of Christ and of his benefits by the instrument of faith which is the hand of the soul for the nourishing and feeding thereof to salvation and everlasting life is visibly shewed and made good 2ly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For eating and drinking is the externall use and end of the sacrament ordained by Christ whereby according to divine institution the eating and drinking of his body and blood which is internall and spirituall is assured and made good Like as Saint Augustine saith concerning the holy sacrament of Baptisme that Water exhibiting the sacrament of grace without and the spirit working the benefit of grace within loosing the bond of sin reconciling the good of nature do regenerate a man in one Christ who was generated of one Adam Ad. Bonifac. Epist 23. Even so in this blessed sacrament of the Supper Two persons there are two persons by whom it is administred Christ and his minister his minister which is to do all that which is to be done externally and without by designing preparing and consecrating the bread and the wine by prayers and benedictions to become a sacrament by divine institution by breaking of the bread and by taking of the cup by delivering the bread and the cup thereby to set forth and represent his death and in by and with the bread and cup to deliver Christ himselfe with his most pretious body and blood But it is Christ by the gracious and efficatious operation of his most holy and most blessed spirit who must do all that which is to be done internally and within and make it to be his body and blood to the worthy receiver For the whole action of the sacrament consisteth of two things Two severall sorts of food or two severall sorts of food the one is earthly corporeall and sensible to be seen tasted and discerned by the senses and that is the food which the minister doth deliver and every priest is sufficiently qualified to deliver that food But the other is heavenly spirituall and intelligible to be understood by the minde which food none can deliver but only Christ Likewise there be two parts of man the body and the soul and accordingly there be two severall sorts of taking Two sorts of taking eating and drinking eating and drinking the one is externall and sacramentall pertaining to the body the other is internall and spirituall belonging to the soul The externall and sacramentall being a visible representation of that which is spirituall and internall 24. Both Element make but one Sacrament The elements of bread and wine are distinguished materialiter in respect of matter for the matter of the bread and of the wine is not the same but divers yet formaliter perfectivè formally and perfectively they make but one and the same sacrament 1. Because these two elementary signs not more nor fewer bread and wine and nothing else but bread and wine are required to the inâ—â—egrity and perfection of the Sacrament Not more because the bodily refection is perfected in these two and the spirituall refection in Christ by his blessed body and blood perfectly represented Not fewer because if either of these be wanting the Sacrament which is the sacramenâ— of perfect refection will be defective 2ly Because that our blessed Lord to testifie that he took the whole human nature into the unity of his own most sacred person and was the word made flesh perfect man of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting as St. Athanasius saith in his Creed and also to testifie that he is the redeemer both of body and soul instituted this Sacrament in these two elements For the bread saith St. Peter Lombard is referred to the fâ—esh the wine to the soul because wine operateth blood in which the Philosophers do say that the soul is seated lib. 4. dist 11. Lastly a mutilaâ—ed sacrament is no sacrament at all nor hath it the promise nor can it signifie assure or deliver the thing of the sacrament Nor will it be made a sacrament by concomitancy a new doctrine not heard of in the Church till after a thousand two hundred and twenty years nor will it consist with the commandment which is as well concerning the administration as also concerning the participation of it in both the species both of bread and wine The words of the promise I said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 definitive or indicative they define or declare the things Concerning the promise they set forth the inâ—ernall matter or thing signified affirming it either of the bread or the cup sacramentally Of the bread Hoc est corpus meum quod pro vobis datur frangitur This is my body which is given and is broken for you Of the cup Hic est sanguis meus qui est novi testamenti qui pro vobis pro multis effunditur in remissionem pecca orum This is my blood of the new Testament which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins Which words must be considered two ways in the incomplex How to be considered taken severally and by themselves and in the complex put altogether Take them in the incomplex severally and by themselves then there is the subject the praedicatum and the copula or bond whereby the thing affirmed is knit or coupled unto that whereof it is affirmed The subject or matter is the pronoun demonstrative Hoc but not hoc adjectively but hoc substantively this thing as if he had said This thing which I hold in my hand What was that It was bread and nothing else but bread accepit Jesus paâ—em Jesus took bread The praedicatum is corpus meum my body what body not his mysticall body for that is his Church It was therefore his naturall true and proper body Eph 4.11.12 Eph. 5.30.32 Quod pro vobis datur frangitur which is given and is broken for you and quâ tale upon that respect that it was that naturall true and proper body given and broken Sanguis meus my blood what blood His naturall true and proper blood qui pro vobis pro multis effunditur which is shed for you and for many and quâ talis upon that respect that it was that natural true and proper blood so shed The copula or bond whereby the praedicatum or thing affirmed is knit or coupled to the subject or thing whereof it is affirmed is the verb substantive est This is my body this is my blood Which verb est must not be taken pro esse naturali vel substantiali that it is so naturally or substantially but pro esse mystico vel sacramentali that it is so mystically or sacramentally whereby the name of the thing signifying hath the name of the thing signified by reason of the analogy or similitude which the one hath unto the other He did not tell them what the bread and wine were by nature and substance but what they were made
mystery that he will have them directed into the house by the pitcher of water Paschae celebrandae locum de signo aquae ostendit sath Tertullian He sheweth the place where he would celebrate the passeover by the sign of water De Bap. cap. 19. For in one house his Church he will have both these great and venerable Sacraments even the Sacrament of water and the Sacrament of his most blessed body and blood The Sacrament of water must bring us in S. Mat. 26.17 18 19. S. Mar. 14.12 13 14 15 16 S. Luc. 22.7 8 9 10 11 12 13. the Sacrament of his body and blood must feed and nourish us when we are there That Sacrament is meat for the houshold none must eat of it but they that are brought into the house by the pitcher of water the holy Sacrament of baptism The Disciples went forth in the morning because the passeover must be killed that day that it might be eaten in the evenning and found as he had said unto them and they made ready the passeover Now when the even was come he cometh with the twelve and when the hour was come the hour of the night wherein they accustomed to eat the passeover he sate down and the twelve together with him I will not dispute concerning the manner of their sitting Theodoret moves the question How is it saith he that the Lord is said to sit downe when as the Jewes did stand when they did eat the passeover The Jewes indeed did eat the passeover standing in great haste having their loyns girt their shooes on their feet and their staves in their hands for so God ordained it to be eaten No question therefore to be made Exod. 12.11 but that Christ and his Disciples did eat it in that manner But after the passeover was eaten it was no where forbidden in the law to feed upon other meats and it is said to be in common use among the Jewes after the passeover was eaten to have the table plentifully furnished with other foods Christ therefore did first eat the passeover with his Disciples standing having his loyns girded his shooes on his feet and his staffe in his hand and he did eat it hastily and having so eaten it he then sate down to feed upon other meats wherewith the table was furnished either then or presently after And from that supper which was then upon the table he arose washed his Disciples feet and preached unto them humility in such manner as is set downe more at large St. Joh. 13. v. 2. to 21. This being done he sate down again to eat and to finish his supper Then was he troubled in spirit as Saint John saith It was for Judas Iscariot as Saint Augustine judgeth whom he did pitty and for whom he was sorry as he was also sorry for Hierusalem and wept over it in Johan tract 60. He foresaw his eternall perdition did inwardly bewaile him He told them that one of them should betray him they are exceeding sorrowfull S. Mat. 26.21 22 23 24 25 S. Mar. 14.18 19 20 21. S. Joh. 13.21 22 23 24 25 26. they demand who it should be and every one for himself saying Lord Is it I He giveth them a sign and curseth the traytor then did he institute the Sacrament of his supper and when Iudas had unworthily eaten of that bread and drank of that cup then was he fit for the devill and then he gave him the sop and after the sop Satan entred into him as St. Iohn saith And as they were eating that is to say the supper Iesus tooke bread and blessed it Christ instituteth the sacrament of his supper So the Evangelists go on setting down the divine institution of that great and mysterious Sacrament which is the Sacrament of his body and blood from the time called the Lords supper because it was instituted at supper time and while they were eating the forementioned supper In the Historicall narration whereof they relate both what he did and what he said That he did three things 1. That he blessed and gave thanks 2ly That he brake the bread and took the cup. 3ly That he did give and distribute unto them the bread which he had broken and the cup which he had taken That he likewise said three things That he gave a commandment That he made a promise That he explicated them both The commandment is two-fold as well concerning the administration of it to those that are to administer it as also concerning the participation of it to those that are to receive it The words of promise are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 definitive or indicative they define or declare the thing they set forth the inward matter or thing signified affirming it either of the bread or of the cup sacramentally Of the bread This is my body which is given and is broken for you Of the cup This is my blood of the new Testament which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins The explication of them both is S Mat. 26.27 28 29 30. S. Mar 14.22 23 24.25 S. Luc. 22.19 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in remembrance of me Whereunto is added the attestation Verily I say unto you I will drink no more of the fruit of the Vine untill the day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God Our sacred History doth require that we should insist upon these things particularly He blessed and he gave thanks that is to say he designed prepared He blessed and he gave thanks and consecrated the bread and the wine by prayers and benedictions to become a Sacrament the blessed Sacrament of his body and blood not of their own nature but by divine institution Benè antequam tantum tam magnum sacramentum institueret gratias egit saith Stella well did he give thanks before he would institute such and so great a Sacrament in Luc. cap. 22. For if when he would raise up Lazarus from the dead he gave thanks saying Father I thank thee that thou hast heard me S Joh. 11.41 how much more now ought he to give thanks in that by this wonderfull Sacrament he would raise up from the dead not one man out of his grave to the bodily life for a short time upon earth but innumerable souls from the death of sin to everlasting life we must not descant upon the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that when he took the bread he blessed it and that when he took the cup he gave thanks as if it were one thing to bless and another thing to give thanks As if he did somewhat else or somewhat less or somewhat more when he took the bread than when he took the cup for these two words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are in the meaning signification oft times in the scriptures more especially in the divine institution of this Sacrament one the
by signification office and use By nature and substance they were bread and wine still by signification office and use they were his body and his blood Now put all the words together and consider them in the complex This is my body this my blood they make indeed a proposition but not according to the rules of logick the praedication is not orderly for so much as the body and blood is no predicable neither the genus species differentia proprium or accidens of the bread and wine Neither is it an identicall praedication as when we say bread is bread wine is wine What is it then It is a figurative or sacramentall proposition For the thing which is affirmed is affirmed figuratively and sacramentally figuratively that is to say metonymically whereby the name of the thing is affirmed of the signe a figure frequently used in the scripture Christ our passeover Circumcision the covenant 1 Cor. 5.7 Gen. 17.10 And as St. Paul saith concerning that rock which gave drink to the people of Israel in the wilderness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That rock was Christ and there is an emphasis in the article ille Christus 1 Cor. 10.4 that Christ Sacramentally for the thing which is affirmed is also assured and made good by that whereof it is affirmed whereby it comes to pass that the body and blood of Christ is verily and indeed taken and received of the faithfull in the Lords supper The words of the promise so considered do lead us to the great benefit procured to mankind by the merit of his body and blood so broken so poured out and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the remission of sins Remission of sins therefore is the sweet fruit and effect of the death of Christ Remission of sinnes through the effusion of his blood and is an act of grace and mercy in God whereby he esteems of sinne as no sin or as not committed The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 remission is properly the sending of a thing back again to its right owner for remittere is retrò mittere to send back When God forgiveth sins he doth send them away like as the scape goat was sent away into the wilderness he doth return them as it were in full waight and measure to the proper owner which is the Devill The price The price of this grace on Christ his part was his precious body and blood given broken shed to merit and to procure it One drop of that redeeming blood according to the dignity and worthiness of the person had been sufficient to have redeemed a thousand worlds and yet no less price must be given then all that which he suffered in the humanity for the remission of sins When the Gentiles scoffed at that article of the Creed wherein the Church acknowledgeth to believe remission of sins and said that by this means the multitude of sinners would easily be augmented if remission of sinnes might freely be expected and so easily be obtained Arnobius answered Non emitur ista venia à nobis ut à vobis solet de vestris dijs sed magno constat nempe sanguine Christi proprium est numinis non emptitius sed gratutitas liberales habere peccatorum venias lib. 7. This remission ir not of our purchasing like as you are wont to purchase of your gods but the price was great even the blood of Christ and it is Gods propriety not to sell but freely and liberally to forgive sins The purchase therefore was on Christ his part and magno constat the price given for it was the greatest price that ever was to us it is a free grace without any price or merit on our parts Concerning which grace divers questions are to be demanded 1. To whom doth it belong to collate it Answer To God The grace and to his Ministers To God himself properly and authoritatively to his Ministers declaratively ministerially and by application I say first to God himself properly and authoritatively for to him it belongs to remit sins by his own authority Sins remitted by God authoritatively He against whom sins are committed to him it doth belong to forgive sins properly and by his own authority but this is God and none but God the breach of whose laws and commandments are properly sins for as much as the offence done to any man or to any other creature is no more but an offence or injury nay for as much as the breach of any mans commandment is no sin unless it imply with all the breach of the commandment of God Therefore to God and to none but God doth it belong to forgive sins properly and by his own authority This is clearly evinced by the Prophet David who although he had trespassed highly against Uriah in that he had defiled his wife and caused him to be done to death Psal 51.4 Ex. 34.6 7. Psal 32.5 Isa 43.25 Mich. 7.18 S. Mar. 2.7 yet he acknoweldgeth the sin to be against God and against him only Tibi soli peccavi against thee thee onely have I sinned And the whole scripture is clear in this point Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity who can forgive sinnes but God onely 2ly I say that remission of sins doth belong to the ministers of God declaratively ministerially and by application for saith our Church in the Absolution He ha h given power and commandement to his ministers Sins remitted by the ministers declaratively to declare and pronounce to his people being penitent the absolution and remission of their sins For the ministers of the Church have the keyes of the kingdom of heaven by the donation of Christ whose right it was to transfer them from the legall to the Evangelicall priesthood which was first promised to St. Peter and with him to all the other Apostles quia Petrus pro omnibus loquutus est Apostolis S. Mat. 16.19 S. Mat. 18.18 because he made answer for them all Afterwards renewed to them all And finally performed to them all after his resurrection at what time he breathed on them the holy Ghost and said Whosesoever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whosesoever sins ye retain S. Joh. 20.23 they are retained But this power was not to dye with them but according to his own promise to remain with his Church to the end of the world S. Mat. 28.20 The meanes And consisteth in application of the meanes whereby God doth remit sinnes Which meanes are the word of God the Sacraments of the Church the relaxation of Ecclesiastical censures and prayer I find this no where better set forth then in the form of our generall absolution He pardoneth and absolveth not we pardon and absolve all them which truly repent and unfeignedly believe his holy Gospell In quo non est peccatum ipse venit auferre peccatum Nam si esset in illo peccatum auferendum esset illi
of heaven It is a deliverance that must never be forgotten and lest it should be forgotten he will have the memoriall of it continued in his Church by the frequent celebration of so great a sacrament When our children shall say unto us What mean you by this service we must say unto them that it is the blessed sacrament of the Lords supper which he hath instituted to that end that we being continually fed and nourished by his most precious body and blood should never forget him nor the benefits which we have received by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Do this in remembrance of me Yet not to a bare remembrance of him for verba notitiae in sacris etiam sequentes motus significant words in the scriptures that import knowledge do also imply the motions consequent Therefore though we must remember the whole history of Christ and of his passion and death and it is highly commendable in a Christian to know and remember the whole history of Christ of his passion and death yet must we not sit down there we must have a faithfull remembrance of him and we must have a thankfull remembrance of him We must have a faithfull remembrance of him to believe that what Christ did and what Christ suffered he both did and suffered for us we must make a particular application of his merits and of his sufferings to our selves that we may say every one of us faithfully for himself with Saint Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cal. 2 20. I am crucified with Christ We must have a thankfull remembrance of him for this Sacrament is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grata beneficiorum recordatio a gratefull remembrance of benefits received it is grata animi significatio a thankfull signification of the mind for benefits received In which Sacrament we do commemorate Christ and his benefits in a speciall manner testifying our gratitude lauding praysing and magnifying the holy name of God therefore for it is by way of excellency 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus having instituted and administred this great and mysterious Sacrament which hath obtained to be styled his body and blood and is so indeed unto every faithfull receiver of it and is to be seen and discerned not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not with the eyes of the body but with the eyes of the mind Christ his protestation he addeth a protestation that he will no more drink of the fruit of the Vine untill the day that he shall drink it new with them in the kingdom of God his father This protestation is remembred by all the three Evangelists S Mat. 26.29 S. Mar. 14.25 S. Luc. 22.18 and was made after the Sacrament instituted and administred according to St. Matthew and St. Marke but before the divine institution of it according to Saint Luke and either before they did eat the Passeover or immediately after as they sate at the supper The difference is but seeming Utrumque dictum sed non utrumque ab utroque dictum Saint Matthew doth not say that which Saint Luke saith Saint Luke doth not say that which Saint Matthew saith and yet both Saint Matthew and Saint Luke do say what Christ said Saint Luke saith what he said at supper and before he administred Saint Matthew and Saint Marke what he said after supper and after that he had instituted and administred this Sacrament He was serious in his protestation he spake it twice and once at least confirmed it by his usuall attestation observed by Saint Marke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verily I say unto you Two things he protesteth 1. That he would no more eat the passeover in that manner nor drink any more wine with them so as he had done this was the last that he would eat or drink therefore that he would dye He himself was the true passeover he would offer up himself and thereby antiquate the lesser passeover 2ly That he would eat it when it should be fulfilled in the kingdom of God that he would drink of the fruit of the Vine when the kingdom of God should come that he would drink it new with them in the kingdom of God his father therefore that he would not be long dead he would surely and certainly rise again After the passeover should be fulfilled in the kingdom of God that is to say after his resurrection for by his death the true paschall lambe was offered up and by his resurrection the passeover was fulfilled the old passeover that was then abolished the new passeover that was then offered up when the kingdom of God should come when he should manifest his glory after his resurrection then would he drink it new with them novo modo in a new manner in the kingdâ—m of God his Father the Church of the new Testament confirmed by his blood He did eat and drink with them after his resurrection but novo modo in a new manner for before he dyed his body was passible and he stood in need of food but after he was risen his body was impassible and he stood in no need of food it was novo modo in a new manner propter resurrectionis certitudinem for the certitude of his resurrection He doth eat the passeover and drink the new wine with his Church militant novo modo in a new manner whiles that he is incorporated into us and we into him by faith in the mysticall eating and drinking of this Sacrament and he will eat and drink with his Church triumphant novo modo in a new manner in the kingdom of heaven by communication of his glory All this while Judas was present and sitting at the table together with them he had eaten the passeover but he had not purged out the old leaven The impudency of Judas He had his feet washed but he was not clean because his conscience was defiled He was as St. Augustine saith admitted by Christ unto the same banquet in which he commended the figure of his body and of his blood Cont. Adimant Therefore did he receive the visible signs the bread and the cup but he did not receive the invisible grace the body and blood in a mystery because he did not discern it He knew his treason and he knew that his Lord also knew it He dipped his hand with him in the dish a sign given to all the Disciples whereby to discover him and Christ also told him plainly though it seems he ask't the question last of all that he was the traytor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Mat 26.25 Thou hast said Wherefore he complains of his impudency But behold the hand of him that betrayeth me S. Luc. 22.21 22 23. is with me on the table At this word they make a new enquiry among themselves who it was that should do this thing St. Peter beckoneth to St. John that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake he demanded Lord who is it Jesus answered He it is to whom
gave unto him was delivered in terminis Of every tree of the Garden thou maiest freely eate But of the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eate of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die This was the primordiall law The primordiall Law and as Tertullian saith in this law given unto Adam we acknowledge to be laid up all those precepts which afterwards delivered by Moses sprouted forth young That is to say Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all soule and thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy selfe And Thou shalt not kill and Thou shalt not commit adultery Thou shalt not steale Honour thy father and thy mother and Thou shalt not covet that which is another mans For saith he the primordiall law was given to Adam and Eve in Paradise as the wombe of all the commandements of God Advers Judaeos cap. 2. He had no need of further grace for the observation of this law because hee might if he would have kept it by the liberty and freedome of his owne will left unto him in the custody of pure nature For which cause the breach thereof made him a transgressor to all the commandements if as Saint Augustine saith Adam's sin it be divided into its severall members For pride is there saith he for as much as man delighted to be rather in his owne power then in the power of God And Sacriledge or Infidelity because he did not give credence to God And murther because he killed himselfe And Spirituall fornication because the virginity of the humane minde was deflowred by the Serpents perswasion And theft because hee usurped that foode which was prohibited And covetousnesse because he desired more then ought to have sufficed him And whatsoever else by diligent consideration may be found to be in this one act of his transgression Wherefore by one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne and death passed upon all men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that or in whom namely in that one man all have sinned Thus was the deadly wound given by Adam The propagation of Adams sinne through the abuse of his free will to himselfe and unto all his posterity who were then in him tanquam in radice as in the root of mankind Aug. Enchir. cap. 26. whereby both hee and they who were to descend of and from him by ordinary generation were the same day made obnoxious or subject both to the Spirituall or supernaturall and to the bodily or naturall death with all the dreadfull precedents concomitants and consequents of them both For this and to the end that hee might restore that creature whom he had made to immortality God by his infinite wisedome and of his great mercy manifested unto man that expedient which he had foreseen and determined from eternity that he would redeeme and save him Gods Covenant of grace by the seede of the woman whom the Serpent had seduced which seede should breake the Serpents head that is to say overthrow the Devill and all his power And therefore after Adam had sinned and in him all his posterity God maketh his covenant with him and with them and requireth both of him and them that they should on their parts performe the conditions of it by beleeving and applying it every one of them particularly to himselfe and to know no other Redeemer by whom to be redeemed from sinne and death brought upon them all by Adams transgression but onely that blessed seede The first saving grace therefore that man received after his Fall whereby he might rise againe from sinne and death into which he was fallen was faith even faith in Christ for the promised seede was Christ Here therefore siste gradum for the order of this our historie doth require that I should adnote some thing by the way concerning that first and most necessary grace The old Romans held and worshipped faith for a goddesse and Numa Pompilius is first said to have dedicated a Temple to Faith Concerning Faith whether because in all the actions of life and more specially in contracts bargaines and covenants there is an urgent use and necessity of faith Or whether because traditions streaming down even from Adam unto those dayes had greatly manifested among the heathen themselves that faith which is towards God as that onely thing whereby God is moved to grant all the requests of men and by which every man may and must attaine unto true happiness it is more then I will take upon me to determine Probable it is that Numa was not altogether ignorant of that which was taught in the Church concerning faith for the Temples which he built are said to be without Images and his Bookes upon Livies report being found a long time after his death viz. Anno Urb. Cond 573. Genebr Chron. lib. 2. p. 411. were burnt as not holding correspondence with the heathenish superstition of those Idolatrous times There is faith towards Men and there is faith towards God for so speakes the Scripture I will restore thy Judges as at the first and thy Counsellors as at the beginning Isa 1.26 afterwards thou shalt be called the city of Righteousness the faithfull city Faithfull towards God in believing all his promises faithfull towards God in keeping all his commandments Faithfull towards Men in all distributive and commutative justice But concerning that faith which is towards men Faith towards men and is nothing else but a certaine veracitie or truth of mind whereby men approve themselves constant in their words in their promises and in all their contracts bargaines and covenants to performe them and is politicall active or mercatorious it pertaineth not to this our History to discourse at large Faith towards God Faith towards God is that faith whereby a man doth believe in God and apprehend and apply the Covenant of Grace first made with Adam and his posterity and all the promises of God thereupon depending to the saving of his soule So that howsoever the name or word faith be copiously and variously accepted in the Scriptures yet as now we are to speak of Faith S. Mat. 13.20 21. Heb. 6.4 5 6. Jac. 8.13 Act. 2.19 S. Mat. 17.20 1 Cor. 13.2 Tit. 1.1 we do not intend either the externall profession of Christian Religion onely Or any temporall assent or bare knowledge of the grace of God Nor yet any certaine perswasion conceived by Revelation or by particular promise concerning the working of miracles But it intends that faith which is properly and theologically styled Faith which pertaineth onely to Gods Elect and to all of them which is passive and is called by Divines the justifying or saving faith because that thereby a man is justified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the sight of God or with God as the Scripture speaketh Gal. 3.11 It is a gift of God or an holy habit wrought by the
circumcise the hearts of men according to that of Moses Deut. 30.6 The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy Seed to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul that thou maist live 6ly The drops of blood that were shed in circumcision did give them to understand the blood of the Messiah who was to be of the circumcised Seed and that his blood it was which should be shed for the remission of sins 7ly The great paines and forenesse of circumcision did represent as well the sufferings of Christ for us as also that they who will be his servants must be nothing curious to suffer all paines and persecutions and if need be to shed their blood for the name of Christ 8ly The day of circumcision which was the eighth day did set forth in a mystery the Resurrection of Christ for like as Christ rose again from the dead upon the eighth day according to the Jewes account who begin to reckon their week upon the Sunday even so that they who were circumcised had an eight day to look for the day of his Resurrection by vertue whereof they should rise again from the dead being first risen with him unto newnesse of life that is to say from a death of sin to a new and spirituall life Lastly that same opprobrium circumcisionis that shame and disgrace which the Jew had by reason of his circumcision among the Gentiles for which he was mocked despised reproached and scornfully termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apella Verpus c. did set forth the shame and scandall of the Crosse giving the People of God to understand thereby that the way to Heaven is not a way of popularity and honour but rather of ignominy reproach and worldly contempt Moses had learned that lesson by his circumcision Esteeming saith the Scripture the reproach of Christ greater riches Heb. 11.26 then the treasures in Egypt So great and excellent was the Mystery Most important was the use of this great Sacrament For The use of Circumcision first it was sigillum foederis the seal of the Covenant which God had renewed unto Abraham and to his Seed and did therefore serve greatly to confirm their faith for in that God had set to such a seal they needed not to doubt the performance thereof on his part Once God did make his covenant with Mankinde and with all his creatures that he would no more destroy them from off the face of the Earth by the Waters of a flood for confirmation whereof he placed his Rain-bow in the cloud as the seal of that covenant concerning which seal he speaketh and promiseth saying It shall come to passe when I bring a cloud over the earth that the Bow shall be seen in the cloud Gen. 9.14.15 and I will remember my covenant which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh that the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh Such was the use of Circumcision when God should see the circumcision in the flesh of the fore-skin then would he remember the covenant that he had made with Abraham and with Abraham's seed to be the God of Abraham and of his seed after him And so was circumcision signum confirmationis Circumcision signum confirmationis a signe or seal of confirmation as well of the covenant it selfe on God's part as also of their faith in that covenant on their part 2ly It served to admonish them of their duties all their lives to the end that as often as they should look down upon them selves and see the signe or mark of circumcision in the flesh of their foreskin they might remember their covenant with God to be an holy and a peculiar people unto him and to serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of their life They did wear Gods badge or mark in their flesh whereby he had set his stamp or mark upon them for his own people to give them to understand that they must not defile themselves or suffer themselves to be defiled according to all the abominations of the wicked Heathen nor lead an unclean life according to the fleshly lusts of their owne heart And for this cause God was pleased that they should receive names in circumcision so when Abraham was circumcised Gen. 17.5 his name was changed from Abram into Ahraham And Saint John the Baptist S. Luc. 1.63 S. Luc. 2.21 though sanctified from his Mothers wombe and our blessed Lord himselfe because he would fulfill all righteousnesse had their names in their circumcision It was a note of that subjection and perfect obedience which they did owe unto the whole Law and so it was signum admonitionis Circumcision Signum admonitionis Jer. 4.4 a sign of admonition giving them alwaies to understand their duty and that they must on their part performe the conditions of the Covenant to God-ward Circumcise your selves to the Lord and take away the fore-skins of your heart 3ly It was a meanes ordained by God wherein and whereby to conferre his grace upon them and to conveigh his grace unto them For God doth not jest or toy with men in the outward signes but like as he doth make a sure performance of all that which he promiseth in his vocall word the Scriptures even so doth he make a sure performance of all that which he promiseth and setteth before the eyes of men in his visible word the sacred Rom. 4.11 and mysterious Sacraments And therefore St. Paul saith That Abraham received the signe of circumcision a seale of the righteousness of faith which he had yet being uncircumcised to what purpose that he might be the Father of all them that believe though they be not circumcised Circumcision Signum praebitionis that righteousness might be imputed to them also And thus it was signum praebitionis a signe of praebition wherein he performed that which he had promised Lastly Circumcision was an externall signe of the visible Church and made that outward distinction whereby the servants of God were to be known and distinguished from the idolatrous Heathen so that they who were not circumcised had not the visible character nor were to be reputed as visible members of the visible Church And unto this alludeth St. Paul when he saith Phil. 3.2 Beware of Dogs beware of evill workers beware of the concision The Dogs were the unbelieving Heathen the evill workers were the miss-living Christians the concision were those Iewes who after the abolition of circumcision by some instrument which they had did draw up the prepuce as men ashamed of their circumcision But the true circumcision is of the Christian For saith the Apostle We are the circumcision which worship God in spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh And thus was it signum distinctionis 3. Circumcision Signum distinctionis a
Gen. 22. In the same place David having purchased the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite 2 Sam. 24. built an Altar for the pacifying of Gods wrath when he had slain in three daies space from Dan to Beersheba no lesse then seventy thousand with the plague of pestilence There also King Solomon built his most sumptuous and most magnificent Temple This city was first built as it is most probably affirmed by Melchisedec supposed by divers of the ancients to have been Sem the son of Noah not long after the flood and was by him called Salem But afterwards the Jebusites had it in possession and called it Jebus after their own name Josh 18.28 Jud. 19.10 which name it held a long time as it may be seen in the bookes of Ioshua and Iudges But when that King David had gotten it he expelled the Iebusites from thence and called it Ierusalem Salem signifieth peace and Ierusalem doth signifie a sight or vision of peace It hath other names in the Scripture for the prophet Isaiah peradventure therein respecting the scituation and strong habitation of the same peradventure the vertue and valour of the inhabitants thereof calleth it Ariel Isa 29.1 17. that is to say the lion of God And Lebanon because it was much built of Cedar trees brought from mount Libanus And the valley of vision because there the prophets prophesyed Isa 21.1 Ezech. 23.4 The prophet Ezechiel calleth it Aholibah My fixed tent or pavilion because God had chosen it before all the nations and places of the earth to put his name there In that city stood the throne of David called in the book of Psalmes the thrones of the house of David Ps 122.5 through the succession of one and twenty Kings of himselfe and his sons It was often assailed before the finall surprisall of it Neither is it altogether impertinent to this our sacred history to continue a briefe and succinct narration of it 1st Therefore it was assailed by Shishack King of Egypt in the fifth year of the raigne of Rehoboam who took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the Kings house viz. all the riches of Solomon and all those spoiles which David had gotten from Hadadezer the Moabites the Ammonites and other nations 2 Sam. 8.11 12. 1 King 14.26 together with the presents of Toi which David had dedicated to God and all the shields of gold which Solomon had made 2ly By Iehoash King of Israel in Amaziah's raigne who being provoked by Amaziah king of Iudah came up against him and took him prisoner at Bethshemesh and then went to Hierusalem and brake down foure hundrâ—d cubits of the wall having taken away all the gold and silver and all the vessells that were found in the house of the Lord and the treasures of the Kings house he received hostages and then returned to Samaria 3ly It was besieged by Rezin king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel in the raigne of king Ahaz 2 King 14.14 2 King 16.5 Isa 7.1 but God kept it so that they could not prevail against it 4ly By Zenacherib king of Assyria in the fourteenth year of the raigne of king Hezechiah but the Lord kept it and sent his Angel who made a great slaughter in the camp of the Assyrians 2 King 19.34 5ly By Pharaoh Necho who carried away Iehoahaz prisoner into Egypt and condemned the land in an hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold Finally by Nebuchadonozer king of the Caldees 2 Chron. 36.4 who made a great slaughter of the people carried away all the treasures and vessells of the temple all the treasures of the king and of the princes burnt the Temple and the city brake down the wall and carried away the people captive into Babylon 2 Chron. 36.18 19 20. where they remained in exile for the space of threescore and ten years And having first caused the sons of Zedechiah to be slain before his face he put out his eyes and bound him with fetters of brasse and carried him to Babylon A just reward for a perjur'd rebell 2 King 25.7 2 Chron. 36.13 which the Scripture observeth expresly saying He rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar who had made him swear by God After the return of the people both the city and the temple were re-built by the people that returned But the state of it was various For first Ptolemeus the son of Lagus took it by a stratagem which was this He entred the city upon a sabbath day pretending to offer sacrifice and while the Iewes suspected nothing but spent the day in idlenesse and quiet he surprised the city without resistance and oppressed the citizens with hatefull captivity 2ly Antiochus being brought thither by a faction received it by surrender where he committed great slaughters robbed the temple of all the pretious things thereof closed it up with high walls and towers planted a garrison therein caused swines flesh to be offered upon the altar interdicted Circumcision and the observation of the law and raised most grievious persecution against those that stuck fast to the religion of their country 3ly It was conquered by Pompey and made tributary to the Romans from whom Herod received the kingdome and then was Christ to come for then was the scepter departed from Judah according to the prophecy of Jacob Gen. 49.10 When Christ came he found it rather to be as the prophets said the valley of slaughter Jer. 19.6 Jer. 7.11 and a den of robbers than the royall seat of the King or the place of holy worship guilty of all the righteous blood shed upon the whole earth from the blood of the righteous Abel S. Mat. 23 35 to the blood of Zacharias the son of Barachias supposed to be the father of St. John the Baptist whom they slew between the temple and the altar for asserting it is said the perpetuall virginity of Christs blessed mother who also filled up the measure of their iniquity in the blood of the great one even Jesus the Lord of life who by his death therein suffered sealed the redemption of the world and put an end to the ceremonies and glory of the place Dan. 9.27 according to the prophecy of Daniel But it was that which the Iewes most wickedly imprecated upon themselves S. Mat. 27.25 saying His blood be on us and on our children Which wicked imprecation of theirs was neither forgotten nor forgiven in Gods most righteous judgment Therefore it came to passe that their city by their own seditions and by the Caesars cruelties was made so desolate that a stone was not left standing upon a stone but were all cast down as in the destruction of Sodom the walls removed mount Sion excluded and Calvary taken in the name of Jerusalem changed into Aelia an unclean swine set over the chief gate of entrance and the Iewes forbidden upon pain
a Sacrament the first sacrament of the new Testament for the mysticall washing away of sin I shall not doubt but that he did pray that those who are baptized might in that Sacrament receive the holy Ghost Therefore as he was praying the holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him That Dove was not the holy Ghost himself it was but a visible testification of the speciall presence of the holy Ghost But it descended to bear witness unto Christ and to his Baptisme a baptism not of water onely as St. Johns was but of water and of the holy Ghost It descended upon him S. Joh. 1.33 to the end that St John himself might know him to be that Baptizer And it descended upon him as he was praying to the end that his Church may know that his prayers were heard and that by his prayers he obtained that in his baptism we may receive the holy Ghost as St. Augustine saith Water exhibiting the Sacrament of grace without and the spirit working the benefit of grace within loosing the bond of sin reconciling the good of nature doe regenerate a man in one Christ that was generated of one Adam ad Bonifac. Epist 23. I will not dispute what grace it is which is conferred in Baptisme it sufficeth me to know that it is the grace of regeneration whereby we are born again and do rise again with Christ unto newness of life Rom. 6.3 Gal. 3.27 and of justification whereby we put on Christ It sufficeth me to know that it is the grace of sanctification whereby those that are baptized are purged and cleansed and made holy to the Lord. And therefore Faelix sacramentum aquae nostrae saith Tertullian Eph. 6.23 A happy Sacrament of our water because the sins of our pristine blindness being washt away we are made free to everlasting life De Bapt. cap. 1. And Jesus when he was baptized went up straight way out of the water and loe the heavens were opened unto him and he saw the spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting upon him S. Mat. 3.16 17. And loe a voice from heaven saying This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased Christ goeth into the wilderness to be tempted Having ended his prayers after that the holy Ghost had descended upon him visibly and his Father had proclaimed him his beloved son and therefore the Messiah from heaven wherein the sacred und undivided Trinity was most apparently manifested for the Father spake from heaven the son was there presently baptized the holy Ghost visibly descended a mystery not observed by the multitude he was directly and immediately led or driven by the Spirit into the wilderness that is to say he went thither by divine impulsion and by the motion and instinct of the holy Ghost that he might there be tempted of the Devill What wilderness that was it is not mentioned further then that St Mark saith that he was there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the wild beasts And therefore in all probability that great wilderness the wilderness of Arabia Petraea through which he led the wandering Israelites by the space of forty years S. Mar. 1.13 Wilderness of Arabia Petraea a wilderness incult dry barren without inhabitants frequented by wild beasts A great and terribâ—e wilderness saith Moses wherein were fiery Serpents and Scorpions and drought where there was no water Such there were none in Judea Deut. 8.15 or in all the land of Canaan though yet we read of many deserts there it is consequent therefore that this was that wilderness into which he went where he might be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the wild beasts For this wilderness extendeth it self from the borders of Egypt and the red sea to Jordan and to the place where St. Iohn baptized and from thence by the country of Trachonitis to the mountain of Libanus Itinerar Scrip. 432. And in this wilderness were the mountains Sinai and Horeb two tops of one and the same mountain where Moses and Elias types of Christ fasted by the space of forty dayes Into this wilderness he came and there fasted forty dayes and forty nights abstaining totally from all manner of sustenance and during all that time he did eat nothing as St. Luke saith By fasting he fitted and prepared himself to the conflict which he was to have with the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the tempter S. Luc. 4.2 S. Mat. 4.3 And by compleating the number of forty dayes he answered the Types Therefore went he fasting from Jordan in all likelihood towards mount Horeb one hundred thirty and six miles that so he might terminate his fast in that place where Moses and Elias the one being the law-giver the other the renewer of the law suppressed had terminated theirs The forty dayes being expired and he remaining in the same place the tempter the Devill the Prince of Devils who no doubt had tempted him before at severall times in his childhood and in his youth and in the wilderness for the whole forty dayes of his abode there as St. Mark S. Mar. 1.13 Luc. 4.2 and St. Luke do both of them expresly say came unto him thither to tempt him in a new manner and with stronger temptations then ever before the strongest of all that he could devise He saw that it was in vain for him to suggest sinfull thoughts or otherwise to attempt which way to creep into his heart by unlawfull desires by those waies he had alwaies received the repulse and fallen off with loss He must batter this fort with other manner of Engines if he mean to take it Wherefore he assumes a visible shape and tempeth him face to face comming unto him with the greater confidence in such a desolate place Christ did not provoke the Devill to this combat he sent him no challenge he was led or driven to it by the spirit when the Devill came he gave not the onset but the Devill assailed him and then he received him with divine resolution and fortitude threw him prostrate and trode upon him It was fore-seen and fore-told by the Prophet in the spirit of prophecie Thou shalt tread upon the Lyon and Adder Psal 91.13 the young Lyon and the Dragon shalt thou trample under feet That therefore he might trample under foot this Lyon this Adder this young Lyon this Dragon Then was Jesus led up of the spirit inâ—o the wilderness S. Mat. 4.1 to be tempted of the devill Never was the like combat never were the like combatants never such a brabium or reward fought for The combat was not corporall but spirituall The combatants the prince of Devils and chief captain of all the hellish army and the captain of the host of the Lord. The first temptation The prize or reward for which the combat was the precious souls of all mankind The Devill gives the onset for knowing him to be hungry he first
Salome maried to Alexas and two wives Malthace a Samaritan and Mariamne who was niece to Hercanus by Alexandra his daughter and of the Assamonaean family By Malthace he had three sons Archelaus who raigned after him in Judea of whom St. Mat. 2.22 and Herod Antipas Tetrarch of Galilee and Philip Tetrarch of Iturea and of the region of Trachonitis of whom St. Luc. 3.1 By Mariamne the Assamonaean he had two sons Aristobulus and Alexander Aristobulus had to wife Bernice the daughter of Salome his fathers sister and of her he had a daughter whose name was Herodias But these were not all the wives that Herod had for he had also to wife another Mariamne the daughter of Simon Boethus the high priest born in Alexandria by whom he had also a son whose name was Herod this Herod married Herodias and had by her a daughter whose name was Salome and then he dyed After whose death Herodias married Philip Tetrarch of Iturea a second husband the brother of Herod Antipas by father and mother and both of them brethren to Herod deceased by the fathers side Herod Antipas falls in love with Herodias his brother Philips wife and she consenteth to forsake Philip her husband and did so Herod Antipas for so it was agreed betwixt them repuding his lawfull wife who was the daughter of Aretas king of Arabia took unto him this Herodias who was the wife of Philip his owne brother both by father and mother as is said before and had her home to his house together with Salome her daughter but Philip whom she had forsaken lived still and died not till in the twentieth year of Tiberius the Emperour after that he had governed his Province thirty and seven years as Josephus saith a good and quiet man ready to do justice to all men at all times he obtained a sumptuous funerall and was laid into a monument which himselfe had builded Antiq. lib. 18. cap. 6. Such were the incestuous marriages of the Herodian family But hinc illae lachrymae For Saint John the Baptist comming out of Judea into Galilee as before is said and having accesse unto Herods court was had in esteem by Herod himselfe S. Mar. 6.20 who observed him and when he heard him he did many things and heard him gladly But Saint Iohn knew not how to daube with untempered morter he could not dissemble the sins and vices of the court nor would he permit a sin so hainous to be unreproved but told Herod plainly It is not lawfull for thee to have her S. Mat. 14.4 Levit. 18.16 Levit. 20.21 Saint Iohn spake law for the law of God saith Thou shalt not uncover the nakednesse of thy brothers wife it is thy brothers nakednesse And if a man shall take his brothers wife it is an unclean thing he hath uncovered his brothers nakednesse they shall be childlesse Herodias the cause of her hatred against Saint John Hence sprung the hatred of Herodias against Saint John who for that cause had a quarrell against him and would have killed him if she could She was impudent and was not ashamed of her uncleannesse she was proud and obstinate so that she would not endure reproof Besides it is well observed by venerable Bede she did fear lest that Herod should at length repent or be reconciled to his brother whereby it would come to passe that this her incestuous mariage should be dissolved Therefore watched she all opportunities to destroy him and no doubt had counselled her daughter to do the like having by her importunity so far prevailed with Herod that he had laid hold on him and laid him a prisoner in bonds in the castle of Machaerun which was a frontire town betwixt his and Aretas king of Arabia Petraeaes country Herod also himselfe I suppose was not difficultly induced to imprison him whom he knew to be a just man and an holy justum quoad homines sanctum quoad Deum S. Mar. 6 20. just to men-ward holy to God-ward as the Glosse saith such is the rage of unlawfull lust He was vvilling but durst not put him to death and when he would have done it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he feared the multitude lest they should make insurrection and revolt from his government because they counted him as a prophet S. Mat. 14.5 But Herodias did neither fear nor care what would come after so that she might have her will to wash away her present fear in the innocent blood of the Baptist Therefore attending all seasons at length there came a convenient day It was the birth-day of this Herod Antipas which of custome he did solemnize anniversarily an old custome in the courts of princes especially pagan for the solemnity whereof he made a supper to his Lords high captains and chiefe estates of Galilee and then the foresaid Salome the daughter of Herodias by her first husband Herod came into the presence and danced before Herod Antipas and before all his guests Wherewith he was so much taken that he bad her to ask whatsoever she would swearing that whatsoever she should ask he would give it her to the halfe of his kingdom She who had been pre-instructed by her mother Herodias S. Mat 14.8 upon all occasions to work the destruction of St. John the Baptist went in presently and acquainted her mother how matters had passed betwixt the king and her demanding her advice what she should ask She counselleth that setting all other demands aside she should ask the head of the Baptist as being of more consequence to them both then any thing else which the Tetrarch could give And so it followeth in the Evangelist that she came in straight way with haste unto the King and asked saying I will that thou give me by and by in a charger S. Mar. 6.25 the head of John the Baptist And the King was exceeding sorry yet for his oath's sake and for their sakes which sate with him he would not reject her 26 And immediately the King sent not to the castle of Maehaerun which was in the confines of his countrey remote but to some neerer place whither he had removed him to another prison 27 and from whence he might presently send for his head an executioner and he went and beheaded him in prison 28. S. Mat. 14.9 10 11. And brought his head in a Charger and gave it to the damosell and the damosell gave it to her mother Thus was the blood of that righteous man most unjustly spilt but his body whether at Samaria then called Sebast The body buried by his Disciples in honour of Augustus Caesar or in what other place it is not mentioned was buried by his Disciples who so soon as they heard of it took it up and buried it and went and told Jesus But his head remained in the power of wicked Herodias S. Mat. 14.12 S. Mar. 6.29 by whom they say it was secretly buried 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
day he came down with them S. Luc. 9.37 and when he came unto his disciples he found a great multitude about them and the Scribes questioning with them And straight-way saith Saint Mark all the people when they beheld him were greatly amazed S. Mar. 9.15 for it is likely that his face shone as Moses's did when he came down from the mount and running to him they saluted him 16. And he asked the Scribes What question ye with them But a certain man came unto him S. Luc. 9.38 kneeling down and supplicating on the behalfe of his son who was his only childe who at certain seasons of the moon and therefore said by Saint Matthew to be Lunatick was grievously vexed with a dumb and deafe spirit S. Mat. 17.15 A dumb and deafe spirit dispossessed which wheresoever he took him did throw him down and teare him so that he fomed and gnashed with his teeth and pined away telling him also that he had brought him to his disciples those nine which did not ascend with him and they could not dispossesse him Christ having blamed the people for their unbeliefe and hardnesse of heart commanded him to be brought And when he was brought straightway the spirit tare him and he fell on the ground and wallowed foming These are the symptomes of an Epilepsie but it was not naturarall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the spirit tare him He demanded of his father not because he knew it not but because he would have the multitude to know it how long he had been in that case He told him Of a childe and that oftentimes it had cast him into the fire and into the water to destroy him desiring him to help both him and his childe by his divine power Christ requireth his faith of which having received a good confession he cured him by his word saying Thou dumbe and deafe spirit I charge thee come out of him and enter no more into him The disciples demanded of him privately and when he was come into an house why they could not cast him out He tells them because of their unbeliefe magnifying the power of faith and for that they had not disposed themselves thereunto by prayer and fasting And so while he passed to and fro in Galilee S. Mat. 17.22 23. S. Mar. 9.30 31 32. S. Luc. 9.44 45. before he went up to Hierusalem he renewed unto them that doctrine which he had taught them before concerning his passion death and resurrection upon the third day But they understood it not and were afraid to ask him being exceeding sorry About this time also it was as I think that he visited the house of Martha and Mary as is to be seen St. Luc. 10.38 they then having their habitation in Galilee And afterwards as he was praying in a certain place likely upon one of the mountains upon which he ascended to pray his disciples came unto him desiring him to teach them to pray in publick and when they came together according to a set form conceptis verbis as Saint John the Baptist also taught his disciples Whereupon he prescribed to them his own prayer directing and requiring of them to use it totidem verbis teaching them to pray instantly and with full assurance to obtain St. Suc. 11. from v. 1. to 14. Then came he to Capernaum where he dwelt and where his Apostle Saint Peter also dwelt together with Saint Andrew his brother as hath been said before And being come thither the collectors of the tribute mony called didrachma came unto Saint Peter Christ payed the didrachma demanding of him whether his Master did pay the tribute or piece of mony so called who answered Yes it seemes therefore that he had formerly paid it and Saint Peter did know that he did pay it so often as it was due That piece of money called Didrachma was halfe a stater and the stater was halfe an ounce of silver Epiph. lib. de mens pond So that at the rate of five shillings the ounce the didrachma came to fifteen pence of our English sterling mony Exod. 30.12 13 14 15 16. and the stater which was two didrachmaes two shillings and six pence Some think it to be that sacred tribute imposed by the law which was paid of every man by the pole and was for the service of the tabernacle first of the temple afterwards which tribute was to be paid for ever a memoriall unto the children of Israel before the Lord to make attonement for your souls said the law and was for the repair of the temple and other sacred uses And was paid in to the gazophylacium being an anniversary payment which continued to the utter desolation of the temple and dissolution of the Mosaical policy and was then as I read transferred to the Capitol in Vespasians time But this was some other tribute not sacred but politicall imposed not by the law of God but by the secular power and paid anniversarily by the pole in the severall cities of all the inhabitants and was required of Christ as an inhabitant or citizen of Capernaum This the circumstances do plainly evince for first this tribute was demanded and paid at Capernaum to the collectors there but the sacred tribute before mentioned was brought to Hierusalem and paid in the temple 2 King 12.4 2ly The words of Christ to Saint Peter import so much For when he was come into the house Jesus prevented him saying What thinkest thou Simon of whom do the kings of the earth take custome or tribute of their owne children or of strangers A question at no hand to have been demanded had it been a divine or sacred and not a humane or politicall tribute Finally Christ paid it but to avoid scandall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lest we should offend them having otherwise a sufficient exemption had he been pleased to have used it It was not therefore enjoyned by the law of God against which in that he came to fulfill all the righteousnesse thereof he would have pleaded no immunity By whom this tribute was imposed whether by Caesar by Herod or peradventure by Pompey who first put them under tribute to the Romans I have not to say it appears not to be a sacred but a civill tribute paid by Christ both for himselfe and for his Apostle Saint Peter as inhabitants of Capernaum who sent him to the sea to fish and to finde a stater which was two didrachmaes that he might pay it for them both And when they were come to Capernaum they that received tribute mony 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the didrachmaes came to Peter and said Doth not your Master pay tribute 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the didrachmaes He saith Yes And when he was come into the house S. Mat. 17.24 Jesus prevented him saying What thinkest thou Simon of whom do the kings of the earth take custome or tribute of their owne children or of strangers Peter saith
So was the Scripture fulfilled They parted my raiment among them S. Joh. 19.24 and for my vesture they did cast lots He was broken and poured out in his soul by fear By fear of that bitter cup which he was to drinke he feared it and did pray against it O my Father S. Mat. 26.39 if it be possible let this cup passe from me He feared hell and the judgment of God due to mankinde for sin made his by imputation by such a fear as was possible for him to fear them And there is a fourfold fear of hell A foure-fold fear of hell and of the judgment of God There is a fear whereby a man doth carefully decline it such a fear is in all the Saints and servants of God and was in Christ in a speciall manner who is the Lord of all the Saints There is a fear whereby a man doth anxiously or carefully conflict with it such a fear none of all the saints could avoid nor would Christ avoid it as my learned author saith in that he was to be made a sacrifice for us whose prayers and supplications vvere therefore offered up with strong crying and tears Heb. 5.7 unto him that was able to save him from death and was heard in that he feared Ne absorberetur that he should not be svvallovved up by it There is a fear vvhereby a man despaireth utterly it is the fear of those that cannot truely repent Gen. 4.13 S. Mat. 27.4 and vvas in Cain and in Judas Iscariot but such a fear is never to be found in any of all the Saints nor vvas it possible to be in Christ vvho had no sin There is a fear of hell in hell vvhich the damned retain as a part of their punishment S. Mar. 9.44 never dying worme and inextinguishible fire He vvas broken and poured out in his soul by griefe for he was a man of sorrowes Isa 53.3 4 5. and acquainted with griefe He did bear our griefs and carry our sorrowes he was stricken smitten of God and afflicted yet not for his owne but for our transgressions Lam. 1.12 Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto me wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger He was broken and poured out in soul by heavinesse It was a grievious dump and heavinesse that was over his soul wherewith he was amazed and very heavy as Saint Mark noteth when he said unto his disciples that his soul was exceeding sorrowfull unto death S. Mar. 14.34 Finally he was broken and poured out in soul byshame The death of the crosse was a most shamefull and a most ignominious death being therefore affected as a man he could not but shame to have that his chast body exposed naked all bloody at midday to the view of his blessed mother his disciples kindred acquaintance and to be made a scorn and greedy spectacle to his wicked enemies But he endured the crosse Heb. 12.2 and despised the shame as the Scripture noteth We cannot tell how many and how great his sufferings in soule were who knowes the number or extent of them therefore have we to make it in our prayers as the Greeks do in their Liturgies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By thy unknown sufferings O Christ deliver us He was broken and poured out in his body and that in all the parts of it In his hands and in his feet by the tearing nails in his head by the wounding thornes in his side by the piercing spear in his face by the unclean spittings and cruell buffetings and all over by the mercilesse whip Not from his side alone but from all the parts of the body of this true Pelican spouted forth unto us his reviving blood wherein he was similis factus Pelicano Ps 102.6 like unto the Pelican He was broken and poured out in all his senses In his feeling saith Mr. William Austen by the blowes bloody thornes nails and scourges In his taste by vinegar In his smell by hanging in a filthy stinking place of rotten dead mens skulls In his hearing by their base taunts and blasphemies In his sight by seeing those for whom he dyed and dearly loved doing all this and those that dearly loved him his mother and Saint John stand by weeping The feeling of all which was so sensible unto him that in Ieremy he calls from his crosse to all that go by the way to consider it Lam. 1.12 and see if there were any pain like his And now after all upon an Attendite and a Videle on a sufficient view and enquiry a non sicut is returned And that upon good reason For none ever suffered for such a cause therefore none ever felt such pains Excessere saith Thomas for their extent Par. 3. 46. art 6. Excessere omnes dolores quos homines pati possunt in hac vita When God will suffer pain to make him die in all that wherein it was possible for him to die what pain must that be Certainly as much as humanity could bear so much did he endure till sense of pain made him past sense and his noble soul expired suffering in the mean time the violence of his passion by the fortitude of his patience Medit. for good friday He brake the bread and he took the cup. He did give and distribute unto them the bread which he had broken and the cup which he had taken He gave unto them the bread which he had broken and the cup which he had taken And not the bread and the cup only but in by and with that bread and cup he gave his most precious body and blood For the res sacramenti the thing of the sacrament is generally all that which faith doth apprehend to salvation and everlasting life Now that next and immediately is Christ himselfe who is the thing of the sacrament three manner of waies by his person by his merits and by his benefits By his person for whole Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God and man is exhibited therein as well in respect of his Divinity as also in reguard of his humanity although in the divine institution of it mention be made more specially of the human nature and a peculiar regard be had thereunto 1st Because in that nature he is consubstantiall with us and that blessed Seed in whom all the families of the earth are blessed 2ly Because in that nature he merited for us 3ly Because by that nature we come to his Divinity and do obtain grace with God By his merit for both the verity and utility of the death of Christ by which he purchased life for us is propounded and confirmed thereby By his benefits for look what Christ had and what Christ did he testifieth by his sacraments that he had them and did them for us men and for our salvation Which benefits Saint Paul reduceth to foure heads wisedome 1
Cor. 1.30 1 Cor. 2.7 and righteousness and sanctification and redemption Wisedome to know God in Christ which is that hidden wisdome which God ordained before the world unto our glory Righteousness the righteousness which is of God by faith Phil. 3.9 the imputed righteousness of Iesus Christ apprehended and applyed by faith to justification with God or in the sight of God Gal. 3.11 Sanctification whereby we are renewed in the spirit of our minde and do put on that new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness Eph. 4.23 24. Redemption whereby we are delivered from all evills and are saved from our enemies and from the hand of all that hate us from the devill and from death and are finally and eternally glorified There is therefore a wonderfull difference and a wonderfull convenience to be observed as touching the matter of the sacrament Difference in nature the signe is visible the thing of the signe is invisible Difference in the object the one is the object of the body the other is the object of the soul Difference in manner of communication the one is communicated corporally the other is communicated spiritually Yet is there a wonderfull convenience for though nothing can be more different then the signe and the thing of the signe yet are they joyned together in a sacramentall bond Such is the wonderfull wisdome of Almighty God who by such weak elements doth vouchsafe to give unto every faithfull receiver his son Christ with all his merits and with all his benefits The words of the commandement concerning the administration of it to those who are to administer it Commanâ—ement for the aâ—ministration and to his Apostles first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this do are to be understood thus That like as he their Lord had blessed and given thanks and by prayers and thanksgivings had prepared designed and consecrated the bread and the wine to become a sacrament the sacrament of his blessed body and blood not of their owne nature but by divine institution Even so must they Like as he did break the bread and take the cup not so much to divide and distribute it among them as that thereby he might signifie set forth and represent his death even so must they Like as he had given unto them the bread which he had broken and the cup which he had taken to the end that they should eat the bread and drinke the wine Even so must they also give to those to whom they should administer the sacrament the bread which they should break and the cup which they should take to be eaten and drank Like as he gave unto them not the bread and the cup onely but in by and with the bread and the cup himselfe with his most pretious body and blood even so in like manner that they should give unto those to whom they should administer it the same and no other thing but what he had given unto them that is to say not the bread and the cup only but by in with the bread and the cup himself Two loves in Christ tâ—wards his Church with his most precious body and blood There were in Christ two speciall loves towards his Church and chosen people The one urged him to be gone and to lay down his life for an effectuall redemption the other urged him to stay still and to be with them unto the end of the world He must go from them by laying down his life for them or else it was not possible for him to redeem them expedit vobis ut ego vadam S. Joh. 16.7 it is expedient for you said he that I go away He was willing to have stayed if it had been possible and therefore he prayed saying O my Father S. Mat. 26.42 if this cup may not pass away from me except I drink it thy will be done He found an expedient for both he would go away and yet he would stay he would go away by his bodily presence but he vvould stay still by his sacramentall presence It is not enough for the spouse if the bridegroom bestovv on her many rare and rich jevvells as pledges of his love it is his presence which to her is more expetible then gold or fine gold Christ the bridegroome when he ascended into heaven gave unto his spouse the Church many rare and rich jewells vvherein his Church also rejoyceth highly esteeming them for the bridegrooms sake Eph. 4.11 12. He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some pastours and teachers for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministery and for the edification of the body of Christ But all this is not enough his Church doth desire his presence Cant. 3.11 it is that vvherein she gloryeth Go forth O ye daughters of Zion and behold king Solomon with the crowne wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousalls and in the day of the gladness of his heart She cannot have his bodily naturall or locall presence and yet such a presence she hath His presence in the Eucharist as vvhereby she doth behold him in the most sacred and mysterious Eucharist It is a presence vvhereby he is believed and acknovvledged by his Church to be truly and really present in respect of the signes and in respect of the worthy receivers In respect of the signes for the body and blood of Christ are present vvith the bread and vvine vvhich are the sacramentall signes although not by coexistency and place yet by a sacramentall and relative presence In respect of the worthy receivers for Christ is indeed present in their hearts by the same presence altogether as the communion of his body and blood is exhibited unto them in that sacrament This is a true reall though not a corporall presence Touch me not S. Joh. 20.17 said he unto Saint Mary Magdalen for I am not yet ascended to my Father Touch me not saith he to his Church for I am ascended to my Father S. Mat. 28.9 And yet we do touch him daily though not as the woman did who held him by the feet yet in that vve touch the visible signes vve touch all that vvhich is signified assured and delivered by them Affectu non manu voto non oculo fide non sensibus But this touching is by affection not by the hands by desire not by the eye by faith not by the senses But the commandement is not only concerning the administration of it to those that are to administer it Commandement for the participation but also concerning the participation of it to those that are to receive it And the duty enjoyned is two-fold the first is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is a sacramentall ceremony for he that commeth to the Lords table must take and receive the Elements of bread and wine at the hand of the minister by which taking a spirituall reception