the Gospell yet the office of teaching is not tyed to 30. yeares the age may be lesse if the guifts be great and fit for that calling Againe Christ stood not in need to be baptized in respect of himselfe being without originall or actuall sinne to be washed away and therefore Iohn at the first put him backe r Mat. 3 15. yet he would bee baptized for our sakes to fulfill all righteousnesse to sanctifie our baptisme in himselfe and that thereby we might know he was installed into his office But we stand in need to be baptized to seale vp the washing away of our sinnes and therefore there is great difference in this respect between Christ and vs. Besides the Euangelist doth testifie that albeit our Sauiour were baptized at thirty yeares of age yet hee was circumcised at eight daies old Now we haue prooued before that the same which circumcision was to the Iewes baptisme is to all Christians If then he in his infancy were circumcised then children in their infancy may be baptized and are not commanded to waite thirty years for baptisme is our circumcision as the Apostle teacheth but Christ in his infancy was circumcised Å¿ Luk. 2 21. when the eight dayes were accomplished therefore children in their infancy may be baptized Furthermore baptisme was not hitherto as yet in vse it was not commanded to be vsed when he was a childe and therefore he could not possibly be baptized vnlesse we wil imagine he might be baptized before baptisme was So that we see as he would not haue his circumcision deferred one day beyond the time appointed so hee was presently baptized so soone as baptisme was instituted of God and administred by Iohn Fiftly we are no more tyed to this circumstance of time in Christs baptisme then we are to other circumstances of time place and persons in the Supper he ministred it in an vpper Chamber and before his passion we in Churches before dinner and after his resurrection Lastly when the time appointed came that the promised Sauiour and redeeme of mankinde should manifest himselfe to the world then he shewed himselfe openly then he came to the preaching and baptisme of Iohn and began to publish the glad tidings of saluation t Mar. 1 15. and to exhort men to repent and beleeue the Gospell These are the chiefest obiections against childrens baptisme that ca â—y any shew and probability of reason which hitherto we haue dissolued and discussed And this is the second point before propounded Now as we haue seene the truth proued by the Scripture and maintained it against all the ignorant cauils of the Anabaptists and other Arrians of Transiluania that haue u Ministri Transiluan contra Trinit incarnationem domini oppugned this truth so let vs come to see the benefit of this doctrine and what profite commeth by baptisme of children that are without knowledge without vnderstanding without faith and without repentance What vse can there be of this Much euery way as well as by circumcising an infant of eight dayes olde First consider from Vse 1 hence a plaine and palpable error of the Church of Rome a Lindan lib. 4. panopl. Bellar. de verbo dei lib. 4. cap. 9. that teach that the baptisme of children is by tradition not by diuine institution from their word vnwritten not in the word of God written But we haue confuted the Anabaptists by the Scriptures and conuinced them by the institution of circumcision by the tenor of the couenant by the holines of their birth by their redemption through the blood of Christ and by the practise of the Apostles This is better armour these are stronger weapons this is a sharper sword to cut in sunder the corrupt heresie of the Anabaptists then the wooden dagger of humane tradition which the Church of Rome draweth out against them The Scripture is all-sufficient b 2 Tim. 3 16. to proue all truth and to beate downe all false doctrine that lifteth vp it selfe against God Wherefore we hold their traditions to be superstitions and their vnwritten verities are written lies As we retaine the baptisme of children so we haue alwayes bin ready to maintaine it by the old and new testament as by the sword of the Spirit against all the aduersaries thereof Secondly let vs learne from hence to acknowledge a difference Vse 2 betweene baptisme and the Lords Supper For in baptizing of Children not faith not repentance not regeneration is required but only to be borne in the couenant but the Supper of the Lord requireth knowledge discerning trying and examining of our selues which are not required neither can be performed of yong children who know not light from darknes nor good from euill Thirdly if infants haue interest in baptisme then hence Vse 3 it followeth that all are conceiued and borne in originall sin c Ioh 3 6. 1 Cor 15 22. Rom. 3 23 24. Eph. 2 1 2. and whatsoeuer is of the flesh is flesh So the apostle saith As in Adam all dy euen so in Christ shall all be made aliue There is no difference all haue sinned and are depriued of the glorious kingdome of God we must be iustified freely by his grace through the redemptioÌ„ that is in Christ Iesus by nature all are the children of wrath and borne dead in sins and trespasses infants not excepted We learne therefore that whatsoeuer is begotten of man is sinfull and corrupt it must be cut and pared away we must be renewed borne againe by the Spirite of God cleansing vs from our sins yea the children of the faithfull parents whose corruptions are mortified whose lusts are subdued whose flesh is tamed and brought vnder the obedience of the will of God are notwithstanding brought forth in sin because they are borne by carnall generation and not by spirituall regeneration as corne winnowed from the chaffe d August de poenit merit remiss li. 3. c. 18 yet groweth vp againe with it and as the fore-skin cut off from the parents returneth in the child Againe haue infants of the faithfull right to bee baptized Vse 4 Then acknowledge hereby the difference betweene them and the children of Infidels Iewes Pagans and Turks As the children of the Iewes being heires of the couenant were separated and distinguished from other children of the wicked Idolatrous nations and were therefore accounted the holy seed so for the same cause and reason the children of Christians e 1 Cor. 7 14. are called holy borne of either party and parent being faithfull and a beleeeuer and do differ from the prophane seed of Idolatrous people Indeed whosoeuer maketh a true profession of the faith which he holdeth and is ready to leade his life according to that confession though he be not the seed or child of the faithfull yet is to be baptized though he came of the race of Turks or Pagans f Acts 8 37. as appeareth by the speech of Philip
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
THE NEVV COVENANT OR A Treatise of the Sacraments Whereby the last Testament of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ through the shedding of his Pure and Precious Blood is ratified and applyed vnto the Conscience of euery true Beleeuer Diuided into three Bookes 1. Of the Sacraments in Generall 2. Of Baptisme 3. Of the Lords Supper Verie Necessarie and Profitable for these Times wherein we may behold THE Truth it selfe plainly prooued Doctrine of the Reformed Churches clearely maintained Errors of the Church of Rome soundly conuinced Right maner of the Receiuing of thē comfortably declared And sundry doubts and difficult Questions decided By William Attersoll Minister of Gods word at Isfield in Sussex For by one Spirit we are all Baptized into one Body whether wee be Iewes or Grecians whether we be Bond or Free and haue beene all made to Drinke into one Spirit 1 Cor. 12 13. The second Edition Newly Corrected and Enlarged Printed at London by W. Iaggard and are to be solde by Nicholas Bourne at his Shop at the entrance of the Royall Exchange 1614. TO THE RIGHT worshipful Sir IOHN SHVRLEY Knight all health and happinesse from Christ Iesus our Sauiour Right Worshipfull THE former Edition of this Treatise touching the Sacraments some eight yeares since published was not onely by your selfe louingly receiued but by diuers godly Christians beyond my expectation fauourably and friendly accepted And being at length content to yeeld to a new Impression it hath fared with mee in perusing this worke as with him that goeth about to repaire an old house For albeit he purpose with himselfe to pull downe a little or to make a slender addition and alteration in the building yet when once he beginneth to stirre and meddle with the old frame one piece draweth downe another and the augmenting of one part I know not how in a pleasing manner procureth the adding and annexing of another In like manner when I determined to review and peruse this booke mine intent was no more then heere and there to insert a little as time reading conference and better iudgement haue giuen occasion to see farther but beeing entred into the matter and one change causing another the worke is risen to this volume like a flood that swelleth by the accesse and comming in of other waters that it may rather seeme to be the making of a new then the amending of an olde I haue endeuoured heere to set before the eyes of all that wil vouchsafe to reade these lines the nature and vse of the Sacraments which were instituted of almighty God to admonish vs by their mysticall signification both of his goodnes and of our weaknesse being as signes and seales to assure vs of Christ and of his righteousnesse and all his merits There are diuers sorts of signes mentioned in the holy Scriptures which may be fitly sorted into foure ranks Some are naturall Mat. 16 2 3 as the clouds be a signe of raine the rednes of the sky in the euening of faire weather the lowring of the sky in the morning of foule weather Some are ciuill as a sword carried before a Magistrate is a signe of his authority Rom. 13 4. as the Consuls of Rome had their roddes and axe born by their officers Some are miraculous as we see in Gedeons fleece Iudg. 6 36. Mat. 24 29 which was wet when the earth was dry and dry when the earth was wet such shall be in the Sunne and Moone and in the starres in the end of the world as the Lord declareth Other are religious signes which appertaine to piety and godlinesse and an heauenly life of which some are tokens of things past Exod. 16 33 Heb 9 4. Leuit. 8 7 as the reseruing of Manna some of things present as the garments of the Priests and Leuites and their often clensings and purifications Some be signes of things to come as the sacrifices and oblations But the Sacraments of the new Couenant and last Testament of CHRIST sealed by his precious blood which wee haue heere described serue as monuments and memorials of all these euen to note out vnto vs blessings past and present and to come For they signifie the death and passion of Christ which is already past likewise the promise of grace and forgiuenesse which are present to the mindes of all right receiuers Lastly holinesse of life mortification of sinne repentance from dead workes and the fruites of faith heereafter more and more to be perfected and performed as also the resurrection of the body and eternall life which are to bee accomplished in the world to come Especially I haue beene carefull a The corruptions of the Romane Church vnmasked to vnmaske the corruptions of the Church of Rome if I may call that vnmasking which is in it selfe so palpable and apparent that whosoeuer hath the sight of the eye may quickly espy them or the vse of reason may easily discouer them wherein wee haue the full consent of the former and purer Churches If we wil a little consider the truth of this point and compare the doctrine of the reformed Churches with the pollutions and prophanations of the Romish Synogogue we shal plainely perceiue that light and darknes are not more different and repugnant then these are the one to the other Indeed they oftentimes appeale to the sentence of the Fathers as if their faith were the ancient faith and their doctrine had the approbation of elder times howbeit all this foppery serueth but for a flourish to varnish their rotten postes with deceitfull colours forasmuch as they are content the Fathers shall be expositers of the Scriptures but it is with this caueat and condition that themselues will bee Interpreters of the Fathers Wherefore I will b 3 points discussed propound as it were in a Table 3. points to be handled First their contrarieties and oppositions standing against the truth Secondly their contentions and contradictions remaining among themselues Lastly I will answere their obiection that thinke the matter is not so cleere on our side as we pretend who contemne Transubstantiation and the reall presence and maintaine the spirituall eating against the carnall and Capernaiticall First touching their corruptions c Comparisō between the Lords supper the Masse and contrarieties they are so notable and notorious to all the world that they can no longer hide them and conceale them as we may gather by comparing the institution of Christ with the traditions and abhominations of Antichrist Christ deliuered his last Supper as he sate at the Table with his Disciples where they did all eate as at a banket but Antichrist hath turned and transformed this Supper into the abhominable Idoll of the Masse which hath no shew or appearance of any feast at all where the Priest plaieth this Pageant alone hee sitteth not at the Table but standeth at the Altar turneth away his face from the people beeing belike ashamed that they should see his fraud and
Church remained maintaining those opinions which that present Church holdeth They teach that which was neuer taught for sixe hundred some things which were neuer knowne for a thousand yeares after Christ Answere to those that ask where our Church was before Luther Mark 1 27. The true Church of GOD hath alwayes beene taxed with this imputation and accusation of nouelty as appeareth by the words of the Iewes to Christ the master and of the Philosophers to Paul the Scholler They say to Christ what new doctrine is this Marke 1 27. Wee know that God spake vnto Moses as for this fellow wee know not from whence he is Ioh. 9 29. Ioh. 9 29. So the Epicures Stoikes tooke Paul and brought him to Areopagus the highest Court in Athens saying May wee know what this new doctrine whereof thou speakest is Act. 17 19. Indeed in the hottest times of persecution Reuel 12.6 the woman fled into the wildernesse where she had a place prepared of God that they should finde her there a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes But what an absurd thing and how iniurious dealing is this to persecute vs with fire and faggot and to driue vs as poore banished men from place to place and from corner to corner and then to aske where our Church is and to complaine against it that it is inuisible Neuerthelesse that great Dragon and old Serpent which deceiueth the whole world Ver. 8 9. and all his instruments shall not preuaile because to the woman wer giuen two wings of a great Eagle that she might flye into the wildernesse to her place where she was nourished for a time Ver. 14. and times and halfe a time so that the gates of hell shall not be able to ouercome it and to preuaile against it And albeit the Church be vnknowne to the world and oftentimes to the particular parts themselues as it was in the dayes of Eliah 1 King 19 14 Rom. 11 3. 2 Tim 2 19. Galath 1.9 who complaineth that he was left alone yet it is not hidde from God who knoweth who are his and described fully in the Scriptures which cannot deceiue vs. If wee or an Angell from heauen should teach otherwise let him bee accursed It was our Church that shined with glorious myracles confirming the faith which we professe that was dyed with the blood of so many Martyrs confessing the truth which we imbrace It was our Church which conuinced the Arrians Macedonians Nestorians PelagiaÌ„s Manichees such like hereticks The general Councels celebrated in former times at Nice Popish opâ—nions not heard of for 600. yeares after Châ—ist at Constantinople at Ephesus and at Chalcedon stand on our side But where was the Popish Conuenticle which nowe boasteth it selfe to be the only Church for six hundred yeares after Christ which were the purest times Had they any Church any where that worshipped images that decked them and then ducked downe vnto them that held that the old vulgar Translation of the Bible is authenticall that no interpretation of Scripture is to be allowed against that sence which the Church of Rome holdeth that the Virgine Mary was exempted from originall sinne that the Scriptures are vnperfect and no sufficient rule of faith that the holy Scriptures and the traditions of the Church are to be reuerenced with equall affection that the Bishop of Rome is iudge of all controuersies of Religion Had they any Church vpon the face of the earth that beleeued that the Pope was euer called a God and the spouse of the Church that held that veniall sinnes are cleansed and done away with holy water that the Pope is aboue a generall Councell that the Pope may dispense by his omnipotency wâ—thin the degrees of affinity and consanguinity forbidden in the Law that by dispensing the merites of Saints by indulgences hee is able to deliuer Soules at his pleasure from the paines of Purgatory that the Pope defining out of his Chaire cannot erre Were all these or any of thâ—se preached or professed in the true Church of God which are now broached and beleeued in the Church of Rome But to passe ouer these as impertinent to this present Treatise New doctrins of Popery touching the Supper and to speeke onely to the matter in question concerning the Sacraments what Church did beleeue the reall presence or Transubstantiation or priuate Masses or receiued in one kinde or held that there are seauen Sacramenss neyther more nor lesse or beleeued accidents without their subiect or called the Sacrament his Lord and God or administred it in a strange tongue or lifted it vp ouer his head or worshipped it as his Maker and Creator All these are now made articles of faith and principles of religion such as without them a man cannot be saued yet which of them were imbraced for sixe hundred yeares I might adde more after Christ These were neuer heard off neuer dreamed off which are now the chiefest dreams of the Romish Prelates And no maruell For seeing they haue in a manner banished and buried the remembrance of CHRIST it may not seeme strange that they haue abolished his Supper instituted in memory of his death and passion Christ our Sauiour sitteth in heauen at the right hand of his Father and maketh continuall intercession for vs Sadeel de spiri manduc cap. 1 and wee must feed vpon him spiritually which is not a faigned or forged presence bred in our owne idle fansie and consisting of our priuate opinion neither doth it signifie and import that which is onely inuisible and not offered to the obiect of the eye or that we go about to turne and transforme the body and blood of Christ into a spirit but we call it spirituall eating and feeding vpon him spiritually The reasons why we are said to eate Christ spiritually for three causes First because the eating of Christs flesh and drinking of his blood is brought to passe by the worke of the holy Spirit for it may well be saide to be receiued in that manner seeing it is effected by that meanes Secondly because this mystery is wrought by the instrument of faith which we send vp to the Throne of God as the Eagle which mounteth vp to heauen inasmuch as it is opposed to the fleshly eating of him wherein the Papists are like to the Capernaites Ioh. 6. that dreamed of a carnall and corporall eating and drinking Ioh. 6 63. which profiteth nothing and helpeth no man and bringeth no good Thirdly because this most excellent and precious food belongeth to our spirituall and eternall life seeing wee receiue the signes not to nourish our bodies but to feed our soules The summe and effect of this Booke These things the iudicious Reader shall finde largely discussed in this Treatise which I haue therefore called The New Couenant because it layeth open the doctrine of the Sacraments which serue to confirme and strengthen vs in that Couenant and
yet if wee bee vncleane and vnpure we make them all vnpure to our selues I say to our selues but not to others For why should they bear the blame of our impurity or why should they bee punished for our iniquity The Apostle speaking of the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11. saith He that eateth and drinketh vnworthily eateth and drinketh iudgement to himselfe not discerning the Lords body hee cannot eate and drinke iudgement to other men but hee may to himselfe Likewise the same Apostle writing to Titus saith Chap. 1.15 Vnto the pure all things are pure but vnto them that are defiled and vnbeleeuing is nothing pure but euen their minde and conscience is defiled No man can defile the Sacraments to others but onely to himselfe forasmuch as they take their nature and borrow their force from God not from men and therefore are not to bee esteemed by the vice or vertue of the Minister but by the power and vertue of God If a Prince should send vs a pardon by his letters pattens and deliuer them into the hand of a wicked man as God sent Iudas the son of perdition to the Children of Israel to preach vnto theÌ„ that the kingdome of God was at hand would we refuse the pardon because of the wickednesse of the messenger Or may wee thinke it to bee lesse forcible and auaileable because hee is an vngodly person Woe then vnto those that bring in againe the damnable doctrine and practise of the Donatists long since buried and shaken in peeces who make a schisme in the Church depart out of the church for the faults offences of the Ministers because wee are not baptized into the names of the Ministers neyther are made partakers of the supper of the Ministers but we are baptized in the name of God and we are made partakers of the Supper of the Lord. They are therefore their owne enemies that looke too much vpon the messenger and too Vse 2 little vpon him that sendeth him vnto vs. Secondly is God the true and onely author and appointer of Sacraments Then none must adde vnto or take from the Sacraments instituted by him in the church no more then vnto the c Deut. 4. worde it selfe Deutronomy 4. Yee shall put nothing to the word which I command you neyther shall ye take ought there from that ye may keepe the commandements of the Lord your God which I command you And Reuel 22 18 19. If any man shall d Reuel 22 18 19. adde vnto these things God shall adde vnto him the plagues that are written in this booke and if any man shall diminish of the words of the booke of this prophesie God shall take away his part out of the booke of life If the Sacraments were the inuentions of men they might also fitly receiue the additions and subtractions the changes and the alterations of men but seeing they are the ordinances of God we must be content to haue them ordered by God All Ceremonies therefore and rites deuised by men as parts of Gods worship are so many abhominations and innouations of his seruice As God onely can gratiously promise so hee can onely effectually performe what he hath promised Wherefore we must condemne those as guilty of rebellion against God that bouldly breake out eyther to deuise new Sacramentes or to adde and detract from them that God hath ordained We are commanded to rest in those that he hath appointed to the Church in his worde for as well wee may deuise a new word as deliuer a new Sacrament aswell wee may coyne a new Article of faith as bring in a new confirmation of of faith Thirdly wee learne heereby that they which condemne Vse 3 the Sacraments and will not suffer them to bee of any force with themselues and making small account of them doe esteeme them as trifles or otherwise abuse them contrary to the institution will and commandement of Christ all these do greeuously sinne not against man but against the author of them that is God who hath ordained them and greatly indanger their owne saluation as 1. Cor. 11. He that eateth drinketh vnworthily e 1 Cor. 11 29 eateth drinketh his owne iudgement because hee discerneth not the Lords body If a man contemne or any way contumeliously abuse the seale of a Prince he is punished and therefore such as scorne and make a mocke of the Sacraments which are the seales of God cannot goe scot-free but shall bee indighted of high treason and rebellion against his Maiesty The last point to bee considered in the description of a Sacrament is the end of them where it is added Whereby Christ and al his sauing graces by certaine outward rites are signified exhibited and sealed vp to vs. This is proued directly by the Apostle 1. Cor. 10 16. The f 1 Cor. 10 16 cup of blessâ—ng which we blesse is it not the Communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we breake is it not the Communion of the bodye of Christ So Peter speaketh Acts 2. of the other Sacrament g Acts 2 38. Amend your liues and be baptized euery one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes and ye shall receiue the guifts of the Holy-Ghost And Paul saith in another place All ye h Gal. 3 27. that are baptized into Christ haue put on Christ Our soules are washed in the bloud of Christ his buriall his resurrection his sanctification his wisedome his righteousnesse his redemption is made ours all his benefits are ours as Christ is ours Vse 1 Let vs make vse of this point and apply it to our selues First is Christ the summe and substance of all Sacraments Then the Church of Rome is heere condemned that say we make the Sacraments bare and naked signes God forbid that we should say so or make them to be so they are the sure seales of Gods promises heauenly tokens spiritual signes and authentike pledges of the grace and righteousnesse of Christ giuen and imputed vnto vs. The Sacraments and sacrifices of the olde Testament were not bare signes Circumcision was not i Rom. 2 28.29 a bare signe as Rom. 2. This is not circumcision which is outward in the flesh but the circumcision of the heart And In Christ k Col. 2 11 12. yee are circumcised with circumcision made without hands by putting off the sinfull body of the flesh through the circumcision of Christ Euen so Baptisme is no bare signe it were great blasphemy so to speake it were very great iniquity so to thinke The grace of God doth worke with his Sacraments and therfore the signes are neuer receiued in vaine of the faithfull and worthy receiuer The water washeth not from sinne the bread and wine feede not to eternall life but it is the precious blood of Christ that doth cleanse vs from al sin and purchaseth for vs all grace which is the life and the truth of the outward signes Againe
Apostles God commended Abraham for this saying u Gen. 18 19. I know him that hee will command his sonnes and houshold after him that they keepe the way of the Lord to do righteousnesse and iudgement that the Lord may bring vpon Abraham that he hath spoken vnto him Dauid gaue Salomon his sonne a notable and right noble charge before he dyed a 1 Chr. 28 9. speaking thus to him standing before him and before the Princes and Peeres of the kingdome Thou Salomon my sonne know thou the God of thy Fathers and serue him with a willing mind for the Lord searcheth all hearts and vnderstands all the imaginations of thoughts if thou seeke him he will be found of thee but if thou forsake him he will cast thee off for euer Teach them that child-hoode youth are vanity b Eccl. 1 12. teach them to remember their creator in the dayes of their youth teach them to reade the Scripture and to practise in their liues and conuersations what they haue read and learned Instruct them to auoide idlenesse to eschue euill company to giue themselues to prayer and hearing the preaching of the worde Warne thy children to loue God to reuerence their mother and to loue one another Warne them to speake euill of no man and beware of taking Gods name in vaine Put them in minde that God is their father their creator their preseruer their redeemer their sanctifier yea their iudge that shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead and reward euery man according to his workes We must all appeare before the iudgement seate c 2 Cor. 5 10. of Christ that euery one may receiue the things which are done in his bodye whether good or euill Put them in remembrance not to oppresse or defraud any man d Psal 41.5 for the Lord is an auenger of all such things whoe will not blesse euill gotten goods but send his curse vpon them and they shall not prosper Admonish them to shew forth their faith by good works and to shew mercy according to their powers Lastly to honour their Princes parents maisters and all superiors Thus we instruct men to liue and to dye that dying they may liue with God in his kingdome Thus we annoint the sick with precious balme that e 1 Thes 4 6. shal not break their head with the inward and inuisible oyle of Gods grace and mercy Thus we warne them to prepare the oyle of faith in their lampes and to keepe a good conscience toward God and man that they may with ioy and comfort depart in peace render vp their soules into the hands of God cheerefully meeting the Bride-groome and entring with him into his kingdome So then the people loose nothing by lacke of the materiall oyle the want thereof beeing supplyed with exhortations admonitions reproofes consolations prayers and supplications more desired of the sicke and more auaileable for the sicke And thus much of extreame vnction and the other forged Sacraments whereof some wanting the outward signe some the spirituall grace signified some the word of institution some the promise annexed and al of them the commandement of Christ the testimony of the Scriptures and the consent of elder times we cannot admit them for any Sacraments and so we conclude that there are onely two Sacraments of the Church vnder the Gospell which are Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord. THE SECOND BOOKE Of the Sacrament of Baptisme being an Honourable Badge of our Dedication to Christ containing the true Doctrine thereof ouerthrowing the errors of the Church of Rome and deliuering the comfortable vse of this Sacrament to all the people of GOD. CHAP. I. Of the word Baptisme and what it is HItherto wee haue spoken of the Sacraments in generall together with the parts vses and number of them now wee come to the first Sacrament which is Baptisme being an honourable badge whereby wee are dedicated vnto Iesus Christ a The word bapâ—isme is taken many waies This word in scripture hath many significations First in the natiue proper signification it signifieth to dippe to diue and plunge vnder water as Mat. 3 16. Iohn 3 22 23. Acts 8.38 39. Secondly to cleanse and wash any thing with water euen when this Sacrament is not administred as Marke 7. where it is saide the Pharisies did not eate except first they washed So Heb. 9 10. the old tabernacle did consist in washings Thirdly it signifieth the Crosse afflictions miseries persecutions and inward vexations of the spirite as Luke 12.50 where Christ saith I must be baptized and how am I grieued till it be finished And Mat. 12 22. Are ye able to drinke of the cup that I must drinke of and bee baptized with the baptisme that I shall be baptized withall Fourthly it is taken for a liberall and plentiful distribution of the graces and gifts of God as Acts 15. Iohn baptized with water but ye shall bee baptized with the Holy-Ghost within these few dayes that is ye shall receiue a greater measure of the guifts of God then yee haue done before Fiftly the worde is taken for the doctrine of Iohn which he deliuered before he administred the Sacrament of baptisme as Act. 18.25 Where Apollos is said to be an eloquent man and mighty in the Scripture knowing nothing but the baptisme of Iohn Likewise Mar. 1 4. Mar. 1 4. it is said that Iohn preached the baptisme of repentance vnto remission of sinnes that is the doctrine of repentance for otherwise how could he preach Baptisme which properly is ministred not preached Heereunto commeth the question that Christ demanded of the chiefe Priests and Elders of the people The Baptisme of Iohn whence was it Mat. 21 25. from heauen or of men whereby he meaneth the doctrine as appeareth by the words following for so they vnderstood him when they reasoned among themselues saying If wee shall say from heauen he will say why then dâ—d yee not beleeue him Mar. 11 31 32 for all men counted Iohn that hee was a Prophet indeed The reason why his ministry preaching is called by the name of Baptisme is because his doctrine that he deliuered was first of all sealed with that Sacrament which none of the Prophets did or could do before him so that as his person was called the Baptist so his doctrine was called by the name of baptisme one part of his ministry being put for the whole Lastly it is taken for the whole worke and action of the Sacrament of Baptisme as Math. 28 19. Goe vnto al Nations teach and baptâ—ze them and in this last sence we are now to speake of it Let vs therefore see b Whâ—t bâ—ptisâ—e is what this Sacrament is Baptisme is the first Sacrament whereby by the outward washing of the body with water once into the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the Holy-Ghost the inward clensing of the soule by the blood of Christ is represented This
we are fed to eternall life Secondly this teacheth that all rebaptizing is vnlawfull as we see by the examples of the apostles q Act. 2 42 and 19 1 5. who baptized not the beleeuers and members of the Church the second time For Acts 2. it is noted that such as beleeued the Gospell continued in the apostles doctrine in fellowship in breaking of bread prayer but not in baptizing againe or being baptized againe and chap 19 4.5 the disciples which were baptized and had not receiued the gifts of the Holy-Ghost Paul instructed further in the doctrine of Christ and doth not rebaptise them but layeth his hands vpon them and they receiue the visible gifts of the Holy-Ghost The reason is plaine against rebaptization because it signifieth and sealeth vp our once beeing borne againe our once setting and setling into the body of Christ r Ezek. 16 8. Hos 2 19 20. and our spirituall marriage once with him who is the spirituall husband of his Church Whereby we see that such as haue been baptized Å¿ Such as haue beene baptized by heretickes are not to be rebaptised by heretickes or other wicked Ministers are not to be rebaptized It came in place of circumcision but none were twice circumcised therefore none to be twice baptized Againe it is a Sacrament that representeth our spirituall incorporation into the Church but it is sufficient once to be ingrafted and consequently sufficient to haue it once administred This error of rebaptizing arose vpon a corrupt vnderstanding and interpretation of the place Acts 19. When they heard it t Acts 19 5. they were baptized in the name of the Lord Iesus The difficulty of this place is taken away if wee consider they be the words of Paul continuing his speech of Iohns baptisme not of Luke declaring what Paul did But of this place we shall haue better and fitter occasion to speake further in the chapter following where it is at large expouÌ„ded Furthermore if baptisme be administred once for euer it sheweth that he which commeth to Christ once truely and indeed shall neuer be cast away u Iohn 13 1. Rom. 11 29. whom Christ Iesus loueth once he loueth for euer because his graces and guifes are without repentance What shall separate vs from Christ when we are by his working adioyned vnto him Wherfore this outward washing being not often repeated but once onely vsed doth effectually feale vp our once ioyning vnto God who hath made an euerlasting couenant with vs he shall neuer turne away from vs to do vs good we shall be his people and he will be our God for euer Indeed if we could cleane fall away from the grace of God wee should haue another regeneration and another baptizing to bee the seale therof but because we are built vpon the brazen pillar of Gods election the gates of hell shall not preuaile against vs for this foundation remaineth sure a 2. Tim. 2 19.20 and hath this seale The Lord knoweth who are his This b Psal 51 10.11 appeareth in Dauid Psal 51. He desireth to haue a cleane heart he prayeth that the holy Spirit be not taken from him thereby declaring that the Spirit was within him and that he had a sensible feeling thereof howsoeuer the flesh for a season had gotten the vpper-hand Heere then is a great comfort sealed to all Christians in all tentations against al the terrors and feares of conscience wherewith they are ready to be swallowed vp and ouerwhelmed This must strengthen and stay vs vp that although we may fall greeuously yet we shall not fall finally from the estate of grace He that is once a sound and liuely member of Christ can neuer be wholy cut off True it is sinne may lessen our coniunction and weaken our communion with Christ but if we be truely in him the band shall neuer be dissolued c 1 Ioh. 2 19. we shall neuer be wholy seuered and fall from him as 1. Ioh. 2. They went out from vs but they were not of vs for if they had beene of vs they should haue continued with vs but this commeth to passe that it might appeare that they are not all of vs. Now if any man by falling into sinne were totally separated from Christ for a time surely in his recouery and rising from sinne hee were to be baptized the second time for baptisme is the Sacrament of initiation and ingrafting into Christ and an vniuersall falling would require a new ingrafting But it were most absurd to say wee should be as often baptized as we fal into sinne and therefore howsoeuer Sathan may buffet molest tempt and wound vs greeuously yet hee can neuer ouer-maister vs wholy and ouercome vs finally d 1 Ioh. 3 9. as the Apostle declareth 1 Ioh. 3. Whosoeuer is borne of God committeth not sinne for his seed remaineth in hâ—m neither can he sinne because hee is borne of God This assurance of our standing for euer in the couenant is the roote of all courage and comfort in trials and tentations it helpeth vs to fight manfully against sinne it preserueth vs from security it nourisheth vs in good workes it increaseth in vs a care to please God and lastly it confuteth the popish fancy of the forged Sacrament of Penance whereby they say a Christian being cleane fallen from grace is restored finding no comfort in his baptisme whereas the true beleeuer neuer falleth finally from faith neither needeth an outward seale to assure his pertaining to Gods fauour and loue Indeed euery Christian that is fallen through infirmitie must rise vp repent vnfainedly and shew forth the fruites thereof yet the force and strength of his baptisme is not lost the fruite and comfort thereof remaineth for euer and is extended as wel to the time to come as to the time that is past So many therefore as affirme that the faithfull in their fals haue remedy in Penance but no comfort by their baptisme do set vp themselues magnifying their owne dreames deuises aboue the holy ordinances of God The 4. part of the former description of baptisme is the forme of baptizing into the name of the Father of the Son of the Holy-Ghost e The vse of the fourth part of the description of Baptisme This teacheth that whosoeuer is baptized hath made a solemn promise to confesse professe the christian religion to be the seruant of Christ to fight his battels vnder his baÌ„ner against all the enemies of his faith saluation against sin against Satan against the world he hath vowed to renounce the workes of the flesh to serue the true God So often then as we are present at the administration thereof wee must consider the couenant into which we are entred which we made in the presence of men and Angels which we are bound to keep for euer Wherefore let vs learne daily to dye vnto sin follow a new life by the grace of sanctification
Male nor Female therefore as well women as men may teach in the Church contrary to the expresse doctrine of the Scripture set downe by Paul himselfe I permit not a woman to speake in the Church 1 Cor. 14. 1 Tim. 2. But I will spend no moe words in answering such trifles Thus much concerning the obiections Now as the truth is plaine and euident so the vse is Vse 1 profitable and comfortable First if the minister be one outward part of baptisme then he must be ready and carefull to performe his duty which is to wash the vncleane body with water in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost to call vpon God and to follow the institution of Christ as it is left in the Scripture for his direction For if there be the outward sign of baptisme as the matter of the Sacrament if there be a party to bee baptized which is the receiuer and if there be a minister to administer it yet vnlesse he perform his duty there can be no baptisme So then we must know that the actions of the Minister i What are the actions of the Minister are double first there is required of him a sanctifying of the water secondly a washing of the party The sanctifying of the water is the separation and apointing of it by the word and prayer to this vse to signifie the bloude of Christ The outward washing is a certain pledge vnto vs of our inward washing by the blood and spirit of Christ Secondly if it bee the office of the Minister to baptize Vse 2 then this giueth direction and instruction to the people to whom to repaire and resort when they haue any Children to be baptized It is required of them to haue recourse to the ministers as to the officers of God We see in the affairs of the Common-wealth and in passing conueyances of houses of lands and of inheritances how carefull and circumspect men are to passe them where they ought to bee passed and in such Courts and vnder such officers as are authorized for such purpose that ther may be no error committed in the conueyance For whatsoeuer is done and passed before him that hath not his patent to warrant his practise is held to be voide and frustrate by maisters of that profession In like manner it standeth vs all vpon when a matter of an higher nature and of greater importance is in hand then the sealing and assuring of temporall possessions to looke carefully to the diligent performance of this speciall duty that the signing of our infants and sealing them in the Couenant be made by the hands of such Officers as are appointed by God for that purpose and by no other Vse 3 Thirdly this condemneth the abuse and prophanation of the Sacrament of baptisme in the church of Rome where women midwiues and priuate persons without any commandement of God nay contrary to his word take vpon them this part of the Ministers office to baptize children which they haue receyued from the Hereticke Marcion i Epip haere 42 who gaue women power to baptize which Epiphanius k Epi. con haer 2 teacheth the holy Mother of Christ was not permitted to do And the fourth Councell of Carthage Can. 100. hath without exception decreed that a woman ought not to baptize Such then as vsurpe this calling and approoue thereof neuer knewe the force of our adoption in Christ nor the strength of the couenant nor that the elect are saued by the good pleasure and will of God Therfore there is not that absolute necessity of baptisme vnto saluation which many suppose that for this supposed necessitie the ordinance of God should be broken and prophaned And a man may maruell why at such times they did not rather commit the matter to priuate men to baptize then to women whose sexe is further remooued from execution of this office not onely because they be vncalled and priuate men l 1 Tim. 2 11 12. 1 Cor. 14 34. but euen because they are women and thereby are wholly vncapeable though otherwise qualified of anie publike charge or function in the Church they are commanded to sit still and to bee quiet Besides if in time of this extreamity and necessity which is imagined it be permitted them to minister baptisme why should it not bee suffered in like necessity and danger of death that they minister the Lords Supper and preach the Gospell in case they be able and men vnable or vnwilling the dignitie of the one Sacrament being no lesse then the other the excellencie of the worde being as great as of them both If then women may iustly bee condemned when they shall presume to sit downe in the Chaire of Moses or to minister the Supper of the Lord they cannot be iustified if they vsurpe to minister baptisme For shall wee make a shameful and double diuorcement of those things that God hath coupled betweene the word and Sacraments and likewise betweene the one Sacrament and the other This â—s too great contumely and contempt offered to baptisme to allow it in those that may neither publikely preach nor lawfully minister the Lords Supper seeing their want to practise the one is no greater then to do the other In a priuate Family it is a great disorder to see the maister play the seruant and the seruant to do the office of the maister the husband to loose his authority and the Woman to step into his place In the Common-wealth it is a wonderful confusion to see base persons and peasants set on horsebacke Eccl. 10 6 7. and Princes walking as seruants vpon the ground Is this vnseemely and vncomely in the priuate house and in the Common-welth and it is not as vndecent in the Church when the distinct partes of the same office are diuided and parted asunder that priuate persons are set in Moses his chaire and pastors are put at the feete of the people Or when the Ministers of the word do occupy the place of Teaâ—hers and the administration of the Sacraments is committed or at lest permitted to the Parishioners and people and which is worse to Women And when different offices are so shuffled and shaken together that it cannot be determined to whom of right they do belong Wherefore let all priuate persons and Mid wiues consider with themselues the fearefull examples recorded in the Scripture of such as haue rashly p esumed to prophane the holy offices of the Church and how God hath often visited this great sinne with greeuous iudgementes sometimes with fire from heauen sometimes the earth opening her mouth sometimes with sodaine death and sometimes with the most filthy disease of the Leprosie whereby as by his voice from heauen he thundred downe on mens disobedience and so ratifieth this law of the necessity of a vocation calling for euer When the men of Bethshemesh pried into the Arke without a calling the Lord smote of the people fifty
as the Lord our God shall call Obiection Answere Neuerthelesse will some say we reade not directly that any infants were heere baptized in these places But do we reade that any were excluded And seeing the scripture expresseth all the houshold who shall dare to debar infants Are not they a principal part of the house Besides if the baptisme of children be not to be beleeued because it is not named and expressed wee might with as good reason shut out women from the Lords Supper if any were as great an enemy to the communicating of women as many are to the baptizing of Children seeing we do not expresly reade that they were admitted to the Lords table in the Apostles times Besides by like reason we may say that the Apostles were not baptized because we do not reade it But the argument is weake and nothing worth to argue from not written to not done forasmuch as many things were done which are not written Iohn 20.30 and 21 25. Wherefore childrens baptisme is no humane tradition no apish imitation no ancient corruption of this Sacrament but is grounded on the vnblameable practise of the Apostles which hath the force and strength of a coÌ„mandement Thirdly Christ by his owne example alloweth and approueth their baptisme as we see Mar. 10. when the Disciples rebuked those that brought little children to Christ that he might touch them he said o Mar. 10 13 14 15. Suffer little children to come vnto me and forbid them not for of such is the kingdome of God verily I say vnto yâ—u whosoeuer shall not receiue the kingdom of God as a little child he shall not enter therein Where we are to obserue that he saith not of these only is the kingdome of heauen but of such like infants which shall be in al ages and times of the Church In this act of Christ embracing the Infants brought vnto him and sharply rebuking his Disciples that forbad them we are to consider that he commandeth children to be brought vnto him addeth a reason To such belongeth the kingdome of heauen If any obiect Obiection It is said he imbraced them it is not said he baptized them or if any reply and say that there is no agreement and resemblance betweene baptizing and imbracing I answere Answere he layeth his hands vpon them he prayeth for them hee commendeth them to his Father and saith The kingdome of heauen is theirs All this is a great deale more then to giue them the outward signe For if reason require they should bee brought to Christ why should they not bee receiued to baptisme which is a signe of our vnion with Christ If the kingdome of heauen belong vnto them why should the signe be denied vnto them whereby the doore of entrance into the church is opened Why should we driue them away from Christ whom Christ calleth himselfe Neither let any say these children were of yeares growne vp in age able of themselues to come and repaire to Christ For the Euangelist vseth such * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 words as signifie such young Infants as are babes and hang vpon their mothers breasts p Luk 2 12.16 and 1.44 therefore by comming in this place he meaneth to draw neere or to haue accesse Againe they were such as were brought to Christ by q Luk. 18 15. others Luk. 18.15 they were caried in their armes they walked not on their feete and Christ also tooke them in his owne armes Besides heereto agreeth the practise and custome of the primitiue church for no Teacher so profound no Doctor so learned no Writer so ancient which doth not refer the beginning heereof to the r Orig. lib. 5. comment ad Rom. Hieron in fine lib. 3. contra Pelag. August de bap paruuâ— cap. 20. libri de Origen animae precise times of the Apostles Let the Anabaptists and aduersaries of this truth tell vs who was the first author and inuenter of childrens baptisme if they refer it not to Christ who first administred it What was his name if they can tell let them not hide it Let them declare the time when it began Let them shew the place where it was deuised Let them name the childe first baptized and in what assembly or church it was If they cannot do these or any of them let them acknowledge the baptisme of children to be the ordinance of God and not of man warranted both by doctrine of the Scripture and practise of the church Moreouer if there were no writer to auouch this ancient truth yet is it in it selfe very right and reasonable For do we not see and behold daily very babes and infants Å¿ ChildreÌ„ admitted to câ—ppi holds by custoâ—e of the Mâ—nour among men oftentimes among men admitted to their inheritance haue they not liuery and season of land and haue they not the wand or turfe taken into their hands according to the vse of the country or custome of the Manour of which they holde They know not what is done they perceiue nothing what the Lord of the Manour or stewarde speaketh vnto them yet we see among the wisest men in this world this is not thought foolish neither is such an admission called into question but they are afterward instructed what they haue done what they haue vndertaken taken vpon them what seruices and duties they owe what their Lord requireth of them and how they hold their lands Thus they are admitted in their infancy to a temporall inheritance and possession this they hold to the ende of their life and of the validity of such entrance no tenant maketh doubt Why then should it seeme vnreasonable to giue them baptisme the signe of the couenant beeing borne heires of the promise that after they come to discretion they may make vse of it as the rest of the members of the Church They shall vnderstand afterward that which they vnderstand not for the present yet if it please God to take them in mercy to himselfe from the miseries of the world before they know the mystery of their baptisme he worketh extraordinarily by waies best knowne to himselfe the force of their baptisme in their hearts and sealeth vp their engrafting into Christ Iesus If then children haue the white wand deliuered vnto them to assure them of the inheritance which they hold let none deny vnto them the partaking of this Sacrament whereby they are assured of an eternal inheritance howsoeuer for the present time they are not capable of the knowledge thereof Lastly the priuiledges and prerogatiues of children are no lesse then those of elder yeares For infants are a part of the Church of God t Children are Christs sheepe and members of his body they are the sheepe of Christ they are the children of the heauenly Father they are inheritors of the kingdome of heauen they are redeemed with the blood of Christ and engrafted into his body why then should they not beare the marke
to the Eunuch Acts 8. If thou beleeuest thou maiest Thus we see that the children of those that professe the faith belong to the Church of God the children of Pagans belong not to the Church of God loe how great a difference there is betweene them Heereby then the children of the faithfull are discerned and distinguished from the prophane multitude of Atheists Epicures Libertines Arrians Anabaptists Turkes Sarazens Persians and other barbarous nations g Eph. 2 1â— which are without Christ without hope without God in the world whereas the holy seede of all the faithfull belong to the Church of God and are reckoned in the company of the Church For this h Rom. 11 6. cause the Apostle calleth the whole posterity of Abraham holy that is consecrated and hallowed to God If the roote be holy the branches are also holy Not that the children of the faithfull do want originall sin or that they gather any actuall holinesse or inherent righteousnes by carnall generation and propagation from their parents but because by benefit of the couenant of God and by force of his gracious promise they are separated from prophane Infidels and brought into the bosome of the Church as Noah was into the Arke Fiftly this doctrine that children are commended to Vse 5 God infranchized into the heauenly Citty setteth forth the honour and glory of God For is not God greatly glorified when he sheweth himselfe true in his promises and hath mercy vpon the faithfull i Deut. 7 9. for a thousand generations And is not occasion offered vnto vs continually to glorifie him Can we deserue that God should be our God Nay do we not deserue that he should not be our God And yet behold he will bee the God of our children also Let vs therefore neuer forget his mercies let vs fill our mouths or rather our hearts with his praises let vs confesse before the Lord his louing kindnesse and his wonderfull workes before the sonnes of men Sixtly all parents are heereby wonderfully comforted Vse 6 they haue their faith strengthened and are confirmed in the loue of God when they see themselues so beloued of God that it descendeth and floweth euen to their Children as they are assured by this visible signe This is that worthy and wonderfull promise which we must receiue by k Gen. 17 7. faith Gen. 17. I will be thy God and the God of thy seed after thee I will establish my couenant betweene me and thee and thy seed after thee A sentence to be written not onely in Gold but in the tables of our hearts to dwell with vs for euer When wee must leaue the world and our families in poore estate behind vs and go vnto the Father let vs not be dismayed discouraged or discomfited this is the stay of our hope this is the staffe of our comfort this is our anker-hold that he will not shut vp his mercy toward our children but be a gracious God to them as he hath beene to our selues so that we may assuredly say vnto them with faithfull Abraham l Gen. 22.8 My sonne God will prouide Let vs bee content with those things that we haue for he hath saide m Heb. 13 5.6 7. Iosh 1 5. Hâ—g 2 9. I will not faile thee neither forsake thee so that we may boldly say The Lord is my helper neither will I feare what man can doe vnto me Godlinesse is great gaine and he that is truely godly is truely rich He that hath Christ hath all things he that wanteth him wanteth all things Heauen and earth are the Lords all the gold and siluer are his who hath promised to be an husband to the widdow eyes to the blinde a couering to the naked a father to the fatherlesse and he will not forget his kindnesse toward vs for euer Wherfore let vs lift vp n Heb. 12 12.13 our hands and our hearts which hang downe let vs strengthen our weake knees and make straight steps vnto our feet God is able to worke contentednes in all his seruants whose power is best seene in our weakenes and whose glory shineth brightest in our greatest wants Remember o Psal 37.25 34 8 9 10. what the Prophet saith Psal 37. I was young and now am olde yet I neuer saw the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread And againe Tast ye and see how gracious the Lord is blessed is the man that trusteth in him Feare the Lord ye his Saints for nothing wanteth to them that fear him The Lyons do lacke and suffer hunger but they which seeke the Lord shall want nothing that is good Loe how the man shal be blessed that feareth God not only in his owne person but in his children p Psal 115 13 14. Ier. 32 38 39. inasmuch as our seed is no lesse deare to him then we are as Psal 115. He will blesse them that feare the Lord both small great the Lord wil encrease his graces toward you and toward your children And to the same purpose the Prophet Ieremy chap. 32. saith They shal be my people I wil be their God and I will giue them one heart one way that they may feare me for euer for the wealth of theÌ„ and of their children after them Let vs al rest in his words and rely vpon his mercifull promises He is not as man that he should lye nor as the sonne of man that he should deceiue He hath said he wil be our God and the God of our seed that we leaue behind vs. Behold O Lord the words of thine owne lips consider the promises that are gone out of thine owne mouth We know thou art true and faithfull in all thy sayings thou wilt not alter the things which thou hast writteÌ„ with thine owne finger on thee we waite and in thee we put our trust let it be vnto thy seruants according to thy free promise and according to thy gracious couenant that we may feele the accomplishment thereof in our soules Seuenthly al parents are heereby to be warned and admonished Vse 7 that seeing the promise of forgiuenes of sinnes and the kingdome of heauen belongeth to their seed and consequently the signe and seale therof they must be carefull to bring them vp q Eph. 6 4. in the true knowledge and feare of God as Eph. 6. Fathers prouoke not your children to wrath but bring them vp in instruction and information of the Lord. So Moses teacheth Exod. 12. Exod 12 26.27 When their children should aske them touching the Paschal Lambe that then it is their duty to declare and deliuer to them the true cause and occasion thereof Likewise so often as we consider how our children are by grace accepted by baptisme consecrated vnto God and so made heires of life and saluation it standeth vs vpon to plant and water the sauing knowledge of Christ Iesus in them For what should it profit vs to leaue them great riches
baptized and washed with water we shall pay dearely for our defiling that sacred water which God hath appointed to so holy an vse True it is the water of it selfe is as nothing no other in substaunce and nature then that wherewith wee wash our hands but when once it is ioyned to the word and applyed to an holy end it is as it were an authentical seale which God hath engrauen in it Now he that counterfeiteth the seale of a Prince shall he not be punished Behold baptisme is the seale of God which serueth not to seale conueyances of earthly possessions as house and lands but to assure vs that we are called to the heauenly life and bringeth good assurance and warrant with it that we be washed from our sinnes by the blood of our Lord Iesus Christ and borne againe by his holy Spirit Shall we breake all and escape vnpunished Let vs not then boast of our baptisme and Christianity to say oh we are baptized we are christened we weare the badge of God these things these things I say will cost vs deare if we make not our baptisme auaileable to our selues and our owne soules by killing our corruptions for thereby l Eccl. 5 3. wee shew our selues like vnto the foole that maketh a vow and immediately after breaketh it For what a misery is this that scarce one of an hundred knoweth the right end of his baptisme and whereunto it auaileth So that albeit they boast of the outward signe yet they are no more sound Christians indeed then Turks and Pagans Infidels and miscreants inasmuch as they are no way mortified or renewed by repentance no way changed in the inward man but lye rotting in their sinnes and remaine in the condemnation of Adam These shall one day finde by wofull experience what a costly thing it is to take so deare a pawne of saluation at the hands of God in vaine Indeed we beare the name of Christ and we professe the Gospell yet you shall find a great number that know not this vse of baptisme nor to what end it was ordained They doe call it indeede their Christendome but are altogether ignorant of the nature thereof and are vnacquainted with the effect of it yea they bring their children to no other purpose to be baptized then because it is the vsual manner and common custome so to do being led thereunto not by the commandement of Christ but by the example of others forasmuch as they can giue no reason at all of that they do This will cost them deerely for abusing such a pledge-token at Gods hands seeing it is a meanes wherby we are vnited to our Lord Iesus Christ and ingrafted into his death and resurrection Wherefore whereas many haue receiued baptisme in their infancy and haue liued forty or fifty yeares in the world without knowing to what end they were baptized it had beene better for them that they had beene borne dead or perished in their mothers womb as an vntimely fruit then to haue vnhallowed so holy and precious a thing Thus much of the third and last vse of baptisme as also of the parts thereof and generally touching this whole Sacrament The end of the second Booke THE THIRD BOOKE of the Lords Supper being Christs farewel-token to his Church and a sweete pledge of his wonderfull kindnesse toward mankinde wherein the truth of this Sacrament is manifested the parts are deliuered the vses are shewed the Doctrine of the reformed Churches is cleared the errors of the Church of Rome are euidently conuinced and the meanes set downe how euery one is to be prepared to the worthy receiuing thereof with fruite and comfort CHAP. I. Of the names and titles of this Sacrament together with the reasons and vses thereof IN the former Booke wee haue spoken of baptisme the first SacrameÌ„t of the church together with the parts and vses thereof Now we are to set downe the doctrine of the Lords Supper which is the second Sacrament For after that God hath brought vs into his Church by baptisme and made vs as it were of his houshold seruants then as a good father of the family he feedeth vs spiritually with the flesh of his Sonne applying vnto vs the merit of his death and passion This a The Sacrament of the body and blood oâ— christ called by diuers names Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ is declared in the Scripture by diuers names to deliuer the nature thereof vnto vs. Sometimes it is called the communion as 1 Cor. 10. The cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the b 1 Cor 10.16 communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we breake is it not the communion of the body of Christ Sometimes it is called the Lords Supper as 1 Cor. 11 20. When yee come together into one place this is not to eate c 1 Cor. 11 20 the Lords Supper Thirdly sometimes it is called the breaking of bread as Acts 2. They continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship d Act. 2 42. and 20 7. and breaking of bread and prayers and cha 20. The first day of the weeke the Dâ—sciples being come together to breake bread Paul preached vnto them ready to depart on the morrow Fourthly sometimes it is called the table of the Lord as we see 1 cor 10. Ye cannot drinke the cup of the Lord and the cup of Diuels ye cannot be partakers of the Lords e 1 Cor. 10 21 table and of the table of diuels Moreouer we shall nothing offend if we call it the testament or will of Christ This cup is the f 1 Cor. 11 â—5 Mat. 26 2â— new Testament in my blood this do as oft as ye drinke it in remembrance of me and our Sauiour thus speaketh Mat. 26. This is my blood of the new testament that is shed for many for the remission of sins These are the chiefe and principal names giuen to this Sacrament in the Scriptures I am not ignorant that the ancient fathers and times succeeding haue giuen vnto it other names and not vnfitly but my purpose being not so much to alledge the counsels or Doctours of the Church as to instruct the simple and vnlearned I will content my selfe with expounding such termes and titles as are penned in the worde of God and pointed out by the Spirit of God Now then let vs render g Reasons rendred of the former names the reasons of such names as this Sacrament is entituled withall It is called the communion because wee haue a communion and fellowship with Christ and h 1 Cor. 10.17 he with vs both which are sealed vp in this Sacrament It is called the Lords Supper both because it was instituted by the Lord Iesus at his last Supper which circumstance of time the Church hath changed because therin is offered to vs a spiritual banket in which the faithfull are spiritually fed and nourished It is called the breaking of
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
Bellar. lib. 2. de Missa cap. 12. vnderstaÌ„d what they pray heare the reading of the Scriptures but not know what is read receiue the Sacraments but not know the meaning of the institution Things without life which giue a sound whether Pipe or Harpe except they make a distinction in the sounds how shall it be knowne what is piped or harped Or if the trumpet e 1 Cor. 14 7 8. giue an vncertaine sound who shall prepare himselfe to battall All things in the Church must tend to the instruction and edification of all the parts and people but reading and praying in a strange tongue doe not edifie and profit the hearers as 1 Cor. 14 26. Let all things be f 1 Cor. 14 5 11 12 1â— 14 18.19 26. done to edifying and verse 14. I speake languages more then ye all yet had I rather in the Church to speak fiue words with mine vnderstanding that I might also instruct others theÌ„ ten thousand words in a strange tongue for how then should he that occupieth the roome of the vnlearned say Amen at thy giuing of thankes seeing he knoweth not what thou sayest Wherefore except we know the meaning of the wordes wee shall bee vnto him that speaketh a Barbarian and he that speaketh shall be a Barbarian vnto vs. Euen the learned languages of Greeke Latine not in themselues but in regard of the hearers that vnderstand them not are barbarous For the Apostle doth not heere like an Orator distinguish the tongues and shew which are eloquent and rhetoricall in themselues and which rude but holdeth euery tongue barbarous Hebrew Syriack Caldy Arab ck Greeke and Latine to him that knoweth not the force and signification thereof And this to be most true g Psal 114.1 Rom. 1 14. the Scriptures teach h Châ—ysost in 1 Cor. 14 hom 35. the Fathers auouch i Strabo Geograph â—ib 1. the heathen writers warrant k Plautus in prolog asmar Ouid de Tristib lib. 5. Eleg. 10. the very Poets declare yea their owne Doctors l Iohan Beleth paris Theol. explic diuin offi in proemio Nicol. lyra in 1. Cor. 14. ad verb vers 16. Caietan opulcutor tom 3. tract 15. do determine Wherefore to conclude it is the ordinance of God it is the doctrine of the Apostles it is the duty of all Christians when the word is read or preached when supplications are offered when the Sacraments are administred to vse a knowne tongue vnderstood of all and without this the Scriptures are vaine the prayers are barbarous the Sacraments are fruitlesse to such as know not what is read what is asked what is promised what is receiued Neuerthelesse there is nothing so absurd but the Church of Rome will defend it especially if it serue to maintaine ignorance one of the maine pillars of their Antichristian vsurpation of the kingdome of darknesse Hence it is that to nuzzle the poore simple soules in the blindnesse of their superstition they tell them that forsooth they pray to God who vnderstandeth all languages and that it sufficeth to haue a good intent and meaning in prayer and leaue the rest to him who doubtlesse will accept of it and them True it is God can speake all tongues he vnderstandeth them better then they that speake them what then Doth it follow therefore that he alloweth and approueth such prayers He vnderstandeth that the Atheist prayeth not at all doth hee therefore allow his not praying If we come in hypocrisie or vse vaine repetitions he knoweth it but condemneth it and detesteth it so that from his knowledge we cannot coÌ„clude his allowance and acceptance Neither is it sufficient to haue a deuout intent of praying to pray is to speake to God not to intend to speake neither will God be worshipped by such intentions but according to his word And what reason can they render why the word should be preached in a knowne tongue rather then read vnto the people in a tongue that may be vnderstood Wherefore whether there be reading of the Scripture or praying to God or singing of Psalmes or receiuing of the Sacraments in the Church al ought to tend to edification and instruction And thus farre of the second outward part of the Lords Supper to wit the word of institution for a Sacrament without the word is as a picture without sence or an image without life which hath a mouth but speaketh not CHAP. V. Of the third outward part of the Lords Supper THe third outward part of the Lords Supper followeth a Bread and wine are the outward signs of the Lords Supper which are the elements of bread wine fittest signes for this purpose to signifie the spirituall nourishment of the soule by eating the body and drinking the blood of Christ That these are appointed as the substance matteâ— of the Supper it apeareth by the words of Christ his Apostles deliuering this SacraÌ„ For the Euangelists expres b Mat. 26 26. Mar. 14 22. Luk. 22 19. Act. 2 41 42. and 20.17 1 Cor. 10.16 that Christ tooke bread gaue it and said Take ye and eate yee So likewise it is said of the Church newly planted by the Apostles that such as gladly receiued the word and were baptized Continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread And chap. 20. it is recorded That the first day of the weeke the Disciples came together to breake bread And Paul saith 1 Cor. 10. The bread which we breake is it not the communion of the body of Christ And in the chapter c 1 Cor. 11 23 26 27 28. following the same Apostle often mentioneth and remembreth the bread of this Sacrament In like manner Christ tooke the cup d Mat. 26 29. wherein was the fruite of the Vine By these Christ is truely exhibited vnto vs he is truely offered vnto all he is effectually giuen to the faithfull as hath beene oftentimes remembred vnto vs. But before we come to the vses arising from these signes Obiection it shall not bee amisse to aske and to answere a question why Christ made choice of bread and wine rather then any other elements to be the signes of the Sacrament of his body and blood I answere Answere it was by reason of the analogy and proportion betweene them for there is a similitude and agreement betweene the signe and the thing signified as will easily and distinctly appeare by these particular considerations compared together both touching the bread and touching the wine For first of all to speake in order of theÌ„ concerning the bread Reasons why Christ made choise of bread Gen. 18 6. Leuit. 2 4. as of the graine of wheat is made corporall bread so of the body of Christ is made spirituall bread Secondly as bread is baked in the Ouen by the heat of the fire so is the body of Christ heated and boyled by the fire of the Crosse and thereby prepared for vs to
transubstantiated into water Fiftly they cannot agree with what words their consecration is wrought whether accidents be without their subiect whether the accideÌ„ts nourish no lesse then the substance of bread and wine likewise what the rats and mice do eate how and from whence the wormes are oftentimes ingendered in their Eucharist so consume it whether the shewes of bread be the body without the blood the shewes of wine the blood without the body Sixtly soone after the Apostles had receiued the Supper into their stomackes Luk. 22 44. Christ Iesus did sweate great drops of blood trickling downe to the ground and was afterward buffetted mocked spit vpon and crucified Now they dare not say that this body of Iesus so spitefully and contumeliously intreated swet any drops of blood in the stomacks of the Apostles or was by the Souldiors apprehended and buffetted vnder the formes of bread and wine and therefore they make at one the same time a double Christ one Christ suffering in the garden and on the Crosse another not suffering in the Disciples one Christ apprehended and another not apprehended one Christ sweating another not sweating one Christ buffetted by the Souldiors and another not buffetted Seauenthly they confesse that Christ both administred and participated of this Sacrament with his Apostles whereof will follow that Christ did eate himselfe and did drinke himselfe and seeing they hold his body is in the cuppe they must also hold that hee did drinke his owne body From whence ariseth a flat and expresse contradiction for to say that the body of Christ was all whole in his stomacke is to affirme that that which is within containeth that which is without as if the scabberd were in the sword or the cup in the wine or the purse in the mony Thus they make the outward part to bee within the inner and without the inner that is without and not without yea whereas they affirme that the body of our Lord is greater then the formes of bread which containe it they make that which is contained greater then that which doth containe it that is the treasure wider and larger then the casket in which it is locked contrary to al the rules of reason the principles of nature and the maximes of the Mathematicks Eightly they say that the body of Christ is all whole in heauen and all whole in the pixe and yet they renounce the Vbiquity of his bodye and holde that hee is not in place betwixt both so that they make a distance betweene the body of Christ and the body of Christ and therefore withall they make him lower then himselfe and higher then himselfe and separated from himselfe Ninthly they teach that the body of Christ in the Masse hath all the dimensions and parts of an humane body distinct in their naturall scituation and yet they teach that there is not so small a piece of the host where that body is not whole so that his head shall bee where his feet are and his feet where his head is And touching his blood they say it is shed in the Masse and yet notwithstanding they call it an vnbloody sacrifice so that by their reckoning there is blood not bloody and a shedding of blood not bloody as if a man should say whitenesse which is not white heate which is not hot or coldnesse which is not cold Thus they had rather say and vnsay and be at discord with themselues then to accord with vs and the truth They thinke it reason to deny all reason a sencelesse thing to be iudged by the senses These opeÌ„ and euident contradictions so stifly auouched stoutly defended that an humane body should fill no place and yet should be in an hundred thousand diuers places haue length without being extended be whole in euery crum of the bread are so grosse and palpable absurdities that they do estrange the Turkes and Infidels from imbracing the Christian religion Auerrhoes It is noted of an Arabian Spaniard writing vpon the 12. booke of the Metaphysickes that his soule should hold with the Philosophers since the Christians worship that which they eate The Pagans mocke at this as a brutish conceite Cicer. de nat Deor. lib 3. as among others it appeareth by Tully in his third booke of the nature of the Gods who saith thus Thinkest thou any man to be so mad as to beleeue that that which he eateth is his God So that this monstrous deuice imbraced in the Church of Rome as a maine pillar that holdeth vppe the house hindreth the faith offendeth the ignorant bringeth the doctrine of Christ into reproach hardeneth the hearts of the enemies of the Gospell and mingleth heauen and earth together It were infinite c See D. Sutl de mâ—ss l b. 5. cap. 10. to note out all their contentions and contradictions these may suffice to shew how the enemies of God fight one against another and al of them with their owne shaddowes And thus much of the late doting deuice of transubstantiation which is the soule life of their popish religion the denyers or doubters wherof they pursue with fire and sword more eagerly then such as are enemies to the blessed Trinity The last generall vse is this If Christ deliuered both these signes not onely the bread but the wine also to his Disciples then both kinds by the Minister are to be deliuered f Christs people must receiue the supper vnder both kinds and both kinds by the people are to be receiued not bread alone nor wine alone but bread and wine the bread in token of his body giuen for vs and the wine in token of his blood shed for vs. This is the ordinance of Christ this is agreeable to the Scripture Notwithstanding the church of Rome hath decreed that it is not necessary for the people to communicate in both kinds holdeth them g Con. Trident. sess 21 cap. 2. accursed that hold it necessary for the people to receiue the cup consecrated by the Priest Thus it appeareth they labor nothing more then to take from the faithfull the sweet comfort of the Lords Supper This is a sacrilegious corruptioÌ„ of Christs institution deuised by Sathan broached by Antichrist published by his adherents in the corrupt times of most palpable darknesse as may appeare by these reasons First if none may drinke of the consecrate wine but the Priests then none should eate of the bread but Priests so that they must either exclude the people from both which I trust they dare not or admit them to both which as yet they do not For to whom Christ said h Mat. 26 26.27 Take and eate to those gaue he the cup and said Drinke ye Wherefore the signes being both equall all communicants must drinke of the one as well as eate of the other there being the same warrant for the one that there is for the other and the let that would barre the one will hinder
5. Byshop of Rome was the first that Å¿ Barth Caranza sum Concil Florent p. 458. mingled water with wine at consecration ordained that the oblation should be of vnleauened t Polid. Virg. de inuentor Rerum lib. 5. cap. 9. bread and not of leauened as till that time had beene vsed Wherefore let vs retaine and maintaine the plaine and simple institution of Christ who in his last Supper gaue wine not water to be drunke for he calleth it the fruite u Mat. 26 29. of the vine which is wine and not water Againe they may be pressed and hampered with their owne dreames and deuices For whereas they hold that the wine must be mingled with water that the elements after the words of consecration are transubstantiated and remaine in their owne nature no more I would aske this question of these Watermen rowing in the troubled sea of their owne decrees who are neere of kin a Papists are neere of kin to the old hereticks called Aquarij to the old hereticks called Aquarij whether the water mixed with the wine be turned into blood If they say it is not then they deny transubstantiation of all that is within the cup and so shake the vertue of their consecration in pieces if they say it is then will they make Christ a watery body and elemeÌ„tall besides it cannot be by vertue of Christs institution where water is neither expressed nor included So then their best defence is to answere with the Pharisies b Mat. 21.23 We cannot tell To conclude let vs not seeke to be wiser theÌ„ Christ nor to mingle together more mysteries then we haue learned of him as Paul saith of his owne practise c 1 Cor. 11 23 That which I receiued of the Lord I haue deliuered vnto you Neither Prophet nor Apostle nor Angel from heauen is to teach otherwise then Christ himselfe hath taught as he charged his disciples Teach them to obserue all things whatsoeuer I haue commanded you He hath supreame authority in the Church his doctrine alone should be heard as the Father himselfe witnesseth from heauen d Mat. 17 5. This is my beloued Son in whom I haue delight heare h m. We are not to regard what other before vs haue thought meete to do but what Christ did who is before all other and called himselfe the truth e Cyprian epist and not custome Thus much of the third outward part of the Lords Supper to wit the two signes of bread and wine CHAP. VI. Of the fourth outward part of the Lords Supper THe last outward part remaineth which are the a The fourth outward part are the communicants communicants whose actions are outward to take the bread and wine into their hands then to eate the bread drinke the wine to the nourishment of their bodyes b Mat. 26 26. as is directly proued by the institution of this Sacrament where Christ gaue the bread and cup into their hands the Disciples receiued the one and the other they did eate the bread and all dranke of the cup. These being the necessary actions of euery receiuer to take to eate to drinke it beateth downe many false doctrines of the Church of Rome as their reseruation ostentation eleuation adoration circumgestation procession and priuate communion it teacheth also many necessary truths to direct our knowledge and increase our obedience which we will consider in order Vse 1 First of al did Christ command his Disciples to eate and drinke that he deliuered and posted them not ouer to eate thereof when they were departed neither willed them to defer their eating vntill afterward then all keeping reseruing of bread in boxes pixes and other vessels of the Church for dayes weekes and months all shewing it to the people c Con. Trid. sess 3. can 5. lifting it ouer the Priests head and going with it in procession is vtterly vnlawful For it is no Sacrament vnlesse it be vsed according to Christs institution and coÌ„mandement but to the institution it belongeth as on the behalfe of the Minister to take to blesse to poure out and to distribute so on the behalfe of the communicants to take to eate and to drinke in them all to shew therby the Lords death and to do it in remembrance of him which cannot be performed but by obseruing the whole action For how can they shew the Lords death or do it in remembrance of Christ vnlesse they take and eate And as the Paschal lambe was not that passeouer vnlesse it were killed and eaten no more is the bread and wine a Sacrament except they be receiued and digested The Passeouer was the same in effect with the Lords Supper d Reuel 13 8. who was the lambe slaine from the beginning of the world Now God commanded that none of it should remaine vnto the morning but the remnant e Exod 12 10 should be consumed with fire The like may be saide of Manna the same in substance with this Sacrament it was not to be kept caried about Let no man f Exod. 16 19 reserue therof till morning Besides there is the same reason of the cup of the bread but they reserue not the wine they carry it not about to shew the people why then should they keepe the other part Likewise when Christ said to his Apostles g Mat. 28 20. Goe baptize the nations it was no baptisme by the h Hâ—â—si Confess de Euchar st cap. â—9 confession of the aduersaries themselues vnlesse there were some person baptized so when Christ said Take and eate there is no Sacrament vnlesse there be a receiuing and eating For as the one standeth in washing so doth the other in eating and drinking not in keeping and reseruing not in carying in procession on a white horse not in hanging it vp vnder a Canopy nor in bearing it to the sicke with bell and candle Christ tooke bread and gaue it to his Disciples saying i Mat. 26 26.27 1 Cor. 11 26. Eate ye he tooke the cup and when he bad giuen thanks he said Drinke ye all of this do this in remembrance of me as often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke of this cup ye shew the Lords death till he come But they hang it in the pixe beare it in boxes and carry it about in publike triumphes and in common calamities when any iudgement of war plague pestilence and famine and like visitation is among them then their Iacke in the boxe goeth abroad in solemne k Concil Trid sess 13. cap. 5. processions to be seene which is the way to increase not to slacke to kindle not to quench to prouoke not to reuoke the iudgments of God gone out against them Besides they shew this Sacrament to the simple people to fal downe to it as to a God they put it vpon the breasts of the dead and sometimes lay it in the graue with them I thinke
faithful of his family to eate and drink that which he deliuereth without laying any further burden or bondage vpon them Then we must vnderstand o It is no precept of Christ to receiue the Lords Supper fasting it is no precept of Christ to receiue the Lords Supper fasting before any other meates and drinkes True it is the people whose zeale goeth beyond their knowledge make a great scruple of conscieÌ„ce in this point to come fasting p August epist 118. which custome we do not condemne but commend so it be without superstition in themselues and iudging of others But howsoeuer many make as great a matter to communicate fasting as to come in faith yet this is no necessary rule or commandement binding the conscience to the obseruation thereof For the word of God and institution of the Sacrament are perfect directions to the Church teaching all matters of faith and obedience yet they teach no such practise And our blessed Sauiour teacheth his Disciples what they should do the Euangelists deliuer what they did and among al their doctrine we finde not this precept of fasting Againe Christ administred it not fasting the Apostles receiued it not fasting not that we are bound to celebrate the Supper at that time but to shew that Christ would neuer haue chosen to doe it after supper if that time had bin simply vnlawfull Besides the Apostle 1 Corinth 11. reprouing the abuses crept into this Sacrament and labouring to reduce it to the first institution exhorteth the Corinthians to tarry one for another and if any be hungry q 1 Cor. 11 36 that he cannot tarry he must beforehand eate at home that so he may better waite for the rest of the congregation Now hee would neuer haue giuen counsell and commandement if it had beene vnlawfull or vngodly to take some little repast and short refreshing before in regard of the present infirmity and weakenesse of the body Lastly he teacheth in another place That the kingdome of heauen is not r Rom. 14 17. meat nor drinke but righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the Holy-Ghost To conclude as he willeth that he which eateth despise not him that eateth not and he which eateth not condemne not him that eateth Å¿ Rom. 14 3.5 19. so must it be in this indifferent practise he that can take it let him take it but let not him that receiueth fasting iudge him that fasteth not and let not him which fasteth not condemne him that receiueth fasting he standeth or falleth to his owne Maister Who art thou then that iudgest another mans seruant Let euery one be perswaded in his owne minde and looke to the warrant of his owne worke Let vs follow those things which concerne peace and wherewith one may edifie another If any list to be contentious we haue no such custome neither the Churches of God Lastly obserue with me that the actions commanded Vse 6 vnto the Communicants after the Minister hath taken and blessed broken and distributed the bread taken and blessed and deliuered the cup are these to take the bread and to drinke of the cuppe of the Lord these are in themselues necessary these are commanded and expressed by the Euangelists other gestures may serue to comelinesse and decency but not to the essence and nature of the Sacrament How much then are they deceiued who besides taking eating and drinking prescribed in the Gospell doe striue for the necessity of sitting at the Supper as if it were a maine pillar of religion cry out against the humble lowly reuerent gesture of kneeling as if it were a matter of impiety and abhorre and detest the order of our Church as the sinne of Idolatry There is nothing necessary to bee obserued as a point of faith but we haue faire warrant for it out of the Scriptures but for this sitting to bee so straitly vrged we haue none at all Christ saith indeed Take ye and therefore taking is necessary Christ saith Eate yee therefore eating is also necessary for vs. He saith Drinke yee therefore drinking is also necessary But hee neuer said to any Sit ye therefore we conclude that sitting is not necessary Howbeit diuers doe make sitting as necessary in the action of receiuing as eyther eating or drinking albeit we haue a commandement for the one but no commandement for the other And albeit it be an argument concluding negatiuely from authority yet it is from the authority of God wheras theÌ„selues reason negatiuely from the authority of men in matter of history that because they speake nothing of kneeling therfore it was not vsed I am not ignoraÌ„t how farre this point hath beene caried in heat of zeale and what our learned and reuerent brethren haue written of the absolute necessity of this sitting at the Sacrament of the Supper insomuch that they teach touching our kneeling that in the outward acte of Idolatry there is no difference to be discerned betweene the Papists and vs whereas they kneele to their breaden God but we giue thankes vnto God for giuing to vs the Sacrament of his body and blood and do not worship the bread nor yet kneele vnto it and therefore there can be no acte or shew of Idolatry in vs forasmuch as we haue no Idoll before vs as they haue Besides I would haue all men know what an vncharitable vnchristian censure sentence they giue of our Church which although it haue banished Idolatry and is as far froÌ„ it as themselues yet is charged with Idolatry sin greater then Idolatry Arg. 4. Pag. 62. For thus they write What speake we of seeming heerein to doe the same outward acte of Idolatry that the Papist doth seeing there is also in this so great appearance of the inward and spirituall Idolatry of the heart in that this gesture seemeth to be both inioyned practised euen with a superstâ—tious intent meaning to adore the Sacrament it selfe Heere is a grieuous accusation of priuate men against an whole Church but no proofe at all of the accusation And who made them Iudges of the heart or opened them a window to looke into it Againe they speake afterward these words Arg. 4. Pag. 66. Adde heereunto that for men to tye themselues in their prayer to adore God in or before any creature without warrant of the word is Idolatry And that it were farre lesse sinne and an appearance of an Idolatry that is nothing so grosse to tye vs in our prayers to kneele before a Crucifixe then to binde vs thus in praying to God to kneele before the bread and wine I could wish that this sentence had perished in the birth and neuer seene the light then should it not haue beene grauen as with a pen of iron and remaine to be read of euery man neither should those of the separation alledge it and take occasion to slander our Church and profession by it For by this it appeareth that they iudge our kneeling to
those from the number of Sacraments which want the warrant of the word The third outward part of a Sacrament is p Marke 1 5. the signe for wheresoeuer there is a Sacrament there must of necessity be an outward element so that neyther must wee make an Idoll of the Signe by aduancing it too high nor cleane abolish it as the Church of Rome dooth by their doctrine of Transubstantiation The last outward part is the q Gene. 17 12 Receiuer so that the Sacraments without their lawfull vse are no Sacraments at all so long as the signes are reserued and not applyed The inward partes also are Å¿ 1 Cor. 3.7 foure First God the Father offering and applying Christ Iesus as surely as the Minister doth the outwarde signe which is a great comfort to such as come to the Sacraments The second inward part of a Sacrament is t Titus 3.56 the holy Spirit working by the worde so that wee can neuer heare the word or receiue the Sacraments aright without the speciall direction and inspiration of the spirit of God neither must we hang vpon extraordinary reuelations which openeth a wide doore vnto all disorders inasmuch as the Spirite is not separated from the word The third inward part is Iesus u 1 Cor. 10 3 Christ who is the truth the life of all Sacraments nowe if God the Father haue giuen him vnto vs a Rom 8 32. how shal he not with him giue vs al things else Let vs therefore lay hold vpon him especially in all difcomfits and troubles when our faith is assaulted by the enemies of our saluation The last inward part is the faithfull Receiuer for except we b Ro 14 23 send out faith to bring Christ home to dwell with vs in our hearts we shall in vaine looke to receiue profite by the Sacraments so that the Reprobate who are vessels of wrath and the children of perdition cannot receiue Christ albeit they partake the signes of Christ As for the elect who are the Lords fealed vp to the day of redemption before their conuersion and gathering into the sheepefold of Christ they also onely receiue the outwarde signe without Christ inasmuch as they are without faith but after they are called with an holie calling effectually and haue receiued to beleeue vnfaignedly they are partakers both of the signe and of the thing signified These are the outward and inward parts Now there c Actes 8 36 is a fit proportion and agreement betweene these partes each verie aptly answering the other For euen as the minister by the word of Institution offereth and applyeth visibly the outward element to the bodie of the Receiuer so the father by the spirit offereth and applieth Iesus Christ inuisibly to the faithfull receiuer Wee shewed before that in a Sacrament wee are to obserue two points his parts and his vses Hitherto we haue spoken of all the parts both such as are outward and such as are inward Now it remaineth to handle his vses The vses of a Sacrament d 3. cheefe vses of a Sacrament are chiefelie three first e Rom. 4 11. to strengthen secondly f Ge. 17 1 11. to seale vp the couenant betweene God and vs thirdlie g Ephes 2 11 to be a Badge of our profession and as a banner displayed to witnesse our warefare vnder our chiefe Captaine Christ Iesus If these be the true vses and ends of the Sacraments then we learne to take notice of h Mark 9 23 our owne failinges and infirmities of Faith that GOD refuseth none for weakenesse and wauering of Faith i Rom. 4 11 that there is an assurance of Fayth to be attained vnto in this life that as God euermore keepeth his promise with his people k Num 23 15. who is not as man that hee should lie l 1 Iohn 3 13 nor as the sonne of man that hee should deceiue so must we be carefull to keepe the Articles of agreement betweene God and vs namely to beleeue his word to loue our bretheren to obey his will that the Sacraments belong not to the vnfaithfull and can do them no good at all forasmuch as they be effectual vnto vs by faith Lastly as our priuiledges are great to beare the badges of Christ our Lord so it teacheth that we are not our owne m 1 Cor. 6 19 20. but are bought at a great price not with n 1 Pet. 1 18.19 coruptible things as siluer and gold but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lambe vnspotted and vndefiled Hitherto of the nature of the Sacraments now of the number of them as we vnderstand the word for such as are seales of our communion with Christ The Sacraments o The Sacraments of the new testameÌ„t are onely two of the new testament are two baptisme and the Lords Supper neither are there any moe left vnto the Church For Christ taught no moe p 1 Cor. 10 1.2 Act. 20 27. Sacraments to the Apostles the Apostles deliuered no moe to the Churches who yet were faithfull witnesses and reuealed the whole counsell of God without concealing and keeping backe of any doctrine which themselues had receiued Besides these two Sacraments are altogether perfect and sufficient both to enter a Christian into the Church and to retaine him continually in the same From this number of two Sacraments we learne first to acknowledge the great loue of God toward vs who hath eased vs of the r Act. 15 10. heauy burthen of infinite ceremonies prescribed in the law and deliuered vs Å¿ Aâ—g de dâ—â—â— Câ—â—â— â— 3. c. 9 a few Sacraments in stead of many Secondly we see heereby the difference betweene the old Testament and the new and betweene the Sacraments of the old Testament and the new they had sundry significant signes and ceremonies whose interpretation was not easily knowne vnto them Thirdly seeing God hath giuen vnto vs two signes and added two seales to his word and writings we ought to haue the stronger faith in his mercifull promises For wherefore hath he doubled the signes but that we should increase in faith as it were double our assurance of his graces Lastly this number of two ouerthroweth the number of seaueÌ„ Sacraments maintained in the Church of Rome which iust number was t 〈…〉 first broched by Peter Lumbard afterward ratified in the Counsell of Florence and lastly established in the Counsell of Trent and is now become the common doctrine of that counterfeit Church For besides baptisme and the Lords Supper which wee receiue they u The number of seauen Sacraments is faâ—se and forged haue installed into the number of SacrameÌ„ts Confirmation Penance Matrimony Orders and extreme Vnction contrary to the doctrine of the Scriptures contrary to the nature of Sacraments contrary to the euidence of sundry reasons And first of all a Confirmation no Sacrament Confirmation be lifted vp into the seate
place I take the word part in a generall sence and signification and therefore do conclude in it and comprehend vnder it as well the Ministers and receiuers to bee outward parts of a Sacrament as the signes themselues All men do confesse that the signes are parts because they are materiall but I vndertake to prooue the persons both of him that deliuereth and of them that receiue to bee essentiall also Besides the actions of the Minister and the actions of the receiuer are both of them significant as is manifestly shewed so that there is a fit resemblance betweene the workes of the Minister and the workes of God the Father for God performeth the truth of that inwardly which the Minister doth outwardly and the actions of the receiuer doe serue to instruct the faithfull what they are to doe by faith Wherefore if the signes bee partes because they are significant then wee are to receiue the Ministers and receiuers as parts also because whatsoeuer they do is significant also First then c The Minister is the first outward part of a Sacrament there is required a Minister lawfully called chosen and ordained hauing at the least the approbation and allowance of the Church to pronounce the words of institution and to deliuer the outward signes to the receiuers They are not makers of the Sacrament but Ministers not authors but administrators not deuisers but deliuerers Earthly Princes haue their letters patents and their great seales and keepers of the same if another shall set to the seale that is not appointed the keeper thereof is it not made an heinous crime worthy of heauy punishment So the Lord is a mighty Prince King of Kings and Lord of Lords he hath appointed his seales to seale vp his promise of forgiuenesse of sinnes and eternall life and he hath ordained his Officers as it were keepers of his great seales God publisheth saluation and pardon to all beleeuers by his worde as by his letters pattents and hee addeth baptisme and the Lords Supper as two broad seales for greater assurance and confirmation and appointeth the Ministers to bee keepers thereof Whosoeuer therefore shall presume to set to any of these seales without warrant without a calling without a function and direction from God himselfe being no officer no Minister no keeper of them prophaneth these seales and setteth to a counterfeit stampe For as no man may preach d Rom. 10 15. except hee bee sent so no man may administer the Sacraments except he be called This is it the e Heb. 5 4.5 Apostle teacheth No man taketh this honor vnto himselfe but he that is called of God as was Aaron and Christ tooke not to himselfe this honor to bee made the high Priest but hee that saide vnto him Thou art my Sonne this day begat I thee gaue it to him Now to minister the Sacraments is an honour in the Church which none can take to himself at his own pleasure but God must giue it They should haue in their owne consciences a witnesse of Gods calling them to this office and honour Wherefore the sacred functions ordained of God must not be prophaned by voluntary officers and vsurped offices no man must take vpon him without a lawfull calling to teach these holy mysteries Of these the f Ier. 23 21. Lord complaineth I haue not sent these Prophets yet they ranne I haue not spoken to them and yet they prophesied Thus these intruders did thrust their sickle into other mens corne The reasons g Reasons why the Ministers onely are to administer the Sadraments why the Ministers and no others are to intermedle with the Sacraments are very apparant First because euery part and member of the Church hath his especiall office and his proper guifts to execute his calling we see in a campe the Souldiers in warre haue their standing-place in sight of their captaine who hath chosen thē to be warriors so in the Church must euery one keep his seuerall calling in the presence of God who hath in wisedome and mercy called him therevnto Wee see in the naturall disposition of the body h See Booke 2 cap. 3. euery member hath his speciall vse the eye to see the hand to handle the foote to walke the eare to heare and if one member should incroach vpon the office of another it must needs tend to the destruction of the body We see in the gouernment of an house and family the husband and wife the father and sonne the maister and seruant know acknowledge their places to rule and to obey to command and to bee commanded without intruding themselues and incroching vpon the function as it were vpon the free-holde of another If wee would ascend a step higher wee obserue in the affaires of state and matters of the common-wealth euery man doth keepe within his owne listes and limits and no man dare presume to charge any man or enterprise any thing in the Princes name authority without a sufficient warrant from the Prince himselfe so may no man take vpon him any functions in the Church vnlesse he haue a commission and commandement from the Lord. For as the Prince appointeth by what officers he will bee serued so is it in the offices and officers of the Church God hath placed and ordained the Apostle to plant the Euangelist to second and assist the Prophet to prophesie the Pastor to feede and hath set euery one k 1 Cor. 12 12 14. in his proper place and standing as it were in his watch-tower out of which he must not wander and depart It is a generall common rule set downe by the Apostle Let euery man abide in the same vocation wherein hee was called and againe afterwards Let euery man wherein he was called therein abide with God Whosoeuer therefore medleth without a lawfull vocation as it were violently inuadeth another mans possession as Ahab did the Vineyard of Naboth and cannot do it without the checke controlment of Christ Iesus who is the l Iosh 5 14. Captaine of his owne hoast m Eph. 4 15. the head of his owne body the n Heb. 3 5 6. Lord of his owne house and the o Reuel 12 5. great King of his owne Church Againe Christ the Prophet and teacher of his Church and the Prince of Pastors hath committed the office of administration of the Sacraments to those alone to whō he hath committed the dispensation of his word and preaching of the Gospel therfore if any other shall set to the seale it is no true seale but a counterfeit stampe The truth of this appeareth by the words of Iohn Baptist Indeed I baptize with water that is I that am appointed a teacher in the Church to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. And Paul beeing conuerted and called to preach to beare the name of God to the Gentiles did without further word warrant or commandement minister the Sacraments Now then
as we haue seene the truth of the doctrin let vs consider the vses therof First is the Minister of the substance of the Sacram. and a principall part of Christs institution Then he must consider it is his duty being authorised frō God by his Church to sanctifie the outward elements and administer the same to deliuer the outward signes offer thē to the receiuers His workes therefore are to put apart consecrate the signs to an holy vse to open declare the couenant of God to pray for his blessing promised vpon his owne ordinance to giue thanks for the blessed worke of our redemption to offer giue and deliuer aright the cretures so sanctified in baptisme to sprinkle with water wash the body to be baptized in the Lords supper to deliuer the bread to be eaten and the wine to bee drunke to the spirituall nourishment of the Church So then the Minister ought not to refuse to baptize such as are broght vnto him Shall the seruant refuse to doe the worke of his maister When Christ the maister shall say Goe and baptize shall he answere againe I will not when the Centurion saith to his seruant Goe he goeth when he saith Come he cometh If the Lord keeper of the Kings broad seale should proudly and presumptuously disdaine to set the seale to the Princes letters pattents were he not well worthy to bee displaced and remoued So if the Minister through enuy or hatred or any other sinister affection which ought not to be harbored in their breast shall refuse to put the seale to the Lords Couenant and hinder little children from comming to Christ he deserueth iustly to be displaced and to beare office no longer in the citty of God but to be remoued for his contempt q 1 King 2 35 as Salomon put downe Abiathar Vse 2 Secondly is it a necessary point of the Sacrament that it be ministred by a Minister Then it condemneth all those that put these seales into a wrong hand and all priuate persons that violently rush vpon this calling and take vpon them to meddle with the administration of the Sacraments with vnwashen hands seeing the dispensatiō of the word and Sacraments is so linked annexed and ioyned together by God that a deniall of licence to do the one is a deniall to do the other and contrariwise the licence to one is licence to the other Christ neuer gaue to priuate persons any such commandement hee neuer committed to them any such office hee neuer commended to their care these holy actions he neuer called thē to this honor he neuer laide vpon them this charge and therefore they haue no part nor fellowship in this businesse If notwithstanding these restrainings of authority from them they will run and rush forward where they should hang backeward their sinne lieth at the doore their punishment hastneth and their iudgement sleepeth not Lastly if the Minister be an outward part of the Sacrament Vse 3 we must beware and take heede wee ascribe not to the Minister that which is proper to Christ and so rob him of the honour due vnto his name The Minister may offer the signe hee cannot bestow the thing signified hee may baptize the bodye hee cannot cleanse the soule hee may deliuer the bread and wine hee cannot giue the body and blood of Christ Iohn may wash with water hee cannot giue the Spirite Man indeed pronounceth the word but God sealeth vp his grace in the heart man sprinkleth the bodye with water but God maketh cleane the soule by the blood of Christ man may take away the filth of the flesh but Christ must purge the conscience from dead works who is that blessed Lambe of God that r Iohn 1 29. taketh away the sins of the world For as Paul ſ 1 Cor. 3 6. planteth and Apollos watereth but God giueth the increase so the Minister offereth the element and outward signe but God giueth the heauenly grace It belongeth to the Minister to handle the externall part it belongeth as a peculiar dignity to Christ to bestow grace to giue faith regeneration t Mat. 3 11. and forgiuenesse of sinnes and to baptize with the Holy-Ghost This truth Iohn confesseth I baptize with water but one commeth after mee who is mightier then I he shall baptize you with the Holy-Ghost Where we see he maketh a flat opposition betweene himselfe and Christ betweene his baptisme and the baptisme of Christ As on the one side wee must take heede of the contempt of him that teacheth and ministreth the Sacraments because the contempt of the word Sacraments doth necessarily follow the contempt of his person so we must beware we attribute or giue not to him more thē his right lest the power of the word force of the Sacraments be attributed to his person whereby men rob God of his glory spoile themselues of the fruite of them both This was it wherein the n 1 Cor. 1 22. Corinthians offended when they said I am Pauls I am Apollos I am Cephas I am Christs Wherefore to keepe a golden meane betweene too much and too little we must doe as if a Prince should send vs some present by one of the meanest messengers of his house we would receiue him fauourably and entertaine him honourably for the guifts sake which he bringeth vnto vs but the guift it selfe we would receiue for the Kings sake from whom it was sent So it becommeth euery one of vs to doe God hath committed to his messengers and Ministers the word of reconciliation we must haue them in singular loue for their workes sake that labour among vs but the worde Sacraments we must receiue for the Lords sake from whō they come Thus much of the first outward part to wit the Minister CHAP. V. Of the second outward part of a Sacrament THe second outward part of a Sacrament a The word of institution a necessary part of the Sacrament is the word necessarily required to the substance of a Sacrament for b August in Ioh. 13. Tract 18. the word is added and ioyned to the element and there is made a Sacrament This sacramental word is the word of institution which God in each Sacrament hath after a speciall manner set downe consisting partly of a commandement by which Christ appointeth the administration of Sacraments and partly of a promise annexed wherby God ordaineth that the outward elements shal be instruments and seales of his graces as for example when Christ saith c Mat. 28 19. Goe teach all Nations and baptize them there is a commandement to warrant the vse practise of Baptisme the promise likewise is in the next words Into the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost So touching the other Sacrament of his supper when he saith d Mat. 26 26.27 Take ye eate ye drinke ye do this in remembrance of me loe there is the commandement
comfort in trials and tribulations to consider that howsoeuer by sicknesse by persecution by imprisonment wee may be separated from the Supper of Christ u Rom. 8 35. yet we cannot be separated from Christ though we may be hindred from eating him sacramentally yet wee cannot bee hindred from eating him spiritually though we may be kept from eating the bread and drinking of the cup of the Lord yet we cannot by the malice of Sathan or violence of his instruments be kept from feeding vpon Christ by faith to saluatioÌ„ And in this case God will accept the will for the deed if there be in vs a desire to be partakers thereof for as the word of God is not bound so his grace is not tyed vp Againe other receiue Christ onely sacramentally and not spiritually who are partakers of the outward Elements of bread and wine and so receiue the bare signes of the body and blood of Christ For as they are said to eate the true body of Christ spiritually which receiue Christ with the mouth of the soule that is by a true faith and are truely ioyned to him so they eate him sacramentally that handle eate and drinke the signes and seales of his true body but because they want faith they want the meanes to receiue Christ himselfe Thus many haue bin baptized that were neuer regenerated and inwardly purged a Act. 8 23. appeareth in Symon the sorcerer whose heart was not vptight so that albeit he were partaker of the Sacrament of regeneration and repentance yet he remained in the gall of bitternes and in the bond of iniquity So many haue resorted to the Lords Supper that neuer drew nourishment or strength of faith from him to life and saluation and thus many thousands in the world come to the Sacraments but because they come vnworthily they depart away vnprofitably Let no man therefore slatter himselfe in the worke done but labour to come aright that so he may finde comfort to his soule Moreouer some neither receiue Christ spiritually nor sacramentally and such are they that neuer come to Christ nor receiue the sacraments of Christ such are they that liue cut of the bosome of the Church as it were out of the Arke of Noah as Infidels Iewes Turkes Sarizens Persians and such like these must needs perish in the deepe floods of Gods endlesse iudgements For as Christ is the fountaine of life and the well-spring of all b Câ—â— 1 19 â— â— heauenly treasures that accompany saluation and the Sacraments his instruments whereby these graces are conueyed vnto vs the Church the parties to whom both these belong so such as are without Christ without the Sacraments without grace without the Church and consequently without the priuiledges that pertaine to the heires of his eternall kingdome lye in darkenesse and in the shaddowe of death c Mat â—5 26. and are as Dogges to whome the childrens bread doth not belong Lastly other receiue Christ both spiritually by faith sacramentally with the mouth who are partakers both of the signes and of the things signified who â—â—g Tract â—5 â—4 Iohan eate of the bread of the Lord and the bread which is the Lords And thus the Apostles that sate at the table with Christ at his last Supper did receiue him applying the outward part to their bodies and the inward part to their soules Also thus all the faithfull that come to the table of Christ to the end of the world doe receiue him spiritually and sacramentally to the great comfort of their owne soules and thus must euery one of vs seeke to come to Christ whensoeuer wee come to the Sacrament of Christ Wherefore we see what difference distinction is to be made betweene those that receiue Christ that we be not deceiued in the manner of the receiuing of him Againe seeing onely the faithfull are the inward part of Vse 2 this Sacrament it is not to be administred to such as shew themselues vnfaithful and vnrepentant so farre as they may be knowne so to be Such as are without faith without repentance without sanctification haue no right and interest in this blessed communion For if euery one should without difference be admitted and receiued the Church of God which is a blessed fellowship of Saints should be turned into a stye of vnclean swine a stable of vncleane beasts a cage of vncleane birds and as Christ speaketh the e Ioh. 2 16. Luk 19 46. house of God should be made a denne of theeues God did shut out of his f Ezek. 44 9. sanctuary euery stranger vncircumcised in heart and in the flesh he commanded also the Priests to put a difference betweene the holy and prophane betweene the cleane and vncleane Hitherto belongeth that saying of Christ Mathew 7. Giue ye not that which is holy to dogges neither cast ye your pearles before swine least they tread you vnder their feet and turning againe all to rent you If therefore such as remaine in grosse and open sinnes of blasphemy swearing contempt of Gods word adultery fornication vncleannes wantonnesse drunkennesse maliciousnesse and such like offer themselues at any time with the rest of the members of the Church to partake this Supper and as it were infectious leapers come into the Lords host g Leuit. 13 â— 45 46. Num. 5 â— 3. to bee admitted to the sacrifices it is the Pastors duty to vse the power of the keyes and barre them from this Sacrament vntill there appeare in them the testimonies of repentance and the confession of their offences Should not the shepheard seuer the rotten and infected sheepe from the rest of the fold Doth not h 1 Cor. 5 6. a little leauen sower the whole lump Will an housholdder admit into his house euery one that vanteth himselfe to be of the houshold The Idolaters by the light of nature i Hesiod liber oper dier Eustath in Iliad lib. 1. Virg. Aeneid lib. 2. 6. would not suffer all to approach to their sacrifices their heathenish sacrifices but cryed out that prophane persons should be packing and get them thence and not i presume to offer with vnwashen hands Such as haue a very cleere fountaine and spring of waters committed vnto them if they see filthy swine come toward it k Chrys hom 83 in Mat cap 37. must not suffer them to trouble the spring and annoy the water Shall they then that haue the sacred and hallowed spring not of common water but of the precious blood of Christ springing vp to eternall life committed vnto them l Zeph. 3 4. suffer such as are notoriously defiled with sin to prophane the blood of Christ and make a mocke of him to their owne destruction Wherefore such as are open wicked persons are not without opeÌ„ repeÌ„tance to be admitted to the Sacram. of the Supper but to be separated from the Church as dead members from the body as withered branches from the tree and
as rotten sheep from the flock m 1 Co. 5 7. that the rest may bee preserued in sound doctrine and in innocency of life and conuersation Vse 3 Moreouer if onely the faithfull receiue Christ let euery one prepare a true and liuely faith in his heart It is not enough to haue the bodily hand to receiue the mouth to taste and stomacke to digest but we must bring with vs the hand of faith For this holy Supper albeit by Gods ordinance it be a spirituall thing yet through the vnworthinesse of the receiuers it becommeth a meere corporall and earthly thing The passeouer was a liuely figure of Christ o Reuel â—3 8 representing the lambe slaine from the beginning of the world but such as did eate thereof vnworthily it was to them an instrument of destruction and as the messenger of death Iudas was one of the twelue and did eat the Paschall lambe with the rest but he did not eate Christ with the rest he did receiue damnation to himselfe p Ioh 13.2 Sathan entring into him and procuring the confusion of soule and body It seemeth he receiued not the Supper of the Lord q Ioh. 13 30. forasmuch as the Euangelist noteth that as soone as he had receiued the sop he weÌ„t immediately out Wherfore r Luk 22 21. that which Luke affirms ch 22. Behold the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me at the Table albeit it be set downe after the supper yet was vttred before supper acording to the vsual manner of the Scripture which traÌ„sporteth things done before to that which is afterward as appeareth plainely in the words following And therefore it is a sure and certaine rule that all things are not set downe in the old and new Testament in order as they were done but oftentimes that is set downe after which was done before and before which was done after Besides after that the Supper was ended and a Psalme sung Mat. 26 30. Christ went out into the mount of Oliues now if Iudas had staied till the Supper had bin ended he could not haue made such preparation at a suddaine to get together those that should take Iesus for there came with him a great multiude with swords and staues from the chiefe Priests and Elders of the people The councell and conuocation of the chiefe Priests and the Scribes and the Pharisies and the Elders and their sitting in iudgment determining what to do required some time and before Iudas could receiue a band of men from them it must take vp more time to omit the time spent in departing froÌ„ Christ and in returning vnto Christ againe which could not be done speedily and therefore no doubt he was gone before As then Christ bad him do quickly that which he did so he stayed not but was glad he was gone from his sight and company Thirdly it cannot be but the guiltinesse of the conscience of Iudas did accuse him and sting him who had beene with the high Priests and couenanted with them to betray his Maister especially seeing Christ our Sauiour was euermore speaking of it and putting his Disciples in minde that one of them should betray him Ioh. 8 7 â— It is noted touching the Scribes and Pharisies that when Christ willed him that was without sinne to cast the first stone at her that was taken in adultery They being conuicted by their owne conscience went out one by one beginning at the eldest euen vnto the last So likewise he feeling an hell and horror in his conscience and knowing that notwithstanding his secret plotting his diuelish dealing was detected and his prophane heart espied could not abide to haue his sore touched but no doubt made all hast to be gone out of the sight presence of his Maister Lastly this was done by the speciall prouidence and appointment of God who would shew thereby that wicked men and hypocrites which lead a life vnworthy the profession of the Gospell are not to be admitted to the Lords Supper And this is the iudgement of sundry writers Å¿ Hil in Mat c. 30 lib. 8. de Trinitate Clem Rom. con lib. 2. cap. 61. both old and new But inasmuch as he was present at the Passeouer which was a figure of the passion of Christ God by this ore fearefull example teacheth that he neuer suffereth the abuse of his Sacraments to goe vnpunished The Apostle saith 1 Cor. 11. He that eateth and drinketh vnworthily eateth and drinketh his owne iudgement t Zanch. de redemp lib. 1. cap. 19. and â—6 Beza in Ioh. 13. Tractat. de excem for this cause many are sicke and weake among you and many sleepe Vngodly persons that lye and liue in sinne together with all impenitent persons attribute too much to the outward signe rest therin as in the comfort of their soules Adam thoght after his fal if he could reach out his hand take the fruite of the tree of life and eate thereof Gen. 3 22. he should liue for euer For these words vsed in that place Least he put forth his hand to the tree of life and eate and liue for euer do respect the purpose and intent of the man not the euent and issue of the matter inasmuch as the eating of that fruite all the daies of his life could not giue grace or restore him to that life hee had lost and to that high estate from whence he was fallen Now as he imagined if he could but taste of the tree of life againe it should go well with him so his posterity in all ages dreame of a secret power inherent in the Sacraments whereas by taking the same vnworthily and by iudging of them corruptly sinne is increased God is offended and the punishment is doubled The Arke was a testimony of Gods presence a witnesse of his loue and league with man and an assured signe that God would make his dwelling place among them that he would abide with them that he would walke before them that he would be their gratious God and that they should be his people but the Priests Elders and people attributed ouermuch vnto it and farre greater things then they ought they said a 1 Sam. 4 3. Wherefore hath the Lord smitten vs this day before the Philistims Let vs bring the Arke of the couenant of the Lord out of shiloth vnto vs that when it commeth among vs it may saue vs out of the hands of our enemies Euen as the Church of Rome when any iudgement or calamity is vpon them carry forth their breaden-God on procession hold him vp to be seene and adored and thereby thinke to haue themselues deliuered and Gods wrath to be appeased These neuer thought of turning to God with all their hearts and of changing their liues but ascribe saluation and deliuerance to the Arke it selfe and attribute power to the outward signe which of it selfe and in it selfe was no better then a few boards ioyned