Learning necessarily but for the Avoiding A Diviner there must not be He that foretels pretends he foreknowes which in man in respect of humane affaires is not a worke of Art but of Inspiration To foreknow Mans purpose or lot is God's prerogative The Heavenly Lights cannot impart this knowledge though this knowledge has been sometime imparted by a more Heavenly light Yet with pretended Prophets did the Heathen consult seeking by a greater evill to be delivered from a lesse The ceremonie of the Lye which was the Art of the Art was sometimes varied in the posture as by lying on the ground as if Humilitie or rather Hell should give them instruction sometimes in the Instrument as in performing it with Sand with Stones with Iron with a staffe which the Deceiver carried in his hand and leaned on My people saies the Lord Hos 4.12 aske councell at their stockes and their staffe declares unto them The staffe was at hand but not the Helpe that was without sense They without Reason that prostituted their reason not to sense but below it An Observer of Times there must not be The Diviner was carryed as the Pride of his thought carry'd him to believe by inward motion moving as he phansied he was moved by the first Mover But the Soothsaier as a lower Artist proceeded by observation of the Creature This was a slanderer of Heaven by counting some daies Luckie some Unluckie by an opinion which he confuted by his own birthday in which his own distinction was confounded being unluckie to himselfe that was borne to be such a foole as to embrace such folly but luckie to others that by his folly escape folly An Inchanter there must not be an Observer of Fortunes as some say by Luckie or Unluckie signes as the falling of the salt almost as sure a signe that it selfe was spoiled as that the Fortune-tellers wit was spoiled Such also was a Hare crossing one in his way ill lucke undoubtedly that he was not then rather a hunting than a travailing yet good lucke enough if he lost not his patience as well as the Game A Witch there must not be and so neither a Jugler say the Hebrew Masters this was to be beaten the other ston'd the one abused God the other Men but no Art could make them invisible enough to scape the stones or the scourge A Charmer there must not be one that uses strange words over a Serpent that it may not hurt a man whiles the foole by his strange words becomes a worse Serpent to himselfe nor one that whispers over a wound as if he would by silence hide his pretence nor one that reads a verse out of the Bible or layes the Bible upon a Child that it may sleep Surely God's Word should rather awake men than cast them into a sleep and being intended to produce faith must needs affect the Hearing Besides Gods Word is not Physique for the Body unlesse remotely by instructing to Temperance But indeed Life it is as Solomon saies Prov. 3. unto the Soule And shall man intend to doe more or otherwise with God's Word than God intends or by abuse of God's Word make God's Word Mans Word A Consulter with familiar spirits there must not be such Spirits were by divine permission and judgement so familiar that they possess'd the Consulter and spake out of his Belly as from a bottle with a Jow voice he whisper'd as out of the dust as God speakes by Isaiah chap. 29.4 A horrible possession when as the Consulter became a Hell and yet though he was one he could not scape another Such a confident Artist wav'd a Mirtle rod in his hand til he heard one answer him with a low voice The Ceremony was the Deceit The Myrtle is of admirable use for the cure of the body particularly for the clearing of the sight yet such was here the impudence of Sathan that by this pretence he would blind the spirituall sight so blind it that it should not be serviceable to preserve either Soule or Body This was Saul's sinne for which God kill'd him I Chron. 10.13 and for which God has threatned to cut off all such as inquire of such and happy is he that by being threatned is but threatned A Wizard there must not be or Cunning man such did use senselesse and impious Ceremonies as to put the bone of a certaine bird in their mouth and burning incense fell down and pretended to foretell what should come to passe as if either a bird that wanted reason or a bone that wanted life could doe more than man that had Life and Reason and instruct the mouth to tel as much as God only can tell and to foretell more than God will tell What Incense can sweeten such stench of Impiety What falling down can save them from falling into the bottomelesse Pit These undertake to foresee things to come and yet foresee not their own destruction This is the cunning of a Cunning Man but for whom the Devill is too cunning A Necromancer there must not be such slept by a Grave that in their dreame the Dead might teach them what they demanded of him Better it had been they had slept in their graves but though alive they slept worse in sinne Their hope of instruction was but of instruction in a dreame and that instruction but from the Dead Knowledge implies Reason which in sleep is Disabled by Death Destroyed The Grave might have been a better instructer than the Dead Yet even such sinnes the old world had and by such sinnes the new world is still old God's people were then bid to turne from those that would turne them from God they were bid to turne and hearken to the Prophet whom God then promised to send Deut. 18.15 even our Saviour Christ and a woe is threatned to them that shall not harken to him Christ is life Christ is wisedome the Wisedome of the Father O let us not then so mistake our selves as to mistake wisedome so mistake our selves as to mistake our Father our Heavenly Father Would drunkennesse then defile us Let the shame of it save us from the shame of it Would lust defile us Let the body by the danger of that Corruption be the Guardian and so the safety of the Body and Soule Would Idolatry defile us Let Reason tell us we cannot make a God as Religion tells us we must worship God Would Witchcraft defile us Let the madnesse of our sinne preserve us in our Wits and Innocence preserve us from such a sinne as is both the Guilt and the Punishment a sinne and a Hell And let the sight of Heaven into which nothing that is uncleane shall enter preserve us by Hope and Indeavour from Uncleanesse that at the last being wash'd from all uncleanesse by the blood of our Saviour who ascended into Heaven we as a part of his Church purified by his blessed Spirit may be preserved holy and undefiled unto God the Father To
we may have confidence and not be asham'd before him at his comming Which grant O thou that shall come to be our judge and by the judgment which thou didst suffer save us from the judgment which thou wilt inflict that we may give praises unto thee and to the father and to thy blessed Spirit world without end FINIS OF Spirituall Sorrow A SERMON BY BARTEN HOLYDAY Doctor of Divinity OXFORD Printed by Leonard Lichfield 1657. Ierem. 9.1 O that my head were waters and mine eies a fountaine of teares that I might weepe day and night for the slaine of the daughter of my People THE Desire of Sorrow may seem very strange and yet it is not so wonderfull as Happy It is indeed contrary to Man's nature and yet it tends to the perfection of his Nature The Soule is never moved by desire unto any thing but that which seems good we may almost say but unto that which seems good to the body the soul in the body being commonly perswaded by the body And yet sometimes it desires sorrow sorrow which is contrary to the pleasure of nature the practice of sorrow before man's fall being unknowne unto him and since his fall being hatefull to him Yet the Body which oftentimes does seduce the Soule is sometimes also perswaded by it and rais'd both to apprehend and desire a pleasure in sorrow Not that which arises from the mistaking melancholy of the body but that which happily and judiciously proceeds from the wisdome of the Soule since as by sinne we runne to the extreamest distance from God so by Spirituall sorrow we runne to the extreamest distance from sinne This is the Art of Repentance by which we may also farther observe an excellent difference between the Stoique and the Christian The Stoique fondly intends to make man like God by making him without Passion and so without Change yet without Grace the Christian on the Contrary indeavours to be neither without passion nor without change and yet like God whiles he labours to Sanctify his Passion and therfore his change by grace And this sorrow when it does deeply affect the Soul does not only affect the Soul but uses the Eies instead of the Tongue to declare itselfe as here our Prophet expresses his desire to expresse such sorrow and such Teares In whose Lamentation we may first behold The Nature of the sorrow which being expressed by the nature of a Change we may view in it the things that must be chang'd which will appeare to be the Head and Eies as also the things into which they must be chang'd which likewise will appeare to be Waters even a Fountain yea a fountain of Teares Next we may view the Object of the Sorrow or what it is for which such Lamentation is to be made which though the Prophet sayes is the slaughter of the people yet more vehemently he expresses it to be the sinnes of the People the Cause of the Slaughter At the foulnesse of which sight the sight of sinne we likewise may be moved to a like holinesse of sorrow wherby to wash away such foulnesse The sight of blood indeed may move us to Compassion but the sight of sinne more happily unto Amendment Let us first then view the Nature of the Sorrow describ'd by the parts affected and instructed by it as it does thus sadly and wisely expresse it selfe O that my head were waters and mine eies a fountain of teares The Head is the seate of Wisdome and of the sense the sorrow then that proceeds from the Head must be a sorrow that flows from Reason it must be a sorrow that affects the sense and therfore a reasonable punishment of our selves And since from the head are deriv'd the Nerves by which both sense and Motion is distributed to the whole body the sorrow of the Head must affect both the sense and motion of the whole body And thus did sorrow affect the good King Hezekiah as he speakes of his own mournfull pace Isaiah 38.15 I shall goe softly all my yeares in the bitternesse of my Soul Man indeed is made to be thus wise thus sorrowfull his brain being for his proportion both greater and moister then it is in other creatures And as the Head is frequently taken for those things which are either First or Chiefe so this wise sorrow in the life of a Christian will truly challenge such Excellency and Priority The Beginning of the year is in Ezekiel 40.1 call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Head of the yeare but more truly may the sorrow of the Head be call'd the Head or beginning of the yeare of man's Conversion Nor does that in the Originall only signify the Head but somtimes also as in Lament 3.19 the bitternesse of affliction and sometimes as Deut. 29.18 the bitternesse of sinne to which last S. Peter alludes Act. 8.23 speaking of Simon Magus as likewise S. Paul Heb. 12.15 Indeed this bitternesse of Sorrow is most agreable to the Head from whence the bitternesse of Sinne did before arise Which sorrow the head does sometimes expresse by the shaving of it as in Job 1.20 as sometimes by the Motion or shaking of it as also in Job 16.4 but most happily does the head expresse it by the Eie which as the Philosophers observe declares our Hate and Love but we must adde most happily when in religious teares it shewes our Love of God by our hate of sinne The Physiognomer tels us that the best eie is a moist eie that seemes to swimme in his Orbe which is a surer rule in the Spirituall constitution of it and does not only teach us the complexion of the Eie but also the Duty A clos'd eie was in the Poëtry of the Ancients us'd as the embleme of death and an eie dark'ned with repentant teares is a good embleme of our Mortification which is the death of sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Eie signifies also a Fountain a fountain being an eie of the earth and an eie being a fountain of the head They are both alike also in the Abundance and speed of their waters which they send forth And therfore Jacob's posterity is compar'd unto them Deut. 33.28 The fountain of Jacob shall be upon a Land of corne and wine The Latin Interpreter has it Oculus Jacob the Eie of Jacob to signify that his posterity should as speedily and mightily flow forth on the earth as waters gush out from the Eie or fountain Most aptly then does the Prophet here in his plentifull sorrow wish that his head were waters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies waters is a word alwayes of the plurall number to imply their abundance which as some thinke is expressed in the composition of the word deriving it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sea and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to trouble and make a tumult intimating the conditions of true sorrow which is happily with abundance of teares and with the out-cry of a holy lamentation And aptly
describes him Gen. 49.17 has one condition to bite the horse heeles so that his rider shall fall backward and does not wine bite and overturn the drunkard at the last you may see the filthinesse of this sinne in the base estate of Soul into which it casts one the drunkard as S. Chrysostome says being worse then a dog or an asse though one be filthy the other silly since neither companie nor custome can make them drink beyond the temperance of naturall thirst You may see the filthinesse of this sinne in S. Austins judgment who terms the drunkard a lake that brings forth nothing but frogges and filth Indeed even the creatures bred in such filth wee may esteem but a living filth nor are the actions of a drunkard worth the name of life And therfore did S. Ierome commend an Oratour for saying of a drunkard rais'd from sleep Nec dormire excitatus nec vigilare ebrius poterat that he could neither sleep being wak'd nor a wake being drunk therby as he say's reckoning him neither among the living nor the dead S. Basil compares him to the Gentiles Idols which as David sayes have eies and see not The wine we may grant they see but they will not see either the strength of That or the weaknesse of themselves You may see the filthinesse of this sinne in the expression of Seneca whose wise Rhetorique calls it madnesse and he wittily proves it since drunkennesse as he says Intends all sinne and discovers it Even righteous Noah by this was discover'd though happy he was because but once discover'd and more happy because he could be but once discover'd An Act of frailty we find a habit of it we find not Lot whom Sodom could not overcome wine overcame even to a repeated Incest nor had he any covering for his fault but his Ignorance an unhappy mantle wherwith his daughters cover'd him sham'd him Holofernes never drank so much at one time in all his life as in that night in which he lost his head but in which also he first lost his wit Iob's children were at a feast and too unhappily at the wine when the house fell on them Job did feare they might fall by sinne they did not fear that the house would fall by their sinne It was at his birth-day-feast a time of wine and headinesse that Herod promis'd to the dauncing damsell even halfe his kingdome but in an unlawfull performance of an unlawfull promise he gave her the head of the holy Baptist. Had he been at a cooler council than his cuppes he might happily have thought of an innocent aequivocation he promis'd her half his Kingdome she demands All and he gives her a value more than all the Blood of a Prophet But if wee looke upon lesse offenders yet great offenders may we not find some whom excesse in the wine does not satisfie without an excessive society in the excesse as if at the great reck'ning-day it were not enough to have no bodies sinnes to answer for but their own But such companions shall at last want neither wine nor company nay they shall be made drunk in the Prophets phrase by God himself he shall make them drunk with the wine of wormewood Lament 3.15 and as the royall Prophet speakes with the wine of aslonishment Psal 60.3 the wine of his wrath yea he shall make them suck-up the dregs of it the dregs of wine a plague more irksome even to the drunkard than the want of wine nay than sobriety where shall then be his riotings and false healths by which he destroy'd the true health of his bodie and made hast to the destruction of his Soul shall the strength of the wine be of strength to defend his sinne shall the health of his great Lord to whom his deep draught is devoted secure the health of his body or mind shall that be an acceptable quaffe to a Prince that is abominable unto God O the folly of men sayes the wisedome of S. Ambrose speaking of those that drank healths to the Emperours the folly of men that can think drunkennesse to be the sacrifice of Loyalty we may adde that there was indeed a Drink offering under the time of the Law but it was not the draught of the Sacrifice but the Present Even the Creator of the Vine stinted his own sacrifice from the Wine at a pint and a halfe a quarter of a Him Levit. 23.13 So little did the most wise God choose from his own plenty when as the outragious thirst of man is too often not satissied till oppress'd Soberly and truely spake S. Austin concerning the drinking of Healths if one should be threatned with death for not pledging better it were the body should dye sober than the soule be drunk nay that even he that in his intemperance should disgrace thy sobriety after his intemperance would admire it and such disgrace that holy Father accounts Martyrdome Memorable was the example being as well a glory as a patterne of S. Ambrose and S. Austin whose conscientious rigor shunn'd a feast as the danger of intemperance He mistakes wine that takes it not as Physique no more should we take than we must needs take But alas though men begin to eat and drink for Health they Commonly end in pleasure if not in riot shadowing the basenesse of pleasure with the pretence of Health till with delight they excuse themselves to death A holy age it was when the Family and the Cattell drank of the same sobriety yet thus did Jacob his children his cattell drink of the same well Iohn 4.12 But so absurd now sinne is become that who need it least drink most young men strong men adding as S. Ierome sayes oile to fire Indeed can they by art more contrive an outrage surely of more temperance have some heathen been els had not the Roman forbidden the use of wine to all that were not thirty years of age if Aelian be not a Poet. But greater examples have we of greater temperance in the true worshippers of the true God Famous were the Rechabites to whom their Father seem'd to give a ' leaventh commandement in a perpetuall abstinence from wine which with such joy they did observe that their Obedience was the wine Famous was Daniel in feare and temperance preferring water before Babylonian wine this was holy water which gave him complexion more cheirefull than the wine Famous was the Babtist who was not filled with the joy of the grape but of the Holy Ghost Aske of the Fathers of the Christian Church and S. Ierome will tell us that the contemplative men of Palestina would not though ill receive comfort from it we may think they thought it not Physique but Disease Aske S. Austin and he will tell us that the Clergie generally abstained from wine as if they had accounted it a Lay comfort Aske Eusebius he will tell us that S. Marke diswaded all the Alexandrian Christians from the use of it He
instructed whence they were called Catechumeni as also Audientes the Hearers and frequently by S. Ambrose and S. Austin Competentes though somewhat differently from the usuall acception of the word it signifying here not an opposition but a fellowship in their suite From the event whereof those that had successe are by S. Gregory called Electi they being chosen unto Baptisme by Scrutinie And there were made before baptisme sixe such scrutinies in the time of Lent and a seaventh on Easter-eve thus to discerne if the persons to be Baptized would after the renouncing of Sathan seriously continue in their dedication to God The Persons to be Baptized did use also to bring their names the men standing on the right hand the women on the Left In the time of the Elibertine Council as appeares Can. 48. the feet of the persons to be baptized were wash'd and for Infants that were to be baptized it was a custome in the Spanish Churches to bring them all before the day of baptisme and wash their Heads which day for that cause was called Capiti-lavium or the Day of the Head-washing and the usuall day for it was Palme-Sunday as Isidore tells us Such like rites does S. Cyrill of Ierusalem also relate in his preface to his Catechisme all which were used as expressions of the Solemnity of this Sacrament Which was performed unto some over the tombes of the Dead to which that of the Apostle seems to allude 1 Cor. 15.29 What shall they doe that are baptized for the dead if the dead arise not at all it is in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 over the dead to omit other expositions a custome used by some as it is thought to expresse that they should by baptisme effectually received be dead to sin with the dead over which they were baptized enjoy a happy resurrection We may farther see the excellency of this Sacrament in that it never is repeated There is but one Baptisme says the Apostle Eph. 4. because there is but one death of Christ but one Resurrection but one Originall sinne to be in effect washed away whiles not imputed by the blessing of the Inward Baptisme There is no returne to the Wombe nor to Baptisme says S. Austin there is but one Birth and but one new birth And as it is of such a nature in it selfe so did God by miracle sometimes honour it many bodily diseases being cured by baptisme as S. Austin relates and thus as the stories of the Church tell us the great Constantine was cured of Leprosie Which wonders mistaken were the occasion of preparing Holy water Some thinking by the consecration of water to obtaine the like successe But such cures were extraordinary and immediately wrought by God himselfe and but seldome for the honour of God's own Institution in this Sacrament Such cures then being without promise we cannot build our faith upon such examples therefore not raise our expectations to such effects Yet such was the unwarantable devotion of some in those times that they receiv'd the water which had been consecrated for baptisme in vessells sprinkling therewith their houses and grounds as if though they had not with Moses the sight of a fiery bush they would yet enjoy holy ground A mistaking also of this Sacrament occcasioned some to be baptized every day whence they were called Hemerobaptists or the Daily Baptizers mentioned by Epiphanius thus while they thought by a wrong zeale to make themselves cleane they did by their Heresie become more uncleane By the outward washing sinne is not taken away by the inward washing sinne is not taken away the Dominion of it is taken away sinne Remaines sinne Reignes not To this happy effect the Elect are baptized those of riper age in ancient times not commonly changing their Names Ambrose and Austin being the Names of those Holy men both before baptisme tisme and after but Infants usually taking the names of Saints to prompt them yet without affectation to a holy imitation Nay in an Arabique translation of the Nicene Council one Canon forbids the imposing of a Heathen Name And as the Church was thus carefull of the Names of Infants so much more of their Education anciently and mercifully providing fit persons for the Infants sound instruction in Doctrine and Life in case of the possible Heresie or Death of the Naturall parents a Charity too unhappily corrupted by Ignorance or Neglect being in it selfe if duely observed a speciall wisedome in the Church of God Alike care was used by the most Judicious to have this Sacrament celebrated by one of the Clergy which distinct title from the Layty needs not be proved since it is approved whiles acknowledged by a late Act against great offenders as Adulterers which expresses their offence to be felonie without benefit of Clergie Yet we will grant that this Sacrament was sometimes anciently administred by the Layty nay sometimes by women but ancient practices must be as duely understood as imitated Tertullian de Baptismo cap. 17. admits Lay-men to baptise in case of necessity saying Tunc enim constantia succurrentis excipitur cum urget circumstantia periclitantis in effect Then must an extraordinary helpe be admitted when an extraordinary danger makes the exception We may see then that this permission was but extraordinary and grounded but upon a falsely supposed Absolute Necessity of Baptisme as then the Reason was erroneous so likewise the permission Baptizing by women may seem to have had a double cause the former in respect of Infants in a supposed danger and so with more mistake than charity whiles not with a right charity the other in respect of women of riper age that were converted and this was in a modestie a part of the celebration being ordered by those that in the first times were called Diaconissae a principall part of whose office was to prepare the women that were to be baptized partly by annointing their bodies if we admit the testimonie of the Constitutions attributed to Clemens and partly by dressing them with that civilitie that only the Brow of the Female was permitted to the eie of the Priest who was indeed the usuall baptizer Besides women were separated and so baptized a part from the men as S. Ciril of Ierusalem teaches us in his Preface to his Catechismes But since that truth must be the Judge of all Custome we may remember that it was the judgement of a most learned and Royall judge that though the Minister be not of the Essènce of the Sacrament yet he is of the Essence of the right and lawfull Ministry of the Sacrament taking for his Ground the Commission of Christ to his Disciples Mat. 28.20 Goe Preach and Baptize It was only their office to whom it was Committed and surely the Office was not ordinary when as the memoriall of the performance of it was Extraordinary the Day of every one's baptizing being anciently his Festivall So Naziannan tells us and therefore devout are the Exhortations
yet not from the Israelites passing through the Wildernes to the Land of promise nor from their passing through the Red Sea but from the Angells passing over their Dores in Mercy their dores sprinkled with blood when he destroyed the Aegyptians And so will God's vengeance passe over those whom he shall find sprinkled with the mysticall blood of our Saviour imparted to us in this mercifull Sacrament Unto which come all you that would be delivered from all your sinnes past you that are at the Gates of Death and this bread of Life shall give you Life everlasting and this Wine of life shall make your hearts cheerfull with an eternall joy Come all you that would be delivered from sins to come this shall not only take away the delight in smaler sinnes but also a consent to greater Not to come at all to this heavenly food is certaine death to come but seldome or with a small appetite is a manifest sicknesse in the soule O then come frequently to this Sacrament and in time you shall say He hath fill'd the hungry with good things But come with hunger and then you may truely say you keep a good dyet and as truly say you have got that by Grace which the Physitian denyes in nature a perfect Health Come all you that would conquer all Affections and all Temptations that would lead you to such affections Come hither and you shall have peace in all your affections you shall have peace in all your Temptations You shall have that peace which the world cannot give that peace which the world cannot understand Come all you that would be one body with Christ a possibility but a miracle Christ shall not be corrupted into you that indeed is an Impossibility but you by grace shall be perfected into Christ and that is though not properly a miracle which is an outward act of power yet the happiest miracle which is an Act of Spirituall power Come all you that would by Grace be one spirit with Christ come and you shall dwell with him and he in you his Grace in you Eate Christ and thus become Christs ye shall be the Adopted Sonnes of God Heires of Eternity And that you may the rather come and raise a desire in your selves unto this bread observe the desire which was in the people their Desire of this bread Give us Indeed now you have seen the benefit you may easily think the people might well crie out unto our Saviour Give us this bread you will acknowledge their desire and excuse it nay rather commend it by imitation Yet when againe you think upon the wounder of it may you not think that our Saviour might have justly answered them as he did the mother of Zebedeus children ye know not what you ask Surely they had but a little knowledge of it Yet the wounder of the benefit may warrant their desire and condemne us if we have not the like yea a greater Desire of this heavenly food since a greater knowledge we have of this Heavenly food which we should indeed hunt after When the Prophet David says Ps 78.25 Man did eate Angels food he sent them meat to the full the word for meate is there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly venson and so a meate caught with hunting and surely with more earnestnesse should we pursue after this food with a holy appetite No marvaile then we may say if they crie out as if already they had learned the substance of prayer Evermore give us of this Bread which must be broken before it be given and therefore the distribution of the bread in the Sacrament is called the breaking of bread Act. 2.42 Yet is was the custome of the Hebrews to say they brake bread not only when they brake it with the hand but also when they cut it sōetimes when they did neither but only gave it Yet some think this phrase arose from the fashion of the Jewish Loaves which they say were usually made in the forme of Cakes broad and thinne and that so it was their custome to breake their bread Which though it might be true is yet uncertaine for some of their loaves as the Shew-bread which was set upon the table of the Lord were seaven fingers thick as the Hebrew writers teach us But in what manner soever the Jewes brake bread or in what manner soever they gave bread we know how they used the bread of life our Saviour Indeed they could not breake a bone of him and as they did not breake him so neither did they give him but we may say with the Prophet Isaiah c. 53.5 they bruised him but he gave himselfe he gave himself to be bread of life for us And thus you see this bread is a guift therefore justly requires Thanks For which cause it is call'd the Eucharist or the Thanks-giving not only to expresse our Saviour administred it with giving of thanks but also to expresse our duty of thanks which ought most justly to waite upon this Sacrament The bread saies Origen is call'd Thansgiving S. Paul calls the cup 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the cup of blessing 1 Cor. 10.16 he addes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we blesse or which with blessing we consecrate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with with the Jews is both to Blesse and to be Thankfull they being commonly performed together And so Justin the Martyr calls the Eucharist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the food consecrated or bless'd with thanksgiving And well may they be thankfull that are the receivers of it if they but consider themselves They that would here have been receivers were Jews and may we not say that to have given this bread to Them had been to cast the Childrens bread unto dogges yet though they were bad they seem to have some desire to be good may seem somewhat good already whiles they wish'd good to one another every one wishing this bread not only for himselfe but all of them ask'd it for all collectively Give us this bread A desire that might have beseem'd them though they had understood the nature of a Communion This is indeed a Communion not only by our Union with Christ but also with one another We are all members of the same body as was aptly presigur'd in Manna which is said to have been like Coriander which the Hebrews call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as some think from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to gather order an armie the seeds growing in great number and order'd as aptly as an armie of men And is not this our Christian Manna or Coriander this wonderfull seed collected and ordered alwayes in a Christian armie of Communicants in the Church Militant It is a Communion also of the rich and poore and therefore in some places is usually celebrated with almes in a good Imitation of the Primitive Christians who had their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their feast of Love at which they did use to feed the poore and had