baptized and washed with water we shall pay dearely for our defiling that sacred water which God hath appointed to so holy an vse True it is the water of it selfe is as nothing no other in substaunce and nature then that wherewith wee wash our hands but when once it is ioyned to the word and applyed to an holy end it is as it were an authentical seale which God hath engrauen in it Now he that counterfeiteth the seale of a Prince shall he not be punished Behold baptisme is the seale of God which serueth not to seale conueyances of earthly possessions as house and lands but to assure vs that we are called to the heauenly life and bringeth good assurance and warrant with it that we be washed from our sinnes by the blood of our Lord Iesus Christ and borne againe by his holy Spirit Shall we breake all and escape vnpunished Let vs not then boast of our baptisme and Christianity to say oh we are baptized we are christened we weare the badge of God these things these things I say will cost vs deare if we make not our baptisme auaileable to our selues and our owne soules by killing our corruptions for thereby l Eccl. 5 3. wee shew our selues like vnto the foole that maketh a vow and immediately after breaketh it For what a misery is this that scarce one of an hundred knoweth the right end of his baptisme and whereunto it auaileth So that albeit they boast of the outward signe yet they are no more sound Christians indeed then Turks and Pagans Infidels and miscreants inasmuch as they are no way mortified or renewed by repentance no way changed in the inward man but lye rotting in their sinnes and remaine in the condemnation of Adam These shall one day finde by wofull experience what a costly thing it is to take so deare a pawne of saluation at the hands of God in vaine Indeed we beare the name of Christ and we professe the Gospell yet you shall find a great number that know not this vse of baptisme nor to what end it was ordained They doe call it indeede their Christendome but are altogether ignorant of the nature thereof and are vnacquainted with the effect of it yea they bring their children to no other purpose to be baptized then because it is the vsual manner and common custome so to do being led thereunto not by the commandement of Christ but by the example of others forasmuch as they can giue no reason at all of that they do This will cost them deerely for abusing such a pledge-token at Gods hands seeing it is a meanes wherby we are vnited to our Lord Iesus Christ and ingrafted into his death and resurrection Wherefore whereas many haue receiued baptisme in their infancy and haue liued forty or fifty yeares in the world without knowing to what end they were baptized it had beene better for them that they had beene borne dead or perished in their mothers womb as an vntimely fruit then to haue vnhallowed so holy and precious a thing Thus much of the third and last vse of baptisme as also of the parts thereof and generally touching this whole Sacrament The end of the second Booke THE THIRD BOOKE of the Lords Supper being Christs farewel-token to his Church and a sweete pledge of his wonderfull kindnesse toward mankinde wherein the truth of this Sacrament is manifested the parts are deliuered the vses are shewed the Doctrine of the reformed Churches is cleared the errors of the Church of Rome are euidently conuinced and the meanes set downe how euery one is to be prepared to the worthy receiuing thereof with fruite and comfort CHAP. I. Of the names and titles of this Sacrament together with the reasons and vses thereof IN the former Booke wee haue spoken of baptisme the first SacrameÌ„t of the church together with the parts and vses thereof Now we are to set downe the doctrine of the Lords Supper which is the second Sacrament For after that God hath brought vs into his Church by baptisme and made vs as it were of his houshold seruants then as a good father of the family he feedeth vs spiritually with the flesh of his Sonne applying vnto vs the merit of his death and passion This a The Sacrament of the body and blood oâ— christ called by diuers names Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ is declared in the Scripture by diuers names to deliuer the nature thereof vnto vs. Sometimes it is called the communion as 1 Cor. 10. The cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the b 1 Cor 10.16 communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we breake is it not the communion of the body of Christ Sometimes it is called the Lords Supper as 1 Cor. 11 20. When yee come together into one place this is not to eate c 1 Cor. 11 20 the Lords Supper Thirdly sometimes it is called the breaking of bread as Acts 2. They continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship d Act. 2 42. and 20 7. and breaking of bread and prayers and cha 20. The first day of the weeke the Dâ—sciples being come together to breake bread Paul preached vnto them ready to depart on the morrow Fourthly sometimes it is called the table of the Lord as we see 1 cor 10. Ye cannot drinke the cup of the Lord and the cup of Diuels ye cannot be partakers of the Lords e 1 Cor. 10 21 table and of the table of diuels Moreouer we shall nothing offend if we call it the testament or will of Christ This cup is the f 1 Cor. 11 â—5 Mat. 26 2â— new Testament in my blood this do as oft as ye drinke it in remembrance of me and our Sauiour thus speaketh Mat. 26. This is my blood of the new testament that is shed for many for the remission of sins These are the chiefe and principal names giuen to this Sacrament in the Scriptures I am not ignorant that the ancient fathers and times succeeding haue giuen vnto it other names and not vnfitly but my purpose being not so much to alledge the counsels or Doctours of the Church as to instruct the simple and vnlearned I will content my selfe with expounding such termes and titles as are penned in the worde of God and pointed out by the Spirit of God Now then let vs render g Reasons rendred of the former names the reasons of such names as this Sacrament is entituled withall It is called the communion because wee haue a communion and fellowship with Christ and h 1 Cor. 10.17 he with vs both which are sealed vp in this Sacrament It is called the Lords Supper both because it was instituted by the Lord Iesus at his last Supper which circumstance of time the Church hath changed because therin is offered to vs a spiritual banket in which the faithfull are spiritually fed and nourished It is called the breaking of
as it may in part be gathered out of chap. 16. when Paul saith I will tarry at Ephesus vntill Pentecost how can it be that the Apostle baptising these Ephesians and writing his Epistle from Ephesus shold not remember them among aboue the rest beeing many and also present with him before his face Thus wee haue opened the meaning of this place which the vnlearned vnstable haue wrested as they do also other Å¿ 2 Pet. 3 16. Scriptures to their own destruction and we haue proued the baptism of Iohn to be one the same in substance with the baptisme of Christ and therefore to be neither vnperfect nor vnprofitable Thus we see that the vnion of the outward and inward parts togither teacheth t The sum of thâ— Chapter is â—et downe that in baptisme the outward rites are no needlesse ceremonies that it must bâ—â— ministred with all conuenient speede against those that defer the same many weekes and months that it requireth our presence to the end of the administration thereof that prayers may bee offered vp by the Church for infants to be baptized and our selues learne what we haue vowed to God Wee haue also learned that God testifieth his loue euen to the lowest in the Church Nothing is done in the Church but to the benefit of the whole and if we desire our Children should be the children of God why do we not stay to aske it of God Or how shall we better know what our selues haue vowed and promised in our baptisme to God and how we haue beene answerable thereunto then by our continuall presence when it is administred Lastly this diuision of the parts teacheth that the baptisme of Iohn Christ differ not in the truth and substance thereof Thus farre we haue shewed that the parts of baptisme are partly outward and partly inward Now let vs see what these outward parts are and afterward proceed in order to the inward CHAP. III. Of the first outward part of baptisme AS we declared before in the former booke chap. 3. the number of outward parts of a Sacrament a Foure outward parts of Baptisme so the outward parts of baptisme are foure namely the Minister the word of institution the water and the receiuer All these though outward parts yet are substantiall and necessary parts The first is the Minister as the Ambassadour of God sent out by him with commission to meddle in the matter of the Sacraments as appeareth by the ministry of Iohn by the commandement of Christ and by the examples of the Apostles The Baptist b Luke 3.15 when all men mused in their hearts if he were not that Christ saide to them Indeede I baptize you with water but one stronger then I commeth whose shooes latchet I am not worthy to vnloose And Ioh. 1. he saith I am come baptizing with water I knew him not but he that sent me to baptize with water saide to mee vpon whome thou shalt see the spirit come downe and tarry still on hâ—m that is hee which baptizeth with the Holy-Ghost And Mat. 28. Teach all nations baptizing them Now according to this commandement and commission the Apostles went forth teaching preaching to the people and ministring the Sacraments to such as were conuerted to the faith c Act. 1.38 8 12.38 as we see Act 2.38 Notwithstanding whereas Paule sayeth Christ sent me not to baptize d 1 Cor. 1.17 but to preach the Gospell 1. Cor. 1.17 It is not to be vnderstood historically but comparatiuely For his meaning is not simply to relate and set downe his office whereunto hee was called but by conferring it with his preaching as if hee should say This is not the chiefe and principall end of my calling and function to baptize the high work of my ministery is to preach the Gospell Indeede they are both of them parts of the Ministers Office but this is the chiefest to labour in the word and doctrine in regard of the greater gifts required and of the fruite that floweth and followeth from thence to their hearers it being the high ordinance of God to saue such as belieue That this is the Apostles minde and meaning appeareth by the wordes immediately ensuing where he reckoneth vp some whom he had baptized which he wold neuer haue done or attempted without a calling True it is the dignity and force of baptisme dependeth not vpon the worthines or excellency of the Ministers thereof but on the authority and institution of God who onely remitteth sinnes and baptizeth with the Holy-Ghost This appeareth by the example of such as caâ—t out diuels in Christs name of whome Christ sayeth Mâ—t. 7 22.23 hee knew them not So Iudas was sent out with the rest of the Apostles to teach and to preach the Gospell of the kingdome Mat. 10.1.2.3 Mâ—t. 23.1 â— 3 Iâ—h 4.1 and to heale euery sicknesse and euery disease among the people yet hee was the sonne of perdition that the Scripture might be fulfilled The Scribes and Pharisies sit in Moses his chaire For this cause Christ himselfe would baptize no man Ioh. 4. least any should esteeme of baptisme by the worthinesse or vnworthines of Ministers Neuerthelesse f Reasons reÌ„dred why the Minister onely may baptize it is required that baptisme be done and deliuered by a Minister â—f â—he church and one reputed so to be of the Church as may be confirmed by sundry reasons First baptisme is a part of the ministry which none may vndertake but such as are therunto lawfully called God hath ioyned the g Mat. 28 19. Heb. 5 4. Mat. 19 6. ministry of the word and Sacraments together and what God hath coupled together let no man separate Mat. 19.6 But women or priuate persons may not be admitted to teach in the publike assemblies h 1 Cor. 14 34 35. in a true and well ordered Church 1 Cor. 14. Let your women keepe silence in the Churches for it is not permitted vnto them to speake but they ought to bee subiect as also the Law saith and if they will learne any thing let them aske their husbands at home for it is a shame for women to speake in the Church 1 Tim. 2 11 12. And 1 Tim. 2 Let your women learne in silence with all subiection I permit not a woman to teach neither to vsurpe authority ouer the man but to bee in silence Likewise i Reuel 20 20. the Apostle reproueth the Church of Thyatira that it suffered a Woman to teach among them and to exercise the publike ministry of the word contrary to Gods commandement and the practise of Gods people I confesse k Iudg. 4 4. 1 Sam. 2 2. 2 King 22 14. Act 21 9. there haue beene Prophetesses in the Church as Deborah Huldah Hannah the foure daughters of Philip with some others but the examples are extraordinary and therefore cannot make an ordinary rule for imitation The causes hereof are direct
1 c. 14 Lumb lib. 4. sen dist 9. ca. 2. Christ himselfe in the Supper making Christ indeed to be no Christ For whereas we haue shewed that this SacrameÌ„t consisteth of the outward signes which are bread and wine and the inward truth represented by them which is Christs body and blood according to the doctrin of the holy Scripture and the common consent of all antiquity the Romanists haue turned this truth topsie turuie haue laid a new plat-forme of the parts of the Supper Hence it is that they haue abolished the signes of bread and wine Å¿ Bellar. de Sacra Euch. lib. 1. cap 13. and make Christ Iesus an outward part as it were thrusting him out of the doores to be receiued of all both good and bad and the grace of Christ to be the inward part taken onely of the faithfull Thus they make a diuorcement and a separation betweene Christ and his sauing graces which can neuer be parted and deuided For whosoeuer receiueth Christ partaketh the merits and graces of Christ and whosoeuer enioyeth the graces of Christ imbraceth withall Christ himselfe Besides if Christ bee the signe and the sanctifying graces of Christ the thing signified according to the rule of the Church of Rome what shall we say of the accidents and shewes of bread and wine whereunto shall they be reduced What part shall they acte and play in this Comedy Wherefore we hold it as a strong truth which we haue euinced by sundry reasons that wicked meÌ„ are not made partakers of Christ CHAP. XII Of the first vse of the Lords Supper HItherto we haue spoken of all the parts of this Sacrament as well outward as inward which is the first point to be considered in the doctrine of them as we shewed before now we are to handle the vses or endes of the Lords Supper which are a Three ends oâ— the Lordâ— Supper principally these three first to shew forth with thanksgiuing the death Crosse and sufferings of Christ Secondly to teach vs our communion and growth with and in Christ Thirdly to declare our communion and growth in and with our brethren In these three standeth the knowledge of those rich and great benefits which are bestowed vpon all worthy communicants which haue sanctified and prepared their hearts for this holy action These things being duely considered b The false ends oâ— this â—acrament rehearsed â—eâ—elled do directly condemne the Church of Rome who burying these true ends of the Lords Supper the commemoration of his passion the merit of his crosse our communion with Christ and our fellowship one with another haue altered it like the ship-mans hose into all formes and fashions and make it profitable for all purposes for peace and warre for tempests and calme weather for the fruites of the earth and distemperature of the ayre for the whole and sicke for men and beasts for the liuing and for the dead And to begin with the last as none of the least corruptions of this Sacrament it was concluded in a Counsell that as a prayer therin is made for the liuing c Con Cabiâ— câ—â— 33. so the remembrance of the dead is to be made in all Masses It is adiudged an excellent remedy against stormes and tempests of the sea and therefore al sea-men are warned in times of danger to call to their mindes and remember to sing the Masses which are accustomed to be sung for tempests And as they make it good in stormes so they make it serue their turn in the day of battel to saue them from the sword of the enemy for the Priests are charged to say the Masses vsed for them that go to wars Besides these abuses they make it auaileable to purge and cleere offendors suspected of any crime d Num. 5 â—9 like the bitter and cursed waters making tryall of the suspected wife whereupon the Counsell of wormes determineth that If any in the Monestary be suspected of theft let him be purged by the taking of the Sacrament Thus Sybicon Bishop of Spire in the Counsell of Mentz did by it purge himselfe of adultery about the year 110. an vse neuer intended by the Spirit of God nor practised by any of the Apostles to institute it to discouer secrets Like wise sometimes it is taken to be good against inchanters and inchantments sometimes to bee good for the remedy and recouery of sicknesse to deliuer soules out of purgatory to preserue from the plague to saue cattell to cure the feuer to recouer againe things lost to take away tooth ach to cleere the eyes and what not For we shall heare of greater impieties then these They make the Lords Supper a sacrifice not onely profitable to saue men from death but auaileable to deliuer their Pigs and their swine from diseases For they haue a Masse commonly called the Masse of Saint Anthony The Masse of Saint Anthony Aâ—an de Sacra Euchar. cap. 32 Yea if a poore womans henne be sicke and ready to be lost she may procure a masse to be said for it And no maruel for although no good redownd heereby to the party yet some gaine shall returne to the Priest who if he see no mony will say no Masse But all this is nothing in comparison of that which now you shall heare For these miscreants and monsters do abuse the Supper of the Lord to couer and conceale most vile and shamefull practises and horrible designes plotted among them and so make the Sacrament of God a sacrifice of the Diuel It is now grown to be a common custome See the treatise of the powder treaâ—on when they consort themselues together and attempt vnnaturall villanies and rebellions for the destruction of Prince and people for the ouerthrow of the Church and true religion to combine themselues in one for further secresie by taking the Sacrament as appeareth by sundry examples in the late powder treason as if Christ had ordained it to hide falsehood rather then to helpe our faith Neither is this onely a fault in practise but an error in doctrine For whatsoeuer is reuealed to the Priest vnder the seale of confession they hold to be so sacred and secret Tâ—â—◠〈…〉 10. that it ought not to be broken vp or made knowne to others thought it should concerne his owne life and saue the whole kingdome And furthermore they teach that in treacheries and conspiracies against Kings and Princes they may binde their consorts and confederates to keepe silence by receiuing of the Sacrament as appeareth by the late examples of Garnet Oldcorne and other Iesuites Thus is the holy Supper made a prouocation to treason as if it had beene institued not to testifie our piety toward God but to manifest our disloyalty toward Princes not to shew the death of Christ but to procure the murâ—hering of Kings not to declare openly out profession but to conceale priuily wickednesse and rebellion All these fancies and supposed ends
THE NEVV COVENANT OR A Treatise of the Sacraments Whereby the last Testament of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ through the shedding of his Pure and Precious Blood is ratified and applyed vnto the Conscience of euery true Beleeuer Diuided into three Bookes 1. Of the Sacraments in Generall 2. Of Baptisme 3. Of the Lords Supper Verie Necessarie and Profitable for these Times wherein we may behold THE Truth it selfe plainly prooued Doctrine of the Reformed Churches clearely maintained Errors of the Church of Rome soundly conuinced Right maner of the Receiuing of thē comfortably declared And sundry doubts and difficult Questions decided By William Attersoll Minister of Gods word at Isfield in Sussex For by one Spirit we are all Baptized into one Body whether wee be Iewes or Grecians whether we be Bond or Free and haue beene all made to Drinke into one Spirit 1 Cor. 12 13. The second Edition Newly Corrected and Enlarged Printed at London by W. Iaggard and are to be solde by Nicholas Bourne at his Shop at the entrance of the Royall Exchange 1614. TO THE RIGHT worshipful Sir IOHN SHVRLEY Knight all health and happinesse from Christ Iesus our Sauiour Right Worshipfull THE former Edition of this Treatise touching the Sacraments some eight yeares since published was not onely by your selfe louingly receiued but by diuers godly Christians beyond my expectation fauourably and friendly accepted And being at length content to yeeld to a new Impression it hath fared with mee in perusing this worke as with him that goeth about to repaire an old house For albeit he purpose with himselfe to pull downe a little or to make a slender addition and alteration in the building yet when once he beginneth to stirre and meddle with the old frame one piece draweth downe another and the augmenting of one part I know not how in a pleasing manner procureth the adding and annexing of another In like manner when I determined to review and peruse this booke mine intent was no more then heere and there to insert a little as time reading conference and better iudgement haue giuen occasion to see farther but beeing entred into the matter and one change causing another the worke is risen to this volume like a flood that swelleth by the accesse and comming in of other waters that it may rather seeme to be the making of a new then the amending of an olde I haue endeuoured heere to set before the eyes of all that wil vouchsafe to reade these lines the nature and vse of the Sacraments which were instituted of almighty God to admonish vs by their mysticall signification both of his goodnes and of our weaknesse being as signes and seales to assure vs of Christ and of his righteousnesse and all his merits There are diuers sorts of signes mentioned in the holy Scriptures which may be fitly sorted into foure ranks Some are naturall Mat. 16 2 3 as the clouds be a signe of raine the rednes of the sky in the euening of faire weather the lowring of the sky in the morning of foule weather Some are ciuill as a sword carried before a Magistrate is a signe of his authority Rom. 13 4. as the Consuls of Rome had their roddes and axe born by their officers Some are miraculous as we see in Gedeons fleece Iudg. 6 36. Mat. 24 29 which was wet when the earth was dry and dry when the earth was wet such shall be in the Sunne and Moone and in the starres in the end of the world as the Lord declareth Other are religious signes which appertaine to piety and godlinesse and an heauenly life of which some are tokens of things past Exod. 16 33 Heb 9 4. Leuit. 8 7 as the reseruing of Manna some of things present as the garments of the Priests and Leuites and their often clensings and purifications Some be signes of things to come as the sacrifices and oblations But the Sacraments of the new Couenant and last Testament of CHRIST sealed by his precious blood which wee haue heere described serue as monuments and memorials of all these euen to note out vnto vs blessings past and present and to come For they signifie the death and passion of Christ which is already past likewise the promise of grace and forgiuenesse which are present to the mindes of all right receiuers Lastly holinesse of life mortification of sinne repentance from dead workes and the fruites of faith heereafter more and more to be perfected and performed as also the resurrection of the body and eternall life which are to bee accomplished in the world to come Especially I haue beene carefull a The corruptions of the Romane Church vnmasked to vnmaske the corruptions of the Church of Rome if I may call that vnmasking which is in it selfe so palpable and apparent that whosoeuer hath the sight of the eye may quickly espy them or the vse of reason may easily discouer them wherein wee haue the full consent of the former and purer Churches If we wil a little consider the truth of this point and compare the doctrine of the reformed Churches with the pollutions and prophanations of the Romish Synogogue we shal plainely perceiue that light and darknes are not more different and repugnant then these are the one to the other Indeed they oftentimes appeale to the sentence of the Fathers as if their faith were the ancient faith and their doctrine had the approbation of elder times howbeit all this foppery serueth but for a flourish to varnish their rotten postes with deceitfull colours forasmuch as they are content the Fathers shall be expositers of the Scriptures but it is with this caueat and condition that themselues will bee Interpreters of the Fathers Wherefore I will b 3 points discussed propound as it were in a Table 3. points to be handled First their contrarieties and oppositions standing against the truth Secondly their contentions and contradictions remaining among themselues Lastly I will answere their obiection that thinke the matter is not so cleere on our side as we pretend who contemne Transubstantiation and the reall presence and maintaine the spirituall eating against the carnall and Capernaiticall First touching their corruptions c Comparisō between the Lords supper the Masse and contrarieties they are so notable and notorious to all the world that they can no longer hide them and conceale them as we may gather by comparing the institution of Christ with the traditions and abhominations of Antichrist Christ deliuered his last Supper as he sate at the Table with his Disciples where they did all eate as at a banket but Antichrist hath turned and transformed this Supper into the abhominable Idoll of the Masse which hath no shew or appearance of any feast at all where the Priest plaieth this Pageant alone hee sitteth not at the Table but standeth at the Altar turneth away his face from the people beeing belike ashamed that they should see his fraud and
whole volume of such differences howbeit I will leaue them in their owne deuises and come to the third point which is to answere those that pleade the cause of Baal and are bold to speake what they dare for the whore of Babell who albeit they liue among vs and would bee thought to bee of vs yet they are neyther affrayd nor ashamed to affirme n Against such as would not haue it disputed and determined how Christ is present that the controuersie of the Supper is not so manifest as we teach nor the words of Christ so easie as we affirme nor the iudgement of the Fathers so cleer as we pretend nor the maner of eating so necessary to be holden as we define that we are to beleeue that Christ is present but how he is preseÌ„t we should not dispute whether it be carnally or whether it bee spiritually Indeed we feare not to teach that there is no transelementation or transubstantiation that is no reall turning of the bread into the body and the wine into the bloud of Christ but when he said This is my body hee intendeth not to change one substance into another but meaneth This bread is a signe or Sacrament of my body which is deliuered to death for vs and for our saluation And when he saith This Cup is the new Testament in my bloud hee vnderstandeth that the wine in the Cup is a Sacrament of the new Testament of our reconciliation to God and of our communion and participation of Christ with al his benefits therefore we doubt not to call this Sacrament a representation a remeÌ„brance an image a token a type an antitype a signe a figure and such like Now that it may appeare that the wordes of institution are truely expounded and haue the constant consent and full approbation of al antiquity o The ancieÌ„t Fathers teach the same touching the Supper that we doe let vs produce our witnesses and see what the Fathers of the grayest heads before vs haue declared deliuered But before we come to fight hand to hand with these aduersaries and to discharge the volly of shot which we haue in store it shall not be amisse to set downe certaine inducements as it were certaine preparatiues to leade vs to beleeue that the Doctours of the Church are no lesse ours in this cause and controuersie then Caluine and Beza and the later writers For first we shal neuer read in all the monuments of former times any mention of adoration or eleuation of the host or that the maner was to lick vp the drops of the Challice or to sweepe the place where a drop was falne or to burne the wormes which haue corrupted or consumed it or to seeke out the host wheÌ„ it is vomited vp to commend those that will swallow it againe Secondly Ierome teacheth that after the communion they had a common banket in the Church whereat they did eate vp all that q Ierom. vpon 1 Cor. 11. remained after the administration of the Supper If then it were the manner of many Churches to eate the residue at their loue feasts and ordinary bankets doubtlesse they did not thinke it was Christ himselfe which was eaten therein Thirdly the custome was in some places to burne the remainder of the r Hesych lib. 2. in Leuit. ca. 8. Eucharist and therefore it could not bee that they should beleeue that the bread was the very body of Christ forasmuch as it had beene horrible impiety and a most detestable prophanation to burne it as a Å¿ Gregory 7. an Atheist NecromaÌ„cer certaine Pope in his rage and fury cast the Eucharist into the fire because it did not answere to his questions when he consulted with it or else peraduenture the body of Christ seeing the flame of fire comming toward it fled vp into heauen for feare of beeing consumed by it Fourthly another teacheth that in other Churches the custome was to giue the parts that were not spent and vsed to little children t Niceph lib. 17. cap. 25. frequenting the Schoole who are barred from partaking of the Supper by the Apostle because they are not able u 1 Cor. 11.28 to examine themselues and therefore they were not of opinion with the Church of Rome Fiftly the Masse it selfe vsed at this day and the prayers vsed in it do speake for the truth against their Idolatrous practise Heereunto commeth their sursum corda when they exhort to lift vp the heart on high to God and the prayers crauing of God that their oblation may be acceptable which is the figure and signe of the body and blood of our Lord whereas if the Church had beleeued that they did eate Christ with their mouths they might haue stayed their eyes beneath gazing and gaping vpon that which the Priest held in his hands and needed not to haue lifted vp their harts to Christ Iesus which sitteth at the right hand of his Father in the highest heauens Sixtly they teach vniformely that a body cannot be but in one place and that if we take space of place from them we destroy the being of a body and thereupon one saith a Virgil. lib. 1. Contr. Eutich The flesh of Chrâ—st was not in heauen when it was vpon the earth and now because it is in heauen it is not on earth And Augustine in his 57 Epistle to Dardanus hath these words The humane nature of Christ is destroyed if there bee not giuen vnto him after the manner of other bodies a certaine space wherin he may be contained The popish purgers and correcters could not suffer the waight of this sentence and therefore haue b Printed at Paris Anno. 1571. raced it out of some of their late editions and yet Bellarmine doth alledge it and obiect it against himselfe howbeit it is likely he did not remember himselfe but had forgotten to consult with his good companions who blot out that which they cannot answere These sixe considerations are as certaine inducements to sharpeÌ„ our taste to break the Ice and so to prepare the way now let vs set downe the seuerall testimonies themselues and see how they depose for vs. Tertullian one of the most ancient faith c Tertul cont Marci lib. 4. Christ receiuing the bread and the same being diuided vnto his Disciples made it to be his body saying This is my bodye that is to say a signe of my body Theodoret saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that is the mysticall signes depart not from their nature no not after consecration for they remaine in their former substance figure and forme Can any thing be spoken more plainely Doubtlesse Theodoret was in this point a Lutheran or a Caluinist one of those whom the bastard Catholikes call heretickes Augustine is a man of great authority in the Church therfore a sufficient witnesse beyond all exception he saith for vs d Aug. cont Adamantâ— â—2 The Lord made no doubt
Church remained maintaining those opinions which that present Church holdeth They teach that which was neuer taught for sixe hundred some things which were neuer knowne for a thousand yeares after Christ Answere to those that ask where our Church was before Luther Mark 1 27. The true Church of GOD hath alwayes beene taxed with this imputation and accusation of nouelty as appeareth by the words of the Iewes to Christ the master and of the Philosophers to Paul the Scholler They say to Christ what new doctrine is this Marke 1 27. Wee know that God spake vnto Moses as for this fellow wee know not from whence he is Ioh. 9 29. Ioh. 9 29. So the Epicures Stoikes tooke Paul and brought him to Areopagus the highest Court in Athens saying May wee know what this new doctrine whereof thou speakest is Act. 17 19. Indeed in the hottest times of persecution Reuel 12.6 the woman fled into the wildernesse where she had a place prepared of God that they should finde her there a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes But what an absurd thing and how iniurious dealing is this to persecute vs with fire and faggot and to driue vs as poore banished men from place to place and from corner to corner and then to aske where our Church is and to complaine against it that it is inuisible Neuerthelesse that great Dragon and old Serpent which deceiueth the whole world Ver. 8 9. and all his instruments shall not preuaile because to the woman wer giuen two wings of a great Eagle that she might flye into the wildernesse to her place where she was nourished for a time Ver. 14. and times and halfe a time so that the gates of hell shall not be able to ouercome it and to preuaile against it And albeit the Church be vnknowne to the world and oftentimes to the particular parts themselues as it was in the dayes of Eliah 1 King 19 14 Rom. 11 3. 2 Tim 2 19. Galath 1.9 who complaineth that he was left alone yet it is not hidde from God who knoweth who are his and described fully in the Scriptures which cannot deceiue vs. If wee or an Angell from heauen should teach otherwise let him bee accursed It was our Church that shined with glorious myracles confirming the faith which we professe that was dyed with the blood of so many Martyrs confessing the truth which we imbrace It was our Church which conuinced the Arrians Macedonians Nestorians PelagiaÌ„s Manichees such like hereticks The general Councels celebrated in former times at Nice Popish opâ—nions not heard of for 600. yeares after Châ—ist at Constantinople at Ephesus and at Chalcedon stand on our side But where was the Popish Conuenticle which nowe boasteth it selfe to be the only Church for six hundred yeares after Christ which were the purest times Had they any Church any where that worshipped images that decked them and then ducked downe vnto them that held that the old vulgar Translation of the Bible is authenticall that no interpretation of Scripture is to be allowed against that sence which the Church of Rome holdeth that the Virgine Mary was exempted from originall sinne that the Scriptures are vnperfect and no sufficient rule of faith that the holy Scriptures and the traditions of the Church are to be reuerenced with equall affection that the Bishop of Rome is iudge of all controuersies of Religion Had they any Church vpon the face of the earth that beleeued that the Pope was euer called a God and the spouse of the Church that held that veniall sinnes are cleansed and done away with holy water that the Pope is aboue a generall Councell that the Pope may dispense by his omnipotency wâ—thin the degrees of affinity and consanguinity forbidden in the Law that by dispensing the merites of Saints by indulgences hee is able to deliuer Soules at his pleasure from the paines of Purgatory that the Pope defining out of his Chaire cannot erre Were all these or any of thâ—se preached or professed in the true Church of God which are now broached and beleeued in the Church of Rome But to passe ouer these as impertinent to this present Treatise New doctrins of Popery touching the Supper and to speeke onely to the matter in question concerning the Sacraments what Church did beleeue the reall presence or Transubstantiation or priuate Masses or receiued in one kinde or held that there are seauen Sacramenss neyther more nor lesse or beleeued accidents without their subiect or called the Sacrament his Lord and God or administred it in a strange tongue or lifted it vp ouer his head or worshipped it as his Maker and Creator All these are now made articles of faith and principles of religion such as without them a man cannot be saued yet which of them were imbraced for sixe hundred yeares I might adde more after Christ These were neuer heard off neuer dreamed off which are now the chiefest dreams of the Romish Prelates And no maruell For seeing they haue in a manner banished and buried the remembrance of CHRIST it may not seeme strange that they haue abolished his Supper instituted in memory of his death and passion Christ our Sauiour sitteth in heauen at the right hand of his Father and maketh continuall intercession for vs Sadeel de spiri manduc cap. 1 and wee must feed vpon him spiritually which is not a faigned or forged presence bred in our owne idle fansie and consisting of our priuate opinion neither doth it signifie and import that which is onely inuisible and not offered to the obiect of the eye or that we go about to turne and transforme the body and blood of Christ into a spirit but we call it spirituall eating and feeding vpon him spiritually The reasons why we are said to eate Christ spiritually for three causes First because the eating of Christs flesh and drinking of his blood is brought to passe by the worke of the holy Spirit for it may well be saide to be receiued in that manner seeing it is effected by that meanes Secondly because this mystery is wrought by the instrument of faith which we send vp to the Throne of God as the Eagle which mounteth vp to heauen inasmuch as it is opposed to the fleshly eating of him wherein the Papists are like to the Capernaites Ioh. 6. that dreamed of a carnall and corporall eating and drinking Ioh. 6 63. which profiteth nothing and helpeth no man and bringeth no good Thirdly because this most excellent and precious food belongeth to our spirituall and eternall life seeing wee receiue the signes not to nourish our bodies but to feed our soules The summe and effect of this Booke These things the iudicious Reader shall finde largely discussed in this Treatise which I haue therefore called The New Couenant because it layeth open the doctrine of the Sacraments which serue to confirme and strengthen vs in that Couenant and
place I take the word part in a generall sence and signification and therefore do conclude in it and comprehend vnder it as well the Ministers and receiuers to bee outward parts of a Sacrament as the signes themselues All men do confesse that the signes are parts because they are materiall but I vndertake to prooue the persons both of him that deliuereth and of them that receiue to bee essentiall also Besides the actions of the Minister and the actions of the receiuer are both of them significant as is manifestly shewed so that there is a fit resemblance betweene the workes of the Minister and the workes of God the Father for God performeth the truth of that inwardly which the Minister doth outwardly and the actions of the receiuer doe serue to instruct the faithfull what they are to doe by faith Wherefore if the signes bee partes because they are significant then wee are to receiue the Ministers and receiuers as parts also because whatsoeuer they do is significant also First then c The Minister is the first outward part of a Sacrament there is required a Minister lawfully called chosen and ordained hauing at the least the approbation and allowance of the Church to pronounce the words of institution and to deliuer the outward signes to the receiuers They are not makers of the Sacrament but Ministers not authors but administrators not deuisers but deliuerers Earthly Princes haue their letters patents and their great seales and keepers of the same if another shall set to the seale that is not appointed the keeper thereof is it not made an heinous crime worthy of heauy punishment So the Lord is a mighty Prince King of Kings and Lord of Lords he hath appointed his seales to seale vp his promise of forgiuenesse of sinnes and eternall life and he hath ordained his Officers as it were keepers of his great seales God publisheth saluation and pardon to all beleeuers by his worde as by his letters pattents and hee addeth baptisme and the Lords Supper as two broad seales for greater assurance and confirmation and appointeth the Ministers to bee keepers thereof Whosoeuer therefore shall presume to set to any of these seales without warrant without a calling without a function and direction from God himselfe being no officer no Minister no keeper of them prophaneth these seales and setteth to a counterfeit stampe For as no man may preach d Rom. 10 15. except hee bee sent so no man may administer the Sacraments except he be called This is it the e Heb. 5 4.5 Apostle teacheth No man taketh this honor vnto himselfe but he that is called of God as was Aaron and Christ tooke not to himselfe this honor to bee made the high Priest but hee that saide vnto him Thou art my Sonne this day begat I thee gaue it to him Now to minister the Sacraments is an honour in the Church which none can take to himself at his own pleasure but God must giue it They should haue in their owne consciences a witnesse of Gods calling them to this office and honour Wherefore the sacred functions ordained of God must not be prophaned by voluntary officers and vsurped offices no man must take vpon him without a lawfull calling to teach these holy mysteries Of these the f Ier. 23 21. Lord complaineth I haue not sent these Prophets yet they ranne I haue not spoken to them and yet they prophesied Thus these intruders did thrust their sickle into other mens corne The reasons g Reasons why the Ministers onely are to administer the Sadraments why the Ministers and no others are to intermedle with the Sacraments are very apparant First because euery part and member of the Church hath his especiall office and his proper guifts to execute his calling we see in a campe the Souldiers in warre haue their standing-place in sight of their captaine who hath chosen thē to be warriors so in the Church must euery one keep his seuerall calling in the presence of God who hath in wisedome and mercy called him therevnto Wee see in the naturall disposition of the body h See Booke 2 cap. 3. euery member hath his speciall vse the eye to see the hand to handle the foote to walke the eare to heare and if one member should incroach vpon the office of another it must needs tend to the destruction of the body We see in the gouernment of an house and family the husband and wife the father and sonne the maister and seruant know acknowledge their places to rule and to obey to command and to bee commanded without intruding themselues and incroching vpon the function as it were vpon the free-holde of another If wee would ascend a step higher wee obserue in the affaires of state and matters of the common-wealth euery man doth keepe within his owne listes and limits and no man dare presume to charge any man or enterprise any thing in the Princes name authority without a sufficient warrant from the Prince himselfe so may no man take vpon him any functions in the Church vnlesse he haue a commission and commandement from the Lord. For as the Prince appointeth by what officers he will bee serued so is it in the offices and officers of the Church God hath placed and ordained the Apostle to plant the Euangelist to second and assist the Prophet to prophesie the Pastor to feede and hath set euery one k 1 Cor. 12 12 14. in his proper place and standing as it were in his watch-tower out of which he must not wander and depart It is a generall common rule set downe by the Apostle Let euery man abide in the same vocation wherein hee was called and againe afterwards Let euery man wherein he was called therein abide with God Whosoeuer therefore medleth without a lawfull vocation as it were violently inuadeth another mans possession as Ahab did the Vineyard of Naboth and cannot do it without the checke controlment of Christ Iesus who is the l Iosh 5 14. Captaine of his owne hoast m Eph. 4 15. the head of his owne body the n Heb. 3 5 6. Lord of his owne house and the o Reuel 12 5. great King of his owne Church Againe Christ the Prophet and teacher of his Church and the Prince of Pastors hath committed the office of administration of the Sacraments to those alone to whō he hath committed the dispensation of his word and preaching of the Gospel therfore if any other shall set to the seale it is no true seale but a counterfeit stampe The truth of this appeareth by the words of Iohn Baptist Indeed I baptize with water that is I that am appointed a teacher in the Church to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. And Paul beeing conuerted and called to preach to beare the name of God to the Gentiles did without further word warrant or commandement minister the Sacraments Now then
should not perish but haue euerlasting life And Cha. 14. Let not your heart be troubled ye beleeue in God beleeue also in me And Rom. 10. With the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse and with the mouth man confesseth vnto saluation for the Scripture saith whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not be ashamed Secondly God requireth of vs loue toward our brethren for seeing he hath shewed so great loue toward vs k 1 Iohn 4 7 9 10 11. he exacteth loue of vs againe as Iohn exhorteth Beloued let vs loue one another for loue commeth of God and euery one that loueth is borne of God and knoweth God heerein was the loue of God made manifest among vs because God sent his onely begotten Son into this world that wee might liue through him beloued if God so loued vs wee ought also to loue one another Thirdly he requireth as a necessary couenant to be kept on our part holines true obedience throughout the whole course l Iosh 24 24.25 2 Kings 29 3. of our life and conuersation This is repeated and vrged in many places of the word of God as Iosh 24. when they said they would serue the Lord their God obey his voice Ioshua made a couenant with them the same day ioyning God the people together So also Iosiah stood by the pillar and made a couenant before the Lord that they should walke after the Lord and keepe his commandements and his testimonies and his statutes with al their hart and with al their soul Likewise to the same purpose we reade 2. Chro. 15. They made a couenant to seeke the Lord God of their Fathers and whosoeuer will not seeke the Lord God of Israel shall be slaine whether he be small or great man or woman Thus we see the conditions of the couenant both what he promiseth to doe and what he looketh for at our hands He requireth of vs faith loue and obedience to become his people if we will haue him to be our God All these three parts of the couenant m 1 Iohn 3 23 24. are mentioned and expressed 1. Iohn 3. This is his commandement that wee beleeue in the name of his Sonne Iesus Christ and loue one another as he gaue commandement for he that keepeth his commandements dwelleth in him and he in him and heereby we know that hee abideth in vs euen by the Spirite that he hath giuen vs. The vses of the second end of a Sacrament are first to Vse 1 behold the exceeding loue of God toward his people vnworthy of his fauour Can there be a greater loue then this Certainly such as know the great rigor of the law the infinite iustice of God and the heauy burthen of sin and feele God to arraigne them the law to endite them their consciences to accuse them and their hearts to cōdemne them do finde nothing sweeter then to be eased of that burthen to be acquitted of that Iudge and to be freed from that condemnation For of all burdens sin is the heauiest of all wounds it is the deepest of all afflictions it is the greatest of all paines it is the sharpest and often presseth downe to the gates of hell Wherefore such as feele Gods mercy in their misery n Psal 32 1.2 may cry out with the Prophet in the reioycing of their spirite Blessed is he whose wickednesse is lightened and whose sin is couered Blessed is the man vnto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity This kindnesse is so great that the eternall God should make a couenant with dust and ashes that it ought neuer to be forgotten of vs vs nor depart out of our hearts Againe let euery one be carefull to keepe the former Vse 2 conditions of the Couenant which are to loue him againe and our brethren for his sake o Luke 1 74.75 and to walke in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life Our Sauiour Christ directing our loue to our brethren and teaching that the streames thereof should flow vnto our enemies sheweth that if we loue thē that loue vs the o Mat. 5 44.46 47. Publicans do the same if we be friendly to our brethren only this is no singular thing Behold p 1 Iohn 3 1. what loue the Father hath giuen vnto vs that we should be called the Sons of God he loued vs graciously freely he loued vs whē we were enemies vnto him spared not his own Son but gaue him to death for vs al do not these things deserue loue againe are we not bound to shew duty for these mercies and loue to our brethren for this loue of our God yet many regard neyther these blessings of God neither walking in vprightnes of hart Vse 3 before him Thirdly is God mā entred into a solemne couenant are the Sacraments seals of it Thē the contempt of the Sacraments is the contempt of God himselfe of his couenant made with vs and therfore worthily to be condemned and iustly to bee censured of the Church If men wer throughly perswaded of this truth I am perswaded they wold not shew this carelesnes prophanenes in coming to these ordinances of God They are not bare and naked promises but couenants of mercy fauour Euery couenant is a promise but euery promise is not a couenant Abraham had receiued many promises from God of reconciliation of posterity of blessing protection that he would be his buckler his bulwarke and his great reward and giue vnto his seed the land of Canaan yet we reade not that God as yet made a couenant with him vntill by a solemne rite and ceremony he established it Ge. 15. where we see that Abraham took an heiffer a shee-goate and a ramme and diuided them in the midst and laid each piece one against another In the same day the Lord made a couenant with him This he confirmed afterward by the signe of circumcision as also hee confirmeth his couenant with vs by two Sacraments If any were asked the question whether they would haue God to be their God gracious and mercifull vnto them they would answere it is their whole desire howbeit if we would haue God magnifie his mercy toward vs we must magnify make much of his sacram whereby he hath sealed vp his loue toward vs. Could Abraham haue God to be his God and the God of his seede and yet reiect circumcision commanded vnto him which was a signe of the couenant Could the Israelites acknowledge God to be the author of their deliuerance out of Egypt and yet refuse the Passeouer that was instituted in remembrance of their deliuery and of his mercy O that we could consider these things and learne them aright to make vs wise to God and to our selues If wee giue to any man a piece of mony to binde a bargaine that hath passed betweene him and vs we would thinke ourselues much abused if hee should not count himselfe tyed by
3 cap. 9. mystery of the Trinity a Sacrament and fire a Sacrament because by the heat light and shining brightnes thereof the Trinity may after a sort be shaddowed out Besides a Warnw. Encâ—unt 1. c. 13. the late Warneword Page 91. handling this controuersie of the number of Sacraments doth not prooue the number of seauen Sacraments out of the Scripture neyther goeth about it neither is able to deriue it further then the counsell of Florence holden in the yeare 1440. and from Peter Lumbard b Sâ—nent lib. 4 d st 2. who was indeed the Father and first finder and founder of this number of seauen Augustine wheÌ„ speaketh of Sacraments in the strict and proper signification and taketh them for holy signes and seales not onely signifying representing and exhibiting spirituall graces commanded by Christ succeeding in the roome of the Iewish two ordinary Sacraments and offering Christ to all faithfull receiuers the vse whereof is perpetuall and vniuersall reckoneth them as we do c August de simb ad cateâ—hu Haec sunt Ecclesiae gemina sacramenta i. These be two Sacraments of the Church And in one other place d August de doctr Christ lâ—b 3. cap. 9. Christ and his Apostles haue deliuered vnto vs a few Sacrament instead of many as Baptisme and Lords Supper Cyprian that liued before him Cyprian lib. 2. Epist 1. is of the same iudgment who saith plainely Tunc demum planè sanctificari c. that is may be throughly satisfied and become the children of God Vtroque Sacramento Paschas de coena dom if they be new borne by both the Sacraments And likewise Paschas 9. speaketh to the same purpose sunt Sacramenta c. that is The Sacraments of Christ in the Catholike Church are baptisme and the body and blood of our Lord. So S. Ambrose intreating purposely e Ambrose lib. 1. de Sacra cap. 1. of the Sacraments speaketh but of two as the reformed Churches hold at this day Innocentius the third speaking of them f C. Firmiter onely maketh mention of those two which we receiue not of the rest which we refuse Yea Thomas of Aquine the Chiefe Doctor of the Papists holdeth heerein the truth g In lib. 4. sent dist 28. qu. 4. teaching that the forme of Baptisme and of the Lords Supper is found in the Scripture but not of the other pretended Sacraments and namely of extreme vnction To conclude h Bessar de sacra Eucharist Cardinall Bessarion confesseth this Haec duo sola Sacramenta in Euangelijs manifeste tradita legimus that is we reade that these two onely Sacraments were deliuered vs manifestly and plainely in the Gospell Thus we see that others before vs do ioyne with vs and speak directly of both the Sacraments of two Sacraments and of onely two Sacraments and therefore the bringing in of seauen is as strange and monstrous as if a man shold say we wanted seauen feete to walke or seauen eyes to see or seauen hands to handle or seauen eares to heare whereas two of each sort are sufficient and the other fiue are needlesse and superfluous in the body Now let vs come to the vses of this diuision In Vse 1 that Christ hath appointed so few Sacraments in number heereby appeareth the great loue of God toward vs he hath not laid a burden vpon vs which neither we nor our Fathers were able to beare but charged vs with two Sacraments onely whereas he might haue deliuered other moe vnto vs. The Ceremoniall law was a very heauy burthen pressing downe the Father of the old Testament and keeping them i Act. 15 10. in great bondage now the yoke is broken and we are deliuered As we see the like mercy of God in teaching a short forme of praier as a perpetuall direction to the Church and in deliuering the ten Commandements diuided into two tables so he hath not troubled vs with many SacrameÌ„ts wherby also our nature prone to idolatry is respected and the grace of the new Testament is wonderfully amplyfied We see how superstition and grosse Idolatry haue preuailed in the Church of Rome infected with deadly poyson one of the Sacraments how much greater danger were it if moe Sacraments had beene commanded and commended vnto vs Againe heereby we may perceiue and conceiue the Vse 2 difference betweene the olde and new Testament betweene the Sacraments vnder the lawe and these vnder the Gospell k Difference betweene the Sacraments of the old Testament the new betweene those giuen to the Iewes and these retained among Christians For ours are few in number theirs are many in number the Arke Circumcision the Passeouer Manna the Cloud the Sea the Rock many purifications oblations which are not easy to be numbred But the Gospell acknowledgeth onely two as two twins begotten of the same father brought forth of the same mother Hereunto we may adde not vnprofitably other materiall differences to bee acknowledged They differ in time ours shew forth our communioÌ„ with Christ already come and so are more firme and durable as those l 1 Cor. 11 26 which are not to be changed to the ende of the world 1 Cor. 11. Yee shew the Lords death till hee come Their Sacraments were ordained onely vntill the comming of Christ because they shewed and pointed out Christ to come so that the worke of grace was more obscure vnto them Againe they differ much in variety of Sacramentall signes and rites as the cutting of the fore-skinne the Lambe of the Passeouer iournying through the Sea sauing by the Arke drinking of the rocke lifting vp the brazen Serpent raining downe of Manna washing of their body they had calues sheep goates doues bread wine oyle and such like we haue onely water in Baptisme bread and wine in the Lords Supper Thus the signes do greatly vary Fourthly they differ in easinesse For the ceremonies committed to the people of the Iewes were hard cumbersome painful to the flesh and some of them were administred with effusion and shedding of blood partly of man partly of beasts Of man as in circumcision of beasts as in the Paschall Lambe and in the sacrifices But our Sacraments though Sacraments of Christs blood shed for vs yet of themselues be voide of blood Fiftly they differ in measure of signification For our Sacraments haue a more plentifull and full representation of grace offered and stirre vp a greater measure of faith then the Sacraments of the old Testament which were more darke obscure the Lord reseruing a fuller measure of knowledge vnto the blessed times of the Gospell For as the exhibiting of Christ Iesus in the flesh in fulnesse of time and as it were in the olde age of the world is of more efficacy to moue vs then the expectation of him to come so wee haue better helpes and an holye aduantage to raise and rouse vp our faith vnto a greater assurance of grace
receiue as the doctrine of Christ and agreeable to the Prophets and Apostles as appeareth 2 Cor. 7. where Paul setteth downe the effects or fruites of true repentance This is our doctrine and the doctrine of the Church of God touching repentance let vs consider a little the popish penance and what they teach touching it and we shall see plainely that heauen and earth light and darknesse are not more opposite then their deuices and inuentions are to the truth For they haue forged a new Sacrament which they cal Penance What popish penance is when a man is contrite for all his sinnes and maketh a full and sufficient reckoning vp rehearsall of them all in the eare of the Priest of whom he is enioyned to make satisfaction after he is absolued of them So that this new coyned Sacrament consisteth of these foure counterfeit parts The parts of popish penance the contrition of the heart the confession of the mouth the satisfaction of the worke and the absolution of the Priest Thus they abuse the name of a Sacrament when they apply it to these things as we shall see afterward Againe they require all these things as necessary to saluation in all that are of yeares of discretion whereby they lay snares for mens soules and set them vpon the racke requiring an impossibility at their hands forasmuch as no man can haue perfect sorrow nor number vp all his sinnes nor yet make satisfaction for them and therefore this Penance is not a boord to escape shipwracke neyther physicke for the soule but the high way to desperation Lastly they make the performance of all these things meritorious and teach that remission of sinnes is obtained by them which tendeth to the reproach and dishonour of Christ Let vs speake somewhat of these in order Touching the first point to wit Contrition we grant that godly sorrow of heart for sinne is necessary to repentance as also to haue a true feeling of sinne and an hatred and detestation of it howbeit it is no part the repentance but onely the right and ready way that leadeth to it because the more sinne doth presse vs and afflict vs the more we learne to flye to the mercy of God in his Sonne Christ But they teach that this Contrition ought to be perfect and that the greatnesse of the griefe must be answerable and equiualent to the greeuousnesse of the sinne they make it a necessary meane and cause of iustification and apart of satisfaction for our sinnes that we deserue by it remission of them and therefore their doctrine is diuelish and blasphemous translating vnto mortall and sinfull men that which is proper to Christ the Son of God The next point is Confession Such as the Scripture alloweth and approueth we admit and acknowledge as first publike confession of the whole Church acknowledging theÌ„selues before the coÌ„gregation to be grieuous sinners in the sight of God consenting to the Minister that conceiueth the prayer and crauing pardon of our heauenly Father in the name of Christ our Sauiour This is practised continually of al the faithfull met together they begin the exercises of religion with this publike humiliation Nehe. 9 3. Nehe. 9 3. For wheresoeuer two or three are gathered together in his name where he is in the midst of them there is alwayes confession of sinne forasmuch as there is nothing can with-hold good things from vs but our owne vnworthinesse Secondly there is a priuate confession when a man poureth out his hart before God alone and desireth forgiuenesse of his sins This did Dauid Psal 32 5 and â—1 1.2 Luke 18. this did the Publican practise and so doth euery beleeuing soule almost at all times For we do all of vs finde continuall occasions to poure out our meditations before him to keepe vs from sinne to hold vs vp in tentations and to weaken the power of sin daily in vs. Thirdly there is another confession when such as are banished from the Church and excluded from the Sacraments and excommunicated out of the society of the faithfull do openly acknowledge their offences and desire to be reconciled to the Church which they haue notoriously offended as we see in the example of the incestuous Corinthian 2 Cor. 2.6 2 Cor. 2 6. who humbled himselfe before God asked forgiuenes of the Church Fourthly there is a kinde of confession of such as haue offended their brethren not that which wee mentioned before belonging to ecclesiasticall discipline but a priuate acknowledgement of the iniuries and wrongs done vnto them and a crauing of forgiuenes at their hands which duty the offenders are bound to performe and the offended are bound to grant according to the rule of charity Mat. 5 24 and 6 14. and 18.15 For we are all charged to reconcile our selues vnto our brethren and to forgiue as we desire to be forgiuen Lastly there is a lawfull and lawdable kind of confession pertaining to such as are troubled in conscience for sinne and desire to finde comfort and to be at peace with God These are to make confession of that particular sinne which lyeth heauy vpon their heart eyther to the Minister if he haue the tongue of the learned and bee able to minister a word of comfort in season Iam. 5.16 or to some other faithfull and godly brother that their spirits may be raised vp refreshed by their prayers All there sorts of confession we know to be good and therefore receiue but what are they to the auricular confession secretly whispered in the eare of an ignorant and sottish Priest wherein men are enioyned to confesse all particularly at the least all their mortall sins Rhem. annot vpon Iohn 20. whether they be committed in minde heart will and cogitation onely or else in word and worke with all the necessary circumstances and differences of the same This they will have done once a yeare in the holy time of Lent before the Lords Supper bee receiued at Easter This is a meere inuention of carnal men not an institution of God forasmuch as Christ neyther by commandment neyther by example ordained any such auricular Confession or particular enumeration of all our sinnes of which we shal speake further in the third booke where we intreat of the preparation required of such as come to the Table of the Lord. The third point is satisfaction and it is true that the iustice of God must be satisfied forasmuch as hee can neuer forget to be iust but it is folly and madnes blockishnesse and sencelesnesse nay high presumption and blasphemy for flesh and blood to thinke that they can make recompence to God for their sins and fully satisfie his iustice For who is able to beare the burthen of his wrath Psal 90.11 For who can pay a price sufficient for his sinnes or who dare offer to the righteous God the rags and patches of his owne workes to merite thereby his fauour What is the
What is the reason that Peter is reproued for drawing his sword and smyting the high Priests seruant beeing commanded to put vp the sword because so many as smite with the sword t Mat. 26 5â— 52 Rom. 13 4. shall perish with the sword whereas the higher power is saide to bee the Minister of God to take vengeance on him that doth euill and not to beare the sword in vaine Was it not that Phineas was stirred vp and called of God to doe execution but Ioab was stirred vp by the Diuell to see and to seeke his owne reuenge Was it not that Peter was a priuate man to whom God had saide a Exod. 20 13 Thou shalt not kâ—ll but the Magistrate is ordained of God to whom hee hath saide b Deu. 13 8 9 Thine eye shall not pitty him whom I haue appointed to dye Wherefore there is more to be marked of vs then the deed that is done seeing the same deed performed by a person that hath a calling is liked lawfull the which done without a calling is vngodly and vnlawfull This truth is so plaine and apparant that the heathen c Terent in Adelp act 5. see 3. Poet doth acknowledge it Duo cum idem facunt saepe vt possis dicere Hoc licet impune facere huic illi non licet Non quod dissimilis res sit sed is qui facit That is Though two an act attempt in substance one as doth befal Yet one we oft as lawfull like th' other vnlawfull call Not that the deed is differing the dooer is all in all So then to say that a woman may minister baptisme in cases of necessity is all one as if a man should say that if there be no Iudge or Magistrate at hand that will do his duty in executing iustice against murtherers and malefactors that then a priuate man may take vpon him to draw the sword out of the sheath to strike offendors But as a priuate man slaying a murtherer hath himselfe committed murther and not executed iudgement because he had no calling or commission thereunto so such as without any warrant haue taken in hand to baptize haue made a prophane washing and not administred any Sacrament of the Lord. Lastly if it be not materiall who baptize then if the friends or neighbours meeting together after the birth of a child should carry the childe to the Church to be baptised solemnly dedicated to Christ that died on the crosse if a priuate person peruenting their purpose cast water on the infant and withall vse the words of institution the childe should by this imagination be baptized and beâ— carried no further to the Minister of God Or if no man of purpose poure on water but it dash at vnawares vpon the face of the child or if a shower of raine fall from heauen a priuate person speake the words of institution it should likewise be baptisme Nay which is more vnreasonable and absurd d Calu. lib. Epist Pag. 85. if it were ministred by a boy playing and in sport if it were ministred by a foole or a mad man if it were ministred by one that were not himselfe baptized if it were by a Turke or Infidell that is a sworne enemy by profession to baptisme and to them that are baptised yea if it were ministred by an Atheist that holdeth there is no God no religion no saluation yet it should be by this opinion a good lawfull and perfect baptisme But seeing this cannot be so wee are not onely to obserue what is the deed done but to consider who is the dooer and to prouide it be done by the Minister warranted by the Church called of God thereunto Before we come to the vses hereof we will answer certaine obiections which stand in the way and trouble the Obiection 1 vnlearned and hinder their faith from imbracing this truth The first shall be from the example of Zipporah the wife of Moses who in case of necessity circumcised her son and God departed from pursuing her husband to the death for omitting therof To this we may answer Answere that we must liue by lawes not by examples which haue no warrant The question is not of the fact but of the lawfulnesse of the fact Againe there is a difference betweene circumcision and baptisme For this falling out before the law was more lawfull when circumcision was left more at liberty yea vnder the law there was no speciall commandement giuen to the Priests to circumcise which should tye it vnto the Priest-hood onely But Christ in the Gospell hath appointed the same persons to be Preachers of the Gospell Ministers of the Sacraments Moreouer inasmuch as she did it Exod. 4 24.25 26. not in the absence but in the presence of hir husband and inasmuch as her heart was not vpright but filled with anger against God with indignation against her husband with murmuring and fretting against the institution of circumcision casting the fore-skin with great disdaine vpon the earth regarding nothing lesse then to perform a good duty to God railing vpon and reuiling Moses the act of an angry and testy woman cannot be lawfull or approued Furthermore it doth not appeare out of the scripture that Moses was sick as some pretend but it is most probable and likely that Zipporah wanting discretion but not presumption through her boldnes and hastines preuented Moses and aduentured on the worke before the prophet coulde prepare himselfe to it Neither may we by the sequell and successe conclude the lawfulnes of her deed f Bellar. de sacra â—ap cap. 7. as Bellarmine doth because the Angel ceased from vexing him that therfore God was pacified and appeafed toward him For the cause why God was pleased was because the child was circumcised not because she did it Besides the Heathen man condemneth such as measure actions g Ouid. Epist 2 coreal successibus opto quisquis ab cueutu fâ—cta notanda puâ—â— by the euent as by a false rule and deceitfull measure We see oftentimes euill workes prosper and euill workers speed wel in this world The Assyrians that haulted in the worship of God mingled his honor with Idols were deliuered from the h 2 Kin. 17 25 Lyons that deuoured them yet their corrupt and confused religion pleased not God Wherefore we conclude that whereas this woman administred circumcision her example must not be drawne into imitation Obiection 2 Another obiection is drawne from the example practise of Peter who when he had preached the Gospel vnto Cornelius his houshold Actâ— 10. did not baptize them himself but commanded them to be baptized by others so it is like that Paul did not baptize alwaies himself 1 Cor. 1. Answere but commanded them to be baptized by others I answer the Apostles baptized indeed by the ministery of others but the Scripture doth not teach that those others were Lay-men and such as had no office
Male nor Female therefore as well women as men may teach in the Church contrary to the expresse doctrine of the Scripture set downe by Paul himselfe I permit not a woman to speake in the Church 1 Cor. 14. 1 Tim. 2. But I will spend no moe words in answering such trifles Thus much concerning the obiections Now as the truth is plaine and euident so the vse is Vse 1 profitable and comfortable First if the minister be one outward part of baptisme then he must be ready and carefull to performe his duty which is to wash the vncleane body with water in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost to call vpon God and to follow the institution of Christ as it is left in the Scripture for his direction For if there be the outward sign of baptisme as the matter of the Sacrament if there be a party to bee baptized which is the receiuer and if there be a minister to administer it yet vnlesse he perform his duty there can be no baptisme So then we must know that the actions of the Minister i What are the actions of the Minister are double first there is required of him a sanctifying of the water secondly a washing of the party The sanctifying of the water is the separation and apointing of it by the word and prayer to this vse to signifie the bloude of Christ The outward washing is a certain pledge vnto vs of our inward washing by the blood and spirit of Christ Secondly if it bee the office of the Minister to baptize Vse 2 then this giueth direction and instruction to the people to whom to repaire and resort when they haue any Children to be baptized It is required of them to haue recourse to the ministers as to the officers of God We see in the affairs of the Common-wealth and in passing conueyances of houses of lands and of inheritances how carefull and circumspect men are to passe them where they ought to bee passed and in such Courts and vnder such officers as are authorized for such purpose that ther may be no error committed in the conueyance For whatsoeuer is done and passed before him that hath not his patent to warrant his practise is held to be voide and frustrate by maisters of that profession In like manner it standeth vs all vpon when a matter of an higher nature and of greater importance is in hand then the sealing and assuring of temporall possessions to looke carefully to the diligent performance of this speciall duty that the signing of our infants and sealing them in the Couenant be made by the hands of such Officers as are appointed by God for that purpose and by no other Vse 3 Thirdly this condemneth the abuse and prophanation of the Sacrament of baptisme in the church of Rome where women midwiues and priuate persons without any commandement of God nay contrary to his word take vpon them this part of the Ministers office to baptize children which they haue receyued from the Hereticke Marcion i Epip haere 42 who gaue women power to baptize which Epiphanius k Epi. con haer 2 teacheth the holy Mother of Christ was not permitted to do And the fourth Councell of Carthage Can. 100. hath without exception decreed that a woman ought not to baptize Such then as vsurpe this calling and approoue thereof neuer knewe the force of our adoption in Christ nor the strength of the couenant nor that the elect are saued by the good pleasure and will of God Therfore there is not that absolute necessity of baptisme vnto saluation which many suppose that for this supposed necessitie the ordinance of God should be broken and prophaned And a man may maruell why at such times they did not rather commit the matter to priuate men to baptize then to women whose sexe is further remooued from execution of this office not onely because they be vncalled and priuate men l 1 Tim. 2 11 12. 1 Cor. 14 34. but euen because they are women and thereby are wholly vncapeable though otherwise qualified of anie publike charge or function in the Church they are commanded to sit still and to bee quiet Besides if in time of this extreamity and necessity which is imagined it be permitted them to minister baptisme why should it not bee suffered in like necessity and danger of death that they minister the Lords Supper and preach the Gospell in case they be able and men vnable or vnwilling the dignitie of the one Sacrament being no lesse then the other the excellencie of the worde being as great as of them both If then women may iustly bee condemned when they shall presume to sit downe in the Chaire of Moses or to minister the Supper of the Lord they cannot be iustified if they vsurpe to minister baptisme For shall wee make a shameful and double diuorcement of those things that God hath coupled betweene the word and Sacraments and likewise betweene the one Sacrament and the other This â—s too great contumely and contempt offered to baptisme to allow it in those that may neither publikely preach nor lawfully minister the Lords Supper seeing their want to practise the one is no greater then to do the other In a priuate Family it is a great disorder to see the maister play the seruant and the seruant to do the office of the maister the husband to loose his authority and the Woman to step into his place In the Common-wealth it is a wonderful confusion to see base persons and peasants set on horsebacke Eccl. 10 6 7. and Princes walking as seruants vpon the ground Is this vnseemely and vncomely in the priuate house and in the Common-welth and it is not as vndecent in the Church when the distinct partes of the same office are diuided and parted asunder that priuate persons are set in Moses his chaire and pastors are put at the feete of the people Or when the Ministers of the word do occupy the place of Teaâ—hers and the administration of the Sacraments is committed or at lest permitted to the Parishioners and people and which is worse to Women And when different offices are so shuffled and shaken together that it cannot be determined to whom of right they do belong Wherefore let all priuate persons and Mid wiues consider with themselues the fearefull examples recorded in the Scripture of such as haue rashly p esumed to prophane the holy offices of the Church and how God hath often visited this great sinne with greeuous iudgementes sometimes with fire from heauen sometimes the earth opening her mouth sometimes with sodaine death and sometimes with the most filthy disease of the Leprosie whereby as by his voice from heauen he thundred downe on mens disobedience and so ratifieth this law of the necessity of a vocation calling for euer When the men of Bethshemesh pried into the Arke without a calling the Lord smote of the people fifty
that the Lord is so gracious and mercifull that he will shew mercy to a thousand generations and therefore why should we shrinke in the sinewes of it and penne it vp in a narrow roome as if the couenant did not belong to such infants nor the seale of it Or by what law are they to beare part of the punishment that are no way guilty of the crime It is the rule that God hath left in his word that the soule which sinneth shall dye They then are greatly deceiued that hold opinion that when once the parents are cut off from the Church their children haue right to no benefit or priuiledge of the Church Beza handling this question in his 10. Epistle declareth at large that all such as are not called and accounted the members of the Church must not be held in the same ranke Beza epist 10. nor haue equal iudgement giuen of them Of such persons there are foure kindes farre differing the one from the other The first is of those who neither according to election neyther in themselues are any way members of Christ who are no better then reprobates and vessels of wrath ordained of old to condemnation Iud 4. albeit through outward shew and profession and through a temporary faith wherby they deceiue both themselues and others they are reputed to be among the members of the Church Such was Esau whom God determined to hate Rom. 9. Rom. 9 13. Ioh. 17 12. 1 Ioh. 2 19. and such was Iudas the sonne of perdition Ioh. 17. and of such speaketh the apostle Iohn If they had beene of vs doubtlesse they would haue continued with vs. The second sort is of those who according to eternall election are elected in Christ and consequently are the members of Christ albeit they be not yet called or conuerted These are not members actually but in the eternall counsell of God In this sense Paul saith that God had separated him from his mothers wombe Gal. 1 15. and called him by his grace Gal. 1. Whereas a long time hee was after a sort a member of Sathan persecuting the Church And in another place he saith Grace was giuen vs in Christ Iesus before the world began 2 Tim. 1. 2 Tim. 1 9. Likewise he speaketh in his owne person and in the person of the beleeuers that when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son Rom. 5 10. Rom. 5 10. The third sort is of such as both according to election and their present condition are really and actually the Sonnes of God vnited to Christ by faith beeing iustâ—fied and sanctified by his Spirit and expressing the power of it Rom. 8.14 as the Apostle saith Rom. 8. As many as are led by the Spirite of God they are the Sonnes of God The fourth and last soâ—te is of such as doe most properly belong to the matter wee haue in hand who being elect of God and ingrafted into Christ yet falling through infirmity and giuing offence vnto others are deliuered vnto Sathan that godly sorrow may worke in them repentance Such cannot bee cut off from Christ forasmuch as the seed of faith remaineth in them albeit the sense of faith be lost vntil they renew their repentance Our Sauiour saith All that the Father giueth me shall come to me and him that commeth to me I will in no wise cast out Ioh. 6 37. Heereunto commeth the saying of Iohn 1 Ioh. 1 19. If they had been of vs they would no doubt haue continued with vs. And Paul saith The foundation of God remaineth sure 2 Tim. 2 1â— and hath this seale The Lord knoweth who are his 2. Tim. 2. The application of all this we heard before that we must be ruled by the law of charity to hope well and to iudge the best euen of such as are holden captiues in the snare of the diuell and therefore farre bee it from vs to conclude that because the parents are excommunicated the children pertaine not to the kingdome of God Vse 3 Thirdly we may see the great loue of God to all beleeuers seeing he vouchsafeth not onely to be their God but the God of their seede after them as God himselfe t Gen. 17 1.2.7 promiseth to Abraham Gen. 17 I will make my couenant betweene me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations I will be their God walke before me and be thou vpright And ought we not to walke in the vprightnesse of our heart before this mercifull and all-sufficient God Who thus aboundeth in kindnesse toward vs and the fruite of our body Let vs returne vnto him loue for his loue who loued vs first Vse 4 Lastly this teacheth that infants are to be baptized and haue as great right and interest in this Sacrament as they which be in yeares able to make confession of their faith Of which we will intreat in the chapter following where we will proue this truth by testimonies of the Scriptures and maintain it against the Anabaptists and other hereticks that condemne the same CHAP. VII That Infants are to be baptized ALthough it cannot appeare vnto vs that infants and new borne babes brought to be baptized haue actual faith but rather is like they want the habite of faith which hue a Deut. 1 39. Luk. 1 15 44. not the vse of vnderstanding vnlesse God extraordinarily worke it which lyeth not in vs to iudge of yet wee baptize them and admit them to this Sacrament which we do vpon very good grounds and sufficient reasons First therefore we will proue by euident demonstration out of the Scriptures the doctrine of childrens baptisme to be conformable to the Iewes circumcision agreeable to the practise of the Apostles allowable by the words of Christ answerable to the custome of the primitiue Church reasonable in it selfe profitable to the infants auaileable by the ordinance of God and very comfortable to all Christian parents Secondly we will maintaine this assertion against the obiections and arguments of the Anabaptists and other aduersaries that haue crossed and contradicted this truth Lastly we will shew what euident and necessary vses may be gathered from hence for the strength of faith and the increase of our obedience Touching the first that the baptizing of infants is warranted by the word b Reasons warranting the baptizing of children of God I wil make it appeare by sundry reasons Wee see in the olde Testament that all males by expresse commandement were willed to bee circumcised the c Gen. 17 12. Phil. 3 5. eight day If God made infants partakers of circumcision why should we not hold the same of baptisme being instituted for vs in stead of circumcision d Col. 2 11. there being the same promises in both and there being the same ends of both If then the couenant made with Abraham remaine stable and stedfast it doth no lesse belong to the children of Christians at this day then
as the Lord our God shall call Obiection Answere Neuerthelesse will some say we reade not directly that any infants were heere baptized in these places But do we reade that any were excluded And seeing the scripture expresseth all the houshold who shall dare to debar infants Are not they a principal part of the house Besides if the baptisme of children be not to be beleeued because it is not named and expressed wee might with as good reason shut out women from the Lords Supper if any were as great an enemy to the communicating of women as many are to the baptizing of Children seeing we do not expresly reade that they were admitted to the Lords table in the Apostles times Besides by like reason we may say that the Apostles were not baptized because we do not reade it But the argument is weake and nothing worth to argue from not written to not done forasmuch as many things were done which are not written Iohn 20.30 and 21 25. Wherefore childrens baptisme is no humane tradition no apish imitation no ancient corruption of this Sacrament but is grounded on the vnblameable practise of the Apostles which hath the force and strength of a coÌ„mandement Thirdly Christ by his owne example alloweth and approueth their baptisme as we see Mar. 10. when the Disciples rebuked those that brought little children to Christ that he might touch them he said o Mar. 10 13 14 15. Suffer little children to come vnto me and forbid them not for of such is the kingdome of God verily I say vnto yâ—u whosoeuer shall not receiue the kingdom of God as a little child he shall not enter therein Where we are to obserue that he saith not of these only is the kingdome of heauen but of such like infants which shall be in al ages and times of the Church In this act of Christ embracing the Infants brought vnto him and sharply rebuking his Disciples that forbad them we are to consider that he commandeth children to be brought vnto him addeth a reason To such belongeth the kingdome of heauen If any obiect Obiection It is said he imbraced them it is not said he baptized them or if any reply and say that there is no agreement and resemblance betweene baptizing and imbracing I answere Answere he layeth his hands vpon them he prayeth for them hee commendeth them to his Father and saith The kingdome of heauen is theirs All this is a great deale more then to giue them the outward signe For if reason require they should bee brought to Christ why should they not bee receiued to baptisme which is a signe of our vnion with Christ If the kingdome of heauen belong vnto them why should the signe be denied vnto them whereby the doore of entrance into the church is opened Why should we driue them away from Christ whom Christ calleth himselfe Neither let any say these children were of yeares growne vp in age able of themselues to come and repaire to Christ For the Euangelist vseth such * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 words as signifie such young Infants as are babes and hang vpon their mothers breasts p Luk 2 12.16 and 1.44 therefore by comming in this place he meaneth to draw neere or to haue accesse Againe they were such as were brought to Christ by q Luk. 18 15. others Luk. 18.15 they were caried in their armes they walked not on their feete and Christ also tooke them in his owne armes Besides heereto agreeth the practise and custome of the primitiue church for no Teacher so profound no Doctor so learned no Writer so ancient which doth not refer the beginning heereof to the r Orig. lib. 5. comment ad Rom. Hieron in fine lib. 3. contra Pelag. August de bap paruuâ— cap. 20. libri de Origen animae precise times of the Apostles Let the Anabaptists and aduersaries of this truth tell vs who was the first author and inuenter of childrens baptisme if they refer it not to Christ who first administred it What was his name if they can tell let them not hide it Let them declare the time when it began Let them shew the place where it was deuised Let them name the childe first baptized and in what assembly or church it was If they cannot do these or any of them let them acknowledge the baptisme of children to be the ordinance of God and not of man warranted both by doctrine of the Scripture and practise of the church Moreouer if there were no writer to auouch this ancient truth yet is it in it selfe very right and reasonable For do we not see and behold daily very babes and infants Å¿ ChildreÌ„ admitted to câ—ppi holds by custoâ—e of the Mâ—nour among men oftentimes among men admitted to their inheritance haue they not liuery and season of land and haue they not the wand or turfe taken into their hands according to the vse of the country or custome of the Manour of which they holde They know not what is done they perceiue nothing what the Lord of the Manour or stewarde speaketh vnto them yet we see among the wisest men in this world this is not thought foolish neither is such an admission called into question but they are afterward instructed what they haue done what they haue vndertaken taken vpon them what seruices and duties they owe what their Lord requireth of them and how they hold their lands Thus they are admitted in their infancy to a temporall inheritance and possession this they hold to the ende of their life and of the validity of such entrance no tenant maketh doubt Why then should it seeme vnreasonable to giue them baptisme the signe of the couenant beeing borne heires of the promise that after they come to discretion they may make vse of it as the rest of the members of the Church They shall vnderstand afterward that which they vnderstand not for the present yet if it please God to take them in mercy to himselfe from the miseries of the world before they know the mystery of their baptisme he worketh extraordinarily by waies best knowne to himselfe the force of their baptisme in their hearts and sealeth vp their engrafting into Christ Iesus If then children haue the white wand deliuered vnto them to assure them of the inheritance which they hold let none deny vnto them the partaking of this Sacrament whereby they are assured of an eternal inheritance howsoeuer for the present time they are not capable of the knowledge thereof Lastly the priuiledges and prerogatiues of children are no lesse then those of elder yeares For infants are a part of the Church of God t Children are Christs sheepe and members of his body they are the sheepe of Christ they are the children of the heauenly Father they are inheritors of the kingdome of heauen they are redeemed with the blood of Christ and engrafted into his body why then should they not beare the marke
the Gospell yet the office of teaching is not tyed to 30. yeares the age may be lesse if the guifts be great and fit for that calling Againe Christ stood not in need to be baptized in respect of himselfe being without originall or actuall sinne to be washed away and therefore Iohn at the first put him backe r Mat. 3 15. yet he would bee baptized for our sakes to fulfill all righteousnesse to sanctifie our baptisme in himselfe and that thereby we might know he was installed into his office But we stand in need to be baptized to seale vp the washing away of our sinnes and therefore there is great difference in this respect between Christ and vs. Besides the Euangelist doth testifie that albeit our Sauiour were baptized at thirty yeares of age yet hee was circumcised at eight daies old Now we haue prooued before that the same which circumcision was to the Iewes baptisme is to all Christians If then he in his infancy were circumcised then children in their infancy may be baptized and are not commanded to waite thirty years for baptisme is our circumcision as the Apostle teacheth but Christ in his infancy was circumcised Å¿ Luk. 2 21. when the eight dayes were accomplished therefore children in their infancy may be baptized Furthermore baptisme was not hitherto as yet in vse it was not commanded to be vsed when he was a childe and therefore he could not possibly be baptized vnlesse we wil imagine he might be baptized before baptisme was So that we see as he would not haue his circumcision deferred one day beyond the time appointed so hee was presently baptized so soone as baptisme was instituted of God and administred by Iohn Fiftly we are no more tyed to this circumstance of time in Christs baptisme then we are to other circumstances of time place and persons in the Supper he ministred it in an vpper Chamber and before his passion we in Churches before dinner and after his resurrection Lastly when the time appointed came that the promised Sauiour and redeeme of mankinde should manifest himselfe to the world then he shewed himselfe openly then he came to the preaching and baptisme of Iohn and began to publish the glad tidings of saluation t Mar. 1 15. and to exhort men to repent and beleeue the Gospell These are the chiefest obiections against childrens baptisme that ca â—y any shew and probability of reason which hitherto we haue dissolued and discussed And this is the second point before propounded Now as we haue seene the truth proued by the Scripture and maintained it against all the ignorant cauils of the Anabaptists and other Arrians of Transiluania that haue u Ministri Transiluan contra Trinit incarnationem domini oppugned this truth so let vs come to see the benefit of this doctrine and what profite commeth by baptisme of children that are without knowledge without vnderstanding without faith and without repentance What vse can there be of this Much euery way as well as by circumcising an infant of eight dayes olde First consider from Vse 1 hence a plaine and palpable error of the Church of Rome a Lindan lib. 4. panopl. Bellar. de verbo dei lib. 4. cap. 9. that teach that the baptisme of children is by tradition not by diuine institution from their word vnwritten not in the word of God written But we haue confuted the Anabaptists by the Scriptures and conuinced them by the institution of circumcision by the tenor of the couenant by the holines of their birth by their redemption through the blood of Christ and by the practise of the Apostles This is better armour these are stronger weapons this is a sharper sword to cut in sunder the corrupt heresie of the Anabaptists then the wooden dagger of humane tradition which the Church of Rome draweth out against them The Scripture is all-sufficient b 2 Tim. 3 16. to proue all truth and to beate downe all false doctrine that lifteth vp it selfe against God Wherefore we hold their traditions to be superstitions and their vnwritten verities are written lies As we retaine the baptisme of children so we haue alwayes bin ready to maintaine it by the old and new testament as by the sword of the Spirit against all the aduersaries thereof Secondly let vs learne from hence to acknowledge a difference Vse 2 betweene baptisme and the Lords Supper For in baptizing of Children not faith not repentance not regeneration is required but only to be borne in the couenant but the Supper of the Lord requireth knowledge discerning trying and examining of our selues which are not required neither can be performed of yong children who know not light from darknes nor good from euill Thirdly if infants haue interest in baptisme then hence Vse 3 it followeth that all are conceiued and borne in originall sin c Ioh 3 6. 1 Cor 15 22. Rom. 3 23 24. Eph. 2 1 2. and whatsoeuer is of the flesh is flesh So the apostle saith As in Adam all dy euen so in Christ shall all be made aliue There is no difference all haue sinned and are depriued of the glorious kingdome of God we must be iustified freely by his grace through the redemptioÌ„ that is in Christ Iesus by nature all are the children of wrath and borne dead in sins and trespasses infants not excepted We learne therefore that whatsoeuer is begotten of man is sinfull and corrupt it must be cut and pared away we must be renewed borne againe by the Spirite of God cleansing vs from our sins yea the children of the faithfull parents whose corruptions are mortified whose lusts are subdued whose flesh is tamed and brought vnder the obedience of the will of God are notwithstanding brought forth in sin because they are borne by carnall generation and not by spirituall regeneration as corne winnowed from the chaffe d August de poenit merit remiss li. 3. c. 18 yet groweth vp againe with it and as the fore-skin cut off from the parents returneth in the child Againe haue infants of the faithfull right to bee baptized Vse 4 Then acknowledge hereby the difference betweene them and the children of Infidels Iewes Pagans and Turks As the children of the Iewes being heires of the couenant were separated and distinguished from other children of the wicked Idolatrous nations and were therefore accounted the holy seed so for the same cause and reason the children of Christians e 1 Cor. 7 14. are called holy borne of either party and parent being faithfull and a beleeeuer and do differ from the prophane seed of Idolatrous people Indeed whosoeuer maketh a true profession of the faith which he holdeth and is ready to leade his life according to that confession though he be not the seed or child of the faithfull yet is to be baptized though he came of the race of Turks or Pagans f Acts 8 37. as appeareth by the speech of Philip
and large possessions and make them for want of instruction and information in the waies of God the children of hell If we do no more but feed them and giue them meate and drinke what do we for them which we do not for the Oxe and Asse Or if our chiefest care be to cloth theÌ„ well and to apparell them warme what do we r 1 Tim. 5 8. which the Turks and Infidels do not as well as we Haue not they as great a portion in this as we but our obedience to the wil of God and duty to our children must exceed theirs if we will enter Å¿ Mat 5 20. into the kingdome of heauen Whereby we see that they are greatly deceiued who when they haue made honest prouisioÌ„ for the sustenance and sustentation of their children in this world will say they haue done their part although they haue not taught them to know God these haue the greatest and chiefest account to make for their soules Now if this be a greeuous sinne to neglect the teaching of our children the feare of God then they increase and double their iniquity who by their corrupt example do leade them into euill and so murther their soules For children in stead of godly and religious instruction do oftentimes heare their fathers sweare swagger lye taile blaspheme and slander see them deale deceitfully and vniustly and marke their walking in euery euill way making their houses as it were an image and representation of Hell it selfe by practise of all manner of abhominations leading thereunto Lastly this doctrine is very comfortable vnto children Vse 8 themselues For howsoeuer they canot know or remember then owne baptisme yet they are to consider that they liue in a Church and among a people where infants are ordinarily baptized and sealed with the signe of the couenant of God Besides it is and euer hath bin A laudable customâ— of the Churâ—h whom God-fathâ—rs and God mothers of ancient time a laudable custome in the Church to haue special witnesses men of credite and estimation of euery childes and infants baptisme whom commonly wee call God-fathers and God-mothers The steps of this truth may be traced out if we consider u 〈◊〉 â— 1. â— â— what the Prophet Esay saith Chap. 8. where he declareth that so soone as his wife had borne him a son he gaue him his name which was done at circumcision and tooke two Parâ—nts no 〈◊〉 witnesses of thâ—â— ownâ— châ—ldrens baptisme faithfull witnesses Vriah and Zechariah to testifie the circumcision of his sonne and the solemne giuing to him of that name in the presence of the congregation And howsoeuer Vriah walked not with a right foot but turned aside from the pure worshippe of God to set vp the Idolatrous Altar after the fashion of Damascus to feede the fancy of Ahaz yet he was a man of reputation whose testimony was sufficient to assure the naming of the Prophets Sonne because the times to come would bee troublesome and full of many calamities For their children were named when they were b Gen 21 â— Luk. 1 59. and 2 21. circumcised as now our children are named when they are baptized So likewise the Church oftentimes lyeth vnder the crosse and is subiect to persecution as c Reuel 11 6. the woman driuen into the Wildernesse Reuelations 12 6. and so the baptisme of many members might many times be doubted off and called into question forasmuch as no impression abideth in the flesh as there did in circumcision the Churches haue thought it sit and conuenient to require certaine men to be as speciall witnesses of infants their bringing to Christ and to the Church by baptisme and of their names giuen them in their baptisme True it is there is no expresse commandement in the Scripture neither is it a thing in it selfe necessary to haue chosen witnesses which they call God-fathers to vndertake for the child Neuerthelesse it is commendable and not rashly to be reiected and refused For first it is not contrary to the Scriptures and the doctrine contained therein Secondly it hath bin a very ancient custome in the Church which seemeth to haue sprung from the baptisme of those that were called Catechumeni being as it were nouices and newly taught in the principles of christian religion These being asked concerning their faith did not onely make answere themselues but gaue witnesses sureties of their faith in imitation of whom it is now extended generally to the baptisme of euery one euen of infants Thirdly it containeth and commandeth nothing vniust or vnhonest or vnlawfull or any way inconuenient Fourthly it proceedeth from charity both of the fathers which chuse such God-fathers to bee an helpe vnto them in bringing vp their children and of such also as promise for them and in their name Last of all it tendeth vnto the good of the childe and of the whole Church Of the Childe when beside the parents who may depart out of this life and leaue their children young there are others as guardians and assistants to haue an eye ouer them who should not cease to call vpon them to learne true religion and to cleaue vnto it to the end Of the Church because by this meanes they that belong vnto it are better prouided for touching their education and instruction in the feare of God and their young yeares are more easily seasoned with the best things betimes So then we see that this custome is good and lawdable in it selfe so that there bee no abuse of it nor superstition in it nor matter of necessity vrged vpon it Seeing therefore children are baptized and haue by this meanes an assurance giuen them of their baptisme they haue a maruailous benefit bestowed vpon them that they so soone obtaine the partaking of Christ and all his benefits God worketh in the Children of the faithfull belonging to his couenant by waies vnknowne to vs as d Luk. 1 15.41 Iohn Baptist is said to be filled with the Holy-Ghost froÌ„ his mothers wombe and they are called e 1 Cor. 7 14. holy by the Apostle insomuch that they cannot perish whom God calleth some sooner and some later all in his owne appointed time as seemeth good to his heauenly pleasure The remembrance whereof when children come to age greatly comforteth them in the loue and feare of God when they call to mind that they are so greatly esteemed and highly regarded of God from the first comming into the world before they had the vse of speech of reason and of vnderstanding Christ Iesus shed his blood for them hee dyed for all the Children of God f Ioh. 11 52. Reuel 20 12. he redeemed them whether they be old or young small or great as Ioh. 11. He must dye not for that nation onely but should gather together in one the children of God which are scattered And the same apostle Reuel 20. saith I saw the dead both great and small stand before God
with all care before the Lord of whom wee ought earnestly to beg and desire his Spirit to teach vs the truth of our Baptisme the assurance of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and the purging of our consciences from dead workes We come oftentimes and ordinarily to this Sacrament we see children incorporated into the Church and sealed vp to be members of Christ and yet sildome or neuer remember what vow we haue made to God and whose we are by our profession no not in the present worke doth any such cogitation or consideration enter into the hearts of many yea the most sort see the water sprinkled and heare the words pronounced but esteeme it little as a matter belonging nothing at all vnto them There is none that come to heare the word and to receiue the Lords Supper but they thinke it pertaineth no lesse if not more to them then it doth vnto others but touching baptisme and making any vse at all of it they put it farre from them they know they are already baptized and are to be baptized no more they turne it passe it ouer slightly to the infant that is brought to the well-beloued friends and neighbours that bring it saying to themselues as the Pharisies did in another case to Iudas Mat. 27 4. what is that to vs see thou to that But we cannot so shift ouer the matter our baptisme will cleaue more closely vnto vs it hath made such an impression in vs and sticketh so neere vnto vs that it can neuer be blotted out nor wiped away it summoneth vs to God and telleth vs that we are not our owne but he challengeth vs wholy to himselfe and will not let vs no from him Vse 4 Lastly is the cleansing and purifying of the foule represented by the washing of the body Then from hence ariseth vnto vs great comfort in baptisme namely that it is no idle no needlesse nor superfluous thing but of great power force and vertue For the water is not bare water but the water of regeneration being rightly vsed and administred by those onely that are lawfully called to the office and haue a warrant from God and commission from the Church to that purpose It belongeth not to any priuate persons men or women much lesse to children to make a toy or sport of it as it is said of Athanasius that being yet a childe not knowing what he did Ruffin lib. 1. cap 14. 1 Cor. 13 11. or with what he medled hee baptized Of whom we may say as Paul doth 1. Cor. 13. When I was a child I spake as a châ—lde I vnderstood as a childe I thought as a childe but when I became a man I put away childish things Or as the wise man doth Eccl. 11. Eccl. 11.10 Baptisme admiâ—istred in sport is no baptisme Childhood and youth are vanity Heereby can come no sanctification nor cleansing of the soule and therefore are they deceiued that receiue it for good and ratifie it for authenticall forasmuch as euery such baptisme vndertaken by priuate persons in case of necessity or by children after an apish imitation is no baptisme at all neither is that water consecrated water but common and prophane and therefore consequently that washing or sprinkling is to bee accounted as common and prophane also If a Child should take vpon him to minister the Supper of the Lord that knoweth not what it meaneth and charge the people to examine theÌ„selues that hath not learned as yet to examine himselfe all men must confesse this were a great prophanation of this SacrameÌ„t by no meanes to be suffered or if he should step vp into the chaire of Moses and offer fondly and childishly to vtter the word of God who would regard it Or who would care for it Shall we say this were to administer the Supper of the Lord or to preach the Gospell of Christ Or shall we imagine that any fruit or benefit can come hereby So may we say of Baptism it is prophaned by vnfit persons not profitably administred But to leaue these abuses which we haue touched conuinced before let vs see what are the comforts that arise from this inward part of this Sacrament which are of diuers sorts for hence floweth as from a plentifull spring comfort to the whole Church comfort to the parents of the persons baptized comfort to the infants themselues Comfort to the whâ—le Chuâ—ch It reacheth to the whole Church because when it beholdeth water sanctified and set apart for baptisme and spirituall washing of the soule represented by the outward cleansing of the body they may see as it were Christ crucified and his blood poured out before their eyes When we feele our hearts at any time cast downe by the sight of our sins and finde the burthen of theÌ„ to be intollerable vnto vs we must lift vp our eyes to heauen and in a sweet meditation of this holy sprinkling of the blood of Christ assure our consciences therby that he hath washed them all away that they shall not be imputed vnto vs nor be able to worke our condemnation We are also put in minde heereby that we are fellow-members of one and the same body forasmuch as we haue all one baptisme Ephe. 4. Eph. 4 5. as we haue all one Lord and Father all one faith and hope of eternall life Hence it is that at the birth of Iohn the Church reioyced comming together to haue him circumcised Let vs therfore be ready to ioyne together in this worke in praier and thanksgiuing let vs addresse our selues to be as witnesses and approuers of it that wee may receiue comfort by it being euermore taught and confirmed in the truth of our baptisme and remembring what we haue promised to God that we may be carefull to performe our promise and fearefull to breake couenant with him In this respect the Church is said to circumcise * Luke 1 59. 1 Cor. 11 5. and to prophesie and make prayer because it ioyneth together in these holy actions We haue all of vs one entrance into the Church whereby we professe to go al one way to walk one course to leade one manner of life to serue the same God Comfort to parents Secondly this comfort extendeth more principally particularly toward the parents themselues then it doth in generall to the whole Church For they see their seed together with themselues ioyned to the Church and washed with the blood of Christ they haue the ancient promise of God verified vnto them I will be thy God and the God of thy seed GeÌ„ 17. which ministreth great matter of ioy vnto theÌ„ so that they should reioyce more in this mercy shewed toward them then if they could make theÌ„ heires of the world and leaue them owners of a kingdome Howbeit this comfort carrieth with it sundry duties putteth them in minde to be thankfull to God who hath verified his couenant to them and their
a The third vsâ— oâ— baâ—tiâ—â—â—â—â—to tâ—â— vs our dâ—â—â—g to sin and â—â—siâ—â— to â—â—wn iâ—e of life our naturall corruption by the power of Christs death and buriall and to raise vs againe to sanctification of our nature and newnes of life by his resurrection Hence it is that sin hath his deaths wound and is stâ—icken to the heart so that it cannot liue and raigne in the children of God Hence it is that baptisme is often b Luk. 3 3. called the Sacrament of repentance as Luke 3. Iohn came into all the parts and coasts about Iordan preaching the Baptisme of repentance for the rem ssâ—on of sinnes So likewise Marke 1 4. Iohn did baptize in the Wildernes and preach the baptisme of amendment of life And the apostle affirmeth as much Col. 2 12 13. declaring that one end of baptisme is the death and buriall of the old man by the almighty power of God This also was taught in those c 1 Pet. 3 20.21 liuely types answering our baptisme to wit the flood that drownd the old world while Noah and his family were preserued in the Arke Also the red sea in which Pharaoh and his hoast perished but the people of God were deliuered For as God destroyed in the waters and as it were buried in the flood the old world but saued a remnant of grace so doth God through Christ mortifie the old man raise againe the new man and seale them both in our baptisme Likewise as God deliuered his people out of the hands of Pharaoh and opened them a way through the red sea and drowned their enemies that they saw them no more aliue so by baptisme hee assureth our deliuerance from the thraldome and bondage of sinne which bringeth greater slauery captiuity then any slaue is in vnder his earthly maister and the destruction of the flesh that it shall not hurt or condemne vs. Wee are all d Psal 51 7. Rom. 5 12. borne in sinnes and trespasses wee haue need of repentance and regeneration We see then what vse we are to make of our baptisme euen labour to attaine to the efficacy and fruite of it that it may not be a bare and barren signe Moses and the Prophets earnestly exhort the people of Israel to shew foorth the force and effect of their circumcision e Deut. 10 16. and 30 6. to cut away the fore-skin of their hearts and harden their necks no more as we see Deut. 10 16. The Lord did set his delight in thy fathers to loue them and did chuse their seed after them euen you aboue all people Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your hearts and harden your necks no more and in another place The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart and the hâ—art of thy seed that thou maiest loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soule that thou maiest liue So the Prophet f Ier. 4 4. Ieremy saith Breake vp your fallow ground and sowe not among thornes be circumcised to the Lord and take away the fore-skins of your hearts ye men of Iudah and inhab tants of Ierusalem least my wrath come foorth like fire and burne but none can quench it because of the wickednes of your inuentâ—ons Circumcision was the thing wherein they boasted aboue all things it was their glory whereof they bragged to be a crcumcised people peculiar to God Now the Prophets recall and reclaime them from trusting in outward signes and lying words g Ier. 7 8. that shall not profit and stirre them vp to consider the power and effect thereof not to rest in cutting off a thin peece of skin but to cut off quite and cleane their lusts and corruptions which rebell against the Spirit This the Apostle teacheth h Rom. 2 28.29 euidently Rom. 2. Hee is not a Iew which is one outward neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh but he is a Iew which is one within and the câ—rcumcision is of the heart in the Spirit not in the Letter whose praise is not of men but of God The outward Letter is of no moment with God it must be the circumcision of the hart otherwise the circumcising of the flesh is nothing So if we would haue God to take vs for his people and heritage i We must aâ—â— be baptized in heart we must be all baptized in our hearts and our soules What will some say baptized in soule and in heart What is that Or how can this bee Can the water wash the soule Surely the water cast vpon our bodies is nothiâ—g if we haue not the truth of it As then the apostle Paul maketh a difference betweene inward circumcision of the spirit and outward circumcision of the letter insomuch that if they would haue the true circumcision indeed they must haue that which is within so is there a great difference between the baptisme of the spirit and of the letter betweene that of the soule and the other of the body betweene that which is outward and that which is inward Whosoeuer would haue the true baptisme indeed he must be clensed within repent of his wickednesse mortifie his imaginations deny himselfe renounce his affections and offer vp his soule and body in sacrifice to God that he may renew and regenerate vs otherwise it is a certaine thing we were neuer indeed and in truth baptized For as the Iewes were charged to bee vncircumcised though the fore-skin of the flesh were cut off and so they were circumcised in body so wee may in like manner bee charged to be vnbaptized albeit we haue bin outwardly washed with water The Iewes chosen aboue all Nations to be the people of God were oftentimes condemned of forgery and falshood for breaking the couenant of God not answering to the truth thereof k Esay 2 4. and 57 3. and were vpbraided with the vncircumcisednesse of their hearts that they were worse then the heathen themselues a bastard brood witches children and vnworthy to be accounted Abrahams seed to the end they should bragge no more of their circumcision as Act. 7. Acts 7 51. Stephen a faithfull witnesse of God obiecteth against them Ye stiffe-necked and of vncircumcised hearts and eares yee haue alwayes reâ—â—sted the Holy-Ghost as your fathers did so do you they slew the Prophets which shewed before of the comming of that iust of whom ye are now the betrayers murtherers where we see he discouereth their hypocrisie setteth their sins before their faces telling theÌ„ that as their fathers rebelled against God so the children followed their fathers footsteps Do not thâ—se things concerne vs Though we haue not circumcision in action and practise belong they not to vs now a dayes Yes euen to vs. For we shall be condemned for our vnclensed and vnsanctified hearts not answering to the truth of our baptisme For so much we profit by baptisme as we profite in mortification If then we be once
repentance without assurance of the loue and fauour of God without a sound resolution to liue a liuely meÌ„ber of Christ withou meditation of the benefits of his passion without acknowledgement of the greatnesse of the mercy shewed toward vs by consideration of the greatnesse of the torment that was prepared for vs for all this we may do and yet be condemned for not comming at all And let vs marke this as the last point and take it as a farewell that the cause of all these excuses and colourable pretences is the suffering of some one maister-sinne to raigne in vs there is one predominant or capitall sinne that thus hath the vpper hand ouer vs the which till it be pulled vp by the rootes will â—euer suffer any grace of the Spirit or duty of obedience to grow in vs. This maketh our hearts heauy and casteth vs into a dead sleepe that we cannot heare the voice of God Let vs therefore learne betimes to prepare our selues by humiliation by confession by prayer and by bewailing the want or weakenesse of grace in vs that so iudging our selues for our sinnes we may not be iudged of the Lord. CHAP. III. Of the first outward part of the Lords Supper HItherto we haue shewed what the Lords supper is and how to apply it to our instruction now we are to coÌ„sider in this Sacrament two things his parts and his vses as we haue shewed in the former bookes The parts are partly outward and partly inward A man is a compound creature made of flesh and of a reasonable soule as Athanasius speaketh in his Creed If the question were asked whether man were a mortall creature or immortall earthly or heauenly visible or inuisible no man could rightly answere without a distinction that he is earthly touching his body and heauenly touching his Spirit In like sort we must consider touching the Lords Supper which is made of an earthly and an heauenly thing and therefore if the question were demanded touching this Sacrament whether it be an earthly or heauenly thing we may answere it is both and must resolue that in part it is earthly and in part heauenly earthly in the signe and heauenly in the matter that is signified Let vs vnderstand this well and acknowledge the diuers natures and parts of it There had neuer risen so great diuision and confusion in the Church touching the Sacrament if this distinction had beene well obserued The ignorance of this point hath bred much strife and debate for whilst some iudge of it according to the inward thing and some according to the outward onely the truth of the Lords Supper hath beene buried in silence both sorts forgetting that the prouidence of God and his louing kindnesse did abase it selfe vnto our capacity not onely yeelding words to our eares but visible signes to our eyes whereby he would exhibite to our faith spirituall things The outward part is one thing the inward part is another thing the outward is taken in at the mouth the inward by the inward man the outward is turned into the nourishment of the body the inward worketh in vs to eternal life the outward is taken by some to their destruction but the inward alwaies to saluation This appeareth euidently by the words of the Apostle deliuering to the Church what he had receiued of the Lord and declaring how the same night he was betrayed Hee tooke bread and a 1 Cor. 11 23 22 25 Mat 26 26. 28 29. when hee had giuen thankes he brake it and said Take ye eate ye this is my body which is broken for you this do ye in remembrance of me After the same manner also He tookâ— the cup when he had supped saying This cup is the new testament in my blood this do as oft as ye drinke it in remembrance of me In these words we see both the outward parts propounded and the number of them defined and determined For heere are b Foure outward parts of the Lords Supper foure outward parts handled to wit the Minister the words of institution the bread and wine and the Communicants The first Minister thereof was Christ the words of institution are This is my body giuen for you this is the cup of the new testament in my blood the signes are bread and wine the first Communicants were the Apostles So then the Ministers must do that which Christ did and the people that which the Disciples did the actions of Christ are directions to the Minister the actions of the Apostles are directions to the people I am not ignorant that it seemeth hard and harsh to some to make the Minister and receiuer of the Sacrament to bee parts thereof I am not willing to contend about words and names where we agree in the substance of the matter forasmuch as euery one confesseth that these two are outward things which being wanting there can be no Sacrament Againe I haue declared in the first booke and the fourth chapter in what sence I call them parts to wit because the Minister standeth in the place of God and his outward actions do represent the inward actions of God the Father as is farther proued in the 8. chap. of this booke and the receiuer doth nothing in receiuing in eating and in drinking but it hath his inward signification as we may see in the 11. chap. following Lastly I would haue the indifferent reader vnderstand that I say no more then others of the learned haue said before me in other words howbeit in the same meaning who make two kinds of signes the one elementall the other rituall the one in the matter the other in the forme The signes elementall in this Sacrament are the bread and wine the signes rituall are the giuing and taking of the elements which are the proper actions of the Minister and of the receiuer Whether therefore you call the Minister and the receiuer signes or parts or outward things it is not greatly materiall so that we confesse and ioyne together in this that the outward actions performed as well by the one as the other haue a relation to some other thing resembled by them Let vs then see the actions of Christ He tooke bread he blessed he brake the bread he poured out the Wine he distributed and deliuered them both Wherefore the actions and workes of the Minister are c Foure actions of the Minister foure-fold First to take the bread and wine into his hands after the example of Christ who did it to shew that himselfe willingly giueth himselfe for his Church which serueth to strengthen our faith and perswasion of his loue toward vs in whose imitation the Minister doth it to represent the action of God the Father giuing his Son vnto vs for our full redemption The second action is blessing and giuing of thanks that is by prayer by thanksgiuing and by rehearsall of the promises of God together with the institution of Christ actually to separate the
Sacraments as Gen. 17. This is my couenant o Gen. 17 10.11 speaking of circumcision yet circumcision was not the couenant it selfe but a signe and token of the couenant as also it is afterward expounded It shall be a signe of the couenant betweene me and you The aduersaries cannot deny a figure in this speech Now what difference is there betweene these two speeches This is my couenant and this is my body are they not alike and in like manner to be vnderstood So Exod. 12. It is the Lords p Exod. 12 13 14. Passeouer properly the Lambe was not the Passeouer but serued to put them in remembrance of that benefit and it is expounded after the blood shall be a token for you vpon the houses where ye are this day shall be vnto you a remembrance Likewise the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 10. That rocke q 1 Cor. 10 4. was Christ whereas properly the rocke was not Christ but the water flowing from it did represent him Thus then we must vnderstand the words plainely truely and briefly r A paraphrase vpon the worâ—s of institution as if Christ had said in this manner This bread which ye haue seene me take breake deliuer and distribute and which I bid you take and eate is a signe or Sacrament of my true body signifying and sealing vp vnto you that my body shall be broken crushed and crucified for you to purchase vnto you eternall life let these Sacramentall rites and actions now performed by me and you be heereafter put in practise by you and all faithfull Ministers and professors for the strengthening of your faith by the remembrance of my death and by the applying of the benefit therof euery one to your owne selues Likewise hauing finished his Supper when he did eate the Passeouer with his Disciples hauing taken the cup and giuen thankes he gaue it being filled with wine to his Disciples and said drinke ye all of this for this wine in this cup is a signe Sacrament of my blood by the shedding wherof together with my death following the full forgiuenesse of sins and perfect saluation which I by my vnchangeable wil and decree do giue vnto you and all that beleeue in me are assured to you and all beleeuers Thus hauing opened and cleared the interpretation of the words wee shall hereafter need to spend the lesse time in confuting the contrary doctrine darkenesse shall flye before the light error before truth and cloudy mists before the Sun-shine of the day Againe seeing the words of institution are variably and Vse 2 diuersly set downe by the Euangelists and the Apostle Paul we learne that euery change of the words where the sence is nothing altered or diminished is not to be condemned as sinfull or vnlawfull so that the alteration being in the forme and frame of words not in the substance and sence of the matter the Sacrament is not destroyed For if it had bin an hainous sin to haue made any change or alteration or to haue missed of the tearmes or sillables of the institution no doubt the Euangelists would haue consented in the words and not haue swarued one from another as appeareth they haue done We see how the Apostles in the allegation of sundry places of Scripture borrowed out of the old Testament do not euermore strictly binde themselues to the Å¿ Mat 2 6. very words as Mat. 2. 6. Heb. 10 5. and in sundry other places but onely to the sence and therefore t Mat. 4 10. sometimes they adde as Mathew 4 10. sometimes they leaue out as occasion serueth True it is to alter any substantiall part or to wrest the wordes to a wrong and contrary meaning or not at all to expresse the sence of the words maketh the Sacrament void but an alteration onely of certaine circumstances u All change in the wâ—rds of institution makes not the Sacraments void as of number or person of Letters or sillables cannot make frustrate the whole Sacrament albeit we allow not any priuate and particular man to make any change of his owne head in such circumstances or to bring in a new frame of words So in baptisme the Greeke Church saith Let the seruant of Christ be baptized in this water c. and heereby nothing is detracted from the truth of the Sacrament because Christ Iesus hath not precisely appointed how many words the Apostles and Pastors of the Church should vse in the execution of their ministry Notwithstanding the obseruation of the words I baptize thee obserued in our Churches seemeth to draw nearer to the commandement of Christ and to confirme more fitly and fully the faith of the baptized and to answere vnto the words of Iohn the Baptâ—st I baptize with water Likewise in the Lord's Supper whereas Christ said Take ye eate ye doe ye this as speaking to many the SacrameÌ„t is not destroyed when the words are particularly rehearsed and specially applyed in our Churches saying take thou eate thou drinke thou Vse 3 Lastly seeing the words of institution are an outward part of the Sacrament necessary to be knowne read marked and vnderstood wherein the substance and comfortable vse of the Lords Supper consisteth it followeth that they are to be published and pronounced openly distinctly plainely not in a strange language but in a knowne tongue that the Church of Christ and people of God may be edified For wherefore serueth the commandement and promise set foorth in the Supper if they be not vnderstood Whether we do reade the Scriptures sing Psalmes poure out supplications receiue the Sacraments or whatsoeuer seruice we performe to God that he may be glorified and the Congregation instructed we must do all in a knowne tongue to be vnderstood This God commandeth this the Apostle prescribeth this the true church of God practiseth this reason teacheth this the Heathen acknowledgeth Notwithstanding a Concil Trid. sess 22 ca. 9. the sinagogue of Rome that it might take away all fruite and comfort from the faithfull and that it might broch horrible errors safely and securely and not be espyed hath not onely commanded to pronounce the words of consecration closely and in silence but forbidden to vse the common mother tongue of all the people The people of God must not be like Parrots or Pies or Rauens or such birds that chatter with voice record mens words and sound a sentence but vnderstand not the meaning therof As Pliny b Plin natur histor lib. 10. cap. 43. maketh mention of a certaine Rauen that had learned to say Aue Caesar Imperator All haile or good morrow Emperor Caesar saluting Tiberius and the two young Princes Germanicus and Drusus And Celius Rhodiginus writeth c Celius Rhodiginus that Cardinall Ascanius had a Popintay that could pronounce distinctly and orderly all the Articles of the Creed Such birds or rather beasts would they haue Christian men to be that would haue them pray and not d
the other so as i Mat. 19 6. the things which God in his goodnesse hath ioyned together man without sinne cannot separate Secondly when Christ instituted this Sacrament he said k Mat. 26 27. Mar. 14 23. 1 Cor. 12 13. Drinke ye all of this and by all he vnderstood al the Communicants And the Euangelist Marke addeth They al drank of it to wit all that were present at his last Supper who had before eaten of the bread of the Lord. This also appeareth by the Apostle 1 Cor. 12. They haue beene all made to drinke into one Spirit This commandement of Christ being generall imposeth a necessity vpon the people when hee saith Take ye eate ye drinke ye doe ye this These commandements are perpetuall vnchangeable and alwayes in force not arbitrary not temporall not repealed but binde the conscience to the end of the world against which no limitation or dispensation can be allowed being the commandemēts l 1 Cor. 14 37 of God not of man Thirdly the cup is a part of Christs will and testament Now touching the nature of a testament or will the saying of the Apostle is knowne m Gal. 3 15. Heb. 9 16 17. If it be but a mans testament when it is confirmed no man doth abrogate it or addeth any thing thereto where he sheweth that the dead mans will may not be changed nothing can be put too nothing taken out without forgery and falshood This is the law of nature and Nations But the Lords Supper is a Sacrament proper to the new Testament as Christ saith n Luk 22 20. This cuppe is the new Testament in my blood which is shed for you This testament the Lord Iesus made the night before he was betrayed he sealed it by shedding his most precious blood hee hath giuen legacies not of earthly and temporall but of heauenly and eternall goods And seeing he hath appointed the cup of this his testament to be deliuered and drunke of al those for whom his blood was shed it is intollerable boldnes and presumption to take away the vse thereof from the greater part of the Church and an infallible token of an vnshamefast and shamelesse harlot to alter her husbands wil to defraud and defeat his children of that worthy portion which their father allotted them and so to keepe backe part of their inheritance and possession Fourthly the blood of Christ shed vpō the Crosse belongeth not only to the Pastors and teachers but to al the faithfull that come to the table of the Lord as appeareth by the words of Christ o Mat. 26 28. Luk. 22 20. This is my blood which is shed for you and for many why then should the blood of Christ be denyed or the cup of the Lord be barred from thē If then the blood of Christ were shed for the people as well as for the Ministers surely the cup belongeth to one as well as to the other If the people haue the greater who shal keep thē from the lesse If they haue their part in the thing signified who shall deny them of the outward signe For as the fruite and effect of the blood of Christ is common to the people with the Pastor so should the cup also which is the communion of his blood shed for the redemption of the peoples sins be diuided indifferently betweene the Pastor and the people Fiftly the p 1 Cor. 11 23 Apostle deliuered that to the church which he had receiued from the Lords Iesus Now the church ought diligently to obserue the written traditions and verities of the Apostles which are committed to posterity to be kept inuiolably But he hath deliuered how the Lord after taking blessing breaking and distributing of the bread likewise tooke the cup blessed and distributed it among them so saith the Apostle must the churches do If then he receiued this from the Lord to deluer both kinds to the people let the Church of Rome consider with her selfe frō whence she hath receiued the contrary to with-hold one of the kinds from the people for both cānot proceed from one the same spirit of truth which is neuer contrary to it selfe Sixtly if all the faithfull that come to the Lords Table must shew forth the Lords death vntill he come and this be done by them as wel by drinking of the cup as by eating of the bread then all the communicants must receiue the Sacrament vnder both kinds q 1 Cor. 11 26 vntill the second comming of Christ But the faithful must shew forth the Lords death by eating of that bread drinking of that cup as the Apostle teacheth As often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke of this cup ye shew the Lords death vntill he come Therefore all communicants must partake the Sacrament vnder both kinds Seuenthly the Apostle giueth an expresse commandement to the whole church which all must obey that come worthily to this holy table Let a man examine himselfe r 1 Cor. 11 2◠and so let him eate of this bread drinke of this cup. Where he giueth a double commandement first to prepare reuerently then to receiue worthily Now al that must proue and try themselues are commanded not only to eate bread but to drinke of the cup but al must try and examine themselues therefore all are commanded both to eate drinke at the Lords table If this be a commandement to examine then the words following of eating and drinking are likewise commandements There is no haulting in these let them admit both or let them deny both Eightly if the faithfull take not the cup in the Supper of the Lord the condition of Christians vnder the Gospell shall be worse then of the Israelites vnder the law For the people of Israel in the wildernesse hauing the same Sacrament in effect with vs ſ 1 Cor. 10 4. Did all drink of the spiritual rocke that followed them and that rocke was Christ as the Apostle affirmeth But our condition is not worser weaker thē theirs therfore al the faithful are to drinke of the cup of the Lord. Bellarmine the Souldan of the Romish Synagogue t Bellar. lib. 4. de Eucha ca. 27 answereth thus They drunke not water out of the rocke when they did eat of the spirituall meat but in another place at another time But this is an answerelesse answere which cannot satisfie For albeit the Sacramēts of the Israelites as figures types did represent the same graces that our Sacraments do yet it is not necessary they should in all points answere each other and in all respects agree together Besides the church of Rome at no time alloweth the people to drinke of the Wine a seale of the blood of Christ they keepe them from the cup of the Lord both when they giue them the bread and at all other times and thereby make their estate worser then the estate of the Iewes Indeed if they did at any time permit
al the people to drink of the cup they might pretend this example of the Israelites but inasmuch as they vtterly deny them this part of the cup they ouerthrow theÌ„selues in their malice and yet in their blindnes they do not see it Finally many of the Fathers did both eate Manna and drinke water out of the Rocke if not in the same place yet at one and the same time n Exod. 16 21 inasmuch as they gathered thereof euery morning and it ceased not a Iosh 5 12. vntill they entred the frontiers and confines of the land of promise But they neuer allow without a tolleration and dispensation the people in any place at any time vpon any occasion and in any respect to taste of the cup in the Lords Supper Ninthly if the cup of the new testament may bee taken from the Lords people in like manner the water in baptisme may be taken away from theÌ„ For the blood of Christ whereby remission of sins is purchased and procured is represented by the wine of the Lords Supper as well as by the water in baptisme But the water in baptisme without great sacriledge cannot be omitted or neglected wherefore then should the cup be taken away Tenthly in the matter of the Supper our aduersaries alledge the words of Christ in Iohn Iohn 6. If you drinke not my blood you shall haue no life in you If these words be thus to be vnderstood then by depriuing them of the cup they depriue the people of life and saluation Againe if drinking of the chalice be a priuiledge of the Clergy how commeth it to passe that Kings and Princes haue a part in this priuiledge How is it that they are permitted as well to drinke of the consecrated wine as to eate of the consecrated bread But heerein was a notable piece of cunning a great point of policy vsed partly to aduaÌ„ce the dignity of the Clergy and partly to stop the mouthes of Princes For as by this order or rather disorder the proud Clergy are made companions with Kings and Princes euen equall vnto them so they thinke to hood-winke them make them content to swallow the rest of their superstitions because they are pleased to grace theÌ„ with this priuiledge aboue the people as with a speciall fauour Moreouer it is not to be omitted that a principall end of this Sacrament was instituted to set foorth the death of Christ not onely as an idle narration but as a profitable application thereof to the conscience How then shall the people know that the fruite of shedding his precious blood belongeth vnto them as the nourishment of their soules except besides the looking vpon the cuppe they be partakers of it It is therefore necessary to vnderstand by eating and drinking that God doth not nourish them by halfes but that Christ yeeldeth whole nourishmeÌ„t vnto them Such then are worthily taxed of rashnes themselues that complaine how the people rashly presume to receiue the Sacrament vnder both kindes for as well they might say that it is rashnesse and presumption to imitate and follow Christ And they may iustly be condemned of heresie who pronounce them hereticks and worthy to be punished by the secular power that speake against receiuing in one kind onely as if it were heresie to follow the example of Christ left to the Church For what remaineth more but to proceed one degree farther euen to pronounce Christ himselfe an Arch-heretick and all the Apostles hereticks also and to condemne them to the Inquisition as deceiuers and impostors seducing and misleading the people Lastly if any part of the Supper might be taken away from the people then likewise the word of God may bee taken from them for in this point there is the same reason and respect of them both A Sacrament is nothing else but a visible word and a sealing vp of the word and the offence seemeth to be the same whether a man breake the seale or rent the writing But the word cannot be withdrawne from Christian people it being the instrument of faith and the life of the Church Wherefore it is the greatest wrong and iniury done to the people of God to take from them the cup of saluation The answere to this reason must be to confesse the parts and yeeld the conclusion forasmuch as by forbidding the people the reading of the scriptures they haue robbed them of the word of God and taken from them b Luk. 11 52. the key of knowledge neither entring themselues into the kingdome of heauen nor suffering those that would enter No maruaile then if they take the cup of blessing from the people who haue taken from them the free vse of the word of God To conclude these reasons it is Antichrist who contrary to the doctrine of Christ contrary to the institution of the Supper contrary to the practise of the Apostles and contrary to the vse of the former churches hath excluded the people languishing and thirsting after the blood of Christ as the dry earth for the sweet showers of raine froÌ„ taking the cup of the Lord and left them a dry communion to eate the bread of the Sacrament alone Hauing considered the truth of God by sundry reasons grounded in the Scripture that the people haue good interest and title in the cup denyed vnto them let vs answere the c Obiections for taking â—he cup from the people of god Arist in Top. Cicer. lib 1 ad Heren et de Orator obiections of the aduersaries made against the former doctrine For it is not sufficient onely to teach the truth and to confirme our owne cause except wee labour soundly to infringe and confute the contrary First they pretend that Christ administred it to the apostles onely and not to any of the people and consequently the institution for taking the cup can be no generall commandement for al men thus d Rhem. Test vpon Mat. 26. and Mar. 14. the Rhemists reason without reason I answere first it may bee doubted and disputed whether onely the Apostles were present at his last Supper For seeing diuers were added vnto the Church and professed the faith of Christ seeing he had other Disciples beside the twelue seeing many godly men and women followed him to see his miracles to heare the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth why should wee thinke that none of them were admitted to his table who had often heard his preaching and depended vpon him in their liuing Againe the Passeouer was celebrated in the house e Mat 26 17.18 of a faithfull man as may be collected by sundry circumstances now then either the Lord Iesus annexed that family vnto his as the law in one case appointed or else we shall haue two Passeouers at one time in one house which hath no warrant of Scripture no colour of truth no probability of reason We reade in the institution and celebration of the Passeouer of ioyning house to house
5. Byshop of Rome was the first that Å¿ Barth Caranza sum Concil Florent p. 458. mingled water with wine at consecration ordained that the oblation should be of vnleauened t Polid. Virg. de inuentor Rerum lib. 5. cap. 9. bread and not of leauened as till that time had beene vsed Wherefore let vs retaine and maintaine the plaine and simple institution of Christ who in his last Supper gaue wine not water to be drunke for he calleth it the fruite u Mat. 26 29. of the vine which is wine and not water Againe they may be pressed and hampered with their owne dreames and deuices For whereas they hold that the wine must be mingled with water that the elements after the words of consecration are transubstantiated and remaine in their owne nature no more I would aske this question of these Watermen rowing in the troubled sea of their owne decrees who are neere of kin a Papists are neere of kin to the old hereticks called Aquarij to the old hereticks called Aquarij whether the water mixed with the wine be turned into blood If they say it is not then they deny transubstantiation of all that is within the cup and so shake the vertue of their consecration in pieces if they say it is then will they make Christ a watery body and elemeÌ„tall besides it cannot be by vertue of Christs institution where water is neither expressed nor included So then their best defence is to answere with the Pharisies b Mat. 21.23 We cannot tell To conclude let vs not seeke to be wiser theÌ„ Christ nor to mingle together more mysteries then we haue learned of him as Paul saith of his owne practise c 1 Cor. 11 23 That which I receiued of the Lord I haue deliuered vnto you Neither Prophet nor Apostle nor Angel from heauen is to teach otherwise then Christ himselfe hath taught as he charged his disciples Teach them to obserue all things whatsoeuer I haue commanded you He hath supreame authority in the Church his doctrine alone should be heard as the Father himselfe witnesseth from heauen d Mat. 17 5. This is my beloued Son in whom I haue delight heare h m. We are not to regard what other before vs haue thought meete to do but what Christ did who is before all other and called himselfe the truth e Cyprian epist and not custome Thus much of the third outward part of the Lords Supper to wit the two signes of bread and wine CHAP. VI. Of the fourth outward part of the Lords Supper THe last outward part remaineth which are the a The fourth outward part are the communicants communicants whose actions are outward to take the bread and wine into their hands then to eate the bread drinke the wine to the nourishment of their bodyes b Mat. 26 26. as is directly proued by the institution of this Sacrament where Christ gaue the bread and cup into their hands the Disciples receiued the one and the other they did eate the bread and all dranke of the cup. These being the necessary actions of euery receiuer to take to eate to drinke it beateth downe many false doctrines of the Church of Rome as their reseruation ostentation eleuation adoration circumgestation procession and priuate communion it teacheth also many necessary truths to direct our knowledge and increase our obedience which we will consider in order Vse 1 First of al did Christ command his Disciples to eate and drinke that he deliuered and posted them not ouer to eate thereof when they were departed neither willed them to defer their eating vntill afterward then all keeping reseruing of bread in boxes pixes and other vessels of the Church for dayes weekes and months all shewing it to the people c Con. Trid. sess 3. can 5. lifting it ouer the Priests head and going with it in procession is vtterly vnlawful For it is no Sacrament vnlesse it be vsed according to Christs institution and coÌ„mandement but to the institution it belongeth as on the behalfe of the Minister to take to blesse to poure out and to distribute so on the behalfe of the communicants to take to eate and to drinke in them all to shew therby the Lords death and to do it in remembrance of him which cannot be performed but by obseruing the whole action For how can they shew the Lords death or do it in remembrance of Christ vnlesse they take and eate And as the Paschal lambe was not that passeouer vnlesse it were killed and eaten no more is the bread and wine a Sacrament except they be receiued and digested The Passeouer was the same in effect with the Lords Supper d Reuel 13 8. who was the lambe slaine from the beginning of the world Now God commanded that none of it should remaine vnto the morning but the remnant e Exod 12 10 should be consumed with fire The like may be saide of Manna the same in substance with this Sacrament it was not to be kept caried about Let no man f Exod. 16 19 reserue therof till morning Besides there is the same reason of the cup of the bread but they reserue not the wine they carry it not about to shew the people why then should they keepe the other part Likewise when Christ said to his Apostles g Mat. 28 20. Goe baptize the nations it was no baptisme by the h Hâ—â—si Confess de Euchar st cap. â—9 confession of the aduersaries themselues vnlesse there were some person baptized so when Christ said Take and eate there is no Sacrament vnlesse there be a receiuing and eating For as the one standeth in washing so doth the other in eating and drinking not in keeping and reseruing not in carying in procession on a white horse not in hanging it vp vnder a Canopy nor in bearing it to the sicke with bell and candle Christ tooke bread and gaue it to his Disciples saying i Mat. 26 26.27 1 Cor. 11 26. Eate ye he tooke the cup and when he bad giuen thanks he said Drinke ye all of this do this in remembrance of me as often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke of this cup ye shew the Lords death till he come But they hang it in the pixe beare it in boxes and carry it about in publike triumphes and in common calamities when any iudgement of war plague pestilence and famine and like visitation is among them then their Iacke in the boxe goeth abroad in solemne k Concil Trid sess 13. cap. 5. processions to be seene which is the way to increase not to slacke to kindle not to quench to prouoke not to reuoke the iudgments of God gone out against them Besides they shew this Sacrament to the simple people to fal downe to it as to a God they put it vpon the breasts of the dead and sometimes lay it in the graue with them I thinke
depositions They tell vs indeed that some were wont to sit and some to stand and that diuers haue wished that kneeling might bee remoued fearing that it should be an occasion of Idolatry but they proue not the point in question to wit that it is vnlawful to receiue kneeling or that men ought to abstaine rather then kneele and not sit But of this we shal haue better occasion to speake more afterward Now then to returne to the former matter seeing they cannot proue by force of reason but by probability of truth what gesture Christ and his Disciples vsed how is it that they would gather a certaine doctrine from an vncertaine doing But be it that it were true that the Scripture had determined what particular gesture was vsed and that both Christ and his Disciples sate at the Table I will diduct from hence this conclusion which I see not how they can auoid If it be necessary for the people to sit in the acte of receiuing then it is necessary also for the Minister to sit in the deliuering of it But it is not necessary for the Minister to sit in the deliuering of it Therefore it is not necessary for the people to sit at the receiuing of it The consequence of the first proposition if it be denyed is easily proued because as the gesture of the Disciples must be a direction to the people so the gesture of Christ must be an instruction to the Minister The Disciples did take the bread into their hands and did eate it they tooke the cup and dranke thereof these are set downe to be examples what the people ought to do Christ Iesus tooke the bread and blessed he brake it and gaue it he tooke the cup he blessed he powred out the wine and gaue it thus he did and thus ought the Ministers after his example to do So then if the Disciples sate at the Table I speake by supposition and the people be for that cause bound to sit at the Supper then likewise if Christ sate the Ministers ought not to deliuer it standing or walking but sitting But if the Ministers be not bound to sit as they deliuer it no more are the people bound to sit as they receiue it forasmuch as according to their opinion and allegation there was a coherence and connexion of both these together in the first institution The assumption or second part of the former reason to wit that it is not necessary for the Minister to sit I wil not spend any words to strengthen least I should seeme to fight with mine owne shaddow and to go about to proue that which no man deryeth and therefore if it must be left indifferēt in it selfe for the Minister to sit or to stand it can by no meanes be made necessary for the people to sit onely And if the gesture of Christ and his Disciples were al one how can they that cleaue so strictly to the institution allow that the gesture of the Ministers and people should be different Three demands required to be proued Wherefore if it may be thought reasonable I require these three things to be proued vnto me First that the Disciples sate at the Table at the partaking of the Lords Supper Neither would I haue them tell me of likelihoods and presumptions and probabilities but because kneeling reuerently is made flat Idolatry or at least is held to be a spice and to beare a shew of Idolatry I demand plaine euident and direct proofes such as may satisfie the conscience and so much the rather because they make it a matter of conscience that we may see how they will perswade another who are or at least will seeme to be so certainly resolued themselues Secondly albeit it were sufficiently proued by strong and vndoubted demonstrations that not onely Christ but his Disciples sate yet they haue not gained and obtained that which they desire forasmuch as we come vpon them with a second demand harder for them to proue then the former nay I will say more vnpossible to wit whether the supposed sitting vsed by Christ and his Apostles were the same that is vsed with vs or not If they confesse it is not the same how is it that they call vs so much to the institution Or how is it that the Disciples vsed one gesture and they allow require and practise another If they affirme that their siting was as our sitting they are easily conuinced both by euident testimonies of the Scriptures and by the cleere authorities of godly Writers and by the continuall practise of those Easterne countries euen vnto this day For if wee will speake truely and properly of sitting as we do account of sitting which is done with the body vpright neyther Christ nor his Disciples sate at the Passeouer as wee haue the description thereof set downe by the Apostle Iohn and therefore after that Christ had testified and told them Verily verily I say vnto you one of you shall betray me Ioh. 13 23 2◠the Euangelist addeth Now there was leaning on Iesus bosome one of his Disciples whom Iesus loued Simon Peter therefore beckoned vnto him that he should aske who it should be of whom he spake hee then lying on Iesus breast said vnto him Lord who is it Wherby by it appeareth that their sitting was not as our sitting but a kinde of leaning or bowing downe of the body not an vpright carriage or scituation of it If then they receiued the Passeouer leaning or lying all along according to the fashion of those times and those places and those persons it must follow by good strength of reason that if they sate at the Supper they sate not as wee call sitting but leaned at it and lay along which we would account according to the manners and customes of our countries wherein wee dwell to be very vnciuill and vnseemely and vndecent And this is the iudgement of the learned Beza writing vpon the former words touching the Disciples leaning on Iesus bosome saith This is to bee referred to the sitting downe of the ancient Beza annot vpon lib. 13. that many being set the last did as it were leane backe vpon the former his feete being laide out from him And Caluine vpon the same words vseth these words in his Commentaries vpon Iohn Caluin Com. vpon Iohn It might seeme an vndecent thing at this day but such was their manner of sitting at that time for they sate not at a table as we do now but hauing put off their shooes and leaning vpon Cushions they sate halfe vpright in beds or they lay all along vpon little beds with their bodyes halfe way bolt vpright Thus we see how it was in Christs time and thus it appeareth to haue beene before in the times of the Prophets In the book of Ester Ester 7 8. it appeareth they lay along vpon their beds when they were at their bankets and feasts chapter 7. Then the King returned out of the
it came Hence it is that Caluine teacheth infiit â—ib 4 cap. 17 35.36 that the Apostles are not read to haue prostrated themselues and lye along to worship the Sacrament it is the practise of Rome to prostrate themselues before the bread to adore it There hath bin much written against kneeling at the Communion but the weakenesse of the reasons serueth to discouer the imperfections of their writings For first their opinion looketh one way their proofes another they go about to tye vs to the example of Christ to proue sitting euermore they conclude standing so that we may say with the Poet Amphora coepit Institut Horat. de art Peeâ— currente rota cur vrceus exit Secondly they tell vs that some haue wished this gesture of kneeling to be abolished but who haue pronounced and determined that it is vnlawfull Thirdly do they bring vs any examples either of Churches in generall or priuate persons in particular that did sit at the communion which deepe silence of those that speake of the Sacrament argueth that the particular gesture was not thought necessary no more then eating the Passeouer standing which was afterward altered Fourthly they wrest many authors out of ioynt they bring them in to serue their purpose and then make them to depose what they list Thus they serue Caluine in many places making him to speake against kneeling at the Communion whereas he onely writeth against the popish adoration Thus also they often cite many sundry worthy defendors of our faith against the enemies of the grace of God D. Fulke D. Sutâ—â—sse D. Willet and albeit by their great labours they deserue great praise in the Church yet they marshall them among other writers as if either they disliked the order of our Church or else were some simple fellowes that regarded not what they wrote or as if their opinions and their practises their bookes and their liues their writings and their doings were dissonant and differing the one from the other or as if they did set downe certain principles which themselues do not remember when they come to particulars Fiftly they teach that kneeling in the act of receiuing the bread and wine is imposed and obserued as a part of Gods worship and that it is by all men confessed to bee a chiefe part of religious adoration De Actorat p. 22. 3. whereas Aretius a learned Diuine maketh it onely an accidentall part of religious worship and it is a cleere case it is no chiefe part of it both because religious adoration may be and is vsually without it and it is also vsually without adoration For kneeling is not alwayes ioyned with diuine worshipping as appeareth in the example of Abraham before the people of Heth of Iacob to his brother Esau of the debter before his creditor Gen. 23 7. 33 7. Mat. 18.29 Gen. 48 12. 1 Kin. 1 33. and of the subiects before their Princes al these bow the knee of the body and yet do not worship in a diuine manner Lastly the authors which they bring do speake against them in the particular point for which they bring theÌ„ such persons then as stand vpon the opinion of others let them heare with patience the iudgement of as excellent Diuines as this age hath brought forth Art 1 sect 8. B. Iewel writing against Harding saith thus I deny not certaine circumstances as fasting sitting stand ng kneeling and other like ceremonies obserued in celebrating the holy mysteries are to be moderated and appointed at the iudgement of the Church If these circumstances of fasting sitting standing and kneeling may bee appointed by the Church then the word of God hath determined and defined nothing concerning the vse of them for the Church hath not authority to establish any thing against the Scriptures But because his iudgement may be thought partiall let vs heare what others testifie It is the order of the Church of Geneua to receiue standing as we noted before and as Beza himselfe witnesseth And he hath a notable Epistle written to a friend resoluing him what the faithfull ought to do that liue where the bread in the Supper is not broken neâ—ther deliuered into the hands but put into the mouths of the Communicants things of greater waight and importance then is kneeling at the Sacrament Beza epist 2. things that are not in themselues indifferent things that are no better then plaine corruptions of the institution of Christ yet he aduiseth and counselleth that we should not trouble our conscience with these matters not giue offence to our brethren by refusing to communicate in such places and among such persons as if we were in danger to loose the life and heart of all Christianity I appeale now vnto themselues that cannot abide our kneeling and make them Iudges in this controuersie whether hee that perswadeth the people to suffer the bread vnbroken to bee put into their mouths rather then altogether to abstaine would not also aduise to receiue kneeling according to the order of the Church where it is required and commanded rather then to breake the peace of the Church To this purpose he saith That which is not in it selfe necessary we ought not to vrge farther then is meet And afterward The taking of the Supper is precisely enioyned vnto vs but not the manner how we shall take it Epist 12. et 8 And in another epistle when he was asked his opinion touching the bowing of the knee in the act of receiuing hee thinketh of it as of receiuing with vnleauened bread yet to auoid superstition though it be not euill in it selfe he wisheth it were abolished howbeit it is not of him simply condemned With him accordeth the church of France of the low Countries who dare not pronounce the ceremony of kneeling in receiuing of the Elements to be vtterly vnlawfull but for the vtter rooting of bread-worship out of the hearts of men Obâ—eruat vpon the Harmo of Câ—nfest Instit lib. 4. cap. 17. they hold it much better in most places to haue it vtterly abol shed Caluine speaking of this gesture applyeth it wholy against the Church of Rome that worship this Sacrament not against the true Churches of God that receiue kneeling at the Sacrament but abhorre and condemne the adoring of the Sacrament Peter Martyr sheweth that this outward reuerence vsed in kneeling is not in it selfe and it owne nature euill Loc. commu class 4 cap. 10. sect 50. so that we stay not in the Elements but worship in spirit and truth Christ Iesus sitting in the heauens True it is to conceale nothing of his opinion he taketh this prostrating bending of the knee not to be so fit vnlesse often preaching be ioyned by way of iustruction so that if the people bee taught that they are not to worship the outward elements then there is no such feare of Idolatry but this gesture may be vsed and retained and this is our case
matter to giue sundry instances of sundry humane traditions that haue beene abused to Idolatry and yet are not meerely vnlawfull nor in themselues euill when they are retained and receiued Of this sort is prayer toward the East an ordinance of man and such an action as hath beene very superstitiously abused yet if it were imposed vpon vs by authority I see not but we might and ought to submit our selues vnto it with all obedience Of this kinde also is the setting of the Lords Supper vpon an Altar which God neuer appointed nor Christ himselfe with his Disciples obserued and it is that which hath beene and at this day is greatly abused in popery yet if it were appointed that in euery church we should haue Altars as in some reformed churches is practised why might wee not content our selues to receiue vpon Altars prouided that all superstition be abandoned and remoued Thus much of the first reason which is the ground of all the rest and therefore we will passe them ouer briefly The second argument Secondly it is obiected that kneeling is commanded with mysticall signification I answere the people of God in all times haue vsed such actions and gestures as that they vsed them as helpes of their weakenesse and furtherances of themselues in true piety Thus they vsed to rent their clothes to testifie their sorrow and heauinesse of heart and some their displeasure and indignation conceiued at that which they did see and behold with their eyes This was an humane tradition and yet it had a mysticall signification declaring the renting of the heart Neither doth the Prophet simply reproue it but comparatiuely correct it Ioel 2 13. saying Rent your heart and not your garments that is rather this then them For this cause also we vncouer the head lift vp the eyes and hands in prayer Now kneeling hath no other mysticall signification at the Communion then this and the former gestures haue in prayer shewing the humble and gratefull acknowledgment of the benefits of Christ with all thanksgiuing beeing of our selues vnworthy as we professe to gather vp the crums vnder his Table and to receiue the least of his mercies The third argument Thirdly it is obiected that kneeling is imposed as a necessary part of Gods worshippe I answere as before the kingdome of God consisteth not in this or such like ceremonies It is a wrong done vnto our Church to lay any such imputation vpon it forasmuch as it doth no where vpon no person impose it is as a necessary part of the seruice of God For then it were vtterly vnlawfull to alter or change it or to bring in any other gesture in stead therof because it is not in the power of any Prince or people to abrogate any necessary part of the seruice of God Howbeit we noted before out of the defence of the Articles against Harding written by the reuerent Father in God Bishop Iewel of famous memory that comming to the Communion fasting and in receiuing to sit or kneele or stand may be disposed and determined by the Church yet he neuer thought that the church had any authority to destroy abolish any necessary part of Gods seruice and worship If any of the ignorant sort doe iudge otherwise it is their fond opinion not the Churches resolution It skilleth not what any priuate person holdeth or may hold touching this point neyther may the whole Church be iustly charged with it and beare the blame of it The fourth and last argument The fourth argument is of lesse validity then the former For as the first encounter hath the greatest force and the surest guard is placed in the forefront so hauing sustained the shocke of that battell I doubt not but to put to slight the poore remainder It is obiected that the action of kneeling swarueth from the generall rules appointed to direct indifferent things which should not be vngodly nor offensiue nor vnfit nor ridiculous nor vnprofitable nor vndecent I answere I haue proued already that this gesture containeth no wickednesse not impiety it is not childish or ridiculous neither hath it in it any shew or colour thereof neyther is it offensiue except peraduenture any take offence at it And touching the indecency or vnfitnesse of it albeit I cannot see how it can be rightly so accounted among vs where the people are taught and instructed how to vse it yet if this were granted it cannot prooue the vnlawfulnesse of it Thus I haue runne ouer as briefly as I could these reasons and opened the weakenesse of them to the faces of such as vrge them I haue not purposely concealed any waight or force that they may carry with thē for mine own aduantage but propounded thē to the view of al mē as sincerely as I could for the cause noted in the end of this discourse neither do I know any learned writers beside themselues against it It is true that some of late opposing the order of the church do pretend sundry testimonies and authorities of many Authors and paint the margins of their bookes with almost infinite quotations but what do they all make either for them or against vs Do they speake against the lawfulnesse of kneeling or shew that it is against Gods word or hold that all men ought to deny to yeeld vnto it no such matter Nay eyther they are silent in the point for which they are alledged or else they are witnesses directly deposing against those that alledge them Let them without all circumlocution or multiplying of words informe vs eyther by text of Scriptures or decree of Councels or constitution of Emperors or sentence of Fathers or iudgement of Martyrs or determination of Diuines who haue euer taught or published that kneeling at the Lords Supper is vtterly vnlawfull This as yet they haue not done and by reason of their deepe silence in this matter I am perswaded they cannot doe Let them or any for them proue vnto vs directly that wee ought by no meanes to submit our selues to this gesture or that wee may disturbe the peace of the Church for it either out of Caluine or Beza or Iunius or Vrsinus or Bucer or Bullenger or Bucanus or Piscator or Paraeus or Polanus or Peter Martyr or Aretius or Gualter or Musculus or in effect any of elder or later times or shew vnto vs that they haue aduised and counselled any either vtterly to abstaine from or for a time to forbeare the receiuing of the Communion rather then to kneele at it and then they shall speake more to the purpose and yeeld vnto vs better satisfaction But if they be not able to bring vs one sentence or sillable out of these Writers which are produced by themselues or out of any other whose praise is in the Church for their worthy labours because their iudgement is plaine let them freely confesse their error and readily yeeld vnto the truth These are those pillars of the church that
haue carried the burden of the building and those labourers that haue borne the heat of the day who albeit they haue written much of the Sacraments and themselues liued where they receiued eyther standing or sitting yet neuer wrote against kneeling nor condemned those Churches that practised it knowing very well that we are no more bound to follow them then they are to follow vs. Indeed they haue all of them abhorred kneeling to the bread but none of them haue abhorred kneeling at the receiuing of the bread and therefore let them that haue beene so earnest heeretofore for sitting at the Communion and to reason for the practise aâ—â— in the maintenance of it lay their hand vpon their mou and not so eagerly pursue that cause but be content to submit themselues to the order of the Church and let them learne to giue thanks to God the Father that we haue the Supper of the Lord so sincerely administred among vs and that they may so reuerently receiue it which in so pure and holy a manner is not either deliuered or taken in some other Churches where notwithstanding they ought to Communicate that liue in them So long as wee may take the bread and drinke of the cuppe of the Lord with hearing the word preached with prayers and praises offered to God let vs not striue and contend in indifferent things as we haue proued this to be which are to be ordered by the higher powers but yeeld obedience to the truth and be content to ioyne with our brethren as in the action of the Supper so in the gesture of the body that so with ioy of heart and comfort of Spirit with one minde with one mouth we may glorify our Father which is in heauen And if the best reformed Churches bee onely the competent Iudges in this case Pag. 50. to whose iudgement we are to conforme our selues as themselues confesse the question will soone be at an end forasmuch as there is no Church vnder heauen that we know nor learned writer before our times that I can vnderstand by the relation and obseruation of others to haue simply condeÌ„ned the gesture of kneeling at the Sacrament as vnlawfull I deny not but some haue held this ceremony needlesse vnprofitable in expedient and fit to be abolished but not impious vnlawfull Idolatrous in it selfe It is well said of Beza Beza epist 2. in his second Epistle that albeit the Sacraments be instituted by Christ and that by mans authority nothing ought to bee added to them or detracted from them yet not euery declining from the institution is to be accounted a corruption so that the intent and purpose of the Author of them be obserued When the Lord Iesus did ordaine his last supper it is most likely that the disciples receiued the bread and the cup not at the hands of Christ but one of another forasmuch as he tooke the cup and gaue thanks and said Take this and diuide it among your selues Luke 22 17. and that all of them did drinke of one and the same cup what then Shall wee say that those Churches offended or that the commandement of Christ is transgressed or that the institution is violated where one doth not deliuer the Sacrament to another but all receiue it at the hand of the Minister where they drinke also not of one but of diuers cups No in no wise because the taking of the Elements is necessarily required but the manner is not precisely appointed and prescribed And heereby also we see farther that we are not seruilely bound to cleaue to the example of Christ in the administration and participation of the Supper albeit on the other side we haue no purpose to oppose our selues any way against him but inasmuch as he hath left it free we haue made choice of that we thinke fit Thus I haue finished the point which I intended to bring backe our deceiued brethren and sisters to a willing submission to the orders of our Church in this behalfe I haue of purpose abstained from speaking of many other points which I might haue touched and peraduenture had beene fit to be obserued least I should exasperate any way those that are contrary minded and thereby driue them farther from that whereunto I goe about to perswade them and so wound those whom I desire to win For I am so farre from going about to kindle the coales of contention and mouing them any way to anger or bringing them to trouble whom I minde to gaine to the truth that if I haue let fall any thing from my pen that they which are contrary to me in opinion and to our Church in practise might take to be spoken to their disgrace or vttered in contempt of their persons I do heere freely condemne it my selfe before it come into other mens hands to be read of them I seeke for verity I striue not for victory In the matters of God we should be farre from bitternesse and especially in things of this nature we ought to be patient toward al men In all controuersies I account it an heauenly direction worthy to bee followed set downe by the Apostle Eph. 4. Eph. 4 31 32. Let all bitternesse and wrath and anger and clamour and euill speaking be put away from you and be ye kinde one to another tender hearted forgiuing one another euen as God for Christs sake hath forgiuen you And to conclude I say with the same Apostle in another place Gal. 6. Gal 6 16. As many as walke according to this rule peace be on them and mercy and vpon the Israel of God Thus much of the duties and rites to be practised of the Communicants as likewise touching the rest of the outward parts of the Lords Supper CHAP. VII Of the words of Consecration in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper ALthough we haue spoken before sufficiently of consecration a Booke 1. ca. 8. what it is and how it is wrought to satisfie all such as are sober minded and simple louers of the truth yet because special points are heere to be obserued and that the aduersaries turne the true consecration into a certaine magical incantation to worke a miraculous or rather a monstrous transubstantiation it shall not be amisse to assume handle this point againe that therby the truth of God may be cleered the ignorant instructed the aduersaries satisfied and consequently their mouths stopped Consecration is a change or conuerting of the outward elements into another vse by obseruing the whole institution of Christ which giueth it his effect We confesse a turning and changing not of one substance into another not by abolishing of natures not by close pronouncing of certaine words but in the vse and in respect of vs c The vse of the elements is câ—anged the substance is not changed and in regard of the promise of God The water which flowed out of the rocke in the wildernesse signified the same to the Fathers
Fathers appointing of his Son the Ministers blessing the Fathers separating and setting apart his Sonne to his office the Ministers deliuering of the bread the Fathers giuing of his Sonne If then wee draw neere to the Lords table with faith reuerence and repentance nothing can be more sure and certaine to vs then the taking and receiuing of Christ for when we receiue the bread from the Minister wee withall receiue the body of Christ offered by the hand of God the Father so that as we are assured of the one we need not doubt of the other Vse 4 Lastly the breaking of the bread pouring out of the wine and deliuering of them both into the hands of the Communicants seale vp these actions of God his chastising of his Sonne and breaking him with sorrowes vpon the Crosse for our redemption offering him vnto all euen vnto hypocrites and giuing him truely to the faithfull with all the benefits of his passion Indeed the Minister giueth the outward signes to all receiuers but God giueth and applyeth onely to the faithfull the shedding of Christs blood for the daily increase of their faith and repentance But heere it may be obiected Obiection that not a bone of him was broken t Exod. 12 45 as it was figured by the Passeouer and performed at his passion the verifying and accomplishment whereof we reade Iohn 19 36. I answere Answere there is a double breaking of Christ one corporall whereof the places before doe speake the other figuratiue whereby is vnderstood u Esa 53 4.5 hee was tormented and euen torne with paines as Esa 53. He was wounded for our transgressions and broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes we are healed Lo what is meant by the breaking of the bread his soule was tormented his spirit was crushed his hands and feet were pierced he sweat drops of Water and blood and cryed out aloud vpon the Crosse My Maâ— 27 46. God my God why hast thou forsaken me Wherefore let these rites be rightly marked and obserued of vs for our comfort and consolation Let vs when wee see the bread broken and wine poured out meditate on the passion of Christ how he was wounded and torne for our transgressions Although not a bone of his body was broken in pieces yet hee was broken with afflictions bruised with sorrowes and tormented with bitter anguish of his soule by whose stripes we are healed by whose condemnation we are iustified by whose agonies we are comforted by whose death we are quickened Whosoeuer resteth in the outward workes done before his eyes neuer attaineth to the substance of the Sacrament Thus much of the first inward part CHAP. IX Of the second inward part of the Lords Supper THe second inward part is the a The second inward part of the Lords Supper is the holy Spirit holy Spirit who assureth vs of the truth of Gods promise As we haue in the word of truth the forgiuenes of sins increase of faith groweth in sanctification a great measure of dying to sin and a greater care to liue in newnes of life promised vnto vs so doth the Spirit worke these things b Rom. 8 15. Gal. 3 2 5. in the hearts of all the faithfull This appeareth in many places Rom. 8. Ye haue receiued the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father the same Spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God To one is giuen by the Spirit the word of wisedome to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit to another is giuen faith by the same Spirit all these things worketh one and the selfe same Spirit distributing to euery man seuerally as he will So then as we are weake in faith and slow to beleeue so wee haue the Spirit giuen vnto vs to helpe our infirmities and to open our hearts to receiue the promises For the Lord Iesus raigning continually in his Church and performing the office of a Prophet doth make the words of his Ministers liuely by his Spirit in our hearts and causeth them to be of perpetuall force and efficacy assuring vs of his promises made vnto vs and vniting the signe with the thing signified This truth being cleared the vses offer themselues Vse 1 to be câ—nsidered And first of all inasmuch as the Spirite worketh these things in the hearts of all the faithfulll from hence we gather that such as neuer finde any change or renewing of the minde or reformation of life after the receiuing of the Sacraments may iustly suspect themselues whether euer they had faith or not and whether euer they repented or not and therefore ought to vse the meanes to come by faith and repentance For the worke of the Spirite accompanieth the outward worke in the elect of God as also we see in the hearing of faith preached he must open the heart that is closed vp before wee can receiue with meekenesse c Iam. 1 21. the word of that is grafted in vs which is able to saue our soules Indeed euery person present may heare the words of institution may see the wine poured out may eat of that bread and drinke of that cup as they may also heare the sound of the voice that commeth vnto them but the whole force effect and power resteth onely in the Spirit of God sealing vp the truth and substance of those things in the hearts of all the Children of God Vse 2 Againe seeing these things are done and performed by the working of the Spirit they are confuted and conuinced that thinke they cannot be made partakers of the body and blood of Christ and be vnited to his flesh vnlesse his body be shut vp vnder the accidents of bread and shewes of wine and so his flesh be giuen vnto vs carnally that we may eate him with our mouths and conuey him into our stomackes But we see heere the Holy-Ghost is the bond of this vnion he worketh in vs faith which pierceth the heauens and layeth hold on Christ It is said of Abraham the Father of the faithfull that d Ioh. 8 56. he reioyced to see the day of Christ he saw it and was glad For as we cannot see him with our bodily eyes nor heare him with our bodily eares nor touch him with our bodily hands no more can wee taste or eate him with our bodily mouths By the hand of faith we reach and apply him by the mouth of faith we receiue and eate him Let vs beleeue in Christ and we e Aug. tract in Iohn 26. 27. haue eaten Christ let vs not prepare our teeth and our belly but a liuely faith working by loue Wherefore albeit the humane nature of Christ goe not out of the highest heauens yet we that liue vpon the earth are partakers of his bodye contained in the heauens and his flesh and blood are communicated to vs as truely and effectually as if he were there
c Conferēc◠day 3. inasmuch as his glorification maketh it not a diuers body and that a man whole a man sicke at sundry times make not a seuerall man This Iesuiticall deuice hath no colour of reason but a tricke of euasion For we speake not of the difference between Christs glorified and mortall body but of the meaning of the words This is my body whether Christ vnderstand his naturall and mortall body wherein shortly he was to be glorified or whether he vnderstand it of his body glorified Either it must be vnderstood of the one or of the other or of both or rather indeed of neither except they will haue the words taken and spoken one way to the Disciples and another way to vs. Thus the meaning of them when they were first vttered should be This is my mortall body but now spoken to vs they should be taken in another sense of vs to the end of the world This is my glorified body So then the same words spoken to the Disciples should be false as we are to vnderstand them and the Disciples should be deceiued vnderstanding them as we do take them What is this but to bring vs back againe to the reproachfull comparisons and blasphemous assertions d Pighi Hierar lib. 3 cap 3. Consur colon dial 4. pa 112. Cusan epist 2. and 7. of sundry popish writers to compare the Scriptures to a nose of wax and a rule of leade that they may be expoūded diuersly and framed to times so as at one time they may be vnderstood one way and at another time they may be interpreted another way These things being duely considered we may safely conclude that Christ is not present in his naturall body Lastly the presence of Christ in his naturall body abolisheth the light of reason and confoundeth the nature of things and bringeth in an heape of absurdities and impossibilities For what is more repugnant to reason then for a man to beare himselfe in his owne hands that a man should eate vp himselfe that another should eate him yet he remaine vntouched vntasted and vncorrupted that one and the same man should be visible and inuisible present and absent in the teeth of the Disciples and at the table with the Disciples be a man of stature and yet be contained and comprehended in a little Cake and cantle of bread Now as by these reasons and sundry other that might be alledged the reall presence is sufficiently conuinced so the arguments brought to maintaine and vphold it are easily e Obiections alledged to maintaine the real presence are answered answered For as the doctrine is false so the reasons are weake and foolish First they obiect the words of institution for the defence of this cause For as in questions of the supremacy of Peters pretended of the Popes vsurped which are many they alwayes alledge the words of Christ to Peter Pasce oues meas f Bellar. tomo primo feed by sheepe so do they deale in controuersies of the Supper where we misse not Obiection 1 long Hoc est corpus meum This is my body His words say they are true therefore we must beleeue them he is a man of his word therefore we must credite him if then we be deceiued holding his body to be present he hath deceiued vs. I answere Answere the question is not of the truth of the words whether they be true or false but of the interpretation and meaning thereof which we say is figuratiue and yet no other then is vsuall when the Scripture speaketh of other Sacraments of the Church g Gen. 17 11. as circumcision is the couenant the lambe is the Passeouer the cuppe is the new testament the breaking of the bread is the communion of the body of Christ the rocke is Christ baptisme is the washing of our new-birth Are not all these places like to the words of Christs institution Or can they deny them to be vnderstood figuratiuely and not properly So the meaning of those words is that the bread which he had taken broken and giuen is a signe and figure of his body it is now no longer common bread but a representation of his body truely offered to all and truely giuen to al the faithfull Our Sauiour Christ spake many things vnto his Disciples figuratiuely not litterally to be taken he said h Math. 5 13. they were the salt of the earth the light of the world a citty set on a hill he speaketh of cutting off the hand pulling out the eye he calleth himselfe i Iohn 10 9. a doore k Iohn 15 1. a vire l Iohn 14 6. a way are not these figuratiue and metaphoricall speeches Againe the circumstances of the text the nature of a Sacrament and the Articles of our faith will not suffer vs to take them properly besides this that they should command vs an horrible and wicked thing to eate mans flesh drinke his blood and therefore when we are commended to eate his flesh and to drinke his blood it is a figure as Austine teacheth requiring of vs to be partakers of his passion to keepe in remembrance that his flesh was crucified for vs. Moreouer the Euangelists neuer say the bread is transubstantiated into his body or the wine into his blood or that the body and blood of Christ are in the bread or vnder the bread or with the bread all the circūstances teach that the bread is a Sacrament of his body the wine is a Sacrament of his blood as circumcision was a signe of the couenant the lambe a signe of the Passeouer the rocke a figure of Christ Lastly as Christ speaketh to the euill seruant m Luk 19 22 Out of thine owne mouth will I iudge thee so the aduersaries thēselues giue sentence on our side and one arch-papist condemneth another Bishop Fisher writing against Luther affirmeth that n Fish cont capti Babilon no man can proue by the words of the Gospell that any Priest in these dayes doth consecrate the very body and blood of Christ and therefore o Lindan pa. nopl lib. 4. Liudanus among the rablement of traditions which he reckoneth rehearseth the real presence Likewise Tonstall another Bishoppe of the same birth holdeth that it were p Tonst lib. 1. de Sacr p 46. better to leaue euery man to his owne coniecture as they were before the counsel of Lateran then to bring in such questions And Biel a man of the same stampe not inferior to the rest q Gab. Biel in can lect 40. confesseth that it is not found in the canonicall Scriptures that Christs body is in the Sacrament And let them tel vs their opinion whether that Hildebrand held this bodily presence r Ben. in vit Greg. 7. when he cast the Sacrament into the fire contrary to the liking of certaine Cardinals present with him Thus wee see Counsels Fathers Reasons Doctors Schoole-men Bishops Cardinals Popes
others of the aduersaries themselues fight against the carnall presence of Christ and the Scriptures themselues ouerthrow it Obiection 2 Secondly they obiect the words of Christ Except ye eate Å¿ Ioh. 6 53. the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his blood yee haue no life in you I answere Answere these words are not vnderstood of the Sacrament they were vttered long before the institution of the Supper and therefore could not be referred vnto that which as yet was not so that Christ speaketh of spirituall eating not of carnall by faith not by the mouth whereby we abide in him and he in vs but many eate the Sacrament of his body that haue not him abiding in them nor themselues in him Againe without this eating of his flesh heere spoken off t Ioh 6 54. no man can attaine eternall life but many have eternall life that never are partakers of the Lords Supper as the theefe crucified with Christ and many others Besides how absurd is it for those to imagine that Christ naming bread speaketh of the Sacrament of the Altar for they would haue no substance of bread to remain but onely the figure shew and likenesse of bread so that according to the deuice of their new-found doctrine hee might more truely say I am no bread or I am the shewes of bread then as he doth r Ioh. 6 32. I am the true bread Moreouer if Christ promising to giue bread for the redemption of the world had pointed out the Sacrament of his Supper then he should haue giuen his flesh for the saluation of mankind not vpon the Crosse but in his last Supper Wherefore then serued his death What neede was there to shed his blood on the Crosse Furthermore if these words be referred to his Supper then the Supper may be celebrated without materiall bread and wine without giuing of thankes without blessing without consecration without breaking and distributing of the bread without pouring out and deliuering of the wine and without remembrance of the death of Christ For in this place we haue no mention of these things And shall wee imagine that the Sacrament is spoken off where neither the matter nor forme nor word of institution nor Minister nor externall rite is once remembred Lastly to eate the flesh of Christ and to drinke his blood is nothing else but to come to Christ and to beleeue in Christ as appeareth in the Text Å¿ Ioh. 6 35 4â— I am that bread of life he that commeth to me shall not hunger and he that beleeueth in me shall neuer thâ—rst And speaking of faith he saith No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him This truth t Bleâ— sect 84. super camâ—â—â— is so cleere and euident that many of the aduersaries are driuen to confesse it howsoeuer some of them seeke to cast mistes before the eyes of men that they may not espie it among the which are Sanders and Bellarmine And as we haue shewed before how the Schoole-men and Doctors of the Church of Rome are together by the eares in sundry controuersies about the Supper so are they about the true interpretation of Ioh. 6. Some vnderstanding it of the sacramentall eating some of the spirituall eating u Hos Câ—â—â— de â—uâ—â—â— and some of both Thirdly they obiect the omnipotency of God that he Obiection 3 is able to turne the bread into the body and the wine into his blood he is able to make it really present in heauen earth aâ—d wheresoeuer Masse is said he is able to make a body to be in many places at once and yet not occupie a place I answere Aâ—swere when all other reasons faile they slye to Gods omnipotency as vnto a sanctuary and place of refuge But this will not proue a reall presence For albeit God be omnipâ—tent and almighty must he therefore doe all things yea offer violence to his owne body to maintaine their aâ—â—urd and hereticall opinions of the reall presence and of transubstantiation Must his power attend vpon their fancies and dreames Cannot he be omnipotent except their positions and assertions be granted There is no â—eâ—e of Gods power albeit we withstand their carnall presence For touching the omnipotency of God a Two rules to obseruâ—◠〈◊〉 Gods oâ—â—â—poâ—ency we must obserue these two rules and conclusions First Gods power is neuer to be opposed and set against his expresse wâ—ll plainely and certainely knowne for God is not contrary to himselfe Now then it is not enough to prooue that God can turne bread and wine into the bodye and blood of Chrâ—st vnlesse they proue he will turne them into his flesh and blood We our selues can doe many things which we do not and which we will not do so we must know it is with God he câ—uld haue added wings to man hee might haue made many worlds if it had plâ—ased him Christ of b Mat 3.9 the stones could haue raysed vp children vnto Abraham Christ could haue prayed to his Father in his afflictâ—on to send him c Mat. 26 3. more then 12. legions of Angels but how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled Wherefore we â—â—e nâ—t to reason of his power vnlesse we be assured oâ— his wâ—ll reuealed in his word as we see Christ disputing against the â—â—duâ—es saith Ye are deceiued not knowing the â—â—r ptures nâ— the power of God d Mat. 22 9. Where we see he ioyneth the Scriptures and the power of God together so that he is truely said to be omnipotent e A 〈…〉 1â— because he can bring to passe whatsoeuer he will neither can the effect of his will be hindred or resâ—â—ed Now it is the knowne will of God that Christ shoulâ— haue a true body that he might be a true man with his quantity and dimensions The second rule to be remembred is f No contradiction is in God that in God there is no contradiction and that whatsoeuer necessarily implieth a contradiction is an argument not of power but of weaknesse This the Scriptures decree this the Fathers dâ—liuer this their owne Schoolemen determine For g 2 Cor. 1.59 in God is not yea and nay he abideth saithfull he cannot deny himselfe hee cannot dye he cannot lye he cannot deny his word he c nnot sin he cannot deceiue hee cannot be deceiued These and such like he cannot do which if he should doe he were not omnipotent For this h Aug de trin cap 15 lâ—b â—◠〈◊〉 lâ—b 2. cap 1â— were a token of impotency not of omnipotency of debility not of ability of want and weakenesse not of strength and power For in euery contradiction i Arist 〈◊〉 â—â—terp li 1 ca. 5. there is â—aâ—shood and a lye which cannot agree to God who is truth it selfe and therefore he cannot make affirmation and negation truth and falshood yea and nay to be true together which things are impossible Yea the
themselues why they refuse to ioyne with the people of God among vs that come with loue and zeale to his Table I haue not to doe with them in this place they were for the most part carelesse men secure in the matters of God and sencelesse in al good things but those that now we are to encounter withall pretend greater care and conscience in the worship of God then our selues These are they of the separation who haue left our Church as no Church and abhorre our Sacraments as no Sacraments and reuile our Ministers as no Ministers And yet if they would confesse the trueth and giue God the glory they must for the most part of them acknowledge that they receiued to beleeue in our Church were begotten a new by our ministery and haue reaped strength of faith by our Sacraments if they may bee called ours which are deliuered by vs but instituted by God Neuerthelesse I wish and desire from the bottome of my hearte that our Church were once so happy as to separate notorious offenders to cut off all occasion of this question But because we cannot yet obtain this mercy through our sinnes and that through the iniquity of the times euill men preuaile wee must not consider so much what ought to be among vs as how farre wee ought to submit our selues neither should we fixe our eyes so much vppon that which is wanting and missing in our Church as what great guifts and good thinges GOD hath vouchsafed vnto vs and bestowed vpon vs we confesse we are not in all poyntes that which we should be howbeit by the grace of our GOD wee are farre from that which they charge vs withall But let vs see what they obiect Obiection 1 Cor. 5.11 First they alledge that we are forbidden to eat and drink at our common Tables with them 1 Cor 5 From hence they reason from an vnequall comparison of the lesse to the greater that if we may not doe that which is lesse then wee may not eate and drinke with them at the LORDS Table which is the greater I answere Answere this consequent will not follow For wee cannot conclude the abstaining at the Lords Supper from their company whose company we are to auoide at our owne table It is in our owne power for the most part to depriue whome wee will of our priuate Suppers but it lyeth not in vs to barre whome we please from the Lords Supper This belongeâ—h to the officers and ouer-seers of the Church But as in the priuate family euery one may not be a gouernourâ— and in the Common-wealth euery person may not be a Magistrate to order the affaires thereof so is it in the Church no man may seuer the holy from the prophane but such as are called to sit in the sterne of it Again they alledge the sentence of the Prophet Come Obiection 2 out from among them and separate your selues from them and touch no vncleane thing Esay 52.11 2 Cor. 6 17.18 Esay 52 11. 2 Cor. â— 17. Answere I answere three things First the place must be vnderstood not somuch of the separation by place as by affection not somuch of the company as of the coruptions of others Secondly Paul speaketh of the communion of Idolatry which is nothing at all to the holy Communion which is commaunded vnto all Christians without any such limitation as these would bring in For they can neuer proue any such exception to wit that we may abstayne if we see any offer themselues to receiue which doe seeme to vs vnworthy Lastly here is mention of such as were straungers from the faith and did not so much as professe the Christian Religion and therefore it serueth not their purpose who refuse to communicate at the Table of the Lord with such as embrace Christianity and make profession of the Gospell albeit peâ—aduenture their life be not answerable thereunto so that thâ—y abuse this place who will by no meanes bee brought to come to the Supper of the Lord when they perceiue those to haue accesse vnto it whome they account wicked and prophane Ioseph and Mary frequented the sacrifices in the publike assemblies at Ierusalem at the solemne feasts Luk. 2. So did Christ himselfe as appeareth in many places of the Gospell The Church was then full of scandals as a body full of sores but because he had no calling nor commission to remedy those euils he chose rather to ioyne himselfe with the company of the wicked theÌ„ to separate himselfe from the Sacraments and other holy things Thus it was with Simeon Hannah Zachary Elizabeth and other of the faithfull There are two certaine rules with which I will conclude First that our being in company with the wicked vnwillingly not willingly by compulsion not by free election shall not hurt vs. It is our delight in them and desire of them and striuing to be with them that bringeth danger vnto vs but if it be against our will there is no feare of being infected by them The second rule is this that we are greatly hurt in our saluation and wounded in our soules by separation from the exercises of our religion and therfore there is no iust cause why we should leaue the fruite of the one for the presence of the other It is a part of Gods spirituall worshippe to heare his word and indeed one of the principall seruices we can performe vnto him yet may a Christian lawfully heare it where there are Infidels and vnbeleeuers yea not onely communicate with them but be glad that they will vouchsafe to communicate with vs. And touching ioyning in prayer and participation of the Sacraments if it were in our choyce and liberty to auoid them wee might not ioyne with them nor make one among them but because we haue no power nor authority to make any separation wee ought not to refuse or renounce the seruice of God which is enioyned and commanded vnto vs and let vs take heed least while wee go about to separate our selues from the wicked we separate our selues from God himselfe For there is no man that forsaketh his worship but after a sort forsaketh God seeing that to cleaue vnto him and not to his worshippe is vnpossible and to diuide betweene these which are alwaies ioyned together is to turne him into an Idoll And thus much touching Examination in generall CHAP. XVI Of the knowledge of God the first part of Examination AS we haue waighed the necessity of preparing and examining our selues so let vs consider the manner how it is to be performed Such as will in an holy manner prepare themselues a Four points required in Examination of our selues to celebrate the Lords Supper to the glory of God the discharge of their duties and comfort of their owne soules must diligently acquaint themselues with these foure points with knowledge faith repentance and reconciliatioÌ„ to those whom they haue offended First it is required of all persons that come
consider and confesse that we haue not loued and feared God we haue not beleeued depended vpon him in all estates as we ought but haue oftentimes feared and loued the creatures aboue him we haue preferred a filthy pleasure before him wee haue doubted of his promises through vnbeleefe and relyed vpon an arme of flesh and blood We haue beene carelesse Command 2 in the worship of God we haue not prayed vnto him with stedfast assurance to be heard we haue not serued him in spirit and in truth as he requireth of vs but hypocrisie hath crept into our best actions and meditations we haue more laboured after the outward shewes and appearances of religion then to expresse the power of godlinesse and haue more esteemed to seeme to others to be true Christians then to be such indeed We haue not reuerenced the Command 3 eternall Maiesty of God as is meet to doe who is infinite inuisibe vnchangeable we haue not blessed and praised his name with thanksgiuing for all things and at all times as well for aduersity as prosperity We haue not heard read and meditated in his word with such affection reuerence and zeale as is requisite when occasion hath beene offered to speak of the works of Gods prouidence we haue not acknowledged in them the greatnes of his wisedome power and goodnes as we ought nay rather the glorious and dreadfull name of God which ought to be more deare vnto vs then our owne liues hath beene blasphemed dishonoured and abused by vs. Touching the Sabboth wee Command 4 must consider and confesse how we haue prophaned it we haue beene more carefull to follow our worldly workes affaires then to seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse hauing had more care of the body then of the soule we haue sent out our seruants to dispatch our businesse on that day and haue not suffered them to attend on the businesse of the Lord for the saluation of their soules and our selues haue neglected the ministry of the word of God haue defiled his sanctuary and haue polluted that holy day with feasting playing sporting drinking idlenesse and other vanities Wee haue not yeelded reuerence to superiors for conscience sake nor beene affrayed to offend them as God hath commaunded we haue not alwaies spoken Command 5 of them and their gouernment as we should wee haue not had such a reuerence opinion and perswasion of our Pastors and teachers as wee ought which haue the charge of our soules and labour among vs in the Lord. Againe we haue not beene carefull to teach and instruct such as are vnder vs as our Children Seruants and whole family as wee are bound praying with them in our houses exhorting them in all wisedome conferring with them in all gentlenesse and furthering them in all the waies of godlinesse Touching the sixt Commaundement we haue not loued Command 6 our Neighbours as our selues procuring their good as our owne wee haue broken out thorough debate contention chyding reuyling brawling quarrelling and reuenging we haue not reioyced at the good and prosperity of our bretheren but when GODS eye haih beene good towards them in blessing them we haue repined and grudged at it Wee haue not possessed the vesselles of or bodies in holinesse and honour as the Temples of the Holye-Ghost knowing we are bought with a price we haue not tamed and brought into subiection this flesh as we should to make it in all respectes subiecte and obedient vnto the spirite wee haue not made a couenat with our eies with Command 7 our eares with our tongues to turne them from all vncleane sights wanton wordes and filthy communication but haue suffered them to wander after vnlawfull lust and concupisence neither haue wee vsed such sobriety abstinence and temperancie as hath beene fit to keepe vnder our affections but riotousnesse excesse in apparrell surfetting sloathfulnesse idlenes pride and fulnesse of breade which were the sinnes of Sodome Ezekiel 16. are vsed in many places as for drunkennes it hath taken away the heartes and euen washed away the braines of many Wee must confesse that our dealinges with our neighbours in Command 8 buying selling bargaining and contracting haue not bin with such vprightnesse soundnesse iustice sinceritie and truth as God requireth we haue bene giuen to oppression couetousnesse and hard dealing one towards another and not considered that godlinesse is great gain if a man be contented with that he hath that if we haue food and rayment we must bee content and can carry nothing with vs out of this world we haue not at all times beene giuen to mercie and compassion towards the poore for the maintenance of them and their families especially in times of famine derth pestilence sickenesse and other mortalities and necessities Command 9 Wee must acknowledge that we haue not Loued the truth in the inward parts neither maintained the credit and good name of men as wee ought but haue beene addicte to lying enuying backe-byting flattering or defaming one of another and to heare others with comfort and delighte to do the like we haue not beene couragious and constant to confesse and defend the truth against the enemies thereof but haue beene ashamed to set our selues against lies errors and slanders we haue kindled the coales of contention by false furmises carrying of tales and publishing of infirmities vnto the great damage hurt and hinderance of our brethren Command x. Lastly we must remember to shut vppe this confession that our whole Nature is vile and wretched the heart of man is deceitfull aboue all things and past finding out wee are sinful as an euil tree which can bring forth nothing but euill fruite our thoughts are vaine and corrupt our first motions and imaginations are euil against the law of God that saith k Exod 10 17 Thou shalt not lust requiring a pure heart towards our neighbors holy cogitations of the spirit and a continuall conflict against euil affections and lusts of the flesh Thus must euery one of vs araigne and endite our selues Thus wee must accuse our selues and condemne our owne workes Thus wee must search our owne wayes confessing that if l Iohn 3 20 our owne hearts accuse vs God is greater then our hearts and knoweth all thinges Then let vs appeale to the throne of grace let vs desire saluation in Christ for his mercies sake let vs cast all our comfort vpon him couering our faces through shame of our sinnes that are past humbling our selues through griefe of them that are present and working out our saluation with a feare of that which may come heereafter If thus we iudge our selues God will acquite vs if thus we condemne our selues God will iustify vs if wee accuse our selues he will discharge vs if we be displeased with our selues for our sinnes God wil bee well pleased with vs and cloath vs with the righteousnesse of Christ But if wee stand vpon our owne righteousnesse and worthinesse if we say we haue
of the Sacraments or sit downe in this Chaire of honour because it wanteth the institution of Christ it wanteth an outward signe it hath no word to warrant it or promise of blessing for howsoeuer b Act 8 5 14 15 16 17. the Apostles by imposition of hands gaue the Holy-Ghost those miraculous gifts are now with-drawne from the Church of God Lastly they haue aduanced it aboue baptisme they administer it in a strange tongue hallow the greazy oyle to purifie soule and body True it is they alledge the example of the Apostles who vsed imposition of hands ouer those of Samaria Act. 8 14. But can they bestow the like miraculous guifts as the Apostles did vpon the Samaritans by laying on of their hands Indeed wheÌ„ Philip had catechised the Samaritans taught them the fundamentall points of Christian religion the Apostles came and prayed for them and laid their hands vpon them So likewise after that children haue in their owne persons made publike particular profession of their faith which others did professe for them in their name at baptisme We acknowledge that prayer may be made for them that strength of faith and increase of grace may bee giuen them by the Holy-Ghost to liue and dye in that faith wherof they haue made profession To which prayers we deny not but the ceremony of imposition of hands may bee added betokening the restraint of our desires to the parties whom we present to God and declaring thereby that wee pray for them that are before vs. But what is this to the cozenage and imposture of the Church of Rome that mock God and his people For the Apostles did not consecrate Oyle mixed with Balme nor annoint the Samaritans with such Oyle They did not crosse their fore-heads nor kisse their mouths nor clap their eares nor binde their faces with fillets nor forbid them to wash their heads neither vsed any such may-game as is now practised by the popish Bishops in their apish confirmation who haue it in greater estimation then the Sacrament of baptisme because they permit the administration of it to euery Priest yea to priuate persons yea to women yea euen to the Iewes and Infidels that are out of the Church whereas they reserue to the Bishops onely the power of Confirmation as if it had greater power to strengthen the soule against the Diuell Secondly c Penance is no sacrament their pennance instituted by bodily chastisements to make satisfaction for sin to God is no Sacrament of the new Testament nor any sacred thing being thus vnderstood For we acknowledge no other satisfaction d 1 Ioh 1 7. for sinne wherein God delighteth and the conscience of man resteth but only the death and obedience of Christ Besides true repentance hath been preached and practised from the beginning of the world after that sinne entred into the world Furthermore their pennance hath no visible signe as baptisme and the Supper of the Lord haue Thirdly e Matrimony is no Sacrament matrimony albeit it be a diuine ordinance honorable f Heb 13 4. among all estates yet can be no Sacrament of the Church of Christ because it was instituted before g Gen 2 18 the law it is ratified among the Infidels which are no members of the Church it hath no promise of grace and saluation ioyned to it and albeit it be honourable in all h 1. Cor 6 7.7 37. yet it is not necessary in all Lastly the Romaine Church esteemeth it as an vncleane thing a prophanation of holy orders a liuing in the flesh so that as with one hand they aduance it to a great dignity with the other hand they cast it downe with great disgrace and contempt as vnworthy of the high holy priest-hood Fourthly orders come in the next i Orders no sacrament place which are the officers and ministry of the Church but no Sacrament or Sacraments of the Church For then according to the number of orders wee should multiply the number of Sacraments Neither haue they any outward Element and visible signe Lastly we are come to extreame vnction which we suffer not to mask vnder the name of Sacraments but pull off the vizard therof because the church had the vse of anointing so long as it retained the miraculous gift of healing Besides it hath no worde of institution to warrant the continuall practise of it vntil the second comming of Christ Indeede the Apostles and Disciples were commaunded to annoint the sicke and so to heale them of their sicknes and if any man in our dayes haue this miraculous guifte of healing bestowed vpon him we like well that hee shoulde annoint the sicke and in the name of God vse the gifte bestowed vpon him But the Church of Rome annoint those whose case and condiâ—ion is without hope of amendement and recouery Thus a Medicine is turned into a Sacrament and a miracle is turned into a coniuring of Deuils and the Vnct on which was woont to heale the body is turned into a foolish ceremony vnprofitable both to the bodie and to the soule and yet it will require a large halfe houres worke to can oâ—e oâ—â— extreme vnction A great deale of time very all â—â—stowed Wherefore sâ—â—ing the word of God teacheth the number of two Sacraments onely and the Church of Rome enstructeth her children inâ—o the number of seauen Sacraments neither moe nor lesse they must pardon vs if wee hearken rather to the Scriptures then to their Traditions rather to God then to man rather to the author of trueth then to the spirit of error Neuerthelesse though wee thus speake we like wel the things themselues being rightly vnderstood at the repentance of the penitent confirmation of the faithful that are weake and newe called the order of the Ministery of the Church the visitation and comfort of the sicke the lawfull estate of honourable Matrimony as godly and profitable and that not onely in the new Testament but also in the olde so that we would haue no man slander vs or mistake vs herein as though we refused those things which be of themselues godly and good but vvee like not and allow not the deuising of newe Sacraments in them for which we haue no warrant in the word of God Hitherto we haue spoken of the Sacraments in generall The sum of the 2. Booke of their parts of their vses and of the number now wee come to speake of them in particular first of Baptism which is as it were the doore or gate of the Church then of the Lordes Supper which is the foode and nourishment of the Church And howsoeuer Baptisme hath sundrie significations yet as it signifieth that washing with Water which serueth to seale and assure the Couenant of the New Testament What Bapt is it is the first Sacrament wherein by the outward washing of the body with water once in the name of the Father of the son and of the holy
part of baptisme The 4. outward part of Bapt. is the bodie that is washed Now such as are to be baptized must be within the Couenant Not to all and euery of them that haue life nor all that haue sense nor all that haue reason haue right to it and a priuiledge in it but the people of God by Couenant These are either men and women of riper years or else the infants of such who haue interrest in baptisme as well as the parents of whome they are borne This condemneth the Romish practise of Baptizing Belles as a most horrible prophanation of this Sacrament and serueth to set foorth the great loue of God vnto all beleeuers who vouchsafeth to bee their God and the God of theyr seede Hence likewise it appeareth d Infants haue interest in baptisme as well as their parents that infants are to be baptized For baptisme succeedeth in place of Circumcision the Apostles baptized e Colos 2 11. whole houses Christ calleth infants and sucklings f Act. 16 15 33 vnto himselfe and saith that vnto such belongeth the Kingdome of Heauen they are Christs sheepe and members of his body Hence we learne that the baptisme of Infants is no vnwritten tradition but a written and diuine institution taught in the Scriptures Consider also heereby the difference betweene baptisme and the Lords Supper g 1 Cor. 14 16 Mar. 10 13 14 15. and that all are conceiued in originall sinne Acknowledge also a difference betweene them and the children of Infidels and let parents be incouraged h Psal 51 5. to bring vp their children in the instruction and reformation of the Lord. Hitherto of the outward parts now follow i Eph. 6 4. the inward parts which also are four in number First k The inward parts of baptism are four God the Father represented by the Minister whereby our faith is greatly strengthned For whensoeuer the eie seeth the Minister powring water on the body faith beholdeth God the Father clensing the soule with the precious blood of his Son Christ The second part is the Spirit l Mat. 28 19 of God hauing relation to the word and promise of God and therefore whensoeuer we come to heare the word or to receiue the Sacraments we must craue the assistance of the Spirit to open our harts m 1 cor 12 12 as he opened the hart of Lydia If this inward teacher be wanting the eare heareth and the hand handleth but the hart is hardned The third inward part of baptism n Act. 16 14 is Christ represented by the water This serueth greatly to confirme our faith to consider with our selues when we behold with our bodily eyes the water poured vpon the body baptized o Act. 2 38. the blotting out of all our sins by the blood of Christ Iesus The 4. inward part is the soule clensed p 1 Pet. 3 21. most liuely and effectually represented by the body washed For the washing of the body representeth the clensing of the soule This teacheth that by nature we are corrupt and abhominable q Ep. 5 26 27 so that God must worke in vs both the will and the deed These are the foure inward parts of baptisme The agreemēt between these outward and inward parts r The proportion betwixt the outward and inward parts of baptisme is very euident Fot as the Minister by the word of institution applieth water to the washing of the body so the Father through the working of the Spirit applieth the blood of Christ to the clensing of the soule This distinction and proportion of the parts to wit the outwarde with the inwarde serueth to determine manie Controuersies vntimely raised hotly pursued and vncharitably continued among vs. For if we did aright discerne the outward baptism from the inward that which the Minister doth deliuer from that which God doth giue and bestow it might be a good meanes to dissolue sundrie doubts touching the sufficiencie and efficacy of this Sacrament whether it be impeached or abolished by the euill of the Minister which is of three sorts of heresy impiety and ignorance The first question is touching heresie Touching the baptis of the Heretickes whether baptisme ministred by an Hereticke be true baptisme or not I aunswere If Heretiques keepe not the substance of baptisme but erre in the foundation of religion and the doctrine of the Trinity their baptisme can be no baptisme Hence it is that Nicephorus Niceph. hist lib. 3. cap 33 maketh mention of a Minister that in the want of water baptized with sand but the party was again baptized and that most iustly But if they keepe the Doctrine of the Sacrament sound in substance and faile not in the essentiall partes of it such baptisme is good baptisme and ought not to be repeated For as the truth taught by Heretickes is Gods truth and auaileable to edification so long as they preach out of Gods word so baptisme administred by them is true baptisme so long as they obserue the institution of God entire and vncorrupt The second Question is touching the scandalous life prophane heart of the Minister whether it hinder the effect of the Sacrament or not Touching the baptisme of euil Ministers I answere it dooth not for as good prayers conceiued by euill men haue also audience vvith God so it is with the Sacraments albeit they be administered by euill men yet haue they acceptance with God And albeit the sonnes of Eli did occasion the people to abhorre the offerings of the Lorde yet it is their sinne to abstaine Iudas beeing sent out to preach ministered Baptisme also which was no doubt effectuall and sufficient to the Receyuers albeit he were a damnable hypocrite and the child of perdition True it is he receiued no benefit by the word or the Sacraments yet he might bee a meanes of doing good to others The light of the Sunne passeth by myrie and vnclean places and yet it is not defiled so the dignitie of the Sament is not hindred by the lewdnesse of the Minister The Sacraments brought vnto vs by loose Ministers which are no better then stumbling-blockes laide before the weake Aug. in Iohan. tract 5. are like water that passeth thorough a Chanell into a Garden it selfe receiueth no benefit by it howbeit the garden is watered and made fruitfull thereby Manie of the Priests and Leuites among the Israelites were vngodly and vnsanctified yet they both offered sacrifices and celebrated Sacraments which to the right partakers were feales of the Couenants and meanes to encrease faith Again there is no difference in respect of God between him that is prophane in heart and him that is prophane in life betweene him that is prophane outwardlye and him that is prophane inwardly forasmuch as they are both alike knowne vnto him But no man knoweth what is in the heart and therefore if prophanenesse did hinder the fruitfulnesse of the
Sacrament no man could be assured that at any time he receiued a Sacrament but must alwaies hang in suspense and doubt of the matter Let no man therfore refuse or abhorre the Lords ordinances for the euil demeanour of the Ministers as no man will reiect the guifte of a Prince albeit a wicked person should drawe the conueyance The third and last question remaineth which is whether the ignorance or vnabilitie of the Minister to preach Touching the bapt of ignorant ministers do disanull the sufficiency and efficacy of the Sacrament to the receiuer that beleeueth It were to bee wished that euery Congregation had his learned Pastor that so the occasion of this Question might be cut off but because wee cannot haue so flourishing a Church we must consider the matter as the case standeth with vs and know that his actions are not nullities For the Apostle requireth that the Minister should be vnreprooueable in life 1 Tim. 3.2 as well as apt to teach 1 Tim. 3. If then his euill life doe not disanull his worke why should his ignorance be a greater bar If then any reason thus Euery Ministery of the New-Testament is a preaching Ministery Therefore Sacraments are voide that are deliuered by no preachers Why may we not reason in like manner and as strongly Euery Ministerie of the New-Testament is an vnblameable ministery Therefore Sacraments are void that are deliuered by them that are not vnreprooueable Indeede euery good ministerie is a preaching ministery but not euerie ministery in generall and therefore it will not follow that the action of him that is no preacher is a nullityâ— But of these Questions wee haue spoken more at large elsewhere Thus farre of the parts â— Baptisme both the outward and the inward parts now wâ— come to the vses therof Å¿ Three vses of Baptisme which are principally three First to shewe the placing and planting into the body of Christ to râ—maine in him for euer This coniunction with Christ is not bodily or naturall but mysticall and maruellous in our eies for we are made one with Christ t 1 Cor. 6 17. by the same Spirit dwelling in Christ and in all the members of Christ So then the Saintes triumphing in heauen and all the beleeuers fighting vpon earth as soldiers in warefare haue one and the same spirite of Christ dwelling in them and therefore are one with him Secondly to assure vs of the remission of our sinnes that we may be able to stand in the presence of God u Gal. 3 17. hauing put on the garments of Christ as Iacob receiud the blessing clad in the garments of his elder brother This ouerthroweth the doctrine or rather doting of the Church of Rome which teacheth that baptisme abolisheth all sinnes going before it and leaueth nothing that hath the name or nature of sinne If this were a trueth of God not a dreame of men it is not onely decent but greatly to be desired to haue baptisme deferred vntill olde age nay vnto the houre of death that fo we may depart hence in peace with greater assurance of Gods fauour in the pardon of our sinnes Thirdly a Marke 1 1. to slay the olde man and to kill our naturall corruption by the power of the death and buriall of Christ besides to raise vs vp againe to holinesse and newnesse of life by his resurrection Hence it is that the Euangelists call it the Sacrament of Repentance admonishing euerie one of vs to expresse the strength power of baptisme as the Prophets oftentimes exhort the Iewes to b Deut 10 15. circumcise the foreskin of their harts and to harden their neckes no more So wee ought not to content our selues to be baptized in bodie but must labour to be baptized in soule by a daily proceeding in regeneration by bringing foorth the fruites of sanctification and applying Christ Iesus to our full iustification Thus much of baptisme the honourable badge of our profession and dedication to Christ that dyed vppon the Crosse what it is what are the parts and vses thereof Now wee come to d The sum of the 3. Booke the Sacrament of the bodie and bloode of Christ which is called by diuers and sundrie names in the New Testament Sometimes it is called the f 1 Cor. 10 16 Communion teaching that wee are one bodye coupled togethet in Christ shewing that it is to bee receyued of manie together and admonishing vs of vnitie and concord among our selues Sometimes it is g 1 Cor. 11 20 called the Lordes Supper hence wee see who is the authour of it no Man no Angell but the Lord Iesus leauing it for a fare-well token of his Loue towards vs. Wee must also come with an earnest desire hungring after Christ that we may be satisfied with his righteousnesse Sometimes it is called the h Actes 2 42. breaking of bread this sheweth that the substance of breade remaineth after the words of consecration that figuratiue speeches are vsed in the Sacrament and that this externall rite of breaking the bread vsed by Christ practised by the Apostles obserued by the pastors of the Church ought not to bee omitted and ouer-passed Sometimes it is called the i 1 Cor 10 21 Table of the Lord this teacheth that Christ and his Apostles at the celebration of it vsed a table not an Altar that it is a Sacrament not a Sacrifice and that we ought to draw nere vnto it with all regard and reuerence Lastlie it is called the New testament or Will of Christ This title teacheth that there is a double Couenant betweene GOD and man the one old the other new the one of the law the other of the Gospell the first of workes the second of grace Againe it serueth to condemne the cursed sacriledge of the Church of Rome which addeth and detracteth altereth and mingleth it with the leauen of her owne inuentions This is a great comfort to all Gods children to consider that all faithfull Christians are the heires of Christ to whoÌ„ he hath promised saluation of their soules and forgiuenes of their sinnes As we haue seene the seuerall names of this Sacrament which shew the nature thereof vnto vs so now we will set downe k What the Lords Supper is what the Lords Supper is The Supper of the Lord is the second Sacrament wherein by visible receiuing of bread and wine is represented our spirituall communion with the body and blood of Christ Heere God is present and sitteth as president at this Table he offereth vnto vs his owne Son for our iustification and therefore this Supper must be reuerently regarded and diligently frequented of vs. In this Sacrament l In the lords Supper consider hiâ— parts and his vses we are in like manner to consider the parts and the vses thereof The parts are partly outward and partly inward For it fareth no otherwise with the Sacrament then it doth with man considered in his
iustification Secondly the Holy-Ghost who assureth vs of the truth of Gods promises This sheweth that he is true i Reuel 1 4. God equall with the Father and the Son proceeding from the Father and the Son This confuteth such as suppose no partaking of the body and blood of Christ except he bee giuen vs in a carnal and fleshy manner wheras the Spirit worketh faith in our hearts k Heb. 11.1 which is the ground of things which are hoped for and the euidence of things which are not seene The third inward part of the Lords Supper l Luk. 22 19 is the body blood of Christ deliuered for vs vnto death This conuinceth such of a spirit of error who make vnbeleeuers and reprobates partakers of Christs body and blood thus his body should be prophaned m Ioh 6 5 and his sauing graces separated from his person But euen as where Sathan dwelleth possesseth the heart there alwaies raigne the works of darknes and damnation so the gifts of Christ accompanying saluation are inseparably ioyned with the person of Christ This also condemneth the reall presence and carnall eating of Christ which forgeth many Christs and reuiueth the heresie of Eutiches it crosseth sundry Articles of the Christian faith and maketh faithfull men like the vnfaithfull Barbarians that deuoured mans flesh and drunke his blood True it is Christ is truely present in the Sacrament howbeit not carnally and corporally but spiritually and mystically He hath giuen himselfe to be the food of our soules let vs hunger and thirst after him and lay hold on him to our saluation for n â— Ioh. 5 12. he that hath the Sonne hath life he that hath not the Son of God hath not life The last inward part is the faithfull receiuer who stretcheth forth the hand of faith so layeth hold on Christ and al his sauing graces For no maÌ„ can communicate with his body but the same is made partaker of his benefits Let vs all prepare the true and liuely faith o Tit. 1.1 of Gods elect and assure our selues that hypocrites and vnbeleeuers cannot possibly be partakers of the body and blood of Christ These are the foure inward parts also of the Lords Supper The similitude and relation p The proportion betwixt the outward and inward parts of the Supper of the outward and inward parts one to another standeth in this manner euen as the Minister by the words of institution offereth and giueth bread and wine to the Communicants to feed thereupon bodily so the Father by the Spirit offereth and exhibiteth the body and blood of Christ Iesus to the soules of the faithful to feed vpon them spiritually Thus much of all the parts of the Lords Suppeer now follow the vses to be vnfolded The q The vses of the lâ—d supper are three vses and profit which we reape by the Lords Supper are specially three First to shew forth with praise and thanksgiuing the death and the sufferings of Christ who his owne selfe bare our sins in his body on the tree by whose stripes r 1 Pet. 2 24 we are healed so that we haue the chiefe cause in our selues which did crucifie Christ Secondly to teach our communion with Christ being made flesh Å¿ Eâ—h 5 30. of his flesh and bone of his bones Hence we learne that al the godly and beleeuers are made partakers of Chrst and his graces This is matter of great comfort in our manifold trials and tentations that we are ioyned to Christ as members to the head t Rom. 8. â—3 and therefore neither life nor death nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things preseÌ„t nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shal be able to separate vs from the loue of GOD which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. But on the other side the vngodly and vnbeleeuers haue no part or portion in Christ and his graces they are as branches u Ioh. 15 6. cut off which wither and men gather them to cast them into the fire and to burne them Thirdly to declare and testifie our Communion fellowship and a 1 Cor. 10 17 agreement with our brethreÌ„ meeting together at the same Table and partaking together of the same Supper Wherefore seeing we haue not onely an vnion with Christ but a Communion among our selues we are the seruants of the Church to serue one another in all duties of loue to instruct them that are ignorant to raise them that are fallen and to binde vp the broken hearted to reconcile our selues one toward another and to keepe the vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace Hitherto we haue handled the doctrine of the Lords Supper declaring what it is what are the parts and vses thereof the preparation to this worke followeth b 1 Cor. 11.28 consisting in the examination of our selues and trying our owne hearts by the touchstone of the law of God This duty is very necessary to be performed of vs c Ier. 17 9. for the heart of man is deceitful aboue al things and the secret corners of it past finding out We haue to deale with God in this businesse Great is the profit which we reape and receiue if we come rightly and reuerently prepared Great is the punishment procured by want of this tryall and examination And the d Hag. 2 14 Sacrament it selfe is defiled by vnworthy receiuing This preparation principally standeth in these foure points in the e Ioh. 17 3. knowledge of God and of ourseluess especially of the whole doctrine of the Sacraments in a f 2 Cor. 13 5 liuely faith in Christ seeing euery one receiueth so much as he beleeueth he receiueth in repentance g Psal 26 6. from dead workes and lastly in h Mat. 5 23. reconciliation toward our brethren hauing peace i Rom. 12.18 with all men and loue toward our enemies Thus I haue opened plainely yet truely the doctrine of the Sacraments deliuered in the Scriptures and taught in the reformed Churches I haue disclosed some part of the mystery of Iniquity and discouered and laid open the skirts of that great Idoll of the Masse the reproach of Christians the scorne of the Gentiles the offence of the weake and the occasion of ruine to many that stumble thereat to their own confusion The Lord God high possessor of heauen and earth and preseruer of his people that call vpon him put it into the hart of al Christian Princes and Rulers of the earth to pull downe this abhominable Idoll that hath aduanced it selfe against the kingdome of Christ and to deface this filthy monster that hath deceiued many who trusted in it The same Lord vouchsafe to reueale his truth to the ignorant to establish them that are weake and to confound all obstinate enemies to his truth to their Prince and to their Country for Iesus Christs sake Amen Amen FINIS A Table of the principall
as we haue seene the truth of the doctrin let vs consider the vses therof First is the Minister of the substance of the Sacram. and a principall part of Christs institution Then he must consider it is his duty being authorised frō God by his Church to sanctifie the outward elements and administer the same to deliuer the outward signes offer thē to the receiuers His workes therefore are to put apart consecrate the signs to an holy vse to open declare the couenant of God to pray for his blessing promised vpon his owne ordinance to giue thanks for the blessed worke of our redemption to offer giue and deliuer aright the cretures so sanctified in baptisme to sprinkle with water wash the body to be baptized in the Lords supper to deliuer the bread to be eaten and the wine to bee drunke to the spirituall nourishment of the Church So then the Minister ought not to refuse to baptize such as are broght vnto him Shall the seruant refuse to doe the worke of his maister When Christ the maister shall say Goe and baptize shall he answere againe I will not when the Centurion saith to his seruant Goe he goeth when he saith Come he cometh If the Lord keeper of the Kings broad seale should proudly and presumptuously disdaine to set the seale to the Princes letters pattents were he not well worthy to bee displaced and remoued So if the Minister through enuy or hatred or any other sinister affection which ought not to be harbored in their breast shall refuse to put the seale to the Lords Couenant and hinder little children from comming to Christ he deserueth iustly to be displaced and to beare office no longer in the citty of God but to be remoued for his contempt q 1 King 2 35 as Salomon put downe Abiathar Vse 2 Secondly is it a necessary point of the Sacrament that it be ministred by a Minister Then it condemneth all those that put these seales into a wrong hand and all priuate persons that violently rush vpon this calling and take vpon them to meddle with the administration of the Sacraments with vnwashen hands seeing the dispensatiō of the word and Sacraments is so linked annexed and ioyned together by God that a deniall of licence to do the one is a deniall to do the other and contrariwise the licence to one is licence to the other Christ neuer gaue to priuate persons any such commandement hee neuer committed to them any such office hee neuer commended to their care these holy actions he neuer called thē to this honor he neuer laide vpon them this charge and therefore they haue no part nor fellowship in this businesse If notwithstanding these restrainings of authority from them they will run and rush forward where they should hang backeward their sinne lieth at the doore their punishment hastneth and their iudgement sleepeth not Lastly if the Minister be an outward part of the Sacrament Vse 3 we must beware and take heede wee ascribe not to the Minister that which is proper to Christ and so rob him of the honour due vnto his name The Minister may offer the signe hee cannot bestow the thing signified hee may baptize the bodye hee cannot cleanse the soule hee may deliuer the bread and wine hee cannot giue the body and blood of Christ Iohn may wash with water hee cannot giue the Spirite Man indeed pronounceth the word but God sealeth vp his grace in the heart man sprinkleth the bodye with water but God maketh cleane the soule by the blood of Christ man may take away the filth of the flesh but Christ must purge the conscience from dead works who is that blessed Lambe of God that r Iohn 1 29. taketh away the sins of the world For as Paul ſ 1 Cor. 3 6. planteth and Apollos watereth but God giueth the increase so the Minister offereth the element and outward signe but God giueth the heauenly grace It belongeth to the Minister to handle the externall part it belongeth as a peculiar dignity to Christ to bestow grace to giue faith regeneration t Mat. 3 11. and forgiuenesse of sinnes and to baptize with the Holy-Ghost This truth Iohn confesseth I baptize with water but one commeth after mee who is mightier then I he shall baptize you with the Holy-Ghost Where we see he maketh a flat opposition betweene himselfe and Christ betweene his baptisme and the baptisme of Christ As on the one side wee must take heede of the contempt of him that teacheth and ministreth the Sacraments because the contempt of the word Sacraments doth necessarily follow the contempt of his person so we must beware we attribute or giue not to him more thē his right lest the power of the word force of the Sacraments be attributed to his person whereby men rob God of his glory spoile themselues of the fruite of them both This was it wherein the n 1 Cor. 1 22. Corinthians offended when they said I am Pauls I am Apollos I am Cephas I am Christs Wherefore to keepe a golden meane betweene too much and too little we must doe as if a Prince should send vs some present by one of the meanest messengers of his house we would receiue him fauourably and entertaine him honourably for the guifts sake which he bringeth vnto vs but the guift it selfe we would receiue for the Kings sake from whom it was sent So it becommeth euery one of vs to doe God hath committed to his messengers and Ministers the word of reconciliation we must haue them in singular loue for their workes sake that labour among vs but the worde Sacraments we must receiue for the Lords sake from whō they come Thus much of the first outward part to wit the Minister CHAP. V. Of the second outward part of a Sacrament THe second outward part of a Sacrament a The word of institution a necessary part of the Sacrament is the word necessarily required to the substance of a Sacrament for b August in Ioh. 13. Tract 18. the word is added and ioyned to the element and there is made a Sacrament This sacramental word is the word of institution which God in each Sacrament hath after a speciall manner set downe consisting partly of a commandement by which Christ appointeth the administration of Sacraments and partly of a promise annexed wherby God ordaineth that the outward elements shal be instruments and seales of his graces as for example when Christ saith c Mat. 28 19. Goe teach all Nations and baptize them there is a commandement to warrant the vse practise of Baptisme the promise likewise is in the next words Into the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost So touching the other Sacrament of his supper when he saith d Mat. 26 26.27 Take ye eate ye drinke ye do this in remembrance of me loe there is the commandement
the Lords Supper When we receiue the outward signes God the Father offereth his Sonne all his graces with him to confirme our faith therby The signe is but a figure and token Christ is the truth substance This we shewed before Chap. 2. in the description of a Sacrament that therein Christ and all his sauing graces are truely offered sealed vp and giuen to the faithfull that beleeue in his name Heereunto commeth the doctrine of the Apostle where he teacheth that the Iewish Sacraments being in the truth of them the same with ours did signifie b 1 Cor. 10 1 2 3 4 5. Christ for They dranke of the spirituall Rocke that followed them and that Rocke was Christ So he doth teach elsewher that by baptisme we c Gal. 3 27. put on Christ we are buried into his death and are planted d Rom. 6 4 5. Col. 2.11.12 into the similitude of his resurrection Wherefore this is the vse and end of the Sacraments to leade our faith to the onely Sacrifice of Christ once offered vpon the Crosse as to the onely ground-worke and foundation of our saluation as touching the other Sacrament the same Apostle sheweth that the breaking of the bread sealeth vp the e 1 Cor. 10.16 communion of his body and the pouring out the wine the communion of his blood So then this is an euident plaine and manifest truth confirmed by testimony of the Scripture that Christ is the matter and substance of a Sacrament Vse 1 Heereby we gather great strength of faith If Christ be offered with all his merites then let vs lay hold vpon him and not let him goe let vs stretch forth the hand of faith and receiue him into our hearts Wherefore when Sathan assaulteth vs touching our faith in Christ and affiance in his promises perswading vs we are not elected iustified and indued with faith and thereby seeketh to cut off our hand from applying or to blinde our eye from looking vpon the brazen Serpent that is Christ sitting at the right hand of his Father let vs runne vnto him let vs hunger and thirst after his righteousnesse let vs acknowledge him to bee our wisedome our righteousnesse our sanctification and redemption and let vs looke for our saluation from him and in him What though our faith be fraile and weake What though it be as a graine of a Mustard-seede which is very little and small What if it bee but as the growth and strength of a Childe which is ready to fall except he be stayed vp yet this weake this small this little this fraile this feeble faith is able and sufficient to ingraft vs into Christ A childe taking a staffe in his hand is able to hold it as truely though not as strongly as a man so if wee lay holde vpon Christ by faith though we doe it with many wants much weaknesse yet it shall serue and suffice vs to saluation For God looketh not so much to the perfectiō as to the truth of faith neither so much to the measure as to the manner of our beleeuing Euen as f Mar. 8 24. the blinde man in the Gospel when he began to perceiue the mouing of men and saw them walking as trees when yet hee could not discerne their bodies did as truely and certainly see them as other did though not so cleerely plainely and distinctly So when we haue the least sparke of faith it will as truely assure vs of our saluation as a stronger The poore prisoner that lyeth in a deepe and dark dungeon may as wel discerne the light of the Sunne at a little hole and creuice as he that walketh in the open ayre so albeit we be compassed about with ignorance doubtings weakenesse and manifold fraileties of the fles◠yet by a dimme light and sight of faith we may certainly apply vnto vs the mercies of GOD and the merites of Christ as well as if we had a strong and perfect perswasion of our election and saluation before the foundations of the world Thus we see howsoeuer the faithfull may be afflicted yet g 2 Cor. 4 8 9 they are not distressed thogh tempted yet not ouerwhelmed though cast downe yet they perish not For h 1 Iohn 5 4. this is their victory that hath ouercome this world euen their faith whereby they apprehend Iesus Christ who is offered of God the Father in the Sacraments to all the faithfull Secondly if Christ be giuen vs how should not the Vse 2 Father with him giue vs all things else as the i Rom. 8 32.22 23. Apostle concludeth If God spared not his owne Sonne but gaue him for vs all to death how shall he not with him giue vs al things also When we enioy him we enioy al things if we want him it is nothing though wee abound in all things else Wherefore when the Father gaue him for vs it is more then if he had giuen to vs heauen and earth For hauing right interest in him we haue possession of all things his righteousnes his sanctificatiō his obediēce his innocency whatsoeuer he hath is made ours He that hath Christ who is the Lord of al cānot doubt but he is made partaker of that which is his He that hath Christ who is heire k Heb. 1 2. of al things may assure himself to be made fellow heire with him This is it the Apostle saith l 1 Cor. 3 21. Let no man reioyce in men for all things are yours whether it bee Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death whether they be things present or things to come euē al are yours ye Christs Christ Gods Whē a parcel of ground is purchased and made ours thereby the profit and commodity thereof is made ours also so whē Christ by the free donatiō o◠God the father is giuē vnto vs his righteousnes obedience becommeth wholy ours together with him Hee then that hath Christ hath al things he that hath not Christ hath nothing howsoeuer he thinke himselfe to be somthing If we haue him giuen vnto vs let vs take no thought for any other thing whatsoeuer He is the maine and greatest guift the rest are but appurtenances vnto it or dependants vpon it Let vs therefore watch ouer our hearts that they be not set vpon other guifts more then vpon him and reioyce more in that the Father hath giuen vs his owne Sonne then if wee had receiued a great possession and an earthly kingdome Vse 3 Thirdly is Christ the substance and inward part of a Sacrament the signe being as it were the body and the thing signified as the soule Then there hath been from the beginning the same truth of religion the same faith and the same meanes of faith Wee haue had the same Sacraments for substance throughout all generations There was a difference in the manner and outward dispensation according vnto the seuerall ages growth of the Church
according to the seuerall times and seasons that God hath appointed howbeit the substance and effect the truth things signified are one and the same as the bodye is one albeit it receiue diuers garments to couer it The Passeouer and Supper of the Lord agree in the inward signification both of them representing teaching and offering the merites of Christs death Baptisme circumcision are likewise the same in substance the one cutting off the other washing away the naturall contagion and corruption of sinne by the shedding of the blood of the Messiah The same Gospell was preached to Adam by the Lord himselfe and afterward reuealed to Abraham and his posterity as also it was published by Christ and his Apostles albeit in the time of the lawe more darkely and obscurely but in the time of grace more plainely and cleerely The same sauing and iustifying faith was in Abraham the Father of the faithfull and in all other that euer were or shal be saued And therefore Iohn 1 29. Reuel 13 8. Christ is called The Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world And in another place The lambe slaine from the foundation of the world To this purpose the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 10. That the Israelites did eate the same spirituall meat and dranke of the same spirituall drinke that wee doe for they dranke of that spirituall Rocke which followed them and that Rocke was Christ Likewise in the Epistle to the Hebrewes Chap. 13. Iesus Christ yesterday and to day and the same for euer Hee was alwayes the foundation of the Church and the Fathers were saued by no other meanes then we are that is through him onely God hath appointed him ouer al things to be the head of the Church and the Sauiour of his body Ephes 1 22 and 4 16. There is giuen no other name vnder heauen whereby we must bee saued Acts 4 12. No man knoweth the Father but the Sonne and he to whome the Sonne will reueale him Math. 11 27. Ioh. 14 16. Lastly he saith of himselfe I am the way and the truth and the life In which words hee speaketh exclusiuely shutting out all others and meaneth that hee is the way alone the truth alone and the life alone by which Adam and all his posterity that beleeued attained vnto saluation No man therefore commeth vnto the Father but by him He sheweth Iohn 8.56 that Abraham reioyced to see his day and he saw it and was glad They which liued vnder the law and before the law as well as such as liue vnder the Gospell were no otherwise iustified reconciled and saued then by the blood of the onely mediator Christ Iesus who indeed was the end of the law forasmuch as the Gospell is no other then the law promised Rom. 1 2. 1 Pet. 1 10. and the lawe is no other then the Gospell exhibited and accomplished and all the Prophets beare witnesse of Christ and his Gospell Acts 10. For albeit he was manifested in the flesh in the last age of the world and was crucified when the fulnes of time came yet his death was as effectual to the faithfull before the flood and after the flood before the law and after the giuing of the law as to the faithfull that liued with Christ and after the ascension of Christ and it was as powerfull and profitable to them that liued before he dwelt vpon the earth as when hee did hang vppon the Crosse This point duely marked offereth vnto vs diuers good meditations to bee pondered in our hearts First that there is but one faith and one true religion one way to heauen and one truth in all the Sacraments albeit they haue diuers formes and figures We haue one Lord and one Baptisme saith the Apostle Ephes 4. Gal. 1 8. We haue but one Christ and one Gospell If an Angell from heauen preach any other Gospell any other faith any other Christ any other Sacraments let him be accursed Secondly the Fathers before Christs incarnation and taking flesh of the blessed Virgin were saued and went in soule to heauen as directly and certainely as they doe that dye now in the faith of Christ The gates of the kingdome of heauen were not as a Pallace that is locked and barâ—ed but they were opened to all beleeuers before the resurrection and ascension of Christ as wel as in our daies when he sitteth at the right hand of his Father and maketh continuall intercession for vs. Enoch and Elias were translated from the earth and ascended into heauen they were in Abrahams bosome Luke 16.26 and 23 42.43 which is no other then heauen Luke 16.26 So the penitent theefe before Christ rose again went with him into Paradice Luke 23. which is nothing else but the kingdome of heauen as appeareth by comparing the request of the theefe with the answere of Christ The Prophet Dauid saith Psalme 112. The righteous shal be in euerlasting remembrance And Salomon Prou. 10 7. The memory of the iust is blessed For seeing they are iustified by the same meanes that we are why should they not receiue the crowne of glory and reward of righteousnesse in the same manner that we do This serueth to ouerthrow the doctrin of the Church of the Romanists I doe not meane the true Church to which Paul wrote but the false Church of the Romanists that now glory in the name of a Church as they do in the name of Catholikes But like Church like Catholikes a bastard Church bastard Catholikes Their Church is antichristian and they themselues heretickes they haue a name that they liue but they are dead These men as if they were of counsell with God take vpon them to tel vs many secrets and hidden mysteries in heauen hell as if they had searched the vtmost bounds and borders of them The popish orders of Angels In heauen they sticke not to define the degrees and orders of Angels and they number vp nine seuerall names of them Principalities rules powers dominions thrones Cherubim Seraphim Angels and Archangels Likewise they make foure infernall and subterrestriall places hell purgatory limbus infantum The popish diuision of Hell limbus patrum Hell is made the lowest roome where the Reprobate and damned abide in euerlasting fire from whence is no redemption Purgatory is the next hotte house where the soules of such as dye in veniall sinnes lye puling and purging themselues till they bee helped out by dirges and masses and pardons and such like trumpery and foolery that I doe not say impiety and blasphemy The third dungeon is called limbus puerorum where children remaine and continue that dye vnbaptized which hauâ— lost the glory of heauen and yet lye there without paine and torment a gentle kinde of hell inuented by themselues and contradicted also by their owne writers among whom many teach that the want of heauen is as great a punishment as the sense of hell The last Cabbine of hell which