come to the Holy Table of the Lord to shew forth his Death with a thankfull Commemoration what else is this but to stand laughing under our Saviour's Crosse as it were to make ourselves merry with his Agonies and to triumph prophanely in his bitter sufferings with the wicked Souldiers it is to crucifie him afresh and to put him again to an open shame In stead of an honourable and gratefull shewing forth of his death This were to make ourselves guiltie of his death Guiltie of the bodie and blood of our Lord as the Apostle speaks Wherefore that wee may shew forth the Lord's Death as wee ought Let us first set up the Crosse of Christ in our owne hearts Let us fasten ourselves to it and conforme ourselves there to the sufferings of our Head Let us willingly suffer shame and ignominie in the due acknowledgment of our sins Let us suffer pain in a true sorrrw and Compunction of soule for them Let the Remembrance of them be as Thorns in our Temples and as a Spear at our very hearts Let us so subdue and chasten our Flesh and Revenge our selves upon Our selves as the Scripture * 2 Cor. 7.11 speaks by severe and strict Mortification that the Old Man may languish and die daily in us And let us so Compose and settle our Desires and Affections even as men that are hanging upon the Crosse with our Blessed Saviour and ready to depart this World Let us make our peace with God and all the World Let us wean our selves from the Earth which wee are leaving and set our Affections on Heaven and the things above whither wee are going Let us no longer make provision for the Flesh to fulfill it in the Lusts thereof * 13. Rom. 14 But let us put on the Lord Iesus Christ and thus shew forth the Lords Death till hee come And at his Comming wee shall by his Infinite Mercie Live and Raigne with Him for ever in the Kingdome of his Glorie Thus you have the Orthodox interpretation of these words the true and onely way of shewing forth Christ's Death in this Sacrament according to the Doctrine of the Church of England and of approv'd Antiquitie But the Church of Rome not content with this way doth in the Councell of Trent * Concil Trid. Sess 22. Can. 3. denounce an Anathema against all those that will acknowledge no other sacrifice in the Eucharist then by way of Remembrance and Commemoration of that one onely true and proper Sacrifice of Christ's Bodie and Bloud offer'd upon the the Altar of his Crosse once for all And therfore if you wil believe her she wil tel you of a more excellent way of shewing forth Christ's Death in the Sacrament to wit by way of Iteration or a new and daily Oblation of the very Same naturall Bodie and Blood which was offer'd unto Death upon the Crosse onely with this Difference in the Manner of the Offering That Christ's Bodie upon the Crosse was offer'd after a bloodie but here upon their Altars after an unbloody Manner And from this Fountaine of Corrupt Doctrine there flow divers streames of very dangerous Errours I 'le instance but in two for our present purpose First upon this Ground they define this Sacrisice in the Eucharist to be a true proper and propitiatorie Sacrifice to be every way equall with the Sacrifice of Christ upon the Crosse and their Altars to be as true and proper Altars which doubtlesse is a very high derogation from Christ and his Sacrifice let them mince and excuse it the best they can Secondly From hence they teach most perilously that the same Adoration which is due to Christ is due to this Sacrament And certainly to give that Adoration which is due to Christ to any of the Creatures can amount to no lesse then Idolatry Neither will Bellarmine's evasion which hee uses * Lib. 4 de Euchar cap 29. §. Sed haec mera calumnia est c. acquit the Papists of Idolatrie herein though hee pleads not Guiltie because they hold not the Consecrated Bread and Wine to be any longer Bread and Wine but to be transubstantiated into the very naturall bodie and blood of Christ so he pleads they worship not the bread but Christ alone But a false perswasion as we have proved this to be in the former part of the Sermon hath not the power either to nullifie a sin or to alter the species of it either to make a sin no sin or to be any other then it is in the kind of it The most charitable Construction that can be made in this Case is That perhaps to Men so perswaded as some of the Romanists are their Adoration of the Sacrament is not in them wilfull Idolatrie yet in it self Idolatrie still for all their perswasion However for our selves that by the infinite blessing of God to us are better taught and perswaded for us I say not to renounce and detest this Abomination of the Popish Adoration of the Sacrament would be most wilfull Idolatrie without the least cloak for our sin For mine owne part therefore as becomes a true Protestant of the Reformed Church of England I doe here solemnly protest against all Popish Errours and in speciall against the manifold and dangerous errours in the Doctrine and Practice of the Popish Masse against their pretended Oblation of the very naturall bodie and bloud of Christ against their Propitiatorie sacrifice in that intended Oblation and theirs or any other sort of men their true proper Altars and against their Idolatrous Adoration of the Sacrament and acknowledge onely one true and proper Sacrifice and Altar that is the Sacrifice of Christ himself offer'd uppon the Altar of the Crosse once for all And give me leave here also solemnly to professe my Opinion concerning the Lord's day and the sanctification of it I hold that according to God's holy will and pleasure the Lord's day ought to be celebrated both in Publike and in Private in the Church and out of the Church in the Forenoon and in the Afternoon by hearing the Word of God read and taught by Publike Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments by holy Meditations Private Prayer Reading and calling to Mind what we have read or heard by work 's of Charitie to our Neighbour and the like And I hold it to be our Dutie in speciall that are God's Ministers to teach exhort and incourage the People by all means to such a sanctification of the Lord's day And for mine owne part I heartily honour a conscientious man who hath a Carefull Regard to yield Obedience to all Gods Commandements as far as humane frailtie will permit I honour such a man the more the more strict hee is in a Religious Observation of the Lord's day And further I hold that this great Holyday which we Christians now celebrate upon the first day of the Week though the Scripture and so the Proper name of it be the Lord's Day yet in regard of the due sanctification of it in that it ought no lesse to be kept holy for the Exercise of the works of Pietie and Charitie in it then the Iewish Sabbath in this regard by way of Allusion it is and may be fitly call'd a Sabbath and
the Christian Sabbath And now to come to the End of my Comming hither at this time The Right Honourable the Lords Spirituall and Temporall in the high and Honourable Court of Parliament now assembled by an Order bearing date the twelfth of March last have injoyn'd mee to make a Sermon in this Place upon this day and in my Sermon to make a confession of my errour in Licensing and approving of two Books made by Doctor Pocklington the one called Altare Christianum the other Sunday no Sabbath which Books by their Lordships Censure are justly commanded to bee burn'd And here that I may give the fuller satisfaction I have receiv'd from my Lord Bishop of Lincolne a Copy of some mayn erroneous and offensive passages in the said two Books and the places pointed out in the Margin upon most whereof their Lordships proceeded in their just Censure and Condemnation of those Books and all which I am by order from their Lordships here to disapprove as I willingly doe all these passages following The Assertions of ALTARE CHRISTIANVM disapproved by Doctor Bray the Licencer of that Book ⧠At Saint Margarets in Westminster the eleventh of Aprill 1641. 1. THe verie Title is offensive Preface because there is no Christian Altar but the Crosse of Christ 2. He saith in scorn Pag 4. and detestation of Lectures that Master Cotton was never Parson Vicar nor Curate but Lecturer of Boston which is false for he was always Vicar of that place and no Lecturer 3. When he proves out of Saint Ambrose de Sacramentis lib. 4. cap. 3. That the Christians were more ancient then the Iews To fetch in the Antiquitie of his Christian Altar he leaves out Saint Ambrose his qualification Sed nos in praedestinatione illi in nomine That Christians were first in Gods Predestination but not in Compellation Which is not fairly done And forgets that Pag. 32. he meant to say That Christianitie began but in the Raigne of Tiberius 4. Hee falsly interprets that place of the 1 Cor. 9.13 Pag. 6. of the Priests in the new Testament which are to live by the Altar which is spoken clearly of the Leviticall Priest that cuts up and divides the Legall Sacrifices 5. He saith Pag 9. That Christians are in a miserable case that think they can offer as good and effectuall spirituall Sacrifices to God as the Priest Which is false and Popish for all true Christians are Priests in regard of most spirituall Sacrifices And he confesseth it himselfe Pag. 127. 6. He teacheth falsly Pag. 14.15 that in the Christian Church there are materiall and proper and not Metaphoricall Altars only 7. He saith Pag 28. that close and exalted Pews are prophane and were detested by the Church of God Which is but his foolish and fond conceit And expounds that place of Heb. 13.10 Wee have an Altar of the Lords Table which place is not to be so interpreted literally but of Christ himself as hee confesseth in the next Page 8. He saith we have true reall earthly Pag. 9. 72. and materiall Altars VVhich is false 9. Hee quotes a passage out of the Letter Pag 30. which is not there but in Bishop Iewels works to prove there were no materiall Churches in the Primitive times VVhich is but a base and unworthy dealing and great Arrogancie for a private man to confute a booke recommended by authoritie to all the Churches of England and to say it maintains a falshood Pag. 34. 10. He saith that we were miserable Pag. 50. if the now Archbishop of Canterbury could not derive his Succession from S. Austin meaning Austin the Monk Austin from Gregory and Gregory from S. Peter And a little before he saith that if in Cathedrall Churches there were no materiall Chaires for Bishops to be Inthronized there were no Succession in Faith and Doctrine from the Apostles Which is both false and foolish 11. He broacheth two points of Popery Pag. 65. not maintained by the Church of England First That nothing in Baptisme is rightly done unlesse we adde thereunto the signe of the Cross Secondly that men are not full Christians unlesse they be Confirmed by the Bishop VVhich is Popish and erroneous 12. He scandalizeth our Church as having Lecturers Pag 71. which never take Orders and falsly quotes the Letter for that which speaks not a word Pro or Con. in that Matter 13. Hee wrests Saint Cyprian and all Antiquitie to say Pag. 75.76 174 that where there is no Altar there is no Eucharist or Communion VVhich in it self is altogether untrue 14. Hee cals his Altar the Holy of Holyes Pag. 83. which smels of Iudaisme 15. He boldly corrects the Rubrick Pag. 86. that appoints the Communion Table to stand in the Chancell or bodie of the Church And denies a power to the Ordinary to place it in the body of the Church VVhich is a high offence against the Rubrick and the Act of Parliament that confirmes the same 16. Hee saith Pag. 89. that Bishop Iewels works against Harding differ from the Articles and Canons of our Church Which is scandalous especially when it is not shewed wherein 17. Those VVriters Pag. 114. who attest the truth of the Reformed Religion this man averres to be called by Illyricus the VVitnesses of the truth with reproach of truth and of Christian Religion VVhich is neare unto blasphemie And in the same place Iohn Fox his Calendar or an Extract thereof is said to be full of Traitours Murtherers Rebels and Hereticks And no better Saints then Penty Hacket and Legat. VVhich is a base and unworthy expression And whose Martyrs hee points at you may see Pag. 135. 18. He saith Pag. 120 121. 169. the Bishop of Lincolne did order the setting of the Lords Table Altar-wise Which that Bishop utterly denies 19. He saith untruly Pag. 136. that if there be no Christian Altar in our Church as there is none in our Liturgie or Canons wee have neither Priest nor Deacon in our Church no Liturgie nor Act of Parliament that confirmes it VVhich is a wilde and inconsequent Assertion 20. Our Saviours institution saith he of the Pag 162.163 Sacrament of the Lords Supper at a Table doth not binde us to the name of a Table VVhich is a bold Assertion thought not so bold as that which followeth That Saint Paul crossed the order in that Sacrament used by Christ Which tends to blasphemy if we remember by what Spirit Saint Paul was guided 21. He saith boldly Pag. 165.166 that howsoever our Saviour calls it a Table Luke 22.21 Yet was it rather a floore wherein he instituted the
Supper 22. Hee saith Pag. 171. Tithes cannot be alienated from Spirituall persons Which is against our Laws and such Acts of Parliament as have made them Lay Fees 23. Lecturers saith hee set up in good Towns Pag. 172. be but a dull device of a foggie brain and willing blunderer which light upon it in a Mist VVhich is an expression of a dull and irreligious brain 24. He saith blasphemously Pag 178. that the holy Scripture the holy Sacraments the Articles of our Creed and Petitions of the Lord's Prayer have no Rationes cogentes or forcible inducement to cause men to assent unto them although they are immediatly grounded upon divine Authority which at the first glance captivates the understanding of all true believers And in his 190 Page he saith that all Canons made in Convocations are to be obeyed though they yield no reason at all to enforce their obedience Which kind of Doctrine hath of late done our Church no good Assertions out of SVNDAY NO SABBATH disapproved by Doctor Bray at S. Margarets in Westminster the eleventh of Aprill 1641. 1. HE saith Pag 3. that Saint Paul preaching till Midnight in a roome where men did eat and drink was out of order Which is much boldnesse 2. He saith Pag. 6. Knox and Whittingham were the first that called the Lords Day the Sabbath Day Which is false For it is called the Sabbath Day and our Sabbath under King a Necessary Doctrine 1537. Henry the Eighth King b K. Edwards Catechisme joyned to the Articles 1553. Edward c Profitable necessary Doctrine by Bishop Boner Queene Mary and d Homily of place and time of Prayer Queene Elisabet in writings printed and set forth by publique Authority under all these Princes 3. He saith Pag. 19. the name of Sabbath Day is held up by some in our Church as the great Diana of the Ephesians that stalking behind it they may shoot against the Service appointed for the Lords Day Not being able to resolve whether the sin be greater to bowle shoot or dance on their Sabbath then to commit Murther or the father to cut the throat of his own Child Which is a harsh expression and scandalous to our Church 4. He calls an afternoon Sermon on the Lord's Day Pag 28.29 a fruitless and disobedient exercise of their afternoon talent springing from the wilfull conceitedness of those that affect it And that wee are not bound to imitate either Saint Peters or Saint Basils example in preaching in an afternoon nor Saint Pauls in preaching in an upper Chamber Which as we are not bound to imitate so are we not bound to the Contrary So that these expressions had bin better spared 5. He makes strange interpretations of the Greek text to serve his own turn Pag. 29.30 and the newfanglednes of the times As pressing Saint Pauls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to dispute Dialectically to a Catechizing by question answer only And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies nothing else but to make a speech or hold discourse to Saint Pauls reading of a Homily penned for him either by all the Apostles or by Saint Peter As though Saint Paul filled as he was with the Holy Ghost and bred up at the feet of Gamaliel could not have held a discourse in a private Family at Troas but he must have read it out of a Book And in imitation hereof he would have all Bishops likewise to read Homilies to the people pag. 31. And concludes reading to be the most powerful kind of preaching to perfect the men of God and to make them Martyrs pag. 32. 6. He makes all such as omit the Letany on the Lord's Day Pag. 35.36 by which he saith the English Nation was converted all such as expound the Scripture otherwise then out of the ancient Fathers all such as use long Prayers before Sermons or often repeat Lord Lord and such as speake against pastimes on the Lord's Day breakers of the Sabbath 7. He saith Pag. 46. that if we do not only Bend or Bow our body to his blessed Board or holy Altar but fall flat on our faces before his footstool so soon as ever we approach in sight thereof the Patriarchs Apostles and blessed Martyrs would be glad to see their Lord so honoured Which he saith without any Law Rubrick or Canon of the Church And now in all humble Obedience to so high Authoritie and in Conformitie to their Lordships just Censure of these Books and of me to this publike acknowledgment I doe here ingenuously confesse my hearty sorrow for that all these erroneous and offensive passages have slipt mee and pass't my hand I acknowledge that I have too much rely'd upon the seniority of the Authour who was an ancient Divine in the Vniversitie and had been President of two Colledges successively when I was first admitted there upon which Considerations I took not that due Care and Caution in the perusal and licensing of these Books which I ought to have taken in a matter of so great importance And therefore I do here sincerely and sorrowfully before many Honourable Witnesses acknowledge my great Errour and Offence in the licensing of these two Books and doe also in all humility taking the former passages to consideration acknowledge the justnesse of their Lordships Censure of those Books and of me to this disapproving of the same And what other Books of like Nature or upon like Considerations or rather for want of Consideration may have pass'd my hand Give me leave here also to professe my hearty sorrow for my Errour in passing any of them And so I humbly desire you to conceive of me as I am by Gods Grace and desire ever to be an Enemy both to Superstition Prophanes a hater of Idolatry and an honourer of Piety and Devotion especially practised on the Lord's Day In sum a dutifull Sonne of the Reformed Church of Christ here in England by Law establish't to the which I shall by Gods Grace with all due Care and Circumspection conforme my self and which God of his infinite mercy long preserve I conclude most humbly beseeching God to forgive us all our oversights and Errours and to give us all of his Grace that wee may sincerely follow those things that make for the advancement of Truth and Peace and the edifying of our selves in Faith and Love that we may walke in the good old way without Innovations carefully avoiding all Extreams without turning aside either to the right hand or the left that so in the end wee may finde rest to our souls which GOD grant c. FINIS
A SERMON OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT OF THE LORDS SUPPER Proving that there is therein no proper sacrifice now offered Together with the disapproving of sundry passages in 2. Bookes set forth by Dr. Pocklington the one called Altare Christianum the other Sunday no Sabbath Formerly printed with Licence BY WILLIAM BRAY Dr. of Divinity Now published by Command LONDON Printed by T. and R. C. for Henry Seile and are to be sold at his shop in Fleetstreete over against St. Dunstans-Church 1641. A SERMON OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT OF THE LORDS SVPPER 1 COR. 11.26 For as oft as ye cate this Bread and drinke this Cup yee doe shew the Lords Death till hee come THe Prophets are Comments upon the Law in the Old Testament and the Epistles upon the Gospels in the New My Text is part of the Epistles and it Comments upon that command of our Saviour to his Disciples Doe this in Remembrance of me Which is a part of the Gospell of the Institution of the Holy Communion For that command is repeated in the 25. Verse of this Chapter and then followes my Text immediately as a Comment upon that Command a Glosse upon that Evangelicall Law For as oft as ye eate this Bread and drinke this Cup ye doe shew the Lords Death till he come And if you observe it well my Text as a cleere and full Comment explaines all the doubts and difficulties of that Text in the Gospell Doe this in remembrance of me For first there 's no time exprest when this is to be done or celebrated so the doubt is First concerning the frequency of Celebrating whether once or more then once This doubt the Comment cleeres in the first words of my Text As oft so it is to be done againe and againe and that often A second doubt is concerning the duration of this blessed Sacrament How long whether temporary or perpetuall this the Comment likewise cleeres in the last words of my Text Till he come so it is to continue in the Church till our Saviours second comming Againe it is not cleere in the Gospell whither these words are to be referr'd Do this for they are mentioned onely in Saint Luke * 22 S. Luke 19. and they are mentioned after the Institution and Consecration of the Bread onely and not of the Cup so the doubt here is Whether they referre to the Bread alone or to both Bread and Cup but the Comment here directs you to referre them to both For as oft as ye eate this Bread and drinke this Cup too saith the Text ye doe indicatively or doe ye imperatively that is doe both and doe this in both Besides we doe not understand out of the Gospel the latitude of this Command Doe this what it comprehends within it whether the action of the Receiver onely or of the Minister onely or both that is Totam Sacramentalem actionem the whole Sacramentall action here 's another doubt And here againe we must have recourse to the Comment in my Text for direction and that expounds it of both First Doe this that is eate this Bread and drinke this Cup here 's the action of the receiver in expresse termes But that 's not all for what our blessed Saviour did by way of Preparation before his Disciples Communicated I meane not for all Circumstances but for Essentials as taking and blessing the Bread and the Cup and the like that must the Ministers of Christ in all ages also doe by vertue of this Command Doe this And this is cleere also in the Comment of my Text though not expressely as the action of the Receiver yet by evident consequence and that from the Emphasis of the Greeke Articles before the Bread and Cup 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This Bread and this Cup for without the action of the Minister in taking and blessing the elements the Receivers may indeed eate and drinke common bread and wine but they cannot bee so well assured that they eate and drinke this Sacramentall Bread and Wine so call'd here by way of Eminence and speciall reference Yet farther my Text doth cleerely expound the end of that command of our Saviour Doe this in remembrance of me First in remembrance that is nor a bare and naked remembrance lockt up onely within the closet of our owne memories but such a remembrance as is withall a Remembrancer of it to and with others a Commemoration whereby in a joynt Communion together wee proclaime and shew forth our Saviours Love As oft as ye eate this Bread and drinke this Cup ye doe or shall shew forth saith my Text. Lastly in remembrance of me saith the Command in the Gospell of me that is not so much of my Incarnation life miracles doctrine resurrection ascension as especially and expressely of my death and Passion ye doe shew the Lords Death saith the Comment in my Text. I have done with the For in the beginning of my Text which connects it with the verse precedent whereof it is a comment and a confirmation as you see To draw neerer to the Text it selfe wherein you may observe these two generall parts Our service to God in the use of this blessed Sacrament in the former part As oft as yee eate this Bread and drinke this Cup And the meaning of this service or the Res Sacramenti the thing signifyed by it in the latter part Ye doe shew the Lords Death till he come 12. Exod 26.27 In the 12. of Exodus God enjoynes the people of Israel that when their children should aske them concerning the Passeover What meane you by this Service that they should say It is the Sacrifice of the Lords Passeover who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when he smote the Egyptians and delivered our houses In the like manner Saint Paul having receiv'd it of the Lord delivers unto us the meaning of this Service of the Evangelicall Passeover It is the Memoriall of our Saviours Sacrifice offered upon the Crosse once for all which we celebrate in remembrance of him to shew forth his bitter death and Passion But to proceed in the first generall part which is the Service we are to performe to God in the use of this blessed Sacrament you have these three particulars contained 1. The parts of this Sacrament 2. The Sacramentall actions 3. The circumstances of those actions 1. The parts of this Sacrament and they are two Res terrena et Res Coelestis as * Iren. lib. 4. aduersus haeres cap. 34. Irenaeus cals them the Earthy and the Heavenly part The earthy part is here exprest bread and wine the heavenly part is the body and blood of Christ here imported in the Articles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This Bread and This Cup which hath an Emphaticall reference to the verses immediately precedent where it is said of the bread and cup after our Saviours blessing them that This is my Body which is broken for you and this Cup is
to frequent receiving And I would to God there were no need of such an Exhortation but alas it 's too usuall for many to make excuses for absenting themselves from the Lords Table * â— Luke 14. as the unworthy guests in the Gospell did I will briefly shew the vanity of these Excuses and so passe over this circumstance And I will go no farther for Evidence against them than to the Grounds already laid You have read that this Blessed Sacrament is Heavenly Food for our Nourishment A Holy Feast to mainetaine Love and Vnity amongst Christians A Spirituall Banquet for Delight and Soveraigne Physicke for the Soule First then an unworthy guest pleades multiplicity of worldly businesse and therefore hee cannot come so frequently to the Sacrament But hee should consider that this Sacrament is Heavenly Meate for his Nourishment and as Meate hinders not our Businesse so neither must our Businesse hinder our Meate in the seasons of it whether for Soule or Body A Second is not in charity with his Neighbour and therefore hee holds himselfe excus'd which is Excusatio accusatione digna as Salvian speakes in a like Case an aggravation no excuse thus to cover one sinne with another This man considers not that the Communion is a Holy Feast instituted by our Blessed Saviour to mainetaine Love and Amity amongst Christians A Third alledges he findes no rellish in this Manna and this discourages him But Oh! taste and see how gracious the Lord is prepare thy Taste aright before thou commest and thou shalt find this blessed Sacrament to be an Heavenly Banquet for Delight such Delight as is most glorious and unspeakeable in comparison whereof all that is called Delight here below is but meere anity and vexation of spirit * Hanc Dei gratiam recolens qui de Sacro caline bibit amplius sitit ad Deum vivum erigens desiderium ita singulari fame ille uno appetitu teneturut deinceps fellea peccatorum horreat pocula omnis sapor delectamentorum carnalium fit ei quasirancidum radensque palatum acutae mordacita tis acetum S. Cypr. de Coena Domini sect 17. A Fourth and last pretends his manifold sins the sense whereof deterres him from often approaches to this Holy Table But if he account sinne a disease indeed and desire unfeignedly to be cured why does he neglect the Remedy which is by Faith and Repentance to prepare himselfe for this blessed Sacrament The whole have no need of the Physitian but the sicke saith our blessed Saviour * Mat. 9.12 This man considers not the vertue of this Sacrament in such as are so prepared That through the Grace of Christ it is with these preparations a soveraigne Physicke against all Diseases of the Soule The second circumstance is of the Persons Yee First Yee in the plurall number for this Holy Sacrament is a Communion and therefore may not bee received by one alone as the name it selfe imports A Communion that is a Common union of Ministers and People together Thus much Cassander one that liv'd and dy'd in the Communion of the Roman Church acknowledges That it cannot be properly call'd a Communion unlesse there be a Plurality of Communicants * Communio proprie ditinon pâ—test tisiplures participent c. CassaÌ„ Consultat de solitariiâ— missis The private Masses therefore in the Roman Church where the Priest Communicates without the People are rather excommunications of the People then Communions as Goulartius wittily calls them in his Notes upon Saint Cyprians Tract on the Lords Prayer * Vid. Calvin lib. 4 Instit c. 18 § 7. Aditus missis privatis est patefactus quae Excomunicationem quandam magis reservent quam coÌ„munitatemillam à Domino institutam c. Concil Trident. Ses. 22. cap. 6. I am not ignoraÌ„t that the Councel of Trent * Vid. Calvin lib. 4 Instit c. 18 § 7. Aditus missis privatis est patefactus quae Excomunicationem quandam magis reservent quam coÌ„munitatemillam à Domino institutam c. Concil Trident. Ses. 22. cap. 6. wishes that the people would coÌ„munic ate alwayes with the Priest and acknowledges it to be the more profitable for the peoples soules but this blanches the matter only but mends it not the private Masse is a bitter Almond still for all the blanching so long as the people are not injoyn'd to Communicate with the Priest Nay so long as the Priest is by that Church allowd nay injoyn'd to celebrate though without distribution to the people Ye again that are Members of the Church by Baptisme Ye and Ye onely must eate this Bread and drinke this Cup. For the Grace which we have by the Holy Eucharist doth not begin but continue life No man therefore receaveth this Sacrament before Baptisme because no dead thing is capable of nourishment That which groweth must first live saith Reverend Hooker in his fift Booke of Ecclesiasticall * 5 Lib Ecc le polit §. 67. init Policie Besides wee must first bee receav'd as members into Christs Family before we may be admitted to his Table The Childrens bread must not be given to strangers But I hasten to the second Generall and main part of my Text which is the Meaning of this service of the Holy Communion in the last words Yee doe shew forth the Lords death till hee come The principall verbe which beares the waight of this part of the Text is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our Translation renders it most fitly Ye shew forth which expresseth the latitude of the word and the meaning of the Sacrament more fully then Annuntiate in the Latine which properly is but a verball declaration Now in this Sacrament Christs death is shewne forth three wayes especially First by way of Representation and Resemblance so signes and figures of things doe shew forth the things that are represented and resembled by them Secondly by way of Evidence and Confirmation so the Testators seale set to a Testament and his delivery of it as his deed doth shew it to bee his Will and Testament Thirdly and lastly by way of Commemoration or memoriall so a feast appointed in remembrance of a Benefactor doth shew forth his benefits to us Therefore Beza translates the verbe here Commemoratis yee Commemorate Christs death Now as oft as wee cate this Bread and drinke this Cup wee doe all these wayes shew forth the Lord's death both in the end and meaning of the service and wee ought to doe it in obedience and duty for so the verbe here used may be taken either Jndicatively Ye do or Imperatively Doe yee or Ye ought to doe and so I shall follow it First Then we doe shew forth Christ's death in the Sacrament by way of representation and resemblance and that not naked without attendance but solemnly accompany'd with the causes and effects of it Christ and Christ Crucified is here evidently set forth before our eyes * Neque tamen