and beholdeth the inwarde parts may commaunde and will rewarde the good conscience will and is able to discerne right and iudge uprightly and hath denounced to take vengeance of the very soules of sinners wherein they closely but chiefly offende Neither may mortall men adde to take from or alter at pleasure his wordes and what are his Sacraments but his wordes made visible and inuested with signes of his owne ordayning August 80. tract in Ioh. The examination of Iohns Baptisme was on this maner Whence is it Matt. 11.15 from aboue or from beneath of God or of mā Yf from heauen it was to be receiued if from the earth they might reiect it For what is earth to heauen man to God our dreames to his worde our dregges to his wine Is there any taste in the white of an egge What is chaffe to wheate or glasse to a diamonde 1. Sam. 15.22 Verily obedience is better then the sacrifice of good ententes as they be termed For will we honour him with the fattest cattell out of the stall or worshippe him in the calfe of purest golde the one is but a beast that eateth hay the other the workmanshippe of the engrauers hands By obeying we offer vp our bodyes soules a reasonable sacrifice wherein he is well pleased Thereby we reuerence his maiesty adore his wisedome subiect our willes to his will rest in his worde making no reckoning at all of any institutions that merely touche the conscience but of his Wherupon with the blessed virgin we saye Iohn 2.5 What euer he commandeth doe and also what he hath not commaunded we feare not to transgresse breake asunder as Samson did those greene withes and newe cordes Iudg. 16 9. Wee knowe all such witchecraftes the Lorde doeth vtterly abhorre As for his Sacraments they are his owne institutions hee marketh his sheepe with his owne markes writeth all with his own singer sealeth his writing with his owne signet Neither shoulde any presume so much as to set to these his seales but one ly such as are called to so hye a calling to be as it were the keepers of them to that ende appointed much lesse may men make newe seales of their owne deuising When it pleased GOD to seale his promise made to Abraham with the sacrament of circumcision Gene. 17. he calleth it his own couenant and saide It is I the Lorde the author thereof A particular rule generally to bee obserued in euery Sacrament of either Testamēt It is I the Lord. The signes 2 In the second place we are to take viewe of these seales for they are visible to the eye as his voyce is audible to the eare The drane water flie gazeth on euery faire flower but gathereth no honye as doth the Bee The wandring sight cōsidereth litle of the excellencie of the seales Before it was true to say No institution no Sacrament here we may as truely auouch No signe no Sacrament For the whole is made of all his partes and euery Sacrament hath euer these two members the outwarde signe and the inwarde grace and without the signe is no grace sacramentally signified at any time neyther is the shew of a signe sufficient it must be material and able in a conuenient proportion to demōstrate and declare to mans frayle capacitie the grace implied and signified as shall better appeare in the specials afterwarde The signes barely looked vpō in thēselues they are base matters earthly elements common ordinarie but put once the princes stampe to the mettall the seale to the waxe the waxe and seale to the Lordes promise the case is altered For earthly common and vsual elementes Iren. lib. 4. cap. 34. that a litle before were doe put nowe vpon them and are endued with diuine considerations yet stil in substāce remaining the same but in efficacy vertue seruice ends signification and representation of graces base thinges become beautifull and marueilous being thus sequestred by God himselfe to so high and holy purposes and therefore are vsualy termed by the very names that the graces themselues are called by And this is also a common rule amongst the Fathers See it so in examples out of the Scriptures Circumcision is the couenant the Lambe the Passeouer the Arke the Lorde Baptisme our buriall Christ the rocke the Bread his bodye the Cup his blood because the analogie of these thinges is liuely the proportion plaine the signes significantly ordeyned of God and being thus vttered they more affect our fayth and touch our affections The inuisible grace 3 Thirdly the graces that is the inward parte of the Sacraments are though singular in consolation yet secret in the mysterye of their operation God worketh howe he listeth and on whom he pleaseth The Iay feedeth belowe the carnall eye seeth nothing but the barke and ryne of these things bare water and bakers bread Fayth flyeth higher as the Eagle soareth vpwarde and mounteth to heauē it selfe where Christ sitteth at the right hande of the father the onely grounde worke life and soule of all the Sacraments that euer were or are in vse The song of Salomon is called the song of songes for his excellencie Nazianz. de Sacro Bapt. and God the God of gods for his puissāce In like maner the graces we reape receiue by Christ in the sacraments so great gracious are they they may be termed graces of graces as namely remission of sinnes imputation of righteousnesse sanctification of life a speciall application of our sauiour Iesus Neither yet for all this which is diligently to be noted doe we tye or binde his goodnes so hereby that he must needes worke with or can not worke without these meanes by his spirit the saluation of them whom he had chosen and destinated to eternal life before all worldes Many Israelites that died in the desert when they could not trauaile if they had bene sore and cut were saued without circūcision The thiefe that from the crosse went straight to heauen was neuer otherwise baptized then in his owne confession faith and petition to Christ Saluation is neither kneaded into the dough nor mingled w e water no more then with the word which is as Hierom sayeth more truely Christ Hierom. in Psal 147.3 cap. eccle but proceedeth from God and is conueyed by ordinary meanes of eyther word or outward signes where they are not contemned but may conueniently he had are reuerētly vsed as they ought The vse cōtinuance 4 And this is the fourth and last point the right vse and continuance of the Sacraments Phisicke is not prepared but to be receiued As in the Reuelation no man receiueth the white stone Reuel 2.17 but to whome it is giuen so no man readeth the writing but who receiueth it The authour of the Sacraments is God the signes holy the grace most holy This Manna would be kept in a golden pot and these iewels set in the
conuenient preparatiō thereunto Chrisost in 1. Cor. hom 24. For if it were a princes sacred body or but purple garment onely the matter whereof is wormes thread colour no better then the dead fishe blood yet were it not rashly to be abused with vnwashed or vncleane handes How much the more reuerent then ought the receiuing of these holy mysteries of Christs body and blood to be of all them that know what it is to stand in awe that they offend not Wherfore let a man examine himselfe saith the Apostle 1. Cor. 11.28 so let him eat of this bread drinke of this cup. Euen so therfore if not so not at all Better to abstaine then to come together for the worse As the print in waxe is more fitly receiued and fully expressed when the waxe is wrought and warmed first so like wise the effect of this Sacrament is more liuely felt and seene when wee repayre thereunto with prepared mindes wel instructed and throughly examined In which examination two poyntes chiefely are obserued wherof the one cōcerneth faith the other loue Fayth to be setled in our heartes towardes God Loue to be she wed to our neighbor The latter procedeth out of the former and both from the spirit of God Faith receiueth increase by hearing and prayer Rom. 10.17 Luk. 17.5 Mark 9.24 O Lord increase our faith Loue and faith iointly are stirred vp and strengthened by repentance in the worthy repayring to receiuing at the Lordes table Wherupon ariseth these three as agents in this examination assured faith brotherly loue earnest repentance Faith directeth in knowledge Loue is occupied in thākfulnes to God and good doing toward men Repentance euer in eyther amendeth what is omitted or done amisse and craueth pardon with humble minde and ful purpose not to offend in the like againe All which dueties as I take may be rightly considered according to the times wherin eyther we are to receiue or presently receiue or haue receiued the Sacrament The first is called a Preparation vnto the Supper the second a meditation therein the third a christian conuersation that must ensue thereupon In preparing our selues is required Preparatiō that we knowe of whom what and in what order wee must receiue It seemeth to be recorded as a commēdation Of whom we receiue 1. Sam. 1.23 that Anna nursed her owne sonne in which respect among infinite others the loue of God exceedeth all loue Wherein as he spareth no cost so hee vndertaketh any care Plutar de institu lib. which nice and vnnatural mothers refuse to do putting forth their infantes to bee nursed abroade without neede or cause Our God doeth not so neyther needeth he so to doe Isai 49.15 his breasts are neither sore nor drye at any time Of his owne good will he begat vs againe in baptisme so will he stil feede and bring vs vp to a full age perfect grouth in Christ Sufficient or abundant prouision for the house himselfe in his wisedome hath prouided the holy spirite being steward of all and as it were distributer and caruer at the board What we receiue And to come to the seconde poynt what we receiue The meate of this table is the very death of Christ the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world The story and institution whereof is recorded by three Euangelistes Matt. 26.26 Mark 14.22 Luk. 22.19 and againe commented vpon by the holy ghost at large in the former Epistle of S. Paul to the Corinthians where the Apostle beginneth the matter with a faithful saying 1. Cor. 11.23 That which I haue receiued of the Lorde I haue deliuered you For otherwise if he came with offers of his own deuising himselfe raught the Galathians what his entertainement ought to be Gal. 1.8 Let him be accused though he were an Angell of God from heauen The Lord Iesus that night that he was betrayed tooke bread and when he had giuen thanks he brake and sayde Take eate this is my bodie which is broken for you this doe in remembrance of me In like maner the cup c. For as often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke this cup ye shewe the Lordes death till he come againe Wherein wee see euidently what Christ did also in duetie what we must do In the visible signes which he tooke of bread that he brake wine that he powred foorth and in deliuering thē both to be taken eaten and drunke he manifestly declared two things the one that he woulde immediately make an oblation for the redemption of mankinde vpon the altar of the crosse the other that for euer he woulde be the euerlasting foode of their soules his body to be the bread of life his precious blood to be their comfortable drinke the Physicke of immortalitie Ignat. epist ad Eph. and preseruatiue against all euill The sacrifice oblation he intēded is plaine by these words Which is broken Mat. 26.28 which is shed for many for remission of sinnes Euen is brokē and shed because the houre wherin he should be betrayed and suffer drewe nigh and was at hande That he would be their foode is proued cleerely in that hee commaūded to take eate this is my body Nowe by the way out of these two notes may be noted two forcible reasons against the sacrifice pretended in the masse They are lately delighted with motiues and demandes may I aske them this question Doe they thinke a sinfull priest can do more at his masse then the sōne of God did at his supper I hope they will not prefer a meere man before Christ God and man the Sauiour of the worlde And if so then may they see their priest can make no sacrifice for Christ himselfe when he sate at boorde with his disciples made none but declared what he meante to make For and if he had so done the Thursday at night what needed he thē to haue suffered the Fryday at noone againe he willeth vs to take and eate and feede on him He offreth himselfe to be receiued of vs not to be offered by vs to his Father That was his owne proper and personall duety But to leaue to speake hereof our dewtie is with thankfulnes to feede on the food he offreth vs euen to eate and drinke him to partake his blessed body and precious blood Wherein notwithstanding to mistake and mingle the signes and the things signified cōfusedly without differēce were as Aug. sayth De doct Chr. a miserable thraldome to the very soule of a Christian man Christes wordes be plaine He tooke bread after thankes giuen he breake gaue bread for what he toke he brake and what he brake he gaue and therefore he gaue bread For the Apostle saith he brake bread and that he calleth his body and so concerning the cuppe for after a sort to speake of one is to speake of both Marie tooke Christ to
rudenesse a Kinge to conquere our enemies But his Priesthoode and his sacrifice we chiefly celebrate in this Sacrament which also may be and is termed therfore a Sacrifice not of Christ but to Christ in remēbrance of his the sacrifice of praise the calues of our lippes the incense of thankes giuing and this Leuites fire should neuer go out and in the present flame all abroad Wherein we beleeue in heart confesse with mouth that Iesus Christ came into the world to saue sinners being perfite God was made perfite man Man that he might die God the in dying he might satisfie for mankind for because that the flesh alone profiteth nothing his manhood was not sufficient except also he had bene very God Wherfore God euen our God so exceedingly loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten sonne and therefore he also naturaly God the sonne like the father to bee the ransome for the sinnes of the world Isai 53 5◠The chastisement of our peace was vpon him the peace ours the chastisement his all sufficient for all the sinnes both of body and soule of all sinners The grieuousnes and bitternes of which cup may be considered in that our Sauiour after a sort tasted thereof and it tasted bitter put forth his hand to take it pulled it in againe began to tremble his very soule was sorowful praied earnestly went out and prayed againe that if it were possible it might passe ouer needed an Angell for comfort swet water drops of blood If there were nothing herein but an vsuall death woulde Christ thus haue bene afflicted The heathē haue suffred more with more pacience apparant therfore there must be and was more in it and yet he is not come to the bitternes in the bottom of the cup. Those former agonies were but hony in comparison of the conflict with Sathan which followed and the wrath of his father which ensued when all sinnes as heauy as hell more then the starres of heauen or the sand of the sea were layed in one vpon him and he for them made a curse and execration Isa 53.8 the iust executed for the vniust one for all A childe is borne to vs and giuen vnto vs and liued for vs. This might comfort Ierusalem at the heart but the end perfection of our ioy and his sorowe was his death on crosse wherein consisteth the thankfull meditation I speake of holpen by breaking of the bread and the powring foorth of the wine before our sight wherein the default of our aduersaries appeareth greatly that debarreth the people of so great an helpe For be it that perfect Christ be communicated in the bread yet in the wine significātly is resembled his bloodsheding most And howe dare they alter the Lordes institution As he tooke bread euen so he tooke the cup 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then if bread be requisite so is the cup also For as he tooke the one so he tooke the other Eckius in ench Eckius woulde proue his halfe cōmunion out of his Paternoster giue vs this day our daily bread A begger is neuer out of his way What scripture wil not serue for any purpose if that do for his Saint Paul teacheth what the Lorde did and what the Corinthians should do till Christ his comming in the cloudes hee meaneth what al posteritie was to do For those Corinthians are gone the way of all fleshe their church rased He telleth them in them vs Other thinges at his comming he would dispose of as of indifferent circūstances But for the lawfull and inuiolable vsage of the Sacrament in both kindes he deliuered as he had receiued Dauid slewe the Gyant with one stone but he toke more then one out of the brook Christ is receiued in his word by his spirit in baptisme sacramentaly in either or rather in both the signes of the Supper ioyntly taken as he ordeyned So sufficiently and aboundantly hath the Lord prouided for his houshold bread made of many graynes and also wine of many grapes the answerably we being many may bee one in him and hee in vs expecting the accomplishment of our ioy to the full no more in signes figures in earth but apparantly to eate and drincke at Christes table with him in the kingdome of heauen where we shal sit on seates iudge the twelue tribes of Israel Luke 22.30 Amen There are certaine kindes both of byrdes and beastes Conuersation whose meate wil not tarie with them but passeth quickly away recto intestino Such beastes neuer chew the cud And some men not vnlike or worse then beastes meditate litle of whom they were begotten and fed what they feede on or in what sorte much lesse doth the meat digest with them to make thē strōg men in Christ as if Sara were their mother Agar their nurse or as if they were nursed with milke weaned with poyson and the meate naught and woulde not proue with them so doe they liue In comming to the Seruice Sacramentes eyther for company or custome sake they looke one way with the godly but in their conuersation they row another way and shewe in their deedes of what felowship they are They passe through the redde sea but murmure in the wildernes nay euen at the redde sea offend they God In pretence somwhat they are but inwardly nothing and in fact naught Their windows be not scued as Salomōs were to giue a full light into the house to their owne heartes in hypocrisie somewhat is shewed the window wide enough outwardly Fayth Loue Repentance to sight are set forth in performāce euery one is for him selfe neyther thankefull to God neyther charitable to his neighbor and both without remorse These thinges ought not to be so this Passeouer would not be so eaten our loynes so soone vngirded our staues throwen away the water of Baptisme trampled on the bread and wine or the body and blood of Christ thus receiued all in vaine Were it that the naughtye liuer could bee a good beleeuer for the time or were it that as water he might be whote immediately before and at the action of receiuing yet if when the fire is remoued the cold qualities returne againe what auayleth the former heate A cole is red while it is in the fire when the fire is out his blacke and naturall colour returneth by by againe and then light it againe and it seemeth red againe but yet in the ende it consumeth to ashes The bone that is often set in ioynte August de tem Ser. 58. will hardly be wel ioyned often Let no man presume of sinning nor yet despaire of mercie The Sacraments as they are seales of mercy so are they also bondes of obedience as God will perfourme on his part al so must we endeuour to shew our selus duetiful in al good works Wherunto to perswade if there were nothing els but this this may suffice that