Christ into his death and our rising againe with him into newnesse of life As bread nourisheth and strengtheneth man so the body of Christ taken by faith feedeth the soule We take the bread and cup into our hands we eate we drinke we are refreshed so we feed on Christ whose flesh is meate indeed whose blood is drinke indeed and we are comforted Vse 1 Let vs now come to the vses as wee haue seene the reasons And first of all doe the Sacraments serue to strengthen our faith Then let vs all acknowledge our failings and infirmities Let vs labour more and more to feele the weaknes and wants of our owne faith True it is if our faith were perfect entire lacking nothing h Chrisost in Math. hom 83. we should not neede the Sacraments We must not therefore abstaine from them for the weakenes of our faith but for that cause come to God and to the Sacraments of God praying for strength and confirmation thereof i Mar. 9 23 24 as that father did whose sonne was possessed with a dumbe spirite when Christ said to him If thou canst beleeue all things are possible to him that beleeueth hee answered crying with teares Lord I beleeue helpe mine vnbeleefe And Luke 17. The Apostles k Luke 17 5. say to the Lord Increase our faith Vndoubtedly he that neuer doubted neuer beleeued For whosoeuer in truth beleeueth feeleth sometimes doubtings and wauerings of his faith Euen as the sound bodye feeleth oftentimes the grudgings of a feuer and distemperature of the body which if he had not health he could neuer finde and feele so the faithfull soule findeth sundry doubtings which if his faith were not sound hee could not discerne For wee feele not corruption by corruption nor sinne by sinne l Lu. 11 21 22 because when the strong man possesseth the house all things are in peace but we feele sinne and perceiue corruption in vs by a contrary grace of Gods Spirit The lesser and smaller measure of grace we haue the lesser is our feeling the more grace we haue the more quicke we are in feeling of corruption What is the reason that many haue no sight of sinne no feeling of their corruption no tentations no trembling no terror no feare of Gods wrath but wholy liue lye and dye in their lustes Surely because they are without grace without Gods Spirite without his inward worke in them But the faithfull who are not led by the flesh but by the Spirite are often tempted assayled turmoyled tryed and prouoked to many euils according to the m Luke 22.31 32. words of our blessed Sauiour Simon Simon behold Sathan hath desired to winnow you as wheat but I haue prayed for thee that thy faith faile not therfore when thou art conuerted strengthen thy brethren As a man carried vp and set vpon an high Tower or on the Pinacle of a Temple there fast bound in chaines of Iron that he cannot fal although he would when he looketh downe feareth and all his ioynts trēble because hee is not acquainted and accustomed to mount vp so high in the ayre and to behold the earth so farre beneath but when he remembreth himselfe and perceiueth himselfe fast bound and out of all danger then he conceiueth constant hope of continuing and casteth away all feare of falling So when wee looke downeward vpon our selues and our owne waies we haue doubtings wauerings astonishments horrors terrors tremblings and feares but when wee looke vpwards to behold the sweet consolatiō which God hath promised Christ hath purchased the word hath published the Holy Ghost hath sealed and euery beleeuer hath tasted we feele our selues sure and cease to doubt anymore For faith though assaulted with doubtings may be certaine The Sunne alwaies shineth in the firmament though the clouds haue couered it and the light appeare not The tree hath life in it though it be not in winter discerned So faith hath his assurance perswasion though it be shaken with doubtings and assaulted with tentations Wherfore so often as we feele these doubtings imperfections let vs set against them the certainty of Gods truth let vs set before vs the vnchangeablenes of his promises let vs draw neer to the holy Sacram. therby seek strength increase of faith Moreouer was this one end of the Sacramēts to strengthen Vse 2 faith Then God refuseth and reiecteth none for weaknes of faith For a weak faith is a true faith as wel as a strong faith A leprous hand can hold that which is offered vnto it as well as a sound and strong hand albeit not so strongly So is it with faith though it bee feeble and as a graine of mustard seed yet if it be vnfained it will apply Christ effectually which weaknes God leaueth in vs as a meanes to stirre vs vp to goe to the Sacraments We reade that Dauid called lame n 2 Sam 9 7.8 Mephibosheth to his table thereby honouring the son for the fathers sake so doth God receiue vs al deformed and defiled to his heauenly Supper And as Mephibosheth professed himselfe vnworthy to eate bread at the kings table saying What is thy seruant that thou shouldst looke on such a dead dogge as I am So must we confes our vnworthinesse be o Mat. 15 26.27 contented with the crums of his grace that fall from his heauenly table And thus acknowledging our selues to be blinde he will restore vs to be poore he will enrich vs to be wounded hee will cure vs to be captiues he will deliuer vs to be sicke he wil heale vs to be weake he will strengthen vs to be lost he will saue vs to be hungry and thirsty he wil refresh vs to bee broken-hearted hee will binde vs vp to bee solde vnder sinne he will ransome and redeeme vs. Vse 3 Thirdly it teacheth vs to abhorre the absurdity of Bellarmine a factour and atturney of the Church of Rome p Bellar. de Sacram lib. 1. c. 14 who denyeth that the Sacraments are scales of the promises or serue to nourish and confirme our faith and to assure vs of free remission of sins by the death of Christ Contrary to that we heard before in the example of Abraham who receiued circumcision to seale vp assure his iustification by faith whose example is set foorth to shew how all men are iustified before God q Rom. 4 11. and what is the vse of the Sacraments in all that are partakers of them So doth baptisme seale vp to vs Gods promises in Christ and assureth the remission of sinnes r 1 Pet. 3 21. as Peter teacheth Vse 4 Lastly if the chiefe end of the Sacraments and of the ordinance of God in the institution of them be to confirme faith and to assure vs of regeneration mortification sanctification iustification remission and saluation then how say som◠we cannot be assured in this life of our standing in the estate of grace of
is Christ Iesus offered by God the Father in the Vse 2 right vse of the Sacraments then God doth not deceiue or delude those that come vnto them If any that come to the Sacraments depart without grace without Christ without fruite the cause is in themselues the fault is not in God for l Christ is offered to all but receiued onely of the faithfull he offereth Christ to all euen to the vnfaithfull but they haue not hands to receiue him If a Prince should offer a rich present and he to whome it is offered haue no hand to receiue it he goeth away empty When the Sunne giueth light vpon the earth if men shut their eyes and bee wilfully blinde they receiue no profite by it When God offereth himselfe and his graces to vs by his word and Gospell if we stop our eares and harden our hearts it turneth to be the fauour of death to death so is it in the Sacraments when wee come to them God doth not feede our eyes with naked vaine and idle shewes but ioyneth the truth with the outward token and giueth the grace signified with the signe If we bring the hand of faith with vs which openeth the gate of the kingdome of heauen for vs Christ is both offered and giuen to vs. But howsoeuer the signe be alwayes inseparably ioyned with the grace that is signified in respect of God yet hence it followeth not that both of them are of all receiued For the outward signe is offered to the hand to the senses and instruments of the bodye which because all bring with them all are partakers of the outward parts But Christ who is signified by the signe is offered to the soule and faith of the receiuer m 2. Thes 3 which because many want they loose the fruite of their worke and the benefite of their labour Thirdly if the right receiuers receiue Christ and with Vse 3 him all sauing graces needfull to eternall life then the presence of vngodly men that come to the same Sacraments with vs and meete vs at the same Table cannot hinder and hurt vs in our worthy receiuing The vnbeleeuers and vnrepentant persons come indeed into the assembly of the faithfull to heare the worde of God read preached and expounded and as they come without faith so they depart without fruite yet their company defileth not the sauing hearer So is it in the Sacraments I confesse it were to bee wished that the Church were pure without spot and perfect without corruption faire without blemish and they euen n Gal. 5 12. out off that trouble the same yet sometimes it o Reuel 2 14.20 wanteth that good censure and godlye seuerity which is required to separate such as may infect with the leauen of their life and doctrine Againe as the faith of the wise and worthy receiuer cannot sanctifie the conscience of the hypocrite and offensiue liuer so the infidelity or iniquity of another shall not barre the faithfull soule from fruitfull receiuing to his saluation according to that p Ezek. 18 20 saying The righteousnesse of the righteous shall be vpon him and the wickednesse of the wicked shall be vpon himselfe Euery one is to prooue and examine himselfe not to enter into the consciences and conuersations of other men wee shall giue an account of our owne wayes and workes not of the deformities of others which we cannot reforme and redresse Furthermore as in an Army euery man hath his standing so in the Church euery man hath his calling it is not in the q Priuat men are not to meddle with the censures of the church power of priuate persons but of the Gouernors of the Church to draw out the censures of the Church against notorious offendors and therefore in their slacking and negligence the people must tollerate that which they cannot amend and not make a separation or rent in the Church as the manner of some is disturbing the peace quietnes thereof Vse 4 Fourthly if Christ be offered giuen and sealed vp to vs in the Sacraments then the Sacraments must be holden of vs in great price and estimation for their profites sake not lightly to be regarded but reuerently to be esteemed They that respect Christ in whom the tresures of al graces are laide vp must regard the Sacramentes of Christ and such as reiect them reiect Christ with all his benefites Vse 5 which who so doth sinneth against his owne soule Lastly if they be signes and seales of grace offered then the Sacraments make not a Christian no more then the seale giueth the purchase or possession The faithfull and the children of the faithfull are true Christians differing from Pagans and Heathen before they be baptized The Sacraments are signes not causes of grace And whosoeuer is not a Christian before he receiue baptizme baptizme can make him none which is onely the seale of the graces of God and his priuiledges before receiued The worde of God and the Sacraments of God are both of one nature but the word is not able to conferre grace but onely to declare and publish what God will confer inasmuch as to some it is the sauour r 2 Cor. 2 16. of death to death therfore also the Sacraments of themselues do not confer and bestow grace hauing it tyed vnto them or shut vp in thē For if the Sacramentes did actually and effectually giue grace by inherent power and vertue in themselues it would follow from hence that euery person baptized is certainely saued and hath his sinnes remitted or else that his sins remitted may returne and remaine and bee againe imputed But when God graciously pardoneth sinne ſ Ezek. 18 22. he remembreth it no more Besides that which is proper to God ought not to be ascribed to the creature Againe we see Abraham was not iustified by his circumcision hee was iustified by his faith for t Gen. 15 6. Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse and afterwarde hee receiued u Rom. 4 10 11. circumcision to bee the signe and seale of his iustification Notwithstanding the Sacraments may bee saide to conferre the grace of regeneration and remission of sinnes as they are instruments vsed of God and as they are pledges tokens to vs. They are meanes to offer and exhibit to the beleeuer Christ with all his benefits wherby the conscience is assured of comfort saluation as the Princes letters are saide to saue the life of a malefactor whereas they only signifie to him and others that it is the Princes pleasure to fauor him Again they may not vnfitly be said to giue vs grace because the signe exhibiteth the thing signified the out-ward washing of the bodye is a pledge and token of the grace of God so that whosoeuer vseth the signe aright shall receiue forgiuenesse and life euerlasting CHAP. III. That the parts of a Sacrament are partly outward and partly inward WE haue seene what
compact which the eternall God hath in great mercy and compassion made with mortall and miserable men accepting them into grace and fauour promising to them remission of their sins and saluation of their 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 compact which the eternall God hath in great mercy and compassion made with mortall and miserable men accepting them into grace and fauour promising to them remission of their sins and saluation of their soules These my rude though renewed labours I willingly submit to the wise censure of my learned Brethren remembring that the spirits of the Prophets are subiect vnto the Prophets If I haue any where erred through humane infirmity 1 Cor. 14 32 or mistaken the matter any way which I go about to prooue or perswade I desire them heartily by some meanes to giue mee friendly notice thereof which I shall receiue as precious balme or as an excellent oyle that shall not breake my head Psal 141 5 The Lord God almighty from whom euery good giuing and euery perfect giuing proceedeth establish vs in the New Couenant and make vs carefull to keepe the conditions thereof to the increase of our knowledge to the growth of our faith to the furtherance of our obedience to the comfort of our soules and to the glory of his great name Amen Amen Thy Brother in Christ our Sauiour William Attersoll THE FIRST BOOKE OF THE Sacraments in generall Of the agreement and difference betweene the Word and Sacraments CHAP. 1. GOD euen from the beginning added vnto the preaching of the word a God alway gaue his sacraments to his Church his Sacramentes in the Church as the Scripture teacheth outwardly repesenting and visibly offering to our sight those things that inwardly hee performeth to vs as b Gen 2 9. the tree of life the tree of knowledge of good euil in the Garden After mans fall when a new necessity was added in regard of mans want and weakenesse he testified his loue and ratified his Coueant by sacrifices Ceremonies to our first Parents Hee gaue the c Gen. 6 14. Arke to Noah and his sonnes to confirme them in the promise which he made to them that they should not be drowned with the rest of the world Hee added to Abraham d Gen. 17 11. the signe of circumcision as a seale e Rom 4 11. of the righteousnesse of faith and to the Israelites hee gaue the Passeouer Manna oblations purifications the brazen Serpent the Rocke and such like spirituall tipes whereby he assured them of the promise that God for the onely sacrifice of Christ wrought vpon the Crosse would giue to all that beleeue forgiuenes of sinnes and euerlasting life Now the word of God may fitly bee resembled to writings and euidences and the f The agreemeÌ„t between the Word Sacraments Sacraments to seales which the Lord alone setteth to his owne letters They are as a visible Sermon preaching vnto vs most liuely the promises of God that as the worde wee heare doth edifie and instruct the minde by the outward eares so do the Sacraments by the eyes and other senses First then that wee may vnderstand the doctrine nature of the Sacraments wee are to consider what the word and Sacraments haue in common and how they agree one with another then what they haue peculiar and proper each to other and how they differ one from another The argument betweene them standeth in these points First both are of God and instruments which the Holye Ghost vseth to this ende to make vs more and more one with Christ and partakers of saluation not that God needeth them or that he is tyed vnto them for as he can nourish without meate and drinke so he can saue without word or Sacraments but because wee neede them hee vseth them when hee will and as often as it pleaseth him The same which is published and promised by the worde of God is signified and sealed by the Sacraments For they are not a deliuering of new promises and articles of faith but seale vp such as are offered in the word Secondly although God vse them as instruments of his grace yet the especiall working and forcible power of them is not in them but dependeth on God alone so that wee must not thinke that whosoeuer partaketh them is partaker of grace saluation forgiuenesse of sinnes and euerlasting glory but the vertue of them floweth from him onely as from a fountaine A man may heare the word and receiue the Sacraments all the dayes of his life and be neuer the better except God change the minde open the heart enlighten the vnderstanding cleanse the conscience and sanctifie the affections to his glory Thirdly as the preaching of the word profiteth nothing vnlesse it be vnderstood applied and receiued but g Heb. 4 1. tendeth to iudgement so the Sacraments except wee bring the hand of faith with vs cannot giue vs faith nor grace but tend to our condemnation Yet as the Gospell is alwaies the sauour of life vnto life of it owne nature and the h Heb. 4 12. word liuely and of comfortable operation howsoeuer the vnfaithfull turne it to be the sauour of death vnto death So the Sacraments cease not in themselues to bee true Sacraments although they bee administred by vnworthy Ministers and receiued by vnfaithfull people For mans wickednesse cannot peruert much lesse euert the nature of Gods ordinance Lastly as the best seede springeth not vp and bringeth not fruit so soone as it is sowne but lyeth a time couered in the earth to take rooting so the fruite reaped by the word and benefit receiued by the Sacraments presently appeareth not but groweth and increaseth at the time appointed of God who will blesse them in his elect at what season himselfe hath ordained Thus wee see what the word and Sacraments haue in common both are instruments of the same grace both haue their benefit blessing and force depending on God both require faith to bee mingled with them without which they are vnprofitable and lastly they profite not by and by at the same moment they are published administred heard or receiued but God afterward worketh oftentimes by them in his children to their great comfort when all fruite to come by them seemed to be buried The Disciples at the first vnderstood no more of Christs resurrection then the vnbeleeuing Iewes did when hee saide i Iohn 2 19. Destroy this Temple and I wâ—ll builde it againe in three dayes But they lay it vp in their hearts and long afterward remember the words he spake vnto them So wheÌ„ they saw Christ riding to Ierusalem the multitude spreading their garments in the way and cutting
ruinous it is whereas if it were strong enough it needed nothing to beare it vp euen so seeing God contenteth not himselfe with bestowing vpon vs and blessing of vs with his word but giueth vnto vs together with his word his holy Sacraments also so that our faith is not onely vnderset with the one but vnderpropped with the other it serueth to lay before our eyes our weakenesse our distrust and our vnbeleefe For if we had fulnesse and perfection of faith we should haue no neede eyther of the worde or Sacraments and therefore when this world shall haue an end the ministry of the word shall cease and the administration of the SacrameÌ„ts shall be abolished Seeing then the word is not sufficient but the Sacraments were added for further assurance wee must in this behalfe consider the great goodnesse of God towards vs who doth not onely giue vs faith by his word as by his sauing instrument but hath also added to his word Sacraments or seales of his promise and grace that by the lawfull vse of them he might vphold and strengthen our faith through his blessed Spirit For in asmuch as the Lorde not onely sent the blessed seede for the redemption of mankinde for the remission of our sinnes and for the brusing of the Serpents head but ordained for vs Sacraments to bee pledges of his promises testimonies of his faithfulnesse and remedies of our distrustfulnesse we must freely confesse and thankfullye acknowledge the bottomlesse depth of Gods endlesse mercy towards vs who vouchsafeth to be our God to be reconciled to vs being vile and miserable sinners to make a league couenant with dust and ashes and deliuer his onely Sonne to suffer the shamefull death of the Crosse for vs. And withall wee must â—abor more and more to feele our owne blindnesse distrust infidelity and peruerse nature wee would easily forget this mercy of God vnlesse it had beene continually represented before our eyes Againe seeing nothing is offered and giuen in the Sacraments Vse 2 which is not published in the Gospell seeing they cannot bee where there is no word and seeing the same Christ with all his benefits is propounded in both it meeteth with a common corruption and lamentable practise among many professors that desire and craue especially in sicknesse and extremity often to come to the Lords Table but esteeme little of the preaching of the word and that seeme to languish with a longing after the Sacrament but neuer mourne and lament for want of the word which is as great an error and madnesse as if one should euer looke vpon the seale of his writings but neuer regard the conueiance of his estate Is there not one God the author of both Is there not one Spirite that sealeth vp his promises by both Is Christ deuided that speaketh euidently vnto vs in both How is it then that many desire the Sacrament of the Lords supper seeme to pine away through want thereof who neuer wish or regard the preaching of the Gospell which is the foode of the soule the key of the Kingdome the immortall seede of regeneration and the high ordinance of God to saue those c Ro. 1 16 and 10 14. that beleeue And whence proceedeth it but from palpable ignorance in the matters of God and their owne saluation to be much troubled that the Sacrament is not brought vnto them and yet neuer couet to haue a worde of comforte spoken to them in due season Let all such persons vnderstand that as the Minister d Acts 15 21 and 19 4 and 2 42 40. is charged from God to teach euery Sabboath day and to preach the word in season and out of season to deale the bread to the hungry and to giue vnto euery one in the family his portion so is it required of all the people to desire the sincere milk of the word of God that they may grow thereby which howsoeuer it bee to them that perish foolishnesse yet to such as are called e 1 Cor. 1 24. it is the wisedome of God and the power of God Thus Origen a man excellently learned among the Ancients one of the most ancient saith When yee receiue the Lords supper with al heed reuerence ye take heed that no smal peece fal froÌ„ it by negligence to the ground how theÌ„ do you think it is a matter of lesse heinous offence to neglect his word then his body Wherby we see in the iudgement of this Father and Doctour of the Church the losse of the word is as great a want as the losse of the Sacrament and the neglect of the word is as high an offence as the neglect of the SacrameÌ„t for asmuch as one God is the author of them both and the worker by them both Wherefore we are deceiued if wee make account that there is lesse danger in neglecting the word of God then in neglecting the Sacrament of his last supper but wee must take heede that while wee willingly desire the one wee doe not wilfully despise the other For wee must carefully consider that as the Sacrament is a visible word so the worde is a speaking Sacrament and as God lifteth vp his voice vnto vs in the one so hee reacheth out his hand vnto vs in the other Wee must as well heare when hee calleth as receiue when hee offereth Now by his word preached hee calleth by his Sacraments administred hee offereth his graces vnto vs and as wee must haue hands stretched out for the one so wee must haue eares opened for the other Lastly seeing the Sacraments are so neerely linked together Vse 3 and ioyne as friends hand in hand one with another it checketh all such as are content to come ordinarily and vsually to heare the word and will scarce misse one Sermon howbeit when the Sacrament of the supper is administred they are so sencelesse and secure that except it bee at Easter when they come to it of custome rather then of conscience for feare rather then of faith they make small reckoning of it neither thinke it their duty to resort vnto it Woe vnto all them that vnioyne and put asunder those things which God hath coupled together woe vnto such as doe the worke of the Lord negligently or deceitfully This is to serue him 〈◊〉 halfes and to worship him after our owne inuentions For as it is a counterfeit repentance to leaue one sinne and cleaue to another so it is a fained holinesse to follow one ordinance of God and to omit or forsake another True repentance standeth in denying of all sinne and true religion consisteth in practising of all good things of God Among many that are often hearers of the worde you shall not finde many that are often receiuers of the Supper of the Lord. These are like vnto Ahaz mentioned in the Prophet Esay when God offered vnto him a signe and bad him aske it eyther in the depth Esay 7 11. or in the height
Church and hidden from others so the ancient teachers of the Latine Church called them Sacraments in respect of the affinity and neerenesse betweene them and a Sacrament For a Sacrament properly is that solemne oath in warre by which Souldiers bound themselues to their chief Captaine Such a regard had the olde Romanes in the discipline of their warres that it was d Cicero de offic Lib. 1. not lawfull for any to kill an enemy or enter into the battell to fight vnlesse he were sworne a Souldier So when wee are partakers of these holye signes which God hath appointed in his Church by which he bestoweth vpon vs spirituall guifts e A SacrameÌ„t properly is the Souldiers oath metaphorically the Churches band binding them to God we do bind our selues to him we professe openly his true religion we vow to fight vnder his banner against our enâ—mies so that they are testimonies and tokens of the couenant betweene God and vs that he is our God and we binde our selues to bee his people to serue him and no other God So circumcision was a seale of Gods promise to Abraham and a seale of Abrahams faith and obedience toward God By them man is bound to God and God vouchsafeth to binde himselfe to man Wherefore the word Sacrament being translated from the campe to the Church from a Souldier to a Christian from a ciuill vse to an holy let vs see in this sence and signification what it is Now the word beeing borrowed from warres is f A Sacrament considered 2. wayes taken two waies first in a generall signification and may comprehend all manner of signes whether naturall or miraculous or voluntary which God commanded men to vse to assure them of the vndoubted truth of his promise as when hee gaue to Adam in the Garden the tree of life to bee a pledge of his immortality the Raine-bow to Noah and his posterity sometimes hee gaue them miraculous signes as light in a smoaking Furnace to Abraham the fleece wet the earth beeing drye and the earth wet the fleece beeing drye to Gedeon to promise and performe victory to Gedeon In this large acceptation of the worde we doe not intreate of the Sacraments wee speake properly of those which God hath left to be ordinary in his Church to bee seales of our communion with Christ and of the righteousnesse which is by faith A Sacrament g What a Sacrament is thus considered is a visible signe and seale ordained of God wherby Christ and all his sauing graces by certaine outward rites are signified exhibited and sealed vp vnto vs. In this description wee are to consider these 3. things First the whole kinde or generall secondly the cause or author thereof and lastly the vse of this doctrine deliuered Touching the first whereas it is saide that a sacrament is a visible signe and seale this is prooued and confirmed in sundry places of the scripture as Gen. 17. speaking of circuÌ„cision he saith h Gen. 17 11. It shall be a signe of the couenant betweene me and thee And Ro. 4. speaking of Abraham he saith i Rom. 4 11 He receiued the signe of circumcision as a seale of the righteousnesse of faith Indeede a signe and a seale differ one from another as the generall from the especiall for euery seale is a signe but euery signe is not a seale A seale certifieth assureth and confirmeth a thing a signe onely sheweth it but a Sacrament doth both It is a signe to signifie and represent a seale to ratifie and assure an instrument to conferre and conueigh Christ with all his benefits to them that truely beleeue in him a pledge vnto vs of Gods promises a visible word and as a notable glasse wherin we may behold k August de doct Christ lib. 2. Cap. 1. assured testimonies of Gods eternall fauour and of the abundant riches of his grace which hee bestoweth vpon vs. This teacheth vs to acknowledge there is more in the Sacraments then is seene with the eyes or felt with the hands and therefore we must not conceiue vnreuerently of them nor come negligently vnto them making them meere carnall and outward things but wee must thinke reuerently speake soberly receiue humbly and penitently these holy mysteries Againe hereby we are brought to beleeue the promises of God for if the Sacraments be not onely signes of his fauour but seales of our faith can wee doubt of his mercy and good meaning toward vs hauing left such pawnes and pledges thereof with vs that wee might haue assured comfort and comfortable assurance of saluation and eternall life Is it not among men matter of assurance and a note of true dealing to haue a pledge left with vs But behold God hath left vnto vs two pawnes of his promises as it were an earnest-penny that our faith should not wauer If then his alone worde bee al-sufficient hauing a noble addition of the Sacraments as of his seales let vs beleeue his promises and in all tentations rest vpon them with all confidence and consolation Secondly it is saide l Sacraments were instituted oâ— God alone a Sacrament is a diuine ordinance Not any Angell or Arch-angell not any Prince or Potentate but onely God himselfe is the author and ordainer of all holye signes and Sacraments This appeareth by many witnesses out of the worde of God I haue set my bow in the cloud and it shall bee for a signe of the couenant betweene mee and the earth and when I shall couer the earth with a cloud and the bow shall be seene in the cloud then will I remember my couenant which is betweene me and you Where wee see that when God determined to bee mercifull vnto the world and neuer to drowne the same with water againe as he had drowned it he gaue them a signe of his promise to wit His bow in the clouds When God would witnesse and stablish to Abraham and his seede after him the promise of his mercy hee ordained a Sacrament to confirme the same Gen. 17. This is my couenant which ye shall keepe betweene me and you let euery man child among you be circumcised And the Apostle saith I haue receiued of the Lord that which I haue deliuered vnto you And Christ himselfe instituted Baptisme and sent forth his Disciples to preach the Gospell All these testimonies as a cloud of witnesses doe confirme vs in this truth that none hath power authority in the Church to institute a Sacrament but only God And the reasons are apparant First the Sacraments belong to the seruice and worship of God now it resteth not in man to appoint and prescribe a seruice of God but to retaine and imbrace that which is taught by him For in vaine they worship him teaching for doctrines mens precepts Againe the Sacramentall signes haue Gods promises annexed vnto them confirming vs in the same which they could not doe but by the blessing and benefit of him that promiseth
g TransubstaÌ„tiation ouerthrowne whatsoeuer ouerthroweth the nature and vse of a Sacrament is not to be admitted but omitted neyther to bee receiued but reiected But transubstantiation ouerthroweth and ouerturneth both the nature and vse of a Sacrament and therefore not to be admitted and receiued into the Church For touching the nature of a Sacrament it is confessed h Iren. lib. 4. contr haer cap. 34. that it consisteth of two parts the one earthly and the other heauenly but if after the words of consecration the bread and wine are transubstantiated into the body and blood of Christ then the signe is taken away the element is ouerthrowne the materiall part is abolished and consequently the nature of a Sacrament is ouerturned And touching the vse of a Sacrament there must be an analogy and proportion betweene the signe the thing signified As in Baptisme the element of water washeth and purgeth the bodye so the Holy-Ghost through the blood of Christ cleanseth and sanctifieth the soule Likewise in the Lords Supper as the Substance of bread and wine receiued strengtheneth and comforteth the body so Christ i Ioh. 6 33. receiued by faith nourisheth feedeth the soule The very true principall vse of this Sacrament is to confirme our faith that as surely as those earthly creatures taken and applyed feed our bodies to a bodily life so the body and blood of Christ receiued and applyed by faith feed our soules to eternall life And do not all the faithfull feele a sweete comfort so often as they come to the Lords table by this similitude agreement to consider and know assuredly that as the substance of bread serueth to nourish and doth feede our bodyes so Christ doth feede our soules But if wee must beleeue that the substance of bread and wine is changed cleane gone that nothing remaineth but accidents where is this comfort and consolation How can wee bee assured and strengthened that as our bodies are nourished with the materiall elements so in like manner our soules by feeding on Christ Wherefore while they take away the substance of bread which should nourish the body the nature and vse of the Sacrament is destroyed and wee are spoyled of the comfort of our hearts and strengthning of our faith which wee should haue by this notable comparison and resemblance of the parts So then if wee would receiue comfort in comming to this Communion wee must retaine the substance of the signe as a staffe to stay vp our faith that it do not faile Lastly seeing God giueth vnto vs outward signes of his grace it serueth to teach vs that wheresoeuer and among whomsoeuer God continueth his signes he purposeth to bestow vpon them the things signified by the signes on the other side where God denyeth the meanes he also denyeth the thing wheÌ„ he taketh away the sign he taketh away the grace also This we see in the Turkes and Sarazins because he denyeth vnto them saluation hee taketh from them the seales and assurances of saluation and because he refuseth them to be his Church hee vouchsafeth not vnto them the prerogatiues and priuiledges of his Church Thus it falleth out in the preaching of the word vpon those whom God determineth to saue and to bestow vpon them the guift of faith whereby they are entred into the kingdome of heauen hee sendeth vpon them his word and causeth it to be preached vnto them but when he will not shew mercy but leaue a people in their miserable estate and condition he withdraweth the Ministry from them as we see in the Acts of the Apostles Chap. 16. When they were gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia They were forbidden of the holye Ghost to preach the word in Asia and after they were come to Mysia they assaied to go into Bithinia but the Spirite suffered them not Euen as when God will bring a famine vpon a land he with-holdeth the early and latter raine making the heauen to be as brasse and the earth as iron but when he will send plenty and open the windowes of heauen he sendeth a gracious raine and showers vpon the earth so when he will send a famine not of bread nor a thirst of water but of hearing the word of God hee taketh away his word and the meanes of saluation that they shall wander from sea to sea and runne to and fro to seeke the word of the Lord and shall not finde it but faint for thirst If any aske the question wherfore the Lord forbad Paul to preach the word in Asia and to come into Bythinia we cannot assigne this to be the cause that they were vnworthy to haue the doctrine of saluation offered vnto them forasmuch as they were as worthy as the Macedonians to whoÌ„ the Gospell was preached no more vnworthy then the other Gentiles Neither can we say this was the cause that God foresaw how euery one would receiue or entertaine the Gospel that as he saw them ready and inclined to accept of the word or to reiect it so he vouchsafed or not vouchsafed the same vnto them for hee pronounceth openly that he appeared to them of whom hee was not sought and spake vnto them that neuer asked after him Besides this were to ground the cause of saluation vpon our selues which is out of our selues and to ascribe it to our owne merite which is due onely to his mercy We are all by nature the children of wrath and destitute of the guift of faith if there be any willingnesse in vs to obey it proceedeth from the Spirite of God who as he electeth freely so he calleth freely Now that which is spoken of the preaching of the word may also be applied to the vse of the Sacraments When he purposeth to strengthen the faith which hee hath giuen vnto vs hee vouchsafeth the outward signes and seals of his promises that thereby wee should be assured he meaneth to bestow vpon vs the inward grace represented by them He dealeth iustly and vprightly with vs hee hath no purpose to beguile vs and deceiue vs. For they are no bare or naked much lesse false and lying signes but effectual instruments of the Spirite to conuey the mercies of God in Iesus Christ into our hearts and therefore we must bee carefull to vse them conscionably as certaine pawnes and pledges which God hath commended and committed vnto vs that they might be as witnesses of his loue and fauour towards vs. And thus much of the third outward part to wit the signe CHAP. VII Of the fourth outward part of a Sacrament THe last outward paâ—t of a Sacrament is the a The receiuer is an outward part of the Sacrament receiuer which is as needfull as the outward signe We vnderstand and take heere a receiuer in generall for euery one that commeth to the Sacrament whether good or euill godly or vngodly faithfull or vnfaithfull Such a receiuer is likewise a necessary part of the
the Sacraments haue force and power to saue and iustify sinners howsoeuer the persons be disposed that partake them then to frame short answeres to euery one of them For what needed this inward part of the Sacraments to wit the working of the holy Ghost if the outward washing were effectuall to saue and to sanctifie the soules of all them that are baptized Grace is not tied to the Sacraments And if these graces were so tyed to the Sacraments that al which vse them should be iustified by them we make thē more effectuall then the word of God it selfe is forasmuch as all that heare the worde are not saued by it nor transformed into the obedience of it nor receiue life from it nor are regenerated by it Iohn the Baptist who was the first Minister of that Sacrament confesseth that hee could doe no more then wash the body it lay not in his power to giue grace and to baptize with the Holy Ghost Besides wee see all in our daies are brought to be baptised but all these are not by it regenerated Acts 8 13. as in the Apostles times Simon himselfe was baptised yet he remained an hypocrite and was destitute of true faith that ioyneth vs to Christ But because we haue handled this point before let vs come to such obiections as the aduersaries haue made and mustered together Bellar. de Sacra lib. 2 cap. 4. which are taken partly from types and figures and partly from places of Scripture wrested from their true and naturall meaning Touching the types borrowed some from the olde and some from the new Testament albeit it were sufficient to make this generall answere that similitudes parables and comparisons do not proue yet least we should seeme thereby to turne our backs and yeeld to the enemy I will not sticke to propound them in particular and vouchsafe to yeeld vnto them a particular solution Obiection 1 The first type is drawne from the history of the creation Gen. 1. The Spirite moued vpon the waters to make them fruitefull As then the water receiued a certaine liuely force from the Spirit to bring forth the creatures so doth baptisme to make vs new men receiue strength from the Spirite Thus doth Bellarmine reason I answere Answere this maketh directly against himselfe and therefore he layeth about him like a blinde man who instead of his enemy striketh himselfe For heereby it appeareth that the Sacraments do not giue grace ex opere operato that is by the force and vertue of the worke done and that words vttered haue no power but by the Holy Ghost For as the Spirit gaue force to the waters wherby the creatures were fostered and formed which were not of themselues auailable to giue life being as it were dead and without any vigor euen so the Spirit maketh the water in baptisme serue to signifie and seale vp our regeneration and not the bare and outward element The bodye of man without the soule is dead and without life so the water without the Spirite cannot conferre grace It is the Spirite that quickneth without it the water is as common water Obiection 2 Another obiection is from the history of the flood Genesis 7 17. and the drowning of the Egyptians in the redde sea Exodus 14. and the passing of the Israelites through the Riuer Iordan to the land of promise Ioshua 4. where it appeareth that the waters themselues saued his people I answere Answere If the waters in the flood had a proper power to saue and preserue why did they not saue all the world aliue Why were any of the creatures at all drowned Againe this robbeth God of his honour and glory to whom onely it is due and giueth it to the element to which it is not due For if Noah had beleeued that the waters could of themselues haue saued him he should haue set vp an altar as a monument to the waters and not builded one to God the Lorde Genesis eight verse 20. But the Scripture ascribeth all to the mercy and clemency of God toward that remnant and remainder of mankinde because hee had seene Noah righteous and religious in that generation before him Genesis 7 verse 1. Therefore it is said hee found grace in the sight of the Lord Genesis 6 verse 18. That the Lorde stablished his couenant with him Genesis 6 verse 18. That the Lorde had him enter with all his houshold into the Arke Genesis 7. verse 1. That the Lorde shut him in the Arke when he was entred Genesis 7 verse 16. That the Lord remembred him while he was in the Arke Genesis 8. verse 1. And after the ceasing and decreasing of the waters brought him out of the Arke Genesis 8 verse 16. So that whereas the waters had of their owne nature ouerwhelmed them euen the proud waters had gone ouer their soule to haue drowned them God in mercy saued them that they might ascribe the praise of their preseruation to the Lord of Hoasts not to the power of the waters And if the Israelites had beene deliuered at the red sea and in passing ouer Iordan by the strength of the waters they would haue erected a trophee to them not haue sung a song vnto God Another type is taken from Circumcision Genesis 17. Obiection 3 whereof Paul speaketh Colosians 2. Yee are circumcised with circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sinnes of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ buried with him in baptisme and Baptisme then is like vnto circumcision but circumcision that is outward did truely and effectually cut off the flesh and was not onely a testimony of cutting it away I answere Answere the Apostle reproueth such as would ioyne the ceremonies of the lawe with the Gospell of Christ whereas now we haue no need of them at all hauing the truth with vs of those shaddowes And touching circumcision there is no need to haue it brought in vse into the Church forasmuch as we are inwardly circumcised by the power of Christ So that there was a twofold circumcision as there is also a two-fold Baptisme the one outward in the body the other inward in the heart the one administred by the hand of the Minister the other finished by the grace of the Spirite Besides if the outward cutting off the foreskinne of the flesh were alwaies effectual to cut away the corruption of the soul how is it that they teach that the Sacraments and Sacrifices of the olde Testament were so farre from giuing grace Rhem. on Heb. 10. remission and iustification that they were but shaddowes obscurely representing the graces of the new Testament How can they reconcile themselues when they make this difference betweene the old new Sacraments that the old did onely signifie the new containe and conferre grace and sanctification Thirdly if the outward cutting off the flesh did by the worke done giue grace and that the signe were not to be separated from the thing
signified how commeth it to passe that Ismael being circumcised as well as Isaack and Esau circumcised as well as Iacob yet one beeing borne after the flesh persecuted him that was borne after the Spirite Genesis 21. Galathians 4.29 the other was not beloued of God neyther had grace giuen vnto him as the Scripture saith Rom 9 13. Iacob haue I loued but Esau haue I hated Lastly the outward circumcision that is in the flesh may bee out of the Church and receiued of them that are no members of the Church as it was of the Idumeans Ismaelites Samaritans and such as were strangers from the couenant as also the Turkes and Sarazins receiue it in our daies So is it with baptisme it doth not bring vs iustification by the outward worke done but sometimes it may go before the signe and sometimes follow after The like might be said touching Manna giuen vnto the Israelites Exod. 16. and the water of separation Num. 19. We may ioyne all these together because the force of them is alike and therefore the answere to the one is an answere to the other The next type is touching the cleansing of Naaman the Obiection 4 Syrian by washing seauen times in Iordan 2. Kings 5. as then those waters did truely heale him so the water in baptisme doth heale the soule and iustifie the sinner I answere Answere this is to draw from a wrong supposition a false conclusion forasmuch as euen those waters had no such inherent power or secret vertue but onely for the present by a miraculous dispensation of God they cleansed him of his leprosie neyther had they of themselues any other hidden vertue included in them then the Riuers that wer in Damascus 2 Kings 5 12. And therefore Naaman being cleansed did not magnifie the strength of that water aboue all other Riuers in other regions but the great mercy of God toward him and promised he would worship no other God but the God of Israel The next type is from the poole of Bethesda Iohn 5. Obiection 5 which healed all manner of diseases at the mouing of the waters and the waters in Siloam wherewith the blinde man is commanded to wash Iohn 9. I answere Answere the Scripture is plaine that an Angell went downe at a certain season into the poole troubled the water without which moouing and stirring of it no cure was wrought at any time Againe if this power had beene naturall and inseparably tyed vnto it then the water would haue cured and healed all the whole multitude of impotent persons of blinde of hâ—lt and of withered that should step into it contrary to the expresse words of the text Whosoeuer did first after the troubling of the water step into it Iohn 5 4. was made whole of whatsoeuer disease he had So that the poore impotent man which had an infirmity 38. yeares needed not to haue complained that no man when the water was troubled would put him into the poole but while hee was comming another stepped downe before him And touching the blinde man he was not healed and helped eyther by the spittle or the clay or the waters or by the force of all them together which had of theÌ„selues serued and sufficed rather to haue hindred the sight then to haue opened the eyes it was the miraculous worke of Christs own hand who worketh sometimes aboue means and sometimes contrary to meanes Thus much touching the obiections arising from sundry types and allusions which hee hath heaped vp and hudled out of the olde and new Testament Now touching the obiections drawne from expresse Obiection 1 places we will briefly runne them ouer forasmuch as many of them conclude not for them but against them First of all Iohn Baptist saith I baptize you with water but hee that commeth after mee shall baptize with the Holy-Ghost Math. 3. I answere Answere Iohn sheweth in these words that he was onely the Minister of the outward signe and could worke nothing in the hearts of men whereas Christ whoÌ„ he pointed out and of whom he spake would bestow the Spirite vpon them and those things which belong vnto their saluation Euen as the Apostle speaking of his ministry doth notably in other words expound this saying of Iohn 1 Cor. 3. I haue planted Apollos hath watered but God giueth the increase so that neither he that planteth nor he that watereth is any thing but God that giueth the increase That which Paul vttereth touching the preaching of the word and Iohn of the Sacrament of Baptisme we may fitly transferre and aptly apply to the Supper of tho Lorde wherein the Minister doth distribute the bread and deliuer the cup of the Lord but the Lord himselfe doth feed those that beleeue in him with his body blood which is meate indeed and drinke indeed The next testimony is taken out of Marke 16 16. Hee Obiection 2 that beleeueth and is baptized shall be saued Heere the force of sauing is ascribed to baptisme not to faith now it cannot saue but by iustifying and washing away the filthinesse of our sinnes I answere Answere in the Apostles dayes men of yeares and not infants onely were baptized in regard whereof profession of faith and confession of sins did go before Math. 3 6. They were baptized confessing their sinnes Againe Christ our Sauiour teacheth that saluation dependeth on faith Iohn 5 24. He that beleeueth is passed from death to life he neuer said Whosoeuer receiueth the outward baptisme is passed from death to life It is faith that ioyneth vs to God and not the washing of the body with water Lastly if grace were tyed to the outward signe hee would haue said He that is not baptized shal be damned whereas Christ saith onely Hee that beleeueth not shall bee damned Neuerthelesse faith and baptisme are both ioyned together that euery one should submit himselfe to the ordinance of God and know that to the guift of faith he must annexe the vse of the Sacraments The third testimony is borrowed from the conference Obiection 3 of Christ with Nicodemus Iohn 3. Except a man bee borne againe of water and the Holy Ghost hee cannot enter into the kingdome of God I answere Answere It is not necessary to vnderstand this place litterally of the water in baptisme but of the grace of Christ which cleanseth the soule as water doth the body which in other places is called The water of life Iohn 4 11. and 7.38 where speaking of the water of life the Euangelist addeth This hee spake of the Spirite which they that beleeued in him should receiue Againe water is ioyned with the Spirit in this place as fire is ioyned with the Spirite in another place Math. 3 11. He shal baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire but there is no necessity nor so much as probability there to vnderstand fire properly why then should we take water properly in this place and wherefore in places that are like should wee seeke a meaning
the Lords Supper When we receiue the outward signes God the Father offereth his Sonne all his graces with him to confirme our faith therby The signe is but a figure and token Christ is the truth substance This we shewed before Chap. 2. in the description of a Sacrament that therein Christ and all his sauing graces are truely offered sealed vp and giuen to the faithfull that beleeue in his name Heereunto commeth the doctrine of the Apostle where he teacheth that the Iewish Sacraments being in the truth of them the same with ours did signifie b 1 Cor. 10 1 2 3 4 5. Christ for They dranke of the spirituall Rocke that followed them and that Rocke was Christ So he doth teach elsewher that by baptisme we c Gal. 3 27. put on Christ we are buried into his death and are planted d Rom. 6 4 5. Col. 2.11.12 into the similitude of his resurrection Wherefore this is the vse and end of the Sacraments to leade our faith to the onely Sacrifice of Christ once offered vpon the Crosse as to the onely ground-worke and foundation of our saluation as touching the other Sacrament the same Apostle sheweth that the breaking of the bread sealeth vp the e 1 Cor. 10.16 communion of his body and the pouring out the wine the communion of his blood So then this is an euident plaine and manifest truth confirmed by testimony of the Scripture that Christ is the matter and substance of a Sacrament Vse 1 Heereby we gather great strength of faith If Christ be offered with all his merites then let vs lay hold vpon him and not let him goe let vs stretch forth the hand of faith and receiue him into our hearts Wherefore when Sathan assaulteth vs touching our faith in Christ and affiance in his promises perswading vs we are not elected iustified and indued with faith and thereby seeketh to cut off our hand from applying or to blinde our eye from looking vpon the brazen Serpent that is Christ sitting at the right hand of his Father let vs runne vnto him let vs hunger and thirst after his righteousnesse let vs acknowledge him to bee our wisedome our righteousnesse our sanctification and redemption and let vs looke for our saluation from him and in him What though our faith be fraile and weake What though it be as a graine of a Mustard-seede which is very little and small What if it bee but as the growth and strength of a Childe which is ready to fall except he be stayed vp yet this weake this small this little this fraile this feeble faith is able and sufficient to ingraft vs into Christ A childe taking a staffe in his hand is able to hold it as truely though not as strongly as a man so if wee lay holde vpon Christ by faith though we doe it with many wants much weaknesse yet it shall serue and suffice vs to saluation For God looketh not so much to the perfectiō as to the truth of faith neither so much to the measure as to the manner of our beleeuing Euen as f Mar. 8 24. the blinde man in the Gospel when he began to perceiue the mouing of men and saw them walking as trees when yet hee could not discerne their bodies did as truely and certainly see them as other did though not so cleerely plainely and distinctly So when we haue the least sparke of faith it will as truely assure vs of our saluation as a stronger The poore prisoner that lyeth in a deepe and dark dungeon may as wel discerne the light of the Sunne at a little hole and creuice as he that walketh in the open ayre so albeit we be compassed about with ignorance doubtings weakenesse and manifold fraileties of the fles◠yet by a dimme light and sight of faith we may certainly apply vnto vs the mercies of GOD and the merites of Christ as well as if we had a strong and perfect perswasion of our election and saluation before the foundations of the world Thus we see howsoeuer the faithfull may be afflicted yet g 2 Cor. 4 8 9 they are not distressed thogh tempted yet not ouerwhelmed though cast downe yet they perish not For h 1 Iohn 5 4. this is their victory that hath ouercome this world euen their faith whereby they apprehend Iesus Christ who is offered of God the Father in the Sacraments to all the faithfull Secondly if Christ be giuen vs how should not the Vse 2 Father with him giue vs all things else as the i Rom. 8 32.22 23. Apostle concludeth If God spared not his owne Sonne but gaue him for vs all to death how shall he not with him giue vs al things also When we enioy him we enioy al things if we want him it is nothing though wee abound in all things else Wherefore when the Father gaue him for vs it is more then if he had giuen to vs heauen and earth For hauing right interest in him we haue possession of all things his righteousnes his sanctificatiō his obediēce his innocency whatsoeuer he hath is made ours He that hath Christ who is the Lord of al cānot doubt but he is made partaker of that which is his He that hath Christ who is heire k Heb. 1 2. of al things may assure himself to be made fellow heire with him This is it the Apostle saith l 1 Cor. 3 21. Let no man reioyce in men for all things are yours whether it bee Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death whether they be things present or things to come euē al are yours ye Christs Christ Gods Whē a parcel of ground is purchased and made ours thereby the profit and commodity thereof is made ours also so whē Christ by the free donatiō o◠God the father is giuē vnto vs his righteousnes obedience becommeth wholy ours together with him Hee then that hath Christ hath al things he that hath not Christ hath nothing howsoeuer he thinke himselfe to be somthing If we haue him giuen vnto vs let vs take no thought for any other thing whatsoeuer He is the maine and greatest guift the rest are but appurtenances vnto it or dependants vpon it Let vs therefore watch ouer our hearts that they be not set vpon other guifts more then vpon him and reioyce more in that the Father hath giuen vs his owne Sonne then if wee had receiued a great possession and an earthly kingdome Vse 3 Thirdly is Christ the substance and inward part of a Sacrament the signe being as it were the body and the thing signified as the soule Then there hath been from the beginning the same truth of religion the same faith and the same meanes of faith Wee haue had the same Sacraments for substance throughout all generations There was a difference in the manner and outward dispensation according vnto the seuerall ages growth of the Church
Although many among them no doubt were elected and all of them professed the Gospell of the kingdome yet God visited their want of preparation and reuerence with diuers diseases and great mortality n Leuit. 26 14 25 21. Deut. 28 15 16 20 21. according to the threatning annexed to the lawe If ye will not obey me nor do all these commandements if yee shall despise mine ordinances or your soule abhorre my lawes then will I do this vnto you I will appoint ouer you fearefulnes a consumption and the burning ague to consume the eyes and to make the heart heauy And if ye walke stubbornely against me and will not obey mee I will then bring seauen times mee plagues vpon you according to your sinnes Wherefore whē we haue receiued grace to beleeue and haue tasted the first fruites of the Spirit to the comfort of our soules we must not be puffed vp in our knowledge we must not grow secure but stir vp the guifts of God in vs when they begin to waxe faint Let vs seeke to preuent his iudgements before they come which wee may do by iudging our selues by making inquiry into our owne waies and by searching the reines of our hearts with purpose to condemne all ignorance error security and vngodlinesse and as it were to take punishment of our selues then this would follow thereupon wee should not be iudged and punished of the Lord. This then is the remedy to auoide the sinne of vnworthy receiuing A man thus visited with sicknesse weaknesse and diuers kinds of diseases and smitten with the stroke of Gods owne hand cannot possibly be restored by any creature in heauen or earth and yet behold the Lord hath not left vs without meanes to remooue them and take them away to wit by taking away the cause that wee may remoue the effects The cause of these puninshments is taken away by iudging our selues Now a man in iudging of himselfe o What we are to do in iudging our selues must performe foure things First he must examine himselfe of his sinnes Secondly hee must confesse them himselfe to be guilty as the poore prisoner that standeth at the barre No denying of the fact no defending of the fault no hiding of the offence no iustifying of our person can procure our pardon the way to haue forgiuenesse is to acknowledge our owne wickednesse Thirdly he must condemne himselfe and giue sentence against himself without partiality Fourthly he must pleade pardon for the remission of his sinnes and neuer rest vntill he giue him peace of conscience restore him to the ioy of his saluation CHAP. XIII Of the first vse of a Sacrament HItherto of the parts of a Sacrament both outward and inward now we come to the vses thereof For vnlesse we know the vse vnderstand the end why they were ordained it shall not profite vs to know the parts Euery thing must be referred to his right vses and proper ends so must the Sacraments be The ends are especially a Three chief vses of the sacraments these three First to strengthen faith Secondly to seale the couenant betweene God and vs. Thirdly to be a badge of our profession Touching the first ende the Sacraments serue for the better confirmation of our faith as appeareth 1. Pet. 3. where the Apostle hauing set downe the drowning of the world and the preseruing of Noah by the Arke he saith our baptisme b 1 Pet. 3 21. directly answereth that type which is a taking to witnesse of a good conscience and sauing vs by the resurrection of Christ So then by faith confirmed in Baptisme we haue an infallible assurance in the death of Christ of our saluation Many indeede come to the Sacraments are present at baptisme are partakers of the Lords Supper that feele no strength of faith no increase of Gods graces no spirituall growth in the body of Christ so that they worke not saluation in them but further their condemnation For the Sacraments as we haue shewed giue not grace but more firmely surely and comfortably confirme faith they apply and seale vp Christ crucified The Sacraments cannot giue faith to the faithlesse neyther were they instituted to the end men should beleeue but because they doe beleeue as meat was not giuen that men should learne to eate but that they eating might be nourished Faith indeed receiueth them c August de ciuit dei lib. 25. cap. 25. and then they serue to nourish it And they confirme not faith by any inherent power included in them but the holye Spirite applyeth Christ to vs and frameth this comfortable conclusion in our hearts All such as are conuerted and doe rightly vse the Sacraments shall receiue Christ all his sauing graces But I am conuerted and doe rightly vse the Sacraments Therefore I shall receiue Christ and his graces Thus doth the Comforter comfort all those that come rightly and religiously to the Lords Table Now if wee would enquire and search after the reasons of this first end we should finde that one cause why they confirme faith is because God is true in his promises he confirmeth and maketh good that which is gone out of his mouth All the d 2 Cor. 1 20. promises of God in Christ Iesus are yea and are in him Amen vnto the glory of God through vs. For as Princes seales confirme their charters assure their grants and make certaine their pardons so do Gods Sacraments witnesse to our hearts and consciences that his words and promises are true and are established to continue for euer For as he declareth his mercies by his word so hee sealeth and assureth them by his Sacraments Againe this appeareth by the example of Abraham who first beleeued the promise and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse being yet vncircumcised and afterward receiued the signe of circumcision as the seale of the righteousnes of faith as the Apostle e Rom. 4 9 10 11. teacheth We say that faith was imputed vnto Abraham for righteousnesse How was it then imputed when he was circumcised or vncircumcised Not when hee was circumcised but when he was vncircumcised c. Where he sheweth that Abraham was iustified in vncircumcision but yet was afterward circumcised that the guift of righteousnes might be confirmed in him The f Acts 8 36. Eunuch likewise beleeued before he receiued baptisme therfore it sealed vp the increase of his faith of Gods graces And Acts 2. They that gladly receiued the words of Peter g Acts 2.41 10 44 47 48. and 22 16. were baptized And as Peter preached to Cornelius and others of the Gentiles The Holy Ghost fell on them all which heard the word and he said Can any forbid water that these should not be baptized which haue receiued the Holy Ghost as well as we So he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Wherefore when the Minister washeth with water it representeth our burial with
it to performe his promise and make good his word So hath God left with vs his Sacraments as an earnest penny to assure vs of his word and the vnchangeable faithfulnesse of his promise shall we then make no account of them or esteeme them at our owne pleasure We make our selues guilty of the blood of Christ and as much as lyeth in vs say to the almighty Depart from vs we will none of the knowledge of thy waies we will walke after the stubbornnes of our harts Lastly are the Sacraments as a band with a condition that leaueth vs not at liberty to doe what wee list but Vse 4 bindeth vs to performe the condition Then wee must learne from hence that howsoeuer God haue dealt in mercy toward vs offering vs the pardon of our sinnes promising to receiue vs as sonnes and assuring vs to bestow vpon vs eternall life yet if we be not faithfull and obedient vnto him but reiect these benefits from vs walke not worthy of them they shall be taken from vs giuen to a people that will make more account of them The couenant that God hath made is a mutuall promise and agreement betweene God and man whereby God giueth men assurance that he will be gracious fauourable vnto them remitting their sinnes bestowing vpon thē righteousnes bringing thē to saluation reseruing them to his heauenly kingdome through Christ his Son and our redeemer And on the other side men binde themselues to faith repentance and obedience and to be thankful vnto him for so great and gracious benefits This mutuall compact and couenant that it might bee made firme and authenticall is sealed by the outward badges and tokens of baptisme and the Lords Supper which are sacred signes testifying Gods good will toward vs and confirming our duty toward him This is no small mercy shewed vnto vs but the most sacred and soueraigne guift of God that can be bestowed vpon any people in this life as Psal 111.9 The Prophet remembreth in the last place that he sent redemption vnto his people he hath commanded his couenant for euer So the Apostle maketh it as a wonderfull priuiledge that God gaue to the Iewes in that they had the signe of circumcision and the Oracles of God committed vnto them Rom. 3 1 2. According to the saying of the Prophet Psal 14.19.20 Hee shewed his word to Iacob his statutes and ordinances vnto Israel he hath not dealt so with euery Nation neither haue they knowne his iudgements This ought to teach diligence and worke conscience in al sorts of men least we depriue our selues of the guifts of God lent vnto vs and bestowed vpon vs. Thus we see first of all that mankinde generally neyther was neither is within the couenant but onely such as by faith imbrace and lay holde on the couenant The Apostle saith Gal. 3.22 The Scripture hath concluded all vnder sin that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ should be giuen to them that beleeue Without faith it is vnpossible to please God and therefore there is no promise of reconciliation made without faith The couenant betweene God and man touching righteousnes and eternall life was deliuered and reuealed from the beginning to our first parents immediately after their fall before they were driuen out of the Garden of Eden Gen. 3 15. The seede of the Woman shall bruise the Serpents head And in the tenour of this couenant God did put a difference betweene the seede of the woman and the seede of the Serpent By the seed of the woman he meaneth the head and his members Christ and the faithfull that beleeue in him as also by the seed of the Serpent all the reprobate that liue and dye in their sinnes forasmuch as he that committeth sinne is of the Diuell 1 Iohn 3 8. and he is their father Iohn 8 44. Hence we see how foule and fearefull a thing it is to be without faith all such are without life without Christ without the couenant euen strangers from the couenants of promise without hope and without God in the world Againe al such as contemne grace offered vnto them in the Mediator Christ Iesus who is the foundation and ground-worke of this couenant in whom all the promises of God are yea and amen All such as follow sinne with greedines and drinke iniquity as water such as are both bare and barren in good things for euer but plentifull in bringing forth the workes of darknesse and the fruites of disobedience are all out of the couenant and haue no promise made vnto them of grace of righteousnesse of reconciliation of protection and of saluation It is required of vs to repent and beleeue the Gospell Mar. 1 15. But if we begin to breake with God shall we thinke to hold him close to his couenant and to challenge him with his word Will we tye him to conditions and imagine to goe free our selues Will we vrge him hard with his promise and as it were lay heauy burdens vpon him and not touch them our selues with our little finger Hee promiseth nothing vnto vs except we keepe couenant with him And what reason is it that we should looke to receiue blessings at his hands when we will yeelde no duty of obedience vnto him For as God promiseth to bee with vs and bestow all good things vpon vs so we binde our selues vnto him to become his children and his seruants to feare him to loue him and to walke in vprightnesse before him God neuer beginneth to breake with vs neither falsifyeth his truth He neuer forsaketh vs vntill we forsake him and therefore the Prophet said to Asa king of Iuda 2. Chron. 15 2. The Lord is with you while ye he with him and if ye seeke him hee will be found of you but if ye forsake him hee will forsake you In all couenants the condition must euer more be marked considered and obserued It is vnpossible that God should lye he cannot faile vs or deceiue vs. The like fidelity toward him is required of vs. It is not enough for vs to know what God hath promised but it is requisite for vs to learne vpon what conditions he hath promised to be gracious vnto vs. He neuer promised to be mercifull vnto any but vnder the expresse condition of sincere obedience If we will beleeue and obey we shall prosper but if we become rebellious and stubborne he will also walke stubbornely against vs and bring vpon vs all the curses theatned in his word CHAP. XV. Of the third vse of a Sacrament THus much of the second vse the third vse of the Sacraments a The third vse of a Sacrament is to be a marke badge of our profession is to bee badges and markes of our Christian profession that thereby one of vs should acknowledge an other to be of one houshold and of one family of one society and as it were birds of one feather For heereby we doe manifest whose
3 cap. 9. mystery of the Trinity a Sacrament and fire a Sacrament because by the heat light and shining brightnes thereof the Trinity may after a sort be shaddowed out Besides a Warnw. Encâ—unt 1. c. 13. the late Warneword Page 91. handling this controuersie of the number of Sacraments doth not prooue the number of seauen Sacraments out of the Scripture neyther goeth about it neither is able to deriue it further then the counsell of Florence holden in the yeare 1440. and from Peter Lumbard b Sâ—nent lib. 4 d st 2. who was indeed the Father and first finder and founder of this number of seauen Augustine wheÌ„ speaketh of Sacraments in the strict and proper signification and taketh them for holy signes and seales not onely signifying representing and exhibiting spirituall graces commanded by Christ succeeding in the roome of the Iewish two ordinary Sacraments and offering Christ to all faithfull receiuers the vse whereof is perpetuall and vniuersall reckoneth them as we do c August de simb ad cateâ—hu Haec sunt Ecclesiae gemina sacramenta i. These be two Sacraments of the Church And in one other place d August de doctr Christ lâ—b 3. cap. 9. Christ and his Apostles haue deliuered vnto vs a few Sacrament instead of many as Baptisme and Lords Supper Cyprian that liued before him Cyprian lib. 2. Epist 1. is of the same iudgment who saith plainely Tunc demum planè sanctificari c. that is may be throughly satisfied and become the children of God Vtroque Sacramento Paschas de coena dom if they be new borne by both the Sacraments And likewise Paschas 9. speaketh to the same purpose sunt Sacramenta c. that is The Sacraments of Christ in the Catholike Church are baptisme and the body and blood of our Lord. So S. Ambrose intreating purposely e Ambrose lib. 1. de Sacra cap. 1. of the Sacraments speaketh but of two as the reformed Churches hold at this day Innocentius the third speaking of them f C. Firmiter onely maketh mention of those two which we receiue not of the rest which we refuse Yea Thomas of Aquine the Chiefe Doctor of the Papists holdeth heerein the truth g In lib. 4. sent dist 28. qu. 4. teaching that the forme of Baptisme and of the Lords Supper is found in the Scripture but not of the other pretended Sacraments and namely of extreme vnction To conclude h Bessar de sacra Eucharist Cardinall Bessarion confesseth this Haec duo sola Sacramenta in Euangelijs manifeste tradita legimus that is we reade that these two onely Sacraments were deliuered vs manifestly and plainely in the Gospell Thus we see that others before vs do ioyne with vs and speak directly of both the Sacraments of two Sacraments and of onely two Sacraments and therefore the bringing in of seauen is as strange and monstrous as if a man shold say we wanted seauen feete to walke or seauen eyes to see or seauen hands to handle or seauen eares to heare whereas two of each sort are sufficient and the other fiue are needlesse and superfluous in the body Now let vs come to the vses of this diuision In Vse 1 that Christ hath appointed so few Sacraments in number heereby appeareth the great loue of God toward vs he hath not laid a burden vpon vs which neither we nor our Fathers were able to beare but charged vs with two Sacraments onely whereas he might haue deliuered other moe vnto vs. The Ceremoniall law was a very heauy burthen pressing downe the Father of the old Testament and keeping them i Act. 15 10. in great bondage now the yoke is broken and we are deliuered As we see the like mercy of God in teaching a short forme of praier as a perpetuall direction to the Church and in deliuering the ten Commandements diuided into two tables so he hath not troubled vs with many SacrameÌ„ts wherby also our nature prone to idolatry is respected and the grace of the new Testament is wonderfully amplyfied We see how superstition and grosse Idolatry haue preuailed in the Church of Rome infected with deadly poyson one of the Sacraments how much greater danger were it if moe Sacraments had beene commanded and commended vnto vs Againe heereby we may perceiue and conceiue the Vse 2 difference betweene the olde and new Testament betweene the Sacraments vnder the lawe and these vnder the Gospell k Difference betweene the Sacraments of the old Testament the new betweene those giuen to the Iewes and these retained among Christians For ours are few in number theirs are many in number the Arke Circumcision the Passeouer Manna the Cloud the Sea the Rock many purifications oblations which are not easy to be numbred But the Gospell acknowledgeth onely two as two twins begotten of the same father brought forth of the same mother Hereunto we may adde not vnprofitably other materiall differences to bee acknowledged They differ in time ours shew forth our communioÌ„ with Christ already come and so are more firme and durable as those l 1 Cor. 11 26 which are not to be changed to the ende of the world 1 Cor. 11. Yee shew the Lords death till hee come Their Sacraments were ordained onely vntill the comming of Christ because they shewed and pointed out Christ to come so that the worke of grace was more obscure vnto them Againe they differ much in variety of Sacramentall signes and rites as the cutting of the fore-skinne the Lambe of the Passeouer iournying through the Sea sauing by the Arke drinking of the rocke lifting vp the brazen Serpent raining downe of Manna washing of their body they had calues sheep goates doues bread wine oyle and such like we haue onely water in Baptisme bread and wine in the Lords Supper Thus the signes do greatly vary Fourthly they differ in easinesse For the ceremonies committed to the people of the Iewes were hard cumbersome painful to the flesh and some of them were administred with effusion and shedding of blood partly of man partly of beasts Of man as in circumcision of beasts as in the Paschall Lambe and in the sacrifices But our Sacraments though Sacraments of Christs blood shed for vs yet of themselues be voide of blood Fiftly they differ in measure of signification For our Sacraments haue a more plentifull and full representation of grace offered and stirre vp a greater measure of faith then the Sacraments of the old Testament which were more darke obscure the Lord reseruing a fuller measure of knowledge vnto the blessed times of the Gospell For as the exhibiting of Christ Iesus in the flesh in fulnesse of time and as it were in the olde age of the world is of more efficacy to moue vs then the expectation of him to come so wee haue better helpes and an holye aduantage to raise and rouse vp our faith vnto a greater assurance of grace
and mercy by how much the accomplishment is more then the promise and the fulfilling greater then the foretelling Lastly they differ in respect of the people to whom they were giuen and for whom they were ordained ours belong to all people dispersed ouer the face of the whole earth that are ingrafted into the Church wheras theirs were tyed to one Nation to one people to one place to the posterity of Abraham Notwithstanding these differences which are in signes and circumstances touching the chiefe thing euen the matter and substance of the Sacraments they are equall m Wherin the Sacraments of the old and new Testamâ—nt agree hauing the same end and the same signification and being of one efficacy as also the word of the Prophets and Apostles is One and the same God is author of them One and the same Mediator betweene God and man euen the man Iesus Christ is represented in both the Lamb slaine from the foundation of the world They signifie and shew foorth the same Communion of Christ by which all the elect are saued and seale vp saluation and remission of sinnes to all that do receiue them by faith For they were giuen to be signes and seales of grace and of the promises of God to distinguish the faithfull from all other sects and religions in the world and that they should be receiued with profite onely of the faithfull In these and such like things the Sacraments of the Iewish and Christian Church are not vnequal although in the outward signs and circumstances they be diuers yet in the substance in the thing signified there is no difference Vse 3 Thirdly we are bound to beleeue his promises and to haue strong consolation seeing he bath giuen vs two signes If we had onely had one signe as a seale of the mercies of God in Christ it had beene a great sinne not to haue beleeued the promise and not to haue rested therein as in a thing vnchangeable For he is not as man that he should lye or deceiue n 2 Cor. 1.20 his onely promise is assured paiment yea all the promises of God in him are yea and are in him Amen vnto the glory of God But seeing the goodnesse of God hath abounded in granting vnto vs two Sacraments that where doubting aboundeth there faith might abound much more our sinne is the greater if now wee wauer like o Iam. 1 6. a waue of the sea tossed of the wind and carried away One tree of life serue Adam to assure him life one raine-bowe sufficed Noah one returne of the Sunne backward was enough to Hezekiah and they beleeued If then wee seeke a signe we haue two giuen vnto vs that hauing two vnchangeale Sacraments as it were two witnesses of his word and assurances of his promise wee might haue strong consolation The vnbeleeuing Iewes said to Christ p Mat. 12.38 and 16 1. Shew vs a signe and we will beleeue thee Behold the Lord sheweth vs two visible signes of his spirituall and inuisible graces and shall not we beleeue being stedfast in faith and grounded in hope Wee desire forgiuenesse of sinnes assurance thereof by these two the Lord promiseth couenanteth and indenteth to giue the same vnto vs setting the seales to his owne writing Lastly this diuision and numbring vp of the Sacraments Vse 4 serueth to teach that there are not seauen Sacraments of the Church and so do condemne the fiue supposed and falsly named Sacraments Concil Trid. sess 7. de sacra in gen can 18. 11. 13. maintained of the Church of Rome to wit Confirmation Penance Matrimony Orders and extreme Vnction Baptisme we imbrace the Lords Supper we acknowledge of these two we moue no question we make no controuersie the other fiue whose father is vnknowne we refuse as bastards and cannot admit them into the number of Sacraments the reasons whereof we will render in the Chapters following CHAP. XVII That Confirmation is not a Sacrament THe Apostles as the Maister-builders of the Churches planted the Gospell where the name of Christ had not beene heard Now because many seducers arose that troubled the peace of the Church and the faith of many beleeuers began to wauer the Apostles agreed together to go againe to the Churches where they had laid a 1 Cor. 3.12 a golden foundation howsoeuer other had builded hay and stubble thereon to see how they b Acts 11 22.23 and 15 36. increased or decreased as Acts 11. And they confirmed their hearts and established them in the faith which they had taught And Chap. 15. Paul said vnto Barnabas Let vs returne and visite our brethren in euery Citty where wee haue preached the word of the Lord and see how they do And we doubt not but when the Gospell was reuealed the Apostles by laying on hands gaue the guists of the Holy-Ghost to the beleeuers in Christ This practise of the Apostles we finde this we confesse this we approue and allow But of any Sacrament of confirmation we reade not and therefore allow not Againe it was a lawdable custome in the primitiue Church of Christian parents to bring their Children to the Bishop who examined them in the principles and fundamentall points of religion c Heb. 6 1. he asked theÌ„ reason of their faith he instructed them further in the mysteries of godlinesse and that this action might haue the more reuerence and dignity he laid his hands vpon them and prayed vnto God for them that hee would increase and continue the good things that he had begun in them d Confirmation is no Sacrament This imposition of hands with prayer to be strengthned in the Holy-Ghost and to haue increase of grace corrupted with annointings depraued with crossings and defiled with sundry superstitions is no Sacrament First euery Sacrament should haue warrant and appointment from Christ and a promise annexed vnto it but this hath none 2. it hath no word of institution in the Scripture nor commandement to continue the vse of it vntill the coming of Christ and end of the world therfore no Sacrament For the word must be added to the element and so it is made a Sacrament True it is they vse a forged and counterfeit forme in their confirmation I signe thee with the signe of the holy Crosse and I confirme thee with the oyle of saluation in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy-Ghost These indeed are words but no word of God they shew an intollerable presumption not to be excused But indeed a counterfet word is fit enough for a counterfet Sacrament there is a good agreement when both writing and seale are sutable that is both forged Thirdly it wanteth an outward signe instituted by Christ We read oftentimes that the Apostles vsed laying on of hands we reade of no oyle or Chrisme Besides we know they gaue thereby the miraculous guifts of the Holy-Ghost which now are ceased as Acts 8.
we are fed to eternall life Secondly this teacheth that all rebaptizing is vnlawfull as we see by the examples of the apostles q Act. 2 42 and 19 1 5. who baptized not the beleeuers and members of the Church the second time For Acts 2. it is noted that such as beleeued the Gospell continued in the apostles doctrine in fellowship in breaking of bread prayer but not in baptizing againe or being baptized againe and chap 19 4.5 the disciples which were baptized and had not receiued the gifts of the Holy-Ghost Paul instructed further in the doctrine of Christ and doth not rebaptise them but layeth his hands vpon them and they receiue the visible gifts of the Holy-Ghost The reason is plaine against rebaptization because it signifieth and sealeth vp our once beeing borne againe our once setting and setling into the body of Christ r Ezek. 16 8. Hos 2 19 20. and our spirituall marriage once with him who is the spirituall husband of his Church Whereby we see that such as haue been baptized Å¿ Such as haue beene baptized by heretickes are not to be rebaptised by heretickes or other wicked Ministers are not to be rebaptized It came in place of circumcision but none were twice circumcised therefore none to be twice baptized Againe it is a Sacrament that representeth our spirituall incorporation into the Church but it is sufficient once to be ingrafted and consequently sufficient to haue it once administred This error of rebaptizing arose vpon a corrupt vnderstanding and interpretation of the place Acts 19. When they heard it t Acts 19 5. they were baptized in the name of the Lord Iesus The difficulty of this place is taken away if wee consider they be the words of Paul continuing his speech of Iohns baptisme not of Luke declaring what Paul did But of this place we shall haue better and fitter occasion to speake further in the chapter following where it is at large expouÌ„ded Furthermore if baptisme be administred once for euer it sheweth that he which commeth to Christ once truely and indeed shall neuer be cast away u Iohn 13 1. Rom. 11 29. whom Christ Iesus loueth once he loueth for euer because his graces and guifes are without repentance What shall separate vs from Christ when we are by his working adioyned vnto him Wherfore this outward washing being not often repeated but once onely vsed doth effectually feale vp our once ioyning vnto God who hath made an euerlasting couenant with vs he shall neuer turne away from vs to do vs good we shall be his people and he will be our God for euer Indeed if we could cleane fall away from the grace of God wee should haue another regeneration and another baptizing to bee the seale therof but because we are built vpon the brazen pillar of Gods election the gates of hell shall not preuaile against vs for this foundation remaineth sure a 2. Tim. 2 19.20 and hath this seale The Lord knoweth who are his This b Psal 51 10.11 appeareth in Dauid Psal 51. He desireth to haue a cleane heart he prayeth that the holy Spirit be not taken from him thereby declaring that the Spirit was within him and that he had a sensible feeling thereof howsoeuer the flesh for a season had gotten the vpper-hand Heere then is a great comfort sealed to all Christians in all tentations against al the terrors and feares of conscience wherewith they are ready to be swallowed vp and ouerwhelmed This must strengthen and stay vs vp that although we may fall greeuously yet we shall not fall finally from the estate of grace He that is once a sound and liuely member of Christ can neuer be wholy cut off True it is sinne may lessen our coniunction and weaken our communion with Christ but if we be truely in him the band shall neuer be dissolued c 1 Ioh. 2 19. we shall neuer be wholy seuered and fall from him as 1. Ioh. 2. They went out from vs but they were not of vs for if they had beene of vs they should haue continued with vs but this commeth to passe that it might appeare that they are not all of vs. Now if any man by falling into sinne were totally separated from Christ for a time surely in his recouery and rising from sinne hee were to be baptized the second time for baptisme is the Sacrament of initiation and ingrafting into Christ and an vniuersall falling would require a new ingrafting But it were most absurd to say wee should be as often baptized as we fal into sinne and therefore howsoeuer Sathan may buffet molest tempt and wound vs greeuously yet hee can neuer ouer-maister vs wholy and ouercome vs finally d 1 Ioh. 3 9. as the Apostle declareth 1 Ioh. 3. Whosoeuer is borne of God committeth not sinne for his seed remaineth in hâ—m neither can he sinne because hee is borne of God This assurance of our standing for euer in the couenant is the roote of all courage and comfort in trials and tentations it helpeth vs to fight manfully against sinne it preserueth vs from security it nourisheth vs in good workes it increaseth in vs a care to please God and lastly it confuteth the popish fancy of the forged Sacrament of Penance whereby they say a Christian being cleane fallen from grace is restored finding no comfort in his baptisme whereas the true beleeuer neuer falleth finally from faith neither needeth an outward seale to assure his pertaining to Gods fauour and loue Indeed euery Christian that is fallen through infirmitie must rise vp repent vnfainedly and shew forth the fruites thereof yet the force and strength of his baptisme is not lost the fruite and comfort thereof remaineth for euer and is extended as wel to the time to come as to the time that is past So many therefore as affirme that the faithfull in their fals haue remedy in Penance but no comfort by their baptisme do set vp themselues magnifying their owne dreames deuises aboue the holy ordinances of God The 4. part of the former description of baptisme is the forme of baptizing into the name of the Father of the Son of the Holy-Ghost e The vse of the fourth part of the description of Baptisme This teacheth that whosoeuer is baptized hath made a solemn promise to confesse professe the christian religion to be the seruant of Christ to fight his battels vnder his baÌ„ner against all the enemies of his faith saluation against sin against Satan against the world he hath vowed to renounce the workes of the flesh to serue the true God So often then as we are present at the administration thereof wee must consider the couenant into which we are entred which we made in the presence of men and Angels which we are bound to keep for euer Wherefore let vs learne daily to dye vnto sin follow a new life by the grace of sanctification
which are the members of Christ haue one and the same baptisme with our head Sixtly if the baptisme of Iohn were not one with the baptisme of Christ hereby the error of the Anabaptists should be confirmed for such as were baptized of Iohn should be rebaptized Seauenthly the Apostles themselues should not be truely baptized for they no doubt were baptized of Iohn some of them being first his Disciples otherwise they should be vnbaptized For Christ with his owne hands baptized none p Ioh 4 1 2. as appeareth Ioh. 4 1 2. and it is not likely that one of them baptized another yea they should baptize other into another baptisme then themselues had receiued Last of all Christ himselfe testifieth q Mat. 3 15. Luk. 7 29. that the baptisme ministred by Iohn pertained to the fulfilling of righteousnesse Mat. 3 15. and Luke testifieth that the Publicans and people being baptized of him iustified God but the Pharisies despised the counsell of God against themselues and were not baptized Wherefore seeing Iohn baptized with water in the name of the Trinity to remission of sins and that the blessed Trinity was present thereat wee conclude his baptisme was the same with ours r Difference betweene Iohns baptisme and Christs wherein onely heerein lyeth the difference in the circumstance of time Iohn baptized in Christ that shold suffer death and rise againe wee baptise in the name of Christ already dead and risen againe to life Against this euident Å¿ Obiections answered truth directly confirmed Bellarmine the Iesuite taketh diuers exceptâ—ons and maketh many obiections al which stumbling blocks lying in the way wherat many may stumble are to be remooued before wee conclude this Chapter For he reasoneth thus t Bel. lib. 1. de Bapt. cap 20. The baptisme of Iohn was instituted by Iohn himselfe not by Christ he was not the minister onely but the author thereof therefore it was no Sacrament at all especially of the new Testament and consequently not the same with the Baptisme of Christ I answer wee must consider in this reason the base and vile account that the Iesuites make of Iohns baptisme they make it an idle and vaine Ceremony without fruite or force and no Sacrament or seale of heauenly grace Againe if Iohns Baptisme were no Sacrament then Christ which receiued no other outward Baptisme receiued no Sacrament we should be baptised with another baptisme then Christ was Furthermore shall we hear with patience and hold our peace when these Iesuites or rather Iebusites ancient enimies of the people of god belch out their blasphemies and blot Iohns baptisme out of the number of Sacraments and admit their fiue false and forged Sacraments of Confirmation Pennance Orders Matrimony and extreame Vnction Lastly what intollerable boldnesse or blindnesse is there in these Bayards that make Iohn and not God to bee the appointer author and ordainer of his Baptisme contrary to expresse euidence of holy Scripture For seeing no man u Hebru 5 4. taketh this honour vpon him but he that is called of God as Aaron was shall we thinke he would vsurpe this office without Gods word and warrant and doth not Christ himselfe prâ—pound the question to the chiefe Priests Elders of the people touching Iohns Baptisme a Mat. 21 25. teach that he baptized and preached by the authority commandement of God Besides do not the Euangelists say b Iohn 1 6. he was sent of God and that the worde of God came to Iohn in the wildernesse and he came into al the coasts about Iordan preaching and baptizing Luke 3 2 3. yea Iohn himselfe testifieth that he was sent to baptize Ioh. 1 33. I knew him not but he that sent me to baptize with water said vnto me vpon whom thou shalt see that Spirite come downe and tarry still vpon him that is hee which baptizeth with the holy Ghost Whereby appeareth that Iohns Baptisme was instituted of God not of Iohn and Iohn was not the author but onely the minister thereof Hence it is that Gaudentius saith Resp ad Paul diacon That Christ came to Iohns Baptisme as a sinner to wash away our sinnes in his body which could not be if Iohns baptisme did not wash away sinnes at all Againe c Math 3 11. he obiecteth and alledgeth Mat. 3 11. where Iohn himselfe saith I baptize with water but Christ shall baptize with the holy Ghost Whence he d Bel. lib. 1. de Bapt. cap. 21. gathereth that Christs baptisme gaue the holy Ghost Iohns Baptisme gaue not the holy Ghost therefore their Baptismes are not all one I answer these words were spoken to informe e Luk 3 15 16 the people that he was not that Christ so that they make a difference not betweene the Baptisme of Christ and of Iohn but between the persons of Christ and of Iohn betweene the minister of the Sacrament and the Instituter thereof For this is true of all the Ministers of Baptisme to the ende of the world that baptize in the name of the holy Trinity they poure on the water they can do no more they can goe no further Christ must giue the grace of regeneration and sanctification Moreouer f Bel. lib. 1. de Bapt. cap. 22. another obiection hee taketh out of Act. 19 4 5. where Luke speaketh of certaine Disciples at Ephesus to whom Paul saide Haue yee receiued the holy Ghost since ye beleeued And they sayde vnto him we haue not so much as heard whether there bee an holye Ghost g Act. 19 2 3 4 5 6 7. And he saâ—de vnto them vnto what were yee then baptized And they saide vnto Iohns Baptisme Then Paul saide Iohn verily baptized with the Baptisme of repentance saying to the people that they should beleeue in him which shal come after him that is in Christ Iesus And when they heard â—t they were baptized in the name of the Lord Iesus So Paul laâ—d his hands on them and the holy Ghost came on them and they spake the Tongues and Prophesied and all the men were about twelue In these wordes it should seeme at the first sight that Paule Baptized the Disciples of Ephesus vvith the baptisme of Christ which had before receiued the baptisme of Iohn If then he baptized them againe in the name of Christ whom Iohn baptized it followeth necessarily that the baptisme of Iohn was one and the baptisme of Christ another otherwise it should bee a needlesse and fruiteles repetition Besides this the place seemeth to fauour rebaptization is alleadged by dangerous hereticks to that purpose Wherefore the place being difficult the doubts diuers and the errors many that are gathered and sucked from hence as poyson froÌ„ wholesome hearbs let vs assay by the assistance of God to open the true and naturall meaning thereof If we shall weigh and consider the words aright according to the true interpretation thereof h August de doct Christ agreeable
as Christ sometimes did to that slothfull person c Luk. 19 12. Thou euill seruant out of thine owne mouth will I iudge thee These make three sorts of baptisme of water of blood of the Spirit whereby they confesse that the want of baptizing with water is not damnable in al seeing that want may be supplyed either with shedding of their blood for testimony of the truth or by spiritual regeneration ingrafting into the body of Christ To conclude do we desire the custome and practise of the Church It is well knowne that in Thessalia d Socra lib. 5. cap. 22. Bellar. de sacra bap cap. 26. the Sacrament of baptisme was celebrated but once in the yeare namely at Easter In other places thrice in the yeare and sometimes not vntill the houre of their death when they were going the way of all flesh Constantine the great was the first christian Emperor that reformed the Church yet he was not baptized till e Tripart hist lib. 3 câ—p 12. the time of his death And Valentinianus a christian Emperor died without baptisme yet doth Ambrose giue him his due commendation f Orat. de obit Valentâ—n and doubted nothing of his saluation Shal we do these good men these worthy Emperors these godly Christians this wrong as to thinke they were damned who were the chiefe pillars and protectors of the true Christian and Catholike religion Or if the Churches aboue mentioned had holden this hard opinion that the want of baptisme was a signe of reprobation would they haue deferred it in the houre of death whereby sometimes they were preuented or administred it at certaine times onely of the yeare True it is that custome is not to be followed neither the negligeÌ„ce of those Bishops to be allowed but it teacheth thus much that in deferring baptisme they differed in iudgement from the now-Church of Rome and concurred in opinion with the reformed Churches for which causes their practise is alledged The reasons vsed to maintain the absolute necessity of this Sacrament to saluation are weak not worth the answering First they obiect g Gen. 17 14. Obiection Answere the threatning annexed to circumcision The vncircumcised male shal be cut off froÌ„ his people To this I answere first God commandeth infants to be circumcised the eight day before which time they were forbidden to circumcise Wherfore infants that dy before the 8. day were not bound and obliged by this law And seeing there h Rom. 5 13. can be no transgression where there is no law they are not damnd because they are vncircumcised seeing God called many out of this life before they were capable of this Sacrament Againe the commination and threatning is not to bee vnderstood generally of all but of such as are growne vp not of children but of men as appeareth by the reason For he hath broke my couenant This cannot be applyed to infants i Caietan in cap. 7. Genes who albeit they haue not actuall faith yet cannot be said to contemne grace to refuse the couenant to reiect the promises or to lye in infidelity and hardnesse of heart Wherefore it belongeth vnto those onely that being growne vp and come to yeares shall approue the negligence of their parents and will not suffer themselues to be circumcised Therefore the childe of Moses whose circumcision was through negligence deferred was not punished but the fault was imputed vnto Moseâ— himselfe Exod. 4 24. Now as to Peter saying Thou shalt k â—â—hn 13 8. neuer wash my feet Christ answered If I wash thee not thou hast no part in me so to the Israelite that should haue saide I will neuer be circumcised this threatning might fitly be applyed If thou wilt not be circumcised thou hast no part in God no portion in his blessing no assurance of his promises in this life or of his kingdome in the life to come Lastly to be cut off from the people doth not signifie to be condemned for euen the negligence and contempt of the Sacrament is pardonable where repentance followeth as we see of such as came vnreuerently and vnworthily to the Lords Supper among the Corinthians l 1 Cor. 11 30 31. who were punished with diseases and death it selfe yet the soule no doubt was saued in the day of the Lord. Sometime therefore that phrase of speaking signifieth temporall iudgements of God on men their families m Psal 55 24. for their wickednes Sometimes it signifieth the Magistrates iustice inflicted on malefactors n Deut. 13 59 who beareth not the sword in vaine which is expounded afterward Thou shalt surely kill him Sometimes it signifieth to be cut off from the bosome of the Church o Exod. 12 15 19. which is done by the high and dreadfull censure of excommunication Whosoeuer eateth leauened bread from the first day vntill the seauenth day that person shall be cut off from Israell the interpretation of which words is added verse 19. That person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israell So the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 5. Hee which hath done this thing should be p 1 Cor. 5 2.13 put from among you that is from your company fellowship as verse 13. Put away from among your selues that wicked man Thus wee are to vnderstand the threatning in this place that such as contemne circumcision eyther themselues or allow the same contempt and negligence of others shall no longer bee reckoned and reputed among the people of God but be separated from them and to be as an heathen and a publican Againe q Ioh. 3 5. they obiect Iohn 3. Obiection 2 Vnlesse a man be borne of water and the Spirite hee cannot enter into the kingdome of God therefore say they it is necessary to saluation to be baptized This is the reason of r Bellar. lib 1 de bapt ca. 4. Bellarmine and Å¿ Hosij confess cap. 35. Answere of others I answere first it is not necessary in this place by water to vnderstand materiall water but the grace of Christ purging and cleansing as water doth which interpretation may be gathered by conference of a like place Math. 3.11 He shall baptise t Ioh 3 11. with the Holy-Ghost and with fire that is by the Spirite of God which is as it were fire lightening our hearts with the knowledge of God inflaming them with his loue and purging them from euill affections So when wee are saide to be borne againe by water and the Spirite he meaneth by the Spirite shewing forth in vs the force power and property of water as if he should say we are borne of water which is the Spirite u Ioh. 7 38 39 4.21 as Ioh. 7 38 39. Againe if it were ment of water in baptisme it must be vnderstood according to a like a Ioh. 6 53. sentence Ioh. 6. Vnlesse you eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud yee shall not
abuses Vse 2 first the blinde ignorant and superstitious practise of baptizing belles p The church of Rome prophaneth baptisme by baptizing belles practised in the Church of Rome whereof now they begin to be ashamed and seeking figge-leaues to couer their shame they say they wer not baptizd but onely hallowed and consecrated to holy vses as Bellarmine betaketh himselfe to this shift as to a place of refuge Lib. 4. de pon Rom. cap. 12. Where the Cardinall confesseth that the people call their solemne blessing and sprinkling with holy-water the baptisme of belles And indeede what can it else be called and accounted For they baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy-Ghost They giue names vnto them as to their children they haue God-fathers appointed vnto them as children haue when they are baptized confirmed q Bellar. de sacra bapt lib. 1. cap. 27. they haue new garments put vpon them as the persons baptized among them likewise haue it is also permitted onely to the Bishops suffragan who exacteth great summes of money for the baptizing of belles they ascribe to them a spirituall power against stormes and tempests against thunder and lightening against windes and euill spirits Lastly they sprinkle them with holy-water blesse them crosse them and so horribly corrupt this Sacrament of baptisme Yea Durand a principall schooleman not in the schooles of the Prophets but of the Papists a fit teacher of such schollers setteth out solemnly r Durand lib. 1 Ench rid cap. 4. the praises of belles making them publike Preachers and driuers away of diuels But the diuels are not feared and fraied away by sight of crosses by sprinkling of water by souÌ„d of belles and babies Å¿ Mat. 17 2. This kinde goeth not out but by fasting and prayer as our Sauiour teacheth And the Apostle willeth euery christian to take vnto him the whole armour of God that he may be able to resist in the euill day Stand therefore hauing your loynes girded about with verity Eph. 6 13 14.15.16 and hauing on the brest-plate of righteousnesse the shield of faith the sword of the Spirite the preparation of the Gospell of peace and the grace of prayer in the Spirite Heere is the vniuersall armour of God heere is the compleate furnishing of a Christian Soldiour heere is perfect direction giuen to vnderstand and to withstand the assaults of the diuell but among these we haue neither the signe of the Crosse nor the hallowing of belles nor the sound of such Preachers and therefore they are no part nor parcell of spirituall armour to furnish vs to goe into the field against the enemies of our saluation For euill spirits which fight against the soule are not driuen away by hallowing of belles If then there were euer prophanation of Baptisme this may iustly bee iudged to be one of the most vile and miserable corruptions therof to bee detested of all true hearted Christians that grone vnder the burthen of them For this is a generall and certaine rule that none are to be baptized but such as are men to other creatures the Sacrament of baptisme may not bee administred forasmuch as the Sacrament of regeneration belongeth to none but to such as in their nature are capable of regeneration neither the signe but to those that may be partakers of the thing signified Baptisme is the Sacrament of repentance Mark 1 4. none therefore can receiue it but such as in time may repent or already haue repented for there must bee at least a possibility of repenting It belongeth not therefore to the damned spirits who are so fallen away that it is impossible for them to be renued againe by repentance It was instituted onely for the vse of man for whom also Christ came into the world and shed his blood vpon the Crosse Hee tooke not vpon him the angels nature but the seed of Abraham Heb. 2. Heb. 2 16. He is the Mediator to his Father not for the apostate angels but for mankinde 1 Tim. 2. 1 Tim. 2 5. How wicked then and wretched are they that make a mocke of this Sacrament representing the blood of Christ and vndertake to baptize belles without sense and life and that with greater pompe and solemnity and vse many moe ceremonies then when men are baptized For none may of right baptize belles but their Byshops a fit worke for such workemen whereas they allow and license not onely euery inferior Priest but euen women to baptize their children Secondly The second abuse it reprooueth the superstition of such as baptize the dead or any one that is liuing in stead or in place of another that is dead For this is another rule to be holden of vs that baptisme belongeth onely to the liuing Not indeed to all liuing creatures but onely to liuing creatures as likewise not to all that are reasonable howbeit onely to them that are reasonable Faith and repentance are required of al such as being of yeares are baptized but the dead can neither beleeue the Gospell nor repent from dead works And if baptisme be the Sacrament of regeneration and the ende thereof saluation and remission of sins what do these or what can these things belong vnto the dead Againe it is the greatest folly that may be to baptize one for another because Christ neuer requireth and the Scripture neuer teacheth that one should repent for another or beleeue for another or bee baptized for another but euery one must repent and beleeue and be baptized for himselfe and therefore the Lord saith Mar. 16 16. Mar. 16 16. Hee that beleeueth and is baptized shall be saued Wee can no more be benefited by another mans baptisme while we remaine vnbaptized our selues then we can bee saued by another mans faith while we remaine Infidels Besides it is a vaine thing to receiue the outward signe for him which is not capable of the thing signified in which number the dead are Hence then is condemned the error of the Marcionâ—tes among which hereticks this was a custome as Theophylact noteth Theoph. in 1 Cor. 15. enarrat that if any died with them vnbaptized they hide a liuing man vnder the bed of him that was dead and comming to the bed they aske the dead man whether he would be baptized Now hee that lyeth vnder the bed answereth that he desireth it and then they baptize him for the other that is dead Whensoeuer they are accused for this folly they go about to defend themselues by the place of the Apostle 1. Corinthians chap. 15. verse 29. What shall they doe that are baptized for dead 1 Cor. 15 29. If the dead rise not at all why are they then baptized for the dead This testimony maketh nothing to their purpose which prooueth the resurrection from the dead For whether Paul reasoneth from the custome of the Iewes that washed the bodies of the dead as appeareth in
of Christ seeing they are a principall part of his possession If they be a part of the houshold they ought to haue entrance into the house if they belong to the Citty of God who shall dare to shut the gates against them Or if they bee in the number of the sheepe of Christ who shal presume to keepe them from the sheepefold Or if they be sound members of the body of Christ who shall cut them off as rotten members Wherefore then u Gen. 17 7. Acts 2 39. 1. Cor 7 14. should they not receiue the seale whereby the promise is confirmed vnto them seeing they haue the promise it selfe of saluation Why should they not bee partakers of the outward signe a Mat. 19 14. seeing they are partakers of the thing signified Why should they be put backe from the figure seeing they haue the truth it selfe Why should they not be partakers of the Sacrament with the faithfull seeing they are enrolled in the fellowship of the faithfull And who shall depriue them of the seale of the couenant seeing they are partakers of regeneration and remission of sinnes Heereupon thus we reason whosoeuer are in the couenant and Church of God vnto them belongeth baptisme which is the seale of the couenant but Infants are in the Couenant and of the Church therefore to them belongeth baptisme which is the seale of the Couenant Againe to whome the promise appertaineth they may and ought to bee baptized but the promise was made euen to Infants therefore they may and ought to be baptized Furthermore to whom forgiuenesse of sinnes and the Holy-Ghost are promised and giuen they ought by no meanes to be denied the outward signe but forgiuenesse of sinnes and the Holy-Ghost are promised to Infants and giuen vnto them therefore infants ought not to be kept from the element of water no more then such as are of yeares of discretion Thus much of the first point putting Children into the right and possession of Baptisme as if it were the right heires into their inheritance from which they haue beene wrongfully and vniustly dispossessed Hauing now sufficiently proued by the Scripture that children are to be baptized it remaineth that we should maintaine this assertion against b Obiections of Anabaptists impugning childrens baptisme anâ—wered the cauils of the Anabaptists For as the former reasons grounded vpon the euident demonstration of the worde as vpon a pillar that cannot be shaken may perswade vs to embrace the truth so the weakenesse and sophistry which appeareth in the Obiections of the aduersaries serueth to confirme vs in this perswasion But let vs examine what is the strength of them First they obiect Obiection it was neuer commanded that Infants should be baptized I answere Answere vnblameable examples practises not contradicted are in the nature of precepts Againe the will of God approuing and appointing childrens baptisme appeareth c Col. 2 11.12 in that it came in place of circumcision Baptisme is our circumcision Besides we d Mat. 28 19. 1 Cor. 10 1 2. haue a generall commandement Go teach all nations and baptize them And the apostle saith all were baptized in the cloud and in the sea and he comprehendeth the whole Church when hee saith it was clensed with the washing of water Ephesians 5. verse 26. Christ saith all nations the Apostle saith all the Israelites let them shew where infants are excepted and exempted for we hold this as a certaine principle that a general commandement includeth the particular and comprehendeth the same vnder it as well as if it were by name expressed Secondly they obiect if infants may be baptized Obiection then they may be admitted to the Lords Supper for why should not the Supper be giuen to the whole church as wel as baptisme I answere Answere there is not the like reason and respect of both There is great difference betweene these two Sacraments For baptisme is a signe of our entrance and receiuing into the church so that the Supper is to be granted to none but to such as are baptized and are fit to beâ—r strong meat being instituted for our confirmation and sealing vnto vs that God hauing once receiued vs into the Church wil also euermore preserue vs in it that we neuer fall from it nor forsake it and will nourish and châ—â—â—sh vs by the body and blood of Christ Wherfore the Lord Iesus to shew that his Supper was not for children but for men would not administer it in the element of milke which is for infants and for new borne babes but in bread and wine which are for strong men that are of age Againe sundry conditions and considerations are required in the supper which debar yong infants that although they are to be baptized yet they ought not to be admitted to the Lords supper seeing by their young yeares they are excluded For it is required of all those that come to this supper e 1 Cor. 11.26 28 29. to shew foorth the Lords death to discerne the body and blood of Christ and try themselues whether they haue faith and repentance But infants cannot doe these things they cannot shew forth the Lords death they are not apt to discerne his body and blood they are not able to examine themselues and therefore infants for good causes are excluded from this Supper If any say Is this a good reason the promise doth belong to infants and therefore the Sacrament of Baptisme Then why may not the Lords Supper be as well giuen vnto them vpon the same ground This will not follow howsoeuer some of the ancient Fathers were of that opinion Cyprian Ser. 5. de laps August de eccl dogm cap. 52. Ioh. 6 6 5â— applying this Scripture to their purpose Ioh. 6 53. Except ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his blood yee haue no life in you But this place is to be vnderstood of spirituall eating by faith not of the Sacramentall eating as wee shall shew in the next booke They were therefore deceiued that thought the Supper of the Lord did belong to infants And touching this consequence The promise of grace belongeth to children Therefore the outward signe of the Sacrament it is true being rightly vnderstood to wit according to the limitation and the appointment of God proper to euery Sacrament who hath ordained that the Sacrament of entrance should be receiued both of men and children Gen. 17. howbeit only the males in the old Testament and not before the eight day but in the new Testament both of male and female without restraint of time And touching the Supper of the Lord which is the Sacrament of our norishment it can appertaine to those onely that are come to yeares of discretion first because the end thereof is to shew the Lords death vntill he come 1 Cor. 11 26. 1 Cor. 11 28. Secondly because euery one that commeth vnto it is commanded to examine himselfe Mat. 26 26.
owne hearts so often as we see it administred let vs not rest in it as in a worke done to another and nothing concerning our selues but euermore helpe our inward affection by the outward action and alwayes as the eye of the body beholdeth the Minister let the eye of our faith be fastened â—iâ—mely vpon the Father who maketh the Sacramentall rites auaileable which are openly done before vs for our edification Vse 2 Againe it teacheth that we must not rest in the outward washing not in the externall actions of the Minister but euer consider what is offered to our considerations therin and when the Father offereth to vs his Sonne let vs not refuse him For he that satisfieth himselfe with the outward worke is as he that catcheth after the shaddow and regardeth not the substance or as one that maketh much of the garmeÌ„ts but respecteth little the body it selfe which ought to be had in greatest price and estimation The Minister taketh the water and washeth the bodye which is a pledge of a farther thing for then doth the Father apply the promise of remission of sinnes and life euerlasting to the person baptized as if he should speake with a loud voice and call the party by his name while the outward signe is powred on the body I freely wash away thy sinnes and giue vnto thee the pardon of them and bestow vpon thee eternall life so that thou turne vnto me and beleeue in Christ thy Sauiour Let vs then as true beleeuers by a speâ—iall faith reâ—eiue and apprehend his mercifull promises and rest in them Let this cause vs to turne vnto him by vnfained repentance and to walke with all obedience in his waies Seeing therefore he doth so graâ—iously assure vs of his great mercies with his owne hand seale woe vnto vs if we be not muâ—h moued and affected with it Vse 3 Lastly is God the Father an inward part of baptisme Then we must take heed wee giue not that to the Minister which is proper to God the Father whereby he iâ—â—obbed of the honour and glory due to his great name The Minister may wash the body and cleanse the flesh but can goe no further he medleth not with sanctification of the conscience from dead workes which is not in the power of mortall man to do so that God giueth the thing and men giue the signe yea while the Minister ofâ—â—eth the one God the Father giueth the other CHAP. IX Of the second inward part of Baptisme THe second inward part of baptisme a The second inward part of baptisme iâ— the holy Spirite is the Spirite of God hauing relation to the word and promise of God Thiâ— b Mat. 3 11.10 appeareth Mat. 3 11. He baptiâ—eth with the Holy Ghost and with fire And verse 10. When Christ waâ— baptized the heauenâ— were opened vnto him and he saw the Spirit descending like a Doue and lighting vpon him So the apostle 1 Cor. 6. saith Ye are washed ye are sanâ—tified ye are iustâ—fied in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the Spirit of our God And chap. 12. of the same Epistle By one Spirite wee are all baptiâ—ed into one body whether we be Iewes or Grâ—eâ—ianâ— whether we be bond or free and haue beene all made to drinke into one Spirite And Tit. 3. According to his mercy he saued vs by the washing of the new both and the renewing of the Holy-Ghost which he shed on vs aboundantly through Iesus Christ our Sauiour All these testimonie teach vs that the holy Spirite of God iâ— a necessary inward part of this Sacrament and that the baptisme of the Spirite ioyned to the word giueth force vnto it who worketh in our souleâ— that which water doth in our bodies so that without the Spirite it is nothing From hence we learne that it is not the dipping of vs Vse 1 into or the sprinkling of vs with water by the Minister that maketh vs partakers of Christ but it commeth from the vertue of the Spirite who in time performeth what is represented by outward signes and promised by the word Againe we learne heereby that the Spirite is true God Vse 2 equall with the Father and the Sonne For who is able to make the word and Sacraments auaileable but onely God Seeing then this is the proper worke of the Holy-Ghost to open the heart to teach the conscience to seale vp to the day of redemption and to helpe our infirmities in hearing in praying and receiuing the Sacraments hee must needs be acknowledged to be true God the c 1 Cor. 12 4.5 8 9 10 11. Reuel 1 4. giuer of these graces So we see that in the forme of the administration of this Sacrament the blessed Spirite is named and rehearsed d Mat. 28 19. and hath his order together with the Father and the Sonne This therefore is a principle of our faith to be learned confessed and beleeued Vse 3 Thirdly we are heereby to take heede and beware that we giue not to the word that which is proper to the Spirit he ingrafteth vs into Christ he keepeth vs that we fall not from Christ he maketh the word and promise of the institution profitable vnto vs without whom it should be vnto vs as sounding brasse or a tinckeling Cymball Wherefore as GOD the Father in mercy maketh the promise so his Spirite must assure it to the Consciences of all the faithfull Vse 4 Lastly let vs learne whensoeuer we come to the word or Sacraments to craue the gracious assistance of the blessed Spirit to guide direct and regenerate vs to eternall life to sanctifie vs e 1 Ioh. 5 7. and to assure vs of Gods endlesse fauour in Christ Iesus as 1. Ioh. 5. There be three which beare witnesse in heauen the Father the Word and the holy Sp rit and these three are one The Holy-Ghost by his grace and vertue worketh in vs stedfastly to beleeue the truth of Gods word and the gracious promises of saluation as he is the author beginner and begetter of faith in vs so he increaseth it maketh vs fit to receiue Christ and to apply him with all his guifts vnto our soules and sendeth vs into the full fruition and possession of Christ He is our comforter to certifie vs of our reconciliation to God and to make vs reioyce vnder the Crosse knowing that f RoÌ„ 5 3 4 5. tribulation bringeth foorth patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the loue of God is shedde abroad in our hearts by the Holy-Ghost which is giuen vnto vs. He is the earnest and seale of our inheritance by whom wee are sealed vp to euerlasting life Thus we see that howsoeuer the increase and strength of faith is assigned to the Sacraments yet this grace proceedeth from the Holy-Gkost who is vnto our faith as marow vnto the bones as moysture vnto the tree and as a coÌ„fortable raine vnto the fruites of the
no life in you If Christ be present to vs life and all things accompanying saluation are present to vs. If Christ bee absent from vs death is present wrath lyeth at the doore life and saluation are absent so that wee are neuer partakers of his graces except wee be as neerely coupled to his humanity as meate and drinke are coupled with our body which of all other is a most neere vnion and inward coniunction Thus we see we are seuered from the world to haue fellowship with Christ and are set once in him for euer l 1 Ioh. 2 19. Rom 8 33 34 35 37 38 39. because he that commeth to Christ once he casteth him not away he shall neuer hunger he shall neuer thirst hee shall not be lost but liue for euer as the Apostle saith 1. Iohn 2. If they had beene of vs doubtles they had continued with vs. And Paul to this purpose saith Rom. 8. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen It is God that iustifieth who shall condemne Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ Shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword In all these wee are more then Conquerours through him that loued vs for I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall bee able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. If once we be ioyned to him in spirituall mariage notwithstanding the difference and disparagement betweene him and vs nothing shall be able to worke our diuorcement from him True it is God findeth vs wallowing m Ezek. 16 4.5 6. in our owne filthinesse polluted in our owne blood defiled by our owne vncleannes he hath made an eternall couenant with vs he hath spoken peace vnto our soules saying Thou shalt liue euen when we were sunke downe in sinne to death he said vnto vs Thou shalt liue so that he will neuer turne from vs to do vs good but we shall be his people and he will bee our God he will giue vs one heart and one way that wee may feare him for euer and that it may be well with vs and with our children This made the Apostle to write Eph. 5 30 32. We are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones this is a great mystery but I speak concerning Christ and concerning the church Where he seemeth to allude to the n Gen. 2 21. first creation of the woman made of one of the ribs of the man shaddowing and shewing our knitting and coniunction with Christ which we haue by faith not by nature by vertue of the Spirit not of the flesh Now as we haue shewed that this coniunction is made by Gods Spirit and by our faith which he hath giuen vs so the meanes and instruments to worke it are the word and Sacraments This is a dignity peculiar and proper to the elect to haue perpetuall fellowship with Christ and to grow vp into one body with him as he teacheth Ioh. 17 20 21. I pray for all them which shall beleeue in me through their word that they all may be one as thou O Father art in me and I in thee euen that they may be one with vs that the world may beleeue that thou hast sent me If then there be not an vnion betweene Christ and vs we haue no accesse to God the Father being quite cut off from all hope of life and saluation As then all the substance and nourishment of the tree commeth frō the roote and all the vitall powers of a true naturall body come from the head so it is betweene the Son of God and vs we haue not so much as one drop of the heauenly life in vs of our selues o Ioh. 14 6. Christ is the way the truth and the life no man commeth vnto the Father but by him To conclude this first vse seeing such as come to this sacrament p Mar. 16 16. must be Christians before it appeareth to bee a very corrupt custome of the people when they require baptisme of the Pastor for their children to say God hath giuen me a Pagan I desire you to make him a Christian For Baptisme cannot make a Christian but signifie the Sacraments cannot make that which is not but assure that which is already made as seales do not giue the right but confirm it Thus much of the first vse of Baptisme the second followeth CHAP. XIII Of the second vse of Baptisme BEing made one with Christ wee are partakerss of the benefits of his death to wit a The second vse of baptism is to assure forgiuenes of sinnes of forgiuenes of sinnes and of regeneration or new birth So then the second vse of Baptisme is to assure vs of the remission and pardon of our sins that we may bee vnblameable and acceptable to God This is signified by the outward ceremony of washing and sprinkling to wit the sprinkling of our soules with the blood of Christ for the forgiuenes of all sins b Acts 2 38 22 16. as appeareth Acts 2. Then Peter said vnto them Amend your liues and be baptized euery one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for remission of sins And Act. 22. Ananias said vnto Paul immediately after his conuersion Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins in calling on the name of the Lord. So the Euangelist witnesseth Marke 1 4. that Iohn did baptize in the wildernesse and preach the baptisme of amendment of life for the remission of sins And the apostle maketh this vse Col. 2 12. Ye are buried with him through baptisme in whom yee are also raised vp together through the faith of the operation of God which raised him vp frō the dead and you which are dead in sins and in the vncircumcision of your flesh hath he quickened together with him forgiuing you all your trespasses The meaning of these places is not that baptism c Baptisme doth not of it selfe conferre grace bestoweth or giueth forgiuenes but only signeth sealeth and assureth our pardon euen as remission of sins and the righteousnes of faith were not in the old Testamēt by circumcision conferred but confirmed vnto the faithful The grace of pardon and forgiuenes of sins is not attained but by faith in Christ so that the worke of baptisme will not effect it Moreouer we haue proued that it is not lawfull to baptize such as are in yeares vnlesse they make open profession of their faith in Christ and repentance from the works of the old man wherefore they obtaine them not by the outward washing with water in baptisme So then we are no lesse assuredly washed by the blood of Christ frō the spots of our soules then outwardly we are washed with water from the filth of the body For the force of his
where to lay his head not the kingdomes and gouernments of this world for his kingdome is not of b Ioh. 18 36. this world but the forgiuenes of sins and euerlasting life obtained by the body of Christ giuen and his blood shed for vs and our redemption Wherefore if God haue so loued vs if Christ haue not spared his owne life to giue vs life and saluation how bitter ought our sins to be vnto vs and how ought we to striue against them If we will hate enemies heere are enemies for vs to hate if we will seeke reuenge against enemies let vs fight against them that seeke our ouerthrow and the destruction of our soule and body There is no reconciliation and attonement to be made with these enemies if thou kill not them they wil kill and condemne thee for euer Hitherto of the names giuen to this Sacrament CHAP. II. What the Lords Supper is AS we haue in the former chapter considered the names and titles attributed to this Sacrament so now we wil see what the Lords Supper is For we shall neuer vnderstand the nature thereof except we be able to define or describe it Therefore a What the Lords Supper is the Lords Supper is the second Sacrament wherein by visible receiuing of bread and wine our spirituall communion with the bodye and blood of Christ is represented This description is plainely proued by the b Mat. 26 26.27 1 Cor. 10 16.17 1 Cor. 11 24.25 institution of Christ by the first celebration of it and by other apparent testimonies of holy Scripture First I say it is the second Sacrament because such as haue interest in the Lord Supper must be first partakers of the other Sacrament for Christ and his apostles ministred it to those that were before baptized And how should they be continually nourished and fed at his table who are not knowne to be of his house nor admâ—tted members of his family We must be receiued into his protection and iurisdiction before we sit downe at his table for our refection They then that are in the house must be fed and fostered in the house the seuerall parts of the family haue the priuiledges of the family it is not lawfull to take the childrens bread and giue it vnto strangers Now baptisme is the true bath of our soules to clense our sores and an honourable badge whereby we are dedicated to the seruice of Christ and haue interest in the priuiledges of the Church sealed vp being partakers hereof we come with comfort to the Lords Supper Vnder the law none vncircumcised c Exod 12 4â— were admitted to the Passeouer as appeareth Exodus 12. If a stranger will obserue the passeouer let him circumcise all the maleâ— that belong vnto him If then the vncircumcised had bin admitted the Passeouer had beene prophaned Wherefore it is not enough for vs once to bee baptized and admitted into the number of the people of God we must also be partakers of Christs Supper When as by baptisme we are brought into the Church of God wee are afterward nourished by this heauenly banket to eternall life Againe I say in the former description that by the bread and wine the bodye and blood of Christ are represented Heerein consisteth the substance of this Sacrament he was truely giuen for vs and his blood was shed for the remission of sinnes least our faith should wander least our hope should wauer Therefore he saith to his Disciples d Lâ—ke 22 19.20 Mar. 14 24. This is my body which was giuen for you this is the cup of the new testament which was shed for you and for many for the remission of sinnes Vse 1 Now that the description of the Lords Supper is prooued let the vses thereof in the next place be declared Hereby we learne first that God doth not lye nor dally with vs when we come to his heauenly table but doth truely offer those benefits in Christ which are represented to all that are admitted thereunto and therefore the apostle said e 1 Cor. 10.3 4. they did all eate the same spirituall meate and did all drinke the same spirituall drinke Indeed many of them did receiue onely the outward signes and did refuse or neglect the spirituall grace so liuely represented and truely offered vnto them but the greater was their sinne who laboured for the meate that perisheth f 1 Ioh. 6 27. but reiected the meat that endureth to euerlasting life Likewise Christ in the administration of his Supper saith g Mat. 26 26. take eate this is my body When he biddeth vs take doth he not giue When he chargeth vs to eat and drinke doth he not offer When he commandeth vs to doe this doth he not apply the thing signified If then we come to this Supper and depart away without Christ and without comfort the cause is in our selues he is come neere vnto vs he standeth as it were at the doore knocking being ready to enter he mercifully offereth himselfe vnto vs but we refuse him we will none of him we bid him depart from vs and shut the entrance of our hearts against him Vse 2 Againe we see heere the excellent price and preheminence of the Lords Supper howsoeuer to those whose faith it doth not nourish whose assurance it doth not confirme and whose saluation it doth not further it is turned into most hurtfull and deadly poyson yet it is an holy banket for the Lords guests an instrument of grace a medicine for the sicke a pledge of saluation a comfort for the sinner an assurance of Gods promises a seale of our faith an helpe for the weake meate for the hungry drinke for the thirsty and a refuge for the distressed in time of tentation Is not this a worthy dignity Is not this a great priuiledge and an high prerogatiue So that we must highly regard and reuerently esteeme this mystery of our religion and badge of our profession to the glory of God and our owne comfort He that is not moued heereby to a reuerent regard thereof hath no sparke of Gods Spirit in him but lyeth in darknesse and discomfit Let vs then make good vse of it all the dayes of our lifes and not abuse it to our destruction It is not enough to seeme religious and pretend reformation of our euil waies what time we do receiue it and to hang downe our heads like a bulrush for a day and immediately after to runne into all excesse of riot We see how many abuse themselues and the Sacrament giuing themselues to feasting and banketting and surfetting and haue soone forgotten where they haue bin what they haue done whom they haue serued and how they haue appeared before the presence of the eternall God We see also in others how contentions and brawlings breake out which seemed smothered and suppressed for a time like lightning and thunder out of a Cloud or like fire couered vnder the ashes whose flame kindleth afterward
2 Tim. 4 â— Col. 3 16. and he would haue it dwell plentifully in all that are hearers that they might be richly furnished with the knowledge of it And the more we know it the more we will respect it and reuerence it and the deeper we search into it the farther we shall be from the contempt of it and the more we shall learne to magnifie it and the author of it So it is in the Sacraments if once we know the vertue and value of them we shall esteeme them according to the dignity and worthinesse of them True it is indeed that ouer-common vse of temporall things breedeth contempt because the neerer we come vnto them the more familiar we are with them and they with vs the more we see the imperfections of them and the lesse we see in them to admire them but the neerer we come to spiritual things the more we behold the excellency and glory and goodnes of them Euen as it is in things that are visible before our eyes the neerer we are vnto them the greater they seeme but the farther they be distant the lesse they do appeare so the more we are conuersant with heauenly things and haue them continually before vs the greater respect we will haue of them and the more excellent they will seeme vnto vs whereas the farther they are remoued from vs and we from them the lesse we will account of them and they will seeme very small to our sight Would wee then be in loue with the word and Sacraments and haue a reuerent account of them Let vs come oftentimes vnto them and neuer thinke our estate and condition better then wheÌ„ we are partaking of the one or the other Neither let vs feare by our often drawing neere vnto them to run into the open contempt of them for whether we do consider the honour of the place where we meet or the reuerence of the person before whom we appeare or the worthinesse of the mysteries whereof we partake or the danger of the iudgements which we incurre by our carelesnesse and negligence all these are able to preserue vs from a society and loathing of the Sacraments and are sufficient to bring vs to haue a good stomacke to them as the hungry man hath to his meat and thirsty man to his drinke The sixt obiection Thus much we haue to say against those cauillers now we come to another sort that pretend they haue a great desire to come to the Lords Table they say they are so farre from loathing it that they earnestly long after it howbeit their often infirmities and manifold imperfections do discourage them Their measure of faith and grace is so little that they are afraid of comming vnworthily and therefore they thinke it better to stay vntill they may be better prepared Answere If these things proceed from an inward feeling of their wants and weakenesses these men are not to be sleighted as the former but wee must put too our shoulders to helpe them beare their burden and hold out our hands to raise them vp that are fallen and to stay vppe such as are ready to fall This is true loue and a right compassion to take pitty of the soules of our brethren It is saide of Christ Mathew 12 20. Mat. 12 20. A bruised reede shall hee not breake and smoaking flaxe shall hee not quench till hee send forth iudgement vnto victory Thus ought it to be with vs we must by all good means nourish good things in those that are weake in grace and not altogether destitute of grace as we must warne them that are vnruly so we must comfort the feeble minded support the weake 1 Thes 5 14. and be patient toward all men To this end and purpose I would haue them obserue these foure conclusions First that the feeling of the want of grace with griefe for that want is grace For such as are altogether grace-les and faith-les do not finde at any time any defect of grace and faith in themselues The step to true spirituall riches is to feele our owne pouerty Mat. 5 3. and such Christ pronounceth to be blessed Then are we righteous before God Hier. lib. 1 cenâ— Pelag. when we acknowledge our selues to be vnrighteous The beginning of perfection is to know our selues to be vnperfect August ad simplici If we be grieued inwardly because we cannot pray we do thereby pray indeed forasmuch as our sighes and sobs the grones and gripings of the perplexed heart haue the force and effect of prayer it selfe and therefore the Apostle saith The Spirit helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray as we ought Rom. 8 26. but the Spirit it selfe maketh intercession for vs wâ—th gronings which caÌ„not be vâ—tered The second point is diducted out of the former which is that no man must please himselfe in his owne wants and nourish the weaknes that is in himselfe For albeit â—od condemneth no man for his wants neither withholdeth his graces from him for his imperfections yet he must not make much of theÌ„ nor delight in them nor thinke himselfe the better for them but rather with might and maine striue against them and craue a supply of them Mat. 11 â—5 God reuealeth the knowledge of the Gospel to the simple howbeit no man should please himselfe in his simplicity he maketh known the mysteries of his kingdome to Babes howbeit no man must reioyce in his owne infirmities nor purpose with himselfe to continue in them The third meditation must be this that it is a dangerous tentation of Sathan against our soules when he councelleth and perswadeth any man to with-draw himselfe from the Communion for want of grace if hee haue any in sincerity albeit it be the least measure albeit it be but as a graine of mustard-seede The Lord regardeth the truth of grace more then he doth the measure of it and if there be in vs a ready and willing minde 2 Cor. 8 12. he accepteth vs according to that which we haue not according to that which we haue not This Supper of Christ was iustituted for the weake not for the strong for the poore not for the rich for the hungry not for the full for the sicke not for the whole forasmuch as the Sacrament is as phisicke to cure him as balme to refresh him as a salue to heale him as wine to cheare him as bread to strengthen him and as a staffe to stay him Shall any reasonable man then reason so vnreasonably and absurdly that he will not eate because he is hungry that he will not drinke because he is thirsty that he will admit no plaister because he is wounded that he will not take phisicke because he is sicke and diseased that he will not stay himselfe with his staffe because he is ready to fall If we all see this to be a foolish consequence what vanity or rather impiety is it to yeeld
to this false coÌ„clusion which is no better then a diuelish tentation that because we are weake in grace therefore we will not come to the Sacrament to receiue strength of grace and increase of faith whereas we ought to reason thus within our selues I feele mine owne infirmities and know how weake my faith my hope my loue my repentance and all the rest of the graces of God are in me I will therefore repaire with all diligence to the Supper of the Lord which he hath appointed for the increasing and strengthening of all good things in me The last point necessary for vs to consider is this that Christ came into the world to saue sinners and to redeeme them that were lost that is such as feele themselues to be sinners and know themselues to be as lost sheepe going astray and desiring to returne vnto the shepheard and Bishop of their soules 1 Pet. 2 25. True it is God requireth that we should come vnto him as wel furnished with grace and replenished with faith as may bee yet hee will reiect none that presenteth himselfe before him with any grace albeit he haue neuer so little a measure prouided that these two cautions and conditions be obserued that the faith grace be true and sound not in shew and appearance onely Secondly that there be in him an endeauor and striuing for more grace and a greater faith But if we thinke we haue enough and need no more we haue iust cause to suspect our selues that we neuer as yet knew what true grace meaneth To conclude then we must vnderstand that it is not the weakenes of grace which is heere reprooued and reiected but the contempt of grace not such weaknesse of faith as is in the faithfull but such contempt of grace as was in the prophane heart of Esau who solde his birth-right and contemned the blessing Gen. 25. Gen. 25.34 The next obiection that these sluggards vse is The seauenth obiection that they say the Sacrament is as phisicke to purge clense the soule and therefore as it is not good to take phisicke often so it is not good to take the Sacrament often Surely these are Physitions of no value that cannot discerne a difference betweene phisicke for the body and phisicke for the soule It is dangerous to the body to be euermore purging and taking of pils which giue no nourishment to the body but take away good humors as well as bad It is not so with the Supper of the Lord it containeth holy and wholesome nourishment in it through the ordinance of God and can neuer depriue vs of any good guift and grace of the soule Besides we are daily sicke in soule not in the body and therefore we haue often need to seeke remedy for our sicknesses and infirmities Furthermore all phisicke to the taste of the body is bitter and grieuous and lothsome it is not so with this phisicke it is most sweet and pleasant to the soule and reioyceth the heart of euery true beleeuer This comparison therefore is not to be vrged farther then the point wherein it may be compared namely that as they that are weake and sickly vse the meanes and remedy of phisicke to very good purpose eueÌ„ for the recouery of strength and health so whensoeuer we finde in our selues spirituall diseases to abound and weaknes of faith to assaile vs we must haue recourse to this Sacrament to confirme strengthen vs in the promises of saluation The meaning then is not that as phisicke is best when it is sildome taken so the Sacrament is best taken when it is sildome taken For as this Supper is truely called spiritual meat for vs because as meat feedeth the body so the Supper of the Lord nourisheth the soule yet we cannot conclude froÌ„ hence that we should as often receiue it as we receiue our meat In like manner when it is resembled fitly to phisicke the which being rarely taken worketh most effectually we may not conclude that therefore the more sildome the Sacâ—ament is receiued the greater fruite it will bring vnto vs for then we conclude against our selues and stretch the similitude farther then the purpose and intent of it The eight obiection The next obiection which I will touch is that some say a man by sildome receiuing shall be the better prepared when he doth receiue whereas if he shall presume to come often he cannot be so aduised as he ought neyther so thoroughly examine himselfe as he might by continuall exercising of himselfe in this work I answere Answere heere are another sort that pretend great deuotion zeale reuerence and loue to the Sacrament and with all great feare to come vnworthily howbeit all these goodly shewes and colourable excuses are but as Adams figge-leaues patched together to couer their shame These may be fitly compared to idle and slothfull Ministers who to excuse their negligence in preaching alledge for themselues that the more sildome they preach the more learned and profound Sermons they make and the better they shall be prepared and furnished to speake to the people Now as they deale with the people so do the people deale with them As they sow sparingly so the people reape sparingly heare sparingly and receiue sparingly A carelesse ministry maketh a carelesse people But as this colour of fitting himselfe the better shall not excuse the Minister in his negligence â— Tim. 4.2 if he preach not in season and out of season so it shall not be allowed as a iust and lawfull defence for the people to pretend that their sildome receiuing is recompensed by their sufficient preparation when they do come If this might be allowed and warranted for a good plea then the most careles receiuers should be the best receiuers A false plea that the sluggard vseth and such as come most sildome should aboue all others deserue to be most commeÌ„ded So touching the rest of the exercises of our religion it would follow that such as heare the least should be the best hearers they that pray most rarely should pray most reuerently and they that resort sildome to the house of God should be chiefly commended all which we know to be contrary to reason truth piety and religion If a man were dangerously sicke and required the present helpe of the Physition will this patient neglect his health and go to him at his owne leysure vnder colour of comming better furnished and prepared to tell him what his disease is Or will he not rather make all the hast he can that he may the sooner haue helpe We are all of vs as sicke men we haue many sins as noysome diseases that hang about vs and beset vs on euery side Rom. 6 23. the least wherof are mortall if they be not cured by the precious blood of Christ shall we then delay to go to the Physition of our soules vnder pretence of giuing him better information of our estate and laying open
to themselues or receiue it at the hands of some priuate persons I answere it was an ancient practise of the n Beza quaest resp d. Sacr. Church to carty the Sacramēt vnto the sicke when it was administred in the Church besides albeit in extremity of sicknes the Minister be wanting we leaue not the sicke without counsell and comfort For this we teach this we are ready to maintaine this we would haue all beleeuers in health and in sicknesse to recall and remember that if they stedfastly beleeue that the Lord Iesus hath suffered death vpon the Crosse for them if they particularly apply vnto themselues his precious merits for their redemption if they earnestly remember the benefits of his bitter passion with all thanksgiuing and if they truely repent them from the bottome of their hearts of al their sins they do eate and drinke effectually o Ioh. 6 54 55 56 57 58. and to their soules health profitably the body blood of Christ our Sauiour although they doe not receiue the Sacrament with their mouth If they do not thus the Sacrament receiued cannot profite them This serueth to comfort the weake and to keepe them within the lists and limits of their proper calling Lastly seeing the former actions of the Minister are done plainely in the sight of all it is the duty of euery one to giue diligent heed and to haue weighty consideration of these outward ceremonies by the meditation thereof to confirme their faith and to make the outward works to further the inward graces For they are offered to our sences not that we should rest in them but that our weaknes by them should be helped and we by them lift vp our hearts to thinke vpon greater things This serueth to reproue those that omit the breaking of the bread and deliuering of it being broken into the hands of the Communicants True it is some make too much of the breaking of the bread others esteeme too little of it and both sorts are to be reproued and a middle course betweene them both is to be retained One sort much more streight and rigorous then is meet The first opinion offend in the excesse who make the breaking of bread to be simply necessary and an essentiall part of the Supper as that without it there can be no Sacrament The reason whereupon they build is the title giuen to this Sacrament that it is called the breaking of bread and this breaking of the bread is said to be the Communion of the body of Christ 1 Cor. 10 16. Obiection 1 Cor. 10.16 From whence they reason thus The bread broken is the Communion of the body of Christ Therefore the bread vnbroken is not the Communion of the body of Christ Answere This is a broken argument that cannot hold and so weake in strength that it cannot vphold it selfe If one should argue thus A man is a creature going vpright therefore a man not going vpright but crooked as not a man Or thus The body of man hath armes and hands and legges therefore if it want eyther arme or hand or legge it is not the body of a man all men see this will not follow This onely will follow that such a man is not a sound man and such a body is not a perfect body so it will onely follow that the Sacrament is not an entire but a maimed Sacrament where the bread is not broken Wherefore these men do great wrong to many reformed Churches which haue not yet this ceremony among them while they dare pronounce that they haue no Supper at all because they are destitute of this rite which iudgement of theirs sauoureth of the want both of verity charity The second opinion Another sort offend on the contrary side to wit in the defect who make this breaking to be meerely indifferent and not necessary accidentall and not of the substance They confesse that the Lord Iesus at his last Supper did truely breake bread but that he did it as a thing indifferent and according to ordinary custome Besides they affirme that this breaking signifieth the distributing or deuiding of the bread to others But one of these is contrary to the other the former ouerthroweth the latter and the last destroyeth the first For if Christ did truely breake bread in his Supper then it followeth that to breake bread in the Supper is not onely to deale the bread but to giue it into seuerall parts being broken as he saith distinctly Hee brake it and gaue it to his Disciples Mat. 26 26. Againe if breaking and distributing be all one then is not the breaking which they omit a rite indifferent but very necessary forasmuch as the giuing of the Supper to the Communicants is so necessary that without it there can be no Sacrament These therefore are they that ouerthrow themselues The third opinion The third opinion is the sounder of such as hold a meane way betweene both extreames that the breaking of the bread is no essential part of the Supper neither yet an indifferent ceremony both which are two dangerous rockes on which sundry mē suffer ship-wrack but a necessary ceremony not as though without it there were no Supper at all but as a part seruing to perfect the whole which wanting the Supper ceaseth not to be howbeit it is not intire and compleat For this rite is not as the head or the heart in mans body without which there could be no body but as the hand or the foot without which it is a body albeit a maimed or a lame body So likewise touching this holy Supper without bread without blessing without giuing there can be no Supper it is as much as if the head were cut off or the heart pulled out or the braine perished But without breaking the Supper remaineth albeit maimed and vnperfect as if the body wanted an eye or an arme Besides How the breaking of the bread is necessary it is the will of Christ that this ceremony should be obserued so that it may be said to be necessary in two respects first in regard of the making perfect of the Sacrament secondly in regard of the commandement of Christ Now that this necessitie may appeare how great it is let vs consider the reasons wherby it is proued that this beaking where it is ought to be continued and where it is not ought to be restored The first reason First of all we haue the example of Christ who said of himselfe Learne of me euery action of Christ about the Supper is our instruction But in the first institution of the Supper he brake the bread which he had blessed and did distribute it to his disciples Therefore it behoueth vs to do the like Obiection Neither let any obiect that the manner of Christs beaking and of his Apostles is vnknowne or vncertaine Answere For the Lord doth not command vs or tie vs precisely to vse that forme which hee vsed
it came Hence it is that Caluine teacheth infiit â—ib 4 cap. 17 35.36 that the Apostles are not read to haue prostrated themselues and lye along to worship the Sacrament it is the practise of Rome to prostrate themselues before the bread to adore it There hath bin much written against kneeling at the Communion but the weakenesse of the reasons serueth to discouer the imperfections of their writings For first their opinion looketh one way their proofes another they go about to tye vs to the example of Christ to proue sitting euermore they conclude standing so that we may say with the Poet Amphora coepit Institut Horat. de art Peeâ— currente rota cur vrceus exit Secondly they tell vs that some haue wished this gesture of kneeling to be abolished but who haue pronounced and determined that it is vnlawfull Thirdly do they bring vs any examples either of Churches in generall or priuate persons in particular that did sit at the communion which deepe silence of those that speake of the Sacrament argueth that the particular gesture was not thought necessary no more then eating the Passeouer standing which was afterward altered Fourthly they wrest many authors out of ioynt they bring them in to serue their purpose and then make them to depose what they list Thus they serue Caluine in many places making him to speake against kneeling at the Communion whereas he onely writeth against the popish adoration Thus also they often cite many sundry worthy defendors of our faith against the enemies of the grace of God D. Fulke D. Sutâ—â—sse D. Willet and albeit by their great labours they deserue great praise in the Church yet they marshall them among other writers as if either they disliked the order of our Church or else were some simple fellowes that regarded not what they wrote or as if their opinions and their practises their bookes and their liues their writings and their doings were dissonant and differing the one from the other or as if they did set downe certain principles which themselues do not remember when they come to particulars Fiftly they teach that kneeling in the act of receiuing the bread and wine is imposed and obserued as a part of Gods worship and that it is by all men confessed to bee a chiefe part of religious adoration De Actorat p. 22. 3. whereas Aretius a learned Diuine maketh it onely an accidentall part of religious worship and it is a cleere case it is no chiefe part of it both because religious adoration may be and is vsually without it and it is also vsually without adoration For kneeling is not alwayes ioyned with diuine worshipping as appeareth in the example of Abraham before the people of Heth of Iacob to his brother Esau of the debter before his creditor Gen. 23 7. 33 7. Mat. 18.29 Gen. 48 12. 1 Kin. 1 33. and of the subiects before their Princes al these bow the knee of the body and yet do not worship in a diuine manner Lastly the authors which they bring do speake against them in the particular point for which they bring theÌ„ such persons then as stand vpon the opinion of others let them heare with patience the iudgement of as excellent Diuines as this age hath brought forth Art 1 sect 8. B. Iewel writing against Harding saith thus I deny not certaine circumstances as fasting sitting stand ng kneeling and other like ceremonies obserued in celebrating the holy mysteries are to be moderated and appointed at the iudgement of the Church If these circumstances of fasting sitting standing and kneeling may bee appointed by the Church then the word of God hath determined and defined nothing concerning the vse of them for the Church hath not authority to establish any thing against the Scriptures But because his iudgement may be thought partiall let vs heare what others testifie It is the order of the Church of Geneua to receiue standing as we noted before and as Beza himselfe witnesseth And he hath a notable Epistle written to a friend resoluing him what the faithfull ought to do that liue where the bread in the Supper is not broken neâ—ther deliuered into the hands but put into the mouths of the Communicants things of greater waight and importance then is kneeling at the Sacrament Beza epist 2. things that are not in themselues indifferent things that are no better then plaine corruptions of the institution of Christ yet he aduiseth and counselleth that we should not trouble our conscience with these matters not giue offence to our brethren by refusing to communicate in such places and among such persons as if we were in danger to loose the life and heart of all Christianity I appeale now vnto themselues that cannot abide our kneeling and make them Iudges in this controuersie whether hee that perswadeth the people to suffer the bread vnbroken to bee put into their mouths rather then altogether to abstaine would not also aduise to receiue kneeling according to the order of the Church where it is required and commanded rather then to breake the peace of the Church To this purpose he saith That which is not in it selfe necessary we ought not to vrge farther then is meet And afterward The taking of the Supper is precisely enioyned vnto vs but not the manner how we shall take it Epist 12. et 8 And in another epistle when he was asked his opinion touching the bowing of the knee in the act of receiuing hee thinketh of it as of receiuing with vnleauened bread yet to auoid superstition though it be not euill in it selfe he wisheth it were abolished howbeit it is not of him simply condemned With him accordeth the church of France of the low Countries who dare not pronounce the ceremony of kneeling in receiuing of the Elements to be vtterly vnlawfull but for the vtter rooting of bread-worship out of the hearts of men Obâ—eruat vpon the Harmo of Câ—nfest Instit lib. 4. cap. 17. they hold it much better in most places to haue it vtterly abol shed Caluine speaking of this gesture applyeth it wholy against the Church of Rome that worship this Sacrament not against the true Churches of God that receiue kneeling at the Sacrament but abhorre and condemne the adoring of the Sacrament Peter Martyr sheweth that this outward reuerence vsed in kneeling is not in it selfe and it owne nature euill Loc. commu class 4 cap. 10. sect 50. so that we stay not in the Elements but worship in spirit and truth Christ Iesus sitting in the heauens True it is to conceale nothing of his opinion he taketh this prostrating bending of the knee not to be so fit vnlesse often preaching be ioyned by way of iustruction so that if the people bee taught that they are not to worship the outward elements then there is no such feare of Idolatry but this gesture may be vsed and retained and this is our case
ioyne the word vnto them and thus they are made to vs a Sacrament Nay if to offer vp to God our selues our soules our bodies our almes for the poore our prayers and thanksgiuings vnto God the Father for our redemption be an oblation and a sacrifice we haue both a Sacrament and a sacrifice in our Churches though we offer not vp Christs body to be a propitiatory sacrifice for the redemption both of the quicke and dead vnto his Father We offer vp as much as Å¿ We offer vp as much as Christ commanded vs. Christ commanded vs to offer but that sacrifice was once offered vp vpon the Crosse he was the Priest he was the Altar he was the sacrifice there is no other sacrifice left to be offered for sinne and he which presumeth to offer him againe is an enemy to the Crosse of Christ treadeth the Son of God vnder his foot counteth the blood of the new Testament vnholy and hath renounced saluation by Iesus Christ Now if we cleauing precisely to the institution of Christ doe not consecrate what may be thought of the popish Priests who whisper their words closely that no man heareth vse a strange tongue that no man vnderstandeth bring in priuate Masses whereat none communicate deliuer dry Communions wherein no man drinketh exhort no man speake to no man and if they do consecrate they consecrate onely for themselues not for others Wherefore we detest the opprobrious and blasphemous speeches of the prophane Papists who in t 2 Sam 16 7. 2 King 18 â—5 the spirit of Shemei and of Rabshaketh raile falsly vilely and slanderously against our Communions affirming that they are no other then common bread and wine without grace without vertue without sanctification bare signes of Christ absent no better then our common breakfasts dinners and suppers Thus they speake basely proudly and scornefully of our communions but all the world knoweth they speake vntruely We hold an effectual consecration in both the Sacraments though we deny a reall conuersion into the body blood of Christ the water in baptisme is no more common water u Gal. 3.27 it is not void of a spirituall effect it is not without grace and sanctification So the bread and wine are changed not from one substance into another but from one vse to another not in themselues but to vs not in their owne nature but in their end and thus they are not the same they were before Vse 2 Againe are these signes sanctified and consecrated that are deliuered and receiued then heereby we learne what is to be thought of the remnants and leauings remaining after the Lords Supper For who seeth not heereby that the bread and wine out of the holy vse and lawfull participation appointed are not a Sacrament They differ nothing from common bread and wine sold in other places and taken in our houses Therefore a Hosich in Leuit lib. 2 ca 8 among diuers the remainder was accustomably vsed to be burned b Euagri lib. 4. cap. 8. Niceph. lib. 17. cap 25. among some it was giueÌ„ to little childreÌ„ that were in the schooles among others they did eate it in the c Hieron com in 1 Cor. 11. common assembly at their feasts of loue so that out of the sacred vse of the Sacrament they did eate it as common bread they did drinke it as common wine We see in baptisme the water remaining and not vsed is no part of the Sacrament but may be applyed to common vses So it is in the Lords Supper for the Sacraments of the new testament are alike and of the same worthinesse no more is consecrated then is receiued and applied This also is euident by d Num. 10 10 the rocke in the wildernesse where the waters flowing from thence represented the blood of Christ to the Israelites that drank therof not to the beasts and cattell that were watered by it So much was consecrated water as they receiued not all the rest So when Iohn e Mat. 3 6. baptized in Iordan not all the Riuer but all that which was applyed was sanctified So when he baptized in f Ioh 3 23. Fnon because there was much water there not the whole streame was hallowed but so much as he vsed Wherefore whatsoeuer remaineth after the celebration of the Sacraments may be applyed lawfully to coÌ„mon and ordinary vses and therefore all superstition touching any of them is to be auoyded Moreouer if the sanctification of euery creature whether Vse 3 in the Sacraments or out of the Sacraments be by the word and prayer as appeareth by the Apostle it teacheth a profitable instruction namely that no creature of God is to be receiued no guift to be vsed no blessing to be enioyed tending to the health of the body or comfort of the soule without this duty of prayer and thanksgiuing to the Lord. Indeed euery creature of God in it selfe is good and euery guift is holy yet if we partake them without praising the name of the giuer and creator to vs they become vnholy vncleane and vnpure Now if this be needful in vsing the common creatures and guifts of God much more is it necessary in receiuing these pledges and seales of feeding our soules to eternall life Behold heere the cause that moued Christ when he had taken the bread to giue thanks to his Father wherein hee sheweth what belongeth to the duty of the Minister and of the communicants to wit that we ought to lift vp our hearts to God to praise him for giuing his onely begotten Sonne to be our redeemer humbly to pray vnto him that our vnworthinesse hinder not the effectuall working of his Sacraments but that through his goodnes and mercy they may haue their full force in our hearts for the pardoning of our sinnes for the increase of his graces for the confirming of our faith for the quickning of our obedience and for the preseruing of body and soule to eternall life Thus we blesse God when we praise him and giue him the honour due vnto his name Wee blesse the meates we eate the drinkes we drinke the things we receiue as Paul saith g 1 Cor. 10 16 The cup of blessing which we blesse h How the signes in the Sacrament are blessed when prayer is made to God that they may be healthfull to vs and we thankeful for them vnto him that is the giuer of them Lastly if in the Sacrament there bee a consecration Vse 4 and separation of the outward elements to so holy an end it warneth vs to be carefull to vse and receiue i We ought often to receiue the Lords supper oftentimes this Sacrament of the Lords Supper For heere are not bare signes bare tokens bare figures without fruite and without grace they are consecrated signes and hallowed elements effectually sealing vp remission of sinnes And what is more plaine then that which the Apostle teacheth 1 Cor. 11. k 1 Cor.
former bookes CHAP. X. Of the third inward part of the Lords Supper THe third inward part is a The third inward part of the Lords Supper is the body blood of Christ the body and blood of Christ that is the body of our Lord deliuered vnto death for vs and his blood shed for the remission of sinnes and consequently whole Christ This is the chiefest part of this Sacrament For the body and blood of Christ signified by the bread and wine are thus made and separated to bee the liuely meat of our soules and haue that force and efficacy of feeding in our soules which bread and wine haue in our bodies This is the cause why b Ioh. 6 48 50 Christ often calleth himselfe the bread of life Ioh. 6. I am that bread of life this is that bread of life which commeth downe from heauen that hee which eateth of it should not dye I am that liuing bread if any man eate of this bread he shall liue for euer Thus euery receiuer is giuen to vnderstand that as God doth blesse the bread and wine in his Supper to preserue strengthen and comfort the body of the receiuer So Christ apprehended and receiued by faith doth nourish vs and preserueth body and soule vnto eternall life He dyed in the flesh that he might quicken vs and he poured out his blood that hee might clense vs from our sinnes Wherefore c How the sacramentall rites do serue to strengthen our faith whensoeuer as the Lords guests we see the bread on the Lords Table we must set our mindes on the body of Christ when we behold the cup of the Lord we must thinke vpon the blood of Christ when we looke vpon the bread broken and the wine poured out we must consider how the body of Christ was pierced punished crushed crucified torne tormented and his blood poured out for our sakes when we feele that by bread our bodies are nourished strengthened and by the wine our vitall spirits are comforted refreshed we beleeue that by the body of Christ deliuered to death for vs we are fed to euerlesting life and that by his blood poured out vpon the Crosse our consciences are sanctified and we feele his quickening power which doth confirme vs in our communion with him Thus is this part of the Supper spiritually to bee applyed thus are the bread and wine made a Sacrament to vs not bare signes thus the memoriall of Christs death is repeated which albeit it were once finished on the Crosse and now his passion is past long ago yet to the faithfull in regard of the force it is still fresh and alwaies present Now it is not without cause and good consideration that Christ would haue the bread first deliuered as a signe of his body then afterward the wine as a signe of his blood seuerally and apart administred because his body and blood are not represented to vs as his humanity now dwelleth glorious in the heaueÌ„s but as he was offered vp a sacrifice on the crosse his blood being shed out of his body For to the ende it may be nourishment to vs it must bee crucified For as corne of it selfe is not fit food for vs vnlesse it be threshed winnowed ground and baked for vs so is it touching Christ he must suffer be crucified and dye that wee may liue by him and raigne with him This is the truth which in this point is to be considered Vse 1 Now let vs lay open the vses which of vs are to be learned Is Christ the inward part of the Lords Supper represented by the bread and wine offered to all but receiued only of such as are faithfull then his body is not inclosed in the bread or in the accidents of bread nor his blood included in the wine or vnder the shewes of wine d Against the real presence he is not personally locally carnally corporally naturally really substantially and sensually present in the Sacrament The question is not e The true state of the question set downe whether the words of Christ be true for they are knowne confessed and beleeued so that as he is the truth so all his words are words of truth neither is the question whether the Sacrament be a bare signe or bare figure we say Christ is truely represented sealed and exhibited neither is the question whether God be omnipotent almighty this is a part of our faith an Article of christian beleefe neither is the question simply of the presence of Christ whether he be truely and vndoubtedly present in the Sacrament of his last Supper we acknowledge and receiue as much For Christ is present among vs sundry waies by his Spirit by his grace by his diuinity by faith dwelling in our hearts he is present in his word he is present in the ministry of baptisme he is present in the Sacrament of his body we onely deny that grosse and fleshly presence which many go about to fasten vpon vs. But the whole question is of the meaning and vnderstanding of the words of institution and of the manner of his presence We confesse teach the people committed vnto vs that Christs f Confess Gal. lic art â—7 Confess Anglic. art 12. Cal instit lib. 4. cap. 17. body and blood are truely verily and indeed giuen vnto vs that we truely eate and drinke them that we are releeued and liue by them that we are made bone of his bone that Christ dwelleth in vs and we in him yet we say not that the substance of bread and wine is abolished or that Christs body descendeth from heauen or is grosly corporally present in the Sacrament we are taught to lift vp our hearts to heauen g Col. 3 1 2 3 where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God the Father and there to seed vpon him But heere is the state of the question and controuersie betweene vs. The Church of Rome teacheth that after h Con. Trid. sess 13. cap. 1. the words of consecration the bread and wine are abolished and the body and blood of Christ come in place so that they make them corporally present not onely in the Sacrament to be eaten with the mouth but in the pixe in the Masse and in their solemne processions where is neither eating nor drinking Yea Berengarius in his recantation was taught to say and forced to subscribe that i De con dist 2. ego Bereng Christ is in the Sacrament sensibly or sensually is touched with the fingers diuided broken rent with the teeth and not onely the accidents Moreouer they make it to be eateÌ„ not only of euill men but of beasts and to fill vp the measure of blasphemy to be cast out into the draught as some of them haue taught and affirmed Thus then the difference standeth betweene vs they hold that Christs body and blood are carnally eaten of wicked men without faith of brute beasts without reason
name And 1 Cor. 10. The cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the Communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we breake is it not the Communion of the bodye of Christ Wherefore when we do faithfully and worthily take the bread and the cup into our hands we must consider that withall we take and receiue Iesus Christ himselfe offered vnto vs. When we eate the bread and drinke of the cup and so apply them to our bodily vses we must consider that we apply Christ Iesus to our selues euen to our soules particularly that he is meate indeed and that he is drink indeed vnto vs if we bring with vs the hand of faith For faith is like c Faith is like the mouth of a vessell the mouth of a vessell if you poure liquor vpon it all the day long vnlesse the mouth of the vessell be open to receiue it the water is spilt on the ground and the vessell remaineth empty so may a man come to the Lords Table euery month receiuing the bread and wine that represent whole Christ yet except he bring with him faith which is the mouth of the soule he receiueth not Christ vnto a spirituall life to be his righteousnesse and sanctification And this is the reason why we receiue a little portion and a smal quantity as well of bread as wine d Concil Nicen. ex Biblie vatican because the end of our eating and drinking serueth for the sanctification of the Spirit not for the filling of the body Now let vs see what vses are offered to our consideration Vse 1 in the meditation of this truth First seeing onely the faithfull are partakers of the things signified in this Sacrament we see all do not receiue alike there is a difference to bee made among receiuers But as they which snatch after the leaues of the tree and let go the fruite want the profite of their labours so is it among many men in this world who take the signe of Christ but let go Christ Now as Moses intreating of things e Leuit. 11 4. cleane and vncleane noteth out foure sorts of beasts some onely chew the cud and some onely diuide the hoofe some neither chew the cud nor diuide the hoofe some both chew the cud and diuide the hoofe or as in the dayes of the Gospell some were circumcised in heart not in flesh as f Gal 2 â— Titus some were circumcised in the flesh not in the heart as Esau Iudas and many others some were circumcised neither in flesh nor in the Spirit g Eph 2 â—â— as the Gentiles and some were circumcised both in the flesh and in the Spirit h Act. 16 â— as Timothy so there is a difference among receiuers i Foure 〈◊〉 oâ— receiuers some receiue Christ only spiritually not sacrameÌ„tally some onely sacramentally not spiritually some neyther receiue him spiritually nor sacramentally and some receiue him both spiritually and sacramentally Of these we wil speake briefly and in order as they haue beene propounded The spirituall eating is by faith whereby we are made one with Christ and partakers of his benefits without the Sacraments k Ioh. 6 5â— whereof Christ speaketh Hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him Thus to eate him is to beleeue in him and therefore hee vseth these words l Ioh. 6 2â— â—3 35. as being of one force to beleeue in him and to eate him to drinke him and to come vnto him This is the worke of God that ye beleeue in him whom be hath sent I am that bread of life he that commeth to me shall not hunger and he that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst Againe m Ioh. 6 â—â— 40. Christ attributeth the same fruite effect to them that beleeue in him that he doth to them which eate his body and drinke his blood therefore by eating and drinking he meaneth nothing but beleeuing He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternall life And in the 40. verse of the same Chapter hee saith This is the will of my Father that euery one that beleeueth in the Sonne should haue eternall life and I will raise him vp at the last day Heereby we may see that Christ attributeth the same to beleeuing which in the other place he did to eating and drinking so that the meaning of Christ is that to beleeue in him is to eate him And thus many receiue Christ eating and drinking his body and blood that neuer came to the Sacraments Heere peraduenture some will obiect Obiection If this doctrine be true then are the Sacraments needlesse For if we may eate Christ by saith spiritually without any vse or comming to the Lords Supper to what end serueth the Supper Answere It seemeth by this to bee made void and superfluous God forbid for the Sacraments are the holy ordinances of Christ by his blessing appointed for our helpe and benefit so that the most perfect Christians of the strongest faith haue need to seeke the strength of faith against weakenesse and wauering in the promises of God Notwithstanding we must confesse to the glory of God and the great comfort of many persons that the faithfull soule may and doth often feed vpon Christ to saluation beside the vse of the Sacrament For the spirituall grace is not of necessity tyed to the outward signes as if without them God cannot or doth not sometimes bestow the same We see in the Acts of the Apostles n Act. 10 2 44 Cornelius and his company was sealed with the Spirit of God before the receiuing of the outward Sacrament Abraham beleeued the promise being strong in faith o Rom. 4 18.10 18. vnder hope beleeued aboue hope before circumcision was giuen vnto him Thus also the beleeuing theefe vpon the Crosse though he did neuer receiue the Sacrament of Christ yet he did eat the body and drinke the blood of Christ to eternall life so that he beleeued in him p Luk. 23 10 and was the same day with him in Paradise He was not crucified for the professioÌ„ of Christ but was condemned for the merit of his transgression neither did he suffer because he beleeued q Lamb sâ—nt lib. â— dist ca. 1. but hee beleeued while he suffered He was not baptized he receiued not the Lords Supper yet his r Rom. 10 â—0 faith saued him spiritually eating the true food of euerlasting life as Rom. 10. With the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse and with the mouth man confesseth vnto saluation for the Scripture saith whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not be ashamed According to that in the Prophet The iust shall liue Å¿ Hab. 2 4. by faith And Ioh. 11. I am the resurrection and the life he that beleeueth in me though he were dead yet he shall liue and whosoeuer liueth and beleeueth in me t Ioh 11 25 26. shall neuer dye This ministreth great
comfort in trials and tribulations to consider that howsoeuer by sicknesse by persecution by imprisonment wee may be separated from the Supper of Christ u Rom. 8 35. yet we cannot be separated from Christ though we may be hindred from eating him sacramentally yet wee cannot bee hindred from eating him spiritually though we may be kept from eating the bread and drinking of the cup of the Lord yet we cannot by the malice of Sathan or violence of his instruments be kept from feeding vpon Christ by faith to saluatioÌ„ And in this case God will accept the will for the deed if there be in vs a desire to be partakers thereof for as the word of God is not bound so his grace is not tyed vp Againe other receiue Christ onely sacramentally and not spiritually who are partakers of the outward Elements of bread and wine and so receiue the bare signes of the body and blood of Christ For as they are said to eate the true body of Christ spiritually which receiue Christ with the mouth of the soule that is by a true faith and are truely ioyned to him so they eate him sacramentally that handle eate and drinke the signes and seales of his true body but because they want faith they want the meanes to receiue Christ himselfe Thus many haue bin baptized that were neuer regenerated and inwardly purged a Act. 8 23. appeareth in Symon the sorcerer whose heart was not vptight so that albeit he were partaker of the Sacrament of regeneration and repentance yet he remained in the gall of bitternes and in the bond of iniquity So many haue resorted to the Lords Supper that neuer drew nourishment or strength of faith from him to life and saluation and thus many thousands in the world come to the Sacraments but because they come vnworthily they depart away vnprofitably Let no man therefore slatter himselfe in the worke done but labour to come aright that so he may finde comfort to his soule Moreouer some neither receiue Christ spiritually nor sacramentally and such are they that neuer come to Christ nor receiue the sacraments of Christ such are they that liue cut of the bosome of the Church as it were out of the Arke of Noah as Infidels Iewes Turkes Sarizens Persians and such like these must needs perish in the deepe floods of Gods endlesse iudgements For as Christ is the fountaine of life and the well-spring of all b Câ—â— 1 19 â— â— heauenly treasures that accompany saluation and the Sacraments his instruments whereby these graces are conueyed vnto vs the Church the parties to whom both these belong so such as are without Christ without the Sacraments without grace without the Church and consequently without the priuiledges that pertaine to the heires of his eternall kingdome lye in darkenesse and in the shaddowe of death c Mat â—5 26. and are as Dogges to whome the childrens bread doth not belong Lastly other receiue Christ both spiritually by faith sacramentally with the mouth who are partakers both of the signes and of the things signified who â—â—g Tract â—5 â—4 Iohan eate of the bread of the Lord and the bread which is the Lords And thus the Apostles that sate at the table with Christ at his last Supper did receiue him applying the outward part to their bodies and the inward part to their soules Also thus all the faithfull that come to the table of Christ to the end of the world doe receiue him spiritually and sacramentally to the great comfort of their owne soules and thus must euery one of vs seeke to come to Christ whensoeuer wee come to the Sacrament of Christ Wherefore we see what difference distinction is to be made betweene those that receiue Christ that we be not deceiued in the manner of the receiuing of him Againe seeing onely the faithfull are the inward part of Vse 2 this Sacrament it is not to be administred to such as shew themselues vnfaithful and vnrepentant so farre as they may be knowne so to be Such as are without faith without repentance without sanctification haue no right and interest in this blessed communion For if euery one should without difference be admitted and receiued the Church of God which is a blessed fellowship of Saints should be turned into a stye of vnclean swine a stable of vncleane beasts a cage of vncleane birds and as Christ speaketh the e Ioh. 2 16. Luk 19 46. house of God should be made a denne of theeues God did shut out of his f Ezek. 44 9. sanctuary euery stranger vncircumcised in heart and in the flesh he commanded also the Priests to put a difference betweene the holy and prophane betweene the cleane and vncleane Hitherto belongeth that saying of Christ Mathew 7. Giue ye not that which is holy to dogges neither cast ye your pearles before swine least they tread you vnder their feet and turning againe all to rent you If therefore such as remaine in grosse and open sinnes of blasphemy swearing contempt of Gods word adultery fornication vncleannes wantonnesse drunkennesse maliciousnesse and such like offer themselues at any time with the rest of the members of the Church to partake this Supper and as it were infectious leapers come into the Lords host g Leuit. 13 â— 45 46. Num. 5 â— 3. to bee admitted to the sacrifices it is the Pastors duty to vse the power of the keyes and barre them from this Sacrament vntill there appeare in them the testimonies of repentance and the confession of their offences Should not the shepheard seuer the rotten and infected sheepe from the rest of the fold Doth not h 1 Cor. 5 6. a little leauen sower the whole lump Will an housholdder admit into his house euery one that vanteth himselfe to be of the houshold The Idolaters by the light of nature i Hesiod liber oper dier Eustath in Iliad lib. 1. Virg. Aeneid lib. 2. 6. would not suffer all to approach to their sacrifices their heathenish sacrifices but cryed out that prophane persons should be packing and get them thence and not i presume to offer with vnwashen hands Such as haue a very cleere fountaine and spring of waters committed vnto them if they see filthy swine come toward it k Chrys hom 83 in Mat cap 37. must not suffer them to trouble the spring and annoy the water Shall they then that haue the sacred and hallowed spring not of common water but of the precious blood of Christ springing vp to eternall life committed vnto them l Zeph. 3 4. suffer such as are notoriously defiled with sin to prophane the blood of Christ and make a mocke of him to their owne destruction Wherefore such as are open wicked persons are not without opeÌ„ repeÌ„tance to be admitted to the Sacram. of the Supper but to be separated from the Church as dead members from the body as withered branches from the tree and
together and therefore through their vaine confidence c 1 Sam 4 10 c they were destroyed the Arke was taken the two sonnes of Ely were slaine and the whole hoast was discomfited Thus is it with the Sacrament and with such as come without faith to the Sacrament The Sacrament indeed is holy the sacramentall rites are holy the bread and wine are holy but let them be receiued of persons that are prophane and vnholy they make the Sacraments to themselues vnholy so far are they from conferring grace and holinesse to all receiuers of theÌ„ For can the Sacraments make him holy that is vnholy Or a godly man that is vngodly Or make him to feare an oth that is a blasphemer They cannot nay to such the Sacraments become vnholy and the receiuers grow more vnholy as Iudas did after the partaking of the Passeouer Wherefore God as a iust Iudge would driue Adam out of the garden of Eden least puttâ—ng forth his hand to the tree of life hee should d Gen. 3 22. take and receiue it vnworthily thereby e Mercer in 3. cap. Gen. Aralis Franc. Iun. in Gen. prophaning the Sacrament and so eate to himselfe iudgement The sacrifices were holy ordinances of God yet when men that liued vngodly came vnto them they turned to bee sinne to them so is it with all those that come without faith feeling to the Supper of the Lord let vs not therfore be faithlesse but faithfull Lastly if the faithfull onely receiue with profite then Vse 4 such as are hypocrites and wicked liuers cannot bee partakers of the body and blood of Christ no more then God and Sathan can be ioyned together True it is such may receiue the bare signes but they receiue them to their condemnation because f Wicked meÌ„ do not recâ—iue Christ through want of faith repentance they offend God repell Christ from them and all his benefits and draw vnto themselues temporall and eternall punishments For no man can eate Christ and withall eat his owne damnation Againe whosoeuer eateth the flesh of Christ and drinketh his blood shall liue for euer and hath Christ dwelling in him to saluation for Christ can neuer be separated from his sauing graces but the vngodly shall not liue for euer by Christ with God For Christ is not eaten with the teeth or mouth as in the Gospell he directly determineth Ioh. 6. Whosoeuer eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternall life my flesh is meat indeed my blood is drinke indeed g Ioh. 6 14. he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him But Infidels and wicked persons haue not eternall life neither abide in Christ therfore by the doctrine of Christ our Sauiour h Aâ—g tract in 〈◊〉 25. they neither eate his flesh nor drinke his blood We must open the eyes of our faith to behold him and the mouth of our soule to receiue him for by faith onely we are made partakers of him which the vngodly want hee that i Ioh. 4 14. drinketh of the blood of Christ shall neuer be more athirst Thirdly we know that Sathan the Prince of darknesse ruleth in all the hearts of the children of disobedience and sitteth in their Consciences 2 Cor. 14 4. as the God of this world and filleth them full of iniquity as we see in the example of Iudas Now if these receiue the body of Christ then Christ and the diuell should dwell in one subiect together and be ioynt possessors of one and the same house Luk. 11 21. but this cannot be these cannot be at one these can neuer be friends reconciled there is no m 2 Cor. â— 14 fellowship betweene righteousnesse and vnrighteousnesse there is no communion betweene light and darknesse there is no concord betweene Christ and Bel all Fourthly the Apostle teacheth that where Christ is n Rom. 8 9. he worketh mortification and dying to sinne Rom. 8. If any haue not the spirit of Christ the same is not his and if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is life for righteousnesse sake But the wicked are not dead to sin they are dead in their sins and trespasses and they haue sinne not only remaining but raigning in them therefore Christ cannot be in them Fiftly where Christ is there are all things necessary to saluation and to whom God giueth his Sonne o Rom 8 31. to him he giueth iustification sanctification redemption repentance remission of sinnes and eternall life as Rom. 8. If God be on our side who shall be against vs Who spared not his owne Sonne but gaue him for vs all to death how should he not with him giue vs all things also But the wicked haue not these guifts accompaning saluation they are not iustified they are not sanctified they are not regenerated therefore they cannot haue Christ from whom these flow Sixtly we are charged to try and p 2 Cor. 13 5. proue our owne hearts whether Christ be in vs or not that thereby we may discerne of our estate and standing in the faith 2 Cor. 13. Proue your selues whether ye are in faith examine your selues know ye not your owne selues how that Iesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates To what purpose serueth this tryall and examination if Christ may be in vs and yet we remaine reiected Wherefore Christ cannot bee in vs if we be not approued but refused of God Seuenthly if such as eate the bread of the Lord vnworthily do withall eate the body of Christ it will follow froÌ„ hence that to eate is no longer to eate but to reiect and refuse For these two take ye and eate ye are ioyned together by Christ himselfe so that the eating it selfe is a kinde of receiuing As then he that refuseth the bread cannot bee said to eate the bread so they which reiect the bodye of Christ cannot eate the body of Christ for if they did eate it they would also take it and receiue it Lastly the Apostle chargeth the Church of the Corinthians not to eate things sacrificed to Idols in q 1 Cor. 10 20. the Idols temple because they cannot be partakers of Christ and the diuell nor drink of the cup of Christ and of the cup of diuels 1 Cor 10 20. These things which the Gentiles sacrâ—fice they sacrifice them to diuels and not vnto God and I would not that ye should haue fellowship with the diuels ye cannot b e partakers of the Lords Table and of the table of diuels Where he sheweth that a man may come poluted with Idoll sacrifices to the Lords Supper but then he cannot be partaker of Christ indeed and in truth Thus we see the doctrine of the Church of Rome striken to the ground which hold it as a principle of their faith and teach it to others that wicked men do receiue eate r Bel. de Sacra Euch. li
is the sound comfort following and flowing from the death of Christ To conclude we must learne and hold for euer that wee haue the beginning and chiefe cause in our selues which did crucifie Christ and crush him with most bitter sorrows let vs then be reuenged of our sins and do al despite we can vnto them let vs endite them arraigne them accuse them condemn them and naile them to his crosse let vs kill them mortifie them and bury them in his graue for euer This is the first end of the supper which is signified by the breaking of the bread and powring out of the wine declaring vnto vs that as the body of our Lord was broken and by violent meanes afflicted so his bloud gushed out and flowed plentifully out of his gaping and bleeding woundes This must be our meditation whensoeuer wee come to the Lords table For the passion of Christ as the breaking of his body vppon the crosse the powring out of his bloud and the separating of the Soule from the body must be both spoken of by the Pastor and remembred by the receiuer in the Supper if the one would deliuer it faithfully and the other receiue it fruitfully We must call to minde that Christ humbled himselfe to death for vs euen to the accursed death of the crosse that hee apprehended and felte the whole wrath of God vpon him in Soule and body whereby he was brought into a grieuous agony his body being rent with nayles beaten with scourges pricked with thornes pearced with a speare and his Soule pressed with the burden of all our sins which were cast vpon his shoulders he standing as a pledge and surety in our places What shall wee returne vnto him for this mercy and what loue ought wee to render for this great loue Shal we not crush the very head of sin that hath thus crushed our head Let vs not therefore wound him that hath cured vs nor pierce him with our sinnes that was killed for our sins or crucifie him by the lusts of the old man who was crucified to make vs newe men And thus much of the first end of the Lords Supper CHAP. XIII Of the second vse of the Lords Supper THe second vse of the Lords Supper is our spirituall vnion and communion with Christ 1 Cor. 10 16 This the Apostle declareth The cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the cōmunion of the blood of Christ The bread which we breake is it not the cōmunion of the body of Christ Whereby hee meaneth that the faithfull which come conscionably worthily to the lords table are ioyned and vnited wholy to Christ by the bread Sacramentally by faith instrumentally by the Holy ghost spiritually and by them almost effectually For wee take the bread in our hands and likewise we take the cuppe into our hands as Christ commaunded saying b Mat. 26 26. Take ye eate ye drinke ye deuide ye Neither doe wee lay them apart or hide them aside or reserue them in a boxe or abstaine from them but when we haue taken them we eat them we digest them we are nourished by them and they are turned into our substance So Christ being eatē of the godly by saith is vnited to them by his spirit as wee haue shewed before whereby they are made one with Christ and he one with them And as meate plentifully prepared daintily dressed and onely seene vpon the table doth not nourish the body or take away hunger so if the Gospell be preached and the Sacraments administred except we apply the promises of the gospell and beleeue that Christ with all his guifts is ours they profite nothing towards our saluation Such therefore as lawfully and worthily come to the Lords Supper as to a table richly furnished and to a banket liberally prouided must not onely generally beleeue that Christ suffered in the flesh and dyed for sinners but c Gal. 2 20 particularly for themselues yea communicateth himselfe and all his guifts vnto them aboundantly as certainely as themselues eate of the bread and drinke of the cup. This vnion and communion is neere and wonderfull great and therefore the Apostle fitly calleth it a mystery euen d Eph. 5 32. a great mystery speaking of Christ of the Church For what vnion can be greater then that which is betweene the thing nourishing and the thing nourished We haue nothing in Adam but that which conueyeth death vnto vs so that it is needfull to be ioyned to one which may giue life to vs that as we dye in Adam e Rom. 5 19. so we may liue in him This vnion cannot by reason be expressed or fully vnderstood As Christ in the daies of his flesh had a double kindred one earthly and carnall kinred the other spirituall that by faith receiued his word and beleeued in his name of whom he said f Mat. 12 44. Behold my mother and my brethren for whosoeuer shall do my Fathers will which is in heauen the same is my brother sister and mother so is it in this vnion and fellowship with him one is outward bodily which al mankinde hath with him in that he is partaker of our flesh and blood the other inward spirituall whereby we are made partakers of him and of all his sauing graces to euerlasting life As Christ was borne of the Virgin Mary vnited our nature to him taking vpon him g Heb. 2 16. not the Angels nature but the seed of Abraham euery reprobate hath this vnion with him in that hee tooke vpon him the shape of a man but there is a mysticall and maruellous vnion whereby he dwelleth in vs by faith whereby we are truely coupled to him made partakers of him deliuered from sin and made heires of euerlasting life quickning and sustaining vs as food which preserueth the life of the body If the arme ioyned to the body haue no life no sence no benefit of vitall spirits it is no part of the body though it be vnited to it so the wicked liuing without faith are as it were sencelesse they haue no forgiuenesse of sinnes no sanctification no saluation and therefore are no true members of Christ If he poure not life and grace into them they are not his members if he kill not sinne in them they are not vnited spiritually vnto him The bodily vnion with him shall profite nothing it is the Spirit that giueth life Seeing then the receiuing of the bread and wine which Vse 1 turne into our substance teacheth the mysticall vnion betweene Christ and his members wee learne from hence that all the faithfull and godly are truly made partakers of Christ and his graces as the members receiue life from the head and the tree moisture from the root For euen as the wife ioyned to her husband in marriage is thereby made partaker of his body and goods hath interest with him in the commodities of this life g Gen. 20.16 and looketh
for nourishment food fellowship protection and gouernment from him so being made one with Christ we are indued with his heauenly guifts and blessings This must be our comfort in all dangers and tentations in all tryals and assaults to consider that we are one with Christ we are not onely deare vnto him but neerely ioyned with him as members to the head as the wife to the husband and as the branches to the vine and therefore can neuer be separated from him in life or death We haue in him a communion of goods so that as he hath taken vpon him our sinnes and the punishments of them so he hath againe communicated to vs his righteousnesse and life and we may through his free guift challenge as our owne whatsoeuer is his We see in the corporall marriage so long as one is rich the other cannot be poore The Lord is our shepheard Psal 23 1. what then can we want Christ Iesus is rich to all that cal vpon him he is become all things vnto vs the light by which we see the life by which we liue the way wherein we must walke the doore by which we must enter the garment which we must put on the food whereby we must be nourished and strengthened Of our selues we are void of all good things We liue in darknes and in the shaddow of death we are borne dead in sinnes and trespasses we wander wide out of the way we haue no entrance into Gods kingdome the shame of our nakednesse appeareth to the loathing of our persons But through CHRIST IESVS both these defects are taken away and all the merits of his passion are made ours through this vnion which we haue in him sealed vp vnto vs in this Sacrament Vse 2 Secondly this straight vniting of the faithfull to Christ sheweth plainly that the vngodly haue no part nor fellowship in him and with his graces though they be ioyned to a communion of the same nature and haue many common guifts of knowledge and vnderstanding yet Christ neuer dwelleth in them with his sauing graces and with his spirit of sanctification he possesseth not their hearts he worketh not in them a particular perswasion of their reconciliation to God neither an hungring desire aboue all things to be at vnity and peace with him neither a distast and dislike of sinne neither the comfortable Spirit of grace and prayer all which are in some measure in all the faithfull Wherefore although they may be clothed with the flesh of Christ they cannot be said to be couered with the grace of Christ although they be like vnto him in regard of this naturall body yet they are not indued with his heauenly Spirit they haue many priuiledges through him but they want such as accompany saluation and seale vp our redemption Vse 3 Lastly haue we a communion with Christ then wee may be assured by this holy Supper that there is also betweene him and vs a communion in all estates and he is touched with a compassion of all our infirmites In all our troubles he is troubled in our afflictions he is afflicted in our persecutions he is persecuted and he that toucheth vs toucheth the apple of his eye In the naturall body if at any time the foot be trodden vpon the head complaineth Why hurt you me and in the mysticall body if Saul make hauock of the Church at Damascus the head in heauen cryeth out by and by Acts 9 4. Saul Saul why persecutest thou me This putteth vs in minde of two things one concerning Christ the other concerning our selues First is there such an vnion betweene vs Are we so neerely knit together as the husband and the wife Similites expressing the vnâ—oÌ„ between Christ and vs. as the head and the members as the foundation of the house the rest of the building as the Vine and the branches as the nourishment the thing nourished Let vs learne heereby how Christ is affected toward vs he suffereth with vs when we suffer 1 Cor. 12.16 and accounteth our chastisements as his owne euen as when one member suffereth all the members suffer with it This is a notable comfort vnto vs in all sorrowes to consider that hee is very compassionate and pittifull toward vs he hath a feeling of our miseries and his soule is after a sort greeued for them Secondly as this sheweth how he is affected toward vs so it teacheth how we should be affected toward him If we be feeling members of his body there is nothing done against him or committed to the preiudice of his glory but we should bee greeued more then if it were done vnto our selues Psal 139 21. The Prophet did hate them that hated the Lord and was greeued with those that rose vp against him Riuers of waters did runne downe his eyes Psal 119 136. because men kept not his law But alasse where is this feeling to be found on our parts When the Lord is spitefully abused and wounded euen as it were vnto the heart who is wounded with him or accounteth himselfe euilly intreated We are as sencelesse men and haue not a teare to shed on his behalfe which argueth against vs and prooueth to our faces that the spirituall life is very weake in vs if there be any life at all CHAP. XIIII Of the third vse of the Lords Supper THe third vse of the Lords Supper is a spirituall communion and growth with our a The 〈◊〉 Supper is the band of charity brethren to be one body with them flowing from the Communion which we haue with Christ For as the vnion betweene brethren and sisters of the same blood and of the same flesh springeth from the neere coniunction they haue from father and mother as from a fountaine and as the vnity and concord among seruants of the same society ariseth by meâ—nes of the same Maister so the faithfull that haue communion with Christ haue likewise communion one with another This Paul testifieth euidently writing to the Corinthians b â—oâ— 1â— â—7 We that are many are one bread and one body because we all are partakers of one bread This is to be vnderstood of that communion and fellowship which the members haue one with another who receiue food and nourishment from the same Table thereby professing themselues to be of the selfe same family houshold Besides by the vniting together of many graines is made one bread of many clusters of grapes one wine is pressed out so out of many members groweth vp one body of the Church which is the body of Christ This maketh much to the reconciling renuing and maintaining of friendship that we are all partakers of one bread made of many cornes and drinke of the same cup of wine made of many clusters c 1 Cor. 12 13 as the Apostle setteth downe 1 Cor. 12 We are all made to drinke into one Spirit Wherefore we are not onely to looke to our vnion with Christ but
to this Sacrament to know the grounds of religion and vnderstand the doctrine of the Sacraments Secondly to beleeue in Christ and to looke for salâ—ation in him alone inasmuch as there is no other name vnder heauen by which we must be saued So then we must come with faith which is the hand to apprehend Christ Thirdly to abhorre and detest our sins to hate them with an vnfained hatred as our deadly and most dangerous enemies and to haue godly sorrow for them which may cause repentance not to be repented of Lastly to loue our brethren truely and sincerely yea euen our enemies If we finde not these things in our selues we must carefully vse all holy meanes appointed for this purpose to begin them in vs otherwise our estate will prooue to be fearefull and dangerous We must with all sincerity conscience and zeale vse prayer the word read and preached conferrence meditation and such like helpes as may further them in vs. If we do finde them in vs though feeble and in great want and weaknesse we are not to abstaine from the Sacrament but to come therunto to seek strength of faith and increase of obedience Wherefore b Mat. 11 28 our Sauiour calleth such vnto him Come to me all ye that are weary and sore laden and I will ease you take my yoke on you and yee shall finde rest vpon your soules for my yoake is easie and my burden it light And chap. 12. A bruised c Mat. 12 26 reeds shall he not breake and smoaking flax shal he not quench till he bring forth iudgment vnto victory Touching the first we are to obserue d The 1. part of examination is knowledg of Gods word that such as will come aright to the lords supper must haue the knowledge of Gods word which is the foundation and ground-worke of faith Wee must know what to beleeue and must learne the doctrine of saluation out of the Scripture Our Sauiour Christ in that heauenly prayer which hee made a little before his passion vseth these words to his Father e Iohn 17 3. This is eternal life to know thee to be the onely very God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ We must know how miserable all men are of themselues that we are separated from god the children of wrath by nature as wel as others and the verie fire-brands of hell They that want this knoledge cannot iudge aright of the parts and vses of this Sacrament nor desire this heauenly meate which nourisheth to eternall life So then knowledge must necessarily go before faith for it is the nature of faith to beleeue that which it knoweth and therefore where there is small knowledge there can bee but little faith and where there is no knowledge there can be no faith acording f Rom. 10 17. to the doctrine of the Apostle Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God The knowledge required of vs when we approach to this Sacrament standeth in these two g What particular pointes â—re necessâ—tie to be knowne oâ— al that com to the Communion pointes first in the knowledge of God secondly in the knowledge of our selues In these two branches standeth the first part of examination And these two points are so neerely ioyned and knit together that no man can thoroughly know God vnlesse he know himselfe and no man can haue the perfect knowledge of himselfe except he know God in whom h Acts 17 28 he liueth mooueth and hath his being Vnder these two heads many particular points are containd necessary to be known of those that offer themselues to bee partakers of this Sacrament First that there is onely one God that hath made himselfe knowne in three persons Iohn 5 7. the Father the Sonne and the Holy-ghost Secondly that God made man and all other creatures good and gouerneth all things well Thirdly man did fall through the enticement of the Deuill and his own wilfull disobedience in breaking the commandements of God Fourthly there are ten commaundements diuided into two tables whereof the foure first commaundements concerne our duties to God the sixe last our duties toward our neighbour Fiftly we cannot keepe these commandements nor anie one of them but wee breake them daily in motion in thoght in word and in deed the breach wherof deserueth k Deut 27 25 the curse of God that is all miseries in this life death in thâ— end of this life and hell fire after this life Sixtly there is no meanes or remedy in our selues or in any creature but onely in Iesus Christ the eternall Son of God l Luke 1 35 who is God and Man God that he might ouercom death and Man that he might die for our sinnes Hee hath pacified Gods wrath fulfilled the righteousnesse of the Law sanctified our nature adopted vs to be the children of God and maketh our duties though weake acceptable vnto his Father Seuenâ—hly all haue not deliuerance by him but onely such as beleeue in Chrâ—st m 1 Cor. 1 30. whose obedience and righteousnesse is made ours by a liuely faith whereby we are perswaded that through him our sinnes are forgiuen and we made the children of God Eightly faith is a gift of God applying Christ and all his merits particularly to our selues and teaching that he is a Sauiour vnto vs. Ninthly beeing saued by Christ through faith n Luke 1 74 we may not liue as we lift this vnspeakable mercie teacheth vs to deny all vngodlinesse and all worldly and sinnefull lusts to liue soberly righteouslie and godly in this present euill world and to walke in newnesse of life o Ephesia 6 5 because no vnrighteous person shal enter into the kingdome of heauen Tenthly this Faith which bringeth foorth a reformed life is wrought within our heartes by the Holie-ghost p Rom 10 14. through the preaching of the word being truely expounded and profitably applyed with doctrine consutation exhortation correction reformation and consolation and it is encreased besides by reading praying and receyuing of the Sacraments Eleuenthly touching prayer wee haue a perfect platforme left vs by q Mat 6 9. Christ in the Gospell which containeth 6. petitions the three first concerning the glory of God and the three last concerning the necessities of our owne bodies and soules Twelfely the Sacraments are another helpe to strengthen and increase faith which are outward signes and seales ordained of God to assure vs that Christ all his sauing graces are giuen vnto vs. These are two in number Baptisme the Sacrament of our regeneration and new birth assureth vs by the washing of water that our sins are forgiuen by the blood of Christ we borne anew to God The Lords Supper assureth vs that by bread and wine giuen and receiued according to Gods ordinance Christ is giuen vs to be our spirituall nourishment to euerlasting life These grounds of religion must be knowne and vnderstood that we may
our selues the promises of saluation Wee must not onely see them a farre off but feele them in our hearts Wee must beleeue not onely that Christ is a Sauiour but that he is our Sauiour and Redeemer Thus wee must euerie one of vs for his owne part make propâ—r to himselfe all the riches and graces that are in Christ Iesuâ— because in giuing himselfe to vs hee giueth all his benefiâ—s in that he is God he maketh vs after a sort d 2 Peter 1 4â— partakers of the diuine nature being heire of all things in heauen and earth e 1 Cor 3 22. and Lord of the world hee maketh all thinges ours whether life or death whether things present or thinges to com recouering in him the possession of those things which we lost â—n Adam being the beloued sonne of the father hee maketh vs acceptable and well-pleasing vnto him leading captiuity captiue and giuing giftes f Eph. 4 8. to men hauing Dominion ouer the diuell sinne hell the world the flesh and all our enemies he protecteth vs that they cannot ouerthrowe vs and hath g Reuelat. 1 6 made vs Kings and Priests to God euen his father in that he is happie and immortall he maketh vs partakers of his blessednesse and immortality When we shall seuerally and particularly apply all the actions and benefits of Christ our Lorde vnto our selues wee may boldly come to the Lords Table where we shall finde Christ and enioy him to our endlesse comfort knowing that we liue alwaies by faith but not alwaies by feeling Neither are we to abstaine and hang back from comming to the Supper nor to dispaire of our selues nor to bee too much cast downe when we feele sundry defectes and wants in our faith For h There are 2. degrees of true faith there is a weake and feeble saith which is yet a true faith as well as the strong faith There are two degrees of faith profitable to be knowne and comfortable to be considered The weake faith i what a weak Faith is is an earnest and vnsaigned desire to bee reconciled vnto God in Christ which willing desire in vs God accepteth as the deede it selfe he accounteth the desire of faith as faith it selfe the desire of reconciliation and forgiuenesse of sinnes by the death of Christ shall be auaileable to worke out our attonement and redemption The strong faith is a full perswasion assurance k What a strong faith is of the mercies of God when the faithfull can truly say with the Apostle Rom. 8 38 l Roma 8 38. 39. I am perswaded that neither life nor death nor things present nor things to come neither Angels nor principalities nor powers neither hetâ—hth nor depth nor any other creature shall separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lorde To this assurance we labour to come and in this assurance we endeuour to grow and to go on from saith to faith and from strength to strength vntill we learne to stand fast as it were vpon the battlements of heauen and to set the world at defiance and to treade the earth vnder our feete saying with the Apostle Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect Or who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ This is the greatest measure and highest degree of faith this is the top strength and full ripenesse of faith heere vnto wee are to striue and endeuour and neuer to giue rest vnto our soules vntill we be resolued and setled in our consciences that all our sinnes are assurredly pardoned and we accepted to euerlasting life This greatnesse of faith was in Abraham m Rom. 4 20 who was not weake but strengthened in faith being fully perswaded Hee that had promised was able also to do it All that liue in the bosome of the Church doe not attaine to this full measure of a perfect faith but euen as it is in the estate of the body we are Babes before wee come to be men of ripe yeares first we be weake before we be strong n 1 cor 3 1 â— first we are fedde with milke before wee can digest strong meate We see o Mar. 4 2â— Corne first in the grasse then in the blade before it come to the stalke and haue ripe corne in the eare There must bee in all things a beginning before there can be a proceeding to perfection The tree sendeth foorth his tender branches and putteth foorth his leaues before his fruite commeth So is it with euery Christian man and woman first they are babes in Christ and haue certaine seeds and beginnings of faith springing in them to eternall life afterward they grow from strength to strength from grace to grace from degree to degree p Roma 1 17. and from faith to fayth vntill they come to a full perswasion and assurance vvithout wauering q Psalme 23 6 which ariseth after many experiences of Gods manifolde mercies and fauours in the course of our liues as we see Psal 23. Doubtlesse kindnesse and mercie shall follow me all the daies of my life and I shall remaine a long season in the house of the Lord. Wherefore let vs not be dismayed discouraged when our faith is feeble for a feeble faith wil apply Christ as well as a strong faith it will drawe Christ home to dwell in our hearts r Ephes 3 17. through whom we shall not perish but haue euerlasting life He that had but a weak eie and a dim sight to behold the brazen Serpent in the wildernesse Å¿ Numb â— 1 â— was healed from the deadly stinging of the fiery serpents as well as he that saw clearly and perfectly afarre off He that hath but a leprous and sickly hand is able to holde that which is offered vnto it as well as a sound and strong hand So he that hath a little faith in the son of God shall neuer haue his saluation denied nor forgiuenesse of his sins kept from him if with an humble heart hee pray to God to haue them pardoned The Apostles beleeued that Christ was the Sauior of the world t Luke 24 â—5 yet they were ignorant of his death and resurrection which are the chiefe meanes of saluation and they are saide to be men of little faith So our Sauiour when the u Luke 17 5 6 Disciples had asked encrease of their faith declareth that if our faith be in quantity but as a graine of Mustard-seed it should be powerfull and effectuall seeing hee will not a Marke 2 23 quench the smoaking flaxe nor breake the bruised Reede but cherish the lost sparke and measure of grace giuen vnto vs from aboue This likewise was the faith of that Father whose childe was possessed with a dumbe and deafe spirit when Christ said to him b Math. 7 7 8 If thou canst beleeue all things are possible to him that beleeueth straight way he cried with tears
saying Lord I beleeue helpe mine vnbeleefe Christ doth not reiect him for his weaknesse of knoledge and faith to teach that we should not despaire or be dismaide when we finde wauering wantes distrust and imperfection in our selues but rather confessing our frailty with that Father in this place pray to be strengthned and to haue our Faith encreased For whosoeuer vnfainedly desireth any grace of God tending to saluation shal receiue it if he continue c Reu 21 6. knocking at the gate of his Mercie it shall bee opened and his prayer shall be granted as Christ hath promised d Phil 1 6. I wil giue to him that is a thirst of the Well of the water of life Thus if wee long after the graces wanting vnto vs as the earth after a great drowth for the comfortable showers of refreshing raine vsing the meanes appointed of God to attaine them as earnest prayer reuerent attending on the continual hearing of his word diligent receiuing of the Sacraments being careful to giue honor and glory to him for his gifts we haue already of his onely mercie obtained and enioyed we shal be satisfied and replenished for then He that hath begun his good worke in vs will perfect the same in our hearts vntill the day of Iesus Christ Thus much of faith the second part of true examination which is the instrument whereby we lay hold vpon Christ and are made liuely members of him without which whosoeuer come to the Lords Supper depart awaie without fruite and comfort because of an action without faith commeth an end without fruite CHAP. XVIII Of Repentance the third part of examination THe next thing in this triall to be considered is a Repentance from dead works requyred of al that come to the Lords table repentance which is a renewing of the minde a change of the heart a turning of the soule and a reformation of our life and affections As knowledge is the beginning and as it were the verie fore-runner of faith like a Messenger going before his Maister to prepare for his comming so repentance is an especiall fruite of faith without which whosoeuer draweth neare to the Lords Table prophaneth the Sacrament and departeth without comfort For it is an altering of our liues and conuersations vnto God ioyned with a godly sorrow and detestation of all sin together with an vnfeined loue and desire of righteousnesse This appeareth in the chaunge of the whole man of our thoughts affections meditations and delights in all these the old man with his deceitfull lusts must be put off and the new man must be put on b Ephe â—â— 24 which after God is created vnto righteousnesse and true holinesse This duty is taught in diuers places of the Scripture Heereunto come the words of the Prophet Esaiah When c â—say 1 12. ye come to appeare before me vvho required this at your hands to treade in my Courts Bring no mo Oblations in vaine Incense is an abhom nation vnto me I cannot suffer your New Moones nor Sabâ—othes nor solemne daies it is iniquity nor assemblies And when ye shall stretch out your hands I will hide mine eies from you and though yee make manie prayers I will not heare for your hands are full of blood Wash you make you cleane take away the euill of your workes from before mine eies cease to do euill learne to do well c. And Chap. 66. He that killeth a Bullocke d â—say 66 3. is as if he slew a man he that sacrificeth a sheepe is as if he cut off a Dogges necke he that offereth an oblation as if he offered Swines flesh he that burneth incense as if he blessed an Idoll yea they haue chosen their owne waies and their Soule delighteth in their abhominations Wherby the prophet meaneth that God accepteth no sacrifices without faith and repentance This also was figured and shadowed out by washing the Garments and chaunging the attire of such as came with c Gen 35 â— 3 their Oblations vnto God and prepared themselues vnto his seruice Thâ—â— Iacob commanded when he reformed his houshold and went vp with them to Bethell the house of GOD. Thus Moses prepared the people before the Lawe was deliuered in Mount Sinai And heereunto the Prophet Dauid alludeâ—h Psâ—l 26. I will wash mine hands in innocency O Lord and â—â—aâ—pâ—sseth 〈…〉 As if he should say I wil endeauor to liue most vprightly toward thee and toward men and so come and offer sacrifices at thine Altar Wherefore such as feele not themselues to haue penitent hearts to be humbled and grieued for their sins to sigh and grone vnder the burthen of them to tremble at God iudgments cannot come aright to this holy Supper but eate drinke certaine iudgement to themselues The broken and contrite heart is the path-way to heauen f 1 Cor 7 10.11 and an vnseparable companion of repentance This the Apostle teacheth 2 Cor. 7. Godly sorrow causeth repentance vnto saluation not to be repented off but worldly sorrow causeth death but behold this thing that yee haue beene godly sorry what great â—â—â—e it hath wrought in you yea what cleering of your selues yea what indignation yea what feare yea what desire yea what zeale yea what punishment Heere be the g Signs wherby to examin our repentance notes and tokens whereby we may try our repentance whether it be sincere or not It hath these signes to discerne it a care to leaue that sin into which we are fallen otherwise we haue not repented as Act. 2. They which had crucified the Lord of life and deliuered him into the hands of sinners were pricked in their hearts and said to Peter and to the other h Act 1. 37.38 Apostles Men and brethren what shall we do And Peter said vnto them Amend your liues and saue your selues from this froward generation The other signes of repentance are a confession of our sins to God a condemning our selues for them an holy and inward anger against our selues for our carelesnesse in looking to our owne waies a feare nor so much of Gods iudgements as least we fall into the same sins againe and so offend our mercifull Father a desire euer after to please God with all our hearts and last of all a renewing and punishing of our owne soules for our offences committed against him Now to the end we may repent aright and sit in iudgement of our selues according to the forme of God iustice it shall be needfull for vs i In examining our selues we must 〈◊〉 the order of the Comandements Command 1. to examine our selues by the ten words of the law and out of the same to frame ten seueral encitements against our selues whereby wee shall finde a great defect of righteousnes a great spoile of obedience a great accesse of disobedience and a great heape of all kinde of corruptions This then may serue and suffice for the true examination of our selues We must
those from the number of Sacraments which want the warrant of the word The third outward part of a Sacrament is p Marke 1 5. the signe for wheresoeuer there is a Sacrament there must of necessity be an outward element so that neyther must wee make an Idoll of the Signe by aduancing it too high nor cleane abolish it as the Church of Rome dooth by their doctrine of Transubstantiation The last outward part is the q Gene. 17 12 Receiuer so that the Sacraments without their lawfull vse are no Sacraments at all so long as the signes are reserued and not applyed The inward partes also are Å¿ 1 Cor. 3.7 foure First God the Father offering and applying Christ Iesus as surely as the Minister doth the outwarde signe which is a great comfort to such as come to the Sacraments The second inward part of a Sacrament is t Titus 3.56 the holy Spirit working by the worde so that wee can neuer heare the word or receiue the Sacraments aright without the speciall direction and inspiration of the spirit of God neither must we hang vpon extraordinary reuelations which openeth a wide doore vnto all disorders inasmuch as the Spirite is not separated from the word The third inward part is Iesus u 1 Cor. 10 3 Christ who is the truth the life of all Sacraments nowe if God the Father haue giuen him vnto vs a Rom 8 32. how shal he not with him giue vs al things else Let vs therefore lay hold vpon him especially in all difcomfits and troubles when our faith is assaulted by the enemies of our saluation The last inward part is the faithfull Receiuer for except we b Ro 14 23 send out faith to bring Christ home to dwell with vs in our hearts we shall in vaine looke to receiue profite by the Sacraments so that the Reprobate who are vessels of wrath and the children of perdition cannot receiue Christ albeit they partake the signes of Christ As for the elect who are the Lords fealed vp to the day of redemption before their conuersion and gathering into the sheepefold of Christ they also onely receiue the outwarde signe without Christ inasmuch as they are without faith but after they are called with an holie calling effectually and haue receiued to beleeue vnfaignedly they are partakers both of the signe and of the thing signified These are the outward and inward parts Now there c Actes 8 36 is a fit proportion and agreement betweene these partes each verie aptly answering the other For euen as the minister by the word of Institution offereth and applyeth visibly the outward element to the bodie of the Receiuer so the father by the spirit offereth and applieth Iesus Christ inuisibly to the faithfull receiuer Wee shewed before that in a Sacrament wee are to obserue two points his parts and his vses Hitherto we haue spoken of all the parts both such as are outward and such as are inward Now it remaineth to handle his vses The vses of a Sacrament d 3. cheefe vses of a Sacrament are chiefelie three first e Rom. 4 11. to strengthen secondly f Ge. 17 1 11. to seale vp the couenant betweene God and vs thirdlie g Ephes 2 11 to be a Badge of our profession and as a banner displayed to witnesse our warefare vnder our chiefe Captaine Christ Iesus If these be the true vses and ends of the Sacraments then we learne to take notice of h Mark 9 23 our owne failinges and infirmities of Faith that GOD refuseth none for weakenesse and wauering of Faith i Rom. 4 11 that there is an assurance of Fayth to be attained vnto in this life that as God euermore keepeth his promise with his people k Num 23 15. who is not as man that hee should lie l 1 Iohn 3 13 nor as the sonne of man that hee should deceiue so must we be carefull to keepe the Articles of agreement betweene God and vs namely to beleeue his word to loue our bretheren to obey his will that the Sacraments belong not to the vnfaithfull and can do them no good at all forasmuch as they be effectual vnto vs by faith Lastly as our priuiledges are great to beare the badges of Christ our Lord so it teacheth that we are not our owne m 1 Cor. 6 19 20. but are bought at a great price not with n 1 Pet. 1 18.19 coruptible things as siluer and gold but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lambe vnspotted and vndefiled Hitherto of the nature of the Sacraments now of the number of them as we vnderstand the word for such as are seales of our communion with Christ The Sacraments o The Sacraments of the new testameÌ„t are onely two of the new testament are two baptisme and the Lords Supper neither are there any moe left vnto the Church For Christ taught no moe p 1 Cor. 10 1.2 Act. 20 27. Sacraments to the Apostles the Apostles deliuered no moe to the Churches who yet were faithfull witnesses and reuealed the whole counsell of God without concealing and keeping backe of any doctrine which themselues had receiued Besides these two Sacraments are altogether perfect and sufficient both to enter a Christian into the Church and to retaine him continually in the same From this number of two Sacraments we learne first to acknowledge the great loue of God toward vs who hath eased vs of the r Act. 15 10. heauy burthen of infinite ceremonies prescribed in the law and deliuered vs Å¿ Aâ—g de dâ—â—â— Câ—â—â— â— 3. c. 9 a few Sacraments in stead of many Secondly we see heereby the difference betweene the old Testament and the new and betweene the Sacraments of the old Testament and the new they had sundry significant signes and ceremonies whose interpretation was not easily knowne vnto them Thirdly seeing God hath giuen vnto vs two signes and added two seales to his word and writings we ought to haue the stronger faith in his mercifull promises For wherefore hath he doubled the signes but that we should increase in faith as it were double our assurance of his graces Lastly this number of two ouerthroweth the number of seaueÌ„ Sacraments maintained in the Church of Rome which iust number was t 〈…〉 first broched by Peter Lumbard afterward ratified in the Counsell of Florence and lastly established in the Counsell of Trent and is now become the common doctrine of that counterfeit Church For besides baptisme and the Lords Supper which wee receiue they u The number of seauen Sacraments is faâ—se and forged haue installed into the number of SacrameÌ„ts Confirmation Penance Matrimony Orders and extreme Vnction contrary to the doctrine of the Scriptures contrary to the nature of Sacraments contrary to the euidence of sundry reasons And first of all a Confirmation no Sacrament Confirmation be lifted vp into the seate
of the Sacraments or sit downe in this Chaire of honour because it wanteth the institution of Christ it wanteth an outward signe it hath no word to warrant it or promise of blessing for howsoeuer b Act 8 5 14 15 16 17. the Apostles by imposition of hands gaue the Holy-Ghost those miraculous gifts are now with-drawne from the Church of God Lastly they haue aduanced it aboue baptisme they administer it in a strange tongue hallow the greazy oyle to purifie soule and body True it is they alledge the example of the Apostles who vsed imposition of hands ouer those of Samaria Act. 8 14. But can they bestow the like miraculous guifts as the Apostles did vpon the Samaritans by laying on of their hands Indeed wheÌ„ Philip had catechised the Samaritans taught them the fundamentall points of Christian religion the Apostles came and prayed for them and laid their hands vpon them So likewise after that children haue in their owne persons made publike particular profession of their faith which others did professe for them in their name at baptisme We acknowledge that prayer may be made for them that strength of faith and increase of grace may bee giuen them by the Holy-Ghost to liue and dye in that faith wherof they haue made profession To which prayers we deny not but the ceremony of imposition of hands may bee added betokening the restraint of our desires to the parties whom we present to God and declaring thereby that wee pray for them that are before vs. But what is this to the cozenage and imposture of the Church of Rome that mock God and his people For the Apostles did not consecrate Oyle mixed with Balme nor annoint the Samaritans with such Oyle They did not crosse their fore-heads nor kisse their mouths nor clap their eares nor binde their faces with fillets nor forbid them to wash their heads neither vsed any such may-game as is now practised by the popish Bishops in their apish confirmation who haue it in greater estimation then the Sacrament of baptisme because they permit the administration of it to euery Priest yea to priuate persons yea to women yea euen to the Iewes and Infidels that are out of the Church whereas they reserue to the Bishops onely the power of Confirmation as if it had greater power to strengthen the soule against the Diuell Secondly c Penance is no sacrament their pennance instituted by bodily chastisements to make satisfaction for sin to God is no Sacrament of the new Testament nor any sacred thing being thus vnderstood For we acknowledge no other satisfaction d 1 Ioh 1 7. for sinne wherein God delighteth and the conscience of man resteth but only the death and obedience of Christ Besides true repentance hath been preached and practised from the beginning of the world after that sinne entred into the world Furthermore their pennance hath no visible signe as baptisme and the Supper of the Lord haue Thirdly e Matrimony is no Sacrament matrimony albeit it be a diuine ordinance honorable f Heb 13 4. among all estates yet can be no Sacrament of the Church of Christ because it was instituted before g Gen 2 18 the law it is ratified among the Infidels which are no members of the Church it hath no promise of grace and saluation ioyned to it and albeit it be honourable in all h 1. Cor 6 7.7 37. yet it is not necessary in all Lastly the Romaine Church esteemeth it as an vncleane thing a prophanation of holy orders a liuing in the flesh so that as with one hand they aduance it to a great dignity with the other hand they cast it downe with great disgrace and contempt as vnworthy of the high holy priest-hood Fourthly orders come in the next i Orders no sacrament place which are the officers and ministry of the Church but no Sacrament or Sacraments of the Church For then according to the number of orders wee should multiply the number of Sacraments Neither haue they any outward Element and visible signe Lastly we are come to extreame vnction which we suffer not to mask vnder the name of Sacraments but pull off the vizard therof because the church had the vse of anointing so long as it retained the miraculous gift of healing Besides it hath no worde of institution to warrant the continuall practise of it vntil the second comming of Christ Indeede the Apostles and Disciples were commaunded to annoint the sicke and so to heale them of their sicknes and if any man in our dayes haue this miraculous guifte of healing bestowed vpon him we like well that hee shoulde annoint the sicke and in the name of God vse the gifte bestowed vpon him But the Church of Rome annoint those whose case and condiâ—ion is without hope of amendement and recouery Thus a Medicine is turned into a Sacrament and a miracle is turned into a coniuring of Deuils and the Vnct on which was woont to heale the body is turned into a foolish ceremony vnprofitable both to the bodie and to the soule and yet it will require a large halfe houres worke to can oâ—e oâ—â— extreme vnction A great deale of time very all â—â—stowed Wherefore sâ—â—ing the word of God teacheth the number of two Sacraments onely and the Church of Rome enstructeth her children inâ—o the number of seauen Sacraments neither moe nor lesse they must pardon vs if wee hearken rather to the Scriptures then to their Traditions rather to God then to man rather to the author of trueth then to the spirit of error Neuerthelesse though wee thus speake we like wel the things themselues being rightly vnderstood at the repentance of the penitent confirmation of the faithful that are weake and newe called the order of the Ministery of the Church the visitation and comfort of the sicke the lawfull estate of honourable Matrimony as godly and profitable and that not onely in the new Testament but also in the olde so that we would haue no man slander vs or mistake vs herein as though we refused those things which be of themselues godly and good but vvee like not and allow not the deuising of newe Sacraments in them for which we haue no warrant in the word of God Hitherto we haue spoken of the Sacraments in generall The sum of the 2. Booke of their parts of their vses and of the number now wee come to speake of them in particular first of Baptism which is as it were the doore or gate of the Church then of the Lordes Supper which is the foode and nourishment of the Church And howsoeuer Baptisme hath sundrie significations yet as it signifieth that washing with Water which serueth to seale and assure the Couenant of the New Testament What Bapt is it is the first Sacrament wherein by the outward washing of the body with water once in the name of the Father of the son and of the holy
iustification Secondly the Holy-Ghost who assureth vs of the truth of Gods promises This sheweth that he is true i Reuel 1 4. God equall with the Father and the Son proceeding from the Father and the Son This confuteth such as suppose no partaking of the body and blood of Christ except he bee giuen vs in a carnal and fleshy manner wheras the Spirit worketh faith in our hearts k Heb. 11.1 which is the ground of things which are hoped for and the euidence of things which are not seene The third inward part of the Lords Supper l Luk. 22 19 is the body blood of Christ deliuered for vs vnto death This conuinceth such of a spirit of error who make vnbeleeuers and reprobates partakers of Christs body and blood thus his body should be prophaned m Ioh 6 5 and his sauing graces separated from his person But euen as where Sathan dwelleth possesseth the heart there alwaies raigne the works of darknes and damnation so the gifts of Christ accompanying saluation are inseparably ioyned with the person of Christ This also condemneth the reall presence and carnall eating of Christ which forgeth many Christs and reuiueth the heresie of Eutiches it crosseth sundry Articles of the Christian faith and maketh faithfull men like the vnfaithfull Barbarians that deuoured mans flesh and drunke his blood True it is Christ is truely present in the Sacrament howbeit not carnally and corporally but spiritually and mystically He hath giuen himselfe to be the food of our soules let vs hunger and thirst after him and lay hold on him to our saluation for n â— Ioh. 5 12. he that hath the Sonne hath life he that hath not the Son of God hath not life The last inward part is the faithfull receiuer who stretcheth forth the hand of faith so layeth hold on Christ and al his sauing graces For no maÌ„ can communicate with his body but the same is made partaker of his benefits Let vs all prepare the true and liuely faith o Tit. 1.1 of Gods elect and assure our selues that hypocrites and vnbeleeuers cannot possibly be partakers of the body and blood of Christ These are the foure inward parts also of the Lords Supper The similitude and relation p The proportion betwixt the outward and inward parts of the Supper of the outward and inward parts one to another standeth in this manner euen as the Minister by the words of institution offereth and giueth bread and wine to the Communicants to feed thereupon bodily so the Father by the Spirit offereth and exhibiteth the body and blood of Christ Iesus to the soules of the faithful to feed vpon them spiritually Thus much of all the parts of the Lords Suppeer now follow the vses to be vnfolded The q The vses of the lâ—d supper are three vses and profit which we reape by the Lords Supper are specially three First to shew forth with praise and thanksgiuing the death and the sufferings of Christ who his owne selfe bare our sins in his body on the tree by whose stripes r 1 Pet. 2 24 we are healed so that we haue the chiefe cause in our selues which did crucifie Christ Secondly to teach our communion with Christ being made flesh Å¿ Eâ—h 5 30. of his flesh and bone of his bones Hence we learne that al the godly and beleeuers are made partakers of Chrst and his graces This is matter of great comfort in our manifold trials and tentations that we are ioyned to Christ as members to the head t Rom. 8. â—3 and therefore neither life nor death nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things preseÌ„t nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shal be able to separate vs from the loue of GOD which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. But on the other side the vngodly and vnbeleeuers haue no part or portion in Christ and his graces they are as branches u Ioh. 15 6. cut off which wither and men gather them to cast them into the fire and to burne them Thirdly to declare and testifie our Communion fellowship and a 1 Cor. 10 17 agreement with our brethreÌ„ meeting together at the same Table and partaking together of the same Supper Wherefore seeing we haue not onely an vnion with Christ but a Communion among our selues we are the seruants of the Church to serue one another in all duties of loue to instruct them that are ignorant to raise them that are fallen and to binde vp the broken hearted to reconcile our selues one toward another and to keepe the vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace Hitherto we haue handled the doctrine of the Lords Supper declaring what it is what are the parts and vses thereof the preparation to this worke followeth b 1 Cor. 11.28 consisting in the examination of our selues and trying our owne hearts by the touchstone of the law of God This duty is very necessary to be performed of vs c Ier. 17 9. for the heart of man is deceitful aboue al things and the secret corners of it past finding out We haue to deale with God in this businesse Great is the profit which we reape and receiue if we come rightly and reuerently prepared Great is the punishment procured by want of this tryall and examination And the d Hag. 2 14 Sacrament it selfe is defiled by vnworthy receiuing This preparation principally standeth in these foure points in the e Ioh. 17 3. knowledge of God and of ourseluess especially of the whole doctrine of the Sacraments in a f 2 Cor. 13 5 liuely faith in Christ seeing euery one receiueth so much as he beleeueth he receiueth in repentance g Psal 26 6. from dead workes and lastly in h Mat. 5 23. reconciliation toward our brethren hauing peace i Rom. 12.18 with all men and loue toward our enemies Thus I haue opened plainely yet truely the doctrine of the Sacraments deliuered in the Scriptures and taught in the reformed Churches I haue disclosed some part of the mystery of Iniquity and discouered and laid open the skirts of that great Idoll of the Masse the reproach of Christians the scorne of the Gentiles the offence of the weake and the occasion of ruine to many that stumble thereat to their own confusion The Lord God high possessor of heauen and earth and preseruer of his people that call vpon him put it into the hart of al Christian Princes and Rulers of the earth to pull downe this abhominable Idoll that hath aduanced it selfe against the kingdome of Christ and to deface this filthy monster that hath deceiued many who trusted in it The same Lord vouchsafe to reueale his truth to the ignorant to establish them that are weake and to confound all obstinate enemies to his truth to their Prince and to their Country for Iesus Christs sake Amen Amen FINIS A Table of the principall