of GOD and regard to your owne soules and the life that is to come apply your selves chiefly above all things to read and heare GODS Word Marke diligently therein what his will is you shall doe and withall endevour apply your selves to follow the same Blessed is he that readeth Revel 1.3 and they that heare the words of this Prophecie and keepe those things which are written therein 3. Hearing the Word preached EArly in the morning Jesus came into the Temple Ioh. 8.2 and all the people came unto him and he sate downe and taught them In the day time Jesus was teaching in the Temple Luk. 21.37 and at night he went out and aboad in the Mount that is called the Mount of Olives 38. And all the people came early in the morning to him in the Temple to heare him Acts 13.44 The next Sabbath day came almost the whole City of Antiochia together to heare the word of God preached by Paul and Bâ—rnabas Acts 8.5 Then came Philip into the City of Samaria preached Christ unto them 6. And the people gave heed unto those things which Philip spake with one accord Acts 17.11 The Jewes of Berea were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the Word with all readinesse of minde and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so Wickliff That the hearing of the Word and Law of GOD is commmanded to the people it is evident both by the old and new Law Take opportunity to heare preaching and to prove Grashop by the Scriptures that which is taught The first Bayne and principall meanes to uphold a Christian life in godlinesse is the Word of GOD read preached and heard as the Lord prescribeth Where there is a good order of teaching Idem with diligence skill love and plainnesse we must be attentive and reverent in hearing As drinke is pleasant to them that be dry Hom. de leg Scriptur and meat to them that be hungry so is the reading hearing searching and studying of the holy Scriptures to them that bee desirous to know God or themselves and to doe his will Bayne The ordinarie preaching of the Word is a singular meanes provided for the perfecting of GODS elect and for their growing in a Christian life 4. Sacraments Eccles Ang. CHrist hath ordained in his Church two Sacraments onely as generally necessary to Salvation that is to say Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord. Cosler A Sacrament is an outward and visible signe of a divine invisible grace instituted by Christ by vertue whereof the receiver obtaineth grace and sanctification In Sacraments Bellar. both the matter and words must bee instituted by GOD and are not alterable by man either by addition or diminution They are therefore called Sacraments August because one thing is seene in them and another thing understood That which is seene hath a bodily kinde forme and shew but that which is understood hath spirituall fruit Wee must not consider Idem what they be but what they signifie It is a dangerous matter Idem to take the signe in stead of the thing that is signified The holy Eucharist or Sacrament of the Body and Bloud of our Lord. Mat. 26. AS they were eating Jesus tooke bread and blessed it and brake it and gave it to his disciples and said Take eat this is my body Ibidem And he tooke the cup and gave thankes and gave it to them saying Drinke yee all of it Ibid. For this is my Blood of the new Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins In stead of the Flesh Beda and Blood of the Lambe Christ hath ordained the Sacrament of his Body and Bloud in the figure of bread and wine Neither doe wee receive them as common bread Iust Mart. nor as common drinke The bread which is of the earth Iren. receiving the invocation of God is not now common bread but the Eucharist consisting of two things earthly and heavenly Christ taking bread Tertul. and distributing it to his disciples made it his body saying this is my Body that is to say this is a figure of my body It is evident Bertram that the bread and wine are figuratively the body and bloud of Christ By the commandement and Isidor authority of Christ we call it the Body and Bloud of Christ because that though it bee made of the fruits of the earth it is yet notwithstanding sanctified and so become a Sacrament GODS Spirit working invisibly therein Bertram That body wherein Christ suffered was his proper and true body having no mysticall or figurative matter in it But this latter is a mysticall body shewing one thing outwardly in figure and inwardly representing another thing through the understanding and apprehension of faith Eccle. Angl. The body of Christ is given taken and eaten in the Supper onely after an heavenly manner And the meane whereby the body of Christ is received in the Supper is Faith To beleeve in Christ Aug. is the eating of the Bread of Life prepare not your mouths prepare your hearts This is to eat that living bread to beleeve in Christ Clem. Alex. that is to say with love to cleave fast unto him This is to drinke the bloud of Jesus Idem to be made partaker of his immortality This is therefore Aug. to eat that meat and drinke that drinke To dwell in Christ and to have Christ dwelling in us A remembrance of the death and passion of our Saviour Christ. 1 Cor. 11. THe LORD JESUS the same night in which he was betrayed tooke bread Ibid. And when hee had given thanks he brake it and said Take eat this is my body which is broken for you this doe in remembrance of me Ibid. After the same manner also hee tooke the cup when hee had supped saying This cup is the new Testament in my bloud this doe as oft as yee drinke it in remembrance of me 1 Cor. 11. For as often as yee eat this bread and drink this cup yee doe shew the Lords death till he come The Sacrament of the Lords Supper was ordained for the continuall remembrance of the sacrifice of the death of Christ Eccles Ang. and the benefits which we receive thereby This bread and this cup Bertram which is called the body and blood of CHRIST doe lively represent or set out the remembrance of the Lords passion or dâ—ath even as himselfe hath said in the Gospell Luke 22. Do this in remembrance of me which the Apostle Paul expoundeth saying 1 Cor. 11. As often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup ye shew the Lords death till hee come Our Lord gave unto his disciples Walfrid Strab. the SacrameÌ„t of his body and Bloud in the substance of bread and wine
Bradford God hath given thee a penitent and beleeving heart that is an heart which desireth to repent and beleeve for such an one is taken of him for a penitent and beleeving heart he accepting the will for the deed 2 Cor. 8. For if there bee first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that a man hath not Kâ—mnit When I have a good desire though it doth scarcely shew it self in some little slender sigh I must be assured that the Spirit of God is present and worketh his good worke He will fulfill the desire of them that feare him Psal 145. he will also heare their cry and save them His comming unto God HEe that commeth unto God Hebr. 11. must beleeve that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seeke him Let us draw neere with a true heart 10. in full assurance of faith In Christ we have boldnes Ephes 3. and accesse with confidence by the faith of him The first comming to God Hom. de fiâ— is through faith whereby we be justified before him For the faith of the Catholike Religion Chrysost is the light of the soule the doore of life the foundation of eternall salvation Aug. Without it no man can come neere the number of the sons of God without it all the endevour of man is void Gal. 3. For ye are all the children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus Beda It commeth not from the wisdome of eloquent words but from the gift of the heavenly calling Phil. 1. For unto you it is given in the behalfe of CHRIST not onely to beleeve on him but also to suffer for his sake Mark 1â— When the Scribe said that to love GOD with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the soule and with all the strength And to love his neighbour as himselfe is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices Jesus said unto him Ibid. thou art not farre from the Kingdome of heaven If thy heart can onely sobbe unto GOD despaire not Knox. thou art not destitute of Faith for that onely sobbe is an acceptable Sacrifice unto GOD. The Faith which the Scripture commendss is nothing else but Ferus To trust in the free mercy of GOD. Come unto mee all yee that labour Mat. 11. and are heavie laden and I will give you rest Incline your eare Isa 55. and come unto mee heare and your soule shall live and I will make an everlasting covenant with you even the sure mercies of David His Repentance 2 Pet. 3. THe Lord is long suffering to us ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance Act. 3. Repent ye therfore and be converted that your sinnes may be blotted out Glos ord Repentance is a bewayling of our former sins and a care not to commit the like againe Chrysost God never despiseth repentance if it bee offered unto him intirely and simply Hieron For the Lord respecteth not the length of time but considereth the upright affection of him that repenteth When we feele the burthen of our sins Vdall and be grieved in heart for them it is the worke of the holy Ghost and in time will bring forth fruit worthy of repentance There are foure parts of true repentance Hom. de poenit Contrition which is an unfained sorrow conceived in the heart for our sinnes committed Confession which is an humble and unfained acknowledging of our sins unto God Faith whereby we stedfastly beleeve that God for his Sonne Christ Jesus sake will forgive us all our iniquities Amendment of life which is to become new creatures and to bring forth fruits worthy of repentance Aug. Neither is it sufficient to repentance to change our manners into better and to depart from our evill waies unlesse GOD be satisfied for our sins past by the sorrow of repentance by the groane of humility by the sacrifice of a contrite heart Almes deeds accompanying Chrysost Not to bee grieved for thy sins doth more displease God and provoke his anger than the sinne which before thou diddest commit Ioel 2. Therfore now also saith the Lord Turne ye even to me with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning Ibidem And rent your heart and not your garments and turne unto the LORD your GOD for he is gratious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse When thou so repentest Aug. that thy soule hath a bitter taste of that which before was pleasant in thy life and what before was delightfull to the body the same tormenteth thee in thine heart even now dost thou lament and mourne before GOD. If a man be never so great a sinner Latimer yet if he have true repentance with faith and hope in GODS mercy he shall be forgiven GODS mercy hath no limits at all Chrysost if any doe call for helpe there is one that will heare readily If any doe repent there is one that will shew mercy Lyra moral As the Palme tree which is rugged in the stocke and hath pleasant fruit in the top even so a righteous man beginneth in the roughnesse of repentance and endeth in the sweetnesse of heavenly comfort Hom de poenit Let us therefore repent for straying from so good a Lord let us confesse our unworthinesse before him but yet let us trust in Gods free mercy for Christ Jesus sake for the pardon of our sins Gregor For Gods mercy doth helpe those who repent in this world but in that which is to come we doe not repent but give account of our works Rom. 2. Despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long suffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance His Confession HE that covereth his sins Prov. 28. shall not prosper but who so confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercie Confesse thy sinnes before God Chrysost and declare thine offences with prayer to the true Judge not with thy tongue but with remembrance of thy conscience That confession delivereth from death Ambr. which is made by repentance David said unto the Lord 2 Sam. 24. I have sinned greatly in that I have done And now I beseech thee O Lord take away the iniquity of thy servant for I have done foolishly Basil I doe not confesse with my lips that I may manifest my selfe to many but inwardly in my very heart shutting mine eyes to thee alone that seest the things that are in secret do I shew my groanes roaring within my selfe for the groanes of mine heart and the lamentations sent to thee my God from the depth of my soule suffice for a confession Hom. de poenit This is the chiefest and most principall Confession
that in the Scriptures and Word of God wee are bidden to make and without the which we shall never obtaine pardon and forgivenesse of our sins Bernard Without this Confession the righteous man is judged unthankfull and the sinner reputed a dead man Therâ—fâ—re Conf ssion is the way of the sinner and neverthelesse becommeth the righteous Lord be mercifull unto me Psal 41. heale my soule for I have sinned against thee If any say I have sinned Iob 33. and perverted that which was right and it profited mee not He will deliver his soule from going into the pit Ibidem and his life shall see the light If we will with a sorrowfull Hom. de poenit and contrite heart make an unfeined confession of our sins unto God he will freely forgive them and put all our wickednesse out of his remembrance Ibid. I doe not say but that if any do finde themselves troubled in conscience they may repaire to their learned Curat or Pastor or to some other godly learned man and shew the trouble doubt of their conscience to him that they may receive at his hand the comfortable salve of Gods word Hom. de poenit But it is against the true Christian liberty that any man should be bound to the numbering of his sinnes as hath beene used heretofore in the time of blindnesse and ignorance Bellar. Calvin admitteth of private confession unto the Pastor when any is afflicted in his conscience and shall need anothers helpe Yet with this moderation that this confession bee free and not exacted and not injoyning a rehearsall of all particular sins Let us with a true and contrite heart Hom de â—oenit use that kind of confession which God hath commanded in his word If we confesse our sins 1 Ioh. 1. he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse His Absolution WHo can forgive sins Mark 2.7 but God onely The Son of Man hath power upon earth to forgive sins 10. He will purge your conscience from dead workes Heb. 9.14 to serve the living God For this is not an humane Ambros worke neither is the holy Ghost given by man but beâ—ng called upon by the Priest is bestowed by God wherin the gift is Gods the ministery is the Priests Pet. Lumb God onely doth remit and reteine sins and yet he hath given unto the Church power of binding and loosing But God bindeth and looseth otherwise than the Church doth for he by himselfe only remitteth sins because hee purgeth the soule inwardly from the spot of sin freeth it from the depth of eternall death which the Church cannot do but hath power of binding and loosing that is of declaring what sinners are either loosed or bound Chemnit In absolution God himself by the ministery of the Gospell doth remit sins unto all beleevers The vertue and effect of remission is not in the Disciples Cajetan but in God who pardoneth We account of them Ambros as the Ministers of Christ Stewards of the Mysteries Sins are not loosed or reteined at the pleasure of men Aug. but according to the will of God praiers of the Church To the Lord our God belong mercies Daniel 9.9 and forgivenesses though we have rebelled against him Delivering fom sin Chrysost he ingrafteth righteousnes yea he extinguisheth sin and suffereth it not to be O Lord God Almighty Ordo Rom. antiq de Offic divin pag. 18. edi Rom. 1591. be mercifull to me a sinner that I may worthily give thankes unto thee who hast made me an unworthy one for thy mercies sake a Minister of the Priestly Office and hast appointed mee a poore and humble Mediatour to pray and make intercession unto our Lord Jesus Christ for sinners that returne unto repentance And therefore O Lord the Ruler who wouldest have all men to bee saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth who dost not desire the death of a sinner but that he may bee reconciled and live Receive my prayer which I powre forth before the face of thy mercy for thy servants and handmaids who have fled to repentance and thy mercie Nehemiah 9.17 Thou art a God ready to pardon gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse Behold Ambros that by the holy Ghost sins are forgiven but men to the remission of sins bring their Ministery They exercise not the authority of any power Therefore in all the servants there is no dominion Optat. but a Ministery Almighty God give unto thee absolution Tho. Aquin. and remission His amendment of life YOu were sometimes darknesse Ephes 5. but now are yee light in the Lord walke as children of light Set your affection on Colos 3. things above not on things on the earth Ephes 4. Put ye off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt after the deceitfull lusts Ibidem And put yee on the new man which after GOD is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse Playfer That which is borne of the old man which is the flesh must dayly decrease in us and grow downwards Idem But that which is borne of the new man which is the Spirit must daily increase in us and grow upward Latymer Repentance and amendment of life are a sure remedy that our sins shall not bee our shame and confusion Vdall Bee carefull to live in godlinesse reforming your affection inwardly and your conversation outwardly according to the prescript rule of God word They that from the bottome of their heart doe acknowledge their sins Hom. de â—oenit and are unfeinedly sory for their offences will cast off all hypocrisie and put on true humilitie and lowlinesse of heart And as they did before give themselves to uncleannes of life Ibidem so will they henceforth with all diligence give themselves to innocency purenesse of life and true godlinesse The graces of God Oecumen as the flowers of a garden must not only be kept but also dressed that they may have not only a being but also an abounding Coloss 3. Put yee on therefore as the elect of GOD holy and beloved bowels of mercies kindnesse humblenesse of minde meeknesse long suffering Forbearing one another and forgiving one another 4 if any have a quarrell against any even as Christ forgave you so also doe ye Ibidem And above all things put on Charity which is the bond of perfectnesse Raban Mercy consisteth in giving almes cheerfully in suffering wrong patiently in reforming the rude lovingly Chrysost It is the safety of salvation the ornamâ—nt of faith and propitiation for sins Lyra. Let Christs humility also bee inwardly in your hearts and not outwardly as it is with hypocrites For unlesse wee bee beaten downe in humility â—â—all we