grace they went out Now Mark speaketh it thus And as they eat Jesus took bread blessed and brake it and gave it to them and said take eat this is my Body and he took the Cup gave thanks and gave it to them and they all drank of it and he said unto them this is my Blood of the New Testament which is shed for many Verily I say unto you I will drink no more of the fruit of the Vine untill that day I drink it new in the Kingdom of God Here Matthew and Mark do agree not only in the matter but also almost fully in the form of words saving that for this word in Matth. gave thanks Mark hath this word blessed which signifieth in this place all one and whereas Mat. saith Drink ye all of this Mark saith and they all drank of it and where Mat. saith of this fruit of the Vine Mark leaveth out the word this and saith of the fruit of the Vine Now let us see likewise what agreement in form of words is betwixt St. Luke and St. Paul Luke writeth thus He took Bread gave thanks brake it and gave it to them saying this is my Body this do in Remembrance of me likewise also when they had supp'd he took the Cup saying this Cup is the New-Testament in my Blood which is shed for you St. Paul setteth forth Christ's Supper thus The Lord Jesus in the same night in the which he was betrayed took bread and gave thanks and brake and said take eat this is my Body which is broken for you this do in remembrance of me After the same manner he took the Cup when Supper was done saying this Cup is the New-Testament in my Blood this do as often as you drink it in Remembrance of me for as often as you shall eat this Bread and drink this Cup you shall shew the Lords Death untill he come c. Here where Luke saith which is given Paul saith which is broken and as Luke addeth to the words of Paul spoken of the Cup which is-shed for you so likewise Paul addeth to the words of Luke this do as often as you shall drink it in the remembrance of me the rest that followeth in St. Paul both there and in the 10th Chap. pertaineth to the right use and doctrine of the Lord's Supper Thus the Evangelists St. Paul have rehearsed the words and Works of Christ whereby he did institute and ordain this holy Sacrament of his blessed Body and Blood to be a perpetual remembrance of himself untill his coming again Of himself I say that is of his Body given for us and of his Blood shed for the remission of sins But in this remembrance thus ordain'd as the Author thereof is Christ both God and Man so by the almighty power of God it far passeth all kinds of Remembrance that any other man is able to make either of himself or of any other thing For whosoever receiveth this holy Sacrament thus ordain'd in remembrance of Christ he receiveth therewith either Death or Life In this I trust we do all agree for St. Paul saith of the godly receivers 1 Cor. 10th The Cup of blessing which we bless is it not the partaking or Fellowship of Christ's Blood and also he saith the Bread which we break he meaneth at the Lord's Table is it not the partaking or fellowship of Christ's Body now the partaking of Christ's Body and Blood unto the faithfull and godly is the partaking and fellowship of Life and immortality And again of the bad and ungodly receivers St. Paul as plainly saith thus He that eateth of this Bread and drinketh of this Cup unworthily he is guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord. O how necessary then is it if we love Life and would eschew Death to try and examin our selves before we eat of this Bread and drink of this Cup for else assuredly he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh his own damnation because he esteemed not the Lords Body that is he reverenceth not the Lords body with the honour which is due unto him And yet by that which was said that with the receit of the Holy Sacrament of the blessed Body and Blood of Christ is received of every one good or bad either Life or Death it is not meant that they which are dead before God hereby may receive Life or the living before God can hereby receive Death For as none is meet to receive natural food whereby the natural life is nourished except he be born and live before so no man can feed by the receit of this holy Sacrament of the food of eternal Life except he be regenerated and born of God before and on the other side no man here receiveth damnation which is not dead before Thus hitherto without all doubt God is my witness I say so far as I know there is no controversy among them that be learn'd in the Church of England concerning the matter of this Sacrament but all do agree whether they be new or old and to speak plain as some do odiously call each other whether they be Protestants Papists Pharisees or Gospellers And as all do agree hitherto in the aforesaid Doctrine so all do detest abhor and condemn the wicked Heresy of the Messalians which otherwise be called Trip. Hist. Lib. 7. cap. 11. Euchits which said that the holy Sacrament can neither do good nor harm All do also condemn the wicked Anabaptists which putteth no difference betwixt the Lords Table and the Lords meat and their own And forasmuch as Charity would if it be possible and so far as we may with the safeguard of good Conscience and maintenance of the Truth to agree with all men therefore methinks that it is not charitably done to burden any man either new or old farther than such do declare themselves to dissent from that we are persuaded to be the Truth or pretend there to be controversies whereas none such are indeed and so to multiply the debate the which the more it doth increase the farther it doth depart from the unity that the true Christian should desire And again this is true that Truth neither needeth nor will be maintain'd with lies and it is sin to lie against the Devil for tho by the ly thou dost seem never so much to speak against the Devil yet in that thou lyest indeed thou workest the Devils work thou doest him service and takest the Devils part Now then whether they do godly and charitably which either by their pen in writing or by their words in preaching do bear the simple people in hand that those which thus do teach and believe do go about to make the holy Sacrament ordain'd by Christ himself a thing no better than a piece of common broken bread or that do say that such do make this Sacrament of the blessed Body and Blood of Christ but a bare sign or figure to represent Christ none otherwise than an
Ivy-Bush doth represent the Wine in a Tavern or as a vile person gorgeously apparrell'd may represent a King or a Prince in a Play Alass let us leave lying and speak the truth every man not only to his neighbour but also of his neighbour for we are members one of another saith St. Paul The controversy no doubt which at this day troubleth the Church wherein any mean learned man either old or new doth stand in is not whether the holy Sacrament of the blessed Body and Blood of Christ is no better than a piece of common bread or no or whether the Lords Table be no more to be regarded than the table of any earthly man or no or whether it be a bare sign or figure of Christ and nothing else or no for all do grant that St. Pauls words do require that the Bread which we brake is the partaking of the Body of Christ and also all do grant him that eateth of that Bread and drinketh of that Cup unworthily to be guilty of the Lords Death and to eat and drink his own damnation because he esteem'd not the Lords Body All do grant that these words of Paul when he saith if we eat it advantageth us nothing or if we eat not we want nothing thereby are not spoken of the Lord's Table but of other common meats Thus then hitherto yet we all agree but now let us see wherein the Dissention doth stand the understanding of it wherein it doth chiefly stand is a step to the true searching forth of the Truth for who can seek well a Remedy if he know not before the Disease It is neither to be denied nor dissembled that in the matter of this Sacrament there be divers points wherein men counted to be learned cannot agree as whether there be any Transubstantiation of the Bread or no any corporal and carnal presence of Christs Substance or no whether adoration due only unto God is to be done to the Sacrament or no and whether Christs body be there indeed offered unto the heavenly Father by the Priest or no or whether the evil man receiveth the natural Body of Christ or no yet nevertheless as in a man diseased in divers parts commonly the original cause of such divers diseases which are spread abroad in the body do come from some one chief member as from the stomach or from the head even so all those five aforesaid points do chiefly hang upon this one question which is What is the matter of the Sacrament whether is it the natural substance of Bread or the natural substance of Christs own Body The truth of this question truly tryed out and agreed upon no doubt shall cease the controversy in all the rest For if it be Christs own natural Body born of the Virgin then assuredly seeing that all learned men in England both new and old grant there to be but one substance then I say they must needs grant Transubstantiation that is a change of the substance of bread into the substance of Christs body Then also they must grant the carnal and corporal presence of Christs body Then must the Sacrament be adored with the Honor due unto Christ himself for the unity of the two natures in one person Then if the Priest do offer the Sacrament he doth offer indeed Christ himself And finally the murderer the adulterer and wicked man receiving the Sacrament must needs then receive also the natural substance of Christ's own blessed Body both Flesh and Blood Now on the other side if after the truth shall be truly tryed out it be found that the substance of the Bread is the material substance of the Sacrament altho for the change of the use office and dignity of the Bread the Bread indeed sacramentally is changed into the body of Christ as the water of Baptism is changed into the fountain of regeneration and yet the material substance thereof remaineth all one as was before If I say the true solution of that former question whereupon all these controversies do hang be that the natural substance of Bread is the material substance in the holy Sacrament of Christs body then must it follow of that former proposition confessed of all that be named to be learned so far as I do know in England which is That there is but one material substance in the Sacrament of the Body and one only likewise in the Sacrament of the Blood that there is no such thing indeed and in truth as they call Transubstantiation For the Substance of Bread remaineth still in the Sacrament of the Body then also the natural substance of Christs human nature which he took of the Virgin Mary is in Heaven where it reigneth now in glory and not here inclosed under the form of Bread then that godly Honour which is only due unto God the Creator and may not be done unto the creature without Idolatry and Sacriledge is not to be done unto the holy Sacrament Then also the wicked I mean the impenitent murtherer adulterer or such like do not receive the natural Substance of the blessed body and blood of Christ. Finally then doth follow that Christs blessed Body which was once only offer'd and shed upon the Cross being available for the sins of all the World is offer'd up no more in the natural substance there of neither by the Priest nor any otherthing But here before we go any farther to search in this matter and to wade to search and try out as we may the truth thereof in the Scripture it shall do well by the way Whether they that thus make answer and solution unto the former principal Question do take away simply and absolutely the presence of Christs Body and Blood from the Sacrament ordained by Christ and duely ministred according to his holy Ordinance and Institution of the same Undoubtedly they do deny That utterly either so to say or to mean the same and hereof if any man do or will doubt the Books which are written already in this matter of them that thus do answer will make the matter plain Now then will ye say what kind of presence will they grant and what do they deny Briefly they deny the presence of Christs Body in the natural substance of his human and assumpt nature and grant the presence of the same by Grace that is They affirm and say that the substance of the natural body and blood of Christ is only remaining in Heaven and so shall be until the latter day when he shall come again in glory accompanied with the angels of Heaven to judge both the quick and the dead And the same natural substance of the very Body and Blood of Christ because it is united to the divine nature in Christ the second person in the Trinity therefore it hath not only Life in it self but is also able and doth give life unto so many as be or shall be partakers thereof that is to all that do believe in his name which
is at hand I trust then these Mass-sayers and Seers shall shalke and cry to the Hills Hide us from the fierce wrath of the Lamb if they repent not in time Then will neither Gold nor Good Friendship nor Fellowship Lordship nor Authority Power nor Pleasure Unity nor Antiquity Custom nor Councel Doctors Decrees nor any Mans Devise serve The word which the Lord hath spoken that day shall judge the word I say of God that day shall judge And what saith it of Idolatry and Idolaters Saith it not Flee from it And farther That they shall be damned O terrible Sentence to all Mass-mongers and Worshippers of Things made with the Hands of Bakers Carpenters c. This Word of God knoweth no more Oblations or Sacrifices for Sin but one only which Christ himself offer'd never more to be re-offer'd but in Remembrance hereof his Supper to be eaten Sacramentally and Spiritually according to Christs Institution which is so perverted now that there is nothing remaining in it simply according to the Judge I mean the Word of God It were good for Men to agree with their Adversary the Word of God now while they be in the way with it lest if they linger it will deliver them to the Judge Christ who will commend these Men to the Jaylor and so they shall be cast into Prison and never come out thence till they have paid the uttermost farthing that is never My dearly beloved therefore mark the Word hearken to the Word It alloweth no Massing no such Sacrificing nor Worshipping of Christ with Tapers Candles Copes Cannabies c. It alloweth no Latin Service no Image in the Temples no Praying to Saints dead no Praying for the Dead It alloweth no such Dissimulations as a great many use now outwardly If any Man withdraw himself my Soul saith the Holy Ghost shall have no pleasure in him It alloweth not the Love of this World which maketh Men to do many times against their Consciences for in them that love the World the love of God abideth not It alloweth not Gatherers elsewhere than with Christ but saith they scatter abroad It alloweth no Lukewarm Gentlemen but if God be God then follow him if Baal and a piece of Bread be God then follow it It alloweth not Faith in the Heart that hath not Confession in the Mouth It alloweth no Disciples that will not deny themselves that will not take up their Cross and follow Christ. It alloweth not the seeking of our selves of our own Ease and Commodity It alloweth not the more part but the better part It alloweth not Unity except it be in Verity It alloweth not obedience to any which cannot be done with obedience to God It alloweth no Church which is not the Spouse of Christ and hearkeneth to his Voice only It alloweth no Doctor that speaketh against it It alloweth no General Council that followeth not it in all things It alloweth no Angel much less then Man that should teach any other thing than Moses the Prophets Christ Jesus and his Apostles have taught and left us to look upon in the written Word of God the Holy Books of the Bible but curseth all that teach not only contrary but also any other Doctrine It saith they are Fools unwise proud that will not consent to the sound Word and Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles and it biddeth and commandeth us to flee from such Therefore obey his commandment company not with them specially in their Church-Service but flee from them For in what thing consent they to Christs Doctrine He biddeth us pray in a Tongue to edify they command contrary He biddeth us call upon his Father in his Name when we pray they bid us run to Mary Peter c. He biddeth us use his Supper in the Remembrance of his Death and Passion preachng it out till he come whereby he doth us to wit that Corporally he is not there in the form of Bread therefore saith Paul Till he come He willeth us to eat of that Bread calling it Bread after Consecration and drink of that Cup All making no exception so that we do it worthily that is as the Sacrament of his Body and Blood broken and shed for our Sins and not as the Body it self and Blood it self without Bread and Wine but as the Sacrament of his Body and Blood whereby he doth represent and unto our Faith give and obsign unto us himself wholly with all the Merits and Glory of his Body and Blood But they forbid utterly the use of the Supper to all but to their Shavelings except it be once in the year and then also the Cup they take from us They never preach forth the Lords Death but in Mocks and Modes They take away all the Sacrament by their Transubstantiation for they take away the Element and so the Sacrament To be short they most horribly abuse this holy Ordinance of the Lord by Adoration Reservation Oblation Ostentation to drive away Spirits to drive away Tempests c. in nothing they are contented with the simplicity of Gods Word They add to and take from at their pleasure and therefore the plagues of God will fall upon them at the length and upon all that will take their part They seek not Christ and his Glory for you see they have utterly cast away his Word and therefore as the Prophet saith There Jer. 8. is no wisdom in them They follow the Strumpet-Church and Bawdy Spouse of Antichrist which they call the Catholick Church whose Foundations and Pillars is the Devil and his Daughter the Mass with his Children the Pope and his Prelates Their Laws are Craft and Cruelty their Weapons are Lying and Murder their End and Study is their own Glory Fame Wealth Rest and Possessions For if a Man speak or do nothing against them tho he be a Sodomite an Adulterer an Usurer c. it forceth not he shall be quiet enough no Man shall trouble him but if a Man speak any thing to Gods Glory which cannot stand without the overthrow of Mans Glory then shall he be disquieted imprison'd and troubled except he will play Mume and put his Finger upon his Mouth although the same be a most quiet and godly Man So that easily a Man may see how that they be Antichrists Church and sworn Soldiers to the Pope and his Spouse and not to Christ and his Church for then would they not cast away Gods Word and be no more Adversaries to his Glory which chiefly consisteth in obedience to his Word Therefore my dear Brethren in the Lord seem not to allow this or any part of the pelf of this Romish Church and Synagogue of Satan Halt not on both Knees for halting will bring you out of the way but like valiant Champions of the Lord confess confess with your Mouth as occasion serveth and as vocation requireth the hope and Faith you have and feel in your hearts But you will say That so to do is perilous you