saluation annexed vnto the vsing of them are voide and nothing worth hereby the imagined and deuised Sacraments of the Church of Rome are condemned which deliuereth that it hath not receiued of the Lord and imposeth that to bee beleeued which it neuer learned in the word Hereby the last annoyling or extreame vnction is excluded wanting the word to warrant the continuall practise of it Also their confirmation hath neyther worde to institute the practise nor element ro assure any grace nor promise to approue any vse True it is they haue words to administer it but they are words of men not of God vnwritten not written of tradition not of Scripture The like might bee saide of mariage though we confesse and acknowledge it to bee an holy ordinance and m Heb. 13 4. honourable institution of God yet was it made no Sacrament hauing no word of institution no promise of sanctification and saluation annexed vnto all the faishfull vsers thereof neyther is it an instrument whereby God applyeth Christ and his sauing benefits to the comfort and consolation of his children Wherefore to conclude this point wee affirme that neyther the sonnes of Romulus at Rome nor of Remus at Rhemes shall euer be able to shew and proue that they are to be acknowledged receiued as Sacraments of the church which haue no warrant of the worde to command them nor promise annexed to assure the sauing graces of Christ to the worthy receiuers of them But such are their fiue pretended Sacraments of confirmation penance orders matrimony and extreame vnction wanting eyther the word or promise or both and therefore wee cannot receiue we cannot acknowledge we cannot beleeue them Thus much of the second outward part namely the word of institution CHAP. VI. Of the third outward part of a Sacrament THe third outward part of a Sacrament is the a The signe is an outward part of the Sacrament element or outward signe For wheresoeuer there is a Sacrament there must of necessity be a signe such as water is in baptisme and bread and wine in the Lords supper not of their owne nature but by the ordinance of God which are sanctified by the especiall word and prayer Therefore Iohn the Baptist baptized with water Christ when he instituted his last Supper tooke bread and brake it and gaue it to his Disciples Likewise hee tooke the cup wherein was the fruite of the Vine as appeareth when he b Mar. 14 25. saide I will drinke no more of the fruite of the Vine vntill that day that I drinke it new in the kingdome of God Seeing then it is cleare there must in euery Sacrament be a visible signe that may be seene and handled let vs see how we may profitably apply this to our instruction First seeing the signes and Sacramental rites are outward parts we must take heede wee ascribe not too much to the outward signe and so commit idolatry to the creature For the Water in Baptisme hath not power in it selfe force to wash away sin but by the ordinance of God it is made a signe and seale of regeneration Euen as the water of Iordan where Iohn baptized was no better then the waters of others places and Countries neyther had any strength and vertue to cleanse the Leapars that washed in it yet by the blessing of God Naaman the Syrian c 2 King 5 12 14. washing himselfe seauen times therein according to the direction of the Prophet was cleansed and healed of his leaprosie So the water vsed in the Sacrament of baptisme is in nature and substance the same with ordinary and common water neither hath it vigor and vertue to cleanse the soule yet by the institution of God it is appointed to seale vp the assurance of remission of sinnes Notwithstanding this confidence in the outward signe which in it selfe is as nothing hath since the fall of man rested and remained in his corrupt nature flattering himselfe and deceiuing his owne soule This fond and false opinion was in Adam immediately after his transgressiō he did attribute too much to the tree of life which had in it selfe no more life then the rest of the trees in the garden and therefore God would thrust him out of the garden e Gen. 3 22. least he should beguile himselfe with that conceite and imagination Thus did the Israelites trust too much in the Arke a signe of Gods comfortable presence and protection attributing saluation thereunto saying f 1 Sam. 4 3. It may saue vs out of the hands of our enemies therefore God ouerthrew them and gaue them into the hands of the Philistims The like we might say of their circumcision they gloried much of it and rested altogether in it and thought themselues wholy discharged by it howsoeuer they liued and whatsoeuer they practised This is the common error of the ignorant people they imagine they haue done God good seruice and sufficiently discharged their duty when they haue beene at the Communion albeit they know not what they haue receiued nor how it is to bee receiued albeit they know not nor vnderstand the meaning of the institution nor to what end it was ordained If they can say Lord wee haue eate and drunke in thy presence wee haue beene at thine owne Table wee haue sit downe with thee as thy guests we haue beene partakers of thy Supper they blesse themselues in their owne ignorance and thinke thēselues as sound Christians as any that liue in the Church Thus do these silly soules deceiue themselues and instead of the comfort of the Spirite they heape vpon themselues further damnation if they see any wilfully abstaine and and sent themselues from communicating comming to the Sacraments they are ready to condemne them and cry out against them and pronounce sentence vpon them howbeit they neuer consider their owne wayes that it were better neuer to receiue the Sacrament of the Supper of the Lord then to receiue ignorantly brutishly and vnworthily forasmuch as they are guilty of the bodye and blood of Christ Not that any should bee nourished or encouraged in their wilful recusancy but that al persons should learne to know what they do and whereabout they goe and wherefore they do receiue and so walke in the light as children of the light and thereby finde comfort rest in their owne hearts Againe we are taught hereby that they are no Sacraments Vse 2 that haue no signe no seale no element to signify to strengthen and to seale vp the promises of saluation For as we shewed before that euery Sacrament must haue Gods word to warrant it so must it haue an outward signe to approue the receiuing of it and to signifie the spiritual grace offered by it Heereby we learne what to hold of transubstantiation a doctrine teaching that the bread wine is turned into the very bodye and blood of Christ namely that it is a very fable to mocke fooles withall For
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
aboue to strengthen his faith and assure him of the promise of God hee neglected and contemned the same through prophanenesse of heart albeit he answered in words hee would not tempt the Lorde This man is worthily branded in the Scripture with the note of a wicked man Verse 12. 2 Chron. 28 22. and hath it set vpon him as a mark whereby he may be knowne for asmuch as in refusing to receiue a signe beside all his other sinnes he breaketh out into many sinnes and sheweth his contempt vnthankfulnesse hatred pride infidelity and hypocrisie So it is with such as liue among vs What sinnes they commit that neglect the vse of the Sacraments and loue not to come to the Table of the Lord. First they are disobedient to God refuse to doe that which hee commandeth them to doe They contemne the ministry of those whome God hath sent to offer vnto vs the seales of his loue the assurances of his promises and the pledges of our saluation To rebel against God is no small sinne and to deny openly without feare and without shame to obey his will Secondly such as absent themselues from the Sacraments are most vnthankefull vnto God who spareth our weakenesse and offereth vnto vs wholesome stayes as it were firme and strong pillars to vphold our faith Such as haue the greatest and strongest faith and haue attained to the highest measure of assurance doe yet in this life stand as much in neede of the Sacraments as a ruinous building doth of shores and supporters or a weake body doth of meat and nourishment Thirdly they are guilty of the greeuous sinne and horrible crime of hatred against God because like to Ahaz as much as lyeth in them they would haue the glory of God darkened that it might not shine and the truth of God buried that it might not appeare in the performance of his promises If these men were perswaded in their hearts that the neglect of the Sacraments is a secret hatred against God and an vniust detaining from him the praise and honour that is due to his great name they wold make more conscience of this sinne then commonly they doe Fourthly such as come not vnto them with feare and reuerence are possessed with spiritual pride and presumption which is a dangerous disease and so much the more dangerous by how much it is the lesse espied For these men do imagine they haue strength of faith greater then indeed they haue and in that high and haughty conceit of their owne guifts doe contemne the vse of the Sacraments as neede-lesse and superfluous things These are they that say they are rich and haue need of nothing and yet know not that they are wretched and miserable and poore and blinde and naked these are heart-sicke and yet feele it not and are neere without speedy repentance vnto condemnation For as the sicke man that refuseth wholesome medicines soueraigne preseruatiues increaseth his disease and draweth death willingly and wilfully vpon himselfe so such persons as regard not the Sacraments which god as the spiritual Physition of our soules offereth vnto vs as meanes to restore vs and recouer vs from the venemous poison of vnbeleefe which wee haue drunke from our first parents doe by little and little harden themselues and iustly perish in the euill way Fiftly they bewray their infidelity and an euill perswasion of the truth power of God as Ahaz did when he refused the signe which of his grace and goodnes was offered vnto him He saide he would not aske a signe neyther tempt God but because he asked not a signe therefore he tempted God So doe all they that refuse to helpe the weakenesse of their faith by the vse of the Sacraments they tempt God and make tryall whether hee will saue them or can saue them without those ordinary meanes that he hath ordained This is a true and certaine rule that all they which haue faith will bee carefull to strengthen their faith such as haue no faith at all regard not any meanes whereby they may obtaine faith as they that haue life in them seeke to sustaine it but the dead stirre not hand or foote Lastly such persons as care not to be present at the Sacraments haue their hearts possessed with hypocrisie and deepe dissimulation and do indeed and in truth no better then mocke God and godlinesse They professe themselues to be desirous to know God and to serue him with a perfect heart and with a willing minde in asmuch as they are partakers of the worde howbeit because they regard not to resort to his Table and to sit downe with him as his guests they are farre from that truth and inward sincerity that ought to be in all the seruants of God Thus then we see how many sinnes do concurre and meet together in all such as doe not constantly and conscionably frequent the Sacraments which must be duely considered of vs least by heaping vp all these sins in the necke one of another wee also bring downe from heauen vpon our heads many punishments and plagues according to our iust deseruings For inasmuch as the Lord not onely sent the blessed Seede for the redemption of mankinde for the remission of sinnes and for the brusing of the Serpents head but ordained for vs Sacraments to bee pledges of his promises testimonies of his faithfulnesse and remedies of our distrust we must confesse and thankfully acknowledge the bottomelesse depth of his mercy towards vs who vouchsafeth to bee our God to bee reconciled vnto vs being vile miserable sinners to make a league and couenant with dust and ashes and to deliuer his onely sonne to suffer the bitter death of the shamefull Crosse And withall wee must confesse and labour more and more to feele our owne blindnes and infidelity which mercy we would easily forget vnlesse it had beene continually represented before our eyes CHAP. 2. What a Sacrament is IN euery treatise and discourse it is necessary first to know a Arist poster lib. 2. cap. 1. whether a thing be before we consider what it is We haue heard before that there are Sacraments euer haue beene in the Church of God Now then let vs consider what they are that first the matter handled may be defined For in vaine we shall reason and speake of the Sacraments vnlesse we vnderstand what a Sacrament is But before wee set downe any description of it it shall not bee amisse to speake somewhat of the word The name in so many letters and sillables is not indeed in the Scripture no more then the worde Trinity catholike Consubstantiall and such like which being now generally receiued is not to be reiected seeing the doctrine contained vnder it agreeth with the Scripture and nothing thereby is added to the Scripture Now as the fathers of the Greeke Church called these holy rites by name of Mysteries because the substance of them was onely knowne to the members of the
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
declare our selues to be his seruants and vow our selues to be his souldiors and therefore bee sure of this and set it downe as an infallible truth that Sathan will bee our professed enemy both alluring of vs vnto himselfe and his seruice and discouraging of vs from resting vnder the banner of our chiefe Captaine Christ Iesus our Lord. This then ought to be the continuall vse of our baptisme throughout the whole course of our life so often as we think vpon it or see the same Sacrament administred vnto others to remember what place we are called vnto and what a strong enemy we are to encounter withall that his threatnings do not discourage vs nor his allurements entise vs nor his subtilties deceiue vs nor his roarings deuoure vs and by al these which are so many baites and snares to entrap vs let vs be made more wary and watchful that we may know both his pollicy and our owne infirmity his strength and our owne weaknes Christ our Sauiour was no sooner baptized of Iohn but by and by he was tempted in the wildernes as appeareth Math. 3 16. compared with Math. 4 1. Mat. 3 10. and 4 1. Acts 7 23. When it came into the heart of Moses to visite his brethren then his trouble began and he was driuen out of the Land of Egipt Paul liued in great credit among the Pharisies and in much fauour with the Iewes Acts 9 23. but when he was once baptized and made a Preacher of the Gospell he was neuer free frō trouble but was vexed with iniuries and laden with al kinde of slanderous accusations This is a meditation most needfull to be thought vpon When we are baptized we renounce the Diuell and all his workes wee receiue the Presse-mony of Iesus Christ and giue our names to be inrolled in his muster booke we are thereby become his souldiors and fight his battels against sin We haue bound our selues to become his seruāts to do that which is acceptable to God profitable to our brethren and comfortable to our owne conscience and to adorne our liues with a godly conuersation But if we fight vnder the banner of Sathan Who are reuolters from their baptism swarme with loose and vngodly practises we reuolt from our baptisme albeit our names are registred in the number of the baptized Moreouer hast thou through weaknes and infirmity fallen into some sin to the dishonor of thy God to the wounding of thine owne conscience to the slander of the Gospel or to the scandal and offence of thy weak brother Haue recourse to thy baptisme as vnto a board after shipwracke as vnto a medicine after sicknesse as vnto a plaister after wounding or as vnto a staffe after falling that thou maiest receiue strength courage and comfort to thy soule For albeit baptisme be once onely administred for the reasons before alledged chap. 1. of this present booke yet it being once deliuered and receiued testifieth that all our sinnes past present and to come are washed away and shall be forgiuen The fruite or efficacy of the Sacrament is not to be restrained and tyed to the present time of personall receiuing but extendeth it selfe to the whole course of our life afterward Euen as that voice which said in the beginning Gen. 1. Encrease and multiply and replenish the earth was spoken indeed but once howbeit it hath alwayes his effect and operation Chrysost homil de prod Iud. nature working to generation so the words in baptisme which are once onely pronounced I baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy-Ghost are effectuall forcible and auaileable all the dayes of our life and sound aloud continually in our eares as if they were vttered afresh and as if we heard Christ say particularly vnto euery one of vs as he did to the man sicke of the palsie Sonne bee of good cheere thy sinnes bee forgiuen thee Mat. 9 2. Mat. 9 2. Vse 3 Thirdly seeing the washing of the bodye betokeneth the cleansing of the soule it teacheth that baptisme is not to be handled in sport It is a serious action of the Church to be administred in the presence of God the author of it it is not as a stage-like gesture that may be counterfeited represented for a shew only To this purpose there is required a cleere plaine and euident rehearsall of the words of institution that the promise made of God may be vnderstood of the hearers and especially a calling vpon the name of God the Father the Son and the Holy-Ghost True it is what manner of element is to be applyed and what forme of baptizing is to be vsed is limited and expressed in the Scriptures but what admonitions and exhortations or what prayers and supplications are to be made the Scripture doth not determine nor deliuer but leaueth it free as shall bee thought fit for the edification of the Church of Christ By the vertue of this inuocation of the name of God and vsing the words of institution according to the commandement of Christ it commeth to passe that the sprinkling of water is made a certaine pledge of the sprinkling of the bloud of Christ 1 Pet. 1. 1 Pet 1 2. Titus 3 5. a signe of our regeneration and of remission of sins For what folly were it to imagine that the power of God is weaker in one Sacrament then in the other That his word should be operatiue in the one and idle or of no force in the other Hence it is that the Fathers of the Church do oftentimes reason from baptism vnto the Supper of the Lord. Epiphanius saith Epiph. contra haer lib. 3. ca. 52 Euseb Emissen The strength of the bread and the vertue of the water are made powerfull in Christ c. Eusebius Emissenus applying himselfe to declare what manner of change is made in the bread and wine of the Supper layeth it out by a familiar comparison with that which is wrought in the regeneration of man hee continueth one and the same to wit in substance and yet is become quite another manner of man through the growth and increase of faith Wherefore it must be ministred with great reuerence and we should attend religiously vnto it no lesse then we ought to do to the word of God and to the Supper of the Lord forasmuch as one Christ is offered yea eaten and drunken in them all The Gospell is the power of God vnto saluation it is the immortall seed of regeneration Rom. 1 16. it offereth vs the forgiuenes of our sinnes and worketh in vs the same that baptisme and the Lords Supper and it maketh vs one with Christ who is the substance of the word and Sacraments and he is communicated to vs in them both Wherefore whensoeuer we come to be partakers of baptisme and to bee present at it we must come with a reuerent and religious consideration of those holy actions and set our selues
Christ our Sauiour Luke 17. Luke 17 4. If thy brother trespasse against thee seauen times in a day and seauen times in a day turne againe to thee sayâ—ng I repent thou shalt forgiue him But if he hate vs and will not forgiue vs yet are not we discharged or dispensed withall either to hate him againe or to refuse the partaking of the diuine ordinances of God but we must freely forgiue him and publikely professe loue to him and all others and then we may with a sound heart and a safe conscience come to this Sacrament But it may be further obiected Obiection It may be they bee farre off so that I cannot come to reconcile my selfe vnto them What then yet if thou freely forgiue Answere and heartily desire to be forgiuen and hast an earnest and full purpose to do it if he were present God accepteth of the inward affection in stead of a reall reconciliation Wherefore no mans absence ought to hinder our presence at this communion If there were in vs a right zeale to God a true feeling of our owne wants and a sound knowledge of the vse of this Sacrament wee would easily ouerstride all these excuses which are deuices of men and engines of Sathan cast into mens harts to turne them out of the right way and to draw them to destruction We come to the Communion which is so called as Damascene teacheth Damas lib. 4. cap 14. de orthodox fide not onely because we communicate with Christ and be partakers of his flesh and diuinity but likewise because by it we do communicate and are vnited one with another so that we all professe to be at vnity and in charity among our selues as members of the same body and so beare our selues as if we would neuer liue in malice one with another againe Howbeit wee do rather lay it downe then shake it off we do rather cunningly suppresse it for a time then vtterly pull it vp by the rootes and therfore we are no sooner departed but by and by we are ready to breake out into our former euil courses and shew our selues to be as full of enuy and debate as euer we were before Many that come to the holy Communion are like to Serpents Thus we are like to that serpent which when shee goeth to drinke layeth away her poyson and taketh it againe when she hath done If wee deale thus with our brethren discontinuing our dissention with theÌ„ for a small season rather then destroying it what are we better then a generation of Vipers vnworthy to be called Gods children and vnfit to be accounted his guests The second title giuen to this Sacrament is r Thâ— vses of calling this Sacrament the Lords Supper the Lords Supper by which name it is now most vsually and commoÌ„ly called both because it was so instituted by Christ after his last Supper and is celebrated in the remembrance of Christ Heereby we learne first who is the author of this Vse 1 Sacrament not Peter not Paul not any of the apostles not any man not any angel but Christ Iesus God and man and therefore it is not called the Supper of the apostles or of any man but of Christ himselfe as the apostle speaketh of baptisme Å¿ 1 Cor. 1 13.15 Was Paul crucified for you Either were ye baptized into the name of Paul I baptized none into mine owne name Wherefore this title serueth to teach vs and to put vs in minde of the author of this Sacrament Secondly seeing this Sacrament is not a common supper Vse 2 but an holy and heauenly banket fully furnished not to fill the body but to feede the soule we must come with an earnest desire and longing after Christ hungring and thirsting after his righteousnesse and merits as after our life to be made partakers thereof For neuer did the body more stand in need of corporall food then doth the soule of this t Ioh. 6 27. Bread of life which came downe from heauen which the Father hath promised to giue vnto vs. Lastly it condemneth our u Rhâ—â—â— Test annot in 1 cor 11. English Rhomists and other Vse 3 a Bellar. de Messa lib. 2. ca. 10. romish readers of popish diuinity that wholy condemne this name and title as vnproper vnfit for this Sacrament and vnderstand the Apostle to speake of the loue-feasts when he speaketh of the Lords Supper Indeed in the Apostles times they vsed to meete together in one common place not onely for the hearing of the word for the receiuing of the Sacraments and for prayer to God but to keep certaine feasts which of their end or vse were called b Iude Verse 22. 2. Pet. 2.13 feasts of charity as Iude speaketh But of these the apostle speaketh not when he named the Lords Supper For first let them shew vs the place where euer these loue-feasts are called the Lords Supper and then they may warrant their exposition by some colour otherwise we cannot receiue their interpretation being of pâ—iuate motion Secondly if this title were meant of loue-feast to what purpose should the apostle bring in the institution of the sacrament of the body blood of Christ and largely handle the doctrine thereof Whereas their abuses in their loue-feasts might bee reformed and redressed without this mention and remembrance of the Supper Thirdly to what end should these solemne feasts and bankets be called the Lords Supper which were not instituted in the honour of Christ but to testifie the mutuall loue of those that were members of the same body hauing God for their merciful Father the Church for their tender Mother and Christ for their elder brother These might rather be called the supper of men then of the Lord being feasts of charity not of piety Fourthly the Apostles drift and purpose in this place is to teach that such as nourish dssention and diuision paâ—take the Lords Supper vnworthily and therefore willeth them when they come to communicate with the Lord to shake out of their mindes all vncharitable affections as chaffe from good corne that so they may assemble together with profite and not with hurt Fiftly this Supper was administred by the Lord and instituted by him and therefore is fitly called the Supper of the Lord whereas these loue-feasts the Lord neither administred nor instituted This then sheweth the folly of our aduersaries that loue any kind of names better then such as are vsed in the holy Scriptures Last of all to call this Sacrament by the name of the Lords Supper vsually among the ancient Fathers c Cipri in sacrâ—m de caena derâ—n of the Church grounding theÌ„selues from the authority of the Scripture and example of the Apostle yea thus some of their owne writers d Schol. Ioh. Gagâ— in 1 Cor. 11. Hâ—ij conseâ—â—e â—thâ—â—â—â—m 2 cap. 30. â—im 1. 〈◊〉 40. cal this Sacrament and expound the words of Saint Paul to the Corinthians If
therefore they will rest themselues either in the true interpretation of the Scripture or in the exposition of the ancient fathers or in the confession of their owne Writers wee cannot doubt but the Apostle naming the Lords Supper vnderstandeth the Sacrament of the body bloud of Christ As for those that suppose these loue-feasts and bankets of charity were called the Lords Supper because they were celebrated in the Church of our Lord it is auouched both falsly and absurdly Falsly because there were theÌ„ no churches builded nor any where to be found nor in many yeares after Absurdly because it will follow by this reason if the place may alwaies giue denomination to the thing that any error or heresie and false doctrine preached in the Church may be called the heresie of our Lord or the false doctrine of our Lord forasmuch as it is preached in the Church of our Lord. The next title giuen to this Sacrament is the breaking of bread which offereth to our considerations these vses not e The vses of calling this Sacrament the bâ—eaking of bread to be passed ouer First it sheweth that the substance of bread remaineth after the words of consecration and is not altered by any strange transubstantiation For when the Apostle saith This is my body f 1 Cor. 11 23 which is broken for you properly it cannot be vnderstood of the body of Christ which Vse 1 was g Ioh 19 30. not broken but of his crucifying and death by a figuratiue speech taken froÌ„ the substance of the bread which Christ brake to distribute it among his Disciples and to represent effectually his suffering for vs. The accidents of bread cannot be broken as we shall see afterward no more then they can feed and nourish Besides we learne heereby that tropes and figures are vsed Vse 2 in the sacraments contrary to the opinion and assertion of the Church of Rome as we make plaine by the institution and as we constraine the aduersaries themselues to confesse as when it is said his body was broken where the litterall sence cannot be retained seeing a bone of him could not be broken Likewise when it is said The cup is the new testament the rocke was Christ the bread is the communion of the body of Christ these and such like cannot be interpreted without a figure Lastly seeing of this one action the whole Sacrament hath his denomination h Acts 2 42. and 20 7. as appeareth in many places Act. Vse 3 2 42. and 20 7. and 1 Cor. 11 24. we must hold that as the Apostles and other Ministers of the Church were wont in the administration of the Supper to breake the bread so must we follow their example as they also followed the example of Christ Neither must this bee accounted and accepted as an indifferent ceremony to be admitted or omitted at our own choice and pleasure seeing Christ Iesus the Lord of this sacrament commanded the Scripture hath commended the Apostles haue practised and the Ministers afterward obserued the same i 1 Cor. 10 16. as the apostle witnesseth The bread which we breake is it not the communion of the body of Christ speaking of himselfe and the rest of the Ministers of the Church Besides it is an effectuall expressing and representation of the passion and crucifying of Christ as also the pouring out of the wine into the cuppe of the Lord. Wherefore they are to be accused and conuinced as heynous breakers of the high ordinance of Christ as we see in the Church of Rome who omit this breaking of the bread as impertinent and vnnecessary and as not significant For Christ Iesus commanded his Disciples to eate that bread which he had broken and this breaking pertaineth to the ende of the Sacrament so that it cannot bee passed ouer without neglect of the institution of Christ and of the essence of the Supper of which we will speake afterward The next title giuen to this sacrament is the table of the Lord and it is rightly so called as by a very fit name For seeing it is a Supper and a most heauenly banket it is requisite there should bee a table answerable vnto it that as it is the Supper of the Lord so there may be a table for the administration of it From hence we conclude diuers good vses k The vses of calling this Sacramâ—nt the table of the Lord. for our further instruction First of all it sheweth that Christ and his Apostles in the celebration of the Supper vsed a table not an altar For albeit the apostle Paul speaketh vnproperly of the table and doth thereby vnderstand the heauenly meate and drinke which was set vpon the table for all the Lords guests yet withall he insinuateth and signifieth the place wheron they were put to wit vpon a table In like manner our Sauiour Christ at the first institution of this Sacrament remained at the table with his Disciples he stood not with theÌ„ at the altar Now according to the example of Christ and his Disciples must be the practise of all Churches inasmuch as Christ shedding his blood on the Crosse had abolished all altars and therefore the Infidels did oftentimss reproue and reproach the Christians because they had no altars who on the other side defended themselues that their Altars are the congregations of such as bow themselues in prayers and the spirits of iust men which smell as sweet incense in the nostrils of God other Altars then these they acknowledge none to be among them Furthermore inasmuch as the Sacrament of the body and Vse 2 blood of Christ was accustomably administred on a Table not an Altar of wood not of stone made moueable not immoueable We learne from hence that it is a Sacrament not a sacrifice An altar doth inferre and presuppose a sacrifice and a sacrifice is referred to the altar whereon it is offered But we haue not now properly any sacrifice for that were to account the al-sufficient sacrifice of Christ as vnsufficient and vnperfect therefore we are not to bring altars againe into the Church There is no vse of altars in the new Testament seeing the making of them together with other types and ceremonies of the olde Testament through the death of Christ is abolished m 1 Cor 9.13 as the Apostle teacheth 1 Cor. 9. Doe ye not know that they which minister about holy things eate of the things of the Temple and they which waite at the Altar are partakers of the Altars And to like purpose Heb. 13 10. We haue an altar whereof they haue no right to eate which serue in the Tabernacle that is such as retaine the necessary vse of the ceremonies n Gal. 4 9. and beggerly rudiments of the Iewes are fallen from Christ Whereby we see plainely and apparently that sacrifices and altars stood together and fell together and therefore whereas they would conclude the sacrifice of Masse from the vse of the altars we may
Bellar. lib. 2. de Missa cap. 12. vnderstaÌ„d what they pray heare the reading of the Scriptures but not know what is read receiue the Sacraments but not know the meaning of the institution Things without life which giue a sound whether Pipe or Harpe except they make a distinction in the sounds how shall it be knowne what is piped or harped Or if the trumpet e 1 Cor. 14 7 8. giue an vncertaine sound who shall prepare himselfe to battall All things in the Church must tend to the instruction and edification of all the parts and people but reading and praying in a strange tongue doe not edifie and profit the hearers as 1 Cor. 14 26. Let all things be f 1 Cor. 14 5 11 12 1â— 14 18.19 26. done to edifying and verse 14. I speake languages more then ye all yet had I rather in the Church to speak fiue words with mine vnderstanding that I might also instruct others theÌ„ ten thousand words in a strange tongue for how then should he that occupieth the roome of the vnlearned say Amen at thy giuing of thankes seeing he knoweth not what thou sayest Wherefore except we know the meaning of the wordes wee shall bee vnto him that speaketh a Barbarian and he that speaketh shall be a Barbarian vnto vs. Euen the learned languages of Greeke Latine not in themselues but in regard of the hearers that vnderstand them not are barbarous For the Apostle doth not heere like an Orator distinguish the tongues and shew which are eloquent and rhetoricall in themselues and which rude but holdeth euery tongue barbarous Hebrew Syriack Caldy Arab ck Greeke and Latine to him that knoweth not the force and signification thereof And this to be most true g Psal 114.1 Rom. 1 14. the Scriptures teach h Châ—ysost in 1 Cor. 14 hom 35. the Fathers auouch i Strabo Geograph â—ib 1. the heathen writers warrant k Plautus in prolog asmar Ouid de Tristib lib. 5. Eleg. 10. the very Poets declare yea their owne Doctors l Iohan Beleth paris Theol. explic diuin offi in proemio Nicol. lyra in 1. Cor. 14. ad verb vers 16. Caietan opulcutor tom 3. tract 15. do determine Wherefore to conclude it is the ordinance of God it is the doctrine of the Apostles it is the duty of all Christians when the word is read or preached when supplications are offered when the Sacraments are administred to vse a knowne tongue vnderstood of all and without this the Scriptures are vaine the prayers are barbarous the Sacraments are fruitlesse to such as know not what is read what is asked what is promised what is receiued Neuerthelesse there is nothing so absurd but the Church of Rome will defend it especially if it serue to maintaine ignorance one of the maine pillars of their Antichristian vsurpation of the kingdome of darknesse Hence it is that to nuzzle the poore simple soules in the blindnesse of their superstition they tell them that forsooth they pray to God who vnderstandeth all languages and that it sufficeth to haue a good intent and meaning in prayer and leaue the rest to him who doubtlesse will accept of it and them True it is God can speake all tongues he vnderstandeth them better then they that speake them what then Doth it follow therefore that he alloweth and approueth such prayers He vnderstandeth that the Atheist prayeth not at all doth hee therefore allow his not praying If we come in hypocrisie or vse vaine repetitions he knoweth it but condemneth it and detesteth it so that from his knowledge we cannot coÌ„clude his allowance and acceptance Neither is it sufficient to haue a deuout intent of praying to pray is to speake to God not to intend to speake neither will God be worshipped by such intentions but according to his word And what reason can they render why the word should be preached in a knowne tongue rather then read vnto the people in a tongue that may be vnderstood Wherefore whether there be reading of the Scripture or praying to God or singing of Psalmes or receiuing of the Sacraments in the Church al ought to tend to edification and instruction And thus farre of the second outward part of the Lords Supper to wit the word of institution for a Sacrament without the word is as a picture without sence or an image without life which hath a mouth but speaketh not CHAP. V. Of the third outward part of the Lords Supper THe third outward part of the Lords Supper followeth a Bread and wine are the outward signs of the Lords Supper which are the elements of bread wine fittest signes for this purpose to signifie the spirituall nourishment of the soule by eating the body and drinking the blood of Christ That these are appointed as the substance matteâ— of the Supper it apeareth by the words of Christ his Apostles deliuering this SacraÌ„ For the Euangelists expres b Mat. 26 26. Mar. 14 22. Luk. 22 19. Act. 2 41 42. and 20.17 1 Cor. 10.16 that Christ tooke bread gaue it and said Take ye and eate yee So likewise it is said of the Church newly planted by the Apostles that such as gladly receiued the word and were baptized Continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread And chap. 20. it is recorded That the first day of the weeke the Disciples came together to breake bread And Paul saith 1 Cor. 10. The bread which we breake is it not the communion of the body of Christ And in the chapter c 1 Cor. 11 23 26 27 28. following the same Apostle often mentioneth and remembreth the bread of this Sacrament In like manner Christ tooke the cup d Mat. 26 29. wherein was the fruite of the Vine By these Christ is truely exhibited vnto vs he is truely offered vnto all he is effectually giuen to the faithfull as hath beene oftentimes remembred vnto vs. But before we come to the vses arising from these signes Obiection it shall not bee amisse to aske and to answere a question why Christ made choice of bread and wine rather then any other elements to be the signes of the Sacrament of his body and blood I answere Answere it was by reason of the analogy and proportion betweene them for there is a similitude and agreement betweene the signe and the thing signified as will easily and distinctly appeare by these particular considerations compared together both touching the bread and touching the wine For first of all to speake in order of theÌ„ concerning the bread Reasons why Christ made choise of bread Gen. 18 6. Leuit. 2 4. as of the graine of wheat is made corporall bread so of the body of Christ is made spirituall bread Secondly as bread is baked in the Ouen by the heat of the fire so is the body of Christ heated and boyled by the fire of the Crosse and thereby prepared for vs to
manner how it is to be performed If we come furnished with these things with sauing knowledge with iustifying faith with vnfained repentance with a louing and longing reconciliation toward our brethren among whom we liue hauing as much n Rom. 12 15. as is possible Peace with all men yea euen our enemies let vs not abstaine from the Lords table by reason of some fraileties and infirmities in vs for God couereth them o and wil not bring them into remembrance as we see 2 Chro. 30. A multitude of people had not clensed themselues yet did eate the Passeouer but not as it was written wherefore Hezekiah prayed for them saying The good God be mercifull toward him that prepareth his whole heart to seeke the Lord God the God of his Fathers though hee bee not clensed according to the purification of the Sanctuary and the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people Where we see that because their heart was vpright sincere their wants and imperfections were not imputed vnto them For God respecteth the truth of the inward parts and pardoneth their sinnes that thus prepare their hearts to seeke him So then p The sacrament is not honoured by abstayning from it they were greatly deceiued that thought they honoured the Sacrament by abstaining from it it is not honoured but dishonoured not hallowed but prophaned not regarded reuerently but reproched greeuously by our wilfull abstinence q 1 cor 11 28 as the Apostle teacheth 1 Cor. 11. Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this cup. He doth not say let him proue himselfe and so let him abstaine For the Sacrament is abused as well by forbearing hauing examined our selues as by not examining our selues and receiuing vnworthily And thus much of Examination and the manner to be obserued therein CHAP. 20. The conclusion containing an abridgement of the whole Treatise together with a confirmation of some parts and passages of it THe effect of that which hath beene deliuered hitherto in these Bookes may thus be gathered into a short sum and abridgement We haue a The sum of the first Book declared that God in al times and ages of the Church from the first being of our first parents hath to his word and promises annexed Sacraments as conduites of grace and seales of assurance b Gen. 2 9 c for the confirmation of them thereby magnifying his owne mercie toward his people shewing our weaknesse and vnworthynesse and condemning such as oftentimes desire to come to the Lords Table but esteeme little of the preaching of the word and such as are diligent in hearing of the worde but carelesse in comming to the Sacraments and manifesting Gods goodnesse to vs in giuing vs such helpes as if a man should put a staffe in his hand that is weake and readie to fall whereas the word and Sacraments haue one and the same Author they are instruments of the same grace their whole force effect dependeth on God they require faith c Hebru 4 2. to be mingled with them and they profit not alway at the verie moment of hearing and receiuing Notwithstanding some differences we finde betweene them as namely in the greater necessitie of the word then of the Sacraments Infidels were neuer barred from hearing the worde when they would become d 1 Cor. 14 24 hearers thereof and whereas the word affecteth one onely of the sences to wit the hearing the Sacraments are offered to the eies as well as to the eares and fo in some sort become more effectuall then the word Touching the word Sacrament it is drawne from martiall Discipline and properly signifieth the Souldiers Oathe whereby he bindeth himselfe to his Captaine which word being vsed by the old Latine Interpreter is now beecome ordinary and common in the Church which is not mentioned in so many Sillables in the Scriptures And howsoeuer the word be often taken in a large and generall signification yet as we take it in these Bookes e What a Sacrament is a Sacrament is a visible signe and seale ordained of God whereby Christ and al his sauing graces by certaine outward rites are signified exhibited and sealed vp vnto vs. This description being receiued teacheth vs these points first that the force of the Sacraments dependeth not on the worthinesse or vnworthinesse of the Minister but vpon the ordinance of God f Mat. 23 2 3. so that an euill Minister may deliuer the good things of God And this was the cause that g Iohn 4 2. Christ Iesus baptized none but his Disciples baptized that wee might learne not to esteeme of the effect of the Sacraments by the fitnesse or vnfitnesse of the Ministers Besides wee are admonished heereby of the weakenesse of our Faith which needeth to be strengthened and this is the reason why so long as we liue in this world wee must vse the Sacraments because our Faith is alwaies weak and vnperfect and needeth helpes to further it meanes to encrease it and proppes to stay it And therefore the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 11 36. As often as ye eate this bread drinke this vp ye do shew the Lords death till he come Furthermore we learn that there is no vse of the Sacraments in the kingdome of heauen where all things are come to perfection Now when that which is perfect is come 1 Cor 13 10. then that which is in part shall be done away Againe h Deutro 4 2 none must adde vnto them none must take ought from them none must any way abuse them contrary to the institution and ordinance of God Lastly we learn from hence that the Sacraments are not bare and naked signes of Christ absent i 1 Cor. 10 16 but sure and certain seales of Gods promises and of the righteousnesse of Christ who is offered vnto all but receyued onely of the faithfull so that the presence of vngodly men meeting vs at the same Table cannot any way hurt vs in our worthy receiuing In a k In a Sacrament consider his Parts and his Vses Sacrament we are to consider two thinges his Parts and his Vses The parts of a Sacrament are l The partes are outwarde and inward partly outward and partly inward The outward parts are m The outward parts of a Sacrament are foure the Minister the Worde the Signe the Receyuer these foure First the Minister lawfully called is necessarily required If then the Minister will not administer them or if priuate persons will administer them n Math. 28 19 they sinne against God the one for not performing the duties of his calling the other because hee runneth beyond the bounds of his calling The second outward part o Esay 6 6 7 is the word of institution consisting of a Commandement and a promise so that it is required of vs to vnderstand the words of institution to ioyne the worde with the Sacraments and to discharge
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
a care and remembrance of this duty knowing that they are cursed that goe about the matters of God negligently Ier 48 10. Reuel 3 16. and that all luke warme professours shall bee spewed out of his mouth and such as haue left their first loue shall haue the light of the candle taken from them and the candlestick remoued out of his place Touching the information of such as erre in opinion there are many of our good brethren and sisters that abstain from the Communion because they may not sit at the celebration thereof and so condemne the reuerent gesture of kneeling commanded in our Church as vtterly vnlawfull and vnwarranted The lawfulnes of kneeling at the Communion shewed to yeeld vnto whom some satisfaction if it may be I haue made a long degression in the third Book if that may be called a digression which setteth downe the duties of the Communicants and giueth them direction what they ought to doe and what they ought not to doe I am not ignorant that some in the earnestnesse of their spirit and forwardnesse to goe before others haue written much against kneeling with the applause of many and will by no meanes yeelde thus much that it be in it selfe an indifferent gesture but make it as bad and as grosse a thing as to kneele before a crucifixe which is flat Idolatry as though wee did destroy the nature of a Sacrament make the supper to be no Spuper at all What is obiected against kneeling because we vse not that gesture at the receiuing of it which is vsed at a supper or banket A very weake reason without substance or shew of any value yet it is much vrged and often pressed both in word and writing But let vs set downe the force of the reason in forme and so bring it as if it were before the tribunall Seate of iudgement where it shall receiue an honourable tryall For thus they conclude If this Sacrament be a Supper or a banket then the gesture of kneeling is vnlawful and ought not to bee vsed at it But this Sacrament is a Supper or a banket Therefore the gesture of kneeling is vnlawfull and ought not to be vsed at it The force of this reason and as it were the life of it if it haue any standeth vpon this that such gesture is necessary to be vsed at this Sacrament as is accustomed at a Supper or at a banket and no other because then we shall make a banket to bee no banket Answere and a Supper to be no Supper This is their obiection now heare mine answere and compare them together without preiudice or partialâ—ty The first answere To this I reply diuersly First I say the reason destroyeth it selfe as a man that thrusteth his sword into his owne body and bowels Iudges 9 22. like the Midianites that slew one another For this maketh the gesture to bee altogether vncertaine and a variable ceremony not belonging to the substance of the Supper inasmuch as one gesture is vsed commonly at bankets and another at suppers at bankets standing at suppers sitting So then if the former reason be worth any thing and haue any strength at all in it then vpon their owne ground-worke this reason following is fully as good as strong in any Court of Conscience wheresoeuer If this Sacrament be a banket then the gesture of sitting is vnlawfull and is not to he vsed at it because such gesture is necessary to be vsed as is vsuall at bankets but this Sacrament is a banket therefore sitting is vnlawfull not to be vsed at it If their reason be good theÌ„ this also is as good being taken word forword out of the former Again in contrary manner we may reason thus If this Sacrament be a Supper then standing at it is vnlawfull because such gesture onely is to be vsed as is ordinary at Suppers But this Sacrament is a supper Therefore standing at it is vnlawful Thus we see how this reason is at enmity and defiance with the truth and with it selfe and whiles it goeth about to destroy kneeling it ouerthroweth both sitting and standing for sitting conuinceth standing and standing condemneth sitting Secondly The second answere the foundation of the former reason standeth vpon a Metaphor or borrowed speech and therefore there can no sound and certaine conclusion be drawne and diducted from it especially to take it in a proper sense to set the whole waight of the worke as it were a pillar of the house vpon it For it is called a banket or a supper by way of an allusion which Sadeel contr Tuâ—rian sophis both must haue ground out of the Scripture and may not be farther applied then it hath warrant from thence It is well knowne that this second sacrament of the new Testament is called a supper in regard of the time when it was instituted and the Supper of the Lord because it is celebrated in the Church in remembrance of the Lord Iesus that ordained it by his word ratified it by his death and deliuered it with his owne hands wheras these men suppose it is called a banket because we ought to vse such a gesture as is common at bankets and a supper because wee ought to vse such a gesture as is vsuall at suppers which not being intended by him is a very weake supposition collection and conclusion Thirdly The third answere this argument being well waighed will minister weapons vnto vs to cut in sunder the sinewes and as it were the heart strings of it inasmuch as it sheweth that what gesture soeuer is vsed at the one or the other standeth more vpon custome then vpon conscience and more vpon the example of men then the commandement of God For what is the reason that in Court and country in towne and citty they stand at bankets And what is the reason that most commonly they sit and somewhere lye along at suppers and dinners Is it any other then vse and custome of places and persons Dare any say that it is vnlawfull to eate a banket kneeling or to take our supper kneeling Are wee not left at liberty with what gesture we will eate and drinke Or may we not vse what order we please in these things If then it be in it selfe as lawfull to kneele when we receiue our ordinary meates and drinkes euen in the action thereof as to sit or to stand or to lye along how is it that many dislike that gesture at the Sacrament euen for this reason because it is a banket and a Supper From whence I reason in this forme and manner from their owne ground If this Sacrament be a Supper or a banket then the gesture of kneeling is not vnlawfull but may freely be vsed at the taking of it But this Sacrament is a supper or a banket Therefore the gesture of kneeling is not vnlawful but may freely be vsed at the taking of it The strength
of this reason standeth vpon such feete as themselues haue shaped vnto it to wit that such gesture is necessary to be vsed at this Sacrament as is vsuall at a supper or a banket If then it be left free for vs to vse what gesture wee please sitting or lying or standing or walking or groueling or bending how can they hold with any colour kneeling to be vnlawfull at the CommunioÌ„ The 4. answer Lastly we cannot but confesse that kneeling in prayer is the fittest gesture to expresse the humility of our mindes and the maiesty of God and the excellency of the mysteries we do partake and our obedience to the Magistrate Tertul. de orat cap. 12. Tertullian that liued in the beginning of the second CeÌ„tury holdeth assidere irreuerens that it is an vnreuerent thing to sit at prayer But the Supper of the Lord is administred and receiued among vs with a notable effectuall prayer which the Minister pronounceth and the Communicant heareth Obiection If any obiect as many do obiect that by this reason the Minister ought to kneele that vttereth the prayer not the people that receiue the Supper I answere first they do but dally with vs Answere and deceiue themselues For they know the Minister cannot conueniently kneele as the manner of deliuering is vsed and obserued among vs which is not disliked or disprooued by any of them to wit by going to euery one apart vnto his seate and therfore CHRIST also sate at his thanksgiuing And heerein do the orders of the Churches differ among themselues in some places the Minister remoueth not and the people walke as with vs the Minister walketh and the people remoue not Now as in the preaching of the word the Minister that conceiueth the prayer standeth that he may be the better heard and vnderstood of the people whose voice he is to God they kneele ioyning with him so it is in the Lords Supper the Minister standeth because otherwise hee cannot passe from place to place nor dispatch that holy worke with any quicke expedition Secondly albeit the Minister onely do by liuely voice vtter the prayer yet it appeareth by the testimony of the ancient that the receiuer was also to ioyne with the Minister and to say Amen Euseb ecclesiast histor lib. 6. ca. 43. and in english 42. as we may read in the Ecclesiasticall history of Eusebius relating the Epistle of Cornelius Bishop of Rome touching Nouatus who being puffed vp with pride left those without hope of saluation that through infirmity of the flesh fell in time of persecutions And afterward in that history he reporteth that Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria wrote vnto Xystus Bishop of Rome touching a certaine man who hearing the interrogatories answeres vsed in baptisme came vnto him weeping and wailing falling prostrate before his feet he confessed plainely that the baptisme wherewithall he had beene baptized of the Hereticks had no agreement with that which was in vse in that Church and thereupon desired to bee baptized according to the same manner What answere the Bishop made and how he satisfied him Eusebius declareth in these words Ecclesi histor li. 7 ca. 9. after the Greeke but the 8. in english He prayed that hee might receiue this most sincere purification the which thing I durst not do but told him that the daily Communion many times ministred might suffice him when he had heard thanksgiuing sounded in the Church and he himselfe had sung thereunto Amen when he had beene present at the Lords Table and had stretched forth his hand to receiue that holy food had communicated and of a long time had beene partaker of the body and blood of our Lord Iesus Christ Albeit therefore the baptisme which he had receiued were full of sundry impieties and blasphemies and farre vnlike that vsed in the true Church and that hee were so sore perplexed in minde and troubled in conscience that he durst not presume to lift vp his eies to God because hee had beene baptized with such prophane wordes and ceremonies yet hee aduised him to comfort himselfe with his often partaking the holy Communion in asmuch as he had stretched forth his hand to receiue it and had answered Amen at the taking of it I will adde one testimony more out of Cyrill Cyril catech pa. 2â—5 gra Id est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is bending the hand receiue the body of Christ saying Amen And more expressely a little after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is After thou hast been partaker of the body of Christ draw near also to the Cup of his bloud to wit in the form of wine prostrating thy selfe and worshipping God saying Amen De Sacram lib. 4. cap. 6. Obseruations out of Cyrils testimony whiles thou beÌ„dest thy hand to take it c. The lâ—ke might bee saide out of Ambrose that as the minister did pray for them so they also were not idle but prayed for themselues These Testimonies are very full to note out the vsuall custom of these times out of which I obserue these 4. particulars first that the bread was not woÌ„t to be put popt into their mouths but the people tooke it in their handes and so likewise of the cup. Secondly that they receiued the cup of the Lord as well as the bread and were not vsed to haue dry Communions as the Church of Rome diateth her Disciples Thirdly that the people dâ—d consent to the prayer of the minister did say Amen Lastly that they vsed to bow down worship God with all reuerence to whom they prayed in the action of receiuing answering Amen The two former points serue to conuince the practise of the Papists that thrust the bread into the mouths of the coÌ„municants and depriue them vtterly of the cup and the two latter such of our brethren among vâ— as vrge the necessity of sitting and condemne the gesture of kneeling as an impiety for asmuch as wee see the people in those tâ—mes did both bow their haÌ„ds to take it Application of the former testimonies prostrate their bodâ—es to receiue it with prayer And I would gladly be informed and resolued by these when the minister prayeth that the body of Christ may bee an effectuall instrument sanctified of God for the preseruation of their bodies soules whether they do not in their hearts and soules ioyne with him earnestly crauing and desiring this blessing If they do not it argueth against themselues little reuerence in receiuing and smal conscience in comming to this Sacrament to be no more moued then stones and to sit as senceles as their seats when prayer is made not to coÌ„sent vnto it wherof notwithstanding I do not nor dare not eâ—ther to accuse them or to suspect them If they do is it not fitter or at least as fit to pray kneeling as sitting For if it be
requisite that the minâ—ster should kneele at the deliuering of it as they pretend it is much more reasonable that the people kneele in the receiuing of it And albeit the former maner of answering Amen noted by the ancient and obserued by the people be not prescribed in our Liturgy as a law and commandement yet I doubt not but it is both intended by the Church and practised of euery good Christâ—an as a duty For when the minister saith according to the forme of administration vsed among vs The body of our Lord Iesus Christ which was giueÌ„ for thee preserue thy body and soule to euerlasting life c. who is it indued with any true feare of God and faith in Christ that doth not ioyne with him in heart secretly and seriously answere Amen If then we subscribe to that prayer in our soules to our selues although we do not answere to hâ—m with an audible voice how should it not be rather want of reuerence in vs to sit then fear of Idolatry in vs to kneele And it were not hard to produce the exaÌ„ple of some that haue formerly vsed to fit who hauing a tender conscience haue bin troubled that they sate did not vse the gesture of kneeling iudging of themselues that they did not receiue it in that reuerent maner which they ought If any say Obiection kneeling hath beene abused to Idolatry which is a grieuous sin I answere rather we should say that abuse hath bin committed in the time of kneeling But graÌ„t it to be so Answere this doth not touch vs at al who haue separated the abuse do retain the lawful vse of it We abhor the worshipping of the signes the committing of Idolatry eueÌ„ our aduersaries being iudges we haue purged the gesture of kneeling froÌ„ all pollution vse it onely to expresse our reuerence and deuotion If any shall wonder as it Why there is so little mention in antiquity of sitting standing or kneeling at the Communion and aske the question how it commeth to passe that there is so little mention of kneeling or sitting or standing in all Antiquity I answere with that honourable Lord of Plessis in another cause though for substance not farre different The Apostles and Ancients haue not pressed any thing but that which was of the ordinance and appointment of God leauing all the rest indifferent to the arbitrement determination of such as gouerned the Churches who haue authority to take order in such things as are lawfull and yet are neither commanded nor forbidden in the word I will lay before the eyes of those that are contrary minded two points to bee considered Many standing against the Ceremonies do yeeld to kneeling and then I will ende this Controuersie First it cannot be denyed which experience teacheth that diuers euen among those that haue stood against the Ceremonies yet do stand against them do neuerthelesse nothing dissent in opinion from the order prescribed in the Church but conforme themselues in practise to the same and haue beene authors and perswaders of conformity vnto others as might easily be prooued by sundry witnesses so that these two causes must be seuered and diuided Secondly it will be very hard if not vnpossible to alledge the testimony of any learned man before our times No writers vntill 〈◊〉 times hold it vnlawfull to kneele so farre as I or others of greater reading can remember that held it absolutely wicked or vnlawfull to kneele at the taking of the Sacrament and therefore there is iust cause that others inferior vnto them should suspect their owne iudgement If then the most or at the least many euen among those that yeeld not to some other Ceremonies of the Church do notwithstaÌ„ding kneele at the Crmmunion with all reuerence and all the learned troope of classicall writers account this kneeling to bee lawfull indifferent in it selfe why should we be so wedded to our owne opinions as to fasten an imposition of impiety and idolatry vpon it as we do as if all were wicked persons and idolaters that submit themselues vnto it This point I haue briefly touched in this place Booke 3 ca 6. but handled more at large in the Booke it selfe whereunto I referre the Reader for farther and fuller satisfaction where I haue produced as godly and sauoury writings as I thinke are any in our age to the end that if we be led by the iudgement of men who set a byas vpon our iudgement we may also haue many that are as sufficient to ouerwaigh and ouersway the others Neuerthelesse I begin not without some cause to suspect before hand that I am like to incurre the displeasure of such as are contrary minded whom I haue no thought or purpose to offend but rather to winne to that which I am perswaded is the truth And albeit I haue protested sufficiently touching my soundnesse and sincerity in this behalfe Pag 434. yet I feare offence will be taken where none is eyther giuen or intended therefore if any shall vnchristianly and vncharitably censure me I wâ—ll comfort my selfe in the cleerenes of mine owne conscience so that if mine aduersary should write a book against me Iob. 31 35 36 surely I would take it vpon my shoulder and binde it as a Crowne vnto me 1 Cor. 4 3. I haue learned to say with the Apostle With me it is a very small thing that I should bee iudged of you or mans iudgement yea I iudge not mâ—ne owne selfe I cannot forget the words of iust Iob when he was scoffed and scorned of his friends he appealed from them to the sentence of the Almighty chap. 16. Ioh. 16 19 Behold my witnesse is in heauen and my record is on high It is noted of Alcibiades when one lifted vp his staffe to strike him if hee would not hold his peace that trusting in the iustice of his cause the strength of the truth he answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Plutar. Smite so that thou wilt heare So it shall be no great griefe vnto mee to be taunted by the tongue or traduced by the pen if I may either strengthen any that wauer or recouer any that wander or confirme any that stand it is enough I haue my desire and a good recompence for my paines Now I proceede to buckle with the common aduersary both of them and vs I meane the popish sort who as they haue notoriously corrupted the maine pointes of religion so none more horribly then the Sacraments Sundry nouelties taught in the Church of Rome and by no meanes more then by the blasphemous Masse and the Idolatrous seruice belonging to that Idoll I haue oftentimes maruelled with what face or forehead they can aske of vs where our Church was before Martin Luther or Iohn Wickliffe as if it were vnknowne or vnheard of in the former times whereas theÌ„selues are not able to declare or demonstrate where the Romane
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
compact which the eternall God hath in great mercy and compassion made with mortall and miserable men accepting them into grace and fauour promising to them remission of their sins and saluation of their 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 compact which the eternall God hath in great mercy and compassion made with mortall and miserable men accepting them into grace and fauour promising to them remission of their sins and saluation of their soules These my rude though renewed labours I willingly submit to the wise censure of my learned Brethren remembring that the spirits of the Prophets are subiect vnto the Prophets If I haue any where erred through humane infirmity 1 Cor. 14 32 or mistaken the matter any way which I go about to prooue or perswade I desire them heartily by some meanes to giue mee friendly notice thereof which I shall receiue as precious balme or as an excellent oyle that shall not breake my head Psal 141 5 The Lord God almighty from whom euery good giuing and euery perfect giuing proceedeth establish vs in the New Couenant and make vs carefull to keepe the conditions thereof to the increase of our knowledge to the growth of our faith to the furtherance of our obedience to the comfort of our soules and to the glory of his great name Amen Amen Thy Brother in Christ our Sauiour William Attersoll THE FIRST BOOKE OF THE Sacraments in generall Of the agreement and difference betweene the Word and Sacraments CHAP. 1. GOD euen from the beginning added vnto the preaching of the word a God alway gaue his sacraments to his Church his Sacramentes in the Church as the Scripture teacheth outwardly repesenting and visibly offering to our sight those things that inwardly hee performeth to vs as b Gen 2 9. the tree of life the tree of knowledge of good euil in the Garden After mans fall when a new necessity was added in regard of mans want and weakenesse he testified his loue and ratified his Coueant by sacrifices Ceremonies to our first Parents Hee gaue the c Gen. 6 14. Arke to Noah and his sonnes to confirme them in the promise which he made to them that they should not be drowned with the rest of the world Hee added to Abraham d Gen. 17 11. the signe of circumcision as a seale e Rom 4 11. of the righteousnesse of faith and to the Israelites hee gaue the Passeouer Manna oblations purifications the brazen Serpent the Rocke and such like spirituall tipes whereby he assured them of the promise that God for the onely sacrifice of Christ wrought vpon the Crosse would giue to all that beleeue forgiuenes of sinnes and euerlasting life Now the word of God may fitly bee resembled to writings and euidences and the f The agreemeÌ„t between the Word Sacraments Sacraments to seales which the Lord alone setteth to his owne letters They are as a visible Sermon preaching vnto vs most liuely the promises of God that as the worde wee heare doth edifie and instruct the minde by the outward eares so do the Sacraments by the eyes and other senses First then that wee may vnderstand the doctrine nature of the Sacraments wee are to consider what the word and Sacraments haue in common and how they agree one with another then what they haue peculiar and proper each to other and how they differ one from another The argument betweene them standeth in these points First both are of God and instruments which the Holye Ghost vseth to this ende to make vs more and more one with Christ and partakers of saluation not that God needeth them or that he is tyed vnto them for as he can nourish without meate and drinke so he can saue without word or Sacraments but because wee neede them hee vseth them when hee will and as often as it pleaseth him The same which is published and promised by the worde of God is signified and sealed by the Sacraments For they are not a deliuering of new promises and articles of faith but seale vp such as are offered in the word Secondly although God vse them as instruments of his grace yet the especiall working and forcible power of them is not in them but dependeth on God alone so that wee must not thinke that whosoeuer partaketh them is partaker of grace saluation forgiuenesse of sinnes and euerlasting glory but the vertue of them floweth from him onely as from a fountaine A man may heare the word and receiue the Sacraments all the dayes of his life and be neuer the better except God change the minde open the heart enlighten the vnderstanding cleanse the conscience and sanctifie the affections to his glory Thirdly as the preaching of the word profiteth nothing vnlesse it be vnderstood applied and receiued but g Heb. 4 1. tendeth to iudgement so the Sacraments except wee bring the hand of faith with vs cannot giue vs faith nor grace but tend to our condemnation Yet as the Gospell is alwaies the sauour of life vnto life of it owne nature and the h Heb. 4 12. word liuely and of comfortable operation howsoeuer the vnfaithfull turne it to be the sauour of death vnto death So the Sacraments cease not in themselues to bee true Sacraments although they bee administred by vnworthy Ministers and receiued by vnfaithfull people For mans wickednesse cannot peruert much lesse euert the nature of Gods ordinance Lastly as the best seede springeth not vp and bringeth not fruit so soone as it is sowne but lyeth a time couered in the earth to take rooting so the fruite reaped by the word and benefit receiued by the Sacraments presently appeareth not but groweth and increaseth at the time appointed of God who will blesse them in his elect at what season himselfe hath ordained Thus wee see what the word and Sacraments haue in common both are instruments of the same grace both haue their benefit blessing and force depending on God both require faith to bee mingled with them without which they are vnprofitable and lastly they profite not by and by at the same moment they are published administred heard or receiued but God afterward worketh oftentimes by them in his children to their great comfort when all fruite to come by them seemed to be buried The Disciples at the first vnderstood no more of Christs resurrection then the vnbeleeuing Iewes did when hee saide i Iohn 2 19. Destroy this Temple and I wâ—ll builde it againe in three dayes But they lay it vp in their hearts and long afterward remember the words he spake vnto them So wheÌ„ they saw Christ riding to Ierusalem the multitude spreading their garments in the way and cutting
downe branches k Mat. 21 8. from the trees the Citty moued and Children crying in the Temple Hosanna to the Sonne of Dauid they l Iohn 12 16. vnderstood none of those things at the first But when Iesus was glorified then remembred they that these things were written of him and that they had done such things vnto him If then at the present time of our hearing or receiuing we finde not nor feele the fruite and comfort we desire let vs not doubt and despaire but waite on God who in his owne apointed times will make his owne ordinances auaileable to all his seruants Thus much of the things that are common to the word and Sacraments In the next place let vs see m Difference betweene the word and sacraments what they haue proper peculiar and so differ one from another First forasmuch as the Sacraments are appurtenances and dependances to the word and are applied to this end to seale vp our communion with Christ our fellowship one with another it appeareth that in men of riper yeares the teaching and hearing of the word preached and the open confession and profession of faith did go before participation of the Sacraments as Math. 28. n Mat. 28 19. Goe teach all Nations that is make them Disciples of Christ gaine them to the faith as the word signifieth and then baptize them Thus Philip taught the Eunuch before hee baptized him Acts 8. to whom when the Eunuch said What letteth mee to be baptized Philip answered If thou beleeuest with all thine heart thou maiest and he said I beleeue that Iesus Christ is the Son of God And Acts 10. Can any forbid water that these should not be baptized which haue receiued the Holy-Ghost as well as we Indeede touching childrens baptisme there is another especiall respect to be had of which we shall speake afterward But touching others this is the 1. difference betweene them that whereas the word was offered euen to such as were out of the Church not hauing heard of the name of Christ and none excluded or debarred from the hearing of it whether beleeuers or vnbeleeuers holy or prophane Iew or Gentile Barbarian or Schythian 1 C. 14 No person being an vnbeleeuer or Infidell was euer admitted to the Sacraments although he should offer himselfe for that had beene to giue t Mat. 7 6. that which is holy to Dogges and to cast pearles before Swine but such only as were instructed in the faith and had made publike confession thereof as members of the Church Another difference is in the necessity end and vse aswell of the one as of the other The preaching of the word is the ordinary meanes and instrument of the Holy-Ghost to beget and begin faith in vs except God doe deale extraordinarily which of vs is not to be looked for and none hath entrance to Christ but by faith so that men if they will be saued must heare it But the Sacraments are of another nature they cannot ingender faith in vs we must bring faith with vs least we partake them vnworthily so that hee which beleeueth and could not come to the Sacraments is yet partaker of saluation Wherefore the necessity of them is not simply and absolutely so great that without exception a man cannot bee saued without them for it is the contempt not the want of them that bringeth danger and damnation Thirdly it may sometimes fall out that in a visible Church the word preached may be found as an essentiall note of the Church without the Sacraments and yet be a true Church of God so that the word may be without the Sacraments but the Sacraments cannot be without the word as a writing may bee without a seale but not the seale without the writing set a seale to a blanke and it is vaine voyde and vnprofitable Last of all the preaching of the word rouseth and affecteth onelye one of the senses to wit the eares wee see it not wee touch it not wee handle it not only wee heare the sound thereof but the Sacraments are offered to the eyes as well as to the eares so that wee doe euē behold Iesus Christ as it were crucified before vs nay they moue and stirre vp the rest of the senses whereby wee may vnderstand what they bring to what ende they serue and how they doe auaile vnto our faith making vs after a sorte to handle Christ with our hands and to see him with our eyes to taste him and touch him with our whole body Wherefore they do u How the sacraments are more effectuall then the word more seale vp then the word not that God is more true of his promise when he worketh by signes then when he speaketh by his word but in respect of the manner of teaching and receiuing because by his Sacraments hee representeth his promises as it were painted in a Table a Horat. lib. de arte pocti Segnius irritant animos demissa per aures quam quae sunt oculis subiecta fidelibus c. and setteth them foorth liuely as in a picture before our eyes that we may not only heare but see handle touch taste and euen digest them Againe the promise of the Gospel is more effectually declared and sealed vp by the Sacraments then by the bare word not for the substance and matter it selfe but for the manner of working which is heere full perfect and more effectuall so as that which wee perceiue and receiue by many senses as hearing and seeing is more sure and certaine then that which is discerned by hearing onely Hitherto of the agreements and differences betweene word and Sacraments and we haue shewed that so soone as God gaue his word immediately he seconded the same with his Sacraments The vses which wee are to make Vse 1 heereof are these First seeing God contenteth not himselfe with the word onely but addeth the Sacraments in all ages and times of the Church which proceedeth partly through his owne goodnesse and partly through mans weakenesse we ought to bee so farre from despising the Sacraments that contrary-wise we must confesse the benefite vse and worthinesse of them can neuer be sufficiently magnified and commended nor they with sufficient reuerence be receiued Wee are dull to conceiue his promises slow to remember them we are full of doubtting vnbeleefe we are like to Thomas b Iohn 20 25. one of the Disciples we will not beleeue them vntill in some sort we see them in some measure feele them in our hearts Wherefore God hath ordained these mysteries and holy actions to keepe in continuall memory his great benefits bestowed vpon man to seale vp his promises and as it were to offer vnto our sight those things which inwardly hee performeth to vs and thereby strengtheneth and increaseth our faith through the working of his Spirit in our soules An house the more props and postes it hath to sustaine support it the more weake and
ruinous it is whereas if it were strong enough it needed nothing to beare it vp euen so seeing God contenteth not himselfe with bestowing vpon vs and blessing of vs with his word but giueth vnto vs together with his word his holy Sacraments also so that our faith is not onely vnderset with the one but vnderpropped with the other it serueth to lay before our eyes our weakenesse our distrust and our vnbeleefe For if we had fulnesse and perfection of faith we should haue no neede eyther of the worde or Sacraments and therefore when this world shall haue an end the ministry of the word shall cease and the administration of the SacrameÌ„ts shall be abolished Seeing then the word is not sufficient but the Sacraments were added for further assurance wee must in this behalfe consider the great goodnesse of God towards vs who doth not onely giue vs faith by his word as by his sauing instrument but hath also added to his word Sacraments or seales of his promise and grace that by the lawfull vse of them he might vphold and strengthen our faith through his blessed Spirit For in asmuch as the Lorde not onely sent the blessed seede for the redemption of mankinde for the remission of our sinnes and for the brusing of the Serpents head but ordained for vs Sacraments to bee pledges of his promises testimonies of his faithfulnesse and remedies of our distrustfulnesse we must freely confesse and thankfullye acknowledge the bottomlesse depth of Gods endlesse mercy towards vs who vouchsafeth to be our God to be reconciled to vs being vile and miserable sinners to make a league couenant with dust and ashes and deliuer his onely Sonne to suffer the shamefull death of the Crosse for vs. And withall wee must â—abor more and more to feele our owne blindnesse distrust infidelity and peruerse nature wee would easily forget this mercy of God vnlesse it had beene continually represented before our eyes Againe seeing nothing is offered and giuen in the Sacraments Vse 2 which is not published in the Gospell seeing they cannot bee where there is no word and seeing the same Christ with all his benefits is propounded in both it meeteth with a common corruption and lamentable practise among many professors that desire and craue especially in sicknesse and extremity often to come to the Lords Table but esteeme little of the preaching of the word and that seeme to languish with a longing after the Sacrament but neuer mourne and lament for want of the word which is as great an error and madnesse as if one should euer looke vpon the seale of his writings but neuer regard the conueiance of his estate Is there not one God the author of both Is there not one Spirite that sealeth vp his promises by both Is Christ deuided that speaketh euidently vnto vs in both How is it then that many desire the Sacrament of the Lords supper seeme to pine away through want thereof who neuer wish or regard the preaching of the Gospell which is the foode of the soule the key of the Kingdome the immortall seede of regeneration and the high ordinance of God to saue those c Ro. 1 16 and 10 14. that beleeue And whence proceedeth it but from palpable ignorance in the matters of God and their owne saluation to be much troubled that the Sacrament is not brought vnto them and yet neuer couet to haue a worde of comforte spoken to them in due season Let all such persons vnderstand that as the Minister d Acts 15 21 and 19 4 and 2 42 40. is charged from God to teach euery Sabboath day and to preach the word in season and out of season to deale the bread to the hungry and to giue vnto euery one in the family his portion so is it required of all the people to desire the sincere milk of the word of God that they may grow thereby which howsoeuer it bee to them that perish foolishnesse yet to such as are called e 1 Cor. 1 24. it is the wisedome of God and the power of God Thus Origen a man excellently learned among the Ancients one of the most ancient saith When yee receiue the Lords supper with al heed reuerence ye take heed that no smal peece fal froÌ„ it by negligence to the ground how theÌ„ do you think it is a matter of lesse heinous offence to neglect his word then his body Wherby we see in the iudgement of this Father and Doctour of the Church the losse of the word is as great a want as the losse of the Sacrament and the neglect of the word is as high an offence as the neglect of the SacrameÌ„t for asmuch as one God is the author of them both and the worker by them both Wherefore we are deceiued if wee make account that there is lesse danger in neglecting the word of God then in neglecting the Sacrament of his last supper but wee must take heede that while wee willingly desire the one wee doe not wilfully despise the other For wee must carefully consider that as the Sacrament is a visible word so the worde is a speaking Sacrament and as God lifteth vp his voice vnto vs in the one so hee reacheth out his hand vnto vs in the other Wee must as well heare when hee calleth as receiue when hee offereth Now by his word preached hee calleth by his Sacraments administred hee offereth his graces vnto vs and as wee must haue hands stretched out for the one so wee must haue eares opened for the other Lastly seeing the Sacraments are so neerely linked together Vse 3 and ioyne as friends hand in hand one with another it checketh all such as are content to come ordinarily and vsually to heare the word and will scarce misse one Sermon howbeit when the Sacrament of the supper is administred they are so sencelesse and secure that except it bee at Easter when they come to it of custome rather then of conscience for feare rather then of faith they make small reckoning of it neither thinke it their duty to resort vnto it Woe vnto all them that vnioyne and put asunder those things which God hath coupled together woe vnto such as doe the worke of the Lord negligently or deceitfully This is to serue him 〈◊〉 halfes and to worship him after our owne inuentions For as it is a counterfeit repentance to leaue one sinne and cleaue to another so it is a fained holinesse to follow one ordinance of God and to omit or forsake another True repentance standeth in denying of all sinne and true religion consisteth in practising of all good things of God Among many that are often hearers of the worde you shall not finde many that are often receiuers of the Supper of the Lord. These are like vnto Ahaz mentioned in the Prophet Esay when God offered vnto him a signe and bad him aske it eyther in the depth Esay 7 11. or in the height
Church and hidden from others so the ancient teachers of the Latine Church called them Sacraments in respect of the affinity and neerenesse betweene them and a Sacrament For a Sacrament properly is that solemne oath in warre by which Souldiers bound themselues to their chief Captaine Such a regard had the olde Romanes in the discipline of their warres that it was d Cicero de offic Lib. 1. not lawfull for any to kill an enemy or enter into the battell to fight vnlesse he were sworne a Souldier So when wee are partakers of these holye signes which God hath appointed in his Church by which he bestoweth vpon vs spirituall guifts e A SacrameÌ„t properly is the Souldiers oath metaphorically the Churches band binding them to God we do bind our selues to him we professe openly his true religion we vow to fight vnder his banner against our enâ—mies so that they are testimonies and tokens of the couenant betweene God and vs that he is our God and we binde our selues to bee his people to serue him and no other God So circumcision was a seale of Gods promise to Abraham and a seale of Abrahams faith and obedience toward God By them man is bound to God and God vouchsafeth to binde himselfe to man Wherefore the word Sacrament being translated from the campe to the Church from a Souldier to a Christian from a ciuill vse to an holy let vs see in this sence and signification what it is Now the word beeing borrowed from warres is f A Sacrament considered 2. wayes taken two waies first in a generall signification and may comprehend all manner of signes whether naturall or miraculous or voluntary which God commanded men to vse to assure them of the vndoubted truth of his promise as when hee gaue to Adam in the Garden the tree of life to bee a pledge of his immortality the Raine-bow to Noah and his posterity sometimes hee gaue them miraculous signes as light in a smoaking Furnace to Abraham the fleece wet the earth beeing drye and the earth wet the fleece beeing drye to Gedeon to promise and performe victory to Gedeon In this large acceptation of the worde we doe not intreate of the Sacraments wee speake properly of those which God hath left to be ordinary in his Church to bee seales of our communion with Christ and of the righteousnesse which is by faith A Sacrament g What a Sacrament is thus considered is a visible signe and seale ordained of God wherby Christ and all his sauing graces by certaine outward rites are signified exhibited and sealed vp vnto vs. In this description wee are to consider these 3. things First the whole kinde or generall secondly the cause or author thereof and lastly the vse of this doctrine deliuered Touching the first whereas it is saide that a sacrament is a visible signe and seale this is prooued and confirmed in sundry places of the scripture as Gen. 17. speaking of circuÌ„cision he saith h Gen. 17 11. It shall be a signe of the couenant betweene me and thee And Ro. 4. speaking of Abraham he saith i Rom. 4 11 He receiued the signe of circumcision as a seale of the righteousnesse of faith Indeede a signe and a seale differ one from another as the generall from the especiall for euery seale is a signe but euery signe is not a seale A seale certifieth assureth and confirmeth a thing a signe onely sheweth it but a Sacrament doth both It is a signe to signifie and represent a seale to ratifie and assure an instrument to conferre and conueigh Christ with all his benefits to them that truely beleeue in him a pledge vnto vs of Gods promises a visible word and as a notable glasse wherin we may behold k August de doct Christ lib. 2. Cap. 1. assured testimonies of Gods eternall fauour and of the abundant riches of his grace which hee bestoweth vpon vs. This teacheth vs to acknowledge there is more in the Sacraments then is seene with the eyes or felt with the hands and therefore we must not conceiue vnreuerently of them nor come negligently vnto them making them meere carnall and outward things but wee must thinke reuerently speake soberly receiue humbly and penitently these holy mysteries Againe hereby we are brought to beleeue the promises of God for if the Sacraments be not onely signes of his fauour but seales of our faith can wee doubt of his mercy and good meaning toward vs hauing left such pawnes and pledges thereof with vs that wee might haue assured comfort and comfortable assurance of saluation and eternall life Is it not among men matter of assurance and a note of true dealing to haue a pledge left with vs But behold God hath left vnto vs two pawnes of his promises as it were an earnest-penny that our faith should not wauer If then his alone worde bee al-sufficient hauing a noble addition of the Sacraments as of his seales let vs beleeue his promises and in all tentations rest vpon them with all confidence and consolation Secondly it is saide l Sacraments were instituted oâ— God alone a Sacrament is a diuine ordinance Not any Angell or Arch-angell not any Prince or Potentate but onely God himselfe is the author and ordainer of all holye signes and Sacraments This appeareth by many witnesses out of the worde of God I haue set my bow in the cloud and it shall bee for a signe of the couenant betweene mee and the earth and when I shall couer the earth with a cloud and the bow shall be seene in the cloud then will I remember my couenant which is betweene me and you Where wee see that when God determined to bee mercifull vnto the world and neuer to drowne the same with water againe as he had drowned it he gaue them a signe of his promise to wit His bow in the clouds When God would witnesse and stablish to Abraham and his seede after him the promise of his mercy hee ordained a Sacrament to confirme the same Gen. 17. This is my couenant which ye shall keepe betweene me and you let euery man child among you be circumcised And the Apostle saith I haue receiued of the Lord that which I haue deliuered vnto you And Christ himselfe instituted Baptisme and sent forth his Disciples to preach the Gospell All these testimonies as a cloud of witnesses doe confirme vs in this truth that none hath power authority in the Church to institute a Sacrament but only God And the reasons are apparant First the Sacraments belong to the seruice and worship of God now it resteth not in man to appoint and prescribe a seruice of God but to retaine and imbrace that which is taught by him For in vaine they worship him teaching for doctrines mens precepts Againe the Sacramentall signes haue Gods promises annexed vnto them confirming vs in the same which they could not doe but by the blessing and benefit of him that promiseth
yet if wee bee vncleane and vnpure we make them all vnpure to our selues I say to our selues but not to others For why should they bear the blame of our impurity or why should they bee punished for our iniquity The Apostle speaking of the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11. saith He that eateth and drinketh vnworthily eateth and drinketh iudgement to himselfe not discerning the Lords body hee cannot eate and drinke iudgement to other men but hee may to himselfe Likewise the same Apostle writing to Titus saith Chap. 1.15 Vnto the pure all things are pure but vnto them that are defiled and vnbeleeuing is nothing pure but euen their minde and conscience is defiled No man can defile the Sacraments to others but onely to himselfe forasmuch as they take their nature and borrow their force from God not from men and therefore are not to bee esteemed by the vice or vertue of the Minister but by the power and vertue of God If a Prince should send vs a pardon by his letters pattens and deliuer them into the hand of a wicked man as God sent Iudas the son of perdition to the Children of Israel to preach vnto theÌ„ that the kingdome of God was at hand would we refuse the pardon because of the wickednesse of the messenger Or may wee thinke it to bee lesse forcible and auaileable because hee is an vngodly person Woe then vnto those that bring in againe the damnable doctrine and practise of the Donatists long since buried and shaken in peeces who make a schisme in the Church depart out of the church for the faults offences of the Ministers because wee are not baptized into the names of the Ministers neyther are made partakers of the supper of the Ministers but we are baptized in the name of God and we are made partakers of the Supper of the Lord. They are therefore their owne enemies that looke too much vpon the messenger and too Vse 2 little vpon him that sendeth him vnto vs. Secondly is God the true and onely author and appointer of Sacraments Then none must adde vnto or take from the Sacraments instituted by him in the church no more then vnto the c Deut. 4. worde it selfe Deutronomy 4. Yee shall put nothing to the word which I command you neyther shall ye take ought there from that ye may keepe the commandements of the Lord your God which I command you And Reuel 22 18 19. If any man shall d Reuel 22 18 19. adde vnto these things God shall adde vnto him the plagues that are written in this booke and if any man shall diminish of the words of the booke of this prophesie God shall take away his part out of the booke of life If the Sacraments were the inuentions of men they might also fitly receiue the additions and subtractions the changes and the alterations of men but seeing they are the ordinances of God we must be content to haue them ordered by God All Ceremonies therefore and rites deuised by men as parts of Gods worship are so many abhominations and innouations of his seruice As God onely can gratiously promise so hee can onely effectually performe what he hath promised Wherefore we must condemne those as guilty of rebellion against God that bouldly breake out eyther to deuise new Sacramentes or to adde and detract from them that God hath ordained We are commanded to rest in those that he hath appointed to the Church in his worde for as well wee may deuise a new word as deliuer a new Sacrament aswell wee may coyne a new Article of faith as bring in a new confirmation of of faith Thirdly wee learne heereby that they which condemne Vse 3 the Sacraments and will not suffer them to bee of any force with themselues and making small account of them doe esteeme them as trifles or otherwise abuse them contrary to the institution will and commandement of Christ all these do greeuously sinne not against man but against the author of them that is God who hath ordained them and greatly indanger their owne saluation as 1. Cor. 11. He that eateth drinketh vnworthily e 1 Cor. 11 29 eateth drinketh his owne iudgement because hee discerneth not the Lords body If a man contemne or any way contumeliously abuse the seale of a Prince he is punished and therefore such as scorne and make a mocke of the Sacraments which are the seales of God cannot goe scot-free but shall bee indighted of high treason and rebellion against his Maiesty The last point to bee considered in the description of a Sacrament is the end of them where it is added Whereby Christ and al his sauing graces by certaine outward rites are signified exhibited and sealed vp to vs. This is proued directly by the Apostle 1. Cor. 10 16. The f 1 Cor. 10 16 cup of blessâ—ng which we blesse is it not the Communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we breake is it not the Communion of the bodye of Christ So Peter speaketh Acts 2. of the other Sacrament g Acts 2 38. Amend your liues and be baptized euery one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes and ye shall receiue the guifts of the Holy-Ghost And Paul saith in another place All ye h Gal. 3 27. that are baptized into Christ haue put on Christ Our soules are washed in the bloud of Christ his buriall his resurrection his sanctification his wisedome his righteousnesse his redemption is made ours all his benefits are ours as Christ is ours Vse 1 Let vs make vse of this point and apply it to our selues First is Christ the summe and substance of all Sacraments Then the Church of Rome is heere condemned that say we make the Sacraments bare and naked signes God forbid that we should say so or make them to be so they are the sure seales of Gods promises heauenly tokens spiritual signes and authentike pledges of the grace and righteousnesse of Christ giuen and imputed vnto vs. The Sacraments and sacrifices of the olde Testament were not bare signes Circumcision was not i Rom. 2 28.29 a bare signe as Rom. 2. This is not circumcision which is outward in the flesh but the circumcision of the heart And In Christ k Col. 2 11 12. yee are circumcised with circumcision made without hands by putting off the sinfull body of the flesh through the circumcision of Christ Euen so Baptisme is no bare signe it were great blasphemy so to speake it were very great iniquity so to thinke The grace of God doth worke with his Sacraments and therfore the signes are neuer receiued in vaine of the faithfull and worthy receiuer The water washeth not from sinne the bread and wine feede not to eternall life but it is the precious blood of Christ that doth cleanse vs from al sin and purchaseth for vs all grace which is the life and the truth of the outward signes Againe
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
commanding the continuall vse thereof vntil the second comming of Christ The promise is This is my body which is giuen for you this is my bloud of the new Testament shed for you and for many for remission of sinnes Whatsoeuer signes of holye things God gaue to strengthen the faith of his children we may see discerne that God alwaies added the word to the seale the voice to the signe and doctrine to the sight so that when the signe was seene the worde was heard When one of the Seraphins bearing an hot coale in his hand which he had taken from the alter e Esa 6 6 7. touched the mouth of the Prophet hee said Loe this hath touched thy lips and thine iniquity shall be taken away and thy sins shall be purged Now wee know a coale hath not power and force to take away sinne but the word vttered by the Angell did assure him that he should be purged by the Holy-Ghost which was signified by the fire So when Ieremy saw the rod of an Almond tree the Lord saide vnto him Thou hast well seene for I will hasten my word to performe it He ioyneth the signe with the word for a more ample cōfirmation signifying by the rod of almond which first buddeth the hastye comming of the Babylonians against the Iewes Againe when Christ gaue to his Disciples the Holy-Ghost hee breathed on them and said f Iohn 20 22. Receiue the Holy-Ghost The corporall blast and breathing was not the Holy-Ghost but he added his word and promise with the outward signe to assure them that with the breathing hee bestowed a blessing Thus we see that the Sacraments haue the worde alwayes ioyned with them and without the worde whereby their institution and vse is declared they are as a dead bodye without life as a dumbe shew without voice as an empty cloud without water and as a barren tree without fruite Let vs apply this doctrine to our selues First it teacheth that they partake not the Sacraments aright that haue not the knowledge of the word that are ignorant both of the ordinance and institution of God and of the promise annexed to the institution of God of which sort there are many in the world that neuer labour to know what he hath appointed and commanded them to do If they do as others of the Church do therein they rest and seeke no further to be able to warrant their owne worke If they heare the word spoken if they see the body washed the bread broken and the wine poured out and receiue the outward signes they regard no more they go no higher they imagine that they haue done enough g Vnderstanding of the institution required of all they neuer desire to vnderstand the meaning of the words which are necessary to bee knowne comfortable to bee vnderstood and profitable to be marked If a man haue goods befallen or legacies bequeathed vnto him by any will or Testament will he not resort to his learned counsell to be carefull to vnderstand the Testament and know the meaning of the Testator Christ Iesus before his death made his will he hath made his children heires of his promise hee promiseth to them forgiuenesse of sinnes in this life and eternall life in the world to come Doth it not now behooue euery faithfull Christian to search into it and know what is promised and bequeathed vnto him Men of this world for the most part make their eldest and first borne heire of all and leaue little to the other but euery childe of God is as the eldest and as the h Exod. 4 22. first borne most deare to him he shall receiue his double portion the second shall haue no lesse then the first nor the third lesse then the second nor the younger then the elder the first shall be as the last and the last as the first for hee may doe with his owne what he list Againe if a man doe leaue all his sonnes heyres and rich inheritors for the most part lesse is bestowed on the daughters but all the children of God both his sonnes and daughters i Rom. 8 17. Gal. 4 7. shal be heyres euen the Heires of God and heyres annexed with Christ Iesus their share shal be as great as the portion of Sonnes Moreouer when a man hath passed all the dayes of his life in carke care what can he giue to his posterity but earthly riches and a transitory possession a fading inheritance leauing thē inheritors as well of his sorrow as of his substance It is not so with the children of God Christ by his last will and Testament hath promised to make his people sound in faith rich in hope blessed in the pardon of their sinnes heires of the kingdome which hee hath promised to them that loue him This is a great and vnspeakeable comfort to all Gods children whether high or low whether rich or poore So then we ought to bee much more carefull earnest to know throughly vnderstand perfectly the will of Christ then any naturall child is to search the meaning of the wil of his natural father And if men were not wholy carnall they would be thus far spiritually minded Againe is the word an outward part of the Sacrament Vse 2 Then the Sacraments must neuer be separated set apart from the worde They are not dumbe shewes and idle signes but haue alwaies the doctrine of God adioyning vnto them to shew the end vse and profite of them and the purpose of God in them This appeareth in all places where God gaue signes to confirme assure the truth of his promises When he gaue in mercy to Noah and al his posterity the k Gen. 9 11. Raine-bow immediately after the flood as a signe of his couenant hee addeth his word vnto the signe My couenant will I establish with you that from henceforth all flesh shall not be rooted out by the waters of the flood neither shall there be a flood to destroy the earth any more This is it the Apostle meaneth 1. Cor. 11. Ye shew the Lords death till he come Where hee teacheth that the Lords Supper cannot be truely deliuered and rightly administred vnles there be a declaration and shewing foorth of the death of Christ Wherefore it is no Sacrament except the worde and doctrine be ioyned vnto it by way of explication exposition of the outward signe Lastly those Sacraments are proued heereby to be no Vse 3 Sacraments which are foisted and brought in without the warrant of the word For take away the word and what is the outward Element but a bare signe What is the water in baptisme but common water What is the bread in the Lords Supper but common bread What is the wine but common wine such as men vse and all men may take at their ordinary tables Seeing therefore such signes and Sacraments as haue not Gods commandement for their institution nor promise of grace and
g TransubstaÌ„tiation ouerthrowne whatsoeuer ouerthroweth the nature and vse of a Sacrament is not to be admitted but omitted neyther to bee receiued but reiected But transubstantiation ouerthroweth and ouerturneth both the nature and vse of a Sacrament and therefore not to be admitted and receiued into the Church For touching the nature of a Sacrament it is confessed h Iren. lib. 4. contr haer cap. 34. that it consisteth of two parts the one earthly and the other heauenly but if after the words of consecration the bread and wine are transubstantiated into the body and blood of Christ then the signe is taken away the element is ouerthrowne the materiall part is abolished and consequently the nature of a Sacrament is ouerturned And touching the vse of a Sacrament there must be an analogy and proportion betweene the signe the thing signified As in Baptisme the element of water washeth and purgeth the bodye so the Holy-Ghost through the blood of Christ cleanseth and sanctifieth the soule Likewise in the Lords Supper as the Substance of bread and wine receiued strengtheneth and comforteth the body so Christ i Ioh. 6 33. receiued by faith nourisheth feedeth the soule The very true principall vse of this Sacrament is to confirme our faith that as surely as those earthly creatures taken and applyed feed our bodies to a bodily life so the body and blood of Christ receiued and applyed by faith feed our soules to eternall life And do not all the faithfull feele a sweete comfort so often as they come to the Lords table by this similitude agreement to consider and know assuredly that as the substance of bread serueth to nourish and doth feede our bodyes so Christ doth feede our soules But if wee must beleeue that the substance of bread and wine is changed cleane gone that nothing remaineth but accidents where is this comfort and consolation How can wee bee assured and strengthened that as our bodies are nourished with the materiall elements so in like manner our soules by feeding on Christ Wherefore while they take away the substance of bread which should nourish the body the nature and vse of the Sacrament is destroyed and wee are spoyled of the comfort of our hearts and strengthning of our faith which wee should haue by this notable comparison and resemblance of the parts So then if wee would receiue comfort in comming to this Communion wee must retaine the substance of the signe as a staffe to stay vp our faith that it do not faile Lastly seeing God giueth vnto vs outward signes of his grace it serueth to teach vs that wheresoeuer and among whomsoeuer God continueth his signes he purposeth to bestow vpon them the things signified by the signes on the other side where God denyeth the meanes he also denyeth the thing wheÌ„ he taketh away the sign he taketh away the grace also This we see in the Turkes and Sarazins because he denyeth vnto them saluation hee taketh from them the seales and assurances of saluation and because he refuseth them to be his Church hee vouchsafeth not vnto them the prerogatiues and priuiledges of his Church Thus it falleth out in the preaching of the word vpon those whom God determineth to saue and to bestow vpon them the guift of faith whereby they are entred into the kingdome of heauen hee sendeth vpon them his word and causeth it to be preached vnto them but when he will not shew mercy but leaue a people in their miserable estate and condition he withdraweth the Ministry from them as we see in the Acts of the Apostles Chap. 16. When they were gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia They were forbidden of the holye Ghost to preach the word in Asia and after they were come to Mysia they assaied to go into Bithinia but the Spirite suffered them not Euen as when God will bring a famine vpon a land he with-holdeth the early and latter raine making the heauen to be as brasse and the earth as iron but when he will send plenty and open the windowes of heauen he sendeth a gracious raine and showers vpon the earth so when he will send a famine not of bread nor a thirst of water but of hearing the word of God hee taketh away his word and the meanes of saluation that they shall wander from sea to sea and runne to and fro to seeke the word of the Lord and shall not finde it but faint for thirst If any aske the question wherfore the Lord forbad Paul to preach the word in Asia and to come into Bythinia we cannot assigne this to be the cause that they were vnworthy to haue the doctrine of saluation offered vnto them forasmuch as they were as worthy as the Macedonians to whoÌ„ the Gospell was preached no more vnworthy then the other Gentiles Neither can we say this was the cause that God foresaw how euery one would receiue or entertaine the Gospel that as he saw them ready and inclined to accept of the word or to reiect it so he vouchsafed or not vouchsafed the same vnto them for hee pronounceth openly that he appeared to them of whom hee was not sought and spake vnto them that neuer asked after him Besides this were to ground the cause of saluation vpon our selues which is out of our selues and to ascribe it to our owne merite which is due onely to his mercy We are all by nature the children of wrath and destitute of the guift of faith if there be any willingnesse in vs to obey it proceedeth from the Spirite of God who as he electeth freely so he calleth freely Now that which is spoken of the preaching of the word may also be applied to the vse of the Sacraments When he purposeth to strengthen the faith which hee hath giuen vnto vs hee vouchsafeth the outward signes and seals of his promises that thereby wee should be assured he meaneth to bestow vpon vs the inward grace represented by them He dealeth iustly and vprightly with vs hee hath no purpose to beguile vs and deceiue vs. For they are no bare or naked much lesse false and lying signes but effectual instruments of the Spirite to conuey the mercies of God in Iesus Christ into our hearts and therefore we must bee carefull to vse them conscionably as certaine pawnes and pledges which God hath commended and committed vnto vs that they might be as witnesses of his loue and fauour towards vs. And thus much of the third outward part to wit the signe CHAP. VII Of the fourth outward part of a Sacrament THe last outward paâ—t of a Sacrament is the a The receiuer is an outward part of the Sacrament receiuer which is as needfull as the outward signe We vnderstand and take heere a receiuer in generall for euery one that commeth to the Sacrament whether good or euill godly or vngodly faithfull or vnfaithfull Such a receiuer is likewise a necessary part of the
vse to be a signe of the cleansing of the soule Bread and wine at mens tables in their houses are set before them for the nourishment of their bodies but at the Lords Table they are ordained of God to an higher and holier vse euen to bee signes of the body and blood of Christ This is noted by the Euangelists and by the Apostle Paul that b Mat. 26 26. Mar. 14 22. Luke 12 19. 1 Cor. 11 24. the Lord Iesus before he brake the bread and gaue it hee blessed and gaue thankes to his Father that hee had appointed him to bee the redeemer of the world and giuen him authority to institute this Sacrament in remembrance of his death and passion For whereas the Euangelist Mathew saith he blessed the other by way of exposition say Hee gaue thankes so that the blessing heere spoken of is Giuing of thankes which also appeareth Luke 9 16. compared with Ioh. 6 11. And the Apostle saith 1 Tim. 4. Euery creature of God is good if it be receiued with thanksgiuing for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer We see then that Consecration is when a thing is separated from a common and ciuill vse to a more speciall vse Iustin in Apol. 2 which is done by the authority of the word and by the vertue of prayer whereby it hath his ful force power and vertue The knowledge of this point serueth to cleere our Vse 1 doctrine to ouerthrow sundry errors of the Church of Rome First it sheweth that we hold and teach a consecration that is a sanctifying of the water in Baptisme and of the bread and wine in the Lords supper by the word by prayer and by thanksgiuing The bread â—â—d wine are changed not in nature but in quality not in substance but in vse not in essence but in the end not by force of certaine words but by Christs institution We acknowledge and confesse a consecration not a conuersion a sanctification of the signes not a transubstantiatioÌ„ of the substance into the body and blood of Christ Hee blessed and praised his Father as Mediator of the Church for the mystery of the redemption of mankinde and he g 1 Cor. 10 16 blessed the creatures that they might bee effectuall signes and serue for the confirmation and increase of our faith Secondly we are taught that consecration is not a bare and historicall reading of the Scripture neither a magical Vse 2 charme and incantation by force of certaine wordes as though these words This is my body being murmured and spoken ouer the bread and This cup is the new testament in my bloud whispered ouer the wine did fully finish a consecration and made the elements to bee immediately changed into the body and blood of Christ without any other obseruing of the institution For the Lord Iesus in pronouncing these words did not speake to the bread or to the wine but to his Apostles And hence it is that the forme of Christs giuing of thankes is not set downe by any Euangelist because our corruption and superstition is so great that if wee had the words we would ascribe power force to the words sillables and letters therfore the manner of his thanksgiuing is pretermitted This inclination of the heart is apparantly seene in the Romish Church who ascribe efficacy operation to the pronouncing of certaine words which is a part of sorcery a point of witchcraft Wheras we auouch that the whol action of taking breaking pouring out distributing eating drinking praying praising and rehearsing the institution of Christ are the consecration that is the separation of these creatures to this vse Thirdly if after the Sacramentall actions if after thanksgiuing to God if after prayer that we may vse the Creatures to the confirmation of our faith there doe follow consecration sanctification and change of the elements to another vse then the power effect and working of the Sacrament dependeth not vpon the intention of the Minister and therefore the h Concil Trident. sess 7. can 11. popish opinion is to bee refused and reproued that holdeth it to bee no Sacrament if the Minister haue not an intent and purpose in the administration thereof at least to do that which the church doth that is to consecrate the elements and to make a Sacrament If his mind bee not on his matters and his heart on his businesse in hand they holde it can be no Sacrament For otherwise saith Bellarmine If a Priest should reade the Gospell at the table of Prelates and religious men and in reading should pronounce these words This is my body this is my bloud then all the bread and wine vpon the Table should bee consecrate and changed into Christs body and blood which is not so because his intent is wanting Againe if a father should leade his son to the bath and there dip him in the water And say I wash thee in the name of the Father and though he think nothing of baptizing him yet it should be baptisme if an intent of baptizing were not required But I would gladly haue him answere this question What if a father should intend Baptisme by dipping his child in the bath whether that were baptisme or not Or suppose the Priest we spake of reading at the Prelates table should haue a minde and meaning to consecrate all the bread and wine vpon the table must it of necessity be a Sacrament and reall change of al Or admit the former Priest being in the saide Prelates wine celler supposing himselfe to bee in the Church and to stand at the Altar should pronounce the words of consecration with a purpose and intent to make a Sacrament should al the wine in that celler be turned into the blood of Christ Or if he being in a Bakers shoppe should there solemnely say This is my body with the foresaide resolution should all that bread be changed into the bodye of Christ Let them speake plainely let them tell vs directly what they hold I thinke they will not say so I am sure it is not so For other things are wanting that are needfull in this matter We haue shewed that a Sacrament is not made by bare pronouncing of certain words ascribing force to them after the manner of enchanters but the whole institution of Christ must be obserued k The Sacrament dependeth not vpon the intention of the Minister there must be distributing and receiuing there must bee prayer and thanksgiuing and from the vse of these followeth Consecration all which are wanting in the former examples and suppositions there is no taking no breaking no distributing no pouring out no receiuing no praying no thanksgiuing Wee see touching the word of God with what intent and vnder what pretence soeuer l Phil. 1 18. Mat. 23 2 3. it be preached if the Minister teach Christ crucified howsoeuer hee bee affected it may haue his effect in the heart and worke faith in the
is the vppermost is limbus patrum where the Fathers liued before Christ Heere is deepe diuinity of no small fooles heere are the great keyes of the popish religion howbeit because they are vttered without warrant they may be laughed at without danger and reiected without reproofe Lastly our religion and doctrine of the Sacraments that we professe cannot be vpbraided with strangenesse and nouelty we teach we receiue wee practise no more then was beleeued and receiued from the beginning The forme of our Church seruice is in substance the same which the Iewes vsed in their Synagogues for they read a Lecture out of the law and Prophets Acts 13 15. Acts 15 21. They preached the word they prayed they sung Psalmes and administred the Sacraments So in the primitiue Church they had all these they began with confession of sinnes they had the vse of baptisme and the Lords Supper in a knowne tongue as also the manner is among vs. It is the popish religion that sauoureth of nouelty and is defiled altogether in the marrow and pith of it with newfanglednesse some part of it being taken from the Pagans and some borrowed from the Iewes and some deuised by themselues to please and allure all sortes as the Alchoran of the Turkes was patched and pieced together partly from one sect and partly from another to try if by all meanes they might draw many Disciples after them and so make them twofolde more the children of hell then themselues Vse 4 Lastly haue we Christ deliuered vnto vs in the Sacraments Then let vs imbrace and lay hold vpon him and let vs feed vpon him forasmuch as wee haue all things necessary for vs giueÌ„ vnto vs by the riches of gods grace For he that findeth him wanteth nothing Hee hath wholesome meate to eate he hath a precious garment to put on he hath the posts of his house sprinkled with the blood of the Lambe that the Angel of the Lord cannot destroy him The heauenly blessings of God contained in his word in his Sacraments and in the exercises of our religion are most plentifull and excellent feasts spiritual nourishment to his seruants The Prophet speaking of the soules prouision which the great shepheard of the folde maketh for the sheepe of his pasture saith Psal 23. Thou preparest a Table before me in the presence of mine enemies thou annointest my head with oyle my cup runneth ouer Psal 36 8.9 And in another place They shall bee abundantly satisfied with the fatnesse of th ne house and thou shalt make them drinke of the riâ—er of thy pleasures Salomon in the book of the Prouerbs dâ—scribeth this feast at large and setteth downe the Maister of the feast the place of the feast the cookes and dressers of the feast the abundance of the prouision and the inuiting of the guests Prou. 9 1.2 3. Psal 9 1 2 3. Wisedome hath builded her house she hath hewen out her seauen pillars she hath killed her beasts she hath mingled her wine she hath also furnished her Table she hath sent forth her maidens she cryeth vpon the high places of the Citty c. These heauenly blessings which are the soules diet do as truely and fully satisfie and sustaine the life the health the strength and good estate of the soule as all outward prouision doth nourish and maintaine the body therfore the Prophet cryeth Ho euery one that thirsteth Esay 55 5. come ye to the waters and he that hath no money come ye buy and eate yea come buy wine and milke without mony and without price So doth Wisedome call the simple-hearted Prou. 9 5. Come eate of my bread and drinke of the wine which I haue mingled Seeing then we haue so many kinde callings let vs not refuse to come least thereby we refuse Christ himselfe who is both the maister and matter of the feast the feeder and the food the nourisher and the nourishment Let vs not be like to that vngodly and vngracious sonne who being called of his father to worke in his vineyard answered readily but answered hypocritically Mat. 21 30. I will Sir but went not If our hearts be toward God as his is toward vs let vs sit with him at the Table and eate in his presence If we open the doore to him he will come in to vs and we shall suppe with him and he with vs Reue. 3.20 Hence it is that Christ proclaimeth Ioh. 6.51 If any man eate of this bread he shall liue for euer If wee come to his Table and receiue not this bread of life we were better not come at all These things beeing thus made plaine and manifest let vs remember that excellent exhortation of the Apostle 1. Corinthians Chapter 5. stirring vp the Corinthians vpon this consideration to bee carefull solemnly to keepe this feast that seeing Christ our Paschall Lambe is slaine and crucified for vs and for our saluation wee should become a new lumpe wee should purge out the leauen of maliciousnesse and euery one follow after newnesse of life The Passeouer was an institution of God to the Israelites that they should kill and eate a Lambe without spot to bee a type and figure of that true Lambe and that with the blood thereof the postes of their doores should be sprinckled to the ende that the destroyer might passe ouer their houses wheÌ„ he slew the Egyptians Now these types are our examples and were written to admonish vs vpon whome the ends of the world are come The Lambe figured out Christ the sprinkling of their postes with the blood of the Lambe figured out the sprinkling of our conscieÌ„ces with the blood of Christ the passing ouer of them represented the merite of his death through which God passeth ouer our sinnes and doth not impute them vnto vs the feast of the Passeouer noteth out the spirituall ioy that wee are to receiue for our deliuerance from Sathan and eternall death the keeping of the feast without leauen signifieth the casting out of the remnants of infidelity and the infection of sinne and stirreth vs vp to leade an holye vncorrupt and vnblameable life in token of thankfulnesse to him that hath deliuered vs from so great wrath and vengeance to come and saued vs from death and damnation Hence it is that the Apostle saith 1. Corinthians Chapter 5. verse 7 8. Purge out therfore the olde leauen that ye may bee a new lumpe as yee are vnleauened for Christ our Passeouer is sacrificed for vs Therfore let vs keep the feast not with old leauen neither with the leauen of malice wickednes but with the vnleauened bread of sincerity and truth Then indeede wee acknowledge Christ to be ptesent with vs in the Sacraments and confesse that we are made partakers of him his graces when we learne to dye to sinne and to renounce all our euill waies and seeke to be vnited vnto him We cannot be partakers of his holinesse except we forsake
to God o Reuel 3.15.16 as it is said to the Church of the Laodiceans I know thy workes that thou art neither cold nor hot I would thou werest cold or hot therefore because thou art luke-warme and neither cold nor hot it shall come to passe that I shall spew thee out of my mouth Wherefore let vs not bee discouraged in wel-doing but walking through good report and euill report let vs remember that as Christ is our Lord and Maister so our profession and the Sacraments are our badges Vse 4 Lastly we see what our estate and condition is that we are not our owne but are subiect to Christ to serue him For do we beare his badge Then he is our maister If hee be our Maister Maâ— 1 6. where is the feare and reuerence due vnto him Is it not meete wee should shew our selues thankefull for so great mercies and guifts Were it not intollerable vnthankfulnesse and vnsufferable pride for any man to weare the cognizance of another and yet to scorne his seruice and deny him duty Might not one worthily checke and controule him as Christ did the Iewes who vnwillingly paide such taxes and tributes as were laid vpon them He called for a penny q Mat. 22 19.20 21. and said vnto them Whose image and superscription is this They said vnto him Caesars He answered Giue therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesars and giue to God the things that are Gods So likewise might one say fitly Whose badge wearest thou whose Armes bearest thou on thy sleeue Doth not this put thee in minde of thy state and condition and of the seruice and honour thou owest thy Maister In like manner may it be said to vs Whose badge bearest thou Is it not Christs we are not therefore our owne men as the Apostle reasoneth and concludeth 1 Cor. 6 19 20. Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy-Ghost which is in you whom ye haue of God and ye are not your owne For you are bought with a prâ—ce therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirite for they are Gods So many therefore as come without knowledge and true repentance breake their faith giuen to Christ and betray the body of Christ as much as in them lyeth Wherefore to the right vse and partaking of the Sacraments ther is required the knowledge of God in three persons especially of the person of Christ perfect God and perfect man and of his three offices to saue his people to be their Priest perfectly by sacrifice to reconcile and iustifie them to be their king by the gouernment of his Church to kill sinne in them and to sanctifie them to be their teacher to instruct them in the will of his heauenly Father After these is required true faith and earnest repentance otherwise we cannot receiue r Without faith and repentance we cannot receiue Christ Christ in the Sacraments Put food into the mouth of a dead man it cannot nourish him So if one that is vnworthy and vnfit lying dead and rotting in his sinne do come to the Sacraments certainely they do not giue him life and worthinesse Å¿ 1 Cor. 11 27 29. but such a one doth lade himselfe with a greater burden of sin and punishment as 1 Cor. 11. Whosoeuer shall eate this bread and drinke the cup of the Lord vnworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord he eateth and drinketh his owne iudgment because he discerneth not the Lords body CHAP. XVI Of the number of Sacraments HItherto we haue spoken of the chiefe vses of the Sacraments now we are come to speake a The number of Sacraments of the number of Sacraments according as we take the name and haue declared the nature of them Let vs see then how many such visible signes and seales of spiritual grace in the new Testament were instituted of God to set forth the benefits of Christ for the continuall vse of the Church Many liue in the bosome of the Church heare the word come to publike prayer take themselues to be goodly Christians offer themselues to the Lords-table are made partakers of the SacrameÌ„ts who yet are ignorant how many Sacraments there are and what they are None almost so simple but he can number his sheepe and cattell he knoweth their markes he knoweth their differences but aske him how many commandements of the law how many Articles of faith how many petitions of the Lords prayer or how many Sacraments of the new Testament hee can answere nothing They know no difference betweene commandement commandment betweene the first Table and the second betweene article and article and betweene one petition and another Such haue their wits wholy exercised on the world and on worldly things which iustle out religion and the knowledge of heauenly things If we haue eares to heare let vs heare what is the faith of the Church in this point grounded vpon the infallible rule and rocke of the word of God The Sacraments of the Church ordained by Christ to assure our communion with him are onely two b Christ instituted onely two Sacraments Baptisme whereby wee are receiued into the couenant of God in stead of circumcision and the Lords Supper whereby we are nourished maintained and retained therein in stead of the Passeouer For albeit the couenant be but one yet the scales thereof are two to assure vs that by vnion with Christ we are regenerated and shall bee nourished to eternall life Hee hath deliuered vs a few Sacraments in stead of many he could haue instituted moe if hee had thought it good for the benefit of the Church These are as it were the two eyes whereby we see and behold the promises of God These are as the two hands wherby we after a sort do handle Christ crucified lay holde on the graces of saluation Christ hath appointed no moe Sacraments he hath laide on vs an easie yoke and a light burden That these two are the onely Sacraments of the new Testament may appeare by these reasâ—ns c Reasons why there are only two Sacraments following First Christ taught no more to his Apostles the Apostles deliuered no moe to the Churches the Churches imbraced no moe for many yeares When thâ— Lord Iesus liued on the earth Luke 1 76. and 33. he instituted baptisme by the ministry of Iohn Baptist who as hee was sent to prepare the hearts of the people so he preached the baptisme of repentance Afterward the Lord Iesus establish it with his owne mouth in the commission giuen to his Disciples So he appointed and himselfe first administred his last Supper in remembrance of his death vntill his second comming againe with power great glory These two true Sacraments of the Church to wit baptisme the Lords Supper were instituted and warranted by the mouth of Christ himselfe and none other beside these These we receiue because Christ ordained them other
signe receiued If any further obiect say Marriage is the signe of an holy thing to wit of the spirituall coniunction betweene Christ and his Church I answere it was not instituted to confirme our faith in that point but for other ends which we named before Besides if we shold cal al signs of holy things Sacraments we should treble the number of seauen for so many comparisons as we finde in Scripture wee should haue Sacraments and then the Stars a graine of mustard-seede leauen a draw-net a shepheard a Vine a doore nay a theefe a murtherer and infinite other things should be Sacraments which sometimes are made signes of holy things This were not so much to increase the number of Sacraments as to multiply absurdities Lastly the Sabbaoth was ordained to the Iewes to be a signe betweene God and his people in their generations n Heb. 4 8. signified the spirituall rest in Christ yet was it no ordinary Sacrament albeit it were blessed and sanctified of God Wherefore all mysticall and signifying signes are not Sacraments But the greatest reason whereof they are most confident is where the vulgar translation and the Rhemish interpretation o Eph. 5 32. readeth This is a great Sacrament I answere first the word signifieth a mystery or secret but not euery mystery or secret is a Sacrament neyther will they admit a Sacrament wheresoeuer a mystery is named Secondly the Apostle speaketh not of Matrimony but of the spirituall coniunction betweene Christ and his Church as the words following do declare This is a great mystery but I speake of Christ and of the Church Where the Apostle preuenteth this very obiection and sheweth in what respect he spake of a mystery For where one might haply obiect and say Doest thou call marriage this mystery he answereth I speake not this of Marriage I speake it in respect of Christ and of his Church This appeareth likewise in that he calleth it a great mystery that is A great secret But the coniunction of man and wife is sensible not secret much lesse a great secret Now the Sacraments are called mysteries p Why sacraments are called mysteries in respect of the Sacramental vnion betweene the signe and the thing signified betweene the representation and the thing represented so that at the same instant that one is present to the eyes the hands the mouth and euery part and member of the body the other by the power and working of Gods Spirit is as present in a wonderfull mysticall and secret manner to the faith being the eyes and hands of the soule Wherefore Cardinall Caietan not so grosse as many among them q Caiet in Eph. cap. 5. confesseth that these words proue not matrimony to be a Sacrament Further it is euident to all that consider the circumstance of the text that the Apostle brings not forth marriage in this place as a similitude to represent the neere coniunction betweene Christ and his Church r Eph. 5 23 25 28 29 32. but contrariwise he bringeth forth the exceeding and eminent loue of Christ as a similitude to declare and enforce what should be the loue of the husband toward the wife For the maine point of exhortation is set downe verse 25. Husbands loue your wiues This is argued and enforced by the example of Christ As Christ loued the Church and gaue himselfe for it Againe The man is the head of the woman as Christ is the head of the Church and afterward He that loueth his wife loueth himselfe for no man euer yet hated his owne flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it euen as the Lord doth the Church By all these things it is plaine and manifest that if they will needes in this place dreame of a Sacrament consisting of a signe and thing signified Christ and the Church must be the signe representation and consecrated mystery to represent man and his wife and their mutuall loue each to other and not marriage a consecrated signe of him Last of all I would know of them whether so often as the old translator vseth the word Sacrament they will haue it taken strictly properly and particularly for the Sacraments of their church I thinke if they be sober minded and well aduised they dare not say so for Å¿ 1 Tim. 3.16 Eph. 1 9 and cha 3 9. Reuel 17 7. then godlinesse shal be a Sacrament Gods will shall be a Sacrament the calling of the Gentiles shal be a Sacrament yea iniquity shal be a Sacrament For in all these places the word Sacrament is vsed as well as in this place to the Ephesians by the old Interpreter sometimes in the good part and sometimes in the euill t Conc. Trid. sess 4. decret 2. Melch. Canus lib. 2. cap. 13. Andrad lib. 4. defens Trid. to whom notwithstanding they cleaue and must cleaue vnder paine of the censure curse of the councel of Trent CHAP. XX. That Orders are no Sacraments BY Orders we must vnderstand the offices and ministry of the Church a Lumb sent li. 4. dist 24 ca. 3. as also Peter Lumbard doth We confesse when Christ led captiuity captiue he gaue guifts vnto men b Ephes 4 11. and ordained Some to be Apostles some Prophets and some Euangelists and some Pastors and teachers for the repairing of the Saints for the worke of the ministry and for the edification of the body of Christ By these hee declareth his will vnto vs he gathereth together his scattered sheepe and publisheth the glad tydings of saluation as Ier. 7. I haue sent vnto you all my seruants the Prophets rising vp early euery day Ier. 7 25. Luke 10 16. And Christ our Sauiour saith He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth mee despiseth him that sent mee And the Apostle Paul teacheth that God was in Christ 2 Cor. 5 19 20. and reconciled the world to himselfe not imputing their sinnes vnto them and hath committed to vs the word of reconciliation Now then are wee Ambassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you through vs we pray you in Christs stead to be reconciled to God This wee hold this we beleeue this we teach touching the degrees orders and offices of the ministry of the Gospell c Sentent lib. 4. dist 24. cap 1. But the popish orders of the popish Church they say are seauen whereof some are greater and higher offices some are lower lesser and inferior The greater are three the office of Priest-hood to offer vp the sacrifice of the body and blood of Christ vpon the Altar of Deaconship to assist the Priests in all things which are done in the Sacraments to bring in the oblations to set them vpon the Altar to couer it with cloathes to beare the Crosse and to reade the Gospell and Epistle to the people of the Subdeacons to bring the chalice and patten to bring the cruet with water and the
Apostles God commended Abraham for this saying u Gen. 18 19. I know him that hee will command his sonnes and houshold after him that they keepe the way of the Lord to do righteousnesse and iudgement that the Lord may bring vpon Abraham that he hath spoken vnto him Dauid gaue Salomon his sonne a notable and right noble charge before he dyed a 1 Chr. 28 9. speaking thus to him standing before him and before the Princes and Peeres of the kingdome Thou Salomon my sonne know thou the God of thy Fathers and serue him with a willing mind for the Lord searcheth all hearts and vnderstands all the imaginations of thoughts if thou seeke him he will be found of thee but if thou forsake him he will cast thee off for euer Teach them that child-hoode youth are vanity b Eccl. 1 12. teach them to remember their creator in the dayes of their youth teach them to reade the Scripture and to practise in their liues and conuersations what they haue read and learned Instruct them to auoide idlenesse to eschue euill company to giue themselues to prayer and hearing the preaching of the worde Warne thy children to loue God to reuerence their mother and to loue one another Warne them to speake euill of no man and beware of taking Gods name in vaine Put them in minde that God is their father their creator their preseruer their redeemer their sanctifier yea their iudge that shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead and reward euery man according to his workes We must all appeare before the iudgement seate c 2 Cor. 5 10. of Christ that euery one may receiue the things which are done in his bodye whether good or euill Put them in remembrance not to oppresse or defraud any man d Psal 41.5 for the Lord is an auenger of all such things whoe will not blesse euill gotten goods but send his curse vpon them and they shall not prosper Admonish them to shew forth their faith by good works and to shew mercy according to their powers Lastly to honour their Princes parents maisters and all superiors Thus we instruct men to liue and to dye that dying they may liue with God in his kingdome Thus we annoint the sick with precious balme that e 1 Thes 4 6. shal not break their head with the inward and inuisible oyle of Gods grace and mercy Thus we warne them to prepare the oyle of faith in their lampes and to keepe a good conscience toward God and man that they may with ioy and comfort depart in peace render vp their soules into the hands of God cheerefully meeting the Bride-groome and entring with him into his kingdome So then the people loose nothing by lacke of the materiall oyle the want thereof beeing supplyed with exhortations admonitions reproofes consolations prayers and supplications more desired of the sicke and more auaileable for the sicke And thus much of extreame vnction and the other forged Sacraments whereof some wanting the outward signe some the spirituall grace signified some the word of institution some the promise annexed and al of them the commandement of Christ the testimony of the Scriptures and the consent of elder times we cannot admit them for any Sacraments and so we conclude that there are onely two Sacraments of the Church vnder the Gospell which are Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord. THE SECOND BOOKE Of the Sacrament of Baptisme being an Honourable Badge of our Dedication to Christ containing the true Doctrine thereof ouerthrowing the errors of the Church of Rome and deliuering the comfortable vse of this Sacrament to all the people of GOD. CHAP. I. Of the word Baptisme and what it is HItherto wee haue spoken of the Sacraments in generall together with the parts vses and number of them now wee come to the first Sacrament which is Baptisme being an honourable badge whereby wee are dedicated vnto Iesus Christ a The word bapâ—isme is taken many waies This word in scripture hath many significations First in the natiue proper signification it signifieth to dippe to diue and plunge vnder water as Mat. 3 16. Iohn 3 22 23. Acts 8.38 39. Secondly to cleanse and wash any thing with water euen when this Sacrament is not administred as Marke 7. where it is saide the Pharisies did not eate except first they washed So Heb. 9 10. the old tabernacle did consist in washings Thirdly it signifieth the Crosse afflictions miseries persecutions and inward vexations of the spirite as Luke 12.50 where Christ saith I must be baptized and how am I grieued till it be finished And Mat. 12 22. Are ye able to drinke of the cup that I must drinke of and bee baptized with the baptisme that I shall be baptized withall Fourthly it is taken for a liberall and plentiful distribution of the graces and gifts of God as Acts 15. Iohn baptized with water but ye shall bee baptized with the Holy-Ghost within these few dayes that is ye shall receiue a greater measure of the guifts of God then yee haue done before Fiftly the worde is taken for the doctrine of Iohn which he deliuered before he administred the Sacrament of baptisme as Act. 18.25 Where Apollos is said to be an eloquent man and mighty in the Scripture knowing nothing but the baptisme of Iohn Likewise Mar. 1 4. Mar. 1 4. it is said that Iohn preached the baptisme of repentance vnto remission of sinnes that is the doctrine of repentance for otherwise how could he preach Baptisme which properly is ministred not preached Heereunto commeth the question that Christ demanded of the chiefe Priests and Elders of the people The Baptisme of Iohn whence was it Mat. 21 25. from heauen or of men whereby he meaneth the doctrine as appeareth by the words following for so they vnderstood him when they reasoned among themselues saying If wee shall say from heauen he will say why then dâ—d yee not beleeue him Mar. 11 31 32 for all men counted Iohn that hee was a Prophet indeed The reason why his ministry preaching is called by the name of Baptisme is because his doctrine that he deliuered was first of all sealed with that Sacrament which none of the Prophets did or could do before him so that as his person was called the Baptist so his doctrine was called by the name of baptisme one part of his ministry being put for the whole Lastly it is taken for the whole worke and action of the Sacrament of Baptisme as Math. 28 19. Goe vnto al Nations teach and baptâ—ze them and in this last sence we are now to speake of it Let vs therefore see b Whâ—t bâ—ptisâ—e is what this Sacrament is Baptisme is the first Sacrament whereby by the outward washing of the body with water once into the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the Holy-Ghost the inward clensing of the soule by the blood of Christ is represented This
had equally and indifferentlie in like price and estimation they are both commanded and instituted by the same authority of Christ there is the same matter and substance of both to wit Christ with al his benefits there is this one and the same end of both the encrease and strengthning of our faith therfore why should one Sacrament bee so much extolled aboue the other and preferred before the other So that whereas many come to the Lords Supper few remaine and abide in the Church at the administration of Baptisme Seeing then as louing Sisters they goe hand in hand together and are the deare daughters of one Father what reason is there that one should bee magnified and the other disgraced The whole assembly heareth the worde preached and deliuered by the Minister the Sacraments are Instruments of our Iustification by Faith c Christ is after a sort preached in baptisme as well as the word preached sauing that the worde worketh by Hearing onely the Sacraments serue by the senses of Seeing Handling and Tasting as well as hearing to strengthen and encrease Faith in our hearts and therefore it is requisite that we ioyne in the one as well as in the other Furthermore the excellency and worthinesse of Baptisme appeareth herein in that it was instituted of God sealing vp his gracious couenant in that it was sanctified by Christ being baptized of Iohn and in that it was beutified by the heauenly reuelation of the blessed Trinitie appearing thereat so great honour so great dignity preheminence was neuer giuen to any Ceremonie Did God institute it and shall wee contemne it Did Iesus Christ come to Iohns baptisme and shall we disdaine to be at the Baptisme of Christ Was the holie Trinitie present and will we be absent True it is some of the sacrifices and burnt offerings were d Gen. 4 5. coÌ„pared with Heb. 11.4 miraculously consumed by fire from heauen but what is this to the glorious presence of the Maiesty of God the blessed Trinity declaring to vs thereby that God the Father Iudg. 13 20. 1 King 18.38 2 Chron 7 1. God the Son and God the holy Ghost are alwaies present at the administration of Baptisme and truely performe that which is outwardly figured and represented Here heauen was open which for our sinnes was shut against vs here the Spirit descended in the visible forme of a doue vpon Christ to signifie vnto vs that beeing deliuered from the terrors of sinne and iudgement we are at peace with God e Ma. 3 16 17 The voice of the Father is heard from heauen saying This is my sonne in whom I am well pleased All these things note out the speciall force and dignitie of this Sacrament It is not therefore to bee administred in a corner of the Church with three or foure persons present to witnesse the Baptisme the rest of the bodye of the Congregation beeing departed but in the face and open view thereof forasmuch as God to deliuer it from contempt hath giuen it visible markes of greater honour The Apostle f 1 Cor. 12 23 saith 1 Cor. 12. Our vncomelie parts haue more comelinesse on for our comely parts neede it not but God hath tempered the body togither and hath giuen more honour to that part whâ—ch lacked As God hath dealt with our bodies so hath hee done in this Sacrament That which is most subiect to contempt dishonour and disgrace God hath lifted vp with sundry excellent preheminences prerogatiues as we haue seene in Christs baptisme And albeit there may be a differeÌ„ce in the person baptized one high another low one noble another vnnoble one rich another poor yet there is none in the substance of the baptisme Seeing then God so highly esteemeth of this ordinance it serueth to conuince to accuse and to condemne their carelesnesse and negligence that refuse to be present at baptisme or if they vouchsafe to bee present for a while yet they are talking and attend not vnto it and depart before the ende of the whole action and rush out of the Church before the name of God be praised and the whole worke finished g Luk. 3 21. Act. 22.16 and concluded with prayer as it was Luke 3. It came to passe as all the people were baptized and that Iesus was baptized and did pray the heauen was opened And Act. 22. Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sinnes in calling on the name of the Lord. Wherefore we are not to depart before God hath beene prayed vnto and praised for his benefits The Apostle chargeth that h 1 Cor. 14 26 40. all things in the Church be done in order and comlinesse Now what can bee more comely and conuenient i Ezek 46 10. then that the Churches begin the exercises of their holy religion together and end them together Forasmuch as nothing is done in the assembly which tendeth not to the edification of the whole body Vse 5 Lastly if in euery true baptisme there be outward inward parts vnited each to other then the baptisme of Iohn and of Christ are in nature and substance all one Contrary to the doctrine of the k Concil Trid. sess 7 can 1. Trent-couÌ„cel that teacheth If any shall say that the baptisme of Iohn hath the same force with Christs baptisme let him be accursed Although it be no matter of faith nor greatly necessary in these dayes to dispute of Iohns baptisme seeing no man or woman is now baptized by his hands yet we will shew the truth of this point out of the scriptures l The baptisme of Iohn and of Christ are in substance one the same that they are all one in substance and effect not of any other kind and nature For first Iohn preached the baptisme of repentance to remission of sins they haue therefore the same doctrine the same word the same promise m Mar 1 4. the same repentance the same forgiuenes of sins as they had the same outward element of water And the Apostle teacheth that there is n Eph. 4 5.6 One body one spirit one hope of the calling one Lord one Father one faith and one baptisme Secondly the baptisme of Iohn was consecrated and sanctified in the person of Christ for Christ was baptized with the baptisme of Iohn Thirdly it may appeare as we will proue Chap. 4. that Iohn baptized into the name of the blessed Trinity Fourthly neither Christ nor his Apostles rebaptized any that were baptized by the ministry of Iohn Apollos did know onely the baptisme of Iohn o Acts 18 25.26 he is taken and instructed further in the faith and wayes of the Lord but we reade not that he was baptized againe Fiftly if Iohns baptisme were not the same with our baptisme it would follow that Christ was baptized with another baptisme then we are and that our baptisme was not sanctified in the persoÌ„ of Christ which taketh away our comfort consolation that we
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
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
in what multitudes the people in such dangers resort to the Church some desiring they may be baptized some that they may be reconciled from excommunication some that they may bee admitted to shew their repentance for their open crimes euery man desiring comfort euery man desiring the participation of the Sacrament In which case if there bee no Minister to be had what misery then followeth them that depart this life vnbaptized or bound in their sinnes Heereby hee meaneth the lawfull Minister of the Church inasmuch as hee ioyneth baptisme and reconciliation from the sentence of excommunication together If any man further shall aske the question Question seeing baptisme is limitted and as it were confined vnto the Minister whether baptisme ministred by hereticks bee auaileable or not For many incline to thinke that it is rather good which is ministred of a lay-man being a member of the Church then by him that is an hereticke Answere I answere hereticks are of two sorts some are remoued out of the Church some are tollerated in the Church and suffered to enioy their ministry So long as a Minister that is an hereticke keepeth his place and is not deposed from his function albeit hee should erre in the foundation yet he is a member of the Church though an vnworthy member and a Minister of the Church though an vnworthy Minister If he should depraue the institution and corrupt the essentiall forme which Christ hath appointed inuiolably to be vsed and obserued then were the baptisme void because the forme being changed the thing it selfe is abolished What is to be â—hought of â—he popish Baptisme Hence it is that the Baptisme celebrated in the Church of Rome is true baptisme because albeit the papacy be not the true Church yet the true Church is in the papacy God preseruing the remnants of it in the middest of the bowels of Anti-Christ as God continued light in the middest of the darkenesse of Egypt Baptisme therefore is in the papacy as the purse of a true man in the hand of a theefe or as an honest mans inheritance in the possession of an vsurper And albeit they haue no ministry rightly and lawfully called yet such as occupy the place of Pastors and hold the publike ministry are not to be accounted as priuate persons or meere lay-men and therefore the baptisme performed by them is not voide or of no effect both because they baptize in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy-Ghost not in their owne name and because their ministry is not to be esteemed according to the persons but as seruing to the Church that yet lurketh secretly in the papacy What then Whether we may bring our children to be baptised of popish Priests may such as professe the reformed religion lawfully and with a good conscience offer their children to be baptized of popish Priests and Masse-mongers I answere albeit it be lawfull baptisme which they deliuer it followeth not that they may lawfully deliuer it or we lawfully seeke it at their hands and albeit it be auaileable wheÌ„ it is done yet neither haue they warrant to do it nor wee to goe for it True it is they haue a calling whereby they differ from priuate men but it is so faulty and corrupt that by no meanes we ought to vse it We ought not to do euill that good may come thereof Rom. 3. Rom. 2 8. 1 Thes 5 22. but it becommeth vs to abstaine from all appearance of euill 1 Thes 5 22. We may not by our practise and example allow and iustifie the horrible prophanations of the Sacraments the detestable corruptions of doctrine and the abhominable superstitions vsed in the worship of God and wee are bound and straightly charged to take heed we do not make our selues partakers of other meÌ„s sinnes 1 Tim. 5 22. We must beware we do not offend the weak brother for whom Christ dyed who may be imboldened by our example to approue of the reliques of Anti Christ and in the end to ioyne with that false Church Lastly 2 Cor. 6 14. 1 Ioh. 5.23 wee are commanded to flie from Idols temples to keep our selues from Idols the sheep of Christ heare his voice but the voice of a stranger they wil not hear It is better for vs to defer the baptising of our children theÌ„ to resort to their baptisme blended and mingled with so many toyes and impieties and though our Children in the meane season should dye yet we must comfort our selues in the Lord and lay hold on his couenant who hath promised to be both our God and the God of our seed and remember that it is not the want of the Sacrament that condemneth but the contempt from which we are free so long as we are ready and desirous to haue our children partakers of it when it may bee had orderly rightly and conueniently Obiection 4 The last Obiection deserueth not the name of an obiection much lesse any answere vnto it sauing that the ignorant may stumble at it some great Doctors of the church of Rome labour to add force vnto it and as it were to put life into a dead carkasse For Thomas Aquinas the darling of the Pope the Oracle of Schooles and the God of the Papists Gal. 3.27.23 alledgeth the words of the Apostle Gal. 3. As many as haue beene baptized into Christ haue put on Christ there is in Christ neither male nor female and therefore as wel women as men may baptize Answere I answere this is a most foolish and vnlearned collection and a plaine wresting and straining of the Scripture and therefore no maruaile if the saying of the wise man be verified heerein Surely the churning of milke bringeth forth Butter Prou. 30 33. the wringing of the nose bringeth foorth blood So the forcing of wrath bringeth foorth strife The popish diuinity is full of such conclusions I will giue thee a taste of them and then come to answere the obiection They reason on this manner Christ walked vpon the waters therefore the body of Christ may be shut vp in a piece of bread Peter walked vpon the waters therefore the Bishop of Rome hath authority ouer all Churches The Saints in heauen are like the Angels therefore they heare the prayers of all men Ioseph wrapped the body of Christ in fine linnen therefore the Priest must lay vp the body of Christ in the Altar The women came to the Sepulcher to see Christ therefore we must go on pilgrimage to visite the holy Sepulcher But I will passe ouer these fooleries and come to the place that is obiected The Apostle meaneth that in partaking of saluation there is no difference betweene male and female Iew and Grecian bond and free but there is great difference betweene man and man in the dispensation of the word and Sacraments Againe if this conclusion were necessary then a man might reason against the Apostle In Christ is neither
thousand threescore and ten men 1 Sam. 6 19. m Numb 16 9 Ps 106 17 18 Corah Dathan and Abiram taking vpon them the Priesthood without a calling fire from heauen came down consuming Corah and his consortes the earth also opened and swallowed vp Dathan and couered the companie of Abiram that they were swallowed vp aliue none of them died the cōmon visitation of other men but God wrought a strange worke vpon them and altered the course of nature which ought to be a perpetuall instruction and direction vnto vs to teach vs not to peruert or euert that order which he hath established to continue in his Church Hitherto belongeth that which is written of Vzzah n 2 Sam. 6 7. who was smitten with sodaine and vnexpected death onely for that beyond the boundes of his calling he put foorth his hand to vphold the Arke which did shake and was readie to fall which was lawfull for the Leuites onely to meddle withall althogh his intent purpose were neuer so good so that if the vnlawfull intruders vpon baptisme pretende cases of necessity heere seemed as great a necessity yea his minde and meaning was as good as theirs if they pretend deuotion yet it displeased God because it was done without his word and warrant So Azariah was striken with leprosie that he was a Leaper to the day of his death for that not being content with his Kingly o 2 Kings 15 5 office hee would take vppon him the priestes office to burne Incense vnto the Lord. These woorthy examples of Gods most seuere iudgements executed vpon the breakers of this ordinance ought to strike such a feare into our hearts that we suffer not the sacred functions and offices of the Church to bee prophaned and to teach vs that euery one meddle onely with the approued duties of his owne calling And although God doth not now thus execute iudgement from heauen and worke strange things in the earth in extraordinary maner when his ordinances are broken yet the sinne is not thereby lessened nor the punishment mitigated nor the hand of God shortened but stretched out still though iudgement according to desert bee deferred nay rather the p Nah. 1 2. Eccl. 8 11.12.13 greater wrath is reserued for his aduersaries to the great day of account when all flesh shall appeare before the throne of his glorious presence For if the prophaners of the signe and Sacraments of the old Testament did not escape but were thus sharply and seuerely punished our Sacraments established by the Lord Iesus are not of lesse value and worthinesse so that the contempt of them shall be visited with sorer iudgements And if God did strike with his reuenging hand priuate men when they sinned in abusing the Sacraments and spared not kings in the pride of their hearts how should women standing a degree farther off and barred from the office by a stronger bolt enter into the house q Ioh. 10 10. at a window and not be accounted as theeues and robbers So that we conclude that the necessity of a calling is as great as the necessity of baptisme And thus much of the first outward part of baptisme namely the Minister CHAP. IIII. Of the second outward part of baptisme THe second outward part of baptisme is the word of institution a Word of institution is the forme of baptisme which is as the forme of the Sacrament as Eph. 2. Christ loued the Church gaue himselfe for it that hee might sanctifie it clense it by the washing of water b Eph. 5 26. Mat. 28 19. through the word This also is expresly set downe Math. 28. Goe teach all nations baptizing them into the name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy-Ghost This both declareth the vse of the Sacrament and promiseth Christ with all his benefits For to be baptized into the name of the blessed Trinity is to be made one of Gods family which is his Church and to bee partaker of the priuiledges thereof This promise is contained vnder the commandement c Gen. 48 19. as we may see by sundry testimonies of the Scripture as Gen. 48. Iacob saith The Angell that hath deliuered me from all euill blesse the children and let my name be named vpon them and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac whereby hee meaneth they should be ioyned to his family and accounted in the number of them Vse 1 Now the vses remaine to be considered First hereby it is manifest what a solemne couenant and contract what a neere coniunction is made by the washing in baptisme betweene God and the persons baptized for God the Father vouchsafeth to receiue them as his children into fauor the Sonne to redeeme them the Holy-Ghost to purifie and preserue them to comfort and regenerate them to protect and defend them from al euill This is the staffe and stay of our hope and comfort Now to be baptized in the name or into the name of the Trinity is all one and therefore in the Scripture they are vsed indifferently without difference or distinction They are said to be baptized in the name of Christ Acts 2.38 and Chapter 10.48 they are saide to be baptized into the name of Christ Mathew 28. Acts 8.16 and 19 3 4 5. The comfort which we receiue from hence standeth vpon the right vnderstanding of these words To be baptized into the name of the Father is to haue assurance giuen vnto vs that God the Father through Christ our Lord is become our Father and that therefore wee stand bound to performe the duty of obedient children toward him To bee baptised in the name of the Sonne is to haue assurance giuen that being baptised we are in the number of them that are redeemed by him and reconciled to the Father through his blood and therefore stand bound to obey him as our mediator and redeemer To bee baptised into the name of the Holy-Ghost is to haue assurance giuen that euery true beleeuer is sealed vp and sanctified by the Holy-Ghost against the day of his full redemption Now we can haue no greater comfort then this to bee assured that GOD the Father is become our Father that GOD the Sonne is become our Redeemer and that GOD the holye Ghost is become our Sanctifyer Secondly consider on the other side that the parties thus Vse 2 baptized do promise and vow to acknowledge beleeue serue worship and call vpon the name of no other Gods but of the true God which is the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost and consequently to renounce the workes of the deuill the fashions of the world and the lustes of the flesh Baptisme is as it were a solemne oath taken in the sight of God and in the face of the congregation whereby the person baptized bindeth himself wholly to God three in persons but one in substance Indeed we deserue to be cast out of the fauour and family of God yet hee
vouchsafeth to entertaine vs to receiue vs and to acknowledge vs for his children therefore wee must in euery estate depend vpon him honour him as our God serue him as our Maister obey him as our Lorde and looke for saluation from him as from our redeemer Againe as we haue beene baptized not in the name of one person alone not in the name of the Father alone or of the Sonne alone or of the holie Ghost alone but in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost so we must all beleeue and confesse as an article of our faith that the Trinitie in vnity and vnity in Trinitie is to bee worshipped For albeit there are three reckoned vp as speaking of many yet heere is also mentioned their name as speaking onely of one not of their names baptize them in the name of the three persons So many as deny the doctrine of the Trinity are iustly to be condemned of falshood and heresie Such is the Religion of the Iewes Greekes Turks Persians and in some sort the Papistes albeit in wordes these last acknowledge one God in three persons The Greeke Church at this day denieth in effect the God-head of the holy Ghost inasmuch as it holdeth him to proceede from the Father onely The Turks and Iewes do vtterly deny the deity both of the Sonne and of the Holy-Ghost the present Church of Rome more glorious in shew but not much more sound in faith hath defiled the whole Trinity with their Imagerie and set vp a false Christ partly denying him to bee GOD of himselfe and partly repealing all his offices so that howsoeuer they professe him in words and leaue him the name of a Sauiour yet they mâ—ke a mocke of his sacrifice and haue turned Christian religion into Anti-christian superstition Wherefore as we are baptized into the most worthy name of the blessed Trinity let vs hold fast the true profession thereof and renounce al errors and heresies oppugning our holy faith and depriuing vs of the sweet comfort we haue therein Vse 3 Thirdly are these words of institution baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost the outward forme of baptisme Then we hold that manner of baptizing must be retained this ought not to be changed no other ought to be vsed then this prescribed by Christ our Sauiour We must not therefore let passe or leaue out any of the three persons in Trinity as some hereticks haue done though we shal vnderstand the other by naming and speaking of one Obiection If any say that the Apostles baptized in the name of Christ as Act. 2.38 and chap. 10 48. Answere and 19 5. To this obiection I answere the Apostles do not set downe in those places the forme of baptisme or the words of institution but the substance and end which is to assure remission of sinnes in the name of Christ They shew not the forme but the fruite not how it should bee ministred but what spirituall grace is signified thereby For why should the disciples change the ordinance of their maister who deliuered nothing to the Churches but what d 1 Cor. 11 23 they receiued of the Lord Againe it cannot be denyed but that the Apostles e Act. 10 47. and 15 2. baptized in this forme in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy-Ghost as Acts 10 ver 47. Can any forbid water that these should not be baptized which haue receiued the holy-Ghost as wel as we As if he should say these haue receiued the guifts of the Holy-Ghost therfore they may be baptized in the name of the Holy-Ghost And more plainely Act. 19. when the Disciples had answered Paul that they knew not whether there were an Holy-Ghost he saith Vnto what were yee then baptized Whereby he sheweth it was the manner and custome to baptize in the name of the Holy-Ghost and consequently of the whole Trinity The Euangelists also teach that at the baptisme of Iohn the Father Sonne and Holy-Ghost were present And as he baptized with the same matter why should we imagine hee obserued not the same forme that Christ commanded expresly to his Apostles Nay seeing in the baptisme of Iohn we haue proued there was the same promise the same grace the same vertue the same signe the same signification which was in the baptisme of the Apostles as we haue proued before why shold we only doubt of the words of institution Or why should we imagine that the forme should be altered and changed Wherefore we conclude that the Apostles would not alter any thing of the direct and expresse words of their Lord Maister f Mat. 28.19 prescribed Math. 28. where he chargeth them both what to preach and how to baptize For as he enioyneth them to teach the Nations to obserue whatsoeuer he commanded them so he willeth them to baptize in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the Holy-Ghost And as they altered nothing in the matter of teaching no more did they in the maner of baptizing considering that as the doctrine they preached was the doctrine of God so the Sacraments they deliuered were the SacrameÌ„ts of God and they had no more leaue in the one then liberty in the other If then any should baptize otherwise then in the name of the Trinity or should name the Sonne to be vnequall to the Father or should deny the proceeding of the Holy-Ghost or should baptize in the name of the Virgin Mary and the Saints this cannot be the Sacrament of Baptisme instituted by Christ but a ceremony made void and frustrate by our owne inuentions CHAP. V. Of the third outward part of Baptisme THe third outward part of Baptisme a Water another outward part of Baptisme is the element of water which is the matter whereof baptisme consisteth This truth is taught in diuers places of the new b Mat. 3 â— Iohn 1 31 33. Testament as Math. 3 9. Indeede I baptize with water And Ioh. 1 Because he should be declared to Israel therefore am I come baptizing with water I knew him not but he that sent mee to baptize with water he saide vnto me vpon whom thou shalt see the spirit come downe and tarry still on him that is hee which baptizeth with the holy Ghost So Acts 8 36. As they went on their way they came vnto a certaine water and the Eunuch sayde See heere is water what doth let me to be baptized Then hee commanded the Chariot to stand stâ—ll and they went downe both vnto the water both Phillip and the Eunuch and hee baptized him And Chap. 10. Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized which haue receyued the holy Ghost as well as wee Nothing is so apt to set forth the bloode of Christ and his merits as water which is fit to clense and wash and leaueth no filth behinde vpon the body by which
outward work Christ would haue vs feele the inward purging and purifying of the soule Vse 1 The vse of this outward part is three-fold First it teacheth that the minister may not baptize with any other liquor and element then with naturall common and ordinary water whereunto answere the flood the red sea and the Iewish purifyings vnder the Law The curious questions whether wanting water we may baptize with sand or water distilled and compounded came at the first from the dangerous and bloody opinioÌ„ that they are damned which die vnbaptized Obiection If any demand whether sweet waters and distilled may be taken and vsed or mingled with common water especially when the children of such as are in high place are to bee baptized and sealed into the Couenant thereby to note a difference betweene person and person forasmuch as God hath lifted vp the head of one aboue another I answere c Rom. 13 1 7 all power is indeede of God Answere we with heart and tongue do giue honour to whom honor pertaineth and feare to whom feare belongeth reuerence to whom it is due Notwithstanding all mixture of the water is mans inuention an humane tradition which in Gods worship is not to bee admitted Whatsoeuer is mingled with common water is a corruption whatsoeuer the party be that is baptized The Apostle teacheth d Ephâ—s 4 5. that the church hath all one baptizing not one manner of baptizing the poore and another of baptizing the rich Besides why might wee not allowe mixture of water with Wine in the Lords Supper as well as the mixture of compound Water with common water in the Sacrament of baptisme Furthermore if there might lawfully bee admitted a different maner of baptizing the children of rich men and the children of poor men then in the other Sacrament the like distinction might be receiued and so a finer kinde of breade be prouided for the richer sort by themselues and a baser and courser sort for the poore by themselues e 1 Cor. 11.21 22. which separation the Apostle reprooueth in the Church of Corinth and calleth it a despising of the Church and a shaming of the poore For in the exercises of religion there ought to be no difference of persons f Galath 3 28 for all are one in Christ Iesus and therefore the Noble Eunuch mentioned Actes 8. was baptized by Philip with ordinary water But with GOD there is no respect of persons Acts. 10. with him there is neither Iew nor Greeke there is neither bonde nor free there is neither male nor female for we are al one in Christ Iesus Great men when they make their Feastes for the most part they inuite their rich neighbours but God biddeth and banquetteth the poore as wel as the rich and the brother of low degree as well as he that is exalted to the highest roome as well him that sitteth in the dust as him that sitteth in the throne Now if no composition may be mingled g No other signe ought to bee vsed in baptisme theÌ„ water then much lesse may any other signe be vsed and so the element clean changed and the ordinance of God altred for the church of God hath no liberty to bring any otheâ— signe in place of water If a man were baptized with sand with bloud with wine with milke with snow with oyle and such licour it is no baptisme at all but a meere voide and idle action such a person must afterward be sprinkled or washed with water not that any should be rebaptized but because all persons should be once baptized the former action being meerâ—ly frustrate Although the forme of words be retained in the administration which our Sauiour commandeth and the body be washed in the name of the three persons the Father the Sonne and the Holy-Ghost yet if such an error be committed in the matter that the signe be changed and another foysted in contrary to the precept of Christ and practise of the Apostles there is a nullity of the whole worke the partie be-sanded or be-bloodied or oyled is erroneously and vnlawfully not truely and effectually baptized Nadab and Abihu were smitten with lightning from heauen h Leui. 10 1 2. for bringing strange fire into the Tabernacle whereas they should haue taken of that fire which God had appointed though other fire would as well haue consumed the offering And are not all other elements as strange fire that are brought into this Sacrament beside water Or haue we greater liberty to change Gods ordinance in the Gospell then the Iewes had vnder the law When GOD appointed the i Leuit. 1 3 10 14. burnt offering to bee offered and commanded the people to bring either bullocks out of the heard eyther Sheepe or Goates out of the folde either Turtle-doues or young Pigeons from among the birds being thus limited and restrained might they bring an Asse or an Elephant or a Camell vnto him Might they cut off a dogs necke or offer swines flesh before the Lord So whereas God hath ordained the Sacrament of baptisme to be administred and hath willed it to be done with water most common most vsuall most plentifull most fit most significant shall we take sand or saw-dust oyle or other element then God hath allowed The Lord likewise threatning a generall dearth of Corne Wine and Oyle of which things many of their offerings and oblations consisted sheweth that the Priests should weepe and waile because the k Iccl. 1 9. Meate-offerings and Drinke-offerings should cease But what neede was there eyther that the Priests should haue lamented or the offerings to haue ceased if they might haue vsed other elements other signes or other matter then GOD approoued If they might haue taken water in stead of wine or Milke in stead of oyle Or if they might haue taken vncleane beastes in stead of cleane Or the Fishes of the Sea in stead of the Beasts of the field Or creeping things for their offerings in stead of such as chewe the cudde and deuide the hoofe Now howe can it bee better warranted vnto vs to take oyle for water then it was for them to take water for oyle Againe heereby all popish corruptions and mixtures Vse 2 brought into this Sacrament are confuted and condemned as their creame their tapers their crosses their censors their salt their spittle their holy-water their exorcizings and coniurations hauing also an opinion of saluation and worship annexed vnto them These men as if it were a base and contemptible thing to baptize with water onely according to Christs commandement haue brought in a new word new elements that is new drosse and new filth into the Church and into the Sacraments of the Church as salt that we may be seasoned with wisedome and bee kept from putrifying in sinne oyle that we may bee safe from euill suggestion spittle that our eares may be opened to heare the word our Nostrils to discerne the smel
as Christ sometimes did to that slothfull person c Luk. 19 12. Thou euill seruant out of thine owne mouth will I iudge thee These make three sorts of baptisme of water of blood of the Spirit whereby they confesse that the want of baptizing with water is not damnable in al seeing that want may be supplyed either with shedding of their blood for testimony of the truth or by spiritual regeneration ingrafting into the body of Christ To conclude do we desire the custome and practise of the Church It is well knowne that in Thessalia d Socra lib. 5. cap. 22. Bellar. de sacra bap cap. 26. the Sacrament of baptisme was celebrated but once in the yeare namely at Easter In other places thrice in the yeare and sometimes not vntill the houre of their death when they were going the way of all flesh Constantine the great was the first christian Emperor that reformed the Church yet he was not baptized till e Tripart hist lib. 3 câ—p 12. the time of his death And Valentinianus a christian Emperor died without baptisme yet doth Ambrose giue him his due commendation f Orat. de obit Valentâ—n and doubted nothing of his saluation Shal we do these good men these worthy Emperors these godly Christians this wrong as to thinke they were damned who were the chiefe pillars and protectors of the true Christian and Catholike religion Or if the Churches aboue mentioned had holden this hard opinion that the want of baptisme was a signe of reprobation would they haue deferred it in the houre of death whereby sometimes they were preuented or administred it at certaine times onely of the yeare True it is that custome is not to be followed neither the negligeÌ„ce of those Bishops to be allowed but it teacheth thus much that in deferring baptisme they differed in iudgement from the now-Church of Rome and concurred in opinion with the reformed Churches for which causes their practise is alledged The reasons vsed to maintain the absolute necessity of this Sacrament to saluation are weak not worth the answering First they obiect g Gen. 17 14. Obiection Answere the threatning annexed to circumcision The vncircumcised male shal be cut off froÌ„ his people To this I answere first God commandeth infants to be circumcised the eight day before which time they were forbidden to circumcise Wherfore infants that dy before the 8. day were not bound and obliged by this law And seeing there h Rom. 5 13. can be no transgression where there is no law they are not damnd because they are vncircumcised seeing God called many out of this life before they were capable of this Sacrament Againe the commination and threatning is not to bee vnderstood generally of all but of such as are growne vp not of children but of men as appeareth by the reason For he hath broke my couenant This cannot be applyed to infants i Caietan in cap. 7. Genes who albeit they haue not actuall faith yet cannot be said to contemne grace to refuse the couenant to reiect the promises or to lye in infidelity and hardnesse of heart Wherefore it belongeth vnto those onely that being growne vp and come to yeares shall approue the negligence of their parents and will not suffer themselues to be circumcised Therefore the childe of Moses whose circumcision was through negligence deferred was not punished but the fault was imputed vnto Moseâ— himselfe Exod. 4 24. Now as to Peter saying Thou shalt k â—â—hn 13 8. neuer wash my feet Christ answered If I wash thee not thou hast no part in me so to the Israelite that should haue saide I will neuer be circumcised this threatning might fitly be applyed If thou wilt not be circumcised thou hast no part in God no portion in his blessing no assurance of his promises in this life or of his kingdome in the life to come Lastly to be cut off from the people doth not signifie to be condemned for euen the negligence and contempt of the Sacrament is pardonable where repentance followeth as we see of such as came vnreuerently and vnworthily to the Lords Supper among the Corinthians l 1 Cor. 11 30 31. who were punished with diseases and death it selfe yet the soule no doubt was saued in the day of the Lord. Sometime therefore that phrase of speaking signifieth temporall iudgements of God on men their families m Psal 55 24. for their wickednes Sometimes it signifieth the Magistrates iustice inflicted on malefactors n Deut. 13 59 who beareth not the sword in vaine which is expounded afterward Thou shalt surely kill him Sometimes it signifieth to be cut off from the bosome of the Church o Exod. 12 15 19. which is done by the high and dreadfull censure of excommunication Whosoeuer eateth leauened bread from the first day vntill the seauenth day that person shall be cut off from Israell the interpretation of which words is added verse 19. That person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israell So the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 5. Hee which hath done this thing should be p 1 Cor. 5 2.13 put from among you that is from your company fellowship as verse 13. Put away from among your selues that wicked man Thus wee are to vnderstand the threatning in this place that such as contemne circumcision eyther themselues or allow the same contempt and negligence of others shall no longer bee reckoned and reputed among the people of God but be separated from them and to be as an heathen and a publican Againe q Ioh. 3 5. they obiect Iohn 3. Obiection 2 Vnlesse a man be borne of water and the Spirite hee cannot enter into the kingdome of God therefore say they it is necessary to saluation to be baptized This is the reason of r Bellar. lib 1 de bapt ca. 4. Bellarmine and Å¿ Hosij confess cap. 35. Answere of others I answere first it is not necessary in this place by water to vnderstand materiall water but the grace of Christ purging and cleansing as water doth which interpretation may be gathered by conference of a like place Math. 3.11 He shall baptise t Ioh 3 11. with the Holy-Ghost and with fire that is by the Spirite of God which is as it were fire lightening our hearts with the knowledge of God inflaming them with his loue and purging them from euill affections So when wee are saide to be borne againe by water and the Spirite he meaneth by the Spirite shewing forth in vs the force power and property of water as if he should say we are borne of water which is the Spirite u Ioh. 7 38 39 4.21 as Ioh. 7 38 39. Againe if it were ment of water in baptisme it must be vnderstood according to a like a Ioh. 6 53. sentence Ioh. 6. Vnlesse you eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud yee shall not
haue life in you which must be vnderstood of such as are of yeares and growne in age And thus Innocentius the third in the b Decret Gregor lib. 3. tit 42 c. 3. decrees expoundeth it so doth Peter Lumbard c Lumb sent lib. 4. dist 4. maister of the Sentences So then if they will be tryed eyther by their owne Pope which is their holy father or by Peter Lumbard which is their grand-maister this place cannot be inforced against infants that dye before they be baptized but must be reâ—erred to men of greater yeares We reason not thus farre to iustifie and allow the sluggishnesse and neglect of carelesse parents vnder colour and pretence of this that the saluation of the child dependeth not vpon the participation of the Sacrament but to shew that if it cannot be obtained as it ought to be desired or if by godlesse parents it be deferred and neglected yet saluation is not tyed and glued to the outward water The neglect of the Sacrament is a notable marke of a despiser and therefore the Pharisies are saide to haue reiected the counsell of God against themselues beeing not baptized of him Luke 7 30. It is strange to consider what childish excuses and pretences parents vse to iustifie their negligeÌ„ce in performing this good duty to their Children For baptisme is necessary in respect of God that hath commanded it in respect of the Church the lawfull vse of it being a note of the true Church and in respect of the promise annexed vnto it Neuerthelesse it is not simply necessary to saluation as though without the washing of water one could not be a member of Christ True it is to euery one that beleeueth baptisme must necessarily be either actually receiued or earnestly desired receiued if it may be had desired if it cannot be had For as the true desire of grace is grace indeed in Gods acceptance so the desire of baptisme is accepted of God as baptisme And therefore simply the want of it without neglect cannot bring danger of daÌ„nation Away then with the doctrine of the Church of Rome touching the absolute necessity of baptisme and touching Children that dye without it a beastly and bloody d Let none obiect the opinion of Augustine for he thought it necessary to saluation that children shold receiue the Lords Supper as well as baptisme De peccâ—tor meâ—t lib. 1. cap. 24. doctrine ioyned with rigor and cruelty full of terror and feare vncharitable in it selfe presumptuous by entring into Gods secret iudgements impious by binding him to second causes and ordinary meanes iniurious to thousands of poore infants discomfortable to all good parents and blasphemous against the bottomelesse mercy of a gracious God who hath saide e Gen. 17 7. I will bee thy God and the God of thy seede where he maketh a couenant of saluation with vs and our children not adding any condition of baptisme if it cannot be had as it ought to be If it cannot be had by the infant the Spirit of God doth worke the effectuall knitting of them to the body of Christ by a secret working as pleaseth him in stead of ordinary meanes For when our Sauiour had said Mar. 16. He that shall beleeue and be baptized shall be saued he doth not adde contrariwise he that is not baptized shall be damned f Maâ— 16 16. but annexeth onely Hee that beleeueth not shall be condemned Thus we haue shewed the malice and madnesse of Sathan against poore infants and how he hath vsed proud and pestilent instruments to effect his purpose partly the Anabaptistes who deny baptisme to their bodies and partly the Papists who deny saluation to their soules for want of baptisme CHAP. VI. Of the fourth outward part of Baptisme THe last outward part of baptisme is a The last outward part of baptisme is the body washed the body that is washed For wee haue shewed before that the Sacraments without their vse are no Sacraments And albeit the worde ioyned to the signe make a Sacrament yet this presupposeth a Minister to administer it and a receiuer to take it and then the rule is most certainely to bee admitted Now whether the whole body should be washed or a part of the body whether it should be washed once or oftner whether it should be dipped or sprinkled we are neither curiously to enquire nor seriously to contend nor rashly to determine but rest in practise of the Church and in the custome of the country as in a thing in it owne nature indifferent The dipping and plunging into the water vsed by Iohn Baptist and the Apostles in Iudea and such hot regions are not a necessary rule to be drawne into imitation especially in these colde quarters and countries For the word doth not onely signifie to diue to put and plunge into the water but to dip to sprinkle and to wash This sprinkling doth very fitly answere to the signification of water For the apostle Peter teacheth that we are elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through the sanctification of the Spirit vnto obedience sprinkling of the blood of Iesus Christ as 1. Epistle of Peter chap. 1. 1 Pet. 1.2 verse 2. which is signified by outward baptisme and was shaddowed by sprinkling of blood vnder the law Neyther may we imagine that the efficacy of baptisme dependeth vpon the quantity of water that is vsed and imployed no more then the force and vertue of the Lords Supper dependeth vpon the quantity of the bread and wine which wee receiue They then are much deceiued that would bring in an absolute necessity of dipping Children into the water as if without it they were not lawfully baptized For as we noted before the word importeth euen simply any washing of what sort soeuer as Marke 7. It is said of the Pharisies that comming from the market they eate not except they wash 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this outward washing of the bodye from filth representeth the inward clensing of the soule from sinne Heereunto the Apostle alludeth when he affirmeth that we are saued according to the mercy of God our Sauiour by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy-Ghost Tit. 3.5 Eph. 5 25 26. Titus 3 verse 5. And else-where he saith Ehesians 5. verses 25 26 Christ loued the Church and gaue himselfe for it that hee might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word So then the ceremony vsed among vs to sprinkle water vpon the face of the child cannot be reproued or condemned but standeth with the ordinance of God as well as dipping in the water and therefore the Apostle saith to the Hebrewes Chap. 10.22 Let vs draw neere with a true heart in full assurance of faith Heb. 10 22. hauing our hearts sprinkled from an euill conscience and our bodies washed with pure water Hence it is that Cyprian writing of this argument in his Epistles teacheth
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
and nailed vpon the Crosse is offended at him accounting it a foolish and weake meanes to saue mankinde that life should spring out of death glory come out of shame power proceed out of weakenesse and triumphant victory arise out of his contemptible sufferings but the faithfull soule acknowledgeth in this mystery of godlines the high hand and vnsearchable wisedome of God It may seeme ridiculous vnto some men i Gen. 17 10. that God should require circumcision of Abraham and of his houshold young olde bond and free maister and seruants to vncouer all their shames and to open the hidden parts of nature yet Abraham submitted himselfe to the ordinance of God Naaman the Syrian thought it a toyish precept and prescript when he was bidden to wash himselfe seauen times in Iordan hauing many Riuers in his owne country as good as that yet by k 2 Kings 5 11 12 14. obeying the Prophet he was cleansed of his leprosie The inhabitants of Iericho scorned Ioshua and the men of Israell when they saw them compasse their Citty strong walled l Iosh 6.20 and to blow with their Rammes hornes yet by this weake meanes the wall fell downe the enemies were destroyed the Citty was sacked and the people of GOD preuailed Christ seeing a blinde man and willing to heale him he spat on the ground m Ioh. 9 6. and made clay of spittle and annointed the eyes of the blinde with the clay and said vnto him Go wash in the poole of Siloam he obeyed he went he washed he returned seeing Thus doth God by simple base and weak things oftentimes confound the mighty strong and wise of the world that no flesh should reioyce in his presence and crosseth all the high conceits and proud imaginations of mans wil and wit Wherefore we must not follow our owne vnderstanding nor measure the matters of God by the crooked rule of our carnall reason Whosoeuer will yeeld obedience to God must deny himselfe and renounce his owne wisedom n 1 Cor. 3 18.19 and become a foole that he may be wise in God as 1. cor 3. Let no man deceiue himselfe if any man among you seeme to be wise in this world let him be a foole that he may be wise for the wisedome of this world is foolishnesse with God Thus we see that in the Sacraments we must vnderstand more then we see and beleeue more then we can behold Such as are without knowledge and faith comprehend no more of baptisme then the bodily eye directeth them vnto but the faithful conceiue the blood of Christ to be offered to purge the soule and conscience from all sinne o Gen. 2 10. as the riuer watered the garden of Eden CHAP. XI Of the fourth inward part of baptisme THe last inward part of baptisme is the soule a The soule clensed is the last inward part of baptisme cleansed most liuely represented by the bodye that is washed For as the outward receiuer giueth his body to be washed so the faithfull receiuer doth consecrate himselfe to God with ioy and forsake the flesh the world and the Diuell and feeleth the inward washing of the Spirit as Titus 3 5. According to his b Tit. 3 5. Eph. 2 26 27 mercy he saued vs by the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy-Ghost And the same apostle Eph. 5. Christ gaue himselfe for the Church that hee might sanctifie it and cleanse it by washing of water through the word that he might make it vnto himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinkle Wherefore this outward washing of the body commanded by Christ signifieth vnto me that I am no lesse assuredly cleansed in his blood by the working of his Spirit from the spots of my soule that is from all my sins then I am outwardly washed by water whereby the staines of the body vse to be washed away and it bindeth vs that we ought euer afterward by our workes and deeds to declare newnes of life and fruites of repentance Vse 1 Let vs now come to the vses of this last part of baptisme Doth the washing of the body represent the clensing of the soule And doth the soking vp of the filthines of the flesh signifie the remouing of the remnants of rebellion Then we are all by nature vnwise vncleane vnrighteous vnregenerate vnholy disobedient disordered deceiuing and being deceiued we are the vessels of wrath the children of death the bond-slaues of Sathan the heires of damnation we haue our part and portion in the offence of Adam c Rom. 5 10. 7 23 24. as Rom. 5. By one man sin entred into the world and ch 7. I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my mind and leading me captiue vnto the law of sin which is in my mēbers O wretched man that I am who shal deliuer me from the body of this death Hereunto also commeth that which the d Ioh 3 5 6 7. Euangelist setteth downe in the conference betweene Christ and Nicodemus Ioh. 3. That which is born of flesh is flesh and that which is borne of the Spirit is Spirit maruell not that I said vnto thee ye must be borne againe For this cause are infants baptized because they are conceiued in sin borne in iniquity and cannot become spiritual but by a new birth wrought by the Spirit which is sealed vp by the water in baptisme Vse 2 Againe this serueth to strengthen our faith whē we behold the outward washing pouring out of the water and baptizing of the body it assureth the inward clensing of the soule by the blood of Christ offered to all and receiued of those that are elected to eternall saluation This then is the right and holy vse of baptisme Doest thou feele inwardly in thine heart that through the corruption of thy nature strength of concupiscence thou art moued tempted and prouoked to commit sin And doost thou feele thy selfe ready to yeeld to Sathan and so to fall from God into euill Begin to haue some holy meditation of that solemne vow which thou madest to God in baptisme when thou diddest consecrate and giue vp thy selfe wholy to his seruice and didst renounce obedience to the suggestions of Sathan to the allurements of the world and to the corruptions of the flesh For baptisme is the e Baptisme is a Christian mans ensigne to fight vnder it the battels of the Lord. Christian mans ensigne giuen of God to vs that we should fight as it were vnder it against al the enemies of our saluation ouercome It is the badge and banner of our Captaine that we shrouding our selues vnder his colours should not cowardly turne our backe in the skirmish but couragiously looke the enemy in the face nay tread him vnder our feete for euer For we must learne that when we are once baptized whereby wee put on the profession of Iesus Christ and receiue his cognizance we
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
be reaped by it we hope better things of many of them albeit we thus speake For howsoeuer they do not at the present time and in the act of receiuing feele comfort yet neuerthelesse they may finde it and haue it Wherefore consider with me and beare away with thee these fiue things First if thou shouldst vtterly abstaine from the Supper of the Lord it is not to be doubted but that albeit thou feele not thy selfe any whit the better by thy coÌ„ming to it thou shouldst feele thy selfe many degrees the worser And albeit thou feele not thy selfe after thy receiuing to be so good as thou desirest yet if thou camst not at all thou shouldst finde thy selfe to be worse then thou art Now it is some good to hinder that which is euill and to keepe from vs that which is worse .. Thus it is with many that come to the word of God albeit it do not worke their conuersion yet it keepeth them from much corruption that otherwise they might and would fall into Secondly it is one thing to haue grace and another thing to feele grace for a man may haue grace and yet not feele it especially in time of tentation as a man likewise may haue life in him and yet not feele it And although he do not feele it through violence and extremity of the disease yet we cannot truly conclude that he is dead without life so albeit we do not feele any comfort in our hearts it is a false conclusion that therefore we are without comfort we liue by faith not by feeling Heb. 2 4. We may beleeue though we do not presently perceiue it God doth oftentimes giue faith and yet will haue vs waite a long time for the feeling of it Dauid had lost his feeling as also the inward ioy of the Spirite yet euen then he ceased not to haue faith and the Spirite the worker of faith Restore to me the ioy of thy saluation and take not thy holy Spirit from me Psal 51 12. So then faith goeth not alwayes with feeling Thirdly euery man must submit himselfe with conscience to Gods ordinance and then he may be assured he shall in his good time finde comfort Let vs be ready to do for the good of our soules as we are content to deale for the recouery of the health of our bodies Such as are sicke and want health make hast to haue the helpe of the Physition and they continue to vse his counsell albeit they finde not present helpe Let vs do likewise in seeking the health of our soules we must proceed to vse the meanes carefully which God hath ordained for comfort and albeit helpe come not by and by out of Sion yet we must not be discouraged but waite with patience for the appointed time We see touching our ordinary meate in sicke persons though they feele small strength and corroboration by it yet no doubt they are strengthened through it and receiue some nourishment from it euen while they know it not and feele it not or else they could not liue so may it be with vs wee may haue some strength of the inner man some guift of faith and some comfort of the Spirite albeit we do not suddenly feele it and presently perceiue it Fourthly we must set downe this as an infallible rule that neuer faileth no man was euer made better by with-drawing himselfe from the SacrameÌ„t For be it that we haue vsed often-times the Supper of the Lord No man can be made better by abstaining from the Supper and haue found no comfort in it nor fruite by it do we thinke to reape any benefit by abstaining from it and neuer comming to it It was neuer heard of from the beginning of the world that any hath growne either richer in grace or stronger in faith by keeping himselfe from any of Gods holy ordinances This is as possible as it is to see in the darke time of the night by keeping himselfe from the light of the Candle and abstaining from the place where it is set in the Candle-sticke to giue light to them that are in the house Lastly we must not stint God nor limit him a time when to make vs feele comfort like the vnruly patient that will not be cured except he be cured out of hand He will try our faith and patience whether we wil depend vpon him or not Our Sauiour saith The winde bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it commeth and whether it goeth so is euery one that is borne of the Spirite Iohn 3 8. 〈◊〉 3 8. We know not how or which way the Spirite worketh in vs but in time we shall perceiue the worke what it is to our great and endles comfort Now we proceed to another obiection The fift obiection Some say that often receiuing will breed and bring forth a loathing as in our common prouerbe we say too much familiarity often breeds contempt I answere Answere these persons that thus obiect may seeme to be great friends to the Sacrament and to be very iealous of the honour of it as if they could by no meanes abide to haue it disgraced or despised and yet they are deadly enemies vnto the Supper vnto themselues vnto the Saints of God yea to God himselfe and seeke cunningly craftily vnder a colour of deliuering it from contempt to rob the Church of the comfortable vse of it These would haue it to be as the fruites of the earth that come but once a yeare Thus do some others also secretly vndermine the faith of Gods people that could be content the word might no longer be preached vnto them and say that the common preaching of the Gospell maketh it to be contemned If this were so yet the fault is not in the word but in such as are of the common sort of Christians who care not which end goes forward whether they haue the word or Sacraments or prayers or Churches or religion or Christ himselfe they do not greatly regard neither trouble themselues much with these things but as Gallio answered the Iewes touching the worship of God and saluation by Christ Act. 18. Act. 18 14 1â— If it were a matter of wrong or wiâ—câ—ed lewdnes reason would that I should beare with you but if it be a question of words and names and of your law looke ye to it for I will be no Iudge of such matters So do these men deale with God his people touching the chiefe mysteries of Christian religion and the high ordinances of God appointed for our saluation they esteeme them as friuolous and superfluous things that might well be spared They regard nothing but the matters that concerne this present life and serue to fill the pursse and to feed the belly But as God hath dealt bountifully with vs so he would haue the word of the kingdome preached in season and out of season by his Ministers
mysticall signification therefore there is none in breaking of the bread Answere I answere the former part is false for the pouring out of the wine signifieth the shedding of Christs blood out of his side For as it is said of the bread This is my body which is broken for you so it is said of the cup This is my blood which is shed for you for the remission of sins And what can the separatioÌ„ of the bread and the cup signifie but the separation of the body blood of Christ once made vpon the Crosse whereas his blood is now no longer separated from the body because he can dye no more Obiection Answere To conclude they vrge that in the new testament is no place for figures It is true if they speake of figures shadowing out Christ to come But if they speake of figures signifying Christ already reuealed manifested we feare not to affirme that we haue figures still of Christ and of the benefits purchased by him For I pray you what are our Sacraments but figures liuely setting forth Christ our Sauiour So then to take away signes is to take away the Sacraments which are nothing else but sacred signes The sixt reason Sixtly that which includeth vnder it the mystery of the vnion of the Church among themselues and with Christ the head is by no means to be passed ouer But the breaking of bread hath this mystery in it that many by partaking of one bread broken are made one mysticall body as the Apostle witnesseth 1 Cor. 10 17. We being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one bread which he declared to be broken in the former verse The vnity betweene the meÌ„bers of the Church which are many is shaddowed out by the bread made compact together of many graines howbeit this is much more euident vnto vs by the bread which is broken and distributed to all that are present Seauenthly we haue the expresse testimony of the Apostle The bread which we breake c. The seauenth reason Now that is to be iudged necessary to be done without which we cannot say with the Apostle in the administration and participation of the Supper The bread which we breake is the communion of the body of Christ but without this ceremony we cannot ioyne with the Apostle and say The bread which wee breake is the communion of Christs body Therefore the rite of breaking and parting the bread into many pieces is necessary They may say the bread which we giue or distribute but not the bread which we breake for to breake is one thing and to distribute is another These two differ so farre the one from another that a thing may be broken which is not distributed and giuen and it may bee giuen which is not broken Eightly The eight reason that which fitly serueth to make the Sacrament perfect and absolute whole and entire may not be neglected or omitted and where it is not it ought to be restored But the breaking of bread maketh the Sacrament instituted of Christ to be more ful and without it to be maimed as a man without an hand Therefore it ought to be restored againe Ninthly The ninth reason it is in the power of no creature to omit or abolish any rite not in it selfe indifferent but commanded by Christ in the celebration of his Supper But the breaking of bread is not indifferent to be done or to be left vndone but is expresly commanded to bee practised as we haue prooued before Therefore no man vnder heauen hath authority to abrogate it For this is a true and certaine rule that a right hauing the commandement of Christ for the vse of it to be continued is not indifferent Tenthly it giueth vs peace of conscience The tenth reason Now that which setteth the conscience at quiet doth more effectually minister comfort in the vse of this Supper that is by no meanes to be neglected But the due obseruation of this breaking according to the commandement of Christ doth quiet the conscience and comfort the heart more forcibly and fruitfully inasmuch as it assureth vs that we keepe the ordinance of Christ purely and entirely without adding any thing vnto it or without taking any thing from it Therefore it is not to be passed ouer The 11. reason Lastly to draw to an end that ceremony ought to be retained and continued in the Church wherby the Idolatrous and false opinion of the corporall presence and eating of the body of Christ is most strongly conuinced and pulled out of the hearts of the ignorant people but such is the ceremony of the breaking of bread Therefore it ought to be practised that the Idoll set vp in the hearts of the multitude may be defaced and pulled downe This carnall and corporall presence profiteth not as we wil make plaine afterward Thus we haue heard the reasons which vrge and require this as a necessary duty belonging to the Minister to breake the bread a duty neglected not onely of the Church of Rome but also of others who maintaining a reall presence of the body of Christ omit the breaking of the outward signe In all this that hitherto hath bin obserued we may note three things First that we do not condemne our brethren or the Churches who haue not this breaking of the bread obserued among them whether it be through error conceiued or any other let and impediment obiected Secondly the defect of this rite cannot destroy albeit it do disfigure the Supper it is as a maime in an whole body or as a scarre in a faire face Lastly that this ceremony is not to be holden indifferent but necessary in respect of Christs commandement and necessary to preserue the comlines and beauty in this Sacrament CHAP. IIII. Of the second outward part of the Lords Supper HItherto of the first outward part of the Lords Supper to wit the Minister who is in the Church not onely as a Steward to prouide but as a Cooke to prepare meate for the children seruants of God now we come to the word of institution a The words of institution are the secoÌ„d outward part of the Supper and promise annexed or contained therein which are the second part of this Sacrament expressed in these words This is my body which is giuen for you or which is broken for you where the name of the thing signified is giuen to the signe it selfe as if it should be said this bread which I haue in mine hands is b Tertul cont Marcio lib. 4. August contr Adâ—m â—n ca. 12. a signe of my body which shortly after shall be crucified for you and deliuered vnto death for your saluation Christ tooke nothing but bread he gaue into his Disciples hands nothing but bread to eate he brake nothing but bread and Paul saith expresly of this SacrameÌ„t c 1 Cor. 10 16 Obiection The bread which we
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
All young schollers are taught in the schooles k Accidentis esse est in esse that an accident hath no being without a subiect yet heere these Sophisters against all the rules of Logick l Porphyr ca. 5. de accidente 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and grounds of reason would haue accidents and shewes of bread and wine to be in no subiect Thus whereas in all places of learning we are taught that accidents may perish not the substance of things they will haue the matter and substance to perish not the accidents We see whitenes roundnes drynes moysture we taste the sweetnes we touch all these qualities yet behold a popish wonder whereat maruell and be astonied these these I say are not in the bread and wine because they are gone neither in the body of Christ because it is not white or blacke round or red So we shall haue a white thing yet nothing white a round thing yet nothing round a smell yet nothing that smelleth a taste of bread yet nothing that tasteth a breaking and yet nothing that is broken so that heere we haue somewhat made of nothing nothing made of somewhat For if any should aske them what round or white thing is this shewing the bread Or what sweete thing is that pointing out the wine in the cup They cannot say it is bread and wine for they hold that none are left they are not able to shape any answere for they will not say the body of Christ is white round sweete red or such like Wherfore these accidents of bread and wine rouing without subiects are shewes of reason without substance colours without truth and fancies without setled iudgement and as wel might they imagine walking without feete an house without a foundation a vessell without bottome or a body without space or place Againe what is it that doth nourish What is it that doth comfort and refresh For we feele our bodyes strengthened by the creatures taken and receiued And we reade in their owne histories that King Lewes the gentle for the m Aimoin ex Adeâ—â— li. 5. c. 19 space of 40. dayes did eate nothing else What is it then whereby we feele our selues to be fed Can their accidents do it hanging in the ayre by miraculous Geometry Can whitenes or rednes or roundnes nourish vs where no substance is to be found or felt Can drines or moysture can smelling or seeing nourish without some materiall body They cannot It must be substance that is turned into our substance for neuer was it heard that accidents were turned into substance But whereas we haue bin taught that accideÌ„ts are in their subiect now we must hold for our new learning that substances are in their accidents Wherefore let vs leaue these doubtfull and deceitfull builders that go about to build without ground or foundation which cannot stand and therefore their opinion is as improbable impossible as the alchymisticall transmutation The third general vse arising from both the signes is this if Christ deliuered his last Supper in bread and wine then these signes may not be altered but must be n The bread and wine being the matter of the Sacrament may not be changed in the Lords supper retained for the perpetuall vse and comfort of the Church And howsoeuer it be left to the choyce and liberty of the church what bread or what wine they wil vse yet that it ought necessarily as I take it to be bread and the fruite of the Vine may appeare by diuers good considerations I wil propound the reasons that draw me to this opinion let the church iudge of them seeing the o 1 cor 14 32. spirits of the Prophets are subiect to the Prophets First the institution of the Supper and the example of Christ himselfe whom the Church is to imitate and follow who said Do p 1 cor 11 25. this in remembrance of me He said not do the like or do what pleaseth you and swarue from my example where you will buâ— do this which ye haue seene me do Whosoeuer therfore change eyther the bread or wine do not that which Christ commandeth but another thing then he appointeth Againe no other signes are so significant and effectuall as these are for this purpose to strengthen and to comfort them that are in trouble and almost in the present Psal 104 1â— 15. Prou. 31 6. Iudg. â— 12. Eccl. 10 19. estate of death as Psal 104. He bringeth forth bread out of the earth wine that maketh glad the hart of man oyle to make the face to shine and bread that strengthneth mans heart Likewise the wise man saith Pro. 31. Giue ye strong drinke vnto him that is ready to per sh and wine to them that haue griefe of heart So that we are heereby effectually significantly put in minde to haue a most sweet feeling of Christ to seeke strength in him and that it is he which aboundantly cheereth our hearts Thirdly the matter and forme of euery thing r Arist Metâ—sh lib. 7. cap. 7. Plato in euthiph are holden to be of the nature of it and to constitute the essence so it is in the Sacraments where the signes are the matter and the words of institution are the forme True it is circumstances may vary and be changed as time place sitting standing kneeling and such like but the essentiall parts may not be changed If then both of theÌ„ be of the essence of the Sacrament such as take eyther of them away destroy the Sacrament and bring in a nullity thereof Wherefore if the signes which are the matter might be changed then the words also of institution which are the forme might be altered and a new word brought into the church but a new word caÌ„not be broght in therfore no new outward signe or matter Fourthly if the bread and wine in the Supper might be changed yet the Sacrament in substance remaine then in like manner water in baptisme might be changed yet be true baptisme for of things that are like there is a like respect and a like conclusion to be inferred But this cannot be as we haue shewed before in 2. book cha 5. where we haue proued that the Minister cannot baptize with any other liquor or element then with water as the matter of that Sacrament Neither let any obiect the case of necessity for no necessity can make that lawfull which simply and in it selfe is vnlawfull Fiftly if we admit and grant a change in the signes at the pleasure of men why may we not also change other parts of the Sacrament Why may we not in stead of the Minister appointed of God and called by the Church admit priuate persons and receiue other alterations inforced vpon the Church by the Papists Do we not heereby open a gap for them to bring in all their trash and trumpery besides the written and reuealed word of God Sixtly we haue shewed in the former
booke that Nadab and Abihu the two sonnes of Aaron were smitten by the immediate hand of God Å¿ Leui. 10 1 2 for offering the oblation with strange fire But all signes brought into the Sacraments beside the Scripture are strange signes consequently procure strange iudgemeÌ„ts And we see how the Prophet Ioell threatning from God a dearth of Corne wine and of oyle t Ioel. 1 9 19. declareth also that the offerings shall cease where he saith The field is wasted the corne is destroyed the oyle is decayed the new w ne is dryed vp the meate offering and the drinke offering is cut off from the house of the Lord the Priests the Lords Ministers shall mourne shewing heereby that they were restrained from changing the outward signes If any pretend greater freedome and liberty in the time of the Gospell let them shew their charter and we will beleeue them Lastly it is confessed on al sides that without consecration and sanctification there can be no Sacrament for without this hallowing the water in baptisme is bare water the bread in the Supper is bare bread the wine is common wine Now euery creature is u 1 Tim 4 5. sanctified by the word of God and by prayer as the Apostle teacheth 1 Tim. 4. and therefore we cannot assure our hearts that God will blesse any other creatures as fish or flesh in stead of bread water or beere in stead of wine seeing the word hath not sanctified these elements for this purpose They are sanctified by the word for the ordinary nourishment of our bodies but they are not by any speciall word sanctified for the vse of the Sacraments If then it be simply vnlawful to change any thing in the matter of the Sacraments no pretence or necessity can euer make it vnlawfull And as when a lawfull Minister is wanting a priuate person may not be taken so when the matter appointed for the administration of this Sacrament is missing another may not be assumed For as well may we change the Minister of the Sacrament into a priuate man as the bread and wine being the signes into another matter If the Sacraments cannot be had according to the precise and pure institution of Christ they may lawfully be deferred or omitted for the danger standeth not in the want as wee haue declared before so long as wee are free from the contempt of them I am not ignorant that many learned men are of another iudgement such as are of reuerent account in the church Bucan instit loc 48. de coen Beza epist 2. who thinke that where there is no store of bread and plenty of wine sufficient for this purpose some other thing may be taken in stead of them Thus it may come to passe that we shall haue nothing which Christ commanded and sanctified by his example and yet boast that wee haue his Supper and do that which he appointed For whereas we make foure outward parts of this Sacrament the Minister the word the signes and the receiuer there are that hold there is no necessity of the Minister others that there is no necessity of the words of institution others that there is no necessity of the signes others that there is no necessity of the receiuer so that euery thing is quite ouerturned of one or another and yet all would be thought to do as Christ did and as he commanded them to do But consider heerein the difference of opinion among men receiuing one part but not another so that if once we admit any alteration in any of the parts we open a gap to al innouation and bring in great vncertainty in the Sacraments For touching baptisme some require it to be done by a Minister that thinke we are not precisely tyed to the words of institution or to the element of water others hold we are limited to vse the water but in case of necessity wee may vse priuate men or women to baptize So in the Lords Supper many do necessarily require the Minister and no other to administer it but do not thinke it necessary he shold vse bread and wine and no other element Thus we see there is no certainty when once we depaâ—t from the institution so that the safest way is to cleane strictly to the example of Christ and then we shall be sure we shall not doe amisse Then wee shall bee sure wee haue the fairest warrant for that which we do and lye least of all open to be reproued of others The fourth generall vse arising ioyntly from both the signes is if Christ deliuered and the Disciples receiued bread and wine as the outward signes of this Sacrament then we learn that the doctrine of transubstantiatioÌ„ is a dotage a Against transubstantiation of mans inuention Though this deuice be now receiued in the Romane Church as a matter of saluation as an Article of saith a maine point of religion b Coâ—cil Trid. sess 13. cap. 4. that by vertue of these words This is my body this is the cup of the new testament the substance of bread and wine is gone and nothing remaineth but onely the shewes likenes and appearance of them yet if we examine the matter by the words of institution by the nature of a Sacrament by the proportion of saith by the true properties of a true humane body by force of reason by iudgement of the senses by confession of the aduersaries themselues and by the manifold coÌ„tradictions among themselues we shall finde it to be a late deuice and inuention of the Papists first decreed and determined in the councell of Laterane vnder Pope Innocentâ—us the third in the raigne of King Iohn of England c Anno 1255. not yet 400. yeares ago There it was hatched at that time made d Barth Caranza summa Concil a maine matter of faith approued in the Church of Rome but yet not then receiued ouer all the world This error is a spice of the error of Marcus who went about to make his fellowes and followers beleeue e Iren lib. 1. c â— Epiphan haeres 34. that hee did transubstantiate wine into blood in the Sacrament Thus do the church of Rome at this day yet was he noted for an heretick by the Fathers I wil not for shortnes sake bring al the reasons that might be brought to ouerthrow and ouerturne f The bread and wine remaine in their proper nature the turning of the bread into the body of Christ and the wine into his blood but alleadge some few among many whereunto we require them to answere if they can Neither let them pretend that they haue bin answered already inasmuch as no sound and certaine answere can be brought vnto them to satisfie vs or themselues Our reasons for the present shall be these First that which Christ tooke in his hands he brake that which he brake he gaue that which he gaue his Disciples he commanded them to eate that
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
midst of them that are gathered together in his name and therefore it neuer happeneth that all become vnworthy The word of God hath his effect and one part of the seed falleth into good ground as we see in the parable of the sower Luk. 8 15. And if it could come to passe which is heere imagined it were better to abstaine for a season then to break the commandement of Christ according to the rule of the Apostle When ye come together to eate tarry one for another 1 Cor. 11 33. Furthermore the Priest knoweth not the worthinesse or vnworthinesse of the greatest part if any offer themselues to receiue they must be receiued when their sinne is not knowne Secondly they say that priuate Masses may bee called Obiection 2 common because the people heerein communicate spiritually and because they are celebrated by the publike Minister Answere Heere wee haue common Masses without a communion and without any Communicants howbeit this is true that heere is no communion at all in breaking of bread and eating it beeing broken commanded in the Gospell What agreement then is there betweene Christ sitting at the Table with his Disciples distributing the bread and ministring the cup vnto them and the Masse-Priest standing alone at an Altar and eating all alone without being seene of the people Besides if a Minister pray alone in a corner of the Church yet his prayer cannot be called publike albeit it be made by a publike person and offered vp for all that are absent and conceiued in a publike Temple The like may be saide of the administration of the Lords Supper Thirdly they pretend that the cause why the people Obiection 3 do not communicate is their want of deuotion and good affection that they ought to haue to holy things Heere is a new colour set vpon a foule and deformed face Answere A man would thinke that heareth these excuses that the Church of Rome did onely tollerate priuate Masses but not command them and that they desire they should be publike common were it not for the slothfulnesse and the backwardnesse of the people Sess 7. Howbeit the Councell of Trent not onely suffereth but alloweth and commandeth priuate Masses wherein the Priest alone communicateth Againe if they desired that the people should communicate they would reproue their negligence and stir them vp to greater diligence whereas they confirme them and continue them in it and apply themselues vnto it and leade them into error by their owne example Neither haue they cause to make such a generall complaint seeing the people for the most part are more deuout and religious then the Pastors of the Church of Rome as it was in the dayes of Hezekiah 2. Chron. 30. Obiection 4 Fourthly they demand whether it be the fashion at feasts to constraine them to eate that are not disposed to eate Is not euery one left to himselfe whether hee will eate or not eate I answere Answere the Church of Rome leaue it not at liberty for the people to eate or not to eate but vtterly forbid them and restraine them Secondly at our common feasts no man is compelled to eate because there is no absolute commandement of God to binde them vnto it but in this holy feast it is farre otherwise for we haue the expresse commandement of God to take and eate all of vs. Lastly this comparison of a feast ill besitteth their whole purpose For who euer saw a feast where all the guests that are bidden stand by and eate nothing and the Gouernor of the feast deuoureth and swalloweth vp all alone as it falleth out in the Masse where no body but the Priest eateth Or who euer heard of a solemne feast whereunto no body is inuited But in priuate Masses no man or woman is bidden to come or receiued if they come Obiection 5 Fiftly they adde if the people wil not come would you haue vs leaue the seruice of God Should we be negligent when they are negligent Or should we follow the humor of the people Answere This obiection standeth vpon a double supposition and both of them false The first is that they desire the people should come and receiue whereas all men know the contrary and some men haue accounted it no lesse then heresie to require the partaking of the people at this Supper The second is that the Eucharist without Communicants is the seruice of God these points they take for granted but they neuer go about to prooue them and confirme them If we will receiue such trash at their bare word so it is if not they haue not a dram of reason to establish it Furthermore whereas they adde that the ordinances which God hath commanded ought not to be left for the indisposition of particular men I would know whether the Minister should pray in the Church openly when there is none to ioyne with him Or whether hee should preach the word when there are none to heare him If he may not then how should hee deliuer the Supper when there are no guests I will heere conclude with the complaint that Chrysostome vseth in his time when this corruption began to creepe in O custome O presumption Chrysost Homil. 3. in Ephes In vaine is the daily sacrifice offered in vaine do we stand at the Altar seeing no body communicateth Tell me if a man that is bidden to a feast wash his hands and sit downe and bee placed at the Table and yet eate not doth hee not wrong him that bad him Were it not better that such a one were not present So thou art present thou hast sung the hymne and in that thou hast not retired thy selfe with them that are vnworthy thou hast made profession that thou art of the number of those that are worthy how then dooest thou stay and not partake of the Table Lastly they demand farther Doth the essence of the Obiection 6 Sacrament depend vpon the peoples communicating thereof I answere Answere All communions without communicants do ouerthrow the nature of a Sacrament For Saint Paul defineth this Sacrament to bee a Communion of the bodye of CHRIST 1 Corinthians chap. 10. verse 10. and therfore the Church of Rome destroyeth the definition and consequently the essence thereof But of this wee haue spoken sufficiently before And thus much of the sole communions and priuate Masses brought into the worship of God against the example of Christ against the practise of the Apostles against the vse of the Church against the authority of the Fathers against the light of reason and against the name and nature of the Sacrament it selfe Vse 5 Hitherto we haue pulled downe the heresies of the church of Rome and haue raked in the dirt and dunghill of their deuices the sauour whereof hath annoyed heauen earth now let vs obserue out of this last outward part of the Sacrament how we are directed and instructed thereby to further our knowledge and obedience Did Christ command the
faithful of his family to eate and drink that which he deliuereth without laying any further burden or bondage vpon them Then we must vnderstand o It is no precept of Christ to receiue the Lords Supper fasting it is no precept of Christ to receiue the Lords Supper fasting before any other meates and drinkes True it is the people whose zeale goeth beyond their knowledge make a great scruple of conscieÌ„ce in this point to come fasting p August epist 118. which custome we do not condemne but commend so it be without superstition in themselues and iudging of others But howsoeuer many make as great a matter to communicate fasting as to come in faith yet this is no necessary rule or commandement binding the conscience to the obseruation thereof For the word of God and institution of the Sacrament are perfect directions to the Church teaching all matters of faith and obedience yet they teach no such practise And our blessed Sauiour teacheth his Disciples what they should do the Euangelists deliuer what they did and among al their doctrine we finde not this precept of fasting Againe Christ administred it not fasting the Apostles receiued it not fasting not that we are bound to celebrate the Supper at that time but to shew that Christ would neuer haue chosen to doe it after supper if that time had bin simply vnlawfull Besides the Apostle 1 Corinth 11. reprouing the abuses crept into this Sacrament and labouring to reduce it to the first institution exhorteth the Corinthians to tarry one for another and if any be hungry q 1 Cor. 11 36 that he cannot tarry he must beforehand eate at home that so he may better waite for the rest of the congregation Now hee would neuer haue giuen counsell and commandement if it had beene vnlawfull or vngodly to take some little repast and short refreshing before in regard of the present infirmity and weakenesse of the body Lastly he teacheth in another place That the kingdome of heauen is not r Rom. 14 17. meat nor drinke but righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the Holy-Ghost To conclude as he willeth that he which eateth despise not him that eateth not and he which eateth not condemne not him that eateth Å¿ Rom. 14 3.5 19. so must it be in this indifferent practise he that can take it let him take it but let not him that receiueth fasting iudge him that fasteth not and let not him which fasteth not condemne him that receiueth fasting he standeth or falleth to his owne Maister Who art thou then that iudgest another mans seruant Let euery one be perswaded in his owne minde and looke to the warrant of his owne worke Let vs follow those things which concerne peace and wherewith one may edifie another If any list to be contentious we haue no such custome neither the Churches of God Lastly obserue with me that the actions commanded Vse 6 vnto the Communicants after the Minister hath taken and blessed broken and distributed the bread taken and blessed and deliuered the cup are these to take the bread and to drinke of the cuppe of the Lord these are in themselues necessary these are commanded and expressed by the Euangelists other gestures may serue to comelinesse and decency but not to the essence and nature of the Sacrament How much then are they deceiued who besides taking eating and drinking prescribed in the Gospell doe striue for the necessity of sitting at the Supper as if it were a maine pillar of religion cry out against the humble lowly reuerent gesture of kneeling as if it were a matter of impiety and abhorre and detest the order of our Church as the sinne of Idolatry There is nothing necessary to bee obserued as a point of faith but we haue faire warrant for it out of the Scriptures but for this sitting to bee so straitly vrged we haue none at all Christ saith indeed Take ye and therefore taking is necessary Christ saith Eate yee therefore eating is also necessary for vs. He saith Drinke yee therefore drinking is also necessary But hee neuer said to any Sit ye therefore we conclude that sitting is not necessary Howbeit diuers doe make sitting as necessary in the action of receiuing as eyther eating or drinking albeit we haue a commandement for the one but no commandement for the other And albeit it be an argument concluding negatiuely from authority yet it is from the authority of God wheras theÌ„selues reason negatiuely from the authority of men in matter of history that because they speake nothing of kneeling therfore it was not vsed I am not ignoraÌ„t how farre this point hath beene caried in heat of zeale and what our learned and reuerent brethren haue written of the absolute necessity of this sitting at the Sacrament of the Supper insomuch that they teach touching our kneeling that in the outward acte of Idolatry there is no difference to be discerned betweene the Papists and vs whereas they kneele to their breaden God but we giue thankes vnto God for giuing to vs the Sacrament of his body and blood and do not worship the bread nor yet kneele vnto it and therefore there can be no acte or shew of Idolatry in vs forasmuch as we haue no Idoll before vs as they haue Besides I would haue all men know what an vncharitable vnchristian censure sentence they giue of our Church which although it haue banished Idolatry and is as far froÌ„ it as themselues yet is charged with Idolatry sin greater then Idolatry Arg. 4. Pag. 62. For thus they write What speake we of seeming heerein to doe the same outward acte of Idolatry that the Papist doth seeing there is also in this so great appearance of the inward and spirituall Idolatry of the heart in that this gesture seemeth to be both inioyned practised euen with a superstâ—tious intent meaning to adore the Sacrament it selfe Heere is a grieuous accusation of priuate men against an whole Church but no proofe at all of the accusation And who made them Iudges of the heart or opened them a window to looke into it Againe they speake afterward these words Arg. 4. Pag. 66. Adde heereunto that for men to tye themselues in their prayer to adore God in or before any creature without warrant of the word is Idolatry And that it were farre lesse sinne and an appearance of an Idolatry that is nothing so grosse to tye vs in our prayers to kneele before a Crucifixe then to binde vs thus in praying to God to kneele before the bread and wine I could wish that this sentence had perished in the birth and neuer seene the light then should it not haue beene grauen as with a pen of iron and remaine to be read of euery man neither should those of the separation alledge it and take occasion to slander our Church and profession by it For by this it appeareth that they iudge our kneeling to
Pallace garden into the Pallace of the banket of wine and Haman was fallen vpon the bed wheron Ester was And in the Prophesie of Amos Amos 2 8. hee speaketh against the cruelty and oppression of the Israelites chap. 2. 8. They lay themselues downe vpon clothes laide to pledge by euery Altar they drâ—nke the wine of the condemned in the house of their God Whereby it is plaine and might yet be made plainer by infinite testimonies sacred and prophane that their sitting was much different from ours and therefore I would know whether our receiued custom of a most humble and reuerent gesture of kneeling ought to bee changed into lying all along obserued by Christ and his Disciples our shooes being pulled off and Cushions lying vnder our elbowes From hence then we reason thus If we be tyed precisely to the example of Christ and his Disciples then we must leane and lye downe all along in receiuing the Supper But we must not leane and lye downe all along in receiuing the Supper Therefore we are not tyed precisely to the example of Christ and his Discâ—ples So then except they can shew vs that leaning is sitting that stooping is all one with being vpright they can neuer warrant that manner of sitting which they require to be vsed at the Communion Lastly I demand to haue it proued that in euery point we are tyed to the institution and that it is not lawfull for the Church in any case to depart from the first celebration thereof But we know that Christ before he administred his last Supper did eate the Passeouer with his Disciples and deliuered it at euening Mathew 26 20. Mat. 26 20. He deliuered his Supper also in a priuate house and in an vpper Chamber he instituted it after Supper when their bellies were filled and hunger satisfied But wee are not bound neither hath the Church thought fit to haue it receiued in the same manner neyther tying the receiuers to vnleauened bread nor to priuate houses nor to the euening of the day nor after our ordinary suppers and therefore we are not tyed to euery circumstance in the institution If it bee answered that Christ made speciall choice of these things aboue any other Obiection that it might appeare the supper came in place of the Passeouer I might as well reply Answere the Euangelists expressed not what gesture was vsed that we should learne not to contend about it as wee haue no mention what bread was vsed that we might know it skilleth not whether we take leauened or vnleauened so that it bee bread But to passe that ouer wee haue gained thus much that as all the circumstances of the institution are not written for our imitation so neyther are all vnlawfull that are not warranted from the institution And thus haue we an answere shaped to their argument which is thus concluded Whatsoeuer crosseth the practise of our Sauiour must not be allowed off But kneeling crosseth the practise of our Sauiour Therefore kneeling is not to be allowed off The proposition must be warily vnderstood and limited according to the rule of the Scripture or else being generally vttered it is false and taken vp both by Anabaptists in the question of the baptizing of Infants and by the Papists in the point of vnleauened bread The Anabaptists build vpon this foundation Christ was baptized at thirtie yeares and we trow hee knew well the right vse of the Sacrament therfore neither ought we to be baptized sooner But if this were a good consequent and might passe without controlement then must we be first circumcised and afterward baptized then must baptisme be administred in Iordan or in some riuer So in the controuersie betweene the Church of Rome and vs whether leauened or vnleauened bread is to be vsed Bellarmine reasoneth thus Christ at his last Supper vsed vnleauened bread Bellar de Euchar li. 4. ca. 7 therefore we must also for it cannot be doubted but that is far better and rather to be done which Christ himselfe did But if we must giue place to this kinde of reasoning and grant any force to be in it then it wil as well follow from Christs example that the Sacrament of the Lords Supper must bee receiued in an vpper chamber not in the open Church at euening not in the morning after supper not before dinner none of which we will grant albeit all of them stand grounded vpon the practise of Christ Besides it is well enough knowne that the Church of Geneua do not account themselues or any other church bound in the action of receiuing to the platforme of the institution or the practise of the Disciples and therefore the people doe receiue it at the hands of their Ministers standing and do eate it walking and passing from them and their Elders which are their Gouernors for discipline do reach the cup vnto them FroÌ„ hence we may fitly retort and returne the former argument vpon their owne heads Whatsoeuer crosseth the practise of our Sauiour must not be alowed off This is their owne proposition I hope they know it will not deny it Then we assume But the order of the Church of Geneua receiuing standing crosseth the practise of our Sauiour Therefore the order of the Church of Geneua receiuing standing is not to be allowed off Wherefore if we will vnderstand the former proposition aright we must restraine it to such things as are essential and haue commandement from the word for whatsoeuer crosseth the practise of our Sauiour in any materiall point of which he hath said Do this in remembrance of me doubtlesse that is not to be allowed of But kneeling in the acte of receiuing is not in the number of those thing Lastly seeing they will needs tye vs hard to the institution I will endeauour to vnknit the knot in this manner If we be bound of necessity to do as the Disciples did then we must of necessity sit at the same Table with the Mâ—nister as they did with Christ But we are not bound of necessity to sit at the same Table with the Minister as they with Christ Therefore we are not bound of necessity to do as they did The knitting together of the parts of the proposition is apparaÌ„t because it is expresly obserued by the Euangelists that Christ sate downe with the twelue and againe Behold Mat. 26.20 Luk. 22 21. the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the Table Wherby it may be gathered that these men which do so much vrge the necessity of sitting at the Sacrament do not themselues precisely obserue the order of the institution nor the exaÌ„ple of Christ and his Disciples but do swarue from it and breake it because according to their practise they ought to sit at the same table with the Minister in imitation of theÌ„ Seeing then they build the frame of their opinion vpon the foundation of the institution why do they make a greater matter of sitting
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
appearance of worshipping the Sunne and so were they charged to do by the Gentiles Tert. in Apol. yet in it selfe it is not vnlawfull to turne to the East in prayer The fact of Paul in ioyning with the Iewes in a worke of the ceremonial law Act. 21. to wit purifying might as well as this gesture be drawne within the compasse of the former precept as making for the confirming of the Iewes in the necessity of keeping the ceremoniall law Many such instances might be brought to this purpose I take it therefore that this gesture of kneeling cannot be said to be the appearance of euill but onely in respect of the circumstances as if among Papists receiuing with adoration a Protestant should receiue and kneele heere indeed is appearance of euill Or a person that is doubted of whether hee bee a Consubstantiast or Transubstantiast should receiue with kneeling and would not receiue otherwise this would breed great suspition kneeling would proue in such a person the appearance of euill But being vsed of vs renouncing these doctrines it is not so Wherefore that precept must thus be vnderstood whatsoeuer hath in it selfe an appearance of euill is to be auoyded simply But not so that which may haue some such appearance by reason of some circumstances of time or place or persons Remoue those circumstances as they are in this case remoued with vs and the thing then may be vsed and yet no appearance at all of euill These reasons and answeres to obiections I receiued from a graue and iudicious Diuine which I haue heere set downe which I dare be bold to affirme are of more force greater importance then any thing that euer I haue read or heard obiected against our kneeling at the Communion And therefore if we will not be wedded to our owne iudgment or carried away violently as it were with the streame of selfe-loue and a preiudicate opinion let vs yeeld our selues to the strength of these arguments and acknowledge the weakenesse of the contrary obiections Now that I might omit no defence of those that are otherwise minded vnanswered and thereby leaue those of weaker iudgment that relye too much vpon them vnsatisfied let vs particularly examine the arguments which are as the grounds and foundations whereupon they build First they obiect The first argument that kneeling at the Communion is an humane inuention of no necessity vsed and abused to Idolatry I answere that touching the administration of the Sacraments there is alwayes hath bin aliquid humani that is something left to man to order and appoint In all times of the Church God hath had his Sacraments and at all times he hath left somewhat arbitrary whereof he hath spoken nothing but left it to the discretion of men Take the first Sacrament for an example in a setled Church I meane Circumcision The cutting off of the fore-skin is appointed and the day of the administration of it is limited but by what Minister or by what instrument or with what prayers or with what words of institution it is to be practised is neither expressed neither can be collected The like wee might say touching the Passeouer who is able to tel vs how it was consecrated snd with what prayers it was solemnized yet we may not thinke that they were as dumbe shewes that had no word to informe the consciences of such as were partakers of thē We see also that it is left to the iudgement of the Church what prayers shall be vsed both at baptisme at the Lords Supper In baptisme dipping or washing once or often in the Supper what bread it shall be of what matter of what forme of what quantity we are to take and touching the wine of what colour and in what cups it shall bee put and sundry such like circumstances euery Church determineth freely Therefore all inuentions of men are not meere corruptions of the matter The like we might say of the precise times of celebrating the Sacraments which are not tyed to certaine dayes all which are as waighty as sitting is And touching things abused to Idolatry wee are not bound by and by to leaue them for the abuse but retaining the vse remoue the abuse For who knoweth not that the bread it selfe hath beene and also is shamefully and grosly abused to Idolatry and yet we are not to depart from the institution of God for the superstitiō of man If any alledge against these things Obiection that some humane inuentions may be vsed in Gods seruice and some things which are abused to Idolatry may be vsed in Gods seruice but not humane inuentions abused to Idolatry Heereunto I answere Answere three things First if humane traditions may be admitted into the worship of God and likewise things abused to superstition then why not humane traditions abused to superstition If they may be receiued seuerally why not ioyntly together and if either of them why not both of them Secondly kneeling at the Communion is not meerely humane nor meerely diuine but rather a mixt action compounded of both Caluine in that learned and worthy worke of his Institutions mouing the question whether kneeling at time of solemne prayer be an humane tradition that a man may refuse or neglect at his pleasure answereth thus Caluin Instit lib 4 cap. 10. sect 30. I say it is so an humane tradition that withall it is diuine Gods it is so farre foorth as it is a part of that beauty whose care and obseruation is commended vnto vs by the Apostle and it is mans or of men so far forth as it specially designeth what was shewed in the generall The substance of which answere I take it to be this that in the generall it is diuine but in the speciall it is humane So touching the communion this gesture may be called diuine in some part because it is enioyned by the church which we are commanded to hear required by the Magistrate to whom we must be obedient for conscience sake Mat 18 17. Rom. 13 5. and administred with a solemne and effectuall prayer The body of our Lord Iesus Christ which was giuen for thee preserue thy body and soule to euerlasting life c. in former time as the Minister did vse this prayer so the people did testifie their consent and ioyne with the Minister saying Amen Hist li. 7. cap. 9. Hence it is that Eusebius in his Ecclesiasticall history witnesseth that bowing the hand they did receiue the body of Christ and answered Amen And albeit this be not enioyned and commanded yet I doubt not but euery right receiuer and true religious heart doth testifie his assent secretly vnto God and desireth that inwardly betweene God and his owne soule which the Minister outwardly vttereth and expresseth Thus may kneeling be said not vnfitly to be diuine and inasmuch as it is appointed by men and from men I confesse it may be said to be humane Lastly it were no hard
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
former bookes CHAP. X. Of the third inward part of the Lords Supper THe third inward part is a The third inward part of the Lords Supper is the body blood of Christ the body and blood of Christ that is the body of our Lord deliuered vnto death for vs and his blood shed for the remission of sinnes and consequently whole Christ This is the chiefest part of this Sacrament For the body and blood of Christ signified by the bread and wine are thus made and separated to bee the liuely meat of our soules and haue that force and efficacy of feeding in our soules which bread and wine haue in our bodies This is the cause why b Ioh. 6 48 50 Christ often calleth himselfe the bread of life Ioh. 6. I am that bread of life this is that bread of life which commeth downe from heauen that hee which eateth of it should not dye I am that liuing bread if any man eate of this bread he shall liue for euer Thus euery receiuer is giuen to vnderstand that as God doth blesse the bread and wine in his Supper to preserue strengthen and comfort the body of the receiuer So Christ apprehended and receiued by faith doth nourish vs and preserueth body and soule vnto eternall life He dyed in the flesh that he might quicken vs and he poured out his blood that hee might clense vs from our sinnes Wherefore c How the sacramentall rites do serue to strengthen our faith whensoeuer as the Lords guests we see the bread on the Lords Table we must set our mindes on the body of Christ when we behold the cup of the Lord we must thinke vpon the blood of Christ when we looke vpon the bread broken and the wine poured out we must consider how the body of Christ was pierced punished crushed crucified torne tormented and his blood poured out for our sakes when we feele that by bread our bodies are nourished strengthened and by the wine our vitall spirits are comforted refreshed we beleeue that by the body of Christ deliuered to death for vs we are fed to euerlesting life and that by his blood poured out vpon the Crosse our consciences are sanctified and we feele his quickening power which doth confirme vs in our communion with him Thus is this part of the Supper spiritually to bee applyed thus are the bread and wine made a Sacrament to vs not bare signes thus the memoriall of Christs death is repeated which albeit it were once finished on the Crosse and now his passion is past long ago yet to the faithfull in regard of the force it is still fresh and alwaies present Now it is not without cause and good consideration that Christ would haue the bread first deliuered as a signe of his body then afterward the wine as a signe of his blood seuerally and apart administred because his body and blood are not represented to vs as his humanity now dwelleth glorious in the heaueÌ„s but as he was offered vp a sacrifice on the crosse his blood being shed out of his body For to the ende it may be nourishment to vs it must bee crucified For as corne of it selfe is not fit food for vs vnlesse it be threshed winnowed ground and baked for vs so is it touching Christ he must suffer be crucified and dye that wee may liue by him and raigne with him This is the truth which in this point is to be considered Vse 1 Now let vs lay open the vses which of vs are to be learned Is Christ the inward part of the Lords Supper represented by the bread and wine offered to all but receiued only of such as are faithfull then his body is not inclosed in the bread or in the accidents of bread nor his blood included in the wine or vnder the shewes of wine d Against the real presence he is not personally locally carnally corporally naturally really substantially and sensually present in the Sacrament The question is not e The true state of the question set downe whether the words of Christ be true for they are knowne confessed and beleeued so that as he is the truth so all his words are words of truth neither is the question whether the Sacrament be a bare signe or bare figure we say Christ is truely represented sealed and exhibited neither is the question whether God be omnipotent almighty this is a part of our faith an Article of christian beleefe neither is the question simply of the presence of Christ whether he be truely and vndoubtedly present in the Sacrament of his last Supper we acknowledge and receiue as much For Christ is present among vs sundry waies by his Spirit by his grace by his diuinity by faith dwelling in our hearts he is present in his word he is present in the ministry of baptisme he is present in the Sacrament of his body we onely deny that grosse and fleshly presence which many go about to fasten vpon vs. But the whole question is of the meaning and vnderstanding of the words of institution and of the manner of his presence We confesse teach the people committed vnto vs that Christs f Confess Gal. lic art â—7 Confess Anglic. art 12. Cal instit lib. 4. cap. 17. body and blood are truely verily and indeed giuen vnto vs that we truely eate and drinke them that we are releeued and liue by them that we are made bone of his bone that Christ dwelleth in vs and we in him yet we say not that the substance of bread and wine is abolished or that Christs body descendeth from heauen or is grosly corporally present in the Sacrament we are taught to lift vp our hearts to heauen g Col. 3 1 2 3 where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God the Father and there to seed vpon him But heere is the state of the question and controuersie betweene vs. The Church of Rome teacheth that after h Con. Trid. sess 13. cap. 1. the words of consecration the bread and wine are abolished and the body and blood of Christ come in place so that they make them corporally present not onely in the Sacrament to be eaten with the mouth but in the pixe in the Masse and in their solemne processions where is neither eating nor drinking Yea Berengarius in his recantation was taught to say and forced to subscribe that i De con dist 2. ego Bereng Christ is in the Sacrament sensibly or sensually is touched with the fingers diuided broken rent with the teeth and not onely the accidents Moreouer they make it to be eateÌ„ not only of euill men but of beasts and to fill vp the measure of blasphemy to be cast out into the draught as some of them haue taught and affirmed Thus then the difference standeth betweene vs they hold that Christs body and blood are carnally eaten of wicked men without faith of brute beasts without reason
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
Ghost the inward cleansing of the soule by the blood of Christ ir represented Exod. 12 48 This description teacheth that such as are not yet baptized are not to be admitted to the Lords Table and that albeit dipping be not necessarie to the being of Baptisme Ephes 5 26. yet washing with water is of the essence of this Sacrament For the Church is at libertie to baptize either by dipping or sprinkling Dâ—e desâ—dâ—gm 〈◊〉 4. l. 4 â—â—i 7 as we may see in Austine that this liberty was kept and retained in the Church and Cyprian vphouldeth the sprinkling in Baptisme yet so as that he affirmeth it to be at mens libertie We learne also that such as are once baptized are not to be rebaptized albeit they haue beene baptized by Heretickes and that whosoeuer is baptized hath made a solemn Couenant to professe the Christian religion and to leade an vnblameable and vnreproueable conuersation considering that he is no longer his owne to liue as he list but as hee is bought with a price so is he bound to serue him that hath bought him and to approoue himselfe to him in all holie obedience Now we are to consider in baptisme as we did before generally in a Sacrament these two things The parts of Baptisme his parts and his vses The parts of baptisme are both outward and inwarde For as there was a circumcision of the bodie of the heart so there is a baptizing of the bodie and a baptizing of the soule Iohn the Baptist in his baptizing directed al to Christ to beleeue in him as Acts 19. and he preached the kingdom of heauen Math 3. so that there is but one baptisme of the New Testament Eph 4. For as wee do baptize with water vnto Christ and admit men to haue interest in the kingdom of God as we incorporate them into the Church of Christ and offer the promise of forgiuenesse of sins to them which repent and beleeue the Gospel so did Iohn in his baptisme Acts 8 and 10 and 1â— who baptized as the Apostles did forasmuch as both of them are said to baptize in the name of Christ Heerein lyeth the difference rather in the order of time then substance of the Sacrament the one was first giuen to the Iewes onely and this latter was communicated vnto the Gentiles also We cannot therefore assent and agree to them that make two sundry baptismes thereof For this maketh two baptismes no more then it maketh two Gospels because Christ and his Apostles did first preach it and publish it to the Israelites and afterward vnto the Gentiles Againe we are put in minde that when the Sacrament of baptisme is to be administred wee should not make all possible hast out of the Church as the maner of many is among vs as though it did nothing at all belong vnto vs but it is our duty to conteine our selues and continue our presence together with the rest of our brethren that by our tarrying wee may to our comfort consider with our selues our owne receiuing heeretofore into the visible bodie of Christs Church and congregation as also that it belongeth vnto vs to offers prayers vnto God for the infant that is present to be baptized like as others did in former time for vs and so as it were pay the debt we owe to the church and performe to others that Christian duty which others haue already performed vnto vs. Let vs come to the parts of baptisme The outwarde parts are these foure the Minister of God the word of institution the element of water the bodye to bee washed The first outward part is the Minister as the Messenger of God For baptisme is a part of the Ministry and God hath ioyned the ministery of the word and the administration of the Sacraments together Wherefore the Minister must be careful and not carelesse in the execution of his office who is to sanctify the water and to wash the party Moreouer the people are directed vnto whom to resort when they haue children to bee baptized Thirdly the Church of Rome prophane baptisme when they appoint Midwiues and priuate persons to baptize children nay do allow Pagans euen such as are not yet baptized themselus and hold it auaileable Lastly it is not fit that the Church should set apart some ordinarily to baptize who are not able to preach the word no more then it is lawfull to set apart an ordinarie Officer for to minister the Lordes Supper which is not able to teach Besides this were to institute a new kinde of Ministerie of such who are not called of GOD as Aaron was Heb. 5 4. neyther can anie sufficient reason be giuen vvhy the Church shoulde take vppon it this Libertie The second outward part The seconde outward part is the worde of institution which is as the forme of this Sacrament Now by the word in this place wee vnderstande the promises of the Gospell and the forme of administration therof instituted by Christ which must be in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holye Ghost This part and point being thus rightly vnderstood both teacheth and reprooueth It serueth to teach that we make not three Gods as though the Father were a God seuerally the sonne a God seuerally and the holy Ghost a God seuerally albeit these be named and reckoned vp seuerally for wee bee not baptized into the names but in the name not of many Gods but of one in nature and essence and triple in persons and properties And we must beware of this also that we make not an inequality of the persons and suppose that the Son is lesse then the Father and the holy Ghost lesse then the Sonne and the Father aboue them both although the Father bee set in the first place the Sonne in the second place and the holye-Ghost in the thirde place because they are coequall and none before or aboue the other Besides it reprooueth one of the slaunders published against vs by many friends and fauourites of the Church of Rome to wit that we hold and maintaine that wee ought neuer to baptize but when there is a Sermon But to put them out of doubt we do no more teach that wee may not baptize but when there is preaching then that we may not preach but when there is baptizing For none of vs doe beleeue or defend any such doctrine of the absolute necessity of the preaching of the word at the baptizing of children or the receiuing of the Supper as if the essence of the Sacraments depended vpon the preaching or the absence of preaching did destroy the nature of the Sacraments True it is we affirme two things First we say that a Sermon is verie fit and conuenient and alwaies to bee wished if it may be had because it setteth foorth more liuely a declaration and demonstration of Christs death Iohn 7 22 And therefore we see this practised by Iohn the disciples
Contents of this Booke ABsence from the Communion Page 296. 304. 515. 306. Absolution of the Papists what p. 128. Abstinence from the Supper See AbseÌ„ce Accidents without subiects p. 348. Adoration of the Sacraments p 386. 387. Aduersaries confesse two Sacraments pa. 115. Agreement betweene the word and Sacraments p. 2 betweene Sacraments of the old Testament and New p. 117. Betweene Circumcision and Baptisme p. 226. Altars not vsed in the Supper p. 288. Anabaptists reuelations p. 74. they deny Childrens Baptisme p. 232. Aquarij old Heretikes p 385. Articles of faith ouerturned by Transubstantiation p. 362. Assemblies must continue till Baptisme be administred p. 163. reasons of it Ibid. Assurance of saluation p. 95. 118. 146. Attention required to the signes p 447. Auricular confessioÌ„ reproued p. 127 517. diuers sortes of confession pa. 519. what the Popish shrift is Ibid. B Baptisme taken many wayes p. 150 what it is pa 151. the parts of it pa. 158. 174. who haue interest in it p. 210. Baptisme of heretikes how far good pag. 155. administred by eu ll ministers it is good p. 566. and by ignorant ministers pa. 567 Baptisme ought not to bee delayed page 160. not tyed to a certaine day p. 161. â—27 in what sort necessary page 108. it must be handled by the ministers onely p. 175. the reasons of it p. 176. Baptisme of Christ and Iohn all one pag. 166. 167. Baptisme vsed by the Church of Rome lawfull pa. 186. whether we may bring our children to be baptised of Popish Priestes p. 187. Baptisme no humane tradition pa 229. 230. 239. it is the Châ—istian badge pa 259. not to bee handled in sport pa. 261. 263. it belongeth to all present pa. 262. it engrafteth vs into Christ page 266. it can make none Christians p. 269. it cannot conferre grace pa. 270. it sealeth vp forgiuenesse of all dnne p. 270. 272. what vses it hath page 266. it is auailable without a sermon page 561. Baptised in heart pa. 275. it is the trueth of baptisme p. 277. Baptising in the name of the Trinity how to be vnderstood pa. 194 corruptions of it in the Church of Rome p. 199. belles baptised p. 213 it belongeth not to Angels nor to the dead p. 215. we may not Baptise one for another Ib nor infidels p. 217 Bastards may be baptised p. 220 saued Ibid. Blind custome p. 318. Body of Christ truely receiued p. 296. Bread may not bee chaÌ„ged in the supper page 350 why it was chosen before other things p. 437. Bread and wine remaine in their proper nature p. 354. Breaking of bread what vse it hath p. 287 448 it is not to be omitted Ib. it expresseth Christs passion p. 288 how it is necessary p. 331. C Calling euery one must haue page 179. Carnal presence See Real Change of the bread wherein p. 53. Chastisements of the body p. 124. Children dying before baptisme See Infants Children are within the couenant p. 211. of such as coÌ„e of vnbeleeuing pareÌ„ts p 212 Children of Turks and Pagans how they may be baptised p. 218 of impenitent persons p. 119 of such as are born in adultery p 220 of Papists p. 121 and of excommunicate persons Ibid. Children not to bee admitted to the supper p. 514. Circumcision the same with baptisme p. 226 it is double 275 vsed now of the turks Moores p 228. Christ is offered to all p. 2â— hee is receiued by faith p. 76. he is the substance of all Sacraments p. 75 of baptisme p. 253 of the supper p. 454. he was a Lambe slaine from the beginning p. 79 he is our foode pa. 84. he receiued a true body pa. 458 hee suffereth with vs p. 502. Christ how present p 456. Comfort for the lowest in the Church p. 162 for parents pa. 241 for children touching their baptisme pag 264 and for the whole Church Ibid. Communion between Christ the faithful p. 267 281 499. it is wonderfull neere p 500 expressed by mariage p. 455. Communion with our brethren pag 503. we must imploy our gifts to their good pa. 50â— loue one another p 505. Communion vnder one kind p. 369. CoÌ„municants a part of the Supper p 385 Comparison betweene bodily spiritual eating p 460. Confession no part of repentance pag. 125 the kinds of it p. 126. Confirmation no Sacrament pa. 119 the reasons p. 120. the ceremonies vsed in it p. 121 it is preferred before baptisme p. 122. Concomitantia p. 380. Consecration what p. 51 435 wherein it consisteth p 52 not a charme pag 53 436 the meanes thereof pag. 436. we haue it in our Churches p. â—â—8 Coniunction See Communion Contempt of the Sacraments damnable p. 5 100 160. Contrition no part of repentance p. 125. Contradictions touching transubstantiation p. 366. Contradictions not in God p. 471 Corruptions in baptisme p. 200. Couenant between God man what p. 96. who are within the couenant pa. 102 who are without it pa. 103 it hath 2. seales p. 110. D Death not to be feared p. 146. Declaring the Lords death what p. 496. Departing out of the Church before baptisme vnlawfull p. 163. Despaire remedied See Remedies Difference between word SacrameÌ„ts p. 4 between Sacrifice Sacrament p. 63. between the Sacraments of the old Testament the New pag. 116 between Iohns baptisme Christs pa. 167 betweene circumcision baptisme p. 226 between baptisme the Lords Supper p 239 347 513 Difference between the childeren of the saithful infidels p. 240 between the Papists vs touching christs presence p. 456. Dipping not necessary in baptisme p. 152 Diuision of hell p 81. Dry communions forbidden p. 375. Duties of them that are baptised p. 195. E. Eating of Bread how vnderstood p 378. spirituall what p. 460. Eleuation of the Sacrament p. 386. Endes of a Sacrament p. 89 of Baptisme p. 266 of the Lords Supper page 493 false ends deuised by Papists Ibid. Euil ministers may deliuer sacrameÌ„ts p. 17 Eucharist see Supper ExaminatioÌ„ necessary p. 507 reasons vrging it p. 509 wherein it consisteth p. â—25 the want of it bringeth iudgement p. 543. ExaminatioÌ„ of others how reproued p. 522 Excellency of the faithfull p. 105. Excommunicate persons p. 319. F. Faith what it is p. 530 what are the haÌ„ds of it p. Ib. it standeth in applying p 531 it is the hardest thing to beleeue page 532 though weake yet auaileable pa. 535 two degrees of it Ibid. Faith like the mouth of a vessell p 480 it must be brought with vs to the Supper p. 486 530 it goeth not alwaies with feeling p. 305 it is assaulted with doubting pa. 93 none reiected for the weaknes of it p 94. Faâ—se Sacram. of the Roman Church p. 42 False ends of the Supper see Ends. Falling from grace p 1â—6 Fasting not necessary before the Supper p. 402. Fathers dying went to heauen p. 80. Fellowship with Christ p. 268 the means that worke it p. 269. Forgiuenesse of sinnes p. 395 Forme of
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
or difficulty to say this is my body when he gaue a signe of his body declaring thereby that by these words My body he vnderstood the signe of his body expounding the former by the latter It is also very waighty and worthy to be considered Epist 23. which he writeth in his Epistle to Boniface If the Sacrament had not a resemblance of the things whereof they are Sacraments they should not be SacrameÌ„ts at all but because of this most commonly they take the name of the things themselues so then as the Sacrament of Christs body is after a sort the body of Christ and the Sacrament of Christs blood is after a sort the blood of Christ so the Sacrament of faith is faith If he had verily beleeued that it is really the bodye of Christ he would neuer haue said this Sacrament is after a certaine fashion the body of Christ as euery man would laugh vs to scorne if we should say that Paul was after a sort a man or Peter was after a sort a man who were men truely and indeed And in another place he saith e Tract 50 in Iohan. Wee haue euer Iesus Christ according to the presence of his Maiesty but according to the presence of his flesh hee hath truely sa de to his Disciples Mee shall ye not haue alwayes Mat. 26 11. Origen also is plaine for vs writing vpon Mat. 15 Mat. 16 11 where he saith f Orig hom in Mat. 15. This meat which is sanctified by the word of God by prayer as touching his matter goeth downe into the belly and is voyded into the draught Let vs come to Chrysostome who aboue al the rest is vehement in his amplifications excessiue in the hight of his eloquence being desirous to draw the people to a reuerence of this Sacrament to redresse the abuses thereof crept in of which he complaineth in all places of his workes yet when hee speaketh properly he teacheth as others teach and writeth as others write as when he saith g Chrysost hom 83 in Math. If Christ be not dead wherof is this Sacrament a signe and token And likewise in that place When our Lord gaue the Sacrament he gaue w ne And if he gaue wine then by consequent hee gaue bread also which ouerthroweth such as h Dureus in Whâ—t say he took bread but gaue it not he tooke wine but gaue it not If these places bee not plaine and pregnant enough heare yet much plainer He demandeth i Hom. 24 in 1 Cor. What is this bread He answereth himselfe The body of Christ now least any should imagine some change of substance and the maintainers of Transubstantiation begin to lift vp their eares he addeth immediately And what are they made which partake thereof He answereth The body of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in the same place he telleth vs We must mount on high like Eagles if we will come neare to that body And in the vnperfect worke vpon Mathew if that worke be Chrysostomes k Câ—â—â—â—ost oper inâ—â—â—â—â—r Mat. hom 11. If it bee so dangerous a thing to transferre to priuate vses those sanctisied vessels in which the true body of Christ was not but the mystery of his body how much more the vessels of our bodies which God hath prepared for his habitation But of all other testimonies none is more euident then an Epistle of his written to Caesarius in the time of his banishment which albeit it be not printed among his workes l Pet. Martyr loc class 4. c. 10. sâ—ct 31. yet is auouched to be extant in the Library at Florence Before the bread be sanctified wee call it bread but when the grace of God hath sanctified it it is surely freed from the name of bread and is thought worthy to be called the body of our Lord though the nature of bread remaine in it True it is m Bellar. de Euchar. lib. 2 cap. 22. Bellarmine denyeth that euer he wrote any such thing howbeit Gregory of Valence admitteth the words confesseth the place and yet goeth about to shift it off and to weaken this witnesse as if it were not written by that godly and golden Father n Greg. de Valen lib. de transub but by one Iohn of Constantinople Thus he would delude and deceiue his Reader forasmuch as that Iohn was no other then Iohn Chrysostome and Iohn Chrysostome was Bishop of Constantinople Their owne glosse maketh this exposition o De Cons dist 2. Vocatur corpus Christi id est significat corpus Christi It is called the body of Christ that is it signifieth his body Adde to these the witnes of Maximus the Greeke p In eccles Hierar Scholiast who opposeth the signes to the truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these things are signes but not the truth I will shut vp all these authorities and allegations with the words of Gelasius Bishop of Rome q Gelas in his booke of two Natures Surely the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ which wee receiue are diuine things for that also by them we are made partakers of the diuine nature and yet neuerthelesse the substance nature of the bread and wine do not cease to remaine Can any speake more cleerely and euidently then these do Or haue any of our owne writers written more plainely and distinctly against popish Transubstantiation How then are they deceiued that thinke we wrest the words of Institution Or that we impose vpon the people more to bee beleeued then can be collected concluded out of the Scripture or that we teach and receiue more as authenticall out of Caluine Beza and other later authors then the ancient Fathers euer deliuered I wil briefly answere an obiection which these produce out of Cyprian in his Tract of the Lords Supper Obiect r Cyprian de coen dom This bread is changed not in shape but in nature and by omnipotency of God is made flesh To which I reply 4. things First Answere a change of nature doth not euermore import a change of substance A wicked person when he repenteth and turneth vnto God changeth his nature but the alteration is in quality not in substance there is a kinde of conuersion but no Transubstantiation Secondly this booke is but a bastard it beareth vpon it the name of Cyprian but it is a counterfeit Å¿ Censur patruÌ„ authore Rob. Coco pa. 75 as is sâ—â—ficiently and substantially prooued euen by the confession of the Papists themselues And whosoeuer will vouchsafe to reade the booke it selfe may easily discerne by the style as it were by the smell that it came out of some Couent or Cloister it is in many places so barbarous Thirdly if the word Nature should be taken for Substance in this place it must expresly contradict sundry testimonies of those writers which wee haue alledged before who deny that the nature of bread is changed that is