also how excessiuely he caused the Israelites to woork without any hope of wages how he wold not suffer them by any meanes to sacrifice to the Lord nor to go foorth of the land of Egipt Which thing continued not for one yéer or two but for the space of foure hundred thirty yéeres Heer may we liuely beholde a draught of our misery We were all lost and destroyed in Adam We were holden captiues in the helly Egipt vnder the tiranny of a spirituall Pharaoh which is the Deuil This tirant was strong and mightie he suffred vs not to serue our god He made vs to labour incessantly in slauish and vnfrutefull woorks of sin to the establishment of his owne kingdome He flew not onely our men Children but he led vs all indiferently to vtter ruin and destrustion And this tiranny bad not onely cōtinued for a certain time but had béen eternall and for euer parmanent if the mercy and power of our God had not plucked vs out of it by the ministery of the true Moyses which is our Lord Iesus Christe who is the true Lamb whiche the heauenly Father hath deliuered to death to deliuer vs from it and purchase vs eternal life As it is said that God so looued the world that he hath giuē his only begotten sonne that who soeuer beléeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life Now then seeing this good God hath doon in vs so great a pleasure as to frée vs from the tiranny of the Deuil of sinne of death of hel séeing the his looue was so great that he deliuered his onely Sonne to the cruel and ignominious death of the crosse for vs which were the seruants and bond slaues of Sathan his welbelooued for vs whiche were his enemies the iust and the Lamb without spot for vs which were sinners and corrupt the onely heir of Paradise for vs which were worthely heires of hel ought we not tobe rauished with admiration of this great and vnspeakable looue of God towards vs and our tungs tobe for euer displayed to publish with loud voice the praise of the benefit of our redēption It is very resonable and therfore we sée that Iesus Christe admonisheth vs of our duty in this behalf speaking of the selebration of the holy Supper Doo this in remembrance of me And S. Paule expresseth what remembrāce this is whē he aduertiseth vs that as often as we shall eat this bread drink this cup we shew the Lords death til he come Seeing then the God requireth of vs a true acknowledging of his benefits whiche we receiue at his hands boūtifulnes by the menes of our Lord Iesus Christ let vs take héed that we be not spotted with the fault of in gratitude especially if we will not incur the wrathfull displeasure of God and acknowledge him for Iudge whome we would not acknowledge for a gentle and merciful father as S. Paule also to this purpose thretneth the ingrate and forgetful when he saith whosoeuer shall eate this bread and drinck the cup of the Lord vnworthely eateth and drinketh his owne damnation And rightfully is the vengeance of God displayed against them which wickedly suppresse the glory of God in that that concerneth their owne saluation For if so be that a murderer redy to be hanged for his wicked déeds casting away reiecting his Princes gratious pardon not vouchsauing to thank him for it deserueth worthely the gallous or if a Childe deserue the rod for not giuing once I thank you to his father when he hath receiued at his hands great and singuler benefits much more we whiche for our sinful and wicked déeds deserue tobe hanged in hel if we contemne the grace of God our souerain prince and make no count of this euerlasting benefits which our heuenly father presenteth vs withall in Iesus Christe who is offered to vs in the Supper by good right reason we are worthy to perish for our vnkindenes and vnthankfulnes But héer must we diligently mark the points that folowe First this acknowledging must be made to one only God by his only sonne Iesus Christ For euen as God by his onely sonne hath created vs redéemed vs frō euerlasting death so wil he that to him alone by him alone in whome he is wel pleased we render thanks for all his benefits As we sée how S. Paule setteth this foorth vnto vs in many places and precisely in the Epistle to the Ephesians where he saith Blessed be God euen the father of our Lord Iesus Christe whiche hath blessed vs with all his spirituall blessing in Heaueuly things in Christe as he hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the world but they which call vpon Saints and put their trust in them or in their merits they also whiche make them patrons and aduocates to God warde and like wise they whiche trust in their owne strength in their owne frée will or good woorks rob God of his glory and can not giue him true thanks for the benefit of redemption For we cannot giue to any creature the least iot that may be in the matter of our saluation but wee commit sacriledge against God the creator And therfore renouncing our selues and euery liuing creature let vs say with the Apostle vnto the King euerlasting immortall inuisible vnto God only wise be honor and glory for euer and euer Amen Secondly thanks must be giuen not with the mouth only but with the hart also For séeing that God is a spirit he riquireth a seruice of vs that is agréeable to his nature that is to say he wil be serued of vs in spirit and trueth And therfore when that praising of God for the benefit of redemption cōmeth in question we must haue our harts lift vp on hye and there must be a consent and mutuall agréement betwéen our inwarde affections and our tungs as we sée how Dauid exhorteth himself to the same when he saith My soule praise thou the Lord all the is within me praise his holy nāe My soule I say praise thou the Lord forget not all his benefits And the blessed Virgin singeth the self same in her song saying My soule magnifieth the Lord and my spirit reioyceth in God my Saueour now all hipocrits and wicked persons also they that sing praise in an vnknowen tung are héer reprooued For where there is no vnderstanding ther is no affection nor wil and consequently no Faith without which what soeuer we doo be it neuer so faire and glorious before men it is but sinne and abhomination before god Let vs take héed therfore the in this be half we wander not and go astray lest we be condemned with the Ievvish people whiche honored and serued God in vain in so muche as they came néer vnto him onely with their mouthes and honoured him with their lips but not with their harts Thirdly it must be doon at all
¶ A TREATISE of the preparation to the holy Supper of our onely Saueour and Redéemer Iesus Christe Necessary for all them that vvil vvorthely approche to the Lords holy Table Also a dialogue containing the principall points whiche they that wil receiue the Supper ought to knowe and vnderstand By Yues Rouspeau minister of the vvord of god Ttanslated out French into English by R.B. ¶ Let a man examine him self and so let him eat of this Bread and drink of this Cup. Printed at London by Lucas Harison To the right worshipful S. Iohn Zouch of Codner Knight R. B wisheth a blessed life happy dayes with great increace of vvorship AMongst the sundry woorks of many ancieÌ„t learned wise men right vvorshipful I fide no one thing more generally coÌ„mended then the trauel that procureth profit vtilitie to the common welth for to this end al the estate of mans life teÌ„deth that vvhilst vve coÌ„tinue in this base territory heer our vvhole indeuour should be imploied to the ben fit of our cuntrey in some respect And for this cause the moste renovvned Emperours and famouse Princes of the vvorld in times past had alvvaies diligent care to aduaunce such as by their pollicy conserued their kingdomes in publique traÌ„quilitie or by their valiantnes vanquished their enemyes or by iustice suppressed the vvicked either els by their vvritings learned documents instructed the Vulgaritie to vertuous liuing Anaxarchus amoÌ„gst the Phenicians alovved best of the maintainers of ciuil concord Numa Pompilius exhorteth the Romains ro recompence those largly that returned victorious from any battail Promotne us willed the Egiptians to make great accouÌ„t of those that were true Iusticiaries And Bias king of the Argiues commaunded his people aboue all others to honour reuerence moste their vvriters and teachers of vvisedoÌ„e Octauian and Mecenas gratified virgil the lerned poet with such rich preseÌ„ts that Seruius who vvriteth of him affirmeth that in short space hee was valued tobe worth six M. Sesterns vvhich amounteth to tvvo hundred M. crovvnes such zeale vnto vertue reigned in the noble Peares of that age that they accouÌ„ted those gifts best bestovved which vvere imploied vpoÌ„ them that vvere singuler in any facultie to th enteÌ„t that others in hope of prefermeÌ„t might the rather be incouraged to immitate their steps If that lack of liberalitie be found in the princes of this parfet time in remune rating the vertues vvhich abounded so plentifully in the nobilitie of those obscure dayes vvherin nature vvithout the knowledge of the eternall bare the onely svvay hovv much it is to be lamented I refer to the iudgement of those that by reading may discerne the praises belonging iustly vnto the one and by present sight may beholde the defaults of the other If a greater desire to pleasure their Countrey vvas found in that people which vvere gouerned only by the instinct of nature theÌ„ there is in those vvhich novv may be directed by that pure most blessed operatioÌ„ of the spirit of God vvhat punishmeÌ„t is due to their rechelesse negligeÌ„ce let those that read the sacred Scriptures discide vvhere it is moste apparant to be seen vvith vvhat vigor God punished the vnprofitable seruaÌ„t hovv he coÌ„mauÌ„ded that euery tre vvhich brought not forth good frute shuld be hevveÌ„ dovvn and cast into the fire These threatnings if nothing els vvould moue should stir vp euery man to make some increce of those talents vvhich God hath lent him rather then through slouthfulnes to bury them in obscuritie vvithout reaping gaines to them selues or yeelding a iust account to God benefit to their countrey trevv allegeance to their prince furtherance to their childreÌ„ or pleasure to their freends to vvhome they be bound To auoid these incoÌ„ueniences to eschevv the infamy that breedeth through idelnes I thought it good to imploy my diligence in translating this small Treatise desiring rather to bee accounted a profitable Bee then to be suspected for a hurtfull Drone for though the Volume be not large nor my laboure great yet possible there is as great consolation to be found for the repentant sinner as in bigger Tomes And because I vvould signifie vnto your vvorship the good vvil I beare you and the desire I haue to acquit some parte of those curiesies vvhiche I haue receiued at your hands I haue presumed to craue your patronage to this the first frutes of my labour hoping that you vvil vouchsafe the acceptaÌ„ce thereof in suche parte as vvith good vvill I offer it And though that it scape not free froÌ„ the ceÌ„sures of some vvhose delight is to carp at euery light occasion yet if it may obtain your fauourable liking my desire is satisfied and so vvith remembraÌ„ce of my dutie I take my leue wishing helth to your persoÌ„ vvorship to your parentage and prosperoussuccesse in all your indeuours Your vvorships to commaund R. B ¶ Yues Rouspeau to the Christian Reader helth from Iesus Christe our Lord. AMongst the causes of common calamities and scourges wherwith God punisheth the world S. Paule maketh mention of the abuse and contempt of the Lords Supper sayiÌ„g for this cause many are weke and sick among you and many sléep For if we would iudge our selues we should not bée iudged Therfore we ought not to meruail that the last yéer God did so seuerely punish this poor Realme of France with plague war and famin For the contempt of the Gospel and the abuse and prophanation of the Lords holy Supper were the cause therof so that niether they that folowed the Popes faction ought to complain of God nor they likewise that make profession of the Gospel because there was a fault bothe in the one the other First touching the abuses of the Papists we are able to set down sure iudgement by the woord of God how that the Masse is wholly fraught with blasphemyes how it abolisheth the holy Supper of our Lord Iesus Christe how the remembrance of his death and passion is therin suppressed brought to nought how there is no communion and that in sted that Iesus Christe commaunded all his in generall to take eat and drink the bred wine one only taketh eateth driketh for all the rest We see there moreouer how they cause a creature tobe worshiped therin yea a morsell of bread in stede of the Creatour how they séek Christe Iesus there in earth wher as the word of God the Apostles créed the olde Canons teach vs to haue our harts lift vp on high and to séek him by faith in Heauen To be short there are to be séen many other detestable and infinit abuses whiche I now passe ouer with silence Now then séeing they haue obstinatly planted grounded theÌ„ selues in that affection yea for the maintenaÌ„ce of so vile and wicked a thing haue put to death so many good meÌ„ so many holy true martirs of our Lord Iesê° Christe Hath not God rightfully visited vs in this behalf Secondly
we sée also the ther were great notable abuses on their behalfe that made profession of the true woord of god How many were there which knew no more then the Papists to giue any reasoÌ„ of their faith and which presented them selues like beasts to the Lords holy Supper Some came thither as ignoraÌ„t asses other as swine leding a dissolute slanderous life I wil not speak of an infinit number of hipocrits false brethern traiters Apostates which were vnknoweÌ„ had a countenance shew of honestie Therfore is was not without cause that the wrath of god was kindled against his people that they were scourged with stripes for wittigly abusing of the knowledge of his holy name Now that this good God through his Sonne Iesus Christe may cast his pitiful and merciful eye vpon this so poore and desolate Realme it behoueth bothe the one and the other to learne hence forwarde to serue and honor God according to his woord better then they haue doon espetially that they take héede that héerafter they prophane not by any meanes the holy supper of Iesus Christe our lord To this ende and purpose they may read this little tretise wherin they shall finde the the true preparing of our selues to the Lords supper consisteth not in decking of the body fair garments pomps countenaunces and outward profession of the name of God but in clenenesse of hart and vp rightnes of conscieÌ„ce to th' end that God who is a spirit may be also serued of his in Spirit and trueth The Preface ¶ To come worthely to the holy Supper of our Lord Iesus Christe we must examine our selues according too the admonition of the Apostle Saint Paule Now the examination of our selues consisteth cheefely in foure poynts that is to say in Faith repentance giuing of thanks to God and looue towards our neighbours Of Faith. The first Article FIrst of all we must haue faith that is to say a certain infallible assurance firme perswasioÌ„ that God is a merciful father vnto vs in the name of his sonne Iesê° Christe our Lord whoÌ„e he deliuered to death for vs This faith coÌ„meth not of vs nether is it grouÌ„ded vpon vs nether vpoÌ„ any other thing the is in vs but it commeth from God and is grounded vpon God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost and vpon the promises of the gospel confirmed inwardly within vs by the working of the holy Ghost whiche cryeth in our harts Abba that is to say father Furthermore this faith is nourished confirmed and increased in vs by the holy Sacraments For in the Supper God as a good father after that hee hath once brought vs into his Church by baptisme nourisheth vs spiritually with the proper substance of his Sonne Iesus Christe applying and making proper vnto euery one of vs the merit of his death passion To this end and purpose is it that Iesus Christe him self giueth vs the bread and Wine that he commaundeth vs to eat and drink it that he saith that the Bread is his body whiche is giuen for vs and that the Wine is his Blood which is shed for the remission of our sinnes by whiche woordes he giueth him self wholly vnto vs he wil be our nourishment and spyrituall life hée will dwell in vs by his holy Spirit and wil that we abide in him by faith that through beléef we may not perish but haue eternall life wherof he is the onely heyre and giuer In like sorte the breaking of the Bread of the Supper serueth to the confirmation of our faith and sure warranting of our saluation in so much as it assureth vs and causeth vs to see with spirituall eyes that Iesus Christe was once broken with the paines of death in Ierusalem to deliuer vs from the same and to get vs eternall life Also in that that by the commaundement of Christe Iesus we take the Bread in our hands and then the Cup more ouer in that that we eate the Bread and drink the Wine whiche turn into the nourishment of our bodyes we are certyfied that by the haÌ„ds of Faith we take and embrace Iesus Christe our Lord for our onely Saueour and redéemer and that by the same Faith we eat his body spiritually and drink his blood to the hope of eternall life Now euery one of vs must liue by his owne faith according as we may make our confession in the beleef whiche is called the Apostles in that that euery man saith by him self I beleelue in God and saith not we beleeue We must not heer cast our braines or think vpon the beléeuing or vnbeleeuing vpon the worthynes or vnworthynes of an other man but vpon our owne For Saint Paule dooth not teach vs to examin other men or that other men should examine vs but he saith namely let a man examine him self Therfore let euery one of vs for his owne parte be assured in his hert that Iesus Christe the trewe Messias is come into the world to saue sinners amongst whome he ought to account and estéeme him self by the example of s. Paule the chéefest Let him beléeue that Iesus Christe came down from Heauen into Earth to lift him vp from Earth to HeaueÌ„ that he was made the Sonne of man to make him the Childe of God that he was conceiued by the holy Ghost and that he was borne of the Virgin mary to purifie and clense his wicked conception birth Let him perswade him self that the Sonne of God hath ouercome the Deuil to deliuer him from the tiranny and slauish subiection of the deuil that he hath fulfilled all the Law loouing God his father with all his hart streÌ„gth and might and his neighbour as him self to get him iustice that he appéered before Pilat an earthly Iudge and receiued as euil dooer sentence of condemnation for this life to exempt him from appering before the terrible iudgement seat of Gods iustice to receiue sentence of death euer lasting damnation for that he had offended one eternall and euer lasting god Let him assure him self that the same Iesu Christe went down to hel for him that is to say that he suffred the sorrows and terrours of the second death and of the sincere wrath of God to deliuer him that he dyed a death accursed of God in that hée was hanged on the Crosse to purchase him life blessing before God that he rose again for a gage and assurance of his resurrection that he assended into Heauen for a certain token that he also shal assend thither that he sitteth on the right hand of God his Father to bée for him an euerlasting Préest teacher king defender reconciler and aduorate tobe short the he shall come at his last comming for his comfort ful redemption We must also euery one of vs for his owne parte make proper
times and seasons that is to say aswel in affliction as in prosperitie and to this purpose Dauid protesteth That hée will alwaye giue thanks vnto his Lord and that his praise shal be in his mouth continually And Saint Paule admonisheth the Thessalonians to giue thanks in all things adding for this is the wil of God in Christe Iesus But this is clene contrary to time seruers and to all them whiche in time of prosperitie fawne vpon the gospell and are well content for that time to praise God whome afterwarde in time of affliction they defye and set naught by The cause of this mischéef is for that they haue not yéelded them selues to the Churche of God for a good end and purpose as to extoll the glory of God to séek their owne saluation and the saluation of their brethern but rather to greaten them selues in their goods and honours and to satisfye their owne affections And therfore it commeth to passe that as soon as the deuil lifteth vp his hornes against the Churche of God and perscutions be at hand they melt away by and by in affliction as dooth War before the fire they are offended and parched with the Sunne of the Crosse they are sory for the good they haue doon they repent theÌ„ selues that they were so hasty to confesse the name of our Lord Iesus Christe in the assembly of the faithful they wish they had neuer knowen God nor his woord nor his Church nor his ministers because they make greter account as Esau did of one messe of pottage then of the birth-right and blessing of the heauenly father But let such maner of persons knowe the it shall no more profit them that they made a fair beginning ioly holding vp of their buckler then it did Cain Esau Saule Iudas For séeing that sentence is generall that whosoeuer continueth vnto the end he shal be saued it foloweth by the contrary the all they whiche doo not coutinue coÌ„stantly in the confession of the sonne of God are hindred by their goods and honours looue of the world ease of their flesh to set foorth declare with a continual train the benefit of our redemption it foloweth I say that such persons shall go to ruin and euerlasting destruction Last of all this acknowledging must not onely bee priuat but publique in the face and preseÌ„ce of the whole church and therfore as Dauid saith what shall I render vnto the Lord for all his benefits toward me I wil take the cup of saluation and call vpon the name of the lord I wil pay my vowes vnto the Lord euen now in the presence of all his people And again I haue declared thy righteousnes in the great congregation to I haue not refrained my lips O Lord thou knowest I haue not hid thy righteousnesse within mine hart but I haue declared thy trueth and thy saluation I haue not concealed thy mercy thy trueth from the great congregation So then this ought tobe wel printed in the hart of the weke and those that are ashamed to confesse praise openly our Lord Iesus Christe For séeing that God dooth auouche vs openly for his people he giueth him self fréely vnto vs to our children in the person of his wel belooued sonne our Lord Iesê° Christe we can doo no lesse theÌ„ auouch him publiquely for our god and saueour in the person of that same his welbelooued sonne Christe Iesus our Lord. ¶ Of Looue Article 4. FAith Repentance and acknowledging of Gods benefits cannot haue place in vs and in vain are we called Christians or that we brag of our selues for the practise of the commaundements of the first table which concerne the seruice of God before mentioned vnlesse we shew the effects by the keeping of the commaundements of the second Table which concerne the looue of our neighbour without whiche also we cannot worthely present our selues to the holy Table of Iesus Christe our lord And therfore is it that Iesus Christe him self in the sermon of the Supper which hee made to his Apostles the same night that he was betrayed and deliuered to death for vs did diligently beat this point into their heads saying By this shall all men knowe that ye army Disciples if ye haue looue one to au other And again This is my commaundement that ye looue one an other as I haue looued you Greater looue then this hath no maÌ„ when any man bestoweth his life for his Fréends Ye are my fréends if ye doo what so euer I commaund you To this same end tendeth also that that the same night Iesus Christe washed the féete of his Apostles acter which washing he said vnto them knowe ye what I haue doon to you ye call me Maister and Lord and ye say wel for so I am If I then your Lord and Maister haue washed your feet ye also ought to wash one an others féet For I haue giuen you an example that yee should doo euen as I haue doon do you We must therfore according to the commaundement and example of the sonne of God be furnished with true and hot looue that we may worthely present our selues to the Lords table If we wil haue a true discription of this looue we must take it of S Paule which pointeth it out in liuely coulours writing to the Corinthians in this sort Looue saith he suffereth long it is bountiful looue enuieth not looue dooth not boast it self it is not puffed vp it disdayneth not it séeketh not her owne things it is not prouoked to anger it thinketh not euill it reioyceth not in iniquitie but reioyceth in the trueth It suffereth all things it beléeueth all things it hopeth all things it indureth all things Sée what manner of looue ours ought tobe euery one of vs must indeuour that all the partes of this description may rightly agrée vnto vs We are many waies and in sundry sorts exhorted to this looue and brotherly concord in the holy Supper of our Lord Iesus Christe First in that that we must wait one for an other and that it is not lawful for euery one of vs to celebrate the Supper perticulerly and a parte but when the whole congregation is assembled togither all the faithful togither must take eate and drink the Bread and wine of the Supper according to the commaundement of Iesus Christe Take ye eate ye and drink ye all of this It is a true figure and testimonie of the vnitie the ought tobe among vs Moreouer in that that wée béeing all gethered togither in one house of God which is his Churche we doo there all call vpon one self same Father which is in Heauen we haue all one self same hed aduocate and intercessour whiche is Iesus Christe we are all quickened with his holy Spirit which dwelleth in vs in that that we all haue one self same word of God in that that we all eat of one self same spirituall