Pastorali lest he should give exemplary scandall by his sinfull omission God sent upon him in the Inne and by the way exemplary punishment and sayd in effect Zipporah thine husband shall die if thou circumcise not his sonne whereupon of two evills she chuse the lesse as shee apprehended fourthly Againe extraordinary actions are ill precedents for a common course yet give me God so directing I will allow a woman sacrificing give me a good Angell so advising and I will commend a lay-man as Manoah a Danite the father of Samson offering a burnt-offering to the Lord and acting the Priests part Jud. 13.6 fifthly and lastly there were many who were circumcised that are not the Posseover as the seed of Esau but none might eate the Passeover except the circumcised therefore I am perswaded he should not heretically erre that saith as in our Sacrament of Entrance into the Church upon great exigents the Laity may Baptize though Regularly it belong to the Priests office so the Iewish Sacrament of Circumcision in extremity might be performed by others though the administration thereof properly appertained to the first-borne head of the family or Priest If any thinke I presume too farre I answer first I speake but my owne perswasion and that humbly with subjection secondly not onely the lay-men but Christian women have often in extreme necessitie baptized with us and not beene hindred nor punished thirdly Vorstius on Bellarmine De ministro Baptismi confesseth Inter ipsos Evangelicos benè multosâ—esse adhuc quiâ—etiam laiciâ— ac feminis non tamen incâ—dulis in casu necessitatis officium baptizandi concedunt that is among the professours of the Gospell there are very many even to this day who in a case of necessitie doe grant the office of Baptizing even to lay-men and to women themselves so that they be not Infidels though indeede withall he saith the greater and better part dissent fourthly Tertullian De Baptismo Hierom contra Luciferianot allipassim lead the way to my perswasion insomuch that Vorstius saith to their authoritie Nimia patrum solicitudo pro Regulâ perperam hic affertur that is the Fathers too much care for Baptisme is not to be pressed upon us as a Rule to follow yet nor may the extraordinary Baptizer consecrate the Body and Blood of our Lord nor the extraordinary Circumciser without expresse Revelation Divine sacrifice the Beasts offered at the Altar a nullity followeth in both joyned with horrible presumption and intrusion upon the Sacerdotall dignity that most commonly an houshold or housholds mixed of men and women together did celebrate the Passeover together was the confessed practise Domatim and the next family domatim doe evince so much the thrice-blessed Virgin went up with Joseph to celebrate the Passeover did they doe it in severall houses or not together The Aethiopians to this day use to circumcise their very women I had rather you should read the words and manner in Dancianus â Goes de Aethiopum moribus pag. 69 than in me Johannes Leo verifieth as much of the African women that the Turkes Circumcise them It is in his eight booke of the African History but I never read that eyther God Commanded or the Iewes used female-Circumcision or Circumcision of females The men of the Hebrewes who had many other Priviledges above the women in this bore the brunt both for their Redemption and Circumcision and not their women and the men represented the women To conclude as any one truely and justly admitted a Proselyte into the Iewish Congregation might be partaker of the holy Passeover and might be part of that selected number of people who were prerequired to consummate or consume that solemne Passeover whether they were he or she-Proselyte so no man uncircumcised in the flesh no man or woman as I thinke who had plainly revolted from the Iewish Religion though their males were circumcised were to be numbred among the Society of Communicants at the Passeover This I am sure of Ezech. 44.9 No stranger uncircumcised in heart nor uncircumcised in the flesh shall enter into my Sanctuary saith God of any stranger that is among the children of Israel the bringing in of such was an abomination verse the 7. Most summarily thus Servants or strangers of any kinde if they were true members of the Iewish Synagogue might be partakers of their Sacraments or strangers of any kinde if they were uncircumcised in heart or flesh and separated from Israels God might not partake nor be part of this sacred number at the eating of the Passeover Now it is high time for me after so many poynts and so many digressions handled in this Chapter to beginne a new matter and Chapter but not till I have ended with a Prayer The Prayer HOly Holy Holy Lord God of Hosts blessed be thy glorious name for guiding me through bryars thornes and obscure thickets of the Wildernesse in a day by a pillar of Cloud and in the night by a pillar of fire it hath beene thy good Spirit O God which hath lead me and inspired into me thoughts above my selfe good Lord I humbly begge for a continuance of thy favour yea and increase of thy grace lead me O Lord from knowledge to knowledge from vertue to virtue illuminate my dull understanding sanctifie my perverse affections and give me a Progresse in all good courses from grace to grace and by thy effectuall multiplied graces guide me good Lord unto thy glory for the merits of Iesus Christ Amen Amen CHâ—P X. The Contents of the tenth Chapter 1. The yeare of the world in which the Passeover was first instituted 2. The moneth of that yeare The old Iewish account of the yeares and the new Annus sacer vulgaris The yeare preceding the seventh Sabbaticall yeare viz. the 48. yeare after the old Jubilee and the second yeare before the new Iubilee brought forth sufficient fruits for three yeares 3. The Magnalia performed in the moneth of Abib 4. The Passeover upon some other occasions extraordinary might be kept on another moneth 5. The proclaiming of Festivall dayes commanded both by Moses and some Heathen 6. The appointed day for the Passeover 7. It was the fourteenth day of the moneth not alterable or dispensable with 8. The full Moone 9. The Iewes hope that the Messiah shall deliver Israel the same day that Moses did and that the Passeover was kept 10. Tertullian explained 11. The Iewes unlawfully altered the day of the Passeover 12. Christ ate the Passeover on the fourteenth day of the moneth the Iewes on the day following 13. The strict observation of the Iewish Festivals a trappe laid for Christ and broken taxations are paiable to Princes against the opinion of Pharisaicall-zelot Galilaeans The misunderstood story of the Galilaeans slaine by Pilot explained 14. Before the Iewish Passeover our blessed Saviour was crucified 15. Christ kept the Law exactly 16. The houre of the day that the Iewish Passeover was kept in the severall beginnings of
before The Prayer MOst infinite and incomprehensible Lord God the first Fathers and Patriarchs of the Church knew thee by thy many glorious names and Epithetes and by thy frequent apparitions and revelations unto them wee know them by thy holy Scriptures in them are both milke and strong meate there may the Leviathan sport himselfe and the Lambe may wade and drinke most things thy wisdome hath concealed all things needfull for mortall men hast thou written some in more darke termes and some in more cleere patefactions Thy glorious selfe being most free art not tyed to any other expressions than what please thee Good Lord let thy divine writ teach mee guide mee in all goodnesse till death deliver mee over to a more blessed estate Grant this O Father for Jesus Christ his sake Amen CHAP. VII The second Generall The Contents of the seaventh Chapter 1 That there was a second Supper at the Jewish Paschall Proofes from the Old Testament Vnto the Paschall was annexed the Chagigah 2 Difference betweene the first and second Supper Maimonides Scaliger Beza and Baronius erred in this point 3 The first Supper when it began 4 The different meates a◠the First Second Supper Jewes Gentiles at their great feasts did eate two suppers 5 Christs gesture at the Paschall Supper Coena Domini Tricoenium Christi-Christ in his last Passeover kept the Ceremonies of the Jewes Coena Dimissoria what it was PARAGRAPH I. IT now followeth that what I have averred and avouched I should confirme by proofes First then I must evince That there was a second Supper at the Iewish Paschall Secondly that Christ was as it Thirdly more particularly let us weigh 1 When this second supper began 2 What was said in it and what was done in it 3 When it ended 4 Whether Iudas partaked of it In the first point I will prove That there was a second Supper at the Iewish Paschall From the Old Testament From the New Testament From the Fathers From Protestants From Papists 1 Proofes from the Old Testament Towards the end of the Paschall Supper or at the end of it the Jewes usually had a larger Supper called a common supper as Maimonides and the Jewish Doctors confesse which supper though it was not injoyned at the Aegyptian Passeover when they were in so perplexed an estate and in such hurly-burly that it was hard to say whether the Iewes or the Aegyptians most bestirred themselves to hasten the Israelites abrupt departure yet you shall finde it expresly precepted Deuteronomy 16.2 Thou shalt sacrifize the Passeover unto the Lord thy God of the flocke and of the herd The Lambe of the flocke was the proper Passeover The beast of the herd were for the festivall refreshments of the second supper some of them even the same night as well as for the succeeding seven daies Yea it is most observable that both the flocke and the herd are commanded and the order expressed First they must sacrifice the Passeover of the flocke Secondly of the herd Thirdly is mentioned the bread verse 3. Thou shalt eate no leavened bread with it Vaine are they then that thinke that they might eate none of the herd that night With the Passeover indeed they might eate none but so soone as the Rites of the Passeover were performed they did eate of the herd of which hereafter Nor might they eate unleavened bread at either of those suppers or feasts For the Sacramentall supper was not ordeined meerly as naturall food at civill Feasts Every one present had some of it but they made not their full meales on it every one had a little and with feare and reverence did they approach to the beginning of it Sacred things were sparely and warily taken and used in respect of their eating of ordinary food As with us the taking of the blessed body and blood of our Lord precedeth our usuall refections at dinners and is first eaten propter honorem corporis Dominici for the honour of the Lords body as S. Augustine excellently phraseth it So the sacred partaking of the Paschall Lambe with unleavened bread and sowre hearbes was the antipast to their second succeeding supper Apparent then it is that unto the sacred offering of thanksgiving in the proper Paschall sacrifice which was their first and devouter part of the night there were to be added Peace-offrings or Feast offerings at the same time Unto the Pascha was annexed the Chagigab The herd did minister meat-offrings of more joy and comfort as it were at the second course as the flocke had done before of dovout thankesgiving mingled partly of joy partly of soure sorrow For it is expressely said Deuteron 16.4 Neither shall there any thing of the flesh which thou sacrificest the first day at even remaine all night untill the morning Where observe they also sacrificed the very first day at even both of the flocke and of the herd as appeareth by the second verse and they rosted the Passeover some of the herd they did also boyle the same night Deuteron 16.7 as it is in the Bishops Bibles Thou shalt seeth and eate it Coques as the Interlineary hath it and Hentenius and Santandreanus The Margent of the Interlineary hath Assabis and Vatablus Assabis Vebishaltah is the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the 70. rendred by Vatablus coques Tremellius hath it coques Our last translation and Vatablus did interpret the word according to the use of the proper Passeover which was to be rosted but both the originall it selfe and the 70 and Vulgat and other interpreters understood it truly of the other Sacrifices which might be sodden yea some of them were precepted hereby to be boyled PAR. 2. THe great Maimonides utterly maketh this to be a difference betweenē the first and second supper betweene the more sacred and common meate Thē flesh of the Chagigah might be served and kept a day or two after but the flesh of the Pascha must be eaten or burnt before morning Both Scaliger Beza Baronius and the adherents of them though they plainly and punctually confesse a second supper yet they ascribe too much to the Jewish rituall First was brought in In posteriori mensa at the second course saith Baronius from the rituall Embamma ex intybis a sallet of sowre hearbes That they had more sallets more sauce and no other fresh meat of the herd seems strange to mee No other Bellaria junkets were brought in saith hee and Beza If by bellariae they exclude all other flesh of the herd or what was offered in Peace-offerings they are confuted by the place in Deuteronomie Let reason trye it If the Jewes at their second suppers had no junkers nor flesh of any other beasts but onely acetarium ex intybis lactucis agrestibus bitter sharpe sallets it deserveth not the name of a supper But whosoever exactly looketh into it will find great part of that which followeth in Beza belonging not to the first supper as hee would
De corona cap. 5. Deus auditum in auribus fodit visum in oculis accendit gustum in ore conclusit odoratum in naribus ventilavit contactum in manibus astimavit per haec exterioris hominis ministeria interiori homini ministrantia fructus munerum divinorum ad animam deducuntur à sensibus God hath bored hearing in the eares because into them it descendeth as into an hole He hath kindled sight in the eyes for the eyes do sometimes sparkle with fire and are of a fiery nature He hath shut up tasting within the mouth for he hath bounded it within that compasse He hath winnowed or vanned smelling in the nostrils by the playing of the wind He hath made the hands the judicatories of touching which touching being diffused over all the body yet is more used by the hands He concludeth divinely By these ministeriall bodily Organs serving the inner Man the blessings and fruits of heavenly gifts are from the Senses conveyed to the soule Much more might be added of other parts I will end all in this addition They defraud their Knees of the chiefest office and greatest honour who refuse to bend them in holy times and places especially at the receiving of the blessed Sacrament which I would take after I had fallen on my Face and used groveling Adoration if the Church so appointed me or if scandall would not arise from such extraordinary Gesture THE PRAYER O Lord thou knowest my heart and that with Soule and Body I Reverence and Adore thee in thy divine Eucharist I humble my selfe as much as I can and I would humble my selfe lower even unto the gates of Hell if I could confessing my worthinesse in nothing but that I am worthy to be condemned In such contemplations quakeing and terror take hold of my heart and I am horribly afraid of thy Iudgement Abraham Isaac and Jacob shall be in a sweat at the day of Iudgement as good children shall be in a dread to see their father angry with his rebellious children The earth shall melt away like wax the heavens shall tremble and the pillars of Heaven shall shake to whom shall I fly to whom shall I say Cover me but unto thee most compassionate Saviour for thou art my rocke thou art the buckler of my defence under the shadow of thy wings do I desire to rest as thou wert superexalted because thou didst humble thy selfe so grant good Lord I may so fall down before thee that I may bee taken up by thee and that the greatnesse of my humility may bring unto mee by thy favour the riches of thy glory the exaltation both of my soule and body Lord heare my prayer and let my cry come unto thee for Iesus his sake Amen CHAP. VIII Which containes the ninth tenth and eleventh Generals Wherein is declared 1. What Gesture we are to use at the Receiving of the blessed Eucharist 2. What Names have been given to it 3. What Words were spoken by our Saviour after the Third Supper before he departed out of the Coenaculum 1. What Gesture we are to use at the Administration of it to others Receiving of it our selves Both handled promiscuously The English Liturgy our best guide At the Repeating of the Law the people must Kneele Receiving of the same the Israelites did no lesse Never Patriarck Prophet Evangelist Apostle nor holy Man nor Christ himselfe prayed Sitting when there was opportunity of Kneeling The Monkes of Egypt did pray Sitting The Rule of Saint Benedict mentioneth Sitting at the Reading of three Lessons Rising up at Gloria Patri c. Severall Gestures are to be used both by Priest and People upon severall occasions The Priest never Kneeles while the people stand but he may stand when they kneele Great reason why the people should kneele at the Receiving of the Body and Blood of Christ No superstition nor Idolatry then to Kneele But obstinate Irreverence if not blasphemy not to Kneele Prayer most an end used with bâ—nding of the Knees The Pharisee Stood Christ Kneeled when he prayed The Rubrick of the Communion Book is to be followed by all obediently 2. The Minister is to deliver the Communion to the people Kneeling in both kindes into their Hands Maximus would have Men to wash their hands Women to bring clean linnen that will Communicate The Nicity of former times questioned The sixth Synod Canon 3. against it The consecrated bread must be carefully delivered and received To let any crumb or particle thereof fall to the ground accounted a great sinne by Tertullian and Origen Pope Pius the first punished those who let any of the Lords blood fall upon the ground or Altar S. Cyril of Hierusalem gives a Cave at to this purpose Little Tables set before the Communicants in former times as now we hold Linnen clothes saith Baronius The usuall fashion of receiving the Consecrated bread between the Thumb and a Finger or two disliked Receiving the holy bread in the Palme of the hand a safer way In Tertullians dayes the Christians did stretch abroad their hands like Christ upon the Crosse in their private prayers Damascene would have us receive the Body of Christ crucified with our hands framed like to a Crosse The right Hand being upward open and hollow to receive the bread This accounted the safer way S. Cyril commandeth the same kind of usance Other manners of Taking it not sinfull In things indifferent we must not love singular irregularity All unseemely Motions and Gestures are so many profanations of the Lords Supper Seven Generall Rules to be observed against the profanation of the Lords Supper The word Amen explaned and Kneeling at Receiving the blessed Sacrament pressed 3. Tenth General What Names are given to the blessed Sacrament by the Scriptures and Fathers the Latine and Greek Church The hallowed Bread is called in the Scriptures 1. The Lords Body Broken for us 2. The Communion of the Body of Christ And the Reasons thereof 3. Breaking of Bread from house to house 4. Holy Bread Blessed Bread Eucharisticall Bread Heavenly Bread Joh. 6. In the Fathers 1. Taking of the Lords Body Tertullian 2. Earthly Bread sanctified by prayer consisting of Earthly and Heavenly things Irenaeus A Medicine of immortality an Antidote against death procuring life purging sin driving away all evils idem 3. Christs Dole to his Church Tertullian The Plenty Aboundance and Fatnesse of the Lords Body The Wine is called in the Scriptures 1. The New Testament in his Blood 2. The Blood of the New Testament 3. The Cup of the Lord. 4. The Communion of the Blood of Christ The blessed Eucharist consisting of both kinds is styled In Scripture 1. The Lords Supper And in what regards it is so called The Papists dislike the frequent use of this Phrase Casaubone confutes Justinian and Maldonate the Jesuits and cals it The Great Supper The most Divine Supper The Arch-Symbolicall Supper 2. The Table of the Lord 1 Cor. 10.21 With Vs it is commonly
in the porch of the Temple but onely the Kings of Davids loynes The humble gesture of the Iewes when they came in went out of the Temples The Primitive Church kneeled to the Altars Altars the seats of the body and blood of Christ The Crosse in Chrysostomes dayes did alwayes use to remaine upon the Altar An Angel an assistant when Christ is offered up Ambrose To this day we worship the flesh of Christ in the Sacrament Idem No man eateth the blessed Sacrament before be have worshipped Christ in the Sacrament Augustine Constantine the Emperour in his Soliloquies with God pitched on his knees with eyes cast downe to the ground K. Charles partaketh of the body and blood of Christ with as much Humilitie as the meanest penitent amongst his subjects His holy and devout gestures at the participation of the Lords Supper turned the heart of a Romanist to embrace the truth on our side In Origens Arnobius and Tertullians dayes the Saints never met in holy places about holy things without decent reverence The Papists in kneeling adore the very materials of the Sacrament Yet the abuse of a thing taketh not away the right use Proved by divers curious instances Christians may lawfully use many artificiall things though invented by Heathenish Gods and Goddesses To argue from the Abuse of things to the whole removing of the use is rediculous Illustrated by some particulars Veneration of the Sacrament is accorded on all sides In the very Act of receiving it it is lawfull to kneele downe and worship Christ in it Calvin himselfe holdeth that adoration to be lawfull The Lutherans are divided in this point Illyricus denieth Christ to be worshipped in the Eucharist Brentius and Bucer hold That then we must worship Christs body Luther himselfe stileth the Eucharist Sacramentum venerabile Adorabile Chemnitius saith None but Sacramentaries deny Christ to be adored in the Sacrament Chemnitius acknowledgeth these Theses 1. Christ God Man is to be adored Arrians deny this 2. Christs humane nature for the hypostaticall union with the Divinitie is to be adored None but Nestorians will deny this The Apostles worshipped the Humane Nature of Christ Adoration precedeth Communication by the judgement of S. Chrysostome and S. Augustine Christs flesh as made of earth may be said to be Gods footestoole So is the Arke All the Angels of God doe Worship Christ Christ is to be adored alwayes and every where Augustine Ambrose Nazianzene and Eusebius Emissenus are Chemnitius Co-opinionists Not the materiall Elements but Christ onely in them is to be adored If wee must adore Christ when we celebrate the divine Sacrament much more did the Apostles Habituall not alwayes Actuall Adoration of Christ 〈…〉 â—â—â—â—ired of the Apostles The Apostles worshipped Christ 1 When he had newly performed any Super-humane worke 2 When they begged great matters of him 3 When he did heale some who were vehemently afflicted 4 When he conferred any extraordinary blessing on their soules As hee did when he instituted the new Sacrament Master Hooker tearmeth Kneeling an Adorative gesture No kinde of Worship accepted that is not sometimes conjoyned with Kneeling Gregory Nazianzens Story of his sister Gorgonia Eusebius Emissenus and Origen say Christ is worshipped in the Sacrament Kneeling at the Communion commanded by the Booke of Advertisments set down set forth by Queene Elizabeth by the Lawes of the Realme and the Queenes Majestie Injunctions They defraud the Knees of their chiefest office and honour who refuse to bend them at the receiving of the blessed Sacrament Fol. 645 The Contents of the eight Chapter Par. 1 WHat gesture we are to use at the Administration of it to others Receiving of it our selves Both handled promiscuously The English Liturgie our best guide At the Repeating of the Law the people must kneele Receiving of the same the Israelites did no lesse Never Patriarch Prophet Evangelist Apostle nor holy Man nor Christ himselfe prayed sitting when there Was oportunity of kneeling The Monkes of Egypt did pray sitting The rule of Saint Benedict mentioneth Sitting at the Reading of three Lessons Rising up at Gloria Patri c. Severall gestures are to be used both by Priests and People upon severall occasions The Priests never kneeles while the people stand but he may stand when they kneele Great reason why they should kneele at the receiving of the Body and Blood of Christ No superstition nor idolatry then to kneele but obstinate irreverence if not blaspemy not to kneele Prayer most an end used with bending of the knees The Pharisee stood Christ kneeled when he prayed The Rubricke of the Communion Booke is to be followed by all obediently Fol. 652 Par. 2 The Minister is to deliver the Communion to the people kneeling in both kindes into their Hands Maximus would have Men to wash their hands Women to bring clean linnen that will communicate The nicetie of former times questioned The sixth Synod Canon 3. against it The consecrated bread must be carefully delivered and received To let any crumme or particle thereof fall to the ground accounted a great sinne by Tertullian and Origen Pope Pius the first punished those who let any of the Lords blood fall upon the ground or Altar S. Cyrill of Hierusalem gives a caveat to this purpose Little tables set before the Communicants in former times as now we hold linnen clothes saith Baronius The usuall fashion of receiving the Consecrated bread between the thumb and a finger or two disliked Receiving the holy bread in the Palme of the hand a safer way In Tertullians dayes the Christians did stretch abroad their hands like Christ upon the Craffe in their prayers Damascene would have us receive the body of Christ crucified with our hands framed like to a Crosse The right hand being upward open and hollow to receive the bread This accounted the safer Way Saint Cyril commanded the same kinde of usance Other manner of taking it not sinfull In things indifferent wee must not love singular irregularity All unseemly motions and gestures are so many profanations of the Lords Supper Seven generall rules to be observed against the profanation of the Lords Supper The word Amen explaned and kneeling at receiving the blessed Sacrament pressed Fol. 653 Par. 3 Tenth Generall What Names are given to the blessed Sacrament by the Scriptures and Fathers the Latine and Greeke Church The hallowed bread is called in the Scriptures 1 The Lords body broken for us 2 The Communion of the Body of Christ And the reasons thereof Breaking of bread from house to house 4 Holy bread Blessed bread Eucharisticall bread Heavenly bread Joh. 6. In the Fathers 1 Taking of the Lords body Tertullian 2 Earthly bread sanctified by prayer consisting of Earthly and Heavenly things IreÌ„naeus A Medicine of immortality an antidote against death procuring life purging sinne driving away all evills idem 3 Christs Dole to his Church Tertullian The plenty abundance and fatnesse of the Lords Body The Wine is called in
exhilarated body with competent meate and drinke wee finde by experience to make us better affected both towards God and Man Hold man hold though thy Master hold that when a man hath eaten moderately he is fitter to receive the Communion then when he is fasting because after meate the head is more purged the mouth cleaner the breath sweeter yet I dare say the head is fuller of noysome fumes the mouth no cleaner when one hath eaten and if thy breath stink common food maketh it no sweeter then the Divine Eucharist I am sure the third Councill of Carthage Canone 29. hath decreed Vt Sacramenta Altaris non nisi a jejunis hominibus celebrentur That the Sacraments of the Altar should not be celebrated but onely by those that are fasting and the seventh Councill of Toledo Canone 2. excommunicateth such as eate any thing before the performance of divine offices It was likewise a Novell position That when a man commeth most unprepared to receive the holy Sacrament then hee commeth best prepared and when he is most sinfull then a sinner may most worthily receive His very words are these in his Sermon of the Eucharist made 1526. Ille ut aptissimus ad communicandum qui ante retro est peccatis contaminatissimus sine peccatis mortalibus nullum debere accedere Hee is fittest to communicate who before and behinde who on all sides is most defiled with sinne and without deadly sinne none ought to come to the Communion He meaneth not that a new life sufficeth without contrition confession satisfaction as some of his fellowes say his words runne to a worse sense For in another Sermon of the worthy receiving the Eucharist eight yeeres before Optima dispotio est saith he non nisi ea quâ pessime es disposit us è contrario tunc pessimè es dispositus quando optimè es dispositus Then art thou best disposed when art thou worst disposed and contrarily then art thou worst disposed when thou art best disposed Are not such words the meanes for men to commit sinnes and continue in them and with unrepentant hearts boldly fiercely impudently to swallow up the heavenly food of our soules the sacred Eucharist rather then exhortations to devout receiving Is this way the proving and judging of our selves doth it teach repentance for sinnes past sorrow shame feare selfe-accusing for the present doth it teach a stedfast resolution and a setled purpose never to doe so againe doth his way encrease faith strengthen hope nourish charity yet these things are expected from a worthy Communicant What preparation was used at the giving of the Law Exodus 19.20 c. What sanctifying of themselves both people vers 14. and Priests vers 22. All this preparation might have beene cut off and saved by Luthers doctrine They did not eate the Paschall Lambe without divers washings and many legall purifications insomuch that a second Passeover in another moneth was ordained for the uncleane by Gods extraordinary appointment Numbers 9.10 Which was practised in Hezekiah his dayes 2. Chron. 30.15 18 19. verses Abimelech gave the hallowed Bread to the sanctified onely 1. Sam 21.4 c. David professed I will wash my hands in innocencie So will I compasse thine Altar O Lord Psal 26.6 Saint Paul adviseth or commandeth 1. Corin. 11.28 Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate of that bread and drink of that cup. Aug. alluded to the words of the Psalmist when he said Tractatu 26. in Iohannem Innocentiam ad altare pertate peccata si sint quotidiana vel non sint mortifera Carry innocencie instead of Frankincense unto the Altar though thou hast committed no mortall sinnes but sinnes of infirmity The same Divine Saint Augustine Hom. 50. Tom. 10. pag. 115. Constituto in corde judicio adsit accusatrix cogitatio testis conscientia carnifex timor Inde quidem sanguis animae confitentis per lachrimas profluat posiremo ab ipsa mente talis sententia proferatur ut se indignum homo judicet participatione sanguinis corporis Domini Vt qui separari â regno coelorum timet per ultimam sententiam summi judicis per Ecclesiasticam disciplinam a Sacramento coelestis panis interim separetur When a Tribunall is erected in thy heart let thy thought accuse thee thy conscience be witnesse against thee thy feare and dread be thy tormentor then let the bloud of a soule confessing it selfe flow out in teares Lastly let the minde pronounce this sentence That a man judge himselfe unworthy to receive the body and bloud of our Lord That he who feareth to be separated from heaven by the last sentence of the supreme judge may in the meane time bee separated according to Ecclesiasticall discipline from the Sacrament of the heavenly Bread By which words in the meane time might well be inferred that S. Augustine differed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heaven wide from a novel German who would have a man fall upon the Sacrament with mortall offences on his soule with unwashed hands having newly committed sins Vastantia Conscientiam devoratoria salutis which lay waste a mans conscience and woorie his salvation He avoucheth the best disposition to be the worst and the greatest preparation the unfittest But Augustine would have a man after mortall sinne to abstaine from the most holy Eucharist a competent time till hee had repented till hee had proved and judged himselfe till hee had confessed his sinnes and laboured to wipe away the blots by his teares Which truth is confirmed divinely by our sacred Liturgi If any of you be a blasphemer of God c. unto these words so shall yee be meete partakers of these holy mysteries when Christ said Come unto me all yee that are heavie laden he meant not with loads of unrepented sinnes for as such cannot move one foot toward Christ to such obstinate sinners Christ is a judge and condemner not a mercifull Saviour And the words cannot aime at that sense for then not onely the spirituall food in the Sacrament but even Christ should bee the great allurer unto sinne as being abettor thereof which God forbid for then not onely a window but a doore were set open to all iniquity and villany but the meaning of that most comfortable invitatory is and must be this All yee who have sinned and are heartily sorry for your offences wearied groaning and ready to faint under griefe for the same yea who finde no comfort in your selves but are ready to be swallowed up of despaire or too much not sinnes but sorrow for sins O come yee unto me and this is evidenced by the gratious promise I will refresh you refreshing being opposed to trembling dejectednesse weakenesse swownings trepidations grievings faintings which are fruits of the heavie-hearted sinner and steps or breathings toward repentance refreshing is not opposed robustae iniquitati to strength of sinning or boystrous coutinuing in iniquity or triumphing rebellion and so the sorrowfull penitent
proceedeth Quibus non tacuit esse inter illos tanti seeleris hominem tamen primum Sacramentum corporis sanguinis sui Nondum ipso excluso Communiter Omnibus dedit From whom he did not conceale that there was among them so wicked a Villaine as he was and yet notwithstanding he gave the first Sacrament of his body and blood generally to all He to wit Judas being not as yet excluded out of their company Theophylact hath a wild crotchet on Mat. 26. That Iudas dranke Christs blood but reserved and hid the bodie of the Lord of shew it to the Iewes This is rather Divinatio quam opinio saith Barradius rather a conjecture than an opinion Somnium potius quam Divinatio say I rather a dreame than a conjecture The Prayer MOst mercifull Saviour thou wert very mercifull unto Iudas himselfe and didst use many wayes to worke his conversion but he did harden his heart the more in evill obstinacie and played the part of a stout hypocrite and hee would not be reclaimed but upon his detection he grew more desperate O father of all consolation give me a tender heart and keepe it so still that I may bee terrified with thy threatnings and comforted by thy promises and may effectually be mooved with those meanes which thou hast ordained to bring me to Salvation Amen Amen CHAP. XIV The Contents of the foureteenth Chapter 1. Authorites that Judas did not receive the blessed Eucharist Hilarius Rupertus Innocentius 3. Theophylact Tatianus Alexandrinus Gregorius Pachymeres Turrian Maximus Ludolphus Barradius Beza The ground of S. Augustines and many other famous mens errours concerning this point Reasons to proove that Judas did receive the blessed Eucharist 2. The 1. Reason 3. The 2. Reason 4. The 3. Reason 5. The 4. Reason 6. The 5. Reason Christ never shewed any extraordinary favour to Judas S. Augustine reports strange courtesies of Christ to Judas Judas borne at Marmotis as saith S. Bernard Much holinesse required to the participation of the body and blood of Christ Notorious wicked men not to be admitted to the Communion 7. The 6. Reason when the Devill first entred into Judas The prime intentions of the Compilers of our Liturgie concerning those words Lest the Devill enter into you as he did into Iudas c. Satanentred into Judas at severall times PAR. 1. AUthorities that Iudas did not receive the Sacred Eucharist are many Clemens Apostolicarum Constitutionum 5.13 Mysteria pretiosi corporis ac sanguinis sui nobis tradidit absente Iuda He gave unto us the Mysteries of his precious body and blood in the absence of Judas Hilarius Canone 3. in Matth. Sine Iudā Pascha spirituali accepto Calice fracto pane conficitur dignus enim aeternorum Sacramentorum Communione non erat The spirituall Passeover was instituted by the taking of the Cup and the breaking of the bread without Iudas for he was unworthy to be partaker of the everlasting Sacraments Rupertus in Iohan. Cap. 6 Diligentius Evangelistarum narratione doctorumque confideratâ diversitate citius deprehendi potest Iudam huic Sacramento Corporis Sanguinis Christi nequaquam interfuisse If we will diligently consider the History of the Evangelists and diversitie of the opinions of divers Doctors we may easily perceive that Iudas was not at all at this Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ Innocentius tertius patet quod prius exiit Iudas quam Christus traderet Eucharistiam It is plaine to be seene that Iudas went forth before Christ delivered the blessed Eucharist Theophylact. on Mat. 26. citeth others for this opinion with a good reason annexed Quidam dicunt quod egresso Iuda tradidit Dominus Sacramentum aliis Discipulis Proinde nos sic facere debemus males arcere à Sacramentis Some say that when Iudas was gone forth the Lord delivered the blessed Sacrament to his other Disciples And therefore we also ought to doe the like and to put backe the wicked from the Sacraments Tatianus Alexandrinus placeth Iudas his Egresse before the Sacred Mystery was consecrated Gregorius Pachymeres the Scholiast of Dyonisous Areopagita Excludit Dominus segregat justissimè Iudam qui non sanctè Convivio interfuit The Lord doth exclude and separate Iudas and that most justly because he was not present at the banquet so holily and religiously as he ought to have beene Indeede hee imagineth that Christ gave panem Vinum mysticum Iudae post discessum ejus Eucharistiam praebuisse Apostolis Mysticall Bread and Wine to Iudas and that after his going forth he gave the blessed Eucharist to his Apostles If he meane the dipped sop which had in it a Mysterie all this may be granted and yet our Conclusion is constant from him that Iudas partaked not of the Eucharist Turrian proveth from Dyonisius Areopagita that Iudas are not the blessed Sacrament Maximus an old Greeke interpreter of Dionysius Areopagita expoundeth him as denying that Iudas tooke the Eucharist But suppose I grant that Dionysius his owne words be dubious yet Pachymeres Turrian and Maximus say Judas was excluded Ludolphus the Carihusion Cap. 55. placeth the separation of Iudas before the administring of the Sacrament and Cap. 57. Post egressum Iudae after Iudas was gone forth when the cleane remained with their cleanser Christ comforted his Disciples and made a Sermon unto them full of sweetnesse and love honied with heavenly honey enlightned with light from God Corruptus ille uter foras missus fuerat Iudas that corrupt vessell was sent forth whom Christ knew to be unworthy c. Barradius is expresse that Iudas was excluded from the Sacred Body and Blood of Christ The worthy Hierome Zanchius whose Authority may passe for many Tom. 2. in quartum praeceptum Lib. 1. pag 762. truely opineth that Iudas his receiving of the holy Eucharist apertè pugnat cum historia Johannis Evangelii is cleane contrary to S. Iohns Gospell and saith expressely Lucam fecisse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his narration that Iudas his hand was with him on the board Beza on Iohn 13.30 from the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 presently went forth gathereth a good argument that Iudas was not at the sacred Supper Quum igitur non nisi Mensis secundis sublatis Dominus Sacrosancta sua Mysteria instituerit Luke 22.20 Since Christ began not his Sacred Supper till the two former suppers were ended and since Iohn saith after the sop Iudas went out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 continuò statim immediately they have the more certaine opinion who thinke Iudas not present at the Eucharist why S. Luke saith as if after Eucharist Christ sayd Luke 22.21 Behold the hand of him who betrayeth me is on the board with me wee must explaine by the other Evangelists from whom it is apparent that this speech was made before the Eucharist which was the last close of this feast The same Beza on Luke 22.21 on the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or
offâ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hoc est ab scidisse separasse divisisse a Sacro choro traduxisse quoque Iudam in potestatem Diaboli the Ancients doe note that the Lord by that sop did cut off separate and divide Iudas from the holy Quire of the Apostles and did deliver him over into the power of the devill This proveth that Iudas went out before the holy Sacrament was administred And how could he then partake of the Eucharist Moreover the words As he entred into Iudas may be as a parenthesis having an entire sense of it selfe though the word of similitude reacheth not to identifie the times but onely compareth the entrances themselves and the words are full of Divine sense though they were reade Come not to this holy Table lest after the taking of that holy Sacrament the Devill enter into you and fill you full of all iniquities Moreover the Lyturgie may truely be sayd to compare the sinnes and following punishments though it compared not the times who offend like Iudas shall be punished like Iudas though the Devill entred into Iudas even before the Paschall Supper and doth enter into Christians after they have received the punishment shall be all one though inflicted at severall times Before the Passeover Iudas sought how he might conveniently betray him Mark 14.11 And before the Passeover Iudas sought opportunity to betray him Mat. 26.16 Yea before he trafficked for blood and before he communed with the chiefe Priests and Captaines Satan entred into Iudas Luk. 22.3 For he had resolved for the sinne before and then Satan entred He entred also into him after hee had received the sop and this was at the second Supper Which of those two extreames did the Lyturgie intimate Againe when Satan entred into Iudas is no matter of faith or of any great consequence nor is so propounded to us in the Lyturgie Last of all the Lyturgie doth not say that Iudas received the Divine food of the most Sacred Eucharist nor can the sense of those words be deduced thence But it saith at the utmost extension that the devill entred into Iudas after he had received the holy Sacrament Which holy Sacrament may very well be understood of the Passeover which was an holy Sacrament of the Iewes and which Iudas questionlesse did take and after which he tooke the Sop at the second Supper and then the devill entred into him And yet for all this Iudas did not partake of the body and blood of our Lord which he was justly separated from because he had sinned and betrayed the innocent blood as himselfe confessed of himselfe Mat. 27.4 And this I hold to be the most satisfactory answere to that specious objection from the Lyturgie the word Sacrament being applyable both to the Jewish and Christian Sacrament Judas taking the former the other Disciples taking both The Prayer OEternall God in Wisedome great in greatnesse powerfull in power infinite in judgement most just and yet such a gracious God whose mercy is over all thy workes and therefore much more over all our workes have mercy upon us deliver us from being the sonnes of perdition keepe Satan from entring into our hearts but rather tread him under our feete and lift us up to thee and fixe our scules on thee for Christ his sake Amen CHAP. XV. The Contents of the fifteenth Chapter 1. Reasons proving that Judas was not present at the Eucharist The 1. Reason drawne from Christs owne Example Examples pierce deeper than words Legall Conjunction 2. A 2. Reason drawne from the Leviticall Leper Leviticus 14.46 3. A 3. Reason drawne from the Leviticall Priests Ezek. 44.23 4. The 4. Reason drawne from Christs purging the Temple from prophane things Marke 11.11 5. The 5. Reason drawne from Davids example Psal 26. 6. The 6. Reason Iudas a Devill Iohn 6.70 7. The 7. Reason drawne from 1 Corinth 10.20.21 The Cup of the Lord and the cup of Devills opposite 8. The 8. Reason drawne from Christs washing the Apostles feete Iohn 13.2 The Schoole-mens opinion 9. The 9. Reason drawne from Heb. 10.26 10. The 10. Reason from Iudas his being excluded from Grace at the end of the second Supper The fourth Generall point 11. The Subsequent or Concomitant occurrences after the Traytors detection The 1. Occurrence Satans entring into Judas When Satan entred into Iudas How Satan entred into Iudas S. Augustine saith Affectu tantum Voluntate Ludolphus Essentially Not into his Soule But into his Body Tolet not Corporally but taking a quiet possession of him Theophylact Occupavit Cor ejus Cyrill praecipitem egit Origen Egit ut Ascensor equum Item Iudas totum Satanam suscepit in se After the Sop. 12. How Iudas was tempted Temptations are either 1. Ascendentes Inward 2. Obrepentes Outward 3. Immissae Darted in by Satan himselfe 13. Three Conclusions 1. Conclusion the Temptations of the world are severall from the Devills Three kindes of Tempters 1. The World 2. The Flesh 3. The Devill 2. Conclusion The temptations hath 3. degrees 1. Beginning 2. Proceeding 3. Consummation Or thus Consider 1. The Primitive Motion 2. The Assisting Commotion 3. The Plenary Agreeing Or thus 1. Suggestion 2. Delight 3. Pleasure 3. Conclusion The Devill is the Authour and Cause of all and every temptation The Devill a tempter The World and Flesh the Devills Instruments 14. How the temptations of the Devill be knowne from the temptations of the World Flesh 15. Satans temptations are Many Manifold Which temptations are grievous and fiery Which temptation is the worst and most dangerous How the World Flesh Satan tempteth The same sinne may be of the World Flesh Devill 16. The Creatures of God tempt us not primarily but by casualty the starres and heavenly influences tempt no man to sinne No more does any earthly thing in its owne Nature What temptations be from Satan the variety of Satans Temptations 17. All men have beene Tempted even the Spirituall Not Christ himselfe nor his Apostles free from Temptations The manner of Satans Temptations 18. Satan may enter into a man often times Iudas his state after Satans second entrance into him PARAGRAPH 1. THe Reasons also hold fairely that Iudas was not present at the Eucharist First whatsoever the Lord commanded himselfe fulfilled for Act. 1.1 Christ began both to doe and teach His first teaching was his doing no teaching is compared to the first practising Examples pierce deeper than words he was first baptized by Iohn before either he baptized and or gave authority to his Disciples or Apostles that they should baptize any But the Lord commanded the giving of holy things to holy people onely when he did say Give not that which is holy unto the dogges neither cast your pearles before swine Mat. 7.6 Therefore he himselfe gave not the holy Sacrament unto Judas PAR. 2. SEcondly Levit. 13.46 The Leper is uncleane he shall dwell alone without the Campe shall his habitation be Numb 5.2 Put out of the Campe every
16. cap. 31. thus Peccatum Corinthiorum quod reprehenditur ab Apostolo etsi propriè ad Naturam substantiam hujus Sacramenti admittebatur erat conjunctum cum venerandi mysterii contemptu contumelia in iis nempe conviviis quae Sacramento adjicere moris erat exercendae charitatis ergô propterea Paulus totam illam Corinthiorum actionem quae sacro communi convivio constabat à potiore parte vocat Coenam Dominicam The sin of the Corinthians which the Apostle finds fault withall though it belonged not properly to the nature and substance of this Sacrament yet because they committed it by occasion of the Sacrament and was accompanied with the contempt and shame of the venerable Eucharist namely in those Feasts which custome added to the Sacrament to excercise their charity therefore Paul called all that action of the Corinthians which consisted of a sacred and common Banquet from the better and nobler part thereof the Supper of the Lord. But that great scholer is miserably deceived in this following thing Manè sine dubio saith he Corinthii Eucharistiam celebrabant quam sequebantur posteà epulae Communes Out of doubt the Corinthians received the Eucharist in the morning and the Common Feast followed after Yet the Apostle fully intimateth that the Corinthians kept their refections in the Church Before they received the blessed Eucharist and some of them were kept with great excesse as I proved before Casaubone his Sine dubio out of doubt is but a fancy of which himselfe made no doubt others do Another error is in the same chapter That what S. Paul calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Supper should rather be tearmed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prandium a dinner if we respect the time or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a breakfast And he alleadgeth this reason out of Chrysostome according to the Churches usage which the Apostles out of doubt instituted of receiving of the Sacrament Early and Fasting that Heavenly banquet may be tearmed a breakfast or a dinner Suppose this were so that the holy Communion of the Corinthians may be ought rather to be called in respect of the time of taking it a breakfast which they took only Salivâ virgineâ with Virgin spittle or fasting as it is apparently false yet ought it to be tearmed the Supper of the Lord. For the Lord took it not at breakfeast or at dinner but at night only at the Third Supper And this is enough to justifie the title of Tricoenium Justinian the Jesuit neare the place above-cited saiâ—h the words Postquam coenavit after he had supped may be expounded not only of the Paschall Lamb but also of the Common Supper Nam sub finem coenae communis instituta est Eucharistia for about the end of the Common Supper which was the Second Supper Christ did institute and celebrate the Eucharist which is the Third and Last Supper of our Lord called by S. Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 called by Dionysius Areopagita 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The most Heavenly and Archi-mysterious Supper as Casaubone well observed called by other Fathers and by Baronius and Justinian Coena Domini The Supper of the Lord as you may see the proofes at large in Casaubone Dei Coena Gods Supper saith Tertullian ad uxorem 2.6 Augustines appellation is Communio Coenae the Communion of the Supper de Anima cap. 6. 11. In the eleaventh place I think the words of Casaubone require more proofe or are to be distinguished upon when he saith Out of doubt the Apostles did appoint the Church to receive the Sacrament Early and Fasting That the Churches did so and did well to do so in later times is confessed That some Churches did take the holy Communion Early and Fasting in the fourth Age is also confessed It was a fault objected against Chrysostome that he gave the Communion Post sumptum cibum after the Christians had broken their fast The Romans used this peculiar king of action when they swore they took up a stone and did fling it from them and prayed May Jupiter throw me away as I fling away this stone if I speak not truth The good old father S. Chrysostome was much moved with that false suggestion and thereupon with enough if not too much earnestnesse He perhaps alluded to the oathes of the Gentiles but certainly swore in Christian tearmes If I have done so let Christ cast me out of his Kingdome In his seven and twentieth Homily in 1 Epistolam ad Corinthios he saith you before you receive the holy Eucharist do Fast that you may some way or other seem worthy to Communicate and if that be a sound Rule in the Decretals that None should beare witnesse but Fasting whereby they may the better consider what they sweare I judge that propter dignitatem corporis Dominici for the honor of the Lords body no sustenance should be taken before the blessed food which strengtheneth our soules be taken by us And yet if Chrysostome had administred the Sacrament after meat he instanceth in the example of our blessed Lord. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who administred the Communion after Supper S Augustine himselfe tooke it Fasting propter honorem corporis Dominici for the honour of the Lords body yet he ad Januarium confesseth some Churches of Africa received the Sacrament in the end of the day others received it both in the Morning and in the Evening Augustines ad Januarium Epist. 118. cap. 4. is sufficient authority that on Good-friday anniversarily the Church received the blessed Sacrament twice once in the Morning once in the Evening Et cap. 7. Plures propè omnes in plerisque locis eo die Coenare consueverunt Most and almost all used to take it at Supper And the priviledge of this day viz. to receive the blessed Eucharist at night continued till the dayes of Pope Honorius who brake it off And though Augustine himselfe with his were wont to fast Then tocelebrate the Communion Then to sup cap. 5. yet the same Augustine ibid. cap. 6. Liquidò apparet quando primùm acceperunt discipuli corpus sanguinem Domini non eos accepisse jejunos It is a plaine case that when the Disciples did first receive the body and blood of the Lord they did not receive it fasting The Apostles at first are not the Eucharist Fasting But wee must not therefore calumniate the Universall Church because they always take it Fasting For it pleaseth the holy Ghost that for the honour of so great a Sacrament the Lords body should be eaten before other meats and therefore per universum orbem mos iste servatur this custome is kept over the whole world And the contrary custome of receiving the Eucharist after supper was forbidden by the third Councel of Carthage Canone 29. except only on the Anniversary day of the Supper of the Lord. Yea that very permission and indulgence of receiving the Sacrament at night only on Good-friday at night was disannulled
Bread but they did also Eat their Meate with gladnesse and as by the first words the Eucharist may be well understood For the bread which we breake is it not the communion of the Body of Christ 1 Cor. 10.16 That interrogation is in effect a doubled affirmation so by the phrase of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 capiebant or sumebant cibum they did eate their meate their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Love-feasts are apparently signed out I say with Montanus that in those times Eucharistiae Sacramentum repetebant assiduè They tooke the blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist daily and with Beza that by the word Bread the Hebrews understood all kinde of meats and will not deny but the Hebrews did make their bread broad and thinne that they were rather broken than cut But since there is mention both of Breaking of Bread and eating of Meate I shall appropriate the first to the holy Sacrament the second to their feasts of charity and be bold to averre that these words in the cited places designe both And I wish that Beza had noted that though the Corinthians did abuse both their blessed Sacrament and their Love-feasts also by mingling one with another and profaning the Churches in making them places of common repast yet this was somewhat After this story in the second of the Acts when the Agapae succeeded the blessed Sacrament as the second Supper of the Iewes succeeded their Paschall For their Breaking of Bread was before their Eating of Meate And I thinke the degrees were these They daily continued in the Temple There was the place of prayer Act. 3.1 They are their Bread their sacred Bread Domatim at Home or from house to house or at one time in severall houses For in the Temple they could not doe so persecution and the sword hung over them A private house could not affoord competent roome and decent spaces for above three thousand to receive day by day And therefore they imployed diverse houses to that purpose Though it be said they were All together verse 44. yet saith Chrysostome not in One place or roome but All together in Grace faith charity unity of the Spirit and singlenesse of heart vers 46. All of them having but One minde One heart After this in the third place were their Love-feasts carefully tended and ordered by the Apostles themselves at first and then was no abuse But when the number of the Disciples increased the Apostles applyed themselves to Better things and left the guidance of Love-feasts in part to others Then crept in partiality and discontent and there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews because their widowes were neglected in the daily administration Act. 6.1 Their Love-feasts were daily administred as well as the blessed Sacrament Whereupon the twelve Apostles called the multitude of Disciples unto them and said It is not reason we should leave the word of God and serve Tables vers 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ministrare mensis i conviviis or in conviviis saith Beza to set forth the Love-feasts or attend on them And most divinely to cut off all cavills they appointed all the Disciples to choose out of themselves Seven men of honest report full of the holy Ghost and wisdome Act. 6.3 to present them to the Apostles both for that and other services The Disciples chose them the Apostles prayed and laid their hands upon them Yet neither the care of the Apostles nor the deputed authority of the Seaven Deacons whom the Apostles did appoint over this businesse Act. 6.3 could keepe the Christians in due course but Satan did sow his tares and bred divisions and introduced innovations so that they ate the body of our Lord and dranke his blood with Other meats and that in the very Temple most intemperately and partially Not discerning the Lords body to the great scandall of others so that the Apostles were faine to take notice of them to reprove and reforme them The Prayer GRacious God fountaine of light we miserable men are led in darknesse and wander up and downe in it we stumble and fall and run into an hundred by-paths rather than in the way of truth We see not so well as we ought Our intellect is mistaken our will is perverse O thou who inlightnest one way or other all men that come into the world shew me thy brightnesse Guide and governe me Into thy hands doe I commend my poore spirit with all the faculties both of my soule and body Let thy holy rayes incompasse me deliver me from both outward and inward darknesse and bring me to see thy face for Iesus Christ his sake Amen Chap. II. and fourth Generall Wherein are demonstrated certaine Reasons why the sacred Eucharist was substituted to the eternall disannulling of the Passeover 1. Diverse Ends why the Third holy Supper was instituted 1. Reason To substantiate the praeceding Type The difference between Fulfilling of a Law and realizing or consummating of a Type Tertullian censured Hierome applanded The Passeover was a figure of the Eucharist and of Christs Passion All figures are not Antitypes 2. 2 Reason To conferre more grace upon us by It than was given unto the Iewes The figure must come short in excellency to the thing figured The vertue and effect of the Lords Supper in us 3. 3 Reason â—o praefigure Christs death and going out of the world All Sacraments of the Old Law were figures of the Eucharist and did finally typifie Christs death 4. 4 Reason To be a Remembrance to us of Christs death till his comming againe The holy Eucharist not onely sealeth and signifieth Grace but also conferreth and exhibiteth it by it selfe in the true use thereof How farre forth this effect is to be understood Why Christ received the blessed Sacrament before he went into the Garden Christ had degrees of devotion Not to faint in Prayer The blessed Virgin Mary not so full of Grace but that shee was capable of more latitude 5. 5 Reason To unite us to Christ 6 Reason To breed brotherly Love and to unite us one to another Hence the Communion of Saints the Eucharist called the Communion 7 Reason To be an Antidote against daily sinnes The Eucharist called Panis supersubstantialis and by S. Ambrose Panis quotidianus 8 Reason To further our Spirituall Life 9 Reason Because it is the Sacrament of supernall charity and filiation PARAGRAPH 1. YEt because it is a vanity to institute any new matters unlesse men be moved to it by very good reasons and lawfull inducements Let us now examine Why this Third holy Supper was instituted and we shall finde that the Ends were diverse I will instance in some and 1. First in this It was Appointed to this purpose viz. to Substantiate the Preceding Type There is great difference between Fulfilling of a Law and Realizing or Consummating of a Type By Eating the Paschall Christ did as the Law commanded and in that point fulfilled the Law but if he had
that it should be Holy and without blemish Ephes 5.26 27. Aqua quae benedicitur purgat illuminat hominem The water which is blessed doth purge and illuminate man saith Gregory Nyssen in lib. de Baptismo Caro abluitur ut anima emaculetur the body is washed that the soule may be made cleane saith Tertullian de resurrectione carnis From whence in all likelihood Augustine tract 80. in Johannem propounded that assevering interrogation unde tanta vis aquae ut corpus tangat cor abluat from whence is that powerfull vertue of water that the body being touched the soule is washed The blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist is more powerfull than over Paschal was Tertul. de resurrectione carnis thus Caro corpore Christi sanguine veseitur ut anima de Deo saginetur our flesh feedeth on the body and blood of Christ that our soules may be filled and fatted with God Bernard in primo Sermone de coena Domini pag. 145. Who can quell so fierce raging wilde motions of concupiscence who can beare the itchings bitings or akings of this wound Beleeve Gods grace is sufficient for men And that ye may be secure saith Saint Bernard you have the investiture that is a new acquist and possession of the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ For that Sacrament worketh two things in us Et sensum minuit in minimis ingravioribus peccatis tollit omnino consensum it infeebleth and diminisheth sin in the smallest matters but in more grievous sins it wholly taketh away our consent If any of you find not so sharp motions to anger envie luxury or the like let him thank the body and blood of our Lord because the vertue of that Sacrament worketh effectually in him and let him rejoyce that the fowlest ulcer beginneth to heale I conclude this passage with the memorable words of our Saviour at the institution of the holy Eucharist Mat. 26.28 This is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins Thus doe the Sacraments of Grace remit quell and mortifie sin whereas the divine Apostle speaking of the Sacraments of the old Law is expresse Heb. 10.4 It is not possible that the blood of Goats and Bulls should take away sins PAR. 3. A Third Reason for its Institution was to prefigure Christs death and going out of the world John 13.1 Jesus knew his houre was come that he should depart out of the world unto the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut transeat that he might Passe out of the world having apparent reference both to the old and new Passeover on the Crosse All Sacraments of the old Law were figures of the Eucharist And they did also finally designe and typifie Christs death Therefore the blessed Eucharist must needs adumbrate Christs death also Indeed the Egyptian Passeover by the sprinkling of whose blood the Israelites were freed from the exterminating Angel doth most lively typifie Christ slaine and his blood delivering us But the Paschal Lamb which afterward was yeerely slaine did more resemble the Sacrament of Christs body and blood and yet both the first and the succeding yeerely Passeover may all of them and each of them in a true and fitting sence be said to prefigure not only the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ but the very Crucifixion of our blessed Saviour Jesus Christ PAR. 4. A Fourth Cause of Christ's superinducing of the blessed Eucharist was to be a remembrance to us of Christs death till he commeth againe 1 Cor. 11.24 Doe this in remembrance of me so verse 25. As often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup ye doo shew the Lords death till he come ver 26. The Paschall was a memoriall of their deliverance from Egypt and of their passing the Red-sea without danger whilst the Sea stood as two Christall walls on the right hand and the left and they passed through dry-footed Exod. 14.22 Againe when in after times their children were to ask What mean you by this service Ye shall say It is the Sacrifice of the Lords Passeover who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when he smote the Egyptians and delivere dour houses Exod. 12.26 c. But the Eucharist is a memoriall of our deliverance from Sin Hell and the power of Satan Therefore so farre as spirituall deliverances are above temporall as the soules are above the bodies heaven above earth so farre doth our holy Eucharist antecede their Paschal and bringeth with it more certaine fruit and fuller Grace infused not only Sealing and Signifying Grace but Conferring and Exhibiting it by it selfe in the true use I urge not this effect so farre as to exclude Baptisme from working remission of sinnes nor as if the sacred Sucharist did remit the Same Individuall sinnes which were Before remitted by Baptisme or as if it did remit sins that never were Repented of God doth not so much But the Sacrament of the body and blood of our Lord forgiveth such sins as have beene committed betweene the receiving of Baptisme and it and such sins as have overborne us since our hearty Contrition and Repentance yea where sins are perfectly forgiven before the holy Communion yet doth the Holy Communion Enseale and Ratifie the former remission if I may so speake and the Eucharist in the right use maketh an Attrite man a Contrite One A Contrite man to be Justified A Justified man to be Holy An Holy man to be More holy and the Holiest One to be more lively spiritfull and prompt in religious services than I think he would have beene if the Sacrament had beene omitted Thus I doubt not but if the Thrice-blessed Virgin Mary had received the consecrated Eucharist as in likelihood she did though she were full of Grace according to the Angels salutation when she received it yet it would not have beene uneffectuall to her Good for she was not so full of Grace but that shee was still capable of more and greater additaments of Grace Many more Reasons there are why Christ Jesus did superinstitute the blessed Eucharist destroying and abolishing thereby the old Passeover I will instance only in some of them and that very briefly PAR. 5. A Fifth Reason why Christ did institute this Sacrament was to unite us to Himselfe 1 Corinth 10.16 The cup of blessing which wee blesse is it not the Communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we breake is it not the Communion of the body of Christ The cup is so necessary that the Apostle placeth it before the bread 6. To breed brotherly love and to unite us to Christ and one to another For we being many are One Bread and One Body For we are all partakers of that One Bread 1 Cor. 10.17 Hence floweth that great Article of our Creed The communion of Saints Hence is that Sacred Eucharist called Communio A Communion John 6.56 He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my
as dividing one chapter into soure chapters another or the second chapter into three chapters Nonnus observeth not our chapters much lesse verses Suidas doth otherwise distinguish the chapters Cyrill maketh twelve bookes on Saint John as if all were concluded in twelve chapters Who desireth to see more let him have recourse to the cited place of that rare Scholer and he shall find admirable curiosities concerning chapters and verses of the New Testament and he shall not repent him of his labour And let him consult with Sixtus Senonsis Bibliothecae Sanctae 3. pag. 157. c. Let me adde somewhat more The Arabick Translator is much different from all others Francis Junius in his preface before the Arabick translation of the Acts Arabs noster capita nec sine judicio aliter planè distinguit atque in libris nostris distincta sunt consimiliter versus alios dividit in nostris confusos Alios conjungit disparatos suâ compositione id quod fuerat obscurius tanquam adunatis stellis illuminant Our Atabick Interpreter saith Iunâ—us distinguisheth not without cause or reason the chapters otherwise than they are distinguished in our bookes Likewise concerning the verses he divided some which are confounded together in our bookes and joyneth others together which were disparate and sundred And by this his Composition that which was more obscure he ilustrateth and illuminateth as by a conjunction of stars Heinsius in the fore-cited place concurreth with unius that some others divisions are better than those which we now have in use in some things His words are Intelligimus eos nonnunquam meliùs quae non haererent divisisse where some chapters or verses had little dependance one upon another they sometimes better distinguished them than we doe now I answer if in some few of their variations they come neerer to conveniency than ours doe which I will not wholly deny yet if I have any judgement they have strayed worse than the Greek divisions have done in other places whilest they strive to be menders that ought to be but Translators Indeed if Saint Mark had delivered the Gospell to the Syrians as themselves say he did and if their distinguishments be now such as Saint Mark left them it would make much for their authority Or if any of those Arabians Acts 2.11 who were at Jerusalem at Pentecost had in the dayes of the Apostles translated the Gospels and kept them since from alteration we might ascribe much to it But concerning the Syriack translation Non desunt etiam quaedam in ea editione quae viris doctis piis non admodum placent There are somethings in that edition which holy and learned men are not well pleased with saith Bellarmine And I cannot easily be brought to beleeve that S. Mark delivered to the Churches of Syria and Egypt the Syriac edition of the New Testament since neither Clemens Alexandrinus nor that living Library Origen who laboured more about the Editions than ever any other did Nor Eusebius nor Athanasius nor Dydimus nor Theophilus nor Epiphanius nor Hierom nor Cyril nor Theodoret nor other Fathers who were Bishops or Priests in Syria or Egypt since none of these Fathers who lived there mentioned any such Edition or Translation it shall passe with me as a work of later times The same Arabick translator maketh fifty chapters of the Acts of the Apostles whereas we have only 28. chapters The first Epistle of S. Paul to the Corinthians in the Arabick hath 21. chapters having only 16. chapters with us The second Epistle hath only 12. chapters in the Arabick and yet we have 13. chapters in the Greek Ammonius divided every one of the foure Evangelists into many chapters S. Matthew into 355 chapters S. Marke into 135 chapters S. Luke into 344 chapters S. John into 232 chapters So Sixtus Senensis Bibliothecae sanctae lib. 3. pag. 160. relateth If such difference be in chapters which is the mainer division there must needs be more variant diversity in the verses which are the subalternate differences depending on the chapters Much more might be said but I have wandred too long and returne to what I handled before namely That we have no reason of necessity to expect that Christs administring of his Third and Last Supper should be distinguished by the beginning of a new chapter For it is not so in any other of the Three Evangelists Nor are the chapters and verses of Divine institution but servient to the Churches ordination varying according to the opinions of diverse ages and in the opinion of Junius and Heinsius may be better than now they are And yet there might be a new chapter in ancient times when Judas went out the old one ending John 13.30 at these words And it was night For presently thereupon in all likelyhood was the blessed Eucharist administred and the Evangelist S. John wholly omitted what the other Three Evangelists had so fully described And a new chapter might begin John 13.31 Or if not a new matter namely our thrice blessed Saviour his holy heavenly last Sermon Sermo Domini in coenaculo which the other Three Evangelists very briefly touched at but S. John declareth at large from John 13.31 to John 18.1 Foure whole chapters and more in a continued and uninterrupted manifesto or declaration PAR. 8. LAstly since it is apparant even to sense and rectified reason that Christ mingled not his most sacred Third Supper and holy Eucharist with ordinary meats but took it by it selfe as a distinct Sacrament of the New Testament and as a glorious testimony of the Law of Grace there is no place in my opinion so likely to establish our Saviours administration of it as immediately upon Iudas his excommunication and secession And when the holy administration was ended to the joy of the Apostles and to the glory of God Our divinest Saviour brake forth into this Jubilee and exultation of joy Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him viz. when his Flesh and Blood were made a glorious Sacrament of the New Law then Christ was glorified and God in Christ How was Christ at that instant glorified above other times if not by Iudas his departure and Christ giving the holy Eucharist to his holy Apostles Or where could it be given more commodiously As for the words Edentibus ipsis I have heretofore cleared them by good authority that they are not to be taken strictly as if whilest meat was in their jawes and whilest their mouths were full and their teeth champing Christ gave them the Supper of the Lord nor as if we were not to receive the hallowed food but as we are eating of some other things nor as if it were essentiall to have a co-eating No Christian heart can think so For it were an undervaluing of the Body and Blood of the Lord and little or no discerning of the Lords Body from other common meats yea indeed an horrid mingle-mangle But the words are to
Table For if David did so in urgent and extreame necessitie and in the desolate inhospitable Wildernesse is it likely Christ would doe so where all necessary utensils were prepared for a Feast Nor are the words of David in Terminis as my learned friend supposeth though they approach to the sense He that sitteth at Table with me Psal 41.9 And if they had been so from the correspondence betweene the Type and Substance I should rather have concluded As Achitophel did eate at Davids Table so did Judas at Christs Table They both did eate at a Table and both were notorious traytors If Beza say Such a Table as our Saviour did institute this Supper on or That Table was no Table indeed but in name onely or not a Table framed of wood I must tell Beza that none is able to prove his Negatives and the contrary is evinced by their common usance And the word Table doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and most properly signifie somewhat to eate upon raysed from the ground Nor can I finde in any place of S. Augustine any inclination of him to this That the earth ground plaine floore or pavement was the Table on which Christ instituted the holy Eucharist So much against the opinion that Christ celebrated his blessed Supper and Sacrament on the pavement with humble subjection of my Writings to the Church of England the uncorruptedst part of Christs Militant Church and with this solemne protestation that though I differ in judgement in this point from the learned Doctor yet I shall never differ from him in affection but be ready upon better proofes to change somewhat of my opinion and still to love him Lastly I shall fling water into the Sea and mispend time to prove that the Jewish people made great and much use of Tables long before Christs Incarnation and so downe to his death PAR. 5. COncerning the blessed Eucharist it cannot be certainly knowne on what speciall Table it was administred or what was the forme or fashion of That Table Two points are considerable The first seemes more than probable to me That it was administred or celebrated on a Table Secondly I hold it likely it was administred on a Table distinct from the Paschall and ordinary-Supper Table Concerning the first In the Temple at Hierusalem they had a Table of Shittim wood two cubits the length thereof and a cubite the breadth thereof and a cubite and an halfe the height thereof Exod. 25.23 And thoushalt set upon the Table Shewbread before me alwayes vers 30. There was no Long-square Table of Incense but the Altar to burne Incense upon was also of Shittim wood foure-square A cubit the length thereof and a cubit the breadth thereof Exod. 30.1 And it was two cubits high The former Table allegorically did signifie the Table of the body and blood of Christ as Cornelius à Lapide on Heb. 9.2 avoucheth from Cyrill Hierome Damascene Therefore the Substance of the Type was also a Table and Christ celebrated the I ords Supper on a Table Secondly 1 Corinth 11.20 it is called the Lords Supper The Administring and Receiving of the Eucharist is called the Supper of the Lord. Augustine ad Januarium Epistolâ 118. cap. 5. affirmeth that the Apostle calleth the very Receiving of the Eucharist the Dominicam coenam the Supper of the Lord So Ambrose Pelagius Glossator Lombardus Hervaetus Aquinas Rickelius saith Estius on the 1 Corinth 11. Theodoret and Oecumenius call Dominicam coenam The Lords Supper Domini Sacramentum The Sacrament of the Lord though Estius minceth the point But they were wont in those times to eate their Suppers on Tables Ioh. 12.2 Lazarus was one of them who sate at the Table with Christ when Christ said Luk. 22.30 Yee may eate and drinke at my Table in my kingdome he draweth the Metaphor from the Tables on which he and others were wont to feed on in those dayes Ioh. 12.2 c. Matth. 15.27 The dogs eate of the crummes which fall from their Masters Table Therefore there was a distance betweene the Tables and the Ground S. Mark 7.28 varieth it thus The dogs under the Tables eate of the childrens crummes Therefore the Tables were not On the ground when dogs could be under them The rich man had a Table from whence such crummes fell as would have fed Lazarus Luk. 16.21 Therefore the Table was not On the ground floore or pavement but Above it and from it the crummes fell lower So Tables being in viridi observantiâ in ordinary use among the Jewes in those dayes and Christ avoyding factious singularity and running fairely with the streame of those times in things indifferent we may conclude Christ fed not from the pavement at any time for ought that is recorded or involved But it is very likely our Saviour on a Table did celebrate the holy Eucharist Tables were principally ordained to be eaten and drin kt upon whether at sacred or common Feasts Take this and eate it as from a Table and Christ tooke the cup as from the Table and gave thankes as they used to doe at the Table and gave it to them as they were at Table Drinke yee all of this as was wont to be done at the Table Matth. 26.27 Act. 6.2 It is not reason we should leave the Word of God and serve Tables And these Tables were for the poore or for their holy feasts of charity if not for the receiving of the most holy Eucharist also For it may be well observed Men were chosen to serve Tables full of the holy Ghost of honest report and wisdome as Stephen was a man full of faith and of the holy Ghost verse 5. full of faith and tower verse 8. consecrated to that worke by prayer and imposition of hands with as much ceremony and solemne majesty as others were chosen to be Presbyters nay more viz. with the generall consent and joynt action of all the Apostles To serve at Common Tables alone such worthy Heroes were not fittest to be destinated or appointed that I may use the Scripture phrase meaner people might and would have served the turne But these sanctified Deacons did not onely take care of the poore but administred at the most holy Tables on which the Eucharist was celebrated Ignatius Epistol ad Trallenses almost in the beginning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yee ought to please the Deacons the ministers of the mysteries of Christ in all things for they are not the servitors of meats and drinkes but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Ministers of the Church of God doe you reverence them as Jesus Christ whose Vicars they are My collection is Sacred things yea the most holy Eucharist was celebrated Then on Tables And in all likelihood from the example of Christ who consecrated the blessed Sacrament on a Table Nor doe the Apostles think it unreasonable to serve Tables either common or sacred simply and absolutely for the works were devout but comparatively and referentially They
would not neglect the preaching of the Word of God nor exclude themselves from It to serve Tables In this sense S. Paul said 1 Corinth 1.17 Christ sent me not to Baptize but to preach the Gospel yet both Baptising and Serving at Tables especially the Sacred Ones were divine offices Christ was given for us in the Sacrifice was given to us in the Sacrament In the first per modum victimae as an offring in the last per modum epuli as Bishop Andrews hath it as in a Banquet Who knoweth not Banquets are commonly set on Tables In the Feastings of our great Ones you may perhaps find out the Jewish fashion of Feastings For as oft times our people arise when the first and second courses are removed and other meat and messes carried away and go to another Table and Banquet of Sweet-meats as the close of all So very well may it be that when Judas was excluded out of that room and gone down staires and forth of doores Christ and his Apostles might arise from their former Feasting and at another Table apply themselves to this Sacred banquet of the Holiest Heavenliest Sweet-meat since more devotion was required at this most Sacred food than at their other repast of which hereafter Besides I desire to see one proofe where ever any of Christs Apostles or any Jew of those times did feed from the Ground Floore or Pavement when they did eat in any house well-furnished I cannot omit another place 1 Cor. 10.21 Ye cannot be partakers of the Lords Table and of the Table of Devils That the Apostle speaketh of the sacred Eucharist in the first place appeareth by the precedent verses The Cup of blessing which wee blesse is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ The Bread which wee breake is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ vers 17. Here are both Species both Kinds Christ blessed the Cup and so do we before and in the Consecration and this is the Communion of Christs blood Giving of thanks preceded consecration The Heathen had Altars on which they made offrings to their Gods the Devils and they had also Tables from which they did participate of things Offered It was lawfull to go to the Tables and Feasts of the Gentiles and to eate whatsoever was set before them 1. Cor. 10.27 But they might not approach to the Pagan Altars to partake of them Nor eat any thing in Idolio in the Idols Temple Nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As a thing offred to Idols no though a man did but say so vers 28. Yet Christians partaked even of the Sacrifices which were upon and taken from the Heathen Altars on which they were Sacrificed if they knew it not as the Gentiles and Jews also Deuteronomy 18.1 c. though not Altars but Tables were principally ordained to eat upon Yet they who waited at the Altar are partakers with the Altar 1 Cor. 9.13 Christ could not expect an Altar in an upper chamber of a private man Altars were no part of chamber-furniture The Jews might have no other permanent Altars after their setting in Hierusalem bu two The Altar of Incense and the Altar of Sacrifice Christ may be said in a sort to be the Altar the Offring and the Priest when he was Sacrificed on the Crosse Other than a Metaphoricall Altar he used not he was not The poore mans box or chest shall be set neare to the high Altar Injunction the 29. But he consecrated the saving Eucharist on a Table and therefore is it called the Lords Table And because Christ did so all other Christians were the apter to do so and for a while called the Church-Altars Tables in reference to Christs first Institution upon a Table For in times of persecution they could well use none but Tables and therefore doth the Primitive Church oft call them Tables and seldome Altars unto which they were not admitted to administer the Sacrament of the body and blood of the Lord. Nor did they carry Altar or Altars from house to house from City to City from Countrey to Countrey as they Communicated in severall Houses in severall Cities and Countreys and for a while daily so communicated but used the Tables such as they were made by Art wheresoever they came Nor perhaps did they stand on the particular consecration either of Tables or of Cups and Vessels to hold the Body and Blood of Christ but in the fiery furnace of persecution were content sometimes to make use of such things as could be had and rather made them holy than found them holy But he who from hence will think that the name of Altar is unlawfull or of a late invention or that they were excluded from Christian Churches or that there were Tables allowed and every where set up in the Churches Or that Altars were destroyed generally or for the most part Or that even Altars themselves were not sometimes called Tables with an eye to Christs first institution Or that will cry-up Tables to cry-down Altars He knoweth not the different usances of the Church in times of persecution and cut of it but taketh advantage of words to set asunder things which well may stand together and runneth with a strong by as to his own works Neither would I have my speciall friend to precipitate himselfe into the other extreame or so to fix his mind on Altars so to undervalew Tables as to maintain or publish that Christ did not celebrate the Heavenly Eucharist on a Table and that he instituted it on a plain Floore or pavement which opinion I think was scarce ever heard off a thousand yeares after the first Institution of the Sacrament The extract or exempt especially appropriated to our purpose is this Not only the Devils in a kind of imitation of God Almighty this worship had by the Heathen Tables erected and consecrated to them of which they took part and were allowed their divident or portion on which they fed sometimes in the Temples of their Idols sometimes at home But even the holy Christians in their best perfection had diverse Tables on which they did administer the Lords Supper and partaked of the holy Communion and they were called the Tables of the Lord. For the Lord himselfe and his holy Ones a long time after him administred the blessed Eucharist on Tables PAR. 6. THe second point held probable was and is The holy Eucharist was administred by Christ on a Table different and variant from the Paschall and Ordinary Supper-Table Object Yea but what proofes have you for that Sol. I answer what proofes have you to the contrary And why was not the Heavenly food consecrated on a distinct Table Or which opinion is like-liest In this so uncertaine a point we are not forbidden but rather commanded to search for the truth 1 John 4.1 Beleeve not every spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God 2 Thess 2.2 Be not soon shaken in mind or troubled But 1 Thess 4.21 Prove
house with great plagues because of Sarai Abrahams wife Gen. 12 1â— though Pharaoh had committed no evill with her The other King was Abimelech to whom God came by dreame in a night and said Thou art a dead man for Sarah whom thou hast taken Gen. 20.3 Yet Abimelech had not come neere her ver 4. Abraham is a Prophet and he shall pray for thee ver 7. And Abraham prayed unto God and God healed Abimelech and his wife and maid-servants and they bare children For the Lord had fast-closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech ver 17 18. The like may be said of Isaac whom Abimelech so revered that he charged all his people sayin He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death Gen. 26.11 And both he and his people confessed that Isaac was now the blessed of the Lord ver 29. God hath the like care of Ioseph and he was a prosperous man And Potiphar saw that the Lord was with him and That the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand Gen. 39 3 5. And the Keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand because the Lord was with Ioseph and that which he did the Lord made to prosper ver 23. Pharaoh made much of Ioseph and God prospered both Pharaoh and his kingdome through Iosephs meanes And Ioseph may well be accounted a Prophet for Ioseph had a Cup by which indeed he divineth saith the Steward of Iosephs house Gen. 44.5 And if indeed he did Divine he was a Prophet yea one of those Prophets pointed at by the Psalmograph as followeth in Psal 10. â— in the next verses where Ioseph is particularly named He was blessed in himselfe and a reall blessing to others When Christ blessed the five loaves and two fishes Luke 9.16 Benedictione augebat eos multiplicabat by the blessing he increased and they began to multiply immediately upon Christs benediction of them increased more at his fraction multiplied yet more as he gave them to the Disciples ascended to a greater augmentation as the Disciples gave them to the people growing still in quantity as the people held or beheld them Lastly it is like also they did increase even in their mouthes and as they did eat them Nor were the five loave made more loaves or the two fishes increased in number for then it had been improperly said that they all did eat and were filled with five loaves and two fishes if the loaves and fishes were more in number as if from every stalke seven eares came up full and good so from every loafe more loaves did arise and from every fish more fishes But each piece or mouthfull of every one of these did grow greater And as some wells do fill the rather and swell the more by haâ—ing water often drawne from them or as fountaine water continually floweth and what you take up from it filleth again with a kind of usurious increase so every parcell of bread or fish did grow as Butchers say of young fat meat did plim or grow till it came to their eating As God Blesseth so Christ Blesseth For his Blessing never consisted in meer words but was effectuall in operation conveying reall good unto the blessed For though the Blessing of the bread was not properly the Consecration of his body yet it was an antecedent Preparative a dispositive Adaptation not void or vaine or inefficacious perhaps accompanied with prayers perhaps with thanksgiving perhaps with both The Benediction of Parents though it be but a prayer most times yet it returneth not empty but many times imparteth blessednesse yea Alwayes if the Recipient be well prepared The Sacerdotall Benediction is not Onely a plaine good prayer but wholly and altogether hath a certaine power and efficacy of the Key Loosing and Absolving saith Illirycus Who would have invocated the doctrine of the Keyes if he could have found but a little hole Open or a little crack or flaw But Christs Benediction as it was mighty in operation so it consisted in part as well of Thankesgiving as of Prayers For though S. Matthew and S. Mark have the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and apply it to the Bread onely Matth. 26.26 Mark 14.22 And though S. Paul 1 Corinth 10.16 calleth the Sacred Cup the Cup of Blessing which we Blesse yet S. Paul 1 Corinth 11.24 useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in stead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so doth the Evangelist Luk. 22.19 He tooke bread and gave thankes and brake it Giving of Thankes and Blessing are sometimes of one and the same signification as is evidenced 1 Corinth 14.16 When thou shalt Blesse with the Spirit how shall he who occupieth the roome of the unlearned say Amen at thy Giving of thankes where Blessing and Giving of Thankes are confounded Piscators observation on the 1 Corinth cap. 10. vers 16. is good Poculum illud Benedictionis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That cup of Blessing The words in the Syriac are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cosó haú dothaudithó id est Poculum illud Gratiarum actionis That Cup of Giving of Thankes And so it is read in Tremelius Syriac translation of the New Testament Vbi observa Syrum nomen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exponere per nomen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et sanè in Institutione sacrae Coenae duo ista verba 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uno eodemque sensu accipiuntur Where observe saith Piscator on that place that the Syriac expoundeth the word which signifieth Blessing by a word which signifieth Giving of Thankes And verily in the Institution of the holy Supper those two words of Blessing and Giving of Thankes are to be taken in One and the selfesame signification God doth not blesse with Giving of Thankes or Prayers to man Christ blessed creatures reasonable and unreasonable sometimes with Giving of Thankes sometimes with Prayer Thankes to God Prayers for the things to be blessed Man may be said in a nice way to blesse God yet not Give him Thankes Then but God may be blessed by prayer alone At another time he may be blessed by Thankesgiving alone without Prayer Commonly it is done by the coadunation of both duties For no otherwise can we blesse God or conferre good on him But we can Thanke him and Pray to him and keepe his Commandements The Jewes did use the word Benedicere to governe both a Dative and an Accusative case As Benedicere Deo and Benedicere Deum The Romans doe restraine the use more to the Dative The Graecians construe it with the Accusative As the blessed Sacrament of the body and blood of our Lord is called the Eucharist from Christs giving of Thankes when he did institute it and Justin Martyr in his second Apology tearmeth the Sacrament Eucharistizatum panem the bread which is sanctified by Giving of Thankes or rather cibum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the
pleaseth To conclude he saith not nor can say that Christ himselfe pronounced this Participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dicens or this Proposition Et Dixit And Said It is true such a Consecration compounded of his Reception of it into his hands of Benediction of Fraction of Distribution and lastly of the Consecratory and Operatory words themselves cannot handsomely be registred in particular without the Addition Saying or And he said yet this evinceth not That Christ pronounced those words or in the consecration needed to pronounce them but they are only the convenient if not necessary expressions of the Relators Diverse think that Christ used more words in the Consecration and among these the learned Franciscus Lucas Burgensis on Matth. 26.26 Non est verisimile tam paucis verbis Dominum usum esse quà m scribunt Evangelistae It is not likely that Christ used so few words as the Evangelists write Thus far I agree with him that whether the Benediction were of God Christ blessing God or a benediction upon the Elementary materials or of both as I judge likeliest some other words were used by Christ not made knowne to us fit for Christ on such an occasion to speake not necessary for us to know or speak Brugensis scarce probably insisteth upon One. Of which hereafter Between Christs Offering and giving the blessed bread to his Disciples on the one side and the consummate Consecration on the other side Christ held out his hand and reached the bread and said not the words And Said Take ye or Take Take Some would Give but others will not Receive Thus God would Give much unto Millions of people if they were willing or prepared to Receive it And gifts there are which come off kindly from the hands of the Donor yet fall short of the hands of such to whom they were Destined because they clutch their Fists ponunt Obicem lay a Blocke in the way Christ gave the hallowed bread not in Promise but in Exhibition He commanded them to Receive it When he wished Thomas to thrust his hand into Christs side John 20.27 it is irreligious to think that Thomas disobeyed or refused to do so though it be not expressed That late Writer was a Foole who said the Holy Baptist was a foole for not doing at first as Christ willed him God graunt me to be as humble and as well accepted by Christ as Saint John was even when Christ the second time spake to the Baptist and over-ruled him to baptize our Saviour And let the haughty German keep his wisdom to himselfe The Baptist was wise to Godward though esteemed a foole by him Epictetus said of old 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every matter hath two Handles Whereas it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Take because an Handle and every thing else by which we Receive and Handle and Hold a thing is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And because Taking into ones hand is more proper than to take it into ones mouth I resolve Christ put not the blessed Sacrament into their mouths but into their hands and they did as they were commanded that is Take it For in the Primitive Church the good Christians received it into their hands Tertullian de Coronâ Militis Eucharistiae sacramentum non de aliorum Manu quà m praesidentium sumimus We give it not one to another but each of us taketh it from the hand of him who is set over us And into their hands did they take it at first as Maldonate confesseth And the story in Cyprians booke de Lapsis pag. 284. proveth For one who tooke the blessed Sacrament unworthily Cinerem ferre se apertis manibus invênit found embers in stead of it in his hands and was not able to handle it or eate it When Christ said Take Eate the taking was with the hand as the eating was by the mouth and if the Apostles had Taken it from Christs hands immediately into their mouths this one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eate would have served for all and Christ had had no need to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Take For from bidding them Eate floweth this sequell necessarily that they were to receive it into their mouths since otherwise they could not eate Therefore the two words Accipite Manducate are two diverse commandements to be performed by two distinct instruments of Hand and Mouth Nor otherwise to be lawfully administred as I judge unlesse to such as are too weake and sicke to receive it with their hands or have lost the use of their hands or have no hands at all Which cases sometimes have and sometimes againe may fall out and then the hallowed food may be put into the mouths of the Recipients Otherwise not For Christ did both practise it and command his Church to doe the like Doe This This as well as the other things And therefore the delivery of the heavenly Manna into the hands of the Communicants is necessary except in the before excepted cases Indeed we are not bound to doe whatsoever Christ did at the First celebration For he did it at night and but to a few and with unleavened bread which are left at liberty to us But we are bound to follow whatsoever he both did and commanded as he did in this point For he both Tooke the bread into his hands and bidding them Take it he put the consecrated bread into their hands and charged them to doe after the same manner And if we goe to Reason The washed hands and lips are as cleane as the inside of the mouth and therefore it may be put into their hands as well as into their mouths Let humane discourse give way to Authority Tertulliane de Idololatria cap. 7. saith they did Manus admovere corpori Domini put forth their hands to receive the body of our Lord. The Tripartite History 9.30 How wilt thou hold out thy hands from which unjust blood yet droppeth How wilt thou take with such hands the holy body of our Lord Chrysostome in his third Homily to the Ephesians How wilt thou appeare before the Tribunall seat of Christ who with uncleane hands and lips darest touch Christs body Cyprian de Lapsis pag. 281. speaketh of some who offered violence to the body and blood of Christ and then sinned more with hands and mouths against the Lord than when they denied the Lord. And pag. 283. he instanceth in a sacrilegious wretch who was angry with the Priest because the Priest would not suffer him presently with defiled hands to Take the body of Christ or with polluted mouth to drinke his blood Tertullian in lib. de Idololatria Faulting such as promoted the makers of Idols to the Orders of Priests or Deacons cryeth out Proh scelus O abhomination The Jewes Once laid hands on Christ these Daily offer violence to his body by unworthy Giving and Taking of it O manus praecidendae O hands worthy to be cut off Yea the very Schismaticks in old time divided
And this may seeme to favour him Jesus said to the Iewes Destroy This Temple and in three dayes I will rayse it up Joh. 2.19 And the holy Apostle expoundeth it Christ spake of the temple of his body verse 21. Tolet in his Commentary on the place saith It is certaine that when Christ said This temple he did by his Gesture and the motion of his hands demonstrate Himselfe and pointed not at the materiall Temple built of stone so might he here doe Tolet his Collection is but probable For Christ might point at either at neither but leave them in suspence Many times did Christ use verball aequivocations as I have proved in my Miscellanies that is he so spake that his words might have a double Construction though he adhorred mentall Reservation Concerning Carolostadius I must needs say he was one of them who in those precipitious and whirling times did strive to rayse his owne name by inventing most new devices And this was one of them which is not seconded by any other Christian Divines which I have seene but disliked by many For when Christ said This is my Body which shall be given for you as Carolostadius hath it is as if he pointed at and did meane his naturall passiive body What did they eate They did eate none of That body nor was it Broken till after the Celebration of the holy Eucharist he did suffer But the holy Scripture hath it in the Present tense Luk. 22.19 This is my Body which Is given for you And vers 20. This Cup Is the new Testament in my Blood which Is shed for you Can you think O Carolostadius that when he gave them the Cup he touched his breast and pointed at and meaned the blood in the veynes lanes and hidden alleys of his mortall body So 1 Corinth 11.24 This is my body which Is broken for you And this Cup Is the new Testament in my blood vers 25. Likewise Matth. 26.28 This is my Blood which Is shed and so Mark 14.24 For though it be a truth most certaine that Christ his naturall body and naturall blood was broken given and shed afterwards in his Passion yet Carolostadius was too blame to change the Tense to invent an imagined gesture of Christ which is impossible to be proved Lastly to broach a new opinion contrary to all Divines from which refulteth That they did eate onely bare Bread but no way the Body of the Lord and dranke onely the fruit of the Grape but no way dranke the Blood of the Lord. Indeed the Vulgate hath it Frangêtur in the Future tense is Shall be broken for you But it starteth aside from the Originall Nor standeth it with sense reason or example that the Future is taken for the Present tense since it is a retrograde course against nature But the Present tense is often used for the Future foreshewing the infallible certainty of what will or shall come both in Propheticall and Evangelicall Writings Esay 60.1 The glory of the Lord Is risen upon thee And yet he speaketh of Christ and his comming And Revel 22.12 Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me And Yet he commeth not though it were said above fifteene hundred yeares passed But most undoubtedly He Shall come quickly Celeritate motus though not celeritate temporis when he beginneth to come he shall come speedily though he shall not quickly begin to come PAR. 7. IT succeedeth This is my Body Matth. 26.26 which is Given for you Luk. 22.19 Which is Broken for you 1 Corinth 11.24 This doe in remembrance or for a remembrance of Me as both S. Luke and S. Paul have it And he tooke the Cup and gave thankes and gave it to them saying Drinkeyee All of it for this is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sinnes Matth. 26.27 c. It is thus changed Mark 14.23 He gave it to them and They all dranke of it And S. Mark leaves out these words For the remission of sinnes S. Luke maketh the alteration thus Likewise also he gave them the Cup after Supper saying This Cup is the New Testament In my blood which is shed for You Luk. 22.20 Another diversity is yet 1 Corinth 11.25 Likewise after Supper he tooke the Cup when he had supped saying This Cup is the new testament In my blood This doe yee as oft as yee drinke it in remembrance of mee Matth. 26.29 Christ saith I will not drinke henceforth of the fruit of the Vine And this was After the sacred Supper But saith Adam Contzen A Matthaeo non suo ordine ad finem coenae recitantur ea verba de Genimine vitis S. Matthew reciteth not in Order the words concerning the fruit of the Vine nor were they spoken After Supper Perhaps say I they were spoken Twice Here if ever is an ample field to expatiate in these words have tortured the wits of the learnedst men since the dayes of the Apostles Et adhuc sub judice lis est And yet they are not determined And as the Areopagites in an inexplicable perplexity deferred the finall determination till the last day so the Roman Church might have deferred their definitive sentence and over-hard censure even till then especially since they confesse that the manner of Transubstantiation is inenarrable Whereupon I am resolved to forbeare farther disquisition and to lose my selfe in holy devotion and admiration that I may find my Christ The sayle is to large for my boat This Sea is too tempestuous for my Shallop The new Cut of Erasmus Sarcerius in his Scholia on the place of S. Matthew thus shuffleth it The Materiall causes are Bread and Wine and the things under them understood and present the Body and Blood The Formal causes are to Eat and to Drink The Efficient causes Christ who did institute it and his Word The Effectuall causes to have Remission of sins I say this may rather go among the finall causes And to make Effects to be Effectuall causes introduceth new Logick new Termes into Logick Besides he omitteth the Finall cause which is the first mover to the rest Divinity and the mysteries of it are not to bow down to any ones Logick Oh! but will you now say leus in the last Act in the last Scene Will you be silent where he and she Apprentices where Women and illiterate Tradesmen rayse themselves upon their startups prick up their eares and tyre their tongues 1. I answer If I should enter into the lists of controversie and take upon me to decide and determine all the doubts which concerne the holy Sacrament of the Eucharist and to untye all the knots which may be made from those words I am perswaded you might sooner see an end of me than I of this Work For I am wearied and tyred already This toyle which I have performed and the labour which I have bestowed hath cost me full deare My sedentary life hath made my
reines as quarries of stones my parents knew no such disease though they lived long my right hand heretofore carelesly unfenced and undefended from the cold alas for the time hath swelled with the gowt as if it would break I have been often sick always weak yet have I prevented antelucanam opificum industriam nox ad diem accessit Early and late have I performed my hard taske Yea Midnight hath conceived full many of the dayes expressions and oft have I arose from my bed and meales with a Conclusum est to prevent forgetfulnesse But the manifold avocations by my own private affaires and especially by publick employements both in Ecclesiasticall and Civill Justice have after their dispatch set an edge and sharpned the appetite of my endeavours The unbent bow hath prepared it selfe for the stronger shooting or delivery Yet now my senses decay my memory faileth me I have no courage or incouragement I am out of heart I am worne to the stumps and spent I must imitate old Ennius his race-horse to whom age afforded quiet and exempted from more active exercise craving pardon if my book in some passages have partaken of my weaknesse and infirmities or languishing And now thou great Work of mine concerning the Estate of humane soules from their creation to the day of the generall Judgement exclusively on which I have bestowed thousands of houres Lie still and sleep S. Hierom did seeme always to heare Surgite Mortui venite ad Judicium Arise you dead and come to Judgement And me thinks I heare the repeated precept as spoken to my selfe and such only as are in my case 1 Thess 5.17 pray without ceasing pray always Luke 21 3◠Yea though I be enfeebled and faint wronged and distressed as the widow was yet the rather ought I alwayes pray and not faint Luke 18.1 The very Mcores of Morocco pray six times in 24. houres And thinck he is not held worthy to beare witnesse to a truth who hath not said his prayers six times in a naturall day Seven times a day did David prayse God Psal 119. vers 164. Some have held and sure that Christian doth best who saith the Lords Prayer at least seven times in a day There never was composed a perfecter and sweeter prayer To what prayer shall God give eare if not to the prayer composed by his own son which the extravagant bablings of Pharisees and battologies of those who Longum precantur love long prayers as Tertullian phraseth it and the sudden extemporary ebullitions of Lip-holy seeme-Saints are as far inferior as Hell is to Heaven which no men no raptures of Angels or Archangels can mend O Lord prepare my heart to continue in Prayers and guide my prayers to please thee through him in whom thou art well pleased Jesus Christ our blessed Saviour and Redeemer 2. I will go briefly to work Concerning the divisions of these times and the scruples from these words I wholly put them off to the Masters of Controversies and the Anti-Bellarminian Canvasers and I refer my selfe and my beliefe to the Doctrine of the Church of England assenting to her wholly so far as my knowledge reacheth and in other things beyond my capacity implicitly beleeving in her For I see no reason but in such things as the Lay-man and Ignorant must trust in his Priest by an implicit Faith so the Clergy man ought to trust in his Church It is no false ground whatsoever the ignorant Zelotes do say or write but fit to be imbraced To confesse and follow Scripture expresse in things apparent and to beleeve such senses thereof as may be though to us unrevealed Not can it be amisse to subscribe to our Church in points beyond our Sphere Needle or Compasse but to Follow the Faith of our Governors Overseers and Pastors That which I know is good what I know not I beleeve to be better said Heraclitus of old To her I subject in humblest manner all my Writings with my selfe professing in the sight of God who searcheth soules and tryeth consciences that I beleeve the Church of England to be the purest part of Christs Militant Church pro quâ non metuam mori as one said in another case In the defence whereof I could be well content if occasion served to sactifice my dearest blood In a more particular expressing I unbosome my thoughts thus We have had foure right Reverend and most learned Lords Bishops Bishop Jewel Bishop Andrewes Bishop Morton and Bishop White who have written polemically and unanswerably of this subject and may give content to any indifferent Reader Many other Heroës of our Church of England have also done excellently well but the incomparable Mr. Hooker exceeds them all Let them who have him not buy him who have him study him and who is scrupulous concerning these words This is my Body c. let him reade and diligently consider and he may safely beleeve what Mr. Hooker writeth in his Ecclesiasticall Polity lib. 5. Par. 67. I cannot but transcribe part Thus then divinely he proceedeth p. 179. Variety of Judgements and opinions argueth obscurity in those things whereabout they differ But that which all parts receive for truth that which every one having sifted is by no one denied or doubted of must needs bee matter of infallible certainty Whereas therefore there are but three expositions made of This is my Body The first This is in it selfe before participation really and truly the naturall substance of my body by reason of the coëxistence which my omnipotent body hath with the sanctified element of bread which is the Lutherans interpretation The second This is in it selfe and before participation the very true and naturall substance of my body by force of that Deity which with the words of Consecration abolisheth the substance of bread and substituteth in the place thereof my body which is the Popish construction The last This hallowed Food through concurrence of divine power is in verity and truth unto Faithfull receivers instrumentally a cause of that mysticall participation whereby as I make my selfe wholy theirs so I give them in hand an actuall possession of all such saving grace as my sacrificed body can yeeld and as their soules do presently need this is to them and in them my body Of these three rehearsed Interpretations the Last hath in it nothing but what the rest do all approve and acknowledge to be most true nothing but that which the words of Christ are on all sides confest to inforce nothing but that which the Church of God hath always thought necessary nothing but that which alone is sufficient for vvery Christian man to beleeve concerning the use and force of this Sacrament finally nothing but that wherewith the writings of all Antiquity are consonant and all Christian Confessions agreeable And as truth in what kinde soever is by no kinde of truth gain-faid so the mind which resteth it selfe on this is never troubled with those perplexities which the
be understood when they say The holy Eucbarist is to be adored 2. Reasons proving that the Apostles received the blessed Eucharist Kneeling 1. Reason Most sacred Reverence is to be exhibited to most sacred things 2. Reason The Fathers of the Primitive Church received it Kneeling 3. Kneeling doth edifie the simple 4. It is an Ecclesiasticall custome The manner of Reverence used both by Priests and Lay people in S. Chrysostomes dayes God will be worshipped aswell in our body as in our Spirit The Penitents in Tertullians time did Kneele down at the receiving of Absolution And it was the common practise of all other Christians in his dayes to worship God Kneeling Except from Easter to Whitsontide and on the Lords day Diverse of holier times had Knees as hard as horne by their continuall Kneeling at Gods worship An adminition to stiffe-kneed Pure-trants 3. Reasons why the devouter sort did forbeare Kneeling betwixt Easter and Whitsontide 1. The Church did so appoint it 2. Hereby the people did shew themselves thankefull Whitsunday whence it hath its denomination Kneeling imports Repentance and Sorrow for Sins Standing implies Thankesgiving for the pardon of our sins The diverse usances of diverse Churches in the Primitive times concerning Fasting and Feasting on the Lords day Kneeling and Standing at the time of Prayer and the Reasons thereof In the Primitive Church they baptized not any except the Sick but at Easter and Whitsontide The newly baptized stood to expresse their Thankefulnesse to God for their baptisme The people in some Churches Stood praying at the Altar on every Sunday between Easter and Whitsontide in remembrance of Christs Resurrection The Christians in the Primitive Church prayed Recto vultu ad Dominum to confront the Heathen who fell down flat on their Faces when they adored their false Gods 4. The great variations of the Primitive Churches concerning the Eating or not Eating of flesh offered to Idols A just discourse to that purpose A good Rule for the peace of the Church Why our Church hath commanded Kneeling at the receiving of the blessed Sacrament when the Primitive Church hath commanded Standing Churches have great power committed unto them The Church upon just motives may change her Orders The meaner sort of all people Ecclesiasticall and Civill are bound to obedience are not to Order Peter Moulin found fault with the precise Ministers of our Church of England The day of Christs Resurrection the first day of his Joy after his Dolorous passions Why the Fathers made Sunday their Holy-day Why they forbade Kneeling and Fasting upon that day What Indifferency is according to S. Hierome A thing Indifferent in it selfe being commanded by the Supreame Magistrate or Church is no longer Indifferent to thee Variety of Ceremonies not hurtfull but beneficiall to the Church of Christ. The Bishop of Rome taxed by Cardinall Palaeotus excused Rome Christian in too many things imitateth Rome Heathen In publique prayer commeth short of it Heathen Rome began all their businesse in the world with this Prayer Quod foelix faustumque sit c. The greater power the Pope and his Cardinalls have the more need they have to pray to God before their publique meetings in their Consistory Kneeling at receiving the holy Eucharist never disliked as a thing of its owne nature evill or unlawfull In the Primitive Church After Whitsontide they used to kneele Kneeling at the blessed Sacrament not prescribed by Scripture but authorized by Tradition confirmed by Custome observed by Faith In the Primitive Church when they received the Sacrament Standing Kneeling they Prayed Standing Kneeling Our Factionists would follow the Primitive Church in one thing but leave her in another 5. A third Reason At the first Institution of things Sacred Profane the solemnity is greater than in the sequell Every New thing hath a golden tayle Proverbe Popular Lecturers have sunke even below scorne All sinnes of former times have descended downe upon our dayes An Epiphonêma or Exclamation against the profane pretenders of Devotion now adayes The lowest humiliation is too little for the house of God They cryed Abrech or Bow the knee before Joseph He that boweth himselfe most before men is most right in the sight of God Diverse examples of Prostration and Geniculation both out of the Old and New Testament A Vice-Roy of Ireland devoutly fell on his knees and asked an Archiepiscopall Benediction The Heathen kneeled downe to worship their very Idols S. Hieromes saying By Kneeling we sooner obtaine what we aske at the hands of God Not lawfull for Any to sit in the porch of the Temple but onely the Kings of Davids loynes The humble Gesture of the Iewes when they came In went out of the Temple The Primitive Church Kneeled to the Altars Altars the seats of the body and blood of Christ. The Crosse in Chrysostomes dayes did alwayes use to remaine upon the Altar An Angel an assistant when Christ is offered up Ambrose To this day we Worship the Flesh of Christ in the Sacrament Idem No man eateth the blessed Sacrament before he have Worshipped Christ in the Sacrament Augustine Constantine the Emperour in his Soliloquies with God pitched on his knees with eyes cast downe to the ground K. Charles partaketh of the body and blood of Christ with as much Humilitie as the meanest penitent amongst his Subjects His holy and devout Gestures at the participation of the Lords Supper turned the heart of a Romanist to embrace the truth on our side In Origens Arnobius and Tertullians dayes the Saints never met in holy places about holy things without decent reverence The Papists in Kneeling adore the very materialls of the Sacrament Yet the Abuse of a thing taketh not away the right use Proved by diverse curious instances Christians may lawfully use many artificiall things though invented by Heathenish Gods Goddesses To argue from the Abuse of things to the whole remooving of the use is ridiculous Illustrated by some particulars Veneration of the Sacrament is accorded on all sides In the very Act of Receiving it it is lawfull to Kneele downe and worship Christ In it Calvin himselfe holdeth That Adoration to be lawfull The Lutherans are divided in this point Illyricus denieth Christ to be Worshipped in the Eucharist Brentius and Bucer hold That then we must worship Christs body Luther himselfe styleth the Eucharist Sacramentum venerabile Adorabile Chemnitius saith None but Sacramentaries deny Christ to be Adored in the Sacrament Chemnitius acknowledgeth these Theses 1. Christ God and Man is to be Adored Onely Arrians deny this 2. Christs humane nature for the hypostaticall union with the Divinitie is to be Adored None but Nestorians will deny this The Apostles worshipped the Humane Nature of Christ Adoration procedeth Cemmunication by the judgement of S. Chrysostome and S. Augustine Christs Flesh as made of Earth may be said to be Gods footstoole So is the Arke All the Angels of God doe Worship Christ Christ is to be Adored alwaies and everywhere
called Christ his Last Supper And the Reasons why it is called the Last Supper In the Fathers it hath these titles 1 The Communion of Saints in the Apostles Creed 2 Peace of Christ Ignatius and Cyprian 3 A New Oblation Irenaeus 4 Mystery is a common appellation Augustine 5 Life So called by the Affricans Augustine 6 The Oath and strictest band of Religion Augustine 7 The Mysticall Bread Augustine 8 The holy Offering in regard of the offerings for the poore Augustine 9 The Supper of God and the Lords Banquet Tertullian 10 The Lords Testament or Legacy 11 A Communion prohibiting Schisme and Division and inclining to Peace and Vnion 12 A Blessing 13 A giving of Thankes 14 The Authentique performance of the Type Theodoret. 15 The Latines name it Missah the Masse which word some derive from the Hebrew or Chaldee and say it signifies A Tribute of a Free-will offering of the hand Cevallerius dislikes that derivation The Heathen Greek Priests dismissed their people with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Pagan Romans with these words I licet Missa est Whence the Christian Roman Church borrows their Masse 16 The Greek Church calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Ministration 17 Sacramentum Sacramentorum c. Nicolaus de Cusâ 18 God Tertullian 4. Eleventh Generall Wherein is inquired what Speeches were used by our Saviour in the Coenaculum After the Third Supper was administred The gratious Sermon of Christ His Prayer to God An Hymne PARAGRAPH 1. NOw followeth What Gesture we are to use at the administration of the holy Eucharist to others At the Receiving of it our selves Take then thus together in a Masse or lumpe from the best authority under Scripture The English Liturgy or Common Prayer is our best guide We begin it first with the Lords Prayer and the succeeding Prayer Almighty God unto whom all hearts be open c. And this is performed at the Lords Table the Minister standing and the whole Congregation Kneeling And at the Collect the Minister standeth At the rehearsing of the Commandements the Minister standeth as speaking in the person of God and commanding by authority The people hearken pray and kneele at the Recitall of every Commandement Nor did the Israelites do lesse if they did not do more at the first receiving of the Law When the Second Commandement said expresly Thou shalt not bow down thy selfe to them may well be inferred they did Then bow down to him Never did Patriach or Prophet never did Christ Evangelist or Apostle never did holy Man pray sitting when there was opportunity of Kneeling Yet I confesse that Cassian 2.12 reporteth that the Monks of Egypt did sit praying yet he addeth insidentes sedilibus humillimis The rule of S. Benedict cap. 9. mentioneth their sitting at the Reading of three lessons and their rising up at Gloria Patri For at the reading the Collect for the day and the Collect for the King the Priest standeth up and the people kneele still The Epistle the Gospell the Nicaene Creed the Sermon or Homily and the one or more Sentences following may be officiated the Minister and people standing The prayer for the whole state of Christs Militant Church must be done every one Kneeling The one two or three Exhortations following and the short Invitatory advice to the Communicants may be read to them either the Minister and they standing or he standing and they sitting or approaching The generall Confession is to be read both Priest and People humbly Kneeling on their knees The hearty prayer following conjoyned with the Operatory Absolution is to be done by the Priest or Bishop if he be present standing and the people kneeling And in that posture may continue till the Laudatory with Angels and Archagels be performed Then shall the Priest kneele down praying in the name of all the Communicants The people also kneeling and saying Amen to the prayer For I do not remember that ever the Priests did kneele when the people stood but the Priests many times stand when the people kneele As in the words of Prayer and Consecration following the Priest standeth up and People kneele When the Minister or Ministers do participate they kneele When they Distribute and Administer to the People the Priests stand the People receive it kneeling as the Rubrick appointeth And great reason is there people should then kneele at the Divine prayers The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ which was given for thee preserve thy body and soule unto everlasting life and a like prayer is devoutly powred forth at the delivery of the Cup. And will they not kneele when the heart saith Amen to these holy prayers It is so far from being Idolatrous to kneele before God at these prayers that it is obstinate Irreverence Contempt of the Sacrament yea of Christ himselfe Not to kneele for such as are well before instructed Furthermore are we not at that instant advised to be Thankfull which seldome is well performed without Prayer and Prayer is to be said as with lifting up of holy hands 1 Tim. 2.8 so most wise with bending of humbled knees It was also the wicked Pharisee who stood and prayed Luk. 18.11 But Christ himselfe kneeled down and prayed Luk. 22.41 Oh that such wretches as do beat their servants if they be not reverent humble but disrespect their Masters and little esteeme of their kindnesses bestowed would but make the comparison between their heavenly Master and themselves After the participation ended every one solemnly kneeleth downe on his knees and saith the Lords Prayer And in that Gesture continue whilst they say the next prayer or the next save one The Gloria in excelsis Deo by reason of the Prayse Blessing Adoration and Thanksgiving included in it and by reason of the Divine prayers made to the Father and the Son with the coequally-glorious holy-Spirit may well be said or sung All Kneeling The Blessing at their parting is to be performed by the Bishop or Priest standing and by the People Kneeling The Collects after the offertory are to be read all parties Kneeling for every one of them is a powerfull prayer What the Rubrick directly appoints ought to be answered with full and obedient performance And since I have spoke my mind in some points unspecialized in or by the Rubrick I submit my judgement as I do in all other things to the judgement of the Church of England And thus I proceed That the people are most an end to Kneele but especially at the Receiving of the holy Communion is so cleare that all see it except such whose eyes Satan hath blinded And if they do not repent he will lead them blindfolded into the Lake of fire and brimstone which never shall be quenched PAR. 2. THat when the people Kneele the Minister is to deliver the Communion in both kinds into the hands of them is as cleare Maximus a great enemy of the Monothelites saith All men that will Communicate must first wash their
should receive the blessed Sacrament sitting or leaning on his elbow or halfe-sitting halfe-kneeling or looking on the one side or smiling or using unseemly motion though those Gestures be not in singled particularities forbid yet they are a profanation of the Lords Supper as being forbidden in the Generall Rules First That comeliest and devoutest Gesture be used in holiest matters Sancta sanctè Secondly Let all things be done to edifying 1 Cor. 14.26 Thirdly Let all things be done in order vers 4. The rest will I set in order when I come saith S. Paul 1 Cor. 11.34 Fourthly Rom. 14.17 The Kingdome of God is not in meats nor drinks but righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy Ghost For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace as there followeth Fiftly Let all things be done decently 1 Cor. 14.40 A comelinesse is commended Ecclesiastes 5.18 1 Cor. 11.13 It is comely that a women pray unto God uncovered Comelinesse is taught by nature as it there followeth Sixtly The meetings in sacred convocations are for good nor for evill We are come together for the better not for the worse And the contrary is reproved by Saint Paul 1 Cor. 11.17 Lastly God ruleth things Inferior by Superior things farther off by things nearer to him The people must not prescribe to the Magistrates nor to themselves Laws in things indifferent but the Governors and Pastors to the People Whosoever therefore at the receiving of the blessed Eucharist doth any thing misbeseemingly sinneth against these or some of these Rules and so sinneth against Christ I proved before that at the holy Receiving a prayer is preparatory and made for every one of us And as the Minister devoutly prayeth doth not thy heart say Amen and is not Amen truly explaned and enlarged thus O Lord I confesse this is thy Body this is thy Blood yea it is thine own Selfe which thou vouchsafest unto me and I do now Receive Oh preserve my body and soule unto everlasting life I eat in remembrance that thy Body was broken and that thou dyedst for me I drink in remembrance that thy Blood was shed and powred out for me Lord I am thankfull and I feed on thee in my heart by Faith Lord I beleeve pardon my wandring thoughts unite me unto thee make me from henceforth holy and conformable to thy selfe and let this spirituall food strengthen me in the way to Heaven To conclude in the Divine M. Hookers words Oh my God thou art True Oh my Soule thou art blessed He who useth not these or some of these or the like faithfull thankfull precatory ejaculations both at the instant act of receiving of the sacred Communion and presently after yea and whilst the Minister is praying for him he hath an obdurate heart he discerneth not the Lords Body but eateth and drinketh his owne damnation Now Reader judge again if a man will not kneele when the Minister prayeth for him and that openly If he will not kneele when he powreth out his hearty prayers unto God whether he sinneth not haynously Certainly God condemneth his foolish obstinacy and so I passe to another point PAR. 3. THe next is What names are given unto the holy Sacrament And here I will first speak of the Bread and of the Wine severally and shew you what names have been given them both in the Scriptures and by the Fathers and then will I speak of them joyntly together The hallowed Bread in the sacred Word of God is called the Lords Body broken for us 1 Cor. 11.24 discernable to be the Lords body vers 20. stiled also the Communion of the Body of Christ 1 Cor. 10.16 which Communion is not in the use of Scripture a proper name of the Eucharist but a declaration of its power and efficacy by making us one with Christ and by partaking the Sacrament with our brethren being a speciall meanes to the Communion of Saints though the Fathers make it a proper appellation saith Casaubone Act. 2.46 it is said They continued Breaking of Bread Domatim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at home or from house to house In which place it is varied Communicabant in fractione Eucharistiae They did Communicate in breaking of bread where the Translator makes use of a Greek word which he doth not often It is farther called Panis Sanctus Panis Benedictus Panis Eucharisticus Panis Coelestis Holy Bread Blessed Bread Eucharisticall Bread Heavenly Bread John 6.32 The Fathers appellations for it Oratio solvenda est Corpore Domini accepto Tertullian de Oratione cap. ultimo Upon taking the Lords Body we end our Prayers The same in lib. de Idololatria cap. 7. saith some did Manus admovere Corpori Domini move their hands to take the Lords Body Irenaeus lib. 4. cap. 34. E terrâ panis percipiens invocationem Dei non jam communis panis est fed Eucharistia ex rebus duabus constans terrenâ coelesti Earthly bread Sanctified by prayer is not now common bread but the Eucharist consisting of earthly and heavenly things It is a Medicine of immortality an Antidote against death procuring life purging sin driving away all evils Tertullian Adversus Judaeos in fine calleth the Eucharist Dominicae gratiae quasi viscerationem Christs Dole to his Church And least you may think it to be a poore Dole a Leane Thin Hungry gift the same Tertullian in lib. de Pudicitiâ expresseth it better thus Opimitate corporis Domini vescitur Hee eateth of the Plenty Abundance and Fatnesse of the Lords Body and our Soule is fully satisfied fatted crammed with God of which testimony hereafter The Cup is the new Testament in his blood 1 Cor. 10.25 This is my blood of the new Testament Matth. 26.28 and it is termed The Cup of the Lord vers 7 So it is also called 1 Cor. 10.21 Ye cannot drink the Cup of the Lord. The Cup of blessing which we blesse is the Communion of the Blood of Christ vers 16. The blessed Eucharist consisting of both kinds hath these glorious Tittles In the Scripture it is termed the Supper of the Lord 1 Cor. 11.20 And the Lords Supper in all these regards First because the Lord did Institute it Secondly did Take it Thirdly did Administer it to his Apostles Fourthly did appoint the Church to do the like in remembrance of the Lords death The Papiâ—â—s as before I observed dislike the frequent use of this phrase See Casaubone confuting Justinian the Jesuit in that point and against Maldonate whilst Casaubone from the Ancients calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Great Supper the Most Divine and Arch-symbolical supper By a Metonymie of the subject a Table that is the food set on that Table 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Table of the Lord 1 Cor. 10.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords Testament or Legacy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Communion as prohibiting Schisme and Division
and inclining to Peace and Union 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blessing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a giving of Thanks With us it is commonly called Christ his Last Supper which word Last not only signifieth that he ate no supper any day or night for ever After with a mortall passible body but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Last includeth and involveth the two precedent Suppers of that night as if it had been said This Supper is the Last of the Three and Last of All. It is also termed Communio Sanctorum in the Apostolicall Creed The Communion of Saints In the Fathers are found these Titles Pax Christi The Peace of Christ by Ignatius Epistola 14. And Dare Pacem Lapsis to give Peace to them that have fallen is all one with admitting people to the holy Communion in Cyprian Epistola 10. Irenâ—us saith It is Nova oblatio a New oblation 4.32 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Mystery is a common appellation Augustine de peccatorum Meritis contra Pelag. 1 24. saith The Affâ—icans do most significantly call Baptisme nothing else but Salutem Health or Salvation and the Sacrament of the Body of our Lord nothing else but Life And himselfe contra Faustum 20.13 saith It is Sacramentum Religionis the oath and strictest bond of Religion and the Mysticall bread in the same place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Offering in regard of the Offerings made for the poore And Sacrosancta oblatio by Augustine contra Faustum 20.18 The Consecrated oblation Dei Coena Dominicum Convivium Gods Supper and the Lords Banquet by Tertullian ad uxorem 2.4 Theodoret termeth it Verum typi archetypum the authentick performance of the Type The Latins call it Missah which some derive from the Hebrew or Chaldee For what is in the Vulgat Spontanea Oblatio a sufficiency or tribute of a Free-will offering of thy hand Deut 16.10 The Chaldee hath it Missath In the Interlineary it is translated Sufficientia Spontis manus tuae or Spontanea manus tuae Which for substance divinely agreeth with our Eucharist Juxta sufficientiam donarii spontanei manus tuae erit quod dabis as Vatablus well interpreteth it Thou shalt offer according to the worth of the voluntary gift of thy hand asmuch as thou well art able Some say that Missath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is an offering made to God and due for a perfonall duty or service But saith Cevallerius in Pagnine his great Lexicon I do not think so because none of the Hebrew Doctors which I have read use it so And well might he dislike it For the Hebrew phrases or words did not per saltum skip over to the Romans but were derived to them by the Greek Church Therefore since none of the Greek Fathers did ever use the word Missa I cannot think the Latins borrowed it from the Hebrews The Heathen Greek Priests dismissed the people saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Pagan Romanist gave the parting blow to the people by these words I licet Missa est And the Christian Romane Church which hath imitated too many of the old Romes customes hath not done amisse in this to use the like things and words The Greek Church calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which had its ground from Acts 13.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Prophets and Teachers in the Church of Antioch did minister to the Lord. The holy Eucharist is called by Nicolaus de Cusa Sacramentum Sacramentorum Exercitationum 6. pag. 532. in ipso est consummatio Fidei saith he and a little before Hoc est Sacramentum consummatae Vnionis ad vitam aeternaliter vivificantem It is the Sacrament of Sacraments in it is the consummation of Faith It is the Sacrament of the most perfect Union to the life which quickneth us eternally Lastly Tertullian de Resurrectione carnis cap. 8. saith Our flesh is fed with the Body and Blood of Christ ut Anima Deo saginetur that our Soule may be filled Sated Fatted with God The Eucharist being called God which is an high Expression He who will see more attributes of Hallowed Supper let him have recourse to Cyprian de Coena Domini pag. 500. Casaubone Exercitatione 16. c. 30 c. PAR. 4. IT followeth in my Method to inquire what speeches were spoken by our Saviour after the Third Supper was administred S. Paul mentioneth none The gracious Sermo Domini in Coenaculo was after Supper after the Third and Last Supper beginning John 13.3 continuing to John 16.33 Then as he had made a long Sermon to his Apostles so he continueth with a Prayer to God in part of the seventeenth chapter of S. John Then did they sing an Hymne Matth. 26.30 what it was is unknowne In likelihood after the Hymne they departed the house and then fully ended the Third Supper Then they went over the brooke Cedron over the Mount of Olives David when he fled from his unnaturall and rebellious son Absolon went up by the ascent of Mount Olivet and wept as he went up 2 Sam. 15.30 No doubt also but our Saviours heart was full of sorrow For in the way as he went to the Mount He foretold that all the Apostles would be offended Matth. 26.31 c. and that Peter would deny him howsoever he promised the contrary Hence in some likelihood proceeded the strife when S. Peter was curbed by our Saviour which of them should be accounted the greatest Luke 22.24 Which was determined by Christ from the 25 verse unto the end of the 30. Though some think the strife was at the Second Supper Whereupon Christ to teach them humility washed their feet and became as their servant When hee came to the Mount he prayed When he came down from the Mount he still had more conference with his Disciples and comforted S. Peter in speciall and all the Apostles in general We cannot think but he passed all the time in holy devotions and heavenly discourses About halfe an houre before midnight he came to the village Gethsemane situated at the foot of the Mount of Olives and there the Apostles did sit and stay by his command except Peter and thetwo sons of Zebedee and they went with Christ and Christ prayed thrice Matth. 26.36 Then might he conclude and seale up all with a prayer for his Church John 17.9 For when he had spoken these things John 18.1 Then did he passe the brook Cedron where was a Garden into which he entred and his Disciples as he was wont Judas knew the place Joh. 18.1 c. and Judas came thither v. 3. and there was Christ betrayed and bound From thence was he carried and recarried unto manifold examinations and more revilings He was hurried to judgement to sentence all along the dolorous way to the shamefull death of the rosse THE PRAYER BY the vertue and merits of which crucified Jesus good Lord free me from all sin passed prevent me from sinning hereafter guid me by thy Grace confirme me by thy Goodnesse and leave me not O leave me not most gracious Lord till thou hast brought my soule to my desired haven thy blisse in heaven through Jesus Christ my only Saviour and Redeemer To whom with thee and the blessed Spirit three persons and one God bee all possible praise and thankesgiving ascribed for prolonging my life for strengthening my feeble body for giving me power to end this Work and for all other favours vouchsafed to me a poore sinner for Christ his sake Amen Amen Amen Gloria in excelsis Deo cum Gratiarum actionibus Trin-uni Vni-trino Deo Sacrum Malim Deo placere quà m aliis omnibus Malim mihi ipsi placere nonnullis aliis quà m solummodò nonnullis aliis non mihi Explicit in Vernali Aequinoctio 1637 hic liber tertius Siquid hic verum ac non incommodè dictum inveniatur illud non humano cujusvis ingenio sed Deo omnis veritatis auctori ut scripsit S. Augustinus omninò ut par est ascribendum est Simendum aliquod vel erratum inciderit id meae imbecillitati tribuendum est Cujus coelesâ—i misericordiâ veniam humiliter precor Gabriel Palaeotus in fine libri de Sacri Consistorii consultationibus Vt principio Finis cohaereat Omnia haec in his tribus libris de Tricoenio Christi in nocte proditoriâ Ecclesiae Anglicanae Judicio submissa sunto An Advertisement to the Reader REader I may not conceale that after I had fully ended though I confesse not throughly transcribed my Tricoenium there were brought unto my hands by the meanes of M. John Tournay the Works of two Jesuits who have written of this selfe same subject that I have He who wrote lately is one Theophilus Raynandus an eminent man full both of quick wit much reading and great schollership The title page of his book weareth this superscription Optimae vitae finis pessimus The summe is almost comprised in his 8. and 9. chap. The other did write de Triplici Coenâ Christi Agni Vulgari Eucharisticâ 22 yeares since His book printed at Antwerp by the heyres of Martin Nutius and John Meursius I never saw nor heard of any of them till my Work was accomplished Nor since took so much as one line or any one testimony from either of them In most things and in the maine they agree with me and I with them in something we dissent The Jesuit Johannes Walterius Viringus who writ so long since amasseth strange testimonies not commonly heard mentioned in our Schooles pulpits or Masters of controversies The Jesuits have run their way I mine They might have done me much service and pleasure if I had seen them soon enough I commend them in very many things and they shall wipe of the aspersion of Novelty from me in most matters if any Romanist shall charge me with it Compare the Work who will And so God blesse their labours and mine to the benefit of thy soule Good Reader So hoping for thy prayers I bid thee farewell in Christ Jesus our gracious Redeemer Thine in the Lord EDWARD KELLET FINIS
the Scriptures 1 The New Testament in his Blood 2 The Blood of the New Testament 3 The Cup of the Lord. 4 The Communion of the Blood of Christ The blessed Eucharist consisting of both kindes is styled in Scripture 1 The Lords Supper And in what regards it is so called The Papists dislike the frequent use of this Phrase Casaubone confutes Justinian and Maldonate the Jesuites and calls it The Great Supper The most Divine Supper The Arch-Symbolicall Supper 2 The Table of the Lord 1 Cor. 10.21 With us it is commonly called Christ his last Supper And the reasons why it is called the last Supper In the Fathers it hath these titles 1 The Communion of Saints in the Apostles Creede 2 Peace of Christ Ignatius and Cyprian 3 A New Oblation Irenaeus 4 Mystery is a common appellation Augustinē 5 Life so called by the Africans Augustinē 6 The Oath and strictest band of Religion Augustinē 7 The Mysticall bread Augustinē 8 The holy Offering in regard of the offerings for the poore Augustinē 9 The Supper of God and the Lords Banques Tertullian 10 The Lords Testament or Legacie 11 A Communion prohibiting schisme and division and inclining to Peace and Vnion 12 A blessing 13 A giving of thankes 14 The Authentique performance of the Type Theodoret. 15 The Latines name is Missah the Masse which word some derive from the Hebrew or Chaldee and say it signifies A Tribute of a Free-will Offering of the hand Cevallerius dislikes that derivation The Heathen Greeke Priests dismissed their people with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Pagan Romans with these words I licet Missa est Whence the Christian Roman Church borrowes their Masse 16 The Greeke Church calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Ministration 17 Sacramentum Sacramentorum c. Nicolaus de Cusa 18 God Tertullian Fol. 656 Par. 4 Eleventh Generall Wherein is inquired what speeches were used by our Saviour in the Coenaculum After the third Supper was administred The gratious Sermon of Christ His Prayer to God An Hymne 658 Tricoenium Christie Or the threefold Supper of Christ in the Night that he was betrayed 1 The Passeover wherein I consider 1 The occasion of this Discourse 2 The Introductories 1 What the Jewes used to doe at their ordinary meales 2 What they used to doe at their feasts 3 The Paschall Supper it selfe 1 As it was observed by the Jewes of those daies Here consider 1 What things the Iewes were commanded Which were of 2 sorts some were 1 Temporary In this I consider 1 The 7. great Passeovers recorded in the Old Testam 2 The 4. Passeovers specialized in the New Testament at which Christ was present Besides one more from which he was absent 3 How many Ceremonies were transitory namely 6. 1 They might chuse a Lambe or a Goate 2 They prepared it 4. daies before-hand 3 They bloodied their doores 4 They ate the Passeover in great haste shod girt staved rather standing than sitting rather sitting than lying downe at the first Passeover 5 They went not out of doores 6 They chose their next neighbours 2 Perpetuall to continue during the Iewish politie these were either 1 Propitiatory 14. 1 They were to chuse a Lambe 2 An unspotted one 3 A Male Lambe 4Vnder a yeare old 5 A Proportionable number were to eat it 6 All these were to be of the Iewish Church 7 It was to be killed on the first moneth of the Jewish yeare The yeare of the World when this first began is here handled 8 On the 14. day of that Moneth 9 Betweene the two Evenings 10 At Jerusalem 11 In one house 12 The People and not the Levites onely might kill the Lambe 13 They must dresse it whole In this are 5. other precepts 1 Rosie it with fire 2 Eate it not raw 3 Not sodden with water 4 The head with the legs 5 And with the purtenance 14 Every one was to bring an Offering according to his ability 2 Sacramentall properly only 3. 1 To eate the Passeover 2 To eate it with unleavened bread 3 To eate it with sowre herbes 3 Subsequent ceremonies 6. 1 A bone was not to be broken 2 The flesh was not to be carried out of the house 3 The Table-talke appointed 4 They continued the feast of unleavened bread seven dayes after 5 They were to leave none of the flesh untill the morning 6 What was left was to be burnt with fire 2 What they performed voluntarily 1 They washed 1 All of them their hands 2 Many their feete 3 Some their whole bodies 2 They consecrated their 1 Wine 2 Bread 3 Flesh 3 They imitated 13. of the Roman fashions saith Pererius A full intire tractate against Pererius who groundlesly holdeth that the Iewes in Christs time did conforme themselves in their feastings to 13. fashions of the Romans 2 As Christ and his Apostles kept it So farre as the Old Testament inforced New Testament hath related Whether at the eating of the Pascall Lambe were any servants present and administrant The summe of all as it were in a picture 3 The third Supper or Supper of the Lord the most blessed Eucharist Vide lib. 3. TRICAENIVM CHRISTI IN NOCTE PRODITIONIS SVAE The threefold Supper of Christ in the night that he was betrayed LIB 1. CHAP. 1. The Contents of the first Chapter 1. The occasion of this Discourse 2. The praesumptuous ignorance of some Caco-zelotes 3. The state of the question 4. Foure points propounded Three preparatory One decisive and determining These Preparatory 1. What course the Iewes tooke at their ordinary meates 2. What they used to doe at their Festivalls 3. What they especially practised at their Passeover 4. The mayne point is what religious or civill rites our Saviour more particularly observed when he kept the Passeover in the night of his apprehension PARAGRAPH 1. WHen I administred the thrice-blessed Sacrament of the body and blood of our Saviour Iesus Christ to my Parishioners among many other things I bad them take heed of the leaven of those refractory Ignorants swarming otherwhere who at and in the receiving of the holy Communion where so devour prayers are made where so sacred things are conferred refuse to kneele and to their chiefe objection that they must imitate our Saviour and his Apostles who did not kneele but sit or leane or lye downe PARA 2. I Answered that these presumptuous silly ones know onely the outside and not the inside of these mysteries that it is not clearely revealed in any place what posture was used or what was the bodily situation at the giving or taking of the body of our Lord but to build their pretended conformity on uncertaine and unknowne things is not conformable to reason much lesse religion sithence they by so doing doe make their imagination their onely originall their crooked will their onely rule PAR 3. THen did I enlarge the poynt that Christ and his holy Apostles except Indas who went out before the
and conscience is defiled as God saith in another case d Tit. 1.15 Tit. 1 15. Every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with thankesgiving e 1 Tim. 4.4 1 Tim. 4.4 For it is sanctifyed by the Word and Prayer ver 5. So sanctifyed that the devill cannot use it to the hurt either of our soules or bodyes by stirring us up to sinne so soone or so much as if it were received thankelesly Aquine saith truely Satan had power over the creature yea over us by our sin this power is taken away from Satan through Christ by prayer thanksgiving ingratitude is one of the greatest sins to humane society cùm ingratum dixeris omnia dixeris you cannot say worse of a man Viper is a fit Embleme of the unthankefull This have I pressed the rather because the Apostle saith ver 6. If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things which otherwise they are likely to forget or neglect thou shalt be a good Minister of Iesus Christ which God grant me to be Standeth it not with reason that if God blessed them for us we should blesse him for them Creatures taken without thankes are as flesh in our mouthes or in sacrifices without salt unsavory see f Levit. 2.11 Levit. 2.11 The returning of thankes is naturally just saith g Iosephus Antiquit Iuda c. 4.6 Iosephus Et pro compensutioâ—e rerum jam factarum pro invitatione futurarum thereby man is recompenced for what is passed and allured to be more kinde afterward with God this is approved Cessonte gratiarum actione cessat decursus gratiae God is not gracious when man is â—nthankefull How easie how cheape a thing doth God expect when he is pleased with thankes And what can we returne unto him if we returne not thankes h Psal 116.22.13 17. Psal 116.12.13 What shall I render unto the Lord for all bis benefit 〈◊〉 towards me I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord See also ver 17. in every thing giving thankes for this is the will of God in Christ Iesus concerning you i Thes 5.18 1 Thes 5.18 Who offereth praise glorifieth God k Psal 50.23 Psal 50.23 The Iewes I feare will rise in judgement against us unthankefull Christians forgetfull of our duty of our Saviours actions and example who was thankefull both in publique and private to his heavenly Father PAR. 4. I Come now unto the second point what the Iewes did then at their Feasts or Festivall dayes whether the Iewes were at marriage Feasts or other more solemne feasts this they did generally as appeareth by the Thargum of Onkelos the Master of the Family began with the blessing of the cup which being filled with Wine he tooke in his right hand and sayd Benedictus sis tu Domine Deus nosâ—â—r qui crâ—â—â— frâ—ctum viâ—iâ— blessed be thou O Lord our God who createst the fruite of the Vine then he dranke and gave every one to drinke for it was the fashion of the Iewes to have poculum bibatorium or as a Bolducus in Iob. 1.4 Bolducus fathereth the word upon Oleaster bibale a cup before their meales Iobs childrens Feastings ranne round In orbem transibant Dies convivii b Iob. 1.5 Iob. 1.5 and the Iewes at their Festivals did drinke in orbem every one partaked of it To which fashion Christ alluded both in his second and third Supper as by his grace shall appeare when he said Take this and divide it among your selves c Luk. 22.17.20 Luk. 22.17 and againe v. 20. He gave them the cup after Supper and said drinke ye all of it or more properly All of you drinke of it d Mat. 26.27 Math. 26.27 At the late great King of Swedens Table a credible eye-witnesse informed me that they are no part of their food till the Divine or Chaplaine of honour had given God thankes by a cup of blessing which was first tasted this was in imitation of the Iewish custome continued by Christ PAR. 5. THen did the Master of the house take up a loafe of bread in both hands and consecrated it thus Benedictus sis tu Domine Deus qui educis panem è terra bessed art thou O Lord our God for bringing forth bread out of the earth Then did he eate and give every one a morsell of bread which sacred ceremonies being ended they fell to their other victuals In imitation whereof when excellent bread hath beene served in at my table of Wheate which grew by manurance of most barren ground with Lime I have often said prayse and thankes be to our gracious God who hath taught us to make bread of stones and blessed us in the worke of our hands c. PAR. 6. SO when they were eating or in the Feast time as it is probable they had some recreations as the good Father of the Prodigall child had musique and dancing e Luk. 15.25 Luk. 15.25 so it is certaine they had many wise conferences and heavenly discourses happy are these thy servants saith the f 1 King 10.8.5 Queene of Sheba unto Salomon which stand continually before thee and heare thy Wisedome for she spake of the attendance of his Ministers at his Table it is also likely she spake these words as she was at meate caroufing with him g Esth 7.2 Est 7.2 On the second day at the banquet of Wine began an happy discourse for the Jewes which furthered their deliverance in the royall Feast of Ahashuerus when the heart of the King was merry with Wine he sent for Vasthi when she would not come Memucan the last of the seven wise Princes who knew the Times spake first and made an Oration h Esth 1.16 Est 1.16 tending to this end that all women should give their husbands honour both great and small ver 20. And that every man should beare rule in his owne house ver 22. taking downe the imperiousnesse of unruly women Sometimes they propounded riddles as Sampson i Iudg. 14.12 Judg. 14.12 Vt dum in solutione mentis acumen exercerent interea convivialia jurgia intemperantiam vitarent While they busied their braines to unfold the riddles in the meane time they might avoyd all quarrelling and imtemperance which are too often the effects of feasting When Christ was at any feast it was seasoned with Divine discourses see Mat. 9.12 Luk. 7.36 Luk. 10.38 c. Luk. 11.39 Luke 16.9 Job 12.3 Christ about the middest of the Feast of Tabernacles you must not conceive it in the middest of dinner or supper went into the Temple and taught most heavenly Doctrine k Ioh. 7.14 Iohn 7.14 PAR. 7. VVHat the Apostles practised appeares by their Precepts l 1 Cor. 10.31 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether ye eate or drinke or whatsoever ye doe doe all to the glory of God To which that is conformable m
Col. 3.17 Col. 3.17 What ye doe in word or deed doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus giving thankes to God even the Father by him This they did at their meales especially at their Festivals PAR. 8. THe guise or order of the Primitive Church followeth first for their ordinary meales they had but poore commons rose with appetite pur as coenas sine animalibus coenas suppers without flesh a Clem. Alexand paeoa 1.11 Clemens Alexandrinus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Let our Supper saith he be small and short fit for men that watch and not with variety of mingled meates the Grecians call prodigall men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 well signifying their end i. as it seemeth to me saith Clemens whilst they esteeme them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is voyd of salvation by the elision of the letter σ Sigma Tertullian most signisicantly to the prodigall intemperate Romanes saith thus nostras coenulas sugillatis cum vestris ructibus acescat aer you finde fault with our short small suppers when the very ayre groweth sowre with your belchings And yet the parsimony of the ancienter Romanes was exemplary of which more hereafter take onely one testimony out of b Iuvenal Satyr 11. ver 77. c. Iuvenal Haec olim nostri jam luxuriosa senatus Coena fuit Curius parvo quae legerat horto Ipse foc is brevibus ponebat oluscula quae nunc Squallidus in magna fastidit compede fossor that is The now luxurious suppers of the Senate Of old were meane Curius when as he ate With a small fire cook'd such few berbes which he Pickâ— from his narrow gardens hus bandry As now a dirty Ditcher loathes to eate Though loaden with cold Iron and Gyves full great Secondly for the feastings of the old Christians c Minut. Foelix in Octavio pa. 391. Minutius Foelix saith thus Convivia non tantum pudica colimus sed sobria nes enim indulgemus epulis aut convivium mero ducimus sed gravitate bilaritatem temperamus casto sermone corpore castiore pudorem non facie sed meute praestamus that is our Feasts are observed with shamefastnesse and sobriety we doe not indulge and glut our selves with dainties or draw out at length the banquet by bibbing of wine but we mingle and temper mirth and gravity together using chaste speeches in more chaste bodies our mindes out-blushing our faces d Terâ—al in Apolog cap. 39. Tertullian more at large sheweth the whole forme of feasting thus Non priùs discumbitur quà m or atio ad Deum praegustetur editur quantum esurientes capiunt bibitur quantum pudicis est utile ita saturantur ut qui meminerint etiam per noctem sibi adorandum esse it a fabulantur ut qui sciant Dominum audire post aquam manualem lumina de Scripturis sacris vel de ingenio proprio canitur bine probatur quomodo biberit aeque oratio convivium dirimit inde disceditur non in eruptiones lasoiviarum sed in candem curam modestiae pudicitiae ut qui non tam coenam coenaverint quam disciplinam that is we sit not downe till we have first prayed to God grace is the first dish we taste of we eare onely to satisfie nature we drinke no more then is fit for chaste people we so eate and drinke as remembring we must rise in the night to worship God our discourse is as in the presence of God after washing of our hands by candle light we sing either some Psalmes or other holy Hymnes or songs of our owne invention by which we see that we have not drunke much Prayer also concludeth the banquet from whence we depart not running into lascivious course of chambering and wantounesse or sporting our selves in the deeds of darkenesse but impaling our selves within our wonted bounds of modesty and shamefastnesse as if we had made our suppers rather of discipline and religion then of ordinary meates PAR. 9. OUr age is much faulty in both extreames of Prodigality and covetousnesse neglecting the golden meane of liberality Some with the glutton fare deliciously every day make their belly their God joyne dinners to suppers and prorogue suppers till the morning-starre and light approacheth to dimme the candles turning with Heliogabalus night into day and day into night their appetite makes raw digestion and their foule stomackes by being over-loaden doe surfet the meate which is left behind in the dish is more behoofefull and healthfull to the Cormorant or intemperate Epicure then that which he devoures Plures occidit gula quam gladius The two fore-fingers and the thumbe Kill more then battaile sword or gunne The earth ayre and water afford not enough for their gluttony and though sawcy Art second Nature nor eye nor desire is satisfyed the creatures groane under their grosse abuse these are swinish Epicures prodigall consumers of Gods blessings Tobacco the never unseasonable Tobacco the all-usefull Tobacco good for meate drinke and cloathing as they say good for cold heate and all diseases this must sharpen their appetites before meate must heate it at their meare and close up their stomacke after meate being the onely curious antipast sauce and post-past wine and beere must wash downe the stench of that weede and it againe must dry up their moyst fumes PAR. 10. ANother sort there is who call themselves the generation of the Iust that fall into the other extreame who are as unhospitable as Caucasus as covetous as Euclio these to save spending spend whole Festivalls in the saving hearing as they cal it of the word and to turne out their poore friends and kinred shut up their doores and pricke up their eares to needlesse repetitions Fasting on the Lords day is affected because good cheare is costly an health at their owne table is damnation though they will carowze foure times the quantity even to the overthrow of health at another mans board Some will lay up more devout Peter-pence at the yeares end out of thirty pound certainely with the voluntary contributions then charitable hospitable men can doe with 200. pounds per annum the roote of all evill yeelds them their desired fruite and they live as if Mammon were the onely God they serve and lecture it onely to picke up Mammon Mammon may be had and kept and used without sinne yet Mammon must not be served for yee cannot serve God and a Mat. 6.24 Mammon PAR. 11. BVt happy is he who keepeth the middesse first for meate what need a Christian solicitously provide for that which makes his ordure Secondly for sauce S. Bernard alloweth no sauce but salt a stomacke dieted to a continuall appetite is the best sauce b Clem. Alexandâ— paeda 2.1 Clemens Alexandrinns saith they doe effeminate bread who sift away the branne I am sure the one-way bread the second bread groweth not mouldy so soone and is both heartier and passeth speedyer through the body As for drinke
he hath triumphed gloriously the horse and his rider hath hee throwne into the sea c. Then followes Miriams Amaboeum ver 21. Miriam answered them sing yee to the Lord for he hath triumphed gloriously the horse and the rider hath hee throwne into the sea as in our Cathedrialls some excellent voyce cheerefully beginneth some heavenly ditty and then the whole quire repeateth and resoundeth the same not without a joyfull quickning and reviving of devout affections PAR. 8. FRom this place of children questioning and Fathers teaching what belonged to sacred duties we may learne that instructing of youth in principles of Religion is very ancient God acknowlegeth it in Abraham Gen. 18.19 Nor was Adam negligent in that duty as may be probablized from Gen. 4.3.4 and 26. vers Die thy wooll well and it will never change colour Quo semel est imbuta recens servabit odorem Testa diu saith the Poet that is The barrell long doth keepe her primer sent Of that same liquor which it first did vent Timothy learned the holy Scriptures from a child 2 Tim. 3.25 It is the relation of the Iewes that they did instruct their children in the commandements so soone as they could eate bread They shall give me leave to doubt of that but this of Maymonides seemeth more true that they at the first gave them but a little quantity of the passeover and so trained them up by degrees and certainely at the passeover they had the whole discourse of their Case at the first passeover each Ceremony affording variety of talke some more than others and this they did yearely using fewer words when all were before well instructed but discoursing more at large where people were more ignorant the Master of the family being the Speaker in that Parliament So much be spoken concerning their Table-talke The Prayer MOst mercifull and gratious God who stintest the punishments of thy servants and sayest unto the devourer hitherto thou shalt proceed but shalt goe no further thou shalt bruize and wound but shalt not breake one bone I bow the knees of my soule unto thee and humbly doe supplicate unto thee that since I have offended and deserved punishment thou wilt be pleased to remember mercy in the middest of punishing and to restraine the fury of Abaddon and good Lord for Iesus Christ his sake commute the eternall torments which I have merited into the temporall chastisements which thou inflictest on me and then gracious God whatsoever I shall suffer I shall joy that thy wrath will end in loving kindnesse pitty and compassion most holy mediator say so be it and my soule doe thou answer Amen Amen CHAP. XV. The Contents of the fifteenth Chapter 1. The Ceremonies after their Table-talke 2. They continued to eate unleavened bread seven dayes 3. But it seemeth the Israelites were not bound to keepe the Festivall at their first Passeover or Exodus though they did eate unleavened bread 4. Nothing was to be left till the morning 5. They burned the remainder of the Passeover if any remainder were Reasons thereof Holy Sacramentall Reliques not to be prophaned The Romanes Protervia or Feast of frowardnesse PARAGRAPH 1. WHen that sacred Conference and Supper was ended or almost ended I judge other lasting subsequent Ceremonies of the Passeover to be these 1. That they continued their eating of unleavened bread for seven dayes after 2. That no part of the Passeover was to be left till the morning 3. That they burned with fire the remainder thereof if there were any remainder PAR. 2. THe next fixed subsequent rite was the continuing to eate unleavened bread seven dayes Exod. 12.15 Seven dayes shall ye eate unleavened bread even the first day shall ye put away leaven out of your houses for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day till the seventh day that soule shall be cut off from Israel most effectually is it precepted and ingeminated ver 17. Yee shall observe the feast of unleavened bread for in this selfe-same day have I brought your Armies out of the Land of Aegypt therefore ye shall observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever Exod. 12.17 In the first moneth on the 14. day of the moneth at Even ye shall eate unleavened bread untill the 21. day of the moneth at Even ver 18. see it further ratified the 19. and 20. verses No precept whatsoever concerning the Passeover is so largely and fully precepted Levit. 23.5 On the 14. day is the Lords Passeover and on the 15. is the feast of unleavened bread But how commeth it to passe that there is a memoriall for the 15. day and in Exodus for the 14. day I answere this place of Leviticus discriminateth the Sacramentall Passeover from the festivall solemnities of the Passeover the Passeover was indeede to be slaine on the 14. day toward night so both Exodus and Leviticus speaketh of the immolation and of the preparation yet was not the Passeover eaten or to be eaten till the even or betweene the two evenings when the 15. day began and then did they eate both the Passeover and unleavened bread as both Exodus and Leviticus accord nor might they eate the Passeover without unleavened bread nor unleavened bread in reference to that feast without the Passeover nor either till the beginning of the 15. day and though the Sacramentall Passeover was ended that night and the analecta or remaines if any were burned ere the morning yet the Paschall-festivity continued with unleavened bread and other sacrifices full 7. dayes inclusive including the Sacramentall Passeover Likewise Numb 28.16 is exactly the same distinction In the 14. day of the first moneth is the Passeover of the Lord in the 15. day of this moneth is the feast seven dayes shall unleavened bread be eaten killed on the 14. eaten the beginning of the Evening of the 15. day for on the first minute of the second evening began the first minute of the 15. day PAR. 3. NOw though it be generally confessed the eating of unleavened bread seven dayes was one of the lasting Ceremonies yet some question whether this was commanded to begin at the first Aegyptian Passeover That much feasting was then commanded I cannot thinke that they went out onely with unleavened bread is apparent that they are onely unleavened bread till Manna did fall Iosephus saith But they are not unleavened bread with a religious intent but for want of other bread saith Dr. Willet if he speake of the last 23. dayes I confesse they had no religious respect in the eating of unleavened bread for they had no precept to eate unleavened beyond 7. dayes in any sacred relation yet consider that the observation of 7. dayes eating unleavened bread was enjoyned before they went out of Aegypt and so they undoubtedly observed them Oh but saith Dr. Willet they went out in haste I answere haste and Religion may stand together yea they had beene irreligious in that point if they had not
in that feast it was the fashion that if any thing had beene left of the banquet or feast it should be consumed with fire this made Cato who was no common jeaster when Albidius had wasted his goods and at last had his house burnt to scoffe saying that he did Proterviam facere offer the Sacrifice Protervia and what he could not eate he did burne Macrobius Saturnal 2.2 This also amongst other parts of devotion among the Romans it seemed they borrowed from the Paschall-Lambes remainders burned So much for the prescribed ceremonies of the Passeover whether temporary or perpetuall The Prayer LOrd thy Law was the guide of performance unto the Jewes for the ceremonies and Service of their Passeover thy Prescriptions their directions give me grace good Lord still to looke up to thy Commandements and to regulate my thoughts words and workes thereby through the mediation of my blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Amen CHAP. XVI The Contents of the sixeteenth Chapter 1. The Jewish custome to wash their feete especially at feasts 2. The Jewes did not stinke more than other men against Cardinall Baronius Mr. Fuller taxed also 3. If the Emperour Marcus sayd so probable reasons for his imaginations at that time 4. Of Judas his stinke when he was dead out of Cedrenus and the Iewish Nation defended The great number of the Iewes long agoe and now from whom the Americans descended the Tartars came not from the Israelites 5. The Pharisees marvelling at Christs not washing before meate the double sinne of Pharisees in washing 6. Women in the Primitive Church washed the feete of Saints 7. In the old Testament they onely presented water but washed not the feete of their guests 8. The great sinner is the first recorded to have washed anothers feete even Christs and the great Saviour is the first recorded to have washed many mens feete 9. They sometimes washed and bathed their whole bodies and anointed them also 10. The Iewes used more than ordinary blessings at the Passeover a particular explication thereof 11. The reasons why I handle at large the Iewish Passeover 12. Christ kept all the fixed rites preparatory and the Sacramentall Ceremonies and the subsequent perpetuall Customes 13. Christ a perfect observer of the Law yet not bound to the Iewish voluntary undertakings or will-worship PARAGRAPH 1. ANd now am I fallen upon those rites and ceremonies of the Passeover which were not of expesse command either fading or fixed but of voluntary undertakings and those have I mustred up from Iosephus Philo the ancient Rituall from Fagius Beza and Baronius and especially from that Rabbi of Rabbins Moses Ben-Maymon and I reduce them to these two heads 1. Their washings and anointings 2. Their reiterated blessings these two belong partly to the first and partly to the second Supper First concerning their washings they are well knowne to have beene in much request pedibus de more lotis saith Iosephus de bello Iud. 6.31 This was an ordinary usance at times unsacred Nor may we thinke they omitted washing at houres of greater devotion for the Jewes placed much Religion in manifold washings at common meales they were cleanely-fowle even to superstition Baronius ad An. Christi 57. Num. 107. c. proveth that Jewes Gentiles and holy Primitive Christians were wont to wash before they prayed PAR. 2. BUt it is an incredible report that above others gravis foetor corporibus eorum inhaeret their bodies did stincke above ground which he avoucheth ad An. Christi 72. Num. 31. It may be some called them foetentes Iudaeos stinking Jewes as our English calleth those stinking companions who are wicked and offensive Besides some uncleanly might be so called properly that the Nation were so all or most I deny though we apply it to those since the great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or dispersion of them I knew but two Jewes in all my life both Teachers of Hebrew in Cambridge with one of them I was well acquainted but never did I smell any ill smell from them more than from other men though I was one of their Auditors and very familiar with one of them PAR. 3. IF Ammianus Marcellinus say true that the Emperour Marcus passing through Palestine to Aegypt complained that the Jewes did stinke and were worse then the Marcomanni Quadi Sarmatae yet this is no proofe that the Jewes were naturall stinkards or inwardly had noysome mal-odorous bodies but many other accidentall occasions might cause the Emperour to say so he might passe through Iudaea in a very hot season when a little ill smell disperseth it selfe 2. He spake comparatively preferring the cold Germanes Bohemians and Scythians before the sweaty-open-pored Jewes 3. He might dislike the Jewes more then those other for their unruly tumultuating and pressing upon him with so much company that the steame of them was offensive as is often done amongst us in narrow roomes 4. It may be some poorer petitioners of them might be noysome as those of the Jayle are amongst us and their smell might be by that meanes unhealthy yea infections was not the like at our Assizes in England namely at Exeter in Devon under the raigne of Queene Elizabeth Anno 1586 vide Stowes Annalls fol. 1218. 5. The rebellious Jewes were often slaine by thousands and by thousands crucifyed and they might lye unburied and so corrupt the very ayre as he passed by If any pious soule shall feare an inconvenience and shall either from report or likelihood or desire perswade it selfe that it is generally observed to be thus in the places where the Jewes dwell and if we hold it as one brand of the curse that lyeth upon them since their crucifying and rejecting the Lord of Life it maketh much for the honour of our Saviour I answere I know no such generall observation nor ever heard of it till now nor was there ever any threatning of such matters denounced against them if they left their stinking when they were washed in the laver of regeneration and turned Christians which the accusers of them will not grant I would confesse both the matter and the cause nor would any argument prevaile so much with them if stinking Jewes were never changed to savorie Christians to turne inoffensive converts Iohannes Baptista Montanus in his Consilia pag. 331. saith indeed Totum genus Hebraeorum est ferè melancholicum quia sanguinem habet crassum hepar calidum the whole Nation of the Iewes is for the most part melancholy because they have grosse blood and hot livers yet these distempers make not in my opinion os olidum a rammish smell or a stinking breath foetidum anhelitum Moreover if the Iewes the now out casts of the world live in homely places and through covetousnesse be not cleanely but sordid nasty and stinking this is not their nature nor yet generall againe divers who have lived among the Iewes smell no such matter or make no such complaint I would hold it if it were true as
Iudaea were hotter than the City of Rome by so much more neede had they of oftener washings And these causes continuing from the beginning of the world I determine though the latter Romanes in the Casarean Principalitie or Augustan dayes and afterwards as farre exceeded the Jewes in sumptuousnesse and magnificence of bathes as the Mistresse of the world might out-goe her servant in attire yet the Iewes tooke not their first bathings or washings either of their bodies or of some parts from the Romanes as Pererius groundlesly supposeth PAR. 6. Consider what before I sayd of the Iewish often washings and of Christs ascribing those Customes not to the Romanes but to the tradition of the Elders For not one of all the traditions of the Elders was derived from the Romane usance but was peculiar to their owne Jewish Nation and opposed to all other Countries being expositions though farre-fetched and violent of the Mosaicall Law and the Mosaicall Law commanded very many Purifications and washings Exod. 30.21 Aaron and his sonnes shall wash their hands and their feete at the Laver of brasse whensoever they goe into the Tabernacle of the whole Congregation they shall wash their hands and their feete that they dye not it shall be a statue for ever to them Levit. 15.5 Whosoever toucheth the bed of any man having a running issue shall wash his Cloathes and bath himselfe in water and be uncleane untill the Even and the like is commanded in divers verses following and when a man is cleansed from his issue he shall bath his flesh in running water ver 13. The like precepts follow concerning the uncleannesse of women Levit. 16.26 He that let goe the Goate for the scape-Goate shall wash his Cloathes and bath his flesh in water Levit. 17.15 Every soule that eateth that which dyed of it selfe or that which is torne of beasts shall both wash his cloathes and bathe himselfe in water Numb 19.17 For an uncleane person they shall take of the ashes of the burnt-Heifer of Purification for sinne and running water shall be put thereto in a vessell and the Cleane shall sprinckle on the uncleane and on the 7 day he shall purifie himselfe and wash his cloathes and bathe himselfe in water ver 19. In which washings and bathings of their bodies the tradition of the Elders was so strict that the bathing was of none effect if any part or the least particle of the body but so much as the top of his little finger were not washed yea he must wash not onely his head but all his hayre and every locke of his head which the tradition of the Elders esteemed as his body Maymonides expoundeth Moses his Law thus In every place where is mention made of bathing the flesh and washing the garments of the uncleane you must understand it of laving the whole body in water when they washed themselves in their cloathes the Law was not satisfied unlesse the water did sinke through their cloathes to wet their whole bodies or if any part were kept by the cloathes from being washed So the cloathes were rather loose then girt or so girded that the water for all that had free passage PAR. 7. THe Iewish washings looked up higher than the Romane these respected onely bodily neatenesse and cleanelinesse and strength but the Iewes purifications or washings leade them up to sanctification and betokened their being cleansed from sinne Exod. 19.10 and 14. verses sinne is of a defiling nature repentance is a cleanser not onely our cloathes are made white in the blood of the Lambe Revel 7.14 But our hearts are washed from an evill Conscience and bodies washed with pure water Heb. 10.22 Christ cleansing his Church in the Laver or washing of regeneration Ephes 5.26 alludeth to the Priestly washing and clensing in the brasen Laver and to their bathing is reference made 2 Cor. 7.1 Let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit much Niter Camphire and Sope are not so cleansing as a contrite and a repenting heart and now if Pererius were living would I referre it to his owne judgement whether the Iewes did imitate the Romanes or the Romanes the Iewes sith long before there was any Romane the Iewish Nation used such frequent bathings and by the appointment of God their Law-giver upon more occasions than all the Law-givers else of all Nations enjoyned to their people The Prayer MOst gratious Lord Jesu I meekely implore thy divine goodnesse thoroughly to bathe my soule in thy blood and by thy selfe to purge my sinnes that I may be presented by thee unto God without spot or blot and so partake of thy rich blessednesse in the world to come Amen Amen CHAP. XIX The Contents of the nineteenth Chapter 1. Pererius his third Ceremony Romanes anointed themselves before feasts Sō might the Jewes but not ordinarily the Pharisee reprooved for not anoynting Christ Maries anointing Christ was of Devotion not fashion 2. Romanes used unction before feasts 3. True joy rests in vertue not in vice 4. The Graecians used anointings at their Feasts 5. Severall oyntments for severall parts and uses Alexidemus and Cleopatra's and Aesop his sonne excessive prodigalitie 6. Olyes were of diverse sorts and for diverse uses Oyle Olive commended 7. Jewes used anointing before the siege of Troy Jewes Syrians anciently abounded with Oyles Oyle good for outward inward uses Oyle some Sacred some of common use The divers uses of Sacred oyle Kings Priests Sacred things anointed with it The composition of it David anointed King with Gods Oyle David anointed King twice 8. The Jewes commonly anointed onely Head and feete the Babylonians anointed all their body 9. The Jewes used anointing after washing Ashers dipping of his feete in Oyle 10. Mary Magdalen washed Christs feete with teares 11. Iewes anointed their heads before ever the head of Tolus was found 12. Women among the Iewes in Spaine the best perfumers 13. Anointing the head ordinary among the Iewes 14. Myrrhe and Nard precious oyntments Nard taken sometimes for an Herbe sometimes for an Oyntment 15. Anointing Corporall Spirituall PARAGRAPH 1. THe third Ceremonie which both Iewes and Romanes used and in which as in all the 13. saith Pererius the Iewes did imitate the Romanes and followed their Praesidents was this the Romanes being well anointed lay or sate downe to feasts that the same was practised by the Iewes we may judge because Christ sayd to the Pharisee who had invited him Luke 7.46 Mine head with Oyle thou didst not anoint and the Lord saith Mat. 6.17 When thou fastest anoynt thine head and wash thy face that thou mayst seeme not to have fasted but dined therefore Mary the sister of Lazarus powred oyntment on the head of Christ as he sate at Supper which unlesse it had beene the fashion in banquets Mary Magdalen durst not have done so farre Pererius I answere Quid hoc ad Parmenonis suem What is this to the purpose If all be yeelded how doth this evince that the
farre more precious than the blood of the Paschall-Lambe that sprinkled the doores and the lintells this sprinkling our Consciences that blood delivering from temporall death Christ from eternall the standing-water being a wall to the Israelites on hoth sides but the flowing water and blood streaming from his side washing and purging our soules and preparing us for heaven of which the terrestriall Canaan was but a Type thus of the Paffeover and of better than the Passeover did our Saviour discourse according to the Law at the eating of the Paschall-Lambe PAR. 8. THe words which follow Luke 22.24 And there was also a strife among them were spoken at the second Supper when I handle it they shall have their explication in their due order and this is plainely acknowledged that the blessed Spirit did not by S. Luke keepe Methodum Rerum or Historiae the History of things in order as they were done but upon great and just cause though unknowne unto us did intermingle other matters unlesse we flye to that wich Beza thinkes not impossible that there is a transposition of verses that the now 19. and 20. verses should be annexed to the 16. verse and after them the now 17. and 18. veses should be numbred but this transposition and trans-changing of verses doth as much confound the story in mine opinion and the same things might bee sayd at two suppers Apud Syrum interpretem maximae merito authoritatis in the Syriake translation which doth worthily deserve the greatest authority Beza should rather have given the greatest authority to the Originall Greeks from whence the Syriack was derived the 17. and 18. verses of Luke 22. are wanting Contrarily in a Greeke and Latine Coppie of mine saith Beza venerable for Antiquitie the latter part of the 19. verse and the whole 20. verse are not reade I doe say with Beza Ego nihil mutandum censeo I hold that nothing ought to be altered and yet hee propounds a transchanging of the verses but I would have nothing altered at all nor like these shifting dislocations The Prayer O God thy Word is a Lampe unto my feete and a light unto my path the fulnesse of thy Scripture doe I adore the riches thereof are above silver gold or precious stones good Lord grant that I may examine all my actions words and thoughts by it and frame them all unto it in thy light I shall see light and come to the light of the living which I beseech thee to grant for Jesus Christ his sake who is the joy of my soule and the blessed summe of my desires Amen CHAP. XXIV The Contents of the twentie fourth Chapter 1. Ministers or attendants at Christs last Passeover the blessed Virgin Mary no attendant difference betweene Apostles and Disciples Disciples might attend 2. Bishops Presbyters succeede the Apostles the seventy Names of Apostles and Disciples confounded S. Augustine questioned 3. Whether any of the 70. Disciples were Apostates other Disciples beside the 70. Some of them backe sliders the 70. Disciples were the future Presbytery Idolater the 70. Disciples who they were whether there were 72. Disciples 4. Divers Legall Types of the 12. Apostles 70. Disciples 5. The Master of the house was not excluded he might waite on Christ also some of the houshold might be attendants 6. Attendants Male and Female three degrees of Male-attendants divers offices of Attendants Christ and his Apostles had their attendants 7. Some of the 72. were Christs Auditours to heare his Table-talke Servitours ammated instruments 8. The Synopsis or summe of all PARAGRAPH I. I Cannot end this first booke of the Paschall Supper till I have handled one quaere more whether any waited in the roome whether my servants ministers or attendants were present besides Christ and his Apostles at his last Passeover For the Negative part these arguments may be collected First there is no mention of any one attendant Ergo none Respondeo the argument for the Negative is but weake for I thus retort it there is no mention that there was none attendant Ergo some were Argumenta â Scripturis Negative non tenent arguments drawne from Privative Scripture are no good Logicke Secondly there is mention of no more than twelve who came with Christ Mark 14.17 Thirdly there is mention only of 12. that did sit or sup with Christ Luke 22.14 He sate downe and the 12. Apostles with him Fourthly Mark 14.20 It is one of the 12. that dippeth with me in the dish I answere to all three that the certaine mentioned number that came or did sit or suppe with Christ doth not exclude the unmentioned servants attendant both may well consist together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sitters at meate and the attendants Fiftly Christ saith Luke 22.26 Let him that is chiefe be as he that doth serve and ver 27. I am among you as he that serveth I am in the middest of you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he that serveth I answere this rather proveth that some did serve indeede to whom Christ did liken himselfe that Christ did not serve as others but was as one that serveth Cinctura ministrantium est the being girded about is a signe of service attendance and administring whilst Christ was bound and busie with water and the bason and the towell he might properly be sayd through his owne voluntary condescent to serve and administer and so Kings and Queenes may be sayd to serve when they descend to wash the feete of the poore Sixthly S. Peters and S. Johns praeparation for the Passeover may seeme to be of little waight if all things and every thing necessary was not throughly provided but they must have others to attend I answere no preparation was so exquisite that waiters were unnecessary who should fill out fresh wine who remove the dishes who serve them in who was to take them away who to save or gather up the fragments Seventhly if any one besides the Apostles had beene there we may thinke the most blessed Virgin was there but she was not to be an attendant I answere out of question Christs most holy Mother had not attended if she had beene there though she would not grudge to waite on him but his greatest humility would never have permitted her to serve him yet other attendants might be and were in likelihood though shee were absent Eighthly it is not likely Christ would have washed his Apostles feete especially the feete of Iudas if other attendants had beene there I answere if in the presence of others he did wash them all it was an evident signe of his greater humility and then more might take good example contrarily for the Affirmative 1. It is sayd Matth. 26.18 I will keepe the Passeover at thine house with my Disciples so ver 19. Marke 14.12 13 14 and 16. verses Luk. 22.11 But there is great difference betweene the Disciples and the Apostles wherefore the Apostles might sup with him and the Disciples waite and eate after him
may be called a Mountaine a fruitfull Mountaine for us from which this stone was taken without hands or the ayde of man not without the overshadowing of the Holy-Ghost Shee was Virgo à viro virgo a partâ—s semper virgo Avirgin free from a man a virgin after shee had brought forth a man alwaies a virgin maugre the hellish opposition of the Jewes Virgo concipies virgo pariet Virgo quà virgo A Virgin shall conceive a Virgin shall bring forth a Virgin a true Virgin PAR. 9. YEa but say the Jewes Gnalmah doth not signifie a virgin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I answer 1 challenging them to shew a place where it meaneth a female young childe or a gristle of three or foure yeares old as they expound it and therefore say that Christ should have beene borne of such a childish girle if God would shew his extraordinary power Gnelem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is constantly taken for a youth or stripling not for a tender bread and butter boy of three or foure years unable to put on his owne clothes 1 Sam. 20.35 Jonathan tooke a little lad with him yet was he not so little or young as a trimulus or quadrimulus but a Lad of fourteene or fifteene yeares or thereabouts a pretty page for Ionathan gave his Artillery to the Lad and said Goe carry them to the City verse 40. which a small child could not doe So Gnalmah is commonly taken for a Virgin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Woman about twelve yeares of age or more in annis adolescentiae virgo a virgin in the yeares of her youth Exod. 2.4 5. Moses his sister who was to watch the motion of the Arke of bulrushes is called Gnalmah But a child of three or foure yeares of age could never so handsomely have insinuated her selfe into the company of Pharaoh his daughter nor have wrought her mothers and her owne desires and her brothers good so ingeniouslie so suddenly capiens consilium e're nata cooperating with so faire an oportunity Who would trust so little a child with so great a matter as for to negotiate for the life of a child and to prevent the effusion of blood Shee had beene impar negotio unfit for such a businesse if she had beene so young infrarem commissam unworthy for so great a charge Againe Gen. 24.43 Rebekah was able to draw water out of a well which is no worke for small children especially to satisfie both man and beasts especially the vast camels which when they do drinke drinke very much yet she is called Gnalmah a virgin faire very faire neither had any man knowne her saith the Spirit of God vers 16. implying shee might have beene knowne before as a little while after shee was knowne by man in holy wedlocke The pitcher also on her shoulder probablizeth that it was a great pitcher greater than little payles carried in womens hands and so unfit to be borne by a girle of foure yeares See more in Pagnine who citeth to this purpose Gnalmah being used for a full growne virgin Prov. 30.19 Cant. 1.3 and other places The Prophet Esaias by that word virginem adolesculam aetaie parituram veluit dicere did meane a virgin a young one yet so old that she might be fit to bring forth a child If he had called her Bethulah and onely so status tantum non etiam aetatis nomen fuisset it had beene a name onely of condition and not of age it might have betokened a very young virgin But let any shew me any one place where ever Gnalmah was used for a Virgin under five yeares I confesse a child may be said to be foemina a woman as foemina a woman is opposed to mas a man and a child of two yeares of age may be said to be Virgo a Virgin as Virgo a Virgin is opposed to Marita or Maritata a married Woman or Vxor a Wife or Concubina a Concubine but so it is not here The conclusion then is this Let Christ be borne as was foretold by Ieremy and Esay he must be borne of a pure Virgin nubilis marriageable and fit for such a worke and might not be borne of a child of three or foure yeares PAR. 10. I Hope I have stopped the mouthes of the barking Jewes May I now proceed Yet two or three things I must adde out of Porchetus his victory against the Hebrewes Part. 2. c. 14. fol. 81. De virginitate Matris Dei whereas the Jewes object that Christs holy mother never called him Emmanuel but Jesus tota Christianitas all Christendome calls him Jesus and not Emmannel Porchetus answereth aliud est nomen naturae aliud impositionis the name of nature is one thing and the name of imposition another For Nature giving a forme gives a name as the name of Man is man for he is called a man from the nature of man which he doth participate So the Messiah our Lord Jesus Christ is called Emmanuel that is God is with us and is called GOD and man by the Holy Spirit and his Mother and is so beleeved of all Christians because hee partaked of two Natures the Divine and the Humane But Jesus was the name of our Saviour secundum impositionem by imposition Emmanuel and other names according to the condition of both Natures and so nothing is amisse Againe they sometimes called him one name sometimes another Andrew calls him Messiah Iohn 1.41 Peter called him Iesus Act. 2.22 and singly Christ Act. 2.30 31. and Jesus Christ of Nazareth Act. 3.6 and the same Jesus is both Lord and Christ Act. 2. â—6 That Jesus is the Christ the sonne of God saith Iohn 20.31 Hee was called sometimes God sometimes Lord Thomas stiled him His Lord and his God Iohn 20.28 Thou shalt call his name Iesus saith the Angel to the blessed Virgin Mat. 1.21 and they shall call his name Emmanuel saith the same Angel vers 23. or his name shall be called Emmanuel as others translate it how was this Angelicall prediction fulfilled if they did not sometimes call him Emmanuel God Angels do not prophesie false things PAR. 11. THe second is out of Mahomets Alcoran Mary said how shall I have a child when a man hath not touched mee nor have I beene lascivious The Angel from God answered This is easie for mee both to make a miracle for men and mercy from my selfe And so it came to passe shee kept her selfe chast Et insufflavimus in eum de spiritu nostro and wee breathed into him of our Spirit saith God So much Mahomet himselfe confesseth When the Devill speaketh truth will the Iew continue incredulous Ebi Horarai the fellow of Mahomet heard Mahomet say None is borne whom Satan toucheth not when he is borne and therefore the child cryeth except Mary and her Sonne Much more hee addeth to good purpose as that May as a Virgin brought forth a Saviour c. But the words of Saint Augustine
seeds of all sinnes are in mee without thy preserving power into them I should fall I humbly blesse thy grace and goodnesse for keeping mee from presumptuous sinnes and do meekly implore thy divine favour to teach and direct mee that I may imitate the blessed temperancy of the Apostles as they did of Christ and that I may be partaker with them of Glory in the world to come So be it Lord Jesus so be it Amen CHAP. III. The Contents of the third Chapter 1 Illyricus his errours concerning fasting Confession and beating the breast in fasting 2 Rising in the night to serve God Christ shall come at midnight A Iewish Tradition 3 Bowing downe the head in fasting 4 Shaving the Head Beard 5 Calixtus foure-fold fasting Jejunia quatuor temporum 6 Illyricus his absurd Division of a religious fast into crapulosum jejunium Holy Hypocriticall 7 Fasting taken for innocencie of life Saint Augustine and S. Chrysostomē falsly taxed by Illyricus Jejunium generale 8 Illyricus his wild positions concerning fasting Fasting not alwaies a signe of but somtimes a means to a contrite heart Rending of garments 9 Washing of Guests feete 10 Rending of clothes 11 The Ceremonies of Fasts Lutherans crapulous repentance 12 Illyricus his two Reasons against fasting The colder the climate the hotter the stomacke Germans must fast proportionably to the Jewes Fasting must tame not disease or kill the body 13 Illyricus playes the Dy-dapper Hee denies Fasting to conduce to Prayer Why Christ and his Apostles did Fast A broken heart sometimes goes before Fasting sometimes followes after Fasting God oft commutes eternall punishment into temporall Fasting not alwaies a signe of a contrite Heart 14 A body weakned by fasting is more fit to pray Preparation before the Sacrament necessary Illyricus and Luther taxed Fasting the best way to please God Two extreames in fasting Some fast too much some fast not at all Illyricus an Epicure The best Christians fast to pray and pray to please God PARAGRAPH I. IF I should recount all the manifold blessings of God which he hath apparently vouchsafed upon those who have chastened their soules with fasting I might spin out the remainder of all my dayes ere I should handle every passage I confesse I have said somewhat the more because Illyricus is much awry in the matter of fasting Nae ille vir summus extitisset si sua quaedam emendasset saith our Doctor Whitaker 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verily hee had beene an excellent Writer if hee had corrected some of his errours It may be this was one of his errours needing amendment which our Professour aimed at Surely Illyricus runneth with a byas to uphold the intemperate German usanses and is many wayes awry whilst he would finde out new Divinity contrary to the paths of old or cloath ancient Divinity with novell new fashioned robes Illyricus in his second part of his Clavis Scripturae in his Tractate de jejunio pag. 106. in sequentibus sheweth himselfe a right German Let mee beginne at the end of the Tractate where I last left of reading him so ascend step by step to discover his vanities He dislikes that note of popish fasting when they say Mea maxima culpa I have most grievously offended against thy divine Majesty and beate the breast and sometimes the face Yet hee confesseth the Jewes did so in Christs time and instanceth in the Publican Luk. 18.13 I had not thought any Christian would have faulted a penitent for saying mea maxima culpa my sinnes are most heinous Did not Saint Paul say 1 Tim. 1.15 Hee was chiefe of sinners Peccator omnium notarum sum nec ulli rei nisi poenitentiae natus saith Tertullian I am a most notorious sinner and borne for nothing but to repent Ego praestantiam in delictis meis agnosco I acknowledge mine exceeding sinfulnesse in sinning The accusing of a mans selfe is a principall way moving God to acquit us And Davids heart smote him 2 Sam. 24.10 And may we not thinke he smote his breast PAR. 2. HE taxeth them for rising in the night to serve God saying they did roare like bulls oxen or kine in Temples Is it possible a well-fed a well tipled Lutheran snorting securely should when he is awake jeere at other mens midnight devotions Indeed Tertullian ad uxorem 2.4 saith of Pagan husbands irreligious behaviour towards their wives Quis nocturnis convocationibus si ita oportucrit a laetere suo libenter eximi feret Quis solennibus paschae obnoctantem securus sustinebit Who with patience can endure to have his wife taken from his side to be present at the Christians nightly meetings when occasion so requires Who without jealousie can suffer her to be absent from his bed at night and to be present at their Paschall solemnities Yet thence you may gather the night-devout service of the Christians Tertullian in Apologetico Cap. 34. Ita saturantur ut qui meminerint etiam per noctem adorandum sibi Deum esse They so feast in the day time as that they remember they must arise in the night time to serve God It is a Jewish tradition saith Hierome that Christ shall come at midnight as the Angell did in Aegypt Whence I thinke an Apostolicall Tradition hath remained that on Easter eeve they dismissed not the people till midnight expecting the comming of Christ and after that time boldly and securely they feasted To that effect Hierome cited by Rhenanus in argumento lib. 1. Tertulliani ad uxorem Psalm 119.62 the Prophet David saith At midnight will I rise to give thankes unto thee Whilest Illyricus seemeth rather to approve more ease and to give thankes on a good warme feather-bed At midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sung prayses unto God Act. 16.25 PAR. 3. AGaine because some in Esay his time did bow downe their heads like bulrushes Esa 58.5 Therefore Illyricus findes fault with the Monkes for the like and saith Incurvant cervicem obstipo capite velut nummos quaerentes incedunt They hang downe their heads as if they searched for money The high and mighty German might have remembred Luk. 18.13 The Publican would not lift up so much as his eyes to heaven It was David's holy joy that his eyes were not lofty Psal 131.1 Indeed there is a generation O how lofty are their eyes and their eye-lids are lifted up Prov. 30.13 I wish Illyricus had remembred A proud looke or hauty eyes are an abomination to the Lord. Prov. 6.17 Looking downe in true fasting argueth a contrite soule as well as a dejected body PAR. 4. FOr the other part of his censure that because anciently in their griefē they did shave their head and their beard therefore the Monkes doe so now it savoureth of no learning but is a grosse mistake or at least a fallacie Ponit Non-causam pro causa Nor shave they their heads alwayes in time of fasting or mourning but at that ceremony make great feasting PAR. 5. HE findeth
and other exercises of devotion and prepared God to blesse all But fasting is defined to be a mourning Zach. 7.5 When yee fasted and mourned I answer Here fasting precedeth mourning where Illyricus saith Fasting is an effect of mourning and naturally floweth from it when it is commanded Watch and Pray is one a definition of the other because they be conjoynd Fasting and mourning be two distinct things and fall not under one definition PAR. 8. THese be his arguments which hee thinkes strong enough to withhold him from subscribing to those who thinke fastings of old were and now are to be used that the macerated bodie may better obey the soule and that a Christian may be apter to pray and to all divine exercises But Illyricus objecteth against himselfe Are fastings wholly unprofitable Why are they then so often conjoyned with prayers if they be not exercises preparing to prayers Hee answereth Since these afflictions of fasting are undertaken by the prime motion of nature in great griefe of minde and then confirmed by custome in the easterne countries it came to passe that they did both fast and pray in troubles Nature custome chance are his grounds for fasting and prayer Not God not Scriptures not holy examples precedent these are nothing to the frothy German Moreover saith hee the calling upon God was their onely remedie for all their evils therefore they alwaies added earnest prayers to their afflictions that their sinnes might be remitted and the punishments averted Is calling upon God the onely remedy Did not faith and contrition and repentance precede Doth not fasting accompany Shall wee exclude hope renounce charity and make prayer to be the onely remedy Thus forsooth in some other humors Faith alone saveth onely faith Fides sola solitaria Yet all Novelists must know They shall sooner separate light from the Sunne heate from the fire then they shall separate faith true faith saving faith from Charity from Hope from the feare and love of God or from other Theologicall vertues I professe that I am sorry that Illyricus gave cause of so long a diversion I have onely censured his Tractate de causa finali jejunii I must be briefe in the rest The Prayer MOst glorious Saviour in thy feastings thou wert holy thy words full of power thy actions full of wonder in thy fastings thou wast divine thou wert an hungred and yet wouldst not eate thou wert a thirst and yet didst not drinke grant good Lord Jesu that thy gratious example may be my guide both in feasting and fasting and that I may so behave my selfe in this temporary fading life being the very valley of misery that through the merits of thy fasting I may gather the crummes under thy table in thy eternall Kingdome So be it Lord Jesu so be it CHAP. V. The Contents of the fifth Chapter 1 All in fasting must afflict their soules Fasting commanded in the Old and New Testament Fasting is more than a temperate sober life 2 Divers effects of sorrow Divers efficient causes of Fasting 3 The Germans little practise Fasting The singular commendation of Fasting by Athanasius S. Chrysostome Leo Magnus S. Ambrose Bellarmine 4 A parting blow at Illyricus PARAGRAPH 1. ILlyricus in his first Tractate De Iejunio materiâ hactenus parum liquidò explicatâ vera dissertatio Having not all this while explicated the matter distinctly enough the true dispute c. hee beginneth with two positions boldly averred hardly proved At all times great hath beene the superstition and abuse of fasting and of other afflictions thereunto annexed Yet was there not one certaine forme of that fast for it was free and voluntary and therefore out of doubt one did cruciate himselfe otherwise than others did And yet himselfe truly confesseth they fed on no dainties But that is one certaine forme say I And he confesseth further To fast is to abstaine from the chiefe commodities of the body and to draw discommodities upon a mans selfe To abstaine from meate drinke sleepe washing annointing change of apparell musicke mirth and all recreations yea to put on sordid and ill apparell which they call sackcloth to lye on the ground on ashes dust or any other sordid place His very definition prescribeth this forme and accordingly was it used and yet he denyeth any one certaine forme That some fasted longer or oftner or stricter than others none will deny but all did afflict their soules or otherwise it was no true fast Whereas hee saith it was free and voluntary no man can deny but some had more occasion than others had and did fast whën others did not yes and fasted voluntarily yet himselfe confesseth they were commanded to fast on the daies of expiation Levit. 23.27 Yee shall afflict your soules And the Prophet gave precepts for fasting which in like case we are to imitate Christ foretold the Apostles should fast Christ said When yee fast annoint your heads implying that men were to fast I see fasting is commanded in the Old and New Testament but what daies we are to fast and not to fast by precept from God or his Apostles I finde not Augustine Epist 88. ad Casularum Yet in that Tractate hee doth very well confute such as say of old fasting was no other than a temperate and sober life His reason is excellent Moses Elias Daniel Christ and his Apostles who questionlesse alwaies lived temperately and soberly yet even they did fast certaine daies Againe saith hee It is easie to discerne from 2 Sam. 1.12 where they mourned and wept and fasted untill even from Daniel 10.2 and from Ionah 3.5 c. that fasting is a more sowre sorrowfull and hard thing than a temperate and sober life PAR. 2. IN the middle Tractate De efficiente causa jejunii Thus hee discourseth naturally Omnibus animalibus incitum est it is given to all living creatures not onely to live but to live contentedly and sweetly and to procure pleasing things and to fly the contrary But in great sorrows men lead a discontented life and desire to die and therefore begin to neglect all things belonging to an happy life And in greater sorrow beate their breasts teare their faces and haire as in the Southerne parts women were wont to do These sorrowes are not fitly ordered by Illyricus The sorrow which causeth men to desire death is greater than that when people beate their breasts teare away the haire from their heads and skinnes from their face But I must remember my promised brevity Hee returneth to his first position When wee are glad wee naturally love this life and the things tēnding to it and when wee are sorry wee hate life fly the presence of men and pleasures yea embrace things discommodious Yet custome much prevaileth in this point for some people testifie their joy and sorrow otherwise both by the quantity and quality than others doe Then defineth hee thus Fasting is in the holy Scriptures a certaine affliction of the body and an outward signe
and effect of a minde inwardly sorrowfull or a certaine outward mourning which voluntarily yet by a naturall motion is undertooke whilst the soule mourneth The efficient cause of fasting is saith hee plainly naturall though both will and custome doe some way concurre unto it His conclusion runneth to this ēnd that the torments or macerations of Fastings may and use to arise from great sorrow of the minde from a broken and contrite heart from the humiliation and prostration of the soule Thus much saith hee of the efficient cause of fasting Yet certainly some if not many fast not out of any great precedent sorrow or naturall motion but from the motion of grace from a willing minde to prevent evils either of sinne or punishment to obtaine Gods favour in things they desire to tame their bodies to prepare themselves for prayer and holy exercises of devotion to helpe the afflicted either neere or farre off to shew obedience to the Magistrate and by fasting to humble themselves more than when they began to fast and more than they would have beene humbled if they had not fasted to procure a blessing upon such great and difficult affaires as they intend to compasse and to adapt the minde to spirituall contēmplations Experience proveth all this Fasting-spittle Saint Augustine calleth Virginem salivam perhaps you may terme Virgineam salivam Virgin-spittle and is in it selfe more powerfull than any other spittle PAR. 3. I Would say farēwell high and mightily fed Illyricus butchers cooks musitians bakers brewers taverners will extoll thee perhaps it grew frō thy Doctrine in that Hamborough are 777. Brewers 40. Bakers one Physitian one Lawyer But learned men will think that yee Germans little practise fasting for your selfe confesse your northerne Nations have no such fervent affections and do not grieve so much as others doe and do lesse shew outwardly their affections And therefore yee will put your selves to little or no bodily paine Yee are neate men and will not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 jejunium olere smell of fasting yee have beleeved Plautus rather than Christ jejunitatis plenus anima foetidat Plautus in Mercatore Hee that is given much to fasting doth use to have a stinking breath Plautus in his Comedy intituled The Merchant If Illyricus had much studied the Fathers he would not have spoken so largely against fasting Athanasius in lib de Virginitate saith Qui dicunt tibi ne frequenter jejunes ne imbicillior fias istos Diabolus subornavit The Divell hath suborned those who say fast not often lest yee grow weake An heavy yet true censure in some cases and to some persons See what fasting can doe saith Athanasius ibidem It healeth diseases dryeth up distillations chaseth away divels expelleth evill thoughts makes the minde more neate and the heart more purified Fasting is the food of Angels and he who useth it may be thought to be reckoned among the orders of Angels What saith my crammed and pampered German to this Chrysostome Homil. 1. in Genes sayth God desiring that wee should wash away all our sinnes hath invented this helpe even our fasting which is the mother of all good things the mistresse of Modestie and shamefastnesse and the food of our soules And in the next Homily It is the tranquillity of our soules the ornament of old men the Schoolemaster of youth and the teacher of continencie If Adam had abstained and fasted from one tree death had beene dead or therēfore had not dyed because it never had beene saith the same Saint Chrysost in his first Sermon of fasting The Prophet was slaine by a Lyon for eating and drinking where God said eate no bread and drinke no water 1 King 13.22 Fasting is the imitation of Angels as farre as lyeth in us a contempt of pleasant things a schoole of prayer a bridle for the mouth and a tamer of concupiscence It slacketh fury curbeth wrath appeaseth the insurrection of nature quickeneth reason lighteth the flesh drives away filthy nightly intemperance It hath revoked Gods sentence and stopped the execution of his judgements Fast because thou hast sinned Fast that thou mayest not sinne Fast to receive good Fast to retaine good The prayer of a fasting man is pleasing to God and terrible to the devill sayth Leo Magnus Serm. de Iejunio septimi mensis Iejunium est prima virtus contravitia saith Chrysologus Fasting is the first or chiefest vertue against vices Againe what is of more vertue than fasting saith Leo by observing it we draw neere to God wee resist the Devill wee overcome vice Fasting was alwaies meate to vertue from abstinence proceed chast thoughts reasonable desires wholsome counsels The most effectuall prayer against sinne is Almes and Fasting All vices are by continencie destroyed Whatsoever covetousnesse thirsteth after pride affecteth luxury lusteth for fasting overcommeth From the observation of holy fasting beginne the rules of all vertue Leo Serm. 11. de Quadrages Adest maximum sacratissimumque jejunium The greatest and most holy fast of Lent is now come which all faithfull men are bound to observe for none is so holy that hee may not be holier none so devout that hee ought not to be more devout Much more could I cite from the fathers Who are those new masters which exclude the merit of Fasting saith Saint Ambrose in the aforesaid 82. Epist to the Church of Vercellis who desireth to see more let him have recourse to Bellarmine Tom. 4. de bonis operibus in particulari lib. 2. cap. 11. c. PAR. 4. I Professe I am weary with turning after this Noveller I am sorry it hath hindred so much my maine intentions yet because I finde him an antimonarchicall man a very firebrand and bellowes for sedition a jacke of the people teaching them rather to terrifie the Princes by rebellion than to yeeld any thing for quietnesse sake and that the people should defend their opinions with uprisings commotions and insurrections for which cursed opinions his city of Magdeburge hath justly suffered therefore have I spared him the lesse esteeming him no other than a selfe-willed Epicure The Prayer ON great and just occasions O blessed God hast thou commanded us to fast and in fasting to afflict our soules good Lord grant that I may all my life moderately temperately and soberly demeane my selfe and yet upon just occasions may fast both privately and publikely to serve thee and to procure thy love and thy blessings with thy love for Jesus Christ his sake Amen CHAP. VI. The Contents of the sixth Chapter 1 What severall Evangelists wrote concerning the severall Suppers 2 The Supper of the Lord instituted after the second or common Supper 3 Why there is no expresse mention of a second Supper Consequentiall divinity Proved Approved Creation of Angels and when Infants Baptized Scripture not alwaies tyed to expresse termes John 21.25 expounded reasons thereof rendred 4 Divers reasons why the name of a second Supper is pretermitted PARAGRAPH I. The second Particular of
That he maketh the second supper to consist onely of unleavened bread and wine given round to every guest and singing of a laudatory hymne and in the roome of sweete-meates brings in his thicke sauce forgetting the meate of the herd which was to be eaten with it having bread to eate with that sauce of herbes and another sauce into which both bread and soure herbes were dipped 2. That he maketh a double washing first from the daily use that they might lye downe and eate the paschall Lambe Secondly Supper being done they washed according to the Rite of the passeover saith he where he maketh the time of the second washing to be just at the end of the first Supper or of the beginning of the Second Supper More plainely yet he avoucheth Duplex est Coena incontinenter cum duae lotiones utramque praeeant there was a double Supper forthwith joyning together without space betweene incontinently two washings preceding both of them or rather one washing going before each of them Barradius his argument well refuteth the opinion of Scaliger Coenâ factâ surgit â coenâ saith S. John Si â coenâ surrexit jam discumbebat coenabat Non ergo ante coenum illam exhibita est pedibus aqua After Supper he rose from Supper If he rose from Supper he had before sate downe and had supped Therefore the Apostles feete were not washed before that Supper Lucas Brugensis Itinerary saith that Christ post agni esum coenam vulgarem lavit pedes Apostolorum after the Lambe was eaten and the common supper he washed his Apostles feete As if Christ washed them when the second Supper was ended being opposite to Scaliger yet it is apparent Christ sate downe againe and againe did eate Augustine Tractatu in Johan 55. reasoneth as well against this extreme of Brugensis as he did against the other extreme of Scaligers Augustin thus Non debemus intelligere coenam factam veluti jam consummatam atque transactam adhuc enim coenabatur cum Dominus surrexit pedes lavit discipulis Nam postea recubuit buccellam suo traditori postea dedit utique coenâ nondum finitâ i dum panis adhuc esset in mensa Wee must not conceive After Supper to be spoken as if Supper had beene then consummated and perfectly finished for as yet they were at Supper when the Lord arose and washed his Disciples feete For afterwards he sate downe againe and afterwards gave the Sop to him that should betray him Supper being not yet fully finished that is to say while bread was yet upon the Table Beza was more judicious in this poynt saying of Christ a mensâ consurgens pedibus discipulorum in medio convivio contra quotidianum morem ablutis rursum discubuit agreeing with Ioh. 13.4 and 12. verses It was towards the midst of the second supper when Christ arose to wash his Disciples feete and after his second sitting he did eate againe Yet Beza seemeth much mistaken saying that the chiefe of the family keept some of the unleavened bread hid under a Napkin till the end of feast which feast being done he drew out from under the Napkin the other part of the bread broken into so many peices as there were fellow-feeders or friendly guests and he first tooke part and gave the rest to his companions with this blessing This is the bread of affliction which our Fathers did eate in Aegypt for this Benediction was at the beginning of Supper before the Master of the house had dipped the sop in the platter as Scaliger well observeth and it standeth with all likelihood that they should be instructed thus before they did eate rather than afterward 3. That he brings an authority from the Rituall of the Jewes viz. That every other night they did eate of herbs of all sorts but in the Rite of the passeover onely ex intybis and yet Scaliger confesseth that the sauce into which both the unleavened bread and the soure herbes were dipped was Satura olerum amarorum quae aliis ejusmodi spissabatur was full of bitter herbes and thickned with other herbes of the like kinde Here are more herbs than the Rituall alloweth 4. That he maketh the second Supper to be incontinently and immediatly after the first when of necessitie we must grant a time for the administrants or servitours to bring up and hansomely and orderly to place on the boord the diversly-dressed flesh of the Herd though the paschall Lambe was not wholly consumed but yet stood on the Table whilst the heavenly Table-talke continued and though the Table-cloth was not wholly or fully removed but rather cleansed The Prayer MOst Gracious God who seeth not thy provident wisedome ordering all things in number weight and measure he hath blindfolded himselfe The Passeover thou commandest to be eaten with unleavened bread onely Grant good Lord that we may cast away the leaven of maliciousnesse and with all sinceritie simplicitie and singlenesse of heart serve and love thee through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen CHAP. X. The Contents of the tenth Chapter 1. Proofes from the Papists Baronius amisse in some points of the Paschall Supper Baronius Lucas Burgensis Sebastian Barradius and Maldonate prove a second Supper 2. Maldonate doubteth whether the Paschal be called a Supper Piscator censured 3. Tolet Suarez Bellarmine prove a second Supper 4. Bellarmine censured S. Cyprian cleered 5. Adam Contzen and Stapleton prove a second Supper Poculum bibatorium The Tricoenium accomplished 6. Christ was present at the First or Paschall Second or common Supper 7. The Jewes at their solemne feasts had double Commons 8. When the second Supper began about sixe of the clocke at night How long the second Supper lasted When it ended PARAGRAPH 1. Fifthly Proofes from Papists BAronius also ad annum 34. Numero 38. is much amisse in some points Two Suppers saith he were conjoyned in the Paschall feast or rather Vnius coenae duplex mensa a second course at the same Supper So farre well enough with a good interpretation In the first was the eating of the Lambe In the second was the Ceremony of unleavened bread But is it possible that so learned a man should thinke They did eate the Paschall Lambe without bread Or first gobble in the flesh and at the second course thrust in the unleavened bread after was it not the expresse Law to eate the one with the other The flesh roasted with fire and unleavened bread Exod. 12.8 Suppose we grant it to be a second course which indeede was a second Supper doe any of us eate our flesh at the first Messe and our bread at the second Messe And though it be said they shall eate it in the same night yet no man can justly imagine the flesh was eaten the first part of the night and the bread was crammed in after the first service Sense shall guide me above any Rituall and yet the Rituall both beginneth the paschall Supper with
who said Cum lotiâ— animi puritatis ad suscipiendum Saccramentum necessariae monumentum fuerit ante Sacramenti institutionem exhiberioportuit Since the washing of the minde was the monument of the purity which was necessary to the receiving of the Sacrament it ought to be used before the institution of the Sacrament Baronius hath a good argument against the innovating Osiander That the Paschall Lambe being to be eaten in haste if Christ had risen from it and washed their feete before the end of that Supper he had broken the Law but he brake not the Law Therefore it was at the second Supper even toward the latter end thereof that Christ by his owne washing of them prapared them by humility unto the receiving of his owne last best and blessed Eucharist being truely called the Supper of the Lord. If I have not guessed rightly at the true cause and just occasion why Christ washed his Apostles feete yet it is most certaine that he washed them which as I said tooke up about another quarter of an houre of their second Supper No man can reasonably thinke that Christ did wash their feete at the Passeover that was soone ended as the washing and wiping was ended Nor may it be thought that Christ would rise from the most sacred Supper of the Eucharist to wash them This derogateth too much from that divine Supper Therefore the second Supper was the fittest time and in it indeede did Christ wash them For how could he wash the feete of twelve of them severally twenty foure feete in all as they continued at Supper in lesse time then a quarter of an houre and wipe them all and well wiped them out of question with that towell wherewith he was girded Ioh. 13.5 weigh that time by the time we should spend our selves if wee were to dispatch such a businesse if we wash but our owne feete and wipe them above a twelfth part of a quarter of an houre quickly slideth away The Prayer O RedeeÌ„mer of mankinde thou wert pleased to wash the feete of thy Apostles even those feete of Iudas among the rest which had trotted before to the high Priests and Elders to betray thee and those which were apt and readie to shed blood even the innocent blood of thee the Lord of life Wash I beseech thee not onely my feete but my hands my head my whole body and especially my heart that I may be wholly purified and fitted to partake of thy blessed mysteries and by them be united to thee my gracious and mercifull Saviour Amen CHAP. XII The Contents of the twelfth Chapter 1. What was Done Sayd the 2. of the 3. quarters of the houre in the Second Supper Christ beginneth to wash his Disciples feete The Scribes booke Commanded frequent washings The Jewes used much water for purifications both Legall Praescribed 2. S. Peter the Primate and Prince of the Apostles Whither S. Peter lay on the Discubitory bed above Christ 3. Whither Christ washed S. Peters feete first of all Whither Judas was washed at all No washing of the feete no partaking of the Eucharist 4. S. Bernards Pedilavium no Sacrament Christs washing his Apostles feete an example of humility Whither Judas were first washed 5. All the Apostles were washed Vncertaine who first It matters not S. Peters Priviledge 6. S. Peters Christs Dialogue Obedience required Iohn the Baptist called a foole Peters double deniall reproved 7. Bodily washing Spirituall washing 8. Christ kist his Apostles feete Even Judas his feete 9. Whither Christ at the second Supper had on a supping garment Whither he had on a Cloake as Barradius 3. Vestments as Euthymius 5. As some others have thought Chrâ—st at his Passion had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 10. The last Quarter of the seventh houre or the third part of the second Supper What was Done Sayd in it The first passage is Christs Question His Diversion 11. The Titles of Lord Master forbidden to the Apostles The difference betweene Rab and Rabbi Ambition forbidden The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 attributed to Man God in the Old New Testament How God Man Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Lord. 12. Washing of feete imports humblenesse of minde Christs Precept Example to be imitated Lorinus his story Christ the most perfect example of all Seneca his advice The difference betweene Exemplar Exemplum Examples move more than Precepts The Worthinesse Vnworthinesse of the Administrant addeth nothing detracteth nothing from the Sacrament 13. Motives to Humility Servants equall to their Masters in participation of Troubles Blessings Servants inferiour to their Masters in Civill Morall Oeconomicall affaires 14. Nor Worders nor Knowers but Doers enjoy happinesse PARAGRAPH 1. NOw let me descend to the things done and sayd in this third quarter of an houre the middle part and second quarter of the three allotted as it were to this second Supper About halfe an houre after fixe our holy humble Saviour beginneth to wash the Disciples feete A little before Christs incarnation there was a booke written by the Scribes in which they commanded frequent washings even in the times of dinner or supper because there were many Legall uncleannesses which came by the very touch of divers things and by which they were uncleane till the Evening Therefore had they store of water alwayes in a readinesse At the Marriage in Cana Iohn 2.6 There were set sixe water-pots of stone after the manner of the purifying of the Iewes Sc. aut legalem aut traditionalem aut convivalem either Legall or traditionall or convivall Each water Pot containing two or three firkins a peece non ad potum sed ad lotionem paratae aequales illae hydriae aut vasa aquaria Those water-pots were not prepared for drinking but for washing And in likelihood they had spent some good quantity of that water For Christ commanded them to fill them and they filled them up to the brimme vers 7. And against the Passeover our Saviour did foretell them they should meete a man bearing a pitcher of water Mark 14.13 And when it is sayd He shall shew you a roome furnished among other things it may well be expounded A roome furnished with store of water for they had water alwayes in a readinesse for purifications prescribed by the Elders as well as for legall purifications Ciacconius is of opinion that water was given for their feete at the entrance into the houses yet it was to such as were soule and uncleane for if they were cleane they presently sate downe saith he But Baronius from the Rituall saith the Jewes washed their feete twice at the Paschall Lan be once at the eating of the flesh and once at the eating of unleavened bread Either the Rituall or Baronius confoundeth matters for they are not Paschall Lambe but with unleavened bread first taken Baronius should rather have distinguished two suppers Legalem communem the Paschall and Common Supper then make one Supper of the Lambe another
him Be ye followers of me even as I also am of Christ 1 Cor. 11.1 Perfectissimum est exemplar quod minus perfectum imitatur saith Aquinas 3. part Quaest 56. articulo 1. ad 3. But all other Examples take Christ for their example therefore he is the most perfect example of all Even Seneca did advise that a man should propound unto himselfe some eminent man as if be were present to be a spectator of all his actions and an example and guide unto him But no example is so perfect an example as Christ was and is The Schoole distinguisheth betweene Exemplar and Exemplum thus Exemplar est ex quo aliud simile facimus Exemplum est quod aut sequimur aut vitamus Exemplar is the person from whom we take Example Exemplum is the thing which is propounded to us to imitate Christ is the Exemplar his humilitie is our Example I have given you Example that yee should doe as I have done to you Examples certainely move more than precepts though precepts ought to move more than Examples For our Saviour hath most divinely instructed us by one rule of all other like matters and it is a lesson not onely for the multitude but for the Disciples also The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses seate all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe that observe and doe not onely Observe but Doe which is a double expression of the same duty But doe not yee after their workes for they say and doe not Mat 23.1 2 and 3. verses Earthen vessells may hold rich treasure a seale of brasse makes as good a print as a seale of gold and S. Paul being so holy as he was above others had beene to blame to say 1 Cor. 1 14. I thanke God I baptized none of you but Crispus and Gaius if the worth of the administrant had added any thing to the effectualnesse of the Sacrament or ill example had diminished the power of it to the truely prepared and devout recipient Eliah refused not meate which was sent of God though it was brought unto him in the mouth or clawes of divers uncleane Ravens 1 King 16.6 Yet such is the perversnesse of mans nature that it justifieth the Schoole conclusions Aquinas 1.2 quaest 34. Artic. 1. in corpore Articuli If those who teach all delights to be evill be found to embrace some delights men will be more prone to pleasures by the Example of their workes than free from pleasure for all their words For in humane operations and passions in which experience is most prevalent examples are more forcible than words I have given an example that ye should doe as I have done to you PAR. 13. A Reason why we should stoope our soules downe to humility is added Verily Verily the servant is not greater than his Lord neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him vers 16. Other-where Christ varieth this thus The Disciple is not above his Master nor the Servant above his Lord It is enough for the Disciple that he be as his Master and the servant as his Lord Matth. 10.24 25. ver Againe Every one that is perfect shall be as his Master or Every one shall be perfected as his Master Luk. 6.40 Iohn 16.20 Remember the word I sayd unto you the servant is not greater than the Lord whence he inferreth a kinde of equall participation In troubles if they have persecuted me they will also persecute you and in blessings If they have kept my sayings they will keepe yours also all these termes of equality and likenesse are but incentives unto humilitie that Masters might not domineere too much nor servants be too much dejected for servants are fellow-brethren to their Lords and Masters In our Lord and Master Jesus Christ S. Paul in his Epistle to Philemon vers 16. commendeth to Philemon his repentant servant Onesimus Not now as a servant but above a servant a brother beloved especially to me but how much more unto thee both in the flesh and in the Lord Yet to shew that the Lord is indeede and in civill conversation among men ought to be above the Servant not onely the inference is pregnant Mat. 10 25. If they have called the Master of the house Belzebub how much more shall they call them of his houshold But the doctrine drawne from their confession in the practise Luke 17.7 8. verses Which of you having a Servant plowing or feeding cattell will say unto him by and by when he is come from the field goe and sit downe to meate and will not rather say to him make ready wherewith I may sup and gird thy selfe and serve me till I have eaten and drunken and afterward thou shalt eate and drinke And in the 9. verse Christ denyeth thankes to be given as due to that servant who did the things that were commanded Here is a lawfull superiority of the Master above the servant in all civill morall and Oeconomicke affaires S. Peter goeth one steppe further Servants be subject to your masters with all feare and not onely to the good and gentle but also to the froward 1 Pet. 2 18. And in the verses following argueth It is their duty to take things patiently though they suffer wrongfully for hereunto ye were called because Christ suffered for us leaving us an Example to follow his steppes c. here are foote-steppes of inequality that the Master is above the servant lest servants should grow proud and lazie or stand upon termes of comparison PAR. 14. THe last part of Christs holy conclusions in this point is If yee know these things happie are ye if ye doe them verse 17. The worders the knowers are but the addressers to happinesse the Doers enjoy happinesse Not every one who saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven Matth. 7.21 He that heareth my words and doth them not shall be likened to a foolish man which built his house upon the sand Vers 26. Not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the Doers of the Law shall be justified Rom. 2.13 See the same practicall duty enjoyned and enlarged James 1. from vers 22. to vers 25. inclusively The Prayer O Lord Legall purifications cleanse not the spirit poure downe I humbly entreate thee but one drop of Christ Jesus his sacred blood and it will cleanse the spots of my soule better than milke or much soape better than all the Lavers in the Law heare me O holy holy holy father Sonne and blessed Spirit for the merits of Jesus Christ Amen CHAP. XIII The Contents of the thirteenth Chapter 1. The 2. Passage in the 3. quarter of the second Supper is the graduall detection of the Traytor The first degree Judas not chosen Judas like an Asse kickt against Christ The second Degree Judas a horse-Leech a blood sucker 2. Judas aymed at in the Individuum vagum One of you c.
his sake who is the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world even Iesus Christ the righteous to whom with the holy Father and blessed Spirit be ascribed all power all thankes all wisedome and all other good things for ever and ever so be it Amen The Synopsis or summe of All. And now having ended the second Supper give me leave as it were in a Picture to present it unto your eyes as I did the first Supper 1. THe same faire Upper-chamber was well furnished still 2. The same Table was in it almost foure-square decent adorned where they tooke their common repast 3. Three bed-steds still with good furniture incompassing three sides of the bed on which they might either sit or lye downe for their greatest and best ease 4. Great store of water standing by 5. Unleavened bread sufficient 6. The Remainders of the Paschall-Lambe not removed 7. Store of wine salt and other sauce in all conveniencie still on the same Table and Table-cloth Then 8. Rost meates sod meates baked meates stewed meates as I sayd before Esculenta Poculenta Condimenta of great variety brought in by the same Administrants for the second Supper The 2. Supper began 9. Christ and his twelve Apostles eating frugally and discoursing heavenly about one quarter of an houre 10. Contentions arising among the Apostles for superiority 11. Christ then arose from the second Supper put off his cloathes girded himselfe washed and wiped his Apostles feete All of them 12. Put on his cloathes againe lay downe and preached humility to them both by word and deede 13. This Pedilavium or washing with the discourse concerning it tooke up another quarter of an houre and upward 14. The third quarter of an houre or more before the end of the second Supper was spent in the further detection of Iudas and sealed up with an exact demonstrative discovery of the Traytor by Christs delivering of a sop to him and his taking of it 15. This Sop was not the blessed Eucharist 16. Here the second and usuall supper ended 17. Satan entred into Iudas 18. Christ separated Iudas 19. The Apostles were ignorant what Christ meant by those words to Iudas What thou doest doe quickely 20. They mis-interpreted them 21. Judas his Egresse when it was Night 22. They gave thankes at the end of the second Supper 23. They had a Grace-Cup 24. And if they sung an Hymne it was a short one 25. Thus about sixe of the clocke they began to eate the Paschall Supper which lasted not much above one quarter of that houre 26. The second Supper lasted above three quarters of an houre and about one quarter of an houre after seven in the Night both the Paschall and usuall Supper were fully and perfectly dispached and transacted When I have handled the third Supper I hope in God to remove the curtaine of obscuritie and folded preplexities and to shew you a true picture drawne almost to life of the things done and appeartaining to that Most Sacred Supper of the Lord. Deus in adjutorium meum intende Lord be thou my helper Amen FINIS TRICOENIUM CHRISTI WHEREIN THE THIRD AND LAST SUPPER OF OUR LORD IS HANDLED LIBER TERTIUS Manu ducat me Iêsus Christe juva Ignoto feror aequore plenaque ventis Vela dedi totus langueo Christe juva Aut doce Aut disce Aut cupientem prodesse patere Monuit Robertus Cenalis Episcopus Abrincensis LONDON Printed for Andrew Crooke at the green Dragon in Saint Pauls Church yard 1641. This third Book is the third Generall part of my propounded method Wherin is contained 1. A Preface 2. A Tractate wherin is shewed 1. Reasons of the word Tricoenium and why I call this work Tricoenium Christi 2. Divers differences between the Agapae and the Third Supper or Supper of the Lord. 3. The use of the Holy Kisse at the Lords Supper Chap. 1. 4. Certaine Reasons why the Sacred Eucharist was substituted to the aetetnall disannulling of the Passeover Chap. 2. 5. What course our Saviour took in the perfecting of his Third or Last Supper And therein is shewed 1. After what words Christ began this Third or Last Supper A digression 1. Concerning the division of the Bible into Chapters Verses 2. Against filthy prophaners of Churches Church-yards 3. Against Conventicles Chap. 3. 2. It was instituted in the same large upper roome wherein they ate the Paschall and Common Supper 3. It was not whilst the Apostles were eating the Second or Common Supper but After That Supper 4. It was instituted on a Table 5. On a distinct Table Chap. 4. 6. Whether Christ himselfe received the blessed Eucharist 7. What posture Christ used when he consecrated the Eucharist Chap. 5. And therein I consider his 1. Actions 1. He took bread 2. He blessed it 3. He brake it 4. He gave it to his Disciples 2. Words implyed in these words And said 1. Take 2. Eate 3. This is my Body c. Chap. 6 8. What Gesture the Apostles used in Receiving the holy Eucharist Chap. 7. 9. What Gesture we are to use at the receiving of it 10. What Names have beene given to the blessed Eucharist 11. What Speeches were spoken by our Saviour after the Third Supper before he departed out of the Coenaculum Chap. 8. A PRAYER ETernall and only wise God because on the one side Satan standeth with danger in his hands and laboureth to inveigle us to search into curious and needlesse matters and on the other side standeth our naturall lazinesse with distrust making men beleeve they can never finde out such truthes as indeed may be found I humbly beseech thee O gracious God and giver of all good gifts to preserve me from both of these extremes and grant unto me good Lord that I may abhorre to looke after things unsearchable super subtile and above my reach which lie hid within the closet of thy breast and yet may with all holy and reverent industry proceed to the finding out of Thee Thyself in and by thy Truth even Iesus Christ my alone Saviour and Redeemer Amen TRICAENIUM CHRISTI LIB III. CAP. I. Which containes the first second and third Generals Wherein is shewed 1. Reasons of the word Tricaenium 2. Differences between the Agapae and Third Supper 3. Use of the holy Kisse 1. A Praeface by way of Admonition to the Vnlearned Invocation of the Learned 2. Reasons of the word Tricaenium and why I call this Work Tricaenium Christi A threefold Supper farther proved The Papists offended for calling the third Supper the Supper of the Lord. A deviation concerning Maldonat the Jesuite his Life and Doctrine The ancient Fathers both Latine and Greeke call the third Supper the Supper of the Lord. 3. A discourse concerning the Agapae or Feasts of Charity They succeeded in the place of the Chagigah or second Supper When Eaten The Eucharist before Tertullians dayes eaten in the Morning the Agapae in the Evening The Eucharist and Agapae in the Primitive
firme conclusions upon infirme and feeble premises or to collect certainties from uncertainty but let each Argument rest upon his own proper place and own center Every tub on his own bottom If we cannot come to see his Sacred Majesties own face Let us reverence and honour it in his stamped Image The tribure which Christ gave of but one piece of silver and that fetched out of the deep suffised for that time Gregory Naziazen Oratione in Sanctum Baptisma teacheth That the Church is not bound to do divers things which Christ did Particularly not in the circumstance of Time and he taxeth them who deferred their Baptism till the thirtieth yeare because Christ did so Christ had many Reasons which we know not moving him to do as he did which are no grounds for our proceedings Concerning the Deferring of his Baptism He had these causes which wee have not He was circumcized on the eight day we are not and therefore wee do well to haste to Baptism He was so free both from Originall and actuall sin that he needed not at all to be Baptized But to institute a Sacrament and for our good he was content to be Baptized by his servant John Thus it becommeth us to fulfill all righteousnesse saith Christ to Iohn Matth. 3.15 So concerning the blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist All men of all sides confesse that Christ never intended that His administration of the blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist should bee a patterne for the circumstances thereof but only for the substantiall forme of consecration He who will wholy conforme himselfe to Christs actions yet shall fayle in many things now ingood use Christ and his Apostlestook the blessed Eucharist after other meats S. Paul changeth the order and willeth the Corinthians to eat first at home Christ tooke it with his at Night The Primative Church guided by the Apostles and they by the Spirit saith S. Augustine ad Januarium appointed it to be taken in the Morning and that Fasting Christ received it in an upper Chamber We in Churches Christ did celebrate it only on Thursday and about seaven of the clock in the Night But S. Paul consecrated it on the first day of the week and about Midnight Acts 20.7 c. We on any Day or Houre Christs Sermon in Coenaculo was after the Communion Ours before it Christ had only Men in the company we both Men and Women Christ communicated with Priests only we with the Laity Christ with himselfe had only Twelve we have Scores and Hundreds Christ on the Fourteenth day of the First moneth We may at all times Christ administred it not on an Altar For what should an Altar do in a private mans Guest chamber or Feasting room but on a Table But the whole Church since the times of persecution used Altars both names and things and called those Altars Tables sometimes as Malachy did the Jewish Altars before them Malachy 1.7 And sometimes they tearmed their Tables Altars So at our first Reformation in Edward the sixt his Injunction the third it is called both the high Altar before the Sacrament and Injunction the 9. the blessed Sacrament of the Altar and Gods boord that we may learne not to set them so far at variance as some have done that we may not seek for knots in bulrushes or rixari de lanâ caprinâ pick quarrels for straws or seek the Raysing up of one according to our fancy by the destruction of the other He consecrated Vnleavened bread which we are not absolutely bound to do And whether he dranke pure wine or water mingled with wine he hath left us free If that our blessed Saviours manner of consecration for the minuter circumstances was to be our patterne only why did S. Paul set some things in order contrary to Christs manner of receiving and promised he would set other things in order when he came 1 Cor. 11.34 We sing a Psalme before the Communion Christ and his Apostles did sing an Hymne after it Bishop Morton in his defence of the innocency of Three Coremonies of the Church of England pag. 246. thus what the expresse forme of Christs Gesture was is left by the holy Evangelists in such an uncertainty that we may justly collect from thence that Christ intended not to make his Gestures to be an exact patterne of necessary imitation to be continued in his Church THE PRAYER O Incomprehensible God and most heavenly Father I a poore blind sinner prostate my selfe before thee confessing my manifold ignorances wherewith I am beset Grant me therefore Good Lord for Iesus Christ his sake that I may avoyd all singular presumption that I may bee as ready to bee recalled as I have beene to stray that I may humbly give way to my Superiors and may bee wise to Sobriety and yet in the meane time may modestly inquire into such things as are necessary and may be found Amen Amen CHAP. IIII. Wherein are contained the second third fourth and fifth Sections or Particulars of the fifth Generall 1. The second Particular of the fifth Generall Wherein is shewed That the blessed Eucharist was instituted in the same roome wherein they are the Paschall and Common Supper That room was a large upper Chamber well furnished and prepared In that room the 120 Disciples Acts 1. were gathered together 2. The third Section or Particular of the fifth General sheweth That the most holy Eucharist was not instituted whilst the Apostles were eating the Second or Common Supper but After that Supper The Inadvertency of this Point hath bred many Errors Aquinas his grosse opinion disliked by Estius Both the Bread and the Wine were alike administred After Supper 3. What Gesture or Posture our Saviour used at the Institution of the blessed Eucharist uncertaine Ludolphus twise taxed Hugh Broughtons wild Irish opinion touched at More probable he did institute it on a Table than on the Pavement 'T was not the usuall fashion in Christs time for the Iewes to eate their meat on the Floore 4. The fashions of diverse Nations in taking their Suppers were diverse The fashions of the Turkes and Easterne parts of the World Ancient Romans Their three sorts of Tables Cylibantum Cartibulum Urnarium Iews Who had also diverse kinds of Tables A Round Table Aretius his story of King Herod and of the pretious Charger which Christ used at his Supper Sermo Domini in Coenaculo A Table at the consecrating of the blessed Eucharist not of absolute necessity Most probable the Table Christ used was a square table Beza taxed for expounding the word Table metaphorically Origen buried the Scriptures in Metaphors and Allusions King Davids Table Psal 23.5 what it was The Iewes made much use of Tables 5. The Fourth Section or Particular of the fifth General Which shewes That the blessed Eucharist was instituted on a Table What manner of Table it was our blessed Saviour instituted the blessed Eucharist on is uncertaine The Table of Shittim wood Exod. 25.23 What allegorically
it signified The Administring and Receiving of the Eucharist called the Supper of the Lord. Christs Table in his Kingdome The Iews Tables in Christs time were not on the Ground but standing Tables The use of Tables is to eat and drink on them To serve Tables what it is The most holy Eucharist in Ignatius his dayes was celebrated on Tables Christ given For us in the Sacrifice Per modum Victimae To us in the Sacrament Per modum Epuli Banquets most commonly set on Tables Altars are for Offerings and Tables for Eating Christ the Altar Offering and Priest Christ used a Table at the first Consecration The Christians in the Primitive Church in times of Persecution used Tables where ever they came They made use of unconsecrated Tables Cups and Vessels The name and use of Altar vindicated The Devill had Tables erected to him by the Gentiles God had Tables erected to him by the Christians 6. The fifth Section or Particular of the fifth Generall wherein is shewed That the holy Eucharist was administred by Christ on a distinct Table Truth commanded not forbidden to be searched out A sting at Campanella who ascribes sense to stocks and stones and Reason to bruit Beasts Of two opinions the most probable is to be preferred Most probable the Deifying Sacrament was celebrated at a distinct Table Proved by Arguments 1. With reference to the Parties Recipient De maximis maxima cura est habenda Domitians folly Nothing equall to Christs Body and Blood 2. Inregard of the party Administrant Christ rose up from the Paschâll Table to wash the Apostles feet Probable he did the like to wash their Soules Christs humility at his Prayers A Story of a devout Cardinall Christs holy Gesture when he blessed any thing At the first Institution of any great matter mor ereverence is used than afterwards Diver se instances to this purpose All Christs Actions as well as his person pleased God PARAGRAPH I. FIrst therefore I resume that which before I proved and no man can justly deny that the upper Chamber wherein they are the Paschall and the Common Supper was a well furnished Chamber For it was a Guest-Chamber Marke 14.14 which always useth to be best adorned It was a large upper room so large if Dionysius Carthusianus opine not amisse as that it received the 120 Disciples mentioned Acts 1. vers 15. vide Dionys Carth. in Luc. 22. fol. 257. Act. 1. fol. 76. Furnished and prepared not with meat but with all other necessary utensils For the Apostles themselves were commanded There to make ready vers 15. and they did make ready the Passeover vers 16. Therefore the Table was not furnished with meat to their hands but the room with decent houshold-stuffe It was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It was not only Mensa strata a spread Table The whole upper Chamber was Coenaculum grande stratum a large well accommoded room And in it might well be lesser Tables round Tables Livery Tables Tables to be used if need were with their faire furniture It had been a simple poore room if there had been nothing els but only what was for present use or what is particularly specialized were there no chayres no stooles no cushions no water no linnen to bee spred or spred at other boords PAR. 2. Secondly I hold it safest to say Christ did not institute his most holy Eucharist as they were eating other meats nor mixed Sacred things with Civil For in the Law of Moses he forbad such medleyes Deuter. 22.9 Thou shalt not sow thy Vineyard with diverse seeds Lest the fruit of thy Vineyard be defiled Thou shalt not plough with an Oxe and an Asse together vers 10. Thou shalt not weare a garment of diverse sorts as of wollen and linnen together vers 11. And can you think that the most Holy of Holies the immaculate Jesus Christ would make a mingle-mangle of Sacred and Common meat of Sacred and Common wine and whilst they were eating common food did consecrate the blessed Sacrament of his Body and Blood Obje Yea but it is so according to the letter As the◠were eating Sol. If you will go strictly according to the letter you must also say whilst meat was in their mouths whilst they were chewing it with their teeth Before their mouths were empty Christ gave them the Eucharist Now let any Christian heart judge whether it were not an indignity to the Sacrament to bee at such time administred whether the Letter be alwayes strictly to bee insisted upon Repl. If yet againe you urge the Letter Resp I answer that S. Luke and S. Paul say expresly Christ gave the Eucharist After Supper Luke 22.20 Likewise 1 Cor. 11.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which may be more largely interpreted than thus When Hee had Supped as our last translation hath it even thus After they all had Supped Therefore it was not done in Supper time or whilst they were eating And upon comparison of those foure places tell me now which standeth with most reason That hee gave the blessed Eucharist as they were chewing their meat or that it was done after Supper especially S. Paul writing last of them and being taught of the Lord Jesus himselfe the manner how it was administred I received of the Lord 1 Cor. 11.23 Again did Christ say Matth. 9.16 No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment neither do men put new wine into old bottles but they put new wine into new bottles and both are preserved vers 17. And can wee think himselfe would put the New sanctifying food of Grace and of his Body and Blood into those mouths which were eating and feeding upon the Common food of the Old Law even as they were Eating Or is it likely Christ gave Thanks whilst they were Eating But Thanks he gave as many Greek copies have it Matth. 26 26. And this Thanks began the Eucharist Or consecrated he the New Sacrament whilst they were eating their Ordinary food Christ blessed the bread ere he brake it Matth. 26.26 Did they eat whilst he was blessing the bread Ezechiel 44.23 The Priests shall teach my people the difference between the Holy and profane and cause men to discerne between the uncleane and the cleane Wherefore let no man imagine that Christ would make a mingle-mangle of earthly and heavenly matters of bodily and spirituall food and give them his Sacred Body and Blood As they were eating a Common Supper Edentibus illis may signifie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly That the Apostles were eating whilst Christ was discoursing That Christ ate little and conferred much and rather tasted meat than continued Feeding as the Apostles did Consider these points First He took bread 1 Cor. 11.23 Secondly He gave Thanks vers 24. Thirdly He blessed the bread Matth. 26.26 Fourthly Hee brake the bread ibid. Fifthly Hee gave it to them Luke 22.19 Sixthly He said Take Eat Mark 14.22 Were the Apostles eating
all things hold fast that which is good Search the Scriptures John 5.39 Our love must abound more and more in knowledge and in all judgement that we may try or approve things that are excellent Philip. 1.9 Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 3.18 I can say it by experience He who diligently searcheth for the revelation and inlightning of the Truth though he find not sometime that particular for which he inquired hee shall find many excellent things for which he did not seck and perhaps of more force and worth than the thing searched for And so O Truth Tu non inventa reperta es Remember withall that no beast under Heaven though never so great and vast hath so great and large braines as man hath nor broader allies lanes or cels for the animall spirits of man to walk or rest in which may serve for the disquisition of deep or higher knowledge Yet I would have no man so given to novelty as Campanella who ascribeth Sense to the earth and dry sticks 3.14 Reason to beasts with an hundred other vain imaginations The craft of the Spider saith he de sensu rerum 2.23 is wonderfull or stupendious by reason she makes her net frameth the attractory threads of her web egreditur ad captionem musce cum multis syllogismis Comes forth to catch the fly with many syllogismes And Canes exmotu sylvae latitantem syllogisant bestiam saepe arguto syllogismo Leporem insectantes And the Dogs by the motion of the wood do reason concerning the hidden beast often chasing the silly Hare with witty and subtill syllogismes And the Ants of necessity speak or use their voyces and many the like uncouth positions which he is glad at the end of that Chapter to temper and modifie with a Quasi Discursiva dicenda sunt rationalia The creatures which can discourse are said to be Reasonable yet so that Man is said to be Reasonable and not Brutes not because Brutes do not at all use Reason but for that they use Reason but a little As Plants are not called Animals because they have but a little sense And thus will we speak saith he But we understand a Man Rationall in his mind and do give Brutes only Reasonable sense which Aquinas calleth Estimative Is this all this discourse come now to this I will take a liberty to speak as I please and so I will set up new positions and contradict all in my way that ever was said before and then I will so qualifie it that I will have only new tearmes new expressions and yet but old matter that all the Reason of Beasts be but the Estimative faculty as Aquinas calleth it Affected novelty be thou humble And though we must be humble and Scepticall where we have no firme footing yet if we put into the weights two opinions with their best circumstances we are not forbid upon a diligent triall and search of them not in the Bakers ballance but in the exacter scales of the Gold-smith to say such an opinion is so many Graines Scruples Dramms Ounces or Pounds better and heavier than the other Proceed wee then to examination whether it were a distinct Table or no That it was celebrated After Supper no man can contradict If it had been at the Paschall or at the Common Supper or during their turnes or times no man could deny but it had been administred at the same Table And too many Christians not observing that point have run into many errors and let slide from their pens apparent mistakings But at that Table it could not be administred conveniently And herein again I appeale to any learned man or good Christian soule Which is fitter of the two That the most wonderfull Sacrament should be celebrated as the Recipients Lay along or Sate at a Table incompassed with Three beds Or at another Table better accommoded for their devout participation and graced with Diviner food With reference to the parties Recipient these may bee the Arguments In Naturals Morals Politicks these Axioms hold De minimis minima cura est habenda de maximis maxima cura est habenda Of least things the least care is to be taken and of greatest things the greatest care Upon this ground we preferre the Body before Raiment the Soule before the Body the joyes of Heaven above the pleasures of Earth the love of God above the love of Men. Charitas est ordinata Charity proceeds by Order and chieflyest looketh to things most necessary When Martha was carefull and troubled about many things Christ said to her One thing is needfull and Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not bee taken away from her Luke 10.42 Seeke yee First the Kingdome of God Matth. 6.33 Take no thought for the morrow I have seene a naturall foole hold up his arme to receive a blow which was aymed at his head And he is little lesse than an Idiot who bestoweth more care on small or poore things than he doth on great and better things Domitian was a foole to bestow his time in killing of Flyes when the care of the whole Roman Empire lay on his shoulders The Roman Empire was not disturbed by a Fly The particular nature will destroy it selfe to preserve the Generall Fire will descend rather than there should be a Vacuum Things will rather suffer any evill than vacuity All and every particular nature by it selfe and with others doth so abhorre vacuum vaine emptinesse that they all concurre to remedy it against their owne private inclinations and dispositions to keepe as it were their Common-wealth whole and sound For they Themselves are preserved when the Generality is preserved Ayre hath beene seene impetuously and forcibly to leap downe into the bottome of the gaping Seas and into cavernes of the earth against nature descending to inhibit Inanity To this effect excellently Campanella de Sensu Rerum 1.9 though I like not his Collections or Diductions therefrom Concerning Christs Body in the first place And shall we think that any thing in the earth is equall to the pretious Body and Blood of Christ We are not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold but with the pretious Blood of Christ 1 Pet. 1.19 Heb. 9.14 The Blood of Christ purgeth our consciences from dead works to serve the living God 1 Joh. 1.7 The Blood of Christ cleanseth us from All sinne He washed us from our sinnes in his owne Blood Revel 1.5 and hath made us Kings and Priests unto God as followeth His Blood was and is of infinite merit And if there should be created as many worlds of people as there are now people in this world and if God had made the like covenant with them as he hath done with us though every one of those were great sinners yet if they did repent and beleeve in Christ every one should be forgiven and saved and for all this God should remaine a debtor to
we think he sate still At the first institution of any great matter is more reverence exhibited than afterwards Abraham made a Great Feast that day that Isaac was weaned Genesis 21.8 When Christ received his Baptism how humbled he himselfe to John the Baptist the Creator to the creature the Master to the servant And he tooke a long journey even from Galilee to Jordan to be Baptized of him Matth. 3.13 and questionlesse put off some of his cloths if not all and descended into Jordan and by his own flesh sanctified the River Jordan and all other waters to the mysticall washing away of sin as before our Communion book was made Ambrose and Beda on Luke 3. and Chrysostom and Hierom have it on the 3 of Matth. Christs Actions or Passion at Baptism were ratified for good from Heaven The Heavens were opened the Spirit of God descended like a Dove and lighted upon him on him alone and not on any others to shew there was no mistake And a voyce from heaven was heard saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Matth. 3.16 and 17. vers Both his Person and all his Actions well pleased God Let us therefore parallel the Sacraments and consider but the first Institution of the sacred Body and Blood of Christ and let any Christian-devout-soule judge whether Common and ordinary posture befitted it and not rather a more Solemne Divine Devout and Heavenly gesture And that in likelyhood to be rather on another Table than as they Sate or Lay on their discubitory beds So much be said to probabilize that the holy Eucharist was celebrated not on the same Table where the other Two Suppers were eaten upon but on another Table Thus Christ being in all likelyhood come to another Table prepared and well-furnished with Bread and Wine am I brought home to the next point of my propounded method The Prayer MOst blessed Saviour who damnest no man causelesly who Redeemest and Savest great sinners most mercifully who makest them gracious and good in this life whom thou intendest to make glorious in the life to come Oh prepare my heart to serve thee here to feare and love thee that through all worldy affaires I may looke up still to thee with whom only true joyes are to be found for thy glorious names sake O heavenly Lord Iesus Amen CHAP. V. Which containeth the sixth Generall wherein is examined Whether Christ himselfe received the blessed Eucharist And first Section of the seventh Generall wherein is shewed what Posture Christ used when he consecrated the Eucharist 1. In the first point Bellarmin is silent Aquinas affirmeth it Soto seemeth to incline to the contrary opinion Luther resolveth he tooke it not Many Canons of the Church command the Priests to receive first So doth the Councell of Toledo So did the Law of Moses Soto his proofe is ridiculous S. Hierom is expresse for the Affirmative that Christ did Receive first So is the Glosse on Ruth 3. So is Soto in his answer to the Objection to the contrary So is Barradius So is S. Chrysostome So is Titus the Abbreviator of him So is Isychius and the old Rimer 2. A double eating of the Sacrament Spirituall and Sacramentall Christ received Himselfe both ways So thinks Aquinas Soto and Alexander Hales To receive Sacramentally without increase of Grace how it happens Incapability of Grace hapneth two ways 1. When a Sinner puts an Impediment against it 2. When one is full of Grace before hand So Christ. Dominicus Soto Confessor to Charles the fifth Christ might take the blessed Eucharist for example sake Gregorius de Valentia treadeth in Soto his steps Durandus saith the Apostles did Con-coenare but not Con-celebrate cum Christo whom Cajetan approves Lucas Burgensis is expresse that Christ did receive first So are many of the Fathers Diverse collections for the Affirmamative Bishop Lake puts it out of question 3. The first Section of the seventh Generall Wherein is declared what Posture Christ used when he consecrated the Eucharist All Gestures in Religious worship reduced to two heads Some belong to Hope As the lifting up of the Eyes and Hands Humiliation As the uncovering of the Head beating of the Breast bowing of the Knee Some Gesture or other is necessary at the receiving of the holy Sacrament What Gesture Christ used cannot be demonstrated Certainly the devoutest In old time they used to pray sometimes Kneeling sometimes falling down on their Faces sometimes Standing and sometimes Bowing down their Heads 4. According to the degrees of Hope or Feare there are degrees of Worship The Publicanes Gesture Luke 18. descanted on God gave to Man a lofty countenance Whence called in the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Foure-footed beasts have seven Muscles in their eyes Man but six Why the Eyes are called by the Hebrews Oogon Naturally what one Eye doth both doe Eye-lids and the differences of them in Men Beasts and Birds One Eye in the singular number often used in Scripture for both 5. Falling on the Face and Kneeling in Divine worship Examples thereof And diversity of Opinions concerning the same Men have Kneeled unto Men. Examples thereof In Thangesgiving and Blessings they ordinarily stood up with Hands and Eyes lifted up to Heaven Variety of Gestures according to the variety of affaires commendable and necessary A fixed Gesture is not essentiall to a Supper Feasting not Gesture makes a Supper 6. Adoration and the Degrees thereof 1. Degree Vncovering of the Head 2. Degree Bowing of the Head and Face 3. Degree Kneeling 4. Degree Falling on the Face 5. Prayer Kneeling Prostration Rising again Standing in Adoration what they signifie Jacobus de Valentia his Degrees of Adoration rejected Others preferred 1. Reverence and us Act. 2. Veneration and us Act. 3. Worship 4. Adoration Adoration produceth 1. An Act of the Intellect 2. An Act of Will 3. Bodily Acts. Bending Kneeling Prostration c. Probable when Christ instituted the blessed Eucharist he Prayed and Kneeled Prayer and Thankesgiving almost one Two motives to Prayer Feate and Hope The Fruits and the Gestures thereof Both joyned together in Prayer 7. By the ancient Heroes and Semidei are meant famous Men and Princes of renowne Secundei saith Trithemius successively rule the World Pagan Gods were very Men. Arnobius and Minutius Foelix do mention the places of their Births Countries c. Alexander wrote unto his mother De Diis Hominibus Tertullian wrote of Saturne that he was a Man the Father and Son of a Man The Heathen Gods were borne and died The Heathen to preserve the memory of their Heroës made Statues and Images of them Minutius Foelix reproveth their manner of Deifying Men. The ancient Romans made an absurd Decree that the Emperor might not consecrate a God without the consent of the Senate The very people did one day Deify a God and the next day Vndeified him Tiberius the Emperor approved Christ to be a God The Senate reject him 8. The Pagans had
the Eucharist which likewise he did not need nor want To this last point he either answereth nothing which he seldome doth or else it was suppressed by higher authority or his answer is involved in these words Quicquid de hoc sit and in this sense whether Christ received the blessed Sacrament or received it not I will not now speak I will passe it over or the like Aquinas Parte 3. Quaest 81. Articulo 1. handleth this point scholastically Whether Christ took his own Body and Blood And with his authorities and reasons is for the Affirmative though he saith Others think the contrary Soto likewise 4. Sententiarum Distinctione 12. Quaest. 2. Articulo 1. propoundeth the same quick question Whether Christ did Receive his own Body and Blood And he answereth stealing almost all from Aquinas There have not been wanting who have said Christ gave his Body to his Disciples but himselfe took it not Luther de Abrogandâ Missâ privatâ resolveth Christ took not that blessed Sacrament and thence collecteth if Soto belye him not that other Priests ought not to take it but to give Both kinds to the Laity If Luther so said Soto well reproveth him and confuteth him because by Luthers argument the Priests are of worse condition and in a worse state than the people Which none but a popular Claw-back or Calfe of the people will say Aquinas his Inference is much sounder Because the Ministers with us receive it first therefore we conclude Christ first took it For say I Christ commanded us to do as He did And the Church evermore since Christs time doing so that is the Priests not giving the blessed Sacrament till themselves had first received it followeth unforcedly that Christ took it first There be many Canons of the Church which command the Priests first of all to receive So is it in the Councell of Toledo If they that Sacrifice eate not they are guilty of the Lords Sacrament 1 Corinth 10.18 Are not they which eate of the Sacrifices partakers of the Altar For if to participate be to eate and the Sacrificers be the chiefe partakers it resulteth They must first eate The like was practised in the old Law The Priest was served even of the peoples offrings before the people themselves 1 Sam. 2.13 c. If you say that was but an usurpation and prophanation of Ely his sonnes then see the Law it selfe Leviticus 6.25 Where the burnt offring is killed shall the sin-offring be killed before the Lord it is most holy and verse 26. The Priest that offereth it for Sinne shall eate it Leviticus 7.29 c. You may see the Priests portion of the Peace-offrings by a statute for ever Numbers 15.20 Yee shall offer up a cake of the first of your dough Of the first of your dough yee shall give unto the Lord Vers 21. But especially see Deut. 18.3 4. verses and Numb 18.9 c. What God reserved for Aaron his sonnes daughters and house-hold that were cleane All the best of the oyle All the best of the wine and of the wheate the First fruits of them that offer and whatsoever is First ripe in the Land The people of the old Law shall rise up in Judgement against Our people who think the least and worst things are too good for the Clergy though God hath committed to us the word of Reconciliation and given us a power above Angels and Archangels in those most powerfull un-metaphoricall proper words John 20.23 Whosesoever sins yee Remit they are remitted unto them and whosesoever sins yee Retaine they are retained The people of the Law enjoyed not Their part till the Priests had first Their parts not ought Our people to participate of our sacred offerings Till the Priests have taken Their parts Soto his proofe for the Affirmative is a ridiculous one David fuit figura hujus David was a figure hereof who 1 Samuel 21.13 c. before Achish Suis se manibus referebat sic Christus suum corpus suis tenebat manibus suo sumebat ore So Christ held his owne body in his hands and received it with his mouth I answer there are no such words nor words tending to that purpose in the Vulgar either of Hentenius or Saint-andreanus or in Vatablus or the Interlineary nor in the Greeke or Hebrew Nor can I judge from what words in that Chapter Soto did gather his wild protasis or first part of the typicall comparison A weake proofe doth harme to a good cause and so hath Soto done in this point The authority of Hierom in his Epistle to Hedibia de Decem quaestionibus quaestione 2. Tomo 3. fol. 49. reacheth home Dominus Iesus Ipse conviva et convivium ipse comedens qui comeditur The Lord Jesus was himselfe both guest and feast He was both eater and thing eaten Act. 1.1 Iesus began to doe and teach his actions led the way his voyce followed He first Received then Administred He first celebrated the Eucharist then made his Sermon in coenaculo or Sermon in the Supping Chamber Before be Instituted his Baptisme he was Baptized When he said to his Apostles Doe this in remembrance of me if followeth he did take it First Himselfe The Glosse on Ruth 3. saith Christ did eate and drinke That Supper when he delivered the Sacrament of his Body and Blood to his Disciples Soto bringeth this objection When Christ said Take and Eate the question is Whether He did eate or no If you say He had eaten this is against that opinion because he had not Then consecrated the bread For by the subsequent words he did consecrate and say This is my body If He had not eaten then it is apparent He did not before his Disciples For reaching it to them he said This is my Body I answer saith Soto He first broke the bread into Thirteene pieces which when he had in a dish together in his hands He said Take eate this is my body receiving his own part First For he kept Feast with them and the nature of a Feast requireth that the Inviter feed with the Invited He fed with them in the First Supper He dranke with them in the Second Supper In the Best Supper and the Supper which was most properly his Owne did he nor Eate nor Drinke Barradius thus Accepit ex mensâ panem azymum benedixit in partes Duodecem fregit eas consecravit unam sumpsit reliquas distribuit He tooke from the Table unleavened bread He blessed it He brake it into twelve parts He consecrated it One He tooke the Other he distributed Therefore even our adversary being our judge He was at a Table Iudas was not present for then there should have been Thirteene pieces or morsels Christ himselfe received himselfe So they cannot tax me for these opinions or these opinions for novelty but they must needs condemne Barradius and diverse others of their own side Chrysostome homilia 83. on Matthew 26. Christ dranke himselfe
a fountain of teares Jer. 9.1 His head in the singular were waters in the plurall and his eyes in the plurall were a fountaine in the singular Perhaps this fountaine of teares descended so fast upon the poore mortified Publican that hee would not because so conveniently hee could not lift up his eyes to Heaven drenched in his own teares PAR. 5. DANIEl 10.9 Daniel was on his face and his face on the ground and an hand touched him and set him upon his knees and the Palmes of his hands The Samaritan who was healed of his Leprosie Fell down on his face at Christs feet giving him thankes Luke 17.16 A Leaper kneeled unto him and besought him Mark 1.40 as S. Luke hath it fell on his face and besought Jesus Luk. 5.12 1 King 18.42 Eliah cast himselfe down upon the earth and put his face between his knees Prayers Supplications and Thankesgiving are to be united in every matter Philip. 4.6 The giving of glory honour and thankes are conjoyned Revel 4.9 The 24 Elders fell upon their faces and worshipped God saying we give thee thankes Rev. 11.16 An unbeleever will fall down on his face and worship God 1 Cor. 14.25 John 11.41 Jesus lift up his eyes and said Father I thanke thee Many fell down at Jesus his feet John 11.32 The diversity of opinions is very great Some think that from the adoring of men and the bodily prostration to them true Adoration of God is transferred to the mind Others more probably and sensibly thus When the great Heroës and good benefactors to mankind did live they were in great esteeme honored of all and worshipped above others Kneeled unto Kissed Worshipped and Adored yea when they were dead the surviving did continue to their Images and Statues that reverence which their persons enjoyed in their lives Many knees kneeled to Baal and many mouths Kissed him 1 Kings 19.18 Even men have kneeled to men Cornelius fell down at Peters feet and worshipped him Acts 10.25 The Captaine fell on his knees before Eliah and besought him 2 King 1.13 The Shunamite fell at Elisha's feet and bowed her selfe to the ground 2 King 4.37 Esther 8.3 She fell down at the Kings feet and besought him with teares A servant fell down at his fellow servants feet and besought him Matth. 18.29 The crafty widow of Tekoah fell on her face to the ground and did obeysance to David 2 Sam. 13.4 And Absalom bowed himselfe on his face to the ground before the King 2 Sam. 14.33 The complementall Abigail fell before David on her face and bowed her selfe to the ground and fell at his feet 1 Sam. 25.23 24. In Thankesgivings and Blessings they ordinarily stood up with lifted hands and eyes to Heaven And Salomon stood and blessed all the Congregation of Israel with a loud voyce 1 King 8.55 The Levites were to stand every morning and evening to thanke and prayse the Lord. 1 Chro. 23.30 The Pharisee stood and prayed Luke 18.11 thus within himselfe Lord I thanke thee Jesus lift up his eyes to heaven and said Father Glorifie thy Sonne John 17.1 Jesus lift up his eyes and thanked God John 11.41 Variety of Gestures according to the variety of Affaires is not only commendable but necessary He who made all things in number weight and measure will proportion his Behaviour and Gesture to devout harmonious holinesse who ordereth all things sweetly and hath commanded that we do all things orderly his deportment was correspondent to such heavenly mysteries Any fixed Gesture is not essentiall to a Supper nor essentially contrariant to it It is the Feasting makes the Supper not the Gesture and in some regard it may be said The Supper makes the Feasting and just Occasion Leadeth all and Guideth all PAR. 6. IN Adoration the bowing of the head and face after the uncovering of the head was the meanest and first degree of Bodily Humiliation and then nothing bowed but the head and face The bowing of the body was when not only the head and face but the intire bulk of the body did holily stoop down and chinne and knees did almost meet and kisse and this was the Second Degree The Third Degree of Adorative deportement was Kneeling and that upon both Knees like Christ who prayed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pitched on both knees fixis interram poplitibus as the Fathers have it The Fourth Degree of Adoration was when they cast themselves down to the Earth with their faces groveling on the ground And therefore what S. Matthew tearmeth Worshipping Matth. 8.2 S. Luke describeth by Falling on the face Luke 5.12 Some do adde with Hands spread abroad and Feet dispersed farre asunder But I want proofe for their striding feet though there is proofe enough for expanded hands in Adoration The Fift and highest and most devouted part was Prayer both as they lay Prostrate and when they Rose again on their Knees and when they prayed again Standing Upright Kneeling betokened fearefull Humility Prostration on the Ground the Hyperbole of Devotion if I may so call it Rising again signified an undaunted Hope or hoping Charity Standing prepared a man for Praysing and Thanking of God by an unfeined Faith Jacobus de Valentia super Psal 104 Hac habent se per ordinem These things are thus in their right order First to Reverence or Revere is to think of somewhat better in another than we find in our selves To Honour it is to have an high conceit of the party for that Good Then followeth Prayse to commend the thing honored After it we do as it were Glorifie it by publike Encomiums and Laudatories To Confesse is to Affirme before men that God is Lord of all things To Adore is to Worship the Honored Reverenced and Glorified God for his excellent Omnipotency and Holinesse and setting all other hopes aside wholly to submit himselfe unto Him and this belongeth only to God So Valentia maketh Adoration containe within it selfe All the other Steps and Degrees In that his opinion there is much Coincidency of matter Rather therefore thus Reverence doth eye directly the Excellency of a person and as one is more or lesse excellent so is the Reverence more or lesse In which regard it being certaine that Christ knowing the Excellency of his Father more than other men did or do Revered or Reverenced him more than other men do Veneration resideth not in the soule alone but sheweth outward good respects to the things Venerable implying and including a Civill and excluding a Religious and Superstitious deportment Worship is one Degree higher more Obedient more Pious more Devout both Inwardly and Outwardly Adoration is the Highest step including all the rest within its verge producing first an Act of the Intellect by which we apprehend and know the Supereminency of the thing Adorated firmely beleeving that he is all Good and no Good commeth but from him and without him we can have no Good Secondly an Act of the Will by which we inwardly bow
first spoken by Moses and applied by Moses to the first times so soone as Man was created and so continually dispersed into the History of the other Patriarcks Moses delighting in his prerogative of first knowing the the name of Iehova as Lawyers may more eloquently utter the Laws of the 12 Tables which were in rude Latin long before in the more refined and fuller expressions of latter times Or like Historians and Poëts who ascribe the name of Iove and Ioves words and deeds to the first beginning of times though Iove had no being till after the Flood of Noah and therefore no name So Moses might write according to the most cleare Revelations of his time what was done and said in other termes not so energeticall long before to the Patriarcks If this please you not what say you to a second way May not the words be read by way of Interrogation which is as good as a strong and vehement affirmation By the name of Iehova was not I known to them As if he had said yes certainly I was as may be seen in their particular stories and passages of their time And I have elso established my Covenant with them Exod. 6.4 Even by that name Jehova Gen. 15.1 2 4 6 7 8 verses For I pray you consider God here speaketh not to diminish the reputation of Abraham Isaac and Jacob but to the great glory of their names and persons with whom first hee established the Covenant made with them for the Jews And therefore Ignorance of God or nesciency of his great Name cannot be handsomely ascribed to those Patriarcks in this place where the knowledge and ratification of Gods Covenant and Gods familiarity with them are reckoned as their glorious priviledges above all other men of those times Did not Abraham see Christs day a far off Did he not rejoyce at the sight of it Was God the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob above other men and they esteemed as the Living and not as Dead shall we rest in Abrahams bosome and eat and drink with Abraham in the Kingdom of Heaven than which prerogatives none ever had greater and more except our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who also came of Abraham and was promised particularly to Abraham that in his seed that is as the Apostle saith not in his seeds but in Christ all the Nations of the World should be blessed and shall Abraham be ignorant of the name Jehova which both Caine knew at first and every Jew and Christian now knows I cannot so undervalew those Patriarcks majorum Gentium Besides though not a Sentence not a Word not a Letter not a jot of Scripture can now be lost or perish yet the note of an Interrogation or a Comma a Colon a Mark or a Pause might be omitted long since For was not all Scripture written without both points and vowels at first If you say the marke of an Interrogation being wanting leadeth us to perplexities to diversity yea contrariety of senses I answer Do not full many words in the Hebrew Bible signifie contrary things exciting our studious minds to a search of the most probable matters and meaning whilst the truth is known to God alone Even thus might it be with this passage Where the note of an Interrogation might either be wholly omitted at first or casually unobsetved and left out by the first Transcribers or Translators and this might lead men into Ignorance ever since and yet no imperfection is to be imputed unto Gods Word nor is it blameable for any deficiency And therefore I conclude according to the Rules of Aristotle Top. 6. cap ult Let this exposition stand and be beleeved till better be invented and come in place And then let the clearest light of truth have his due that is perswasion And let the lesse yeeld and obey the greater If you expect authorities averring that Idolatry was not before the Flood I refer you to the learned Salianus in divers places especially in anno Mundi 250 and to the learned Scholia ibid. who citeth for me and for the negative Cyril Alexandrinus contra Julianum libro primo Irenaeus 5.29 and divers others Besides such whom my wearinesse commandeth me to omit that I may returne from extravagances to the right way and method propounded by me And so because there was no Idolatry before the Flood and Kings at least eminent men of high renown and worth were long before the times of the Flood or Idolatry I conclude Kings Princes Dukes and other men of venerable account for their goodnesse in making Cities governing of Nations and founding Common-weales had not the beginnings of their Adoration from the worship exhibited to Idols Statues Images or Pictures but rather those Simulacra were Adored because they were the representations of Kings Princes or other people beloved and revered who both in their lives and after their deaths were Adored And yet to make the best interpretation that I may of Mr. Seldens words whom for his depth and variety of learning I admire Let my consent run along thus far by his side That the later Kings and Heroës might perhaps have had their Adorations from some kind of Adoration derived from Idoles and yet the first Idols had their primitive Adoration from the Adoration of Kings and other people of esteem which were before Idolatry When Christ Worshipped and Adored God as doubtlesse he did full often I think He fell down on his Face No Gesture could be more convenient at the celebration of the holy Sacrament For we cannot think otherwise but that Christ used almost all possible meanes to make the Apostles attentive to him and stirred them up to the consideration of so stupendious mysteries that they might be better prepared to the holy receiving of them Among Gestures exciting and raising up of Devotion the falling down upon ones Face is most forcible either in seeing it so done by others or in practising it our selves The dejection and prostration of the body is the elevation of the soule and a meanes to sanctifie and quicken the spirit When he took the bread and gave thankes for thankes hee gave Luke 22.19 I cannot think otherwise but he lifted up his Eyes and Hands to Heaven So did he in lesser matters for when he multiplied the five loaves he looked up to Heaven and blessed and brake and gave the loaves to his Disciples And can we now think He looked on the Earth and not up to Heaven when he gave Thanks and blessed the Food of life for us When he brake the bread and gave it It is likeliest he stood on his Feet and might move from one to another or reach it to every one severally So did the Pater familias or chiefe of the Feast among the Jews stand and distribute the bread at their sollemne meetings as the Rabbins affirme When hee consecrated the Bread saying Take eat this is my Body which is given for you Do this in remembrance
resultance but though Rabbi Solomon and Vatablus after him may safely conclude it was moved or shaken round about yet which quarter of heaven they began at and which they ended at wanteth proofe and the Rabbins differ in judgement one from another I will not say but it is possible Christ at the Benediction might use Elevation in signification that he should be Lifted up to the Crosse yea waving of the bread in the sight of his Apostles and toward them or toward heaven and if he did he did it with a divine signification that God commanded this and that this ordinance was from heaven perhaps with more than one onely But it seemeth not probable to me that when and where he abrogated part of the Leviticall Law Then and There he used the Ceremony of the said Leviticall Law or that his Offering was not every way perfecter than the Oblations of the Old Law which savoured more of the Terrestriall than Celestiall Canaan Sed quisque abundet sensu suo Let every one opine as he pleases yet thus conclusively I shall never beleeve but the Benediction was with some sacred extraordinary Solemnitie Ceremony or Action more than if it had beene used or was used at an ordinary refection For by the breaking of ordinary bread Christ was not knowne nor was discerned nor could be discerned from any other man But when he so solemnly Tooke bread and Blessed it and Brake and Gave it them just as he did before in the Eucharist by his Actions and the devout manner of them in their Circumstances were their eyes opened to know him Luk. 24.30 c. PAR. 3. WHen Christ had Taken the bread he Blessed it He Gave thankes He Brake it His Breaking of it is now to be considered If the Priest alone had been to take it there needed little breaking or rather none unlesse the Priest are all the broken pieces The Breaking implieth it is so done for more than one and for this end was Fractio panis The Breaking of bread It is ridiculous what is in Maldonate Matth. 26.26 on the word Fregit It is called the Breaking of Bread not because it is truely Broken but because it is Given As if Bread could not be Broken and yet not Given As if they could not also Give whole loaves Did whole loaves and not rather Broken bread signifie Christs body which was Broken for us And did not Christ Give his Disciples the Sacred Bread after it was Broken How then is Breaking all one with Giving He saith our reasoning proceedeth from great Ignorance Judge Reader if this supervice exposition doe not arise from pride and presumptive confidence that he can cast dust and blinde the eyes of the world Even in this particular also it seemeth Christ followed the Hebrew custome For the Talmudists report that at their Home-feasts among the Jewes the Head or Father of the Family Tooke Bread Gave Thankes and Brake it And in truth Breaking had a proper signification to demonstrate That his Body should be Broken on the Crosse For though a Bone of him was not Broken John 19.36 yet were they Out of joynt Psal 22.14 yet his Flesh was Broken in many pieces His holy Temples and Head pierced with many thornes thornes beate in with a Reede or Cane Matth. 27.30 His tender backe so cruelly whipped that the Psalmist Psal 129.3 compareth the executioners to ploughmen the dints ruptures and slices made by the Roman rods to no lesse than furrowes than long furrows The ploughers plowed upon my backe and made long furrowes I know no interpretation of this Scripture so proper as this that I have delivered His innocent hands and feete they bored thorough with great vast nayles so great that a bridle was made of them as Eusebius records The Psalmist sayth Psal 22. vers 16. They Digged my hands and my feet as the Hebrew well beareth it intimating the wide orifices of the wounds Lastly so great an hole was made in his side that Thomas thrust his hand into it Joh. 20.27 in signe of these Breakin gs well might he Breake the Bread The word of Breaking sheweth the ancient custome of Imparting the Sacrament to the By-standers And it was Broken by the Hand of the Breaker or rather with a Knife saith Lorinus on Act. 2. because unleavened bread is glutinous or clammy and so is easier divided That a Knife shall be said so propely to Breake bread as an Hand I cannot beleeve And I discerne no such clamminesse or cleaving of the Unleavened Bread above the Leavened as should cause a Knife to be used rather than an Hand and the Hand may easily enough divide it And if the Knife did prepare it yet the often repeated word of Fraction induceth me to think the Fingers did Breake the divided Bread into lesse and fit pieces But Lorinus brings in that invention of the Knife and preferreth it before the Breaking with the Hand contrary to three Evangelists and S. Paul who name not Cutting but Breaking of bread Nor doe the ancient Fathers name the Cutting but urge the Breaking And when Christ said Doe this It is as cleare as the light of the Sunne he meaned Take the bread Give thankes Breake it c. And so the not Breaking of the Bread is a trangression of the first Institution How ill then doth the Church of Rome to leave off Breaking of the Bread as it hath done for a long time and to consecrate Singulos panes seu minores hostias ad vitandum periculum decidentium micarum the loaves by themselves or lesser hostes or sacrifices to avoyd the danger of the crumbes falling downe and that the Laicks and other sacred Administrants must be contented with a lesser host than the sacrificer hath saith Lorinus Yet Christ Brake the Bread without feare of crumbes falling say I and the Primitive Church appointed men to receive the sacred bread into their Right hands with their fingers close and not open and the women to receive it in cleane Linnen so to prevent the falling of the crumbes Likewise concerning the sacred Wine The Laicks were wont of old Cannâ haurire Dominicum sanguinem è calice with a Cane to drink out of a Chalice the Blood of our Lord and so was no danger of spilling one drop Pellican calleth it argenteum calicem Fisiulam quâ Laici Dominicum exorbeant sanguinem A silver Mazor or Cup or Chalice and a Pipe Reed or Cane by which the Laicks sucked and supped the Blood of our Lord. See Beatus Rhenanus in his preface before Tertullian de Corona Militis and Tertullians testimony in his book de Corona Militis is expresse that they had a great care of the sacred Mysteries Calicis aut Panis etiam nostri aliquid decutian terram Anxiè patimur We are soretroubled and passionately suffer if one drop of the sacred Wine or one crumb of sacred Bread fall to the ground Which in despight of some novellists I will apply to the
other do both find by meanes of so great contradiction between their opinions and true principles of reason grounded upon experience nature and sense Which albeit with boysterous courage and breath they seeme oftentimes to blow away yet who so observeth how again they labour and sweat by subtilty of wit to make some show of agreement between their peculiar conceits and the generall Edicts of Nature must needs perceive they struggle with that which they cannot fully master Besides sith of that which is proper to themselves their discourses are hungry and unpleasant full of tedious and irksome labour heartlesse and hitherto without fruit on the other side reade we them or heare we others be they of our own or of ancienter times to what part soever they be thought to incline touching that whereof there is controversie yet in this where they all speak but one thing their discourses are heavenly their words sweet as the Hony-comb their tongues melodiously tuned instruments their sentences meere consolation and joy are we not hereby almost even with voyce from Heaven admonished which wee may safeliest cleave unto He which hath said of the one Sacrament Wash and be cleane hath said concerning the other likewise Eat and live If therefore without any such particular and solemne warrant as this is that poore distressed woman comming unto Christ for health could so constantly resolve her selfe May I but touch the skirt of his garment I shall be whole what moveth us to argue of the manner how life should come by bread our duty being here but to take what is offered and most assuredly to rest perswaded of this that can we but Eat we are safe When I behold with mine eyes some small and scarce discernable graine or seed whereof Nature maketh promise that a tree shall come and when afterwards of that tree any skilfull artificer undertaketh to frame some exquisite and curious work I look for the event I move no question about performance either of the one or of the other Shall I simply credit Nature in things Naturall Shall I in things artificiall relye my selfe on Art never offering to make doubt and in that which is alone both Art and Nature refuse to beleeve the Author of both except he acquaint me with his ways and lay the secret of his skill before me where God himselfe doth speak those things which either for height and sublimity of matter or else for secrecy of performance we are not able to reach unto as we may be ignorant without danger so it can be no disgrace to confesse we are ignorant Such as love piety will as much as in them lyeth know all things that God commandeth but especially the duties of service which they owe to God As for his dark and hidden works they prefer as becommeth them in such cases simplicity of Faith before that knowledge which curiously sifting what it should adore and disputing too boldly of that which the wit of man cannot search chilleth for the most part all warmth of zeale and bringeth soundnesse of beleife many times into great hazard Let it therefore be sufficient for me presenting my selfe at the Lords Table to know what there I receive from him without searching or inquiring of the manner how Christ performeth his promise Let disputes and questions enemies to piety abatements of true devotion and hitherto in this cause but over patiently heard let them take their rest Let curious and sharp-witted men beat their heads about what questions themselves will the very letter of the Word of Christ giveth plaine security that these mysteries do as nayles fasten us to his very Crosse that by them we draw out as touching officacy force and vertue even the blood of his goared side in the wounds of our Redeemer we there dip our tongues we are died red both within and without our hunger is satisfied and our thirst for ever quenched they are things wonderfull which he feeleth great which he seeth and unheard-of which he uttereth whose soule is possest of this Pascall Lambe and made joyfull in the strength of this new Wine This Bread hath in it more than the substance which our eyes behold this Cup hallowed with solemne benediction availeth to the endlesse life and wel-fare both of soule and body in that it serveth as well for a medicine to heale our infirmities and purge our sins as for a sacrifice of thankesgiving with touching it sanctifieth it enlightneth with beliefe it truly conformeth us unto the Image of Jesus Christ What these Elements are in themselves it skilleth not it is enough that to me which take them they are the Body and Blood of Christ his promise in witnesse hereof sufficeth his word he knoweth which way to accomplish Why should any cogitation possesse the mind of a Faithfull Communicant but this O my God thou art true O my soule thou art happy So far M. Hooker The Prayer THou art mercifull oh Heavenly Saviour thou art mercifull to Mankind against the fiery and furious temptations and assaults of spirituall powers sometimes alluring sometimes haling sometimes leading men captive unto sin and under it Thou most graciously hast ordained an Host of Holy Angels to help us to suggest good thoughts unto us to free us to streng then us that we shall not so much as hurt our foot and there are more on our side than against us But in opposition of the allurements from the wicked world and the insurrections and ebullitions of the skittish civill warre betweene the flesh and our soule thou hast provided both preservatives that we fall not and redemptives if we fall even thy powerfull Sacraments replenished with Divine vertue For thine own sake most holy Mediator and Advocate let thy blessed Sacraments work effectually in us be conduit-pipes of grace and conveyers of goodnesse into our soules Let them nourish us up unto true Faith Hope and Charity and let thy sacred Eucharist be our spirituall Food both in Life and Death Amen Lord Jesus Amen CHAP. VII And the eight Generall Wherein is questioned what Gesture the Apostles used in Receiving the blessed Eucharist 1. The Word of God hath omitted to set it down in particular 'T is probable they did Kisse their Right hand and so receive it An evill custome of False complementing by Kissing the hand in Jobs daies In Adoration our hands must be lifted up Our voyce lowly and submisse In great Agonies it is lawfull to Cry alowd and Roare Probable it is the Apostles received the heavenly Sacrament humbly Kneeling on both their Knees Tertullian is punctuall against Sitting even after prayer The Heathen after their prayers and some even at their prayers did use to sit upon their Altars Their Servants had three Sanctuaries to fly unto from their angry Masters Numa's Law to sit at the time of Adoring their false Gods A reason why no passage either in the Evangelists nor Apostles commandeth Adoration at the Sacrament How the Antient Fathers are to
be expounded at large For Convivantibus ipsis Before they had ended their Feasting Before that nightly Festivity was broken up Before they went out of the Coenaculum that Supping room Christ administred the holy Eucharist Estius on 1 Corinth 11.20 saith they are not to be heard who thought the Corinthians did in the middest of their banqueting take the holy Communion For this were a confounding of things sacred with profane saith he And that is altogether unrighteous say I I retort the same on Iacobus Salianus the great Annalist of the Old Testament who in his last Tome pag. 454. conjoyneth in a sort the washing of the Apostles feet and the Institution of the Eucharist after both which saith he Secuta est Coenacommunis Followed the Second Supper He forgot that after the pedi-lavium or washing of the Apostles feet Christ sate down again and gave Iudas a Sop which was in the Second Supper and discoursed and marked out Iudas for the Traytor whereupon he departed and then Christ took and gave the blessed Sacrament and did not take another Supper after it In the Easterne Churches there was a Traverse drawn between the people who were imployed in praying and hearing and those Priests or Deacons which were preparing And whilst they were preparing the bread and wine for consecration when all was in a readinesse they drew the vayle folded up the curtaines the Priest did consecrate the heavenly Eucharist did receive it himselfe did give it to the people One cryed Sursum corda Lift up your hearts And the sodaine rushing open of the Traverse at the beginning of the sacred celebration was to strike Reverence into them For Segnius irritant animum dimissa per Aures Quà m quae sunt Oculis subjecta fidelibus Things by the eares do lesse the soule affect Than by the eyes what on it doth reflect Strange sights prepare the soule for Devotion Sodaine extraordinary sights do pierce the soule to the quick And this was also to admonish them that Then Heaven was open and the Angels descending to be present at the holy mysteries with all possible Veneration that I may not say co-adoration of Christ This may be gathered from S. Chrysostome in his third â—omily upon the Epistle to the Ephesians and divers other places of others If the Church of Christ in succeeding ages did divide the holy things from the most holy and gave most reverence to the divine Eucharist we cannot well say that Christ did mingle sacred things with profane as Salanius fableth And that Iudas was admitted to partake of those Heavenly mysteries which the Christian Church would not suffer profane persons so much as to behold them but kept them hid within the vayle till the Faithfull were to participate of them as the notorious wicked ones were to bee excluded PAR. 9. VVHen Judas was gone out the Second Supper ended and thankes given And when Christ went about to celebrate the blessed Sacrament of the New Law what order did he take How began he How proceeded he Here I had need to have especiall care to lay a good foundation Nam ex principiis veris non possunt sequi falsa cùm ex veris nil nisi verum sequatur saith Petrus Pomponatius de Incantationibus pag. 318. From True principles flow no false conclusions Truth produceth Truth therefore let us determine certain things certainly probable probably I answer we have no exact proofes or demonstrations to insist upon Sense Reason and Probability must be our best guides What is most remote from all Absurdity is principally to be insisted upon Petrus Pomponatius de Incantationibus cap. 10. pag. 131. Supponitur quod in rebus difficilibus occultis responsiones magis ab inconvenientibus remotae ac magis Sensatis Rationibus consonae sunt magis recipiendae quam oppositae rationes Suppositio patet ex tertio Topicorum Minus malum praeeligitur majorïmalo cum quoquo modo minus malum sit magis bonum This is always to be supposed That in difficult and abstruse matters those answers which are most congruous most sensible and most consonant to reason are rather to be approved than allegations to the contrary The supposition is plaine in the 3. Book of Aristotles Topicks The lesser evill is to be chosen before the Greater evill since the lesser evill is by all meanes the greater good Again ibid. Averroes 2. de Coelo saith from Alexander That Aristotles sayings are preferred before other Philosophers because His are more remote from contradiction Aristotle hath a divine saying de Coelo secundo cap. 12. textu 60. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let us try to speake what seemeth best to us He is rather held to be venerable than rash who in thirst after Philosophy can finde but small proofes sometimes in difficult matters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It being a good thing both to seeke further knowledge and to embrace small hints or degrees of knowledge that are comfortable to Reason as Aristotle hath it in the next Text. Oh how divine Conclusions did some Heathen draw from that small knowledge which they had Plato in his Booke called Alcibiades Secundus Or de Voto set forth by Jodocus Badius Ascentius with Marsilius Ficinus his Arguments before many bookes Folio 19. brings in Socrates teaching his Alcibiades for indeed leanthes did commonly and usually say That Socrates onely held Alcibiades by the Eares and that Alcibiades stood in awe of Socrates above all others as Plutarch hath it in Alcibiade How to pray or rather How not to pray vainely since folly was discernable in the prime prayers and devotions of those times And thence Socrates collecteth and concludeth thus It is necessary to wait or expect till it may be learned How we may behave our selves as we ought both to God and Man Alcibiades roundly replieth When will that be ô Socrates and who is that Teacher or Instructor For I would most willingly know and acknowledge that Man whosoever he shall be Socrates most divinely answereth if his words be weighed in the ballance of the Sanctuary He is he who hath a care of thee And afterwards He wonderfully provideth for thee Whether Plato learned these truths of the Aegyptian Priests Or Jewish Doctors Or whether he had them inspired from God Or whether from naturall Reason he collected That good God would not leave his creatures in perpetuall darknesse but would send One to teach them to guide them to reforme their ignorances and instruct them in their duties to God and Man since He is He who hath a care of us and in a wonderfull manner watcheth over us for our Good I say whence he had those beames of the divine light is hard to determine I am sure the Scripture faith Esay 54.13 unto the Church of the Gentiles All thy Children shall be taught of the Lord. And Act. 3.22 A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto Moses Him shall yee
heare in All things whatsoever he shall say unto you and vers 26. God sent Jesus to blesse you turning away every one of you from his iniquities And in Heathen phrase Plato implyeth no lesse For Homer said that Minerva tooke away a cloud from Diomedes his eyes that he might discerne God from Man So said Socrates to his Alcibiades Darknesse must be removed from your eyes which now blindfoldeth you Then other things must be presented to you by which you may distinguish Good and Evill For now you are unfit for such matters And saith not the Scripture that the Spirit of the Lord sent Christ to preach Recovering of sight to the blinde Luk. 4.18 And Christ is the true Light who lightneth every man that commeth into the world Joh. 1.9 Alcibiades hoping to learne better things than he had before humbly professeth Let that great Teacher Rabbi or Instructor remove from me either that cloud if he will either the Festucam in mine eye or the Trabem if so he vouchsafe or any other impediment if he please For I am ready to omit nothing what he shall command whosoever he shall be so I may grow a Better man And we will offer our Crowne and all other decent things then when I shall know That day is come and it will not be long ere it come by the will of the Gods So Alcibiades Me thinks I heare him speake like one of the Magi in the East and professe to doe what they did Matth. 2.11 Or like the woman of Samaria Ioh. 4.25 I know That Messias commeth who is called Christ when he is come he will teach us All things If Plato had not thought of a Mediator God and Man what needed that comparison from Homer to distinguish one from the other If he had not knowne him to be God Plato could not have writ He hath a care of thee and doth wonderfully provide for thee and yet Shall come Hereafter and must be Waited for If he also had not thought him to be a Man who was to come he would never have ascribed unto him such offices of a Teacher a Reformer an Inlightner I think I shall not erre if I say Plato his thoughts accorded in substance with what Zacharias said Luk. 1.74 c. And what holy Simeon Luk. 2.32 and with what the Prophets prophecied of Christ And this Digression have I insisted upon to shew that Great doores hang on small Hinges and from a Little crany of light momentuall matters may be found That we are not to give over mining though the veyne seeme to be shrunke and shut up and that we cannot come to the fulnesse of knowledge but by degrees and that a small degree must serve and content us when we can attaine to no more That the Salt water of the Ocean may be made fresh and wholsome and nourishing is apparant by that excellent liquor being in Oysters at their first taking up than which juice the art of the Cooke or the Apothecary cannot make a compound of a more delicate taste and rellish and more gratefull and acceptable to the stomach Whether Art can imitate Nature in this or how farre it may proceed let others of lesse imployments search This I will say If a way were found to correct the Salt water to separate and remove the brackishnesse from it to reduce it to the taste and temper of fresh waters it would be most usefull and profitable for navigation and abundance of people might live and doe well which for want of it doe perish Some of our men have found the way of distillation good as Purchase hath it in his Pilgrims Secondly If you object The liquor of the Oyster to be salt I reply it is rather saltish seasonably brackish to sharpen the stomach every way inoffensive Againe What say you to this That the best of waters which rise on high hills and fountaines were once Salt waters but by running thorough the veynes of the earth become so sweet so refreshing so wholsome And may not the percolation by Art take its ground and example from the power of Nature as it were strayning the Salt water in the earth till it be purified sweet and wholsome Againe doth not the Sunne and divine powers exhale up vapours even out of the Salt Sea Did not a little cloud out of the Sea like a mans hand become rayne a great rayne that the heaven was blacke with clouds and winde 1 Kings 18.45 And will any man doubt but these showers of Rayne waters which fell were as sweet fresh and wholsome as ours Againe I have heard that toward the bottome of the Sea is fresh water if the bed of the Sea be very deepe And I have read of a River or two which keepe their freshnesse though they flow or run into the maine Ocean a great way the waters being unmingled and easily distinguishable by the freshet Moreover Aristotle in his Problems Section 23. Question 30. acknowledgeth that the upper part of the Sea is more salt and more warme than the lower parts And it is so also in Pits or Wells of water whose thinner lighter and sweeter parts are exhaled up or alembecked by the ayre and the Sunne whereby both most saltnesse yea and heavinesse it selfe contrary to nature floateth in the uppermost superficies of the water And in the next question he taketh as granted that That part of the Sea which is neerer the Land is sweeter than the more remote parts of it Therefore where Nature maketh such a diversity and separation and percolation I doubt not but Art may follow her and extract much good out of this disquisition Some have said that Clay well tempered is very effectuall to addulce Salt waters Yea I have heard that our Seamen have searched and found by a brasen iron or wooden vessell with a close and heavy cover which will shut of it selfe but open with a vice and descendeth naturally by its owne weight that it being let downe empty about three or foure fathoms into the Sea-water and then and there the vessell being opened according to Art and filled and shut againe and by ropes drawne up bringeth within it and up with it water usefull potable and healthy though not so perfectly fresh as our Rivers or Springs but somewhat resembling the taste of the liquor in the shell of the Oyster salso-dulce and wholsome What hath been invented I know not certainly but that Salt water may be made sweet and wholsome I doubt not The meanes may be various to the same end Those vast Cakes of Ice you may call them little mountaines if you please which are seene floating in the Northren frozen parts towards the Spring are not above three or foure fathome thick No cold can congeale or condensate deeper Nor did ever Ice in deepe Rivers or Seas reach downe and touch the earth but other waters some think fresh waters did glide along betweene the ice and the ground both by reason of