benefite Humble your selues in the fight of the Lord and he shall lift yee vp Iames 4. 10. And as for this and the whole body of our Church-orders I had it from the mouth of that Reuerend Father Paul of Venice the worthy Author of that excellent discouery the History of the Councell of Trent that hee esteemed the Hyerarchy of our Church the most excellent peece of Discipline in the whole Christian VVorld But howeuer they esteeme it abroad wee here at home if wee bee not vnworthily-vnthankfull must needes confesse that for this sixty yeares and vpwards wee haue felt such a blessed effect of it as no other Church nor Nation in the Christian World can paralell And therefore to your care and loue I commend it Compasse you Gods Altar with your protection and you haue Gods owne Word for it hee will compasse you with his prouidence Hee will open the Chatar acks of Heauen and power out a Blessing vppon you Mal. 3. 10. Blesse you Gods Altar and no question Gods Altar will blesse you Thus at the length though I feare with some exercise of your patience I haue brought you to the desired port of Health the Altar The Altar why but that is the place where the Romanists wold haue you if to the Altar then to a Masse to a sacrifice for the Living and the Dead God forbid I confesse that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 come both from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to sacrifice Lib. 1. de miss and with Bellarmine that an Altar properly taken infers a sacrifice properly taken But the words that I speake vnto you are spirit and life Iohn 6. 63. Our High Priest is Spirituall Heb. 10. 22. our Priesthood and our Sacrifice Spirituall 1. Peter 2. 5. When wee speake properly in our Canons and Communion Booke wee call it with the Apostles and as Bellarmine confesseth with all the Fathers to Tertullians time 200. yeares of Christ The Table of the Lord 1 Cor. 10. 21. Not but that in a Metaphorical sense we can allow it to be called Altar and Sacrifice too We are content to heare Saint Chrysostome call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Sacrifice if hee adde by way of explanatiall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rather the memoriall of a sacrifice In this wee will subscribe to their owne Lumbard Vocatur Sacrificium quia memoria Lib. 4. Dist 12. est veri Sacrificij It is called a Sacrifice because it is the memoriall of a true Sacrifice Wee confesse it both an Altar and a Sacrifice in Signato though not in Signo in the thing signified though not in the signe We contemplate at the Altar the Sonne of God himselfe sweating Blood wrestling with the wrath of his Father torne on the Crosse pierced to the Heart for our sinnes We confesse him there as the Holy Lambe of God really offred vp a true Propitiatory sacrifice for our sinnes and by the Vertue of this Sacrament really sealing vp remission to our soules And if then we haue no other hope nor faith but in that reall Sacrifice of Christ once offered for vs why haue those men of blood for this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this word-quarrell of the Altar sacrificed the liues of so many Deuout Confessors while they professe they drinke the blood of Christ why haue they made themselues so drunke with the blood of Christians and Christian Princes In these men is too truly fulfilled that vision of Iohn Reuele 6. 9. I saw vnder the Altar the soules of them that were killed for the Word of God and for the Testimony which they haue maintained Should these men escape your Zeale and Iustice which I assure my selfe they shall not yet God hath a cup in store for them with which they shal one day be fully drenched Because they haue shed the Blood of the Saints therefore hast thou giuen them blood to drinke Reu. 18. vers 4. 24. Let such as these still offer their sacrifices which cannot take away sinnes Heb. 10. 11. But let vs who haue an Altar whereof they haue no right to eate Let vs holde fast the Profession of our Faith without wauering Hebrews 10. 23. As all Iewish sacrifices lookt forward so all ours looke backward to the sacrifice of Christ They were as the morning shadowes growing shorter and shorter till the midday ours as the after-noone shadowes growing longer euen till the second comming of our Sauiour when wee shall offer the sacrifice of prayse for euer Let vs in the meane time with Dauid in the next verse begin that Eucharist here let vs at the Altar of GOD shew forth the voyce of thanksgiuing and tell of all Gods wondrous Workes The wondrous workes of our Creation Vocation Redemption the wondrous worke of Gods Blessing this Land with peace plenty and the liberty of the Gospell the wondrous worke of our preseruation in 88. the wonder of wonders in our deliuery from the Gun-powder Treason the wondrous worke of our Royall Prince's safe returne to his Pious Fathers House in all these the wondrous loue of God to his Deere Church and the members thereof his constant seruants in this Land And if God hath so loued vs let not vs now fayle to loue one another Yee haue all taken oathes heretofore ratifie them now againe at Gods Altar vowe one vowe more there euen the vowe of loue and constant vnion and the power of Grace enable you to performe it The Altar is the proper seate of reconciliation Mat. 5. 24. and that Holy Sacrament as it is the best Pledge of Gods loue to vs so of our Communion one with another Beleeue it Christians the maine axiome and anuile of popish Pollicy the very Axell whereon they winde about the whole body of their Machiauilisme in England is our diuision and dissension themselues haue brag'd that there is no way so ready to conuert a Lutheran as by the passion of a Caluinist no meanes so prompt to make a Protestant a Papist as by the opposition of a Puritane Thus they endeauour to destroy vs as wee destroyed their inuincible Nauy by sending fire euen the fire of dissension in the midst of vs. Oh let vs beare downe this pollicy of the world with the wisedome of the Spirit Away with these distracting names of Lutheran Caluinist Puritan c. We are all the children of the same father who hath begotten vs in the loue of one Mediatour and Sanctified vs by one and the same Spirit Christ and his spouse the King and his Kingdome Christian Brother and Brother these are they which God hath ioyned together and cursed may hee be that endeauours to put them asunder I will conclude with the Vote of Paul I beseech you brethren by the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that yee all speake the same thing and that there be no diuisions among you but that you bee perfectly ioyned together in the same minde and the same iudgement That so by the vnited power of charity and a good cause yee may all march on Valiantly and meete the aduersary in the face constantly fighting the battell of our Elder Brother Christ Iesus who fought to the Death for our sinnes That Iesus who for vs was made both the Priest the Altar and the Sacrifice accept this your morning Sacrifice of prayse and thanksgiuing He wash you in his blood cloath you in his innocency Crowne you with his Glory He this Day at his Altar conueigh such grace into your hearts that yee may forme all your ensuings actions and counsells as if you were still at Gods Altar To that Iesus with the Eternall Father and Holy Spirit wee ascribe all Prayse Power Glory Dominion in Saecula Saeculorum Amen FINIS
on in the Name of the Lord whom we come to serue Dauids resolution will infallibly produce Dauids blessing So holy meanes cannot but produce a happy end But that Truth may run on with order the maine generall parts of the Text are a Praeparation a Resolution The first a Praeface the second the Worke it selfe The first a Condition propounded I will wash my c. The second a Dutie performed So will I compasse c. In the Praeparation be pleased to obserue with me these 4. things The Subiect Dauid the Obiect his hands the Act washing the Integritie or forme of the Act in Innocency In the Resolution I shall pitch your attentions vpon two things the first is Motus I will goe or compasse The second is Terminus the place he aimes at The Altar To which I can adde nothing but this that the Lord stands at the Center in the middle of the Text as hee who alone giues power and life both to the Praeparation and the Action Of these particulars by His divine assistance the continuance of your indulgent fauour which brought me hither briefly and plainely and that in Circulo Theologico leauing curiosity to her owne Courtiers assuring my selfe that the plaine way of truth is the best way to the Altar And first in Dauids and all good mens Method to begin with Praeparation a part of my Text which in this Auditory I might happely haue spared I speak it to Gods glory the comfort of the Land and your iust encouragement that as many of you equall your Prophets in learning so al of you euen preuēt vs in zeale to Gods cause yet when I consider the Subiect here I find 't was Dauid Dauid a man so often repeating his innocency in this Psalm that Caietan conceiues he wrot it in the person of Christ there being none but Christ capable of so much innocency yet euen Dauid himselfe had not so much but he had need of Washing and Praeparation Suffer me therefore if not to giue light to your vnderstanding at the least to quicken your affections that my periods may serue as so many places of memory to reuiue your better meditations And if Greatnesse might haue priuiledged this person from impurity Dauid was a King if the Grace of his soule might haue freed him from the soyle of sinne he was a man after Gods owne heart But let not great men put too much trust in their greatnesse the longer the Robe is the more soyle it contracts Great power may proue the mother of great damnation And as for puritie there is a Generation that say ther 's no sinne in them but they deceiue themselues ther 's no truth in them What euer Romes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pretend for the power of nature and of free-will wee wretched sinners are taught to conceiue more truely of our owne infirmitie Christs owne Apostle stout Thomas fayled in the faith of his Resurrection Peter whose Chayre is now the pretended seate of Infallibility denyes his Master Dauid a man after GODS owne heart hath need of washing and who can say I am pure in the sight of the LORD Certainly O Lord No flesh is righteous in thy sight No this is the best ground of Christian felicitie if with Dauid we fall to a sight of our owne sinnes if with the Publican we strike our owne brests and not with the Pharisee cast our eye so much vpon other mens faults why should wee like Taylors measure all men but our selues As if the best of vs had not sin enough of his owne to thinke on See Dauid heere cals himselfe to an account for his owne sinnes O Lord I know mine iniquity and my sinne is euer before me Oh the powerfull effect of Christian Deuotion when by the reflectiue Act of the Vnderstanding Science is turned into Conscience and our knowledge is but the glasse of our owne imperfection the glasse wherein the sight of our sinnes send vs presently to God as it did Dauid here who makes this account onely betwixt God and his owne Soule I O Lord. First Hee takes his rise from Humility and the sight of his owne sinnes and then hee soares vp by the wings of Faith to the Throne of Gods mercy I O Lord. He sees with his owne eyes and not only with the Church or the Priests Spectacles he is his owne Poenitentiary and Confessor heere 's no intercession by Saints no Masses Merits Indulgences Trētals Dirges All 's done betwixt God and him I O Lord. With the eye of Humility hee lookes to himselfe and his owne misery then with the eye of Faith to God and his mercy and from both these results a third vertue of Repentance in the Act of Praeparation washing the soyle of sinne in the Bathe of Sorrow I will wash my hands c. This washing in religious Praeparations is a custome established euen by the Law of Nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was written vpon the doore of Diana's Temple and therefore they euer went from Washing to VVorshipping from the Lauer to the Altar Lavabo vt rem diuinam faciam vvas the common practice of the Romanes and euen the Turkes themselues Wash before they pray But not to authorize so diuine a Rite from Infidels In the Old Law wee finde Sanctity euer accompanied with Decency the Lauer was placed before the Altar and Cleansing was euer the Praeface to Offering And in the New Law 't is our Sauiours Ordinance that wee beginne with Baptizing and 't was his owne practice to Wash his Apostles feete before the LORDS SVPPER Not that Hee would haue vs insist in the outward Act No the very Legall Washing was the instruction of inward Cleansing And our Absolution heere it sounds Regeneration Repentance Renouation There are two eminent Lauers in the Gospell the first Christs Bathe a hot Bathe Lavacrum Sanguinis the Lauer of CHRISTS Bloud the second Our Bathe a cold Bathe Lavacrum Lachrymarum the Lauer of Repentance These two mixed together will proue a soueraigne Composition wrought first by CHRIST himselfe when Hee sweat water and bloud The first is as that Poole of Bathesda into which whosoeuer enters with Faith is healed The bloud of Christ is the true Lauer of Regeneration a Fountaine set open for Iudah and Ierusalem to wash in The bloud of Christ purgeth vs from all sinnes 1 Ioh. 1. 7. Wee account it Charitie in Mothers to feede their Children with their owne Milke How deare is the loue of Christ that both Washeth and Feedes vs with his owne Bloud No sooner are wee borne in Christ but iust as our Mothers so Christs bloud is turned into Milke nourishing vs to euerlasting Saluation What is Calamus Beniamini or Storax or a thousand Riuers of Oyle to make vs cleane except the Lord purge and cleanse vs No 't is His bloud that speakes better things than the bloud of Abel Vnto Him therefore that loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes in his owne Bloud
and hath made vs KINGS and PRIESTS to GOD His Father to Him bee glory and dominion for euer Reuelation 1. 5 6. But yet 't is the second Bathe the Lauer of Repentance that must apply and make the first Operatiue This Bathe of Mary Magdalens repentance it is a kind of Rebaptization giuing strength and effect to the first washing And it implyes a threefold Act First To bruise our hearts by Contrition Secondly To lay our wounds open by Confession to God Thirdly to wash our hands in Innocency by Satisfaction to men The Sacrifice of a broken heart makes a happy way to the Sacrifice of the Altar Lachrymae pondera vocis habent our teares are the best Harbingers wee can send before vs our silent Orators to GOD Quae veniam non postulant sed obtinent as Saint Ambrose saith they speede without asking and neuer returne from GOD without obtayning It troubled my Soule in these times of Tryall to perceiue the hearts of men filled with distracted thoughts their mouthes with discontented Obloquyes Had they turned these Passions into sound Repentance they would soone haue found more ease to their Soules Through this Red Sea of Sorrow all our FATHERS were wont to passe to the Land of Promise leauing their enemies their sins all swallowed vp in those Waters and by these blessed Streames they were cleansed not onely from ciuill and temporall but spirituall and eternall punishments So Abimelech Hezekiah Manasseh Iob the Niniuites So the Israelites 't is true twice they went vp to aske Councell of God and were ouerthrowne by the Beniamites but the third time when they went vp to GODS House and sate Weeping and Fasting from Morne till Euen then they ouerthrew Beniamin and Slew twenty-fiue thousand men of those that drew the Sword Iudg. 20. 35. This is the third time my Worthy Auditors that you haue come vp to this House of God and if heretofore yee haue fayl'd of your good intentions I feare t was for want of this vertue of Repentance Prodigious Swearing blasphemous Cursing vncharitable Gluttony swinish Drinking grating Vsury exacting Bribery vniust Ambition mercilesse Oppression these are the sinnes that haue kindled a fire in the Land and cal first for your teares then for your hands to quench it Yee now present the whole body of the Land and therefore now before you approach the Altar Repent for the whole body of the Land Certainly we haue no Purgatory but true Repentance no holy water but this can quench the fire of Lust and Hell I know there is no good soule here which is not wounded at the Common sinnes of our Nation and yet which of vs all haue euer happily shed one teare either for our owne sinnes or the sinnes of the people Alas that we should not yeelde one droppe for those offences which cost our Sauiour many streames of blood to wash them away I would faine dwell vpon this sweete vertue but your deuotions must supply what the time detracts And if yee cannot shedde a teare giue a sigh for our sins if not that repent that you cannot repent our sinnes begat our sorrow let our sorrow deuoure our sinnes as the Worme the Tree that bred it VVash and wash now for ad Aras consulere it is too late to wash at the Altar Wash now and wash all from the Crowne of the Head to the sole of the Foote there is nothing in vs but Woundes and Sores yet aboue all there is some-thing here in it that Dauid washeth his hands Indeede it is not enough to come with wet eyes if we come with foule hands to offer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with vnwashen hands The Gentiles would not do it Contrition and Confession to God make not vp compleate Repentance without satisfaction to men Non remittitur peccatum August Epist 54 Ser. Latim before Edw. 6. nisi restituatur ablatum It is an true as old and in old Father Latimers English it is either there must be restitution open or secret or else Hell Whoeuer repayres not the wrong reioyceth in the sinne Prouerbs 2. 14. Where there is no satisfaction Non agitur sed fingitur paenitentia sayth Saint Augustine and those who restore not all wash not their whole hands they dippe onely the tipps of their finger Extortion Rapine Bribery these are the sinnes of the hands sinnes so proper to the Iewes that they may wel conceiue as they doe that the Diuell lies all night on their hands and that is it makes them so Diligent in washing but as for vs Christians vnlesse these Vipers bee shaken off our hands though yee couer the Altar of the Lord with Teares with Weeping and with crying out yet if you continue in your Pollutions God regards not your offering any more nor will he receiue it with good will at your hands Mal. 2. 13. But there are some that put more Arist 3. de anima spirit here into this Obiect and tell vs that Dauid aymed at more then his hands It is true the hand is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the actiuest part and so put here for the whole Body and not for the body alone but vsually in Holy Writ for all the practick faculties and operations of the Soule the Vnderstanding the Will the Affections the Minde the Conscience Administration Counsell All. This washing here it is not onely Ablutio but Balneatio it is not a little washing but an entire Bathing if any of these be vnprepared vnwashed hand off from the Altar In the Popish Masse they thinke it enough to wash the tipps of their fingers At our Altar we must wash all offer the whole man a liuing and an acceptable Sacrifice to God Otherwise Pilate washt his hands and at the same instant condemned Christ Wee must wash and wash thoroughly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in innocency This is the Integrity of the Act. The very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Crowne of all our preparation the purest Water wee can wash in is innocency and innocency is a vertue of the heart as well as of the hand Cleanse your hands Iames 4. 8. yee sinners and purifie your hearts yee double-Minded I could wish our washing might be like Crprians Baptizing adtincturam euen till wee were dyed in Repentance and the Blood of Christ Let the quantity of thy sins bee the measure of our Repentance First offer thine innocency then thy Sacrifice It is not enough that you come this day by order you must come with innocency God requires the Duty of the second Table as well as of the first hee abhorres the outward Act of Piety where he finds no conscience and practise of innocency I haue here my Honorable Auditory a large field to runne in and you to worke in but I will contract my selfe within Dauids Limitation He in this Psalme markes vs out three enemies of innocency Dissemblers at the fourth verse Men of blood at the ninth and Bribe-takers at the tenth Dauid as you this Day
goes to the Altar that he might seperate himselfe and not sit with such as these are And too many such Iebusites there are in our Israel after whom giue me leaue to make a short inquisition First Dissemblers such as our Church-Papists in whom Machiauell in the head hath gotten the aduantage of the Pope in the belly halfe Papists halfe Protestants Like Oseas Cake halfe baked halfe dough Iust Saint Austins Amphibions Qui dum volunt esse Iudaej Christianj neque sunt Iudaej neque Christianj While they would bee both Papists and Protestants they are indeede Newters and Nihils Let all zealous soules set a brand vpon such Hermophodite Christians as these latter times haue discouered to vs. There is another sort of them yet to whome wee are more beholding though it be but for their impudency profest Dissemblers who wil be profest Papists and yet profest Partakers of our Altar and they haue a reason in conscience for it too our Sacrament is no Sacrament they receiue it onely in a ciuill obedience and it is no more with them then a ciuill act Oh the bold cunning of Sathan whose kingdome consists in lying without eyther memory or modesty in dissembling without shame or innocency and if any such Foxes be crept into the Vineyard of Iudah and thinke to lurke vnder our Altar giue me leaue to hunt them out with their owne Weapons euen such as shall challenge the best Buckler the Diuell affoords them their Equivocation First then tell me thou profest Hypocrite To deny Gods true Worship is not this to deny God himselfe and doest not thou by ioyning in our Sacraments deny thine owne Religion in thy conceite the onely true worshippe True but thou doest it in shew onely not in heart no more did Saint Peter when he denied Christ but he that denies me before men I will also deny him before my Father Matth. 10. 13. Againe if wee be such branded Hereticks as you stile vs our Table is as you terme it the table of Diuells and therefore to communicate with vs is to shake hands with Satan and pertake of the Table of Diuels 1. Cor. 10. vers 18 If yet yee will not go when the Diuel driues you at the least let that which you preferre aboue eyther GOD or the Diuell the power of your Church let that exorcize you Is it not your Trent Prescription fetcht out of Lombard and Aquin Firmi in side non debent conuersari cum Haereticis Sent. 4. Dist 13. q. 10. Aquin. ibid. in diuinis Those that are firme in the Roman faith ought not to conuerse with Hereticks in Diuine Worship Was it thinke you well done of Saint Peter to scandalize the Gospel by eating with the Gentils if he do Saint Paul will withstand him to his owne face and so doe I you In a word if the curse of Rome or your owne conscience can preuaile with you hand off from our Altar If God bee God follow him if Baall bee God away from this Holy place follow him Those that thus equiuocate in Gods House what will they doe in your House and in your Councels There should bee none but Dauids sonnes in Dauids assembly but there is none of Dauids seede loue to sit with Dissemblers vers 4. Much lesse with such Dissemblers as lye in wayte for blood Such as heare not the complaynts of the wronged but build vp Syon with blood and Ierusalem with iniquity Micah 3. 10. Gather not my soule with sinners nor my life with such bloody men verse 9. But of these more anon The third Corrupter of innocency is he whose right hand is full of Bribes verse 10. Bribery an vbiquitary vice a sinne as fearefull as common as in a publike Auditory at Pauls Crosse I haue heeretofore discouered and though I haue knowne whole families groane vnder the burthen of it I haue neither time nor will to repeate any thing I then Deliuered Onely spare me so much of your pious liberty to commend to your Religious endeauours one prodigious strayne of corruption the stayne both of Religion and nature some of the Professors whereof haue fallen within the lists of mine owne knowledge and those are English Pensioners to For raine States Such as sacrifice their King their Country their Parents nay their Sauiour to Mammon such as winde into our Court our Parliaments our hearts such as eate and take Councell together with vs but like the Traytors in the Troyan horse fifty of them doe more hurt in one night then fiue thousand open enemies in ten yeare I might subioyne to these such World-wormes as sell their consciences eyther for Court-fauour or popular applause pretending the Common good but ayming at their owne But I make hast to the Altar it is your washing in innocency must prepare you for that and the zeale of that cannot but stir you vp to wash the Land from corruption I will wind vp this point with the Prophet Esay's Character of a good Parliament as I may call it Wash you make you cleane cease to doe euill learne to doe well seeke iudgement releeue the oppressed iudge the Fatherlesse pleade for the widdow then come and le ts reason together sayth the Lord though your sinnes be as scarlet they shall be white as snow though they be red like Crimson they shall bee as white as Wool Esay 1. 16. Not that all this washing and innocency of ours sufficeth to salvation without Gods Altar If it had it is likely Dauid would haue gone no farther Nay euen when wee are at the Altar in Altari non inuenit viam qui in Christo non inuenit causam Not by the works of righteousnes which we haue done but according to his mercy hee saued vs by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Tit. 3. 5. Wee see after all his washing yet Dauid goeth to the Altar This is Motus his gesture hee doth not onely looke on it hee goes to it as in the old Transl Hee doth not as most among vs make the Temple a thorough-fare and passe by the Altar but with seemely deuotion hee compasseth the Altar as in the new Tran. I might here Litigate which were the fittest gesture at the holy Table standing Sitting Walking or Kneeling which are all vsed in seuerall Churches The reason of this diuersity is the generality of the Gospell Phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 26. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 22. 14. They both signifie leaning or falling downe not sitting Dauids gesture was compassing with Hymnes and Psalmes and the same gesture Theodofious and Charles the Great vsed but I would not heere make a quarrell of a Ceremony I leaue that to the Tithers of mint and cummin who in the meane time let passe the more essentiall comfort of Gods Table It is enough that the Text runnes with our Church making humility and penitence the best preparatiue to the Altar no gesture too low in the receite of so high a