the Sacrament wee granting in all things héerein vnto them and they in like manner vnto vs. And therefore the lying lippes which both belye the Doctors as thogh they granted a carnall and reall presence of Christs body naturally and corporally after the Papists declaration and meaning and which belie vs also as though we denied all presence of Christ and so made it but a bare signe These lying lips the Lord will destroy if they repent not and with vs beleeue and teach the truth that the Sacrament is the foode of the Soule a matter of faith and therefore spiritually and by faith to be talked of and vnderstanded which faith they want and therfore they erre so grossely in that they would haue such a presence of Christ as is contrary to all the Scriptures and to our Christian Religion whereby commeth no such commodity to the receiuer as by the Spirituall presence which wee teach and according to Gods word doe affirme For wee teach these benefits to be had by the worthy receiuing the Sacrament namely that wee abide in Christ and Christ in vs. Againe that we obtaine by it a celestiall life or a life with God moreouer that by Faith and in Spirit wee receiue not onely Christs body and blood but also whole Christ God and man Besides these we grant that by the worthy receiuing of this Sacrament we receiue remission of our sinnes and confirmation of the new Testament Last of all by worthy receiuing wee get all increase of incorporation with Christ and amongst our selues which be his members then which things what more can be desired Alas that men consider nothing at all how that the coupling of CHRISTS body and blood to the Sacrament is a spirituall thing and therefore there néeds no such carnall presence as the Papists imagine Who will deny a mans Wife to be with her Husband one body and one flesh although he be at London and shee at Yorke But the Papists are carnall men guided by carnall reason onely or else would they know how that the holy Ghost because of our infirmitie vseth metaphorically the words of abiding dwelling eating and drinking of Christ that the vnspeakeable coniunction of Christ with vs might something bee knowne God open their eyes to see it And thus much for this Now to that part of the obiection which sayth that wee teach CHRIST to bee no otherwise present in the Sacrament then in his word I would that the Obiectors would well consider what a presence of CHRIST is in his word I remember that Saint Augustine writeth how that Christs body is receiued sometime visible and sometime inuisible The visible receit he calleth that which is by the Sacrament the inuisible receite hee calleth that which by the exercise of our faith with our selues we receiue And saint Hierom in the third booke vpon Ecclesiastes affirmeth that we are fed with the body of Christ and we drinke his blood not only in mystery but also in knowledg of Scripture Wherin he plainly sheweth that the same meat is offered in the words of the Scriptures which is offered in the Sacrament so that no lesse is Christs body and bloud offered by the Scriptures then by the Sacraments Vpon the 147. Psalme hee writeth also that though these words He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood may bee vnderstood in mysterie yet he saith it is more true to take Christs body and his blood for the word of the Scriptures and the doctrine of God Yea vpon the same Psalme he saith plainely that Christs flesh and bloud is powred into our eares by hearing the word and therfore great is the perill if we yeeld to other cogitations whilst we heare it And therefore I thinke Saint Augustine saith that it is no lesse perill to heare Gods word negligently then so to vse the Sacrament But hereof may no man gather that therefore it néedeth not to receiue the Sacrament or to affirme that a man may as much by himselfe meditating the word in the field receiue Christs body as in the Church in the right vse of the Sacrament For Christ ordainth nothing in vaine or superstitiously hee ordaineth nothing whereof wee haue not neede Although his authority is such that without any questioning his ordinances are to be obeyed Againe though in the field a man may receiue Christs body by Faith in the meditation of the word yet deny I that a man doth ordinarily receiue Christs body by the only meditation of Christs death or hearing of his word with so much sight and by such sensible assurance whereof God knoweth our infirmitie hath no small need as by the receit of the Sacrament not that Christ is not so much present in his word preached as hee is in or with his Sacrament but because there are in the perception of the Sacrament more windowes open for Christ to enter into vs then by his word preached or heard For there I meane in the word he hath an entrance into our hearts but onely by the eares through the voice and sound of the words but heerein the Sacrament he hath an entrance by all our senses by our eyes by our nose by our taste and by our handling also And therefore the Sacrament full well may be called seeable sensible tasteable and touchable words As therefore when many windowes be opened in an house the more light may come in then when there is but one opened euen so by the perception of the Sacraments a Christian mans conscience hath more helpe to receiue Christ then simply by the word preached heard or meditated And therefore mee thinketh the Apostle full well calleth the Sacraments obsignations or sealings of Gods promise Read Romans the fourth of Circumcision And thus much for the answere of the obiection aforesayd Now to returne from whence wee came namely to the consideration of the second thing what the Sacrament is I haue told you that it is not simply Bread and Wine but rather Christs body so called of Christ and so to be called and esteemed of vs. But heere let vs marke what body and what blood Christ called it Christs presence in the Supper The Papists still babble This is my body This is my blood But what body it is what blood it is they shew not Looke therefore my dearely beloued on Christs owne words and you shall see that CHRIST calleth it his body broken and his blood shedde Marke I say tha Christ calleth it his body which is broken his blood which is shed presently and not which was broken or shall be broken which was shed or shall be shed as the Greeke Texts do plainely shew thereby teaching vs that as God would haue the Passeouer called not which was the Passeouer or shall be the Passeouer but plainely the Passeouer to the end that in the vse of it the passing ouer of the striking Angell should be set before their eyes as present so in the celebration of the Lords Supper the
very Passion of Christ should be as present beholden with the eyes of Faith For which end Christ our Sauiour did specially institute this Supper saying Doe ye this in remembrance of mee or as Paul saith Shew you the Lords death till he come The Supper of the Lord then is not simply Christs body and blood but Christs body broken and his blood shedde Wherefore broken Wherefore shedde Forsooth that teacheth Christ himselfe saying Broken for you Shed for your sinnes and for the sins of many Here now then we haue occasion in the vse of the Sacrament to call to mind the greatnes and grieuousnesse of sinne which could not be taken away by any other meanes then by the shedding of the most precious bloud and breaking of the most pure body of the only begotten Sonne of GOD Iesus Christ by whome all things were made all things are ruled and gouerned c. Who considering this thing shall not be touched to repent Who in the receiuing of this Sacrament thinking that Christ saith to him Take eate this is my body which is broken for thee This is my blood which is shedde for thy sinnes can but tremble at the grieuousnesse of his sinnes for the which such a price was payd If there were no plague at all else to admonish man of sinne how grieuous a thing it is in Gods sight surely that one were enough But alas how are our hearts bewitched through Sathans subtilties and the custome of sinne that we make sinne a thing of nothing God open our eyes in time and giue vs repentance which wee sée this Sacrament doth as it were enforce vs vnto in the reuerence and true vse of the same Againe in hearing that this which we take and eate is Christs body broken for our sinnes and his bloud shed for our iniquities we are occasioned to call to mind the infinite greatnesse of GODS mercy and truth and of Christs loue towards vs. For what a mercie is this that God would for man beeing lost through his wilfull sinnes be content yea desirous to giue his owne onely Sonne The Image of his substance the brightnesse of his glorie being in his own bosome to be made man for vs that we men by him might be as it were made Gods What a mercie is this that God the Father should so tender vs that he would make this his Sonne being equall with him in diuinitie a mortall man for vs that wee might bee made immortall by him What a kindnesse is this that the Almighty Lord should send to vs his enemies his deare Darling to bee made poore that wee by him might bee made rich What bowels of compassion was this that the omnipotent Creator of Heauen and earth would deliuer his owne onely beloued Sonne for vs creatures to be not onely flesh of our flesh and bone of our bones that we might by him through the holy Ghost be made one with him and so with the Father by communicating the merits of his flesh that is righteousnesse holinesse innocencie and immortalitie but also to bee a slaine Sacrifice for our sinnes to satisfie his iustice to conuert or turne death into life our sinne into righteousnes hell into Heauen misery into felicitie for vs What a mercy is this that GOD will rayse vp this his Sonne CHRIST not onely to iustifie and regenerate vs but also in his person to demonstrate vnto vs our state which wee shall haue for in his comming we shall be like vnto him Oh wonderful mercy of God which would assume this his Christ euen in humane body into the heauens to taken and kéepe their possession for vs to leade our captiuitie captiue to appeare before him alwaies praying for vs to make the throne of Iustice a throne of mercy the seat of glory a seat of grace So that with boldnesse we may come and appeare before God to aske and finde grace in time conuenient Againe what a verity and constant trueth in God is this that he would according to his promise made first to Adam and so to Abraham and others in his time accomplish it by sending his sonne so graciously Who would doubt hereafter of anything that he hath promised And as for Christs loue oh whose heart can be able to thinke of it any thing as if deserueth He being God would become man He being rich would become poore He being Lord of all the world became a seruant to vs all hee being immortall would become mortall miserable and taste of all Gods curses yea euen of hell it selfe for vs. His bloud was nothing too deare his life nothing considered to bring vs from death to life But this his loue néedeth more heartie weighing then many words speaking and therefore I omit and leaue it to your considerations So that in the receiuing of this Supper as I would you would tremble at Gods wrath for sin so would I haue you to couple to that terror and feare true faith by which ye might be assuredly perswaded of Gods mercie towards you and Christs loue though all things else preached the contrary Do euery of you surely think when you heare these words Take eate this is my body broken for your sinnes Drinke this is my bloud shed for your sins That God the eternal Father embracing you Christ calleth clippeth you must louingly making himselfe one with you and you one with him and one with another amongst your selues You ought no lesse to be certaine now that God loueth you pardoneth your sinnes and that Christ is all yours then if you did heare and Angell out of heauen speaking so vnto you And therefore reioyce and be glad and make this Supper Eutharichiam a thankesgiuing as the Fathers named it Be no lesse certaine that Christ and you now are all one then you are certaine the bread and wine is one with your nature and substance after you haue eaten and drunke it Howbeit in this it differeth that you by faith are as it were changed into Christ and not Christ into you as the bread is for by faith he dwelleth in vs and we in him God giue vs faith in the vse of this Sacrament to receiue Christ as he giueth vs hands to receiue the element simbole and visible Sacrament God grant vs not to prepare our féeth and belly as Saint Augustine saith but rather of his mercy he prepare and giue vs true and liuely faith to vse this and all other his ordinances to his glory and our comforts He sweep the houses of our hearts and make them cleane that they may bee worthy Temples and lodgings for the Lord. Amen Wherefore the Sacrament was instituted Now let vs come and looke on the third and last thing namely wherefore the Lords did institute this Sacrament Our nature is very obliuious of GOD and of all his benefits And againe it is very full of dubitation and doubting of GODS loue and of his kindnesse Therefore to the end these two things might be something
A DOVBLE SVMMONS THE ONE To vnfained REPENTANCE THE OTHER To the worthie receiuing of the LORDS SVPPER Deliuered in two notable Sermons MADE By that worthy Martyr of Christ IOHN BRADFORD Who suffered in Smith-field Ano. Domini 1555. MAT. 4.17 Amend your liues for the Kingdome of Heauen is at hand LONDON Printed by George Purslowe 1617. To the Christian Reader IOHN BRADFORD wisheth the true knowledge and peace of Iesus Christ our alone and sufficient Sauiour GREAT and heauy is Gods anger against vs as the most grieuous plague of the death of our late King a Prince of all that euer was since Christs ascension into Heauen in any Region peerlesse doth Prognosticate For when Gods iudgement hath begun with his Childe let other men thinke as they can I surely cannot be perswaded otherwise but that a grieuous and bitter cuppe of Gods vengeance is ready to be poured out for vs English-men to drinke The whelpe God hath beaten to fray the bandogge Iudgement is begun at Gods house In Gods mercie to him-wards hee is taken away that his eyes should not see the miseries which we shall feele He was too good to tarry with vs so wicked Heb. 11. so froward so peruerse so obstinate so malicious so hypocriticall so couetous vncleane vntrue proud and carnall a generation I wil not goe about to paint vs out in our colours God by his plagues and vengeance I feare me will paint and point vs out Wee haue so mocked with him and his Gospell that we shall feele it is no bourding with him Of long time we haue couered our couetousnesse and carnality vnder the cloake of his Gospell so that all men shall see vs to our shame when he shall take his Gospell away and giue it to a people that will bring forth the fruits of it To let his Gospell tarry with vs he cannot for we despise it contemne it are glutted with it Since his Gospell came amongst vs we say now we had neuer plenty therefore againe let vs goe and worship the Queene of heauen and to prouoke the Lord to anger The earth cannot abide now the words and Sermons of Amos. Amos 7. Acts 17. The cause of all rebellion is Amos and his preaching It is Paul and his fellowes that make all out of order Summa the Gospell is now Panto on peripsema catharma tou cosmou The our-east and curse of the Realme and so are the Preachers therefore out of the dores with them So that I say God cannot let his Gospell tarry with vs but must needes take it away to doe vs some pleasure therein for so shall we thinke for a time as the Sodomitanes thought when Lot departed from them as the old world thought Gen. 19. Gen. 7 when Noe crept into his Arke as the Ieruâ—olomitanes thought when the Apostles went thence to Peltis Then were they merry then was all pastime When Moses was absent then went they to eating and drinking and rose againe to play But alas Exod. 32 suddenly came the floud and drowned them Gods wrath waxed hot against them Then was lamentation mourning and woe then was crying out wringing of hands renting of clothes sobbing and sighing for the miseries fallen out of the which they could not scape Well if hee take that away for a time perchance we shall be quiet but at length we shall feele the want to our woe at length hee will haue at vs as at them O bee thou mercifull vnto vs and in thine anger remember thy mercy We haue sinned we haue sinned and therefore art thou angrie ô be not angry for euer Giue vs peace peace peace in the Lord set vs to worke against sin against Sathan against our carnall desires and giue vs the victory this way This victory we obtaine by faith This faith is not without Repentance as her Gentleman-Vsher before her This Vsher then Repentance if wee truely possessed wee should be certaine of true faith and so assured of the victory ouer death hell and Sathan His workes then which hee hath stirred vp would quaile God would restore vs politique peace right should be right and haue right Gods Gospell should tarrie with vs Religion should bee cherished Superstition suppressed and so we yet something happy notwithstanding the great losse of our most gracious Liege souereigne Lord. All these would come to passe you see if the Gentleman-Vsher I speake of I meane Repentance were at Inne with vs. As if he be absent we may be certaine that Lady Faith is absent Wherefore we cannot but be vanquished of the world the flesh and the diuell and so wil Sathans workes prosper though not in all things to bleare our eyes yet in that thing which he most of all desireth Therefore to Repentance for our selues priuately and for the Realme and Church publickly euery one shall labour to stirre vp both our selues and others This to the end that for my part I might helpe I haue presently put forth a Sermon of Repentance which had lyen by me halfe a yeere at the least for the most part of it For the last Summer as I was abroad preaching in the Countrey my chance was to make a sermon of Repentance the which was earnestly of diuers desired of me that I should giue it them written or else put it forth in print which I could not doe for I had not written it and so I told them But when no nay would serue I promised to write it as I could at my leisure this leisure I prolonged so long that as I think I offended them so did I please my selfe as one more glad to reade other mens writings then in such sort to publish mine owne for other men to reade not that I would others not to profit by mee but that I knowing how slender my store is would be loth the enemies should therby take occasion of speaking But when I considered this present time to occasion men now to look vpon all things in such sort as might mooue them to godlinesse rather then to any curious questioning I for the satisfying of my promise and profiting of the simple ignorant and rude haue now caused this Sermon to be printed the which I beseech God for his Christs sake to vse as a mean whereby of his mercie it may please him to worke in me and many others true hearty repentance for our sinnes to the glory of his name Thus fare thou well in the Lord The xij of Iuly 1553. To the Christian READER Thomas Samson wisheth the felicity of speedy and full conuersion to the LORD GOdly Learned men doe write publish bookes to profit the age in which they liue and the posterity This desire was in the Authour of this Treatise M. Iohn Bradford who preached published this Sermon of Repentance And now that we which do liue after him and are the posterity may take as much or more profit by it then they did for whom it was first preached
that I haue commanded you say that you be but vnprofitable seruants Put nothing to my word sayth God Apoc. 22 Deu. 4.1 Yes works of supererogation yea superabomination say they Whatsoeuer things are true saith the Apostle S. Paul whatsoeuer things are honest whatsoeuer things are iust whatsoeuer things are pure whatsoeuer things pertaine to loue whatsoeuer things are of good report if there be any vertue or if there be any praise haue you them in your mind and doe them and the God of peace shall be with you Beloued this lesson wel regarded would pull vs from popish Satisfactory works which do deface Christs treasures and Satisfaction In heauen and in earth was there none found that could satisfie Gods anger for our sins or get heauen for man but only the Son of God IESVS CHRIST the Lyon of the Tribe of Iuda who by his bloud hath wrought the worke of Satisfaction and he only is worthy all honour glory and prayse for hee hath opened the booke with the seuen Seales Dearely beloued therefore abhorre this abomination euen to thinke that there is any other satisfaction to God-ward for sin then Christs bloud only Blasphemy it is and that horrible to think otherwise The bloud of Christ purifieth sayth Saint Iohn from all sinne And therefore hee is called the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world because there was neuer sinne forgiuen of God nor shall bee from the beginning vntill the end of the world but onely through Christs death Prate the Pope and his Prelates as please them with their Pardons Purgatorie Purgations Placeboes Trentalles Diriges workes of Supererogation Superabomination c. I am hee saith the Lord which putteth away thine offences Esay 45. and that for mine owne sake and will no more remember thine iniquities Put me in remembrance for we will reason together and tell me what thou hast for thee to make thee righteous Thy first Father offended sore c. 1. Iohn 2. And thus writeth Saint Iohn If any man sinne wee haue an Aduocate sayth he with the Father euen Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation or satisfaction for our sinnes As in the fourth Chapter hee saith That God hath sent his Sonne to bee a propitiation or satisfaction for our sinnes According to that which Paul writeth where hee calleth Christ a mercifull and faithful Priest to purge the peoples sinnes Heb. 2. So that blinde Bussards and peruerse Papists they be which yet will prate our merits or works to satisfie for our sinnes in part or in whole before Baptisme or after For to omitte the testimonies I brought out of Iohn and Paul which the blinde cannot but see I pray you remember the text out of Esay which euen now I rehearsed being spoken to such as were then the people of God and had bin a long time but yet were fallen into grieuous sinnes after their adoption into the number of Gods children It is for mine owne sake saith God that I put away thy sinnes Where is your parting of the stake now If it be for Gods owne sake if Christ bee the propitiation then recant except you wil become Idolaters making your workes God and Christ Say as Dauid teacheth Not to vs Lord not to vs but to thy name be the glory And it is to be noted that God doth tast in their feeth euen the sinne of their first father lest they should think that yet perchance for the righteousnesse and goodnesse of their good fathers their sinnes might bee the sooner pardoned and so God accept their workes If they had taken Satisfaction for that which is done to the Congregation publikely by some notable punishment as in the Primitiue Church was vsed to open offendors sparkles whereof and some traces yet remaine when such as haue sinned in adultery go about the Church with a Taper in their shirts Or if they had made Satisfaction for restitution to man ward of such goods as wrongfully are gotten the which true penance cannot be without Or if by Satisfaction they had meant a new life to make amendes to the Congregation thereby as by their euill life they did offend the Congregation in which sence the Apostle séemeth to take that which he writeth in 2. Cor. 7 where the old Interpreter calleth Apologian Satisfaction which rather signifieth a defence or answering againe If I say they had taken Satisfaction any of these wayes then they had done well so that the Satisfaction to God had béene left all onely to Christ Againe If they had made Confession either for that which is to God priuatly either for that which is to the Congregation publiquely either for that which is a frée consultation with some one learned in Gods booke and appointed thereunto as first it was vsed and I wish were now vsed amongst vs either for that which is a reconciliation of one to another it had béene some thing yea if they had made it for faith because it is a true demonstration of faith as in Paul wée may sée when hee calleth Christ the Captaine of our Confession Rom. 1. that is of our faith and so Confessors were called in the Primitiue Church such as manfully did witnes their faith with the peril of their liues if I say they had taken it thus then had they done right well And so Contrition if they had left out their subtill distinction betwéene it and Atttirion by this word iust or full making it a hearty sorrow for their sinnes then wee would neuer haue cryed out against them therfore For wee say penance hath thrée parts Contrition if you vnderstand it for a hearty sorrowing for sin Confession if you vnderstand it for faith of frée pardon in Gods mercy by Iesus Christ Satisfaction if you vnderstand it not to God-wards for that onely to Christ must be left alone but to man ward in restitution of goods wrōgfully or fraudulently gotten of name hindred by our slaunders and in newnesse of life although as I sayd before anon will shew more plainly by Gods grace that this last is no part of penane in deed but a plaine effect or fruit of true penance I might here bring in examples of their penance how perilous it is to be embraced but let the example of their graund Sire Iudas serue in whome we sée all the parts of their pennance as they describe it and yet notwithstanding he was damned He was sorie enough as the effect shewed he had their contrition fully out of the which he confessed his fault saying I haue betrayed innocent blood and thereunto he made satisfaction restoring the money he had receiued But yet all was but lost he hanged vp himselfe his bowels burst out and he remained a child of perdition for euer I would wish that this example of Iudas in whom ye see the parts of their penance contrition confession and satisfaction would moue them to penance and to describe it a little better making
in this Faith is so farre from the reach of mans free-will that to reason it is plaine foolishnesse Therefore thou must first goe to God whose gift it is thou must I say get thee to the Father of mercy whose worke it is that as he hath brought thee down by Contrition and humbled thee so hee would giue thee faith raise shee vp and exalt thee On this manner therefore with the Apostles and the poore man in the Gospell that cryed Lord encrease our faith Lord helpe my vnbeliefe pray thou and say O mercifull God and deare Father of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ in whom as thou art well pleased so hast thou commanded vs to heare him forasmuch as he often biddeth vs to aske of thee 2. Tim. 2. and therto promiseth that thou wilt heare vs and grant vs that which in his name we shall aske of thee loe gracious Father I am bold to begge of thy mercy through thy Sonne IESVS CHRIST one sparkle of true faith and certaine perswasion of thy goodnesse and loue towards me in Christ wherethrough I being assured of the pardon of all my sinnes by the mercies of Christ thy Son may be thankfull to thee loue thee and serue thee in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of my life On this sort I say or otherwise as God shall moue thee pray thou first of al and look for thy request at Gods hand without any doubting though forth-with thou féelest not the same for oftentimes we haue things of GOD giuen vs long before we féele them as we would doe Now vnto this prayer vse thou these meanes following After prayer for faith which I would should be first secondly because the same springeth out of the hearing no of Masses Mattins Cannons Councels Doctours Decrées but out of the hearing of Gods word get thée Gods word but not that part which serueth specially to Contrition that is the Law but the other part which serueth specially to consolation and certaine perswasions of Gods loue towards thée that is the Gospell or publication of Gods mercie in Christ I meane the free promises But here thou must know that there are two kinds of promises one which is properly of the Lawe another of the Gospell In the promises of the Law we may indeed behold Gods mercie but so that it hangeth vpon the condition of our worthinesse as if thou loue the Lord with all thy heart c. thou shalt finde mercy This kinde of promise though it declare vnto vs Gods loue which promiseth where he néedeth not yet vnto him that féeleth not Christ which is the end of the Law they are so farre frnm comforting that vtterly with the Law they bring man to great despaire so greatly we are corrupt for none so loueth God as he ought to doe From these therfore get thee to the other promises of the Gospell in which we may see such plenty and franke liberality of Gods goodnes that we cannot but be much comforted though we haue very deeply sinned For these promises of the Gospell doe not hang on the condition of our worthinesse as the promises of the Law do but they depend and hang on Gods truth that as God is true so they cannot but be performed to al them which lay hold on them by faith I had almost said which cast them not away by vnbeliefe Marke in them therefore two things namely that as well they are free promises without any condition of our worthinesse as also that they are vniuersall offered to all all I say which are not so stubborne as to kéepe still their hands whereby they should receiue this almes in their bosoms by vnbeliefe As concerning Infants and children you know I now speak not but concerning such as be of years of discretion And now you looke that I should giue you a taste of these promises which are both frée and vniuersall except none but such as except themselues Well you shall haue one or two for a say In the 3. of Iohn saith our Sauiour So God the Father loued the world that he would giue his Dearling his own only Sonne that al that beleeue in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life Loe sir he saith not that some might haue life but all saith he And what all All that loue him with all their hearts all that haue liued a godly life Nay all that beléeue in him Althogh thou hast liued a most wicked and horible life if now thou beleeue in him thou shalt be saued Is not this sweet grace Againe saith Christ Come vnto me all yee that labour and are laden and I will refresh you Let vs a litle looke one this letter Come vnto me Who should come Lords Priests Holy men Monkes Friers Yea Coblers tinkers whores theeues murtherers also if they lament their sinnes Come vnto me saith he all ye that labour and are laden that is which are afrayd of your sinnes And what wilt thou do Lord And I will refresh you saith he Oh what a thing is this And I will refresh you Wot you who spake this He that neuer told lye He is the truth there was neuer guile found in his mouth and now wil he be vntrue to thee good brother which art sorie for thy grieuous sinnes No forsooth heauen and earth shal passe and perish but his word shall neuer fayle Saint Paul saith God would haue all men saued Loe he excepteth none And to Titus The grace of God bringeth saluation to all men As from Adam all haue recieued sin to damnation so by Christ all haue grace offered to saluation if they reiect not the same I speak not now of Infants I say nor I neede not enter into the matter of Predestination In preaching of repentance I would gather where I could with Christ As surely as I liue sayth God I wil not the death of a sinner Art thou a sinner Yea Loe God sweareth he will not thy death How canst thou now perish Consider with thy selfe what profit thou shouldst haue to beleeue this to be true to others if not to thy selfe also Sathan doth so Rather consider with Peter that the promise of saluation pertaineth not only to them which are nie that is to such as are fallen a little but also to all to whom the Lord hath called bee they neuer so farre off Loe now by mee the Lord calleth thee thou man thou woman that art very farre off The promise therefore pertaineth to thee needs must thou be saued except thou with Sathan say God is false And if thou do so God is faithful cannot deny himselfe as thou shalt feele by his plagues in hell for so dishonouring God to think that he is not true Will he be found false now The matter hangeth not on thy worthinesse but it hangeth on Gods truth Clap hold on it and I warrant thee CHRIST is the propitiation for our sins yea for the sins of the whole world beleeue this man I
same spirit which they had then wold they neuer haue consented to Transsubstantiation For with great admiration some of the Fathers doe say that the bread is changed or turned into the body of Christ and the wine into his bloud meaning it of a mutation or change not corporall but spirituall figuratine Sacramentall or mysticall For now it is no common bread nor common wine beeing ordained to serue for the food of the soul The Schoole-men haue vnderstood it as the Papists now speake of a substantiall changing as though it were no great miracle that common bread should now be assumed into that dignity that it should bee called Christs body and serue for a celestiall foode and be made a Sacrament of his body and bloud As before therefore I haue spoken Christs presence in the Supper I would wish that this Sacrament should bee esteemed and called of vs Christian men after Christs words namely the bread Christs body and the wine Christs bloud rather then otherwise Not that I meane any other presence of Christs body then a presence of grace a preseruer to Faith a presence spiritually and not corporally really naturally and carnally as the Papists doe meane For in such sort Christs body is onely in heauen on the right hand of God the Father almighty whether our faith in the vse of the Sacrament ascendeth and receiueth whole Christ accordingly Yea but one will say that to cal the Sacrament on that sort An obiection is to giue an occasion of Idolatry to the people which wil take the Sacrament which they see simply for Christs body as by experience wee are well taught and therefore it were better to cal it bread and so lesse harme should be especially in this age To this obiection I answere An answer that indéed great Idolatry is committed to and about this Sacrament and therefore men ought as much as they can to avoyd from occasion or confirming it But in as much as the holy Ghost is wiser then man and had foresight of the euils that might be and yet notwithstanding doth call it Christs bodie I thinke we should do euill if we should take vpon vs to reforme his spéech If Ministers did their dueties in Catechizing and Preaching then doubtlesse to call the Sacrament Christs body and to estéeme it accordingly could not giue occasion to Idolatrie and confirme it Therefore Woe vnto them that preach not There be two euils about the Sacraments which to auoyde the holy Ghost hath taught vs. For least we should with the Papists think Christs body present in or with the bread really naturally and corporally to be receiued which our bodily mouth where there is no other presence of Christs body then spirituall and to the faith in many places he kéepeth still the name of bread as in the Epistle to the Corinthians the tenth and eleuenth Chapters And least we shold make to light of it making it but a bare signe and no better then common bread the holy Ghost calleth it Christs body whose spéech I wish we would follow and that not onely as well to auoyde the euill which is now a dayes most to be feared concerning the Sacrament I meane of contemning it as also for that no faithfull man commeth to the Sacrament to receiue bread simply but rather yea altogether to communicate with Christs body and bloud For else to eate drink as Paul saith they haue houses of their owne The contempt of the Sacrament in the dayes of King Edward hath caused these plagues vpon vs presently the Lord bee mercifull vnto vs. Amen And thus much for the obiection of calling the Sacrament by the name of Christs body Another obiection of Christs presence in the Sacrament What saith one to call the Sacrament Christs body and to make none other presence then by grace or spiritually to faith which is of things hoped for and of things which to the bodily senses do not appeare is to make no presence at all or to make him none otherwise present then he is in his word when it is preached and therefore what néede we to receiue the Sacrament in as much as by this doctrine a man may receiue him dayly in the fielde as well and as much as in the Church in the celebration and vse of the Sacrament So this obiection I first answere that indeede neither the Scripture nor Christian Faith wil giue vs leaue to make any carnall reall naturall corporall or any such grosse presence of Christs naturall body in the Sacrament For it is in Heauen and the Heauens must haue it as saith Peter till Christs comming to iudgment except wee would denie the humanity of Christ and the verity of mans nature in him The presence therefore which we beléeue and confesse is such a presence as reason knoweth not and the world cannot learne nor any that looketh in this matter with other eyes or heareth with other eares then with the eares and eyes of the Spirit and of Faith Which Faith though it be of things hoped for and so of things absent to the corporall senses yet this absence is not an absence indéede but to reason and the old man the nature of Faith being a possession of things hoped for Therefore to grant a presence to Faith is not to make no presence at all but to such as know not Faith And this the Fathers taught affirming Christ to be present by grace and therefore not only a signification but also an exhibition and giuing of the Grace of CHRISTS body that is of life and of the seede of immortality as Cyprian writeth Wae eate Life and drinke Life faith Saint AVGVSTINE We féele a presence of the Lord by Grace or in Grace saith Chrystome We receiue the celestiall foode that commeth from aboue saith Athanasius We receiue the propertie of the naturall coniunction Athanasius Hylarius and knitting together saith Hillarius We receiue the nature of the flesh the blessing that giueth life in bread and Wine saith Cyrillus Cyrillus And else where he sayth that with the bread and Wine we eate the vertue of Christs proper flesh life grace and the propertie of the body of the onely begotten sonne of God which thing he himselfe expoundeth to be life Basilius Basilius saith that we by the Sacrament receiue the mysticall Aduent of Christs grace and the very vertue of his very nature Ambrosius Ambrose saith that we receiue the Sacrament of the true body Epiphanius Epiphanius saith we receiue the body or grace And Hierome saith that we receiue spirituall flesh Hieronimu which he calleth other flesh then that which was crucified Chrisostome saith Chrisostomus that wee receiue influence of grace and the Grace of the holy Ghost Saint Augustine saith that we receiue grace and veritie the inuisible grace and holinesse of the members of Christs body All the which sayings of the Fathers doe confirme this our faith and doctrine of