at one time for if his body be in the Sacramēt he must needes haue so many bodies as there be Sacraments nay he must haue so many bodies as there be bits in euerie Sacramēt Thirdly it will follow that his bodie is diuided from his soule and consequētly is a dead bodie because the bread is onely changed into body and not into his soule Fourthly at will follow that the wicked and prophane and reprobate may receiue Christ as well as the godly because they haue a mouth to eate as well as the best Fiftly it will follow that Christs sacrifice once for all was not sufficient because we must sacrifice him againe and breake his bodie shed his bloud as the Iewes crucified him vpon the Crosse Sixtly it will follow that the bread being turned into the body of our redeemer hath a part of our redemption as well as Christ Seauenthly it will follow that Christ did eate his owne bodie for all the Fathers say that he did eat the same bread which he gaue to his Disciples Lastly it will follow that a Massing Priest shal be the creator of his creator because he makes him which made him all these absurdities are hatched of Transubstantiation Thus when men deuise articles of their owne while they strike vpon the handuill the sparkes flie in their face they are like the man which began to build and could not finish it When I see the Papist in so many absurdities for intertaining one error me thinks he seemeth like a Collier which is grimed with his owne coales Therefore as in manners we should think of Peters saying Whether is it meete to obey God or men So in doctrines we should thinke whether it be meete to beleeue God or men Thus you haue heard the author of this Sacrament the Lord Iesus the time when it was instituted in the night that he was betraied the manner how it was instituted after thanks giuing the end why it was instituted for a remembrance of his death and the discouery of Transubstantiation one of the last heresies which Babylō hatched Now they which haue been Patrons of it before should do like the father and mother of an Idolatrer that is lay the first hand vpon him to shorten his life Thus I end Thinke what account ye shall giue of that ye haue heard The end of the first Sermon A TREATISE OF THE LORDES SVPPER The second Sermon 1. Cor. 11. vers 25. 26. 27. 28. 25 After the same manner also he tooke the cup whē he had supped saying This cup is the New Testamēt in my bloud this doe as oft as ye drinke it in remembraunce of me 26 For as often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke this cup ye shew the Lords death till he come 27 Wherefore whosoeuer shall eate this bread and drinke the cup of the Lord vnworthelie shall be guiltie of the bodie and bloud of the Lord. 28 Let a man therefore examine himselfe and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this cup. HEre I am to speake of the second seruice as it were at the Lordes Table and of that preparatiō which is like the Wedding garment that euerie man must bring vnto this banquet These wordes are diuerslie repeated of the Euangelistes Here it is said This Cup is the New Testament in my bloud In Mathew and in Marke it is sayd This Cup is my bloud of the New Testament This is the first mētion which Christ makes of a Testament as though now his promises deserued the name of a Testament because the seale is set vnto them which before this Sacrament was not sealed but like a bare writing without a signet This word Testament doth implie a promise and therefore teacheth vs that the Sacrament doth cōfirme and strēgthen and nourish our fayth because it sealeth the promise which we should beleeue Here is to be noted that Christ doth not onely speake of a Testament but he calleth it a New Testamēt which words neuer met together before as though the Law were for the old man to mortifie him and the Gospell for the new man to comfort him agayne or as if the old Testament had so washt her face and chaunged her apparell at Christes comming that one would not thinke it the same but a New Testament because euē now she was shadowed with a thousand Ceremonies now they are gone from her like a myst at the Sunne rising As Christ calleth loue a New Commaundement because he renewed it like a Law worne out of memorie so he calleth the promise of saluation a New Testament Because as it was renewed to Sem and after renewed to Abraham and after renewed to Dauid so now he renewed it agayne which should bee alwaye new and fresh vnto vs. Euerie Testament is confirmed with bloud the old Testament was confirmed by the bloud of Goats and Bullockes and Rammes but the New Testament is confirmed by the bloud of Christ My bloud saith Christ is the bloud of the New Testament nay This Cup sayth Christ is the New Testament You may see thē that they may gather as well out of Christes wordes that the Cup is the New Testament as that the Wine is his bloud For Christ sayth This Cup is the New Testament as well as he sayth This Wine is my bloud or This bread is my body Beside when Christ speakes of a New Testament he implieth that the old Testament is fulfilled the Sacrifices and Ceremonies of the Law did signifie Christ before he came therefore they are fulfilled in his comming no mo Sacrifices no mo Ceremonies for the truth is come Sacrifices and Ceremonies are honorably buried with the Priesthood of Aaron let them rest it is not lawfull to violate the Sepulchers of the dead and take their bodies out of the earth as the Witch would raise Samuell out of his graue Therfore they which retaine Ceremonies which should be abrogated reliques of Iudaisme or reliques of Papisme may be said to violate the sepulchers of the dead and disturbe the deceased like the Witch which presumed to raise Samuell out of his graue This Testament is called a Testament in bloud because the Testament and will of a man is cōfirmed when the man is dead so Christ cōfirmed his Testament by his death Moses saith that life is in the bloud so the bloud of Christ is the life of this Testament If Christes bloud had not been shed this Testament made vnto vs had been vnprofitable as the Testamēt of a Father is to his Sonne if the Father should not dye but liue Therefore the Apostle sayth without shedding of bloud there is no remission of sinnes Therfore the Testament or couenaunt of the remission of our sinnes is called the Testament in bloud the bloud of Christ is the seale of the Testament which we haue to shew vnto God for the remission of our sinnes and the
but to suffer and suffer and euer to suffer all that the diuels would heape vpon vs. Then came the mercie of GOD for Christ which shed his blood like an vmpire betweene God and vs and said as Esaiah said to Hezekiah Thou shalt not die but liue loose him let him go for he is mine So we were stayed like the widdowes sonne when hee was carried to his graue This is the benefite of Christs death and this Sacrament is the remembrance of it and therefore whensoeuer we receiue it this addition commeth with it which is shed for the remission of sinnes our fault was so hainous and grieuous that no ransome could counteruaile it vnlesse GOD himselfe had suffered for vs. Being in this extremitie neither man nor Angel offered his life for vs but the Prince himself which shold haue crucified vs came to be crucified of vs for vs that we might say with stedfast faith I beleeue the remission of sinnes not the satisfaction of sinnes but the remission of sinnes Marke this distinction against Popish merites of works or penance Christ hath satisfied and not we we are remitted and not Christ therfore we say in our Confession I beleeue the remission of sins which I may call the merciful Article because it is the quintessence and sweetnesse of all the twelue Therefore who but Antichrist durst depraue it If there be a satisfaction for our sins by our works or by our Pilgrimages or by our Masses or by our penance let Christ neuer be called a forgiuer but an exchanger like the Pope which selleth his pardons Wretched creatures which will not receiue the Lord when he comes to their dore Christ saith take for nothing and they say no we will not take but buy Vile base miserable men disdaine to take grace of God without satisfaction but they wil cope with the Lord giue him so manie Pilgrimages fast so many dayes heare so many Masses pay so many works for it vntill they haue done as much good as they haue done euill Our sinnes are infinite and God is infinite but our workes are finite in number and measure how can they answere then to that which exceedeth number and measure Therefore be content with Iosephs brethrē to take your money again say that you haue corne for nothing that is you are saued for nothing or else when you say I beleeue the remission of sinnes you lie vnto God because you do not beleeue the remission of sinnes but satisfaction for sinnes like the Papists It followeth As often as yee shall eate this bread and drink this cup ye shall shew the Lords death till he come Here are three inuincible argumēts against Popish Transubstantiation like the three witnesses vnder which euerie worde doth stād First we are said to eat bread then it is not flesh but bread Secondly we are said to shew the Lords death then it is but a shew or representation of his death Thirdly it is said vntill he come if he be to come then he is not come if he be come how can we say vntill he come The effect of this verse was shewed in these words Doe this in remembrance of me for to say Do this in remembrance of me and to say so oft as you do this you shew my death is much at one so that if you call this Sacrament a shew of Christes death as it is called here then it is not Christ or if you call it a remembrance of Christ as it is called there yet it is not Christ but a shew or remembrance of Christ but this is such a shew and remembrance that the next verse saith Whosoeuer receiueth it vnworthely is guiltie of the bodie bloud of Christ Will yee know who receiueth vnworthily In verse 29. Paul saith he discerneth not the Lords bodie that is which putteth no difference betweene this bread and other but eateth like a child the meat which he knoweth not and after the bread seemeth stones to him and the wine poyson because his conscience telleth him I haue receiued vnworthily before I could say like Dauid My heart is prepared My sheep saith Christ know my voice as they discerne Christs words so they discerne Christs bodie and therefore so often as they come to the Lords Table they seeme to come into the Lords presence there they greete and kisse and imbrace one another with affections which none cā know but they that feele like Iohn which leaped in the wombe so soone as Christ came neare him Will ye know beside what it is to be guiltie of the bodie bloud of Christ euen as Iudas was guiltie for betraying him and Pilate for deliuering him and the Iewes for crucifying him so they are guiltie which receiue this Sacrament vnworthily as Pilate and Caiphas and Iudas were If they be guiltie of Christs death they are guilty of their owne death to as if they had committed two murthers and therefore Paul saith after that many of the Corinthians died onely for the vnworthy receiuing of this Sacrament As the word is the sauour of death to them which receiue it vnworthily so the Sacrament is the sauour of death to thē which receiue it vnworthily it neuer goeth into their mouth but they are Traitors ipso facto and may say to Hell this day I haue taken possession of thee because I am guiltie of Christs bloud Therefore it followeth immediatly Let a man examine himselfe before he eate of this bread or drinke of this wine as if he should say if he which receiueth this Sacramēt vnworthily be guiltie of Christes death like Iudas which hanged himselfe if these signes be receiued to saluation or damnation like the word the next lesson is to examine your selues before you receiue least you receiue like the sonne of perditiō which swallowed the bread and the diuel togither Therfore Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate that is let him examine first receiue after for if we should receiue the bread of the earth reuerētly how shold we receiue the bread of heauen When Iehonadab came to Iehu his chariot he said Is thy heart vpright as my heart is toward thee So when we come to the Lords Table he would haue our hearts vpright to him as his heart is to vs for who feasteth his enimies and mockers The golden Ring sitteth highest at our table but the wedding garment sitteth highest at this Table It is safer eating with vnwashen hands than with an vnwashen hart The Iewes were taught to choose the Lambe of the Passeouer on the tenth day of the first moneth in which moneth they cāe out of Egypt on the fourteenth day after they were taught to eate him so they had foure dayes respit betweene the choosing and the killing to prepare and sanctifie thēselues for the Passeouer which was a signe of the Lords
A TREATISE OF THE LORDS Supper in two Sermons Imprinted at London by R. Field for Thomas Man dwelling in Paternoster row at the signe of the Talbot 1591. To the Reader IN the first sermon the aduersarie is confuted In the second sermon the Communicants are prepared In both are many obseruations and the words of the text expounded Now labor for thy selfe as I haue labored for thee I would haue thee profit somewhat more by this booke because it hath weakened me more then all the rest Farwell A Treatise of the Lords Supper in two Sermons The first Sermon 1. Cor. 11. 23. 24. The Lord Iesus in the night that he was betrayed tooke bread And when he had giuen thanks he brake it and said Take eate this is my bodie which is broken for you this dayes in remembrance of me THE Word and the Sacraments are the two breasts wherewith our mother doth nurse vs. Seeing euerie one receiueth and few vnderstand what they receiue I thought it the necessariest doctrine to preach of the Sacramēt which is a witnes of Gods promises a remembrāce of Christs death a seale of our adoptiō therfore Christ hath not instituted this Sacrament for a fashion in his Church to touch and feele and see as we gaze vpon pictures in the windowes but as the woman which had the bloudie issue touching the hemme of Christes garmēt drew vertue from Christ himselfe because she beleeued So Christ would that we touching these signes should draw vertue from himself that is all the graces which these signes represent Therefore as the Leuits vnder the Law were bound to prepare their brethren before they came to the Passeouer so preachers of the Gospel should prepare their brethrē before they come to the Supper of the Lord. For which purpose I haue chosen this place to the Corinthians which is the clearest fullest declaration of this Sacrament in all the scripture The Lord Iesus in the night c The summe of all these words is the institution and vse of the Lords Supper First Paul sheweth the author of it The Lord Iesus then the time when it was instituted in the night that he was betrayed then the manner how he did institute it he tooke bread and when he had giuen thankes he brake it and gaue vnto his Disciples c. then the end why he did institute it for a remembrance of his death Touching the author he which is signified by it was the author of it The Lord Iesus hath bid vs to supper I am not worthy saith Iohn to loose his shoe so we are not worthy to waite at his trencher and yet he wil haue vs sit at his table To him belongeth the power to ordaine Sacraments in his Church because he fulfilled the Sacraments of the Law When Christ came the Passeouer ceased because he is our Passeouer that is the Lamb by whose bloud we are saued When Christ came Circumcision ceased because he is our Circumcision that is the purifier and clenser of our sinnes Now these two sacraments are fulfilled he hath appointed two other Sacraments for them in steed of the paschall Lambe which the Iewes did eate he hath giuen vs another Lamb to eate which Iohn calleth the Lambe of God that is himselfe vpon whom all do feede whosoeuer do receiue this Sacrament with an assured faith that Christ died to possesse them of life The breaking of the bread doth signifie the wounding of his bodie the powring of the wine doth signifie the shedding of his blood The eating of the bread and drinking of the wine doth signifie that his flesh and bloud doe nourish in vs life eternal as the bread and wine do nourish the life present In steed of Circumcision which began at Abrahā he hath ordained Baptisme which began at Iohn a more liuely representation of the true circumcision of the hart because it representeth vnto vs the bloud of Christ which washeth our soules as the water in Baptisme washeth our bodies Touching the time In the night saith Paul therefore this Sacrament is called The Lords Supper because it was instituted at night when they vsed to sup But what night euen that night saith Paul when he was betrayed that night which he should haue cursed as Iob did the day of his birth if he had suffred against his will that night when hee should haue thought to destroy men as men conspired to destroy him that night saith Paul this Sacrament of grace and peace and life began Euen that night when we betrayed him Manie nights did he spend in watching and praying for vs is there a night now for vs to kill betray him That was a darke night when men went about to put out the sonne which brought them light Who can but wonder to see how Christ they for whom Christ came were occupied at one time when they deuised mischief against him sought all meanes to destroy him then he consulted how to saue them and instituted the same night this blessed Sacrament to conuay all his graces and blessings vnto them Euen that night when they betrayed him The reason why this actiō was deferred vntill night is because that was the time appointed by the Law to eate the Passeouer which was like a predecessor of this Sacrament The reason why he deferred vntill his last night was because the Passeouer could not be ended before the fulnesse of time and the true Paschal Lambe were come to be slaine in stead of the other Therefore how fitlie did Christ ende the Passeouer which was a signe of his suffering so presently before his suffering And beside how sweetly did he confirme his disciples faith when as they should see that the next day performed before their eyes which ouernight both in the Passeouer and in the Sacrament was so liuely resembled vnto them If any from this do gather that we ought to eate the Lords supper at night as Christ did he must vnderstand that we haue not the same cause to do so which Christ had because of the Passeouer And therefore the Church which hath discretion of times and places hath altered both the time and the place vsing the temples in stead of the chamber and the morning in stead of the euening for indifferent things are ruled by order decencie Touching the maner He tooke bread and when he had giuen thankes he brake it and gaue it vnto them He would not eate it nor breake it before he had giuē thankes to God What neede he which was God giue thankes to God but to shew vs what we should doe when we eate our selues In all things giue thankes saith Paul whereby we declare that all things come from God but the wicked beleeue easier that God doth take than that he doth giue and therefore they neuer pray heartily vnto him for any thing nor
feelinglie thanke him for it For which the Lord complaineth saying I haue loued you yet ye say wherein hast thou loued vs Shewing that we are worse than the Oxe which knoweth his feeder And if we acknowledge all things from God yet we do like Lot Is it not a little one saith he when he craued to go vnto Zoar as though it were not much which he asked so we mince and extenuate the giftes of God before we receiue them and after like them which haue a grace for dinner and none for breakfast as though they had their dinners from God and breakfastes of their owne Our exaÌ„ple did not so Although it was but bread which he receiued yet he was more thaÌ„kfull for bread than many which burie the fowles and fishes and beasts in their belly for if a couÌ„t of all were kept for one that prayeth Giue vs this day our dayly bread a hundred take their bread and meate sleepe to which neuer pray for it After he had giuen thankes he brake it and gaue vnto them and sayd Take eate for when he had giuen thankes to God then it was sanctified and blessed and lawfull to eate So when thou seruest God then it is lawfull for thee to vse Gods blessings then thou mayst eate and drinke as Christ did but not before for these things were created to serue them which serue God if thou doest not serue him for them thou encrochest vpon Gods blessings and stealest his creatures which are no more thine than thou art his for the good God created all things for good men as the deuils possessions are reserued for euill men Therfore as Christ would not breake the bread before he had giuen thankes to the founder so know that there is some thing to be done before thou receiue any benefite of God and presume not to vse his creatures with more libertie than his Sonne did which did not eate without giuing thankes nor rise againe without singing of a Psalme It followeth This is my body Here is the fruite of his thaÌ„ks before he prayed that the bread and wine might be blessed they were blessed As Isaaks blessing shewed it selfe vpoÌ„ Iaakob whoÌ„ he blessed so Christes blessing appeared straight vpoÌ„ these mysteries for it could not be sayd before This is my body because it was meere bread but now it may be called his body because his blessing hath infused that vertue into it that it doth not onlie represent his bodie but conuey his bodie and himselfe vnto vs. The efficacie of this blessing is in this SacrameÌ„t euer since sanctifying it vnto vs as well as it did to the Apostles euen as Christs prayer stayed Peters faith after Christ was dead Now ye haue heard the meaning of these wordes He tooke bread and blessed it and brake it and gaue it you shall see with what a mysticall resemblance they vnite Christ and vs. First as Christ in the Supper tooke bread to feede vs so in his birth he tooke our flesh to saue vs. Secondlie as Christ when he had taken the bread blessed the bread to make it a spirituall foode So Christ when he had taken our flesh powred forth most rich precious graces into it to make it food of life vnto vs. Thirdly as Christ when he had blessed the bread brake the bread so Christ when he had filled his bodie with most precious graces brake it vp like a rich treasure house his hands by the nayles his backe by the stripes his head by the thornes his side by the speare that out of euery hole a riuer of grace and goodnes might issue flow forth vnto vs. Lastly as Christ gaue the bread when he had broken it so Christ by a liuely faith coÌ„municateth his bodie after he hath crucified it Hereby we are taught that when we see the Minister take the bread to feede vs we must conceaue that Christ being God from euerlasting tooke our flesh to saue vs. When we see the Minister blesse the bread to a holy vse we must conceaue that Christ by vniting the Godhead vnto it sanctified his flesh for the work of our redemption When we see the Minister breake the bread to sustaine our bodies we must conceaue that Christ in his death brake his body to refresh our soules When we see the Minister giue the bread to our haÌ„ds we must conceaue that Christ as trulie offereth himself to our faith to be receiued of vs. Because vpon these wordes the Papists ground their Transubstantiation that is that the bread is changed into Christs flesh and the wine is turned into Christes bloud whereby we eate the same bodie which died vpon the crosse drinke the same bloud which issued out of his side that you may see the blindnes of this popish dreame I would haue you but marke euery word of this Scripture how they make against TraÌ„substantiation that you may see them slaine like Goliah with their owne sword EueÌ„ as god made Caiphas speake against himself so the Scriptures which heretickes alleage do make against theÌ„ selues like the Baalites which wounded their owne flesh I may liken their allegations to Sathans when he tempted Christ in the Wildernesse he alledged but one sentence of Scripture for himselfe and that Psalme out of which he borrowed it makes so plaine against him that he was fayne to picke here a word there a word leaue out that which weÌ„t before skip in the middest and omit that which came after or else he had marred his cause The Scripture is so holy pure true that no word nor fillable therof caÌ„ make for the deuil or for sinners or for heretickes yet as the deuill alledged Scripture though it made not for him but against him so doe the libertines and Epicures and heretickes as though they had learned at his schoole Now there is no sentence of the Scripture which the wiser Papistes alledge boldlie for their TransubstantiatioÌ„ but this that Christ sayd This is my bodie by which they may proue as well that Christ is a doore because he sayth I am the doore or a vine because he saith I am a Vine for his sayings are like Figuratiue speaches must not be coÌ„sâ—â—ued litterally but this is heretickes fashion If you marke you shal see throughout that all the testimonies which the Papists alledge for their heresies are either tropes or figures or alle gories or parables or allusions or darke speaches which when they presume to expounde allegoricallie or litterallie without coÌ„ference of other Scriptures then they wander and stray from the marke or else it is impossible that the truth shuld maintaine error that is that the Scripture should speake for heresie if it were not peruerted therfore we see that Eue neuer erred vntill she corrupted the text Now we will enter the lists with our aduersaries see whether these