Christ saith When they tell you here is Christ and there is Christ beleeue them not So when they tell you that Christ is in heauen and that Christ is in earth in this place and that place beleeue them not for Elias ascention was a figure of Christs ascention when Elias was ascended yet some sought for his body vpon earth so though christ bee ascended yet many seeke his body vpō earth but as they could not finde Elias bodie so these can not finde Christs bodie although they haue sought 300. yeares But if his bodie were vppon earth as they say should wee handle it and touch it now it is glorified After his resurrection he sayd to Mary Touch me not because his bodie was glorified that is not to bee touched with fingers any more but with faith Therefore wee reade of none which touched his bodie after it was risen but onely Thomas to setle his faith Thus you see we need to suborn no witnesses for euerie worde in this text which they alleage for Transubstanciation doth make against Transubstanciation whereby if Antichrist doth signifie thē which are against Christ you see who may be called Antichrist There is no question in Poperie except Purgatorie the Popes publican tasker about which the Papists are at such ciuill warres among themselues as about this Transubstanciation They cannot tell when the chaunge beginneth nor what manner of chaunge it is nor how long the change continueth some hang one way and some an other like the Midianites which fought one against another And no meruaile though their consciences stagger about it for to shewe you the right father of it it was one of the dreames of Innocentius the 3. in the yeare of our Lord 1215. so many yeares passed before Transubstanciatiō was named and then a Pope set it first on foote so it came out of Rome the grandame of all heresies and for want of Scriptures hath been defended with fire and sword and swallowed more Martirs than all the gulfes of the Papall sea beside Now when the doctrines of men goe for scripture you shall see how many errours rush into the Church for graunt but this to Innocentius as the Papists doe that the bread and wine are changed into Christes bodie First it will follow that Christes bodie is not ascended vp to heauen because it remaineth vppon earth and so one of the articles of our faith shall be falsified which saith He is ascended into heauen or if he be ascended and descended againe an other article will be falsified which saith that he sitteth at the right hand of his father that is as Peter saith he abideth in heauen Secondly it will follow that Christ hath not a true body but a fantasticall body because it may be in many places at one time for if his body be in the Sacrament he must needes haue so many bodies as there be Sacraments nay he must haue so many bodies as there be bits in euery sacrament Thirdly it will followe that his body is diuided from his soule and consequently is a dead body because the bread is only changed into his body and not into his soule Fourthly it wil follow that the wicked and prophane and reprobat may receiue Christ as well as the godly because they haue a mouth to eate as well as the best Fiftly it will follow that Christes sacrifice once for all was not sufficient because we must sacrifice him againe and breake his body and shead his bloud as the Iewes crucified him vppon the Crosse. Sixtly it wil follow that the bread being turned into the body of our redeemer hath a part in our redemption as well as Christ. Seauenthly it will follow that Christ did eate his owne body for all the Fathers say that he did eate the same bread which he gaue to his Disciples Lastly it will follow that a Massing Priest shall be the creator of his creator because he makes him which made him all these absurdities are hatched of Transubstantiation Thus when men deuise articles of their owne while they strike vpon the handuill the sparkes flie in their face and they are like the man which began to builde and could not finish it When I see the Papists in so many absurdities for intertaining one error mee thinkes he seemeth like a Collier which is grimed with his owne coales Therfore as in manners we should thinke of Peters saying Whether is it meete to obey GOD or men So in doctrines wee should thinke whether it be meete to beleeue God or mē Thus you haue heard the author of this Sacramēt the Lord Iesus the time when it was instituted in the night that he was betraied the manner how it was instituted after thankes giuing the ende why it was instituted for a remembrance of his death and the discouerie of Transubstanciation one of the last heresies which Babylon hatched Now they which haue been Patrons of it before should do like the father and mother of an Idolater that is lay the first hand vpō him to end his life Thus I end Think what account ye shall giue of that ye haue heard In this Sermon leafe C. section 11. lin 3. for he spake them reade he spake to them A Treatise of the Lords Supper The second Sermon 1. Cor. 11. vers 25 26 27 28. 25 After the same manner also he tooke the cup when he had supped saying This cup is the New Testament in my bloud this doo as oft as ye drinke it in remembrance of me 26 For as often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke this cup ye shew the Lords death till he come 27 Wherefore whosoeuer shall eate this bread and drinke the cup of the Lord vnworthelie shall be giltie of the bodie and bloud of the Lord. 28 Let a man therefore examine himselfe and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this cup. HEre I am to speake of the second seruice as it were at the Lords Table of that preparation which is like the Wedding garment that euerie man must bring vnto this banquet These words are diuersly repeated of the Euangelists Heere it is sayd This cup is the new testament in my bloud In Mathew and in Marke it is sayd This cup is my bloud of the new testament This is the first mention which Christ makes of a Testament as though now his promises deserued the name of a Testament because the seale is set vnto them which before this Sacrament was not sealed but like a bare wrighting without a signet This word Testament doth imply a promise and therefore teacheth vs that the Sacrament doth confirme strengthen and nourish our faith because it sealeth the promise which wee should beleeue Heere is to be noted that Christ doth not only speake of a Testament but he calleth it a new Testament which words neuer met together before as
they aunswere then to that which exceedeth number and measure Therfore bee content with Iosephs brethren to take your money againe and say that you haue corne for nothing that is you are saued for nothing or els when you say I beleeue the remission of sinnes you lye vnto God because you do not beleeue the remission of sinnes but satisfactiō for sins like the papists It followeth As often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke this cup ye shall shewe the Lords death till he come Here are three inuincible arguments like the three witnesses vnder which euery worde dooth stand First wee are sayd to eate bread thē it is not flesh but bread Secondly wee are sayd to shewe the Lords death then it is but a shewe or representation of his death Thirdly it is sayd vntill he come if he be to come then he is not come if he be come how can we say vntill he come The effect of this verse was shewed in these words Doo this in remembrance of me for to say Doo this in remembrance of me and to say so oft as you doo this you shewe my death is much at one so that if you call this Sacrament a shewe of Christs death as it is called here then it is not Christ or if you call it a remembrance of Christ as it is called there yet it is not Christ but a shew or remembrance of Christ but this is such a shew remembrance that the next verse sayth Whosoeuer receiueth it vnworthelie is giltie of the body and bloud of Christ. Will yee knowe who receyueth vnworthilie In verse 29. Paule sayth hee discerneth not the Lords body that is which putteth no difference betweene this bread and other but eateth like a childe the meate which he knoweth not My sheepe sayth Christ knowe my voyce as they discerne Christes words so they discerne Christes bodie and therfore so often as they come to the Lords Table they seeme to come into the Lordes presence there they greete and kisse and imbrace one another with affectiōs which none can knowe but they that feele like Iohn which leaped in the womb so soone as Christ came neere him Will ye know beside what it is to be giltie of the bodie and bloud of Christ euen as Iudas was giltie for betraying him and Pilate for deliuering him and the Iewes for crucifying him so they are giltie which receiue this Sacrament vnworthely as Pilate and Caiphas and Iudas were If they be guiltie of Christes death they are guiltie of their owne death too as if they had committed two murders and therfore Paule saith after that many of the Corinthians died only for the vnworthie receyuing of this Sacrament As the word is the sauour of death to thē which receiue it vnworthily so the Sacrament is the sauour of death to thē which receiue it vnworthily it neuer goeth into their mouth but they are Traytors ipso facto and may say to Hell this day I haue taken possession of thee because I am guiltie of Christes bloud Therefore it followeth immediatly Let a man examine himselfe before he eate of this bread or drinke of this Wine as if he should say if he which receyueth this Sacrament vnworthely be giltie of Christs death like Iudas which hanged himselfe if these signes be receyued to saluation or damnation like the word the next lesson is to examine your selues before you receyue least you receyue like the sunne of perdition which swalowed the bread and the Diuell together Therefore Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate that is let him examin first and receyue after for if we should receyue the bread of the earth reuerently how should we receyue the bread of heauen Whē Iehonadab came to Iehu his chariot he said Is thy hart vpright as my hart is toward thee So whē we come to the Lords Table he would haue our hearts vpright to him as his heart is to vs for who feasteth his enemies mockers the golden Ring sitteth highest at our Table but the wedding garment sitteth highest at this Table It is safer eating with vnwashen hands then with an vnwashen heart The Iewes were taught to choose the Lambe of the Passeouer on the tenth day of the first moneth in which moneth they came out of Egipt and on the 14. day after they were taught to eate him so they had foure dayes respit betweene the chosing and the killing to prepare and sanctifie thēselues for the Passeouer which was a signe of the Lords Supper This admonished them that the matter now to be performed was very waightie and therefore they were deepely to consider it for now was the action and somme of all saluation in handling if they did prepare themselues so before they did receyue the figure of this Sacrament how should we be prepared before we receiue the Sacrament it selfe Therefore as Iosiah commaunded the Leuites to prepare the people so Paule aduiseth the people to prepare themselues that is to examine whether they haue faith and loue and repentance before they come to this feast By this all may see first that Paule would haue euery lay man so skilfull in the Scripture that he bee able to examine himselfe by it for this admonition is not to them which minister the Sacrament but to all which receiue the Sacrament And the rule by which wee must examine our selues is the law which we should obey therefore if the rule be vnknowne the examination must be vndone Our doctrine must be examined by the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles our prayers must bee examined by the sixe petitions of Christs prayer our beleefe must bee examined by the twelue articles of faith our life must bee examined by the tenne Commaundements of the Lawe Now he which hath his Touchstone may trie gold from copper but he which hath it not takes one for the other Therefore before Paules Examine you had need to learne Christs Search Search the Scriptures and they will lighten you to search your selues This is the doctrine with which I will ende and the necessarie poynt for which I choose this text to teach you if I could that Christian arte how to examine your selues Let a man examine himselfe before he eate Here is first an examinatiō Secondly an examination of our selues Thirdly an examination before we come to the Sacramēt Touching the first here Paul saith Examin your selues but in 2. Cor. 13. he doubleth his charge Proue your selues and againe at next word Examine your selues as if he should saye this worke must be done when it is done because it is neuer thoroughly done and therefore we must double our examination as Paul doubleth his counsell If a man suspect his enemy he will try him with a question if that will not search him he will put forth another if that be spied he
you not take his instruction Marriage hath neede of many counsellers and doest thou count thy Father too many which is like the foreman of thy instructers If you mark what kind of youths they be which haue such haste that they dare not stay for their parents aduice they are such as hunt for nothing but beautie and for punishment hereof they marrie to beggerie and lose their Father and Mother for their Wife therefore honour thy parents in this as thou wouldest that thy children should honour thee The second question is answered of Paule when he saith Be not vnequally yoked with Infidells As we should not be yoked with Infidells so we should not be yoked with Papists and so we should not be yoked with Atheists for that also is to be vnequally yoked vnlesse we be Atheists too As the Iewes might not marrie with the Chananites so we may not marrie with them which are like Chananites but as the sonnes of Iacob said vnto Emor which would marrie their Sister Wee may not giue our Sister to a man vncircumcised but if you will be Circumcised like vs then we will marrie with you So Parents should say to suiters I may not giue my Daughter to a man vnsanctified but if you will be sanctified then I will giue my Daughter vnto you Though Heresie and irreligion be not a cause of diuorse as Paule teacheth yet it is a cause of restraint for we may not marrie all with whome we may liue being married If adulterie may separate marriage shal not idolatry hinder marriage which is worse than it Christ saith Let no man separate whome God hath ioyned so I may say Let no man ioyne whome God doeth separate For if our Father must be pleased with our Marriage much more should we please that Father which ordained Marriage Shall I say Be my Wife to whome I may not saye Be my Companion Or Come to my bed to whome I may not say Come to my table How should my marriage speede well when I marrie one to whome I may not say God speede because she is none of Gods friendes Doth not hee marrie with the Deuill which marrieth with the tempter For Tempter is his name and to tempt is his nature When a man may chuse he should chuse the best but this man chuseth the worst He prayeth Not to be led into temptation and leadeth himselfe into temptation Surely he doth not feare sinne which doth not shunne occasions and he is worthy to be snared which maketh a trappe for himselfe When Salomon the myrrour of wisedome the wonder of the world the figure of our Lord by idolatrous Concubines is turned to an idolater let no man say I shall not be seduced but say How shall I stande where such a Cedar fell The Wife must be meete as God saide Gen. 2. 18. But how is shee meete if thou be a Christian and she a Papist We must marrie in the Lord as Paule saith but how do we marrie in the Lord when wee marrie the Lords enemies our Spouse must bee like Christs Spouse but Christs Spouse is neither Harlot nor Heretick nor Atheist If she bee poore the Lord reprooueth not for that if she bee weake the Lord reprooueth not for that if she bee hard fauoured the Lord reprooueth not for that but none giueth any dispensation for godlines but the diuell Therefore they which take that priuiledge are like thē which seeke to Witches are guiltie of preferring euill before good This vnequal Mariage was the chiefe cause that brought the flood the first beginning of Giants mōstrous births shewing by their mōstrous children what a monstrous thing it is for beleeuers and vnbeleeuers to match together In Matth. 22. Christ sheweth that before parties married they were wont to put on faire newe garments which were called Wedding garments a warning vnto all which put on Wedding garments to put on trueth and holinesse too which so precisely is resembled by that garment more than other It is noted in the 14. of Luke that of all them which were inuited to the Lords banquet and came not onely hee which had married a Wife did not desire to bee excused but saide stoutly I cannot come Shewing how this state doth occupie a man most and drawe him often from the seruice of God and therefore wee had not neede to take the worse for the best are combersome enough In the 2. of Iob it is obserued of the patient man that hee did not curse the day of his birth vntill his wife brake foorth into blasphemie shewing that wicked womē are able to change the stedfastest man more than all temptatiōs beside Sampson would take a Philistian to wife but he lost his honour his strength and his life by her least any should doo the like But what a notable warning is that in 2. Chro. 21. 6. where the holy Ghost saith Iehoram walked in the waies of Ahab for he had the daughter of Ahab to wife as though it were a miracle if he had been better than he was because his wife was a temptation Miserable is that man which is fettered with a woman that liketh not his religion for she will be nibling at his prayer and at his studie and at his meditations till she haue tyred his deuotions and turned the edge of his soule as Michol tried Dauid she mocked him for his zeale and liked her self in her folly Therfore as Christ saieth Remember Loths wife so when thou marriest remember Ichorams wife and be not wedded to her which hath not the Wedding garment but let vnitie goe first and let vnion come after and hope not to conuert her but feare that she wil peruert thee least thou saye after like him which should come to the Lords banquet I haue married a wife and cannot come Yet the chiefest point is behind that is your dueties The dueties of Mariage may be reduced to the dueties of Man and Wife one toward another and their dueties towarde their children and their dueties toward their seruants For themselues saieth one they must think that they are like two birds the one is the Cock and the other is the Dam the Cocke flieth abroad to bring in the Dam sitteth vpon the nest to keepe al at home So God hath made the man to trauaile abroade and the woman to keepe home and so their nature and their wit and their strength are fitted accordingly for the mās pleasure is most abroade and the womans within In euery state there is some one vertue which belongeth to that calling more than other as Iustice to Magistrates and Knowledge to Preachers and Fortitude to Souldiers so loue is the Marriage vertue which sings Musicke to their whole life Wedlocke is made of two loues which I may call the first loue and the after loue As euerie man is taught to loue GOD
bird that defileth his owne nest and if a Wife vse her Husband so how maye the Husband vse the Wife Because this is the qualitie of that sex to ouerthwart and vpbraide and sue the preheminence of their Husbands therefore the Philosophers coulde not tell how to define a Wife but called her The contrarie to a Husband as though nothing were so crosse and contrarie to a man as a Wife This is not Scripture but no slaunder to many As Dauid exalteth the loue of women aboue all other loues so Salomon mounteth the enuie of women aboue all other enuies stubborne sullen taunting gainsaying outfacing with such a bitter humour that one would thinke they were molten out of the salt pillar into which Loths Wife was transformed We say not all are alike but this sect hath manie Disciples Dooth the ribbe that is in a mans side fret him or gall him no more should she which is made of the ribbe Though a woman bee wise and painfull and haue many good parts yet if she bee a shrewe her troublesome iarring in the end will make her honest behauiour vnpleasant as her ouer pinching at last causeth her good huswiferie to be euill spoken off Therefore although she be a Wife yet sometime she must obserue the seruants lesson Not answering againe hold her peace to keep the peace Therfore they which keepe silence are well sayd to holde their peace because silence oftentimes doth keep the peace when wordes would breake it To her silence and patience she must adde The acceptable obedience which makes a Woman rule while she is ruled This is the Wiues tribute to her Husband for she is not called his head but hee is called her head Great cause hath man to make much of his wife for great and many are her dueties to him And therefore Paule saith Wiues submit your selues vnto your Husbands as to the Lord. Shewing that she should regarde his will as the Lordes will but withall as the Lord commandeth only that which is good right so she should obey her Husband in good and right orels she dooth not obey him as the Lord but as the tempter The first subiection of Woman began at sinne for when GOD cursed her for seducing her Husband when the Serpent had seduced her he sayd He shall haue authoritie ouer thee And therefore as the man named all other creatures in signe that they should bee subiect to him as a seruant which commeth when his Master calleth him by his name so he did name the woman also in token that she should be subiect to him likewise And therefore Asuerus made a lawe that euery man shoulde beare rule in his owne house and not the Woman Because she sinned first therefore she is humbled most and euer since the daughters of Sara are bound to call their husbands Lords as Sara called her husband that is to take them for their Lords for heads gouernours If ye disdaine to followe Abrahams Spouse the Apostle biddeth you followe Christs Spouse for he saith Let a wife bee subiect to her husband as the Church is to Christ. A greater loue than this saith Christ no man can haue So a better example than this no Woman can haue That the Wife may yeeld this reuerence to her Husband Paule would haue her attire to bee modest and orderly for garish apparell hath taught manie gossips to disdaine their husbands This is the folly of some men to lay all their pride vpon their wiues they care not how they slouen themselues so their wiues iet like Peacocks But Peter doth commend Sara for her attire and not Abraham shewing that women should braue it no more than men and God made Eues coate of the same cloath that he made Adams They couered themselues with leaues and God derided them but now they couer themselues with pride like Sathan which is fallen down before them like lightning ruffe vpon ruffe lace vpon lace cut vpō cut foure and twentie orders vntil the woman be not precious as her apparell that if any man would picture vanitie he must take a patterne of women or els he cannot drawe her likenes As Herodias was worse for her fine dauncing so a woman may haue too many ornaments frisled lockes naked breasts painting perfume and especially a rowling eye are the forerunners of adulterie and hee which hath such a wife hath a fine plague Once women were married without dowries because they were well nurtured but now if they waighed not more in gold than in goodnes many should sit like nuns without husbāds Thus we haue shadowed the mans dueties to his wife and the womans to her husband After their dueties one to another they must learne their dueties to their familie One compareth the master of the house to the Seraphin which came and kindled the Prophets zeale so he should goe from wife to seruants and from seruants to children and kindle them in the zeale of GOD longing to teach his knowledge as a Nurse to emptie her breasts Another saith that a master in his family hath al the offices of christ for hee must rule and teach and pray rule like a King teach like a Prophet pray like a Priest To shewe how a godly man should behaue himselfe in his household when the holy Ghost speaketh of the conuersion of any housekeeper lightly he saith that the man beleeued with al his houshold As Peter being conuerted must conuert his brethren so the master being conuerted must conuert his seruants For therefore God sayd that he would not hide his counsell from Abraham because hee would teach his familie and surelie all duetie which is not done of conscience is but eye seruice and faileth at most neede as Ziba betraied his master when he should haue defended him Therefore before One simus was conuerted Paul said he was an vnprofitable seruant but when hee was conuerted hee calleth him more than a seruant because such a seruant is better than many seruants Therefore though Laban was wicked himselfe yet he reioyced that Iacob his seruant was godly because GOD blessed him better for him Ioshua saith I and my houshold will serue the Lord. Shewing that masters should receiue none into their houses but whom they can gouerne as Ioshu◠did Therefore it is noted of Cornelius that all his houshold serued God like himselfe This is reported also of Ioseph and Marie for an example that they went vp euerie yere with all their familie to worship at Ierusalem that their childrē and their seruants might learne to know God as well as they These examples bee written for householders as other are for Magistrates and Ministers and Souldiers that no calling might seeke further than the Scripture for instruction Wherefore as you are masters now and they your seruants so instruct them and traine them as
though the Law were for the old man to mortifie him and the Gospell for the new man to comfort him againe or as if the old Testament had so washt her face and changed her apparell at Christes comming that one would not thinke it the same but a new Testament because euen now she was shadowed with a thousand Ceremonies and now they are gone from her like a mist at the sunne rising As Christe calleth loue a newe Commandement because hee renewed it like a law worne out of memorie so he calleth the promise of saluation a new testameÌ„t Euery testameÌ„t is confirmed with bloud the ould Testament was confirmed by the bloud of Goats and Bullocks and Rammes but the new Testament is confirmed by the bloud of Christ My bloud saith Christ is the bloud of the new Testament nay this Cup sayth Christ is the new Testament You may see then that they may gather as well out of Christs words that the Cup is the new Testament as that the Wine is his bloud For Christ sayth This Cup is the new Testament as well as hee sayth This Wine is my bloud or This bread is my body Beside when Christ speakes of a new Testament he implieth that the ould Testament is fulfilled the Sacrifices and Ceremonies of the Law did signifie Christ before he came therefore they are fulfilled in his comming no mo Sacrifices no mo Ceremonies for the truth is come Sacrifices and Ceremonies are honorably buried with the Priesthod of Aaron let them rest it is not lawfull to violate the Sepulchers of the dead and take their bodies out of the earth as the Witch would rayse Samuel out of hys graue Therefore they which retaine Ceremonies which should be abrogated reliques of Iudaism or reliques of Papisme may be sayd to violate the Sepulchers of the dead disturb the deceased like the Witch which presumed to raise Samuel out of his graue This testament is called a testameÌ„t in bloud because the testameÌ„t and will of a man is confirmed when the man is dead so Christ confirmed his Testament by his death Moses saith that life is in the bloud so the bloud of Christ is the life of this Testament If Christs bloud had not been shed this Testament made vnto vs had been vnprofitable as the Testament of a Father is to his Sonne if the Father should not die but liue Therfore the Apostle saith without shedding of bloud there is no remission of sinnes Therefore the Testament or couenant of the remission of our sinnes is called the Testament in bloud the bloud of Christ is the seale of the Testament which we haue to shew vnto GOD for the remission of our sinnes and the two Sacraments are a seale of that bloud to witnes that it was shed Againe this is a matter regarded in Testaments and Willes to the Testament of him that is dead no man addeth or detracteth but as the Testator made it so it standeth without alteration so should this Testament of Christ and this Sacrament of Christ no man should alter it now he is dead for he which addeth or detracteth hath a curse in Gods book Therfore Christ wheÌ„ he instituted this Sacrament commanded doo this that is do as I do least they should swarue one whit from his owne manner yet how many gaudes haue the Papists added to it that he which had heard Christ say Doo this in remembrance of me and should see how they handle the matter in their Masse could see nothing to remember Christ by but a vaile to hide Christ froÌ„ him Therefore this Commandement was repeated again when he gaue the wine Doo this c. as he commanded them to eate the bread in remembrance of him so he commandeth them to drinke the wine in remembrance of him nay he speaks more precisely of the wine than of the bread for he saith of the Wine Drinke you all of this which he saith not of the bread Surelie Christ did foresee that some proud Hereticks would do otherwise after him euen as it is come to passe for the Papist doth breake this commaundement of Christ as flatly as Saul brake the commaundement of Samuel Samuel commanded him to kill the fat and the leane Saul killed the leane but not the fat so Christ commandeth to receiue bread and wine they teach to receiue bread but not wine Christ saith Drink you all of this they say drinke not all of this Christ gaue the bread wine to all they giue the bread to all and the wine to some their Priests receiue all but the people must coÌ„tent themselues with half the Priest eates and drinks but the people must not drinke for spilling on their cloathes Is this the Church which cannot erre Doo they thinke to hemme Christ in their Masse and shut his ordinance out of their Masse The Soldiours diuided Christs coate but these diuide his body and separate the bread wine which Christ hath ioyned Paule speaketh of hereticks which taught Touch not tast not handle not so these say touch not tast not handle not wheÌ„ they should say Touch and tast and handle Of all Heresies either old or new there is none so iniurious to the coÌ„mon people as the pasture of shauelings Poperie for they may not reade the Scriptures they may not come to Councells they may not examine that which is taught them they may not bee buâ—ied without a mortuarie they may not drinke at the Communion as though their Priests were their Lords Therefore we may say as a Heathen did There is no charitie in the Papists Sacrament because like Ananias the Priests keepe backe that which they should distribute mangle the Sacrifice as though Ely his sonns had left their hooke to the Massing Friers Thus that ye may knowe who succeed the Pharisies they haue fulfilled that which the Pharisies did that is By their owne Commaundements they haue made the Commaundement of God of no effect For whereas the purpose of Christ was to tye our faith wholy to himselfe that wee shoulde not seeke for any thing without him knowing that the maintenance of this life hath need both of meate and drinke to teach vs that all sufficiencie is in himself by bread and wine he sheweth that he is in stead both of meate drink that is in stead of all which signification is taken away where the wine is not giuen as well as the bread Therefore as it is sayd of a horrible and odious crime Consider the matter giue sentence so I wish all to consider this Innouation giue sentence of it Can there be any cleerer contradiction to the Word or bolder checke to Christ than when he saith Drinke you all of this to say drinke not all of this As when God sayd Ye shall die the diuell sayd ye shall not die shall wee goe now to a Counsell or a
that day vpon which they receyue like a Schollers Thurseday which he loues better then all the dayes in the weeke only because it is his play day Maruell not now if you haue not felt that comfort after the Sacrament which you looked for for it is comfortable to none but to thē which prepare their harts and examine themselues before because it is not the mouth but the heart which receiueth comfort Now it may be that the most which are heere haue brought a mouth and not a heart these goe away from the Sacrament to despight Christ as Iudas went from the Sacrament to betraye him The other goe away like one which hath receyued a cheerefull countenance of the Prince all his thoughts are ioy and the countenance of the Prince is still in his eye As hee which hath eaten sweet meate hath a sweet breath so they which haue eaten Christ all their sayings and dooings are sweete like a perfume to men and incense to GOD their peace and conscience and ioy of heart and desire to doo good will tell them whether they haue receiued the bare signes or the thing signified Euerie one which receiueth this Sacrament shal feele himselfe better alter it like the Apostles or els he shall finde himselfe worse after it like Iudas Hereby ye shal know whether yee haue receiued like the Apostles or like Iudas Thus we haue ended the doctrin of the Lords Supper Now if you can not remember all that I haue said yet remember the text that is Examine your selues before you receiue this Sacrament hereafter FINIS THE Examination of Vsurie in two Sermons Taken by Characterie and after examined Imprinted at London by Thomas Orwin for Thomas Man dwelling in Paternoster row at the signe of the Talbot 1591. To the Reader HEere thou hast the Sermons which haue bin often desired because of the matter fit for this Citie One sayth that he would neuer speake to Vsurers and Bribe-mongers but when they be vpon their death beds for he which liueth by sin resolueth to sin that he may liue But when he goeth to hanging Iudas will say I haue sinned If I speake not to Vsurers vppon their death-bed yet I speake to Vsurers which shall lye vppon their death-bed Three things do giue me hope One is that all harts are in the hands of God to call them at what houre he list and therefore Saul may become an Apostle The next is that the third crow doth waken moe then the former and therefore after the crowing of other this crow may happily be heard The last is that there is no sinne but some men haue bin reclaimed from it and so may Vsurers from their sinne Therefore goe my booke like Dauid against Goliah and sight the Lords battells against Vsurers The Lord giue that successe to his doctrine in these leaues that it may consume Vsurers as Ioshuah droue out the Chananites before him If I could take but this one weede out of the Londoners Garden I were answered for my health and my strength spent amongst them Reade with thy best minde and thou shal profit more Thine H. S. The Examination of Vsurie in two Sermons The first Sermon Psal. 15. vers 1. 5. Lord who shall dwell in thy tabernacle Who shall rest in thine holie mountaine He that giueth not his money to Vsurie THese two verses must bee considered together because one is the question and the other is the answere Dauid demands who shall come to heauen and GOD tels him that Vsurers shall not come thether as if hee should say They shall goe to hell Therefore as Paule taught Timothie to warne thē which are rich as though they had more neede to be warned than other so this sentence seemeth to bee penned for a warning to the rich because it strikes vpon the rich mans vice I haue spoken of Briberie and Simonie and now I must speake of their sister Vsurie Manie times haue I thought to speake of this Theame but the argumēts which are alleaged for it haue made mee doubtfull what to say in it because it hath gone as it were vnder a protection At last you see it falleth into my text and therefore now I cannot bauke it any longer Therefore if any heere haue fauoured this occupation before let him now submit his thoughts vnto Gods thoughts for I will alleage nothing against it but that which is built vppon the rocke Vsurie is the sin which God wil trie now whether you loue better than his worde that is whether you will leaue it if he forbid it for if hee flatly forbid it and yet you wilfully retaine it then you loue Vsurie better than Gods worde Therefore one saith well that our Vsurers are Hereticks because after manie admonitions yet they maintaine their errour and persist in it obstinatly as Papists doo in Poperie For this cause I am glad that I haue any occasion to griple with this sin where it hath made so many spoyles where it hath so many patrons for it is said that there be moe of this profession in this Citie than there bee in all the land beside There be certaine sins which are like an vnreasonable enemie which will not be reconciled to death and this is one of those euerlasting sins which liue and die with a man For when he hath resigned his pride and his enuie and his lust yet Vsurie remaineth with him he saith as Naaman said Let the Lord bee mercifull vnto me in this let me haue a dispensation for this as though this were a necessarie sinne and hee could not liue without it There be three sinnes which are counted no sinnes and yet they doo more hurt than all their fellows those are Briberie Nonresidencie and Vsurie these three because they are gainful are turned from sinnes to occupatiōs How many of this Citie for all that they are Vsurers yet would be counted honest mē and would faine haue Vsurie esteemed as a trade whereas if it were not so gainfull it would bee counted as great a sinne as any other and so it is counted of all but them which liue by it This is the nature of pleasure and profite to make sinnes seeme no sinnes if we gaine any thing by them but the more gainfull a sinne is the more daungerous it is and the more gainfull Vsurie is the more daungerous it is I will speake the more of it because happely you shall not heare of this matter againe First I will define what Vsurie is then I wil shew you what Vsurie doth signifie then I will shewe the vnlawfulnes of it then I will shewe the arguments which are alleaged for it then I will shewe the punishment of it then I will shewe you what opinion wee should holde of them which doo not lend vpon Vsurie but borrow vpon Vsurie Lastly I will shewe you what they should doo which haue got their riches by Vsurie Touching the
and other thinges as well as of money Thirdly it is forbidden in Deut. 23. where it is sayde Thou shalt not lende vnto thy brother vpon Vsurie And least you shoulde saye that he meaneth but one kinde of Vsurie he sheweth that he meaneth all kinds of Vsurie for after he sayth as vsurie of money vsurie of vittailes vsurie of corne or vsurie of any thing which is giuen to Vsurie because some are not Vsurers of money but some are Vsurers of vittailes some are Vsurers of Cloth some are Vsurers of Corne some are Vsurers of Wine some are Vsurers of Oyle and some of one thing and some of an other and none would bee counted Vsurers but they which lend money vpon Vsurie therefore God forbiddeth so preciselie Vsurie of any thing shewing that all Vsurie is vnlawfull It is a miserable occupation to liue by sinne and a great comfort to a man when he looketh vpon his Golde and Siluer and his heart telleth him all this is well gotten and when he lieth vpon his death-bed and must leaue all to his children he can say vnto them I leaue you mine owne but the Vsurer can not saye I leaue you mine own but I leaue you other mens therefore the Vsurer can neuer dye in peace because if he dye before he make restitution he dyeth in his sinne When Christ raysed Lazarus from death after he had layne foure dayes in the graue he wept so ouer his Sepulcher that the standers about sayd one to an other See how he loued him As it may be sayde of Christ See how he loueth vs so it should be sayd of vs See how they loue their breethren For Christ sayd to his Disciples Loue one an other as I haue loued you But it may be sayde of the Vsurer See how hee hateth hys breethren and heare how he loueth them for hee loueth them in wordes and hateth them in deedes He sayth that he loueth them and that he lendeth for compassion but it is for compassion of himselfe that he may gaine by his lending The Vsurer loueth the borrower as the Iuye loueth the Oke The Iuye loueth the Oke to growe vp by it so the Vsurer loueth the borrower to grow rich by him The Iuye claspeth the Oke like a louer but it claspeth out all the iuice and sap that the Oke can not thriue after So the Vsurer lendeth like a friēd but hee couenanteth like an enemye for he claspeth the borrower with such bands that euer after he diminisheth as fast as the other encreaseth Christe expounding the commaundement which forbiddeth to steale sayth lende freely shewing that Vsurie because she lendeth not freely is a kinde of theft and the Vsurers a kind of theeues for else this exposition were not right Therfore Zacheus as though he had stolne other mens goods when he began to repent he restored them againe foure foulde euen as theeues are inioyned to restore four fould for that which they haue stolne so Zacheus restored foure foulde as though he had stolne It seemeth that Zacheus was no greate theefe because hee restored foure foulde for all that he had gotten wrongfully for hee got but the fourth part of his goods wrongfully at the most or else he could not haue restored foure fould againe But now if some should restore foure fould for all that they haue gotten wrongfully they shoulde restore more than they haue because all which Vsurers get they get wrongfully for their occupation is a sinne and therefore one sayth Because they cannot restore foure fould heere they shall suffer an hundreth fould heereafter Amaziah is forbidden to strengthen himself with the armyes of Israel onely because Israel had offended God if Amaziah might not ioyne the armyes of Israel with his armyes to strengthen him darest thou ioyne the goods of the poore with thy goodes to inrich thee When God set Adam his work he sayd In the sweate of thy browes shalt thou liue not in the sweate of his browes but in the sweate of thy browes but the Vsurer liueth in the sweate of his browes and her browes that is by the paines and cares and labours of an other for he taketh no paines himselfe but only expecteth the time when his interest will come in like the belly which doeth no worke and yet eateth all the meate When God had finished his creation he sayd vnto man and vnto beastes and vnto foules and vnto fishes increase and multiplie but he neuer saide vnto money increase and multiplie because it is a dead thing which hath no seede and therefore is not fit to ingender Therefore he which saith to his money increase and multiplie begetteth a monstrous birth like Anah which deuised a creature which God had not created before Christ saith to his Disciples If you loue but them which loue you what are you better then the Publicans for they loue their brethren so I may say if you will lend to none but to them which will pay you Vsurie for it what are you better thā the Iewes for the Iewes would lend for Vsurie and if you be no better than the Iewes then you shall speede no better than they for as Christ sayde Except your righteousnes do exceede the righteousnes of the Pharisies your reward shall not exceede the rewarde of the Pharisies so except your charitie do exceede the charitie of the Iewes your reward shall not exceede the reward of the Iewes All this doth shewe that the Vsurer is like Esau of whome God sayde Esau haue I hated Now in the 112. Psalme you shall see who is like Iacob of whome God sayth Iacob haue I loued for there Dauid sayth a good man is mercifull and lendeth and straight vppon it he setteth this crowne he shall neuer be moued but be had in perpetuall remembraunce as if he should say this is the good mans Vsurie this is his increase euen a good name and euerlasting ioy Againe in the 23. of Exod. it is said Lend vnto him which wanteth without Vsurie that the Lorde may blesse thee as if he should say let the Lord pay the increase feare not to be loosers by doing good for God hath giuen his word to requite it himselfe As he sayth to them which were afrayd to pay tythes and offer sacrifice Try me if I will not powre downe a blessing vpon you so he seemeth to say vnto them which are afrayd to lend try me if I will not powre downe a blessing vppon you Whome will you trust if you doe not trust your Creator your Father your Redeemer your Preseruer and your Sauiour Now you haue heard the vnlawfulnes of Vsurie you shall heare how many kindes there be of it As other Crafts are called Mysteries so I may fitly call it the mysterie of Vsurie for they haue deuised moe sorts of Vsurie than there be tricks at Cardes I cannot recken halfe and I am afraide to shewe you all least I