plaine and pregnant in this to show that the perfection of our righteousnes lyeth rather in the sight of our own manifolde vnrighteousnes to vrge vs to thirst after the making of vs righteous through the righteousnes of Christ Iesus thē in any finding at any time of any perfect inherent righteousnesse in our selues Wherefore these thinges considered I trust you will rather vse the meanes before laide before you by mee according to Gods worde to breede in you true hunger and thirst after Christ thē that you wil end any eare at al to these subtilties of Sathan to holde you there from such therefore hopping that by those meanes either God hath heretofore made you or at this present hath or wil let vs proceed The next thing beere to be considered of The commande ment which containes 2. things b. what it is to come vnto Christ is the commandementes here giuen by Christ vnto such as I haue spoken of and haue laboured to make all you wherein as I saide in the beginning he requireth of all such two thinges namely that they shoulde come vnto him and then drinke of him where by comming vnto him we haue not as Augustine hath noted in his 26. and 32 tractes vpon Iohn to vnderstand a comming vnto him by the feete of the bodie For so manie came vnto him touched him and througed him and yet were neuer the better Mat. 5.31 but a comming vnto him by the direction of the eies of the soule by the feete of sound knowledge of him what he is in person and what he is in office When this worde is vsed alone as Mat 11.28 in those wordes of his come vnto me all ye that be wearie and heauie laden and I will ease you then thereby doubtlesse we haue not onely to vnderstand thus much but that therby further is required of vs faith in him grounded vpon this our knowledge of him as vpon the foundation thereof But wher it is coupled with other wordes that either expresly or in effect call for faith as it is here then thus as I haue said it is to be taken as Iohn 6.40 compared with this place makes it euident For there insteed of comming vnto him he saith he that seeth the sonne not vnderstanding thereby the seeing of him with bodily eies but with spirituall and then he goeth on saying and beleeueth in him shall haue euerlasting life Wherefore vntill by the light of the gospell men haue so profited through the inward working of Gods holy spirite in them that they knowe and acknowledge Christ aright both in person and office they haue neither eies not feete in Christes sence here to come vnto him by or withall Pray we therefore for this light and the countenance thereof amongst vs. For certainely the naturall man perceiues not the thinges of God neither can he because they are spirituall 1. Cor. 2.11.14 c. But they that haue the light of the gospell shinning amongst them though before they sat in darknesse and in the shadowe of death yet if the faulte be not in them selues they may see a greate light and life is risen vp to them in this behalfe Mat. 4.16 Peter by this light directing him and shinning vnto him shewed that with these feet he was come to Christ Mathew 16.16 confessing Christ to be the sonne of the liuing God and therefore to his greate comforte and to encourage others so to come vnto him also Christ answered him and said Blessed arte thou Simon the sonne of Ionas for flesh and bloode hath not reuealled this vnto thee but my father which is in heauen Mat 16.17 Surely we here in England Gods name be blessed for it haue had nowe this greate while the light clearely shining amongst vs to direct vs in our comming to Christ to make streight steps vnto our feet least that which is halting be turned out of the way as we are councelled Heb. 12 13. And yet I feare there is such bad and smale cōming to Christ sound amongst vs that he in respect of most of vs hath too too iust cause to say vnto vs as he did to the Iewes in his time This is the condēnation that light is come into the world men loue darknes better then light because their deeds are euil Io. 3.19 wher for we haue cause to thinke that also which in an other place he said vnto some of them euen to be spoken of vs all yet a little while is the light with you walke whiles ye haue light least the darknesse come vpon you for he that walketh in the darke knoweth not whither he goeth and therefore while ye haue light beleeue in the light that ye may be the children of the light Iohn 12.31.36 But that this his aduise and counsell may be in time and that effectually taken to heart and followed of vs in this case in walking aright vnto Christ by the direction of this light whiles it shines amongst vs we are seeing our owne vnablenesse other wise so to doe at all to be as it is to pray him according to his promise made to his disciples that he woulde also praie his father to bestow vpon vs euen the spirite of trueth to teach vs all thinges Iohn 14.16.17.26 and to leade vs vnto all truthe 16.13 For if euer we attaine by this light to the sound and perfect knowledge of Iesus Christ wherein euen the wisedome of God in a mysterie as Paule speaketh is contained 1. Cor 2.7 doubtlesse we shall haue cause with him to say further as he doth there also Ver 10.11 God then hath renealed it vnto vs by his spirite for that searcheth all things even the deep thinges of God For what man knoweth the thinges of a man saue the spirit of man which is in him euen so the thinges of God knoweth no man but the spirite of God Seeing then that Christ commaundeth vs here to come vnto him and to come vnto him is nothing else but according to the light of the gospell directing vs therein by his spirite to be enabled rightly to knowe him acknowledge and confesse him it stan deth vs vpon diligently to marke and to consider howe therein he is described and set forth vnto vs. Which if we doe we shall soone finde What Christ is in person that the summe and substance of all set before vs therein tendeth ether to set out what he is in person or in office let vs therefore before we proceed any further the better to teach vs and to enable vs to doe as Christ here biddeth vs a little consider what in these two respects it hath taught vs. Touching the former what he is in person therein thus much we may learne that whereas most certaine it is as our catholike saith teacheth vs and the whole course of the scriptures proueth that there is but one eternal true and almightie God the maker and gouenour of all the world and yet in the vnity of Godhead that there
vnto vs and by his Spirit communicateth him vnto vs after a spirituall and misticall manner and that we by faith wrought and nourished in vs by this his Spirit and meanes feed vpon to our euerlasting saluation Touching which faith Conclusion of the commandement which thus I haue made as it were the hand mouth of our soule to take Christ offered vnto vs in the word Sacraments withall at the hand of God hsi spirit let it be remembred once againe that Christ here in my text calling for it to drinke him by saith not simply he that beleeueth in mee but with this adition as saith the Scripture Wherby let vs to conclude this point withall learne that in this case it is not inough to beleeue as we list nor as this man or that this company or that teach vs alwayes Yea that we neuer beleeue aright to this purpose vntill we beleeue in Christ as the canonicall Scriptures teach vs. All which as I haue before sufficiently shewed lay him still before vs to be beleeued in as our sole and onely meritorious cause of our saluation with whom we may neither ioyne any other person or thing And so stedfast also our confidence of saluation these teach vs ought to be in him that thereby we may say We haue peace with God through him and such accesse to Gods grace as that we stand therin and reioyce vnder hope which shall neuer be confounded Rom. 5. vers 1.2.3 c. In so much that hauing reckoned vp all thinges that are most likely to doe it yet with Paule all that haue this faith may boldly and triumphantly say That nothing shall seperate them from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus In any case therefore by the meanes that he hath appointed for that purpose which I haue now also laide before you let vs striue to attaine to this faith and to nourish it when we haue once got it For this is it that ioyneth Christ and vs togither and so fully possesseth vs of him and all the treasured graces and mercies of God prouided for mens saluation in him that therefore it bringeth vnto vs the peace that passeth all vnderstanding Phil. 4.7 and the ioy that none can euer take from vs. Iohn 16.22 We haue the word of God and that written outwardly sealed in the Sacramentes and thereby by his spirit also inwardly offering to seale sealing the same vnto our heartes consciences that God the Father in and by his sonne Christ Iesus by the mightie working of the holie Ghost both can and will saue vs. Whatsoeuer therefore papistes prate to the contrarie let vs most firmly and constantlie thus beleeue and not once dare call the trueth of God thus many waies confirmed vnto vs once into question But then let vs neuer for get that golden saying of Cyprian De duplicimartirio Non credit in Deum qui non in eo solo collocat totius suae salut is fiducia that is He beleeues not in God at all that placeth not the whole confidence of his saluation in him alone And the rather for that thus to doe our Creedes our Baptisme and all the scriptures teach vs. Let vs not therefore by the example or doctrine of Papistes be drawne from hence to put our confidence as they doe both in a number of persons and things that are not God For that were vndoubtedly howsoeuer they would perswade men to the contrary no better than to become plaine reuolters and apostares from the ancient found Catholicke faith which all these most plainely teach and binde vs vnto and in deede to fet vp vnto our selues a new Christ of our owne deuising with whom none of these euer acquainted vs. Wherefore as in these respectes I would wish that we tooke heed of the seauen of the popish faith as of the verie baine poyson of our soules so also beware we of their kinde of faith in the vse of the Sacrament of the body bloode of Christ For as you may perceiue by that which I haue said already of that matter the faith that they most call for in that busines is a beleeuing that Christes very body blood are really there vnder the formes of bread wine so be taken in by the bodily mouth of euery receiuer quite contrarie both to the true sence of the Scripturs in that behalf to the nature of Christ These things thus finished and concluded it remaineth now that we proceede in our text wherein we haue yet to consider of the promise therin made by Christ to all those and to none but to those that by right knowing him and beleeuing in him come vnto him and drinke of him This promise he vtters and expresses in these wordes as you haue hearde The promise out of his bellie shall flowe riuers of water of life whereunto if we referre these wordes as saith the Scripture as many interpreters both olde and newe doe then they teach vs to vnderstand this promise as the Scripture teacheth vs ellewhere and not otherwise And seeing Christ hath vttered the promise in such a metaphoricall phrase as hee hath it may verie well be that of very purpose he placed those wordes as he did not onely to teach vs as we haue heard alreadie that we come vnto him and drinke of him by sound knowledge and right faith as the Scriptures shew vs but also plainelie to instruct vs that in so doing we must looke to haue the wordes of this promise fulfilled vnto vs not in any grosse or literall sence but onelie in such spirituall manner and sorte as the Scriptures themselues in other places declare Heereby then to beginne withall Christ hath giuen vs this moste notable and profitable rule that it is a moste sounde way rightile to expounde Scriptures and so rightlie to vnderstande them to conferre Scripture with Scripture and to admit no sence of figuratiue and darke phrases and speaches in the same but that which may doth stand with other more plaine places which in Gods wisedom and prouidence euen of purpose elsewhere are set downe therein that they may be as a key to let vs into the right sence of the harde than which rule howsoeuer nowe a daies our aduersaries would perswade they haue founde a better namely to make the current practise of their Church which when they haue braued of Doctors and Councelles neuer so much is indeede onely the verie pleasure mutable fansie of their Popes the ancient Fathers haue esteemed and followed this as the best and saifest As it is euident in Augustine De doctrina Christiana Lib. 3.2.6 where he defineth that to be alwaies the sence of the harde place which is taught in plainer and that no sence is to be receiued to be the sence of any which cannot be proued so to be out of other places Of the same minde Hierome showes himselfe to haue beene in his 19. Homilie vpon Esay noting that
besides you see that the Lord hath alwaies taken a delight thus to speake of the spirite and giftes thereof that they shoulde receiue that would onelie seeke to come to the Father by him Wherefore seeing the ground of such metaphoricall speeches is alwaies the similitude and resemblance as once I haue said alreadie betwixt the metaphore and the thinges metaphorized The right vse and application of the promise let vs see and viewe what likelihoode there is betwixt riuers of waterof life flowing out of ones bellie and the giftes and graces of Gods spirite promised to them that thus come vnto Christ and beleeue in him Marke therefore amongest manie other properties that water hath it hath these soure that is first to wash and make cleane then to soften and mollifie and next to make fruitfull that which otherwise would be barren and lastly to quench and coole For as you knowe cloathes and other thinges a number are washed and made cleane thereby the earth that otherwise woulde be as Brasse and Iron vnder vs is softened and thereby it falling vpon it in due season and manner it is made fruitefull also and thereby likewise we see fire quenched and heate much cooled and abated Wherefore in that Christ promiseth his spirite vnto those that thus come vnto him and make him theirs by beleeuing in him vnder the name of waters thus much to beginne withall vnlesse we might thinke that he coulde not tell howe to speake aptly which but to imagine were absurd euen hereby we are taught that the spirite of God in such must and will be as water and therefore of power to wash and make them cleane of the soule errours and sinnes wherewith before they were defiled and so also of power to soften their stonie and harde heartes that the seede of the worde may sinke deepe inough therein and to make them bring forth fruite alwaies in due season and finally likewise it will shew it selfe of force to quench in them the fire of concupiscence and to abate the heate of all other sinne Let not any man therefore flatter himselfe and thinke he hath done what heere Christ commaunded vnlesse he can approoue it by the beeing and dwelling of the spirite in him in that sorte and measure that it may worthilie beare the name of water in all these respectes For Christ was and is of infinite power and wisedome and therefore we may be sure he hath made heere no other promise but that which he both can and will performe Neyther lacke of abilitie to be as good as his worde nor rashnesse or vnaduisednesse in passing of it at any time was euer found in him wherefore let vs not be behind in performing the commaundement and nothing is more certaine than that he will not be behinde with vs in performing of his promise If therefore we finde our hearts and liues still delighted with our old filthie errours and sinnes stonie and slinty that the worde can take no roote in or that cannot tremble at the judgementes of God barren of all goodnesse and burning still with lust and on heate with and after other sinnes then whatsoeuer we can prate or talke of Christ or faith in him as yet we are meere strangers from them both Without figure or Metaphor that you may see the plaine euidence thereof marke I beseech you but amongst infinite other places these most plame testimonies of Scripture concerning this point The fruite of the stirit it in al goodnes righteousnes and truth Ephes 5. Ver. 9. They that are in Christ and so partakers of his death and resurrection they must be and are therby and by the power of his spirit deade to sinne aliue to righteousnes Rom. 6. Ver. 3. c. Collos 2. Ver. 11. 12. They that are Christes haue crucified the flesh with the affections lustes thereof Gal. 5. Ver. 24. And with such old thinges are passed away and all things are become newe and therefore they must be new creatures 2. Cor. 5. Ver. 17. For by him we are deliuered from the handes of our enemies to serue him in holines and righteousnes all the daies of our liues that before him and as in his sight without feare Luk. 1.74.75 And therefore we must not walke after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 8.1 c. and so put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnes and true holines being renewed in the spirit of our minde and casting off the conuersation that was in times Past the olde man Ephe. 4. Vers 22. c. yea we may not dare call him Father vnles we passe the time of our dwelling here in feare in being holy as he is holy 1. Pet. 1. Vers 16.17 and if we say we haue fellowship with him and walke in darknes Saint Iohn will plainely tell vs we lie and doe not the truth Epist 1. Chap. 1. Ver. 6. Whereby it is most euident whatsoeuer we haue beene before when once we are come to Christ and haue pur on him the case must be so quite changed and altered with vs that then though Paule may say of vs you were once such and such yet now he may haue cause to say as he saide in the like case of the Corinthians but yee are washed but yee are sanctified but yee are iustified in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the spirit of our God For Dauid can say hauing an eie to Christ then far off purge me with Hisop and I shall be cleane wash me and I shall be whiter than snow Psal 51. Vers 7. How then may we doe that dishonour vnto Christ being come as either to think that we are washed in his bloode and so iustified and yet remaine still foule filthie or hauing seemed to be clensed and escaped from the filthines of the world through the knowledge of our Lord Sauiour Iesus Christ to suffer our selues to be tangled and ouercome therewith againe If we should thus doe we doe him the greatest dishonour discredit that we can For what cleanly landresse would not take it to be a shame vnto hir to be said or thought to haue washt her clothes they remaining still as foule filthy as euer they were And most certaine it is if hauing put our hand to the plow we looke back againe we are by Christs owne sentence alreadie pronounced vpon vs not meete for the kindom of heauen Luk. 9.62 and if we be backsliders and reuolters Saint Peter hath told vs what we may trust to namely that then our latter end shal be worse than our beginning yea that we are no better than dogs turned to our vomit or than sowes after they are washt returning to the wallowing in the mire 2. Epist Cap. 3.20 And most seareful is that which we read Heb. 6.4 c. 10.26 c. touching apostataes reuolters from the faith for there such are told that it is impossible that they should be renewed
againe by repentance that there is no more sacrifice to be offred for their sins that there is nothing left for them but a fearefull expectation of irreuocable iudgment and condemnation Now doubtles the verie waye and means to come to this dreadfull estate is for them that haue seemed to stand by professing once the sounde faith to be carelesse in maintaining and preseruing conscience in their liues and conuersation and therefore to teach vs asmuch Paul calles vpon his Timothie to maintaine and nourish togither faith and a good conscience for that whiles some as namely Hymineus and Alexander haue made no carefull reckoning of the one they haue made shipwracke of the other 1. Tim. 1.19 20. Let him therefore that seemeth to stande take heede he fall not 1. Cor. 10.12 and in anie case also let him that would seeme to be in deede in Christ Iesus be a new creature 2. Cor. 5.17 for such haue crucified the flesh with the affections and lustes thereof Gal. 5.24 they walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit as ye haue heard Rom. 1. and they are a people zealous of good workes Tit. 2.14 Wherefore let vs neuer once thinke that our sinnes are in Christ Iesus couered vnlesse we finde our selues cured thereof or that for his sake they are pardoned vnlesse we in truth perceiue our bodies and soules purged at the least thereof that sinne raigne not in our mortall bodies Rom. 6.12 For they that so are of God Iohn saith flatly they cannot sinne meaning so as that sinne raigne in them for that they are borne of God and his seede remaineth in them 3.9 Howsoeuer therefore Hypocrites and such as haue but a temporarie faith may and often doe fall headlong into obeying sinne with their full and whole consent as their lawfull king in whose obedience willingly they take delight and so such worthily quite lease those giftes and good graces which they seamed to haue before and consequently by their so falling away as the same Iohn teacheth in the former Chapter Cap. 2. Ver. 10. make it euident that they were neuer of the number indeede that by a liuelie faith were in Christ Iesus for then as he saith they would still haue continued with such yet so it is neither finally nor at any time after with those that once haue vnfainedly and rightly indeede put on Christ For as Paul teacheth most euidently and forciblie Rom. 6. throughout and Col. 1.2 such haue so put him on and are in him that as he once for all died and was buried to put away their sinne and rose againe ascended into heauen and sitteth there at the right hand of the father to confer bestowe vpon them a perfect righteousnes iustification so by the power and efficacie of Christ dwelling in them they are deade to sinne and aliue to righteousnes and therefore howsoeuer will they nill they they may by some reliques of sinne remaining in them to humble them and to wrastle against be inforced with the same Apostle in the next chapter cōplaining of the tyranny of sinne to cry out I do not that good I would but that which I hate that doe I yet all such with a good conscience may comfort themselues againe with him and say if I doe that I would not doe and hate it is not I that doe it but sinne that dwelleth in mee Cap. 6.15 20. And in the end they may be sure that the spirit that dwelleth in them will so strenthen them against the flesh that they shall get in the end of the battle the victorie and that in the meane time the flesh shall neuer be able vtterly to preuaile as they may reade Gal. 5.17 24. For that Spirit being once com into thefield though old Adā muster all his beaten woūded souldiers neuer so oft yet that man in whose hart the field is once pitched fought may assure him selfe that it is as absurd for him to think that either in the end or at any time the flesh shall preuaile to driue that spirit out of the field as it is to thinke that a base creature can ouercome God the Creator And to assure all such hereof Christ hath promised when he sends once this Spirit of his vnto them that it shal be their cōmforter that it shal abide with thē for euer Iohn 14.16 that he would beg of his father that he shoulde so doe And therfore they may be sure that he hath done it hath also obtained his sute for he is truth it selfe Iohn 14.6 therfore true in his promise besids he tels vs that he knew his father alwaies heard him Iohn 11.42 Let not that wrong therfor be offerred either to Christ or to his Spirit that any should but once think that either of these can be driuen out of possession after once they haue taken it in theirs either by Sathan the world or the flesh they may be busy to grieue trouble them but neuer shal they preuaile for they are alwayes the strōgerin finitely and their loue care to keep preserue theirs is like them selues that is eternal most constant indeed in that Christ here in our text promiseth his spirite not only in vnder the name of water but of riuers of waters that of life flowing out of their bellies that should doe as before he cōmanded al this being to be vnderstood of the giftes graces of the spirit which he would bestow vpon all such as we haue heard as thereby we are taught that he will giue them to such not in a scant but in a very plentious manner and measure for that he is a liberall giuer Iames 1.5 so by calling them Riuers of the water of life he teacheth vs and assureth vs that they will neuer altogither die or be dried vp for his giftes giuen to such are without repentance Rom. 1.29 They shew also by the other addition of flowing out of their bollies that they will not be smothered and kept in within the bellies of the beleeuers owne selfe whatsoeuer the state of the time be wherein hee liues For they must flow out of their bellies and therefore such must let their light shine be fore men to the glorie of God and good example and profit of others as Christ hath taught them Math. 5.16 Wherefore let the first of these lessons occasion euery one that is desirous to haue any comfortable assurance that this promise is made to him appertaineth vnto him to striue by al lawfull and good meanes to haue the sanctifying giftes of the spirit in such plentifull and abundant measure in him that he may feele and others finde by experience that they may worthily be compared to riuers of water And by the second let euery such one also learne for the better certifying of his owne heart that he is such an one indeed that he must perseuere vnto the end Math. 10.22 euermore bringing forth more
offered Heb. 7.24 c. If they say that that which they offer is another than that which Christ himselfe offered then why and nowe shoulde it be saide That hee by his owne bloode entered once into the holy place and hath obtaynedeternall redemption for vs. Heb. 9.12 And to say that it is the same onely repeated againe by them what neede that seeing by this by himselfe once offered as we reade Hebre. 7.27.9.26 10.10 hee hath done it sufficiently for our redemption Whether therefore they woulde make it the same or an other which they say their priestes offer they cannot escape but that they must imuriously goe about both to robbe Christ and his sacrifice of that honour and prerogatiue that is due vnto them Paule takes it for graunted that if Christ himselfe shoulde offer himselfe often then he must often die Hebre. 9.26 and that thereupon it came that his offering of himselfe once for all was sufficient to procâ—â—â— vs that by him so offered which he calles the newe and liuing way Capâ—oâ— 20. â—eeke to come to heauen first that he was a man without sin Heb. 7.26 and such a man as liueth for euer and so hath a presthoode that cannot passe from one to an other 24. and then that hee offered himselfe without faulte to GOD by the Aeternall spirite What an absurde thing then were iâ— to imagine that a popish sinfull Priest that hath no such eternall spirit in him to dignifie his offering can offer Christ againe or can without attempting to pull Christ out of beauen to the crosse againe take vpon him to offer him to his Father I know they say their sacrificing or offering of him is vnbloodie and so they thinke they can auoyde these absurdities as long as they leaue onely to Christ the offering of the bloody But this will not serue their turne one whit For if Christes bloodie sacrifice of it selfe be sufficient as these places most strengly prooue it is what neede is there of this vnbloodie sacrifice of theirs For where perfect remission of sinnes and iniquities is such that God according to his conenant will remember them no more there is no more offering for sinne saith Paule Heb. 10.17.18 and in confessing theirs to be vnbloodie they must confesse that howsoeuer they haue picked the purses of men both aliue and deade with the contrarie perswasion it is utterly vnauailable to put away the sinnes eyther of the aliue or deade For without shedding of blood is no remission Heb. 9.22 A sacrifice sometimes the Fathers call is because it is the commemoration of Christes sacrifice and so that which occasioneth vs to offer vnto God the sacrifice of thankesgiuing in regard whereof they call it also the Eucharist but a reall offering againe of Christ to his Father for the sinnes of others aliue or dead visible or inuisible bloodie or vnbloodie neuer any of them thought or taught iâ— to bee We haue to offer our selues bodies and soules a liuing sacrifice to God which we doe in seruing of him according to his word Rom. 12.1 An acceptable sacrifice to God is a broken and contrite heart Psal 51.17 and we are willed Heb. 13. to offer the sacrifice of praise alwaies to God that is the fruit of our lipâ— which confesse his name mamely in powring forth our prayers pralses vnto him to do good to distribute we are there also commaunded for that with such sacrifices God is pleased Other sacrifices then this we are not taught to offer and offering these well we may boldly trust to the most perfect and absolute sacrifice that Christ made once for all which for euer remains fresh and new in the sight of the heauenlie Father to make vs acceptable vnto him in his beloued Hoc facite doe this though Virgill helpe them with his phrase Cum faciam vitula when I sacrifice Calues is too caluish a reason or grounde to make them thus proude and saucie to take vpon them any way to offer Christ againe to his Father for the sinnes of men But whither will not foolish man runne when once he hath left the beaten way of the Lord in his word to follow his owne deuise and conceite Christes offering of himselfe by himselfe doubtlesse was neuer applied to the good of any that whiles they were aliue tooke not hold of it and yet such is the impudencie of these men that nowe they hold the intention of their Priest in saying of his Masse shall carie the benefit of this sacrifice whether he list to liue or dead Yea heereby seeing their credit growe as it hath and their gaines come rowling in they haue not beene ashamed not yet are in this greate light to make their sacrifice in the Masse a salue for all sores and phisicke for all diseases both of man and beast Well yet this is not all the mischiefe that their conceit of reall presence by transubstantiation hath brought them vnto For besides this heereupon they are growne euen to honour and worshippe their hoastes once consecrated euen as Christ himselfe and therefore whereas Christ commanded that which he eate brake and gaue to be eaten streight they hoyst it vp ouer their heades that all the people may gaze vpon it adore and worshippe it for their Christ and Sauiour and then when they haue plaide with it their fill for the most part they eate vp all themselues alone that be the massing priestes and if they leaue anie them they hang vp in a Pixe ouer the Altar to serue them an other time which all commers into the Church in the meane time must adore and reuerence though so hanged vp and hidden from their eyes Wherein doubtlesse they committe most grosse idolatrie For first they themselues manie of them holde that the priest must haue an intention to consecrate or else though he vtter the wordes there followes no transubstantiation thereupon and therefore wisedome woulde if they had anye care to auoyde Idolatrie that they shoulde be sure of the priestes intention before they fell to worshippinge of the hoaste or rather because they can neuer bee sure of that because no man can know a mans thought but himselfe and euery one can and often doth dissemble and make show to thinke that which he doth not they should and would if there were any feare of God in them vtterlie abstaine therefrom Againe vnto this day they cannot agree amongest themselues of the wordes and meanes of consecration their Schoolemen I am sure Scotus Petrus de Aliaco Occam Thomas Aquinas Durand and others wonderfully haue iarred about this matter and as yet I cannot finde they are fully agreed In the meane time therfore whiles they be they should in all reason be better aduised what they doe But to let these reasons alone who can or may thinke that it can stand with Christes saying Iohn 4.24 God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and trueth that they should nowe thus
worship a wafer cake in shew and tast for verie Christ I am truely perswaded that there hath beene no one thing that hath more hardned the hearts eyther of Turkes or Iewes from becomming Christians then to heare and see as they doe these men thus to worship these wafer Chrisies of theirs who yet would be accounted the onely good Christians And it is certaine euen for this the heathen Philosooner and Phisition Auerois though he by trauelling and reading was acquainted with wonderfull many foolish fond kindes of Idolatrie liuing and florishing about the yeare of Christ noo iudged Christians to be the most foolish Idolaters in the world And without all doubt this hath beene averie God Manzim that is of power and riches to them For the people beeing perswaded that their priests can turne so quickly a poore wafer into Christ their Sauiour and that they can at their pleasure offer him vnto his Father for their soules health both whiles they are aliue and when they are dead they haue not cared what honour and riches they haue bestowed vpon them And therefore not vnfitlie may that of Daniell be as well verified of them euen for this as of them of whome he spoke most properlie and litterally That they honour the God Mauzim a God whom their Fathers knew not Dan. 11.38 And yet behold if we goe on but a little further more iniquitie and impietie in their Maste then all these For therein they haue quite contrarie to Christes institution by absurdlie taking it to be a sacrament of Christes life That they minister it but in one kinde and so of his bodie and bloode now togither in his manhood in heauē wheras he left it to be a sacrament of his death and so of the sundring therby of the one from the other as I haue shewed and by a new deuise of Concomitance that is of the going of his bodie blood now alwaies together robd the common people of the one half of the Sacrament denying thē the cup telling them that in taking the hoast they take al for his body blood are goe now togither But if it were thus why do they themselues take both or would they haue vs to think it needful for thē to eat him once vnder the form of bread after to drink him againe vnder the forme of wine that the one is inough for the people Euident it is in the words of the institution and by the practise therof in Pauls time 1. Cor. 11. that al were as expresly cōmanded to drinke of the cup as to eate of the other But Christ being the wisedome of the Father had not so much wisdom forecast as these men belike to foresee that his body blood go togither therfore for lacke of foresight he ordained a superfluous thing What an intollerable pride and presumption is this that dust and ashes and sinnefull man shall thus vndertake to alter to controule the ordinance of our Lord and sauiour Before the Councel of Constance which was in the yeare 1414. we finde not the administring of this Sacrament vnder both kindes generally and publiklie forbid the common communicant And in the councell of Basil about some 16. years after for all that it was permitted to the Boemians againe De consecratione dist 2. Gratian alleages a decree of Gelasius a Bishop of Rome a thousand yeares agoe to binde all men to receiue in both kinds saying either let him that receiueth receiue both or neither because the diuision of one misterie cannot be without sacriledge By this let them that hold their Popes solmne sentences for Oracles learne what manner of persons now their Popes and priestes in this point are become that now openly professe and practise the contrary hereunto That their priests take it alone And because they haue also in their Masses as they say so often consecration and yet none receiue but the priest himselfe for the most parte what shift will they make with that that we find in the same distinction Cap. Peracta alleadged there as the solemne sentence of Pope Calixt in the yeare 223. or thereaboute consecration being done saith he all that will not be shut from the Church should communicate for so the Apostles taught and the fashion of the Romane Church was Loe heere is both a Popes decree and that grounded both vpon the Apostles practise and the ancient Romane Churches also flatly against the practise of the Romane Church that now is And in verie deed no man can reade that which Saint Paule hath written of this matter 1. Cor. 11. but he must needs most plainly see that it was then the Apostles practise not onely to administer it in both kindes but also openly in the assemblies and to al that could and would trie and examine themselues and this man beeing Bishoppe of Rome was not ignorant what the fashion of the ancient Romane Church had bene Wherefore as in many other thinges so in this it appeares for all their great bragges and countenance of antiquitie that the Romane Church that now is Lastly their Cōsubstantiation is confuted is become an Apostata and runnagate from the ancient Apostolique Romane Church indeed Al these abhominations a number moe in their Masse which here without too to much tediousnesse I cannot stande vpon they are so manie arise grow from their speciall minion and paragon Transubstantration and therefore vntill her braines be dasht out there will neuer be any hoe of their foolishnesse and madnesse in this masse and Chaos of confusion of theirs They would beare the world in hand that she is most ancient and yet indeede and trueth how long soeuer before they were in conceiuing of her yet she was neuer growne ripe to the birth or borne before Innocent the thirdes time For neuer before the Laterane councell which was in his time and in the yeere 1211. as I haue said before was this decreed to be a Catholike trueth amongst themselues And this their owne greate Doctor and Bishop Tonstall in a booke of his written of this matter confesseth adding that perhaps it had beene better to haue less the manner how Christ becommeth present in this Sacrament as it was before that councell Now before this the Greeke Church was departed from the Church of Rome and therefore this was rather the decree of a priuate and particular conuenticle then of the vniuersall Church of God and therefore not onely wee but still vnto this day the Greekes reiect both this councell and decree though I know much tempering hath beene with them since to the contrary Scotus is not onelie of the same minde with Tonstall but if you reade him dist 11 quaest 3. vpon the 48. booke of Sentences you shall not only finde that he bringeth a number of obiections against this which he neuer answereth to anie purpose but also that in the end he setting downe his sole determination for it that yet