with them and be effectual instruments to conuey neuer so great a thing to vs yea euen to bring vs pardon for our life being condemned to die euen so the promises of God and the sacraments annexed as seales thereunto be meanes to conueigh Iesus Christ vnto vs and with him forgiuenes of all our sinnes and a free pardon from eternal death which we haue deserued And therefore although bread and wine doe there remaine as the substance of water doth in Baptisme the other sacrament and seal of Gods promise continue yet it is very reuerently to be receiued as a SacrameÌ„t of Iesus Christ and a pledge of our saluation in him Now lastly that this doctrine of theirs draweth with it diuerse absurdities hath partly alredie appeared As for to say that they breake not the substance of breade but either onely accidences or Christs bodie is an absurditie to say that the accidences do hang in the aire without any subiect is an absurditie or to say that they bee in Christes bodie is an other absurdetie To say that there is a conuersion and chaunge of the substance and none of the external qualities and properties is an absurdity and contrarie to all other myracles in the Scriptures as before is declared But of other absurdities which followe this absurd doctrine of transubstantiation I will hereafter by Gods grace intreate Now I come to the second error of the Papists concerning the presence of the verie reall and naturall bodie of Iesus Christ vnder those accideÌ„ces and formes of bread and wine which I affirme to be contrarie to the Articles of our faith to the holy scriptures to the sayings of the ancient fathers and that it bringeth with it sundrie absurdities First we beleeue and confesse in the Articles of our faith that Christ is ascended into heaueÌ„ sitteth at the right hand of God from thence shall come againe to iudge the quicke and the dead Matth. 26.11 So in the scriptures our Sauiour Christ saith the poore ye shal haue alwaies with you but me ye shall not haue alwaies Againe I came out from the father and came into the world Ioh. 16.28 Againe I leaue the world and go to the father Also he saith Ioh. 17.11 and now I am no more in the world but these are in the world Peter also saith Actes 3.21 that the heauen must containe him vntill that all things be restored But here the Papists haue an other shift the Christ is not here now vpon earth in that visible maner that he was then This is as much as if a maÌ„ should say I wil leaue this house I wil abide no more in this house and yet he hideth himselfe vnder some hangings that he is not seene doth that man say truely or is he not therefore in the house yea but they replie say that our Sauiour himselfe said Matth. 28. Behold I am with you to the end of the world I answere that our sauiour Christ by his diuine nature and godhead is with vs to preserue direct and comfort vs but in respect of his bodie and humane nature which he took of the blessed virgin he is not nowe vppon earth And therefore our Sauiour himself warneth vs to beware and take héed of such false Prophets as say heere is Christ or there is Christ Matth. 24.23 he is in the desert or in secreat places 26. and biddeth vs beleeue them not for saith he as the lightning commeth out of the East and appeareth in the West â—7 so shall also the comming of the sonne of man be As though he should say my comming shal not be secreat and inuisible vnder the formes of bread and wine but euen as the lightning is visible and terrible to the world so shall my comming bée which then shal be when I shall come in maiestie power and glory to iudge the quicke and the dead vpon which words S. Hierome writeth thus Hierom. in Matth. 24. Stultum est itaque eum in paruo loco vel abscondito quaerâ—re qui totius muÌ„di lumen sit .i. It is therefore a foolish thing to séek him in a small secreat place such as is a pix who is the light of the whole world Christ therefore in respect of his humanitie and bodie is not to be sought or found vpon earth But they replie that in as much as our sauiour Christ is not onely man but also god being Immanuel god with vs and that these two natures being vnited in one person make one Christ therefore wheresoeuer is the one nature that is the deitie there is the other viz. the humanitie I answere that this followeth not for although I confesse that to be most true of the vniting of the two natures in one person yet we must not with the heritike Eutiches confound those two natures but acknowledge the seueral properties apperteining to them to remaine distinct and that they are to be distinguished of vs. Iohn 14.28 In this sense Christ said The father is greater then I the which is to be vnderstood in respect of his humanitie for in respect of his deitie he saith the father and I are one and as S. Paul saith Philip. 2.6 he thought it no robbery to be equal with God Mark 13.32 So in respect of his humanitie he confesseth himself to be ignorant of the day of iudgement but in respect of his godhead he knoweth all things In respect of his manhood hée was subiect to infirmities as hunger Matth. 4. â— Iohn 4. â—6 wearinesse yea and vnto death but in respect of his deitie he was subiect to none of these but was impassible immortall So in respect of his manhood he was contained in place and when hée was risen the Angel said he is risen and is not here but in respect of his godhead he is in all places 1. King 8. â—7 the heauens of heaueÌ„s do not contein him So I conclude that in respect of his humaine nature bodie as when he was in earth he was not in heauen so now being in heauen he is not vpon earth and therefore in respect of his humain nature he said me ye shal not haue alwayes I leaue the world I am no more in the world and in respect of his deitie he said behold I am with you to the end of the world And yet I confesse that we may truely say that whole Iesus Christ God and man is with vs to the end of the world In vnitate personae non proprietate naturae as S. Augustin saith i. in vnitie of person not in propriety of nature for if we consider perticulerly his humaine nature that is not with vs. This doctrine the ancient Fathers most plainely set forth as Augustine August Epist 57 ad Dardanum Vna enim persona deus homo c. i. for he being God and man is one person and booth is one Christ Iesus who is euery where in
will Isai 58.13 nor speaking a vaine word he must carefully serue God with a pure conscience earnestly loue his holy word and hunger after it as his daily foode He that hath ben an adulterer or fornicator must flée and forsake this filthy sinne 1. Thess 4.4 kéepe the vessell of his body and soule in holinesse and honour not in the lusts of concupiscence as do the Gentiles that know not God And if any come to this holy table like a filthy dogge before he haue bewailed vnfainedly this his wickednesse and if it be open before he haue publikely shewed true tokens of his true repentance and reconciled himself to the Church of God he treadeth vnder his filthy féete the blood of Iesus Christ the sonne of God and eateth and drinketh his owne damnation Those that haue beene dronkards ought to forsake this beastlinesse and liue soberly and temperately in Gods feare or else they in comming to this sacrament prouoke Gods anger and indignation against them and so receiue it to their destruction But it is lamentable to sée what infinite numbers of whoremongers adulterers incestious persons drunkards such other filthy swine without any signe of repentance or satisfaction to the Church of God by them offended doe come and be receiued to the communicating of this holy sacrament Lastly we ought to examine our selues whether we liue in Christian loue and charitie one with an other without which 1. Cor. 13.1 though we speake with the mouth of men and angels and could moue mountaines and did giue all our goods to the poore yea and our bodies to be burned we be nothing and without it we can do nothing that may be acceptable before God as our Sauiour Christ teacheth vs in these words If thou bring the gift or oblation to the alter Matth. 5.24 and there remember that thy brother hath ought against thée leaue there thine offring before the alter and goe thy way first be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift Our Sauiour Christ here speaking of the alter and oblations that were in the old law doth teach vs that we can do nothing acceptable to God vnlesse wâ— be truely reconciled to our brethren and do sincerely loue them euen as we desire God in Iesus Christ to loue vs. Therefore if we liue not in true brotherly loue and charitie one with another we cannot come worthely to this holy supper of our Lord Iesus Christ for it is a sacrament of vnitie as Saint Paul saith we that are many 1. Cor. 10.17 are one bread one body because we al are pertakers of one bread For euen as we al eate of one bread and drinke of one cup so we declare and acknowledge thereby that we be all one in Christ Iesus all members of one mysticall body and all lynked together in brotherly loue one with another And as the bread is made of many graines knoden togither euen so we ought all to be knit together in a holy profession of one truth and in brotherly sincere loue one to another which must bring forth her fruits in humbling our selues one to another in the feare of God in helping comforting and reléeuing one another c. But lamentable it is to sée how cold Christian charitie is waxen and how rare it is among men Al men séeke themselues and their own priuat profit and not the good and benefite of their brethren we dispise and disdaine one another we séeke to exalt and aduance our selues one aboue an other by vsury bribery extorsion and oppression we pinch bite yea and deuour one an other If these be our fruits if thus we leade our liues and yet come to communicate on this holy sacrameÌ„t we prouoke gods fearefull vengeance against vs fearefully for to plague vs. So Paul sheweth that for the abusing of this sacrament at Corinth 1. Cor. 11.30 God had so striken them that many were dead and many weak and sicke among them And wheÌ„ I consider how horribly this holy Sacrament is abused among vs how this pearle is cast before swine and ministred to all without making any difference betwéene the cleane and vncleane how ignorantly vnreuerently and profanely it is receiued I cannot but stand in terrour and horrour of gods fearefull plagues to come vpon vs euen to the depriuing vs of the word of life the Gospel of our saluation and of this pretious pledge of our Redemption by Iesus Christ Let vs therefore deare brethren iudge our selues that we bee not iudged of the Lord our God but let vs humble our selues vnder his mighty hand let vs truely turne vnto him by vnfeined repentance and amendment of life Let vs with all reuerence come to this holy feast vnfeinedly confessing our sinnes with an inward féeling of them remorse of conscience for them truly trusting in gods mercy through Iesus Christ who came into this world to saue vs sinners 1. Tim. 1.15 2. Cor. 8.9 Philip. 2.7 who became poore to inrich vs tooke vpon him the shape of a seruant to purchase eternal fréedome and libertie to vs submitted himself to shame Gal. 3.13.15 to procure euerlasting glorie to vs tooke vpon him the curse to obtaine the blessing of God for vs finally suffered death to giue eternall life vnto vs. Thus when we come to receiue this sacrament let vs thus declare the death of our Lord Iesus Christ acknowledge with heart and mouth that the life wée now liue in the flesh Gal. 2.20 we liue by the faith of the sonne of God who hath loued vs and giuen himselfe for vs. This is our worthy receiuing of this holy mysterie euen effectually from our hearts to confesse our owne vnworthinesse and earnestly to hunger for the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ which onely is able to discharge our vnrighteousnesse If therefore we do vnfainedly confesse our vnworthinesse and wickednesse and not with a perfect faith which no where is to be found and which if we had wée should haue no such néede of this sacrament which is ordeyned to strengthen our faith and to be as it were a prop to vphold it but with an vnfaigned faith as the Apostle termeth it come vnto Christ Iesus 1. Tim. 1.5 lay our sins vpon him beléeue that he hath made peace by the blood of his crosse Coloss 1.20 that by his stripes we be healed if we do truly amend our sinfull liues 1. Pet. 2.24 2. Pet. 1.4 féeling the corruption that is in the world through lust and purelie serue God with good consciences And finally do reconcile our selues one to an other and liue in brotherly loue and Christian charitie one with an other in comming to this sacrament we shall not onely licke the rocke but also sucke the hony and Oile out of the same as S. Cyprian saith Serm. de Caenâ— Domini we shall not onely eate Panem domini the bread of the Lord as Iudas did August in Iâ—hn tract 59. but also Panem Dominum that bread which is the Lord as the other disciples of our sauiour Christ did we shall not onely receiue these visible elements of bread and wine but also we shal eat Christs flesh and drinke his blood Iohn 6.56 he shall dwell in vs and we in him and shall hereby more and more grow vp in him and be more and more assured of our saluation in him These things the father of all mercie worke in vs and continually increase in vs to his owne glorie and our eternall comfort and saluation through Iesus Christ our onely sauiour redéemer to whom with the Father the holy Ghost be all praise laud and glorie now and for euer Amen HOSEA 14.10 Who is wise and he shall vnderstand these things and prudent and he shall know them for the wayes of the Lord are vpright and the iust shal walke in them but the wicked shall fall therein LONDON Printed by Iohn VVolfe for George Byshop 1586.
it followeth Iesus tooke bread c. Here the Euangelist sheweth two causes of this sacrament the efficient material cause The efficient cause is Iesus Christ the sonne of God Iohn 1.29 who is the lambe of God that taketh away the sins of the worlde who hath made peace betweene God and vs by the blood of his Crosse Collos 1.20 hath reconciled vs in the bodie of his flesh through death 1. pet 1.18 who hath redéemed vs from our vaine conuersation receiued by the traditions of our fathers neither with gold nor siluer but with his owne precious blood who hath loued vs hath washed away our sinnes in his blood Apocal. 1. â— made vs kings and priests vnto his father euen this Iesus our only Sauiour redeemer hath ordained this holy sacrameÌ„t for vs left it vnto vs in remeÌ„braÌ„ce of his death for a gage of our saluation purchased thereby Wherefore if Iesus Christ and our saluation procured by him be deare and pretious vnto vs then also this sacrament which he hath deliuered vnto vs and instituted for vs to confirme our faith in him ought to be deare and precious vnto vs. Therefore we should be very carefull that neither negligently we absent our selues from it nor vnreuerently come vnto it nor that we make not smal account of it for if we vse to make great account euen of small things which our deare friends leaue vs at the houre of their death in remembrance of them How much more account ought we to make of this sacrament how small soeuer it séeme to the outward eye of flesh blood séeing that our deare redéemer Iesus Christ euen as it were at the houre of his death bequethed and committed it vnto vs and hath left to be a necessary foode vnto our soules that thereby we may dayly more and more grow vp in him But hereof I shall haue occasion hereafter further for to speake when I shal intreat of our dew preparation in comming to receiue this holy Sacrament The second cause touched in these words which is the materiall is bread and wine as after followeth which be the outward matter and elements of this sacrament and be holy signes of Christs blessed body offred and of his pretious bloodshed for vs. And here that we may the better know the true nature and vse of sacraments we are to vnderstand that God in offering to vs our saluation purchased by Iesus Christ vseth two things the one is his words wherein be contained his swéete and pretious promises of mercie grounded founded vpon Iesus Christ the other is externall signes which wée call sacraments be added to the word for seales to seale to confirme vnto our consciences the promises of the word euen to set that before our eyes which the promises of gods word do sound into our eares for we are to marke this that both the promises of the word and also the sacraments lead vs to one selfe same thing that is to Iesus Christ in him only to séeke our saluation for as the word doth this as appeareth by those places before alledged out of Iohn 1.29 Col. 1.20 1. Pet. 1.18 Apocal. 1.5 and infinite such other euen so do the sacraments lead vs as it were by the hand vnto the same liuely set the same before our eyes As for example baptisme doth teach vs to the eye that euen as water washeth away the vncleanesse of our bodies so Christs pretious blood which hee shed for vs cleanseth vs from the filthines and giltines of our sins And this sacrament of Christs supper teacheth and assureth vs that euen as bread and wine féede nourish strengtheÌ„ comfort mans hart so also Christ Iesus who offred his body and shed his blood once for al euen for vs féedeth nourisheth strengthneth comforteth our féeble sinful soules vnto eternal life And these two things his word outward sacraments God hath from the beginning vsed therby to offer our saluation to vs to assure vs of his fauour When God had created Adam Eue and placed them in Paradise he did not onely by word teach and admonish them to serue and honour him their creator but also he did set the trée of life in Paradise which should set before their eyes effectually teach them to imploy that life which they had receiued of God to Gods glorie When God had brought that fearefull floud vpon the world for the horrible corruption wickednesse thereof and did in mercie determine neuer in like manner to destroy it so againe Gen. 9.11 he did not onely assure vs therof by his word and promise but also the more to confirme it vnto vs did set his bow in the clouds that as often as we behold the same we should be assured of the performance of gods promise as euen to this day appeareth When it pleased God to accept Abraham and his séede to mercy he did not onely signifie the same to Abraham by making his couenant with him Gen. â—7 that he would be his God and the God of his séed and that in his séed al nations of the earth should be blessed but also he gaue vnto him the sacrameÌ„t of Circumcision to be a seale of this his couenant to assure them that by that blessed séed Iesus Christ he would circumcise the foreskinne of their hearts and cut away all their vncleanenes And when God as it were renewed this couenaÌ„t to the Israelites when he brought them out of Egypt he did not onely giue his Law vnto them wherein his couenant was conteyned but also ordeyned the passeouer and many other sacrifices to confirme the same vnto them in being holy figures and signes of Iesus Christ to come vpon whom the couenant was grounded Euen so to confirme the new testament and couenant made with vs wherof I made mention before Hierom. 3â— 31 Heb. 8.8 which is the same in substance with the olde but called new because it is renewed vnto vs in Iesus Christ reueiled adorned with greater graces of Gods spirit Christ hath ordeined sacrameÌ„ts in number as S. Augustine affirmeth fewest August Epist ad Ianuar. 118. in obseruation easiest in signification most excellent that is Baptisme his holy Supper And therefore our Sauiour Christ speaking of the cuppe as S. Luke and S. Paul report his words saith 1. Cor. 11.25 This cup is the new testament in my blood that is to say a sacrament and seale of the new testament and couenant of God confirmed vnto vs in his blood And this manner of teaching and delyuering of things by these two kinds of things words obiected to the eares and outward signes to the eyes it séemeth that we by the instinct of nature or rather of God haue in like sort receiued for in conueighing of things from one to an other we obserue the same order As if a man make conueiance of lands or goods he doth it