swearing dronkennes whoredome couetousnes idlenes c. all such I say shal not nor cannot enter into Gods kingdome but hell fire is prepared for them weeping and gnashing of teeth whereunto alas I feare me very many wyll needes go in that very many wil be as they haue bene let vs euen to the wearing of our toung to the stumps preach and pray neuer so much to the contrary and that euen in the bowels of Iesus Christ as now I besech you all all all and euery mothers childe to repent and lament your synne to trust in Gods mercy and to amende your lyues Now me thinkes ye are somewhat astonied wherby I gather that presently you desire this repentāce that is this sorow good hope and newnes of lyfe The which that you may the rather attaine and get to your comforts as I haue gone about to bee a meane to stir vp in you by Gods grace this desire of repentance so through the same grace of God wyl I go about now to shew you how you may haue your desire in this behalfe And first concerning this part namely sorow for your syns and harty lamenting of the same For this if you desire the hauing of it you must beware y you thinke not that of your selues or of your own freewyl by any meanes you can get it You maye easelye deceiue your selues and mock your selues thincking more of your selues then is seemely All good thinges and not peeces of good thinges but al good things saith S. Iames come from God the father of light If therefore penance be good as it is good then the partes of it be good Frō God therfore do they come and not of our free wyll It is the Lord that mortifieth that bringeth down that humbleth saith the scriptur in sundry places After thou haddest stricken my thigh saith Ieremy I was ashamed Loe he sayth after thou hadst stricken me and therfore praieth he euen in the last words almost he writen Turne vs Lord and we shall be turned The which thing Dauid vseth verye often Wherfore first of al if thou wouldest haue this part of penance as for the whole because it is Gods gift so for this part go thou vnto God make some litle praier as thou canst vnto his mercy for the same in this or like sort Mercifull father of our Sauiour Iesus Christ bicause I haue synned and done wickedly thorow thy goodnes haue receiued a desire of repentance wherto this thy long sufferaunce doth draw my hard hart I beseche thee for thy mercies sake in CHRIST to worke the same repentance in me and by thy spirit power grace so to humble mortify and teare my concsience for my syns to saluatiō that in thy good time thou mayest comfort and quicken me again through Iesus Christ thy dearely beloued Sonne Amen After this sort I say or otherwyse as thou thinckest good if thou wilt haue this first part contrition or sorow for thy sins do the beg it of God thorow Christ And when thou hast asked it as I haue laboured to driue thee from trusting in thy selfe so now I go about to moue thee from flattering of thy self from sluggishnes and negligence to be diligent to vse these meanes folowing Unto prayer which I would thou shouldest fyrst vse as thou canst secondly get thee Gods law as a glas to toote in for in it and by it commeth the true knowledge of synne without whych knowledge there can bee no sorrow For how can a man sorow for his synnes which knoweth not hys synnes As when a man is sycke the fyrst step to health is to know his sycknes euen so to saluation the first step is to know thy damnation due for thy synnes The law of God therfore must be gotten and wel tooted in that is we must looke in it spiritually not corporally or carnally as the outward word or letter doth declare and vtter and so our Sauiour teacheth vs in Mathew expounding the sixt seuenth commaūdements not onely after the outward deede but also after the hart making there the anger of the hart a kynde of murther lusting after an other mans wyfe a kinde of adultery And this is one of the differences betwene Gods law and mās lawe that of this mans law I meane I am not contemnable so long as I obserue outwardli the same But gods law goeth to the roote to the hart condemning me for the inwarde motion allthough outwardlye I lyue most holyly As for example If I kil no mā though in my hart I hate mans law condemneth me not but otherwyse doth Gods lawe And why for it seeth the fountain whence the euil doth spring If hatred were taken out of the hart then loftynes in lookes detraction in toūg and murther by hand could neuer ensue If lusting wer out of the hart curiosity in countenaunce wantonnes in wordes baudy boldnes in body would not appeare In that therfore this outward euyll springes out of the inward corruption seyng Gods law also is a law of liberty as sayth saynt Iames and spirituall as saith s Paule perfectly spiritually it is to be vnderstand if we wyll truly come to the knowledge of our syns For of this inward corruption reason knoweth but litle or nothing I had not knowen sayth Paul that lusting which to reason and to them which are guided only by reasō is thought but a triste I had not knowen sayth he this lusting to haue ben syn if the lawe had not sayd Non concupisces Thou shalt not lust To the knowledge therefore of our syn without which we cannot repent or be sory for our syn let vs secondly get vs Gods law as a glasse to toote in and that not onely literally outwardly or partly but also spiritually inwardly and throughly Let vs consider the hart and so shal we see the foule spots we are stayned withal at lest inwardly wherby we the rather may be mooued to harty sorow and sighing For as s Austen saith it is a glasse which feareth no body but euen looke what a one thou art so it paynteth thee out In the law we see it is a foule spot not to loue the lord our God withal all I say our hart soule power might and strength and that continually In the law it is a foule spot not onely to make to our selues anye grauen Image or similitude to bowe thereto c. but also not to frame our selues wholy after the image whereto we are made not to bow to it to worship it In the law we see that it is a foule spot not onely to take Gods name in vayne but also not earnestly hartely and euen continually to call vpon his name onely to geue thankes vnto him to beleue to publish and lyue his holy word In Gods lawe we see it is a foule spot to our soules not onely to bee an open prophaner of the Saboth day but also not to rest
speech If Ministers did their duties in Catechisyng preaching then doubtles to call the Sacrament Christes body to esteme it accordingly cold not geue occasion to idolatry and coÌ„tirme it Therfore wo vnto them that preach not There be two euyls about the Sacraments which to auoid the holy Ghost hath taught vs For lest we should wyth the Papists thinke Christes bodye present in or with the bread really naturally and corporally to bee receyued with out bodelye mouth where ther is no other presence of Christes body then spirituall and to the fayth in many places he keepeth styll the name of bread as in the epistle to the Corinthians the tenth and eleuenth chapters And lest we should make to lyght of it making it but a bare sygne no better then common bread the holy Ghost calleth it Christes body whose speech I wish we wold follow and that not onely as wel to auoyd the euyl which is now a daies most to be feared coÌ„cerning the Sacrament I meane of contemnyng it as also for that no faythfull man coÌ„meth to the Sacrament to receyue bread simply but rather yea altogether to communicate with Christs body and bloud For els to eate and drinke as Paule sayth they haue houses of their own The contempt of the Sacrament in the dayes of Kyng Edward hath caused these plagues vpon vs presentlye the Lord be mercyful vnto vs Amen And thus much for the obiection of easlyng the Sacrament by the name of Christes body Why sayth one to call the Sacrament Christes bodye and to make none other presence then by grace or spiritualy to faith which is of things hoped for of things which to the bodely senses do not appeare is to make no presence at all or to make hym none otherwyse present then he is in hys woord when it is preached and therefore what neede wee to receiue the Sacrament in as much as by thys doctrine a man may receiue hym dayly in the fiâ—â—d as wel as much as in the church in the celebration and vse of the Sacrament To this obiection I first aunswer that in deede neyther the scripture nor Christian faith wyl geue vs leaue to make any carnall reall naturall corporall or any such grosse presence of Christes naturall body in the Sacrament For it is in heauen and the heauens must haue it as sayth Peter tyll Christes commyng to iudgement except we would deny the humanity of Christ the veritye of mans nature in hym The presence therfore which we beleue and confesse is such a presence as reason knoweth not the world cannot learne nor any that looketh in this matter with our eyes or heareth with other eares then wyththe eares and eyes of the spirite and of fayth Whych fayth though it bee of thinges hoped for so of things absent to the corporall senses yet this absence is not an absence in deede but to reason and the old man the nature of fayth being a possession of thynges hoped for Therfore to graunt a presence to fayth is not to make no presence at all but to such as knowe not fayth And thys the Fathers taught affirmyng Chryst to bee present by grace and therefore not onely a signification but also an exhibition and geuyng of the grace of Christes body that is of lyfe and of the seede of immortalitie as Cypriane wryteth We eate lyfe and drinke lyfe sayth S. Augustine â—efecle a presence of the Lord by grace or in grace sayth Chrysostome We receiue the celestial foode that commeth from aboue sayth Athanasius We receyue the property of the natural coÌ„iunction and knitting together sayth Hylerius We perceyue the nature of flesh the blessyng that geuethlyfe in bread and wyne sayth Cyrillus And els where he sayth that wyth the bread and wyne we eate the vertue of Christes proper flesh lyfe grace and the property of the body of the onely begotten Sonne of God which thyng behimselfe expoundeth to be life Basilius saith that we by the Sacrament receiue the mystical Aduent of Christ grace and the very vertue of his very nature Ambrose sayth that we receiue the Sacrament of the true body Epiphanius sayth wee receiue the body or grace And Hierome sayth that wee receiue spirituall flesh which he calleth other flesh then that which was crucified Chrysostome sayth that we receiue inâ—uence of grace the grace of the holy Ghost Saynt Augustine sayth that we receyue grare and veritye the innisible grace and holynes of the members of Christes body All the which layings of the Fathers do confirme this our fayth and doctrine of the Sacrament we grauÌ„ting in all thynges herein vnto them and they in lyke maner vnto vs And therefore the lying lyps which both be lye the Doctours as though they graunted a carnall a reâ—â— presence of Christes holy naturally and corporally after the Papistes declaration and meaning and which belye vs also as though we dâ—yed all presence of Christ and so made it but a bare signe These lying lips the Lord wyll destroy if they repent not and with vs beleue and teach the truth that the Sacrament is a food of the soule a matter of fayth and therfore spiritually and by sayth to bee talked of and vederstanded whych fayth they want and therfore they erre so grossely in that they woulde haue such a presence of Christ as is contrary to all the scriptures to our Christian religion wherby commeth no such commoditie to the receiuer as by the spiritual presence which we teach and according to Gods word do affirm For we teach these benefites to be had by the worthy receiuing of this Sacrament namely that we abyde in Christ and Christ in vs Agayne that we attayne by it a celestiall lyfe or a lyfe wyth God more ouer that by fayth and in spirite wee receiue not onelye Christes body and vioud but also whole Christ God and man Besydes these we graunt that by the worthy receiuing of this Sacrament we receiue remission of our syns and confirmation of the newe Testament Last of all by worthy receiuing we get an increase of incorporation with Christ and amongest our selues whych bee hys members then whych thinges what more can be desired Alas that men consider nothing at all how that the couplyng of Christes body and bloud to the Sacrament is a spirituall thing and therfore there needes no such carnall presence as the Papistes imagine Who wyll deuye a mans wyfe to bee with her husband one body and flesh although he be at London and she at Yorke But the Papistes are carnall men guided by carnall reason onely or els would they know how that the holye Ghost because of our infirmitye vseth metaphorically the wordes of abiding dwelling eating drinking of Christ that the vnspeakeable coniunction of Christ wyth vs might somthing be knowen God open their eyes to see it And thus much for this Now to that part
onely Blasphem it is and that horrible to thinke otherwyse The bloud of Christ purifieth saith saint Iohn from all synne and therefore he is called the Lambe slaiue from the beginning of the world because there was neuer syn forgeuen of God nor shal be from the beginning vnto the ende of the world but only thorow Christs death prate the Pope and his prelates as please them wyth theyr pardous Purgatorie Purgacious Placeboes Trentals Dirigies woorkes of supererogation superabomination c. I am he saith the Lord which putteth away thine offences and that for mine own sake and wyl no more remember thine iniquities Put me in remembraunce for we wil reason together and tel me what thou hast for thee to make the righteous Thy first father offended sore c. And thus writeth S. Iohn If any man syn we haue an Aduocate saith he with the father euen Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitation or satisfaction for our syns As in the. 4. chapter he sayth that God hath sent his Sonne to be a propiciation or satisfaction for our syns accordyng to that which Paule writeth where he calleth Christ a mercyful and faythful Priest to purge the peoples syns So that blinde bussards peruers Papists they be which yet wil prate our merites or workes to satisfy for our syns in part or in whole before Baptisme or after For to omit the testimonies I brought out of Iohn Paule which the blynd cannot but seâ— I pray you remember the text out of Esay which euen now I rehearsed being spoken to such as wer then y people of God had bene a long time but yet were fallen into grenous syns after their adoption into the number of Gods childreÌ„ It is for myne own sake saith God that I put away thy syns Where is your parting of the stake nowe If it be for Gods owne sake yf Christ be the propiciation then recant except you wyll become Idolaters making your workes God and Christ Say as Dauid teacheth Not to vs Lord not to vs but to â—hy name be the glory And it is to be noted that God doth cast in their teeth euen the syn of theyr first father lest they should thinke that yet perchauÌ„ce for the righteousnes goodnes of their good fathers their syns might be the sooner pardoned so God except their workes If they had taken satisfaction for that which is done to the Congregation publikely by some notable punishment as in the primatiue Church was vsed to open offenders sparkles whereof and some traces yet remaine when such as haue synued in adultery go about the church with a Taper in their shiertes Or if they had made satisfaction for restitution to manward of such goodes as wrongfully are gotten the which true penaÌ„ce caÌ„not be with out Or if by satisfaction they had ment a new life to make amends to the Congregation thereby as by their euyll lyfe they did offend the CongregatioÌ„ in which sense the Apostle seemeth to take that which he writeth in 2. Corin. 7. where the old Interpretour calleth Apologian satisfactioÌ„ which rather signifieth a defence or answering againe If I say they had taken satisfactioÌ„ any of these waies then they had done well so that the satisfaction to God had bene left al onely to Christ Againe if they had made confession either for that which is to God priuatelye eyther for that which is to the Congregation publikely eyther for that which is a free consulation wyth some one learned in Gods booke appointed thereunto as first it was vsed and I wish were now vsed amoÌ„gest vs either for that which is a reconciliation of one to another it had bene somthing yea if they had made it for faith bicause it is a true demonstratioÌ„ of faith as in Paule we may see when he calleth Christ the captaine of our confession that is of one faith so Confessours were called in the primatiue Church such as manfully did wttnes their faith with the peril of their liues if I say they had taken it thus then had they done right well And so Coutrition if they had left out their â—nblil dstinction betwene it attrition by this word iust or full making it a harty sorow for theyr synnes then wee would neuer haue cryed out against them therfore For we say penance hath three partes Contrition if you vnderstand it for a harty sorowing for syn Confession if you vuderstand it for faith of free pardon in Gods mercy by Iesus Christ and Satisfaction if you vnderstand it not to Godwardes for that onely to Christ must bee left alone but to mauwarde in restitution of goddes wroÌ„gfully or fraudulently gotteÌ„ of name hindred by our slauÌ„ders and in newnes of lyfe although as I sayd before and anou wyll shew more plainly by gods grace that thys last is no part of penance in deede but a plaine effect or fruit of true penance I might here being in exaÌ„ples of their penauce how perilous it is to be embraced but let the example of their ground Sire Iudas serue in whom we see al the parts of their penaÌ„ce as they describe it yet no withstaÌ„ding he was daÌ„ned He was sory inough as the effect shewed he had their contricion fully out of the which he confessed hys fault saying I haue betrayed innocent bloud and thervnto he made satisfaction restoryng the money he had receyued But yet all was but lost he hanged vp himselfe his bowels burst out he remaineth a child of perdition for euer I would wish that this example of Iudas in whom ye see the parts of their penance contrition confession satisfaction would moue them to penance to describe it a litle better making hope or trust of Gods free mercy a peece thereof or els with Iudas they wil marre all Perchaunce these wordes contrition confession and satisfactioÌ„ were vsed as I haue expounded them at the first But in that we see so much daunger and hurt by vsing them without expositions either let vs ioyne to them open expositions alwaies or els let vs not vse them at all but say as I write that penaÌ„nce is a harty sorow for our syns a good hope on trust of pardon through Christ which is not without an earnest purpose to amend or a new lyfe This penance is the thing wher to all the scripture calleth vs This penance do I now cal you al vnto this must be continually in vs and not for a Lent season as we haue thought this must increase dayly more and more in vs with out thys we cannot be saued Search therfore your harts al al swearers blasphemers hers flatterers baudy or idle talkers iesters bribers couetous persons droukards gluttons whoâ— mongers theeues murtherers slaunderers idle liuers negligeÌ„t in their vocation c. All such and all other as lameÌ„t not their syns as hope not in Gods mercye for pardon purpose not hartely to amende to leaue their
the tooting in Gods glas the tag therto wyl not burst open thy blockish hart yet I trow the tosâ—ing to and fro of these examples and specially of oue late Kyng and this troublesome time wyll tumble some teares our of thyne hart if thou styll pray for gods spirit accordingly For who art thou thinke alwayes wyth thy selfe that God should spare thee more then them whose examples thou hast heard What friends hast thou Were not of these Kings Prophets Apostels learned and come of holy stockes I deceiue my selfe think thou with thy selfe if I beleue that God being the same God y he was wyl spare me whose wickednes is no sesse but much more then some of theirs He hateth synne now as much as euer he did The longer he spareth the greater vengeance â—il fal the deper he draweth his dow the sorer wil the shaft pearce But if yet thy hart be so hardened that all this geare wyll not moue thee surely thou art in a very euil estate and remedy now know I none What said I none know I none Yes there is one which is suresby as they say to serue if any thyng wyl serue You looke to know what this is Forsoth the passion and death of Iesus Chriâ—â— You know the cause why Christ became man and suffered as he suffered was the sins of his people that he might saue them froÌ„ the same Consider the greatnes of the sore I mean syn by the greatnes of the Surgion and of the salue Who was the Surgion No Angel no Saint no Archangel no power no creature in heauen nor in earth but onely he by whom althings wer made all thinges are ruled also euen Gods own dearling onely beloued sonne becomming man. Oh what a great thing is thys that could not be done by the Angels ArchaÌ„gels Potestates powers or al the creatures of God without his own sonne who yet must needes be thrust out of heauen as a man would say to take our nature become man Here haue ye the Surgion great was the cure that thys mighty Lord tooke in hand Now what was the salue For soth deare geare of many compositions I cannot recite al but rather must leaue it to your harty conâ—idetations Three and thirty yeares was he curyng our sore He sought it earnestly by fasting watching praying c. The same night that he was betrayed I reade how busy he was about a plaster in the garden when he liing sâ—at on the ground praying with teares that of bloud not a few but so manye as dyd flow down on the ground againe criing on this sort Father saith he if it be possible let this cup depart frâ— me that is if it be possyble that els the syns of mankinde can be taken a way graunt that it may be so Thou heardest Moises criyng for the idolaters Thou hear dest Lot for the Zoarites Samuel Dauid and many other for the Israelites and deare father I onely am thine own soâ—ne as thou hast said in whom thou art well pleased wylt thou not heare me I haue by the space of three thirty yeres done alwayes thy wyl I haue so humbled my selfe that I would become an abiect a mongest men to obey thee Therfore deare father if it be possible graunt my request saue maÌ„kind now without any further labour salues or plasters But yet sayth he not as I wyll but as thou wylt But sir what herd he Though he swet bloud water in making his plaster for our sore of syn yet it framed not Twyse he cryed without comfort yea though to comfort him God sent an Angel we yet know y this plaster was not allowed for sufficient vntyll hereunto Christ Iesus was betrayed forsaken of all his Disciples for worne of his dearly beloued bound lyke a theefe belyed on buffered whipped scourged crowned with thornes derided crucified racked nayled hanged vp betwene two theeues cursed and rayled vpon mocked in misery and had geuen vp the ghost then bowed dowue the head of Christ that is God the Father which is the head of Christ then alowed he the plaster to be sufficient good for the healing of our sore which is syn Now would God abide our breth because the stinck that is damuation or giltynes was taken away by the sweete sauer of the breth of thys Lamâ—e thus offered once for al. So that here dearely beloued we as in a glasse may see to the broosyng of our blockyshe hard hartes Gods great iudgement and anger agaynst synne The Lord of Lords the King of Kings the brightnes of Gods glory the sonne of God the dearling of his Father in whom he is wel pleased haÌ„geth betwene two theues crying for thee me and for vs al My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Oh hard harts that we haue which make tuts for syn Looke on this toote in the very hart of Christ pâ—arced with a speare wherein thou maiest see and reade Gods horrible anger for synne Woe to thy hard hart that pearred it And thus much for the first part of repentaunce I meane for the meanes of working contricion First vse prayer then looke on Gods law thirdly see his curse fourthly set examples of his anger before thee and last of all set before thee the death of Christ From this and prayer cease not tyl thou fecle some harty sorrow for thy syn The which wheÌ„ thou feelest then labour for the other part that is fayth on this sort As first in contrition I wylled shee not to trust to thy free wyll for the assayning of it so doo I wyll thee in thys Fayth is so far from the reach of mans free wyl that to reason it is plaine foolishnes Therfore thou must first go to God whose gyft it is thou must I say get thee to the father of mercy whose worke it is that as he hath brought thee downe by contrition and humbled thee so he would geue thee fayth raise thee vp and exalt thee On this maner therefore with the Apostles and the pore man in the Gospell that cryed Lord encrease our fayth Lord helpe my vnbeliefe pray thou and say O mercyfull God and deare Father of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ in whom as thou art wel pleased so hast thou commauÌ„ded vs to heare him for asmuch as he often byddeth vs to aske of thee and thereto promiseth that thou wylt heare vs and grauÌ„t vs that which in his name we shall aske of ther loe gracious Father I am bold to beg of thy mercy thorow thy sonne Iesus Christ one sparckle of true faith and certaine perswasioÌ„ of thy goodnes loue towardes me in Christ wherethrough I beyng assured of the pardon of al my syns by the mercies of Christ thy sonne may be thankfull to thee loue thee and serue thee in holynes and righteousnes al the daies of my lyte On this sort I say or otherwise as God shalmoue thee pray
c your eares to heare fables lyes fanities euil things c so now geue ouer your members to godlynes your touÌ„gs to speake your eares to heare your eyes to see your mouthes to last your hands to worke your feete to go about such thiuges as maye make to gods glory sobrieâ—y of life loue to your brethreÌ„ that daily more and more diligently for in a stay to stand you cannot either better or worse you are to day then you wer yesterday But better I trust you be wil be if you marke wel my theme that is Repent you The which thing that you would do as before I haue huÌ„bly besought yon eueÌ„ so now yet once more I do agayn besech you that for the tender mercies of God in Christ Iesus our Lord Repent you repent you for the kingdom of heauen that is a kingdom ful oâ—al ritches pleasures myrth beauty swetenes eternall felicitie is at hand The eye hath not sene the like the eare hath not heard the like the hart of man cannot conceiue the treasures pleasures of this kingdoÌ„ which now is at hand to such as repent that is to such as are sory for theyr sins beleue Gods mercy through Christ earnestly purpose to leade a new life The God of mercy through Christ his soÌ„ne graunt vs his holy spirit work in our hartes this sorow fayth new life which through his grace I haue spoken of both now for euer Amen ¶ An other Sermon made also by the sayd Maister Iohn Bradford vpon the Supper of the Lord. THere are two Sacramentes in Christes Church the one of initiation that is wherewith we be enraled as it were in to the houshold family of God which Sacrament we call Baptisme the other wherwith we be conserued fed kept nourished to continue in the same Familye which is called the Lords supper or the body and bloud of our Sauiour Iesus Christ broken for our syns and shed for our trausgressions Of the former Sacrament that is of Baptisme to speake now I am not purposed because occasioÌ„ and tyme serue not so therto Of the second therfore wyl I speake somthing by Gods grace if that first you remeÌ„ber this that Baptisme in Christs Church now sithen Christes death is come in place of CircumcisioÌ„ which was in the same church afore Christs comming Whereby we may see that Christian Parents seéme to bee no losse bound to offer theyr Infants and Sabes to be baptised that they may be takeÌ„ and accoÌ„pted of vs as meÌ„bers of Christes mistical body wherunto thei are receiued and sealed then wer the Hebrues their children to be taken as pertayning to the coue naunt league with God wherin they were enroled alonely the circumstance of the eight day not necessarye to be obserued being now abrogated But to come agayne of the Lords Supper I am purposed presently to speake through the helpe of God because we are assembled in Christ I hope to celebrate the same Now that the things which I shall speake may be better obserued and caryed away of you I wyl tell you how in what sort I wyll speake of it Three thynges would I haue marked as the principals and scopes wherto I wyl referre al that I shal at this time speake therof They be these Who what and wherefore That is to make it more plaine who dyd institute this thing which we are about to celebrate this is the first The second is what y thing is which is instituted And the last is wherfore and to what end it was instituted whereby we shall be taught how to vse it For the fyrst who did institute thys Sacrament and Supper you all do know that things are more esteemed sometyme for the dignity and authority of the person sometime for the wisedom of the person sometyme for the power and magnificence of the persou and sometime for the tender loue and kyndnes of the person If neede were I could by examples set forth euery one of these but I hope it is not necessarye Now then how can the thyng which we be about to celebrate but be estemed of euery one highlye in that the Auth or of it doth want no dignity no authority no wysedome no power no magnificence no holmes no tender loue and kindnes but hath al dignity authority wisdome power magnificence holynes tender lone mercy glory and all that can be wished absolutely He is God eteruall coequall and substantiall wyth the Father with the holy Ghost the image of the substance of God the wysedome of the Father the brightnes of hys glory by whom all things were made are ruled and gouerned He is the Kyng of all Kyngs and the Lord of all Lords He is the Messias of the world our most deare and louing brother Sauiour Mediatour Aduocate Intercessor Husbaud Priest So that the thyng which commeth from hym caÌ„not but be estemed loued and embraced if dignity authority wisdom power glory goodnes mercy lyke vs Yea if auy thing that can be wyshed lyke vs theu cannot thys whych our Lord dyd institute but like vs and that so much the more by how much it is oue of the last things which he did institute commaunde God open our eyes to see these thynges accordingly so shall we come with more reuerence to thys Table of the Lord which thing he graunt for hys mercies sake Amen And thus much for the fyrst who dyd institute thys Sacrament Now to the second what the Sacrament is If we shall aske our eies our nose our mouth our taste our handes and the reason of man they wyll all make a consonant answer that it is bread wyne And verelye herein they speake the truth and lye not as by many thyngs may be proued although the Papists prate their pleasure to the coutrary And here my dearely beloued I thynke I shal not be either tedious or vnprofitable vnto you if that I tary a litle in shewing this verity that the substance of bread and wine remaine in the Sacrament after the wordes of consecration as they call them be spoken Wherby we may learne how shameles beastes they be whych would enforce men to beleue traÌ„substaÌ„tiation which is an errour wherupon in a maner dependeth all popery For it is the stay of theyr Priesthood whych is neyther after the order of Aaron nor after the order of Melchisedech but after the order of Baal whych thing is somthyng seene by theyr number For the false prophets Priestes of Baal were alwayes many moe in number when the wycked were in authority then the true Priestes and Prophetes of the Lord as the holy histories of the Bible do teach Reade the third of the Kings the. 18 chap. That in the supper of the Lord or in the Sacrament of Christes body which the Papists call the sacrameÌ„t of the Aulter as though that were Christes Sacrament which thing they
with the Church all the good that euer it or any member of it had hath or shall haue This is the coÌ„munion of Sainctus which we beleue in our Creede which hath wayting on it remission of synnes resurrection of the flesh and lyfe enerlasting To the end that we should be most assured and certayne of all these Christ our Sauiour did institute this his Supper therfore would haue vs to vse it So that there is no man I trow which seeth not great cause of geuing thankes to God for this holy Sacrament of the Lord wherby if we worthely receine it we ought to be certayne that all our syns what soeuer they be are pardoned clearly that we are regenerate and borne agayne into a liuely hope into an inheritaunce immortall vnderiled and which can neuer wither away that bee are in the fellow shyp of God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost that we are Gods Tenples at one with God and God at one with vs that we are meÌ„bers of Christes Church and felowes with the Sainctes in all felicity that we are certayne of immortalitie in soule and body so of eternall lyfe then whych thyng what can be more demaunded Christ is ours and we are Christes he dwelleth in vs and we in him Oh happy eyes that see these things and most happy hartes that feele them My deare brethren let vs pray vnto the Lord to open our eyes to see these woÌ„derfull thinges to geue vs fayth to feele them Surely we ought no lesse to bee assured of them now in the worthy receiuyng of this Sacrament then we are assured of the exteriour symboles and Sacramentes If an Angell from heauen should come and tell you these things then would you reioyce be glad And my deare hartes in the Lord I euen now though most vnwyrthy am sent of the Lord to tel you no lesse but that you worthely receiuing this Sacrament shall receiue remission of all your syns or rather certainety that they are remitted and that you are euen now Gods darlinges Temples and fellow inheritours of al the good that euer he hath Wherefore see that you geue thankes vnto the Lorde for this his great goodnes prayse hys name for euer Oh sayth one I cold be glad in very deede and geue thankes from my very hart if that I dyd worthely receiue thys sacrament But alas I am a very greuous synner I feele in my selfe very little repentance and fayth and therefore I am a frayde that I am vnworthy To the answering of thys obiection I thinke it necessarye to speake somthing of the worthy receiuing in this Sacrament in as great breuity and playnes as I can The Apostle wylleth al men to proue and examine themselues before they eate of the bread and drinke of the cup for they that eate and drinke vnworthely eate and drinke damnation Therefore this probacion and examination is necessary If men wyll try their golde and syluer whether they be coper or no is it not more necessaryâ— that men should trye their consciences Nowe howe this should be the Papists teach amysse in sendyng vs to their auriculer confession which is impos sible The true probacion and tryall of a Christian conâ—cience consisteth altogether in faith and repentance Faith hath respect to the doctrine and articles of our beliefe repentance hath respect to maners conuersation Concerning the former I meane of faith we may see the Apostle teacheth vs. 2. Corint 11. Concerning the latter for our conuersation those syns which are called commonly mortall or deadly are to be remoued These syns are discerned from other syns by the Apostle Rom. 6. in saying Let not syn raygne and beare aswynge in your mortall bodies For truly then wee synne deadly when we geue ouer to synne and let it haue the bridle at his liberty when we striue not agaynstie but allow it and consent to it How be it if we striue against it if it displease vs then trulye though synne be in vs for we ought to obey God without all resistaunce or vnwillyngnes yet our syns be not of those syns which seperate vs from God but for Christes sake shall not be imputed vnto vs beleuing Therfore my dearely beloued if that your synnes doo now displease you if you purpose vnfaynedly to be enemies to iyn in your selues and in others as you may during your whole lyfe if you hope in Christ for pardon if you beleue according to the holy scriptures and articles of the ChristiaÌ„ fayth set forth in your Creede if I say you nowe trust in Gods mercy through Christes merites if you repent and earnestly purpose vefore God to amende your lyfe and to geue ouer yourselues to serue the Lord in holynes and righteousnes al the daies of your life although before this present you haue most greuously synned I publish vnto you that you are worthy gestes for this table you shall be welcome to Christ your syns shall be pardoned you shall be endned with hys spirit and so with communion with hym and the Father the whole Church of God Christ wyll dwell in you you shall dwell in hym for euermore Wherefore behaue your selues accordinglye wyth ioyfulnes and thankes geuing Do you nowe appeare before the Lord make cleane your houses open the dores of your hartes by repentance and faith that the Lord of hostes the kyng of glory may enter in and for euer hereafter beware of all suche thynges as myght displease the eyes of hys Maiesty Flie from syn as from a Toade come away from popery and all Antichristian religion be diligent in your vocations be diligent earnest in prayer harken to the voyce of God in hys word with reuerence lyue worthys your profession Let your lyght in your lyfe so shine that men may see your good workes and glorify your father which is in heauen As you haue beene darkenes followed the works of darknes so now henceforth be light in the Lord haue society with the workes of light Now hath God renueâ— hys couenaunt with you in Gods sight now are you as cleane and healed froÌ„ all your sores of synnes Go your wayes syn no more lest a worse thing happen vnto you See that your house beyng new swept be furnished with godlines and vertue and beware of idlenes lest the deuil come with seuen spirits worse then himselfe and so take his lodging and then your latter end wyll be worse then the first God our Father for the tender mercy and merites of hys soune be mercyful vnto vs forgeue vs al our syns and geue vs his holy spirit to purge cleanse sanetify vs that we may bee holye in hys sight through Christ that we now may be made ready worthy to receiue thys holy Sacrament with the fruits of the same to the full reioyning strengthening of our harts in the lord To whom be all honour glory world without ende Amen To God be all praise for euer â—il 3. 17. Luke 7. Hebr. 11. Iere. 44. Iere. 7. Amos. 7. Acte 17. Gene. 19. Gene. 6. Exod 2 Math. 4. Deut 6. 2 Math. 22 Mark. 20 Lâ—ke 10. Iohn 3. Math. 6. Lâ—ke 17. Aoc. 22. Deu. 4. 1. Esay 45. 1. Iohn 2. Hebr. 2. Rom. 1. Iames. 1. 1. Reg. 2. Iere. 31. Lamen 5 Acte 11. 2. Tim. 2. Iame. 2. Roma 7. Rom. 7. Iob. 15. Apoâ— â— 2. Tim. 2. Gene. 6. Genes 19. Genes 9 Iosua Caleb Num. 14. Leuit. 24 Num. 15. 1. Reg. 5. 3. Regu 21. 22. 4. Reg. 21. 4. Reg. 10. Gene. 6. Genes 19. Genes 19 Iosua Caleb Num. 14. Leuit. 24 Num. 15. Tim. 2. 1. Reg. â— 3. Regâ— 21. 2â— 4. Reg. â—â— 4. Reg. 10. Gene 9 Genes â–ª â—9 Genes â—9 Iosua Caleb Num. 14. Leuit. 24 Num. 15. Tim. 2. 1. Reg. â— 3. Regâ— 21 22. 4. Reg. 21 â–ª 4. Râ—g â—â— Esay 3â— Math. 7. Hebr. 10. Gene. 9 Genes 19 Genes 19 Leuit. 24 Tâ—â— â— Reg. â— Esay 3u Math. 7. Hebr. 10. Num â–ª 14 Two Sacramentes in christes church Baptisme is in place of circumcision Christian mens chudreÌ„ ought to be baprised Galat 4. who dyd institute this Sacrament 2 what the SacrameÌ„t is Upon traÌ„substantiation all popery almost is buylded The Sacrament of the popysh Masse is not the crament of christes body The first reason against traÌ„substantiation An aunswer to the Papistes cauill for the foresayd reason Math. 26 Exod. 7. The â—â—coÌ„d reason against traÌ„substan Math. 19 Mark. 14 Luke 22. 1. Cori. 11. The third reason against traÌ„substantiacion 1. Cor. 10. The iiij reason against trâ—substantiation The fyft reason Ireneus Augustinus Chrysostomus The syxt reason against traÌ„substantiation â—ipriax in Sermone de Chrysmat Augustinus ad Bonifacium The vij 〈…〉 Calat 3. An aunswer to the Papistes cauill for y foresayd reason The .viij. reason The nidth reason Christes presence in the supper An obiection â—n answer An other obiection of Christs presence in the Sacrament Athanasius Hylarius Cyrillus Basilius Ambrosius Epiphanius Hieronimus Chrysostomus Augustinus Christes presence in the supper wherfore the Sacrament was instituted ☞ Note though I apply thys thus yet I woulde not that any men shuld think that coÌ„munioneÌ„ saÌ„ctorum in the Creede is not set foorth there for the better explication of that which preceedeth it namelye what the holy catholike Church iâ— An obiection of â—nworthy receiuyng The aunswar Imprinted at London by Iohn Awdeley and Iohn Wyght The .xxx. of September Anno Domini 1574.
from our own wordes works that the Lord might both speake and worke in vs and by vs not to heare his holy word not to communicate his Sacraments not to geue occasion to others to holynes by our example in godly workes and reuerent esteming of the ministery of his word In Gods law we see it a foule spot to our soules not onely to be an opeÌ„ disobeyer of our Parents Magistrates Maisters such as be in any autority ouer vs but also not to honour such euen in our harts not to giue thankes to God for them not to pray for theÌ„ to ayde to helpe or relieue theÌ„ to heare with theyr infirmities c. In Gods law we see it is a foule spot in our soules not onely to be a manqueller in hatred malyce proud lokes brags backbiting rayling or bodily slaughter but also not to loue our neyghbours yea our ennemies euen in our harts to declare the same in all our â—estures wordes workes In Gods lawe we see it a foule spot to our soules not only to be a whore monger in lusting in our harts in wanton looking in vncleane and wanton talking in actual doing vnhonestly with our neighbours wyfe daughter seruant c. but also not to be chaste sober temperate in hart lookes tong apparel deedes to helpe others therunto accordyngly c. In gods law we see it is a foule spot to our soules not onelye in hart to couet in looke or word to flatter lye colour c. in deede to take away any thing which pertayneth to another but also in hart countenance word deede not to keepe saue defend that which pertayneth to thy neyghbour as thou woldest thine own In Gods law we may see it a foule spot not onely to lie or bear false wytnes against anye man but also not to haue as great care ouer thy neighbours name as ouer thine own Synne in Gods law it is we may see and a foule spot not onely to consent to euil lust or carnal desires but euen the very naturall or carnall lustes and desyres themselues for so I may cal theÌ„ nature it selfe being now so corrupted are sin and selfe loue and many such lyke By reason wherof I trow there is none that tooteth well herein but though he be blameles to the world and faire to the shew yet certainly inwardly his face is foule arayed and so shamefull saucy maungy pocky and scabbed that he caÌ„not but be sory at the contemplation thereof that so much more by how much he continueth to loke in this glasse accordingly And thus much concerning the secoÌ„d meane to the stirring vp of sorow for our sin that next vnto prayer we should toote in Gods law spiritually The which tooting if we vse with prayer as I sayd let vs not doubt but at the length Gods spirite wyl woorke as now to such as beleue for to the vnbeleuers al is in vain ther eyes are stark blynd they can see nothing to such as beleue I say I trust somthing is done euen al ready But if neyther by prayer nor by tooting in Gods law spiritually as yet thy hard vnbeleuing hart feeleth no sorrow nor lamentyng for thy syn thirdly looke vpon the tag tyed to Gods law for as to mans law there is a tag tyed that is a penalty so is ther to Gods law a tag tyed that is a penaltie and that no small one but such a great one as caÌ„not but make vs to cast our currysh tayles betwene our legs if wee beleue it for all is in vayne if we be faythles not to beleue before we feele This tag is Gods malediction or curse Maledictus omnis saith it qui non permanet in omnibus quae scripta suÌ„t in libro legis vt faeiat â—am â—oe accursed sayth he is all no exception all sayth God which continueth not in al thinges for he that is gilty of one is gilty of the whole sayth s Iames in all thinges therfore saith the holy Ghost which are written in the booke of the law to do them He sayth not to heare them to talke of them to dispute of them but to do them Who is he now that doth these Rara auis fewe such Byrdes yea none at al. For al are gone out of the way though not outwardly by word or dede yet inwardly at the least by default and wanting of that which is required so that a childe of one nightes age is not pure but by reason of byrth syn in daunger of Gods malediction much more then we which alas haue droonken in iniquitie as it were water as Iob sayth But yet alas we quake not Tell me now good brother why dooyou so lyghtly consider Gods curse that for your synnes past you are so careles as though you had made a couenaunt wyth death and damnatioÌ„ as the wicked did in Esayes time What is Gods cursse At the Popes curse with booke bel candle oh how trembled we which heard it but onely though the same was not directed vnto vs but vnto others For this Gods curse which is in comparable more sel and importable and is directed to vs yea hanging ouer vs all by reason of our syns alas how careles are we Oh faithles hard harts Oh Iâ—zabâ—ls gestes rocked and laid a sleepe in her bed Oh wicked wretches which being com into the depth of syn do contemne the same O sorrowles synners and shame les shrinking harlots Is not the anger of a Kyng death and is the anger of the Kyng of all kinges a matter to be so lyghtely regarded as we do regard it which for our synnes are so retchles that we slug and sleepe it out As waxe melteth a way at the heate of the fire saith Dauid so do the wicked perish at the face or countenance of the lord If dearely beloued hys face be so terrible intollerable for sinners and the wicked what trow we his hand is At the face or appearing of Gods anger the earth trembleth but wee earth earth yea stones yron flyntes tremble nothing at all If we wil not tremble in hearing wo vnto vs for then shal we be crashed in peeces in feeling If a Lion rore the beastes quake but wee are worse then beastes which quake nothing at the roring of the LioÌ„ I meane the Lord of hostes And why because the curse of God hardnes of hart is already fallen vpon vs or els we could not but lament and tremble for our syns if not for the shame and foulnes therof yet at the least for the malediction and curse of God which hangeth ouer vs for our synnes Lord be mercyfull vnto vs for thy Christs sake and spare vs in thyne anger remember thy mercy towardes vs Amen And thus much for the thyrd thing to the mouing of vs to sorow for our syns that is for the tag tyed to Gods law I meant for the malediction and curse of god But if our harts be