spiritually demaunded howe it were possible to giue his flesh to be eaten and his blood to be drunken But being instructed by faith although the mysterie farre passe the reache of any mans vnderstanding yet doe we nothing doubt but according to his holy word and promise after a heauenly and spiritual maner he giueth to al them that are worthily partakers of that holy Sacrament his very body and blood to be spirituall meate and drinke whereby they are fed nourished vnto that life which is immortall and incorruptible Which faith of ours receiueth strength and increase by worthie participation of this holy mysterie for which ende and purpose it was instituted and ordeined to our comfort In consideration whereof and of all euery the respects before mentioned a Christian man is compelled to fall down before the throne of Gods grace and from the bottome of his heart to yeelde most humble and vnfeigned thanks to God the Father with the sonne our Lord Iesus Christ the holy Ghost by whose infinit mercy and goodnesse without al merite and desert of himselfe hee is called to so high honor and dignitie that he is admitted to be a ghest at the Lords Table in which hee is made partaker of the flesh and blood of the sonne of GOD who so loued the worlde that hee gaue his only begotten sonne to suffer most cruell shamefull death for the redemption of mankinde to satisfie the wrath of God to reconcile vs againe into his fauour of his enimies to make vs his children and of his children to make vs ioynt heyres with his onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ our Sauiour Last of all a Christian man thus assured that hee is made partaker of the body blood of Christ his head of whom hee is nowe made a liuing member must acknowledge purpose with himself that it is his bound duetie not onely to be more circumspect watchful of himselfe that he bee not forgetfull for so high and incomparable a benefite nor vnthankfull to so mercifull a Lord that hath thus loued saued him But also to shewe all loue tender affection towardes all them which by the same meanes are made fellow mēbers with him of the same mysticall body and as occasion and abilitie shall serue like a liuing member to feele ioye and comfort at the prosperitie of his fellowe members and to be so grieued at the hurt or affliction of any of them that he be redie to relicue comfort them to ayde and assist them as we see by the example of the members and partes of our naturall bodye Hee therefore that examineth him selfe after these rules shall be rightly prepared to receiue the Sacrament worthily to his euerlasting comfort ¶ Howe dangerous a thing it is to come vnwor thily or vnaduisedly to the holy Communion VNworthily they come to the holy Cōmunion not whosoeuer are vnworthy of that high honour which GOD vouchsafeth them whom hee calleth to his holy Table for then should all men euen the most righteous come vnworthily For no man is worthy to stand in the Lordes presence much lesse to sitte as a bidden gheste at the mariage of his Sonne or rather as a childe at the high Table of Almightie God the Father but that hee of his infinite mercie whereby hee accepteth them to bee his children vouchsafeth also to giue them this heauenly nourishment But all they come vnworthily not onely which come like hypocrites with fained hearts and contemptuous mindes against the Lord whō they pretende to worship but also euen as many as presume rashly negligently and vnaduisedly to receiue the holy Sacrament without due examination of themselues and consideration of the excellent benefite whereof they come to be partakers Of them S. Paul writeth that they eate and drinke not the body of Christ whom they despise in his holy mysteries but their own damnation because they discerne not the Lordes body from other bodily meates drinkes For seeing our Sauiour Christ hath adorned these holy mysteries with the name of his most precious body blood whosoeuer contēneth or lightly regardeth the fame must needes deserue such punishment and condemnation as they which abuse not only the name of GOD of whom hee protesteth that he wil not hold thē guiltles but also the seale of God whereby hee offereth thē assurance of their redemption and euen the very bodie and blood of Christ whereof this Sacrament is a true and liuely representation Wherefore the Apostle sayth Whosoeuer eateth this Bread and drinketh of this Cuppe of the Lord vnworthily shall not be guiltie of abusing of bread and wine and other such like creatures the abusing whereof is neuerthelesse vnanswerable before GOD but he shal be guiltie of the body and blood of Christ Which sinne howe horrible and gricuous it is in the sight of God to be guiltie of the body blood of Christ we may easely perceiue if we call to remembrance the example of those who moste cruelly and despitefully betraied condemned scourged and crucified his most holy and innocent bodie when hee liued vpon the earth The guiltinesse of whose treason false witnessing vniust condēning cruel scourging and crowning with thornes most dispitefull crucifiyng and shedding of his most precious blood beside spitting scorning and reuiling the guiltinesse I say of all which iniuries and villenies they do most iustly heape vpon themselues which vnworthily vnaduisedly rashly or negligently presume to come to the Lords Table and so become guiltie of the body blood of our Sauiour Christ whereby they procure vnto themselues if GOD should deale with thē in iustice such punishment as was deserued by Iudas Iscarioth the false suborned witnesses Annas and Caiaphas with the rest of the high Priestes and Pharises Pilate with his souldiers and the people that cryed out vpon him Crucifie him Crucifie him And more worthily deserue they such punishment then many of these before named for of them the holy Ghost testifieth that they did it ignorantly for if they had knowen him they would not haue crucified the Lord of glory But these men contemne and despise him whom they knowe and confesse to be the Lord of glory and the eternal Sonne of God the other despised him in the estate of his humilitie when his Godhead was couered with the shape of a seruant but these men set light by him and contemne him nowe hee sitteth in his throne of magnificence and maiestie Therfore much greater is their guiltinesse more grieuous is their condemnation if the Lorde shoulde deale with them according to their desertes But although hee be ready to pardon and forgiue such as haue so despised him vpon their heartie and earnest repentance euen as hee was ready to pardon them which crucified him yet doth he not suffer his children to bee altogether without chastisement but that they may more deeply consider howe grieuously they haue trespassed against him hee punisheth them oftentimes with sharpe sicknes and
A PREPARATION TO THE DVE CONSIDERATION AND REVERENT COMming to the holy Communion of the Body and Blood of our Lorde THE CONTENTES whereof followe in the next page IMPRINTED AT LONdon by Christopher Barker Prin ter to the Queenes most excellent Maiestie 1580. The Contents 1 What an high dignitie it is to bee a Christian and partaker of the holy Sacraments of Christ 2 An instruction howe a Christian ought to bee occupied before he presume to come to the Table of the Lord. 3 Howe dangerous a thing it is to come vnworthily or vnaduisedly to the holy Communion 4 A prayer to bee truely penitent for our sinnes before we receiue the holy Sacrament of our Lord. 5 A prayer to be sayde immediatly before the receiuing of the holy Communion and in the time of the celebration therof 6 A thankesgiuing after the receiuing of the holy Communion 7 An excellent Psalme of King Dauid 8 A prayer for our Soueraigne Lady Queene Elizabeth To the most excellent vertuous and our dread Soueraigne Lady Elizabeth Queene of England France and Ireland c. Grace mercie and euerlasting peace from God the Father through Iesus Christ our Lorde HAVING CONsidered and called to memorie most gracious Soueraigne the manifolde blessings and benefites giuen by the incomparable mercie of God to vs your subiects by your ministerie and the execution of your Kingly office and vnder your Maiesties protection and most peaceable gouernement wherein we doe not onely enioye and quietly possesse the fruite of our labours and all other our temporal commodities but that which is many thousād times more worth euen the libertie of conscience the preaching and hearing of Gods most sacred trueth the fruition and vse of the most holy Sacraments of our Lord Iesus Christ which are seales vnto vs of the assurance of our inheritance in the kingdome of GOD. And on the otherside hauing throughly weighed our contempt and ingratitude to Almightie God to his sonne Iesus Christ and to your Maiestie by whom as the onely meane from God we reape all these good things and are defended and mainteined in this our happie state I cannot inough wonder nor sufficiently lament to see for the most part how litle we regarde and how seldome we come to the hearing of Gods most holy worde and to the celebration of these his most holy mysteries and when we do come howe rudely vnaduisedly and vnreuerently it is cannot be but most feareful and most pitifull to beholde Wherefore most gracious Queene and dread Soueraigne the zeale and duetie I owe to the glory of GOD and to the honour of your Maiestie who cannot but be greatly dishonoured in this our negligence hath enforced me to procure the ayde of an excellent learned and godly man to compile three short instructions or admonitions vpon the three first titles or contents in the seconde page of this litle manuel whereunto are added certaine most needefull praiers and thankesgiuing all which may properly be entituled A preparation to the holy Communion of the body and blood of our Lorde to the ende wee may be moued with better consideration of the benefits we receiue in these sacred mysteries and also with the greatnesse of the danger for the abuse and contempt of the same Most humbly beseeching your Maiestie according to your accustomed goodnesse to accepte in good parte this my simple and vnskilfull seruice that by your good acceptation hereof many of your Maiesties most honorable housholde and others also may be drawen and procured to the exercise of the same to their further instruction comfort and consolation by the working of Gods holy Spirit to whom with the Father the Sonne be all glory for euer and to your Maiestie a most honorable long and prosperous raigne ouer vs with all other his mercifull blessings in this life and in the life to come ioy felicitie and continuall dwelling with all the blessed Angels and Saints in the kingdome of God world without ende AMEN Your Maiesties most lowly subiect and seruant C. Barker What a high dignitie it is to be a Christian and partaker of the holy Sacraments of Christ SAINT IOHN the Euangelist in the first Chapter of his Gospel writeth that our Sauiour Christ comming into the worlde which was made by him was vnknowen of it yea comming among his owne of his owne was not receiued but yet to as many as receiued him he gaue this dignitie that they should be called the sonnes of God which are borne not of flesh nor of blood nor of the will of man but of God By which testimonie of the holy Ghost wee may vnderstande howe great and excellent is the dignitie of true Christians namely that they be the children of God begotten not carnally but spiritually of God himselfe And that we should not deceiue our selues by a false imagination of christianitie as it is commonly called and reputed in the blinde world the same scripture teacheth vs who be true Christiās in deede not euery one that is so called or would be so accounted not euery one which hath taken vpon him the outward signe and badge of christianitie which is the Sacrament of Baptisme but onely those which receiue Christ are true Christians and the children of God But who are they that haue receiued Christ that they may be partakers of so high a dignitie euen they which seeing acknowledging and confessing their owne shameful miserable and damnable estate which they haue not onely receiued by propagation from their parents but also haue wilfullye incurred through the iust iudgement of God for their owne sinnes do willingly ioyfully and thankfully heare obey this voyce of our Sauiour Christ Mat. 11. and 28. Come vnto mee all ye that labour and be heauy laden and I will refresh you And so reposing their whole trust and confidence in the mercie of God whose iustice they know to be satisfied in the merites and sufferings of his onely begotten sonne our Lorde and Sauiour Christ their whole and onely Redeemer doe willingly take vpon them the sweete easie yoke of Christ which he requireth in the next verse to bee taken of all them that come vnto him looke to be refreshed by him which yoke of obedience vnto the rule of Christ though it seeme harde and vnpleasant to bee borne vnto the corrupt nature of man yet vnto the children of God whose weakenes is assisted by the holy Ghost their faults cōmitted of weaknesse are washed away with the blood of Christ there is nothing more sweete pleasant and delectable insomuch that Dauid vpon this consideration preferreth the Lawe of God before hony and the hony combe in sweetenesse protesting that it is more to bee desired then all iewels of gold and precious stones Beholde these are true Christiās which haue receiued Christ by faith and gladly bring out the fruits of faith in all godlinesse of life to the glory of God their Father and the profite of Gods children their brethren and
sinne and wickednes in whose sight no vncleane or filthie person may abide to stand but such as are holy righteous cleane and pure in heart are acceptable before him The place whereunto a Christian man is called when he is required to be partaker of the holy Sacrament is the Lordes Table whereof this earthly corruptible table is but a figure shadowe for euen as he that calleth vs which is God our Father and that whereunto we are called which is the body and blood of Christ is in heauen at the right hand of God in glory maiestie euē so the Lords Table on which we shall be partakers of the same is lifted vp aboue all height of the visible skies into that place of Gods eternall glory and maiestie where Iesus Christ is resident in the throne of his magnificence The holy feast banquet whereunto a Christian man is called consisteth not of earthly dainties prepared by the arte of man to please the bodily taste which as soone as they are receiued into the body tende to putrifaction and corruption but of that liuely bread which came downe frō heauen and giueth life to the world euen the flesh blood of our Sauiour Christ the immaculat lambe of God which gaue himselfe an holy and vndefiled sacrifice vnto God his Father once for all and found thereby euerlasting redemption of which most holy and heauenly meate and drinke whosoeuer is partaker shall liue for euer The ende wherefore a Christian man is called to be partaker of this holy Sacrament is that hee might be assured that hee is regenerate and borne againe by the holy Ghost to be the child of God and inheriter of the kingdom of heauen notwithstanding that hee remaineth still as yet subiect vnto death of his body and that which is more to be feared through infirmitie falleth often times into sinne the reward whereof by the iustice of God is death both of body and soule yet being nourished and fedde with the foode of immortalitie and euerlasting life which is the flesh blood of our Sauiour Christ as hee him selfe testifyeth in the sixt Chapter of Iohn hee shall by the diuine vertue and quickening spirite of our Sauiour Christ be raysed vp in the last day vnto euerlasting felicitie These thinges if a Christian man doe duely consider before hee presume to come to the Lordes Table he will not thrust forwarde himselfe rashly vnaduisedly contemptuously but with such reuerence preparation and examination as is meete for him that is called by so great a person vnto so high a place to be partaker of so holy and so fearefull mysteries for so waighty and necessarie an ende and purpose For in respect of him that calleth which is most holy and righteous he will remember that it is his part to cleanse his soule from all vncleannesse of sinne and wickednesse by true and hearty repētance he dare not appeare in his presence which seeth and knoweth the secrets of his heart with an outward shewe of fained holinesse and counterfet sorowfulnesse for his sinnes which he purposeth not to leaue and forsake but to continue in thē after the receite of the Sacrament and to delight in them as much as euer he did before He will not presume to deride and mocke the Iudge of al the worlde with a faigned countenance of modestie taken vpon him for a few houres while he is in the Church and laide aside againe almost assone as he steppeth ouer the threshholde of the Church doore to returne no lesse to his former lightnes vanitie pride lust couetousnesse and other vngodlines then to his priuate house and lodging And when hee considereth that hee is called into heauē where no vncleannesse or corruption can abide where holinesse righteousnesse doth dwel he will call to mind the answere which God maketh to Dauid in the 15. Psalme where hee inquireth who shall dwell in his Tabernacle and rest in his holy hill Euen hee that leadeth an vncorrupt life without hypocrisie without fraude and guile couetousnes or oppressiō that dealeth iustly faithfully and mercifully with all men such a one shall neuer be remoued Hee that is called into heauen where Christ is sitting at the right hand of GOD and willingly obeyeth his calling acknowlegeth that he must forsake the earth with all earthly affections and set his minde vpon heauenly thinges vpon those thinges that are aboue and not vpon the earth as S. Paul exhorteth Colossians the 3. Chap. hee must mortifie his mēbers that are on earth fornication and all vncleannesse couetousnesse and deceitfulnesse wrath malice blasphemie and filthie speaking and putting off the olde man with his workes he must put on the newe man which is renewed according to the image of him that created him in holinesse and righteousnesse in mercifulnesse humilitie meekenesse long suffering and forgiuenes of all them that haue offended vs euen as God hath forgiuen vs in Christ Iesus And for as much as the distance betwene the earth where we are strangers and the Heauen whereunto wee are called as to the place of our inheritance is so great that it is not possible for our heauy lumpish bodies to ascende thither before they be made conformable like to the glorious bodie of our Sauiour Christ which is gone thither before vs to prepare a place a Christian man will consider that as yet he can no otherwise bee lifted vp into heauen but in heart and soule by the winges of faith And therefore he wil seeke to confirme and strengthen his faith by the often and diligent meditation of the most comfortable promises of God conteined in the holy Scriptures and by earnest and feruent prayer vnto God for Christ his sake to increase his faith by the vertue of his holy Spirit as well in this time of his participation of the heauenly mysteries as at all other times vnto the ende of his life Yea that spirituall foode of the body blood of Christ whereof he is called to be a partaker wil admonish put a Christian man in minde as well of repentance purpose of amēdment reuerēce humilitie with which hee ought to bee prepared that shall receiue the Sacrament worthily as also that faith and constant beliefe in the promises of God is necessarily required of him that shal be nourished with so wonderfull heauenly foode For were it not that the sonne of God which is trueth it selfe hath promised by his holye worde to giue vs his body and blood to bee meate in deede and drinke in deede to feede vs vnto euerlasting life and for assurance of this his promise doth giue vs his seale in bread and wine which therefore hee calleth by the name of his body and blood because they do truely and not vainely represent vnto vs the trueth of his promise and effectuall performance of the same howe should we differ from the vnbeleuing Iewes which vnderstanding carnally that which our Sauiour Christ spake
to anger and of great kindenesse 9 Hee will not alway chide neither keepe his anger for euer 10 Hee hath not dealt with vs after our sinnes nor rewarded vs according to our iniquities 11 For as high as the Heauen is aboue the earth so great is his mercie towarde them that feare him 12 As farre as the East is from the West so farre hath he remooued our sinnes from vs. 13 As a father hath compassion on his children so hath the Lord compassion on them that feare him 14 For he knoweth whereof wee be made hee remembreth that wee are but dust 15 The dayes of man are as grasse as a flower of the field so florisheth hee 16 For the winde goeth ouer it and it is gone and the place thereof shall knowe it no more 17 But the louing kindnesse of the Lord endureth for euer and euer vpon them that feare him and his righteousnesse vpon childrens children 18 Vnto them that keepe his couenant and thinke vpon his commaundements to doe them 19 The Lord hath prepared his throne in heauen and his kingdome ruleth ouer all 20 Praise the Lorde ye his Angels that excell in strength that doe his commandement in obeying the voyce of his worde 21 Praise the Lorde all ye his hostes ye his seruants that doe his pleasure 22 Praise the Lorde all ye his workes in all places of his dominion my soule prayse thou the Lord. A prayer for our most gratious Soueraigne Lady Queene Elizabeth O Almightie eternall God Creator gouernour and preseruer of all thinges Lorde of all lordes and King of all kings who madest man like vnto thine owne image that he shoulde honour serue and obey thee onely and that all other thy creatures shoulde serue to his vse and commoditie ouer whom thou madest him lorde and ruler the forbidden fruite only except but hee most miserable man by his owne disobedience in eating thereof lost not only that kingly prerogatiue but broght himselfe and all his posteritie into the state of eternall damnation Yet thou O Lord in thine vnspeakable mercy didst then promise and in time broughtest to passe that thine onely sonne became man like vnto vs sinne except and was borne of a pure virgine by thy diuine prouidence and power who to restore this now most miserable man with all vs whose children by nature wee are vnto the state of eternall saluation did suffer moste shameful most vile and bitter yea most cruel painful death on the crosse whereon his glorious body was broken and his precious blood shed a sufficient ransome a ful satisfaction and iust recompence of thy iustice and lawe for all them that beleeue and embrace thy Gospel and sacred trueth But O Lorde our good God bee mercifull vnto vs who by our infirmitie through the fall of this lordely man our greate grandfather Adam can not now liue in any peaceable or good condition state without magistrates and kinges to rule and gouerne vs we therefore most humbly and heartily beseeche thy diuine Maiestie for the loue of thine onely sonne Iesus Christ to looke downe with thy fatherly compassion vpon thy seruant Elizabeth our most gracious Queene dread Soueraigne Graft in her royall heart by the working of thy holy Spirite thy manifolde good gifts and benefites as wisedome grace perseuerance in thy trueth encrease of faith and affiance in thee defende her O Lorde with thy mightie hand and outstretched arme graunt vnto her a most honorable long and prosperous reigne ouer vs. Moreouer O Lorde if the seruice of golden vessels in thy Temple at Ierusalem were accetable vnto thee vouchsafe this thy seruant to bee esteemed in thy sight as a most honorable ornament in the new Ierusalem not built with money by the labour of the seruants of the first Salomō but bought with the precious blood of the seconde Salomon thy sonne our Sauiour Beholde her make her to be O Lorde as the precious stone or signet of thine owne hande and as the apple of thine eye for thy truethes sake to the enemies whereof make her name most dreadfull and to thy Church wheresoeuer dispersed most acceptable and ioyfull Confounde and put to shame O Lord all those that wish or procure any euill to her royall person or diminution of her kingdomes and imperiall dignitie ouer them And when for the multitude of our sinnes O Lorde thou wilt punish vs with the winde of thy displeasure by taking from vs this our fragrant and sweete smelling flower which we beseech thee for thine owne names sake long to deferre then O Lord plant her in the garden of thy presence where shee may growe and dwell in felicitie incomparable which the eye hath not seene the eare hath not hearde neither euer came it into the vnderstanding of man those ioyes which thou hast prepared for her and all thine elect Moreouer O Lorde graunt thy heauenly wisedome and grace vnto all vs her subiects that wee may aduisedly consider and duetifully call to our remembrance the manifolde blessings that wee so long time haue enioyed and doe presently possesse through thy mercie by her ministerie authoritie and the execution of her kingly office vnder the which wee doe not only reape and peaceably enioye the fruites of our labours and other corporall commodities but also that which is more worth then all this euen the freedome and libertie of conscience the preaching and hearing of thy most holye worde and the administration and receiuing of thy holy Sacraments For all which and many other thy blessings O Lorde worke in vs thy grace to yeelde vnto thy diuine Maiestie all possible and continuall prayses and thankesgiuing that it bee not saide vnto vs Are there not tenne cleansed or Is not Englande preserued from all tyrannie and enioy all these benefites But where are nowe they returning to giue thankes Quicken our memories therefore O Lorde that wee neuer bee forgetfull of thy great goodnesse towardes vs and make vs more more for thy sake reuerently to feare her duetifully to obey her and faithfully to loue honour and serue her as our naturall louing Prince and mother and as the meane by whom wee receiue all these thy good blessings that her Maiestie perceiuing our diligence and readinesse to obey and serue her may be the oftener put in minde to feare honour loue serue and obey thy diuine and incomparable Maiestie Furthermore inspire her royall heart O Lorde with thy diuine grace that as shee hath begun to set forth and maintaine thy sacred trueth so shee may zealously and boldly encrease perseuere and continue in the same whereby the filthinesse nakednesse of Antichrist may be more and more reuealed superstition and idolatrie more and more abolished and remoued and that olde lying serpent and roaring lyon Sathan our auncient enemie may be more more restrained and kept backe from his malicious purpose in seeking to deuoure and drowne vs all in ignoraunce and securitie Graunt all this O Lorde to