to detest and abhor that Sin which is so much to be hated and pernicious and hurtful to all Men. But among all kinds of Contention none is more hurtful than is Contention in matters of Religion Eschew saith Saint Paul 1 Tim. 1. 2 Tim. 2. foolish and unlearned questions knowing that they breed Strife It becometh not the Servant of God to fight or strive but to be Meek toward all Men. This Contention and Strife was in Saint Paul's time among the Corinthians and is at this time among us English Men. For too many there be which upon the Ale-benches or other places delight to set forth certain questions not so much pertaining to Edification as to Vain-Glory and shewing forth of their cunning and so unsoberly to reason and dispute that when neither part will give place to other they fall to Chiding and Contention and somtime from hot Words to further Inconvenience Saint Paul could not abide to hear among the Corinthians these words of Discord or Dissention 1 Cor. 3. I hold of Paul I of Cephas and I of Apollo What would he then say if he heard these words of Contention which be now almost in every Man's Mouth He is a Pharisee he is a Gospeller he is of the new sort he is of the Old Faith he is a new-broched Brother he is a good Catholick Father he is a Papist he is an Heretick O how the Church is divided O how the Cities be cut and mangled O how the Coat of Christ that was without Seam is all to rent and torn O Body Mystical of Christ where is that holy and happy unity out of the which whosoever is he is not in Christ If one Member be pulled from another where is the Body If the Body be drawn from the Head where is the Life of the Body We cannot be joyned to Christ our Head except we be glued with Concord and Charity one to another For he that is not of this Unity is not of the Church of Christ which is a Congregation or Unity together and not a Division 1 Cor. 3. Saint Paul saith That as long as Emulation or Envying Contention and Factions or Sects be among us we be carnal and walk according to the fleshly Man James 3. And Saint James saith If ye have bitter Emulation or Envying and Contention in your Hearts glory not of it for where Contention is there is Vnstedfastness and all Evil Deeds And why do we not hear Saint Paul which prayeth us 1 Cor. 1. whereas he might command us saying I beseech you in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you will speak all one thing and that there be no dissention among you but that you will be one whole Body of one mind and of one opinion in the Truth If his desire be reasonable and honest why do we not grant it If his request be for our profit why do we refuse it And if we list not to hear his Petition of Prayer yet let us hear his Exhortation where he saith Ephes 4. I exhort you that you walk as it becometh the Vocation in which you be called with all Submission and Meekness with Lenity and Softness of Mind bearing with one another in Charity studying to keep the Vnity of the Spirit by the Bond of Peace For there is one Body one Spirit one Faith one Baptism There is saith he but one Body of the which he can be no lively Member that is at variance with the other Members There is one Spirit which joyneth and knitteth all things in one And how can this one Spirit reign in us when we among ourselves be divided There is but one Faith and how can we then say He is of the Old Faith and he is of the New Faith There is but one Baptism and then shall not all they which be Baptized be one Contention causeth Division wherefore it ought not to be among Christians whom one Faith and Baptism joyneth in an Unity But if we contemn Saint Paul's request and exhortation yet at the least let us regard his earnest entreating in the which he doth very earnestly charge us and as I may so speak conjure us in this form and manner If there be any Consolation in Christ Phil. 2. if there be any Comfort of Love if you have any Fellowship of the Spirit if you have any Bowels of Pity and Compassion fulfil my Joy being all like affected having one Charity being of one Mind of one Opinion that nothing be done by Contention or Vain-Glory Who is he that hath any Bowels of Pity that will not be moved with these Words so pithy Whose Heart is so stony that the Sword of these Words which be more sharp than any two edged Sword may not cut and break asunder Wherefore let us endeavour ourselves to fulfil Saint Paul's Joy here in this place which shall be at length to our great Joy in another place How we should read the Scripture Let us so read the Scripture that by reading thereof we may be made the better Liverâ— rather than the more Contentious Disputers If any thing be necessary to be Taught Reasoned or Disputed let us do it with all Meekness Softness and Lenity If any thing shall chance to be spoken uncomely let one bear anothers Frailty He that is faulty let him rather amend than defend that which he hath spoken amiss lest he fall by Contention from a foolish Errour into an obstinate Heresie For it is better to give place meekly than to win the Victory with the breach of Charity which chanceth when every Man will defend his Opinion obstinately If we be the Christian Men why do we not follow Christ who saith Matth. 11. Learn of me for I am Meek and Lowly in Heart A Disciple must learn the Lesson of his Schoolmaster and a Servant must obey the Commandment of his Master James 3. He that is Wise and Learned saith Saint James let him shew his Goodness by his Good Conversation and Soberness of his Wisdom For where there is Envy and Contention that Wisdom cometh not from God but is wordly Wisdom Man's Wisdom and devilish Wisdom For the Wisdom that cometh from above from the Spirit of God is Chast and Pure corrupted with no Evil Affections it is Quiet Meek and Peaceable abhorring all desire of Contention it is Tractable Obedient not Grudging to learn and to give place to them that teach better for the Reformation For there shall never be an end of Striving and Contention if we contend who in Contention shall be Master and have the over-hand We shall heap Errour upon Errour if we continue to defend that obstinately which was spoken unadvisedly For Truth it is that Stiffness in maintaining an Opinion breedeth Contention Brawling and Chiding which is a Vice among all other most pernicious and pestilent to common Peace and Quietness And as it standeth betwixt two Persons and Parties for no Man commonly
meant in any condition of the pretenced or coloured Power of the Bishop of Rome For truly the Scripture of God alloweth no such Usurped Power full of Enormities Abusions and Blasphemies But the true meaning of these and such places be to extol and set forth God's true Ordinance and the Authority of God's Anointed Kings and of their Officers appointed under them And concerning the Usurped Power of the Bishop of Rome which he most wrongfully challengeth as the successor of Christ and Peter We may easily perceive how false feigned and forged it is not only in that it hath no sufficient ground in Holy Scripture but also by the Fruits and Doctrine thereof For our Saviour Christ and St. Peter teach most earnestly and agreeably Obedience to Kings as to the chief and Supreme Rulers in this world next under God But the Bishop of Rome teacheth that they that are under him are free from all burdens and charges of the Commonwealth and Obedience toward their Prince most clearly against Christ's Doctrine and St. Peters He ought therefore rather to be called Antichrist and the Successor of the Scribes and Pharises than Christ's Vicar and St. Peter's Successor Seeing that not only in this point but also in other weighty matters of Christian Religion in matters of Remission and Forgiveness of Sins and of Salvation he teacheth so directly against both St. Peter and against our Saviour Christ who not only taught Obedience to Kings but also practised Obedience in their Conversation and Living For we read that they both paid Tribute to the King And also we read that the Holy Virgin Mary Matth. 17. Mother to our Saviour Christ and Joseph who was taken for his Father at the Emperor's Commandment went to the City of David Luke 2. named Bethlehem to be taxed among other and to declare their Obedience to the Magistrates for God's Ordinances sake And here let us not forget the blessed Virgin Maries Obedience For although she was highly in God's Favour and and Christs natural Mother and was also great with Child at the same time and so nigh her Travail that she was delivered in her journey yet she gladly without any excuse or grudging for Conscience sake did take that cold and foul Winter journey being in the mean season so poor that she lay in a Stable and there she was Delivered of Christ And according to the same Lo how St. Peter agreeth writing by express words in his first Epistle 1 Pet. 2. Submit your selves and be Subject saith he unto Kings as unto the chief heads and unto rulers as unto them that are sent of him for the punishment of evil-doors and for the praise of them that do well for so is the will of God I need not to expound these words they be so plain of themselves St. Peter doth not say Submit your selves unto me as Supreme Head of the Church Neither saith he Submit your selves from time to time to my Successors in Rome But he saith Submit your selves unto your King your Supreme Head and unto those that he appointeth in Authority under him for that you shall so shew your Obedience it is the Will of God God will that you be in subjection to your Head and King This is God's Ordinance God's Commandment and God's Will that the whole Body of every Realm and all the Members and Parts of the same shall be subject to their Head their King and that as St. Peter writeth for the Lords sake 1 Pet. 2. Rom. 13. Matth. 22. And as St. Paul writeth for conscience sake and not for fear only Thus we learn by the word of God to yield to our King that is due to our King That is Honour Obedience payments of due Taxes Customs Tributes Subsidies Love and Fear Rom. 13. Thus we know partly our bounden Duties to common Authority now let us learn to accomplish the same And let us most instantly and heartily pray to God the only Author of all Authority for all them that be in Authority according as St. Paul willeth writing thus to Timothy in his first Epistle 1 Tim. 2. I exhort therefore that above all things Prayers Supplications Intercessions and giving of Thanks be done for all Men for Kings and for all that be in Authority that we may live a quiet and a peaceable life with all godliness and Honesty For that is good and accepted or allowable in the sight of God our Saviour Here St. Paul maketh an earnest and an especial Exhortation concerning Giving of Thanks and Prayer for Kings and Rulers saying Above all things as he might say in any wise principally and chiefly let prayer be made for Kings Let us heartily thank God for his great and excellent Benefit and Providence concerning the state of Kings Let us pray for them that they may have God's Favour and God's Protection Let us pray that they may ever in all things have God before their Eyes Let us pray that they may have Wisdom Strength Justice Clemency and Zeal to God's Glory to God's Verity to Christian Souls and to the Commonwealth Let us pray that they may rightly use their Sword and Authority for the maintenance and defence of the Catholick Faith contained in Holy Scripture and of their good and honest Subjects for the fear and punishment of the evil and vicious People Let us pray that they may most faithfully follow the Kings and Captains in the Bible David Ezekias Josias and Moses with such other And let us pray for ourselves that we may live Godlily in Holy and Christian Conversation So shall we have God on our side and then let us not fear what Man can do against us So we shall live in true Obedience both to our most merciful King in Heaven and to our most Christian King on Earth So shall we please God and have the exceeding Benefit peace of Conscience rest and quietness here in this World and after this life we shall enjoy a better Life Rest Peace and the everlasting Bliss of Heaven which he grant us all that was obedient for us all even to the death of the Cross Jesus Christ To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory both now and ever Amen A SERMON Against Whoredom and Vncleanness ALthough there want not good Christian People great swarms of Vices worthy to be rebuked unto such decay is true Godliness and Virtuous living now come Yet above other Vices the outragious Seas of Adultery or breaking of Wedlock Whoredom Fornication and Uncleanness have not only burst in but also overflowed almost the whole World unto the great dishonour of God the exceeding Infamy of the Name of Christ the notable decay of true Religion and the utter destruction of the publick Wealth and that so abundantly that through the customable use thereof this Vice is grown unto such an height that in a manner among many it is counted no sin at all but rather a pastime a
but walketh continually seeking to devour us Let us resist him with our diligent Watching in Labor and in Well-doing For he that diligently exerciseth himself in honest Business is not easily catched in the Devils snare When Man through Idleness or for defalt of some honest Occupation or Trade to live upon is brought to Poverty and want of things necessary we see how easily such a Man is induced for his gain to Lie to Practice how he may deceive his Neighbor to forswear himself to bear false Witness and oftentimes to Steal and Murder or to use some other ungodly mean to live withal whereby not only his good Name honest Reputation and a good Conscience yea his Lise is utterly lost but also the great displeasure and wrath of God with divers and sundry grievous Plagues are procured Lo here the end of the Idle and Sluggish Bodies whose hands cannot away with honest Labor loss of Name Fame Reputation and Life here in this World and without the great Mercy of God the purchasing of Everlasting Destruction in the World to come Have not all Men then good cause to beware and take heed of Idleness seeing they that embrace and follow it have commonly of their pleasant Idleness sharp and soure displeasures Doubtless good and godly Men weighing the great and manifold harms that come by Idleness to a Common-weal have from time to time provided with all deligence that sharp and severe Laws might be made for the Correction and Amendment of this Evil. The Egyptians had a Law Herodotus that every Man should Weekly bring his Name to the chief Rulers of the Province and therewithal declare what trade of Life he used to the intent that Idleness might be worthily punished and diligent Labor duly rewarded The Athenians did chastise Sluggish and Sloathful People no less than they did Hainous and Grievous Offenders considering as the truth is that Idleness causeth much mischief The Areopagites called every Man to a strait accompt how he lived and if they found any Loyterers that did not profit the Common-weal by one means or other they were driven out and banished as unprofitable Members that did only hurt and corrupt the Body And in this Realm of England good and godly Laws have been divers times made that no Idle Vagabonds and Loytering Runnagates should be suffered to go from Town to Town from Place to Place without Punishment which neither serve God nor their Prince but devour the sweet Fruits of other Mens Labor being common Liars Drunkards Swearers Thieves Whoremasters and Murderers refusing all honest Labor and give themselves to nothing else but to invent and do mischief whereof they are more desirous and greedy than is any Lion of his prey To remember this inconvenience let all Parents and others which have the care and governance of Youth so bring them up either in good Learning Labor or some honest Occupation or Trade whereby they may be able in time to come not only to sustain themselves competently but also to relâ—eve and supply the necessity and want of others And St. Paul saith Let him that hath stolen Ephes 4. steal no more and he that hath deceived others or used unlawful ways to get his living leave off the same and Labor rather working with his Hands that thing which is good that he may have that which is necessary for himself and also be able to give unto others that stand in need of his help The Prophet David thinketh him happy that liveth upon his Labor saying Psal 128. When thou eatest the Labors of thine Hands hapyy art thou and well is thee This happyness or blessing consisteth in these and such like Points First Eccles 3. It is the gift of God as Solomon saith when one eateth and drinketh and receiveth good of his Labor Secondly When one liveth of his own Labor so it be honest and good he liveth of it with a good Conscience and an upright Conscience is a treasure inestimable Thirdly he Eateth his Bread not with brawling and chiding but with peace and quietness when he quietly Laboreth for the same according to St. Pauls admonition Fourthly He is no Mans Bondman for his meat sake nor needeth not for that to hang upon the good Will of other Men but so liveth of his own that he is able to give part to others And to conclude the Laboring Man and his Family whiles they are busily Occupied in their Labor be free from many Temptations and occasions of Sin which they that live in Idleness are subject unto And here ought Artificers and Laboring Men who be at Wages for their Work and Labor to consider their Conscience to God and their Duty to their Neighbor lest they abuse their time in Idleness so defrauding them which be at Charge both with great Wages and dear Commons They be worse than Idle Men indeed for that they seek to have Wages for their Loytering It is less danger to God to be Idle for no gain than by Idleness to win out of their Neighbors Purse Wages for that which is not deserved It is true that Almighty God is angry with such as do defraud the Hired Man of his Wages the cry of that injury ascendeth up to Gods ear for vengeance And as true it is that the hired Man who useth deceit in his Labor is a thief before God 1 Thess 4. Let no Man saith St. Paul to the Thessalonians subtilly beguile his Brother let him not defraud him of his business For the Lord is the revenger of such deceits Whereupon he that will have a good Conscience to God that Laboring Man I say which dependeth wholly upon Gods benediction ministring all things sufficient for his living let him use his time in a faithful Labor and when his Labor by Sickness or other misfortune doth cease yet let him think for that in his health he served God and his Neighbor truly he shall not want in time of necessity God upon respect of his fidelity in health will recompence his indigence to move the Hearts of good Men to relieve such decayed Men in Sickness Where otherwise whatsoever is gotten by idleness shall have no means to help in time of need Let the Laboring Man therefore eschew for his part this vice of Idleness and Deceit Eph. 4. remembring that St Paul exhorteth every Man to lay away all Deceit Dissimulation and Lying and to use truth and plainness to his Neighbour because saith he we be Members together in one Body under one head Christ our Saviour And here might be charged the Serving-men of this Realm who spend their time in much Idleness of life nothing regarding the opportunity of their time forgetting how Service is no Heritage how Age will creep upon them where Wisdom were they should expend their Idle time in some good Business whereby they might increase in knowledge and so the more worthy to be ready for every Mans service It is a great rebuke
condemned unto death to take upon him the reward of our sins and to give his Body to be broken on the Cross for our offences He saith the Prophet Esay Esay 55. meaning Christ hath born our infirmities and hath carried our sorrows the chastisements of our peace was upon him and by his stripes we were made whole 2 Cor. 5. St. Paul likewise saith God made him a sacrifice for our sins which knew not sin that we should be made the righteousness of God by him And St. Peter most agreeably writing in this behalf saith Christ hath once died and suffered for our sins the just for the unjust c. To these might be added an infinite number of other places to the same effect but these few shall be sufficient for this time Now then as it was said in the beginning let us ponder and weigh the cause of his death that thereby we may be the more moved to glorifie him in our whole life Which if you will have comprehended briefly in one word it was nothing else on our part but only the transgression and sin of mankind When the Angel came to warn Joseph that he should not fear to take Mary to his Wife Did he not therefore will the Childs Name to be called Jesus because he should save his People from their sins When John the Baptist preached Christ and shewed him to the People with his finger Did he not plainly say unto them John 1. Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the World When the Woman of Canaan besought Christ to help her Daughter which was possest with a Devil Mat. 15. Did he not openly confess that he was sent to save the lost sheep of the house of Israel by giving his life for their sins It was sin then O man even thy sin that caused Christ the only Son of God to be crucified in the flesh and to suffer the most vile and slanderous death of the Cross If thou hadst kept thy self upright if thou hadst observed the Commandments if thou hadst not presumed to transgress the will of God in thy first Father Adam then Christ Rom. 5. being in form of God needed not to have taken upon him the shape of a Servant being immortal in Heaven he needed not to become mortal on Earth being the true Bread of the Soul he needed not to hunger being the healthful Water of Life he needed not to thirst being life it self he needed not to have suffered death But to these and many other such extremities was he driven by thy sin which was so manifold and great that God could be only pleased in him and none other Canst thou think of this O sinful man and not tremble within thy self Canst thou hear it quietly without remorse of Conscience and sorrow of Heart Did Christ suffer his Passion for thee and wilt thou shew no compassion towards him While Christ was yeâ— hanging on the Cross and yielding up the Ghost the Scripture witnesseth that the veil of the Temple did rent in twain Mat. 27. and the Earth did quake that the stones clave asunder that the Graves did open and the dead bodies rise and shall the Heart of man be nothing moved to remember how grievously and cruelly he was handled of the Jews for our sins Shall man shew himself to be more hard hearted than stones to have less compassion than dead Bodies Call to mind O sinful Creature and set before thine eyes Christ crucified Think thou seest his Body stretched out in length upon the Cross his Head crowned with sharp Thorns and his Hands and his Feet pierced with Nails his Heart opened with a long Spear his Flesh rent and torn with Whips his Brows sweating Water and Blood Think thou hearest him now crying in an intolerable agony to his Father and saying My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Couldst thou behold this woful sight or hear this mournful voice without Tears considering that he suffered all this not for any desert of his own but only for the grievousness of thy sins O that mankind should put the everlasting Son of God to such pains O that we should be the occasion of his death and the only cause of his condemnation May we not justly cry wo worth the time that ever we sinned O my Brethren let this Image of Christ crucified be always printed in our hearts let it stir us up to the hatred of sin and provoke our minds to the earnest love of Almighty God For why is not sin think you a grievous thing in his sight seeing for the transgressing of Gods Precept in eating of one Apple he condemned all the Wâ—â—ld to perpetual death and would not be pacified but only with the blood of his own Son True yea most true is that saying of David Psal 5. Thou O Lord hatest all them that work iniquity neither shall the wicked and evil man dwell with thee By the mouth of his holy Prophet Esay Esay 5. he cried mainly out against sinners and saith Wo be unto you that draw iniquity with cords of vanity and sin as it were with cart-ropes Did he not give a plain token how greatly he hated and abhorred sin Gen. 7. when he drowned all the World save only eight Persons when he destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah with Fire and Brimstone Gen. 19. 1 Kings 26. when in three days space he killed with Pestilence threescore and ten thousand for David's offence when he drowned Pharaoh and all his Host in the Red-Sea Exod. 14. Daniel 4. when he turned Nabuchodonosor the King into the form of a brute Beast creeping upon all four 2 Kings 27. Acts 1. when he suffered Achitophel and Judas to hang themselves upon the remorse of sin which was so terrible to their eyes A thousand such examples are to be found in Scripture if a man would stand to seek them out But what need we This one example which we have now in hand is of more force and ought more to move us than all the rest Christ being the Son of God and perfect God himself who never committed sin was compelled to come down from Heaven to give his Body to be bruised and broken on the Cross for our sins Was not this a manifest token of Gods great wrath and displeasure towards sin that he could be pacified by no other means but only by the sweet and precious Blood of his dear Son O sin sin that ever thou shouldest drive Christ to such extremity Wo worth the time that ever thou camest into the World But what booteth it now to bewail Sin is come and so come that it cannot be avoided There is no man living Prov. 24. no not the justest man on the Earth but he falleth seven times a day as Solomon saith And our Saviour Christ although he hath delivered us from sin yet not so that we shall be free from committing sin but so that it
for chattering Jays but for Eagles who flie thither where the dead body lieth And if this advertisement of man cannot perswade us to resort to the Lords Table with understanding see the counsel of God in the like matter who charged his People to teach their Posterity not only the Rites and Ceremonies of the Passover but the cause and end thereof Whence we may learn that both more perfect knowledge is required at this time at our hands and that the ignorant cannot with fruit and profit exercise himself in the Lords Sacraments But to come nigher to the matter St. Paul blaming the Corinthians for the profaning of the Lords Supper concludeth that ignorance both of the thing it self and the signification thereof was the cause of their abuse for they came thither unreverently not discerning the Lords Body Ought not we then by the motion of the Wise man by the wisdom of God by the fearful example of the Corinthians to take advised heed that we thrust not our selves to this Table with rude and unreverent ignorance the smart whereof Christs Church hath rued and lamented these many days and years For what hath been the cause of the ruin of Gods Religion but the ignorance hereof What hath been the cause of this gross Idolatry but the ignorance hereof What hath been the cause of this mummish Massing but the ignorance hereof Yea what hath been and what is at this day the cause of this want of love and charity but the ignorance hereof Let us therefore so travel to understand the Lords Supper that we be no cause of the decay of Gods Worship of no Idolatry of no dumb Massing of no hate and malice so may we the boldier have access thither to our comfort Acts 1. Neither need we to think that such exact knowledge is required of every man Matth. 26. that he be able to discuss all high points in the Doctrine thereof But thus much we must be sure to hold that in the Supper of the Lord there is no vain Ceremony no bare sign no untrue figure of a thing absent 1 Cor. 11. But as the Scripture saith the Table of the Lord the Bread and Cup of the Lord the memory of Christ the Annunciation of his death yea the Communion of the Body and Blood of the Lord in a marvellous incorporation which by the operation of the Holy Ghost the very bond of our conjunction with Christ is through faith wrought in the souls of the faithful whereby not only their souls live to eternal life but they surely trust to win their bodies a resurrection to immortality The true understanding of this fruition and union which is betwixt the Body and the Head betwixt the true Believers and Christ Iren. lib. 4. cap. 34. Igna. Epist ad Ephes Dionysius Origen Optat. Cyp. de caena Domini Atha de pec inspir sanct the ancient Catholick Fathers both perceiving themselves and commending to their People were not afraid to call this Supper some of them the Salve of Immortality and Sovereign Preservative against Death other a Deifical Communion other the sweet dainties of our Saviour the pledge of eternal health the defence of Faith the hope of the Resurrection other the food of Immortality the healthful Grace and the Conservatory to everlasting life All which sayings both of the Holy Scripture and godly men truly attributed to this celestial Banquet and Feast if we would often call to mind O how would they inflame our hearts to desire the participation of these Mysteries and oftentimes to covet after this bread continually to thirst for this food Not as especially regarding the terrene and earthly Creatures which remain but always holding fast and cleaving by Faith to the Rock whence we may suck the sweetness of everlasting Salvation And to be brief thus much more the Faithful see hear and know the favourable mercies of God sealed the satisfaction by Christ towards us confirmed and the remission of sin established Here they may feel wrought the tranquillity of Conscience the increase of Faith the strengthening of Hope the large spreading abroad of brotherly kindness with many other sundry graces of God The taste whereof they cannot attain unto who be drowned in the deep dirty lake of blindness and ignorance From the which O beloved wash your selves with the living Waters of Gods Word whence you may perceive and know both the spiritual food of this costly Supper and the happy trustings and effects that the same doth bring with it Now it followeth to have with this knowledge a sure and constant Faith not only that the death of Christ is available for the redemption of all the World for the remission of sins and reconciliation with God the Father but also that he hath made upon his Cross a full and sufficient Sacrifice for thee a perfect cleansing of thy sins so that thou acknowledgest no other Saviour Redeemer Mediator Advocate Intercessor but Christ only and that thou mayest say with the Apostle that he loved thee and gave himself for thee For this is to stick fast to Christs promise made in his Institution to make Christ thine own and to apply his merits unto thy self Herein thou needest no other mans help no other Sacrifice or Oblation no sacrificing Priest no Mass no means established by mans invention That Faith is a necessary instrument in all these holy Ceremonies we may thus assure our selves for that as St. Paul saith without Faith it is unpossible to please God Heb. 11. In Johan Hom. 6. When a great number of the Israelites were overthrown in the Wilderness Moses Aaron and Phineas did eat Manna and pleased God for that they understood saith St. Augustine the visible meat spiritually Spiritually they hungred it spiritually they tasted it that they might be spiritually satisfied And truly as the bodily meat cannot feed the outward man unless it be let into the stomach to be digested which is healthful and sound no more can the inward man be fed except his meat be received into his soul and heart De Caena Domini sound and whole in Faith Therefore saith Cyprian when we do these things we need not to whet our teeth but with sincere Faith we break and divide that whole bread It is well known that the meat we seek for in this Supper is spiritual food the nourishment of our soul a heavenly refection and not earthly and invisible meat and not bodily a ghostly substance and not carnal so that to think that without Faith we may enjoy the eating and drinking thereof or that that is the fruition of it is but to dream a gross carnal feeding basely objecting and binding our selves to the Elements and Creatures Whereas by the advice of the Council of Nicene Concilium Nicen. we ought to lift up our minds by Faith and leaving these inferiour and earthly things there seek it where the Sun of Righteousness ever shineth Take then this Lesson