the spirituall graces not onelie offered but giuen also vnto vs therin and this likewise to be wrought in vs though our sauiour be in heauen in respect of his bodie Acts. 3.21 Psalm 39.12 we heere as pilgrims strangers on the earth by the wonderfull vnsearchable working of his holie spirit in vs and by the meanes of a liuelie assured faith both which being knit togither doo easilie ioine togither thinges that be as farre asunder in respect of distance of place as one end of the earth is from the other and as farre asunder as heauen and earth themselues are or else how could we either beleeue the holie catholike church and feele the communion of saints seeing it commonlie falleth out that the members of that holie fellowshippe are sundered one of them from another in respect of great distance of place or be assured that Christes righteousnesse is become ours seeing he is in the heauen and wee on the earth if by faith we did not take holde of the same and applie it vnto our selues Besides if men should imbrace this sacramentarie opinion what were it but to euert as the trueth of Christes promises so the certeinetie and assurednesse of his word who in plaine termes calleth this holie sacrament his bodie Wherfore be it far from vs to approoue of anie such dotage as defaceth the trueth of the word derogateth from Christe and vtterlie destroieth our owne faith than which what can be more horrible to heare or fearefull to thinke 2 The second extremitie is that of consubstantiation some affirming that there is deliuered to the people they receiue togither with the substance of bread the verie substance of Christes verie naturall bodie so that there is as it were an intermingling or mixture of both the substances in the action of the supper But this opinion is iustlie to be disliked and reprooued not onelie because of the absurdities which it hath common with the heresie of transubstantiation whereof we will speake in the next place but also because it is quite and cleane contrarie to common sence reason confounding and iumbling togither two seuerall distinct substances and making the lesse to wit the substance of the bread to comprehend the greater that is Christes humane bodie yea euen his verie Godhead heauen and earth is not able to conteine Besides it dooth vtterlie take away an essentiall propertie of Christes bodie Isaiah 66.1 Acts. 7.49.17.21 for if Christ in respect of his humanitie be like vnto vs in all things sinne onelie excepted Hebr. 4.15 and we know by the light of reason vnderstanding that God hath bestowed vpon vs yea by verie experience that our bodies are circumscriptible and tied to a place it must needs follow that Christ in respect of his manhood or Christ as he is man is and must be tied to a place and not be in euery place as he must needs be if these mens assertions be true which is nothing els in deed but vtterlie to destroy Christs body which also I prooue against them thus Whosoeuer taketh away the essentiall propertie of anie thing taketh away also the verie thing it selfe This proposition is prooued by this marime in logike If the definition of a thing which cheeflie consisteth of the essentiall propertie of the thing be taken away then the thing it selfe also defined falleth away as for example If reasonable liuing creature which is the definition of a man be taken away what shall become of man or where shall he appeare which is the thing defined whereof also there is good reason because the essentiall propertie is it that constituteth or maketh the thing Hitherto the maior proposition as we say in schooles with the proofs thereof Now foloweth the minor or second proposition But these men take away the essentiall propertie of a thing to wit of a bodie which is to be circumscriptible or tied to a place which is in deed an essentiall propertie of the bodie of man and therefore of Christes bodie as hee is man whilest they will haue him as he is man in sundrie places at one time If anie man will denie this it may easilie be prooued both by their owne writinges in sundrie places and also by the definition of a bodie which is a quantitie that may be diuided according to the threefold measuring receiued amongest men that is length breadth and thickenesse and likewise by the description of a place which is defined to be a nighnesse or touching of the thing conteining and the thing conteined The conclusion therfore is that in taking away place from the bodie of Christ which they doo whilest they place it in euerie place whereas in the nature thereof it can be but in one place at one time they doo vtterlie destroie the bodie or humanitie of Christ or at the least confound it so with the Godhead as Eutyches did that they make a confusion whereas in all trueth and vprightnesse there shoulde remaine a distinction of the proprieties of either nature in his blessed person But of this inough in this place because it is somewhat philosophicall and because also in the next section we shall haue occasion to deale with the like 3 The third extremitie is that of transubstantiation mainteined altogither by the Romish catholiks as they will be called who hold that the bread and wine the substance thereof vanishing away and nothing being left but the accidents or qualities thereof as in the bread roundnesse whitenesse c and in the wine rednesse moisture c are changed and that by the power of certeine words spoken by the preest as they name him ouer the elements they are turned into the verie naturall bodie and bloud of our sauior Concerning this point and the branches therof I minde to speake both more particularlie and more fullie because it is one of the popish opinions that greatlie at this present troubleth the christian world and namelie our flourishing isle of England and also because in the daies of persecution heeretofore both within this land and elswhere it hath beene the common knife that the wicked haue vsed to cut the throtes of the godlie withall as it were the hatchet to chop off their heads It may be that in this my poore trauel some may be conuerted from falshood to truth and so be saued in the day of Christ or if that gratious effect followe not in the aduersaries yet I hope the friendes and louers of truth shall by this meanes be somwhat staied that they be not caried away with certaine inticing and inchaunting wordes in the mouths of some seducing spirites whom Antichrist Satans eldest sonne hath thrust into the worlde to peruert men from the truth and obedience of God 1 First for the name of Transubstantiation I feare not to affirme that it is verye newe and neuer heard of before the days of pope Innocent the third who was about the yeare of our Lorde 1205
and soule of the church it selfe The veritie and certeintie wherof though it lie in Christ 1. Cor. 1.20 because in him al Gods promises are yea and amen yet the particular applications of the same to our owne harts must come from the powerfull working of the holie spirit But how shall we come to the effectuall feeling of these if the force of the spirit be not shed abrode into our hearts or how can the holie spirit be called the pledge of Gods promises Ephes 1.13 and the earnest penie of our adoption and saluation if that promise of our sauior Christ be not accomplished or how can we find comfort against the feare of death or peace in our consciences against the sight of sinne and iudgement due vnto vs for the same without this Of a truth the remembrance of our dissolution and departure hense this being remooued shall be greeuous and the horrour of hell the iust punishment of our iniquitie will be readie euery houre to ouerwhelme vs. Wee need not stand long vpon this point either this must be true that wee haue the Holie ghost in most abundant measure by the bodilie absence of our sauior Christ giuen to the church as before is said and proued and so a spirituall supplie bestowed vpon vs for a bodiely want that being more excellent than this because the apostle saith that hensefoorth we know no man after the flesh 2. Corinth 5.16 yea though we had knowne Christ after the flesh yet now henseforth know we him no more or else if Christ be heere bodilie present the Holy ghost is not yet come nor the apostles indued with miraculous graces nor the fulnesse of the Gentils gathered in nor the comfort and peace of the church prouided for all which are fearefull to thinke vpon but much more horrible to feele and in deed are quite cleane contrarie to the truth of the word and if we had no more but onlie the second chapter of the Acts of the apostles it were sufficient to ouerthrow the same 6 Sixtlie this assertion dooth not onelie closelie but openlie accuse Christ himselfe of manifest lieng vntrueth who as both the prophets and apostles doo beare witnesse did no sinne Isaiah 53.9 1. Peter 2.22 neither was there any guile found in his mouth He himselfe hath plainlie told vs The poore ye haue alwaies with you Marke 14.7 and when yee will ye may doo them good but me yee shall not haue alwaies And againe elswhere Iohn 14.2 I go to prepare a place for you If this be not blasphemie to doo what we can to taint him with falshood that is both truth it selfe and the author of all truth I know not what is blasphemie And yet this iniquitie staieth not heere for it depriueth vs first of the comfort of the forgiuenesse of sinnes because if our sauiour haue beene tainted with anie manner of iniquitie though neuer so small he cannot be a price and ransome for sin because he that must recommit sinners to God must of necessitie be free from transgression Secondlie it dooth as it were violentlie take and pull from vs the hope that we haue of the heauenlie inheritance For why hath our sauior Christ sundred himselfe for a space from vs as in respect of his bodilie presence not yet leauing vs comfortlesse for he hath giuen vs his spirit to supplie as it were his absence but to the end that we might heereafter in time to come most comfortablie enioye him bothe in bodie and soule for euermore Dooth not hee himselfe say Iohn 16.16 Yet a little while and yee shall not see me and againe a little while and ye shall see me for I go to my father And in another place Though I go to prepare a place for you Iohn 14 3. yet will I come againe and receiue you vnto my selfe that where I am there may yee be also And yet all this notwithstanding superstitious and brainesicke people dare with open mouth affirme that we haue him continuallie with vs here vpon earth and that not in respect of his spirituall power and presence onelie wherevnto we our selues most gladlie yeeld as a verie principall comfort vnto vs in the daies of all our distresses because in that respect as God eternall with his father we beleeue that he filleth all places both in heauen and in earth and is said to be with the beleeuers euen vnto the end of the world Matth. â—3 20 but as in respect of his corporall and bodilie presence also than the which nothing vndoubtedlie can be more false and absurd as hath beene sufficientlie shewed alreadie and plainelie prooued before Now hauing waded thus farre in the trueth and certeinetie of the matter it selfe wee might safelie shut vp and conclude this point but that there remaine sundrie of the aduersaries obiections to be answered wherin I cannot but let the godlie reader vnderstand that I minde not to answer either all of them or manie of them because the most in trueth be friuolous and vaine and it would be ouer tedious to wade into such idle and vnprofitable matter Three there are in deede which because they seeme to be of speciall strength and ordinarie vse I can not let passe Two of them are taken from the words of the text of holie scripture and the third from the omnipotencie and almightie power of our sauiour Christ which though they be common things in deed and such as might as easilie be reiected as obiected because the controuersie is not touching the plaine wordes of the text and the almightie power of Christ as God for be it far from vs to be so absurd as to draw things of such euidency and excellencie into question but we striue rather as for the true sence naturall meaning of the wordes so for the veritie of Christes person and the essentiall properties of either his distincted natures yet we cannot but both for the strengthening of them that be weake and ignorant in the same as also for the discharge of our conscience before God and man but in a word or two as it were make a short but withal a sound sufficient and true answer I hope to euery one of these three seuerallie and by themselues 1 The first place obiected is these words of our sauiour in the gospell after Iohn Except ye eat the flesh of the sonne of man Iohn 6.13 and drinke his bloud ye haue no life in you Weerevnto I answer first that neither these words neither the rest of the chapter can in anie probabilitie or shew of reason properlie be vnderstood of the Lords supper And if we had no more for it but this yet were this sufficient because at that time the supper it selfe was not instituted and ordeined but a long while after as in the euangelists writings dooth plainelie appeare but must rather be referred to our spirituall communicating or partaking with Christ by the meanes of a liuelie
to define the personal vnion not by the effusion or powring foorth of effectual graces but of vertues rather Moreouer vnderstand as large an effusion and powring foorth of giftes and graces into the flesh as possibly a man can I woulde faine see or heare some that coulde tell me how it shal not be a most open blasphemie for a man to affirme that the manhoode may by any meanes wythout robberie be made equall to the godhead What shall become of that sentence so often repeated in the ancient Fathers and olde writers to wit that the Sonne as in respect of his fleshe is lesse than the Father and inferiour vnto him yea and therefore lesse than himselfe and inferiour vnto him selfe because hee is as in respect of his godhead coequall with his Father Wherefore that interpretation is to bee refused as false yea as wholie and altogether sauoring of the heresie of Eutyches An other obiection of the aduersaries They alleadge yet this also The place saye they is not of the substaunce of a bodie and that therefore the substaunce of the body is not abolished though place bee taken away from it The answeare Certainely it would greeue me to the heart to beholde the maintainers of consubstantiation to bee so driuen to their shiftes that by propounding such absurde things they should giue themselues ouer to be scorned of the most popish and grose maintainers of Transubstantiation vpon whose foundation yet notwithstanding they builde vp their owne conceipts sauing that I see euen those very defenders of Transubstantiation themselues who haue bin broght vp with the teats of that most filthie sowe Sarbona to be so thrust to the wall in this point The name of a college in Paris where the popish diuines are maintained that they supposed that with this dirt the truth might be so dawbed ouer He very notably correcteth himselfe that it shoulde not lie open to euery mans eie and sight What woonderfull impudencie and shamelesnes is this beare wyth me brethren and pardon me O yee hearers this my most iust sorrow and greefe for men to deale so sophistically and subtilly in Gods church which is the schoole-house of trueth The worde Bodie in authors referred to two predicaments to wit substance and quantitie but yet in diuers respects Any man indued with reason can hardly be ignorant of this that this worde bodie is somtimes referred to substance and sometimes to quantity Therefore a bodie is sometimes called a corporall or bodilie substaunce consisting of matter forme and substaunce and sometimes it is called that which consisteth of three dimensions or mesurings to wit length bredth and depth So in this question somtimes wee consider Christs bodie as that same materiall substantiall visible and palpable thing which Christ tooke vnto him for our sake and after this sorte verilie quantitie as it is an accident is not parte of that substaunce And sometimes againe wee vse this worde bodie that so that which is defined by that three-fold quantitie may be the better distinguished and knowne The aduersaries must either conclude against reason or else yeelde to the trueth from that which is without quantitie And after this manner verily these men must either prooue that the definition dooth not declare the substance of these thinges which are defined or else they must with vs confesse that a bodie is nothing else but that verye three-folde quantitie continue as they call it that is to say such a quantitie as whose parts are ioined together in a common terme If this be once taken away it cannot be denied but that of necessitie christs true and very bodie must perishe whether wee consider it as it is glorified or as it is set in weaknesse yea Christ himselfe shall be accused of lieng who proueth the truth of his flesh euen after his resurrection by those inseparable accidents that is to say his corporall or bodily quantity He passeth to an other discourse touching the word Place Hitherto wee haue spoken of the bodie nowe let vs see what may be saide touching the place What if out of Augustines plaine and euident woordes wee shoulde saye Take from bodies space of places Augustine they shall be no where and because they shall be no where they shall not bee at all What will they say to this That is true in other bodies will they say but in Christs bodie not so or it agreeth not thereto But I answeare that it dooth most fitlie agree to Christes body of the absence of which from the earth Augustine dooth most properlie reason in that Epistle And truly if it were true that christs body were in diuerse respectes different from ours then he could not be of the selfe same substaunce with vs and like vnto vs in all things sinne onely excepted Hebr. 4.15 He explaneth the question I will adde yet somewhat more that the matter may appeare more plaine though by that which hath beene saide it be euident enough When wee affirme that a place can not be sundered or taken from a body that is from that thing which consisteth of three dimensions or measusurings before mentioned which thing the maintainers of consubstantiation do whē they flee to those same starting holes of his omnipotencie or almightie power which heereafter wee will God willing discouer wee meane not by this woorde place The word place considered after two sortes some peculiar space which by and by may be altered and changed as when Christ departing from one place went to an other for after this sorte this or that place is so euidēt to the body that by most light easy motion one being remoued or taken away another succedeth but we cal a place that same condition or state of a true very instrumentall body wherby it necessarily followeth that whersoeuer the thing it selfe is it must be circumscribed in that place or tied therto neither can it while it is there be in any other place This accident though it be not the verie substance of the body as in respect that the bodie it self is a substance yet verilie as it is a quantity it formeth frameth the body and it is an inseparable accident of the body aswell as of the substance So that there is no man I suppose but hee vnderstandeth how vaine and sophisticall that exception is But say they Christs body walked vpon the waters therefore they do not presently take away the truth of Christes body An other obiection with the answere therto Math. 14.25 c. that attribute vnto it an extraordinary condition or such a state as can not be declared And who I pray you denieth this or any part of it The question is not whether Christ as in respect of his flesh and that in the time of his infirmitye and weaknes also coulde accomplish many things ouer and beside the ordinary lawes of mans nature But this is the question The state of the
much lesse was it confirmed as an article of faith before the Councell of Laterane which was kept and holden in his dayes And though wee might by authoritie of good historiographers make it yet somewhat more new namely that it was not ratified as an article of religion till the Councell kept at Constance a citie so named in Germanie in the dayes of Pope Iohn the 23 which was about the yere of our Lord Garan in sinu Concilio Harding in confut Apolog. 1415. Yet to gratifie them wee wil grant it to be as old as the councel of Lateran in Rome held in the yere 1215 thaÌ„ the which also their own writers will not prescribe further But alas what get they hereby namely that this their dotage and dreame of transubstantiation at the least in the name of it hath not so manie gray haires on the head or yeares on the backe of it as they would beare the world in hand it hath for as by computation it may appeare it is but 300 do yeres old Neither wil that shift serue that they flee to here to wit that though the terme were not till then yet the matter was before A verie likelie thing forsooth as though the fathers of the Greeke and Latin churches so well skilled in those seuerall languages had not bin able aswel to haue deliuered the word as the matter In points of greater consequence than this by farre they hadde their peculiar and significant words as trinitie harmonously hypostasis and such like and yet in this they must faile forsooth to the end that the glorie of new inuention or forgerie rather may bee ascribed to some other But to conclude â—his point If papists vnder a false cloke of â—oueltie will not spare to reiect not onely olde but good and true things also then much more may we and that vppon good ground refuse this fantasie not onelie because it is new but also bicause it is false as shal god willing hereafter more fullie appeare 2 Howbeit that there is a chaunge no man of sound iudgement I thinke dooth or will denie but that is not in respect of the nature of the thinges themselues for the elements of bread and wine remaine in their owne proper peculiar substance wherof not only al men may be sufficient witnesses but almost all the senses of euery man as sight taste feeling c but this mutation is made in regarde of the vse and ende wherevnto they are applied because that they are by the Lordes owne institution and appointment separated from the common vse yea as it were froÌ„ common bread and wine and applied not onlie to a holy vse whilest they are vsed in holie assemblies wyth sanctified and religious mindes but dedicated also to holie endes that is to saye to ratifie and confirme our Faith in the trueth of Gods promises and to be sure seales and pledges to our consciences of holy things to wit of christs body and bloud and of the effects and fruits that by his death passion wee receiue But that this chaunge shoulde be wrought by any words as they say of consecration I am so farre off from allowing it as true that I am verily persuaded that they speake they knowe not what because it is not yet resolued not onely amongst the doctors of their side as Bessarian Biel Bonauenture Catharin Durand Scotus and others which be the words of coÌ„secratioÌ„ or with which words Christ and the priest by his example maketh the bread Christs body but because a pope himselfe who hath the fulnes of all knowledge in his breast and cannot erre if all bee true that they affirme I meane Pope Innocent the third Innocent de saâ—r altar myster lib. 4. cap. 6. a great fauourer and furtherer of such fantasies coulde not well tell how to resolue it as appeareth by his writings Yea in ascribing mutation and change of things to a forme of wordes vttered by the mouth of a mortall man they blasphemoussy robbe God of that glorie which is due vnto him alone Psalm 148.5 For to him onelie it belongeth to speake the woorde and to haue thinges made and giue it to an other to whom it at no hand appertaineth And if words be so strong in the one Sacrament as to turne bread into Christes body and wine into his bloud what reason is there that the wordes of institution vttered by the same person I meane the priest with intent also to consecrat it shold not alter the element of water in the other sacrament to wit of Baptisme and be so strong and powerfull as to make the same the very true and naturall bloud of our Sauiour Christ But let them say what they will For mine owne parte I rest resolute in this that this assertion and their whole action in consecration sauoureth verye stronglie of a magicall incantation and I am so muche the more confirmed in this because the Papistes reioycing as inchaunters and sorcerers doo in theyr odde numbers haue added one woorde that is to saye enim which is not in the Greeke or Latine textes Missali Roman ex decreto concil Trident. restitutum Pij quinti iussu editum pa. 23. col â— to the wordes of institution sayeng Hoc est enim corpus meum as may appeare in their misfall or masse booke and that not their old ones onelie but in one newlie furbished by the decree of the councel of Trent and published abroad to beholde the light like an vntimelie birth by the authoritie and commandement of Pope Pius the fift 3 And as the noueltie of this fained fantasie of transubstantiation is a brand good enough to worke the discredit thereof euen as though it had beene bored thorow the eare or worne a paper for forgerie and deceit so the grosse and palpable absurdities which follow the same opinion are sufficient and strong enough of themselues to make it out of credit with all persons indued with holie wisedome and right vnderstanding and to cause theÌ„ to esteeme of it not onely as a thing false and eronious but very vngodlie and blasphemous also To reckon vp all or largelie to discourse vppon the particulars neither is it my purpose neither is it almost possible so fertile a soile is this point in falshoode and yet I minde to touch some and that in suche sorte also as the vanitie and falshoode of this greate corruption may thereby easilie appeare to all suche as will not be wilfully blinded or stoppe their eies and eares at the brightnes and sound of truth At the least my hope and persuasion is that though I preuaile not either with the malicious blinde or simple ignorant yet I shall confirme and strengthen my brethren who together with me as in many other pointes of our christian religion so in this haue embraced the truth of God to our coÌ„forts 1 First I saye that this assertion of Transubstantiation or reall presence of Christes naturall bodie dooth
aunsweared as which indeede if it bee well weighed is not onelie vntrue as in respect of it selfe because though glorification implie a most excellent and heauenlie estate dooth not yet for all that destroye the essentiall properties of bodies glorified but most absurde and false also as in regard of vs. For if the glorification of Christs bodie haue remooued or taken awaye that essentiall propertie to witte that it shoulde truelie and indeede bee tied vnto a place then the like shall bee perfourmed and the same effect followe in all the glorified bodies of the faithfull after the resurrection because our Sauiour hath not onelie glorified his owne bodie for himselfe hee rising therein a mightie conquerour ouer death and hell and nowe triumphantlie ruling and raigning in the heauens in all maiestie but for our sakes also hath atchieued that greate honour wee hauing from him this assured promise in his worde Philip. 3.21 that God shal chaunge our base and vile bodies that they may bee fashioned like vnto his glorious bodie according vnto the mightie working whereby hee is able to subdue all things vnto himselfe But to saye that our bodies glorified after the rising againe of the same in the generall day of iudgement shall be euery where a rashe and vncertaine yea a beastlie and blasphemous assertion because it ascribeth that vnto vs which is proper and peculiar onelie to GOD for vnto hym alone it perteineth to fill heauen earth and all places alwayes and at one tyme as infinite places of Scripture doo plainelie prooue therefore this opinion also concerning Christes glorified bodie beeing euerie where or in infinite places at one time must of necessitie be suche likewise 4 Fourthlie it dooth directlye destroy and as it were at one blowe blotte out and deface all those Articles of our moste pretious Faith and Christian religion whych doo concerne Christes assured ascension into Heauen hys maiesticall sitting at the right hande of the Father and his glorious comming agayne from thence together wyth that infinite number of moste playne places of GODS holie woorde that out of the writinges of the Prophetes and Apostles may bee drawen for the proofe of those moste comfortable and necessarie pointes To deale wyth euerye one of these by themselues shortely and in fewe woordes I woulde faine knowe if our Sauiour Christ be here vpon earth in respect of his bodilye power and presence howe hee can iustlie as in regarde of the same hys bodye bee sayde to haue ascended into Heauen Or let them tel vs if hee remaine wyth vs in hys flesh how hee can bee truelye saide in hys manhoode to sitte at the right hande of hys Father in Heauen Or howe it can bee in religion or reason affirmed that our Sauiour shall come from Heauen with great power and glorie to iudge the quick and the dead seeing he is here on earth already The Scripture telleth vs for his ascension Actes 1.9 that in the sight and beholding of the blessed Apostles yea whiles they looked stedfastly towards heauen he was taken vp Let them shew so much for his bodilie abode vpon earth and proue it by such substantiall witnesse and wee are readie to yeelde Besides we knowe by the worde and therefore beleeue it that as he was seene go into heauen Actes 1.10 so shall he come againe but hee was seene to ascend thither bodilie and therefore so shall hee returne from thence againe I suppose they will not saye that our Sauiour had two bodies one that hee tooke wyth him an other that hee left heere for that were to make him altogether monstrous and men scrupulous none knowing in whether of them hee perfourmed the work of their redemption And to saye that that one blessed bodie of his was diuided is as absurde and erronious because it can not be so but that the whole bodie it selfe must be impaired and mangled at the least if not destroyed and so the woorke of saluation ouerthrowne To stand vpon anie naked interpretation touching the right hand of God will not serue their turne for there being nothing meant thereby in this article of our beleefe but the great glorie that is in heauen prepared for the saints and that most excellent blessednesse that belongeth to them whereof our sauior Christ was in a most full measure made by his ascention into heauen as in respect of his humanity absolute partaker what could they gaine Doo they imagine that it would heervpon insue that Christ should be euerie where and by consequent on earth but they are deceiued for why doo they not as well consider the word sitting which implieth locall residence in a place or doo they not know and beleeue that heauen it selfe is not euerie where but locall rather or will they not see that without warrant of the word yea contrarie to the same which in sundrie places opposeth heauen and earth one of them against another or sence of humane iudgement they iumble and confound them togither Reason will lead vs to this that none can be said to goe vp into the place where he is or to come downe from it when he remaineth there And though wee minde not to subiect our sauior speciallie as in respect of his eternall Godhead to humane sence yet by the same we may and ought to be ledde not to destroy the essentiall properties of his manhood Now then whether shall wee beleeue this trueth of the Lord or mens fantasies that go about to peruert our persuasions and deceiue our vnderstandings Let men of the worlde deeme what they lust this is the truth that God hath sanctified vnto vs in his word and I doo stedfastlie beleeue it in my heart and will throgh Gods goodnesse and strength alwaies confesse the same with my mouth that from the very time of Christes ascension into Heauen Acts. 3 2â— The Heauens must conteine his naturall bodie vntill the time that all things be restored that is euen to the worlds end 5 Fiftlie I say that this opinion dooth vniustlie depriue vs of all such spirituall graces and comforts for our consciences as God the father in his sonne Christ by sending the Holie ghost the third person in the deitie hath not onelie promised but in good time wil performe and bestow vpon the whole church generallie and euerie sound particular member of the same yea if we wey it well we shall finde that it is the ruine and bane of the church it selfe both in the whole bodie of it and in the seuerall parts Our sauior himselfe in most plaine and expresse terms faith Iohn 16.7 I tel you the truth it is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the comforter will not come vnto you but if I depart I will send him vnto you Hee that knoweth anie thing of truth is well acquainted with this that generallie all the word but most especiallie the comfortable promises conteined in the same be as it were the life
and stedfast faith apprehending the word generallie and applieng particularlie vnto our selues all the gracious and sweet promises that the Lord hath made and offered vnto vs therein which may plainelie appeare to be most true partlie because he persisteth by a continuall thread of speech as it were in the metaphor of bread or meat mentioned before vers 26.27 vsing also for that purpose as euerie man may easilie perceiue sundrie borrowed speeches agreeing well to the circumstance of the matter wherein he was to deale which he would not or needed not to haue doone if he had meane so groslie or carnallie as these men fantasie and partlie because he speaketh so often not of eating onelie but also of beleeuing as verse 35.40 which can not be properlie attributed to anie outward or materiall thing such as the bodie and flesh of Christ then was and is but to inward and spirituall matters which as it may be gathered by sundrie places of holie scripture Rom. 8.24 the apostle affirming that hope that is seene is no hope for how can a man hope for that which hee seeth 2. Cor. 5.7 and that we walke by faith and not by sight Hebr. 11.1 yea and that faith it selfe is the ground of things which are hoped for and the euidence of thinges which are not seene so also may it be prooued euen by the verie nature of faith which being a spirituall and inward qualitie giuen vs of God Philip. 1.29 Iohn 4.24 who is nothing else but spirit trueth and wrought in vs by spirituall meanes as the word sacraments outwardlie and the Holie ghost inwardly in our hearts must also of necessitie be directed to spirituall inward things But let vs for reasoning sake grant that the place were to be vnderstood of the holie supper yet doth it not for all that establish anie grosse and carnall eating of the naturall flesh or bodie of our sauiour Christ because if that were so then had not our sauiour sufficientlie answered the Capernatts or Iewes of Capernaum who vainelie dreaming and doting of such a grosse and carnall manducation or eating Iohn 6.52 said How can this man giue vs his flesh meaning thereby that it was altogither impossible and vnnaturall both in respect of himselfe and in regard of them also because it was seldome or neuer heard of except it were amongst the Anthropophagi that men did willinglie giue their flesh to be food vnto others or that others did eat the same but had rather yeelded vnto them in that their conceipt which besides that it conteineth an errour in religion and nature as before hath beene shewed is quite and cleane contrarie to the purpose of Christ in that place and closelie accuseth him as though either in ignorance he could not or in an euill minde he would not haue instructed them in their blindnesse all which are horrible to heare blasphemous to speake and beastlie to thinke Besides if that corrupt sence should be allowed marke what a Sea of absurdities woulde insue therevpon As first in what a miserable estate shoulde wee leaue the holie Fathers of the olde couenaunts who were longe before the time of Christes taking our flesh vpon him therefore could not eat it and so by consequent could not be saued Matth. 8.11 And yet our sauiour in plaine termes affirmeth that they were in the kingdome of heauen And S. Paule also saith 1. Cor. 20.3.4 that they did all eat the same spirituall meat that wee doo and did all drinke the same spirituall drinke that we doo which word spirituall would be marked as directlie opposite to grosse carnall or bodilie eating plainelie also proouing that betwixt their sacraments and ours there was no difference at all as in respect of substance and effect sauing only that theirs were in time before ours euen as they themselues also were and instituted in other outward elements than ours Secondlie in what a miserable case condition should we put poore infants speciallie of the beleeuers if they should be taken away by death before that cōming to the yeers of discretion they could communicat or partake in that holie sacrament One of these two grosse absurdities must needs follow therevpon yea be granted also vnlesse men wil be stifnecked in error to wit either that infants must haue the holie communion ministred vnto them which thing in deed Augustine did once fantasticallie imagine as appeareth by manie places of his works notwithstanding all that papists say to cleere him therof But S. Paule is flatlie against it who will haue none admitted thereto 1. Corinth 11.28 2. Corinth 13. but such as can examine trie themselues whether they be in the faith or no which infants cannot doo as all men may plainlie perceiue not onlie because they want reason as in the practise therof but speciallie because they be void of faith which ordinarilie commonlie is bestowed vpon the faithfull Rom. 10.17 by hearing the woord preached as the apostle saith or els that with out it they are all condēned already which is verie absurd beastlie not onlie because it tieth grace yea the grace of saluation to the sacrament by the worke wrought than the which what can be more vnresonable for so good and bad hauing the outward signe shall also haue the thing it selfe to wit eternall life but also because it abolisheth as Gods eternall election whereby he hath chosen those that be his in Christ to life euerlasting before the foundations of the world were laied so his gratious and continuall couenant made to vs that he will be a louing God and mercifull father to vs and to our seed for euer Genesis 17.7 by which couenant also we are assured euen of his good will and fauor towards vs in Christ By all this we may see that euen for the auoiding of these absurdities and manie such like the place of the sixt of Iohn can at no hand he vnderstood either of the sacrament or of the carnall eating of Christes bodie in the same or of anie such grosse thing whatsoeuer but of the apprehension or laieng holde of him togither with the particular application of him to our selues by the hand or instrument of faith who euen for that purpose is propounded and set foorth vnto vs by the ministerie of his word and Gospell or if the aduersaries will needs haue it so offered vnto vs in the vse of the supper because that though the thinges bee diuerse representing him vnto vs as the word and sacraments yet there is in that respect but one meane giuen vs to take holde of him by euen as he himselfe is but one Christ that in these sundrie things is exhibited vnto vs and that is that great grace and gift of faith which we must vse in in the word and sacraments as men doo in the apprehending of Christes righteousnesse which righteousnesse of his though it be not essentiallie dwelling in vs yet it
Eutyches affirmed that Christ had but one nature that is to say diuine or of God like as hee was but one person Hee was about the yeere 450 as some think His error was condemned in the Ephesine councell Nestorius deemed our sauior to be God Hee was as some suppose about the yeere 419. so we also say and affirme that Christ consisteth of two natures of which one is the Godhead and the other is the manhood By the way I will speake this thing that we are constreined to vse new speeches that we may auoid new errors or els old ones new polished and trimmed with which manie men at this daie do intangle snare themselues for as in proper place heerafter we will shew there haue risen sprong vp within our remembrance certeine men who renewing partlie the error of Eutyches partlie of Nestorius haue in stead of the word Godhead brought in diuinitie and therfore we are inforced to distinguish Godhead from diuinitie And verilie Paule spake not rashlie where hee saith that the fulnes of the godhead dwelleth in Christ where he vseth also Colloss 2.9 not the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is diuinitie but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is deitie or Godhead The Gretians do in their termes more fitlie expresse religion than the Latinists for the Gretians I know not by what meane do much better and more effectuallie expresse these things than the Latins doo as also in this argument or matter I would more gladlie willingly for plainnesse sake say and vse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is hominitas if it be lawfull to speake so in Latine or as you would say mans nature or the verie state and condition of mans nature rather than humanitie or manhood Then we perceiue vnderstand that in Christes person there are two substances to wit the Godhead and the manhood Athanasius as we say So speaketh Athanasius in that famous confession of his saieng that he was consubstantiall that is of the selfe same substance with the father and as he himselfe expoundeth it God of the substance of the father and man of the substance of his mother that is of the same substance that we are Afterwards the church vsed the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Synodus Chalcedonensis that is nature We confesse saith the Chalcedon synod that the sonne consisteth of two natures Neither in deed was the terme nature vnaduisedlie vsed or rashlie taken vp albeit it if we would narrowlie consider the propertie of the word the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is nature dooth not agree to the diuinitie for it is deriued or commeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The reasons moouing the fathers to vse the word Nature to be borne or sprong vp which agreeth well to a thing created but not to God himselfe the creator Wherefore this seemeth to be the reason which led and mooued the fathers to vse this word because they reasoned and disputed against Eutyches by whome not onelie the verie natures themselues but also the proprieties of the natures were confounded and shuffled togither Now because Eutyches did mainteine and defend both these errors and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dooth beside the substance comprehend and set out the proprieties also by which proprieties that nature is defined and made to differ from others therefore it seemeth that the fathers vsed the word nature In summe let vs resolue vpon this and set it downe as an vndoubted truth that when we say Christ consisteth of two natures we mean his deitie and humanitie that is his Godhead and mans nature Let vs now come to the word Person Touching the terme person The later writers haue called that person which the former called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Latine writers haue reteined and kept in vse this word person Now amongst diuines and in their writings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is substance and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is person are distinguished after this sort Substance and person distinguished vnder the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the plurall number are meant the persons which are in the cōmon essence or being hauing the proprietie ioined therevnto whereby one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a person is separated or distinguished from the other and by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is substance God or the Godhead it selfe is signified and meant but the Father the sonne and the Holie spirit are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is persons Neither was it rashlie or vnaduisedlie doone that the church hath vsed the name of person Boetius which Boêtius hath defined thus saieng that it is the communicate propertie of a reasonable substāce because many did throgh very great error freelie indifferentlie vse these two words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for one and the selfe same thing So the Latine writers for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or person vsed and said substance euen as the logitians are woont so to call it wherfore that this doubtfulnesse might be auoided the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 began to be vsed Now let vs speake more plainlie what we call person or meane by that name when we intreat of Christ whether that which is as it were compounded of the Godhead taking and of the flesh taken so that if it might be lawfull for vs to diuide Christ into his parts one part of his person should be his Godhead and the other part his manhood Christes manhood cannot properlie be called a person and the cause therof Not so at anie hand for Christ is not said or called a person properlie in respect of his humanitie or manhood but of his diuine nature onelie and yet that not to be separated from his manhood This is the cause or reason thereof If Christes humane nature had beene before it was taken of the diuine nature that is to say of the word there should then be an vnton of two persons and not of two natures and therfore Christ should be a person compact of two persons whervpon would insue manie absurd vnprofitable yea altogither wicked vngodlie matters whereof nowe there is neyther time nor place to speake Therefore thus it must be determined that the diuine nature tooke on it the humane nature forming and fashioning it and euen whiles it was formed and fashioned to haue taken it vnto it selfe that is to saie that Christes humane nature was neuer extant or had beeing but in the Godhead wherfore the humane nature in Christ Christ as hee is God is a person his godhead is a nature as also his manhood is not a person but the humanitie subsisteth and hath his being in this person of the word and therfore Christ is not either in imagination or in deede a double person but one person consisting of two natures For the word is
absurde and detestable bicause as the Poet saieth while fooles auoid some vices or faults they ru◠into others Nestorius whose heresie what it was is opened before For Nestorius interpreted these wordes the word became flesh after this manner that is to saie the godhead of the Sonne of God did most plentifullie and fullie powre foorth the power and force therof into that flesh which it tooke The absurditie of the former interpretation Which interpretation if it be true Christ is not God but diuine or as you woulde say god-like or heauenlie and though he be the most excellent amongest saints and holie ones yet hee is not to be worshipped neither to be accounted as a Sauiour Whereas notwithstanding Paule attributeth vnto Christ Coloss 2. ◠not the fulnesse of the diuinitie but the fulnesse of the deitie or godhead and to be both GOD and man which is a proper title to our sauiour Christ is far different from this to be one that beareth or carrieth God So that Nestorius maketh Christ God not by the vnion of the very hypostasis or person of the word but accounts him as most diuine onely by the presence comming force or by the effusion or spreding abrode of gifts and beside that loosing or destroying Christs person he maketh him a mere or only man he placeth also the person in his flesh a manhood whereas on the other side the fleshe taken is sustained and vpholden in and by the godhead taking it Eutyches heresie confuted Eutyches falling into the contrarie error thought that by these words Three most grosse errors flowing from Eutyches his heresie the word was made or became flesh this was meant that the person or hypostasis of the word was changed into flesh and for the vniting of the natures he substituted or established the abolishing of the Godhead that is to say darknesse for light in which matter he was most foulie deceiued for beside that the Godhead is vnchangable it would follow if that were true which Eutyches affirmeth that the word ceased to be God so soone as it was made or became flesh because that that which was changed ceased to be that which it was as when Moses rod was changed into a serpent it ceased to be a rod Exod. 4.2 and began to be a serpent Aristotle euen as Aristotle teacheth that by the depriuing or taking away of one forme another is brought in But if the abolishing or taking away be denied that a mingling a mixture may be established whether it be of the natures themselues it is of the Godhead and the manhood or of the properties of either nature then will insue that which is more absurd than the former to wit that Christ is neither God nor man but a certeine third thing compacted of both as the drinke called Mulsum made of wine and honie sodden together is neither wine nor honie alone but a certaine matter compounded or made of them both and what can be imagined more woonderfull and monstrous than these errors The right interpretation of some words profitable to confute sundrie errours But all these errours are both most shortlie and also most soundlie confuted if the worde of assuming or taking bee rightlie expounded that is by the comparing or conferring of other places of the Scripture Wherefore declare at the length will some saie The personall vnion what it is what is the hypostaticall or personall vnion in Christ It is the taking of mans nature which is susteined or vpholden of the diuine nature that is to say such a taking or vniting that there proceedeth or commeth out of that vniting but one subsistence or being onelie in which subsistence that diuine nature that is to saie the person of the worde beareth swaie or ruleth I repeate this againe The hypostaticall or personall vnion is that from which reboundeth or proceedeth our hypostasies or person for the more plaine manifesting and declaring whereof the fathers haue vsed the similitude of the bodie and the soule Athanasius Athanasius who was a most constant defender and stout maintainer of this truth being chiefly the author thereof A similitude Wherefore as a certaine soule beeing ioyned to a certain bodie maketh one certaine person as Peter Paule Iohn So that eternall worde of the Father tooke vnto it that flesh of the virgine that is to saye made the same so proper vnto it selfe that from hence commeth and proceedeth that person whiche is called Christ It appeareth plainelie vnto vs out of the wordes of Christ in the tenth chapiter of the gospel according to Iohn Iohn 10.18 that we must needes consider this mystery or sectet after this sort Christ there saith I haue power to lay downe my soule or life and to take it againe For necessary is it that Christ shoulde so speake either secretlie in respect of his bodie The place of Iohn 10. expounded which cannot be vnderstood either of the or in respect of his soule or else in respect of his bodie and soule together or else distinctly and plainely in respect of his godhead Christ coulde not so saye in respect of the bodie considered by it selfe Bodie alone because the body is not said to laie downe a soule or to take it againe because so excellent an action cannot be attributed to an instrumēt that which is rather subiect to the soule or Soule alon◠But is it in respect of the soule it self considered by it selfe No indeede for then Christ shoulde rather haue saide I haue power to lay downe my selfe a soule and to take vp againe my selfe a soule Verily in the resurrection the soule is not taken vp againe but the bodie therefore these words cannot be ascribed to Christ either in respect of his bodie onelie or in respect of his soule onely or of them both togither What then is it in respect of them both together No rather necessarie is it that wee referre it to some third thing which may be saide to laie downe and to take vp his soule Wherefore Christ so spake according to his deitie and when hee saieth but of the godhead that he hath power to laie downe his life and to take it againe he dooth againe open that mysterie or secret which wee handle For the verie natures indeede so ioyned together are in suche sorte sette out that not two things but one alone is established and that without confusion yet so that the one nature beareth rule And it is meete to be marked that Christ saieth I haue power to laie downe not euery soule but mine owne Wherefore this cannot so be taken nor referred to this end that God should be the lord of all being things but he sheweth that that soule of his which he would lay down take again was otherwise his soule than other mens soules are theirs How then is it Christes soule will some men say Verily by personall vnion The scripture saith
the party baptized and in the Lords supper bread wine with the rites and orders that christ himselfe ordained And this againe by a double manner of speech for sometimes vnder this worde there are meant onely the outward signes as when Augustine affirmeth August that the wicked do eate Christ as in respect of the sacrament And somtimes it is vsed for the signes ioyned with the very thing it selfe signified as when Irenaeus saith Irenaeus that the sacrament consisteth of two things one heauenlie and the other earthlie for hee calleth the heauenlie thing the body and bloud of christ and the earthlie the bread and the wine and all that together hee nameth the sacrament And this much concerning the word it selfe or the name sacrament Let vs now at the length come to the matter Sith nowe therefore that euerie sacrament is a signe wee must needes put the word Sacrament in the predicament of relation or relatiues as the logicians call them that is amongst such things as haue mutuall respectes one of them to an other And sith relation must needes be amongest sundrie thinges which haue mutuall respect one of them to an other wee must therefore of necessitie confesse that in the sacraments there is a signe and the thing signified Neyther when I deliuer these 2 parts which indeed do meete or wherof in truth al sacraments do consist do I shut out the word August Let the worde saith Augustine come vnto the element and it shal become a sacrament I do not therefore exclude or shut out the worde which is as it were the life soule of either of the parts and to which the sacraments themselues as wee haue saide before are adioyned as seales And thus farre foorth euen they agree with vs which otherwise doo most of all dissent from vs. Wherefore lette vs nowe see which bee those signes and which bee those thinges signified for in this point we doo not all agree Wee call water the signe in Baptisme and the thing signified we call Christs bloud by the washing whereof we hauing obtained forgiuenes of sinnes and being mortified in our flesh we are saued But concerning baptisme I will not nowe say anie more In the supper certainelie there are two signes or rather signes of two sortes For some of them are certaine materiall and substantiall signes as for example the bread and wine other-some are actions and sacramentall rites which are not for all that vaine or superfluous acts but haue there certaine sacramentall consideratton and respect from the Lordes institution of whiche point wee will speake heereafter I say then that in the Lordes supper these are outward materiall visible and as you would say palpable signes that God hath annected vnto his word euen the bread and wine This the Papistes denie as who after that they haue confessed that the sacraments doo consist of a signe and a thing signified doo yet notwithstanding afterwardes take the bare accidents of bread and wine as coulour forme and such like for the signes themselues for they maintaine that in the Lords supper there remaineth not the substāce of bread and wine but that that vanisheth away that there cōmeth in the place thereof the substance of the Lords bodie and bloud Therefore in their iudgement the signes shall be the accidents And which I beseech you Forsooth whitenesse roundnes and rednesse if they consecrate red wine which accidents they doo by a new name call kind shew or forme Augustine But as Augustine rightlie teacheth Vnlesse there were a certeine analogie proportion and agreement betweene the things signified the signes themselues they could not be counted sacraments Now betweene accidents substances there is no agreement therefore the sacraments as they call them shal not be sacraments for it behooueth the signes so to agree with the things signified that they may represent to mēs minds that which they signifie I will speake somewhat more plainelie A similitude If admonishing some one I would haue him with his eies to behold and with his mind to cōceiue a man I will not set before him the image of a horsse or of an oxe to looke vpon because that outward shape or forme of an horsse or of an oxe cannot beget in his mind the conceit portrature or image of a man although all these things that is to say man horsse oxe c. are referred to one generall word or terme to wit liuing creature much lesse then shall the shape of an herbe or forme of an horsse bring to my minde and memorie the forme or shape of a man and least of all others shall those accidents which are void of all substance as whitenesse rednesse roundnesse c. call to my remembrance things that in deed are to wit the bodie bloud of Christ In that papists make the accidents of the elements the signes of the sacraments there followeth three absurdities therevpon But it was the Lords purpose in his supper to offer vnto our mindes and thoughts the verie food of our soules that is to say Christes bodie deliuered to death for vs and his bloud shed for the forgiuenes of our sinnes betweene which and those accidents there is no proportion and agreement whereas yet notwithstanding bread and wine the verie food of our bodies in deed doo most fitlie euen set before our verie eies almost that same spirituall nourishment that we must haue from him And sith no man can be fed by accidents how can such accidents then represent that same eternall food Furthermore though by the meanes of some accidents materiall things may be set before our eies yet all accidents doo not belong to or agree with euerie matter for manie both white and round things may be beheld which shall not for all that represent a bodie and who hath told them that the bread which Christ brake and gaue vnto his disciples was white or round in such sort as they bake it and make it Therefore the true signes of Christes bodie and bloud are the verie bread and the verie wine which thing the apostle declareth 1. Corinth 10.16 saieng The bread which we breake is the communion or partaking of the bodie of Christ and the cup that we blesse is the partaking of the bloud of Christ And that same consubstantiation or transubstantiation is a filthie forgerie and deuise of satan Now let vs come to the thing signified and first wee will declare Enemies to truth are of two sorts that is ignorant and malicious what manner and kinde of signification this is that wee speake of For this is obiected against vs partlie by some that know not what is deliuered and taught in our churches and partlie by other some that doo maliciouslie slander vs that wee saie wee set out to be beheld in the sacraments as it were a vaine picture or a certeine dead image that maie stir vp in vs the remembraunce of Christ when yet notwithstanding
lesse hard sharpe against vs than the verie papistes themselues who will haue the thing signified that is to say the verie bodie of Christ so to be ioined with or vnder or in the bread that in that verie place where that bread is there must also be the bodie of Christ which in like sort is to be vnderstood also touching the wine and the bloud of Christ If a man then should demand where is the verie bodie bloud of Christ in the action of the supper A grosse absurditie or two following consubstantiation if wee will answere according to their opinion we must say that it is truelie and in deed in our hands and in our mouth and therfore certeinelie vnlesse it presentlie vanish away within this bodie of ours with in or vnder the verie signes of the bread the wine being eaten and drunken Now we will shew and that by reasons not fet from humane philosophie as our aduersaries vntrulie say we vse such but from the verie word of God it selfe Two things to be handled viz. the confutation of the aduersaries the maintenance of the truth that this consubstantiation as we may trulie call it is no lesse absurd and erronious than transubstantiation as also that that communion or partaking which out of the pure word of God we propound and teach in our churches is a most secret and diuine matter Wherefore our iudgement is quite cleane contrarie to either of those opinions before rehearsed To begin we hold that such things as are spoken of the sacraments must be vnderstood sacramentallie For what I pray you is or can be more vpright than to haue all thinges spoken rightlie vnderstood and perceiued as the nature of that matter will beare whereof there is question A similitude or two explaning the point he hath in hand Certeinelie such thinges as the lawiers speake touching the law must be vnderstood euen as they are vsed in that verie science of the law and we must needs giue the selfe same iudgement of all things and arts whatsoeuer Such thinges therefore as are taught and deliuered touching the sacraments must be sacramentallie vnderstood What manner of coniunction then is the coniunction or knitting togither of the signe and the thing sacramentallie signified Verilie it is sacramentall The signes therfore and the things are ioined togither by that relation or respect which is betweene the signes and the thinges signified which yet once againe I doo most plainelie declare after this maner When we heare some man speaking vnto vs in the toong we vnderstand the words that come to our eares and strike them doo verie liuelie represent that vnto our mindes for the expressing and signification whereof they were vsed Another similitude For example as soone as we heare the word Rome presentlie wee thinke vpon that citie If a man name Cesar or the emperour Cesar or the emperour presenlie commeth to our memorie The reason whereof verilie is that that is well deliuered and taught in schooles to wit such thinges as are in the voice or words are signes of the affections that are in the soule or minde There is the selfe same consideration to be had of the sacraments for the sacraments are nothing else but visible words that is representing through our eies vnto our mindes things signified as words heard doo by our eares conuey vnderstanding to our minds likewise Therfore these visible sacraments of bread wine bring to passe that when I see and receiue that bread and that wine ioined with the word of God I doo withall conceiue in my mind and vnderstand that bodie that was giuen for me and that bloud that was shed for me as though I were led or carried euen vnto the thing it selfe being present And because I am commanded not onelie to looke vpon these signes with mine eies but also to take them Math. 26.26.27 eat them drinke them therefore dooth the faithfull minde euen lay hold of and applie vnto himselfe those things so signefied as they are deliuered and offered Touching which point we will largelie discourse in the fourth place to wit when we shall come to handle this question how both the signes and the thinges signified are receiued of vs whereas now we onelie dispute or speake touching the sacramentall coniunction of the signes themselues Two errours mainteined by the aduersaries with the thing signified Such as are not content with this sacramentall coniunction fall into a double errour not onelie that they doo in a a great and grosse errour verilie establish a real vnion of the signes with the things signified of which we haue spoken before but also they further adde this that euen in that verie place wheresoeuer the signes are offered to such as come to communicate there is present the flesh and the bloud of Christ that is to say they would haue vs confesse that euen his verie humanitie or manhood is in deed present there and is to be receiued or taken by bodily instruments As for vs we affirme that Christ in respect of his manhood The substance of that we are to know or beleeue touching the coniunction of the signes with the things signified in the Lords supper euen as when he was vpon the earth was no where else but in that verie place where he was conuersant so now he is not anie where else but aboue all heauens into which he ascended and that therefore he is not now togither with the signes offered to the bodie but togither with the signes truelie deliuered and giuen to the beleeuing soule euen as by the word we heare it and by the signe we see it Now it remaineth that we doo by some reasons fet from the word of GOD well wey and consider whether they or we swarue from the truth The first reason Rom. 1.3 Rom. 9.5 Galath 4.4 Philip. 2.7 Hebr. 2.16 Iohn 16.7.28 Matth. 28.20 Acts. 1.9 The holie scripture witnesseth that the sonne of God did personallie take vnto himselfe a true and verie bodie The selfe same scripture dooth attribute vnto the flesh of our sauiour Christ assumed and that both before and after the glorification thereof such things as doo plainelie prooue the truth of a naturall bodie as that he came that he went away that he was sometimes present and sometimes absent These things then doo of necessitie follow the trueth of Christes bodie which if a man take from it he must also needs take away the truth of the manhood of Christ and so come at the length to the heresie of the Marcionits or Dokits Marcionits or Dokits they were called Marcionits of one Marcion whose principall error was this that Christ did not appeare indeed and suffer indeed c. vpon the crosse but in phantasie or ghostlike apparition Concerning Dokitiae see homil 1. before going Tertullian wrote most learnedlie against this Marcion But these things are manifestlie taken away by their opinion who say that
it it was not bread onlie but his bodie also Wherefore they must of necessity confes that these words This is my bodie these againe This bread is my bodie meane and signifie all one thing which not onlie all the ancient fathers do affirme in innumerable places Luther Brentius but Luther in manie places and Brentius also both in his booke called Syntagma and in his catechisme likewise Seluerieus Eberus yea Seluericus Eberus doo as it were in so many words testifie also this truth If yet notwithstanding they will haue euen the bodie vnited to the bread to be shewed out thereby I answer they must of necessitie then admit the trope or figure Synecdoche and that therefore the institution of Christ or the words of the institution can not be vnderstood without a trope or figure He proueth the aduersaries to fall into that which they dislike in others And what man that is in his right wits shall they persuade that the word bodie can at one the selfe same time be spoken of the bread of the bodie without an other Synedoche also And this you see what they haue gained who thinke it and publish it in others to be a horrible heresie by a trope or figure to vnderstand the words of the supper wheras they themselues are inforced and found out to make a double trope or figure Now let vs come to the word Est The word Est is expounded that is to say Is. Seeing that whatsoeuer is is not after one sort for to be hath place in all the predicaments when these men from hense gather thus or doo after this sort expound these words This bread is Christs bodie therfore it is essentiallie Christes bodie doo they not I beseech you speake as if they should say This is a liuing creature therfore it is a man And againe doo they reason lesse fondlie when they gather thus This bread is Christs bodie therfore this bread is Christs bodie not absent but present Now whereas they say that the word bodie because it is a substance cannot be otherwise spoken or vttered than substantiallie I say they should haue left this to the papists who are therefore inforced to bring in their transubstantiation of the bread because they say that things sundered or separated one of them from another could not be spoken one of another that therfore also this propositioÌ„ was false the bread is the bodie except they granted either that the bread it selfe became nothing or by changing were tourned into a substance of another sort to wit Vbiquitaries in vrging the baâ—e letter as absurd as Papists at the least the substance of his body Therfore these men alone do keep or vrge that most fondlie the bare worde or letter But these men of whom I now speake though in outward shewe and speech they refuse all tropes and figures in the exposition of these words of the institution doo yet notwithstanding ouer and besides the two tropes aboue mentioned that is to say The aduersaries by power of trueth constrained to fall into three tropes in the exposition of a fewe words though otherwise the name be odious to them the figure Synecdoche diuersly vsed in deede bring in an other and that same very strange and woonderfull when they will haue this speech this bread is my bodie to signifie and meane as much as if Christ shoulde haue saide my bodie is verily present wyth or in or vnder this bread Concerning which this is my minde that whosoeuer hee is that vseth this last forme or manner of speaking dooth not shew what the bodie it selfe is but rather declareth where the body is and therefore vseth the worde is not in the predicament of substance but in the predicament of Site as they call it Nowe I come to speake of that worde Body The word Body handled The thing that about this matter is laide vnto our charge The aduersaries charge is this that instead of the true bodie of Christ deliuered to death for vs wee substitute and place I can not tell what typicall or figuratiue or as it pleaseth them to call it fantasticall bodie when wee affirme that the bodie is spoken of the bread not that the bread is the very bodie it selfe but because it is as a signe and pledge of that true body of his which was giuen for vs. The answere thereto But is this to ascribe vnto Christ a fained body as these men slaunder vs Or is it not rather rightly to declare and shew in what sense that true and onelie bodie may bee saide or spoken of the bread to wit not as it is bread but in as much as it is a sacrament of that his bodie Therfore all these interpretations following which that stincking slanderer Illyricus tosseth too and fro Illyricus and his slaunders as if they were contrary one of them to an other that is to saye This bread sacramentally signifieth or sacramentallye is Christes bodie or againe This bread is the sacrament of Christes bodie doo in deede and trueth and altogether expresse but one and the selfe-same iudgement and matter Now that the worde bodie is in many places vsed by all the old right beleeuing writers for the verie signe of the bodie All the auntient Fathers vse the worde bodie for the signe of the bodie our aduersaries must of necessitie whether they will or no confesse sith that they feare not to affirme that Christes bodye is made broken consumed and why shoulde it not bee so likewise when it is saide to enter into the mouth To be short what strife and stubbornenesse is this of theirs They dare not denie the bread to be the sacrament of Christes body and why then will they not allowe of this interpretation Heere is the reason forsooth because they woulde haue it called the Sacrament of the bodie present Then the controuersie shal not be The state of the controuersie or question is not about the interpretation of the wordes of institution but about the presence of Christs bodie yet touching the interpretation and meaning of these wordes of the institution in which there is no mention at all neither of presence nor absence but herein onelie shall they consist whether that bodie of which that bread is saide to be the Sacrament be absent or present which controuersie I can not so much as suppose howe these men should determine out of these wordes This is my bodie The second part of the Lords supper to wit the institution of the cup and what is meant thereby Hitherto wee haue spoken of the first part of the Lords supper to wit the bread but now let vs come to the other part to wit the cuppe But tell vs I pray you what wee must vnderstande by the woord cup Verily by their confession euen that which is contained in the cuppe that is to say the wine and yet ouer and besides that the bloud
vtterlie ouerthrowe and destroy the nature of a sacrament which as all men knowe and confesse must euer consist of two partes to wit of visible elements and inuisible graces the trueth whereof appeareth not onely by the generall consent of all men as before is alleadged but also by the particular viewe of all the Sacramentes mentioned in the olde or newe testament But this trueth is not onely defaced and laid euen wyth the ground but swalowed vp also and as it were broght to nothing if so be it that the nature and substance of the elements bee either chaunged or vanish awaie in this matter of the lords supper as some affirme and hold the things represented by the same come in their place The reason wherof is plaine and euident to witte that the one parte of the Sacrament namely the visible signe is then and there absent And therefore it must of necessitie followe that not onelie the nature of a Sacrament is destroyed but by consequent also the Sacrament it self because the nature of a thing being taken away the thing it selfe can not stand or continue for the nature is it whereof the thing it selfe consisteth Yea this also falleth out vpon it that those men that in the pride and vanitie of their owne hearts inlarge the number of Sacraments aboue them that christ hath left vnto his church publishing to the worlde that there are seauen where indeede there are but two In the true and naturall vse of the worde Sacrament are founde not onelie to bee clippers of the Lordes coine but vtter defacers of his holie ordinaunce in taking from the Churche whatsoeuer they pretend to the contrarie one of those that Christ hath left to the same for the comforte thereof beeing founde likewise by this meanes not onelie presumptuous against Christ but iniurious also to the people in spoiling them of so great consolation So fruitfull in vngodlinesse is the euill weede of corrupt doctrine Indeede if the signe of the sacrament and the thing signified by the same were thinges contrary they might haue some shew of reason for this vnmeasurable affection but forasmuch as wee all knowe them to be not things contrary but diuers no doubt but they not onely may but do very well stand together the one of them beeing so farre from destroying or defacing of an other that they in a most louing consent agree and concurre together to the setting foorth of Gods glorie and the spirituall good and comforte of hys children Wherefore I saye it cannot be auoided but that they doe very ill that do thus malapertlie disioyne and put in sunder such things as God hath most wiselie ioyned and glewed as it were fast together 2 Secondlie I affirme that this doctrine is woonderfullie iniurious vnto the glorified bodie of our Sauiour not onely whilest it fetcheth him from heauen the place of all such blessednesse as can not be conceiued much lesse spoken of into the earth the place of all vnspeakeable miseserie and wretchednesse which yet is not all this circumstaunce further aggrauating the error of this vniust assertion that they make the blessed body of Christ our Lord and god subiect to the call of a mortall and miserable creature the priest I meane as they name him as though if he bade go it should go or if he commaunded it to come it shoulde come c But also whilest it maketh it to be rent and torne in peeces not only with the teeth of good mē a matter which our nature abhorreth both in respect of the rawnes of it also in respect of the substāce of it for we are not Anthropophagi that is eaters of mans flesh but euen with the teeth of the wicked and vngodlie also which euen for this cause if there were no more is most vntrue and false because that then they shold liue for euer Iohn 6.54 in as muche as all that eate his fleshe and drincke his bloude haue this promise that they haue eternall life And yet these wicked menne cease not heere but proceede to further impietie some of the chiefest among them affirming though in deede others are not so resolute in it by whyche also wee may see that there is not so muche vnitie or consent amongest Popishe diuines and doctors as they pretend that mice rattes dogges hogges and other vnreasonable creatures falling vpon consecrated hostes and deuouring the same doo vndoubtedlie eate the blessed bodie of our Sauiour And if they staied heere their sinne were somewhat lesse but this is not all the mischiefe that falleth out in this behalfe for whereas in trueth and christian religion the bodie of our Sauiour Christ is now immortall and in immortall glorie as Gods worde and the articles of our Beleefe agreeing wyth the same doo plainelye teache vs these menne subiect it to putrefaction corruption and wormes by reason of the long reseruation thereof and at the last to consuming in the fire a fact of most horrible crueltie if it were Christes flesh but no maruaile though they deale so wyth him when they handle hys Saints as hardelie as that commeth vnto which thing experience of all ages dooth sufficientlye prooue because it maye not otherwise bee made awaye as they themselues confesse if it be once taken wyth hoarinesse mouldines or such like If any man doubt of the truth and certaintie of these points obiected against them lette hym but reade their owne workes and hee shall see the matter sufficientlie cleared Yea I suppose that the verye aduersaries themselues will not growe so shamelesse as to denie that which with a full mouth and in the open Sunne light hath beene published by the best of their side And if they woulde or shoulde yet wee haue the liues and the leaues the wordes and the workes in sentence and sense for manner and matter to charge them wythall and to throwe this dung into their faces 3 Thirdly I say that by consequent it dooth most cursedly confounde if not vtterlie subuert and ouerthrowe the humanitie of our Sauiour with his Godhead whilest that which indeede and all trueth is proper and peculiar to the eternall Deitie onely for example to be euerie where which can not agree to anie but to GOD alone as both reason and religion will sufficiently perswade if wee will giue eare vnto the same is yet notwythstanding most blasphemouslye attributed and ascribed to his manhoode which as hath beene already shewed before and shall more plainelie if GOD will be prooued heereafter is and must of necessitie since the time of his moste glorious ascension into Heauen and sitting at the right hande of the maiestie of GOD his Father the very onelie seate and throne as it were of his bodilie residence bee circumscriptible and tied to a place As for that which they are woont vsuallie to obiect for the impeachement of this trueth and the establishement of their owne errour beeing taken from the glorification of our Sauiours bodie is easily beaten backe and
saide a posse ad esse the consequence or reason is not good which were sufficient aunsweare to this friuolous and vaine obiection mannes reason in the blindnesse and corruption of it beeing endued wyth strength and force enough to aunsweare the same besides this I say wee that are truelie taught of GOD both by his worde and spirite do knowe that though wee beleeue that the Lorde can doo whatsoeuer pleaseth him both in heauen and in earth which serueth wonderfully to magnifie hys almightie power in the exceeding excellencie thereof and greatlie to strengthen our weake faith in the dayes of our calamities and distresses yet notwythstanding we firmelie beleeue that hee will not onelie doo nothing but that hee can not doo anie thing in regarde of vs contrarie vnto that will of his that hee hath reuealed for vs in his word For euen as a manne of might on earth hauing giuen foorth hys speache of assurance in the woorde of a Prince or Christian though perhappes to one farre inferiour to himselfe is yet notwythstanding tied thereby not as in respect of his power for that remaineth as greate after as before but as in regarde of his credite and the persons to whome hee hath by his woorde after a sorte as it were bounde himselfe so is it wyth the Lord to vs-ward And the reason of this is not the abridgement or shortening of his power for be it farre from mortall men to presume in any thing though neuer so litle to restrain the eternal power of the immortall God but because his will and power I meane of the same as they are reuealed to vs by his woorde and particularlie by his promises made vnto vs therin concerning the same be in respect of vs so conioyned and knit together that looke whatsoeuer hee will doo that hee can doo and looke whatsoeuer he can do that hee will doo Oh howe vnreasonable is this that wee will giue earthlie Potentates leaue because of their high callings and excellent wisedome that wee suppose to bee in them nowe and then to hedge in the boundes of their power and authoritie by their woordes at their owne pleasure and will not graunt or yeelde so muche to the Almightie Surelie there is very great and good reason to the contrarie for as for menne by reason of the blindenesse and ignorauncie of their owne heartes they can not well tell when it is good either to straiten or enlarge themselues whereas GOD by reason of the fulnesse of goodnesse that is in him can not choose but doo good whether he inlarge or abridge himselfe But to make all this plaine by one or two examples in steade of manie we are all perswaded that God can not drowne the worlde anie more wyth the waters of an vniuersall floud because wee knowe by his woorde he will not for the more certaine and assured sealing vppe of the same in our heartes and not for anie discredite vnto hym or shortening of hys arme and power hee hath not onelie geuen vs his comfortable and sweete woorde of promise but hath sette his bowe in the cloudes Gen. 9.12 13 c to bee a moste effectuall pledge of the same vnto vs. Agayne wee all doo knowe and beleeue that though GOD in respect both of hymselfe and his almighty power with whome all thinges yea the most hardest are possible can if he would saue all men yet we feare not to saye and affirme that in respect of vs hee can not saue all menne because wee knowe by his reuealed will in his woorde that hee will not saue them all For some as well for the manifestation of hys iustice and iudgement against all vngodlinesse must bee the vesselles ordayned for destruction as well as others also for the declaration of his mercie in sauing whom hee will vesselles of saluation and eternall life And euen the like maie we conclude touching this matter of the Supper namelie that though wee were perswaded or shoulde graunt agaynst all trueth and reason that Christ as hee is GOD might doo what hee woulde or as hee is man might bee euery where yet because hee hath reuealed the contrarye in his woorde and namelie that hee will haue hys bodye to bee circumscriptible and tied to a place to wit Heauen yea which is more to a certaine place in heauen for though Christ as in respect of hys eternall Godhead fill Heauen and earth and the heuen of heuens is not able to conteine him yet in respect of his humane bodie though it be glorified he is must be conteined in some part of the heauens that therefore it can be no iniury at all to him neither any debasing of his omnipotent power to say that now he cannot be bodilie in the sacrament much lesse bodilie in so manie sacraments as be celebrated and ministred in so sundrie and infinit places at one time no more than it is to God the father in saieng that now he cannot drowne the world or saue the reprobat as hath beene before declared Thus much I thinke sufficient and inough to all these obiections being willing heere to finish this present short treatise sauing that I haue thought good in this place to adde euen as a chalenge to the aduerse partie and as matter of necessarie instruction to such as either be simplie ignorant for as for the malicious blinde it is almost impossible to reclame them or doo alreadie in some measure see the truth these three points following 1 First that I am readie in all holy loue largelie to answer anie thing that christianlie shall be further obiected concerning this question I say christianlie obiected for if anie shall either curiouslie or captiouslie propound anie thing I thinke it most conuenient rather to leaue such in their owne follie for a season till it shall please God at some one time or other euen extraordinarilie as it were to make them to see the same if it shall so please him than to spend time and to trauell in fatisfieng of their vaine curiosities 2 Secondlie that though this point of transubstantiation brought in by papists be great and grosse concerning the matter of the supper yet that they faile not alone heerein which might perhaps make their heresie lesse heinous but holde manie moe errors concerning that point some of them as palpable if not more grosse and blasphemous than this and some of them lesse To pursue them all and in a large sort I minde not at this present because it hath beene alreadie performed by men of great excellencie the Lord may heerafter giue a more fit occasion yet I will rehearse touch a few desiring the godlie reader with all holie wisdome to consider both of them and the rest of that sort 1 First in that they make it a sacrifice propitiatorie as they call it for the quicke â—nd the dead by which they doo not oneâ—ie scorne God deride men whilest they make men beleeue that God will be pleaâ—ed with
subiect to the law of God neither indeed can be 2 By faith I meane not only a generall beliefe of all the canonicall books of the old new testament or a grounded knowledg alone of the points principles of christian religion the truth thereof for many wicked men proceede so farre and the Apostle Iames telleth vs Iames 2.19 that the diuels beleeue and tremble but an assured perswasion and particular application as of al these things whatsoeuer that the Lord hath reuealed in his worde so speciallie of his promises contained in the same concerning either this life or the life to come for though our faith do generally respect the whole word yet is it most specially directed to the promises that god hath made vs in Christ 2. Corinth 1.20 in whome all the promises of God are yea and amen euerie particular person beeing fullie assured and certainelie perswaded of this that as the Lorde hath doone and promised the same to and for others so hath hee doone and promised it particularlie to and for himselfe So that we may plainely perceiue that this faith is necessarie to euery one that shall communicate both because that otherwise they being on the earth can not take hold of Christ in heauen and stedfastly apply him and all his merites to themselues that so he may become the spirituall foode of their soules norishing them in the most certaine hope of eternall saluation for faith is it by which alone they may appropriate vnto them selues particularlie Christ Iesus and all his graces to the assured feelyng of the free pardon and full forgiuenesse of all their sinnes on the one side and the imputation of Christs righteousnesse on the other side and also that thereby they may bee fullie certified in their owne consciences that that which they doe either in the administration or participation of that holy action or Sacrament of the Lordes bodie and bloud is acceptable before GOD and profitable to them selues because without fayth it is impossible to please hym Hebrues 11.6 Roman 14.23 and agayne Whatsoeuer is not of faith that selfe same is sinne which properties indeede or effectes rather if a man surelye haue they shall make his fayth to differ from all the vaine imaginations and swimming conceipts of diuels and wicked men whatsoeuer 3 By repentaunce I vnderstande a holie alteration and chaunge of oure mindes for good reason is there that where sinne begynneth from thence also shoulde proceede our conuersion or turnyng to GOD consisting of a sincere hatred of all our former sinnes and iniquities whatsoeuer both generall and particular and of a sounde loue of all righteousnesse and well-dooing both generall and particular all which must in vs proceede from the right reuerence and louing feare of the maiestie of almightie God in our heartes which holie affection dooth euerye daye by little and little worke in vs the forsaking of our selues and the subduing of the sinfull lustes and affections of our owne flesh to the end we may wholie resigne and giue ouer our selues to be guided and gouerned by the spirite of God in the sincere seruice and worship of his maiestie and in the Christian performaunce of the holie dueties of charitie one of vs towardes an other wee our selues not onelie standing vppe and striuing against our generall iniquities but also against our particular sinnes yea against these speciall transgressions that most preuaile in vs against the good will of our God whereby no doubt God shall be greatly glorified whilest hee maketh his mightie power to appeare in strengthening our woonderfull weakenesse against some particular wickednesse and wee our selues shall reape comforte assuring our selues of this that hee that hath strengthened vs against some one sinne will also assiste vs against other and so make the good woorkes that he hath begunne in vs Philip. 1.6 perfect euen vntill the day of Christ So that hereby wee may see that he which feeleth himselfe truelie and vnfainedlie changed in the affections of his minde for his former iniquities not onelie loathing his sinnes but euen himselfe for his sinnes sake and carrieth with him this holy purpose neuer thorow gods assistaunce to committe the same or anie suche like against GOD or men maie not onely be assured of his vnfained repentaunce and so by consequent of the forgiuenesse of his sinnes but also wyth boldenesse and yet notwythstanding with reuerence in respect of GOD and with humblenesse of minde in respect of hymselfe may drawe neere to the partaking of those holie mysteries 4 By loue which is the thing that concerneth men I doo not onelie vnderstand the vnfained pardoning and forgiuing of others that haue anie manner of waie trespassed agaynst vs but also sound reconciliation after offences committed one of vs towardes an other yea I meane further by loue which properlie is an inward affection of the heart the sincere and outwarde testifieng of the same by woordes deedes countenaunces and other meanes as the Lorde shall geue occasion and our abilitie serue to expresse the same and that not vnto our friendes onelie Matth. 5.46 47. for what great thing doo wee if wee loue them that loue vs But generallie to all men though vnto some in greater measure Galat. 6.10 as to the housholde of faith our wiues children and parents c and to some in lesse measure as to those that bee yet wythout and bee somewhat further off by nature and kinred yea and to our ennemies also which is somewhat more against which because wee doo whollie striue while wee are in the corruption of oure nature and bee woonderfullye backeward to the same euen then when GOD hath in some measure aduaunced our regeneration in vs there lieng lurking wythin vs the cinders of Hatred and Dis-like readye to breake foorthe into a flame as occasion and matter shall bee ministred wee shall doo verye well to gather as many reasons to induce vs to the practise thereof as possibly wee can that so by them as it were by strong cordes wee may be drawen and tied as a man would say to the execution of the same First therefore wee haue GOD in sundry places of his woorde layeng that duetie vppon vs Matth. 5.44 Luke 6.27 24. To loue them that hate vs to blesse them that cursse vs and to pray for them that persecute vs. Secondlie wee haue his owne example concurring wyth hys commaundement hee practising the same to vs that hee would haue vs to doo to others namelie louing vs when wee were and are his ennimies Roman 5.10 Matth. 5.45 1. Iohn 4.10 Thirdlye wee haue the example of our Sauiour Christe cloathed with one nature accomplishing the same praying also to the Father to forgiue them Luke 23.34 that putte him to death And least anie man shoulde thinke that that which Christe did in this case woulde not bee perfourmed in and by them eyther by reason of Christes singular excellencie or the difficultie and
eternall arise to such a huge number in the seueral sorts and great varietie of them that are not able to thinke of them or anie one of them according to their woorthinesse muche lesse to account or number them and thirdlie to consider our selues receiuing them to whome the Lorde freelie and of his owne goodnesse giueth these great mercies not onelie when wee had not deserued the least of them but euen then when euery one of vs had deserued eternall death and condemnation to be poured foorth vpon vs and ours 3 And lastlie in care and conscience of a most holie and christian conuersation that seeing wee are in the holie Supper made partakers by faith of Christs death and resurrection and that wee fullie perswade our selues by the truth of the word Roman 4.25 that he did not onlie die for our sinnes and rise for our righteousnesse but also performed that excellent and great worke to teach vs Roman 6.1 Coloss 3.1 by his death to die to vngodlinesse and by his resurrection to rise vp to that holinesse that may bee acceptable before God profitable to our brethren and comfortable to our selues wee hauing by that meanes and to that end our spiritual life and being from him that therefore we should liue soberlie righteouslie Titus 2.12 and godlie in this present euill world and that in the sound affections of our harts before God and in words and deeds before men that when it shall please him to finish the daies of our wearisome pilgrimage we stedfastlie looking for that blessed hope and full-fruition of eternall life may be glorified with him in eternall blessednes which thing the Lord grant vs euen for his crucified Christes sake to whom with the Father and the Holie ghost three persons and one eternall God be giuen all honor praise power glorie both of vs and of all people euen now and at all times for euer and euer So be it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 TO THE READER AT the motion and request of sundrie my deere friends in the Lord I haue thought good to put downe these two praiers following not thereby minding either to tie anie person to the vse of these onelie for they may according to their seuerall necessities conceiue some other of their owne or practise some better forme alredie set foorth by men of greater gifts or feeling nor yet so to busie their minds and to occupie their heads as that they should be imploied in these when the publike praiers and exercises of the church performed by the ministers are in hand for be it farre from vs when the minister Gods mouth speaketh from the Lord to vs or when he as our mouth speaketh to the Lord for vs to haue either our hearts or our mouthes occupied about any other thing than the reuerend hearing and consenting vnto of such things as hee vttereth But that aiding the infirmitie of our brethren such as haue not the gift to conceiue praier and shall thinke this fit for themselues might haue a forme to exercise themselues in both before they repaire to the publike exercises of the church and also after the celebration and partaking of these reuerend mysteries shall be finished A PRAIER TO BE SAID BEFORE a man repaire to the partaking of the Lords supper O Eternall God and most mercifull father I thy poore and vnwoorthie seruant doo humblie beseech thee in Iesus Christ thy deere sons name and for his sake gratiouslie through his death and obedience to pardon and forgiue me all my sinnes whatsoeuer which at anie time by thought word or deed I haue through negligence ignorance or knowledge committed against thy diuine maiestie or anie other And because both by reason of the curssed corruption of mine owne nature and the infinit multitude of my sinnes also I am slow dull of heart to beleeue seale vp in my soule I pray thee O Lord this great benefit of the free pardon full forgiuenesse of all my sinnes by the assured testimonie of thy blessed spirit bearing record vnto my spirit that I am thy childe and by vnfeined parddoning and forgiuing of others which anie maner of way haue offended against me Yea make the death and resurrection of thy sonne so powerfull effectuall in me that I may not onelie feele and finde in the same the forgiuenesse of all my sinnes both generall and particular and the hope of eternall saluation but also that I may be instructed thereby all the daies of my life more and more to die vnto sin and dailie more more to liue vnto righteousnes of life and holie conuersation And forasmuch as through thy goodnesse I haue purposed this day to communicat in the vse of thy blessed word and sacraments I beseech thee good father to pearse mine eares to prepare my heart yea and so to direct all the parts and powers of my body and soule that I may not onelie reuerentlie and profitablie hearken to thy voice speaking vnto me out of thy word laboring all the daies of my life to conforme my selfe to the knowledge faith and obedience of the same but also that I may assuredlie be made partaker of the frutes and effects of the death and passion of thy deere sonne which it pleaseth thee in that holie sacrament to offer vnto me To this end and purpose I beseech thee to grant that I be not carried away in the contemplation and consideration of the earthly and corruptible things obiected therein to my sences but that my faith may be set vp raised to the spirituall beholding assured feeling and full fruition of these graces which it pleaseth thee by the same to offer vnto me Giue me grace good Lord to bring with me a stedfast faith in the truth of thy promises that by it as by an eie I may looke vpon and by the same as by a hand I may apprehend Iesus Christ thy sonne sitting at thy right hand to be my onelie and continuall iustifier sanctifier and redeemer Grant me grace also to bring with me as an earnest hatred of all my former euils whatsoeuer so a sincere loue of all righteousnesse and well dooing that I by the power of thy spirit crucifieng the old man with the lusts and concupiscences therof speciallie such as beare the greatest sway in me may be strengthened in the new man dailie to thinke speake and doo those things which may be acceptable and well pleasing in thy godlie presence And I beseech thee further to giue me grace to bring with me sound sincere loue towards all men yea euen towards mine enimies that I may not onelie forget and forgiue all the iniuries wrongs that they haue deuised said or doone against me but also pray earnestlie vnto thy maiestie for them and purchase and procure