and the discouerie of Transubstantiation one of the last heresies which Babylon hatched Now they which haue bene Patrons of it before should doe like the father and mother of an idolater that is laie 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 Lords Supper THE SECOND SERMON 1. Cor. 11. 25. 26. 27. 28. 25 After the same manner also hee tooke the Cuppe when he had supped saying This Cup is the New Testament in my blood this doe as oft as yee drinke it in remembrance of me 26 For as often as yee shall eate this bread and drinke this Cuppe yee shewe the Lords death till he come 27 Wherefore whosoeuer shall eate this bread and drinke the Cuppe of the Lord vnworthily shall be guiltie of the bodie and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a man therefore examine himselfe and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this Cuppe HEere I am to speake of the second seruice as it were at the Lordes table and of that preparation which is lyke the Wedding garment that euerie man must bring to this BaÌ„quet These words are diuersly repeated of the Euangelists Here it is sayd This Cup is the New Testament in my blood In Mathew in Mark it is said This Cup is my blood of the new Testament This is the first meÌ„tion 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 singet This word Testament dooth implie a promise and therefore teacheth vs that the Sacrament dooth confirme and strengthen and nourish our faith because it sealeth the promise which we should beleeue Here is to be noted that Christ doth not onely speake of a Testament but hee calleth it a New Testament which words neuer met together before as though the Law were for the olde man to mortifie him and the Gospel for the new man to comfort him againe or as if the olde Testament had so washt her face and chaunged her apparell at Christes comming that one would not thinke it the same but a newe Testament because euen now she was shadowed with a thousand Ceremonies and now they are gone from her like a mist at the Sunne rising As Christ calleth Loue A new Commandement because hee 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 hee renewed it againe which should bee alway new and fresh vnto vs. Euery Testament is confirmed with blood the olde Testament was confirmed by the blood of Goates and Bullockes and Rammes but the new Testament is confirmed by the blood of Christ My blood saith Christ is the blood of the new Testament nay This Cup saith Christ is the new Testament You may see then that they may gather as well out of Christs words that the Cup is the new Testament as that the Wine is his blood for Christ sayth This Cup is the new Testament as well as he saith this Wine is my blood or this bread is my bodie Beside when Christ speakes of a new Testament he implieth that the old Testament is fulfilled the sacrifices and Ceremonies of the Lawe did signifie Christ before hee came therefore they are fulfilled in his comming no moe Sacrifices no mo Ceremonies for the truth is come Sacrifices and Ceremonies are honorablie 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 Samuel out of his graue Therefore 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 deceâ—sed like the Witch which presumed to raise Samuel out of his graue This Testament is called a Testament in blood because the Testament and Will of a man is confirmed when the man is dead so Christ confirmed his testament by his death Moses saith that life is in the blood so the blood of Christ is the life of this Testament If Christes blood had not bene shed this testament made vnto vs had bene vnprofitable as the Testament of a Father is vnto his sonne if the father should not die but liue therfore the Apostle saith without shedding of blood there is no remission of sinnes Therefore the Testament or Couenaunt of the remission of our sinnes is called the Testament in blood the blood of Christ is the seale of the Testament which wee haue to shew vnto God for the remission of our sins and the two Sacraments are a seale of that blood to witnesse that it was shed Againe this is a matter regarded in testaments and Willes to the Testament of him that is dead no man addeth or detracteth but as the testator made it so it standeth without alteration so should this testament of Christ and this sacrament of Christ no man should alter it now hee is dead for hee which addeth or detracteth hath a curse in Gods booke Therefore Christ when he instituted this Sacrament commaunded Doo this that is doo as I doo least they should swarue one whit from his owne manner yet how many gaudes haue the Papists added to it that he which had heard Christ say Doe this in remembraunce of me and should see how they handle the matter in their Masse coulde see nothing to remember Christ by but a vayle to hide Christ from him Therefore this Commaundement was repeated againe when hee gaue the Wine Doe this c. As hee commaunded them to eate the Bread in remembraunce of him so hee commaundeth them to drinke the wine in remembraunce of him nay hee speakes more precisely of the wine then of the bread for hee saith of the wine Drinke you all of this which hee saith not of the breade Surely Christ did foresee that some proud heretikes would doe otherwise after him euen as it is come to passe for the Papist doth break this Commandement of Christ as flatly as Saul brake the commaundement of Samuell Samuell commanded him to kill the fat and the leane Saul killed the leane but not the fat so Christ commaundeth to receiue bread and wine they teach to receiue breade but not wine Christ sayth Drinke you all of this they say drink not al of this Christ gaue the bread and wine to all they giue the bread to all and the wine to some their Priests receiue all but the people must content themselues with halfe the Priest eates and drinkes but the people must not drinke for spilling on their cloathes Is
to shew that Christ is not a corporall meate as the Papists say he sayth hee is a spirituall meate as we say therefore you see that wee doe not eate him corporally no more then our Fathers but that as they did eate him spiritually so do wee for spirituall meate must be eaten spiritually as corporall meate is eaten corporally Agayne for the signes to bee turned into the thing signified by them is vtterly against the nature of a Sacrament and makes it no Sacrament because there is no signe for euerie Sacrament doth consist of a signe and a thing signified the signe is euer an earthlie thing and that which it signifieth is a heauenly thing This shall appeare in al examples As in Paradise there was a very Tree for the signe and Christ the thing signified by it in Circumcision there was a cutting off of the skinne and the cutting off of sinne in the Passe-ouer there was a Lambe Christ in the Sabboth there was a day of rest and eternall rest in the sacrifices there was an offering of some beast and the offering of Christ in the Sanctuarie there was the holie place and heauen in the Propitiatorie there was the golden couering and Christ our couer in the Wildernesse there was a Rocke yeelding water and Christ yeelding his blood in the Apparition there was a Doue and the holy Ghost in the Manna there was bread and Christ in Baptisme there is verie water which washeth vs and Christs blood washing vs so in the Supper of Christ there is verie bread and Wine for the signe and the bodie and blood of Christ for the thing signified or else this Sacrament is against the nature of all other sacraments Againe there must bee a proportion betweene the Passe-ouer and the Lords Supper because this was figured by the other Nowe the Iewes had in their Passe-ouer Breade and Wine and a Lambe So our sauiour Christ instituting his last Supper left Bread and Wine and a Lambe the which name is giuen to himselfe because hee came like a Lambe and died like a Lambe Againe if Christs verie bodie were offered in the sacramēt then it were not a sacrament but a sacrifice which two differ as much as giuing and taking for in a sacrifice we giue and in a sacrament wee receiue and therefore wee say our sacrifice and Christs sacrament Againe euery sacrifice was offered vpon the Altar Now marke the wisedome of the holy-Ghost least we should take this for a Sacrifice hee neuer names Altar when hee speakes of it but The Table of the Lord. Therefore it is no doubt but the diuell hath kept the name of Altar that we might think it a sacrifice Againe if the bread were Christes flesh and the wine his blood as these two are separate one from the other so Christs flesh should be separate from his blood but his bodie is not deuided for then it were a dead bodie Againe that which remaineth doth nourish the bodie relish in the mouth as it did before which could not be but that it is the same food which it was before Againe I would aske whose are this whitenesse and hardnesse and roundnes and coldnesse None of them say that it is the whitenesse and hardnesse and roundnesse and coldnesse of Christs body therefore it must needes bee the whitenesse and hardnesse and roundnesse and coldnesse of the bread or else qualities should stand without substances which is as if one should tell you of a house without a foundation Againe as Christ dwelleth in vs so hee is eaten of vs but hee dwelleth in vs onely by faith Ephe. 3. 17. Therfore he is eaten only by faith Agayne none can bee 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 Againe Christ sayth not This wine but This cup and therefore by their conclusion not onely the wine should bee turned into blood but the cup too Againe Paul saith They which receiue vnwoorthilie receiue their owne damnation But if it were the flesh of Christ they should rather receiue saluation then damnation because Christ saith Hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath life euerlasting Iohn 6. 54. Againe if they would heare an Angell from heauen when Christs bodie was glorified an Angell sayd to the woman Hee is risen and is not here Mat. 28. as if he should say his body is but in one place at once or else he might haue bene there though he was risen Againe why doe they say in receiuing this Sacrament euer since the primitiue Church Lift vp your hearts if they haue al in their mouthes To end this cōtrouersie here wee may say as the Disciples said to Christ Whither shall we go from thee I meane wee neede not to go to any other expositor of Christ then Christ himselfe therefore marke what he saith at first when Christ said that he was the bread of life that al which wold liue must eate him they murmured vntill he expoūded his words how did he expound his words Thus Hee that commeth vnto mee hath eaten and he that beleeueth in mee hath drunke After when hee instituted this Sacramēt in like words they murmured not which they would as before if hee had not resolued thē before that to eat his body and to drinke his blood was nothing but to come to him and beleeue in him After hee had said so they murmured not because they did see some reason in it as it is plainlie said This is my bodie so it is plainlie saide These words are spirite that is they must be vnderstood spirituallie and not literallie But if it be flesh indeed why doe they not satisfie the simple people how they may eate this flesh in Lent when they forbid them to eate any flesh they must needs eate it doubtfully and he which doubteth saith Iames receiueth nothing therefore hee which eateth the masse receiueth nothing I did not alleage the Fathers in my Sermon but if any suspend his assent till they bring in their verdit let him heare thē make confession of their beleefe Augustine saith the Lord doubted not to say This is my bodie when hee gaue onely a signe or Sacrament of his bodie Tertullian saith This is my bodie that is a signe of my bodie Ambrose saith the bread and wine remain still the same thing that they were Theodoret sayth after the consecration the mysticall signs doe not cast off their own nature but abide still in their first substance and forme Origene sayth the bread that is sanctified with the word of God as touching the materiall substance thereof goeth into the bellie and foorth againe like other meats Irenaeus saith that it hath two things in it one
earthly and the other heauenly Cyril saith our Sacraments auouch not the eating of a man Cyprian saith the Lord calleth bread made of many graines his bodie and called wine made of many grapes his blood Athanasius sayth Christ made mention of his ascension into heauē that he might withdraw his Disciples from corporall and fleshly eating Chrysostome sayth God giueth vs things spirituall vnder things visible and naturall And againe being sanctified it is deliuered from the name of bread and is exalted to the name of the Lords body although the nature of the bread still remaine And because they beleeue that the Pope cannot erre Pope Gelasius setteth too his hand and sayth with the rest Neyther the substaunce of the bread nor nature of the wine cease to be more then they were before Tell vs Papist do not these Fathers speake as plaine as we Canst thou auouch Transubstantiation more flatlie then they denie it How had this heresie bene chased if the diuel had hatched it in their time Thus the Scriptures on the one side and the Fathers on the other side did so trouble three Archpapists Biel Tonstal and Fisher that Gabriel Biel sayth how the bodie of Christ is in the Sacrament is not found in the Canon of the Bible Tonstall saith It had bene better to leaue euerie man to his owne coniecture as they were before the Councell of Laterane than to bring in such a question Fisher saith No man can proue by the words of the Gospell that any Priest in these dayes dooth consecrate the verie bodie and blood of Christ Here is fulfilled Out of thine owne mouth I will condemne thee But we will not carrie the matter so because a Iudge must haue two eares therefore now let them speake Because they cannot tell how the bread wine should bee turned into flesh and blood and yet appeare bread and wine still they say it is a myracle but how doe they prooue it If they contende it is a myracle they must shewe vs a signe for euerie myracle may be seene like all the myracles of Moses and Christ and the Apostles and therefore a myracle is called a signe because it may be seene like a signe and the word signifieth a wonder And the Iewes crauing a myracle sayd Shew vs a myracle as though they were taught to iudge of myracles by sight All which doth shew that a myracle may be seene but here no myracle is seene Againe a myracle especially in the time of the Gospell is an extraordinarie thing but they make this an ordinarie thing for if the bread and wine be turned into flesh blood then myracles are as common as Sacraments and so because they haue Masse euerie day they should worke myracles euerie day Lastly this seemeth strange that Augustin whom they so much honour gathered all the myracles which are written in the scripture and yet amongst all speaks not of this therefore then it was counted no myracle but Paule speakes of lying myracles and this is one of them If they say that Christ can turne bread and wine into his bodie and therefore hee doth First they must proue that he wil for they can doe many things themselues which they doe not because they will not therefore it is an old answere that from Can to Will no Argument followeth The Leper did not say vnto Christ If thou cāst thou wilt but If thou wilt thou canst But the question which they think cannot be answered like their inuincible Nauies is this If the bread be not his bodie why doth he call it his bodie Resolue this knot and all is cleare Marke then and we will loose it as well as we can He saith This is my bodie as he saith after which is broken for you Why his bodie was not broken before he suffered how did he say then which is broken before it was broken There is no sense of it but this the bread was broken and signified that his body should be broken Now as the breaking of the bread did signifie the breaking of his bodie so the bread must needes signifie his bodie but as his bodie was not broken indeede when the bread was broken so the bread could not be his bodie indeed for then his body should haue bin broken when the bread was broken Yet let them obiect what they can If say they the bread and wine bee not changed into his bodie and blood why doth hee speake so darkly hee might haue spoken plainer I answere though this seeme darke to Papists yet it was not darke to the Apostles they vnderstood his meaning well inough and all the rest for 1215. yeares after Christ before Transubstantiation was spoken of If the Apostles had not vnderstood his meaning they would not sticke to aske him as their manner was vntill they were acquainted with Christs phrase whensoeuer they doubted vpon any of his speeches they were wont to come vnto him and say Master what is the meaning but they were vsed to such phrases for it was Christes manner to teach by similitudes shewing one thing by another which is the plainest manner of teaching and most vsed in holie scripture especially in the types and shadowes of this Sacrament For example Christ calleth the Lambe the Passeouer in place whereof this Sacrament succeeded and therefore presentlie after they had eaten the Passe-ouer Christ instituted this Sacrament to be vsed for it Christ I say called the Lambe the Passe-ouer and yet the Passe-ouer was this an angel passed ouer the houses of the Israelites and stroke the Egyptians this was not a Lambe and yet because the Lambe was a signe of this Passe-ouer as the bread and wine is of Christes bodie therefore Christ called the Lambe the Passeouer as hee calleth the bread and wine his bodie Againe Circumcision is called the Couenant and yet Circumcision was nothing but the cutting away of a skinne but the Couenant is In Abrahams seede all Nations shall be blessed I will be their God and they shall be my people I will defend and saue them they shall serue and worship me This is not Circumcision and yet as though circumcision were the couenant it selfe it is called the couenant because it signifieth the Couenant so bread and wine are called Christes bodie because they signifie Christs bodie Againe Baptisme is called Regeneration and yet Baptisme is a dipping of our bodies in water but regeneration is the renuing of the minde to the image wherein it was created This is not Baptisme and yet as though Baptisme were Regeneration it selfe it is called Regeneration because it signifieth Regeneration so the bread and wine are called Christs bodie because they signifie Christs bodie Againe the Cup is called the new Testament and yet the Cup is but a peece of mettall filled with wine but the new Testament is He which
Christe not onelie the benefites of Christ but Christ although not in a popish manner yet we are so ioined vnto him as though wee were but one bodie with him As the spouse dooth not marrie with the landes and goods but with the man himselfe and being partaker of him is made partaker of them so the faithfull doe not onelie marrie with Christes benefites but with Christ himselfe and being partakers of him they are made partakers of his benefites for Christ may not be deuided from his benefites no more then the Sunne from his light It is said The Father gaue vs his Sonne and so the sonne giueth vs himselfe For as the Breade is a signe of his bodie so the giuing of the Bread is a signe of the giuing of his bodie Thus he lieth before vs like a Pellicane which letteth her yoong ones sucke her blood so that wee may say the Lord inuited vs to supper and hee himselfe was our meate But if you aske howe this is I must aunswere It is a mysterie but if I coulde tell it it were no mysterie Yet as it is sayd when three men walked in the midst of the furnace One like the sonne of God walked amongst them So when the faithful 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 receyuest in earnest a peece of golde that which thou receiuest is but a peece of golde but now it is a signe of thy bargaine and if thou keepe not touch with him happily it will claspe thee for all that thou art woorth 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 and I aske thee what hast thou there and thou sayest I haue here an hundred pounds why say I there is nothing but paper inke and waxe Oh but by this sayest thou I wil recouer an hundreth pounds and that is as good So beloued this is as good that vnder these signes you receiue the vertue of Christs body and blood by faith as if you did eate his bodie and drinke his blood 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 eat their God All the Apostles say that it was needfull that Christ should take our flesh but no Apostle sayth that it is needfull that we should take Christes flesh for all the blessinges of Christ are apprehended by faith nothing is fit to apprehend him whome wee see not but fayth and therefore one of their owne pillars sayd Beleeue and thou hast eaten Faith dooth more in religion then the mouth or else we might say with the woman Blessed are the breasts which gaue thee sucke and so none should be blessed but Marie but Marie 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 Marie is called blessed among women when Christ heard the women say Blessed are the breasts 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 and thou shouldest say as this woman Blessed is the bodie that hath thee in it nay would Christ say Blessed is the heart that hath me in it If Marie were no whit better for hauing Christ in her armes nor for hauing her in her bodie howe much better art thou for hauing him in thy bellie where thou canst not see him Must the sunne needs come to vs or else cannot his heate and light profite vs nay it dooth vs more good because it is so farre off so this Sunne is gone from vs that hee might giue more light vnto vs which made him saie It is good for you that I go from you therefore away with this carnall eating of spirituall things Manie daughters haue done vertuously but thou saith Salomon surpassest them all So manie heretikes haue spoken absurdlie but this surpasseth them all that Christ must be applied like phisicke as though his blood could not profite vs vnlesse we did drinke it and swallow it as a potion Is this the Papists vnion with Christ Is this the manner whereby wee are made one flesh with Christ to eate his flesh nay when hee tooke our flesh vnto him and was made man then we were vnited to him in the flesh and not now Christ tooke our flesh we take not his flesh but beleeue that he tooke ours therefore if you would know whether Christs bodie be in the sacrament I say vnto you as Christ said vnto Thomas touch feele and see In visible things God hath appointed our eyes to be iudges for as the spirite discerneth spirituall obiects so sense discerneth of sensible obiects As Christ taught Thomas to iudge of his bodie so may we and so should they therefore if you cannot see his body nor feele his body you may gather by Christes saying to Thomas that hee would not haue you beleeue that it is his body for my bodie saith Christ may be seene and felt And thus Transubstantiation is found a liar Nowe if you aske mee why Christ calleth the signe by the name of the thing it selfe I aske thee againe Mayst thou say when thou seest the picture of the Queene this is the Queene and when thou seest the picture of a Lyon this is a Lyon and may not Christ say when he seeth a thing like his bodie This is my bodie I shewed you before that euery Sacrament is called by the name of the thing which it dooth signifie and therefore why should we stumble at this more then the rest The reason why the signes haue the name of the things is to strike a deeper reuerēce in vs to receiue this sacrament of Christ reuerētly sincerely and holily as if Christ were there preset in body and blood himselfe And surely as hee which defaceth the Queenes seale is conuicted of contempt and treason to her owne person so he which prophaneth these seales of Christ doth not worship Christ but despise him and that contempt shall be required of him as if hee had contemned Christ himselfe This is the reason why Christ calleth the signes of his bodie his bodie to make vs take this Sacrament reuerently because we are apt to contemne it as the Iewes did their Manna It followeth
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 betraied then the manner how he did institute it he tooke bread when he had giuen thanks he brake it and gaue vnto his disciples c. then the end why hee 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 woorthie saith Iohn to loose his shoo so wee are not worthie to wait at his trencher and yet hee will 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 creased because he is our Passeouer that is the Lambe by whose blood wee are saued When Christ came Circumcision ceased because he is our circumcision that is the purifier and cleanser of our sinnes Now these two Sacraments are fulfilled he hath appointed two other Sacraments for them in stead of the pascall Lambe which the Iewes did eat hee hath giuen vs another Lambe to eate which Iohn calleth the Lambe of God that is himselfe vpon whome all doe feede whosoeuer doe receiue this Sacrament with an assured faith that Christ died to possesse them of life The breaking of the bread dooth signifie the wounding of the bodie the pouring out 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 blood doe nourish in vs life eternall as the bread and wine doe nourish the life present In stead of Circumcision which began at Abraham he hath ordeined Baptisme which began at Iohn a more liuely representation of the true circumcision of the heart because it representeth vnto vs the blood 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 Lordes Supper because it was instituted at night when they vsed to sup But what night Euen that night saith Paule when he was betraied that night which he should haue cursed as Iob did the day of his birth if hee had suffered against his will that night when he 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 betraied him Many nights did he spend in watching and praying for vs and is there a night now for vs to kill and betraie him That was a darke night when men went about to put out the Sunne which brought them light Who can but wonder to see how Christ and they for whom Christ came were occupied at one time when they deuised mischiefe against him and sought all meanes to destroy him then hee consulted how to saue them and instituted the same night this blessed sacrament to conuey all his graces blessings vnto them Euen that night when they betraied him The reason why this action was deferred vntill night is because that was the time appointed by the Law to eate the Passe-ouer which was like a predecessor of this Sacrament The reason why he deferred it vntil his last night was because the Passe-ouer could not be ended before the fulnesse of time and the true Paschall Lambe were come to be slaine in stead of the other Therefore how fitlie did Christ end the Passe-ouer 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 ouer night both in the Passe-ouer and in the Sacrament was so liuely resembled vnto them If anie man from this doe gather that we ought to eate the Lordes Supper at night as Christ did he must vnderstand that we haue not the same cause to doe so which Christ had because of the Passe-ouer And therefore the Church which hath discretion of times and places hath altered both the time and the place vsing the Temples in sted of the chamber and the morning in sted of the euening for indifferent things are ruled by order and decency Touching the manner He tooke bread and when hee had giuen thankes hee brake it and gaue it vnto them Hee would not eate it nor breake it before he had giuen thankes to God What neede he which was God giue thankes to God but to shewe vs what wee should doe when we eate our selues In all things giue thanks saith Paul whereby we declare that all things come from God but the wicked beleeue easier that God doeth take then that hee doth giue and therefore they neuer praie hartily vnto him for anie thing nor feelingly thanke him for it For which the Lord complaineth saying I haue loued you yet ye say wherein hast thou loued vs Shewing that we are worse then the oxe which knoweth his feeder And if wee acknowledge all things from God yet wee doe like Lot Is it not a little one saith he when he craued to go vnto Zoar as though it were not much which he asked so we mince extenuate the giftes of God before we receiue them and after like them which haue a grace for dinner and none for breakfast as though they had their dinners from God and breakfasts of their owne Our example did not so although it was but bread which hee receiued yet hee was more thankfull for bread then many which burie the foules and fishes and beastes in their bellie for if a count of all were kept for one that praieth Giue vs this day our daily bread a hundred take their bread and meat and sleep too which neuer pray for it After hee had giuen thankes hee brake it and gaue vnto them and saide Take eate for when he had giuen thankes to God then it was sanctified and blessed and lawfull to eate So when thou seruest God then it is lawfull for thee to vse Gods blessinges then thou maiest eate and drinke as Christ did but not before for these thinges were created to serue them which serue God if thou doest not serue him for them thou encrochest vpon Gods blessinges and stealest his creatures which are no more thine then thou art his for the good God created all things for good men as the diuels possessions are reserued for euill men Therefore as Christ would not breake the bread before hee had giuen thankes to the founder so know that there is some thing to be done before thou receiue anie benefite of GOD and presume not to vse his creatures with more libertie than his sonne did which did not eate without giuing thankes nor rise againe without singing a Psalme
them which breake the lawes of men 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 shedde his bloud like an vmpire betweene God and vs and saide as Esay saide to Hezechia Thou shalt not dye but liue loose him let him goe for hee is mine So we were staied like the widdowes sonne when he was carried to his graue This is the benefite of Christes 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 greeuous 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 himselfe which should haue crucified vs came to be crucified of vs for vs y t 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 workes or penance Christ hath satisfied and not we we are remitted and not Christ therefore we say in our confession I beleeue the remission of sinnes which I may call the mercifull 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 sinnes 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 doore 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 will cope with the Lord and giue him so many pilgrimages fast so many daies heare so many masses and paie so manie workes for it vntill they haue done as much good as they haue done euill Our sinnes are infinite and God is infinit but our works are finite in number and measure how can they answere then to that which exceedeth number and measure Therefore be content with Iosephs brethren to take your money againe and 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 doo not beleeue the remission of sinnes but satisfaction for sinnes like the Papists It followeth As often as yee shall eate this bread and drinke this cuppe yee shall shewe the Lords death till he come Here are three inuincible arguments against Popish transubstantiation like the three witnesses vnder which euerie word doth stand First we are sayd to eate bread then it is not flesh but bread Secondly we are saide to shew the Lordes death then it is but a shewe or representation of his death Thirdly it is said vntill hee come if hee be to come then he is not come if he be come how can we say vntill hee come The effect of this verse was shewed in these wordes Doe this in remembrance of me For to say Doe this in remembrance of me and to say So oft as you doe this you shew my death is much at one so that if you call this Sacrament a shewe of Christes death as it is called here then it is not Christ or if you call it a remembraunce of Christ as it is called there yet it is not Christ but a shewe or remembrance of Christ but this is such a shew and remembrance that the next verse saith Whosoeuer receiueth it vnworthily is guiltie of the bodie and bloud of Christ Will yee know who receiueth vnworthely In the nine and twentith verse Paul saith he discerneth not the Lords bodie that is which putteth no difference betweene this bread and other but eateth like a childe the meate which hee knoweth not and after the bread seemeth stones to him and the wine poyson because his conscience telleth him I haue receiued vnwoorthelie before I could say like Dauid My hart is prepared My sheepe saith Christ know my voyce as they discerne Christs wordes so they discerne Christes bodie and therefore so often as they come to the Lordes table they seeme to come into the Lords presence there they greete and kisse and embrace one another with affections which none can know but they that feele like Iohn which leaped in the wombe so soone as Christ came neare him Will yee know beside what it is to bee guiltie of the bodie and blood 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 guiltie of theyr owne death too as if they had committed two murthers and therefore Paul saith after that many of the Corinthians dyed onely for the vnwoorthie receiuing of this Sacrament As the Worde is the sauour of death to them which receiue it vnworthelie so the Sacrament is the sauour of death to them which receiue it vnworthelie it neuer goeth into their mouth but they are traitors ipso facto may say to Hell this day haue I taken possession of thee because I am guiltie of Christes blood Therefore it followeth immediatlie Let a man examine himselfe before hee eate of this bread or drinke of this wine as if he should say If he which receiueth this Sacrament vnworthely bee 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 lest you receiue like the sonne of perdition which swallowed the bread and the Diuell together Therefore Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate that is let him examine first and receiue after for if wee should receiue the bread of the earth reuerentlie how should we receiue the bread of heauen When Iehonadab came to Iehu his chariot hee sayd Is thy heart vpright as my heart is toward thee So when wee come to the Lordes table hee would haue our hearts vpright to him as his heart is to vs for who feasteth his enemies 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 handes than with an vnwashen heart The Iewes were taught to choose the Lambe of the Passe-ouer on the tenth daye of the first moneth in which moneth they came out of Egypt and on the fourteenth daye after they were taught to eate him so they had foure daies respite betweene the choosing and the killing to prepare
was receiued himselfe saying He which laboureth in the word is worthie of double honour that is the Preacher after a sort is more to be honoured than the Ruler for Aaron was the elder brother but Moses was the yonger brother therefore if there be any appendix the Magistrate is the appendix for if Aarons Vrim Thumi would haue serued Moses rod and staffe should not haue needed but when the tongue could not perswade the rod did compell and so came in the Magistrate As Paul sheweth the Thessalonians how the Preachers of the Word should be honoured so hee teacheth the Philippians how to honor their teachers saying Receiue him in the Lorde with great gladnesse and make much of such that is shewe your selues so glad of him that hee may bee glad of you Haue you neede to bee taught why Paule would haue you make much of such Because they are like Lampes which consume themselues to giue light to other so they consume themselues to giue light to you because they are like a Henne which clocketh her Chickens together from the Kite so they clocke you together from the Serpent because they are lyke the showte which did beate downe the walles of Iericho so they beate downe the walles of sinne because they are like the fiery piller which went before the Israelites to the Land of Promise so they goe before you to the Lande of Promise because they are like good Andrewe which called his brother to see the Messias so they call you to see the Messias and therefore make much of such If wee shoulde make much of Prophets how much shoulde wee make of Prophecying If wee should loue our Instructors how much should wee loue instruction Symeon keeping in the Temple met with Christ so manie hearing the Worde haue met with knowledge haue met with comfort haue met with peace haue met with saluation but without the Worde neuer any was conuerted to GOD. Therefore whensoeuer the Word is preached euerie one may say to himselfe as the Disciples sayd to the blinde man Be of good comfort hee calleth thee Be of good comfort the Lorde calleth thee but when the word is not preached then euerie man may say to himselfe beware the diuell calleth thee When the Prophets went from Ierusalem then sword and famine and pestilence and all the plagues of God rained vpon them euen as fire came vpon Sodome so soone as Lot was gone out therefore what may those Landes feare which vse their Prophets as the Iewes vsed them which sent them Amos calleth it an euill time wherein the prudent keepe silence Chapt. 5. verse 13. therfore this is an euil time wherein the prudent are silent There be two trades in this Land without which the Realme cannot stand and one is the Queenes souldiers and the other is the Lordes souldiers and the Lords souldiers are handled like the Queenes souldiers for from the Merchant to the porter no calling is so despised so contemned so derided that they may beg for their seruice for their liuing is turned into an almes One saith that Moses is Quis that is the Magistrate is some bodie but Aaron is Quasi quis that is the Minister is no bodie because no bodie is despised lyke him Receiue a Prophete in the name of a Prophet naye Receiue a Prophet in the name of an enemie as Ahab receiued Elias Art thou here mine enemie If Paule had liued in our dayes he would not haue said Despise not the Prophets but persecute not the Prophets for he should haue seen not onely despisers of the Prophets but mockers of them not onely mockers but slanderers of them not onely slanderers but hunters and biters and smiters of them Ioseph was troubled so soone as hee began to feed his Fathers sheepe so the Pastours are troubled so soone as they beginne to feede their fathers sheepe euerie man thinkes to finde friends against them and though there be no lawe to hurt them yet no man feares to accuse them because authoritie doth disfauour them they cannot tell how to preach nor what to say because there bee so manie Ahabs which woulde haue them say that which pleaseth them though it be not true Charme the charmer neuer so sweetely let his song be neuer so pleasant yet many adders are readie to stop their eares stop his mouth like a bird which was smitten in her song of the Archer whom she singeth vnto euen as Saul let his speare flie at Dauid while he played vpon his harpe to solace and comfort and driue the euill spirite from him so while we play vpon Dauids harpe to solace and comfort driue the euill spirite from you many let the dartes of reproach and the arrowes of slaunder flie at vs saying as the woman said to Eliah If thou hadst not beene my childe had not dyed If wee had not bene their peace had not dyed if we had not bene their sports had not dyed if wee had not bene their customes and their titles and their honors had not dyed And why should not Herode and Archelaus dye which sought the death of the childe Why should not any custome or honour or pleasure dye which seeketh the death of religion Alas saith Ieremiah what haue I done that all men should curse mee If wee do but preach the truth you should not hate vs for the truth Now Obadiah had neede to hide the Prophets again to saue them out of prison where is Rahab that shee might conuey away the seruants of God Once Baals prophets were punished but now Christes Prophets are punished once they did aske Where is the Seer that he may teach vs but now they aske where is the Seer that we may take him once they did builde houses for the prophets lyke the Shunamite but now they take their houses from them and thinke they doo God seruice when they make them their wiues their children their seruants beggers once Paul said to Timothie Let no man despise thy youth shewing that preachers should not be despised for their youth but now they despise the yong prophets and the old too How is the double honour turned to single honour nay how is our honour turned to dishonor If I be a Master saith God where is my feare so if we be prophets where is our reuerence doth not the contempt of prophets cry vnto God as well as the blood of Abel When the messengers which were sent vnto the vineyard for fruit were beaten of them which should haue laden them then it is said that the Lord of the vineyard waxed wroth and said that he wold let the vineyarde vnto others which should yeeld him the fruites thereof The meaning hereof is this that when the preachers teachers which Christ sendeth to his Church for fruits are abused persecuted of them whom they call to the banket
they are but troubles not plagues nor cursses nor torments but like the trauels of a woman when the birth is ripe shee is deliuered and straight shee forgetteth all her paynes for ioye that a man child is borne into the world So the seruants of God trauell but till the fruits be ripe When the new man is borne their trauels are ended and they forget all their troubles because one is borne into the worlde like the sonne of God This is the difference between the afflictions of the righteous and the vngodly When GOD doth visite the wicked his punishments are called plagues and curses and destructions the plagues of Egypt the curse of Cain the destruction of Sodome But when he doth visite the righteous his punishments are called corrections chastisements and rods which proceed froÌ„ a father not to destroy vs but to trie vs and purge vs instruct vs therefore when we are afflicted one sayth that God letteth vs blood to saue our liues for our liues are rancke and must be lopped As Iacob was blessed and halted both at one time so a man may bee blessed and afflicted together Afflictions do not hinder our happinesse but our happinesse commeth by affliction as Iacobs blessing came with halting and as peace is procured by warre Therefore blessed are ye sayth Christ when men persecute you as though they were blessed euen while they were persecuted Therefore this must not dismay vs that the scripture sayth Many are the troubles of the righteous but rather reioyce vs hecause we beare the markes of the righteous Daniel complayneth not of his sicknesse but of his sinnes Who shall fight the Lords battailes but the Lordes seruaunts Therefore when Dauid spake of many troubles he pointed to the righteous as if he should say this is your share the rodde is made for the Childe Christ called the Crosse his cup. The seruant is beloued that drinkes of his Maisters cup Therefore Christ teacheth it to the righteous and bids none but his disciples take the Crosse euerie man which hath his heauen here dooth labour and sweate for his liuing and shal not they which haue their hell heere suffer more then they which haue their heauen heere All men are subiect to dangers and losses and sicknesse But all that beleeue in Christ sayth Paul shall suffâ—â— persecution That is more then dangers or losses or sicknesse which the wicked suffer for the worlde will not persecute her children but shee will persecute Gods Children therefore this church is called the militant church because it is alwayes in warfare Therefore the Gospell is called the worde of the Crosse as though it came to crosse vs Therefore Paul describing the way to heauen draweth by this line by many tribulations the Crosse way is the way to heauen and the righteous walke in it Therefore the Children of God are not only called labourers to shew what they should doe for God but they are called Souldiers to shew what they should suffer for GOD. The seruant is not aboue his master but if Christ should suffer and we should rest the seruant were aboue his Master The prophesie must be fulfilled I will put enmitie betweene the seede of the woman and the seede of the Serpent but if there be no war betweene the children of God and the children of the world the prophesie is not fulfilled Therefore Esau and Iacob had no sooner life but they began to struggle one with another before they came out of their mothers wombe Therfore Abraham was banished so soone as he receiued the promise Therefore Abell was enuied of his brother so soone as he was accepted of God The righteous man was alwayes like Lot among the Sodomites and like Sampson among the Philistines sette a worke by his enemies As Christ was no sooner borne but Herod sought his life so the new man is no sooner borne of the spirit but the serpent is ready to deuour him his brethren to banish him and hell to swallow him In all the worlde hee hath no friend but hee which made the world This is the state of the church militant she is like the Arke floating vpon the waters like a Lilly growing among thornes like the bush which burned with fire and was not consumed so the citie of God is alwayes besieged but neuer ruined Christians and persecutions close together like Christ and his Crosse As Christ was made to beare his owne crosse so they are made to holde their cheekes to the nippers their faces to be buffeted their backes to bee scourged their eyes to be pulled out their peace is persecution their rest labour their riches pouertie their glorie reproches their libertie imprisonment although they bee the sonnes of God the brethren of Christ the onely heires of heauen yet because they suffer their hell heere they must bee contented to be subiect to their enemies to bee abiects to their kinsmen to be hated of most to bee contemned of all to be persecuted ouer the earth a very hauen and receptacle of all troubles Yet as Christ was the sonne of God though his life was nothing but persecution so the righteous are the sonnes of God for all these troubles This is like a bayte in their iourney to thinke as the Samaritan told his hoast if thou spend any more I wil recompence thee wheÌ„ I come So Christ will mende their wages when he commeth Why shuld not God trie his friends as well as wee trie our friends the same afflictions saith Peter are accomplished in others naye greater afflictions are borne of other which woulde make vs dispayre like Caine Christ was consecrated by afflictions therefore we cannot be consecrated without afflictions who would not go to heauen with Eliah though it were in a whirlewind if our troubles be light and few it is because we are weake tender therefore God doth respect our feeblenes layeth no more vpon vs because wee are not able to beare more It is not a signe that we are righteous because our troubles are few but because our troubles are few it is rather a signe that wee are not righteous because Many are the troubles of the righteous For they must bee made examples of patience they must suffer their hell here they must be squared for the temple therefore they must haue manye strokes to make them fitte God is not like a Waspe which when shee hath stoong once cannot sting againe but there is a generation of crosses and a pluralitie of troubles When Dauid spake of trouble hee spake of troopes and heapes and stars and sands and therefore he saith Many as though hee were faine to lay them downe in the grosse sum because he could not reckon them By many tribulations saith Paul but how many he could not number For except our sinnes there is not such plenty of any thing in the world as
day It would haue troubled them to watch so long for a good cause but it was fit that the worke of darknes shoulde be done in draknes therefore Christ saith This is the houre of darknesse the houre of darkenes and the power of darknes and the worke of darknes met together When they should rest malice would not suffer them to rest but they became like Owles which watch in the night and cannot sleepe Heere was fulfilled Salomons saying They cannot sleepe before they haue done euill so eagre wee are vpon reuenge more than anie thing else They say that hee cannot stay which rideth vpon the Diuell for malice draweth him and furie spurres him Therefore Zacheus went not so hastely to receiue Christ as his enemies hast to destroy him Nay rather I may say to destroy themselues For as they prayed at Christes death so it came vpon them They sayed his bloud be vpon vs and vpon our children so his bloud is vpon them and vpon their children which haue beene Vagabonds ouer the earth euer since and haue no countrie of their owne for if they be cursed which do the Lords busines negligently they must be cursed too which doe the Diuels busines diligently If men were so hastie in executing Iustice as they were in executing malice so many mē should not be vndone by sutes of Lawe for in one day they could apprehend accuse and examine and condemne and execute him which was Innocent but hee which is iust cānot be quit in one terme nor two nay if he haue right in a yeare it is counted quick dispatch and hee is glad that hee met with such a speedie Lawyer How then when they take a bad cause in hand and prolong it too which keeps their Clients in suspence from day to day and from weeke to weeke in great charge and sinne together I would to GOD that some did not sit in counsaile against good Christiās as these Priests did against Christ but GOD in his mercie dooth daily confounde and bring to nothing the accursed counsailes of the wicked Antichrist and all his rebellious confederates So when the wicked tooke counsaile together wickednesse was the ende of their counsayles for there is nothing woorse to the vngodlie than to meete together for before they meete their wickednes is a little hid like the poyson in a Serpent but when they meete together one setteth on another and the poyson breakes forth into vile speeches and detestable workes and vngodly practises as we see in Tauernes and such like assemblies as this For now they are met together they haue conspired amongst themselues to accuse vnto the Gouernour the most innocent man in the world as if he were the worst man liuing they abused him and mocked him and reuiled him and buffeted him before they brought him to the Gouernor which sheweth that they woulde haue killed him too if they durst without the Gouernour but sin is craftie and therefore they obserue the order of lawe and forme of iudgement lest they should be takē in the snare which they made for him First because Pilate had the authoritie ouer iudgements of death and not they Therefore they are inforced to seeke vnto his iudgement seat to saue themselues from blame and to be deliuered out of trouble if they did vsurpe any thing vpon the Magistrates Office Then because they might not runne vnto the gouernour before daye without suspition of tumult they staide vntill it was morning but so soone as they coulde come they came post hast for the Sunne did no sooner peepe but euen at the verie breake of day they were all readie to flocke vnto the Iudge against him This they did without knowledge but God directed euery thing vnto a right end For it was meete that the Sonne of GOD shoulde bee cleered in a solemne manner by an earthlie Iudge to shewe how wee shalbe cleered by the heauenlie Iudge and therefore as it appeareth in the seuen and twentieth Chapter and foure and twentieth verse of Saint Mathewes Gospell Pilate saide that he found no euill in him before he gaue sentence against him which sheweth that he died not for his owne sinnes but for our sinnes and therefore though they went to the Iudge to saue thēselues from blame yet God sent them to the Iudge that his worde might be fulfilled Lastly this Pilate was a Roman gouernour which ruled for Caesar as Zacheus was a Romane collectour which gathered for Caesar For at that time the Romanes had brought much of the worlde vnto their subiection as since that time they haue brought much of the worlde vnto Idolatry and therefore God would haue his sonne to be iudged by the Romane policie and to be condemned by a Romane Iudge and to be slaine with a Romane death as it were ioyning the Iewes and the Romans in impietie together to shewe that these two Nations shoulde be the odioust people vnto him in all the worlde and how his seruaunts should be crucified there where hee was crucified himselfe for as the Romanes then did crucifie Christ vpon a Crosse so they crucifie him nowe vpon their Altar and resemble the Dragon which when he could not preuaile against Michaell himselfe then hee fought against the woman and her seed that is the Church and her children which are slaine in Rome as the Prophets were in Ierusalem Thus Rome began with the heade and ends with the members So much of the Priests and the Scribes and the Pharisies and the elders Pilate what they did against Christ of whome was fullfilled Dauids praier Lord turne the counsell of Achitophell vnto follie So their counsell was turned vnto follie For as Paule reuiued when he was stoned so Christ rose againe when he was buried to shewe that there is no counsell against God and therefore let all our counsels be for God Now we come to Iudas to aggreuate this tragicall counsell The Euangelist annexeth vnto it the desperate end of the cursedst mā that euer was Three things are speciallie noted of this Traitor his death the cause of his death the confession which hee made before his death His death in the fift verse Hee went hanged himself The cause of his death in the 3. verse For that hee had betrayed his Lord now did see him condemned had no ioy of the money which was giuen vnto him for his Treason His confession in the thirde verse I haue sinned betraying innocent bloude I will speake of euerie worde as they lie for your memorie Therefore first of his Treason When Iudas the traytor before hee was called Iudas the Apostle now he is called Iudas the traitor to distingish him from other of that name lest anie of his name shoulde be defamed for him a brand is set in his forehead like the letter Tau or Caines marke to make him hatefull like a rogue which is burned in the eare so Esau was called Edom which signifieth Redde