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A17049 The mysterie of the Lords Supper Cleerely manifested in five sermons; two of preparation, and three of the Sacrament it selfe. By a reverend and faithfull preacher of Gods word.; Sermons upon the sacrament of the Lords Supper. English. Bruce, Robert, 1554-1631.; Mitchell, S., fl. 1614. 1614 (1614) STC 3922; ESTC S119531 126,266 304

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vvill come in your minde and it vvill signifie vnto you that that is the Kings picture So if the signe of the Sacrament did no further all pictures should bee Sacraments but in respect the Sacrament exhibites and deliuers the thing that it signifieth to the soule and hart so soone as the signe is deliuered to the mouth for this cause especially it is called a signe There is no picture of the King that will deliuer the King vnto you there is no other Image that will exhibite the thing wherof it is the Image therefore there is no Image can be a Sacrament Then in respect the Lord hath appointed the Sacraments as hands to deliuer and exhibite the thing signified for this deliuery and exhibition chiefely they are called signes As the word of the Gospel is a mighty potent instrument to our euerlasting saluation so the Sacrament is a potent instrument appointed by GOD to deliuer vs to Christ Iesus to our euerlasting saluation For this spirituall meat is dressed and giuen vp to vs in spirituall dishes that is in the ministery of the word and in the ministery of the Sacraments And suppose this ministery be externall yet the Lord is said to deliuer spirituall and heauenlie things by these externall things Why Because hee hath appointed them as instruments whereby he will deliuer his owne Sonne vnto vs. For this is certain that none hath power to deliuer Christ Iesus vnto vs except God and his holy spirit and therefore to speake properly there is none can deliuer Christ but God by his owne spirit hee is deliuered by the ministery of the holy Spirit it is the holy Spirit that seales him vp in our harts and confirmes vs more and more in him as the Apostle giues him this stile 2. Cor. 1.22 To speak properly there is none hath power to deliuer Christ but GOD the Father or himselfe There is none hath power to deliuer the Mediator but his owne spirit yet it hath pleased GOD to vse some instruments and means wherby hee will deliuer Christ Iesus vnto vs. The meanes are these the ministery of the vvord and the ministery of the Sacraments and in respect he vseth these as meanes to deliuer Christ they are said to deliuer him But heere yee haue to distinguish between the principall efficient deliuerer and the instrumentall efficient which is the word and the Sacramēts keeping this distinction both these are true GOD by his word and GOD by his spirit deliuereth Christ Iesus vnto you Then I say I cal thē signes because God hath made them potent instruments to deliuer that same thing which they signifie Now I goe to the thing signified and I call the thing signified by the signes in the Sacrament What is the thing signified in the Sacrament that which Irenaeus that old Writer calleth the heauenly spirituall thing to wit whole Christ with his whole gifts benefites and graces applyed giuen to my soule Then I call not the thing signified by the signes of Bread and Wine the benefits of Christ the graces of Christ or the vertue that floweth out of Christ onely but I call the thing signified together with the benefites and vertues flowing from him the very substance of Christ himselfe from which this vertue dooth flowe The substance with the vertues gifts and graces that flowe from the substance is the thing signified heere As for the vertue and graces that flow from Christ it is not possible that thou canst be partaker of the vertue that floweth from his substance except thou be first partaker of the substance it selfe For how is it possible that I can be partaker of the iuyce that floweth out of any substance except I be partaker of the substance it selfe first Is it possible that my stomach can bee refreshed with that meat the substance vvhereof came neuer in my mouth Is it possible my drouth can be slackned with that drinke that passed neuer downe my throat Is it possible that I can sucke any vertue out of anie thing except I gette the substance first So it is impossible that I can get the iuyce vertue that floweth out of Christ except I get the substance that is himselfe first So I call not the thing signified the grace vertue that floweth from Christ onelie nor Christ himselfe and his substance without his vertue graces onely but ioyntly the substance with the graces whole Christ God and man without separation of his natures without distinguishing of his substance from his graces I call the thing signified by the signes in the Sacrament for why if no more be signified by the Bread but the flesh and body of Christ onely and no more be signified by the Wine but the bloud of Christ onely thou canst not say that the body of Christ is Christ it is but a part of Christ thou canst not say that the blood of Christ is whole Christ it is but a part of him and a peece of thy Sauiour saued thee not a part of thy Sauiour wrought not the worke of thy saluation and so suppose thou get a peece of him in the Sacrament that part will doe thee no good To the end therefore that this Sacrament may nourish thee to life euerlasting thou must get in it thy whole Sauiour whole Christ God and man with his whole graces and benefites without separation of his substance from his graces or of the one nature from the other And how get I him Not by my mouth It is a vaine thing to think that wee will get God by our mouth but we get him by faith As hee is a spirit so I eate him by faith and belieue in my soule not by the teeth of my mouth that is a vaine thing Be it that thou mightest eate the flesh of Christ with thy teeth this were a cruel maner of doing yet thou maist not eate the God-head with thy teeth this is a gross fashion of speaking Then if euer yee get good of the Sacrament ye must get whole Christ and there is not any instrument whereby to lay hold on him but by faith onely therefore come with a faithfull hart O but yee will aske mee and by appearance the definition layd downe of the thing signified giues a ground to it If the flesh of Christ Question and the bloud of Christ bee a part of the thing signified how can I call his flesh a spirituall thing and Christ in respect of his flesh a heauenly thing Yee will not say that the substance of Christes flesh is spirituall or that the substance of his bloud is spirituall vvherefore then call ye it an heauenly and spiritual thing I wil tell you The flesh of Christ is called a spirituall thing and Christ is called spirituall in respect of his flesh not that his flesh is become a spirit or that the substance of his flesh is become spirituall No it remaineth true flesh and the substance of it is one as it
bloud chiefely is the thing signified in the Sacrament of Baptisme and why because that by his bloud hee washeth away the filth of our soules because that by the vertue of his bloud he quickneth vs in our soules with a heauenly life because that by the power of his bloud hee ingrafteth and incorporateth vs in his owne body For that Sacrament is a testimonie of the remission of our sinnes that is of the cleanenesse of our consciences that our consciences by that bloud are washed inwardly It testifieth also our new birth that wee are begotten spiritually to a heauenly life It testifieth also the ioyning of vs in the body of Christ As it is a testimony so it is a seale it not onely testifieth but sealeth it vp in our harts and maketh vs in our harts to feele the taste of that heauenly life begun in vs that wee are translated from death in the which wee were conceiued and ingrafted in the body of Christ Marke then Christ in his bloud as hee is the washing of our regeneration is the thing signified in Baptisme In this Sacrament of the Lords Supper againe this same Christ is the thing signified in another respect to wit in this respect that his body and bloud serue to nourish my soule to life euerlasting for this Sacrament is no other thing but the image of our spirituall nourishment GOD testifying how our foules are fed nourished to that heauenly life by the image of a corporal nourishmēt So in diuerse respects the same thing that is Chr. Iesus is signified in Baptisme and is signified in the Lords Supper In this Sacrament the fruits of Christes death whereof I spake the vertue of his sacrifice the vertue of his passion I call not these fruits vertues only the thing signified in the Sacrament of the L Supper but rather I call the thing signified that substance that person out of the which substance this vertue these fruits do flow and proceed I grant and it is most certain that by the lawfull vse participation of the Sacrament thou art partaker of all these fruites yet these fruites are not the first and chiefe thing whereof thou art partaker in this Sacrament but of force thou must get another thing first It is true that no man can be partaker of the substance of Christ but the same soule must be also partaker of the fruites that flowe from his substance yet notwithstanding thou must discerne betwixt the substance and the fruites that flowe from the substance and thou must be partaker of the substance in the first roome then in the next place thou must bee partaker of the fruites that flowe from his substance To make this cleere in Baptisme the fruites of Baptisme are remission of our sinnes mortification the killing of sinne and the sealing vp of our adoption to life euerlasting The substance out of the which these fruite doe flowe is the bloud of Christ Ye must heere of force discerne between the bloud vvhich is the substance and betweene remission of sinnes washing and regeneration which are the fruites that flow from this bloud so in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper the fruits of that Sacrament are the growth o● faith the increase in holiness The thing signified is the substance that is the body bloud of Christ is the substance out of which this growth in faith and holinesse doth proceed Now see ye not this That you must discerne betweene the substance and the fruites and must place the substance in the first place So that the substance of Christ that is Christ himselfe is the thing signified in this Sacrament For your owne experience will make this plaine vnto you Before your stomack be filled with any foode yee must eate the substance of the food first before you be filled with bread yee must eate the substance of the bread first before your drouth bee quenched with any drinke yee must of necessitie drinke the substance of the drinke first Euen so after this maner before the hunger of your soules be satisfied the thirst thereof quenched yee must eate the flesh of Christ and drinke his bloud first and that by faith So consider the one by the other looke to what vse bread and vvine serue to thy body to the same vse the body and bloud of Christ serue to thy soule and he that appointed the one to serue for thy body the same God appointed the other to serue for thy soule So looke how impossible it is for thee to be fedde with that foode that neuer commeth into thy mouth or to recouer health by those drugges which neuer were applyed it is as impossible for thee to be fed by the body of Christ to get thy health by the bloud of Christ except thou first eate his bodie and drinke his bloud Then yee see that the thing signified in the Lords Supper is not the fruites so much as the body and bloud and Christ Iesus which is the fountaine and substance from which these fruites doe flowe and proceed Then I say suppose Christ The thing signified in both the Sacramēts is one the signes are not one who is the thing signified remaine alwaies one and the same in both the Sacraments yet the signes whereby this one Christ is signified in the Sacraments are not one nor of an ●quall number For in Baptisme the thing that representeth Christ is Water In the Lords Supper the things that represent Christ are Bread and Wine Water is appointed to represent Christ in Baptisme because it is meetest to represent our vvashing with the bloud of Christ for what is fitter to wash with then water so there is nothing meeter to wash the soule then the bloud of Christ In this Sacrament he hath appointed Bread and Wine why Because there is nothing more meet to nourish the body then bread and vvine so the Lord hath not chosen these signes without a reason As the signes in the Sacrament are not alwaies one so the same in both are not of one number for in Baptisme wee haue but one element in this Sacrament wee haue two elements Now what is the reason of this diuersitie that the Lord in the one Sacrament Why in Baptisme there is but one signe and in the Lords Supper two hath appointed two signes and in the other but one signe I will shew you the reason He hath appointed onely one signe in Baptisme to wit Water because Water is sufficient enough for the whole If Water had not been sufficient to represent the thing signified hee would haue appointed another signe but in respect that water do●● the turne and representeth fully the washing of our soules by the bloud of Christ what need then haue we of any other sign Now in this Sacrament one signe will not suffice but there must be two And vvhy Wine cannot be sufficient alone neyther can Bread be sufficient alone for he that hath Bread onely and
sanctifying they call whispering And the whispering of those fiue words they call the consecratiō of the elements And whē the words are after this manner whispered they presuppose such a secret mōstrous vertue to be inclosed in the syllables That the vertue power which floweth from the words is able to chase away wholly the substance of the bread so that the very bread substance of it is altogether destroied by this power Secondly that this power which floweth from these words is able to fetch pull downe an othersubstance to wit the flesh blood of Christ Iesus that fitteth at the right hand of his father is able to put it within the compasse of that bread This is a strange and a great vertue that not only wil ouerthrowe that substance but put it within the compasse of that bread The same fiue words whispered in this maner haue such a monstrous operation say they that they are able both to chase a way the one substance to pull downe an other and to put it within the compasse of that bread We altogetheir denie That there is such a vertue in these words for as I haue said before wee denie not that the word hath a vertue but denie that there is such a vertue inclosed in the words wee denie the qualitie of the vertue or that it floweth from such a fountaine For we grant that the word hath a vertue there is neuer a word that God speaketh heere but it hath a vertue ioyned withit but wee deny that this vertue is inclosed in the syllables in the whispering or pronouncing of the words for if there were such avertue and power inclosed in the syllables by the same reason it should follow that there were avertue in the figure and shape of the letter that makes vp thewords Now there is noman wil think that there is any vertue in the figure or shape of the letter and there is as little vertue in the syllables or pronouncing of the words themselues So wee denie that there is anie vertue inclosed in the syllables or resident in the word But wee say that there is a power conioyned with the word and this power is not resident in the word but is resident in the eternal word in the essential Word wherof Iohn the Euangelist makes mention Cap. 1. The word which was from the beginning that is the sonne of God Christ Iesus wee say there is not a dram weight of this vertue and power resident in any creature that euer God created but it is onely resident in Christ Iesus And therefore there floweth no vertue from the sillables nor from the words that are spoken but from Christ and his spirit who giues the vertue to those words So wee differ in this we say that there is not anie vertue resident in the sillables wee say that the sillables and pronouncing of the sillables work nothing but wee say that the vertue is resident in the person of the sonne of God and heeworkes by his owne word Now wee say that there cannot be such a monstrous change as to say the whispering of so manie wordes should change the owne substance of the bread pull down the substance of the bodie of Christ and put his bodie in so narrow a compasse wee say that cannot bee And this I shall proue by these three rules namely Refutation of the doctrine of trāsubstantiation by 3. sorts of arguments By the veritie of the flesh of Christ Iesus By the articles of our Beliefe And by the true end of the institution of this Sacrament And so we shall see by Gods grace the infinite absurdities that follow vpon their opinion The first principle that I lay is this The first sort of argument Seeing that Christ Iesus the Sonne of GOD in the time appointed tooke true flesh of the wombe of the Virgin and vnited himselfe with our nature in one personall vnion to the end that our nature which fell altogether from integritie in the first Adam might recouer the same in the second Adam yea not onely the same but so much the greater as our second Adam excells the first in all de grees And in respect hee tooke on him a body like vnto ours in all things sinne excepted of necessity it must follow that the definition of a true body and the inseparable properties therof must be competent to him But these are the inseparable properties namely to be in one certaine place to be finite circumscribed visible and palpable for all these concurre quarto modo as the Logicians say to a body so that they cannot be separate from the subiect without the distraction thereof Then Treason on this manner A true humane body is in a certaine place Christ Iesus body is a true humane body therefore it is in a certaine place I call a place a certaine condition of an instrumentall bodie whereby it commeth to passe that where-euer the body be of necessitie it is limited within that place and vvhile it is there it cannot bee elsewhere If you would haue the probation of my Proposition from the Doctors read Augustine to Dardanus speaking of this same body of Christ Take avvay a certaine roome from the bodies and they shall be in no place and if they be in no place they are not The same Augustine writing vpon Iohn in his 30. Treatise saith The body in the which the Lord did arise of necessity must be in a place but his diuine efficacie and nature is diffused euery where And in his third Epistle he saith How much soeuer the body be or how little soeuer the body be it behoues to occupy the bounds of a place And besides these the history of the Acts proueth most euidently Christ his body to be in a certain place as Acts 3.21 the words are these Whom the heauens must containe vntill the time that all things be restored vvhich God had spoken by the mouth of all his holie Prophets Though I need not to insist in the probation of these things yet I proceede Secondly then I reason after this manner A humane body is finite and circumscribed but the body of Christ is a humane body What warrant from the Doctors haue I for this I leaue many purposely will alleage onely Augustine who writing to Dardanus Belieue saith he Christ to be euery where in that he is God but onely to be in heauen according to the nature of a true body And in his 146. Epistle I belieue saith he the body of Christ to be so in heauen as it vvas on the earth vvhen hee vvent vp to heauen But it was circumscribed in a certaine place on the earth Ergo it is so in the heauen And consequently it cannot be in the Masse-bread and in heauen both at one time The last reason is this A humane bodie is visible and palpable but Christ hath a humane body and hee is corporally present as they say therefore Christ his body is
vnderstand not this therefore they imagin a gross carnal coniunction Except the spirit of God reueale these things they cannot be vnderstood The spirit of God must illuminate our mindes and be planted in all our harts before wee can come to the vnderstanding of this Then wouldest thou vnderstand hovv Christ is giuen thee This ground is true that the bodie of Christ is at the right hand of the Father the bloud of Christ is at the right hand of the Father yet notwithstanding though there be as great distance betwixt my body and the bodie of Christ as is betwixt heauen and earth yet Christes body is giuen to me because I haue a title to his body giuen to mee the right and title which is giuen to me of his body and bloud makes me to possesse his body and bloud The distance of the place hurteth not my title nor my right for if any of you haue a peece of Land lying in the farthest part of England if ye haue a good title to it the distance of the place cannot hurt your title so I say the distance of place hurts not my title and my right that I haue to Christ But though he be sitting at the right hand of the Father yet the title and right that I haue to him makes him mine so that I may say trulie this Christ is my property Then Christ is not made mine because I fetch him out of the heauens but he is mine because I haue a sure title right to him hauing a sure title and iust right to him the distance of place how farre soeuer it be can no wayes hurt my title nor right but where-euer he be he is mine because I haue a right title to him Yea not onely haue I a title to him but this title is confirmed to mee For as I gette a title to him in the vvord and if I got not that title to him in the word I durst not come to the Sacrament so in the Sacrament I get the confirmation of my title I get the Seale which confirmes my title Then to come to the point Christs bodie is sitting at the right hand of the Father and yet he is mine and is deliuered to me because I haue right to his bodie be it where it will hee was borne for mee giuen to mee and deliuered to mee So distance of place hurts not the suretie of my title as propinquitie of place helpes not the suretie of the same Though Christ would bow the heauens and touch thee with his bodie as he did Iudas yet this could not helpe thee for if thou hast not a title to him thou darest not call him thine So it is not the neernesse nor proximity of place that makes Christ mine It is onely the right that I haue to him I haue right to him only by faith So by faith only Chr. is made mine But they thinke they haue gotten a great vantage of vs if we be so farre from Chr. as the heauen is frō the earth but this shal be answered by Gods grace I haue a title to his body his body is distant frō my body yet his body is not distant from me that is from my soule I say his bodie and my soule are conioyned It is a strange ladder that will reach from the earth to the heauens yet let me tell you there is a corde that extendeth from the earth to the heauens Faith is that which couples vs and Christ and coupleth mee and Christ together and this is onely true fayth By true faith Christ though he be in the heauens is coupled and conioyned with me who am heere on earth I will shewe you this by a similitude Similitude taken from the sunne Is not the bodie of the sunne in the firmament It is impossible for you to touch the bodie of the sun yet the bodie of the sunne and yee are conioyned How By those beames that shine on you by that light that shineth vpon you Why may not the bodie of Christ then though it be in the heauens be conioyned with mee that am on the earth namelie by the beames by the light and gladnes that floweth from his bodie My bodie Christs body are conioined by the vertue and power flowing from his bodie which vertue and power quickneth my dead soule maketh me to liue the life of Christ to beginne to die to my selfe and euer the more I die to my selfe the more I liue to Christ This coniunction nowe is the ground as I told you of all our felicitie and happinesse and I haue made it cleere to you at this time so farre as God hath giuen me insight Alwaies yee see this coniunction is brought to passe by two speciall meanes by the holy spirit and by faith If there bee no other meanes but these two what needest thou a carnall or a visible coniunction Faith is invisible and the spirit is inuisible therefore thou canst not see it nor take it vp with the eye of thy bodie The power of the holy spirit is so subtile secret and inuisible that thou canst not perceiue it nor take it vppe with the eye of thy bodie and it will worke great effects in thy soule or euer thou perceiuest his working In respect therefore that the meanes of this coniunction are so subtill secret and spirituall why thinkest thou to get a sight of this coniunction with the eye of thy bodie why imaginest thou such a carnall coniunction as this which would doe thee no good if thou hadst it knowst thou not that the spirit that coupleth vs and Christ is infinite so that it is as easie for the spirit to couplevs and Christ how farre distant soeuer wee bee as it is easie for our soules to couple our head and the feete of our bodies though they be distant Then seeing this coniunction is the ground fountaine of all our happinesse And seeing this ground of happinesse is so subtil and so spirituall What is your part Remoue all your outward senses remoue al your naturall motions remoue your naturall discourses and your naturall reason and follow the sight and information of the spirit of God Craue that it would please him to illuminate your vnderstanding that by the light of his spirit yee may see cleerely the spirituall coniunction Except the eye of the spirit be giuen you to perceiue this spirituall coniunction It is not possible that yee can get any insight in it But if the Lord of his mercy will bestowe some measure of his holy spirit vpon you out of question yee shall soone come to the vnderstanding of it and yee shall thinke the time happie that euer yee heard this word Except yee haue some part of this spirit it is not possible that yee canne bee spirituall That which is borne of flesh and bloode will remaine flesh and bloud except the spirit come in and make it spirituall Therefore yee must bee borne againe of the spirit
nourish the soule is that part that it should nourish therefore to the soule it is deliuered Yea that bread that wine are no more really deliuered to the body to the hand of the body then the flesh of Christ is deliuered to the soule and to the hand and mouth of the soule vvhich is faith therefore craue no more a carnall deliuerie nor thinke not vpon a carnall receiuing Thou must not thinke that eyther GOD giueth the flesh of Christ to the mouth of the bodie or that thou by the mouth of thy bodie receiuest the flesh of Christ For yee must vnderstand this principle in the Scriptures of GOD our soules cannot be ioyned with the flesh of Christ nor the flesh of Christ cannot be ioyned vvith our soules but by a spirituall band Not by a carnall band of bloud and alliance not by the touching of his flesh with our flesh but hee is conioyned with vs by a spirituall band that is by the power and vertue of his holy Spirit And therefore the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 12.13 That by the meanes of his holy spirit all wee who are faithfull men and vvomen are baptized into one body of Christ That is wee are conioyned and fastened with one Christ by the meanes saith he of one spirit not by a carnall band or any grosse coniunction but onely by the band of the holy spirit That same holy spirit that is in him is in euery one of vs in some measure and in respect one spirit is in him and in vs therefore wee are accounted all to be one body and to bee members of one spirituall and mysticall body And in the same verse the Apostle saith Wee are all made to drink into one and the selfe same spirit that is we are made to drink of the bloud of Christ And this bloud is no other thing but the quickning vertue and power that floweth from Christ and from the merits of his death we are made all to drinke of that bloud when wee drinke of the liuely power and vertue that floweth out of that bloud So there is not a band that can couple my soule with the flesh of Christ but onelie a spirituall band and a spirituall vnion And therefore it is that the Apostle 1. Cor. 6.17 saith Hee that is ioyned vnto the Lord is one spirit And Iohn saith That vvhich is borne of the spirit is spirit So it is onely by the participation of the holy spirit that we are conioyned with the flesh and bloud of Christ Iesus That carnall band vvhether it bee the band of bloud vvhich runnes throrough one race or the carnall touching of flesh vvith flesh that carnall band I say vvas neuer esteemed of by Christ In the time that hee was conuersant heere vpon earth hee respected nothing that band for as hee vvitnessed himselfe by his owne vvords hee neuer had that carnall band in any kinde of reuerence or estimation in respect of the spirituall band But as for the spirituall band whereby we are coupled with him by one spirit hee euer esteemed of this band in the time that he was conuersant on earth in his word he hath left the praise and commendations of the same To let you see how lightly he esteemed of the carnall band of bloud and alliance which wee esteeme so much yee may see in the eight of Luke 20.21 for there they comming to him say Master thy Mother and thy Brethren stand vvithout and vvould see thee ye shall heare his answere vnto them how little he esteemed of that carnall band in the 21. verse in a manner denying that band hee saith My Mother and my Brethren are those which heare the vvord of God and doe it As if he would haue said It is not that carnall band that I esteeme it is not that carnall coniunction that I reuerence it is the spirituall coniunction by the participation of the holie Spirit vvhereby wee are mooued to heare the word of God to giue reuerence to it and to obey it This carnall band was neuer profitable as that in the 8. of Luke doth plainly testifie for if the touching of Christes flesh had been profitable the multitude wherof mention is made in that chapter that thrusted and preased him had beene the better by their carnall touching But so it is that there was neuer any of them the better by their carnall touching therfore the carnall touching profiteth nothing Saith not Christ himselfe Iohn 6.63 to drawe them from that sinister confidence they had in his flesh onely My flesh profiteth nothing It is the spirit that quickneth To touch him by the holie Spirit and by faith in thy soule this touching by faith hath euer been profitable and wee haue a plaine example of it in the same chapter Euen so the poore vvoman that had long been diseased vvith a bloudie issue the space of twelue yeeres and had vvasted and consumed the greatest part of her substance in seeking remedie shee found no helpe by the naturall and bodily Physition at the last by vertue of the holie Spirit working faith in her heart shee vnderstands and conceiues that shee is able to recouer the health of her bodie and the health of her soule from Christ Iesus vvho came to saue both body and soule And vpon this perswasion which shee had in her hart that Christ could cure both body and soule shee came vnto him and as the Text saith shee preased thorough the multitude to come to him and when she was come it is not said that she touched his flesh with her hand in case the Papists would ascribe the vertue which came out of him to her carnall touching but it is said that she touched onely the hemme of his garment with her hand and with faith vvhich is the hand of the soule shee touched her Sauiour God and man And to let you vnderstand that shee touched him by saith hee saith to her at the last Goe thy way thy faith hath saued thee Shee touched him not so soon by faith but incontment there came a power out of him which power and vertue shee felt by the effect of it in her soule and our Sauiour felt it vvhen it went from him The effect vvhereby shee felt it was the health of her soule and the effect wherby he felt it was the going from him And so soone as hee felt it goe from him he saith Who is it that hath touched mee Peter who was euer most suddaine answereth and saith Thou art thronged and thrusted by the multitude and yet thou askest Who hath touched thee Our Sauiour answers againe It is not that touching that I speake of it is another kinde of touching There is one hath touched me who hath drawn a vertue and power out of mee the multitude takes no vertue from me The poore woman thinking she had done amisse and perceiuing that she could not be hid came trembling and said I haue done it Hee answered her at the last
it in a known familiar tongue yet in that they whisper it the people cannot be the better And what shall I say Seeing they thus handle the word though it be the verie in stitution it selfe yet they so spoile it in the handling that it is not a holy Sacrament Then wee differ as much in the second poynt how that word ought to bee handled and intreated Now the third point is The third head in controuersie what vertue this word hath how farre the vertue of this word extendeth it selfe In this point we grant acknowledge that the word hath a vertue and the word taken as hath bin said worketh somewhat euen towards the same elements of bread and wine for wee acknowledge that those elements by the vertue of this word are changed not in their substance and naturall properties But wee grant that the elements are changed in a quality which they had not before In such sort that these elements are taken from the common vse wherevnto they serued before and by the institution of Christ they are applied vnto another holy vse Marke how farre the holy vse differs from the common vse there is as great difference betwixt the elements this day in the action and the thing that they were yesterday For I grant that the elements are changed yet this change proceedeth not of the nature of the elements from an inclosed vertue supposed to bee in the words nor from the whispering of the words but it proceeds from the will of Christ from the ordinance appointment of Christ set downe in his owne institution for that thing is holy which God calleth holy and that thing is profane which God calleth profane To let you vnderstand how these signes are made holy it is necessarie that these two things bee considered How the elements are sanctified First what hee is that makes them holy whether God Angell or man Secondly whoeuer he bee that maketh them holy by what meanes way he maketh them holy And by the consideration of these two wee shall come to the consideration and right viewing of the sanctification of the Elements For the First wee say that God is onely hee that may make a thing which was cōmon to be holy So we say that God by his will and ordinance declared and set downe in his word hath made the things that were common by his appoyntment to bee holy As for the way and meanes whereby they are made holy it is the word of God the institution of Christ the will of Christ declared in his institution that maketh them holy For the preaching and opening of the word and institution of Christ letteth vs see that god hath made these things holy and not onely that hee hath made them holy but letteth vs see an holy manner how they should be vsed in what place at what time with what heart to what end So it is the wil of Christ declared in his institution wherby the things that were common before are now made holy There are two other things also which make the same elements holy these two are vsed in this institution There is praier thanksgiueing which make the creatures of God to our vse holy whereas otherwise if we receiue the good creatures of God like dogs thank him not for them it is a sure token that they were neuer sanctified to our vse By prayer we obtaine grace strength from God to vse the creatures and this whole action holily lawfully as it shold be And therefore not onely in this holy action should we begin with God with inuocation of his name but in all actions in the world we should begin in the name of God So it is the wil of God praier and thanksgiuing conioined with the elemēts that make them holy All these three contained in the action of the Lords Supper make the Seales holy For beside the wil of God declared in the institution In the Lords Supper we vse inuocation and in this inuocation we vse thankesgiuing The elements are not made holy by the word of God onely but by the vse of praier thāksgiuing which three are the onely means wherby these things are sāctified Now to expresse and laie-foorth the sanctification of the Elements The word of blessing and thanksgiuing vsed indifferently the one expressed by the other The Euangelists and the Apostle Paul vse indifferently the word To blesse and to giue thankes and commonly they put the one for the other For yee may see that Marke and Paul vse the word Blesse Mathew and Luke vse the word to giue thankes and all in one signification And Marke himselfe in the 14. of his Gospell 22. verse speaking of the same action of the Lords Supper vseth the word to Bless and in the 23. verse he vseth the word to Giue thanks and both in one signification to let you see that the Apostle Christ himselfe and the Euangilists vse the word to Blesse and to Giue thankes indifferently to signifie the sanctification and consecration of the elements Except ye take the one for the other it will bee hard to gather anie good meaning out of the Apostles words for I remember the Apostle 1. Corin. 10.16 sayth The Cup of blessing which we blesse what is that I take the word to signifie as I haue said which wee blesse that is which wee sanctifie and prepare by blessing So to blesse and to giue thankes in the Lords Supper signifie no other thing but to sanctifie otherwise if ye take the word in another signification yee shall fall into an error and and why God is sayde to blesse and man is said to blesse God is said to blesse when hee giueth good things vnto his creatures for Gods blessing is euer effectuall and therefore hee is said to blesse when he giueth good things Man againe is said to blesse either priuately or publikely when hee craueth blessing at the hands of God to anie man when hee blesseth in the name and at the commandement of God anie person or people Now if yee ascribe blessing in any of these two significations to the cuppe it is amisse for wee vse neyther to craue a blessing to insensible elements nor yet to blesse them in the name of God And God vseth to giue good things to the sonnes of men and not to insensible creatures Therefore we must needes vse the word Blesse in the third signification The cuppe of blessing which wee blesse that is which wee sanctifie and prepare by blessing Thus farre wee vnderstand for the sanctification of the elements Now let vs see how they sanctifie the elements what is the forme of their consecration so far as I vnderstand of it it consisteth in these fiue words Hoc est enim corpus meum It stādeth in these fiue words and in the whispering of them for if you whisper them not ye lose the fashion of incantation for the thing which we call