because Christ our Passeouer is offered vp 1. Cor. 5. we keepe an holy feast vnto the Lorde not in the leauen of wickednes but in the sweete bread of a syncere conscience and vpright conuersatiō in Christ Iesu A prayer vpon consideration generally of the Sacraments O Almightie God most merciful Father who of thy tēder kindnesse hast chosen thine elect to euerlasting saluation before al times and in due time hast called them to the knowledge of thy good will reueiled in thy word sealed with the Sacraments of thine own ordaining we thy humble seruants and by mercie in Christ thine adopted sonnes pray thy fatherly goodnes to make vs meete partakers of these al other thy benefits so largely euer more bestowed and powred vpon vs. Let vs not O Lorde neither detaine the trueth of thy word in the vnrighteousnes of a sinfull life neither suffer vs deare Father to receiue the pledges of thy endles loue in vaine but to the endes that thou hast appointed them Wherefore graunt vs thy heauenly grace that we thy chosen people may vse thy holy ordināces to most holy purposes namely to the further increase of our weake faith to the comfort of our wan hope to the enflaming of our colde and frozen charitie in these hard and euill dayes to the dutifull and thankefull setting foorth of the glory of thy holy name Amen A prayer to be saide with meditation of our Baptisme MErciful Father we miserable and sinfull men feele with in our selues and therefore are forced to breake forth cōfesse that in our flesh dwelleth no good thing O Lorde thou lookest downe from heauen and beholdest the sonnes of men and their sinnes they are infinitely great and in nomber mo then the heares of our head or the starres of heauē they can not be hidden Our children gather stickes our fathers kindle the fire our mothers kneade dough to make cakes to serue other gods There is not one that doth good no not one We are all borne in sinne conceiued in iniquity and the whole race of our life is naturally naught We are not able to dreame of a good thought and when we haue done all that we can doe or if we could do al that we are commaunded yet were we vnprofitable seruants and therefore we appeale from thy iustice O most iust God to thy mercie seate and throne of grace for we feare nothing more then the examination of our drossy workes O Lord wash thou vs that we may be white for in our selues we are altogether blacke purge vs that we may be cleane sanctifie vs that we may be holy circumcise our eares and heartes and other partes seare our polluted lippes with the cole of thy spirit create a new heart win vs this olde heart of ours will not serue wash vs more more and we shal be cleane This thou hast promised in thy word O gracious God and in the Sacrament of our newe birth is this nowe fully set forth and sealed wherefore with confidence wee appeare before thee in prayer not trusting in our owne merites which are not but in thy manifolde and endlesse mercies which as a great and pure streame of water shall make vs whiter then the snow and clearer then the Christall glasse O Lorde haue mercie vpon vs according to thy great mercy put away our iniquities pardon our offences cancell the bill of debt quench the flames of lust plucke out the sting of sinne mortifie our flesh more more kill and burie the olde man bruise the serpents head drown the spirituall Pharao and all Egypt that we in a good time may bee presented perfectly blamelesse in thy sight through Christ our Lord Amen A prayer to be said immediatly before the receiuing the holy Communion O Almightie GOD who in thy eternal wisedom hast built thee an house and he wen out the pillars thereof chosen a Church which shall not faile killed thy vittayles mixed thy wine prepared a Table hast sent foorth thy ministers to cry in the open streetes and to inuite vnto this feast in thy worde and Gospell and yet hast denounced that the scornefull the wicked and the wilfull sinner shall haue no part nor portion with thee graūt vs grace O Lord that we may effectually heare and willingly followe the voyce of thy calling and that the seede of thy worde being shed in to our eares may take deepe roote in our heartes and bring forth fruit accordingly in a godly conuersation And whereas not only by thy worde but by thy Sacraments also we are fed at thy hande and specially in the Supper of thy Sonne our Lorde his institution we craue the assistance of thy holy spirite worthily to prepare vs for the receiuing of so heauēly a banquet Otherwise who or what are we to entertaine or to be entertained in this manner we are vnworthy the least of thy mercies much lesse are we worthie that the heire of all should enter vnder the roofe of our soule or that our vncleane feete shoulde once step within thy courts and yet thou hast commaunded we shoulde repaire to thy Temple and receiue at thy table Wherefore good Lorde prepare thou vs aright that wee may bee prepared dwell in vs that we may dwell in thee knocke at the gates of our heartes that we may opē vnto thee sup with vs that we may sup with thee encrease our faith and loue toward thee and in thee towarde our neighbours And albeit we offend often fall many times yet stay thou vs by thy mercifull hand that we neuer fall away Finally strengthen our weakenes with thy euerlasting foode neyther looke vpon our imperfections but on the perfectnesse of thy sonnes oblation in whose name we pray that thou endue vs euer with an humble and a contrite spirite for all our sinnes past with a constant purpose alwaies hereafter vnfainedly to serue and please thee in newnes of life to our liues ende through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen A thankes giuing vpon the receiuing of the holy Communion MY soule praise thou the Lorde and all the powers within me praise his holy name My heauie soule awake praise the Lorde forget not his benefites shewe not thy selfe an vnthankefull thistle being watered with so many graces He fashioned the roūd world all the is therein yea with a more speciall care he guideth the feete of his Saintes He clotheth the lilies of the fielde and feedeth the birdes of the ayre but he apparelleth his chosen with the cloth of righteousnesse in the familie of his Sonne and feedeth them with the bread of life In him we are and are regenerate by him wee liue and are fed at his owne table in him by his spirit we moue with al godly motions and this comforte no man can take from vs. Al good giftes descend from aboue and the prayse of all is due to thee O Lord euen as the waters ishue from the sea and to the sea returne againe O then what shall we render vnto our louing God for all his kindnes he hath not spared his onely begotten sonne to the death the death of the Crosse for our sakes Thou O Lord art not pleased with mans inuentions onely thou hast willed that wee bee a thankfull people and that wee continue a freshe and gratefull remembrance of thy goodnes for euer The calues of our lippes the incense of prayer and the sacrifice of prayse thou wilt accept Wherefore O my soule praise the Lord set forth thy Sauiours death remēber his passion shew not thy selfe vnkinde feede on him in thy heart and be thankful in a full assurance of all his mercies in Iesus Christ Amen FINIS Imprinted at London by Christopher Barker Printer to the Queenes most excellent Maiestie
purest golde The gifte that is bestowed is most syncere the stone white that is deliuered And ought not then the hande to be a cleane hande or rather the heart a pure heart that receiueth such pearles GOD couenanteth to bee our God shoulde we not accept the offer reioyce in his couenant Achaz in hypocrisie pretended he woulde beleeue God without a signe Esai 7.12 Certainely so must we doe in deede many times Balaam Nom. 23.19 that saw lesse thē his asse saw so much the Gods worde is ynough Shall he speake and not doe Yet when he offereth signes withal to helpe forth our infirmities in faith according to his worde eyther naturall as the rainebow or artificiall as the brasen serpent or miraculous or Sacramental or whateuer if we then refuse them in steade of shunning the fault of tempting him we runne vpon the contempt of his heauenly wisedome Goe preach baptize all nations Mat. 28.19 This is a generall commaundement and must be obserued 1. Cor. 10.24 As often as ye eate this bread and drinke this cuppe ye shewe the Lordes death vntill his comming againe As often therefore often and vsually vntill his comming againe therefore perperually must this Sacrament be continued in a godly remembrance of the Lordes death Gen. 29.17 Deut. 34.7 The olde ceremonies were weake sighted like Leah and therefore could not last euer Moses eyes were not dimme vntill his dying day so the force of Christian Sacraments remaine in their full vse vntill the ende of the worlde Their sacraments some were speciall for place and person In Paradise the tree of life was for the place Gen. 2.9 Iudg. 6.37 Esa 28.8 the wette dryed fleece the going backe of the dial were personally to Gedeon and Ezechias And their chiefest Sacraments either extraordinary as Manna and the rocke ceased in the wildernesse or ordinary as circumcision and the Passeouer these also haue had their ende in the fulnesse of time when their wombe as Cirill speaketh was deliuered of Christ as a woman of her childe into the worlde For Christ is come and their ceremonies were of Christ to come and when he came they as shadowes yeelded place at the presence of the body The difference of their Sacraments and ours consisteth in cleerenes of knowledge and continuance of tynte They caryed the former parte of the staffe we the hinder ende Christ is borne betwixt vs both but we that come after haue the fuller viewe and see directly before our face they respectiuely and looking backe to that which they caryed and came after and therefore more obscurely then we And nowe because Christ is borne no more liueth no more dieth no more because all these thinges are plainely to the eye painted poynted to with the finger in our Sacraments ours are not henceforth to be changed any more but are constant and perpetuall and continually in all duety to be vsed and enioyed till his comming again to iudge the quicke and the dead in the last day Of Baptisme The nature of Baptisme BAptisme is the Sacrament of regeneration in water wherby our sinnes are clensed we clad with Christ endued with his spirit our names entred among the number of Christian professours in the name of the blessed Trinitie The institution Touching the institution whether it growe out of the earth or descende from aboue be of men or of God being of all confessed to be a Sacrament and a Sacrament being already proued to be alwayes a diuine institutiō it is needlesse to repeate or say further therein Yet moreouer and aboue that our Sauiours owne example and general commandement Go preach Mat. 3 15. baptize c. are euident warrants autentike and special for proofe herein that it is of God The forme of the administration The fourme of the action declareth what we receiue of God and there withall enformeth vs what we owe and ought to render him againe Through singular mercie in the name of the Father by like merit and mame of the Sonne by the vertue of the Holy Spirite name power thereof we are made partakers of all the priuiledges that may be incident to such as shall be saued in the house Church of God In whose lap we are as it were newe borne newe washed new apparelled made new creatures in Iesus Christ Such is the forme so great the force of this sacrament Wherein yf any man vpon a farther desire to be instructed in the mysteries of his profession The marueilous operation of Baptisme muse in minde breake foorth and say as Mary did to the Angel Luke 1.34 How may this be that a materiall element shoulde thus worke in spirituall things that water touching the body should clense the soule that water in the fountaine where it is cleanest hauing no such operatiō should thus change and be changed in the Church and fonte whither it is brought from his spring are these effectes naturall Exod. 11.25 Of olde the waters of Marah were made sweete water in Cana Iohn 2.8 turned into wine Exod. 7.17 the riuers of Nilus into bloode and though euery of these mutations were marueilous in the sight of the wisest eye yet in this case there is more done Meere and bitter water in comparison is made exceeding sweete sweeter then the fruite of the ripest purest grape yea yet more then this is done Cold and vsual water is really changed truely and indeede turned after the maner of Sacramēts from a common moisture into the dewe of gods spirit and into the bloode of the Lambe Reuel 7.14 wherein the soules of the Saintes are washed For although it leaue not off to be water but remaineth as before a visible signe yet by the accesse of Gods worde and the omnipotent power of his spirite the Angell as it were descending vpon the poole in the Gospel Iohn 5.4 the change is greater then mans wordes can expresse By similitudes framed and vttered to our capacities fayth conceiueth conuenient instruction sufficient comfort Where the sunne warmeth not water is a sterile and bare moysture neyther can it engender any thing without the heate and helpe of the spirite that moued vpon the waters at their first creation Gen. 1.2 For as it was then so is it still as it was and is so in the generation of things so much more is it so in the regeneration of man Water of it selfe cannot make a man much lesse a Christian man The proportion of the signe with the graces signified The spirite of God is sometymes sayde to enflame and purifie like fire and in this case to regenerate in water to clense and washe like water And as verily as cleare water clenseth and cooleth the body so and as truely the like graces by the bloode of Christ and his spirite are wrought vpon the soule by entrance into this bathe Wherin we may obserue a further
To the right honourable Sir Francis Walsingham Knight chiefe Secretarie to her Maiestie Chaunceller of the Order one of her highnes priuie Counsell all grace and peace in Christ Iesu THe endelesse making of bookes was a vanitye in the dayes of Salomon when Printing was not The end of all is the seate of God Certainely men may not make it a light matter in conscience to trouble the worlde with vnprofitable writinges Yet as in the shewebread that was shewed to the people as a figure of Christ the olde loaues hauing serued to their use were remoued and other supplied in their roome yet still breade in nature twelue loaues in nomber so those writinges that figure out Christ and set foorth Christian duetye may be oftentimes treated of and eftsoones repeated and added to other mens doinges not withstanding no great variety in the matter or maner of handling It hath beene thought expedient I write publishe this litle treatise Wherupon right Honorable therewithal I haue thought it my boundē duetie humbly to present it to your honours viewe the rather in parte to excuse mine ouer great boldnesse else when but principally to craue such furtheraunce in the setting out therof as your honors piety and place accustometh to shewe to such as in their calling with their talentes eyther fiue two or but one labour to set foorth the trueth to instruct the simple to saue soules This hath bene mine endeuor the successe whereof is to be prayed for of the almightie and merciful God who alwayes preserue your honour to the glorie of his name the benefite of his Church and this our countrie in all faithfull seruice to her Maiestie and great cōforte of her louing subiectes in the Lorde Februarie 14. Anno. 1582. Your Honours most humble and bounden Iohn Prime The Preface AS the vse of all things is most precious so is their abuse most pernicious Many excellent thinges are spoken of the Sacraments of Christian faith They are the Lordes owne ordinances memorials of diuine promises monuments of our duety signes to the word which we professe assured seales of his good will strong bandes whereby we stande bounde first to God in obedience and then in mutual loue amongst our selues Notwithstanding these sacred mysteries the very instrumentes of the holy Ghost haue they not bene of olde or are they not now either vnthankefully refused or vnworthily receiued or lesse duetifully regarded then was and is behoofeful Ful hands can not apprehend any other thing they are full already fowle handes and soyled in the clay and brickeworke of sinfull thoughtes and deedes they are profane and should not presume to touch his Iewels Want of true knowledge in the worde of God hath bred sundry distemperatures and diseases errors and heresies in the body of Christes Church in this behalfe When the writing is not knowen the seales are lesse or more then duely and neuer aright esteemed of the ignorant man Whē the light of the Scriptures was hidde vnder the busshel of a strange tōgue the Sacramēts also in the darke were most irreligiously contemned superstitiously abused carnally and grosly mistaken As good haue a seale to a blancke as to a writing drawen in strange characters and letters that cannot be read or if read yet vnderstoode but of a fewe and of them no further then it pleased the masters of corrupt time at their leasure or begging Fryers for their gaine to expounde in miserable maner to hungry poore and sterued soules And then as good no bread at all as so vile a prouender made of mixtures eyther hard or dowbaked and clammie eyther they coulde not chewe it or it coulde not nourishe them Thus was the Lordes inheritance abused Iren. lib. 3. cap. 19. famished for want of true foode or fedde as Irenee speaketh with lyme water in stead of milke The Deuil knewe he could not beguile in the light and therefore no sleight of Satan euer like to this to deceiue men Mar. 12.24 and slay soules Whiles that Christians were wise they neuer sought in pilgrimage from shrine to shrine S. P. Q. R. Beda neyther to Rome nor to Ierusalem nor to any singular place vnder heaven with obseruation of the place Luke 17.20 as if God were more tyed to this region then to that one or other The true worshippers worshipped in spirit trueth In trueth without hypocrisie Ioh. 4.23 and in spirite without externall respectes For as the Conye is acquainted with his owne burrowe safe rocke Prou. 30.26 so Christians then knew where to seeke whither to runne and howe to finde rest in heauē for their soules They asked help alwayes of an able hande trode the kings high way knocked at the right gate builded their house on the onely foundation that is they beleeued in Christ called vpon God were guyded by his spirite trusted in his promises hoped in his mercies manifestly layde abroad and sufficiently reuealed in his written worde Iohn 20.31 and as certainely confirmed by the pledges of his will the holy Sacramentes whereof this treatise is intended for all such as can be content to learne in fewe wordes of a simple teacher Of the Sacraments in generall The nature of a Sacramēt A Sacrament is a sensible signe to the eye instituted of God to be continued in his Church for the further assurance and increase of spirituall graces in the faithful Of which sort is Baptisme and the Supper August epist 118. and onely these two euen as they are ioyntly specified by the Apostle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 10. In the generall may bee obserued these foure notes chiefely The institution to bee of God The signe visible in sense and resemblance conuenient The graces secret and mystical but singular benefites to the faithfull man The continuance is the Churches duetie rightly to vse and to enioy his ordinaunces as beseemeth the Church of God The institution 1 Concerning the institution as God onely is to be hearkened vnto in his sayings so must hee alone he followed in his wayes wheresoever he goeth before vs and leadeth vs after him with the least thread Reason not directed by faith is a disputing and a busie mistresse in the forge of mans braine and she will be leader in all things Zeale likewise without knowledge is a rashe fire that licketh vp euery fonde deuise feedeth and glutteth her selfe on superstitious fancies whereupon ambition in the man of pride The Papacie taking her aduantage of the former two hath stollen away the peoples heartes from their God vnder pretence of deuocion but in deede superstition enthronised her selfe in the consciences of men and exerciseth a proude dominion ouer the Lordes inheritance in his holy Temple Notwithstanding of the Apostle we haue learned a contrary lesson Iam. 4.12 that the onely Lawgiuer in Israel is the Lorde because he alone seeth the heart whereunto the Lawe is principally proposed searcheth the reines
him and hee in vs feede on him and he our spirituall foode And this is that which we receiue at his boarde I confesse our knowledge is in parte and therefore our speach is vnperfect Those harder partes of the Lambe that could not be eaten were consumed with fire euen so if there be any thing as I graunt to me there is which wordes cannot expresse a godly mans faith may better comprehend and in heart conceiue theÌ„ I vtter It is not bare bread a sip of wine as scorners speake that we receiue but truely in deed very Christ And wheras it is so let vs go on see how such a ghest ought to be entertained â—â—we â—â—rist â—â—ght to receiâ—â— Prepare the chamber of thy soule sweepe the house of thy coÌ„science yeeld vp the keyes of thy heart prostrate thy selfe in humilitie open wide the gates of faith that the king of glory may enter therein Berengariaâ— his recantation The aduersary whetteth his teeth openeth his mouth maketh ready his belly the he might chewe and swallow vp his maker Meate for the belly the belly for meate and the Lord shall destroy them both O my brethren who euer you are this heauenly foode is not Let vs eate and drinke 1. Cor. 6 1â— and to morrowe we shall dye Here is neither venison for Isahac nor a Kid for Tobi nor Quailes in the desert nor wine in boules nor wine in flagons Who euer eateth of this celestial Manna drinketh of this spiritual rocke which is Christ shal not only walke in the strength of it fourty dayes and fourty nights as the Prophet did but shal liue for euer with God Wherfore the wicked and vngodly Faith haue no part nor portion therein They eate the bread of the Lorde but not the Lorde the bread of life because they want the hand of fayth to receiue him He that eateth Christ shall liue by the meanes of Christ but the life of the wicked is no life in their death is eternal daÌ„nation The aduersaries care litle what Iewels they cast to swine what vncleane beastes they driue into the Lordes pastures howe fine manchet they throwe to very dogges There is no communicating of Christ but in the true communion of Christ One head is head but of one body and though it giueth some heate by meanes of the heart to a rotten member that is not yet cut off yet it giueth life only to the sound partes The chaffe and huske of corne receiueth a kind of humour but the fat and heart of the seede onely nourisheth the wheate and not the chaffe The bare name of Christianitie the barke and letter of the word the outward elemeÌ„ts of the Sacrament are after a sort in common to all but true Christianitie a good vnderstanding and the inward grace of these thinges are proper to the godly and to none other The humor that the wicked receiue froÌ„ the roote serueth to encrease a great deale more chaffe and the chaffe to nourish a bigger fire the is due for a greater quantitie thereof If it were otherwise howe easely might the Apostle be answered and howe soone put to silence when he asketh what part communion 2. Cor 6.19 meaning a good societie is there betweene the faithfull and the infidels Forsooth they haue a fellowship in the participation of Christ in the Sacrament No the spirit of God suffreth no replye The Communion in this supper is two folde In respect of the giuer and the duetie of the receiuers toward him alone and amongst themselues onely The gift of communicating him is offered by grace for who euer gaue him first that it may be giuen him againe Cyril lib. 4. cap. 17. in Iohn And he is receiued by faith send forth thy faith thou hast taken holde on him The communitie which is betwixt the receiuers themselues is by charitie loue Loue seeketh not his owne Loue. and that is loue in deede which is betwixt brethren then when a man loueth another August de temp ser 256. either because Christ is in him or to the ende Christ may be in him And this is a necessary poynt which must also be brought to the worthy receiuing of Christ Some are pale with fasting and blewe with enuie tame their body as it were a wilde horse and ride out of the way wheÌ„ they haue done When you come together there are dissentions among you sayth S. Paul to the Corinthians euery man maketh his supper before he come to the Lords Supper no man tarieth one for another Ye haue made a priuate matter of the publike liturgie church duetie What shall I say shall I praise you in this I praise you not And his not praysing theÌ„ was a marueilous disprayse The rich disdained the poore the poore enuied the rich the head would not direct the foote one member was at variance with an other and yet euery member hath an interest in the next so the last and euery one eche in another and altogether among them selues The candle must not hide it selfe vnder a bushel nor flash in another mans eies being proud that one hath lighted it and litle considering that it self might be burnt or put out and another lighted in his roome Vessels conteine water not for them selues but for others if they refuse their duetie though they are ful they may be emptied There is a more excellent way if men did walke therein and if euery maÌ„ woulde cary his brothers burden The elme vnderproppeth the vine the vine is without prickes and hurteth not but is an ornament to the elme The foot beareth the head and body the head guideth them both Shall an Hebrewe wound an Hebrewe Exod. 1.13 the fathers sonne his brother and the sonne of his mother the seruant his fellowe The worlde that is wtout hateth vs ynough though we that are within hate not our selues The God of loue enflame our coldenesse in charitie mollifie our hard and cruell hearts qualifie and soften all rough and vneuen wayes and dealing Why are we not brethren of the same parent of God in his Church subiectes of one King the Lorde and vnder one Queene a gracious Lady are we not couÌ„trymen and fellowes in one familie haue we not the same hope and spirite haue wee not the same enemies friendes faith and the foode of faith the word and Sacraments Cor. Tacit. in vita Iul. Agric. Cornelius Tacitus reporteth that the olde Britons were easely conquered because they vsed no coÌ„sultation nor common consent in matters The Madianites killeth one an other Iosias fought an vnnecessary battell dyed in the field It is good to be wise and patient wise and constant patient silent in trifles when a man shall but digge in the fire the sparkles flie in his face and no good done Otherwise if a venimous spider come in the way who will not set foot vpon it Yf