which he commanded them to eate he calleth his body This appeareth by the testimony of g Mat. 26 26. Mar. 14 22. Luk. 22 19. the Euangelists and coherence of the words But he tooke bread and brake it therefore he gaue bread he commanded to eate bread he said of the bread This is my body Now if he tooke bread but brake it not or if he brake bread but gaue it not or if he gaue bread to his Disciples to eate but told them not this which he gaue them but some other thing beside that was his body the latter part of the sentence starteth from the beginning and the middle swarueth from them both Secondly the Apostle after the words of consecration doth oftentimes call it bread as 1 Cor. 11. As often as yee shall eate this h 1 Cor. 11.26 27 28. 1 Cor. 10 16. bread and drinke this cuppe yee shew the Lords death till hee come And againe Whosoeuer shall eate this bread and drinke the cup of the Lord vnworthily shall bee guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. And againe Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this cup. These men say it is not bread the Apostle saith it is bread whether of these we shall beleeue iudge you So in the former chapter he saith The bread which we breake is it not the communion of the body of Christ Likewise touching the other signe i Mat. 26 29. our Sauiour expresly calleth it wine after the thanksgiuing Mat. 26. I will not drinke henceforth of this fruite of the Vine vntill that day when I shall drinke it new with you in my Fathers kingdome This fruite of the Vine is wine therefore the substance of it remaineth Now if the bread had bin turned into the body or the wine into the blood of Christ and if the Apostle would haue spoken properly he should haue said As often as ye shall eate not this bread but this body of Christ vnder the forme of bread the blood of CHRIST vnder the forme of wine And againe He that eateth the body and drinketh the blood of Christ vnworthily And againe Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate and take in his mouth the very body of Christ his Creator But thus the Apostle hath not spoken neither could he so speake truely properly and fitly therefore we do truely properly and fitly conclude that there is no transubstantiation Thirdly Christ speaking of the cup saith Take k Luk. 22 1◠19. diuide it among you and of the bread he saith he tooke it and brake it But if the substance of bread be abolished or chāged into the body of Christ and likewise the nature of the wine turned into the blood of Christ there could bee no true distributing or breaking for the blood of Christ is not deuided into parts neither is his body broken Fourthly if the strength or force of transubstantiation depend vpon these words of institution This is my body This is my blood then there can be no reall change before these words be fully finished and pronounced to the end Therefore when they begin to say This is what is it What meane they I say it is Is it any other then bread wine by their owne confession til the words be ended So then these sentences shall not be true when they say This is my body this is my blood except they meane this bread is the body of Christ this wine is his blood wherfore bread and wine remaine their nature is not changed and altered Fiftly these words This is my body must be vnderstood as the words following This cup is the new Testament but the cup is not turned into the new Testament nor into the blood of CHRIST therefore the other words must be figuratiuely vnderstood not literally for there is one respect of them both neither can any reason be rendred why a figure should be admitted in the one part rather then in the other The 6. reason Christ is said to giue to his Disciples that which he said was his body If then this be properly taken we shall thereby make a proper Christ and make him a monster of two bodies as they also make the church a monster of two heads For so there must be one bodye which gaue and another body which was giuen But it is most absurd that he should giue and be giuen hold himselfe and be holden offer and be offered which differeth little from the l Theodoret de sabul haeretic lib 2. August de haeresib cap. 32. heresie of the Helcesaits who held ther were sundry Christs two at the least one dwelling in heauen aboue the other in the world heere beneath so these make Christ to haue a double body visible and inuisible a visible body sitting at the table and an inuisible body made of the substance of bread which as the papists hold was giuen to the Disciples as likewise they teach of the headship of the Church that one head is inuisible to vs in the heauens another visible to vs vpon the earth The 7. reason It destroyeth the nature of a Sacrament which standeth m Iren. lib. 4. cont haer cap. 34. of an earthly and heauenly part one outward the other inward one seene the other vnderstood one a signe the other a thing signified of which we haue spoken before booke 1. chap. 3. But if there be an actuall transubstantiation then the outward part is abolished and disanulled The 8. reason In baptisme the substance of water remaineth though it haue words of consecration and be made a Sacrament of our regeneration and therefore in the Lords Supper the bread and wine are not changed and done away vtterly The Scripture speaketh as highly n Mat 26 26 1 Pet. 3 20 21 of the one as of the other The ninth reason If bread be really turned into the body of Christ and the wine into his blood then the bodye and blood of Christ are really separated for the words are seuerally pronounced first of the bread then of the wine yea the soule of Christ should be separated from his body for the bread is turned onely into his body and not into his soule But his soule his body and his blood are not really separated So then if the bread be his very flesh and the wine his blood and the one really separated from the other then Christ must necessarily bee slaine afresh euery time the Supper is celebrated and we are found to be crucifiers of the Lord of life whereas it is contrary to the doctrine of the Scriptures that he should dye any more being ascended far aboue all principalities and set downe at the right hand of his Father The 10. reason If the bread be turned into his body indeed by force of a few words vttered by a Priest then the Priest should be the maker of his maker so euery massemonger should be preferred before Christ
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
to God o Reuel 3.15.16 as it is said to the Church of the Laodiceans I know thy workes that thou art neither cold nor hot I would thou werest cold or hot therefore because thou art luke-warme and neither cold nor hot it shall come to passe that I shall spew thee out of my mouth Wherefore let vs not bee discouraged in wel-doing but walking through good report and euill report let vs remember that as Christ is our Lord and Maister so our profession and the Sacraments are our badges Vse 4 Lastly we see what our estate and condition is that we are not our owne but are subiect to Christ to serue him For do we beare his badge Then he is our maister If hee be our Maister Maâ— 1 6. where is the feare and reuerence due vnto him Is it not meete wee should shew our selues thankefull for so great mercies and guifts Were it not intollerable vnthankfulnesse and vnsufferable pride for any man to weare the cognizance of another and yet to scorne his seruice and deny him duty Might not one worthily checke and controule him as Christ did the Iewes who vnwillingly paide such taxes and tributes as were laid vpon them He called for a penny q Mat. 22 19.20 21. and said vnto them Whose image and superscription is this They said vnto him Caesars He answered Giue therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesars and giue to God the things that are Gods So likewise might one say fitly Whose badge wearest thou whose Armes bearest thou on thy sleeue Doth not this put thee in minde of thy state and condition and of the seruice and honour thou owest thy Maister In like manner may it be said to vs Whose badge bearest thou Is it not Christs we are not therefore our owne men as the Apostle reasoneth and concludeth 1 Cor. 6 19 20. Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy-Ghost which is in you whom ye haue of God and ye are not your owne For you are bought with a prâ—ce therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirite for they are Gods So many therefore as come without knowledge and true repentance breake their faith giuen to Christ and betray the body of Christ as much as in them lyeth Wherefore to the right vse and partaking of the Sacraments ther is required the knowledge of God in three persons especially of the person of Christ perfect God and perfect man and of his three offices to saue his people to be their Priest perfectly by sacrifice to reconcile and iustifie them to be their king by the gouernment of his Church to kill sinne in them and to sanctifie them to be their teacher to instruct them in the will of his heauenly Father After these is required true faith and earnest repentance otherwise we cannot receiue r Without faith and repentance we cannot receiue Christ Christ in the Sacraments Put food into the mouth of a dead man it cannot nourish him So if one that is vnworthy and vnfit lying dead and rotting in his sinne do come to the Sacraments certainely they do not giue him life and worthinesse Å¿ 1 Cor. 11 27 29. but such a one doth lade himselfe with a greater burden of sin and punishment as 1 Cor. 11. Whosoeuer shall eate this bread and drinke the cup of the Lord vnworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord he eateth and drinketh his owne iudgment because he discerneth not the Lords body CHAP. XVI Of the number of Sacraments HItherto we haue spoken of the chiefe vses of the Sacraments now we are come to speake a The number of Sacraments of the number of Sacraments according as we take the name and haue declared the nature of them Let vs see then how many such visible signes and seales of spiritual grace in the new Testament were instituted of God to set forth the benefits of Christ for the continuall vse of the Church Many liue in the bosome of the Church heare the word come to publike prayer take themselues to be goodly Christians offer themselues to the Lords-table are made partakers of the SacrameÌ„ts who yet are ignorant how many Sacraments there are and what they are None almost so simple but he can number his sheepe and cattell he knoweth their markes he knoweth their differences but aske him how many commandements of the law how many Articles of faith how many petitions of the Lords prayer or how many Sacraments of the new Testament hee can answere nothing They know no difference betweene commandement commandment betweene the first Table and the second betweene article and article and betweene one petition and another Such haue their wits wholy exercised on the world and on worldly things which iustle out religion and the knowledge of heauenly things If we haue eares to heare let vs heare what is the faith of the Church in this point grounded vpon the infallible rule and rocke of the word of God The Sacraments of the Church ordained by Christ to assure our communion with him are onely two b Christ instituted onely two Sacraments Baptisme whereby wee are receiued into the couenant of God in stead of circumcision and the Lords Supper whereby we are nourished maintained and retained therein in stead of the Passeouer For albeit the couenant be but one yet the scales thereof are two to assure vs that by vnion with Christ we are regenerated and shall bee nourished to eternall life Hee hath deliuered vs a few Sacraments in stead of many he could haue instituted moe if hee had thought it good for the benefit of the Church These are as it were the two eyes whereby we see and behold the promises of God These are as the two hands wherby we after a sort do handle Christ crucified lay holde on the graces of saluation Christ hath appointed no moe Sacraments he hath laide on vs an easie yoke and a light burden That these two are the onely Sacraments of the new Testament may appeare by these reasâ—ns c Reasons why there are only two Sacraments following First Christ taught no more to his Apostles the Apostles deliuered no moe to the Churches the Churches imbraced no moe for many yeares When thâ— Lord Iesus liued on the earth Luke 1 76. and 33. he instituted baptisme by the ministry of Iohn Baptist who as hee was sent to prepare the hearts of the people so he preached the baptisme of repentance Afterward the Lord Iesus establish it with his owne mouth in the commission giuen to his Disciples So he appointed and himselfe first administred his last Supper in remembrance of his death vntill his second comming againe with power great glory These two true Sacraments of the Church to wit baptisme the Lords Supper were instituted and warranted by the mouth of Christ himselfe and none other beside these These we receiue because Christ ordained them other
receiue as the doctrine of Christ and agreeable to the Prophets and Apostles as appeareth 2 Cor. 7. where Paul setteth downe the effects or fruites of true repentance This is our doctrine and the doctrine of the Church of God touching repentance let vs consider a little the popish penance and what they teach touching it and we shall see plainely that heauen and earth light and darknesse are not more opposite then their deuices and inuentions are to the truth For they haue forged a new Sacrament which they cal Penance What popish penance is when a man is contrite for all his sinnes and maketh a full and sufficient reckoning vp rehearsall of them all in the eare of the Priest of whom he is enioyned to make satisfaction after he is absolued of them So that this new coyned Sacrament consisteth of these foure counterfeit parts The parts of popish penance the contrition of the heart the confession of the mouth the satisfaction of the worke and the absolution of the Priest Thus they abuse the name of a Sacrament when they apply it to these things as we shall see afterward Againe they require all these things as necessary to saluation in all that are of yeares of discretion whereby they lay snares for mens soules and set them vpon the racke requiring an impossibility at their hands forasmuch as no man can haue perfect sorrow nor number vp all his sinnes nor yet make satisfaction for them and therefore this Penance is not a boord to escape shipwracke neyther physicke for the soule but the high way to desperation Lastly they make the performance of all these things meritorious and teach that remission of sinnes is obtained by them which tendeth to the reproach and dishonour of Christ Let vs speake somewhat of these in order Touching the first point to wit Contrition we grant that godly sorrow of heart for sinne is necessary to repentance as also to haue a true feeling of sinne and an hatred and detestation of it howbeit it is no part the repentance but onely the right and ready way that leadeth to it because the more sinne doth presse vs and afflict vs the more we learne to flye to the mercy of God in his Sonne Christ But they teach that this Contrition ought to be perfect and that the greatnesse of the griefe must be answerable and equiualent to the greeuousnesse of the sinne they make it a necessary meane and cause of iustification and apart of satisfaction for our sinnes that we deserue by it remission of them and therefore their doctrine is diuelish and blasphemous translating vnto mortall and sinfull men that which is proper to Christ the Son of God The next point is Confession Such as the Scripture alloweth and approueth we admit and acknowledge as first publike confession of the whole Church acknowledging theÌ„selues before the coÌ„gregation to be grieuous sinners in the sight of God consenting to the Minister that conceiueth the prayer and crauing pardon of our heauenly Father in the name of Christ our Sauiour This is practised continually of al the faithfull met together they begin the exercises of religion with this publike humiliation Nehe. 9 3. Nehe. 9 3. For wheresoeuer two or three are gathered together in his name where he is in the midst of them there is alwayes confession of sinne forasmuch as there is nothing can with-hold good things from vs but our owne vnworthinesse Secondly there is a priuate confession when a man poureth out his hart before God alone and desireth forgiuenesse of his sins This did Dauid Psal 32 5 and â—1 1.2 Luke 18. this did the Publican practise and so doth euery beleeuing soule almost at all times For we do all of vs finde continuall occasions to poure out our meditations before him to keepe vs from sinne to hold vs vp in tentations and to weaken the power of sin daily in vs. Thirdly there is another confession when such as are banished from the Church and excluded from the Sacraments and excommunicated out of the society of the faithfull do openly acknowledge their offences and desire to be reconciled to the Church which they haue notoriously offended as we see in the example of the incestuous Corinthian 2 Cor. 2.6 2 Cor. 2 6. who humbled himselfe before God asked forgiuenes of the Church Fourthly there is a kinde of confession of such as haue offended their brethren not that which wee mentioned before belonging to ecclesiasticall discipline but a priuate acknowledgement of the iniuries and wrongs done vnto them and a crauing of forgiuenes at their hands which duty the offenders are bound to performe and the offended are bound to grant according to the rule of charity Mat. 5 24 and 6 14. and 18.15 For we are all charged to reconcile our selues vnto our brethren and to forgiue as we desire to be forgiuen Lastly there is a lawfull and lawdable kind of confession pertaining to such as are troubled in conscience for sinne and desire to finde comfort and to be at peace with God These are to make confession of that particular sinne which lyeth heauy vpon their heart eyther to the Minister if he haue the tongue of the learned and bee able to minister a word of comfort in season Iam. 5.16 or to some other faithfull and godly brother that their spirits may be raised vp refreshed by their prayers All there sorts of confession we know to be good and therefore receiue but what are they to the auricular confession secretly whispered in the eare of an ignorant and sottish Priest wherein men are enioyned to confesse all particularly at the least all their mortall sins Rhem. annot vpon Iohn 20. whether they be committed in minde heart will and cogitation onely or else in word and worke with all the necessary circumstances and differences of the same This they will have done once a yeare in the holy time of Lent before the Lords Supper bee receiued at Easter This is a meere inuention of carnal men not an institution of God forasmuch as Christ neyther by commandment neyther by example ordained any such auricular Confession or particular enumeration of all our sinnes of which we shal speake further in the third booke where we intreat of the preparation required of such as come to the Table of the Lord. The third point is satisfaction and it is true that the iustice of God must be satisfied forasmuch as hee can neuer forget to be iust but it is folly and madnes blockishnesse and sencelesnesse nay high presumption and blasphemy for flesh and blood to thinke that they can make recompence to God for their sins and fully satisfie his iustice For who is able to beare the burthen of his wrath Psal 90.11 For who can pay a price sufficient for his sinnes or who dare offer to the righteous God the rags and patches of his owne workes to merite thereby his fauour What is the
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
thousand threescore and ten men 1 Sam. 6 19. m Numb 16 9 Ps 106 17 18 Corah Dathan and Abiram taking vpon them the Priesthood without a calling fire from heauen came down consuming Corah and his consortes the earth also opened and swallowed vp Dathan and couered the companie of Abiram that they were swallowed vp aliue none of them died the cōmon visitation of other men but God wrought a strange worke vpon them and altered the course of nature which ought to be a perpetuall instruction and direction vnto vs to teach vs not to peruert or euert that order which he hath established to continue in his Church Hitherto belongeth that which is written of Vzzah n 2 Sam. 6 7. who was smitten with sodaine and vnexpected death onely for that beyond the boundes of his calling he put foorth his hand to vphold the Arke which did shake and was readie to fall which was lawfull for the Leuites onely to meddle withall althogh his intent purpose were neuer so good so that if the vnlawfull intruders vpon baptisme pretende cases of necessity heere seemed as great a necessity yea his minde and meaning was as good as theirs if they pretend deuotion yet it displeased God because it was done without his word and warrant So Azariah was striken with leprosie that he was a Leaper to the day of his death for that not being content with his Kingly o 2 Kings 15 5 office hee would take vppon him the priestes office to burne Incense vnto the Lord. These woorthy examples of Gods most seuere iudgements executed vpon the breakers of this ordinance ought to strike such a feare into our hearts that we suffer not the sacred functions and offices of the Church to bee prophaned and to teach vs that euery one meddle onely with the approued duties of his owne calling And although God doth not now thus execute iudgement from heauen and worke strange things in the earth in extraordinary maner when his ordinances are broken yet the sinne is not thereby lessened nor the punishment mitigated nor the hand of God shortened but stretched out still though iudgement according to desert bee deferred nay rather the p Nah. 1 2. Eccl. 8 11.12.13 greater wrath is reserued for his aduersaries to the great day of account when all flesh shall appeare before the throne of his glorious presence For if the prophaners of the signe and Sacraments of the old Testament did not escape but were thus sharply and seuerely punished our Sacraments established by the Lord Iesus are not of lesse value and worthinesse so that the contempt of them shall be visited with sorer iudgements And if God did strike with his reuenging hand priuate men when they sinned in abusing the Sacraments and spared not kings in the pride of their hearts how should women standing a degree farther off and barred from the office by a stronger bolt enter into the house q Ioh. 10 10. at a window and not be accounted as theeues and robbers So that we conclude that the necessity of a calling is as great as the necessity of baptisme And thus much of the first outward part of baptisme namely the Minister CHAP. IIII. Of the second outward part of baptisme THe second outward part of baptisme is the word of institution a Word of institution is the forme of baptisme which is as the forme of the Sacrament as Eph. 2. Christ loued the Church gaue himselfe for it that hee might sanctifie it clense it by the washing of water b Eph. 5 26. Mat. 28 19. through the word This also is expresly set downe Math. 28. Goe teach all nations baptizing them into the name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy-Ghost This both declareth the vse of the Sacrament and promiseth Christ with all his benefits For to be baptized into the name of the blessed Trinity is to be made one of Gods family which is his Church and to bee partaker of the priuiledges thereof This promise is contained vnder the commandement c Gen. 48 19. as we may see by sundry testimonies of the Scripture as Gen. 48. Iacob saith The Angell that hath deliuered me from all euill blesse the children and let my name be named vpon them and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac whereby hee meaneth they should be ioyned to his family and accounted in the number of them Vse 1 Now the vses remaine to be considered First hereby it is manifest what a solemne couenant and contract what a neere coniunction is made by the washing in baptisme betweene God and the persons baptized for God the Father vouchsafeth to receiue them as his children into fauor the Sonne to redeeme them the Holy-Ghost to purifie and preserue them to comfort and regenerate them to protect and defend them from al euill This is the staffe and stay of our hope and comfort Now to be baptized in the name or into the name of the Trinity is all one and therefore in the Scripture they are vsed indifferently without difference or distinction They are said to be baptized in the name of Christ Acts 2.38 and Chapter 10.48 they are saide to be baptized into the name of Christ Mathew 28. Acts 8.16 and 19 3 4 5. The comfort which we receiue from hence standeth vpon the right vnderstanding of these words To be baptized into the name of the Father is to haue assurance giuen vnto vs that God the Father through Christ our Lord is become our Father and that therefore wee stand bound to performe the duty of obedient children toward him To bee baptised in the name of the Sonne is to haue assurance giuen that being baptised we are in the number of them that are redeemed by him and reconciled to the Father through his blood and therefore stand bound to obey him as our mediator and redeemer To bee baptised into the name of the Holy-Ghost is to haue assurance giuen that euery true beleeuer is sealed vp and sanctified by the Holy-Ghost against the day of his full redemption Now we can haue no greater comfort then this to bee assured that GOD the Father is become our Father that GOD the Sonne is become our Redeemer and that GOD the holye Ghost is become our Sanctifyer Secondly consider on the other side that the parties thus Vse 2 baptized do promise and vow to acknowledge beleeue serue worship and call vpon the name of no other Gods but of the true God which is the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost and consequently to renounce the workes of the deuill the fashions of the world and the lustes of the flesh Baptisme is as it were a solemne oath taken in the sight of God and in the face of the congregation whereby the person baptized bindeth himself wholly to God three in persons but one in substance Indeed we deserue to be cast out of the fauour and family of God yet hee
be reaped by it we hope better things of many of them albeit we thus speake For howsoeuer they do not at the present time and in the act of receiuing feele comfort yet neuerthelesse they may finde it and haue it Wherefore consider with me and beare away with thee these fiue things First if thou shouldst vtterly abstaine from the Supper of the Lord it is not to be doubted but that albeit thou feele not thy selfe any whit the better by thy coÌ„ming to it thou shouldst feele thy selfe many degrees the worser And albeit thou feele not thy selfe after thy receiuing to be so good as thou desirest yet if thou camst not at all thou shouldst finde thy selfe to be worse then thou art Now it is some good to hinder that which is euill and to keepe from vs that which is worse .. Thus it is with many that come to the word of God albeit it do not worke their conuersion yet it keepeth them from much corruption that otherwise they might and would fall into Secondly it is one thing to haue grace and another thing to feele grace for a man may haue grace and yet not feele it especially in time of tentation as a man likewise may haue life in him and yet not feele it And although he do not feele it through violence and extremity of the disease yet we cannot truly conclude that he is dead without life so albeit we do not feele any comfort in our hearts it is a false conclusion that therefore we are without comfort we liue by faith not by feeling Heb. 2 4. We may beleeue though we do not presently perceiue it God doth oftentimes giue faith and yet will haue vs waite a long time for the feeling of it Dauid had lost his feeling as also the inward ioy of the Spirite yet euen then he ceased not to haue faith and the Spirite the worker of faith Restore to me the ioy of thy saluation and take not thy holy Spirit from me Psal 51 12. So then faith goeth not alwayes with feeling Thirdly euery man must submit himselfe with conscience to Gods ordinance and then he may be assured he shall in his good time finde comfort Let vs be ready to do for the good of our soules as we are content to deale for the recouery of the health of our bodies Such as are sicke and want health make hast to haue the helpe of the Physition and they continue to vse his counsell albeit they finde not present helpe Let vs do likewise in seeking the health of our soules we must proceed to vse the meanes carefully which God hath ordained for comfort and albeit helpe come not by and by out of Sion yet we must not be discouraged but waite with patience for the appointed time We see touching our ordinary meate in sicke persons though they feele small strength and corroboration by it yet no doubt they are strengthened through it and receiue some nourishment from it euen while they know it not and feele it not or else they could not liue so may it be with vs wee may haue some strength of the inner man some guift of faith and some comfort of the Spirite albeit we do not suddenly feele it and presently perceiue it Fourthly we must set downe this as an infallible rule that neuer faileth no man was euer made better by with-drawing himselfe from the SacrameÌ„t For be it that we haue vsed often-times the Supper of the Lord No man can be made better by abstaining from the Supper and haue found no comfort in it nor fruite by it do we thinke to reape any benefit by abstaining from it and neuer comming to it It was neuer heard of from the beginning of the world that any hath growne either richer in grace or stronger in faith by keeping himselfe from any of Gods holy ordinances This is as possible as it is to see in the darke time of the night by keeping himselfe from the light of the Candle and abstaining from the place where it is set in the Candle-sticke to giue light to them that are in the house Lastly we must not stint God nor limit him a time when to make vs feele comfort like the vnruly patient that will not be cured except he be cured out of hand He will try our faith and patience whether we wil depend vpon him or not Our Sauiour saith The winde bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it commeth and whether it goeth so is euery one that is borne of the Spirite Iohn 3 8. 〈◊〉 3 8. We know not how or which way the Spirite worketh in vs but in time we shall perceiue the worke what it is to our great and endles comfort Now we proceed to another obiection The fift obiection Some say that often receiuing will breed and bring forth a loathing as in our common prouerbe we say too much familiarity often breeds contempt I answere Answere these persons that thus obiect may seeme to be great friends to the Sacrament and to be very iealous of the honour of it as if they could by no meanes abide to haue it disgraced or despised and yet they are deadly enemies vnto the Supper vnto themselues vnto the Saints of God yea to God himselfe and seeke cunningly craftily vnder a colour of deliuering it from contempt to rob the Church of the comfortable vse of it These would haue it to be as the fruites of the earth that come but once a yeare Thus do some others also secretly vndermine the faith of Gods people that could be content the word might no longer be preached vnto them and say that the common preaching of the Gospell maketh it to be contemned If this were so yet the fault is not in the word but in such as are of the common sort of Christians who care not which end goes forward whether they haue the word or Sacraments or prayers or Churches or religion or Christ himselfe they do not greatly regard neither trouble themselues much with these things but as Gallio answered the Iewes touching the worship of God and saluation by Christ Act. 18. Act. 18 14 1â— If it were a matter of wrong or wiâ—câ—ed lewdnes reason would that I should beare with you but if it be a question of words and names and of your law looke ye to it for I will be no Iudge of such matters So do these men deale with God his people touching the chiefe mysteries of Christian religion and the high ordinances of God appointed for our saluation they esteeme them as friuolous and superfluous things that might well be spared They regard nothing but the matters that concerne this present life and serue to fill the pursse and to feed the belly But as God hath dealt bountifully with vs so he would haue the word of the kingdome preached in season and out of season by his Ministers
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
al the people to drink of the cup they might pretend this example of the Israelites but inasmuch as they vtterly deny them this part of the cup they ouerthrow theÌ„selues in their malice and yet in their blindnes they do not see it Finally many of the Fathers did both eate Manna and drinke water out of the Rocke if not in the same place yet at one and the same time n Exod. 16 21 inasmuch as they gathered thereof euery morning and it ceased not a Iosh 5 12. vntill they entred the frontiers and confines of the land of promise But they neuer allow without a tolleration and dispensation the people in any place at any time vpon any occasion and in any respect to taste of the cup in the Lords Supper Ninthly if the cup of the new testament may bee taken from the Lords people in like manner the water in baptisme may be taken away from theÌ„ For the blood of Christ whereby remission of sins is purchased and procured is represented by the wine of the Lords Supper as well as by the water in baptisme But the water in baptisme without great sacriledge cannot be omitted or neglected wherefore then should the cup be taken away Tenthly in the matter of the Supper our aduersaries alledge the words of Christ in Iohn Iohn 6. If you drinke not my blood you shall haue no life in you If these words be thus to be vnderstood then by depriuing them of the cup they depriue the people of life and saluation Againe if drinking of the chalice be a priuiledge of the Clergy how commeth it to passe that Kings and Princes haue a part in this priuiledge How is it that they are permitted as well to drinke of the consecrated wine as to eate of the consecrated bread But heerein was a notable piece of cunning a great point of policy vsed partly to aduaÌ„ce the dignity of the Clergy and partly to stop the mouthes of Princes For as by this order or rather disorder the proud Clergy are made companions with Kings and Princes euen equall vnto them so they thinke to hood-winke them make them content to swallow the rest of their superstitions because they are pleased to grace theÌ„ with this priuiledge aboue the people as with a speciall fauour Moreouer it is not to be omitted that a principall end of this Sacrament was instituted to set foorth the death of Christ not onely as an idle narration but as a profitable application thereof to the conscience How then shall the people know that the fruite of shedding his precious blood belongeth vnto them as the nourishment of their soules except besides the looking vpon the cuppe they be partakers of it It is therefore necessary to vnderstand by eating and drinking that God doth not nourish them by halfes but that Christ yeeldeth whole nourishmeÌ„t vnto them Such then are worthily taxed of rashnes themselues that complaine how the people rashly presume to receiue the Sacrament vnder both kindes for as well they might say that it is rashnesse and presumption to imitate and follow Christ And they may iustly be condemned of heresie who pronounce them hereticks and worthy to be punished by the secular power that speake against receiuing in one kind onely as if it were heresie to follow the example of Christ left to the Church For what remaineth more but to proceed one degree farther euen to pronounce Christ himselfe an Arch-heretick and all the Apostles hereticks also and to condemne them to the Inquisition as deceiuers and impostors seducing and misleading the people Lastly if any part of the Supper might be taken away from the people then likewise the word of God may bee taken from them for in this point there is the same reason and respect of them both A Sacrament is nothing else but a visible word and a sealing vp of the word and the offence seemeth to be the same whether a man breake the seale or rent the writing But the word cannot be withdrawne from Christian people it being the instrument of faith and the life of the Church Wherefore it is the greatest wrong and iniury done to the people of God to take from them the cup of saluation The answere to this reason must be to confesse the parts and yeeld the conclusion forasmuch as by forbidding the people the reading of the scriptures they haue robbed them of the word of God and taken from them b Luk. 11 52. the key of knowledge neither entring themselues into the kingdome of heauen nor suffering those that would enter No maruaile then if they take the cup of blessing from the people who haue taken from them the free vse of the word of God To conclude these reasons it is Antichrist who contrary to the doctrine of Christ contrary to the institution of the Supper contrary to the practise of the Apostles and contrary to the vse of the former churches hath excluded the people languishing and thirsting after the blood of Christ as the dry earth for the sweet showers of raine froÌ„ taking the cup of the Lord and left them a dry communion to eate the bread of the Sacrament alone Hauing considered the truth of God by sundry reasons grounded in the Scripture that the people haue good interest and title in the cup denyed vnto them let vs answere the c Obiections for taking â—he cup from the people of god Arist in Top. Cicer. lib 1 ad Heren et de Orator obiections of the aduersaries made against the former doctrine For it is not sufficient onely to teach the truth and to confirme our owne cause except wee labour soundly to infringe and confute the contrary First they pretend that Christ administred it to the apostles onely and not to any of the people and consequently the institution for taking the cup can be no generall commandement for al men thus d Rhem. Test vpon Mat. 26. and Mar. 14. the Rhemists reason without reason I answere first it may bee doubted and disputed whether onely the Apostles were present at his last Supper For seeing diuers were added vnto the Church and professed the faith of Christ seeing he had other Disciples beside the twelue seeing many godly men and women followed him to see his miracles to heare the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth why should wee thinke that none of them were admitted to his table who had often heard his preaching and depended vpon him in their liuing Againe the Passeouer was celebrated in the house e Mat 26 17.18 of a faithfull man as may be collected by sundry circumstances now then either the Lord Iesus annexed that family vnto his as the law in one case appointed or else we shall haue two Passeouers at one time in one house which hath no warrant of Scripture no colour of truth no probability of reason We reade in the institution and celebration of the Passeouer of ioyning house to house
midst of them that are gathered together in his name and therefore it neuer happeneth that all become vnworthy The word of God hath his effect and one part of the seed falleth into good ground as we see in the parable of the sower Luk. 8 15. And if it could come to passe which is heere imagined it were better to abstaine for a season then to break the commandement of Christ according to the rule of the Apostle When ye come together to eate tarry one for another 1 Cor. 11 33. Furthermore the Priest knoweth not the worthinesse or vnworthinesse of the greatest part if any offer themselues to receiue they must be receiued when their sinne is not knowne Secondly they say that priuate Masses may bee called Obiection 2 common because the people heerein communicate spiritually and because they are celebrated by the publike Minister Answere Heere wee haue common Masses without a communion and without any Communicants howbeit this is true that heere is no communion at all in breaking of bread and eating it beeing broken commanded in the Gospell What agreement then is there betweene Christ sitting at the Table with his Disciples distributing the bread and ministring the cup vnto them and the Masse-Priest standing alone at an Altar and eating all alone without being seene of the people Besides if a Minister pray alone in a corner of the Church yet his prayer cannot be called publike albeit it be made by a publike person and offered vp for all that are absent and conceiued in a publike Temple The like may be saide of the administration of the Lords Supper Thirdly they pretend that the cause why the people Obiection 3 do not communicate is their want of deuotion and good affection that they ought to haue to holy things Heere is a new colour set vpon a foule and deformed face Answere A man would thinke that heareth these excuses that the Church of Rome did onely tollerate priuate Masses but not command them and that they desire they should be publike common were it not for the slothfulnesse and the backwardnesse of the people Sess 7. Howbeit the Councell of Trent not onely suffereth but alloweth and commandeth priuate Masses wherein the Priest alone communicateth Againe if they desired that the people should communicate they would reproue their negligence and stir them vp to greater diligence whereas they confirme them and continue them in it and apply themselues vnto it and leade them into error by their owne example Neither haue they cause to make such a generall complaint seeing the people for the most part are more deuout and religious then the Pastors of the Church of Rome as it was in the dayes of Hezekiah 2. Chron. 30. Obiection 4 Fourthly they demand whether it be the fashion at feasts to constraine them to eate that are not disposed to eate Is not euery one left to himselfe whether hee will eate or not eate I answere Answere the Church of Rome leaue it not at liberty for the people to eate or not to eate but vtterly forbid them and restraine them Secondly at our common feasts no man is compelled to eate because there is no absolute commandement of God to binde them vnto it but in this holy feast it is farre otherwise for we haue the expresse commandement of God to take and eate all of vs. Lastly this comparison of a feast ill besitteth their whole purpose For who euer saw a feast where all the guests that are bidden stand by and eate nothing and the Gouernor of the feast deuoureth and swalloweth vp all alone as it falleth out in the Masse where no body but the Priest eateth Or who euer heard of a solemne feast whereunto no body is inuited But in priuate Masses no man or woman is bidden to come or receiued if they come Obiection 5 Fiftly they adde if the people wil not come would you haue vs leaue the seruice of God Should we be negligent when they are negligent Or should we follow the humor of the people Answere This obiection standeth vpon a double supposition and both of them false The first is that they desire the people should come and receiue whereas all men know the contrary and some men haue accounted it no lesse then heresie to require the partaking of the people at this Supper The second is that the Eucharist without Communicants is the seruice of God these points they take for granted but they neuer go about to prooue them and confirme them If we will receiue such trash at their bare word so it is if not they haue not a dram of reason to establish it Furthermore whereas they adde that the ordinances which God hath commanded ought not to be left for the indisposition of particular men I would know whether the Minister should pray in the Church openly when there is none to ioyne with him Or whether hee should preach the word when there are none to heare him If he may not then how should hee deliuer the Supper when there are no guests I will heere conclude with the complaint that Chrysostome vseth in his time when this corruption began to creepe in O custome O presumption Chrysost Homil. 3. in Ephes In vaine is the daily sacrifice offered in vaine do we stand at the Altar seeing no body communicateth Tell me if a man that is bidden to a feast wash his hands and sit downe and bee placed at the Table and yet eate not doth hee not wrong him that bad him Were it not better that such a one were not present So thou art present thou hast sung the hymne and in that thou hast not retired thy selfe with them that are vnworthy thou hast made profession that thou art of the number of those that are worthy how then dooest thou stay and not partake of the Table Lastly they demand farther Doth the essence of the Obiection 6 Sacrament depend vpon the peoples communicating thereof I answere Answere All communions without communicants do ouerthrow the nature of a Sacrament For Saint Paul defineth this Sacrament to bee a Communion of the bodye of CHRIST 1 Corinthians chap. 10. verse 10. and therfore the Church of Rome destroyeth the definition and consequently the essence thereof But of this wee haue spoken sufficiently before And thus much of the sole communions and priuate Masses brought into the worship of God against the example of Christ against the practise of the Apostles against the vse of the Church against the authority of the Fathers against the light of reason and against the name and nature of the Sacrament it selfe Vse 5 Hitherto we haue pulled downe the heresies of the church of Rome and haue raked in the dirt and dunghill of their deuices the sauour whereof hath annoyed heauen earth now let vs obserue out of this last outward part of the Sacrament how we are directed and instructed thereby to further our knowledge and obedience Did Christ command the
these men are not fit to be Christs guests that hunger not after him Wherefore u Eâ—ay 55 7 the Prophet calleth all such as faint in their soules through hunger and thirst of this food Ho euery one that thirsteth come to the waters and ye that haue no siluer come buy and eate come I say buy wine and milke without siluer and without money And the Apostle Reu. 22 17. Let him that is athirst come and let whosoeuer will take of the water of life freely Likewise the Euangelist Luke 1 53. Hee filleth the hungry with good things and sendeth the rich empty away But where is the desire of these things Where is the hunger after this heauenly food Where is the thirst after the waters of life Truely of all gifts this is the greatest yet the greatest number care nothing for Christ nor for his guifts As the Israel tes in the wildernesse loathed Num 11 5. c. Manna and desired to returne into Egipt such are there among vs no desire no affection no zeale this way they spend their cogitations indeuors to gaine honour they thirst after siluer and gold they delight in earthly pleasures they couet houses lands and wealth of the world these things they abound in these things they make their happinesse and their heauen Such as these there are thousands in the bosome of the Church that hunger more after these transitory things then after heauenly Such are b Heb. 12 16. prophane persons as Esau who preferred a messe of pottage before the blessing and as the Gadarens who preferred their swine before Christ and therefore besought him to depart out of their coasts But let vs learne better things for all these shall vanish come to nothing And what shall it profit c Mat. 16 26. a man if he winne the whole world and loose his owne soule Let vs not labour for the meate that d Ioh 6 27. perisheth but for the meat that endureth to euerlasting life which the Sonne of man shall giue vnto vs. All the dainties and delicates in the world cannot be compared to that which is heere offered to bee eaten of the soule Therefore let vs remember whensoeuer we come to his table to be partakers of this Supper to come with a great longing after life saluation from him as we desire bodily meate when we are hungry and drinke when we are thirsty then shall we by him be satisfied and saued otherwise we cannot lay hold on him we may receiâ—e the outward signe but we cannot receiue the graces o Christ offered vnto vs. Lastly consider with me that if Christ be an inward part of the Sacrament of the S ppeâ— as it were the hidden Manna Reuel 2 17. then no man by nature I meane which is a meere naturall man doth know desire oâ— seeke after him to be fed and nouâ—ished by him to eternall life but he is concealed from the wisest men of the world and such as haue deepe vnderstanding in earthly things Nay there are many brought vp in the bosome of the Church and presume to approach to the Table of Christ that do not know Christ to be their heauenly â—ood for if they did know him aright they would quickly feele the spirituall want of him They would vnderstand that they do not more want the ayre to breathe the earth to tread vpon the Sunne to shine their meat to put in their bellies their garments to cloath and attire their bodies then they stand in need of Christ to make him as their food and to put him on as their apparell A man that is not hungry knoweth not what meat drinke meaneth or at least considereth not the necessity of them so a man that seeleth not what lacke he hath of Christ doth not indeed know what Christ is nor what benefits he hath obtained for him What a shame is this that any should be found so simple and ignorant and what danger is this vnto themselues Alasse alasse how many silly soules and ignorant people are there that blesse themselues in their blindnesse and thinke themselues happy men who neuer selt the want of Christ they were neuer troubled in minde to finde him they were neuer hunger-bit for him they neuer regarded to know Christ and him crucified for the redemption of their soules for the remission of their sinnes and for their deliuerance from the gulfe of hell It is noted touching the church wheÌ„ Christ had for a season withdrawne himselfe from her Can. 5 4 her bowels were moued for him her soule failed and fainted within her and she was sicke of loue to fâ—inde him againe We must account all things but dung that we may winne Christ after the example of the Apostle Phil. 3. Phil. 3 8. We must not labour for the meat that perisheth but for the meat which endureth to euerlasting life which the Sonne of man will giue vnto vs Ioh. 6 27. Ioh. 6 27. We are bound to endeuour earnestly and to vse all good meanes to haue him as the most excellent food and most precious guift in the world far aboue al the riches of the whole earth Let vs seeke him where he is to be found Where Christ is to be found that is in the word and Sacraments in them he is as it were daily crucified before our eyes Gal. 3.1 Consider heerein I pray you the prophanesse of this wretched world of which we spake in part before He is the most worthy portion that can befal vs the most royall feast that euer was prepared the most costly banket that euer was furnished he is the bread that caÌ„e downe from heauen the water of life the meat drinke that endureth to euerlasting life the heauenly Manna giuen to eate 〈◊〉 12. â— the tree of life in the midst of the Paradice of God which yeeldeth fruite euery month and the leaues of it are for the healing of the Nations yet not one among an hundred doth seeke after him or any whit seeme to regard him or this Sacrament which may fitly be called the marriage Supper of the Lambe We are like the Israelites in the wildernesse who preferred the Onions and garlicke of Egipt before Angels food more sweet then hony Such Onion-mungers or rather earth-wormes are we that delight our selues in serpents food breaking our braines bestowing our studies and imploying our wits and thoughts day and night to obtaine the treasures of this life and the riches of this world but care not to be rich in God through Iesus Christ How can we perswade our selues that this will be answered at the day of iudgement thus to disgrace and dishonour the Lord Iesus like Iudas that sold his maister for thirty pence or like the Iewes that preferred a murtherer before the Lord of life or like Esau that sold his birth-right for a messe of pottage Hence it is that many haue fat and full bodies and abound with
plenty of outward things that haue poore and leane and staruen soules like to perish and pine away The wise man saith Prou. 29 18. When vision faileth the people perish and Christ chargeth Peter againe and againe to feed his sheepe and his Lambes to wit Ioh. 21.15 with wholesome doctrine of the word and sound nourishment by the Sacraments For the soule hath need of meat and drinke as well as the body and doth oftentimes decay and dye eternally for want of this spirituall food as well as the body doth through the want of temporall food 1 Sam. 30 12 This hath made the faithfull from time to time acknowledge that there is no bodily food so sweet so delicate so delightsome and so to be desired as the immortall food of the soule The Apostle saith All flesh is as grasse 1 Pet. 1 24 25 and al the glory of man as the flower of grasse the grasse withereth and the flower thereof falleth away but the word of the Lord endureth for euer c. The Prophet Dauid declareth as much Psal 19. Psal 19 10. The iudgements of the Lord are more to be desired then gold yea then much fine gold sweeter also then hony and the hony-comb And Psal 84. Psal 84 2. My soule longeth yea euen fainteth for the Courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh cryeth out for the liu ng God Likewise in another Psalme Psal 41 1 2. As the Hart panteth after the water brooks so panteth my soule after thee O God Wherefore we ought all of vs to bee more carefull to seede our soules then our bodies and to frequent with great desire and delight the heauenly and precious feasts that are kept and solemnized in the house of God We are content to take long walkes wearysome iournies great paines to feed our hungry bodies Gen. 42 1 2. as we see by the example of Iacob and his sonnes in the time of famine God hath richly prepared his Table for vs and giuen vs his owne and onely Sonne to be meat indeed and drinke indeed howbeit it is not made ready for such carrion-creatures as hop below vpon the earth and minde onely their backe and belly but it is furnished for Eagles that flye vp aloft to heauen and minde especially spirituall things Woe then to the fearefull negligence or rather open and odious contempt of many dissolute professors that come sildome to the Lords Table some once a yeare some scarce so often if they could tell how handsomely to shift it off and to couer their fault that they might not be espied some cut off themselues quite and cleane from the house of God and the place of his worship Let all such take heed least when they would enter into the kingdome of heauen they bee shut out and cut off from Gods mercy for euermore Thus then we see that so often as we resort to this Sacrament we must call to minde that we are going to a spirituall feast appointed to feed the soule and not to fill the body He that tasteth of this banket aright hath eternall life Iohn 6.54 Now such as the meat and drinke is such also is the manner of eating and drinking the meate is spirituall the partaking of it therefore must needs bee spirituall For the flesh of Christ which is meat indeed and the blood of Christ which is drinke indeed hath the consideration of meate and drinke not as it is flesh and blood or in regard of the substance thereof for so it should be corporall food but as they were giuen for the life of the world inasmuch as he suffered for all the elect of the whole world Hee suffered the most bitter death of the Crosse and was as it were broken with paines that cannot bee expressed hee sweat drops of blood in great measure Math. 26.31 and 27.46 Mat 26 31. 27 46. and complayneth that he was forsaken of God and men his Soule was exceeding sorrowfull euen vnto death Reuel 19.15 Reuel 19 15. and he trod the wine-presse of the fiercenes and wrath of almighty God If the Church did lament and complaine thus Lament 1 12. Lamen 1 12. Haue ye no regard O all ye that passe by the way Consider and behold if euer there were sorrow like my sorrow which was done vnto mee wherewith the Lord did afflict mee in the day of the fiercenesse of his wrath much more may Christ renue this complaint to whome it doeth more fully and fitly agree then vnto any other for he was in such great distresse as neuer was any and in that distresse he had no man to regard him no man to pitty him no man to comfort him no man to care for him Now whereunto tend al these his sorrowes and sufferings but to make vs a feast of his owne flesh For all this he endured for our sakes that he might bee made a most pleasant meat to refresh vs and a most comfortable drink to quicken vs according to the testimony pronounced from his owne mouth Hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath eternal life Ioh 6 54. which he hath giuen to death for the life of the world Seeing therfore Christ Iesus hath done so great thinges for vs shall we doe nothing againe vnto him Or rather shall we doe nothing for our selues Shall we absent our selues from the feast that he hath furnished And will wee not taste of the meate which he hath prepared at so deare a rate Doubtlesse we deserue to perish for euer and are worthy to haue our soules famished vnto death that refuse to come to his holy Supper And if we will not suppe with him heere in his Church he will neuer suppe with vs heereafter at his Table If we will none of his banket prouided on earth we shall be sure to bee shutte out of his banket that hee will make in heauen And if we will not bee his guests to eate the bread of the LORD set foorth for them that will receiue it wee shall neuer eate breade in his heauenly kingdome Thus much of the third inward part of this Sacrament to wit the body and blood of Christ CHAP. XI Of the fourth inward part of the Lords Supper THe last inward part of this Sacrament of the Supper remaineth which is the a The fourth inward part of the Supper is the faithful receiuer faithfull and Christian receiuer As euery Communicant sensibly and outwardly taketh the bread and wine giuen vnto him eating the bread drinking the wine for the nourishment of his body so the faithful receiuer apprehendeth and layeth hold on Christ by the hand of faith and applyeth him particularly that the feeling of his true vnion with Christ may daily be increased b Ioh. 1 12. according to that saying Ioh. 1. As many as receiued him to them he gaue prerogatiue to be the Sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue in his
his priuate and secret prayers Lu. 18.13 Thirdly we maintaine the confession made to the Church when any person hath openly offended the Congregation by any notorious crime and is for the same excommunicated This doth testifie the conuersion and repentance of such as haue fallen Lastly we teach that confession ought to be made to our neighbour for the offences which we commit one against another when wee haue vpon any occasion wronged and offended him and therefore our Sauiour saith Math 5. Mat. 5 23 24. If thou bring thy guift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leaue there thy guift before the Altar and go thy way first be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy guift These kindes of confession we confesse and beleeue but what maketh all this for the whispering confession vsed in popery and iudged to be necessary to saluation A tirrannous law binding vs to reckon vp euery one of our sinnes in the eare of a Priest as if forgiuenesse of our sinnes stood in this Whereas we say and are not afraid to auouch that this confession pressed vpon men to be made of all sinnes to a popish Priest vpon paine of damnation is no better theÌ„ another Inquisition Would wee then know what this shrift is and how to esteeme of it and what effects it worketh It is the mocking of God What popish shrift is the inuention of the diuell the pride of the Clergy the pick-pursse of the people the racke of the Conscience the shame and reproach of the offender the bewrayer and discouerer of the secrets of Princes and states the piller of popery the ape of repentance the nurserie of despaire the cherisher of vncleannesse and to be short the bawd of all sinnes It getteth a pardon for all that is past it giueth free passage for such as are present and purchaseth a priuiledge for them that are to come Thus sinne is made no sin it is a light matter that no man need to trouble himselfe for it for asmuch as the Priest may pardon him with a word speaking Wherefore albeit this institution be ful of humane wisedome and policy for the vpholding and strengthning of the kingdome of Antichrist yet there is no title in the word of God to prooue it or confirme it I confesse indeede it was a custome sometimes in the Church of Constantinople Sozomen Eccl â—â—â—â—ter lib. 7 cap. 17. but when it hapned that a noble matron was dishonoured and dishonested by a certaine Deacon of vncleane life Nectarius the Bishop of that place by the consent of others did abolish it out of the Church VVhat would he haue done if hee had liued in the times and places of popery where such examples are not straunge but common If one fast were of sufficient force to thrust it out of that Church doubtlesse many hundred presidents that might bee produced not inferiour vnto it ought to serue as a whip to whippe and scourge it out of other Churches and as a strong barre to keepe it out for euer that it neuer get footing and enâ—rance into it againe Hence it is that the Church remained in the liberty of Confession twelue hundred yeares and had no snare to intangle the conscience laide vppon it vntill the Councell of Lateran in which the law of auricular Confession was first of all inacted whereby it is come to passe that they haue secret intelligence of all secretes for by this occasion they know the hearts affections and dispositions of all persons and by this meanes they finde an easie way to enrich that couetous and ambitious See with the riches and reuenues of the world and by them both ariseth a twofold benefite because both they knowe howe to shift for themselues and to preuent a mischiefe before it come vpon them But to leaue these wee exhort men to make Confession of their sinnes to GOD the onely beholder of our thoughtes and heartes who hath promised to forgiue them and will neuer vp-braide vs with them And herein wee doe no otherwise then the holy and ancient fathers of the Church did before vs who send the people from men to God from the earth to heauen from the fellow seruants to the common maister of all It was well sayed of Augustine What haue I to doe with men Confess lib. â—0 cap 3. Curiosum genus ad cognoscendum vitam alicitaâ— that I should make confession to them as if they could heale all my sores It is a curious kinde of people to search into other mens liues but most slothfull to reforme and amend their owne The like we might say of Chrysostome who is plentifull in this argument I doe not compell thee to confesse thy sinnes to others And againe If thou be ashamed to confesse them to any man because thou hast sinned say them dayly in thine owne soule Homil. 2. in Psal 50 ser de poenit Hom. 4. de Laza I doe not bid the confesse them to thy fellow seruant who may cast them in thy teeth but confesse them vnto God who is able to heale them In another place hee sayeth Why should we be ashamed to confesse our sinnes that he may pardon them Doth God therefore commaund them to be confessed that after the manner of men he might punnish vs Hee doeth it not to punnâ—sh vs but that he might pardon vs. I will alledge one testimony more and then conclude Homil. de incomprehens natura dei I doe not leade thee as it were into an open stage of thy fellow seruants I doe not compell thee to vncouer thy sinnes to men vnfould thy conscience before God shew thou thy woundes to the Lord the best Physitian and craue of hâ—m to heale them Thus ought we to do let vs fly to God when we want helpe who is the God of all mercy and the father of all consolation And when wee minde to come to the holy Communion of the body and bloud of Christ let vs not think to fit our selues vnto it by a foolish numbring vp of our sins to men but not to God of custom but not of conscience by obseruing the traditions of the Church but not by seeking to obtaine pardon of our offences The order which we ought to obserue in the examination of our selues is laid downe vnto vs in the Chapters following Thus much touching the first reproofe The second reproofe 2. Reproofe serueth to condemne all such as are very precise and curious in searching into the liues and conuersations of others that say stand aparte and come not neere me for I am holier then thou These abstaine from the Communion becauâ—e of the presence of euill men and cannot be perswaded to take the Supper with them Such as are of the separation reprooued for not ioyning with vs in the worship of God In the former part of this Booke we haue answered sundry obections which sundry persons alledge for