons grounded vpon the euident demonstration of the worde as vpon a pillar that cannot be shaken may perswade vs to embrace the truth so the weakenesse and sophistry which appeareth in the Obiections of the aduersaries serueth to confirme vs in this perswasion But let vs examine what is the strength of them First they obiect Obiection it was neuer commanded that Infants should be baptized I answere Answere vnblameable examples practises not contradicted are in the nature of precepts Againe the will of God approuing and appointing childrens baptisme appeareth c Col. 2 11.12 in that it came in place of circumcision Baptisme is our circumcision Besides we d Mat. 28 19. 1 Cor. 10 1 2. haue a generall commandement Go teach all nations and baptize them And the apostle saith all were baptized in the cloud and in the sea and he comprehendeth the whole Church when hee saith it was clensed with the washing of water Ephesians 5. verse 26. Christ saith all nations the Apostle saith all the Israelites let them shew where infants are excepted and exempted for we hold this as a certaine principle that a general commandement includeth the particular and comprehendeth the same vnder it as well as if it were by name expressed Secondly they obiect if infants may be baptized Obiection then they may be admitted to the Lords Supper for why should not the Supper be giuen to the whole church as wel as baptisme I answere Answere there is not the like reason and respect of both There is great difference betweene these two Sacraments For baptisme is a signe of our entrance and receiuing into the church so that the Supper is to be granted to none but to such as are baptized and are fit to beâ—r strong meat being instituted for our confirmation and sealing vnto vs that God hauing once receiued vs into the Church wil also euermore preserue vs in it that we neuer fall from it nor forsake it and will nourish and châ—â—â—sh vs by the body and blood of Christ Wherfore the Lord Iesus to shew that his Supper was not for children but for men would not administer it in the element of milke which is for infants and for new borne babes but in bread and wine which are for strong men that are of age Againe sundry conditions and considerations are required in the supper which debar yong infants that although they are to be baptized yet they ought not to be admitted to the Lords supper seeing by their young yeares they are excluded For it is required of all those that come to this supper e 1 Cor. 11.26 28 29. to shew foorth the Lords death to discerne the body and blood of Christ and try themselues whether they haue faith and repentance But infants cannot doe these things they cannot shew forth the Lords death they are not apt to discerne his body and blood they are not able to examine themselues and therefore infants for good causes are excluded from this Supper If any say Is this a good reason the promise doth belong to infants and therefore the Sacrament of Baptisme Then why may not the Lords Supper be as well giuen vnto them vpon the same ground This will not follow howsoeuer some of the ancient Fathers were of that opinion Cyprian Ser. 5. de laps August de eccl dogm cap. 52. Ioh. 6 6 5â— applying this Scripture to their purpose Ioh. 6 53. Except ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his blood yee haue no life in you But this place is to be vnderstood of spirituall eating by faith not of the Sacramentall eating as wee shall shew in the next booke They were therefore deceiued that thought the Supper of the Lord did belong to infants And touching this consequence The promise of grace belongeth to children Therefore the outward signe of the Sacrament it is true being rightly vnderstood to wit according to the limitation and the appointment of God proper to euery Sacrament who hath ordained that the Sacrament of entrance should be receiued both of men and children Gen. 17. howbeit only the males in the old Testament and not before the eight day but in the new Testament both of male and female without restraint of time And touching the Supper of the Lord which is the Sacrament of our norishment it can appertaine to those onely that are come to yeares of discretion first because the end thereof is to shew the Lords death vntill he come 1 Cor. 11 26. 1 Cor. 11 28. Secondly because euery one that commeth vnto it is commanded to examine himselfe Mat. 26 26.
no life in you If Christ be present to vs life and all things accompanying saluation are present to vs. If Christ bee absent from vs death is present wrath lyeth at the doore life and saluation are absent so that wee are neuer partakers of his graces except wee be as neerely coupled to his humanity as meate and drinke are coupled with our body which of all other is a most neere vnion and inward coniunction Thus we see we are seuered from the world to haue fellowship with Christ and are set once in him for euer l 1 Ioh. 2 19. Rom 8 33 34 35 37 38 39. because he that commeth to Christ once he casteth him not away he shall neuer hunger he shall neuer thirst hee shall not be lost but liue for euer as the Apostle saith 1. Iohn 2. If they had beene of vs doubtles they had continued with vs. And Paul to this purpose saith Rom. 8. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen It is God that iustifieth who shall condemne Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ Shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword In all these wee 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 things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall bee able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. If once we be ioyned to him in spirituall mariage notwithstanding the difference and disparagement betweene him and vs nothing shall be able to worke our diuorcement from him True it is God findeth vs wallowing m Ezek. 16 4.5 6. in our owne filthinesse polluted in our owne blood defiled by our owne vncleannes he hath made an eternall couenant with vs he hath spoken peace vnto our soules saying Thou shalt liue euen when we were sunke downe in sinne to death he said 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 bee our God he will giue vs one heart 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 Eph. 5 30 32. We are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones this is a great mystery but I speak concerning Christ and concerning the church Where he seemeth to allude to the n Gen. 2 21. first creation of the woman made of one of the ribs of the man shaddowing and shewing our knitting and coniunction with Christ 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 is made by Gods Spirit and by our faith which he hath giuen vs 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 fellowship with Christ and to grow vp into one body with him as he teacheth Ioh. 17 20 21. I pray for all them which shall beleeue in me through their 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 cut off from all hope of life and saluation As then all the substance and nourishment of the tree commeth frō the roote and all the vitall powers of a true naturall body come from the head so it is betweene the Son of God and vs we haue not so much as one drop of the heauenly life in vs of our selues o Ioh. 14 6. Christ is the way 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 p Mar. 16 16. must be Christians before it appeareth to bee 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 confirm it Thus much of the first vse of Baptisme the second followeth CHAP. XIII Of the second vse of Baptisme BEing made one with Christ wee are partakerss of the benefits of his death to wit a The second vse of baptism is to assure forgiuenes of sinnes 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 sins that we may bee vnblameable 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 sins b Acts 2 38 22 16. as appeareth Acts 2. Then Peter said vnto them Amend your liues and be baptized euery 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 sins in calling on the name of the Lord. So the Euangelist witnesseth Marke 1 4. that Iohn did baptize in the wildernesse and preach the baptisme of amendment of life for the remission of sins And the apostle maketh this vse Col. 2 12. Ye are buried with him through baptisme in whom yee are also raised vp together through the faith of the operation of God which raised him vp frō the dead and you which are dead in sins and in the vncircumcision of your flesh hath he quickened together with him forgiuing you all your trespasses The meaning of these places is not that baptism c Baptisme doth not of it selfe conferre grace bestoweth or giueth forgiuenes but only signeth sealeth and assureth our pardon euen as remission of sins and the righteousnes of faith were not in the old Testamēt by circumcision conferred but confirmed vnto the faithful The grace of pardon and forgiuenes of sins 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 works of the old 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 frō the spots of our soules then outwardly we are washed with water from the filth of the body For the force of his
therefore they will rest themselues either in the true interpretation of the Scripture or in the exposition of the ancient fathers or in the confession of their owne Writers wee cannot doubt but the Apostle naming the Lords Supper vnderstandeth the Sacrament of the body bloud of Christ As for those that suppose these loue-feasts and bankets of charity were called the Lords Supper because they were celebrated in the Church of our Lord it is auouched both falsly and absurdly Falsly because there were theÌ„ no churches builded nor any where to be found nor in many yeares after Absurdly because it will follow by this reason if the place may alwaies giue denomination to the thing that any error or heresie and false doctrine preached in the Church may be called the heresie of our Lord or the false doctrine of our Lord forasmuch as it is preached in the Church of our Lord. The next title giuen to this Sacrament is the breaking of bread which offereth to our considerations these vses not e The vses of calling this Sacrament the bâ—eaking of bread to be passed ouer First it sheweth that the substance of bread remaineth after the words of consecration and is not altered by any strange transubstantiation For when the Apostle saith This is my body f 1 Cor. 11 23 which is broken for you properly it cannot be vnderstood of the body of Christ which Vse 1 was g Ioh 19 30. not broken but of his crucifying and death by a figuratiue speech taken froÌ„ 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 shall see afterward no more then they can feed and nourish Besides we learne heereby that tropes and figures are vsed Vse 2 in the sacraments contrary to the opinion and assertion of the Church of Rome as we 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 litterall sence cannot be retained seeing a bone of him could not be broken Likewise when it is said The cup is the new testament the rocke 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 h Acts 2 42. and 20 7. as appeareth in many places Act. Vse 3 2 42. and 20 7. and 1 Cor. 11 24. 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 of Christ Neither must this bee accounted and accepted as an indifferent ceremony to be admitted or omitted at our own choice and pleasure seeing Christ Iesus the Lord of this sacrament commanded the Scripture hath commended the Apostles haue practised and the Ministers afterward obserued the same i 1 Cor. 10 16. 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 effectuall expressing and representation of the passion and crucifying of Christ as also the pouring out of the wine into the cuppe of the Lord. 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 bread as impertinent and vnnecessary and as not significant For Christ Iesus commanded his Disciples to eate that bread which he had broken and this breaking pertaineth to the ende of the Sacrament so that it cannot bee passed ouer without neglect of the institution of Christ and of the essence of the Supper of which we will speake afterward The next title giuen to this sacrament is the table of the Lord and it is rightly so called as by a very fit name For seeing it is a Supper and a most heauenly banket it is requisite there should bee a table answerable 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 k The vses of calling this Sacramâ—nt the table of the Lord. for our further instruction First of all it sheweth that Christ and his Apostles in the celebration of the Supper vsed a table not an altar For albeit the apostle Paul speaketh vnproperly of the table and doth thereby vnderstand the heauenly meate and drinke which was set vpon the table for all the Lords guests yet withall he insinuateth and signifieth the place wheron they were put to wit vpon a table In like manner our Sauiour Christ at the first institution of this Sacrament remained at the table with his Disciples he stood not with theÌ„ at the altar Now according to the example of Christ and his Disciples must be the practise of all Churches inasmuch as Christ shedding his blood on the Crosse had abolished all altars and therefore the Infidels did oftentimss reproue and reproach the Christians because they had no altars who on the other side defended themselues that their Altars are the congregations of such as bow themselues in prayers and the spirits of iust men which smell as sweet incense in the nostrils of God other Altars then these they acknowledge none to be among them Furthermore inasmuch as the Sacrament of the body and Vse 2 blood of Christ was accustomably administred on a Table not an Altar of wood not of stone made moueable not immoueable 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 any sacrifice for that were to account the al-sufficient sacrifice of Christ as vnsufficient and vnperfect therefore we are not to bring altars againe into the Church There is no vse of altars in the new Testament seeing the making of them together with other types and ceremonies of the olde Testament through the death of Christ is abolished m 1 Cor 9.13 as the Apostle teacheth 1 Cor. 9. Doe ye not know that they which minister about holy things eate of the things of the Temple and they which waite at the Altar are partakers of the Altars And to like purpose Heb. 13 10. We haue an altar whereof they haue no right to eate which serue in the Tabernacle that is such as retaine the necessary vse of the ceremonies n Gal. 4 9. and beggerly rudiments of the Iewes are fallen from Christ Whereby we see plainely and apparently that sacrifices and altars stood together and fell together and therefore whereas they would conclude the sacrifice of Masse from the vse of the altars we may
with much greater force and violence These mē make not the supper an wholesome preseruatiue and as it were the sicke mans salue as indeed it is by Gods institution but a snare to entrap them a thorne to pricke them and a sword to wound them through their owne corruption Thirdly hereby the aduersaries mouths are stopped and Vse 3 they are put to silence and shame who accuse vs to deny the blessed presence of Christ in the Sacrament We confesse and beleeue that we receiue the body of CHRIST verily truely and indeed 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 and poured out for the remission of our sinnes This Christ h Ioh. 6 55 56 53 57. himselfe teacheth Iohn 6. My flesh is meate indeed and my blood is drinke indeed hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him And againe verse 33. Verily verily I say vnto you except ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his blood ye haue no life in you Hee that eateth me euen he shall liue by mee So then we teach wee preach we publish we professe that there is no other substantiall food of our soules and that whosoeuer is not partaker of his body and blood is void of life of saluation of grace and of Christ himselfe Wherefore we shall shew i Chap. 10. 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 flye from it that as the outward signes of bread and wine are deliuered 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 Vse 4 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 we 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 k 1 cor 10 17 by eating all of one bread Why should not such apply Christ to their iustification We know the Apostles oftentimes prepared offered and deliuered the outward signes of the Lords supper exhibiting Christ to all the faithfull euen euery Lords day or first day of the week and the people receiued oftentimes the same l Act. 2 41 42. as we see Act. 2. There were added to the church about three thousand soules and they continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayers and cha 20. 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 m August in Iob. tract 26. euery day in many places n Chrysost in Eph 1. hom 26. euery Sabbaoth day o Aug ad Ianuar epist 119. 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 coldnesse in the practise of religion stopped in For it cannot be denyed but it proceedeth from the shoppe and inuention of the Diuell whosoeuer were the instrument to bring in this corrupt custome of once communicating in the yeare and that for the most part for fashiō sake Now to the end we might returne neerer to the ordinance of the Apostles that the often vse of the communion might be retained and maintained and that the backwardnes 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 thrice in the year not that men should do it no oftner but least otherwise they would not do it so often or peraduenture do it not at al. And if a suruey and examination were made I feare it would bee found to our great shame and beastly slothfulnes 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 among men when one hath prepared with great costs and charges a rich banket killed his Oxen and his fatlings furnished his table with all prouision bidden his guests and set all things in order and readinesse to entertaine them were it not I say an vnkind and vncurteous part 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 he had wrong and iniury done vnto him Wherefore let vs take heed least by with-holding and with-drawing our selues wee prouoke Gods wrath and indignation When he calleth are ye not ashamed to say ye will not come When he saith p Prou. 9 4 5. 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 do it Or wilt thou say thou art a greeuous sinner thou art vnworthy I would aske thee when thou wilt be worthy Wilt thou lye still in thy sinne as a man in a deep pit and neuer striue to come foorth Why doost thou not returne to God and amend thy waies Why doost thou continue in thy hardnesse and heart that q Rom. 2 5. cannot repent and so heapest vp as a treasure to thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God Moreouer if thou be vnfit and vnworthy to receiue this supper thou art r Chrysost in Eph. hom 3. vnworthy to pray thou art vnworthy to heare vnlesse thou pray as a Parrat and heare as an hypocrite Consider therefore seriously and weigh earnestly with your selues ſ Numb 9 13. how little such fond fained and friuolous excuses shall preuaile with God When Moyses called Corah and his company to come vp vnto the Lord they answered presumptuously t Num. 16 12. We will not come When the King in the Gospell had inuited his guests they began all with one minde to excuse themselues and some refused saying u Luk. 14 20.24 I cannot come So in these dayes of sinne albeit the supper be prepared the guests called and the table couered many
mysticall signification therefore there is none in breaking of the bread Answere I answere the former part is false for the pouring out of the wine signifieth the shedding of Christs blood out of his side For as it is said of the bread This is my body which is broken for you so it is said of the cup This is my blood which is shed for you for the remission of sins And what can the separatioÌ„ of the bread and the cup signifie but the separation of the body blood of Christ once made vpon the Crosse whereas his blood is now no longer separated from the body because he can dye no more Obiection Answere To conclude they vrge that in the new testament is no place for figures It is true if they speake of figures shadowing out Christ to come But if they speake of figures signifying Christ already reuealed manifested we feare not to affirme that we haue figures still of Christ and of the benefits purchased by him For I pray you what are our Sacraments but figures liuely setting forth Christ our Sauiour So then to take away signes is to take away the Sacraments which are nothing else but sacred signes The sixt reason Sixtly that which includeth vnder it the mystery of the vnion of the Church among themselues and with Christ the head is by no means to be passed ouer But the breaking of bread hath this mystery in it that many by partaking of one bread broken are made one mysticall body as the Apostle witnesseth 1 Cor. 10 17. We being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one bread which he declared to be broken in the former verse The vnity betweene the meÌ„bers of the Church which are many is shaddowed out by the bread made compact together of many graines howbeit this is much more euident vnto vs by the bread which is broken and distributed to all that are present Seauenthly we haue the expresse testimony of the Apostle The bread which we breake c. The seauenth reason Now that is to be iudged necessary to be done without which we cannot say with the Apostle in the administration and participation of the Supper The bread which we breake is the communion of the body of Christ but without this ceremony we cannot ioyne with the Apostle and say The bread which wee breake is the communion of Christs body Therefore the rite of breaking and parting the bread into many pieces is necessary They may say the bread which we giue or distribute but not the bread which we breake for to breake is one thing and to distribute is another These two differ so farre the one from another that a thing may be broken which is not distributed and giuen and it may bee giuen which is not broken Eightly The eight reason that which fitly serueth to make the Sacrament perfect and absolute whole and entire may not be neglected or omitted and where it is not it ought to be restored But the breaking of bread maketh the Sacrament instituted of Christ to be more ful and without it to be maimed as a man without an hand Therefore it ought to be restored againe Ninthly The ninth reason it is in the power of no creature to omit or abolish any rite not in it selfe indifferent but commanded by Christ in the celebration of his Supper But the breaking of bread is not indifferent to be done or to be left vndone but is expresly commanded to bee practised as we haue prooued before Therefore no man vnder heauen hath authority to abrogate it For this is a true and certaine rule that a right hauing the commandement of Christ for the vse of it to be continued is not indifferent Tenthly it giueth vs peace of conscience The tenth reason Now that which setteth the conscience at quiet doth more effectually minister comfort in the vse of this Supper that is by no meanes to be neglected But the due obseruation of this breaking according to the commandement of Christ doth quiet the conscience and comfort the heart more forcibly and fruitfully inasmuch as it assureth vs that we keepe the ordinance of Christ purely and entirely without adding any thing vnto it or without taking any thing from it Therefore it is not to be passed ouer The 11. reason Lastly to draw to an end that ceremony ought to be retained and continued in the Church wherby the Idolatrous and false opinion of the corporall presence and eating of the body of Christ is most strongly conuinced and pulled out of the hearts of the ignorant people but such is the ceremony of the breaking of bread Therefore it ought to be practised that the Idoll set vp in the hearts of the multitude may be defaced and pulled downe This carnall and corporall presence profiteth not as we wil make plaine afterward Thus we haue heard the reasons which vrge and require this as a necessary duty belonging to the Minister to breake the bread a duty neglected not onely of the Church of Rome but also of others who maintaining a reall presence of the body of Christ omit the breaking of the outward signe In all this that hitherto hath bin obserued we may note three things First that we do not condemne our brethren or the Churches who haue not this breaking of the bread obserued among them whether it be through error conceiued or any other let and impediment obiected Secondly the defect of this rite cannot destroy albeit it do disfigure the Supper it is as a maime in an whole body or as a scarre in a faire face Lastly that this ceremony is not to be holden indifferent but necessary in respect of Christs commandement and necessary to preserue the comlines and beauty in this Sacrament CHAP. IIII. Of the second outward part of the Lords Supper HItherto of the first outward part of the Lords Supper to wit the Minister who is in the Church not onely as a Steward to prouide but as a Cooke to prepare meate for the children seruants of God now we come to the word of institution a The words of institution are the secoÌ„d outward part of the Supper and promise annexed or contained therein which are the second part of this Sacrament expressed in these words This is my body which is giuen for you or which is broken for you where the name of the thing signified is giuen to the signe it selfe as if it should be said this bread which I haue in mine hands is b Tertul cont Marcio lib. 4. August contr Adâ—m â—n ca. 12. a signe of my body which shortly after shall be crucified for you and deliuered vnto death for your saluation Christ tooke nothing but bread he gaue into his Disciples hands nothing but bread to eate he brake nothing but bread and Paul saith expresly of this SacrameÌ„t c 1 Cor. 10 16 Obiection The bread which we
breake is it not the communion of the body of Christ If any obiect that Christs body neither is d Ioh 1â— 36. Answere nor was broken as Iob. 19 36. Not a bone of him shall bee broken that the Scripture should bee fulfilled I answere the Apostle hath respect to the sence and signification which the breaking of the bread importeth being taken for the tearing tormenting the paines and renting of the body of Christ and the violent sundring of his soule and body one from the other For as the bread is parted and diuided into diuers parts so the soule and body of Christ were sundred separated each from other Againe it is said This is my blood of the new testament which is shed for many for the remisâ—â—â— of sinnes or This cup is the new testament in my blood which is shed for you these speeches are Sacramentall not proper by the confession of the aduersaries themselues where the thing containing which is the cuppe hath the name of the thing contained which is the wine the fruite of the vine So then they which cannot abide figures in the Sacrament must be constrained to confesse a figure and therefore cannot blame vs when we say the words are figuratiuely to be vnderstood But before we come to handle the vses of this part let vs briefly consider the words of Christ deliuered at the institution and administratioÌ„ of this Sacrament that so we may see the true and naturall meaning thereof These words e The words of institution are variably set downe are not recorded reported in so many words in the scripture or in so many sillables but the sence being one the sentence varieth and is not one Mathew deliuereth the words thus f Mat 26 26. Take eate this is my body whereunto g Mar. 14 22. Marke also accordeth Luke is somewhat more ample by way of interpretation h Luk. 21 19. This is my body which is giuen for you do this in remembrance of me And i 1 Cor. 11 14 Paul to the like purpose but in vnlike sound of words Take eate this is my body which is broken for you do this in remembrance of me Likewise touching the other signe of this Supper Mathew saith k Mat. 16 â—8 This is my blood of the new testament that is shed for many for the remission of sins Marke is somewhat more short then the rest l Mar. 14 23.24 This is my blood of the new testament which is shed for many but he addeth this more then the rest they all dranke of it Luke saith m Luk. 22 20. This cup is the new testament in my blood which is shed for you But Paul declareth the same more at large This cuppe n 1 Cor. 11 25 is the new testament in my blood this doe as oft as ye drinke it in remembrance of me Thus we see expresly a difference in words by adding by detracting by changing yet inasmuch as nothing is added or detracted or changed in regard of the true meaning let vs come to the interpretation and exposition of the words seeing the Gospell standeth not o Ierem. 〈◊〉 cap. 1 ad Galat. in the words of the Scripture but in the minde and meaning of them Let vs therefore come to the right vnderstanding of the words of Chrst p The words of institution expounded briefly truly 〈◊〉 plainely Take to wit not only into your mouths but into your hands representing the soule and faith of the receiuer Eate that is not gaze and looke on not reserue not adore not offer it but diuide by chewing and preparing to concoction This that is to say not the shewes of bread but this very bread Is my body that is a true signe of my true body and signifieth vnto you my selfe with all that is mine or belonging eyther to my person or office or merits Which is broken for you that is which shortly shall be crucified for you immediately giuen to death for you Do this in remembrance of me that is practise these duties and call to remembrance Christ and his merits oftentimes So that it is in our choyce and liberty to do these duties or not to do them if we be not fit we must presently prepare to make our selues fit and we must do them often so that howsoeuer there be no set time yet the oftner the better due reuerence and regard being had thereunto Moreouer touching the other signe obserue thus much for interpretation This cup that is this wine in the cup Is the new testament in my blood that is this wine is a true signe of shedding my blood which confirmeth ratifieth the new Testament and Gods agreement with mankinde for their saluation This is briefly the mind of Christ and meaning of the Vs 1 words of institution From hence we learne first that Christs words are not properly but figuratiuely to bee taken True it is the words are plaine easie and manifest for tropes and figures were found out q Arist rhetor ad theodeâ—t lâ—b 3 cap. 6. C cer de orat o. lib. 3. not to darker but to open not to hide but to helpe the vnderstanding howbeit they must haue a right construction and a sound interpretation otherwise the plainest sentence may breed error and mistaking Now this is a sacramentall speech and sacramentall words must be sacramentally expounded as proper must be interpreted properly spirituall spiritually and mysticall mystically We may not take the letter in all places for as we haue shewed the Scripture standeth not in words r Hierom. co◠〈…〉 in Cap. 1. ad Gal. but in the meaning of the words not in the reading but in the vnderstanding not in the outward shew but in the inward substance Christ in the new testament is cald a lamine a lyon a way a bride-groome a head a dore a vine a g◠〈◊〉 a rock bread water light such like these words are 〈◊〉 euident yet must they be vnderstood metaphorically not properly spiritually not litterally So to come to the words of institution What did Christ take in his hand bread What did Christ command them to take and eate bread What did he call his body Was it any other thing then the same bread which he had taken which he had broken which he had giuen vnto them Neither is there any other antecedent going before whereunto it can be referred Now the bread and body of Christ are in nature Disparata sundry and diuers things and the one cannot be spoken of the other and verified of the other without a figure as to say one and the same thing should be both bread and Christs body but if it be bread it cannot be his body if it be his body it cannot be bread Wherefore true bread is a true signe seale of his true body Neither is this figure strange or new but common and vsuall when mention is made of the
Sacraments as Gen. 17. This is my couenant o Gen. 17 10.11 speaking of circumcision yet circumcision was not the couenant it selfe but a signe 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 deny 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 Exod. 12. It is the Lords p Exod. 12 13 14. Passeouer properly the Lambe was not the Passeouer but serued to put them in remembrance of that benefit and it is expounded after the blood shall be a token for you vpon the houses where ye are this day shall be vnto you a remembrance Likewise the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 10. That rocke q 1 Cor. 10 4. 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 briefly r A paraphrase vpon the worâ—s of institution as if Christ had said in this manner This bread which ye haue seene me take breake deliuer and distribute and which I bid you take and eate is a signe or Sacrament of my true body signifying and sealing vp vnto you that my body shall be broken crushed and crucified for you to purchase vnto you eternall life let these Sacramentall rites and actions now performed by me and you be heereafter put in practise by you and all faithfull Ministers and professors for the strengthening of your faith by the remembrance of my death and by the applying of the benefit therof 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 thankes he gaue it being filled with wine to his Disciples and said drinke ye all of this for this wine in this cup is a signe Sacrament of my blood by the shedding wherof together with my death following the full forgiuenesse of sins and perfect saluation which I by my vnchangeable wil and decree do giue vnto you and all that beleeue in me are assured to you and all beleeuers Thus hauing opened and cleared the interpretation of the words wee shall hereafter need to spend the lesse time in confuting the contrary doctrine darkenesse shall flye before the light error before truth and cloudy mists before the Sun-shine of the day Againe seeing the words of institution are variably and Vse 2 diuersly set downe 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 sinfull 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 bin an hainous sin 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 appeareth they haue done We see how the Apostles in the allegation of sundry places of Scripture borrowed out of the old Testament do not euermore strictly binde themselues to the Å¿ Mat 2 6. very words as Mat. 2. 6. Heb. 10 5. and in sundry other places but onely to the sence and therefore t Mat. 4 10. 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 words maketh the Sacrament void but an alteration onely of certaine circumstances u All change in the wâ—rds of institution makes not the Sacraments void 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 change of his owne head in such circumstances or to bring in a new frame of words 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 words the Apostles and Pastors of the Church should vse in the execution of their ministry Notwithstanding the obseruation of the words I baptize thee obserued in our Churches seemeth to draw nearer to the commandement of Christ and to confirme more fitly and fully the faith of the baptized and to answere vnto the words of Iohn the Baptâ—st I baptize with water Likewise in the Lord's Supper whereas Christ said Take ye eate ye doe ye this as speaking to many the SacrameÌ„t is not destroyed when the words are particularly rehearsed and specially applyed in our Churches saying take thou eate thou drinke thou Vse 3 Lastly seeing the words of institution are an outward part of the Sacrament necessary to be knowne read marked and vnderstood wherein the substance and comfortable vse of the Lords 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 Christ and people of God may be edified For wherefore serueth the commandement and promise set foorth in the Supper if they be not vnderstood Whether we do reade the Scriptures sing Psalmes poure out supplications receiue the Sacraments or whatsoeuer seruice we performe to God that he may be glorified and the Congregation instructed we must do 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 Notwithstanding a Concil Trid. sess 22 ca. 9. the sinagogue of Rome that it might take away all fruite and comfort from the faithfull and that it might broch horrible errors safely and securely and not be espyed hath not onely commanded to pronounce the words of consecration closely and in silence but forbidden to vse the common mother tongue of all the people The people of God must not be like Parrots or Pies or Rauens or such birds that chatter with voice record mens words and sound a sentence but vnderstand not the meaning therof As Pliny b Plin natur histor lib. 10. cap. 43. maketh mention of a certaine Rauen that had learned to say Aue Caesar Imperator All haile or good morrow Emperor Caesar saluting Tiberius and the two young Princes Germanicus and Drusus And Celius Rhodiginus writeth c Celius Rhodiginus that Cardinall Ascanius had a Popintay that could pronounce distinctly and orderly all the Articles of the Creed Such birds or rather beasts would they haue Christian men to be that would haue them pray and not d
as the Euangelist Marke accordeth saying They all dranke of it so the Apostle doth not pretermit it but saith All were made to drinke as if the Lord Iesus the Euangelists and the Apostles would preuent before hand the corruption that followed in the Church of Rome Wherefore 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 chap 20. proue the receiuing vnder one kinde because bread onely is expressed and so the cup to bee excluded it will 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 describeth not what the Apostles consecrated or receiued but what they deliuered to the people for the Euangelist declareth Acts 20 11. not onely that the Apostle brake the bread but t Act. 20 7. did eate there of himselfe so that they must confesse that Paul also receiued in one kinde and consecrated in one kinde or else necessarily grant one part put for the whole as likewise we see 1 Cor. 11. where he doth expresly touch and teach both kindes u 1 Cor. 11 26 27 28 29. to the eating of the bread ioyning the drinking of this cup yet sometimes a 1 Cor. 11.20 29 33. he expresseth onely the one signe for shortnesse sake and the Church had receiued this vsuall manner of speaking to call the Lords Supper the 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 tarry one for another likewise verse 29 He discerneth not the Lords body and yet in the sentence going before he saith that such as eate and drinke vnworthily doe eate and drinke their owne iudgement Wherefore as the Apostles alwayes celebrated the Supper by consecration both of the bread and of the cuppe so the people alwaies receiued in both these kiâ—des to their great comfort and consolation Thirdly they pretend that Christ our Sauiour did eate Obiection 3 with the two Disciples at Emaus Luk. 24.30 where it is onely said Iesus tooke bread and when he had giuen thanks he brake it Howbeit heere is no speech of the cup at all of taking it into his hands and deliuering it into their hands I answere Answere that the Euangelist speaketh not of the Sacrament in this place but of their ordinary repast for the sustenance of the body Secondly suppose and admit that Christ had there administred the holy Supper because here is mention made of taking and blessing and breaking and giuing of bread yet it will not follow by any good consequent that there was no wine at all because Luke speaketh of bread onely for it is said in like manner that Ioseph made Gouernour of the land of Egypt Gen. 43 25. and 37 25. Mat. 14 19. Luk. 9 16. inuited his brethren to eate bread the meaning is not that they were bidden to a dry feast and dranke not at it but one part is put for the whole nourishment So are the words to be vnderstood in this place that they did eate drinke together hauing communed and trauelled together If any man remaine obstinate and will not be satisfied with these things but aske further how it will appeare that there was more then bread vsed among them I referre him to the words of Peter preaching to Cornelius Acts 10. Act. 10 40.41 where speaking of Christ he saith Him God raised vp the third day and shewed him openly not to al the people but vnto vs witnesses chosen before of God euen to vs that did eate and drinke with him after he rose froÌ„ the dead In which words the truth of his resurrection is proued by performing of such actions as were ordinary familiar and albeit he be said not once or twice but oftentimes to eate with them Ioh. 21 13. Luk. 24 33 43. yet Peter testifieth in this place that he did both eate drinke and so we are to vnderstand these words Lastly let them marke what will follow from these words being restrained to eating onely for thereby we gather not onely that the two disciples did not drinke but that Christ himselfe druÌ„ke not who is supposed to deliuer the Supper for there is no speech or mention of it nor one sillable touching any such matter And if Christ did not drinke then the Priestes also should be exempted from the necessity of partaking of the cup which marreth all the market and merchandise of these halfe communions Obiection 4 Lastly they alledge 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 wholy and perfectly vnder each kinde because now in his glorious body b Concomitantia there is no separation of the body from the blood or blood from the body I answere Answere surely if this were so it were a fault and friuolous thing to do that by more which may be 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 sort the whole Supper might be abrogated for we are made partakers of Christ in d Gal. 3 27. baptism and he dwelleth in our hearts by e Heb 3 14 15 Ephe. 3 17. faith which commeth by the word of God Againe were not Christ and his Apostles as wise as they Were they ignorant of this vnion Did they not know this accompanying of the body with the blood and blood with the body Is the present church of Rome wiser then he in whom all the f Col. 1 19. 2 3 9. treasures of wisedome and knowledge are hid If they thinke so let them tell vs plainely if not let them lay their hands vpon their mouth and submit themselues vnto him who administred it in both kinds and commanded his Apostles to doe the like Moreouer Christ would haue vs in his Supper consider his blood separated from his body and set his death before our eyes and his precious blood shed out of his side so that deliuering the cuppe he said g Mat. 26.27.28 Drinke ye all of this for this is my blood of the new testament which is shed for many without which shedding there is h Heb. 9 22. 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 for vs not to be shed and that the Sacrament leadeth vs to the consideration of the death and especially of the piercing of the body and pouring out of the blood of Christ we may conclude that this i Concil Trid. sess 3. can 3. vnion of the bodye with the blood and blood with the body flatly crosseth and ouerthroweth the institution of Christ And why I pray you do their sacrificing Priestes 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 institution of Christ and confound the seuerall parts of it making him to speake otherwise then the Euangelists expresse For when hee saide 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 parts distinguished one from the other while wee eate the flesh they make vs drinke the blood and while we drinke the blood they imagine we eate the body Thus to eate and to drinke shall be all one with them for we shall eate liquid and moist things and we shall drinke dry and hard things And is not this drinking of flesh and eating of blood an inuerting euerting of the nature of things But thus God striketh his enemies with giddinesse of spirit For after they haue broken the pure institution of Christ and brought in a carnall presence of his body one absurdity being granted k Arist phys lib. 1. cap. 2. 3. a thousand follow infinite abuses haue ensued vpon heapes the flood-gates being set open whereof there is no end or measure Let them therefore repent themselues of this sacriledge against God and iniury against his people restoring vnto them the communion vnder both kinds according to the ordinance of Christ direction of the Apostles And thus much of the generall vses arising from both the signes ioyntly considered Now let vs come to the particular vses offered vnto vs Partic. vse 1. 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 Wherefore as it is in it selfe indifferent whether the wine be red or white whatsoeuer the kinde or colour be if it be wine so is it not greatly material whether the bread be leauened or vnleuened so it be bread Which ouerthrowes the error of the church of Rome her fauorits who hold it l Beliar. lib. 4. de Eucha cap. 7. necessary that the bread vsed in the Sacrament be vnleauened They pretend rhe institution of Christ who say they made the Sacrament of vnleauened bread instituting it after he had eaten the Passeouer which was to be eaten with vnleauened bread m Exod. 12 8.18 according to the law of Moses neither was there any leauē to be found in Israel seauen daies together Thus they charge vs to breake the institution of Christ But see heere the peeuishnes and partiality of these proud spirits who flye to the institution and sticke precisely to the circumstances of it 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 and 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 truly coniectured yet no such thing is expressed in the Gospell nor prescribed as a rule necessarily to be followed The Euangelists teach he tooke bread but make no mention or distinction what bread he tooke nor determine what bread we should take no more then limit what wine we shall vse but leaue it at liberty to take leauened bread or vnleauened as occasion of time place persons and other circumstances serue so we take bread as their owne n Gregor 1. in Registr Prophets haue confessed and their owne Councels o Concil Florent sess vlt. haue concluded Wherefore to consecrate in vnleauened bread is not of the substance of the Supper no more then to eate it at night or after Supper as Christ administred and the Apostles first receiued it For if any would bring in a necessity of that time as well as of that bread which Christ vsed wee see as faire a warrant for the one as for the other nay we haue a more certaine direction for the time which is expressed then for the kinde of bread which is not defined Besides if Christ on this occasion vsed vnleauened bread it was because it was vsuall common and ordinary bread at that time as we also shold vse that bread which is vsuall and common So the Apostle speaketh of that bread which was daily vsed among the Gentiles saying p 1 Cor. 10 16 The bread which we breake he addeth neither leauened nor vnleauened 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 eyther the one or the other Partic. vse 2. 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 tye vs to mingle water with wine for r Rhem. Test fol. 452. nu 23. great mystery and 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 water with wine in the Sacrament and say it cannot bee omitted without great sinne True it is the Church in former times where the wine prouided for the Lords Table was of it selfe heady strong hot fiery and fuming was wont to allay it with water that it might be milde temperate least that which was taken to helpe and further the soule should disquiet and distemper the body This began for conueniency not for necessity for fitnesse not for signification for sobriety not for any mystery But the water is no part of Christs institution neither can it bee proued that Christ or his Apostles vsed water with their wine or commanded others to mingle wine and water in this mystery or that Christs Apostles euer receiued it as a matter of faith or taught it to be a necessary part of this Sacramēt For Alexander the
the quicke the dead abolishing the fruite and remembrance of the death of Christ disanulling his Priest-hood giuing him to his Father whereas the Father hath giuen him to vs and imagining thereby to pay a price to God which he shold receiue as a satisfaction for our sins True it is the Lords Supper may afâ—er a sort be called a sacrifice not as the Church of Rome meaneth a In wine â—eaâ— Ch â—ists Suâ—pâ—◠〈◊〉 be caâ—led a â—acâ—ifiâ—e but because therein we offer vp praises thanksgiuings to God for that sacrifice of attonemeÌ„t once made vpon the Crosse which is most acceptable to God and because such as come aright thereunto offer vp themselue wholy to God a reasonable holy and liuing sacrifice and lastly because therby we cal to our remembrance the bloody sacrifice of Christ with all the circumstances thereof the shame of the Crosse the darkenesse of the heauen the shaking of the earth the renting of the ayre the cleauing of the rocks the reproches of the Iewes the taunts of the Souldiors the opening of the graues and the conquering of the Diuell For the Christians in former times b The Fathers of the church liuing among the Gentile called thâ— sâ—pper a saâ—â—â—â— perceiuing that many both Iewes and Gentiles refused to imbrace the faith of Christ and to ioyne themselues to the Church because they pretend the want of sacrifices among thâ—m and nature engrafted in all nations this principle that we haue no free accesse to God no true peace to our selues without a sacrifice the Fathers to win such as were without affirmed that the Church had also a sacrifice and thereupon entituled the Sacrament of the Supper with the name of a sacrifice for the causes before remembred But for a mortall man whose breath is in his nostrils to presume in the pride of his heart vnder the formes of bread and wine o offer vp Christ the Sonne of God in sacrifice to his Father and to dare to desire the Father fauourably to behold and accept his owne Sonne is idolatry blasphemy horrible impiety to be detested of all true hearted Christians Touching the originall of d The originall of the word Masse the word Masse it seemeth to come from an ancient custome of the Church sending away such as communicated not For the Deacon was accustomed to bid theÌ„ depart that were nouices in the faith and such as by Church-discipline e Folid 〈◊〉 de inuent Rerum lâ—b 5. c 19. were remoued from the Communion This dimission of them was noted by the word Mâ—ssâ— signifying a sending away and licensing to depart and thus some of f Suctâ—â— in Calâ—g cap 24. the heathen vsed it The name then being in it selfe not euill is turned into an euill practise and therefore as it is vsed and vnderstood of our aduersaries we reiect both the name and thing it selfe for these causes First no Angell no man no creature is of that dignity and worthines that he may offer vp and sacrifice the Sonne of God for the Priest is aboue the sacrifice they therefore that will be the Priests to offer Christ aduance lift vp themselues aboue Christ Secondly if Christ bee really offered in the Masse then hee is killed truely and indeed for a reall sacrifice proueth a reall death and when Christ was sacrificed really he dyed really as when the beasts were sacrificed they were killed And Holâ—â—t one of the schoolemen saith If there had beene a thousand hosts n a thousand places at the same time that Christ d d hang vpon the Crosse g 〈…〉 lâ—b sent â—â— 3. Christ had beene crucified in a thousand places Wherefore they that really sacrificed our Sauiour Christ did in that act really and wickedly kill him so that the Priests of Baal if they will be sacrificers of Christ must acknowledge themselues therein the reall murtherers of Christ Thirdly new sacrifices are not to be instituted by men without commandement of God as Moses teacheth Deut. 12. We must not do what seemeth good in our own eyes but take heed and heare all these words which he commandeth vs. Now Christ neuer said Sacrifice ye my body and blood to God Fourthly Christ tooke the bread and gaue it to his Disciples he did not offer it vp to God the Father he tooke the cup and bad them all drinke of it he did not turne himselfe to God end desire him then to accept the sacrifice of his body and blood Fiftly if the bread and wine remain in their former substance in the Lords Supper then bread and wine onely are offered not the body and blood of Christ but they remaine for Christ deliuered i 1 Cor. 10 16 bread to his disciples and Paul teacheth that it is the bread which is broken and that as often as they shall eate this bread and drinke of this cup they shew the Lords death therefore their reall Sacrifice is reall Idolatry Sixtly it appeareth in the institution of the Supper that Christ consecrated the bread apart and the wine apart and afterward deliuered them both apart but the body of Christ was neuer sacrificed without the blood nor the blood without the flesh for Christ offered vpoÌ„ the Altar of the Crosse the sacrifice of his body and blood together this is the cause that he saide Take ye eate ye drinke ye not take ye to offer and to sacrifice Seuenthly the Scripture teacheth vs one offering and sacrifice for sin once performed and offered Heb. 10. We are sanctified by the offering of Iesus Christ k Heb. 10.12 once made ver 12. This man after he had offered one sacrifice for sinnes sitteth at the right hand of God And the Apostle 1 Tim. 2. There is one meditator betweene God and men the man Iesus Christ who gaue himselfe a ransome for all men So 1 Ioh. 2. If any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous and hee is the propitiation for our sins Likewise Heb. 9. By his owne blood he entred in once vnto the holy place obtained eternall redemption for vs not that he should offer himselfe l Heb. 9 12 25 often as the high Priest entred into the holy place euery yeare with other blood for then must he haue often suffered since the foundation of the world but now in the end of the world hath he bin made manifest once to put away sin by the sacrifice of himselfe We haue plentifull testimonies of this truth in this Epistle as chap. 10. Where remission of these things is there is no m Heb 10 18 more offering for sin If then we haue remission by the sacrifice of Christ all other sacrifices are superfluous and abrogate his al-sufficient sacrifice So Rom. 6. In that he dyed he dyed for sin n Rom. 6 10. once And 1. Pet. 3. Christ also hath once suffered for sins the iust for the vniust If then this perfect offering were
former bookes CHAP. X. Of the third inward part of the Lords Supper THe third inward part is a The third inward part of the Lords Supper is the body blood of Christ the body and blood of Christ that is the body of our Lord deliuered vnto death for vs and his blood shed for the remission of sinnes and consequently whole Christ This is the chiefest part of this Sacrament For the body and blood of Christ signified by the bread and wine are thus made and separated to bee the liuely meat of our soules and haue that force and efficacy of feeding in our soules which bread and wine haue in our bodies This is the cause why b Ioh. 6 48 50 Christ often calleth himselfe the bread of life Ioh. 6. I am that bread of life this is that bread of life which commeth downe from heauen that hee which eateth of it should not dye I am that liuing bread if any man eate of this bread he shall liue for euer Thus euery receiuer is giuen to vnderstand that as God doth blesse the bread and wine in his Supper to preserue strengthen and comfort the body of the receiuer So Christ apprehended and receiued by faith doth nourish vs and preserueth body and soule vnto eternall life He dyed in the flesh that he might quicken vs and he poured out his blood that hee might clense vs from our sinnes Wherefore c How the sacramentall rites do serue to strengthen our faith whensoeuer as the Lords guests we see the bread on the Lords Table we must set our mindes on the body of Christ when we behold the cup of the Lord we must thinke vpon the blood of Christ when we looke vpon the bread broken and the wine poured out we must consider how the body of Christ was pierced punished crushed crucified torne tormented and his blood poured out for our sakes when we feele that by bread our bodies are nourished strengthened and by the wine our vitall spirits are comforted refreshed we beleeue that by the body of Christ deliuered to death for vs we are fed to euerlesting life and that by his blood poured out vpon the Crosse our consciences are sanctified and we feele his quickening power which doth confirme vs in our communion with him Thus is this part of the Supper spiritually to bee applyed thus are the bread and wine made a Sacrament to vs not bare signes thus the memoriall of Christs death is repeated which albeit it were once finished on the Crosse and now his passion is past long ago yet to the faithfull in regard of the force it is still fresh and alwaies present Now it is not without cause and good consideration that Christ would haue the bread first deliuered as a signe of his body then afterward the wine as a signe of his blood seuerally and apart administred because his body and blood are not represented to vs as his humanity now dwelleth glorious in the heaueÌ„s but as he was offered vp a sacrifice on the crosse his blood being shed out of his body For to the ende it may be nourishment to vs it must bee crucified For as corne of it selfe is not fit food for vs vnlesse it be threshed winnowed ground and baked for vs so is it touching Christ he must suffer be crucified and dye that wee may liue by him and raigne with him This is the truth which in this point is to be considered Vse 1 Now let vs lay open the vses which of vs are to be learned Is Christ the inward part of the Lords Supper represented by the bread and wine offered to all but receiued only of such as are faithfull then his body is not inclosed in the bread or in the accidents of bread nor his blood included in the wine or vnder the shewes of wine d Against the real presence he is not personally locally carnally corporally naturally really substantially and sensually present in the Sacrament The question is not e The true state of the question set downe whether the words of Christ be true for they are knowne confessed and beleeued so that as he is the truth so all his words are words of truth neither is the question whether the Sacrament be a bare signe or bare figure we say Christ is truely represented sealed and exhibited neither is the question whether God be omnipotent almighty this is a part of our faith an Article of christian beleefe neither is the question simply of the presence of Christ whether he be truely and vndoubtedly present in the Sacrament of his last Supper we acknowledge and receiue as much For Christ is present among vs sundry waies by his Spirit by his grace by his diuinity by faith dwelling in our hearts he is present in his word he is present in the ministry of baptisme he is present in the Sacrament of his body we onely deny that grosse and fleshly presence which many go about to fasten vpon vs. But the whole question is of the meaning and vnderstanding of the words of institution and of the manner of his presence We confesse teach the people committed vnto vs that Christs f Confess Gal. lic art â—7 Confess Anglic. art 12. Cal instit lib. 4. cap. 17. body and blood are truely verily and indeed giuen vnto vs that we truely eate and drinke them that we are releeued and liue by them that we are made bone of his bone that Christ dwelleth in vs and we in him yet we say not that the substance of bread and wine is abolished or that Christs body descendeth from heauen or is grosly corporally present in the Sacrament we are taught to lift vp our hearts to heauen g Col. 3 1 2 3 where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God the Father and there to seed vpon him But heere is the state of the question and controuersie betweene vs. The Church of Rome teacheth that after h Con. Trid. sess 13. cap. 1. the words of consecration the bread and wine are abolished and the body and blood of Christ come in place so that they make them corporally present not onely in the Sacrament to be eaten with the mouth but in the pixe in the Masse and in their solemne processions where is neither eating nor drinking Yea Berengarius in his recantation was taught to say and forced to subscribe that i De con dist 2. ego Bereng Christ is in the Sacrament sensibly or sensually is touched with the fingers diuided broken rent with the teeth and not onely the accidents Moreouer they make it to be eateÌ„ not only of euill men but of beasts and to fill vp the measure of blasphemy to be cast out into the draught as some of them haue taught and affirmed Thus then the difference standeth betweene vs they hold that Christs body and blood are carnally eaten of wicked men without faith of brute beasts without reason
you into heauen shall so come as yee haue seene him goe into heauen If then Christ according to his humane nature be not on earth how can his true body bee on euery Altar How can they eate him with their teeth How can they swallow him downe their throat Ninthly such an eating and drinking of the body and blood of Christ must be holden as is profitable and comfortable to the receiuers for nothing is more auaileable fruitefull then these being rightly receiued Mat. 26 26. hauing 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 bodily eating the body carnall drinking the blood of Christ for wicked men haue as great a portion in this as the godly Nay by their owne doctrine it may bee 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 would haue the flesh m Ioh. 6.50 of the Sonne of man to be eaten of those to whom it shall be auaileable to life and saluation as Ioh. 6. I am the liuing bread which came downe from heauen if any man eate of this bread hee shall liue for euer and the bread that I will giue it my flesh which I will giue for the life of the world Tenthly nothing can be more grosse barbarous or inhumane then to deuoure mans flesh and to drinke mans blood What doth more transforme men into sauage and cruell beasts Nay worse then beasts which deuoure not their owne kinde What is more contrary to the purenes and holines of Gods law n Psal 12 6 and 19 9. then this The words of the Lord are pure words as the siluer tryed in a furnace of earth fined seauen fold The feare of the Lord is cleane 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 lusts and that we should lâ—ue soberly râ—ghteously and godly in this present woâ—ld But what can be more repugnant to godlines sobernes and righteousnes then to teare with the teeth o Cyril anot 11. and iawes mans flesh and to drinke his blood from which the Capernaus abhoâ—red What more crosseth the religion of Christ the law of God the light of nature then man to deuoure man and the bowels of one to be in the bowels of another And are not their stomacks strong to digest this meat Did not God in the law coÌ„mand p Leuit. 17 13 to abstaine from eating the blood of beasts from strangled Did not the Apostles for a time renue it q Act. 15 20. among the Christians in respect of the weakenes of the Iewes because Moses was read in their Synagogue euery Sabboth day To what end should this be done if the Church had tasted the blood of Christ with their mouth or swallowed his bodye in their bellies And do not the Scythians and all the Gentiles that are not vtterly voide of humanity abstaine from mans blood and from deuouring his flesh Wherefore these men are worse r Hom Odis li. 10. Virg aeneid lâ—b 3. Plin. nat hist lib. 7. cap 2 â—â—â—d Mâ—t. li. 3. then the Scithians Barbarians Gentiles yea worse then the Canibals and Indies that eate their enemies but these deuoure Christ whom they call their Lord and Maister like Acteons hounds to compare one fable with another onely heere lye the differences they deuoured their Lord vnder the shape of a Stag or Hart they eate their maister vnder the formes of bread wine these fastened their mouths vpon their maister because they thought him absent and not present vnder that shape they openly confesse their Maister to be present and yet odiously professe to deuoure him with their iawes and swallow him in their stomacks wherefore these men are more cruell then they yea heerein they passe the Idolatrous Gentiles for the Egiptians did not eate those creatures which they adored as Gods but these doe deuoure their God and Sauiour like bread Eleuenthly if Christ be present in the Sacrament 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 hee bee present fleshly Whatsoeuer they answere they are taken on both hands and are strokeÌ„ downe as with a sword that hath two edges Dare they say he is present in his mortall body This cannot be For it is certaine he hath not now a mortall body but a glorified body this corruptible hath put on incorruption t 1 Cor. 15 54 this mortall hath put on immortality and death is swallowed vp in victory This the u Rom. 6 9.10 Apostle confirmeth this the Scripture teacheth this Christian faith beleeueth Christ being raised from the dead dyeth 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 Likewise Heb. 7 25. This man because he endureth euer hath a Priesthood which cannot passe from one to another seeing he euer lâ—ueth to make intercession for them And chap. 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 duely considered hee cannot bee present in a mortall body What then will they be helped to say he is present in his glorified body Then he cannot now be present in the Sacrament of the Supper as hee 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 Crosse 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 words of Christ a Mat. 26 26. 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 miserable glorified body should this be to be subiect to the pleasure of euery Priest to come at his call to stay till he commandeth nay to suffer himselfe to be torne with the teeth of euery receiuer Wherefore the presence of his glorified body cannot be grounded vpon these words of Christ touching the Sacraments This is my body Neither let them say as Campâ—on that boasting Champion like another Goliah b 1 Sa. 17.10 challenging the hoast of God sometimes said in the Tower-conference that this is a fallation
of this Sacrament agree not with the institution of CHRIST nor with the former vses set downe which now wee come to handle and to prooue out of the doctrine of the Apostles themselues Touching the first and principall end that is the remembrance meditation and shewing forth the death of Chrst with all thanksgiuing this he commanded to vs at his last departing from vs which ought much to stick in our minds because the last words of a deare friend ready to part from vs do oftentimes leaue behind both deepe impressions and deuout affections in vs. Indeed when we reade of the passioÌ„ and death of Christ it doth much moue vs to heare it opened expounded it moueth in a farther degree but more then these to haue before our eyes a visible representation of the crucifying of Christ in his last Supper doth mooue vs most of all The institution of this Sacrament he did in wisedome reserue till the approching of his death that we might not forget him when he is gone from vs. So God the Father after the vniuersal flood drowning the whol world for a remembrance of his mercy in deliuering Noah and his family from the waters and of his promise made f Gen. 9 14. neuer to destroy it so againe left to them and all posterity the Rainbow When he had iustly smitten the first borne of the Egiptians and gratiously saued the first borne of Israel he commanded Moses g Exo 13 1 2 to sanctifie to him all the first borne that first openeth the wombe to remember the day in which they came out of the land of Egipt When he had miraculously sed the Israelites with Manna from heauen that men did eate Angels food h Exod. 16 32 he would haue a golden pot ful of it to be reserued in the Arke of remembrance for the better remembrance of so great a worke So likewise being deliuered by the precious blood of Christ from the floods of sin that haue gone ouer our heads and eased of the heauy burthen that pressed downe our hearts wee haue receiued baptisme to keepe vs in remembrance thereof that we are cleansed from the filthinesse of sin Againe being nourished with Christs body crucifyed and his blood shed for vs we are commanded to vse this mystery to continue an holy remembrance of his death and passion to our endlesse comfort This end to wit to be to vs a remembrance of Christs sacrifice on the Crosse is taught by the Apostle So often as ye shall eate of this bread and drinke of this cup i Luk. 22 19 ye shew the Lords death till he come In like manner the Euangelist Luke of the bread saith Do this in remembrance of me and of the cuppe Do this as oft as ye shall drinke it in remembrance of me by declaring his death And we declare the Lords death when we publikely confesse with our mouth and beleeue with the heart that our whole hope and affiance for life and saluation is surely set in the Lords death that we may glorifie him by our confession and exhort others by our example to glorifie him because his death is our life his passion is our saluation his suffering is our reioycing We our selues are the principall and proper causes that he was torne and tormented our sins wounded him we our selues crucified him we euen we are the causes for he was chastised for vs that by death he might deliuer vs from death and from Heb. 2 14. him that had the power of death Our euill motions our vile thoughts our corrupt words and our sinfull works did set on worke Pontius Pilate Herod Annas Caiphas Iudaâ— the Gentiles and the Iewes who were but instruments as the Crosse nailes the hammer and speare these were as our seruants and workemen in the euill action of his crucifying We are all of vs ready to accuse and condemne these men wee complaine against them and pronounce sentence vpon them because they offered so great iniuries to our sweet Sauiour We lay all the blame vpon others we sticke not to call Pilat a corrupt Iudge Herod a time-seruer and a man-pleaser Annas and Caiphas brethren in euil Iudas the sonne of perdition the Iewes and Gentiles notorious offendors but all this while we haue forgotten our selues Wherefore to speake the truth not Sathan the tempter not Iudas the traytor not Caiphas the high-Priest not Pilat the chiefe Iudge not the Iewes that conspired against him not the false witnesses that accused him not the band of men that scorned him not the passengers that nodded their heads at him not the souldior that pierced him not the executioners that railed at him and nailed him on the crosse are so much to be accused and reproued for his sufferings as we we I say our selues and our owne sinnes Not that we can excuse those cursed instruments that crucified the Lord of glory who shall receiue according to their works l Zâ—ch 12 10. Iob. 19 37. when they shall see him whom they haue pierced but to teach vs chiefly to accuse and condemne our selues We bound him with cords we beate him with rods we buffetted him with fistes we crowned him with thornes we reuiled him with our mouths we railed at him with reproches wee nodded at him with our heads we thrust him through with speares we betraied him with a kisse we pierced his hands feet with nailes we crucified him between two theeues we condemned him through false witnesses we poured shame and contempt vpon his person we iudged him as plagued and smitten of God For inasmuch as our faults and offences procured these things to bee done vnto him we were the dooers by them and the dealers in them and the causes of them And surely then we are profitably grounded in the doctrine of the m Who they are that profit aright by Christs passioÌ„ passion of Christ when our hearts cease to sinne and we are pricked with an inward griefe of those great and grieuous transgressions n 1 Ioh. 3 6. Esay 53 5 6. whereby as with speares we pierced the side and wounded the very soule of the immaculate lambe of God as Ioh. 3. Who so sinneth neither hath seene him nor knowne him And the Prophet Esay teacheth cha 53. 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 the Lord hath laide vpon him the iniquity of vs all Seeing then Christ was slaine for our sins let vs kill sin in our selues seeing he died for vs let vs labour that sin may be dead in vs seeing he was crucified for vs and our saluation let vs crucifie our own lusts that they raigne not in our mortal bodies seeing his heart was pierced with a speare let vs haue our hearts thrust through pierced and pricked with vnfaigned sorrow for all our iniquities This is the right vse this is the true end this
person touch an holy thing it shall be vncleane The person must be holy that will haue sound profite by the holie things of God the man that is vnholie defileth euery thing he toucheth the polluted person polluteth all thinges For as to m Tit. 1 15. the pure all things are pure but vnto them that are defiled and vnbeleeuing is nothing pure but euen their minds and consciences are corrupted so the prophane person defileth all thinges and turneth wholesome meate into noysome poison We must therefore vse sanctifyed things with sadctifyed hearts and for spirituall meate wee must haue spirituall vessels Furthermore marke the great danger punishment that is procured and purchased by the want of preparation For the vnworthy receiuer is guilty n 1 Cor 11 27 of the body and blood of Christ as the Apostle specifieth 1 Cor. 11. Whosoeuer shal eat this bread and drinke the cup of the Lord vnworthily shal be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. And againe He that eateth and drinketh vnworthily eateth and drinketh his own iudgment because he discerneth not the Lords body for this cause many are sicke and weake among you and many sleepe Where he teacheth that such as come vnworthily vnreuerently and otherwise then such mysteries should be handled do despise tread vnder their feete Iesus Christ himselfe prouoke the Lords wrath and bring on themselues swift damnation Not that be is carnally and bodily present but because the reproach which is vsed to the signes toucheth the bodie and bloode of Christ signified by them Euen as if a man shoulde rent disgrace deface spit vppon treade and trample vnder his feete and villanouslie abuse the image seale and letters patents of a Prince he should be adiudged d Ren. Iaesae Maiestatis guiltie of a greeuous crime against the person of the Prince himselfe not which hee receyueth but despiteth so such as come vnthankefully and vnworthily to this supper are guiltie of his body not which they haue eaten but which they haue refused and reiected being offered vnto them and therefore are guilty of their owne death inasmuch as God with the signes offereth his owne Son Wherefore seeing the presence of God mooueth seeing our owne profit perswadeth seeing our owne practise furthereth seeing the defiling of the Sacrament and the danger of vnwoorthy receiuing teacheth and lastly seeing our owne iudgement in humane affayres when the daunger is not so great nor the losse so certaine cryeth out for this necessary preparation it standeth vs vpon before wee enter into this holy worke whereunto of our selues wee are more vnfit and vnto warde and which in it owne nature is most profitable to set our selues before the Lord who shal examine and iudge the quicke and the dead to search into our owne waies and to keepe a sessions in our owne soules to looke into our secret and hidden corruptions how wee haue gone forward or backeward in godlinesse to try whither wee haue a knowledge feeling and disliking of our sinnes and whether we haue any feare of Gods iudgments or faith in his promises or hope in his mercie to iudge our selues that we may not be iudged of the Lorde to labour to finde our speciall sinnes striuing against them by earnest prayer to God and condemning them for euer in our selues If we would thus iudge our selues we should not be condemned with the worldâ— Let vs be grieued for our naturall blindnesse Let vs acknoledge confusion of faces to be due vnto vs Let vs deepely imprint in our owne hearts the horror of our sins past and present The more we perceiue and discerne our owne vnworthines the greater shall be our fitnes to come to this Sacrament and the lesse we espy our owne imperfections the more we incurre the danger of Gods iudgements So then to touch vs with true humility and to breake our stony hearts in pieces with remembrance of our daily offences let vs often meditate on the death and passion of Christ who was forsaken scorned buffetted and crucified for vs he was led as a lambe to the slaughter and shunned not the shame of the Crosse then the powers of heauen and earth were moued p Mat 27 45 Iudea was darkened the earth quaked the stones claue in sunder the graues opened the Sunne was in the ful-moone eclipsed the vaile of the Temple was rent the dead were raised the theefe repented the Centurion glorified God and the whole order of nature was changed All these things doe set before vs the heinousnesse of our sins and the greatnes of Gods wrath which could not be appeased but by crucifying of the body and by shedding of the blood of Christ which is represented to vs as in a glasse in this Supper Thus we haue shewed by testimonies and effectuall reasons that as in the Passeouer they were commanded to chuse them a lambe q Exod 12 3. on the tenth day but to kill him on the fourteenth so that they had foure dayes liberty betweene the separating and the killing of him for preparation and sanctification of themselues in like manner in the Supper which is the same to vs that the Passeouer was to the Iewes the Spirit of God chargeth this duty vpon vs that we prepare our hearts reuerently thereunto Vse 1 Now as we haue seene the necessity of this examination let vs consider what vses are to be made thereof It is required of all Communicants that come to the Lords table diligently to examine themselues Then from hence it followeth that all men are bound to know the word of God and to be skilfull in the Scripture that thereby they may be able to try their owne hearts and examine themselues by that rule But if the rule be vnknowne the tryall spoken oft cannot be made the examination commanded cannot bee practised Especially there is required of vs the knowledge in the doctrine of the law not onely to be able to rehearse the words but to know the end and meaning of them the speciall braunches of them what are the duties commaunded what are the sinnes condemned for by r Rom 3 20. the Lawe commeth the knowledge of sinne and the Apostle had not knowne sinne Å¿ Rom. 7 7. but by the Law for hee had not knowne lust except the law had sayed thou shalt not lust As then hee that will trie Golde from Copper must haue his touchstone so hee that will rightly examine his obedience must familiarly be acquainted with the Canon of the Scriptures This our Sauiour teacheth t Iohn 5 3â— Search the Scriptures for in them ye thinke to haue eternall life they are they which testifie of me If then we search them they will giue vs light to search our selues And the Apostle requireth the Colossians Col. 3 16. to haue the word of God dwell plentifully in them in all wisedome Wherefore he that said examine your selues ment we should also know the Scriptures and especially
despaire on the other side but to beleeue which is seated in the middest is supernaturall To haue a dead faith commeth of our selues but to haue a liuely faith proceedeth from God to whome we ascribe all glory and praise Now the proper office and function of this iustifying faith standeth in apprehending receiuing and laying hold vppon Christ and all his benefites Euen as the hand stretched foorth layeth hold vpon a thing and pulleth the same vnto it so dooth faith apply the sauing promises of the Gospell to the soule as the Apostle teacheth Gal. 3. That the blessing of Abraham might come vnto the Gentiles through Iesus Christ i Gal 3 14 that we might receiue the promise of the Spirit through Faith Where he teacheth that we embrace and receiue the precious promises of saluation and forgiuenesse of our sinnes by faith beleeuing the same to belong vnto our selues The Scripture calleth Christ a redeemer indefinitely Iob calleth him his redeemer particularly Iob 19 25. I know that my Redeemer liueth The Scripture setteth out the Lord as the God of his Church Thomas vpon a speciall feeling of Christes sauour toward him l Ioh 22.28 acknowledgeth him to be his Lorde and God Iohn 20. Thou art my Lord and my God The Scripture propoundeth Christ as the Sauiour of his people the blessed virgin taketh this as spoken vnto her selfe m Luke 1 â—â— and accounteth him her Sauiour My spirit reioyceth in God my Sauiour The Scripture maketh Christ the Lord Protector of his church Elizabeth maketh a speciall Luk. 11 43. application thereof calling him her Lord. Luk. 1 Whence commeth this to me that the mother of my Lord should come vnto mee It is an Article of our holy and Christian faith to beleeue the forgiuenes of sins this must euery one beleeue this must euery one hold this must euery one apply o Math. 5 2. as Christ did to the sick man of the Palsey Mathew 9. Sonne be of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiuen thee It is the hardest thing in the world thus to beleeue whether we respect Christ or our selues An hardthing to beleeue It is an easie matter for a man when he neither knoweth nor feeleth the burden of sin to say he hath faith and beleeueth in Gods mercie but when Sathan shall sist him when his owne heart shall accuse him when sinne shall lye heauie vpon his soule when the vnsupportable and vnsufferable anger of God shall presse his conscience to the nethermost hell and the flame thereof consume his bones and turne his moysture p Psalm 32 4. into the drought of Summer if then he can stand vpright and build himselfe q Math 7 24. vpon the rocke when the floods come when the winds blow and beat vpon his house and when the ground shaketh vnder his seete this man with boldnesse and confidence may truely say and seale it vppe for an euerlasting truth My sinnes are forgiuen mee For if then he can comfort himselfe in his God and apply his gracious mercies to his owne faint heart and cry out r Iob. 13 15. Though the Lorde woulde kill me yet still will I trust in him this is the propertie of a sound faith against which the strongest gates of hell shall not preuaile This appeareth euidently vnto vs in the example of Abraham Å¿ Ro. 4 17 c who beleeued that of his olde weake withered and as it were deade body should spring children t Genes 1â— 5 like to the sande on the Sea shore and like the Starres of Heauen for multitude and that hee should haue a seede in whome himselfe and all the nations of the world should bee blessed If hee had consulted with flesh and bloode what Discourses might a naturall man alleadge to hinder the crediting of this promise yet he doubted not he disputeth not the matter but beleeued that the weake should bee made strong that the barren should be made fruitfull and a ioyfull mother of children that the dead should be made a liue to dwell with a family springing out of his owne body which was to reason as vnlikely and vnpossible as for a dry and dead tree pulled vp by the rootes to bud beare and bring foorth plentifull fruit So what can be more difficult and hard then for vs to beleeue and be perswaded that by the death of Christ we shall haue euerlasting life By his shame and dishonour we shall haue glory and praise That by his wounds and reproches we shal haue the curing and healing of our sores That by his agonies and bloody sweate we shall haue peace and rest By his condemnation we shall haue saluation Is not this after a sort in hel to see heauen In cursing to see blessing In humiliation to see exaltation In death to see life In condemnation to lay hold of saluation In feeling of sinne to beleeue the pardon of sinnes Lastly in our vnrighteousnesse and misery to be both righteous and accepted to eternall life and in the breach of the law to beleeue the fulfilling of the law This is indeed to haue the sauing faith u Tit. 1 1. of Gods elect And to say that this is an easie matter or a small thing is plainely to betray and discouer that we neuer knew what true faith meaneth For this faith let euery one of vs labour that we may a Gal. 2 20. specially and particularly apprehend the promises as the Apostle declareth Galathians 2. I am crucified w th Christ but I liue yet not I any more but Chrict liueth in me and in that that I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith in the Sonne of God who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me And againe b 2 Tim 4 â— I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith hence forth is laâ—d vp for me a Crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue vnto me at that day Where we see a speciall application to himselfe of the benefits of CHRIST and therefore it is not sufficient to beleeue that Christ came into the world that he was crucified died was buried rose againe from the dead and ascended into heauen for this is a generall faith this is the faith of the reprobates yea the Deuils know it and haue as great a part and portion therein as wee yet they tremble at the remembrance of their iudgement to come as Iames sheweth c Iames 2 19 Thou beleeuest there it one God thou doest well the deuils also beleeue and tremble There is more required of vs then to beleeue the histories and doctrine of the Scriptures to bee true and to make an outward profession of it to vnderstand and assent vnto the couenant of grace made by Christ that it is certain and shal be verified in the members of the church we must besides this generall and confused faith applie and appropriate vnto
iustification Secondly the Holy-Ghost who assureth vs of the truth of Gods promises This sheweth that he is true i Reuel 1 4. God equall with the Father and the Son proceeding from the Father and the Son This confuteth such as suppose no partaking of the body and blood of Christ except he bee giuen vs in a carnal and fleshy manner wheras the Spirit worketh faith in our hearts k Heb. 11.1 which is the ground of things which are hoped for and the euidence of things which are not seene The third inward part of the Lords Supper l Luk. 22 19 is the body blood of Christ deliuered for vs vnto death This conuinceth such of a spirit of error who make vnbeleeuers and reprobates partakers of Christs body and blood thus his body should be prophaned m Ioh 6 5 and his sauing graces separated from his person But euen as where Sathan dwelleth possesseth the heart there alwaies raigne the works of darknes and damnation so the gifts of Christ accompanying saluation are inseparably ioyned with the person of Christ This also condemneth the reall presence and carnall eating of Christ which forgeth many Christs and reuiueth the heresie of Eutiches it crosseth sundry Articles of the Christian faith and maketh faithfull men like the vnfaithfull Barbarians that deuoured mans flesh and drunke his blood True it is Christ is truely present in the Sacrament howbeit not carnally and corporally but spiritually and mystically He hath giuen himselfe to be the food of our soules let vs hunger and thirst after him and lay hold on him to our saluation for n â— Ioh. 5 12. he that hath the Sonne hath life he that hath not the Son of God hath not life The last inward part is the faithfull receiuer who stretcheth forth the hand of faith so layeth hold on Christ and al his sauing graces For no maÌ„ can communicate with his body but the same is made partaker of his benefits Let vs all prepare the true and liuely faith o Tit. 1.1 of Gods elect and assure our selues that hypocrites and vnbeleeuers cannot possibly be partakers of the body and blood of Christ These are the foure inward parts also of the Lords Supper The similitude and relation p The proportion betwixt the outward and inward parts of the Supper of the outward and inward parts one to another standeth in this manner euen as the Minister by the words of institution offereth and giueth bread and wine to the Communicants to feed thereupon bodily so the Father by the Spirit offereth and exhibiteth the body and blood of Christ Iesus to the soules of the faithful to feed vpon them spiritually Thus much of all the parts of the Lords Suppeer now follow the vses to be vnfolded The q The vses of the lâ—d supper are three vses and profit which we reape by the Lords Supper are specially three First to shew forth with praise and thanksgiuing the death and the sufferings of Christ who his owne selfe bare our sins in his body on the tree by whose stripes r 1 Pet. 2 24 we are healed so that we haue the chiefe cause in our selues which did crucifie Christ Secondly to teach our communion with Christ being made flesh Å¿ Eâ—h 5 30. of his flesh and bone of his bones Hence we learne that al the godly and beleeuers are made partakers of Chrst and his graces This is matter of great comfort in our manifold trials and tentations that we are ioyned to Christ as members to the head t Rom. 8. â—3 and therefore neither life nor death nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things preseÌ„t nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shal be able to separate vs from the loue of GOD which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. But on the other side the vngodly and vnbeleeuers haue no part or portion in Christ and his graces they are as branches u Ioh. 15 6. cut off which wither and men gather them to cast them into the fire and to burne them Thirdly to declare and testifie our Communion fellowship and a 1 Cor. 10 17 agreement with our brethreÌ„ meeting together at the same Table and partaking together of the same Supper Wherefore seeing we haue not onely an vnion with Christ but a Communion among our selues we are the seruants of the Church to serue one another in all duties of loue to instruct them that are ignorant to raise them that are fallen and to binde vp the broken hearted to reconcile our selues one toward another and to keepe the vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace Hitherto we haue handled the doctrine of the Lords Supper declaring what it is what are the parts and vses thereof the preparation to this worke followeth b 1 Cor. 11.28 consisting in the examination of our selues and trying our owne hearts by the touchstone of the law of God This duty is very necessary to be performed of vs c Ier. 17 9. for the heart of man is deceitful aboue al things and the secret corners of it past finding out We haue to deale with God in this businesse Great is the profit which we reape and receiue if we come rightly and reuerently prepared Great is the punishment procured by want of this tryall and examination And the d Hag. 2 14 Sacrament it selfe is defiled by vnworthy receiuing This preparation principally standeth in these foure points in the e Ioh. 17 3. knowledge of God and of ourseluess especially of the whole doctrine of the Sacraments in a f 2 Cor. 13 5 liuely faith in Christ seeing euery one receiueth so much as he beleeueth he receiueth in repentance g Psal 26 6. from dead workes and lastly in h Mat. 5 23. reconciliation toward our brethren hauing peace i Rom. 12.18 with all men and loue toward our enemies Thus I haue opened plainely yet truely the doctrine of the Sacraments deliuered in the Scriptures and taught in the reformed Churches I haue disclosed some part of the mystery of Iniquity and discouered and laid open the skirts of that great Idoll of the Masse the reproach of Christians the scorne of the Gentiles the offence of the weake and the occasion of ruine to many that stumble thereat to their own confusion The Lord God high possessor of heauen and earth and preseruer of his people that call vpon him put it into the hart of al Christian Princes and Rulers of the earth to pull downe this abhominable Idoll that hath aduanced it selfe against the kingdome of Christ and to deface this filthy monster that hath deceiued many who trusted in it The same Lord vouchsafe to reueale his truth to the ignorant to establish them that are weake and to confound all obstinate enemies to his truth to their Prince and to their Country for Iesus Christs sake Amen Amen FINIS A Table of the principall