Paule and cited by M. B. is examined and by it is cleerly proved that the Protestant faith which they cal so is no faith such as S. Paule meaneth but mere fansie and imagination Christ in this world did esteeme of carnal cognation which M. B. wickedly denieth His wicked corruption of Christs words that Christs flesh is vnprofitable is directly against Christs owne preaching and our faith of the incarnation He in taking from the body al real coniunction with Christ infinuateth a denyal of the resurrection of the body as Luther and the Lutherans prove plainly against the Calvinists M. B. his obiection taken out of the Gospel that corporal tuitching of Christ is vnprofitable VVhy Christ required faith what maner of faith in them whom he cured from diseases The place of scripture which M. B. obiecteth as likewise many other proveth the cleane contrarie of thâ—t for which be pretendeth it vz that corporal tuitching was a â—â—re immediat cause of health then tuitching by only faith May had benefite of Christ by only corporal tuitching of hiâ— much more by both corporal also spiritual receiving him in the B. Sacrament CHAP. 16. HEnce forward the principal argument concerning the sacrameÌ„t newly entreated of for here is much tedious repetition of old things of the vvord sacrament vvhat word is necessarily required to make the sacrament the doctrine of seales and confirmation of mens right and title by seales c. vvhich being already drawen in to their several places and answered before I vvil therefore omit here coÌ„sisteth ether in refelling the Catholike doctrine tâ—â—ching Christs real presence or in confirming a vulgar opinion that Christ is eaten by faith vvherein he bestoweth many vvords vvhich of them selves are not amisse but that they are applied to an evil end as that the spirit of God vniteth Christians to Christ that Christ is conioyned to vs with a spiritual band that this is wrought by the power and vertue of the holy spirite as the Apostle saith 1. Cor 12. 13. that al faithful men and women are baptized in â—ne body of Christ that is are conioyned and fastned with Christ by the moyen of one spirite c. that faith is a spiritual thing that it is the gift of God powred downe in to the â—â—â— of men and women wrought in the sowle of every one and â—â—â— by the mighty operation of the holy spirite that we â—â—â— Christ spiritually by remembring his bitter death and pa 〈…〉 c. These and a number such other sentences in which he spendeth many pages of this sermon are in them selves good true Christian and Catholike But vvhen â—e applieth al this coniunction of the spirite to exclude the coniunction vvhich is wrought by Gods spirite to but yet not only spiritually but also corporally vvhen he acknowlegeth no other receiuing of Christ in the sacrament then that vvhich is vvrought as vvel vvithout the sacrament vvhen soever vve remember his death and passion vvhen he so advaunceth this manducation by faith as though there vvere not only no manducation so profitable but also besides that no true manducation of Christs body at al in this he plaieth the sophister in vndermining one veritie by commending an other he plaieth the part of a craftie enemie vvho sheweth bread in the one hand and vvhile we behold that striketh vs on the head with a stone which he holdeth in the other in one vvord he plaieth the very heretike vvho ether thinketh him self or would his audience to thinke that one part of Catholike faith gaynsaith an other that the spirite of God vniting Christians vvith Christ their head spiritually excludeth al corporal participatioÌ„ which most of al confirmeth increaseth that spiritual coÌ„iunction that spiritual eating by faith or remembring Christs death passion is an enemy opposite to the real coniunction of his body vvhich Christ him self appointed for that special end amonges other that it might streÌ„ghthen our faith spiritual maÌ„ducation both in the sacrament out of the sacrament and make vs perpetually more mindful of his death passion Vnto vvhich mindfulnes careful meditatioÌ„ we are a thousaÌ„d times more stirred by one thought vvhen vve conceive the same his most pretious body here truly and really present and though glorious eternal invisible and indivisible in it â—ell yet visible divided and broken in the sacrament for our benefite and nurriture vve are I say more stirred to remembrance of Christs death and passion by one such cogitation then by al the bread broken and al the â—â—nkardes of wine that are in a vvhole yere filled out and empâ—ied by the bretherne and sisterne in al the suppers communions of Scotland and England ¶ Before M. B. come to extol his spiritual manduâ—â—tion by â—aith he frameth an obiection as made by the Catholikes and by answering the same maketh way as it vvere and entrance to that matter His obiection is this If say they Christs flesh blud be not received but by faith in the spirite then we receive him but by an imaginatioÌ„ by a conceit and fantasie This is the obiection as he frameth it vvhich albeit it be none of ours if it be taken generally as though al manducation of Christ out of the sacrament vvere imaginarie or fantastical which is wicked to speake or think yet being applied to the Protestants receiving by their â—aith it is good and for such I acknowlege it For their receiving by their â—aith is mere imaginarie and fantastical to speake the best And let vs see how M. B. can answere this obiection So saith he they count faith an imagination of the mind a fantasie and opinion But if they had tasted and felt in their sowles what â—aith bringes with it alas they would not cal that spiritual iewel only iewel of the sowle an imagination That we account faith an imagination or fansie is â—alse though one of the founders of your faith that is Zuinglius and his Tigurine church cal it so Howbeit we cal it not so nor thinke of it so but esteeme it as a verie iewel of the sowle though not the only iewel as yow falsely terme it For that besides the cardinal vertues which also an iewels of the sowle and a number of graces of the hoâ— ghost reckened vp by the Apostle every man that haâ—â— a litle skil in his Christian Catechisme knoweth that among the 3. Theological vertues hope is a iewel of the sowle as wel as faith and charitie a iewel of the sowle more pretious and better then â—aith as the Apostle expressely teacheth â— Cor. 13. 13. and by the one and the other is engendred in good Christian Catholike men a great confidence ioy and consolation of mind and by the one and the other they feele in their harts the holy ghost making them to crye Abba pater they hope confidently by the testimonie of that spirite that
But how matcheth this vvith that vvhich immediatly ensueth In this life there is wonderful iniquities grosse sinnes and great faults wherewith even the righteous are defiled And when we study to do best and the iust man that is the â—â—aist halâ—man falles seven tymes in the day yea rather seventy tymes seuen tymes If the righteous and iust man vvhen he studieth to do best sinneth and that grossely if every â—owre of the day he commit so many grosse and mortal sinnes as these vvords import for in these mens divinitie al sinnes are mortal none venial every mortal sinne sever a man from God as M. B. teacheth agreably to the scriptures vvhat foloweth of these two parcels but that the God of heauen dwelleth in no man be he never so iust for that in every his action he sinneth and offendeth God grossely and mortally And how calleth he such a man holy iust and righteous vvho thus offending and that continually so many hundred tymes in the day is doubtles wicked vniust and vnrighteous for that so perpetually he transgresseth the law of God the true and infallible square of iustice and iniustice as M. B. hath truly declared VVith like constancie he commendeth saith to his audience in these vvords faith is the moyen and hand whereby we apprehend our saluation and applie it vnto vâ— And as it avayles not a sicke man to see a drâ—ge in the Apothecaries booth except a way be found how it may be applied to his sicke body so faith is the moyen and hand whereby we take hold on Christ and applie his redemption to cur sowles This is good if he meant of the right faith and stayd here and proceeded no farther to exclude al other graces of God and his holy spirite But he addeth There is not a way nor an instrument in the scriptures of God whereby any man or woman may applie Christ to their sowles but only the instrument of faith Hereof it foloweth that faith is not only the first and principal but also the sole and only meane of our iustification and saluation as by vvhich only instrument according to the scriptures the redemption wrought by Christ is applied vnto our sowles And thus the Protestants teach commonly and M. B. hath oftentymes told vs before Yet vvithin a few pages after he falleth in to a cleane coÌ„trarie discourse removing faith froÌ„ this office and attributing it altogether to love and charitie For thus he preacheth In corporal foode we have two sorts of apprehensions one by the eye the other by the taist Your eye takes a vew of the meate makes a choise of it This is the first apprehension If your eye like it yet if thy taist like it not also so it enter not in to thy stomake it can never be converted in to thy nurriture For it is only the second apprehension of the meate that is cause of nurrishing our body Even so in spiritual things the first apprehension of Christ Iesus is by the eye of the mynd that is by our knowlege and vnderstanding that is to say by our faith The next apprehension is when we cast our harts on him we have good wil of him For al our affection proceedes from our wil. And if we love Christ we take hold on him we eate him and digest him that is we apply him to our sawles Then is not faith the only instrument to applie Christ but also love charitie and this much more then faith so much more as a mans body is more nurrished by his tast then by his eye by that foode vvhich he eateth then that meate vvhich he seeth standing on the table but never toucheth For so your self applie vrge and reiterate this comparison Looke in what place the eye serves to the body in that same rome serves knowlege and vnderstanding to thy sowle And looke in what place thy hand and thy mouth the taist and the stomake serves to thy body in the same rome serves thy hart and affection to thy sowle So that as our bodies can not be nurrished except our hand take and our mouth eate the meate where thorough the second apprehension may folow likewise our sowles can not feed on Christ except we grip him and imbrace him hartely by our will and affection and not by only faith This is true doctrine and this directly ouerthroweth the former that faith is the only instrument of applying Christ to vs that only faith iustifieth vs and cleanseth the sowle For here vve learne that by charitie vve applie Christ to our sowles as vvel as by faith yea much better as our bodies are better nurrished vvith the 2. apprehension of meate made by our taist then by the first made by our eye Folowing the opinion of Iohn Calvin and the Lutherans before noted touching Christian faith that it is a sure and infallible persuasion of Gods beneuolence towards vs he exhorteth his auditors to hold fast such persuasioÌ„ in these vvords Art thow persuaded of mercy Assure thy self thy conscience is at a good point thow hast health in thy sawle For by keeping of this faith thy conscience is preserved Keep this persuasion bald it â—ail sound hurt it not bring not thy sawle in doubting so far as thow may nor hinder not thy persuasion For if thow doubt or in any wise diminish thy persuasioÌ„ thow dost diminish the health of thy sowle thow leesest thy faith becomest an infidel as Calvin whom in this M. B. foloweth avoweth For he is not a faithful maÌ„ saith Calvin who assureth not him self of Gods faâ—â—ur and who resting vpoÌ„ the securitie of his owne salvation cat not say with the Apostle Paule I am sure that nothing can separate me from Christ vvhich vvords also M. B. very luslely applieth to him selfe saying expressely Our faith assuraÌ„ce growes so great our persuasioÌ„ so strong that we dare come out with the Apostle and say as he said Hereof vve may gather that after this doctrine the best Christian and most faithful is he vvhich hath the greatest confidence in gods fauour and mercy and feareth lest his iudgements VVherevnto tendeth also a great part of his last sermoÌ„ vvhich besides that it preseneth a number of desperat ruffians execrable miscreants and heretikes before meeke harted and humble spirited saintes vpon vvhom the holy ghost specially restâ—â—h can hardly staÌ„d vvith that him self after preacheth that the dearest seruants of God are cast in to terrible doubtings woÌ„derful pits of desperatioÌ„ The best seruaÌ„ts of God are exercised with terrible doubtings in their sowles with wonderful stammerings and they wil be brought sometimes as appeares in their owne iudgement to the very brinke of desperation For this is as much to say as that the most faithful seruants of God are most faithles the best are vvorst his dearest are to him most odious and hateful as they
can not comprehend vet let our faith beleeue For true it is though most miraculous in these sacramental earings of the Ievves who so perceiueâ—h not many miracles to be coÌ„teyned is more then a doâ—t vvere he not if not in vvit a very dolt asse yet surely in diuinitie a very simple one vvho vvould attribute such miraculous excellencie to the ceremonies of Moses lavv vvhich them selues notvvithstanding al their hyperbol cal lâ—ing florishes meane not to be true no not in the gospel And vvhat so euer they meane the vniuersal scope and drift of scripture denieth refuteth it in the old lavv most effectually For although the good men vnder the law which vnderstood their ceremonies and sacraments to be shadowes and darke presignifications of a Messias and by vsing them were kept in an obedience and orderly subiection and expectation of a Sauiour to come by such obedience faith pleased god and were therefore rewarded at his hands yet that those ceremonies and sacraments velded them any such grace as is here declared much lesse the participation of Christs true flesh blud which is the supreme soueraine grace of al that euer was or euer shal be in this world the old testameÌ„t it self and also the new in many places denyeth especially the Apostle S. Paule in whole chapirers of his epistle to the Hebrewes where he most expresly treateth discourseth of their sacraments and state of the old testament in comparison of ours and state of the gospel For to omit sundry textes apperteyning to this purpose in the Prophets Euangelists to rest only vpon S. Paule when he saith that circumcision the principal sacrament of the law was nothing of no effect to conferre grace and that Abraham him self vnto whom singularly circumcision was a sâ—â—â—e of the iustice of faith was not yet iustified in circumcision nor by circumcision but otherwise when he disputeth that no worke no ceremonie no sacrament of the lâ—â— was 〈◊〉 to iustification but only the faith and grace exhibited in the new testament when he calleth al those Iudaical sacraments infirma et egena elementa weake and poore elements or as the English bibles translate it weake and beggerly ordinances when he teacheth the vvhole lavv and al the ceremonies sacraments thereof to haue bene reiected and altered because of their weakenes and vnprofitablenes that those sacrifices baptismes and meates drinkes blud of oxen and goates were only iustices of the flesh sanctified those that vsed them no otherwise then in taking away legal pollutions and so purified men only according to the flesh and therefore were instituted by god not to remayne for euer but only vntil the time of correction or new testament and then other maner sacrifice and Sacrament should succede in their place briefly when he teacheth the law to haue had a shadow of good things to come not the very image of them much lesse the body which is geuen by Christ in the nevv testament that it vvas impossible for the blud of those sacrifices to take away sinne and purifie the comscience for vvhich cause also god foretold by his prophets that he vvold reiect those hostes and oblations sacrifices and that they pleased him not vvhen the Apostle thus vvriteth thus teacheth thus disputeth against those legal sacraments vvhat Christian man vvil say that vvith them vvas exhibited and conioyned the true flesh and diuine blud of our god and Sauiour as before according to Caluins first preaching the same is conioyned vvith the sacraments of the nevv lavv If vnder those elements of bread and wine as novv in the supper the body and blud of Christ were not only figured but also truly deliuered if vvhen they vvere eaten of the Ievves by the omnipotencie of god and miraculous operation of his holy spirite Christ Iesus I meane as Calvin teacheth me the flesh blud of Christ yea the very substance thereof as Beza also with the consent of a whole Caluinian Synode speaketh were receiued vvithal then truly S. Paul in calling such a Sacrament a weake and beggerly ordinance had bene a very vveake Apostle an vnfit instrument to publish Christs name before nations and Princes of the vvorld vvho of Christs diuine person of his pretious flesh and blud the price raâ—â—â—om of the world reconciliation of al things in heauen and earth had had so meane and beggerly aâ— opinion But because most sure it is that b. Paule was â—â—â—nom any such beggerly or rather beastly ethnical â—og 〈◊〉 the Calumâ—â— who in this deteâ—â—able â— aâ— pâ—â—mous conâ—cite â—oloweth Calâ—in know that tâ— hâ—m S. Paule speaketh and he shal once to his eterna payne vnlesse â—e in time repent â—â—ele true that which S. Paule threatneth in eueÌ„ for this particular blasphe â—â—â—s heresie of matching the base Iewish ceremonies with Christs most heauenly and diuine Sacraments A man making frustrate the law of Moyses is adiudged to death therefore by the verdite of 2 or â— witnesseâ— How much more deserueth he more extreme punishmentâ— which thus treadeth the sonne of god vnder foote and esteemeth the blud of the new testament polluted by making it nothing superior to the blud of beasts and so hath done contumelâ—e to the sp rite of grace beyond al measure abased most vily and contemptuously the diuine state and maiestie of the new testament Let the discreete reader know that against this Iudaisme the Christians euer from the begâ—nning of Christianitie haue had touching their sacraments a more excellent faith and diuine perswasion as who vpon warrant of Christs words haue euer beleeued that in the one sacrament was deliuered the body and blud of Christ the same in veritie and truth of substance that was sacrificed on the crosâ—e as before more largely hath bene deduced And for the other sacrament for I mention no more because thâ—se men acknowledge no more the holy scriptures and writings of the Apostles and the church ensuing haue yelded vnto it as to an instrumental cause higher grace vertue then to any sacrament of the Iewes law or al their sacraments and sacrifices ioyned in one For proofe whereof when Christ was baptized the heauens opened and the holy ghost descended to signifie that by baptisme the way to heauen shut before is made open to is the holy ghost powred in to vs as Christ him self by word and deed taught most manifestly except a man be borne of water the spirite he can not enter into the kingdome of god And to testifie that aâ—â—uâ—â—dly and that in baptisme Christians are made partakers of the holy ghost in the begin â—â—â—g of the church the holy ghost â—â—sibly deseended rested on them that were baptized by the Apostles and first preachers of our faith And the gospel Apostolical writings euery where teach that â—â—bert the baptisme of Iohn
eating the bread or seeing the bread broken then by hearing the vvord preached Yow confesse that by the vvord we get possession of the sonne of god yow coÌ„fesse we possesse him by the vvord fully and perfitly This possession is the vvorke of faith and the body of Christ is not othervvise gripped possessed or eaten in the supper but by faith when as we beleeue that Christ died for out redemption and rose again for our iustification VVhich being al your ovvne doctrine hovv can yovv explicate to the intelligence of any man that vve better grip possesse and eate Christ in bread and vvine then in the vvord It a true honest man vvhose vvords I trust before vvitnesses geue me a booke and I take it of him and being possessed of it vse it as myne ovvne neuer a vvhit doubting of my right if the same person after come to me and vvil persvvade me by an external signe and say Sir see here is a peece of bread as truly as I breake and eate this bread I geue yow that booke haue I by this external act any better possession right interest or grip in the booke then I had before certainly not In like sort Christ dwelleth in our harts by faith his vvord assureth vs after these mens doctrine that so often as vve trust to be saued by his passion vve eate his flesh and drinke his blud and that fully truly verily really and substantially VVhereas then vve make no doubt of present possession vvhich we already fully and perfitely enioy hovv can this possession be better any vvaies because vve see bread broken before our eyes Again let him remember the resolution of his principal Doctors vvho haue taught vs the cleane contrarie to that he preacheth here vz that Christ is receiued â— possessed as fully by the vvord as by their sacramental bread Let him remember his ovvne preaching in this same Sermon where he hath so diligently told vs that Christ is delivered and receiued in the bread no othervvise then in the vvord Let him remember that P. Mattyr goeth one step farther assuring vs that Christ is better received and possessed by the word then by their signes oâ— bread and vvine vvhich assertion doth plainly folovv is rightly deduced out of the very principles of their doctrine in this point For vvhereas the possession of Christ vvhich vve have ether by the signe or by the vvord dependeth only of faith so the possessing of Christ more or lesse better or worse in greater degree or smaler is to be measured by our faith only if he vvil say that vve possesse Christ better by their signe of bread then by the word he must consequently say that such bread more then the vvord stirreth vp our faith tovvards Christ by which faith only vve possesse and take hold of him And vvhat man of common reason and vnderstanding vvil not be asnamed to say that he is more moved to beleeue Christs death resurrection by seeing a peece of bread broken vvhich is a dumb and dead ceremonie of it self signifieth nothing but is a like indiffereÌ„t to signifie a number of things as vvel Christs life as his death his ascension as his resurrection his incarnation and circâ—â—neisioÌ„ as wel as any of the former which bread therefore M. B. calleth truly a corruptible earthly dead element voyd of life and sowle what reasonable man I say vvil graunt that by such a dumb ceremonic he is more stirred vp to beleeue Christs passion then vvhen he heareth the same plainly and cleerly preached out of the holy Euangelists out of the vvord of god vvhich as S. Paule calleth it is the power of god working saluation to al that beleeue vvhich vvord is lively and forcible and more persing then a two-edged sword able to diuide euen the sowle and the spirite the ioynts and the marow and to discerne the intrinsecal cogitations and intents of the hart Is that blunt bread able to stirre vp our faith comparably to this tvvo-edged sword that dul earthly dead element more then this diuine creature so lively and forcible and persing as here by S. Paule it is described If to folovv M. B. ovvne reason comparison the bread vvithout the vvord be nothing but a common peece of bread and the word serues as it â—ere a sowle to quicken the whole action without vvhich the bread is nothing els but a dead element hovv can a common peece of bread broken by the minister though neuer so artificially geue vs a better holdfast a better grip a more ample possession of Christ theÌ„ the vvord of Christ vvhich is omnipotent and able to vvorke al and vvhich without diminution of his ovvne life imparteth to the bread al the life vvhich it hath Is bread the dead elemeÌ„t more effectual then the vvord vvhich is the sovvle that putteth life in to that dead element Can the body separated from the sovvle or opposed to the sovvle be said to haue more life and spirite then the sovvle vvhich is the only founteyne of life and spirite to the body and vvithout vvhich the body remayneth as voyd of al life and spirite as doth any stocke or stone Novv surely this is aâ—â—ry dead imagination not to be conceiued of a man that hath life and sense and a litle vvit in him I omit that Caluin P. Martyr and Zuinglius commonly vvrite that never vvas there nor is there any sacrament which exhibited or deliuered to vs Christ but al sacraments serve â—ther to signifie and figure Christ absent as Zuinglius wil haue it or to seale the communication of Christ and his promises receiued before as is the more vsual opinion of Caluin Beza Martir and those that be right Caluinists And therefore vvhat speaketh M. B. of better gripping Christ by the sacrament then by the word of possessing him more fully and largely by the sacrameÌ„ts then by the word vvhereas they teach that by the sacraments vve posseâ—â—â— him not nor grip him at alâ—as out of Calvin Musculus Bullinger Zuinglius hath bene sâ—evved VVherefore M. B. perceiuing belike of him self that tâ—â—â— his riddle or oracle of possessing Christ better by 〈◊〉 signe of bread drinke by vvhich vve possesse him 〈◊〉 thing at alâ—then by the word which vvorketh some possessioÌ„ of Christ vvithin vs could very hardly sinke in â—â— the minds of his auditorie he therefore from this 〈◊〉 â—â—th to the first old auncient grace of his sacramenâ— bread lest it should seeme altogether friuolous and â—â—â— profitable For the sacraments serue also saith he â—◠〈◊〉 vp and confirme the truth that is in the word For â—â—â—â— office of the seale hung to the euidence is not to confirme any other truth but that which is in the euidence suppose ye beleeved the euidence before yet by the seales ye beleeue it the better euen so the sacrament assures me of
possessed bodies vvhen he spake of Satan of Beelzebub of Lucifer Christ and Satan Christ Beelzebub Christ and Lucifer the prince of devils vvere as nighly conioyned as the Protestant coÌ„munion-bread Christs body For as M. B. hath diligently told vs before so as though it vvere a principal high matter he in the same termes repeateth it tvvise or thrise in the next sermoÌ„ that looke what sort of coniunctioÌ„ is betwixt the word and the thing signified by the word that sort of coniunction is betwixt the sacrament the thing signified by the sacrameÌ„t And in the same place So soone as thow seest the bread tane in the hand of the minister thow seest it not so soone but incontinent the body of Christ comes in to thy mind these two are so conioyned together even as Christ never named the devil nor any Christian man blesseth him self from the devil but streight ways the devil comes to his mind which maketh nether very wonderful nor very true coniunction Again The coniunction of Christs body vvith the bread is wonderful high secret mystical except thow be illuminated with the spirit and except thow have a heavenly illumination thow canst never conceive never vnderstand it and yet it is as vulgar and ordinarie as the coniunction of words with the things vvhich they signifie which is the most vsual and base coniunction in the world the coniunction is no higher nor more secret theÌ„ is everie most popular signe haÌ„ged at every tauerne dore at the dore of everie hosterie cabaret or tipling hovvse to signifie meat or drinke or lodging to be had there no more then is an ivy bush to signifie vvine a vvad of stravv to signifie beere or ale a lyon or flovver de lyce to signifie the king of Scots and king of France which self same examples of signes significations Zuingli and the Zuinglians Calvin the Caluinists expresly geue and M. B. iustifieth saying that the sacrament is nothing els but a visible word for that as the audible vvord the vvord vvhich is spoken and heard bringeth the thing spoken of to memory by the â—are so the visible vvord that is a signe such as I haue mentioned bringeth the thing signified to memorie by the eye such a signe is the bread and vvine and no other for that it is no other thing but a visible word Again VVe get Christ better in the sacrament then in the word of God VVe get there a better grip of Christ then in the word VVe possesse him in our harts more fully and largely then by Gods word and yet vve get him no more in the sacrament then vve get him vvithout the sacrament vvhen vve heare him named that is then vve get him by the vvord For the sacrament is nothing but a visible word and so by the sacrament vve get and grip him no more then by a vvorde then vve get grip and possesse him no more then vve get grip possesse the Deuil as hath bene said For him vve no lesse remember as soone as vve heare him named And therefore by this plaine and evident deduction the sacrament geueth the Caluinists no better grip no fuller possessioÌ„ of Christ then it doth of the Deuil And if they confesâ—e that they possesse Christ no better by the vvorde of God M. B. saith not so wel as I vvil not stand much against them herein so long as they talke of them selues so if it were applied and spoken of true Christians the sentence were not so false and contradictorie to true Theologie as plainly vvicked blasphemous and develish Once again One point of â—hâ—s coniunction betwene Christs body and the sacrament standes in a continual and mutual concurrence of the one with the other that the signe and thing signified are offered both together at one time and in one action there is a ioynt-offering and ioynt-receiuing c. yet they are not offered in one action nether is there any such mutual concurring or ioynt-offering and ioynt-receiving And that doctrine of ioynt-offering ioynt-receiuing is altogether Papistical For albeit the minister geue the signe that is the earthly thing yet he geves not the heauenly bâ—t Christ keepes that ministerie to him self and dispenses his body blud not vvhen or to vvhom the minister dispenseth the signe but to whom and when him self pleaseth For othervvise vve should tye Christ and his holie spirite to the ministers action vvho must not be so tied and vvho therefore sometimes geueth the thing signified before the sacrament be geuen sometimes after Nay properly and plainly to speake the sacrament is not ordeyned for any such ioynt-offering or ioynt-receiving or coÌ„currence but only to be a seale and confirme the eating of Christ or grace of the sacrament vvhich is geuen before To make short for if a man would rehearse al he might fil many leaves and my mind is only by a few examples to direct the reader to conferre and marke the rest by him self to which end these fevv may serue for a sufficient introduction if it please the reader diligently to marke and pervse these 2. or 3. chapiters he shal find a number of such ether most sensible contradictions or most foolish hipocritical affectations vsed by one vvho desyreth to adorne a base beggerly and contemptible bit of bread and sippe of vvine vvith high ample diuine similitudes vvords comparisons as it vvere to cloth an ape vvith purple or to put Hercules club in the hand of an infant as vvhen he calleth their bread drinke a high mysterie potent instrument to convey Christs body vnto vs being as base vveake an instrument as any vvord that proceedeth from Turke or Ievv vvhich is no great high misterie nor instrument very potent And this being noted by the vvay concerning M. B. his contradictions I vvil end this ansvvere to his first Sermon vvith a summarie note hovv many vvayes their Scottish supper is no sacrament of Christ according to M. B. his ovvne doctrine for cause of defects and vvantes vvhich are found in the material part of that their supper VVherein yet I must craue pardon of the reader if I keepe not an exact distinction betvvene al material formal parts required to these mens sacramental signe because as herein I can go no further then they teach me so M. B. ioyning Christs vvords sometimes vvith the ministers sermon making them part of the forme at other times placing them among the elemental ceremonial and material parts dravveth me necessarily after vvhere he goeth on a fore and on vvhether side he resolueth to place them the effect cometh to one because alvvays they are essential and so of necessitie to be vsed if vve looke to haue a sacrament made ¶ To come therefore to my conclusion for ground and foundation thereof I take M. B his vvords vvhich he hath geven before in the beginning
laboureth to prove very earnestly and diligently This M. B. out of Calvin and Beza preacheth very directly and expressely and by scripture wickedly perverted seeketh to establish It is sure saith he and certain that the faith of Gods children is never wholy extinguisted Though it be never so weake it shal never vtterly decay â— perish out of the hart Howsoever it be weake yet a weake faith is faith and such a faith that the lest parcel or drop of â—ssureth vs that God is fauourable frindly and merciful â—â—â— vt Minima fidei gâ—â—ta facit was certo inâ—uiâ—â— contemplari fâ—ciem Dei pâ—acidam sereâ—em nobisoâ—e prâ—pitiaâ— as writeth Caluin M. B. hauing run a good vvhile in this veyne concludeth For conformation of my argument howsoever 〈…〉 bodies â—e 〈…〉 â—o al dissolution â—et after our effectual calling within our sewles suppâ—â—e the fier be covered with â—shes yet it it â—ier therâ— wil no man say the fier is put out suppose it â—e covered No more is faith put out of the sowle supâ—ose it â—â— so covered that it shâ—w nether how nor light outwardlâ— Finally he repeateth as a most sure principle It is certaine that the faithful have never the spirit of God taâ—e from thâ—â— wholy in their greatest dissolutions though they 〈…〉 〈…〉 thâ—rers adulterers c. VVhereas then every Calvinist vvho once hath tasted of Calvins iustifying faith as hath M. B. can never possibly leese that faith but must of necessâ—â—â—â— reteyne it perpetually though he fal into never so great dissolution and filthines of life become he a murtherer an adulterer a robber of churches a sinke of iniquitie as many such iustified and elect Calvinists are vvhereas I say al that notwithstanding he is not forsaken of the spirit of God nor deprived of this special and singular faith vvhich M. B. so oft hath told vs is the only mouth of the sowle the only meane to eate and fâ—â—d oâ— Christ how can he possibly vvith any face or modestie vvith any learning or reason deny that vvicked men receive Christs body vvhereas he alloweth and that infallibly to the most detestable men the spirit of God and this special faith this month of the sowle by vvhich most truly effectually spiritually the body of Christ is eateÌ„ let him vvith better advise marke this his owne preaching and doctrine of Iohn Calvin and his Geneva church and conferre it diligently vvith his other fansie of evil men not receiving Christs body in their signe he shal find this opinion to be altogether false vnprobable and vnpossible to be conceived or beleeved and â—â—â— against their owne preaching and teaching And doubtles besides this special point of Calvinisme vvhich is so pregnant and direct to prove against M. B the general sway of their doctrine induceth the same which is it provoketh men to licentious and dissolute life in that it preacheth only faith to serve for Christian iustice so the verie issue of that solifidian iustification is this vvhen men in life are become most beastly and vitious then to make them most vaunting and glorious for this â—â—stant persuasion that by only faith in Christ they are saved and iustified for that as Luther taught nothing but only infidelitie could 〈…〉 such faithful Protestants of his sect as Zuinglius wrote al such if they beleeve as he preached they forth with were in as great favour with God â—â— Christ Iesus him self and God would no lesse deliver them from â—el no lesse open heaven to them then to his only begotâ—â— soâ—â—e as our first English Apostles and martyrs taught and â—ealed vvith their blud whâ—â— we labour in good workes to come to heaven we do shame to Christs blud For having that particular persuasion vvhereof is spoken if we beleeve that God hath promised vs everlasting life it is impossible that we should perish VVe can not be damned except Christ be damned nor Christ saved except we be saved VVe have as much right and as great to heaven as Christ vvhat soever our life or vvorks be For al they erre that thinke they shal be saved when they have done many good workes For it is not good life but alonely a stedfast faith and trust in God that may bring vs to heaven be our sinnes never so great and that it seeme vnpossible for vs to be saved c. This is the very pith substance of the Lutheran Zuinglian Calvinian English and Scottish Theologie touching only faith this inferreth cleane contrarie to M. B. that vvicked â—nd instructed in the Protestant schoole may have and by coÌ„mon reason and discourse have as constant persua 〈…〉 to be iustified in Christ as men of more honest life And therefore vvhereas M. B. saith that such bad Protestants lacke a mouth of the sowle that is lacke a constant per 〈…〉 in Christs death vvhereby Christ is eateÌ„ he speaketh l 〈…〉 man that lacketh a face that lacketh a forhead or 〈…〉 that lacketh vvit that lacketh knowledge that hath no skil in his owne Theologie in his owne religioÌ„ which by plaine manifest reason and proofe yea by expectence ocular demonstration assureth vs the contrarie The rest of this Sermon vvhich is principally in coÌ„mending and magnifying the vertue of faith that by faith vve have an interest title and right in Christ by faith we possesse Christ that true faith is a straunge ladder tâ—â—â— wil climb betwixt the heaven the earth aâ—cord that gâ—â—â— betwene heaven and earth that couples Christ and vs together c. al this and much more as it is wel spoken of â—â—â— Christian and Catholike faith so being applied to the Lutheran Calvinian Anabaptistical and Scottish presumption that rash and brainsick imagination 〈…〉 described vvhich the Protestants cal faith never I vvord of it is true By that vve have no right title oâ—â—â—terest in Christ but the devil hath a right title 〈…〉 in vs. By it we possesse not Christ but are possessed of his enemie It is no ladder reaching to heaven no cord that goes thether but it is a steep breakeneck downefal sending to helâ—a rope or cable of pride by vvhich as the first Apostata Angels vvere pulled downe from heaven to hel and there tied vp in eternal darknes so by the same pride arrogancie presumption albeit these men baptise it by the name of faith al prowd schismatiks and heretikes Apostataes from Christs Catholike church despisers of that their mother and therefore true children of that first Apostata Lucifer their father must looke to have such part and portion as their father hath vvhose example and as it vvere footesteps in this arrogant and Satanical presumption and solifidian confidence they folow Of tuitching Christ corporally and spiritually The Argument M. B. guilefully magnifieth the spiritual manducation by faith to exclude the spiritual manducation ioyned with corporal manducation in the sacrament The definition of faith geven by S.
as the Apostle describes it is no substantial ground no evidence or demonstration and it vvas no offence of the Catholikes to cal it an vncertain opinioÌ„ fleeting in the brayne vvhich now your self confesse to be the very nature of your Genevian faith saying that ever it hes be it wil be and man be doubting X. Faith is the gift of the holy spirit And this gift is not geueÌ„ to al men and women Al hes not faith This gift is not geven vnto al but it is only geven to the elect that is to so many as the Lord hes appointed to life everlasting Contra. VVho soever hath a desire to pray to crave mercy for his sinnes suppose the greatest part of thy hart repine and would draw thee froÌ„ prayer yet assuredly that desire which thow hast in any measure to pray is the true effect of the right faith Prayer is a certain argument of a iustifying faith Ergo al that pray to God have faith Item If thow be content to forgave thy neighbour as freely as God forgave thee assuredly that is the effect of the right spirite Item A third effect of faith is compassion Thow man bow thy hart and extend thy pitie vpon the pure members of Christ For except ye have compassion ye have no faith Examine your selves by these 3. effects prayer forgeving wrongs and compassion and if ye find them in any measure be it never so smal yow have the right faith in your hart yow have the true and lively faith and assuredly god wil be merciful vnto yow Ergo al that pray though neuer so litle or forgeve iniuries and vvrongs done to them freely though never so seldom or be pitifully affected towards a Christian in miserie and geve an almes though never so smale one denier al his life time assuredly al these men have the right faith Fourthly if thy conuersation be good it is a sure token that thow art at one with god No doubt that hart that breakes forth in to good fruites of doing wel and speaking wel is coupled with god And consequently it is sure and there is no doubt but in such a person is faith For no man is coupled with god but by the band of faith Item VVhen thy conuersation thy hart and mouth sais al one thing then no question thow hast the worke of faith wrought by the holy spirit in thy hart Ergo al that live honestly that do vvel and speake vvel doubtles have faith as likewise al that are not dissemblers but speake as they meane and meane as they speake without question have faith vvrought in them by the holy spirit Sixtly ye men also try whether ye be in love charitie with your neighbour Loue is the only marke whereby the children of Christ and members of his body are knowen from the rest of the world And the more we grow in love the more god by his spirit dwels in vs. Alwaies this love flowes from the roote of faith Ergo al men that live quietly in love and peace vvith their neighbours have faith Seventhly and last to talke and coÌ„sider this faith more properly and specially in it self by her more intrinsecal effect and operation by faith we have peace with god To try whether ye have faith or not ye must try whether ye beleeve in the blud of Christ or not whether ye beleeve to get mercy by his merites sanctification by his blud For if ye have no measure of this faith ye haue no measure of peace with God This is the faith which purgeth the hart and purisieth the sowle Ergo al kind of Christians al I say vvithout exception save only perhaps Calvin some Calvinists vvho deny the merite of Christs passion and can not abide to heare of any merite in Christians or Christ him selfe vvhich beleeve that Christ by his passioÌ„ merited our redemption sanctification and salvation have faith VVherefore to conclude this vvith his owne vvords The whole weight saith he of our trial stands chiefly vpon this point to see whether we be in faith or nâ—t to examine whether Christ dwels in vs by faith or not For without faith there can be no coupling nor conioyning betwixt vs and Christ without faith our hart can not be sanctified without faith we can not worke by charitie So al depends on this only For vvhich trial and examination he geveth vs so many sure certain doubtles markes markes vvhereby without question vve may know vvhere this faith is found and these maâ—kes are praier at some time though but coldly forgevenes of iniuries and compassion of the poore though once in ten yeare honest conversation plain dealing love of our neighbour to vvhich by like right and reason he may adde al other civil moral vertues beleef in Christs death and passion VVhere these markes be found he putteth it for sure and certaine vvithout doubt and question that al such men have the right true iustifying faith VVhereof I conclude that according to this his doctrine not only al Christians good bad excepting the Calvinists have faith but also many Turkes and Ethnikes vvho in number of the foresaid vertues far surpasse many kind of Protestants For as S. Austin and S. Prosper vvrite and vve find it true by al learning plain reason and certain experience sine quibusdam operibus bonis difficillime vita cuiuslibet pessimi hominis inuâ—nitur The most wicked man vnder the Sunne be he Iew or Gentile hardly passeth the course of his life without some good workes And therefore ether al these are elect vvhich is vnpossible or al vvhich he putteth downe for such are not sure and certain markes of faith vvhich is true or true it is not that only the elect have faith vvhich to affirme is most false absurd and execrable as vvhich everteth al Christianitie and al sense and meaning of scriptures And these few so palpable contradictions found in so smale a compasse may suffice to declare vvith vvhat substance of diuinitie and constancie of doctrine these men feed their miserable auditors I omit many other as fond and contrarie assertions of vvhich these last two sermoÌ„s seeme in maner vvholy patched vp as a beggers cloke of divers peeces and colours especially if I should compare them also vvith his former sermons as for example in his third sermon faith is the gift of God and only iewel of the sowle in his fift sermoÌ„ prayer is a iewel of the sowle as vvel as faith yea better then faith as being the best iewel and gift that ever God gave man in the fourth Sermon love is a iewel of the sowle to and that better then ether faith or prayer as by which vve best of al grip Christ and applie him to our sowles better then by faith c. These and many more must be omitted both for brevities sake and also because in this
so taught the new sacrifice of the new testament which the church receiuing from the Apostles doth offer to god through the whole world Of which sacrifice the prophete Malachie foreprophecied thus I haue no liking in yow saith our lord almightie nether wil I take sacrifice of your hand o ye Iewes because from the rising of the Sunne to the going doune of the same my name is glorified among the Gentils incense is offered to my name in euerie place and a pure sacrifice The same argument and dedustion I haue noted before out of S. Cyprianâ— First that Christ our lord and god him selfe was high priest of god the father and he first of al offered him selfe a sacrifice to his father â—â—â—â—s last supper and commaunded the same to be done in commemoration of him Next that such priests occupie the place of Chist truly who do that which Christ did and then in the church offer they to god the father true ful sacrifice if they so offer as they see Christ him selfe to haue offered About some 100. yeres after S. Cyprian vvas gathered the first general Councel of Nice and about a hundreth yeres after that of Nice vvas the first general Councel of Ephesus in vvhich the bishops there assembled thus vtter their faith that is the faith of the vniuersal catholike church in this matter The vvoids of that most auncient Apostolical Councel of Nice are On the diuine table let vs not basely regard the bread and cup set there but lifting vp our myndeâ— let vs by faith vnderstand that on that holy table is placed the lamb of god which taketh away the sinnes of the world who there is without effusion of blud sacrificed by the priests and that we truly receiue his preticus body and blud beleeuing these to be the pledges of our resurrection The vvords of the other general Councel of Ephesus are to the same effect thus VVe confessing the death of Christ according to his flesh his resurrection and ascension into heauen confesse withal and celebrate in the church the holy liâ—eâ—â—uing and vnbluddy sacrifice beleeuing that which is set before vs not to be the body of a common man like to vs as nether is that pretious blud but rather we receiue that as the proper body blud of the word which geueth life For common flesh can not geue life as him selfe witnesseth saying flesh profiteth nothing it is the spirite that geueth life For because it is made the proper flesh of the word for this reason it is lifegeuing according to that our Sauiour him selfe â—aith As my liuing father hath sent me I liue by the father he that eateth me he shal liue by me This faith I say of Sacrament sacrifice in al sinceritie simplicitie thus passed on so vniuersally knovven beleeued that as vvriteth S. Leo in Italie S. Augustin in Africa very children vvere taught to acknovvledge the true flesh and blud of Christ to be offered in the sacrifice of the masse Tovvards 800. yeres after Christ one Bertram a litle before him one Scot â—s vvrote darkly of the truth of this sacrament Of the vvritings of the one of these nothing I thinke remayneth of the other a litle doth but the same vttered so doubtfully that as the Zuinglians vse his authoritie against the Catholikes so the Lutherans vse him to the contrarie yea they in maner reproue him as fauoring to much the faith of the Catholikes For of him Illyricus vvith his bretherne say that he hath in that his litle booke semina transubstantiationis the seedes original ground of transubstantiation But vvhat soeuer his priuate opinion vvere his publike speaches and vvriting â—ounded soâ—il in the eares of the Catholiks of that age that Paschasius an Abbat in France made a verie learned booke in refutation of him And al vvriters vvho about that age vvrote of this mysterie vsed more expresly to denâ—e the sacrament to be a signe trope figure image symbole c. in such sort as vvhereby the veritie of the real presence might be excluded as appeareth in the seuenth general Councel in Alcuinus scholemaister to Charles the great in Rabaâ—â—â— archbishop of Ments lib. de diuinis officijs Theophilact in Matth. 26. Marc. 14. Ioan. 6. Aâ—alarius Arch-bishop of â—reuirs lib. de mysterijs missae cap. 24. 25. Haymo bishop of Halberstat in 1. ad Corinth ca. 10. Remigâ—ê° bishop of Antissiodorum in Canonem missae Fulbertus bisshop of Chartres in epistola ad Adelman episcopum in lib. Paschasij Stephanus bishop in high Buâ—gundie Tom. 4. bibliothâ—cae Sanctorum patrâ—m and briefely al other that vvrote betvvene the time of Bertram Berengarius ¶ For after Bertram the next that appeared in fauour of this heresie vvas Berengarius vvho put forth him self a little after the yere of our lord 1000. vvhen as S. Ihon vvriteth in his Apocalyps the deuil was let lose to trouble the church This man as vvitnesseth our martyr-maker M. Fox like to those first heretiks in the Apostles tymes toke away the veritie of the body blud of Christ from the sacrament For vvhich cause he coÌ„mendeth him as a singular instrument whom the holy ghost raised vp in the church to ouerthrow great errors VVhat instrument he vvas vvhom he serued shal best appeare by his ovvne behauiour confession In the meane season this old heresie he published vvith greater industrie shevv of learning then his predecessors countenanced it with more credit assistance of many vnstable sowles and sinful persons as is noted by the godly and learned writerâ— of that tyme vvhich only kind of men ioyned them selues to him and that because his doctrine seemed to yeld them some quietnes securitie in their sinne from vvhich they vvere much withdravven by a reuerend feare and dread vvhich they had of Christs presence in the sacrament to the receauing vvhereof they vvere by order of the church at certaine times induced But as the heresie of this man spread farther then any of that kind in any age before so the church vsed more diligence in repressing the same by sundry publike disputations had vvith the same Berengarius by a number of most excellent vvriters against him among vvhom Lanfâ—ancus archbishop of Canterbury in England Guitmundus bisshop of Auersa in the kingdom of Naples Algerus a monke in Fraunce in that verie time excelled the supreme pastors of the church assembled sundry great synodes meetings of byshops and other doctors to discusse that opinion instruct those that erred after him first at Tours in Fraunce next at Vercellis in Italie then againe at Tours vvhere Berengariê° him selfe being manifestly conuicted 〈…〉 a solemne oth neuer to maintaine his former heresie VVhich oth vvhen as yet he performed not but returned to his former filth an other Councel vvas gathered in Rome of 113.
and therefore the Lutheran churches of the Counts of Mansfeld in Germanie in the Confession of their faith put a great difference betwene the old Sacramentaries the new saying that the old Sacramentaries that is the Carolostadians the Zuinglians the Anabaptists and such like alwaies taught the Sacrament of the altar to be nothing else but an external idle signe without the body and blud of Christ that it serued only for a token to distinguish Christians from Pagans whereas the new teach otherwise and Caluin to continue and mainteine such a conceite of al other seemeth to speake of this matter most diuinely and mystically and with straunge affectation of high speach may make vnlearned and vnstable sowles beleeue that he hath a wonderful deepe fetch in this case aboue the rest of common ministers writers whom M. B. in these sermons much foloweth yet who so thoroughly fifteth and examineth Caluin shal find in the end that he hath no other opinion of their supper then hath Carolostadius or Zuinglius or Occolampadius or the Anabaptists or the Scottish and English martyrs or who else so euer thinketh of it most basely and beggerly For let vs by articles consider how he runneth vp and downe praiseth dispraiseth maketh and marieth it at one time mounteth alost flieth in the ayer like a bird straight waies creepeth on the ground like a beast but in â—ine falleth headlong in to the coÌ„mon dongeon with the rest of his bretherne and whether in deed the very course and sway of their whole doctrine carieth them At some times he speaketh and writeth so supernaturally as though he were a very Lutheran defending the real presence as for example I say saith Caluin that in the mysterie of the supper by the signes of bread and wine Christ is truly deliuered vnto vs I meane his body and blud to the end we may grow in to one body with him he thereby refresh vs with the eating of his flesh and drinking of his blud And although it may seeme vncredible that in so great distance of places as is heauen from earth he should passe downe to vs and become our food yet let vs remember how far the power of the holy ghost excedeth our sense and how fond a thing it is for vs to go about to measure his infinite power by our smale capacitie VVherefore that cur mynd or reason can not comprehend let our faith conceiue VVhat Lutheran wold require more then here Caluin coÌ„fesseth Or what more pregnant and effectual words can be desired to declare the veritie of Christs real presence not in figure trope or signification which wit and reason can castly comprehend but truly verely so as Christ I say Christs body and blud notwithstanding so great distance of place as is betwene the highest heauen this low vale is here truly deliuered by the inexplicable force and strength of the holy ghost which only is able to worke such a miraculous coniunction Againe If any man demaund of me how this is done I am not ashamed to confesse the mysterie to be higher then that I can ether comprehend it with my wit or declare it with my tonge to speake the truth I rather find it by experience then vnderstand it Therefore the truth of god wherein I may safely rest here I embrace without scruple He pronounceth his flesh to be the meate of my sowle and his blud the drinke To him I offer my sowle to be nourished with such foode In his holy supper he willeth me vnder the symboles of bread and wine to take eate and drinke his body and blud I nothing dout but he truly geueth it and I receiue it And that his meaning is Christs true body to be not sigâ—â—atâ—uely or tropically but most really and truly present vvith the bread he expresseth in his litle booke De caena domini by an apt similitude ExempluÌ„ valde propriuÌ„ in re simili habeâ—â—u c. VVe haue a maruelouâ— apt example in a like matter VVhen the Lord wold that the holy ghost should appeare in the baptisme of Christ â—e represented him vnder the figure of a doue Iâ—â—n Baptist rehearing the storie saith that he saw the holy ghost descending If we consider the matter wel we shal fynd that â—e saw nothing but a douâ— For the essence of the holy ghost iâ— inuisible Yet because he wel knew that vision to be ro emptie figure but a most sure signe of be â—resence of the holy ghost â—e doubteth not to affirme that â—e saw him because he was represented or made present in such sort as he could beare So in the communion of Christs body blud the mysterie is spiritual which nether can be seene with eyes nor comprehended bâ— mans wit Therefore is it shewed by signes figures yet so that the figure is not a simple bare figure but ioyned to his veritie aâ—d â—â—stance Iustly therefore is the bread called the body of Christ because it doth not only figure it but also present or offer it vnto vs. This is a plain declaration that novv Caluin vvil not separate Christs body from the Sacrament as far as heauen is from earth but ioyne it thereto as truly as the holy ghost vvas to that doue vvhere he vvas vvithout doubt present truly really substantially And this being so is it not a great shame vv â— some say to charge Caluin and the Caluinists vvith contempt of the Sacrament and to say that they haue no other opinion of it then Zuinglius Carolostadius and those other forenamed Protestants Doubtles so he complaineth The aduersarie slaunder â—e â— â—aith Caluin that I measure this mysterie with the squire of humaine reason and gods power by the course of nature But who so euer shal tast our doctrine herein shal be rapt into admiration of gods secrete to ver VVe teach that Christ descendeth vnto vs as wel by the external signe as by the spirite that the flesh of christ entreth in to vs to be our foode that Christ truly with the substance of his flesh and blud doth geue life to our sowles In the e few words who so perceiveth not many miracles to be â—onteâ—â—ed is more then a dolt These words and other to the same effect are common with â—aluin as that the symbole doth not only signifie râ— figure but truly also deliuer the thing which it figureth that it bath the veritie which it signifieth conioâ—ned with it vere exhibet quod figuraâ— adiunctam secum habet veritateâ— Vbi signum est ibi res signata vere exbibetur VVhere the signe is there also the thing signified thereby is truly deliuered Nether must we suppose the signe to be destiâ—uâ—e of the truth signified except we wil make god a deâ—eâ—uer â—or true it is and we must needs confesse that the sacrament compriseth the visible signe
beneuolence Againe in the same booke and chapiter Circumcision geuen to Abraham the Iewish purifications and washings the sacrifices and such other rites of Moses law were then the Iewes sacraments in place whereof haue succeded in the gospel baptisme and the supper Both theirs and ours were referred to the same end and scope that is to direct men to Christ or rather as images to represent him and make him knowen c. The only difference betwene them is this that the Iewish figured Christ as yet to come ours notifie him already come and exhibited The like he hath in many other places and it is the general sense commentarie of al or most Caluinists sacramentaries writing vpon the first epistle to the Corinthians cap. 10. VVhich equalitie Musculus very exactly better to the vnderstanding of the reader explicateth in particular â—unning thorough al cases and points wherein these sacraments may be compared one to the other the summe of whose comparison in his owne words is this 1. If we regard that which is more principal in the sacramental signes of the old and new testament so there is no difference betwene them one and the selfe same god Christ Iesus the mediator of grace was author of both 2. Both the one and the other were geuen to be signes of grace 3. As in the old so in the new the signe and the thing signified differ For one thing is signified an other vnderstood 4. Touching the thing signified it was al one in both Circumcision was a sacrament of our nature to be regenerate and purified in Christ so is baptisme Circumcision was a sealing of the iustice of faith Râ—m 4. so is baptisme Circumcision was a signe of gods couenant so is baptisme The paschal lamb was a sacrament of Christ the immaculate lamb by whose blud we were to be redeemed so our bread and wine is a sacrament of the same VVe haue the same meate drinke which they had 1 Cor 10. So hetherto there is no differeÌ„ce betwene our sacrameÌ„ts and theirs But now cometh the greatest difficultie the efficacie or effectual working and conferring of grace whether in this also those sacrameÌ„ts were match vvith ours vvhich equality the whole course of scripture and state of the old and new testament seemeth to improue Concerning this question thus proceedeth this Euangelist I confesse that the auncient fathers he might and should haue added and with them the Apostles and namely S. Paul as out of him shal hereafter â—e declared in this point attribute more to our sacraments then to those other and far extol ours as though they did not only signifie but also geue and conserre grace and iustice euen to them that are in mortal synne and lacke faith where in he grossely belieth the auncient fathers as also al other Catholiks but this is an error vtterly to be reiected of al faythful For it fighteth directly with the doctrine of iustifying faith which is so necessarily required is that without it the sacrameÌ„ts are not only vnprofitable to the receiuers but also hurtful For sacraments as they are signes of grace so they signifie grace geue none as wel in the new testament as the old As they are seales of iustice of fayth so seale they and confirme it not only in the new testament but also in the old and they confirme it not as the spirite sealeth but as signes do seale As they are figures so by the external shape similitude they figure and represent the things signified as in the old testament so in they new In that they are memorials so in the mynds of the faithful renew they the benefites of heauenly grace no lesse in the old testameÌ„t then in the new If besides this we attribute any force to our sacraments that they worke grace iustice health in those that vse them we geue to them that which only is the worke of the holy ghost For our sacraments wash from synnes iustifie and sanctifie no otherwise then those did of the old testament c. and therefore in this respect we ought to put no difference betwene them Out of al which so diligent and exact comparison he dravveth this conclusion That sentence belike of Luther vvhom there he citeth for proof of this doctrine is verâ—e true that not the sacrameÌ„t but faith of the sacrament iustifieth that as wel in the old sacrameÌ„ts as in ours VVherefore there is no other vertue or efficacie in our sacraments then was in theirs and it was rasâ—y said by Austin in psal 73. that the sacrameÌ„ts Iewish Christian were not al one because other are the sacrameÌ„ts which geue health or saluatioÌ„ other that promise a sauiour The sacrameÌ„ts of the new Testament geue saluation those of the old promised a Sauiour This is very aâ—surdiâ— spoken c. VVherefore this being put dovvne as a â—aâ—e ground that the sacraments of Moyses and Christ of the law and the Gospel agreed were al one sauing that they pointed to Christ as afterwards to be incarnate ouâ—s point to him as being novv incarnate already hereof the reader meanely skilled in diuinitie ether Catholike of Protestant may quickly gather conclude that al these first thetorical gloses of Caluin touching the vvonderful supernatural incomprehensible inexplicable vvorthines of the Eucharist of Christs flesh truly ioyned with the bread of his blud truly and really deliuered vvith the cuppe beyond al reason and capacitie of man by the only omnipotent operation of the holy ghost c are nothing els but so many wonderful sensible palpable and impudent lyes and mockeries For both Protestant must graunt and Catholike doth conâ—eâ—â—e and the scripture convinceth that Christ vvas in no such vvise conioyned vvith the bread or vvine or oyle or vvaâ—â—ings and purifications or asâ—hes of a heifer or flesh of a calle in the old lavv For is there any Christian yea Caluinist or Anabaptist so meanely instructed in Christian saith that vvhen the Ievves did eate some such bread or a peece of calues flesh vvil say that vnder those signes of bread or calues flesh was deliuered to the Iewes the body and blud of Christ that the veritie of Christs flesh was conioyned with those signes that Christ truly gaue them his flesh blud to the end they might grow in to one body with him that Christ descended vnto them aâ— wel by the external signe aâ— by the spirite that his flesh did penetrate vnto them which thing albeit it seeme vncrelibâ—e in sâ— greaâ— distance of plaâ—es as is heauen from earth especially Christ being then not incarnate and so hauing nether flesh nor blud nether in heauen nor earthâ— yet by the holy ghost omnipotent power of god this was truly done this flesh and â—lâ—d was truly and â—eâ—ly exhibited as truly and really as the holy ghost vvas in the do eat Christs baptisme VVhich thing although our mynd and reason
This is very good sound doctrine For in deed such grace vertue haue sacraments of the nevv TestameÌ„t namely and especially these two principal baptisme the Supper vvhich as yet the Protestants accept for sacrameÌ„ts that they are signes exhibiting conserâ—ing and haue conioyned with them the thing vvhich they signifie as is the general doctrine of al Catholike wâ—ters yet so which also M. B. very wisely marketh that we always put a distinctioÌ„ betwene the principal efficient deliuerer which is God and the instrumental efficient which are the sacraments which not of them selues but by God are made p tent instruments to deliuer that same thing which they signifie Al which being true M. B. proceedeth very vvel against such Zuinglians Calvinists as make the sacrameÌ„t only a figure representing or signifying a thing absent For if that were so then any picture or dead image should be a sacrament For there is no picture as the picture of the king but at the sight thereof the king wil come to youre mynd So if the sacrament did no further al pictures should be sacraments But the Lord hath appointed the sacraments as hands to deliver exhibite the thing signified and for this deliverie exhibition chiefly they are called signes This doctrine I much commend in M. B. And would to god he could continue in it especially if as he very directly playnely and Catholikely describeth the nature of these sacramental signes so he can geue vs as true and sincere a description of the things signified vvhich by these signes are delivered And that also he performeth very vvel For against Caluin and some Calvinists that vvil haue the thing signified and received to be a vertue and grace flowing from the flesh of Christ and not Christs true real substance he setteth dovvne in plain and sincere maner that the things signified received by the bread wyne are not the benefits of Christ or the vertue that floweth out of Christ only but the very substance of Christ him self the substance with the vertues giftes graces that flow from the substance whole Christ god man without separation of his natures are the things signified For it is not possible that I be partaker of the iuyce which floweth out of any substance except I be partaker of the substance it self It is not possible that my stomak can be refreshed with that meate the substance whereof commeth not to my mouth So it is impossble that I can get the iuyce vertue that flowes from Christ except I first get the substance that is Christ him self And is it true then that with the sacramental signes is truly ioyned not only in figure vvhole Christ god and man yea his very substance Is this the special reason why the sacrament is called a signe because it exhibites and deliuers the thing that it signifies to the sowle and hart so sâ—ore as the signe is delivered to the mouth To vvhat end should this be and what need is there of such miraculous conâ—unetion vvhereas othervvise if Christs body be as far distaÌ„t from our bodies as is heauen from earth vve seeing the bread broken and vvine povvred out may remember Christs body and blud and so by faith eate him Again to vse Zuinglius common argument vvhich aftervvards M. B. him self vrgeth to the same purpose vvhereas the sovvle is a spirite and Christs flesh and blud things corporal hovv can these corporal things vvorke any benefite to that vvhich is altogether spiritual If they do not vvhy then are they conioyned vvith the signes by vvhich coiunction there cometh no good at al To the first M. B. ansvvereth and yeldeth great reason hereof To the end saith he that this sacrament may nourish thee to life everlasting thou must get in it thy whole Sauiour whole Christ god man with his whole graces and benefites without separation of his substance from his graces or one nature from the other Touching the second obiection though saith he Christs body flesh and blud be in it self true flesh and true substance as it was in the womb of the virgin yet in the supper it is called spiritual a spiritual thing spiritual foode in respect of the spiritual end where vnto it serues to my body and sowle because the flesh and blud of Christ serues to nurish me not to a temporal but to a spiritual and heavenly life and to a heavenly celestial and spiritual end In respect of this end the flesh of Christ and Christ in respect of his flesh is called the spiritual thing in the sacrament and also for that the flesh of Christ which is geven in the sacrament is receâ—â—ed by a spiritual and secrete maner which is not seene to the eies of men ¶ Here I haue to desyre the Christian reader that he marke vvel and carye avvay these good instructions in this place geven him by M. B. First that in the sacrament the signe hath the thing signified truly conioyned vvith it so that the one is not present in Edinburgh the other absent in London much lesse the one present in Edinburgh the other as far absent distant as the highest heauen is from Edinburgh but the thing signified is truly conioyned with the signe The next is that the thing signified is not Christs divinitie not the merits of his death and passion but his very flesh and blud the true natural substance thereof and therefore the true natural substance of Christs body blud being the thing signified is also truly conioyned with the signe and therefore present where the signe is and exhibited and delivered by the signe and vvith the signe vvhich is called a signe especially for this reason because it exhibits delivers the thing which it signifies Thirdly that this coniunction of Christ with the sacrament for our vse is hard to conceiue because it is a high and divine misterie it is a mystical secrete diuine and spiritual coniunction as the coniunction betwixt vs and Christ is ful of mysterie which is not possible to tel and expresse by câ—ular demonstration But who ever would vnderstand that coniunction his mynd must be enlightened with an heavenly eye to see this mystical and secrete coniunction that is betwixt the sonne of God and vs in the sacrament And except ye haue this heavenly illumination ye can never vnderstand nether your owne coniunction with Christ nor yet that coniunction betwixt the signe and the thing signified in the sacrament Fourthly albeit both the coniunction betwixt the signe and the thing signified in the sacrament be mystical and spiritual as likewise the very body and flesh of Christ vvhich is exhibited and ministred to vs in the sacrament and vvith the sacrament is called spiritual both because of the spiritual life and spiritual end of life everlasting and immortalitie
where vnto it nourisheth our body and sowle as also because it is received by a secret and spiritual maner not apparant to the eye of man yet therefore we must not deny nor doubt but that the true flesh and blud the true substance of Christ god and man is there geven vs in the sacrament Fiftly the reason why it is thus geuen â—s in the sacrament vz. to nourish vs both in sowle body not to a temporal life but to a spiritual and heavenly life to nourish I say body and sowle to a heauenly celestial and spiritual end that is to life eternal to eternal ioy and resurâ—ection as Christ him self declareth this is a wâ—ightie motiue besides al the premisses to establish a true real corporal presence of Christ in the sacrament which also M. B. very wel declareth thus VVhat availes it to see my health in a box standing in the Apothecaries booth what can it work towards me if it be not applied So it is not enough to see Christ in heaven by faith but he must be geven vs oâ— els he can not work health and salvation in vs c. VVhich similitude ioyned to two other going before in this sermon and formally repeated again in the next haue this plaine and direct meaning if vve regard the plain direct vvords and stand to them As it is not possible that my stomake should be refreshed with that meate the substace where of I receiue not into my mouth nether possibly can my drouth be slaked with drinke which never cometh within my body nether can the medicine in the Apothecaries shoppe do me any good or helpe my disease if I regard it only standing in the shoppe and applie it not vnto me in like maner if vve vvil haue benefite by Christs flesh blud if we vvil cure our spiritual diseases purific our sovvle comfort both body and sovvle and make them capable of resurrection and immortal life vve must not thinke it sufficient to regard him by faith in heauen having besides meanes to receiue him really in earth But seing for our good and to vvorke vs such benefites he hath truly conioyned his body vvith the holy sacrament made that a potent instrument to deliuer and exhibite his divine body vnto vs as the Apothecaries box doth deliuer and exhibite vs the composition or medicine vve must truly and really receiue the one as vve do the other if vve looke for helpe to our body and sovvle to come by the one as vve hope to recover helth of body by the other Othervvise looke how vnpossible it is vnto thee to be fed with that fâ—od that neuer comes into thy mouth or to recouer helth of that drâ—ge which was neuer applied nor came never out of the Apothecaries booth it is as vnpossible for thee to get thy helth of the body of Christ except thow first eate his body and drinke his blud Thus M. B. And to this very end purpose did the most auncient fathers applie these and the like similitudes shevving most excellently that as in humanitie many good thing vvere vvrought for the body by the sovvle and many thinges for the sowle by the body so in divinitie many good vertues graces of God proceede from the sowle to the sanctificatioÌ„ and glorification of the body as faith hope charitie patience c. many also as consession of Christs name suffering of afflictions almes geving fasting praying baptisme confirmation c. vvere wrought by the body to the beautifying and more sanctification of the sowle Among vvhich the receiving of Christs diuine body in the sacrament was one vvhereby the body fust and consequently the sowle is indued with grace of resurrection of life eternal So writeth that most auncient martyr S. Ireneus As a grain of corne falling in to the earth and dying ryseth in his tyme by the power and spirit of God so our bodyes nourished by the Eucharist which is the body blud of Christ though they be buried in the earth and resolued into dust yet shal rise in their time the word of god that is Christ geving them resurrection to the glory of god the father Again with what face say the heretikes that our flesh perisheth neuer to rise again quae a corpore et sanguine Domini alitur which is nourished to eternal life by the body blud of Christ VVhich is the argument also of Tertullian in his booke de resurrectione carnis Gregotius Nyssenus brother to S. Basil the great disputeth altogether in like soâ—me As a litle leauen saith he maketh the whole masse of dow like to it even so the immortal body of Christ entring into our body altereth chaungeth it And as a poison mingled with that which is wholesom marreth and corrupteth it so the immortal body of Christ maketh that where in to it is received like to an immortal nature And a litle after in the same place The body of Christ is ioyned to the bodies of the faithful to the end that by such a contunction with an immortal body man also maybe made partaker of immortalitie The very like comparison vseth S. Cyril archbisshop of Alexandria Aâ— asparkle of her put in straw or hey seueth al on fier so Christ IESVS the word of God by meanes of the Eucharist ioyned to our corruptible nature causeth it wholy to rise immortal Much to like purpose writeth S. Chrysostom alluding yet rather to M. B. similitude of the Apothecaries shop and receit Let vs al that are sicke saith he go for remedie to Christ with great faith For if they which only touched the hem of his garment were forthwith healed how much more shal we be strengthned if we receiue him wholy in to vs And to be brief nothing is more vsual in the auncient fathers then to argue and proue the resurrection of the body to life eternal by this reason for that we receiue Christs immortal and glorious body in the blessed Sacrament For this cause the auncient and general Councel of Nice calleth the sacrament a pledge or symbole of our resurrection S. Athanasius a defence and preservatiue to the resurrection of eternal life S. Optatus a pledge of eternal life and hope of resurrection The like whereof is found in many other fathers namely S. Hilarius Al vvhich reasons speeches and comparisons are grounded vpon that sentence of our Sauiour He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blud hath life eternal and I wil raise him vp in the last day VVhich place the fathers interprete of receiving Christ in the blessed Sacrament Namely to allege one in steed of many S. Cyril writeth that not only our sowles were to be elevated by the holy ghost to life everlasting but also this rude grâ—sse terrestrial body of ours is to be reduced to immortalitie by eating the agreeable food of Christs body And when Christ saith I wil
of what matter and in vvhat sort he must preach is that word vvhich is so necessarie and vvhich maketh the sacrament In vvhich discourse first of al the Christian reader may note the good opinion that these Ministers haue of them selues and their owne vvords These signes seales albeit they be ordeyned by Christ to signifie and seale as hath bene often tymes said yet are they dead the bread is commoÌ„ bread the vvine is common vvine notvvithstanding Christs ordinance institutioÌ„ Many times the Protestant vvriters vvil beare vs in hand that the auncient fathers vvheÌ„ they speake of Consecâ—ation meane thereby nothing els but the application of the bread vvine from prophane vse to holy from serving coÌ„mon tables to â—â—â—â— the table of the Lord. The bread water and wine when in baptisme the supper they are applied to holy vses then are they consecrated saith M. Ievvel Bullinger This is their Consecration saith Caluin when they are applied to spiritual vses And so commonly vvrite Peter Martyr Zuinglius â—â—â—a and the rest But novv albeit the bread and vvine be brought from the tauerne to the church and there remaine vpon the table al the bretherne and sisters attend ready to receiue it in memorie of the Lords death vvhich is from prophane vse to apply it to maruelous holy yet notvvithstanding stil it remaineth coÌ„mon bread coÌ„mon wine a dead elemeÌ„t vvithout life sowle like a dead carcas If a Catholike priest take such bread and vvine and hauing vvith him a sufficient company to make a communion after their praiers ether priuate or publike purpose farther to consecrate this common bread by rehearsing al the words of Christ ether after S. Maâ—thevv S. Marke S. Luke or S. Paule al this vvorketh nothing thus to recite Christs vvords is magical inchauntment and it is grosse beastlines doltishnes to suppose that they are of any effect to vvorke any thing say Caluin and Zuingliê° The Papists do perversly superstitiously ascribe force of sanctification to recital of such vvords Nulla est vis in recitatione verberum Domini there is no vertue at al in reciting the words of the Lord ether in baptisme or in the supper saith Bullinger But yet after al this if a minister of Calvins creation vvho hath as much authoritie to make this sacrament as hath his vvise and nether of them more then they haue to create a nevv Sunne or Moone if such a minister come tel a tale of his owne spend perhaps an houâ—e oâ— more in railing at the church discipline at the Pope at Papists or in some such other argument vvhich is the coÌ„mon subiect of their sermoÌ„s for fevv ministers folovv M. B. order of preaching prescribed here then forsooth the whole action is quickened then the bread and vvine receiue life and sowle and from common bread become sacramental bread significatiue bread sealing bread vvhereby it is sealed and confirmed to al the bretherne and sisterne that they haue spiritually eaten the flesh of Christ by faith Is not the blindnes of these men vvonderful that can thus iustle our Christ to thrust in them selues can reiect his vvords and so magnifie their ovvne And where find they in any part of the scripture old or nevv that a Sermon is required as a necessarie part of the sacrament VVhat Apostle or Euangelist vvriteth so vvhat Doctor or Councel euer so expounded the scripture or gathered any such rule or conclusion thence VVe find in the Evangelists the vvhole entier forme vsed by Christ when first of al he instituted this sacrament which before we haue in particular declared and that according to the iudgement of a learned and siue Caluinist Nether in the text of the Evangel noâ— yet in the exposition of this Euangelist is any such preaching mentioned much lesse is it made a necessarie part of the sacrament vvhereon the life of it dependeth Our sauiour after the deliuerie of it in S. Iohn maketh a long sermon I graunt but nether is that adioyned as a part of the Supper nether toucheth it the sacrameÌ„t the institution oâ— administration or explication or declaration there of to the people which only declaration of the mysterie to the people saith Caluin maketh the dead elemeÌ„t to become a sacrament In the other sacrament of baptisme this â—â—oward perversitie sheweth it self much more For to vvhom wil they preach there To vvhose vse frame they their sermon To the infants or to the people present if any be If to the infant this in deed were very magical not preaching but inchauntement to preach to the infant who vnderstandeth never a vvord To the people Hovv so vvhereas the sacrament is not for them the baptisme is not to be applied to them the signe or element must be ioyned to make a sacrament not for the standers by but for the receiuers ¶ Because this vvhereof vve now intreate is the most necessarie and substantial part of the sacrament and also of these sermons we must somvvhat more exactly sift and search the true meaning of this word preached which is of so great authoritie and operation in geving life and spirite to the Scottish and Geneua sacraments otherwise very dead and deadly VVherefore I desire a litle more particularly to be resolued and ansvvered vvhat word preached this is whereof dependeth the life and sovvle of their sacrament Hath euery sermon this grace Doth every idle preaching of a minister geue life and sowle to the sacrament and with common bread make such a wonderful coniunction of Christs body as M. B. telleth vs VVhat if out of the pulpit he tel a tale of Robin hood and litle Ihon VVhat if he do nought els but inveigh against the Pope the Cardinals Purgatorie praying to Saints so forth VVhat if he fal in commendation a common argument among the ministers of love matters and chamber-worke as VVigandus an Archprotestant one of the framers of the Magdeburge Centuries writeth that once him selfe was present vvhen a gospelling minister in his sermoÌ„ to that effect cited aboue 20. verses out of Ovid dâ— arte amandi which also to be a common veine of preaching in Scotland it is wel knovven testified Doth every such pulpit talke geue sowle to your sacrament Yovv wil say no. For albeit both in ScotlaÌ„d EnglaÌ„d a number of CoÌ„munions are currant passe wel with such Sermons both the CoÌ„munions Sermons are compted perfite enough the multitude both of ministers and Protestants like this kind of preaching best yet vvhen they come to M. B. scanning he as vve may here perceiue vvil dislike them find theÌ„ deficient VVherefore let vs put the case somwhat more indifferent VVhat if the Minister make his sermon of the creation of the vvorld of the fal of Adam of the patriarchs mariages of the deluge of the childreÌ„ of Israels captivitie of the old law VVhat if he talke of
sacraments And then must it needs folow that the sacraments may be ministred to those only which are able to heare the word whereby infants are secluded from baptismâ— And in deed this is one of the strongest arguments that the Anabaptists haue This for al Christians to come so that hence forward by M. B. Theologie baptisme must no more be ministred to children or infants but we must expect with the Anabaptists vntil they come to yeres of discretion that then they hearing the minister preach may haue the right sacrament endued with life and sowle and perfite essence which now for want of such preaching is to them mere water without the spirite a dead body without life or sowle and as our Puritanes speake iust according to Caluin M. B. nothing but seales without writing and plain blanks After foloweth an authoritie of Zuinglius to prove his purpose which because it is very long would fil vp a leaf at lest I willingly omit The summe of Zuinglius allegation and my L. application is that the word preached is not the life and perfection of the sacrament but that the sacraments are perfite without it and that M. B. and al other in teaching this doctrine plainly ioyne hands with the Anabaptists Thus my Lord of Canterbury Vnto whose reasons one more I wil adde which M. B. his preaching before and the general doctrine of the sacramentaries yeldeth against this toy or rather madnes It is agreed among them very generally that the baptisme of S. Iohn was the self same that Christ his Apostles after deliuered to the church we now enioy VVhich being so then must it needs folovv that it had the same matter forme the same elemeÌ„t word that ours hath This is evident can not be denyed Let vs then proceed because of the matter element which was water in both there is no controversie let vs consider the forme that is the life and sovvle the word preached without vvhich baptisme is nothing but water as their other signe of the supper conteyneth nothing but coÌ„mon bread VVhen S. Iohn ministred baptisme to Christ did he preach the word as here vve haue it defined did he with a cleere voyce denounce and proclame to Christ al the parts of baptisme Did he tel Christ vvhat was his owne part and dutie as likevvise what was Christs part dutie How Christ ought to come receiue the baptisme and so furth as here vve haue the vvord defined and explicated Let M. B. make choise of vvhich part he vvil and answere yea or no I suppose he shal perceiue his ovvne error and foly and that as in ansvvering truly he must deny al his preaching hetherto about this VVord so if he vvil stand to maynteine his vvord and say that S. Iohn vsed in his sacrament such a word such preaching and opening al parts of the sacrament this affirmation in the iudgement of sober men wil conuince him not so much of folie as furie not of heresie as of phrenesie the particular consideration vvhereof I leaue to him selfe ¶ Novv let vs a vvhile sequester al authoritie both of god and man of scripture and father old or nevv saving M. B. him self and examine this matter by it self according to indifferent trial M. B. his ovvne preaching If vve marke vvel vvhat vvord it is that he requireth to geue life to the sacrament vve shal find it to be such a word as proueth the tenth part of English and Scottish baptismes and communions to be no sacraments at al. For first vvhereas in very many churches of England and I thinke the like of Scotland baptismes and communions are ministred vvithout Sermons in many some poore homilie is read in steed of a Sermon in al these churches the sacraments are dead things the communion bread is nought els but common bread the vvater of baptisme is coÌ„mon prophane vvater nether of these any sacrament And that the reader thinke not my asseveratioÌ„ bold or straunge vvhere I say that in England in many churches are so fevv Sermons let him vnderstand that albeit there be in deed order prescribed that in euery parish church there should be 4. sermoÌ„s in the yere euery quarter one vvhereas in the yere there are baptismes and communions perhaps 2. or 3. hundred yet this is soil obserued that notvvithstanding such order takeÌ„ the CaÌ„bridge doctors them selues testifie that they know parishes not far from Cambridge so principal an Vniuersitie for preachers where one of these sermons was not in 4. yeres together which if it be so so nere to Cambridge say they what is to be thought of other places of the realme And els where the same parties affirme that in most churches of England there is none that ether can or wil preach so that this one clause maketh voyde thousands of baptismes and thousands of Communions in England and Scotland For this must be obserued by the vvay that such reading of Homilies in the church is not according to this definition not these mens opinion preaching of the word with a cleere voyce no more say they then a mens pen or hand is his tongue and voyce vvho furthermore vtterly deny such reading to be comprised in the name of preaching despise it altogether and say that it is as il as playing on a stage and worse to Next to omit Homilies come to sermons whereas this vvord is appointed by Caluin to be preached after one certaine forme vz that the minister preach the promise and leade the people thether where the signe directeth how many thousand ministers faile in preaching this promise who doubtles in al the Gospels where after the Protestant-Theologie mention is made of the sacrament can not possibly find any such promise as Caluin surmiseth for that assuredly there is none such For to tel vs that these vvords This is my body is a promise is as blunt ridiculons a toy as if a man would make the articles of our Creed promises as if some vvise minister would tel vs that these verities Christ was borne of the virgin he suffred death vnder Pilate be rose againe and ascended vvere promises which are of like qualitie with that promise of Iohn Caluin And if in Christs words vvhere he instituteth this sacrameÌ„t there be no promise hovv then shal the minister preach with a lowd cleer voyce vpoÌ„ this promise which is not If to helpe forward the matter we shal take M. B. his expositioÌ„ that the minister must tel the people whereto the signe tendeth and directeth them that is looke how able the bread is to nurish them corporally so able is Christ to nurish them spiritually to eternal life which spiritual nurriture is sealed coÌ„firmed in them by these reuerend sealeâ— of bread vvine first this similitude is taken not from the scripture but from the doctors fâ—thers and therefore a
not be in an other vvhich is their only fantastical imagination not S. Peters or any good mans asseâ—tion And vvhat if I deny that S. Peter ever spake these vvords ot S. Luke ever wrote them but that they are vvords spoâ—en and writen by M. B. or some fanâ—â—ical brother of his sect Tâ—uly in our Testament I find them not nether in the English Latin noâ— Greeke In the English Testament autoâ—ized in the English Church vnder king Edwarde S. Peters words are these Iesus Christ which must receive heâ—ven vntil the time that al things be restored In the Testament printed vvith special privilege and appointed to be read in the churches in the beginning of the Queenes M. that now reigneth it is even so Christ Iesus which must receive heaven vntil the tyme that al things be restored If yow reply that Beza translateth it othervvise yow must vnderstand that Beza hath no authoritie to make scripture For this is no translating but a new forging and making And Bezaes rashnes is so much the more reproveable for that Bezaes maister Iohn Calvin distiketh it VVho alâ—eit as favouring your opinion say that the vvord of S. Peter may beare such a sense as yow after Beza geue yet he confesseth the word to be indifferent to the other sense vvhich those English testaments render The maner of speach here vsed saith Calvin is doubtful For we may vnderstand it that Christ is conteyned in heauen or els that he conteyneth and holdeth the heauen VVherefore he vvilleth his scholers not to make stay sorupulously vpon one word which may be taken in a double signification And therefore yow are the more to blame vvho make so great stay and artest vpon it and say that it proves most evidently Christs body to be in a certaine place and that vvith such restraint as being in that one certaine place it can not be in any other For so your self describe define your certaine place And if yow vvil take the paynes to reade the glose of M. Flacius Illyâ—icus vvho for advauncing this new gospel hath vvâ—â—tren as much as lightly any Protestant of this age vpon this place he vvil tel yow that the vvordes and sense vvhich yow and Beza geve are quit opposite and contrarie to S. Peters meaning For vvhereas S. Peters purpose is to preach to the Iewes the glorie and power the maiestie and omnipotencie of Christ thus to fasten him to one place that he may not be in an other is rather to note in him a vveakenes and imbecillitie So writeth â—llyricus To say Christ is conteyned of the heauen in such sort as after Beza M. B. doth is against the sâ—â—pe of the Apostle and should â—et foâ—â—b 〈…〉 the insirmitie then the power and glorie of Christ For so of Angels yea of devils it may be sâ—â—d that they â—â—â— râ—â—eived and conteined in heauen because the word Culum heaven somtime in the scripture signifieth the â—yer So that this place of the Acts being in deed not so much taken oâ—â— of the Acts of the Apostles as out of the acts and coâ—â—â—ptions of Theodore Beza an Apostata or some such loâ—â— companion proveth no vvavâ—s Christs body to be conteyned in one onâ—y place so far of is it from prouing iâ— most evidently as M. B. oueâ—reacheth ¶ The last reason â—aith M. B is this Every humane bâ—ly is visible and palpable Therefore Christs is so This proposition I prove by Christs owne words Luc. 24. 39. VVhere to prove the veritie of his body he vseth this argument taken from these two qualities visible and palpable as if he would say If I be visible and palpable ye may be out of doubt that I â—â—â—e a true body For as the Poet saith which Tertullian cites to this purpose Tangere enim tâ—ngi nisi corpus nulla potestres Of this he concludeth that this doctrine of Christs real presence in the sacrament may no wayes stand with the veritie of Christs body This last argument albeit as the rest so this also be made by Calvin yet is it much vâ—eaker then the rest Our sauiours reason to prove the veritie of his body and that he vvas not a spirite is good and forcible For that vvhat soever is visible and palpable is questionles a bodie therefore this vvas a very sufficient probation able to put the Apostles out of doubt that he had a true body and a true bodie it vvas vvhich he shewed them But whereas M. B. argueth not as our sauiour did affiâ—â—â—tively to proue a body but negatively to denie a bodie his argumeÌ„t is vveake and our saviours vvords do no vvayes iustisie it nor yet Tertullian nor any vvise maâ— ether For to exemplifie in the like If I make this argument Such a one A. B. is a Minister and preacheth heresie ergo vvithout al doubt he is an heretike This argument is good taken from 2. qualities of a right heretike to be a Minister and to preach heresie But yet if M. B. vvil turne it to the negative and say such a one is no minister nether preacheth heresie ergo he is no heretike this argument is false and M. B. him self vvil disprove it for that I am sure he vvil confesse many lay men and vvomen are heretikes vvho yet are no Ministers nor have their lawful vocation by the congregation as in the Scottish communion booke to preach heresie ¶ His second mayne principle by vvhich he doth refute Christs presence in the sacrament is for that it repugâ—es directly against the articles of our beleef How so For in our beleef vve professe that Christ ascended out of this earth into heauen where he fits at the right hand of the father whence he shal come in the last day to iudge the world This in deed is our beloef But how repugâ—es this directly to the presence of Christ in the sacrament For that here we see that Christ hath â—â—eeted his dwelling which he had among vs here in the 〈◊〉 He is ascended in to the heavens where he â—â—ts at the right hand of god and shal remayne there according to the testimonie of S. Peter which I cited out of the Acts vnto the last day Let this stand for good as we deny it not that Christ is ascended that he sits in glorie that there he shal remayne and thence he shal come to iudge vvhat is the argument taken from any of these parcels vvhich is able so directly to overthrow an other article of Christian faith the true presence of Christ in the sacrament though not specially expressed in the Creed yet in the new Testament expressed more specially then some principal articles of the Creed The argument is this If he sit at the fathers right hand and be to remayne in heaven til the last day as S. Peter sa is that he is coÌ„teyned in the heavens vnto the last day then is he not corporally in the
the self same in nuÌ„ber vvhich he had is an other maner difficultie and impossibilitie if vve go by reason by philosophie by natural inseparable propertie then is to be local or not local visible or not visible VVherefore M. B. with his coÌ„ministers in denying to gods omnipoteÌ„cie that vvhich is the lesser that God can make a body without place circumscription questionles in his â—are by very drift of reason and necessarie consequence must be iudged to deny these 2. vvhich are far higher more beyond reason that is to say he must deny the grounds and principles of al Christianitie yea of al shew of faith not only Christian but also Mahometan ¶ And vvhereas he goâ—th on in this matter of contradictions and vvil needs make argument for vs after by answering them shew his owne â—kil he doth nothing but heape vntruth vpon vntruth and â—e wray his owne shameâ—ul ignorance They say saith this vvise man thâ—â— the lord may wil a contradiction and make both parts to be true at one tyme. This is an vntruth to pâ—lpâ—ble For of the two parts of a contradictioÌ„ of necessiâ—â—e one must be false both can not be true For then there is no coÌ„tradiction And yet forsooth vve prove by 3. examples as this man vvil beare vs in hand that God may worke a contradiction The first is God maâ—e a virgin to beare â— sonne Tâ— beare a sonne say they is one parâ— of the contradiction and to be a virgin is the other part of the contradiction That vve cal this a contradiction is his dreame How beit it serveth the turne here as vvel as a contradiction and God can not do it by his resolution if God can not do anything against the natural condition and propertie vvhich he hath ioyned to his creatures it is a more contradiction to natural reason for a virgin to be a mother then or a body to be vvithout a place Their other example is Christs entring the doores being closed and shut But saith he what appearance of contradiction hath it I graunt it hath none but sufficient argument it conteyneth to disprove al that yow have said hether to for binding Christ necessarily to a certain place vvithout which in your Theologie his body is no body And vvhereas yow demaunde vvhether we can prove that Christ entered thorough the doores vve tel yoâ— that vve can prove it and that his body at that tyme could not be local in a certain place vvas a true perfect body notwithstanding and that therefore al your long phisical or rather phâ—hisical talke about the necessitie of a place is vvicked false and heretical For albeit your grave Theologes being much vexed vvith this place inueâ—t a number of pretie quiddities to â—lude it some that Christ knocked first at the doore as Peter did and then one opening the doore to him he entred as al men commonly do others that vvithout knocking he opened the doore of him self by his divine power others that he came in by the window or chimney tunnel or top of the howse others that the vvords of the Evangelists signifie no miracle or miraculous entrance in Christ al al but only the Apostles feare that they for their owne safegard had bolted fast the dores others that the vvords note only the tyme of the day vvhich vvas towards night at vvhat time men vse commonly to shut their doores vvhich exposition once my self heard geueÌ„ by a †great Superintendent in England these and many mo such prety conceites although your Sacramentarie companioÌ„s to auoyd this place have invented yet that Christ entred thorough the doores shut vve prove both by the plaine vvordes of the Evangelists in 2. several places by the circumstance of the storie by consent of al Antiquitie The Evangelists vvords are plaine that he entred and stoode among them the doores being shut vvhich so astonished them that they thought him rather a spirit then a man rather a ghost then a body because he entred not as a man as a body but as a spirite And in that opinion of his miraculous entrance Christ confirmeth them vvhen he telleth them not that he entred by the window or by opening the doore c. but that howsoever they like men by their humane reason supposed him to be a spirite for that perchaunce they might have some of these phisical and philosophical cogitations that a body must needs have a place and the doore being fast shut Christs body could not come thorough it and they both the doore and Christs body could not be in one place and so forth yet saith Christ Let not such cogitations trouble yow See my handes feete my flesh and bones and know thereby that not a spirite but a true real organical body it is vvhich thus hath entred and here standeth in the middest of yow And this is the faith of the primitive church and interpretation of this place geven by al Antiquitie S. Iustin the martyr proposing this questioÌ„ of Christs entrance answereth it thus As he walked vpon the sea not by changing his body in to a spirite but by his divine power so by the same divine power he rose one of the grave the grave remaining covered with a great stone and so he entred to his disciples the gates being shut He addeth Christ entred thus to his disciples not by chaunging his body in to a spirit but with his true organical body And this he did by his divine power which worketh al and is above nature S. Cyril writeth that when the doores were shut he entred suddenly overruling the nature of things by his omnipotency And to stop al curious questions how this might be done he vvilleth his reader to consider that thus it is written by the Euangelist and that not of a simple man as we are but of the omnipotent sonne of God who is not subiect to the nature of things In the same booke he calleth it a †miraculous entrance thorough the doores shut and so doth S. Austin sundry tymes S. Hilarie expounding this as it vvere of purpose before hand refuteth M. B. and his felow Sacramentaries Al things saith he are whole and fast bolted and yet Christ to whom al things are open standeâ—â— in the middest The doore the stones and wood leese nothing of their nature nether doth the body of Christ chaunge from it self and how then is he in the middest Our sense and speech yeldeth and the truth of this fact is aboue the reason of mâ—n and so forth very excellently disputing directly against the Sacramentaries of our tyme no lesse then the Arrians of that age The self same exposition vvith Iustin the martyr S. Cyril S. Austin and S. Hilarie vz. that Christ vvith his true natural organical body passed thorough the doores as being not bound to the necessitie of a place shal the reader find in S. Chrysostom and
Thophilacte vvriting vpon this text likewise in S. Ambrose in Lucam capvltimo in Amphilochius apud Theodoretum dialog 2. Epiphan heres 64. Gregor Nazianzen in Christo patiente S. Hierom. ad Pammâ—chium de erroribus Ioannis Hierosolymit ini contra Ioviniâ—nuÌ„ ca. 21. in S. Leo epist 10. ad Flâ—rianuÌ„ cap. 5. in S. Gregorie homil 26. in Euangelia in Hildefonsus Sermo de partur B. Marie And albeit the fathers had great occasion otherwise to have shifted this place vvith som of these mens evasions if they had bene of their irreligion because herevpon the Marcionites Valentinians and such other Protestants or heretikes argued that Christs body vvas fantastical and no true real organical body yet because the Catholike vniuersal faith vvas then as now that Christ entred thorough the doores shut they confessing that truth defended vvithal that notwithstanding such supernatural and miraculous entrance Christs body became not a spirite but stil remained a true body though not bound to phisical limites and circumscriptions of place as other bodies are Thus speake and vvrite they to the confusion of Calvin his adherents vvho vvith those old damnable heretikes Marcion and Valentinus say that the Catholikes affirming vvith the Euangelists and al the auncient fathers and primitive church Christ to have entred thorough the doores shut there by make his body like to a spirite infinit c. vvhereof as the one is true most sure that Christ thus entring was not locally bounded circumscribed so the other is a maynelye For vve hold the body of Christ to be not a spirite but a true body this notwithstanding as hath bene said ¶ M. B. his last example vvhich vve as he saith alleage to prove that God can vvorke a contradiction is Nabuchodonosort oveÌ„ vvhereto he answereth If they caÌ„ prove the fier was both hote and cold then they say some thing to the purpose In deed much to the purpose it is to prove your grosse and shameful ignoraÌ„ce double and treble but to prove a contradiction it is not much to the purpose as sorth with shal be declared Your ignorance it notably discovereth first because yow see not that vvhich is plainly set dovne in the storie vz. that at one time this fier was hoâ—e and cold For the 3. children felt it as a cold blowing vvynd the Chaldeans found it exceeding hote burning saith the text Secondarily because yow consider not that this exaÌ„ple is altogether like to that which yow obiect of Christs body circuÌ„scribed not circuÌ„scribed For as this â—s an accideÌ„t to the body so was that to the fier as vvel may one body be compassed vvith a place and not compassed as the self same fier may be hote and cold that is hote and not hote Thirdly because yow forget your owne former resolution that God can not do any thing vvhereof he hath by a presupponed condition concluded the contrarie before in the first origin and creation and god hath no more concluded that al organical bodyes shal be bound to a certain place then that al fier shal be hoâ—â— And therefore this is a very sufficient example to disprove al your not natural philosophie but natural soke and heretical incredulitie vttered against Gods omnipotency that God can not make his body to remayne a body and yet be vvithout circumscriptioÌ„ of place which is evideÌ„tly refuted by this miracle VVhich blasphemous and damnable assertion taketh cleane away Christs incarnation is directly opposite to Christs pure nativitie of his mother she remayning stil a virgin is directly opposite to Christs resurrection and his entrance to his disciples VVhich 3. miraculous acts and 2. of them chief principles and greatest keyes of Christianitie require that vve beleeve the cleane contrarie and that God noâ— only can but also de facto hath brought Christ body both out of his mothers vvomb then in that very moment a virgin and also out of the sepulchre being then a most true most perfite most absolute and organical body vvhen yet it vvas not phisically circumscribed with the limites and bounds of a place ¶ Now vvhereas after al this long idle and heretical talke vttered by this man it appeareth he is ignorarâ— vvhat a true contradiction is vvhich the Protestant vvriters lying after their maner say vve maynteyne be teaching that Christs body is at one tyme in heaven and in every altar vvhere the priest offereth the sacrifice vvhich say they because it implieth a contradiction is the nature of a body God him self can not do he may vnderstand that a right contradiction such as here is spoken of requireth the negation of the self same thing â—â— one and the same precise respect as to say that one mâ—â— is learned and vnlearned false and not false but true ricâ— and not rich but poore in one particular respect relatioÌ„ and consideration For otherwise a man may say of M. B. that he is learned and vnlearned true and false rich and poore vvithout any contradiction or gainsaying of him self for that both parts shal stil be true For he is learned in respect of common ministers vnlearned in respect of Iohn Calvin Theodore Beza and such other Rabbines false because he vttereth many vntruths and corrupteth many places of the scripture and fathers true because he speaketh many truths and lyeth nothing so oft nor corrupteth scriptures and fathers so notoriously as our M. Iew. of Salisbury in preaching and vvriting vsed to do rich if he be compared vvith many inferior beggerly ministers yet poore if he be compared vvith some Superintendents of England Thus the fier in Nabuchodonosors oven though it vvere at the same time and moment of tyme hote and cold yet that is no contradiction because it vvas not so in one and the same respect or relation but hote and burning to the Chaldeans cold and myld to the Hebrewes And therefore to draw this to some conclusion albeit Christs body be at one tyme visible and not visible local and not local compast and not compast as yow say as the fier vvas hote and not hote cold and not cold at the self same tyme and place yet except it be so in one and the self same respect and relation or consideration it is a miracle of God it is no contradiction And though they be applied and referred to one and the self same singular body yet do they nothing impaire hinder or destroy the nature or substance because they are accidental conditions vvhich come after the nature and vvithout vvhich the nature is perfect ful and absolute And now to exemplifie this vvhich I say of a contradiction by a plain example vvhich M. B perhaps vvil better conceive of and cary it away I geve him the conclusioÌ„ summe of this his long discourse vvhich is this and in these vvords So my second â—round holds fast God may not wil that thing which implies a
more opposite to S. Paule he assureth vs that such bad Christians can never fal to such Apostasie as S. Paule speaketh of they can never vtterly leese faith never leese the spirite and then it is no matter of impossibilitie as S. Paule thought but rather a matter of great facilitie for a man to recover or keepe fast that vvhich he never lost And this being spoken by the vvay returne vve vnto our former lesson vvhich he vvilled vs to lock vp in our harts as a most worthy comfort and let vs consider vvhether it be not such a rule of desperate losenes and al iniquitie as Epicuâ—e him self if he vvere living or Luther or Lucian could never have deuised a more pernicious If thow at any one time in thy life saith M. B. have loved God or God loved thee in vvhat soever dissolution of life thow fal after assure thy selfe before thow dye god vvil restore thee to that former grace This is to say if a man once in al his life have â—ad a good thought a good motion in his hart to serve god love him live he how he please commit he vvhat sinne and iniquitie he list he is sure never to be damned he is sure eternally to be saved For let vs ioyne together the parts of his doctrine here by him dispersed in 2. or 3. places First VVho soever hath faith or ever had faith is surely elect and certain of his salvation For faith is the gift of God and it is geven only to the elect Item vvhosoever at any tyme hath had a desire to pray that desire vvas vvrought by the holy spirite and is a sure argument of faith So is it if a man haue bene true of his vvord if he be or some times vvas no hipocrite but spake as he meant if in hart he be or have bene pitifully affected towards the afflicted if he love his neighbour if his conversation be honest if he can be content to forgeue iniuries or at any time have bene thus qualified c. al and every of these be sure and certain arguments of a right faith and consequently of one that is elect and sure of salvation I â—ay to this one more lesson of this preacher that faith onâ—e had is never lost The gifts and callings of god saith he arâ— without repentance Therefore faith onâ—e geven can not be reuoked again The Lord wil not repent him of his gift but the sawle which he hath loved ains he wil love perpetually This is able to send thowsands of Protestants to the devil such Protestants I meane as think to be iustified by only faith For vvith faith this man geveth them sure vvarrant that they shal reteyne it eternally if ever they had it or by any of these markes perceived it in any measure though never so smale to have lodged in their harts Now for other Protestants such as dare not venture so far vpon onâ—y faith but thinke charitie necessarie also such as are the civil Lutherans Adiaphorists Melancthonists many cold Catholiks that come perhaps to M. B. his sermons to set them to helward after the rest he geveth like assurance that if since they vvere borne they euer felt in their harts any grace of God any love any charitie any such operation of his holy spirite to those also god shal restore the same assuredly before their dying day and hold them in it For as he loued them ains so wil he loue them ay For the gifts of the lord are without repentance and the sawle which he loved ains he wil love perpetually VVhich good vvholesome evangelical doctrine because vve are vvilled to lock vp in our harts and remember it faithfully I vvil for my better memorie bring it to a sillogisme of vvhich let this stand for the first or maior proposition VVhat soeuer man God ever loued and indued vvith faith at any time in al his life that man is elect him god wil love perpetually and so he is sure of heaven and out of al danger of hel vvhat soever his life be This proposition is plainly evidently and at large avowed and iustified by M. B. VVherevnto let vs adde for the second proposition or minor this But vvhosoeuer once in his life ether loved God or his neighbour or trusted in Christs passion or liued honestly or spake as he thought or â—orgaue an iniury done to him or vvas mercifully affected to the poore c. or by like reason had any other such vertuous inclination was quiet and peaceable or patient mild modest continent chast or vvise and prudent or valiant or fearing God yea or had â—t any time but one good thought vvhich doubtles doth proceed from God is signe of his love in some degree as vvel as the premisses this man vvas at such time beloued of God and had faith vvhereof these vvere sâ—re and certaine arguments This proposition is also at large and in very plaine termes avowed by M. B. Hereof it folovveth that every man vvho once in 40. yeres hath felt any good motion in any of these graces or the like how soever he bestow his life afterwards he is sure of salvation he is sure and certaine that he can never be damned The like argument may be made for the hauing of charitie and if it be perhaps lost as by this mans doctrine it can not be charitie being a gift of God no lesse then faith and therefore once geveÌ„ is geuen irreâ—â—cably as vvel as faith for that gods gifts are without repentance for recouerie of it againe and the partie vvho once had it shal surely dye possessed of it gods loue being towards his creature perpetual as vvel in the one as in the other And vvhat Christian or perhaps Turke or Tartar by this Theologie may not assure him selfe of heaven For vvho liveth vnder the Sunne but some times in his life hath some one or other of these good motions Some of vvhich the very light of nature and natural conscience stirreth vp in al men at one time or other For this also to go no farther is part of M. B. his preaching Our conscience is borne with vs is natural to vs is left in the sowle of every man and woman And as there are some spoonkes of light left in nature so there is a conscience left in it And if there were no more that same light that is left in thy nature shal be anâ—ugh to condemne thee because this very light of nature teacheth vs that God is to be loved our neighbour that vve should not play the hipocrites but speake as vve meane vve should live honestly succour the afflicted c. For neglect vvhereof our conscience condemneth vs before the iudgement seate of God vvhether we be Christians or not Christians as M. B. truly confesseth And many of the forenamed duties are not only knowen but also practised and done of many
it refuting it in sundry his vvritings by a number of places and examples of scripture calleth it an horrible error of the Anabaptistical sectâ— a Sâ—oical and exeâ—rable disputation Stoica est execrandâ— disputatio he nameth it furorem Antinomorum â—â—â—rious opinion of the Antinomians a sect of Protestants vvho reiected contemned the law by vvhich the vvhole law of God is made frustrate Finally he coÌ„deÌ„neth it as a most filthy heresie repugnaÌ„t to the whole body of scripture froÌ„ the very beginning for beginning at Adam Eva who had the spirit of God lost it by sinne he runneth thorough al the old new testamâ—t by both at large disproveth it to the ending as nothing can be more Thus it sensibly may appeare that this doctrine of M. B. of Calvin the Calvinists is the very bane poison as before of good life so here of true faith namely especially such articles of faith vvhereon good life and holy conuersation is principally builded If leaving these 2. later sermoÌ„s of preparation we shal a litle looke back revew 1 or 2. chapters of the former Seâ—moÌ„s namely such as more directly apperteyne to faith alone coÌ„cerne the priÌ„cipal heads of our beleef Christs incarnatioÌ„ his divinitie his omnipotencie it hath bene plainly declared that this maÌ„s preaching nether meane I as it is his properly alone but according as he draweth it froÌ„ Calvin the CaluiniaÌ„ schole disanulleth his in carnatiâ— denyeth any benefite to have come thereby denieth the omnipotencie of god most Antichristianly disproveth al miracles vvrought by God in the old or new TestameÌ„t by inâ—vitable coÌ„sequeÌ„ce destroyeth the faith of Christs pure nativitie resurrectioÌ„ destroyeth the vnitie of his divine person in two natures Al which depeÌ„de vpoÌ„ such verities as these wicked prophane godles meÌ„ reiect and condemne as being in their new Theologie vnpossible beyond gods reach and abilitie vnpossible I say for him in al his maiestie and omnipotencie to effect performe And vvhat ChristiaÌ„ is there be he not to far gone in the liceÌ„tious course of this new Gospel that is to say be he not in maner a plaine Apostata if he reteyne any sparkes or spoonkes of his old Christianitie vvhen he considereth these issues and sequeles of the Calvâ—nian doctrine vvhat Christian is there I say but he may and ought iustly to stand in horror of such a Gospel and such Gospellers vvho by so plaine and evident coÌ„clusion pul from him al forme and shew of old Christianitie vnder a grosle and impudent pretext of a reformed Gospel wrap him in a Iewish Talmud or Turkish Alcoran I meane such a gulf of Paganisme and infidelitie as hath lesse resemblance and affinitie vvith the old auncient Catholike Christian and Apostolike faith then hath an ape vvith a man then copper vvith gold or Mahomets prophets Homar and Halis vvith S. Peter and S. Paule the Apostles of our Saviour Certainly as for that former Calvinian article of faith in the elect never lost and the holy ghost never departing from them in al their sinnes Melancthon vvith many Lutheran Gospellers coÌ„demneth the Calvinian Gospel of extreme impietie as hath bene said so two or three of these other articles defended likewise by the Calvinists and M. B. seeme to other Protestant preachers and vvriters so grosse and inexcusable that Lucas Osiander sonne to Andreas Osiander the first Protestant-Apostle of Prussia in his answere to Sturmius the Caluinist alleageth them for great reasons vvhy every Christian ought to abhorre the Zuinglian doctrine as erring in principal matters of the Christian faith For so are his vvords Nos ZuinglianuÌ„ dogma merito damnamus c. VVe Protestants of the Germane faith profession iustly condemne the Zuinglian religion for that it erreth in maximis rebus ad verae religionis conseruationeÌ„ aeternaÌ„ Ecclesiae saluteÌ„ pertinentibus in most weightie matters such as concerne the preservation of true religion and eternal saluation of the church And forthwith amonge most vveightie errors of the SacrameÌ„taries he reckeneth these 1. The Zuinglian or Caluinian doctrine gainsayeth the words of Christs testament For whereas Christ saith expresly This is my body This is my blud the Zuinglians reprove Christ God and man of a lye affirming the body of Christ to be as far distant from the Supper as is the highest heaven from the earth 2. The Zuinglian doctrine taketh from Christ his omnipotencie and affirmeth that it is vnpossible for God to make a true body to be in many places 3. The Zuinglian doctrine leaveth vs in the Supper nothing but bread and wine bare tokens without the body and blud of Christ and with those biddeth vs confirme our faith For these vvicked assertions or rather horrible blasphemies for so he termeth them this famous Gospeller together vvith a number of Protestant congregations and pastors ioyning vvith him al endued vvith the right Protestant faith and therefore elect as vvel as M. B. and so as sure of Gods favour and assistance of the holy spirit as he do vvil coüseil al men to detest the Calvinian sect for that it maynteyneth so fowle heresies so opposite to Christianitie And if thus they iudge and persuade in respect of 3. or 4. articles maynteyned also in these Sermons by M. B. how much more ought vve to detest the same Calvinian doctrine being able to lay to these few many other as wicked and execrable so many as that vve can make manifest demonstratioÌ„ that a man embracing Caluinisme renounceth in a maner the vvhole body of Christian faith the intier symbole or Creed of the Apostles for that beleeving the Calvinists or this preacher he can not possibly beleeve rightly nether in God omnipotent nor in Christ Iesus his incarnate sonne God man in one person nor his pure natiuitie of his mother a virgin nor the redemption vvrought by him in his flesh nor his descension in to hel nor the Catholike church nor remission of sinnes obteyned in the same nor the resurrection of our bodies to life eternal nor generally any peece of scripture old or new as hath heretofore bene noted incidently and shal hereafter vpon more occasion be layd open and confirmed more abundantly If Protestants vpon so good grounds abhorre Caluinisme as a poison of Christian faith can Catholikes be blamed if they folow the conseil of Protestants and vpon the same and other as substantial grounds detest Caluinisme from vvhich their owne bretherne so earnestly dissuade If Luther that man of God and first father of this Gospel canonized for a Confessor in the English and Scottish Kalenders and sent by God to illuminate the whole world as vvitnesseth the English congregation professe protest that he had rather be torne in pieces or burnt to death a hundred seueral times then to agree in