the best hand Games are but matters of Recreation I answere and first to the Maior negatiuely For although in Extraordinary lots wherein there is an expectation of Gods immediat providence for direction it is fit by prayer to craue the same of God yet in those Ordinary lots wherein it is not materiall which way they fall and no notable inconvenience can ensue thereof it is not necessary so to doe The confirmation which you bring for your Maior is authority negatiuely in point of Fact which is a meere Sophisticall Elench of no validity Wherein also you take for granted that which cannot bee yeelded without much folly nor demanded without much impudence namely that whatsoever the Saints did is recorded in Scripture which wee haue shewed to be farre otherwise Vnto the Minor and the proofe thereof I say no more but this that as all other our actions so our Gaming also is sanctified vnto vs by Prayer Not that at the commencement of every act a man is bound to put himselfe on his knees and to make his particular addresses vnto God for the morning sacrifice through the acceptation of God is sufficient to that end and stretcheth it selâ—e to all the daies actions Although I deny not but as at our meales so also in the beginning and closing vp of our play wee may with short eiaculations both craue a blessing vpon our recreation and praise him for the same But as touching the fall of the lot in our games because it is like hearb Iohn in a pot of broth doing neither good nor harme I hold it as inconvenient to pray for it as it is to pray for good successe at a match of bowles For as for those who adventure at play more then they can well spare without disabling themselues they passe beyond their bounds and offend against the rule of moderation in play Yet if such a one finding his rashnesse and sincerely resoluing not to commit such an errour againe shall in his heart entreat God to free him from the present danger I thinke such prayer should not be vnlawfull to him N. N. Fiftly a Lot is a thing that belongs to the art of Divinity and can be defined no where but there nor handled by any other way Wee may as I thinke sport our selues with any thing that belongs to any other art or recreate our selues in iest by any rules of any other art But thus wee must not doe with any thing or rule that belongs to Divinity we may not meddle with Divine things in light matters the Majesty of God and them requires more respect at the hands of Creatures The King nor any of his Lawes may not bee dallied with by the Subiect how much more is the Creature being but sinfull dust and ashes bound to his Creator being a consuming fire which wicked men make light of yea make sport with oathes vowes prayer the Sabbath the Sacraments and the Word of God For they will sweare vow pray without serious consideration they will for their pleasures sake breake the holy day of the Sabbath they vse the Sacraments as a matter of custome and fashion not of Conscience else the Dog would not so soone turne againe to his vomit And as for the Word of God he is commended for the best wit that can breake the most savory iests in the repeting of some phrase of Scripture We say it is no iesting with edgtooles and all say non est bonum ludere cum Sanctis yet what is wicked mens practise else with any Divine thing To follow whose example is farre vnbeseeming the humility and gravity of Gods professed servants DEFENCE Your reason is to be reduced into this forme or syllogisme That which belongs to the art of Divinity and can no otherwhere bee defined or handled may not bee sported withall or medled with in light matters But a lot belongs to the art of Divinity and can no otherwhere bee handled or defined Ergo it may not be sported withall or medled with in light matters In the proofe of the Maior you enlarge your selfe very much discoursing of the Maiesty of God and divine things and what respect is due to them from the creatures Then with many words you inveigh against all those wicked ones who make a Game of Oaths Vowes Prayer Sacraments Sabbath Scripture and what not In all which I readily joyne with you and had you prest it much farther and with more vehemence you could never haue offended mee The only thing that I dislike is that you bestow so much paines in maintaining that which no man denies and spare it there where it greatly needed I meane vpon the confirmation of your Minor What Did you thinke you should be taken for another Pythagoras Or that your owne bare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 would be of sufficient authority Verily either it was great dimnesse of sight if you foresaw not the Assumption would be denied or if you foresaw it extreame negligence or weaknesse that you endeavoured not to proue it Your Assumption therefore I deny That a Lot belongs to the art of Divinity and is there to be defined handled If you aske a reason of the deniall you may know I am not bound to render it your place is not to aske questions but to proue what you affirme Neverthelesse the reason is this because the termes of the definition belong not vnto Divinity Not the Genus which is a Chance or Casuall event for that belongs vnto the Metaphysicks as also doth Necessity Not the Forme which is the applying of the chance to resolue a doubt for that belongs vnto Pollicie or Morality If you foist any other thing into the Definition whatsoever it be it is superfluous and impertinent But why should any man thinke that it pertaines to a Divine to define a lot Is it because there is in them a Divine providence So is there also in Chesse Bowles and all other things whether serious or lusory yet are they not therefore Theologicall Is it because there is in them an immediat providence So indeede you dreame but wee haue already clearly demonstrated the contrary Is it then because they haue beene vsed in holy and religious businesses So is bread and wine and water also vsed yet I hope you will not say that the Definition of these things is proper to Divinity or that wee may not play with them and vse them in light matters Every applying of a creature vnto a holy end is not by and by an appropriating thereof vnto that end neither doth God by his Extraordinary vsing of a thing barre vs ever after from the Ordinary and naturall vse thereof And thus you see that as good reason may be rendred to the contrary so iust reason for it you can render none why the defining of a lot should be so confined to Divinity Yet one word more with you ere I leaue this point For I must entreat leaue to plucke you by the eare
CERTAINE TREATISES OF THE LATE REVEREND and Learned Divine Mr Iohn Downe Rector of the Church of Instow in Devonshire Bachelour of Divinity and sometimes Fellow of Emanuell Colledge in Cambridge Published at the instance of his friends Opera eorum sequentur cos OXFORD Printed by Iohn Lichfield for Edward Forrest A.D. 1633. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD the Lord Bishop of Exeter his worthy Diocesan AS ALSO TO HIS FELLOVV BRETHREN THE REVEREND DIVINES of that Diocesse THE PVBLISHER OF THESE ENSUING WORKES makes bold to dedicate them in the name of his deceased Friend The Contents of these treatises 1 The funerall Sermon on behalfe of the author of these ensuing workes 2 A letter of the Lord Bishop of Exeter concerning the Author of these workes 3 A treatise concerning the force and efficacy of reading 4 Christs prayer for his Church 5 A Godly discourse of selfe-denyall 6 An apology of the justice of God 7 An Amulet or preservatiue against the contempt of the Ministry 8 The Dowe-like serpent 9 Subiection to the Higher Powers 10 A defence of the lawfulnesse of Lots in gaming against the arguments of N.N. 11 The reall presence by Transubstantiation vnknowne to the ancient Fathers 12 A defence of the former answere against the replie of N.N. THE FVNERALL SERMON ON BEHALFE OF THE AVTHOR OF THESE ensuing workes PREACHED BY GEORGE HAKEWILL Dr OF Divinity and Arch-deacon of Surrey a neere neighbour and deere friend vnto him OXFORD Printed by I.L. for E. F. 1633. DAN 12.3 They that be wise or teachers shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turne many vnto righteousnesse as the Starres for ever and ever WORDS worthy to bee drawne out in Capitall letters of Gold to bee written with a beame of the Sunne or as Chrysostome speakes in another case with a quill taken from the wing of a Seraphin words which as I am now informed this deare and Reverend Brother of ours deceased the occasion of this present meeting aboue twenty yeares since made choice of vpon the like occasion at the funerall of a worthy divine well knowne to a great part here present so that I cannot but herein obserue the speciall favour of God pointing mee as it were with the finger of his providence to the very same text which himselfe made choice of vpon the like occasion but my doubt is that neither the straits of time nor my slender abilities will permit mee to handle it as I am assured hee did though I heard him not They are the words of the Lord of hosts the great Iehovah sent by an Angel to the Prophet Daniel highly favoured of his God and as highly commended for his singular vprightnesse and great Wisdome and by him as a principall Secretary of the holy Ghost left vpon record to posterity for the Churches vse so that whether we regard the matter of them or the Author from whom they are sent or the Person to whom wee haue every way great reason to afford them our best attention Now that we may somewhat the better conceaue the sense of them it shall not perchance be amisse a little to reflect vpon the words going before from the beginning of the chapter 1 At that time shall Michael stand vp the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time and at that time thy people shall be deliuered every one that shall be found written in the booke And many of them that sleepe in the dust of the earth shall awake some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt Where by Michael as I take it mystically at least if not historically Christ is meant hee being the great Prince both of his and Daniels people which is his Church by his standing vp his comming to judgement by the time of trouble the day of the worlds dissolution which shall be indeed terrible and troublesome to the vnbeleevers and impenitent but to the righteous a day of refreshing and deliverance whose names are written in the booke of life Then many that is all of them that sleepe that are dead and buried and it may bee rotten in the dust of the earth shall be awaked or raised vp by the power of God some that is the godly to everlasting life a life of ioy and happinesse and some that is the wicked to everlasting shame and contempt not only so but to everlasting paine and torment To which very words our Saviour seemes to allude The houre is comming in the which all that are in the graues shall heare his voyce And shall come forth they that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life and they that haue done evill vnto the resurrection of damnation The day of judgement and the resurrection of the dead thus described then follow the words of my text resuming the former branch of the precedent division They that are wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turne many vnto righteousnesse as the starrs for ever and ever Which without straining kindly enough and of themselues fall asunder into two parts the Persons to be rewarded and the Reward In the persons rewardable we haue a gift required and two acts issuing from this gift The gift is wisedome the first act issueing there from is teaching the second turning of men vnto righteousnesse by vertue of teaching As our wisedome is from God so it should be in part referred to the teaching of others and our teaching be directed to the converting or iustifying of sinners as the Hebrew hath it In the Reward we haue the condition of it shining the different degrees of this shining resembled by the brightnesse of the firmament and that of the starrs the latter farre surpassing the former and lastly the perpetuall duration of both these degrees for ever and ever I will beginne with the gift to be rewarded wisedome Wisedome is of all vertues the most eminent and excellent the most soveraigne and divine making vs most like vnto him who is the only wise God shee is the Mistres the Lady the Queene the crowne of them all and where shee is none of them can be wanting Nullum numen abest si sit prudentia If they were all compacted into one body one chaine one ringe the eye of this body the medaile of this chaine the gemme of this ringe could be none other then wisedome The kinds thereof are diverse being taken in the better sense I will reduce them to foure heads Intellectuall Morall Civill and Spirituall whereof the first consists in the activity of the rationall powers of the minde in the knowledge of the languages and the liberall arts and sciences the second in a gracefull a comely and discreet carriage of our selues the third in an orderly government of corporations and societies committed to
of his faith not onely to the satisfaction and instruction but admiration of his hearers Among the rest two things there were which he much and often insisted vpon the one that he hoped onely to be saued by the merits of Iesus Christ the other that he constantly perseuered in the faith and religion professed and maintained in the Church of England in which he was borne baptized and bred and this he many times and earnestly protested in a very serious and solemne manner pawning his soule vpon the truth thereof His glasse being now almost runne and the houre of his dissolution drawing on though his memorie and senses no way failed him he desired to be absolued after the manner prescribed by our Church and according to his desire hauing first made a briefe confession therevpon expressing a hearty contrition together with an assurance of remission by the pretious bloud of his deare Sauiour he receiued absolution froÌ„ the mouth of a lawfull minister having receiued it professed that he found great ease coÌ„fort therein withall that he was desirous likewise to haue receiued the blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist if the state of his body would haue permitted him not long after imagining with himselfe that he heard some sweete Musike calling vpoÌ„ Christ Sweet Iesus kill me that I may liue with thee he sweetly fell asleepe in the Lord as did the Protomartyr who ready to yeeld vp the Ghost prayed and said Lord Iesus receiue my spirit Thus he liued and thus he dyed neere approaching the great climactericall of his age And by this time I am sure you find and feele with me that we haue all a great losse in the losse of this one man His flocke hath lost a faithfull pastor his wife a louing husband his children a tender father his seruants a good master his neighbours a freindly neighbour his freinds a trusty freind his kindred a deare kinsman this whole countrey a great ornament The king hath lost a loyall subject the kingdome a true-hearted Englishman the Cleargy a principall light the Church a dutifull sonne the Arts a zealous Patron and religion a stout Champion we haue all lost onely he hath gotten by our losse he hath made a happy exchange instead of his congregation singing of Psalmes with them here he is now ioyned to the congregation of the first borne whose names are written in heauen with whom he beares a part in the euerlasting Halleluiahs instead of the Church militant he is inrooled in the Church trivmphant hauing his palme in his hand in token of victory instead of his freinds and kinsfolke here he is become the companion of the blessed Saints and glorious Angels instead of his wife and Children and lands and goods and attendants here he now enioyes the blisfull vision of the face of God and the full fruition of Iesus Christ by meanes whereof no doubt he shines as the brightnesse of the firmament nay as the brightest starre in the firmament and â—o shall shine for euer and euer Sic mihi contingat viuere sicque mori God graunt we may so liue as with him we may dye comfortably and so dye as with him we may liue againe shine in glory euerlastingly Who so is wise will ponder these things and they shall vnderstand the loving kindnesse of the Lord Consider then what I haue said the Lord giue you vnderstanding in all things SACRAE TRINITATI GLORIA This Sermon being presented to the veiw of the Right Reverend Father in God the Lord Bishop of Exeter together with the Authors purpose of publishing these ensuing workes of his deceased friend it pleased his Lordship to returne this following answere which together with the Sermon may serue in part to let the world know his great worth though in a manner buried in obscurity Worthy Mr Dr Hakewill I Doe heartily congratulate to my dead friend and Colleagian this your so iust and noble a commemoration It is much that you haue said but in this subiect no whit more then enough I can second every word of your prayses and can hardly restraine my hand from an additionall repetition How much ingenuity how much learning and worth how much sweetnesse of conversation how much elegance of expression how much integrity and holinesse haue we lost in that man No man euer knew him but must needs say that one of the brightest Starres in our West is now set The excellent parts that were in him were a fit instance for that your learnedly defended position of the vigour of this last age wherevnto he gaue his accurate and witty astipulation I doe much reioyce yet to heare that we shall be beholden to you for some mitigation of the sorrow of his losse by preseruing aliue some of the post-hume issue of that gracious and exquisite brayne which when the world shall see they will marvell that such excellencies could lye so close and shall confesse them as much past value as recovery Besides those skillfull and rare peeces of Divinity tracts and Sermons I hope for my old loue to those studies we shall see abroad some excellent monuments of his Latine Poesie in which faculty I dare boldly say few if any in our age exceeded him In his Polemicall discourses some whereof I haue by me how easie is it for any judicious Reader to obserue the true Genius of his renowned Vncle Bishop Iewell such smoothnesse of style such sharpnesse of witt such interspersions of well-applyed reading such graue and holy vrbanity shortly for I well foresaw how apt my Pen would bee to runne after you in this pleasing track of so well deserued praise these workes shall be as the Cloake which our Prophet left behind him in his rapture into heauen What remaines but that we should looke vp after him in a care and indeauour of readinesse for our day and earnestly pray to our God that as he hath pleased to fetch him away in the Chariot of Death so that he will double his spirit on those he hath thought good to leaue yet below In the meane time I thanke you for the favour of this your graue seasonable and worthy Sermon which I desire may be prefixed as a meet preface to the published Labours of this happy Author Exon Palace Mar. 22. 1631. Fare-well from your loving friend and fellow-labourer Ios. Exon. TWO TREATISES 1 Concerning the force and efficacy of reading 2 Christs prayer for his Church OXFORD Printed by I.L. for E. F. 1633. ACT. 15.21 For Moses of old time hath in every Citty them that Preach him being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day OMitting for the present whatsoeuer else might profitably be observed out of these words I will at this time only inquire these three things The first whether preaching in this place be distinguished from Reading The second whether Reading be a kind of Preaching The third whether reading be an ordinary meanes to beget Faith and convert a soule
The truth of which three questions while I endeavour to resolue not so much with heat and vehemence of passion as strength and evidence of reason let me entreat you all Right Worshipfull Reverend and beloued Christian brethren but for the space of one houre to lay aside all preiudice and to heare with indifference what I can say When I haue done if my resolutions appeare to be grounded vpon sound and convincing arguments I hope you will according to your duties readily yeeld vnto the truth if otherwise every one may still abound in his owne sense and yee haue free liberty to carry home the same opinion ye brought hither with you In the meane season I beseech the Lord to direct your hearts and to giue you a right iudgement in all things The first Quere is whether preaching in this place be distinguished from reading In resoluing whereof I will not be so peremptory as some are only I will shew what I conceiue and vpon what grounds This I conceiue that Preaching here is no other then the publike Reading of Moses and I conceiue so vpon these grounds because there appeareth nothing in the words to force a distinction but rather something importing an identity That there is nothing to enforce a distinction appeares if either yee consider the context and reason of the words or the text it selfe and the forme of words vsed therein First therefore as touching the Context It is manifest by this particle For that these words are inferred as a reason vpon some thing premised Thus. Some of the beleeuing Pharisees had taught the brethren at Antioch that except they were circumcised and together with the faith of Christ obserued the ceremonie of Moses they could not be saved Whereof after much altercation and dispute the Apostles being advertized they summon a counsell at Ierusalem to stint the quarrell In it Saint Peter expresly affirmeth that salvation is impossible by the law and that the grace of Christ is of it selfe every way sufficient which sentence Saint Iames hauing readily approved he adds withall that for the setling of the Churches peace it would not be amisse to write vnto the beleeuing Gentiles that they abstaine from pollutions of idols from fornication from things strangled and from blood For saith he Moses of old time hath in every Citty them that preach him being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day Now how comes in this For and what is that conclusion whereof this is a reason Heere I finde difference of opinions but among them all three seeme to me to bee most probable Of them all take which you list and the publike Reading of Moses alone will bee a sufficient proofe thereof The first opinion is Saint Chrysostoms in whose iudgement Saint Iames would proue this conclusion that it is altogether needlesse to write vnto the beleeuing Iewes touching abstinence from these things And why is it needlesse Because they perfectly know these things already But how came they to the knowledge of them By hearing Moses publikely read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day for he in such cleare expresse tearmes hath deliuered the same that whosoeuer heareth cannot but take notice thereof as besides sundry other places you may see in Num. 25. and Lev. 17. which you may pervse at your better leasure The second opinion is of the French translators this Ye may not thinke that by this decree the law of Moses will be vilipended or disesteemed Why Because the Reading of Moses saith the marginall note will not be discontinued in the assemblies of the beleeuing Iewes neyther will the beleeuing Gentiles make scruple to assist them therein The third and last is the common opinion and carries with it best likelyhood this We must for a while condescend to the beleeuing Iew in observation of the ceremonie least wee scandall them and cause them to stagger in the faith The reason because they know by the weekely reading of Moses that it is his ordinance to whom they are so strongly addicted that they cannot yet without danger to their faith be weaned from him And thus take which of these conclusions you please and the sole reading of Moses is a sufficient proofe thereof You will say so is interpretation also I denie it not only I affirme that from the context or reason of the words yee cannot force a distinction betweene Preaching and Reading No more can you from the Text and the forme of words vsed therein Indeed if the words were in the originall as Hieron to whom wee are referred englishes them debellatum esset the warre were ended For thus he renders them Moses was both read and preached then which a plainer distinction cannot bee Whether so reading he intended the advantage of his cause I will not say Demortuis nil nisi bene he was while hee liued a graue and reverend preacher Howbeit the originall reads otherwise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee hath them that preach him being read Beza turnes it thus cum legatur seeing he is read others thus in that or inasmuch as hee is read Which how it can inforce a distinction I see not rather it imports the contrary that Preaching here is no other then Reading So seemeth the Syriack also to vnderstand it Moses hath Caroze Haralds or Criers in the Synagogues who read him every Sabbath day And indeed the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here vsed whence also Caroze as Casauhon thinketh fetcheth its pettigree properly imports the art of a Praeco or Crier Now Praeco a crier as Whitaker obserueth Recitat edicta non exponit barely reads or recites his Princes edicts doth not expound them If then I should say the King hath in every towne those that preach or publish his proclamations being openly read by the Towneclarke vpon market dayes could any man of sense or vnderstanding distinguish the preaching or publishing of the proclamation from the publike reading thereof No more can he Preaching from reading in this place for the case is exactly the same Adde herevnto that such Preaching euen in the judgement of the adversarie is here meant as was ever performed in every Synagogue vpon every Sabbath day Now that Moses of old was read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day it is cleare in my text So is it also Act. 13.27 the voices of the Prophets are read every Sabbath day But that Moses in every Synagogue every Sabbath day was interpreted and Sermons made vpon him doth not appeare and I thinke will hardly be proued For as for those places where in mention is made of exhortation after reading they are to little purpose inasmuch as they only show what sometimes and vsually not what was alwaies done In the Sabbatticall yeare vpon the feast of Tabernacles the law was commanded to be read of expounding there is no mention at all Nay seeing then the whole law was intirely to be read it seemes very probable that
in such ascantling of time there could bee no expounding In the dayes of good King Iosiah the booke of the law which Hilkiah had found in the house of the Lord was read in the eares of all the people but of exposition not a word Ezra also the Priest read the law before the congregation from morning till midday but that his reading was interrupted by interpretation is not so cleare as you are borne in hand For first if any did interpret it was the Levites but that Ezra the Priest and a Scribe so learned should be put to the inferior and baser office of reading and the Levites but pettie ones in comparison advanced vnto the higher and worthier of interpreting seemes altogether improbable Secondly where it is said the Levites caused the people to vnderstand the law that it seemes was done not by way of expounding but by causing the people to stand still in their places and to giue due attention As for that which followes they gaue the sense and caused them to vnderstand the reading it is in the originall thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and may fitly be rendred they made attention and vnderstood the reading referring the distinct reading of the law vnto Ezra making of attention to the Levites vnderstanding to the people And thus doe sundry worthy Divines conceiue of this place All which not withstanding because diverse other great clarkes amongst the rest our late translators are of another mind I may not be too peremptorie herein Yet will I be bold to inferre that vnlesse they can proue that sermons were every Sabbath made in evey Synagogue which I thinke they will neuer proue Preaching in this place will be all one with Reading So will it be also vnlesse they can shew that whatsoever was read was expounded for it seemes by the text that whatsoever was read was preached But as with vs the Psalmes and Lessons and Epistles and Gospells with other parcells of Scripture read every Lords day in our Churches are not nor cannot all at once be expounded but only some small portion so the Petaroths or Sections of the law and the Prophets ordained by Ezra of old to be read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day are as they are set downe by the sonne of Maimonie so large that they could not possibly at leastwise conveniently bee interpreted at one time I presume therefore all was not interpreted which was read yet all was preached which was read wherefore Preaching cannot in this place bee interpreted but only Reading Besides these reasons least any should thinke I stand single and by my selfe alone it may please you to know that I am backed with the authority of sundry graue Divines of whom I will name two onlie with either of whom that one to whom we are referred is no way to be compared The one is reverend Whitgift late Archbishop of the See of Canterbury in his defence against Cartwright the other is learned and profound Hooker the hammer of our Schismatickes whose bookes they are afraid to looke vpon least they be confounded in his Ecclesiasticall Politie These both affirme Preaching in this place to be no other then Reading Whitgift addes that all expositors he could meet withall were of the same mind so that in effect I am warranted with a cloud of witnesses Against all which besides confident asseveration I find nothing opposed saue one only passage out of the second tome of Homilies wherein say they our church doth principallie fasten on this text to proue a distinction betweene Preaching and Reading Wherevnto I answere that the intent of the Homilie is to shew the right vse of Churches and that in them the word of God should be both read and interpreted and to this end are alledged sundry passages out of the Acts together with this text all which ioyntly but not severally conclude what was intended For Act. 13.5 speaketh only of Preaching this text only of Reading and Act. 13.14 of both But how soever the Homilie vnderstand this place sure I am both this booke and the Church of England account of Reading as an effectuall Preaching as shall anon in the due place be demonstrated In the meane season I hope I may be bold out of all these premises to inferre this conclusion that if any haue publikely said that whosoever collecteth out of this text Reading to be Preaching is no better then a seducing spirit giues the lye to his mother the Church of England yea to God himselfe and is mad with reason Hee himselfe at that time spake more out of Passion then reason For a seducing Spirit is not every one that erreth and delivereth what he conceiueth to be true but hee who out of the loue of errour endeavoureth to lead others astray from the truth And ô thou glorious Archangell of the Church of England Whitgift wert thou also a seducing Spirit Or was it true of our Church in thy time which the Prophet spake of his Doctores tui Seductores tui thy teachers are thy seducers And thou profound Hooker then whom never any man spake with more reason werst thou also mad with reason And yee both when yee vndertooke the defence of the Politie and government of your Mother did you vnder pretence thereof giue the lye vnto your Mother yea even to God your Father also What shall I say The Lord forgiue these intemperate speeches The best buckler to defend off such venimous arrowes is a good conscience and Christian patience And thus armed I passe to the second part The second Quere is whether Reading be a kinde of Preaching That Reading should be called or counted a kinde of Preaching there is a generation that at no hand can endure Such language they hold to be a foule Solecisme in divinity but the doctrine it selfe a great impeachment vnto Preaching What say they when our Saviour commanded his Apostles to goe into the World and to preach the Gospell vnto all creatures is it not a sottish thing to thinke hee meanes no more then this goe learne to read well then call the people together and read the word vnto them When St Paul saith to the Romans How can they preach except they bee sent doth not this imply that Preaching is more then bare Reading When the Prophet Esay said How beautifull vpon the mountaines are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings that publisheth peace c. Doe you thinke hee spake this of one that should come with a booke in his pocket and read vnto Sion Who saith S. Paul is sufficient for these things Now if Reading be Preaching who is not sufficient for these things Finally When S. Paul chargeth Timothy to preach the word to be instant in season out of season to reproue rebuke exhort withall long suffering and doctrine What meanes he no more then this goe take a care to read well These are their choicest objections out of
world make a flourish to the contrarie expressely confesseth that the Spirits of the Patriarchs and Prophets before the comming of Christ were not so worshipped and called vpon as the Apostles and Martyrs now are because as yet they were detained in those infernall prisons where they had not the beatificall sight of God Now if the Patriarchs then saw the face of God as farre forth as the Saints doe now as indeede they did the argument is so much the stronger if yet all that while they were never called vpon In the new testament likewise we finde no warrant for it even by their owne confession And Salmeron the Iesuite rendreth reasons thereof For saith he the Iew that never had called vpon any of the Patriarchs or Prophets would hardly haue beene drawne to pray vnto those newer Saints the Gentiles would haue thought that insteed of those many Gods which they had forsaken a multitude of other Gods had beene put vpon them As for the times after Christ and his Apostles it was long before it crept into the Church and when it entred it was but the opinion of some private men and not the publike doctrine of the Church All the Fathers which proued the Deitie of the Sonne of the holy Ghost by this dutie of Invocation must needs if they will not contradict themselues be against it So must they also and they are not the least or meanest part of them who held that the Faithfull hence departed are not admitted into heauen but continue elsewhere in some secret receptacles without the vision of God vntill the day of iudgement For vpon that vision even in the iudgment of our aduersaries their particular knowledge of all things here done on earth dependeth vpon this againe their Invocation In a word whensoeuer or howsoeuer it began as it grew on so was it still opposed and neuer gate publike strength vntill the blinde times of superstition overswaied true devotion The cafe then standing thus that Invocation of Saints and Angels is neither necessary nor pious nor profitable but rather impious and extreamely dangerous as being derogatory to the glory of God the honour of Christs Mediation and that no ground or warrant at all can bee found for it either in the old or new Testament or in the writings and practise of those holy Fathers who flourished when the Church was in her primitiue puritie the case I say thus standing our safest course will be to follow the precedence and direction of our blessed Saviour and with him to addresse our selues vnto our heauenly Father and to none other It is he alone who at all times can both heare and helpe Neither is he more able then ready and willing to grant our requests if we come vnto him in his sonnes name Night and day he stretcheth out his armes towards vs he invites vs with all louingnesse to come vnto him hee chargeth and commandeth vs in all our needs and necessities to direct our prayers immediatly vnto him Let vs not therefore sollicite any other mediators or spokesmen for vs as if we doubted of his fatherly goodnesse and affection towards vs but let vs rather come directly with all boldnesse vnto the throne of grace to the end we may obtaine mercy and finde grace to be holpen in due season So to doe is not Presumption but Faith and Dutie And so much for the first part of our Saviours prayer Quem orat to whom he prayes The second is Pro quibus orat for whom he prayes Hee prayes for the Church mysticall as some tearme it or as it may more fitly be called for Christ mysticall that is the whole body consisting both of the Head which is Christ and all the rest of his members That it may more fitly bee called Christ mysticall we haue the warrant of S. Paul who expressely calleth it so As saith he the bodie is one and hath many members and all the members of one body though they be many yet are one body euen so is Christ Where by Christ nothing can be meant but the whole consisting both of Head and Members Had the Church as it s distinguished against the Head beene vnderstood hee would haue said as St Austin obserueth ita Christi so is Christs that is the body of Christ or the members of Christ but hee saith ita Christus even so is Christ vnum Christum appellans caput corpus calling both the head and the body one Christ. The same doth St Austin elsewhere also obserue vpon those words of the Apostle He saith not and to seeds as speaking of many but as of one and to thy seed which is Christ. Now saith he some perhaps will say if Christ be the seed of Abraham are we so also Remember that Christ is the seed of Abraham and if by this wee also are the seed of Abraham then are we also Christ. Vnto this warrant of Scripture adde we the reason thereof that Christ and his Church being twaine and yet constituting but one mysticall body it is fit the denomination of the whole should be taken from the better and more worthy part which is Christ and not the inferiour which is the Church But of this by the way For Christ mysticall then doth our Saviour pray but first for himselfe and then for his members For himselfe from hence vnto the ninth verse for his members from thence vnto the end of the Chapter If any demand a reason of this order I answere first Christ is the more worthy person For hee is Emanuel God-man appointed by his Father to be the Head of the Church and in all things to haue the preheminence And therefore as he hath in our Creed before the Church so in this Prayer also he deserues to haue precedencie Secondly hee knew it could not goe well with his Church vnlesse first it went well with himselfe For vnder his Father he was to be the fountaine of life and grace the vniversall cause of all good vnto his Church and to this end was hee to be annointed of the Spirit without stint or measure So that vnlesse the ointment be poured vpon Aarons head it cannot descend vnto the beard and from thence vnto the skirts of his garment And vnlesse Christ be first replenished himselfe we cannot of his fulnes receiue either grace for grace or glory for glory That therefore it might goe well with vs he prayes first for himselfe But then in the next place he maketh sute for his Church as if without her welfare it could not be well with him For as for her he was incarnate so without her hee counts himselfe imperfect For so it must needs be if as St Paul saith she be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all The reason because he is her Head And therefore though he fill all in all yet without her he wanteth of his owne fulnesse because he
The houre is come therefore glorify thy Sonne What Hour vndoubtedly the houre of his bitter passion This appeareth evidently by that of our Saviour Loe the houre is at hand and the sonne of man is betraid into the hands of sinners That also of Saint Iohn They laid not hands on him because his houre was not yet come And yet more plainely by that of our Sauiour where hauing said the houre is come that the Sonne of man should be glorified presently hee speaketh of his death and addeth Father saue mee from this houre but therefore came I into this houre This Houre is here by way of eminence called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the or that houre both in regard of the great work that was to be performed therein as also for that it was long before determined by the Father to that worke But now saith Christ that hour is come that is it is instant and at hand And so indeed it was For the same night that hee vttered this prayer hee was betraid and the next day cruelly executed By which it is evideÌ„t that he was not ignorant of the houre but as he foreknew it so he was ready also to enter into it So that in these two words these three things come to bee considered the Houre the worke of the houre the knowledge he had both of the Houre the worke thereof But before I spake of any of them it is reason wee should shew the force of Christs argument how it followes The houre of my Passion is now at hand therefore thou oughtest to glorify mee Some as namely those of the Church of Rome make the reason of the sequele to be the merit of his passion for that by it hee should deserue his glory Now true it is that Christ both did and suffered many things worthy of most large and ample reward Howbeit for ought we can find in Scripture all was for vs with neglect of himselfe There was no perfection but either hee was already possessed of it or it was now due vnto him by vertue of the personall vnion At the first instant whereof all glorie would haue flowen to his Humanity had it not by speciall dispensation beene staid vntill hee was come to the lowest bottome of his humiliation Which being done and the stay remoued it could not but naturally flow vnto him So that how hee should merit for himselfe cannot well be conceiued without empeachment of his glorious Vnion As for those texts they alledge for proofe all of them shew rather ordinem then meritum that his glory succeeded his passion not that his passion merited his glory For as touching that to the Hebrewes Thou hast loued righteousnesse and hated iniquity wherefore God even thy God hath annointed thee with the oile of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes if it import merit it must be of Vnction and not of finall Glorification which they wil none of indeed cannot be For in the very first instant of his assumption assoone as the Humanity had being the ointment was poured vpon him so that it could not possible be preuented by merit Merit therfore is not the reason of the sequel What theÌ„ Surely the Promise of his Father For it was not the Fathers will that ignominie should alway rest vpon the sonne or that the slâ—â—es as it were of Glory should still be stopt against him Wherefore he promised When he should make his soule a sacrifice for sinne he should see his seed and prolong his daies and the pleasure of the Lord should prosper in his hand so that hee should see of the travell of his soule and be satisfied Yea he sware vnto him and repented not of it Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedeck that is who by performing the office of his Priesthood should passe into his eternall and glorious kingdome And vpon this ground it is that our Saviour affirmeth Christ ought first to suffer and then to enter into his glory And hence also it is that here he saith The houre is come glorifie thy sonne as if he should say more fully thou hast bound thy selfe by promise yea and by oath too that when by suffering I shall haue finished the worke of redemption for which thou sentest me thou wouldest fully satisfie me with glory Now the houre of my passion is come and I am ready and willing to vndergoe it Remember therefore thy promise and performe it For vnlesse thou wilt faile of thy word and fayle of thy word thou canst not because thou art truth it selfe thou must needs glorifie me And thus you see both the reason and necessity of the sequele in this enthymeme Whence we are lessoned first to imitate Christ and with him to ground all our prayers and hopes vpon our Fathers promise For he is omnipotent and can true wil performe Vnto Godlines he hath made the promise both of this the other life Liue we therefore godlily then feare we not boldly to approch vnto the throne of grace and to charge him with his promise both for the one and for the other thou hast promised and therefore glorifie me Againe as Christ could not haue ignominie and shame alwaies to rest vpon him but that obice remoto the stay and let being remoued Glory would surely flow vnto him by reason of the hypostaticall vnion so by vertue of the mysticall vnion we haue with Christ obice remoto assoone as the let and stay is done away it cannot be but that forthwith from him Glorie should bee deriued vnto vs. That let is Sinne. Sinne being crucified and slaine by death when we are ready to yeeld vp the ghost but specially when the day of resurrection is come we may say with Christ Father the houre is come glorifie thy sonne Lastly if we will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 raigne with Christ in glory we must first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suffer with him in humilitie Hee bare the Crosse before he could weare the Crowne we are predestinated to be conformed vnto the image of the Sonne And wee also in our flesh must fulfill the remainders of the afflictions of Christ if we will be glorified with him But of this enough Now let vs resume the three particulars aboue mentioned to be considered And first of the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the or that houre that is the houre decreed determined vnto the Passion of Christ. For hee that is the creator of time hath ever reserued the disposition thereof in his owne power And as hee hath ordained of all that shall come to passe euen to the lighting of a sparrow and the fall of a haire so vnto every thing hath hee set a season and a time to every purpose vnder heauen If to every thing and purpose then much more to this worke as being a businesse of greatest weight and consequence And seeing as the
yea St Steven generally vpbraids them yee stiffe-necked and vncircumcised in heart and eares yee doe alwaies resist the holy Ghost as your Fathers did so doe yee All these Scriptures evidently demonstrate that the cause of not coÌ„ming after Christ is not for that Christ forceth man from him but because man himselfe refuseth to come Let the blame thereforely where it ought on man and not on God let God be true but every man a lyar as it is written that thou maist be iustified in thy sayings and overcome when thou art iudged As Christ forceth no man from him so neither doth he force any to come after him If any will let him God offereth violence to no mans will for though he hate evill loue good yet neither doth he violently draw the will from the one nor constraine it vnto the other Good is not good if it be done of compulsion and not willingly Hee that doth good by constraint would not doe it and â—o doth ill and God shall shew great mercy vpon him if he doe not punish him For the sacrifices which God accepteth are free will offerings it is the cheerefull giuer whom he approueth Hence is it that God requireth our election and choice and election importeth liberty I call heauen earth to record this day against you saith Moses that I haue set before you life and death blessing and cursing therefore chuse life And Ioshua chuse you this day whom you will serue whether the Gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood or the Gods of the Amorites in whose land ye dwell In a word all the exhortations commandements promises and threatnings vsed in Scripture plainely argue that it is Gods will that what we doe wee should doe willingly Here happily some will say what are you fled into the enimies campe are you also become a Proctor for free will God forbid Our comming after Christ I ascribe not with Papists vnto the freedome of our owne will but vnto the free grace of God for I confesse that if he prevent vs not with grace we cannot will and being prevented if he pursue vs not with his grace wee shall will in vaine according to that of Saint Paul It is God which worketh in you to will and to doe of his good pleasure If it be so will you yet say why doth our Saviour Christ vse this forme of words if any will let him and doe you not overthrow all what hitherto you haue said affirming that we can neither will nor doe vnlesse by grace we be elevated aboue nature Herevnto to expresse my selfe more fully I answere foure things First if wee were such as we ought to be we might of our selues by the meanes offered vnto vs come vnto Christ. That now wee cannot is through our owne default who haue disabled our selues And yet the obligation still lieth vpon vs and wee are bound to bring with vs power abilility and fit dispositions If wee neither doe nor can yet may God iustly exact them of vs as the Creditor may his debt of the vnthrift that cannot pay him neither is he bound againe to enable him by grace no more then a Creditor is to supply the wants of his wastfull and prodigall debter Secondly although in things supernaturall and spirituall the act of Willing be not in our power yet are there many prerequisites going before which are in our power as to goe to Church to heare Gods word preached to meditate vpon it to seeke further information c. without which ordinarily God saueth none God blesseth not our idlenesse but our labour he that will not labour shall not eate he shall eat that seeketh his bread in the sweat of his browes He that will not plow nor sow shall not reap the crop and he that will not striue and endeauour himselfe shall not obtaine grace Thirdly if a man hauing the meanes of grace offered him shall therevnto adde his owne endeavour and doe whatsoeuer lieth in his owne power who knoweth but that God will bee gracious to that man Or rather to declare my mind freely I doubt not but that God will be gracious vnto him And although others wrench and stretch the place too farre for their owne advantage yet will I not bee afraid with as graue Divines as this land affordeth any to apply it vnto this purpose Habenti dabitur to him that hath shall be giuen God forsaketh not man vntill man forsaketh him neither fayles any vntill hee bee defectiue vnto himselfe Then indeed the talent which he would not imploy shal be taken from him but he that imploies it carefully shall receaue more yea shall haue abundance Being thus called and affected God will never cease to further our conversion vnlesse wee our selues stop his course either by carelesse neglect or wilfull rejection of grace Lastly when we haue done whatsoeuer we can doe yet is conversion out of our power it is the work of Gods free grace which grace of vnwilling maketh vs willing not by forcing and constraining the will but sweetly inclining and bending it For albeit God in converting vs bee said to draw vs yet may we not conceaue this Drawing to be constraint or violent coaction Hee drawes vs indeed what as stocks and stones No but as men I will draw them saith God with the cords of a man with the bands of loue Grace so prevaileth vpon the will as it preserueth the libertie thereof It cannot will before Grace grace maketh it willing When we are first converted by grace we convert willingly and whensoeuer we will wee will freely For will is not will vnlesse it be free Grace indeed setteth free the will yet except wee will our conversion freely we can neither be converted nor saued according that of Bernard Nisi sit liberum arbitrium non est quod saluetur nisi sit gratia non est vnde saluetur vnlesse there be free will there is nothing to be saued vnlesse there be grace there is no meanes whereby to bee saued And thus much haue I thought good to speake touching the forme of words or the liberty of them that are counselled partly to cleare God from being the cause why wee follow not this counsell and partly to set an edge vpon our endeauour to follow it The Counsell it selfe is threefold first abnegation of our selues secondly bearing of the crosse thirdly following of Christ. And of every of them there is a conditionall necessity if we will come after Christ. For howsoeuer simply we may chuse whether we will deny our selues or not deny our selues take vp the crosse or not take vp the crosse follow Christ or not follow him yet conditionally if wee will come after Christ we must of necessity deny our selues take vp our crosse daily and follow him So that in euery of these Counsels we are to consider first the Substance and then the Necessity
the dispenser whereof is this great iudge of the whole world who nor can nor will doe otherwise then right In that day saith the Scripture shall the Lord himselfe come downe from heauen with a shout and a throne shall bee set in the clouds and the auncient of daies shall sit thereon whose garment is white as snow and the haire of his head like the pure wooll his throne is like the firy flame and his wheeles as burning fire a fiery streame shall issue and come forth before him thousand thousands shall minister vnto him and ten thousand thousands stand before him the iudgement shall be set and the bookes opened Then shall the Archangells trumpet sound and the dead shall rise and the Angells shall goe forth and gather both good and bad together and we all must appeare before the tribunall of Christ that every man may receiue the things done in the body according to that he hath done whether it be good or evill and the wicked shall goe into everlasting paine and the righteous into life eternall Goe too now yee Epicures yee Stoicks yee Philosophers that are so wise in your owne conceit and account the preachers of iudgement no better then Bablers goe too yee mockers and scoffers of this last time who say where is the promise of his comming For since the Fathers died all things continue alike from the beginning of the Creation non alium videre paeres aliumue nepotes the world which our ancestors saw of old is the same which wee their posterity see now Goe to I say eate drinke make you merrie crowne your heads with rose buds before they be withered delight your selues in the tabâ—et and harpe enioy the pleasures that are present let not the flower of life passe by walke in the waies of your owne heart and in the sight of your owne eyes but yet know that for all these things God will bring thee to iudgement I remember that a gallant of this stampe some time said vnto a reverend Prelate what if there bee no iudgement to come are you not then a very foole to barre your selfe from the pleasure of this present life to whom the Prelate and what if there be a iudgement to come are not you then a very foole for the short pleasures of this present life to barre yourselfe from those eternall ioyes of the life to come Thou vaine man art thou infallibly certaine thou shalt not come to iudgement is there no scruple no doubting remaining in thee to the contrary I know thou wouldest faine haue it so that thou maist sinne withall impunity howbeit I am sure thy Conscience doth so counterchecke thee that thou canst not but doubt thereof In a case so doubtfull vnto thee what folly nay what madnesse is it for time to hazard eternity and for a few fading pleasures to adventure thy selfe vpon endles woe and misery The wise heathen could say Longum illudtempus cum non ero magis me movet quam hoc tam exiguum the long time which shall be after this life doth more affect me then this short life If it bee possible let it affect thee also if not sit still in the chaire of scorners scoffe on thy fil and seeing thou wilt not beleeue that fire is hot vntill it burne thee thou shalt one day be convinced that there is a iudgement when thou shalt feele the intollerable torments of those flames that never shall be quenched In the meane season let vs who haue better learned Christ and know the terror of the Lord let vs I say prepare our selues against this great dreadfull day of the Lord giuing all diligence that we may be found of him in peace without spot and blamelesse And to this end let vs alwaies haue it in mind and with Saint Hierom ever be meditating therevpon Quoties diem illum considero saith he toto corpore contremisco siue enim comedo siue bibo siue aliud facio semper videtur tuba illa terribilis sonare in auribus meis Surgite mortui et venite ad iudicium as often as I thinke of that day I tremble every limbe for whether I eate or drinke or doe any thing me thinkes I heare that terrible trumpet sounding in mine eares arise yee dead and come to iudgement If any thing in the world will make a man sober and keepe him within his bankes it is the consideration hereof Thinke of this I beseech you and thinke of it seriously all yee that heare me this day Yee Iudges of the land be yee wise and learned serue the Lord and kisse the sonne doe right to the poore and fatherlesse deliver the poore and needy and saue them from the hand of the wicked doe nothing vniustly accept no mans person execute iustice without bribery and partiality for your selues must come vnto iudgement and as you iudge so shall yee be iudged Yee lawyers and advocates see that yee entertaine none but good causes sell not breath only for your fees spin not matters out at such a length for your owne advantage in every cause deale conscionably and honestly for your selues shall need an advocate in that day to speake for you quando plus valebunt pura corda quam astuta verba when a good heart shall farre more availe then cunning and plausible words Yee Priests and Levites of the Lord feed yee diligently the flocke whereof the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers strengthen the weake heale the sicke binde vp the broken bring againe that which was driven away seeke that which is lost be instant in season out of season thrice happy are you if your Lord when he cometh finde you so doing for you shall stand in iudgement and hauing iustified many yee shall shine as the starres for ever and ever And yee the rest of my brethren whatsoeuer whether gentle or vngentle rich or poore take heed to your selues also and for these outward vanities of birth and wealth see that yee neither despise nor envy one another In that day not the first but the second birth will be regarded and a good conscience will bee more esteemed then a full purse Watch therefore be sober flee vngodlinesse and worldly lâ—sts and follow after righteousnesse piety faith loue patience meekenesse doe good and be rich in good workes laying vp in store a good foundation for your selues against the time to come that ye may obtaine eternall life Then shall yee not need with guilty reprobates to hang downe your countenances and to request the hills to cover you from the wrath of the terrible iudge for ye shall earnestly long for his speedy comming and at his appearance shall yee lift vp your heads for ioy knowing that your redemption draweth neere and that now is to bee pronounced that more then ioyfull sentence Come yee blessed of my father inherit yee the kingdome
my body that shall bee giuen for you My flesh is truly meat and my blood is truly drinke the bread that I shall giue you is my flesh for the life of the world and other like sentences of our Savioâ—r I. D. Your second Argument is drawne from the opinion of the ancient Fathers grounded vpon the Scriptures An invincible and irrefragable Argument if you bee able to make it good For who is hee that dares withstand so great Authority as is that of the Fathers backt with Scripture But bragge is a good dogge as they say and it behooueth you to cracke and boast of much least otherwise you be thought to be destitute of all For I will be bold to affirme that neither you nor your author shall ever be able to proue any one of the ancient Fathers whether with Scripture or without to bee of your side in this present point Those that you pretend to make for you wee shall examine as they offer themselues in order And as for grounding their opinion vpon Scripture neither could they doe so seeing they never dreamed of your Reall presence neither doe the particular places by you vouched import any such thing The first place This is my body shall hereafter at large be vnfolded the rest as is already demonstrated speake not a word of the Sacrament but only of Spirituall eating If the Fathers either in their Homilies or Commentaries alledge these words discoursing of the Eucharist it maketh nothing against vs. For seeing Christ is Spiritually eaten not only out of the Sacrament but in it also and Spirituall eating cannot well be expressed but by tearmes borrowed from Bodily eating no marvell if the ancient Fathers speaking of the Sacrament accomodate these words and the rest in the sixt of Iohn thereunto N. N. The Fathers doe not only vrge all the circumstances here specified or signified to proue it to be the true naturall Body of Christ as that it was to be giuen for vs the next day after Christs words were spoken that it was to bee given for the life of the whole world and that it was truly meat and truly Christs flesh but doe adde also divers other circumstances of much efficacy to confirme the same affirming the same more in particular that it is the very Body which was borne of the blessed Virgin the very same Body that suffered on the Crosse. The selfe-same body saith St Chrysostome that was nailed beaten crucified blouded wounded with a speare is receiued by vs in a Sacrament Whereunto St Augustine addeth this particularity that it is the selfe-same that walked here among vs vpon earth As he walked here in earth saith he among vs so the very selfe-same flesh doth he giue to bee eaten and therefore no man eateth that flesh but first adoreth it And Hesychius addeth that hee gaue the selfe-same Body whereof the Angell Gabriel said to the Virgin Mary that it should be conceiued of the Holy Ghost And yet farther It is the same body saith St Chrysostom that the Major or learned men did adore in the manger but thou doest see him saith he not in the manger but on the Altar not in the armes of a woman but in the hands of a Priest The very selfe-same flesh saith St Augustine againe that â—ate at the table in the last supper washed his Disciples feete the very same I say did Christ giue with his owne hands to his Disciples when he said Take eate this is my body c. and so did he beare himselfe in his owne hands which was prophecied of David but fulfilled only by Christ in that supper These are the particularities vsed by the Fathers to declare what Body they meane and can there be any more effectuall Speeches then these I. D. Pliny in one of his Epistles adviseth him that would be a Writer oftentimes to looke backe vnto the title of his Booke and to consider what his drift and purpose is least ere he be aware he step aside and fall vpon things impertinent Which wise and prudent counsell of his had you duly regarded I perswade my selfe you would not haue spoken so little to the purpose as in this section you haue done For out of all these sayings of the Fathers you conclude no more but this that the true naturall flesh of Christ which was borne of the blessed virgin conversed among vs here on earth and suffered on the crosse c. is present in the Sacrament which who denies Certainly none of our side for wee all freely confesse the same together with you So that the difference betwixt you and vs lies not in the thing it selfe but in the Manner nor whether Christ be present but how and in what sort hee is present Two waies say wee he is present Sacramentally Spiritually as is aboue already declared And this Presence wee affirme to be so strait and neere that wee are thereby bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh But the Presence that you maintaine is a Corporalland Locall Presence of the Flesh of Christ vnder the Accidents of Bread and Wine and that by way of Transubstantiation And this is the point which you haue vndertaken to proue out of the Fathers and to which you ought to speake but in this place you performe it not For how doth this follow The Fathers say that true Christ is present Ergo they say he is present Corporally Locally and by way of Transubstantiation Certainly not at all for hee may otherwise be Present namely Sacramentally as wee hold and Spiritually Neither shall your Author with all his wit and skill ever bee able to make good this or the like consequence from the thing to the manner And thus much for answere in generall Particularly St Chrysostome saith the selfe-same Body which was crucified c. is receaued by vs. But how In a Sacrament that is Sacramentally and by Faith Even as in Baptisme we are made partakers of the Blood of Christ and the power of the Holy Ghost not by a Reall presence or Transubstantiation of Water into them but only as St Chrysostome here speaketh in a Sacrament The which comparison I vse the rather because it is the Fathers own who elsewhere saith that it is in the Lords supper as it is in Baptisme wherein by the sensible element of water the gift is bestowed and that which is intelligible to wit regeneration and renovation is performed The Reddition whereof must needs be this that in like manner by the sensible creatures of Bread and Wine the gift is giuen we are made partakers of the Body and Blood of Christ to the Spirituall nourishment of our soules By which proportion it seemeth that as the one is effected without Transubstantiation so is the other also Your next Author is Saint Augustine who saith that the same Flesh which walked here among vs doth he giue to be eaten True but to bee eaten by Faith not by the mouth For
these things hang together for my part I cannot see Would to God your selfe had taken the paines to shew it But this is your solemne fault you quote the sayings of the Fathers and leaue mee to gather your Conclusions I may well thinke because you saw no great force or strength in them And whether Gregory did favor Transubstantiation or no let it be tried by these words As the Divinity of the word of God is one which filleth all the world so although that body bee consecrated in many places at innumerable times yet are there not many bodies of Christ nor many cups but one body of Christ and one bloud with that which he tooke in the wombe of the Virgin and which he gaue to the Apostles For the Divinity of the word filleth that which is every where and conioyneth and maketh that as it is one so it bee ioyned to the body of Christ and his body be in truth one Here according to Gregory the body of Christ doth not succeed and fill vp the roome of bread after the substance thereof is abolished but the fulnesse and vertue of the Divinity which filleth the bread maketh it â—o passe into the body of Christ and so to be one body of Christ. Which how it can stand with your Transubstantiation iudge you N. N. These Hereticks admit not the Eucharists and oblations because they will not confesse that the Eucharist is the Flesh of our Saviour Iesus Christ which hath suffered for our sins which the Father hath raised vp againe by his goodnesse These words alleaged by Theodoret are reported by him to be the words of St. Ignatius the Apostles scholler written in an Epistle ad Smyrnenses and therefore of greater antiquitie I. D. These words are not found in that Epistle ad Smyrnenses which is now extant Whereby you may perceaue it is true that I said the Epistles of Ignatius are not come perfect to our hands Of this Epistle saith Eusebius Ignatius when he wrote to them of Smyrna vsed words I knowe not whence taken And Hierome If you vse not his testimonies for authoritie at least vse them for antiquity And the Abbot of Spanheâ—m reckons it not among the rest of his Epistles as being doubtfull Yet for all this the credit of this Epistle shall not be questioned by mee I answere therefore the Heretikes which Ignatius meanes were Menander and the Disciples of Simon These denied that Christ was come in the Flesh and consequently that hee had Flesh. Wherevpon they reiected the Eucharist also least thereby they should be constrained to confesse that he had true Flesh. For granting the signe of a body you must also grant a true body Figure and Truth being Correlatiues whose Relation is to figure and to be figured And thus they added aloes vnto wormwood one error vnto another first denying the truth of Christs body and then that the Eucharist was the Sacrament of his body or that it was Sacramentally his body More then this cannot bee meant For I presume Theodoret would not alleage this to crosse himselfe who holdeth that Bread and Wine still remaine and argueth from them for the verity of Christs body because they are symbols of his body as is aboue declared N. N. Doth not the Evangelist Iohn say in the Apocalyps If any man shall adde vnto these things God shall adde vnto him the plagues that are written in this booke and if any man shall minish of these words of the booke of this Prophecie God shall take away his part out of the booke of life and out of the holy City and the things which are written in this booke Is this malediction or curse lesse to be feared here that we diminish not or put any thing to the words of him that said This is my body which shall be delivered for you this is my bloud of the New Testament which shall be shed for many in the remission of sinnes For when he saith This is my body wee shall put to an vnderstanding saying a Figuratiue Body or that it is spoken by a similitude when I say he saith this is my Body we shal say this signifieth my Body is it not much that we put to his words or by an evill change take from them and make a sense which so great an author God man in no place hath spoken nor at any time did ascend into his heart This man especially with many of the rest answereth M. Downe and all Protestants fully I. D. In this Authority I cannot but greatly pitty you to see how miserably you are gulled and beguiled by your Author For what was this Rupertus but a man of yesterday one that liued towards twelue hundred after Christ and a very Heretike in this point of the Sacrament For he maintained that the Eucharisticall Bread is hypostatically assumed by the Word iust after the same manner that the humane nature was assumed by the same Word This he expresseth in words as cleare as the noone day For expounding that of our Saviour The Bread which I will giue is my Flesh he saith That the eternall word by incarnation was made man not destroying or changing but personally assuming the humanitie and after the same manner by consecration of the Eucharist the same word is made Bread not destroying or changing but personally assuming Bread This he declareth elsewhere very largely shewing that Bread is made the Body of Christ not by turning it into his Flesh but because it is assumed by the Word Whence it followeth that Bread is the Body of Christ yet not his Humane or Carnall but Bready Body much differing from that which he tooke of the Virgin That yet these two bodies may be said to be One because the Person is but one or Christ is one who assumed them both so that the same Christ aboue that is in heauen is in the Flesh and beneath that is on the Altar is in Bread This grosse errour Algerus who liued in the same time with Rupertus confuâ—ed calling it as it iustly deserued a new and most absurd heresie What say you now to this good sir Is this the man who especially among the rest fully answereth Mrâ— Downe and all Protestants Doth he not as fully answere you Papists who cleane contrary to his Tenet destroy and change the bread to make it Christs body Yea but we adde vnto the Text vnderstanding it to be a Figuratiue body That is a shamelesse slander for wee place no Figure in the word bodie but litterally interpret it of Christs naturall body At least we say bread signifieth his body So wee say indeed and so say the Fathers also And to giue the true sense vnto a Text is not to adde vnto it Neither can I conceaue why it should be counted addition in vs to say This is my body Sacramentally or by way of signification more then in you to say it is so by way of Transubstantiation or