A TREATISE OF THE LORDS Supper in two Sermons Imprinted at London by R. Field for Thomas Man dwelling in Paternoster row at the signe of the Talbot 1591. To the Reader IN the first sermon the aduersarie is confuted In the second sermon the Communicants are prepared In both are many obseruations and the words of the text expounded Now labor for thy selfe as I haue labored for thee I would haue thee profit somewhat more by this booke because it hath weakened me more then all the rest Farwell A Treatise of the Lords Supper in two Sermons The first Sermon 1. Cor. 11. 23. 24. The Lord Iesus in the night that he was betrayed tooke bread And when he had giuen thanks he brake it and said Take eate this is my bodie which is broken for you this dayes in remembrance of me THE Word and the Sacraments are the two breasts wherewith our mother doth nurse vs. Seeing euerie one receiueth and few vnderstand what they receiue I thought it the necessariest doctrine to preach of the Sacramēt which is a witnes of Gods promises a remembrāce of Christs death a seale of our adoptiō therfore Christ hath not instituted this Sacrament for a fashion in his Church to touch and feele and see as we gaze vpon pictures in the windowes but as the woman which had the bloudie issue touching the hemme of Christes garmēt drew vertue from Christ himselfe because she beleeued So Christ would that we touching these signes should draw vertue from himself that is all the graces which these signes represent Therefore as the Leuits vnder the Law were bound to prepare their brethren before they came to the Passeouer so preachers of the Gospel should prepare their brethrē before they come to the Supper of the Lord. For which purpose I haue chosen this place to the Corinthians which is the clearest fullest declaration of this Sacrament in all the scripture The Lord Iesus in the night c The summe of all these words is the institution and vse of the Lords Supper First Paul sheweth the author of it The Lord Iesus then the time when it was instituted in the night that he was betrayed then the manner how he did institute it he tooke bread and when he had giuen thankes he brake it and gaue vnto his Disciples c. then the end why he did institute it for a remembrance of his death Touching the author he which is signified by it was the author of it The Lord Iesus hath bid vs to supper I am not worthy saith Iohn to loose his shoe so we are not worthy to waite at his trencher and yet he wil haue vs sit at his table To him belongeth the power to ordaine Sacraments in his Church because he fulfilled the Sacraments of the Law When Christ came the Passeouer ceased because he is our Passeouer that is the Lamb by whose bloud we are saued When Christ came Circumcision ceased because he is our Circumcision that is the purifier and clenser of our sinnes Now these two sacraments are fulfilled he hath appointed two other Sacraments for them in steed of the paschall Lambe which the Iewes did eate he hath giuen vs another Lamb to eate which Iohn calleth the Lambe of God that is himselfe vpon whom all do feede whosoeuer do receiue this Sacrament with an assured faith that Christ died to possesse them of life The breaking of the bread doth signifie the wounding of his bodie the powring of the wine doth signifie the shedding of his blood The eating of the bread and drinking of the wine doth signifie that his flesh and bloud doe nourish in vs life eternal as the bread and wine do nourish the life present In steed of Circumcision which began at Abrahā he hath ordained Baptisme which began at Iohn a more liuely representation of the true circumcision of the hart because it representeth vnto vs the bloud of Christ which washeth our soules as the water in Baptisme washeth our bodies Touching the time In the night saith Paul therefore this Sacrament is called The Lords Supper because it was instituted at night when they vsed to sup But what night euen that night saith Paul when he was betrayed that night which he should haue cursed as Iob did the day of his birth if he had suffred against his will that night when hee should haue thought to destroy men as men conspired to destroy him that night saith Paul this Sacrament of grace and peace and life began Euen that night when we betrayed him Manie nights did he spend in watching and praying for vs is there a night now for vs to kill betray him That was a darke night when men went about to put out the sonne which brought them light Who can but wonder to see how Christ they for whom Christ came were occupied at one time when they deuised mischief against him sought all meanes to destroy him then he consulted how to saue them and instituted the same night this blessed Sacrament to conuay all his graces and blessings vnto them Euen that night when they betrayed him The reason why this actiō was deferred vntill night is because that was the time appointed by the Law to eate the Passeouer which was like a predecessor of this Sacrament The reason why he deferred vntill his last night was because the Passeouer could not be ended before the fulnesse of time and the true Paschal Lambe were come to be slaine in stead of the other Therefore how fitlie did Christ ende the Passeouer which was a signe of his suffering so presently before his suffering And beside how sweetly did he confirme his disciples faith when as they should see that the next day performed before their eyes which ouernight both in the Passeouer and in the Sacrament was so liuely resembled vnto them If any from this do gather that we ought to eate the Lords supper at night as Christ did he must vnderstand that we haue not the same cause to do so which Christ had because of the Passeouer And therefore the Church which hath discretion of times and places hath altered both the time and the place vsing the temples in stead of the chamber and the morning in stead of the euening for indifferent things are ruled by order decencie Touching the maner He tooke bread and when he had giuen thankes he brake it and gaue it vnto them He would not eate it nor breake it before he had giuē thankes to God What neede he which was God giue thankes to God but to shew vs what we should doe when we eate our selues In all things giue thankes saith Paul whereby we declare that all things come from God but the wicked beleeue easier that God doth take than that he doth giue and therefore they neuer pray heartily vnto him for any thing nor
words do prooue that the bread and wine are turned into Christes bodie Paule saith Iesus tooke bread well theÌ„ yet it is bread when he had taken it then he blessed it what did he blesse the bread which he tooke well then yet it is bread when he had blessed it then he brake it what did he breake the bread which he blessed well then yet it is bread when he had brokeÌ„ it then he gaue it what did he giue the bread which he brake well then yet it is bread when he had giuen it they did eate it what did they eate the bread which he gaue them well theÌ„ yet it is bread when they did eate it theÌ„ he said This is my body what did he call his bodie the bread which they did eate well then yet it is bread If it be bread all this while when he did take it and blesse it and breake it and giue it and they did eate it when is it turned into his bodie here they stand like the Sadduces as mute as fishes Now that ye may see that not we onelie say it is bread and wine after the consecration in the 27. Verse Christ himselfe doth call it bread and wine after he had giueÌ„ it as he did before And in Marke he saith I will drinke no more of the fruite of the vine Here Christ saith that it was the fruite of Vine which he dranke but his bloud is not the fruite of Vines but Wine therfore wine was his drinke and not bloud Beside if you would heare Paule expound Christ he sheweth that all our Fathers had the same substaÌ„ce of Christ in their Sacramentes that we haue in ours for he saith They all did eate the same spirituall meate and all drinke the same spirituall drinke Straight he sayth that this meate and this drinke was Christ Marke that he saith not onely They did eate the same meate that we eate but he saith that this meate was Christ and not onely so but to shew that Christ is not a corporall meate as the Papistes say he saith he is a spirituall meate as we say therfore you see that we do not eate him corporally no more than our Fathers but that as they did eate him spiritually so do we for spirituall meate must be eaten spiritually as corporall meate is eaten corporally Agayne for the signes to be turned into the thing signified by theÌ„ is vtterly against the nature of a Sacrament makes it no Sacrament because there is no signe for euery Sacrament doth coÌ„sist of a signe and a thing signified the signe is euer an earthly thing and that which it signifieth is a heauenly thing This shall appeare in all examples as in Paradise there was a verie Tree for the signe and Christ the thing signified by it In Circumcision there was a cutting off of the skin and the cutting off of sinne In the Passe-ouer there was a Lambe and Christ In the Saboth there was a day of rest eternall rest In the Sacrifices there was an offering of some beast and the offering of Christ In the Sanctuarie there was the holy place and heauen In the Propitiatorie there was the goldeÌ„ couering Christ our couer In the Wildernesse there was a Rocke yeelding water and Christ yeelding his bloud In the Apparition there was a a Doue the holy Ghost In the Manna there was Bread and Christ In Baptisme there is verie water which washeth vs and Christes bloud washing vs so in the Supper of Christ there is very Bread Wine for the signe the body and bloud of Christ for the thing signified or else this SacrameÌ„t is against the nature of all other Sacraments Againe there must be a proportion betweene the Passe ouer and the Lords Supper because this was figured by the other Now the Iewes had in their Passeouer Bread and Wine and a Lambe so Christ instituting his Supper left bread and wine and a Lambe which name is giuen to himselfe because he came like â— Lambe and died like a Lambe Agayne if Christes verie bodie were â—ffered in the SacrameÌ„t theÌ„ it were not a Sacrament but a Sacrifice which two differ as much as giuing and taking for in a Sacrifice we giue in a Sacrament we receiue and therefore we say our Sacrifice and Christes Sacrament Agayne euerie Sacrifice was offered vpon an Altar Now marke the wisedome of the holy Ghost least we should take this for a Sacrifice he neuer names Altar when he speakes of it but The Table of the Lord. Therefore it is no doubt but the deuill hath kept the name of Altar that we might thinke it a Sacrifice Agayne if the bread were Christes flesh and the wine his bloud as these two are separate one from the other so Christes flesh should be separate from his bloud but his bodie is not deuided for then it were a dead body Agayne that which remaineth doth nourish the bodie and relish in the mouth as it did before which could not be but that it is the same foode which it was before Agayne I would aske whose are this whitenes and hardnes and roundnesse and coldnesse None of them say that it is the whitenesse and hardnesse and roundnesse and coldnes of Christes bodie therefore it must needes be the whitenesse and hardnesse and roundnesse and coldnesse of the bread or else qualities should stand without substaÌ„ces which is as if one should tell you of a house without a foundation Agayne as Christ dwelleth in vs so he is eaten of vs but he dwelleth in vs onely by faith Ephes 3. 17. Therefore he is eaten onely by faith Agayne none can be saued without the communion of the body of Christ but if all should communicate with it corporally then neither infants nor any of our Fathers the Patriarkes or the Prophets should be saued because they receiued it not so Agayne Christ sayth not this wine but this cup and therefore by their conclusion not onely the wine should be â—urned into bloud but the cup to Again Paul saith They which receiue vnworthilie receiue their owne damnation But if it were the flesh of Christ they should rather receiue saluation than daÌ„nation because Christ sayth He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath life euerlasting Agayne if they would heare an Angell from heauen when Christes bodie was glorified an Angell said to the women He is risen and is not here as if he should say his body is but in one place at once or else he might haue been there though he was risen Agayne why doe they say in receiuing this Sacrament euer since the Primitiue Church Lift vp your hearts if they haue all in their mouthes To end this controuersie Here we may say as the Disciples said to Christ Whither shall we go from thee I meane we need not to goe to any other
from this Text for at that time Christ had no glorified bodie When this Sacrament was instituted and Christ said This is my bodie his bodie was not glorified because the Sacrament was instituted before his death and his bodie was glorified after his resurrection Therefore if they receiue the same bodie which the Apostles receiued as they say they do they caÌ„not receiue a glorified body because then Christ had not a glorified bodie to communicate vnto them Thus the rocks and sands are of both sides them they receiue a bodie neither mortall nor immortall if Christ hath any such bodie iudge you Here they stand like a foole which cannot tell one his tale Nebucadnezar dreamed a dreame and knew not what it meant Beside I aske them to whome Christ spake when he said This is my bodie Marke saith he spake to them that is to his Disciples well then if these wordes This is my bodie were not spoken to the signes but to the persons not to the bread and wine but to the receiuers as the words which follow Do this in remembrance of me if these wordes were not spoken to the bread and wine then it is plaine that they doe not change the nature of the bread and wine If the nature of them be not altered then the substance remaineth and then we receiue no other substance with them because two substances cannot be in one place What then is there nothing in the Sacrament but bread and wine like a hungrey nunscion Nay we say not that the Sacrament is nothing but a bare signe or that you receiue no more than you see for Christ saith that it is his bodie and Paul saith that it is the Communion of Christs bodie and bloud Therefore there is more in Sacramentall bread than in common breade though the nature be not changed yet the vse is changed it doth not onely nourish the body as it did before but it bringeth a bread with it which nourisheth the soule for as sure as we receiue bread so sure we receiue Christ not only the benefites of Christ but Christ although not in a Popish maner yet we are so ioyned vnto him as though we were but one body As the spouse doth not marry with the lands goods but with the man himselfe being partaker of him is made partaker of them so the faithfull do not onely marry with Christes benefites but with Christ him selfe being partakers of him they are made partakers of his benefites for Christ may not be diuided from his benefites no more than the Sunne from his light It is said the Father gaue vs his sonne and so the Sonne giueth vs him selfe As the bread is a signe of his bodie so the giuing of the bread is a signe of the giuing of his body Thus he lyeth before vs like a Pellican which letteth her yong ones sucke her bloud so that we may say the Lord inuited vs to Supper and he himselfe was our meate But if you aske how this is I must answere it is a mysterie but if I could tell it it were no mysterie Yet as it is said when three men walked in the middest of the fornace One like the Sonne of God walked amongest them So when the faithfull receiue the Bread and Wine one like the Sonne of God seemeth to come vnto them which fils them with peace and ioy and grace that they maruell what it was which they receiued besides bread and wine For example thou makest a bargaine with thy neighbour for house or land and receiuest in earnest a peece of gold that which thou receiuest is but a peece of gold but now it is a signe of thy bargaine if thou keep not touch with him happelie it will claspe thee for all that thou art worth so that which thou receiuest is bread but this bread is a signe of another matter which passeth bread Againe thou hast an Obligation in thy hand I aske thee what hast thou there and thou saiest I haue here an hundreth pounds why say I there is nothing but paper ynke and waxe oh but by this saiest thou I will recouer an hundreth pounds that is as good So beloued this is as good that vnder these signes you receiue the vertue of Christs body bloud by faith as if you did eate his bodie and drinke his bloud indeede which is horrible to thinke that any should deuour their god thinking thereby to worship him neuer any Heretike nor Idolater conceiued so grosly of their God before the Papist We reade of a people which did eate men but neuer of any people which did eate their God Al the Apostles say that it was needfull that Christ should take our flesh but no Apostle saith that it is needfull that we should take Christs flesh for all the blessings of Christ are apprehended by faith and nothing is fit to appreheÌ„d him whom we see not but faith and therfore one of their own pillars said Beleeue thou hast eaten Faith doth more in Religion than the mouth or else we might say with the woman Blessed are the brests which gaue thee sucke and so none should be blessed but Mary but Mary was not blessed because Christ was in her bodie but because Christ was in her heart and least this should seeme incredible vnto you because Mary is called blessed among women When Christ heard the womaÌ„ say Blessed are the brests which gaue thee sucke he replied vnto her Blessed are they which heare the word of God and keepe it these are my brethren and sisters and mother sayth Christ as though the rest were no kin to him in heauen though they were kin in earth Thus if Christ were in thy body thou shouldest say as this woman Blessed is the bodie which hath thee in it nay would Christ say Blessed is the heart which hath me in it If Mary were no whit better for hauing Christ in her armes nor for hauing him in her bodie how much better art thou for hauing him in thy bellie where thou canst not see him Must the Sunne needes come to vs or else cannot his heâ—â—â— and light profite vs nay it doth vs more good because it is so farre off so this Sunne is gone from vs that he might giue more light vnto vs which made him say It is good for you that I go froÌ„ you therfore away with this carnall eating of spiritual things Many daughters haue done vertuously but thou saith Salomon surpassest theÌ„ all So many hereticks haue spokeÌ„ absurdly but this surpasseth theÌ„ all that Christ must be applied like Phisicke as though his bloud could not profit vs vnles we did drinke it and swallow it as a potion Is this the Papistes vnion with Christ Is this the manner whereby we are made one flesh with Christ to eate his flesh Nay when he tooke our flesh vnto him and was made man
at one time for if his body be in the Sacramēt he must needes haue so many bodies as there be Sacraments nay he must haue so many bodies as there be bits in euerie Sacramēt Thirdly it will follow that his bodie is diuided from his soule and consequētly is a dead bodie because the bread is onely changed into body and not into his soule Fourthly at will follow that the wicked and prophane and reprobate may receiue Christ as well as the godly because they haue a mouth to eate as well as the best Fiftly it will follow that Christs sacrifice once for all was not sufficient because we must sacrifice him againe and breake his bodie shed his bloud as the Iewes crucified him vpon the Crosse Sixtly it will follow that the bread being turned into the body of our redeemer hath a part of our redemption as well as Christ Seauenthly it will follow that Christ did eate his owne bodie for all the Fathers say that he did eat the same bread which he gaue to his Disciples Lastly it will follow that a Massing Priest shal be the creator of his creator because he makes him which made him all these absurdities are hatched of Transubstantiation Thus when men deuise articles of their owne while they strike vpon the handuill the sparkes flie in their face they are like the man which began to build and could not finish it When I see the Papist in so many absurdities for intertaining one error me thinks he seemeth like a Collier which is grimed with his owne coales Therefore as in manners we should think of Peters saying Whether is it meete to obey God or men So in doctrines we should thinke whether it be meete to beleeue God or men Thus you haue heard the author of this Sacrament the Lord Iesus the time when it was instituted in the night that he was betraied the manner how it was instituted after thanks giuing the end why it was instituted for a remembrance of his death and the discouery of Transubstantiation one of the last heresies which Babylō hatched Now they which haue been Patrons of it before should do like the father and mother of an Idolatrer that is lay the first hand vpon him to shorten his life Thus I end Thinke what account ye shall giue of that ye haue heard The end of the first Sermon A TREATISE OF THE LORDES SVPPER The second Sermon 1. Cor. 11. vers 25. 26. 27. 28. 25 After the same manner also he tooke the cup whē he had supped saying This cup is the New Testamēt in my bloud this doe as oft as ye drinke it in remembraunce of me 26 For as often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke this cup ye shew the Lords death till he come 27 Wherefore whosoeuer shall eate this bread and drinke the cup of the Lord vnworthelie shall be guiltie of the bodie and bloud of the Lord. 28 Let a man therefore examine himselfe and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this cup. HEre I am to speake of the second seruice as it were at the Lordes Table and of that preparatiō which is like the Wedding garment that euerie man must bring vnto this banquet These wordes are diuerslie repeated of the Euangelistes Here it is said This Cup is the New Testament in my bloud In Mathew and in Marke it is sayd This Cup is my bloud of the New Testament This is the first mētion which Christ makes of a Testament as though now his promises deserued the name of a Testament because the seale is set vnto them which before this Sacrament was not sealed but like a bare writing without a signet This word Testament doth implie a promise and therefore teacheth vs that the Sacrament doth cōfirme and strēgthen and nourish our fayth because it sealeth the promise which we should beleeue Here is to be noted that Christ doth not onely speake of a Testament but he calleth it a New Testamēt which words neuer met together before as though the Law were for the old man to mortifie him and the Gospell for the new man to comfort him agayne or as if the old Testament had so washt her face and chaunged her apparell at Christes comming that one would not thinke it the same but a New Testament because euē now she was shadowed with a thousand Ceremonies now they are gone from her like a myst at the Sunne rising As Christ calleth loue a New Commaundement because he renewed it like a Law worne out of memorie so he calleth the promise of saluation a New Testament Because as it was renewed to Sem and after renewed to Abraham and after renewed to Dauid so now he renewed it agayne which should bee alwaye new and fresh vnto vs. Euerie Testament is confirmed with bloud the old Testament was confirmed by the bloud of Goats and Bullockes and Rammes but the New Testament is confirmed by the bloud of Christ My bloud saith Christ is the bloud of the New Testament nay This Cup sayth Christ is the New Testament You may see thē that they may gather as well out of Christes wordes that the Cup is the New Testament as that the Wine is his bloud For Christ sayth This Cup is the New Testament as well as he sayth This Wine is my bloud or This bread is my body Beside when Christ speakes of a New Testament he implieth that the old Testament is fulfilled the Sacrifices and Ceremonies of the Law did signifie Christ before he came therefore they are fulfilled in his comming no mo Sacrifices no mo Ceremonies for the truth is come Sacrifices and Ceremonies are honorably buried with the Priesthood of Aaron let them rest it is not lawfull to violate the Sepulchers of the dead and take their bodies out of the earth as the Witch would raise Samuell out of his graue Therfore they which retaine Ceremonies which should be abrogated reliques of Iudaisme or reliques of Papisme may be said to violate the sepulchers of the dead and disturbe the deceased like the Witch which presumed to raise Samuell out of his graue This Testament is called a Testament in bloud because the Testament and will of a man is cōfirmed when the man is dead so Christ cōfirmed his Testament by his death Moses saith that life is in the bloud so the bloud of Christ is the life of this Testament If Christes bloud had not been shed this Testament made vnto vs had been vnprofitable as the Testamēt of a Father is to his Sonne if the Father should not dye but liue Therefore the Apostle sayth without shedding of bloud there is no remission of sinnes Therfore the Testament or couenaunt of the remission of our sinnes is called the Testament in bloud the bloud of Christ is the seale of the Testament which we haue to shew vnto God for the remission of our sinnes and the
but to suffer and suffer and euer to suffer all that the diuels would heape vpon vs. Then came the mercie of GOD for Christ which shed his blood like an vmpire betweene God and vs and said as Esaiah said to Hezekiah Thou shalt not die but liue loose him let him go for he is mine So we were stayed like the widdowes sonne when hee was carried to his graue This is the benefite of Christs death and this Sacrament is the remembrance of it and therefore whensoeuer we receiue it this addition commeth with it which is shed for the remission of sinnes our fault was so hainous and grieuous that no ransome could counteruaile it vnlesse GOD himselfe had suffered for vs. Being in this extremitie neither man nor Angel offered his life for vs but the Prince himself which shold haue crucified vs came to be crucified of vs for vs that we might say with stedfast faith I beleeue the remission of sinnes not the satisfaction of sinnes but the remission of sinnes Marke this distinction against Popish merites of works or penance Christ hath satisfied and not we we are remitted and not Christ therfore we say in our Confession I beleeue the remission of sins which I may call the merciful Article because it is the quintessence and sweetnesse of all the twelue Therefore who but Antichrist durst depraue it If there be a satisfaction for our sins by our works or by our Pilgrimages or by our Masses or by our penance let Christ neuer be called a forgiuer but an exchanger like the Pope which selleth his pardons Wretched creatures which will not receiue the Lord when he comes to their dore Christ saith take for nothing and they say no we will not take but buy Vile base miserable men disdaine to take grace of God without satisfaction but they wil cope with the Lord giue him so manie Pilgrimages fast so many dayes heare so many Masses pay so many works for it vntill they haue done as much good as they haue done euill Our sinnes are infinite and God is infinite but our workes are finite in number and measure how can they answere then to that which exceedeth number and measure Therefore be content with Iosephs brethrē to take your money again say that you haue corne for nothing that is you are saued for nothing or else when you say I beleeue the remission of sinnes you lie vnto God because you do not beleeue the remission of sinnes but satisfaction for sinnes like the Papists It followeth As often as yee shall eate this bread and drink this cup ye shall shew the Lords death till he come Here are three inuincible argumēts against Popish Transubstantiation like the three witnesses vnder which euerie worde doth stād First we are said to eat bread then it is not flesh but bread Secondly we are said to shew the Lords death then it is but a shew or representation of his death Thirdly it is said vntill he come if he be to come then he is not come if he be come how can we say vntill he come The effect of this verse was shewed in these words Doe this in remembrance of me for to say Do this in remembrance of me and to say so oft as you do this you shew my death is much at one so that if you call this Sacrament a shew of Christes death as it is called here then it is not Christ or if you call it a remembrance of Christ as it is called there yet it is not Christ but a shew or remembrance of Christ but this is such a shew and remembrance that the next verse saith Whosoeuer receiueth it vnworthely is guiltie of the bodie bloud of Christ Will yee know who receiueth vnworthily In verse 29. Paul saith he discerneth not the Lords bodie that is which putteth no difference betweene this bread and other but eateth like a child the meat which he knoweth not and after the bread seemeth stones to him and the wine poyson because his conscience telleth him I haue receiued vnworthily before I could say like Dauid My heart is prepared My sheep saith Christ know my voice as they discerne Christs words so they discerne Christs bodie and therefore so often as they come to the Lords Table they seeme to come into the Lords presence there they greete and kisse and imbrace one another with affections which none cā know but they that feele like Iohn which leaped in the wombe so soone as Christ came neare him Will ye know beside what it is to be guiltie of the bodie bloud of Christ euen as Iudas was guiltie for betraying him and Pilate for deliuering him and the Iewes for crucifying him so they are guiltie which receiue this Sacrament vnworthily as Pilate and Caiphas and Iudas were If they be guiltie of Christs death they are guilty of their owne death to as if they had committed two murthers and therefore Paul saith after that many of the Corinthians died onely for the vnworthy receiuing of this Sacrament As the word is the sauour of death to them which receiue it vnworthily so the Sacrament is the sauour of death to thē which receiue it vnworthily it neuer goeth into their mouth but they are Traitors ipso facto and may say to Hell this day I haue taken possession of thee because I am guiltie of Christs bloud Therefore it followeth immediatly Let a man examine himselfe before he eate of this bread or drinke of this wine as if he should say if he which receiueth this Sacramēt vnworthily be guiltie of Christes death like Iudas which hanged himselfe if these signes be receiued to saluation or damnation like the word the next lesson is to examine your selues before you receiue least you receiue like the sonne of perditiō which swallowed the bread and the diuel togither Therfore Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate that is let him examine first receiue after for if we should receiue the bread of the earth reuerētly how shold we receiue the bread of heauen When Iehonadab came to Iehu his chariot he said Is thy heart vpright as my heart is toward thee So when we come to the Lords Table he would haue our hearts vpright to him as his heart is to vs for who feasteth his enimies and mockers The golden Ring sitteth highest at our table but the wedding garment sitteth highest at this Table It is safer eating with vnwashen hands than with an vnwashen hart The Iewes were taught to choose the Lambe of the Passeouer on the tenth day of the first moneth in which moneth they cāe out of Egypt on the fourteenth day after they were taught to eate him so they had foure dayes respit betweene the choosing and the killing to prepare and sanctifie thēselues for the Passeouer which was a signe of the Lords
like Sathan SathaÌ„ hath desired to fift thee saith Christ to Peter so we haue a desire to sift others euen Peter which was sifted of Sathan longed to sift Iohn and know what he should do before he karkened to his owne charge Therfore the helpe of examination is a needfull preseruatiue although we were as souÌ„d as Peter They which are suspected of crime do not examine theÌ„selues but are examined of others least they should be partiall but a Christian must examine himselfe of his crime and be his own iudge his own accuser his own condemner for no man knoweth the spirit of man but the spirite which is in man which will condemne him if he be guiltie and tell him all that he hath done and with what minde he did it what he deserueth for it This is the priuate araignement or close Sessions when Conscience sits in her chaire to examine and accuse and iudge and condemne her selfe because she will not be condemned of God Thus holie men haue kept their Sessions at home and made their hearts the foreman of the Iury and examined themselues as we examine others the feare of the Lord stood at the doore of their soules to examine euery thought before it went in and at the doore of their lips to examine euery word before it went out whereby they escaped a thousand sinnes which we commit as though we had no other worke So thou shouldest sit in iudgement of thy selfe and call thy thoughtes and speaches actions to giue in euideÌ„ce against thee whether thou be a Christian or an Infidell a sonne or a bastard a seruaunt or a rebell a Protestant or an hypocrit if thou finde not faith nor feare nor loue nor zeale when thou examinest thy selfe let no man make thee beleeue that thou art holy that thou art sanctified that thou art a Christian that thou art a beleeuer that thou art a Gospeller because thou art worse than thou seemest thy selfe for euery man is partiall to himselfe when he is most huÌ„bled Therfore if my heart tell me that I do loue God whom shall I beleeue before my selfe As Salomon faith No man caÌ„ search the heart of the king so Paule saith No man knoweth the spirite of any man but the spirite which is in man that is no maÌ„ feeleth the heart of man so well as him self And yet himselfe although he haue liued with it euer since he was borne doth not know his owne heart vnlesse he examine it narrowly no more than he knoweth his owne bones or his vaines or his sinewes or his arteries or his muskles how many are in his body or where they lye or what they do This seemes straunge that a man should not know his owne heart yet it is true that the best of vs al doth not know his own heart though he haue dwelt with it froÌ„ his mothers wombe For Christ saith to his disciples euen to his disciples You know not of what spirite you are that is you think better of your selues thaÌ„ you are and know not what the clocke striketh within There is a zeale without knowledge and there is a knowledge without zeale there is a faith without obedience and there is an obedience without fayth there is a loue without feare and there is a feare with loue and both are hypocrites Therefore as Dalilah searched where Sampsons strength lay so let euery man search where his weakenesse lyeth and alway be filling the emptie gap Now this examination must go before vs to the Sacrament Euerie meate worketh according as it is digested this meate worketh according as it is receiued Therefore when Christ had taught what we should doe in receiuing the Sacrament now Paule sheweth what we should doe before we receiue the Sacrament Let a man examine himself But some will come before they examine themselues and therfore as the Priestes of the Law had authoritie to put by lame and blind sacrifices so the Ministers of the Gospell haue power to put by lame and blind receiuers and he which doth not so giueth a sword into their hands to kill them selues If the Pastor would vse this examination duely it were the onely way to make euery one examine himselfe least he be put by like Non proficients As liphtah discerned the Ephramites because wheÌ„ they should pronouÌ„ce Shibboleth they pronounced Sibboleth so all which cannot pronounce Christ that is giue a reason of their faith are to be thrust from this Table There is hearing and a preparatiue before hearing There is a praying and a preparatiue before praying There is a receauing and a preparatiue before receauing which if it be wanting the receauer receaueth vncomfortablie the prayer prayeth idlie the hearer heareth vnfruitefullie like those which eate before hunger and drinke before thirst This preparatiue before hearing and praying and receiuing doth signifie that there is a kinde of Phisicke in these three for preparatiues are ministre◠〈◊〉 wayes before Phisick as the prepaâ—â—tiue which goeth before maketh way to the Phisicke or else it would doe no good but hurt so vnlesse examination go before the SacrameÌ„t we seale vp the threatnings which are written against vs in stead of the promises which are made vnto vs for the SacrameÌ„t is a seale and therfore sealeth good or euill as euerie other seale doth The preparatiue before we receiue is to Examine As Iohn was the forerunner of Christ so examinatioÌ„ is the forerunner of the Sacrament like the harbinger which rideth before to prepare the rowme For if Iob commanded his sonnes to sanctifie theÌ„selues before they did come to his sacrifice how should we sanctifie our selues before we come to Christes Sacrament wherein we are commaunded to doe as the Lord him selfe did which instituted it It is said that the Chamber wherein Christ did institute this Sacrament was trimmed the Chamber wherein the Apostles receiued this Sacrament was trimmed If Iudas Chamber his inner Chamber had bene trimmed so to he had receiued this Sacrament with as much comfort as the other Disciples did but because his heart was not trimmed therefore he was the first which was condemned for the vnworthie receiuing of this Sacrament Adam did not thinke that death had bene in an Apple so you would not thinke that death should be in bread but as a coale hath fire in it beside the coale it selfe which fire doth either warme or burne so this meate hath another meate in it beside that which is seen which doth either saue or destroy therefore he which commeth to this spirituall meate must examine whether hee haue a spirituall mouth as well as a carnall mouth or else he shall receiue no more than he seeth and that which he seeth not shall destroy him No man saith Christ putteth new wine into old vessels least the vessels breake and the wine leake This Wine is new Wine therefore put it into new vessels holy