Selected quad for the lemma: faith_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
faith_n	believe_v	lord_n	unbelief_n	5,320	5	10.6764	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16573	The complaynt of veritie, made by Iohn Bradford. An exhortacion of Mathewe Rogers, vnto his children. The complaynt of Raufe Allerton and others, being prisoners in Lolers tower, & wrytten with their bloud, how god was their comforte. A songe of Caine and Abell. The saieng of maister Houper, that he wrote the night before he suffered, vppon a wall with a cole, in the newe In, at Gloceter, and his saiyng at his deathe	Bradford, John, 1510?-1555.; Rogers, Matthew. Instruction of a father to his children.; Allerton, Ralph. A lamentable complaynt of the afflicted, unto god our onely healper.; Allerton, Ralph. A briefe rehersal of parte of the aucthours trouble, entituled God is my comforte.; Allerton, Ralph. Songe of the poore prisoners in Lolers tower.; Hooper, John, d. 1555. Wordes of Maister Houper at his death.; Hooper, John, d. 1555. These are the wordes that Maister John Houper wrote on the wall with a cole, in the newe inne in Gloceter, the night before he suffered.	1559 (1559)	STC 3479; ESTC S112643	64,740	174

in him should ●ot perish but haue euerlasting life Loe ●r hee saith not that some might haue life ●ut all sayth he And what all All y t loue ●im with all their hearts all y t haue liued a ●odly life Nay all that beléeue in him Al●hough thou hast liued a most wicked hor●ible life if now thou beléeue in him thou ●halt be saued Is not this swéet geare Againe sayth Christ Come vnto me all ●ee that labour and are laden and I will re●esh you Let vs a litle looke on this letter Come vnto me Who should come Lords Priests Holy men Monkes Friers Yea ●oblers Tinkers whores théeues mur●herers also if they lament their sinnes Come vnto me sayth he all ye that labour ●nd are laden that is which are afrayd of ●our sinnes And what wilt thou do Lord And I wil refresh you sayth he O what a thing is this And I will re●esh you Wot you who spake this Hée ●hat neuer told lye He is the trueth there ●as neuer guile found in his mouth and ●ow wil he be vntrue to thée good brother ●hich art sorie for thy grieuous sinnes No ●rsooth heauen and earth shal passe and pe●ish but his word shall neuer fayle Saint Paul sayth God would haue al men saued Loe he excepteth none And to Titus The grace of God bringeth saluation to all men As from Adam al haue receiued sinne to damnation so by Christ all haue grace offered to saluation if they reiect not the same I speake not now of Infants I say nor I néed not to enter into the matter of Predestination In preaching of repentance I would gather where I could with Christ As surely as I liue sayth God I wil not the death of a sinner Art thou a sinner Yea. Loe God sweareth hée will not thy death How canst thou now perish Consider with thy selfe what profite thou shouldest haue to beléeue this to bee true to others if not to thy selfe also Sathan doth so Rather consider with Peter that the promise of saluation perteineth not onely to them which are nie that is to such as are fallen a little but also to all to whō the Lord hath called be they neuer so farre off Loe now by mee the Lord calleth thée thou man thou woman that art very farre off The promise therefore pertayneth to thée néeds must thou be saued except thou with Sathan say God is false And yet if thou doe so God is faithfull and can not denie himselfe as thou shalt féele by his plagues in hell for so dishonouring God to thinke that hée is not true Will hée bée found false now The matter hangeth not on thy worthines but it hangeth on Gods trueth Clap hold on it and I warrant thée Christ is the propitiation for our sins yea for the sinnes of the whole world beléeue this man I know thou beléeuest it say therefore in thy heart still Domine audage mihi fidem Lord encrease my fayth Lord helpe my vnbeleefe Blessed are they which sée not by reason this geare but yet beléeue Hope man past all hope as Abraham did And thus much for a taste of these promises which are euery where not onely in the new Testament but also in the old Reade the last end of Leuiticus 26. The Prophet Esay 30. Where hee saith God tarrieth looking for thee to shew thee mercie Also the 40. and so foorth to the 60. Reade also y e 2. Reg. 24. Psa 33. Ioel. 2. c. Howbeit if this geare will not serue i● yet thou féelest no faith no certaine perswasion of Gods loue then vnto prayer and diligent considering of the frée and vniuersall promises of the Gospell Thirdly set before thée those benefits which God hath to foregiuen thée and presently giueth thée Consider how hee hath made thée a man or a woman which might haue made thée a Toade or a Dog And why did hée this Verily because he loued thée And trowest thou that if hee loued thée when thou wast not to make thée such a one as he most graciously hath made thée will he not now loue thée béeing his handy worke Doth he hate any thing that he made Is there vnablenesse with him Doth he loue for a day and so farewell No forsooth he loueth to the end his mercie endureth for euer Say therefore with Iob Operi manuum tuarum porrige dexteram that is To the worke of thy hands put thy helping hand Againe hath hée not made thée a Christian man or woman where if hee would hée might haue made thée a Turke or Paynim This thou knowest hee did of loue And doost thou thinke his loue is lessened if thou lament thy sinne Is his hand shortened for helping thee Can a woman forget the child of her wombe And though shee should doe it yet will not I forget thée sayth the Lord. He hath giuen thée lyms to sée heare goe c. He hath giuen thée wit reason discretion c. Hee hath long spared thée and borne with thée when thou neuer purposedst to repent and now thou repenting will hee not giue thee mercie Wherefore doth hee graunt thée to liue at this present to heare him to speake this and mee to speake this but of loue to vs all Oh therefore let vs pray him that he would adde to this that wee might beléeue these loue tokens that hee loueth vs and indéed hee wil doe it Lord open our eyes in thy gifts to sée thy gracious goodnesse Amen But to tarie in this I will not Let euery man consider Gods benefites past and present publike and priuate spirituall and corporal to the confirming of his faith concerning the promises of the Gospell for the pardon of his sinnes I wil now go about to shew you a fourth meane to confirme your faith in this geare euen by examples Of these there are in the Scriptures very many as also dayly experience doth diuersly teach the same if wee were diligent to obserue things accordingly wherefore I will bee more briefe héerein hauing respect to time which stealeth fast away Adam in Paradise transgressed grieuously as the painfull punishment which we all as yet doe féele prooueth if nothing else Though by reason of his sinne he displeased God sore and ran away from God for hée would haue hid himselfe yea hée would haue made GOD the causer of his sinne in that he gaue him such a mate so farre was he from asking mercie yet all this notwithstanding God turned his fierce wrath neither vpon him nor Eue which also required not mercie but vpon the Serpent Sathan promising vnto them a séed Iesus Christ by whom they at the length should be deliuered In tokē whereof though they were cast out of Paradise for their nurture to serue in sorrow which would not serue in ioy yet hee made them apparell to couer their bodies a visible Sacrament and token of his inuisible loue and grace concerning their soules If God was so mercifull to Adam which so sore

Thou heardest Moses crying for the Idolaters Thou heardest Lot for the Zoarites Samuel Dauid and many other for the Israelites And déere Father I onely am thine owne sonne as thou hast said in whom thou art well pleased wilt thou not heare me I haue by the space of three and thirtie yeeres done alwayes thy will I haue so humbled my selfe that I would become an abiect amongst men to obey thée Therefore déere Father if it be possible graunt my request saue mankind now without any further labour salues or plaisters But yet sayth he not as I wil but as thou wilt But Sir what heard hée Though hée sweat bloud water in making his plaister for our sore of sinne yet it framed not Twise hee cryed without comfort yea though to comfort him God sent an Angel wee yet know that this plaister was not allowed for sufficient vntill hereunto Christ Iesus was betrayed forsaken of al his Disciples forsworne of his déerely beloued bound like a Théefe belyed on buffeted whipped scourged crowned with thornes derided crucified racked nayled hanged vp betwéene two théeues cursed and rayled vpon mocked in miserie and had giuen vp the ghost then bowed downe the head of Christ that is God the Father which is the head of Christ then allowed he the plaister to bée sufficient and good for the healing of our sore which is sinne Now would God abide our breath because the stinke that is damnation or guiltinesse was taken away by the swéet sauour of the breath of this Lambe thus offered once for all So that héere déerely beloued wée as in a glasse may sée to the brusing of our blockish hard hearts Gods great iudgement and anger against sin The Lord of lords the King of kings the brightnesse of Gods glory the Sonne of God the Deareling of his Father in whom he is well pleased hangeth betwéene two théeues crying for thée and mée and for vs all My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Oh hard hearts that wée haue which make tuttes for sinne Looke on this toote in the very heart of Christ pearced with a speare wherein thou mayst sée and reade Gods horrible anger for sinne Woe to thy hard heart that pierced it And thus much for the first part of Repentance I meane for the meanes of working contrition First vse prayer then ●ooke on Gods Law thirdly sée his curse fourthly set examples of his anger before thée and last of all set before thée the death of Christ From this and prayer cease not till thou féele some heartie sorrow for thy sinne The which when thou féelest then labour for the other part that is faith on this sort As first in Contrition I willed thée not to trust to thy frée will for the attayning of it so doe I will thée in this Faith is so farre from the reach of mans frée will that to reason it is plaine foolishnes Therefore thou must first goe to God whose gift it is thou must I say get thée to the Father of mercie whose worke it is that as he hath brought thée downe by Contrition and humbled thée so hee would giue thée faith rayse thée vp and exalt thée On this maner therefore with the Apostles and the poore man in the Gospell that cryed Lord encrease our faith Lord helpe my vnbeleefe pray thou and say O mercifull God and deare Father of our Lord Sauiour Iesus Christ in whom as thou art well pleased so hast thou commanded vs to heare him for as much as hee often biddeth vs to aske of thée and thereto promiseth that thou wilt heare vs and graunt vs that which in his name we shall aske of thée loe gracious Father I am bold to begge of thy mercie through thy Sonne Iesus Christ one sparkle of true faith and certaine perswasion of thy goodnesse loue towards me in Christ wherethrough I béeing assured of the pardon of all my sinnes by the mercies of Christ thy sonne may be thankefull to thée loue thée and serue thée in holinesse and righteousnes all the dayes of my life On this sort I say or otherwise as God shall mooue thée pray thou first of all and looke for thy request at Gods hand without any doubting though foorthwith thou féelest not the same for oftentimes wee haue things of GOD giuen vs long before we féele them as we would doe Now vnto this prayer vse thou these meanes following After prayer for faith which I would should be first secondly because the same springeth out of the hearing not of Masses Mattins Cannons Councels Doctours Decrées but out of the hearing of Gods ●oord get thée Gods woord but not that ●art which serueth specially to Contrition that is the Law but the other part which serueth specially to consolation and certaine perswasion of Gods loue towards thée that is the Gospell or publication of Gods mercie in Christ I meane the frée promises But héere thou must know that there are two kinds of promises one which is properly of the Lawe another which is properly of the Gospel In the promises of the Law wee may indéed behold Gods mercie but so that it hangeth vpon the condition of our worthines as if thou loue the Lord with all thy heart c. thou shalt find mercy This kind of promises though it declare vnto vs Gods loue which promiseth where he néedeth not yet vnto him that féeleth not Christ which is the end of the Law they are so farre from comforting that vtterly with the Law they bring man to great despaire so greatly we are corrupt for none so loueth God as hée ought to doe From these therefore get thée to the other promises of the Gospell in which we may sée such plentie and francke liberalitie of Gods goodnesse that wee can not but be much comforted though we haue very déepely sinned For these promises of the Gospell doe not hang on the condition of our worthinesse as the promises of the Law doe but they depend and hang on Gods trueth that as God is true so they cannot but be performed to all them which lay holde on them by faith I had almost said which cast thē not away by vnbeliefe Marke in them therefore two things namely that as wel they are frée promises without any condition of our worthinesse as also that they are vniuersall offered to all all I say which are not so stubburne as to kéepe still their hands whereby they should receyue this almes in their bosoms by vnbeliefe As concerning Infants and children you know I now speake not but concerning such as be of yéeres of discretion And now you looke that I should giue you a taste of these promises which are both frée and vniuersall except none but such as except themselues Well you shal haue one or two for a say In the 3. of Iohn sayth our Sauiour So God the Father loued the world that hee would giue his dearling his owne onely Sonne that all that beleeue

absent to the corporall sences yet this absence is not an absence in déede but to reason and the olde man the nature of Faith beeing a possession of things hoped for Therefore to graunt a presence to Faith is not to make no presence at all but to such as know not Faith And this the Fathers taught affirming Christ to bée present by grace and therefore not onely a signification but also an exhibition and giuing of the Grace of Christes body that is of life and of the séede of immortalitie as Cyprian writeth Wée eate life and drinke life sayth Saint Augustine We féele a presence of the Lord by Grace or in Grace sayth Chrysostome We receiue the celestiall foode that commeth from aboue saith Athanasius We receiue the propertie of the naturall coniunction and knitting together sayth Hillarius Wee receiue the nature of the flesh the blessing that giueth life in bread and Wine sayth Cyrillus And elsewhere hee sayth that with the bread and Wine we eate the vertue of Christs proper flesh life grace the propertie of the body of the onely begotten sonne of God which thing he himselfe expoundeth to be life Basilius sayth that we by the Sacrament receiue the mysticall Aduent of Christ grace and the very vertue of his very nature Ambrose saith that we receiue the Sacrament of the true body Epiphanius sayth we receiue the body or grace And Hierome sayth that wee receiue spirituall flesh which hee calleth other flesh then that which was crucified Chrisostome saith that wee receiue influence of grace and the grace of the holy Ghost Saint Augustine sayth that we receiue grace and veritie the inuisible grace and holinesse of the members of Christes body All the which sayings of the Fathers doe confirme this our faith and doctrine of the Sacrament wee granting in all things héerein vnto them and they in like manner vnto vs. And therefore the lying lyppes which both belye the Doctours as though they graunted a carnall and reall presence of Christes body naturally and corporally after the Papistes declaration and meaning and which belye vs also as though wee denied all presence of Christ and so made it but a bare signe These lying lips the Lord will destroy if they repent not and with vs beléeue and teach the trueth that the Sacrament is the foode of the Soule a matter of faith therefore spiritually and by faith to be talked of and vnderstanded which faith they want therefore they erre so grosely in that they would haue such a presence of Christ as is contrary to all the Scriptures and to our Christian Religion whereby commeth no such commoditie to the receiuer as by the Spirituall presence which wée teach and according to GODS word do affirme For we teach these benefites to bee had by the woorthy receiuing the Sacrament namely that wée abide in Christ and Christ in vs. Againe that wee attaine by it a celestiall life or a life with GOD moreouer that by Faith and in Spirite wée receiue not onely Christes body and blood but also whole Christ GOD and man Besides these wée graunt that by the woorthy receiuing of this Sacrament we receiue remission of our sinnes and confirmation of the new Testament Last of all by woorthy receiuing wée get an increase of incorporation with Christ and amongst our selues which bée his members then which things what more can be desired Alas that men consider nothing at all howe that the coupling of Christes body and blood to the Sacrament is a spirituall thing and therefore there néedes no such carnall presence as the Papistes imagine Who will deny a mans Wife to be with her Husband one body and one flesh although he be at London and shée at Yorke But the Papistes are carnall men guided by carnall reason onely or else would they knowe howe that the holy Ghost because of our infirmitie vseth metaphorically the wordes of abyding dwelling eating and drinking of Christ that the vnspeakeable coniunction of Christ with vs might something be knowen GOD open their eyes to see it And thus much for this Now to that part of the obiectiō which sayth that wee teach Christ to bee none otherwise present in the Sacrament then in his worde I would that the obiectors would well consider what a presence of Christ is in his worde I remember that saint Augustine writeth how that Christs body is receiued sometime visible and sometime inuisible The visible receite hee calleth that which is by the Sacrament the inuisible receite hee calleth that which by the exercise of our faith with our selues wee receiue And saint Herome in the third booke vpon Ecclesiastes affirmeth that wee are fed with the body of Christ and we drinke his blood not onely in mysterie but also in knowledge of holy Scripture Wherein hee plainely sheweth that the same meate is offered in the words of the Scriptures which is offered in the Sacrament so that no lesse is Christes body and blood offered by the Scriptures then by the Sacramentes Vpon the 147. Psalme he writeth also that though these wordes He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood may bee vnderstoode in mysterie yet he sayth it is more true to take Christs body and his blood for the worde of the Scriptures and the doctrine of God Yea vpon the same Psalme hee sayeth plainely that Christes flesh and blood is powred into our eares by hearing the worde and therefore great is the perill if we yeeld to other cogitations whylste wee heare it And therefore I trow Saint Augustine sayth that it is no lesse perill to heare GODS word negligently then so to vse the Sacrament But héere of may no man gather that therefore it néedeth not to receiue the Sacrament or to affirme that a man may as much by himselfe meditating the word in the fielde receiue Christs body as in the Church in the right vse of the Sacrament For Christ ordaineth nothing in vaine or superstitiously hee ordaineth nothing whereof wee haue not néede Although his authoritie is such that without any questioning his ordinances are to be obeyed Againe though in the field a man may receyue Christs body by faith in the meditation of the word yet deny I that a man doth ordinarily receiue Christs bodie by the onely meditation of Christs death or hearing of his word with so much sight and by such sensible assurance whereof GOD knoweth our infirmitie hath no small néed as by the receite of the Sacrament not that Christ is not so much present in his word preached as hee is in or with his Sacrament but because there are in the perception of the Sacrament more windowes open for Christ to enter into vs then by his woord preached or heard For there I meane in the word he hath an entrance into our hearts but onely by the eares through the voice and sound of the words but heere in the Sacrament he hath an entrance by all our senses

whom he loueth he loueth to the end So that now where aboundance of sinne hath beene in thee the more is the aboundance of grace But to what end Forsooth that as sinne hath raigned to death as thou séeest to the killing of Gods Sonne so now Grace must raigne to Life to the honouring of Gods Sonne who is now aliue and can not die any more So that they which by faith féele this cannot any more die to God but to sinne whereto they are dead and buried with Christ As Christ therefore liueth so doe they and that to God to righteousnesse and holinesse The life which they liue is In fide Filii Dei In the faith of the Sonne of God Whereby you sée that now I am slipt into that which I made the third part of penance namely newnesse of life which I could not so haue done if that it were a part of it selfe indéed as it is an effect or fruit of the second part that is of faith or trust in Gods mercie For he that beléeueth that is is certainely perswaded sinne to be such a thing that it is the cause of all miserie and of it selfe so greatly angereth God that in heauen nor in earth nothing could appease his wrath saue alonely the death and precious bloodshedding of the Sonne of GOD in whom is all the delight and pleasure of the Father hee I say that is perswaded thus of sinne the same cannot but in heart abhorre and quake to doe or say yea to thinke any thing willingly which Gods Law teacheth him to bee sinne Againe hee that beléeueth that is is certainely perswaded Gods loue to bée so much towards him that where through sinne he was lost and made a firebrand of hell the eternall father of mercy which is the omni-sufficient God néedeth nothing to vs or of any thing that we can doe to deliuer vs out of hell and to bring vs into heauen did send euen his owne most déere Sonne out of his bosome out of heauen into hell as a man would say to bring vs as I said from thence into his owne bosome and mercie wee béeing his very enemies hee I say that is thus perswaded of Gods loue towards him and of the price of his redemption by the deare bloud of the Lambe immaculate Iesus Christ the same man cannot but loue God againe and of loue doe that and heartily desire to doe better the which might please God Trow you that such a one knowing this geare by faith will willingly welter and wallow in his wilfull lusts pleasures and fantasies Will such a one as knoweth by faith Christ Iesus to haue giuen his bloud to wash him from his sinnes play the Sow to welter in his puddle of filthie sinne and vice againe Nay rather then he will be defiled againe by wilful sinning he will wash often the féet of his affections watching ouer the vice still sticking in him which as a spring continually sendeth out poyson enough to drowne and defile him if the swéete water of Christes passion in Gods sight did not wash it and his bloud satisfie the rigour of Gods iustice due for the same This bloud of Christ shed for our sinnes is so deare in the sight of him that beléeueth that he will abhorre in his heart to stampe it and tread it vnder his féete He knoweth now by his beléefe that it is too much that hitherto he hath set too little by it and is ashamed thereof Therefore for the residue of his life hée purposeth to take better héed to himselfe then before hee did Because hée séeeth by his faith the grieuousnesse of GODS anger the foulenesse of sinne the greatnesse of Gods mercie and of Christs loue towards him hée will now bee héedie to pray to GOD to giue him his grace accordingly that as with his eyes tongue hands féet c. hée hath displeased God doing his owne will euen so now with the same eyes tongue eares hands féete c. hee may displease his owne selfe and doe Gods will Willingly will he not doe that which might renew the death of the Sonne of God Hée knoweth he hath too much sinne vnwillingly in him so that thereto hee will not adde willing offences This willing and witting offending and sinning whosoeuer doth flatter himselfe therein doth euidently demonstrate and shew that hee neuer yet indéed tasted of Christ truely Hee was neuer truely perswaded or beléeued how foule a thing sinne is how grieuous a thing Gods anger is how ioyfull and precious a thing Gods mercie in Christ is how excéeding broad wide hie and déepe Christs loue is Perchance he can write prate talke and preach of this geare but yet he in part by faith neuer felt this geare For if hee did once féele this geare indéed then would he bée so farre from continuing in sinne willingly and wittingly that wholy and heartily hee would giue ouer himselfe to that which is contrary I meane anew to life renewing his youth euen as the Eagle doth For as we béeing in the seruitude of sin demonstrate our seruice by giuing ouer our members to the obeying of sinne from iniquitie to iniquitie euen so we béeing made frée from sinne by faith in Iesus Christ and endued with Gods spirit a spirit of libertie must néeds demonstrate this fréedome and libertie by giuing ouer our members to the obedience of the spirit by the which we are lead and guided from vertue to vertue and all kind of holines As the vnbeléeuers declare their vnbeléefe by the woorking of the euill spirit in them outwardly the fruits of the flesh euen so the beléeuers declare their faith by the working of Gods good spirit in them outwardly the fruits of the spirit For as the Deuill is not dead in those which are his but worketh still to their damnation so is not God dead in them which bee his but worketh still to their saluation The which working is not the cause of the one or the other béeing in any but onely a demonstration a signe a fruit of the same As the Apple is not the cause of the Apple tree but a fruit of it Thus then you sée briefly that newnes of life is not in déed a part of penance but a fruit of it a demonstration of the iustifying faith a signe of Gods good spirit possessing the heart of the penitent as the old life is a fruite of impenitencie a demonstration of a lip-lip-faith or vnbeliefe a signe of Sathans spirit possessing the heart of the impenitent which all those be that bee not penitent For meane I know none He that is not penitent the same is impenitent hee that is not gouerned by Gods spirit the same is gouerned by Sathans spirit For all that bée Christians are gouerned with the spirit of Christ which spirit hath his fruits All other that bee not Christs are the Deuils Hee that gathereth not with Christ scattereth abroad Therefore dearely beloued I beséech you to consider this geare

and deceyue not your selues If you bee not Christs then pertayne you to the Deuill of which thing the fruits of the flesh doth assure you as whoredome adulterie vncleannesse wantonnesse Idolatry witchcraft enuy strife contention wrath sedition murther drunkennesse gluttony blasphemy slothfulnesse idlenesse bawdy talking slaundering c. If these Apples grow out of the Apple trées of your hearts surely surely the Deuill is at Inne with you you are his birds whom when he hath well fed he wil broache you and eate you chaw you and champe you world without end in eternall woe and miserie But I am otherwise perswaded of you all I trust you bee all Christ Iesus his people and children yea brethren and by faith As ye see your sinnes in Gods Law and tremble sigh sorrow and sob for the same euen so you sée his great mercies in his Gospell and frée promises and therefore are glad merrie and ioyfull for that you are accepted into Gods fauour haue your sins pardoned and are endued with the good spirit of God euen the seale and signe Manuel of your election in Christ before the beginning of the world The which spirit for that he is the spirit of life giuen to you to worke in you with you and by you héere in this life satisfaction and holinesse whereunto you are called that yée might be holy euen as your heauenly Father is holy I beséech you all by admonition and warning of you that you would stirre vp the gifts of God giuen to you generally and particularly to the edifying of his Church that is I pray you that you would not molest the good spirit of God by rebelling against it when it prouoketh and calleth you to goe on forwards that the which is holy might yet be more holy hee which is righteous might bee more righteous as the euill spirit moueth and stirreth vp the filthy to be yet more filthy the couetous to be more couetous the wicked to be more wicked Declare you now your repentance by works of repentance Bring forth fruits and worthy fruits Let your sorrowing for your euils demonstrate it selfe departing from the euils you haue vsed Let your certaintie of pardon of your sinnes through Christ and your ioy in him bee demonstrated by pursuing of the good things which Gods word teacheth you You are now in Christ Iesus Gods workmanship to doe good works which God hath prepared for you to walke in For the grace of God that bringeth saluation vnto all men hath appeared and teacheth vs that wee should deny vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and that we should liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the mighty God and of our Sauiour Iesus Christ which gaue himselfe for vs to redéeme vs from al vnrighteousnesse and to purge vs a peculiar people vnto himselfe feruently giuen vnto good works Againe Titus 3. For we ourselues also were in times past vnwise disobedient deceiued seruing lusts and diuers pleasures liuing in maliciousnesse and enuy full of hate and hating one another But after that the kindnesse and loue of God our Sauiour to manward appeared not by the déeds of righteousnesse which wee wrought but of his mercie he saued vs by the fountaine of the new birth and with the renewing of the holy Ghost which he shedde on vs aboundantly through Iesus Christ our sauiour y t wee once iustified by his grace should be heires of eternall life through hope This is a true saying But I will make an end for I am too tedious Dearely beloued repent your sinnes that is be sorie for that which is past beléeue in Gods mercie for pardon how déepely soeuer you haue sinned and both purpose and earnestly peruse a new life bringing forth worthy and true fruits of repentance As you haue giuen ouer your members from sinne to sinne to serue the Deuill your tongues to sweare to lie to flatter to scold to iest to scoffe to baudie talke to vaine iangling to boasting c. Your hands to picking groping idlenesse fighting c. Your féete to skipping going to euill to dancing c. Your eares to heare fables lyes vanities and euill things c. So now giue ouer your members to godlinesse your tongues to speake your eares to heare your eyes to sée your mouthes to taste your hands to worke your féete to go about such things as may make to Gods glory sobrietie of life and loue to your brethren and that dayly more and more diligently for in a stay to stand you cannot eyther better or worse you are to day then you were yesterday But better I trust you bee and will be if you marke well my Theame that is Repent you The which thing that you would doe as before I haue humbly besought you euen so now yet once more I doe againe beseech you and that for the mercies of God in Christ Iesus our Lord Repent you repent you for the kingdome of heauen that is a kingdome full of all riches pleasures mirth beautie swéetnesse and eternall felicitie is at hand The eye hath not séene the like the eare hath not heard the like the heart of man cannot conceyue the treasures and pleasures of this kingdome which now is at hand to such as repent that is to such as are sorie for their sinnes beléeue Gods mercie through Christ and earnestly purpose to leade a new life The God of mercie through Christ his Sonne graunt vs his holy spirit and woorke in our hearts this sorrow faith and new life which through his grace I haue spoken of both now and for euer Amen An other Sermon made also by the said master Iohn Bradford vpon the Lords Supper THere are two Sacraments in Christes Church the one of imitation that is wherewith we be inrolled as it were in the houshold and familie of God which Sacrament we call Baptisme the other wherewith we be conserued fed kept and nourished to continue in the same familie which is called the Lords Supper or the body and bloud of our Sauiour Iesus Christ broken for our sinnes and shed for our transgressions Of the former Sacrament that is of Baptisme to speake now I am not purposed because occasion and time serue not so thereto Of the second therefore will I speake something by Gods grace if that first you remember this that Baptisme in Christs Church now sithens Christs death is come in place of Circumcision which was in the same Church afore Christs comming Whereby wee may sée that Christian Parents séeme to bee no lesse bound to offer their Infants Babes to be baptized that they may be taken and accounted of vs as members of Christs mysticall body whereunto they are receiued and sealed then were the Hebrues their children to bee taken as pertayning to the couenant and league with God wherewith they were inrolled alonely the circumstance of the eight day not necessarie to be obserued béeing now abrogated But

signifie onely and signes which also doe represent confirme and seale vp or as a man may say giue with their signification As for an example An Iuie bush is a signe of Wine to be sold the budding of Aarons Rod did signifie Aarons Priesthood allowed of the Lord the reseruation of Moses Rod did signifie the rebellion of the children of Israel the stones taken out of Iordane Gedeons fléece of wooll c. Such as these be signes significatiue and shew no gift But in the other signes which some call exhibitiue is there not onely a signification of the thing but also a declaration of a gift yea in a certaine manner a giuing also As Baptisme signifieth not onely the cleansing of the conscience from sinne by the merits of Christs blood but also is a very cleansing from sinne And therefore it was sayd to Paul that he should arise and wash away his sinnes and not that hee should arise and take onely a signe of washing away his sinnes In the Lords Supper the bread is called a partaking of the Lords body and not onely a bare signe of the Lords body This I speake not as though the elements of these Sacraments were Transsubstantiate which I haue already impugned eyther as though Christs body were in bread or wine eyther were tyed to the elements otherwise then Sacramentally and spiritually eyther that the bread and wine may not and must not bee called Sacramentall and externall signes but that they might be discerned from significatiue and bare signes onely and bee taken for signes exhibitiue and representiue By this meanes a Christian conscience will call and estéeme the bread of the Lord as the body of Christ For it will neuer estéeme the Sacraments of Christ after their exterior appearance but after the words of Christ Whereof it commeth that the Fathers as Chrysostome and others doe speake with so full a mouth when they speake of the Sacrament for their respect was to Christs words If the Schoolemen which followed had the same spirit which they had then would they neuer haue consented to Transsubstantiation For with great admiration some of the Fathers doe say that the bread is changed or turned into the body of Christ and the wine into his blood meaning it of a mutation or change not corporall but spirituall figuratiue Sacramentall or mystical For now it is no common bread nor common wine béeing ordained to serue for the foode of the soule The Schoolemen haue vnderstood it as the Papists now preach of a substantiall changing as though it were no great miracle that common bread should now bee assumed into that dignitie that it should be called Christs body and serue for a celestiall foode and be made a Sacrament of his body and blood As before therefore I haue spoken I would wish that this Sacrament should be estéemed called of vs Christian men after Christs words namely Christs body and the wine Christs blood rather then otherwise Not that I meane any other presence of Christs body then a presence of grace a preseruer to Faith a presence spiritually and not corporally really naturally and carnally as the Papists doe meane For in such sort Christs body is onely in heauen on the right hand of God the Father almightie whither our faith in the vse of the Sacrament ascendeth and receyueth whole Christ accordingly Yea but one will say that to call the Sacrament on that sort is to giue an occasion of Idolatrie to the people which will take the Sacrament which they see simply for Christs bodie as by experience wée are well taught and therefore it were better to call it bread and so lesse harme should be especially in this age To this obiection I answer that indéed great Idolatrie is committed to and about this Sacrament and therefore men ought as much as they can to auoyd from occasioning or confirming it But in as much as the holy Ghost is wiser then man and had foresight of the euils that might bee and yet notwithstanding doth call it Christs bodie I thinke wee should doe euill if we should take vpon vs to reforme his spéech If Ministers did their dueties in Catechizing and Preaching then doubtlesse to call the Sacrament Christs body and to estéeme it accordingly could not giue occasion to Idolatrie and confirme it Therefore woe vnto them that preach not There bee two euils about the Sacraments which to auoyde the holy Ghost hath taught vs For least we should with the Papistes thinke Christes body present in or with the bread really naturally and corporally to be receiued with our bodily mouth where there is no other presence of Christes body then spirituall and to the faith in many places he kéepeth still the name of bread as in the Epistle to the Corinthians the tenth and eleuenth Chapters And least we should make too light of it making it but a bare signe and no better then common bread the holy Ghost calleth it Christes body whose spéech I wish we would followe and that not onely as well to auoyde the euill which is now a dayes most to be feared concerning the Sacrament I meane of contemning it as also for that no faithfull man commeth to the Sacrament to receiue bread simply but rather yea altogether to communicate with Christes body and blood For else to eate and drinke as Paul saith they haue houses of their owne The contempt of the Sacrament in the dayes of King Edward hath caused these plagues vpon vs presently the Lorde bee mercifull vnto vs. Amen And thus much for the obiection of calling the Sacrament by the name of Christes body What saith one to cal the Sacrament Christs body and to make none other presence then by grace or spiritually to faith which is of things hoped for and of things which to the bodily sences doe not appeare is to make no presence at all or to make him none otherwise present then hee is in his worde when it is preached and therefore what neede wée to receiue the Sacrament in as much as by this doctrine a man may receiue him dayly in the fielde as well and as much as in the Church in the celebration and vse of the Sacrament To this obiection I first answere that in deede neither the Scripture nor Christian Faith will giue vs leaue to make any carnall reall naturall corporall or any such grosse presence of Christs naturall body in the Sacrament For it is in Heauen and the Heauens must haue it as sayeth Pete● till Christes comming to iudgement except wée would denie the humanitie of Christ and the veritie of mans nature in him The presence therefore which wee beléeue and confesse is such a presence as reason knoweth not and the world cannot learn nor any that looketh in this matter with other eyes or heareth with other eares thē with the eares and eyes of the Spirit and of Faith Which Faith though it bee of things hoped for and so of things

of the Cup for they that eate and drinke vnwoorthily eate and drinke damnation Therefore this probation and examination is necessarie If men will try their golde and siluer whether they bee copper or no is it not more necessarie that men should trie their consciences Now howe this should bée the Papists teach amisse in sending vs to their auricular Confession which is impossible The true probation and tryall of a Christian conscience consisteth altogether in Faith and repentance Faith hath respect to the doctrine and Articles of our Beliefe repentance hath respect to maners and conuersation Concerning the former I meane of Faith we may sée the Apostle teacheth vs. 2. Corinthians 11. Concerning the latter for our conuersation those sinnes which are commonly called mortall or deadly are to be remooued These sinnes are discerned from other sinnes by the Apostle Rom. 6. in saying Let not sinne reigne and beare a swindge in you in your mortall bodies For truely then wée sinne deadly when wée giue ouer to sinne and let it haue the bridle at his libertie when wée striue not against it but allowe it and consent to it Howbeit if we striue against it if it displease vs then truely though sinne bée in vs for we ought to obey GOD without al resistance or vnwillingnesse yet our sinnes bee not of those sinnes which separate vs from God but for Christs sake shall not bée imputed vnto vs beléeuing Therefore my dearely belooued if that your sinnes doe now displease you if you purpose vnfeinedly to bee enemies to sinne in your selues and in others as you may during your whole life if you hope in Christ for pardon if you beléeue according to the holy Scriptures and Articles of the Christian Faith set foorth in your Creede if I say you now trust in GODS mercy through Christs merits if you repent and earnestly purpose before God to amend your life and to giue ouer your selues to serue the Lorde in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of your life although before this present you haue most grieuously sinned I publish vnto you that you are woorthy ghests for this Table you shall be welcome to Christ your sinnes shall be pardoned you shall be endued with his spirit and so with Communion with him and the Father and the whole Church of God Christ will dwell in you and you shall dwell in him for euermore Wherefore behaue your selues accordingly with ioyfulnes and thankesgiuing Doe you nowe appeare before the Lorde make cleane your houses open the doores of your hearts by repentance faith that the Lord of Hostes the King of glory may enter in and for euer héereafter beware of all such things as might displease the eyes of his Maiestie Flie from sinne as from a Toade come away from Poperie and all Antichristian Religion be diligent in your vocations be diligent and earnest in prayer harken to the voyce of God in his word with reuerence liue worthy your profession Let your light in your life so shine that men may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heauen As you haue béene darkenesse and followed the works of darkenesse so now hence forth bee light in the Lord and haue societie with the woorks of light Now hath God renewed his couenant with you in Gods sight now are you as cleane and healed from all your sores of sinnes Goe your wayes sinne no more least a worse thing happen vnto you Sée that your houses béeing new swept bee furnished with godlinesse and vertue and beware of idlenesse least the Deuill come with seuen spirits worse then himselfe and so take his lodging and then your latter end will bee worse then the first God our Father for the tender mercie and merits of his sonne bee mercifull vnto vs forgiue vs all our sinnes and giue vs his holy spirit to purge cleanse and sanctifie vs that wee may bee holy in his sight through Christ and that we now may be made ready and worthie to receyue this holy Sacrament with the fruits of the same to the full reioycing strengthening of our hearts in the Lord. To whom be all honour and glory world without ende Amen To God be all prayse for euer ●eb 11. Iere. 44. Amos 7. Act. 17. Gene. 19. Gene. 7. Exod. 32 Mat. 4. Deu. 6.2 Mat 22 Mar. 20. Lu. 10. Iohn 3. Mat. 6. Lu. 17. Apoc. 22 Deu. 4.1 ●om 1. ●im 1. Reg. 2. ●erem 31 ●am 5. Act. 12. Tim. 2 Iam. 2. Rom. 7. Rom. 7. Gen. 6. Gen. 19 Gen. 19 ●ua and ●aleb ●um 14 ●euit 24 ●um 15 Reg. 5. ● Reg. ●1 22 4 Reg. 4. Re. 1 Gen. 6. Gen. 19. Gen. 19. 2. Tim. 2 ●ai 31. ●et 7. ●b 10. Two Sacraments in Christs Church Baptism is in place of Circumcision Christian mens children ought to be baptized Gal. 4. Who did institute this Sacrament What the Sacrament ●s Vpon transubstantiation all poperie almost i● builded The Sacrament of the popish Masse not the Sacrament of Christs body The firs● reason against Transsubstantiation An aunswere to the Papists ca●ill for ●he foresaid reason Mat. 26 Exod. 7. The secōd reason against Transsubstantiation Mat. 26 Mar. 14 Luke 22 1. Cor. 11 The third reason against Transsubstantiation 1. Cor. 1● The fourth reason ●gainst ●ransub●tanti●tion The fift reason Ireneus Augustinus Chrisostomus The sixt reason against Transsubstantiation Cyprian in Sermone de Chrismat Augustinus a Bonifacium The seuenth reason against transubstantiation Gal. 3. An answer to the Papists cauill for the foresaid reason The eight reason The ninth reason Christs presence i● the S●pper ●n ob●ction An an●were Ano●her ob●ection of Christs presence in the Sacrament Athana●us Hyla●ius Cyrillus Basilius Ambro●ius Epiphanius Hieronimus Chrisostomus Augustinus ●hrists ●esence the ●pper Wherefore the Sacrament was instituted * Note though I apply this thus yet I would not that any man should thinke that Communionem sanctorum in the Creed is not set foorth there for the better explication of that which preceedeth it namely what the holy Catholique Church is ●n ob●ection ●f vn●orthy ●ecei●ing The an●were