A Sermon preached the 30. of Ianuary last at Bletsoe before the Lord Saint-Iohn and others Concerning the doctrine of the Sacrament of Christes body and blood VVherein the truth is confirmed and the errors thereof confuied by Edward Bulkley Doctor of Diuinitie Prou. 14.6 The scorner seeketh wisedome and findeth it not but knowledge is easie to him that will vnderstand LONDON Printed by Iohn Wolfe for George Bishop 1586. TO THE RIGHT honorable and my very good Lord and Lady Iohn Lord Saint Iohn Baron of Bletsoe and the Ladie Catherin his wife grace mercie and peace from God our father and Iesus Christ our Sauiour THat wise Philosopher Plato in an Epistle to Dyonisius King of Sicile Pag. 671. hath a wise saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is It is great safetie not to write but to learne for those that publish things in writing to the view of all do make themselues subiect to the sharpe censures of many Of whom some will finde fault with the matter and some with the manner of deliuering the same And surely I suppose there was neuer age more fertile then this in bringing forth malicious momouses that are more ready to carpe reprehend the well doings of others then any wayes to doe good themselues Yea there be many which by finding fault with other mens good and profitable labors seeke to procure to themselues an opinion and fame of fine wittes and singuler learning Therefore for that I haue bene vnwilling to be bitten with such Theons teeth and considering both the great abundance of bookes whereof in my iudgement a great number might wel be spared and the plenty of learned writers which this learned age doth yelde I not being ignorant of the measure of mine owne foote but wel discerning my smal myte from other mens great and many talentes haue thought good to follow Platoes safe counsaile in being rather a learner then a writer Insomuch that hitherto I neuer published any thing in print but one other sermon preached about 14. or 15. yeares past at Paules crosse the which that reuerend godly learned man of blessed memory M. Thomas Leauer not onely desired me but vpon my refusall and deniall vehemently adiured and charged me in the name of God for to penne and to print But that simple short sermon was so handled in printing aboue 60. foule faultes being committed in it such is the great and intollerable negligence of some printers which deserueth sharpe punishment that I haue bene euer since more moued to continue Platoes safe course of not writing but learning Notwithstanding whereas of late it pleased your Lordshippe to request me to preach at the ministration of the holy communion in your Church although you haue there placed a man indewed with good giftes who both is well able and also diligently doth discharge that deuty the which whē I had performed in such sort as God by his spirite inabled me it pleased your Ladyship to conceiue so good liking of it that first you sent and after your selfe spake vnto me to giue you the same in writing not onely for your own vse instruction but also for the reformation if it might please god to giue good successe thereunto of the vnsound iudgement of some whose well doing you greatly tender The which your godly request tending to so godly an end when I could with safety neither of conscience nor duty denie I haue labored although more willing to preach sixe sermons then penne one to satisfie your desire And for that there were others also at the same time which moued me to the same effect as your Ladiship did and were desirous to haue copies thereof whom without my ouer great trouble I could not content I haue by these causes bin vrged and by some men perswaded to let it passe in print Hoping that as it liked your Honors and the other godly hearers who acknowledged that they were greatly edefied confirmed in the true doctrine therein conteined by hearing of it so by the reading of it some may be more established in the truth and others if they will lay away preiudicate opinion and wilful affection according to the old law of the Athenians will equally and indifferently heare both parties may be reformed by it Aeschines cont 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But it is very miserable and lamentable to see how stubburnly manie stand against the truth and euen wilfullie shut their eies from beholding the cleare light thereof Soe that they will neither heare the word of God preached nor reade godly and learned bookes published for their instruction Zachar. 7.11 Wherein they follow the steps of their forefathers who refused to hearken turned their backes and stopped their eares that they might not heare and hardened their hearts as an adamant that they might not heare the lawe and the words which the Lord of hostes sent in his spirite by the hands of the former Prophets Therefore great wrath hath comen from the Lord of hostes But of these men I will not further at this present speake onely I beseech God open their eyes that they may see the miserable estate wherein they stand and that at the length they may turne from darknesse to light Acts. 26. from the power of Satan vnto God that they may receiue inheritance among those that be sanctified by faith in Iesus Christ And to the end that this simple sermon may be a better meane and instrument for the instructing of such as be simply ignorant and not wilfully peruerse obstinate I haue inlarged the same more in penning then I did in preaching And haue added some discourses and sundrie testimonies of auncient fathers with places of popish and Ethnish writers which in preaching partly the shortnesse of time would not permit me to vtter partly of purpose I did omit This sermon I haue neither in preaching nor penning sought to beutifie with ornaments of words and eloquence which in these diuine heauenly matters is not so needfull but haue thought it sufficient for me to deliuer and set forth the plaine truth in a plaine and simple phrase being more desirous that it may lighten the minds and instruct the hearts of the hearers and readers of it with sound doctrine and substance of matter then tickle and delite their eares with a vaine sound or glittering shewe of wordes The which simple sermon such as it is for as much as your lordship requested me to preach it and your Ladyship moued me to write it I haue thought it most meete to offer and present it vnto your Honors as a true testimonie and token of my louing and dewtiful mind towards you for your great fauour shewed me and sundrie benefits bestowed vpon me And I humbly beseech your Honors that if you haue found and felt increase of knowledge in Gods holie truth and of true comfort by hearing this such other sermons preached as I am assured you haue that then
you would daily more and more increase go forward in the loue of the preaching of Gods word and to imitate that noble example of that noble man of AEthiopia Act. 8.22 who both read that in his charet trauailing by the way the Prophet Isaias and also heard Philip expound the same Euen so that your Honors may daily more more grow in the true knowledge feare and obedience of God Wherein true Nobilitie doth chiefely consist not onely daily and reuerently reade the word of God your selues but also diligently heare faithfull Philips that is godly and learned ministers truely expound and preach the same Which is most needfull for you For as that noble maÌ„ profited by reading but was conuerted vnto Christ by Philips preaching Rom. 10.14 so it is chiefly the preaching of the Gospel which winneth vs vnto Christ planteth faith worketh repentance in vs and directeth stirreth vs vp to walke warely vprightly before the Lord our god For as spice when it is brused is of more force to season meat when it is chewed is more meete to norish vs Euen so the word of god when it is by exposition as it were brused chewed applyed vnto vs is of more power to season the corrupt humors that be in vs effectually to feed vs that we may liue in holines righteousnesse vnto God for want coÌ„tempt of the preaching of Christs gospel it is lameÌ„table to see how many fearfully fal away from the grace of god Therefore that your Honors may not only constantly coÌ„tinue but also daily increase in the true worship and feare of God loue earnestly the preaching of gods word let it be dearer vnto you than thousands of gold and syluer sweeter than hony the hony comb hunger after it as your daily food Matth. 13 45. esteeme it for that pretious pearle which ought to be more dear vnto you thaÌ„ al these earthly and transitorie things of the world for all flesh is grasse Isai 40. and al the glorie thereof is as the flower of the fielde which soone fadeth and falleth away but the word of our God abideth for euer and shall make vs stand florish for euer in gods kingdome if faithfully in our heartes we beleeue it and obediently in our liues and conuersation follow it Thus assuring my self that your Honors will take in good part this my bolde aduenture in presenting this small mite and poore gift vnto you I will forbeare from further troubling you beseeching God the father of mercie so to worke by his holy spirit in you that you may be filled with the knowledge of his wil in al wisedome Colos 1.9 and spirituall vnderstanding that yee may walke worthy of the Lord pleasing him in all things being fruitfull in all good workes and increasing in the knowledge of God c. Your Honors most humble in Christ Iesus to commaund Edward Bulkley At my house in VVoodhall the 18. of Februarie 1586. A Sermon preached by Edward Bulkley Doctor of Diuinitie at Bletsoe the 30. day of Ianuarie 1585. vpon the doctrine of the Sacrament of the body and blood of Iesus Christ Matth. 26.26 As they did eate Iesus tooke breade and when he had blessed he brake it and gaue it to his disciples and said take ye eate ye This is my body Also he tooke the cuppe and when he had giuen thanks he gaue to them saying drinke ye all of this for this is my blood of the new Testament which is shed for many for the forgiuenes of sinnes I say vnto you that I will not drinke henceforth of this fruite of the vine vntill that day when I shall drinke it new with you in my Fathers kingdome And when they had song a psalme they went out into the mount of Oliues WHen the time did nowe drawe neare Ephes 5.2 that our Sauiour Christ was to offer that sweete smelling sacrifice and oblation of himselfe vpon the Altar of the crosse for our redemption reconciliation it seemed good to his heauenly wisedome to ordaine this Sacrament to be a perpetuall memoriall remembrance and pledge vnto vs of his death and passion vntill his comming againe 1. Cor. 11.25.26 And because the law did require the Paschal lambe at that time to be eaten he comming not to breake but to fulfill the lawe that he might discharge all our breaking of the law Matth. 5.17 did first with his disciples according to the law eat the passouer and so did put an end vnto the same and then did institute this his supper to succeed in his Church for euer in the place thereof That as he had ordayned baptisme to succéed in the roome of Circumcision so he would haue this Sacrament to succeed in the place of the Pascall Lambe and as they had béene Sacraments and seales of the olde Testament before his comming in the flesh so these might be after his comming sacraments and seales of the new Testament and couenant whereof we reade Hieremie 31.31 and Hebrewes 8.8 Therefore the Euangelist in the first words of my text saith As they did eat Meaning that when they had eaten the Paschall Lambe then they did receiue and eate this his holie supper Whereupon I may gather this that it is not so vnlawfull as some thinke after the tasting and eating of some thing to eate this blessed Sacrament The which I speake not for that I would haue men eate and drinke and fill their bellies before they come to this holy supper which with al reuerence and sobrietie ought in Gods feare to be receiued but to take away the superstition of some who think that if they being in neuer such infirmitie and weaknes do tast neuer so little they be thereby vnméete and vnworthy to receiue this holy mysterie and thereupon abstaine from it But if we did iudge rightly we should think that not the receiuing into vs of a little of Gods creatures soberly with thankesgiuing that vpon infirmitie doth make vs vnméete communicants but those things that come out of vs euen out of our hearts as euill thoughts murders Matâ—h 15.15 adulteries formeations theftes false testimonies slaunders are the things that defile vs and make vs more loathsome vnto Gods maiestie than any leprosie vnto men These thinges make vs vnméete gestes for such a celestiall banket and vnworthy receiuers of this blessed Sacrament of Christs body and blood Well saith Chrisostome Non enim comedisse confusionem nobis affert In Genes hom 10. sed mali quippiam egisse i. Not to eate but to commit any wickednesse bringeth shame vnto vs. Therefore I exhort you to abstaine from these and all other such filthie sinnes and to come with cleare consciences and good hearts to this holy table And as touching meats I wish men to refraine from them when they come to communicate on this sacrament vnlesse it be for some great infirmitie necessitie c. Now
by faith Ephes 3.17 by the which he dwelleth in vs as the Apostle saith we be made flesh of his flesh 5.30 and bone of his bones Moreouer Christ did breake the bread not to eat it all himselfe as masse priests do Durand lib. 4. cap. 53. nor to offer one part for the soules in heauen an other for them that be aliue and the third for the soules in purgatory as it is also their vse but to distribute it to his disciples that they might take and eate it And therefore my text saith he brake it and gaue it to his disciples saying take ye eate ye this is my body Wherein we are to note that he saith not looke vpon it knéele and knock vnto it and worship it but he saith Take ye eat ye promising then it shal be his body vnto them so that here is a commaundemeÌ„t and also a promise The commaundement in these words take ye eate ye the promise in these This is my bodie wherefore if we looke to be partakers of the promise we must yeeld obedience to the commandemeÌ„t the which if we refuse to doe we cannot looke to be partakers of the promise As for example God saith psal 50.15 call vpon me in the day of thy trouble and I will deliuer thée if we obey the commaundement and call vpon God in the time of our trouble we may be assured of the performance of the promise that God will deliuer vs then and in that sort as he knoweth to be best for vs for our God is not more liberall in promising then he is most faithfull in performing But if we doe not in our trouble call vpon God we cannot looke that he should deliuer vs. Euen so here if we obey not Christes commaundement and do not take and eate it but looke knéele adore it we cannot looke that it shal be Christs body vnto vs for it is not further a sacrament to vs then we according to our sauiours institution do take and eate it No saith B. Boner I wil easily confute that In M. Philpots examinations is not a capon a capon vnlesse I eat it euen so saith he it is a sacrament and Christs bodie although we doe not receiue it I answere that B. Boner had as it appeared by his fat face greasie belly by his foolish reasoning better skil in a fat capon then in the doctrine of diuinity and namely of this sacrament for a capon being a natural thing is a capon as bread is bread and wine is wine although they be not receiued but a sacrament being a thing not of nature but by grace is not further a sacrament then it is ioyned to Gods promise and institution applied to that vse whereunto it was ordayned The water which flowed in the wildernes out of the rocke was a sacrament of Iesus Christ to the Israelits which drank of it 1. Cor. 10.4 as Saint Paul sheweth but whereas not onely the Israelits but also their cattel did drink of the same water was it a sacrament to the cattel No. If one should take the water wherein a child hath bene baptised and apply it to some common prophane vse is it then a sacrameÌ„t No. It is not a sacrament further then it is ioyned to Christs inâ—titution and one baptised in it Euen so the bread and wine is no further a Sacrament then according to Christs institution and cammaundement it is taken eaten Therefore to the Papists in their priuate masses not taking eating it according to Christs commandement but gaping knéeling to it worshipping it which he hath neuer commanded Hierem. 7.31 neither euer came into his heart as the prophet speaketh it is not Christs body but they commit most abhominable Idolatrie in giuing that worship to the creature which is due to Christ the Creator who is blessed for euer But further of this their Idolatrous adoration I will not now intreat but come to that which followeth This is my body in expounding of which words many respecting more the outward sound of the wordes then considering the simple sense meaning of Iesus Christ haue bene fouly deceiued and haue hereof gathered sundrie great errors And euen so the verie Euangelists do shew that diuers more regarding the externall sounde of Christs words then marking his meaning haue bene greatly deceiued As when our Sauiour Christ warned his disciples to beware of the leauen of the Pharises and Saduces Matth. 16.6 his Disciples did thinke that he spake of outward breade whereas his meaning was to admonish them to take heed of the sower corrupt doctrine of the Pharises and Saduces 12. So when our Sauior said vnto the Iewes Iohn 2.19 destroy this temple in three dayes I wil raise it vp againe they thought that Christ had spoken of the materiall temple of Ierusalem and therfore they said fortie and sixe yeares was this Temple a building and wilt thou reare it vp in three dayes But he spake of the temple of his bodie In like maner when our Sauior Christ said to Nicodemus Ioh. 3.3 except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdome of God Nicodemus taking it grosly of the outward byrth sayd how can a man be born that is olde can he enter into his mothers wombe againe be borne But Christ spake of spiritual regeneratioÌ„ wrought by the holy Ghost Many such other examples might be alledged but I will content my selfe onely with that one of the Capernaits the cosen germans or rather deare brethren of our papists for whereas our sauiour Christ said Iohn 6.51 I am the liuing bread which came downe from heauen if any man eate of this bread he shall liue for euer and the bread that I will giue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the world They grosly vnderstanding this of the carnal external eating of Christs flesh said how can this man giue vs his flesh to eat and againe this is an hard saying who can heare it 60. But Christ spake spiritually of the spirituall and not of carnall eating of his flesh therefore he saith 63. it is the spirite that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speake vnto you are spirit and life In like manner let vs in this matter take diligent héed that by too much grating vpon the letter respecting the outward sound of words not considering Christs meaning we be not seduced and caried into errour in grossely and carnally taking that which Christ our sauiour spiritually sacrameÌ„tally did speak Aduers Praxca The counsel of Tertullian herein is to be regarded and followed who saith Malo te ad sensum rei quam ad sonuÌ„ vocaboli exerceas i. I would that thou exercise thy selfe rather to the sense of the matter theÌ„ to the sound of the word Therefore that we may vnderstand the true sense meaning of these