to bee of this Churche which yet in Gods appoyntment are the certaine members of it as euidently was shewed in the example of S. Paule But the visible Churche that is discerned of man and by outwarde tokens is knowne to the worlde maye in thys manner bee described to you It is the multitude of all them bee they fewe or manye whiche beeing vppon the face of the earthe and called by the worde of the Gospell protest to beleeue in our Sauiour Christe looking for sanctification and saluation by hym and worshipping him according to his holy word That it is the whole multitude of all beleeuers it is euident when Christ himselfe sayth Ite predicate Euangelium omni creaturae i. Go ye and preache the Gospell to all creatures He excepteth none and therefore the grace of God and benefites of his Church are not tied to anye one place as to Rome to Hierusalem to Constantinople to Antioche or any other place That the number of this Church may be as wel small as great Christ himselfe teacheth saying Grex meus pusillus est i. My Flocke is verye small And where two or three be gathered togither in my name there am I in the middest of them Hereby maye you learne that the argument of Multitude or great number is not alwaye strong For by it the Doctrine of the Prophets the Doctrine of Christ and of the Apostles mighte be reiected which vndoubtedly were but few in comparison of them that misliked and reproued it That this multitude must be called by the word of the gospel S. Paule affirmeth Rom. 10. Fides ex auditu auditus per verbum Dei Et quomodo predicabunt nisi missifuerint that is Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the worde of God And how shall they preache vnlesse they be sent And therefore Christ did sende his Apostles to preache the Gospell that thereby they mighte by brought to the beleefe of the Church The members of the Church be graffed into it by professing the beleefe saluation in Christ In the 8. chapt of the Acts. When the Eunuche desyred Baptisme Phillip aunswered If thou beleeue with all thy harte thou mayst he aunswered I beleeue that Iesus Christe is the sonne of God By this branche of the description the Jewes and Turkes are excluded and as many as seeke other meanes of saluatioÌ„ then by Christ Jesus though y t they pretend to be christians though that they pretend to be the church This church is knowne by certayne markes and tokens Nowe what they are lette vs consider The Gentiles for the state of their Religion alleadge Pindarus and other Poets The Jewes their Talmud The Turkes their Alcorane and all sorts doe ground their religion vpon some authoritie But God in Esay to his people saith this Ego ineo cum his quiresipuerint in Iacob hoc meuÌ„ foeduâ— vt Spirit us meus qui est super te verba mea quae posui in ore tuâ— non recedant ab ore tuo neque ab ore seminis tui amodo vsque in saeculum i. I will make this my couenaunt with them that turne from iniquitie in Iacob My spirite that is vpon thee my words which I haue put in thy mouth shal not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seede from henceforth euen for euer Here you see that God willeth his church to sticke vnto his word And in the 10 of Iohn Qui ex deo est verbuÌ„ Dei audit He which is of God heareth Gods word And Oues meae vocem meam aâ—diunt c. My sheepe heare my voice and I know them and they follow me A stranger they wil not follow c. True doctrine then according to the word of God is one vnfallible token of the righte church of Christ For god by his Prophet by his sonne witnesseth that it is his worde and that it is his voyce that his people doe staye vpon This marke S. August acknowledgeth in his Booke Contra litteras Petil. I haue the manifest voice of my shepheard sayth hee without all circumstaunces declaring which is his Churche My sheepe heare my voice and they follow me Beholde we heare his plaine and euident voyce For how dareth he call himself christes sheepe that doth not vouchsafe to followe christe Let no man saye vnto mee what sayde Donate what sayde Petilian or Pontius for wee must not consent to catholike Bishops if they be in any pointe deceaued and iudge contrary to the canonicall scriptures c. And agayn If thou crie out recite vnto me any other thing vnderstaÌ„d then that after the voice of our sheapherd vttered euideÌ„tly vnto vs by the mouth of the Prophets by his owne mouth and by the mouth of the Euangelists we will not hearken to your voices nor giue eare to any thing that you shal speake Whosoeuer wil not waÌ„der froÌ„ his flock let him hearken to him let him folow him Now as Christ y â— true sheapheard doth call his sheepe by his voice lead them by his word so doth he mark theÌ„ by his Sacraments The Gentiles the Jewes the Turkes haue their ceremonies but only the church of christ hath the true SacrameÌ„ts by him appointed distributeth the same orderly lawfully vnto faithfull people according to his Justitucion for by one spirit saith S. Paule are we al baptised into one body And of y â— Lordes supper he saith We being many are one bread one body because we are all partakers of the same bread By these marks theÌ„ of baptisme the Lords supper Christ doth vnite his flock togeather in one folde maketh them known to be his Now let vs examine these tokens how well they agree to the Church of Roome Touching the fyrst how can they haue truth of doctrine which vse not that rule of Religion nor that Touchstone whereby onely all truth of faith and holinesse is tryed Can that Goldsmith alwaies haue good and pure mettall that doth not vse a right and true Stone to trye it The right touchstone perfect directory whereby all trueth in doctrine is known is The word of God deliuered in his holy scriptures Therefore sayth y â— Psalmist Thy word is a lantern to my feete and a light vnto my pathes And Christ himself saith vnto y e Jewes Search the scriptures for they beare witnes of me He imputeth the grosse errours of the Saducies to the ignoraunce of the scriptures The Conuerts of Berrhaea in the Acts to trie Paules doctrine did dayly search the scriptures whether all thinges were so as Paule preached This is it then wherby preachers and teachers are discerued This is it whereby the true church of God is tried This is it wherby al truth of doctrine is examined So sayth Chri. The Lord knowing the coÌ„fusion of al things that would be in the latter dayes
will raise him vp at the last daye Who seeth not heere that Christ attributeth the same force to beleeuing that in the other verse he did to eating and drinking and therfore vseth y â— wordes indifferently as beyng of one meaning I myght stay vpon many other places wherein the holy Ghost wytnesseth that we haue eternall life by beleeuing in Christ as in the same place He that trusteth in me hath eternal life but the matter is needelesse and the time will not suffer me Therefore by Christes owne wordes to beleeue in Christ is to eat Christ That you may not thinke this is a new deuise proceeding from my selfe or from the Preachers of thys tyme hearken you what S. Augustine sayeth This is the bread that came from heauen that if any doe eate of it he shoulde not die but that stretcheth to the Vertue of the Sacrament not to the visible Sacrament He that eateth within not he that eateth without he that eateth with the hart and not he that presseth it with his teeth Marke I pray you y â— he attributeth the true effectuall eating not to the pressing with the teeth and bodyly mouthe but to the inward eating with the hart and what is that but by faith and beleeuing spiritually to eate him and so he expoundeth himselfe in an other place This it is therefore fayeth he to eate that foode that perisheth not but remaineth to eternall lyfe What preparest thou thy tooth and thy belly beleeue and thou hast eaten And againe To beleeue in hym that is it to eate the bread of lyfe Cyprian also to the same purpose writeth These things so often as wee doe wee sharpen not our teeth to byte but with sincere fayth wee breake and diuide that holye breade Some happily thinke that this spirituall eating by faith is but a â—leight matter and of no great weyght and so the teachers of the Churche of Rome woulde perswade men but they consider not the great vertue power and strength of Faith By Fayth wee knowe Christ and the true meane of our saluation by hym By Faith wee bee graffed into Christ as braunches into the roote and stocke so that wee lyue now by him and by his spirit as the braunches doe by the Iuice that commeth from the bodye of the tree By Fayth wee bee so vnited vnto Christ that we may iustly saye whatsoeuer is hys is ours also by fayth we are made the chyldren of God and heyres of eternall lyfe By fayth wee haue peace wyth God and are assured of hys fauour in the myddest of all our troubles by fayth wee dare boldly approche to the throne of Gods mercie This might and strength of fayth they feele not that thinke it so simple a matter to eate Christ by fayth Christ witnesseth That by eating him by faith and beliefe we haue saluation and eternall lyfe and that hee will raise vs at the last daye Wherefore I woulde knowe of them what other eating there is beside thys whereby wee maye assure our selues of Saluation Truely the Scriptures mention none And that carnall eating for which the Churche of Rome striueth is suche as they themselues confesse that Iudas and all wicked persons may vse and bee damned Nowe I appeale to the consciences of them that feare GOD and will not willyngly runne into errour whether wee or they deale with the people of God more sincerely They without any euident proofe of the Scriptures contende as I haue sayde for that reall and bodily eating with which damnation maye bee ioyned wee endeuour to perswade men that manner of spirituall eatyng by faythe throughe which by the testimonie of the whole Scriptures wee shall be assured of eternall lyfe and with which damnation can not bee ioyned Some perchaunce wyll saye vnto mee or wyll thinke with themselues in their mynde If this doctrine bee true then are Sacramentes needelesse For wee may eate Christ by fayth spiritually in such sort as you haue sayd without any vse of the Lordes supper and therefore it maye seeme superfluous God forbydde that the most perfect Christians and of strongest fayth should once thinke Sacramentes to bee superfluous and needelesse They bee the blessed and holy ordinaunces of Christ by his mercy and goodnesse appoynted for our great helpe and benefite as I haue in the former Sermon declared And yet I must confesse to the great comforte of many godlye persons that the faythfull Christian maye and doth often feede vpon Christ to saluation beside the vse of the Sacrament For the spirituall grace and benefites which as I haue sayd before is the principall parte of a Sacrament is not of necessitie alwaye so tyed to the outwarde signes that without them God can not or doth not sometime bestowe the same I doubte not but the Theefe vppon the Crosse without vse of the Sacrament dyd eate the bodye and blood of Christ in such sort that he was the same day w t him in Paradise We see in the Actes of the Apostles that Cornelius and hys company was sealed with the spirite of GOD before the receauing of the outward Sacrament in such sort that if he had then immediatly departed out of this life he should haue gone to heauen which coulde not bee vnlesse he had spiritually by fayth eaten the true foode of euerlasting life that is Christ Jesus crucifyed which he fed vppon most assuredly whyle he heard Saint Peter preach Christ There were in tyme of the Primitiue Churche great numbers of godly Martyrs saued which neuer outwardly receaued the Sacrament of the Lordes supper and yet fruitfully and effectually did eat Christ by faith And so doe many at this daye which either by sicknesse or by imprisonment or by any other lyke cause of necessitie are tyed from the outwarde vse of the Sacraments Yet as I haue fayde God forbyd that we shoulde thinke the Sacrament of the Lordes supper superfluous but rather exceeding profitable In the vse of y t Sacrament there is a double eating of which one helpeth the other †As manne consisteth of two partes bodie and soule so the bodye feedeth vppon the outwarde elementes of bread and wyfe but the soule feedeth in deede and truely vpon Jesus Christ crucified The outward eating by y â— instrumeÌ„ts of our body causeth al our senses our hearing our seeing our feeling our tasting to helpe our inwarde eating by faith by the same quickeneth stirreth strengtheneth increaseth our faith y t we may eate y t body and blood of Christ more effectually fruitfully For when the faithful christian heareth the wordes of Christes institution sounde in his eares This is my body that is giuen for you this is my blood that is shed for the remission of your sinnes it stirreth vppe his faith for faith is by hearing to lay strong howfast vppon this promise in his hart doth assure himselfe that Christ dyed and shed his blood not
to couer the nakednesse of those reuerend men then with Cham to blaze their infyrmities to the discredit of that religion which they taught and professed And yet is it a wonderfull thing to see how that same wise noble and Godly Emperour was shortlye after abused by certayne pernicious flatterers and conning workers about him in his Court which were infected with y â— heresie of Arrius For they made such suggestion agaynst that reuerend and great learned Father Athanasius that he sent for him and not only condemned him as an obstinate and stiffenecked man that woulde yeelde to no conformitie for quietnesse of the Church but also cast him into banishment into Fraunce where he remayned all the time of his Empyre afterward vnto the very great hinderaunce of true Christian fayth and to the aduauncing and spreading abroade of that wicked and detestable Heresie of Arrius A verye not able Example for all Princes to take hede howe by secrete Suggestions they bee caryed to thinke euill of the Ministers and Preachers of Goddes truth Surelye I muste confesse that the State of the Ministerye of the Churche of Englande is not so perfecte by muche as it oughte to bee and yet I muste needes saye this and in the feare of GOD tell it you playnelye that since Englande did beare the name of a Christyan Churche there were neuer so manye in it so well furnished with Gods Giftes nor so well able oute of the holye Scriptures to deliuer the true waye of Saluation vnto his people as there are at this daye and I praye GOD make this Lande thankfull for it otherwise it will fall out to their heauy iudgemente Neuerthelesse I confesse that there be some that are to bee lamented some that are to bee prayde for and some for whom men are bounde in Conscience to giue GOD greate thankes for And therefore great vncharitablenesse is it to wrappe them all in one Sentence of Condemnation and contempte But the best canne looke for no better intertaynemente in these miserable latter dayes then beefore them the Prophets the Apostles and the Reuerende Fathers of the Primatiue Churche hadde in theyre tyme whiche doing their duetyes faythfullye and Godlye were notwithstanding burthened with most haynous and cruel crimes Yea that immaculate lambe of GOD Christe our Sauyour who in this place did and mighte iustlye saye Quis ex vobis arguit me de peccato c. Which of you canne rebuke mee of Sinne yet scaped not and was amonge men contemned as a Drunkarde as a Glutton as a Friend and fauourer of Publicanes and Sinners as a Coniuror and worker with Deuils as a seducer of the people as a Samaritane and Enimye to his Countrey as a Traytor and Aduersary to the Prince for Si hunc dimittis non esamicus Caesaris If you let this man go you are not Cesars friende Therefore if they did this to the Maister of the housholde the poore sillie seruauntes of the Familie maye not disdayne if they haue no better curtesye And yet the fault of them that so abuse them must needes bee verye greate whereof I haue nowe nexte to speake That is what blame they deserue whiche eyther maliciouslye or vntruelye or vppon anye other siâ—ister affection by false reportes seeke to discredite the Preachers of Gods worde And herein I will onelye note vnto you two or three poyntes wherewith they vniustly and maliciously burthen Bishoppes and other Preachers in these dayes to the discredite of the Gospell As for priuate euery seueral mens faults I will not medle withall If they be true they must needes bee greate burthens to oure Consciences if they bee false for my parte I smallye esteeme them and so woulde I wishe the other to doe Onelye I will touche those things wherewith the Doctrine is more blemished then we our selues discredited The firste thing is that they blame vs for that whiche oughte to bee our greatest commendation For if in our Sermons we deliuer the truth of Doctrine vnto the people of God and entring into anye controuersie of Religion somewhat zealouslye reprooue the erroures superstition and Idolatrye of late vsed in the Churche Oh saye some in some places and happilye in this place too What neede this vehemency in these matters these thinges bee banished by Lawe and by Authoritie of the Prince No manne dare auowe them no man thinketh nowe of the Supremacye of Roome of praying to Sayntes of praying for the deade of Pardones of Purgatorye of Images they are cleane out of mennes myndes I praye you Syâ— exhorte to Vertue and deterre from Vyce so Preache that you maye make vs the better lyuers Nowe GOD for his mercye sake giue vs that grace and poure into our hartes that mighte of his Spirite that nowe yet at the length after so many yeares oure wordes maye worke in theire hartes to that effect I pray God also that such speeches as they vse in this case proceede not rather of a loathing to heare true Doctrine caught then of a longing to learne better life For sure I am there were neuer Preachers in any age that either more directly or soundly according to the rules of Gods worde haue exhorted to vertue neuer more terribly and boldly thundred agaynste vyce and wickednesse then God be thanked a number haue done in this Church for the space of this 20 yeares And yet I muste tell you playnely I see as little fruite of that as I doe of Doctrine and lesse too For in Doctrine they make some pretence in amendment of life none at all And therefore seing both zeale of true doctrine decayeth study of Godly life nothing increaseth no maruayle though God eare it be long shew his heauy iudgementes agaynste vs. And this I must say farther to them that desyre vertue onely to be preached of and no doctrine that they shall neuer haue that vertuous and honest life that shal be acceptable in the sight of God vntill the perswasion of true fayth and righte religion be placed in their hartes For Without fayth it is impossible to please GOD and whatsoeuer is not of Fayth is sinne thoughe it seeme neuer so goodly in the sight of men Neither is there any other true fayth then that which is grounded vpon true doctrine out of the word of God For Fides ex auditu auditus per verbum Dei Faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God But happily these loathers of Doctrine and louers of vertue be of this opinyon that if a man liue well hee shall bee saued howe soeuer hee beleeue whether hee bee Jewe Turke Sarasin or Papiste for some there bee that thinke so Quorum damnatio iusta est Whose damnation is iust For if that should be so the wisdome of God hath greatly ouer reached it selfe the sonne of God tooke fleshe and dyed in vayn the scriptures are false our religion is voyde and our fayth is
the Vniuersities and the Friers Folio 62 Vnthankefulnesse ¶ OpinioÌ„ of fre will is VnthaÌ„kefulnesse Folio 13 W. Wealth ¶ The means wherby the Welth of England is wasted Folio 227 Wickednesse ¶ Of colouring Wickednesse with other mens faults Folio 224 What a mans flattering of himselfe in Wickednesse may come vnto Folio 224. 225 Word ¶ The true cause why the Word preched doth not alway bring forth fruite Folio 185 The godly alway take profit by the preching of the Word Folio 185 Three â—oâ—tes of foule whiche eate vp the seede of Gods Word in the high ways Fol. Folio 186 The inconuenience of preaching the Word in generalitie Folio 187 That the Word of God is resembled to seede and why Folio 179 The power of the Word of god in it self in the estimation of the world Folio 180 What Gods Word worketh in the hearers Folio 180 How gods Word preuaileth eueÌ„ against mans wisedome and cunning Folio 180 The imaginations practises and means of the wicked to withstand GODS Worde Folio 181 The Authoritie of the Worde of God is from it selfe c. Folio 26 Such are openlye of the Churche as are called therto by Gods Worde Folio 21 Gods word is a marke of his Church Folio 22 The causes which holde men from obedience to Gods Worde Folio 203 The negligence of our dayes in hearing the Worde Folio 203 Of the power of Christe appearing in himselfe and his Worde Folio 4 The gouernement direction by gods Worde preuaileth more than any deuise of men Folio 5 How the church of Christ must preserue Gods Word and deliuer the meaning of it Folio 27 Workes ¶ Papistical iustification by Workes Folio 29 The doctrine of iustification by Faythe only doth procure good Workes c. Fol. Folio 13. 14 That the Gospell doeth not discourage man from good Workes why Folio 15 FINIS 1. Cor. 1. 23. Hovv contemptible Christ and his Gospell vvere vnto the vvorld in the begynning Vayne opinion of gentilitie may be occasion of the eternall distruction of those which regarde it Considerations concerninge Christ which maketh mans carnal reason to contemne him The more excellent men are in carnall reason only the more they contemne Christe Hilar. 5. de trinit what estimation alway pertayned to Christ and his gospell VVhat povver is in the Gospell of Christ and hovv it appeareth tvvo vvayes 1. Cor. 15. 56. Rom. 6. 23. Luk. 1. 73. 74. Ephe. 4. 8. Psa 68. 18 1. Cor. 15. 55. Rom. 8. 33. 2 The power of Christ appeareth both in himselfe and also in his word Man in his eccellency of carnal wit is not able to giue any perpeâ—uiâ—ie to his diuice The gouernment and direction by Gods word preuaileth more than any deuise of man Example in the Apostles Tertul coÌ„tra Judâ—os Aug. de agone Christi Act. 17. 6. Aug. de ciuitate dei Lib. 22 Example of late and present tones 2. The. 2. 4 The power of the gospel doth most manifestly appeare in these latter dayes The mightye povver of the Gospell is no vvhyt to be discredyted by afflictions vvhych may follovv it VVâ—â—â— kinde of grounde mans policie is to common weales Hovv GOD câ—â— shevve himself vvhâ—n all mens deuyse fayleth yea and agaynst man also in his cheefest povver Psal 2. 4. The seconde parte Diuerse sortes of ennimâ—es to the Gospell Epicures 2 Politikes 3 Hypocrites Sixe Obiections made agaynst the Gospell to bryng it into dyscrâ—d it and the ansvvers to them 2. Obiection against the Gospel that it doth not further but hinder good co 〈…〉 on Answere Rom. 6. â— Rom. 3. 23. 24. Rom. 5. 12. 14. Cor. 15. 22. Eph. 2. 3. Ioh. 3. 3. Iob. 14. 4. Psa 51. 5. Gen. 6. 5. Ioh. 15. 5. 2. Cor. 3. 5. August Aug. ser 2. de verbis Opinion of freewill is vnthankfullnes August How we had freewill And how we haue it not How profitable the doctrine is which is againste free-will The doctrine of iustification by faythe only doth procure good workes and noâ— hinder them Ioh. 14. 2â— Luk. 17. 10 â—it 2. 11. 12 Ephe. 2. 10. Luâ— 1. 73. 74. 75. Rom. 6. 4. Eph. 6. 5. c. Rom. 13. 12. â—an nedeth not by the Gâ—spell thinke himselfe so debased that he should thereby be any whit discoâ—â—aged from good works for he is also therby maruellously exalted by gods goodnes toward him 1. Pet. 3. â— Ioh. 15. 4. 5. Rom. 3. â—5 The second obiection against the Gospell that it doth make this lyfe lesse pleasant to vs then it should be The answere is anneâ—ed to euerie perticular part of the obiection Esay 3. 16. â—c Mat. 6. 19. 20. 1. Tim. 6. 7 Luc. 19. 8. Mat. 19. 22. Rom. 13. 13 Joh. 15. 19. 1. Pet. 2. 9. 1. Cor. 6. 9. 10. 〈◊〉 of the answere The thirde obiection against the Gospell â—â— That we the pretended professors of it are not of the catholike Churche Answere The inuisible church consisting of the electe Col. 1. 24. Rom. 11. 4. 1. Cor. 2. 11. The visible church The description of the church Mat. 28. 19. Mar. 16. 15. The church of Christ is tied to no one place The number of the church may be smale Luc. 12. 32. Mat 18. 20. None are openly of the Church but such as are called theris by the worde of God Io. 10. 17. 15. Faith doth in graffe vs into the Church Act. 37. The markes of the church Esa 59. â—1 Ioh. 8. 47. Io. 10. 27. The firste marke is Gods word August contra litteras petil The second marke is the sacraments 1. Cor. 12. â—â— 1. Cor. 10. 17. The Church of Roome hath not in it the tokens of the true Church The written Scriptures only are and ought to bee sufficient to trie all truth Psal 119. 105. Ioh. 5. 39. Act. 17. 11. Chrisost Deut. 4. 2. 31. 2. Tim. 3. 1â— Verse 16. Ambrose Papistes refuse triall by the Scriptures Three points shevving that Papistes vse not neyther esteeme the scriptures as they ought if they vvere the true churche The firste point The seconde poynte Matters of fayth maye better be preserued by meanes of writing then when they are only left to the bare memorie of man The learned Aduersarye refuseth to be tried by the Scriptures because they do manifestlye confound all such Why Papistes do refuse triall by the Scriptures Blasphemies of the Papistes agunst the scriptures The thirde poynt The authoritie of the word of God is from it selfe and not from the Church principally Howe the Churche maye iudge or vse the Scriptures concerning their truth Howe the Churche of Christ muste preserue Gods worde and deluer the meaning of it Greeuous Faultes in the Churche of Kome which haue come by their taking of authority ouer the Scriptures Manifest false interpretations of papistes 1 Mat. 26. 26. 2 Luc. 22. 19. 20. 3 1. Cor. 11. â—4 1. Cor. 11. 26. Doctrines of papistes against the scriptures iâ—â—â—â—â—aâ—â—i â—uleâ—â— Rom. 3. 28. verse 8. 9. 1 Papisticall iustification
is true in vs or at the least they haue no likely pretence in truth to saye the contrarye On the contrarye parte the Doctrines of the Churche of Roome are either manifestlye repugnaunte to this confession in sunderye thinges or greatly imparing or disgracing the same Therefore their Preachers are false Prophets and not of God for not only doth he denie Iesus to be Christe that grosely in flat wordes so sayth or he that playnly denieth christ to be the sonne of God as Cerinthius other auncient heretikes did but he also that couertly vndirectly by false doctrines worketh the same by teaching other men to seke other Sauiors Mediators Intercessors maisters and directours to saluatioÌ„ besyde him that sayth I am the way the truth the life or which by instructing them otherwise in Christs SacrameÌ„ts other ordinaÌ„ces theÌ„ he himself hath coÌ„maÌ„ded appointed For profe y t the church of Roome doth this first let this Doctrine bee examined whereby they teach that the very Reall and Naturall body of Christ is in a thousand places at once that is in so many places as there are Ostes consecrated This Doctrine impeacheth the principall Article of oure fayth that christ of y â— blessed Virgine tooke flesh and had a very true and naturall body as we haue Sinne onelye excepted It is the property of God only to be in manye places at once As Christes body is now after his asseÌ„tion glorifyed and is transformed to a greater bewty brightnesse so yet it remaineth a very true substantiall bodye And to teach that the body of Christ is in manye places or euery where as his Deitie is doeth make an open gappe to the Heresie of Abbot Eutiches which taught y t Christe his humanitie was swallowed vp with y t Maiestie of hys Godhead and so became a diuine thing Furthermore for y t proofe of their errors in this Article let their doctrine be examined of the Popes Suâ—remacie wherby it is taught that he is the vniuersall Bishop generall Lord Maister and Gouernour of the whole catholike church that he hath authoritie to pardon sinnes to deliuer Soules out of Purgatory to destribute the merites of Christ of his Saints to dispence w t the ordinances of Christ to alter y t institucioÌ„ and vse of his instruments to coyne newe Articles of oure Faith of necessitie to be beleeued cleane without any Authoritie of Gods word all which things are only in duetye and in truth to be attributed to Christe and to none other as before I haue declared The second Article of doctrine is why Christe came in fleshe and what benefite mankinde hath by it When as Gods iust wrath against sinne committed by our fyrst parentes was so greeuous that no Creature in Heauen or in earth was able in anye parte to appease the same by the vnestymable goodnesse of GOD his onlye and dearely beloued sonne became a sacrifice to appease his wrath and displeasure and to reconcile vs to his Father and by his death passion and resurrection procured for vs recoÌ„ciliatioÌ„ with his father remissioÌ„ of sinne righteousnes before god and eternall life in heauen These be the Fruites and benefites that we haue by Christs coÌ„ming in fleshe Here agayne we haue to call to our remembrance the note that is before spoken of touching the highnes and exellencie of the meane of our saluation For if the same in part or in all could haue bene wrought by any other creatures in Heauen or earth the wisedome of God would neuer haue giuen his sonne to death to procure the same benefites for vs. But that he might declare how odious and displeasaunt Sinne was to God he let vs by this meanes vnderstande that the offence thereof could not be taken away nor mankinde to him bee reconciled but onelye by the blood of the immaculate Lambe Christ Jesus his son Good Christians must then assuredly perswade themselues that they haue reconciliation with God remission of sinne iustification before God sanctification of the holy Ghost and the heritage of eternall life by the excellencye and fulnesse of Christ his death and passyon only only I say and by nothing else For as I haue sayde Christ is the only full and perfect meane of our saluation as the whole course of the Scripture teacheth vs. Esay the Prophet many yeares before Christ came in fleshe signified thus much and cryeth to all them that hunger and thyrst after saluation that they should come and receaue it plentifully and freelye of the mercy of God in Christe and blameth them for seeking for saluation and the satisfying of their hungry and thirstie soules by any other meanes then y â— O sayth he all ye that thyrst come to the waters and ye that haue no siluer come buy and eate come I say bie Wine Milke without money Wherefore do you lay out your siluer for that that is no bread bestow your labor for that which doth not satisfye you hearken dilligently vnto me and eate that which is good and let your soules delight in fatnesse incline your eares and come vnto me heare and your soule shall liue c. By these wordes I haue sayde the Prophet calleth vs to receaue the comfortable water and sustenaunce of the Gospell which offereth full saluation and satisfying of our hungry soules freelye by Christ and sharpely rebuketh them that leauing christ seeke after other meanes by which in deede their hungrie desyre of Remission and Saluation in anye parte cannot be satisfyed and for that cause hee sayeth Theire Syluer is bestowed and theire Laboure spente in vayne Christ himself may seeme to expounde this prophecye and apply vnto himselfe in playne wordes that whiche the prophet heare speaketh in a figuratiue borrowed speech for he sayth Whosoeuer thirsteth let him come to mee and drinke And agayne Al ye that trauaile be heauy loden come vnto me and I will refreshe you The Apostles do fully in their doctrine iustifye y â— same Peter sayth There is no saluation in any other c. Neyther is there any other name giueÌ„ vnder heaueÌ„ wherby you shalbe saued c. And S. Paule It pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwel and by him to reconcile all thinges to himselfe and to set at peace through the blood of his Crosse both the thinges in earth and the thinges in Heauen And again in the same Epist In whome are hidde all the Treasures of wisedome knowledge c. in him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily you are complete in him which is the head of all pricipalitie Marke that he sayth We are complete in him and therfore neede we no other meanes of saluation And this our sweete Apostles S. John who teacheth vs this triall of spirits sayth The blood of Christe Iesus the sonne of God doth cleanse vs from all sinne The same Apostle maye seeme not onelye
that beleeueth not is condemned alreadie because he dothe not beleeue in the name of the sonne of God And in the 6. Chapter This is the will of my Father that sent mee that he that seeth the Sonne beleeueth in him should haue eternall life The full consent of the Prophets doth iustifie this Meane of our saluatioÌ„ For as Peter sayth To this all the Prophetes beare witnesse that through his name all they which beleeue in him shal receaue remission of sinnes The whole Church of Christ beareth witnesse to this which in all hir generall councells doth teach euerie true Christian to say I beleeue that Iesus Christ descended from heauen for vs and for our saluation that he was made man borne suffered died rose againe and was receaued into Heauen c. And all to this end that by this Sauiour we myght haue remission of sinne Resurrection of the fleshe and euerlasting lyfe All these things doth y t EuaÌ„gelist S. Iohn affirme in one little sentence These thinges are written that you may beleeue that Iesus Christ is the sonne of God and that in beleeuing ye might haue life through his name By these wordes wee are taught why the Gospell is written and preached to men that is that they should beleeue and iustifie God in his promise to be true Secondly that by beleeuing they should haue the fruites of Christes comming in the flesh and therefore faith and beleefe is the Meanes to apply Christ and his benefites vnto vs. Thirdly that wee haue life and saluation onely by the meere mercie of God in Christ and not by any merite of ourselues or other meÌ„ or by the dignitie and worthinesse of our selues or our doinges whatsoeuer going before or comming after This benefite therefore to applye Christes merites and fruites of hys Passion vnto vs can not in any wyse bee imputed to any other workes or vertues bee they neuer so excellent but to fayth onely and that not for the dignitye of faythe neyther but for this cause onely for that faythe resperteth no other thyng but doth rest and staye it selfe vppon the sure and vnfallible promyse of God grounded and founded on the grace and merite of Christ This promyse doth faythe apprehende as I haue sayde and doth assure hymselfe to bee partaker of it because God is true and can not deceaue And thoughe our faythe sometyme bee weake and not so strong as it shoulde bee yet wee maye not dispayre for this our weakenesse and infirmitie but wee must comforte our selues wyth thys sweete promyse that he which paydr the price of our saluation as the Prophete witnesseth Doth not breake the brused reede nor extinguishe smookyng Flaxe Onely let vs saye wyth him in the Gospell I beleeue but O Lorde helpe myne vnbeliefe And with the Apostles O Lorde increase our Faith For as Christ saith If wee haue fayth no more than a graine of mustarde seede we shall by it worke great things This doctrine of apprehending the benefites of our saluation and applying the fruites of Christes Incarnation death passion by faith onely The patrons and teachers of the Church of Rome haue most impugued Their voyces thereof ring in euery mans cares their bookes and writings agaynst the same lye open to all mens eyes so that no man can doubt of it wherein their obstinate blindnesse doth more than in all other things too plainly appeare For whereas they bee great braggers of the generall consent of the Vniuersall Church and by countenance of it will seeme to maintaine their other errours and corrupt doctrine yet they reiect this doctrine that is witnessed by God the Father confirmed by the Sonne established in the hartes of the faithful by the holy Ghost testified by all the Prophetes and Apostles and acknowledged by the generall Consent of the whole Church in their beliefe and ratified by the subscription of a great number of the auncient Fathers and Catholike writers yet I say they of the Church of Rome doe impugne it and speake altogether most reprochefully of faith and wrongfully challeng the Preachers of the Gospell that by this doctrine of our Justification and saluatition by faith onely in the merite of Christes Passion they doe disproue good workes and leaue open a gappe to wickednesse and Loosenesse of lyfe Which commeth to passe because they will not vnderstand what true ChristiaÌ„ faith is nor why faith is sayd to iustifie vs before God that is because it apprehendeth the mercie of God in his promyse assuring vs that we shall haue remission of sinne saluation and eternall life through the merite of Christes Passion onely I neede not therfore to put you in minde what conclusion maye bee inferred vppon the premises against the teachers of the Church of Rome that is that not the Preachers and professors of the Gospell which teach this Article to the full but they rather of the Churche of Rome are the false Prophets that are couered with sheepes clothing because the fruites of their doctrine do plainely proue them to be such By this that I haue hitherto spoken you may perceiue that wee doe not striue with the Churche of Rome nor separate our selues from it for trifles and toyes of no weyght and value but for matters of great importaunce touchyng the principall Articles of Christian faythe and the true meanes of our Saluation For although Sathan in these dayes dothe not so commonlye rayse vp hys Instrumentes to impugne the Trinitie the two natures of Christe or the Diuinitie of the holye Ghost as he did in the Primitiue Churche yet he is not Idle but craftely turnyng himself into an Angel of light by such as not onely professe themselues to be Christians but take vppon them to bee the principall patrones and directors of Christian faith he disgraceth and extenuateth the dignitie and perfection of Christes merite and passion he peruerteth the office of the holy Ghost he abuseth the name authoritie of the Catholike Church and setteth vp an other Church he altereth the principall doctrine of our beliefe touching fayth in our Lord Jesus Christ and transferreth and almost bringeth to nothing the trueth of our iustification and the ende of our fayth He chaungeth the Sacramentes and bringing in a new sacrifycing worship altereth the Institutions and ordinaunces of Christ fâ—aâ—ly and plainely layde downe in his worde Wherfore dearely beloued I earnestly require all such as haue care of their saluation to remember Christes admonition that he gyueth in this place when he saith Beware of false Prophetes that come to you in sheepes clothing c. The first way to beware of them is with earnest and hartie Prayer to call vppon God that by his gracious benefit and lyghtning of our heartes by his spirit wee may know the false Prophetes and by his prouidence he wil preserue vs from them and sende out into his haruest faithfull and true labourers and that he will by his goodnesse
defende strengthen and maintaine the same against all assaultes that they may to his glorie performe their worke whereto he hath appoynted them For so our Sauiour Christ willeth vs to cal vpon the Lord of the Haruest that he would send forth plentiful store of labourers to bring in his Haruest The seconde way to beware of false Prophets is a diligent and continual reading of the Scriptures of God which as I haue said before is y ◠rule of true knowledge and right doctrine Herevnto Christ exhorteth when he sayth Search the Scriptures for in them you thinke ye haue eternall lyfe And they are they that testifie of me And the Thessalonians that did heare Paule at Berrhaea dayly searched the Scriptures whether things were so as Paule preached or no. S. Augustine also doth exhort vs to the same by a very apt similitude Euen as a Prince or gouernour in time of peace maketh prouision for armour munition and all warlike furniture that when he is assaulted by his enemies he may not be foūd vnprouided so saith he is it necessary that al good Christians should diligently reade carefully hearken to the teaching of the word of God and out of that storehouse to furnish thē felues with all spirituall furniture against the assaultes of Sathan his instruments whether it be in matter of faith and Religion or behauiour of life For of all the spirituall armor y t S. Paul describeth aboue all things he warneth to haue y t Target of faith the sword of gods holy word By y t weapō only you know y t christ our sauior droue back y t Deuil whē he indeuoured to seduce him by peruerting y t scriptures of God They therefore y t forbid the people to reade y t scriptures do hearken to gods word are to be esteemed no better thā traitors y t take frō the people of God their chief defence to leaue thē open to y t daunger of their enimies Or if men be not able to reade y t scriptures themselues in any wise as they haue care of their soules let thē learne to vnderstand y t generall principles of Christian Religion in their Catechisme that is the .x. Commandemēts the articles of their beliefe y t right vse of the Sacraments the Lordes Prayer And this must they learne not as Parrets to sound the words but to vnderstand the truth of the matter And then surely w t gods assistance may they be easily able to discerne the spirites of the Preacher tollerably to iudge of his doctrine as I could by some particular examples declare vnto you if the time would serue But if men will be take themselues to the Colliars faith that beleeued generally as the Church beleeued and knewe not one word what the church did beleeue or ought to beleeue they shall by such wilfull ignoraunce lay themselues open to false teachers that shall come vnto them in sheepes clothing and seeke nothing but as rauening Wolues to deuour their soules c. ¶ The thirde Sermon vppon this part of the Texte By their fruites shall ye knovv them Mat. 7. 16. THE Churche of Rome and the writers thereof doe interprete these wordes not of the fruites of doctrine as I haue done but of the fruites of godly and honest lyfe and withall challenge to themselues a singular holynesse aboue the Preachers of the Gospell in these dayes Who as they saye discourage men from vertuous exercises of godlye lyfe and in their owne behauiour shew a dissolutenesse and loosenesse of life fo that vice and wickednesse euer since the rysing of thys newe Gospell as they call it hath increased among men And for this cause will they haue vs noted to bee the false Prophetes that Christ willeth men heere to take heede of and say that we are knowne by our euill fruits Wherefore I thinke it most necessarie at this tyme to pull thys Lambes cloathing from them that the worlde or at least such as be not too muche affectionate to them may see how lyttle helpe they haue by this colour eyther for themselues or against vs. Neither doe I thinke that there is any fitter meanes to doe this than to let men vnderstand by the course of their owne histories and other credible writers how great corruption of lyfe and how foule vices haue ben vsually practised not among common persons of the meanest sorte but among the most holy and reuerend fathers of the Churche of Rome the Popes themselues that thereby you may gheasse what state of Religion hath most preuailed wyth them For it can not bee that that place can bee the seate of true Religion and holynesse whiche hath bene alway a sinke of most horrible and foule vices And here I protest vnto you that I will not speake or alleage anye thing of stomacke to aggrauate the matter but as I finde it in trueth layde downe in verie credible histories And first to begynne with the most notable roote of the corruption Simoniacall ambition in aspiring to that exceedyng power whiche this manye yeeres they haue vsurped About the yeere of our Lord. 600. Iohn Patriarke of Constantinople because that Citie was the Royall seate of the East Empyre obtayned of Mauritius the Emperour with intollerable pride to bee vniuersall Byshoppe the head and ruler of al other Against whom Gregorie 1. at y t time Bishop of Rome did write very earnestly reproueth sharply his exceeding ambition saying y t whosoeuer doth so aspire doth shew himself to be the forerunner of Antichrist And he calleth y t name of vniuersall Bishop a new a peruerse a superstitious a prophane a foolishe a proude a wicked name a name of errour a name of singularitie a name of vanitie a name of Hypocrisie a name of blasphemie Notwithstanding Boniface 3. y ◠next Pope of Rome sauing one w t great suite obtained of y t wicked traiterous Emperour Phocas y t he his successors might haue that name Title of vniuersall Byshop and heade of the whole Church This was the first open step of their monstrous exceeding pride ambition which afterward by corruption briberie they continually followed still heaping on wicked practizes euery day more more as their owne histories do witnesse What shall I say of Constantius y t. 2. who being a lay man by exceeding ambition with great broile stirre obtained y ◠Popedome was after depriued cast in prison had his eyes pulled out What shal I say of Formosus y t. 1. which by manifest briberie came to the Bishoprick I wil come to y t time wherin their owne secretaries Platina and Stella Venetus openly cry out on them y t is about the time of Benet the. 4. 900. yeeres after Christ Of which time Stella Venetus sayth Omnis virtus tam in capite quam in membris ex hominū ignauia consumpta est i. All vertue
must next consider how this blessed meat is truely rightly eaten both in the sacraments without the vse of of Sacramentes This question hath vexed all Christendom nowe for the space of certaine yeres hath exercised the pennes and tongues almost of all learned men of this age with great vehemencie on eche side But surely if they would with single mindes without heat of contention truely consider howe the fruite and benefite of this heauenly foode is receaued this controuersie might bee easily ended and many a troubled conscience quieted which now almost only are by this meanes stayed from embracing the trueth of the Gospell They doe not so greatly mislike the other parts of our doctrine but this sticketh in their consciences that wee denie the body and blood of Christ really and carnally eaten and drunken in the Sacrament Wherefore I hartely desire al such for the time to laye aside that settled perswasion wherewith their mindes hitherto hath beene so holden that they could not abide to heare any thing of the contrarie and with indifferent and charitable mindes carefully to consider that which in parte I haue and now hereafter shall speake touchyng this matter First therefore you must call to your remembraunce that Christes bodye is not carnall meate and drinke for our bodyes but spirituall meat and drinke for our soules and for that cause S. Paul in this place so calleth it saying That the olde Fathers did eate of the same spirituall meate and drinke of the same spiritual drinke And yet I must needes confesse that this spirituall meate is profitable not to the soule onely but to the body also For Christ dyed for preseruation both of soule and bodye But this benefite of nourishment is not first receaued of the bodye and throughe it passeth to the soule for that were monstrous but beeyng first receaued of the soule it profiteth the bodye For as Christ sayth That which entreth into the bodily mouth defyleth not the man but that commeth out of the mouth from the corrupte hearte and mynde So contrariwyse not that good thing that entreth by the bodye dothe profyte the soule but that which entered first by the soule and is receaued by it profyteth also the bodye For the body and bloud of Christ beeyng in deede the true foode of lyfe when it is spiritually eaten by the soule through the operation of the holye Ghost maketh vs apte to Resurrection and in due tyme transformeth our mortall bodyes to the lykenesse of his glorious bodye If the spirite of him that raised Christ from death dwell in vs he that raised Christ from the dead shall also quicken our mortall bodies because that his spirit through Christ dwelleth in vs. The better to vnderstand what it is to eate this spirituall foode and how it is truely effectually receaued to eternall lyfe I must put you in minde of the comparison that before I vsed betweene the body and the soule As the bodye is sayde to eate when it receaueth that sustenaunce wherewith the hunger thereof is stayed and satisfied and as it is sayde to drinke when it receaueth that liquour wherewith the thirst is quenched euen so our soule is sayde to eate and to drinke when it receaueth that heauenly and blessed foode of Christ Jesus crncifyed wherewith the hungry and thirstie appetite thereof that is the vehement desire of the fauour of God and saluation is fully satisfyed and appeased As there commeth no benefit to the body of meat drinke vnlesse it bee eaten and drunken so the bodye and blood of Christ crucified doth not helpe vs anye thing if it bee not worthily and truely receaued The body receaueth hys foode by the mouth of the body the soule receaueth hirs by the mouth of the soule As it is not sufficient to hunger and thirst nor to receaue sustenaunce vnlesse there be a naturall strength in our bodyes to receaue concoct and digest the same so there must be in our soules that strength that may surely receaue Christ and wrappe him or embrace him in the bowels of our heart that he may thereby as it were be turned into vs and wee into him but that strength is not in our selues but is giuen of God We must therefore haue it from him from whom all good giftes proceede that is From the father of lyghtes And this gift wherewith Christ is truely and effectually receaued is nothing but faith For by fayth we receaue Christ and assure our selues in our hartes that wee are partakers of that redemption which by his death he hath procured for vs and with that firme perswasion lay him vp in the bowels of our heartes that in all our temptations and troubles we may feede vpon him and gather strength and comfort in the assuraunee of Gods fauour purchazed by him so that so often as our heartes bee shaken with mistrust and feare this faith doth comforte and releeue vs agayne Nowe that faith is the mouth and meanes whereby onely wee receaue and eate Christ to saluation I will let you vnderstand it both by Christes owne wordes in S. Iohn and by the iudgement of diuers learned and auncient Fathers For Christ vseth these wordes indifferently and as of one force and signification To beleeue in him To eate him To drinke him To come vnto him and doth attribute to eche of these y â— same effectes To beleeue in Christ is the proper worde to eate Christ or to come vnto him are Metaphores and figuratiue speeches but all of one force I am the bread of life saith Christ he that commeth to me shall not hunger and he that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst Marke diligently deerely beloued what Christ sayth He that commeth to me shall not hunger therfore to come vnto Christ is to eat Christ And againe he saith He that beleeueth in mee shall neuer thirst therfore to beleeue in Christ is to drinke Christ To eat and to drinke are meanes to take away hunger and thirst but to come vnto Christ to beleeue in him as Christ himselfe saith doth take away hunger and thirst therefore to come vnto him and to beleeue in him is to eate him and to drinke him An other out of the same place is this Christ attributeth the same effectes and fruits to them which beleeue in him that he doth to them that eate his bodie and drinke his blood therefore by eating and drinking he meaneth nothing but beleeuing His wordes bee these Iohn 6. verse 54. He that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my blood hath eternall life and I will raise him vp at the last daye Note the effectes that he gyueth to eatyng his fleshe and drinking his blood that is to haue euerlasting lyfe and bee raysed at the last daye In the. 40. verse of the same Chapter hee sayeth This is the wyll of my father that sent mee that euerie one that seeth the sonne and beleeueth on him should haue eternall life I
onely for the redemption of the whole worlde generally but for hys also particularly and that he vndoubtedly is partaker of that blessed worke of our redemption When wee heare these woordes Doe this in remembrance of me our faith is assured y t it is Christs commaundement that wee shoulde vse this Sacrament to call to our remembraunce the benefite of our faluation by the death of Christ and in hart and minde at al times but then especially to shew our selues truely thankefull to him for the same When our sight beholdeth vpon the Table the bread and wyne by Christes ordinaunce broken and powred out for vs to vse the Fayth is moued this to thinke As surely and truely as my bodily eyes behould vpon the table of the Lord the Creatures of bread and wine as the outward parte of his sacramente and see the same broken and poured out for mee so assuredly doe I with the eye of my faith beholde the body and blood of Christ broken and shead for me vpon the Alter of the Crosse and the same my Sauiour sitting now on the right hand of god the father with the same body and blood now gloryfyed wherewith vpon the Crosse he payd the price of my redemption WheÌ„ we see the Minister offering to vs the bread and the cup and wee receaue the same in our hande and by our sence feele them inwardly in our hartes our fayth is mooned to haue this cogitacion As truely as our Sauioure Christe vpon the Crosse by his body broken and his blood sheade wrought our redemption and offered the benefite thereof to all that would beleeue generally so truelye am I assured that now in the vse of this holy Sacrament by his minister he offereth the same to me particularly to be applied to my selfe And as surely as my hande receaueth the outwarde creatures so surelye by my fayth doe I receyue Christ himselfe and in my hart feele him and with my spirituall armes imbrace him as the onely price and meanes of my saluation When we eate of the holy breade and drinke of the reuerend cuppe and by our cast haue sence of the sweetenesse of them and fele them passe downe into our stomache there to rest that they may be according to their nature meanes to nourishe and strengthen our bodie to continue it in lyfe the fayth is stirred vp by these sences thus to thinke Euen as certainly as my taste feeleth the sweetenesse of Breade and wyne and thereby perceiue in deede that their operacion is to nourish and strengthen my body and to quicken my naturall spirites which without suche nourishmente would perishe euen so the taste of my faith and sence of my hart doth feele the sweetenesse of Christe his body and blood broken and shead for mee and all mankinde vppon the Crosse and perceiue it thereby to be the onely foode of my soule without which I shoulde perishe both soule and bodye Eternallye And as certainlye as I feele with bodilye sence that the Breade and Wyne passeth into my Stomache and there according to their proportion feede strengthen and quicken my Naturall bodye and Spirites so assuredlye doe I with my inwarde and Spirituall sence perceiue the bodye and blood of Christe and the whole benefite of his death and passioÌ„ to passe into the stomache of my soule and bosome of my hart there through the strength of a true ChristiaÌ„ faith to be laid vp wrought and digested as that onelye nourishmente that keepeth the life of the soule and preserueth mee both soule and bodye to eternall life They that will Christianlye and charitablely and in the feare of GOD weighe and consyder these thinges I truste will not thinke eyther that wee make lighte accoumpte of the Externall Sacramente or in oure Doctrine teache a syngle and sleighte manner of eating of Christ by fayth as the fauourers of the church of Rome doe charge vs. And I appeale to the Consciences of all them that followe theire Doctrine whether euer they were taughte to take suche sweete instruction and comfort in the vse of that blessed Sacrament or no. These good Fruites of that Sacramente are muche furthered and increased by sunderye other Godlye cogitations which the Scriptures teache true Christians to vse in the administration of it The worde of GOD teacheth that the vse of the externall Sacramentes is a manner of confession whereby men acknowledge themselues before GOD and the World that they are Christians Therefore the faythfull receauer when hee commeth to the Sacrament thinketh this with himselfe I by comming to this place proteste before GOD and his Angels and before all the Creatures of Heauen and earth that in my harte I deteste the Religion of Jewes Turkes Infidels Heretiques and all other that denye saluation to come by the death of Christe and I acknowledge my selfe vnfaygnedlye to bee of the number of them that hope to haue the fauoure of GOD and to bee saued by the merite and passion of Christe onelye The worde of GOD teacheth that Sacramentes are as it were Seales to confyrme the truth of Gods promises and to strength our fayth Therefore by this seale of the Lords Supper wee assure oure selues that wee are partakers of all that Legacie which Christ our Sauyour in his last will bequeathed to vs that is that his bodye was broken vpon the Crosse for our redemption and his blood sheadde for the remission of oure Sinnes The Scriptures teache that in the vse of the sacramentes through Fayth wee bee vnited vnto Christ and ingraffed into his Mysticall body so that wee liue nowe onelye by him and whatsoeuer is his by the truth of his promise is oures also The worde of God teacheth that the Sacrament of the Lordes supper is a linke of vnitye that knitteth vs together as members of one Mysticall bodye and therefore that wee oughte to bee ioyned in mutuall loue and charitie among our selues and that it is a foule reproch both to Christe oure head and to the whole body if we hate hurte or hinder one another For by the vse therof we confesse y â— we are all members of one bodye all Seruantes of one Mayster all Children of one Father all Subiectes vnder one Lorde and King all Partakers of one redemption all Heires of one Heritage and Gifte of Eternall Lyfe And in so manye Lâ—â—â—es of Vnitye to be at discorde among ourselues is in Gods iudgemente an heauy testimouie agaynst vs in the day of his wrath Finally the word of God teacheth vs that the Sacrament of the Lordes supper is our heauenlye Feaste in whiche the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the worlde is offered vnto vs spiritually to feede vppon in our fayth that by him as I haue before declared we maye be nourished strengthened and preserued to eternall life and therfore that we ought to bee verye carefull so coprepare oureselues that we may be worthy Guestes for that blessed table Wherefore
Magistrate and tooke the reproche thereof vnto himselfe And therefore caused the earth to swallow vp the cheefe ring leaders of that mischeefe and destroyed of the residue 14700. Hereby they maye learne what is due vnto them and what wil come vpon them which not onlye in their harts secretly but openly in their assemblies wheÌ„ they dare murmure at our gracious Gouernour whome God hath appointed to deliuer vs out of Aegipt and by the Gospell of his sonne Christe to bring vs into the Lande of promise and cause their patrones and defenders in their flaunderous Libels and bookes openly published like traitoures to disgrace her magestie with titles of an Vsurper a scismatike a feducer of the people from the Churche of God and they that be at home giue oute the same thinges in their secrete speeches And all as truely and iustly as Dathan and Abyram charged Moyses with vsurping authoritie ouer them and with leading of the people purposely to destroy them in the Wildernesse But I doubt not the God of truth wist as hither to be hath done take vpon him the defence and preseruatioÌ„ of his lawfull Magistrate and Gouernour agaynst these traiterous murmurers and mutterers and in the end vnlesse they repente will sende them their iust reward In the meane time we oughte in our prayers earnestly to call vpon God that hee will holde his mercifull hande ouer vs and that hee will mooue the mindes of oure Prince and Counsaile to haue a more careful eye to these murmurers which openly shewe themselues by forbearing oure communion in Prayers Sacramentes and in the meane time with greedy mynds lust long for that â—ay in which they may poure out their traiterous malice toward God their Prince Moreouer it is written in Esay That euen in the time of that good king Ezechias who had cast out superstition and idolatrie and very exactly reformed Gods true Religion accordyng to his law yet that the â—â—uell Tyranâ—â— Sennacherib the Assyrians entred Jewrie spoyled the countrey destroyed all their great Cities beseeged the Citie Hâ—â—â—â—â—alem the king himself in it then which calamitie the people of God had scantly at any time felt a greater or more greeuous And what I pray you might be the cause hereof vndoubtedly because the people did vnthankefully receaue y â— godly happie reformation of ReligioÌ„ Some murmured at it kept their monuments of idolatrie for a day some receaued it holowly coldly either to please the Prince to haue some benefite or countenaunce by it or else to keepe themselues from the penaltie daunger of the Lawe The most that did soundlye embrace it did not conforme themselues in life accordingly but w t little or no amendmeÌ„t continued their old corruption Some notable faultes were also in y t king himselfe though otherwise a blessed Prince Therefore God vsed that sharpe scourge as well instly to punishe the obstinate as also to bring the repentaunt home to hys mercy reformation of life By this we are taught that â—lbâ—it it hath pleased God by our Prince to cast out superstition and idolatrie to driue awaye the vsurped power of the Bishop of Rome to restore true religion the right vse of the Sacraments by lawe and authoritie to confirme y â— same yet we may not herein flatter our selues as though we were safe from Gods displeasure or greatly in his fauour For if we doe not thankefully receaue this his vnestimable benefit in lyfe and godly conuersation conforme our selues vnto it that his name may be glorified in vs we must assure our selues that this wil fal to our great iudgement that in the time of our Ezechia he wil plague vs as he did the Jewes by Sennacherib in time of their good king Thus haue I noted vnto you three or foure examples that by them you may know how to apply the resâ—ue Now least by rashnesse and ignoraunce men vncharitably condemne the 〈…〉 and good man because hee seeth him touched with affliction and trouble I must let you vnderstand that beside the iust punishment of the open and notorious 〈…〉 whereof hitherto I haue spoken there is also an other cause wherewith God is moued to seâ—â—â— among men myselfe trouble affliction and griefes of this worlde that is to trie and proue suche as bee good and godlye that theyr vertues maye more shyne among men to the honour and glorye of God The fornace sayth Jesus Syrache tryeth the Potters vessell and affliction tryeth the iust and godly And Salomon As â—iluer and Golde is tryed by fire so doth God proue and trie the heartes of men Your Fathers sayeth Judith were tempted that they myght bee tryed and prooued whether they truely from their hearte worshipped God In this maâ—â—â—r GOD tempted and prooued his faythfull seruantes Abraham Ioseph and Iob that by the tryall of their constancie theyr fayth myght hee the more notable and famous and both themselues more in faythe confyrmed and GOD as I haue sayde by them more glorifyed When God cast vppon Iob all those myseries which the Scriptures mention hys vnnaturall wyfe and vnkynde friendes with rashe and vncharitable iudgement woulde needes perswade hym that it was the anger of GOD and iust punishment for hys sinnes that brought all those thinges vppon hym But he stayed vppon the testimonie of a good conscience and the constancie of hys fayth assured hymselfe of the good wyll and fauour of GOD and therefore hee tooke all patiently saying The Lorde gaue it and the Lorde hath taken it awaye euen as the Lord will so be it In which wordes wee haue to learne the exceedyng comforte which the godly take in the myddest of their troubles by the doctrine of the prouidence of God whereof I spake before For because nothyng is done wythout hym by hys onely sufferaunce Tyrauntes persetute they spoyle men of theyr goods they cast them into banishment into prison bondes they kyll them and exercyse all kynde of crueltie agaynst them It is his wyll also that men bee afflicted wyth sickenesse wyth pouertie wyth hunger wyth colde with sclaunder and reproche wyth losse of children and goodes and with all myseries that may fall in the lyfe of man But because the same Lorde and God which as a iust iudge sendeth all these thinges is also a most mercyfull tender and kynde father vndoubtedly hee wyll not suffer any thing to happen to vs but that shall bee profitable and a furtheraunce to our saluation Wherefore in all troubles and myseries seeme they at the beginning neuer so greenous and vntollerable the godlye receaue them and adyde in them not onely wyth patience but wyth ioye and gladnesse They are perswaded as the truth is That God chasâ—iseâ—h euerie sonne that he receaueth and therefore with cheerefull heartes They glorye in their afflictions knowing that tribulation bringeth patience patience experience experience hope and hope confoundeth not nor maketh ashamed
â—raâ— word his right doctrine of the Gospel as it is pretended vndoubtedly it wold worke in mens haâ—tes alter their minds and bring foorthe fruit accordingly â—â—r as the Propher sayth As the sweet dâ—â— and â—hower â—â—raine returneth not baâ—ke in vayne â—â—â—â—â—yâ—â—eneth and seasonethâ— the earth so gods true worde returneth not in vayâ—eâ— but effectually doth that for which it was sent Or if this bee the true gospell and right word of God surelye the faulte is in the Ministers that bee not such persons nor doe not deliuer it so zealously so sincerely as they should do therfore their preaching preuayleth not in the harts of men And thorow this perswasion their groweth in them an odyous and vnchristyan contempte and despising of Ministers and Preachers so that forgetting themselues they caste faulte of all euill in these Dayes vpon the Ministers and Preachers But with as good right might they condemn and contemne the Prophets Christ himself and his Apostles Esay preached among the people of God aboue 60 yeares or 〈…〉 some accoumpte 80. Ieremy taught 41 yeres and other Prophets proportionablâ—ly and I trust they will not say that either their doctrine was not right or good or else that they were euill men Yet with how final fruite they preached in comparison of the multitudâ— of euill the whole course of their writings their lameâ—table complaints declareth and y â— euent of Gods iust iudgemeÌ„t in punishing the Jewes euidently proueth For that only cause that they contemned his worde and retourned not to him by repentaunce hee brought vpon them the King of Babilon who in the ninth yeare of Zedechia King of Juda came and all his Hoste agaynste Hierusalem and Beseeged it And in the leuenth yeare of Zedechiah in the 4 moneth toke it and ransacked the Citie And al y â— Princes of the King of BabiloÌ„ came in sate in the middle gate the cheefe gate of the Citie euen Nâ—â—egall Sarâ—ser â—amgaâ—nâ—â—â— Sarsâ—â—him Rabsariâ— Rabâ—â—ag with all the resiâ—â—â— of the Princes of the King of 〈…〉 God thus plaguing the prophane contempte of his worde when after so long Preaching no fruite woulde followe And yet was not leremie in fault nor the true Prophets of God for the iuâ—â—sion of those straungers for the ouerthrow of this noble Ciâ—e or for the greeuous captiuitie of this wofull people Nay the loosenesse of their owne liues the secure contempt of Gods holy word brought all those plagues iustly vpon them that they like flocks of shepe were after great burly burly in their owne countrey caryed away captiues into theire enimies Laude And this successe through their owne ingratitude and other intollerable vices had the preaching of the Prophets among the people of the Iewes in those â—â—yes In like manner I might say of Christ and his Apostles and Disciples whiche preached among the Iewes a good time and in deede with small fruites in consideration of the puritye of the Doctrine the excellencie of the Teachers and the wonderfull workes and myracles that were by Gods power wrought for the confyrmation of the Gospell But in this answere I compare not the Persons which I cannot do withoute intollerable pryde and blasphemie but I compare the causes which are al one with them and with vs. The Gospell and Doctrine that we preach is the same y â— Christ the Prophets the Apostles taughte before vs and haue lefte vnto vs although wee in comparison of their worthinesse are sillie and sinful wormes of the earth And yet in the feare of God and himblenesse of harte I speake it I doubt not but we are farte from that wickednesse and foule blemishes that partlye open aduersaries partly politique and worldly professoures woulde haue to be noted in many preachers of these dayes They are not able to speake or deuise worse of vs then the Iewes didde thinke and speake of Christe himselfe of his blessed Apostles and of the holy Prophets of God Happylyeby oure infyrmities they may haue greater likelihoode but that in those dayes was and now is nothing but a coloure and pretence of reprobate mindes to feede themselues in the wicked contempte of Gods worde or to excuse and flatter themselues in not coÌ„forming their liues accordinglye I defende not the wickednesse of ministers God forbidde It were better a milstone were hanged about our neckes and we cast into the sea rather then our lyfe or euill dealinge should bee an offence to any or hinder but one man from the true imbracing of the Gospell But my meaning is to take from obstinate and vngodly myndes such excuses and pretences as they make to noosell themselues in wickednesse Christe by this parable teacheth them to iudge otherwise and to looke into their owne bosoomes and to examine themselues of the cause why his word taketh not place in them Though the seede sower be neuer so honest a man neuer so skilfull and cunning in his trade though hee haue made good choyse of his seede and purged it neuer so cleane yet if the ground be barrayne and noughte his laboure is loste and the seede prospereth not And on the contrary part if the sower bee an euill man and vnskilfull in sowing and that he doth it negligentlye and haue small desyre it should prosper yet if thee seede be cleane and the ground good the good Seede will prosper and come to some good fruite Yea we see seede salling by chaunce into good and batteling grounde to spring vp grow As the worde of God is the seede so is the grounde the hartes of them that heare it Wherefore lette not men flatter themselues and with the cloke of other mens faultes blemishes hide their own euil nature dispositioÌ„s The good mind though by chance onlye it heare the word of God or though he heare it red but of a child or any other person it doth him good it sinketh into his harte worketh to good effect The godlesse hart though he heare neuer so good a man preach though an Angell from Heauen do speake vnto him though Christ himselfe should teach him he woulde be neuer y â— better or at y â— least the sede wold not vnto good fruite prosper in him But this christ most euideÌ„tly declareth by y â— harietie of y e ground which next followeth to be spoken of Some sayth Christ fel vpoÌ„ the high way The high way resembleth the mindes of such as be continually occupied with the traÌ„pling of wicked cogitations perpetual vse of euil doing so y t they war hard haue no sence of repeÌ„tance nor remorse of coÌ„science whatsoeuer they heare or whatsoeuer is spoken vnto theÌ„ Therfore y â— sede of gods holy word wheÌ„ it is preached vnto theÌ„ it lieth in y e top as it were swimmeth in y e eare but it sincketh not into y e hart nor can take any roote of godly perswasion and therefore it lieth open
farm must go se it I praie thee haue me excused The third sayd I haue maried a wife I cannot come By this feast is ment the CoÌ„munion of the gospel benefit of our saluatioÌ„ purchaced by Christ To this feast men are called by Gods messengers y t is his Preachers ministers of his worde The excuses made shewe what causes coÌ„monly they are y t w thold mens minds from obeying the word of God coÌ„ming to the gospell y â— is the cares of the world the study of riches and the pleasure and pompe of this life noted by these iii. kind of things whereof Christ there speaketh I wold to God these impedimeÌ„ts had choked the worde of God and hindered the hearing of the Gospel in Christes time only and were not of greater force in the hartes of men at this daye in Englande If a Preacher come into a Towne vppon a workingdaye it is a rare place wherein hee shall haue a tollerable Auditorye But if there be a fayre or a markeâ— though there be 5000 in the streates ye shal scarcely finde 50 in the church Yea they will murmure that the Preacher hath chosen such a time to trouble them and to hinder their market though it be of a Sabaoth daye or other vsuall daye appoynted for prayer And what can be the cause hereof but the care of the world loue of riches which maketh them to haue no regard of the word of God nor of their own saluation Justly therefore sayâ—h Saint Paule They that wil be rich fal into tentations snares into many folish noisome lustes which drowne men vtterly in perdition and destruction For the desyre of money is the roote of all euill which while men lusted after they haue erred froÌ„ the fayth and perced themselues through with manye sorrowes Seing therefore these bushes and thornes are so dangerous that they vtterly choke vp the Seede of Gods holye worde cast into the grounde of mens hartes it is necessarye that there bee prepared some Tooles and Instrumentes so much as possiblie maye bee to grubbe them out that the ground may be made more commendable and fruitfull Such Instrumentes Christe himselfe hath prepared in S. Mathewes Gospell The fyrste is the earnest consideration of the vanitie and vncertaintie of riches and worldly wealth and pleasure which passe from vs sodainly by many occasions It is vttered in these wordes Lay not vp for your selues treasures vppon the earth where the mothe canker corrupt where Theues dig through and steale but lay vp treasure for your selues in HeaueÌ„ where neither mothe nor canker corrupte nor Theefe breaketh through to steale c. By the corrupting of â—anker and moath and by the stealing of Theeues Christe noteth all those meanes whereby the brickle and frayle wealth and pompe of this world vpon the sodayne passeth from vs so that we can haue no assuraunce of them Therfore Christ iustly in those words admonisheth vs that wee should not set our minds vpon so vayn thinges for them to forsake the eternal riches in heaueÌ„ y t neuer shal faile vs. SalomoÌ„ who aboue all other had good trial of these things euidently declareth what vanitie is in them I haue sayth he builded me houses I haue planted vyneyards I haue gotten seruants maydes haue had children borne in the house also I had great possessions of Beeues and sheepe aboue all that were before mee in Hierusalem I haue gathered vnto me siluer and Gold and the cheefe treasure of Kings Prouinces c. And after it foloweth Then I loked on all my works that my hands had made and on the trauaile that I had laboured in and beholde all is extreme vanitie and vexation of spirit neither is there any profite vnder the Sunne Loe this is Salomons iudgement that vnder the Sunne all thinges are vaine vnprofitable All fleshe saith the Prophete is as grasse and all the glorie thereof like the floure of grasse the grasse is cut downe and withereth and the Houre falleth aud fadeth away Whereby wee are taught that as mans life it selfe is fraile and transitorie so are all those thinges wherin it glorieth and taketh delyght Honour Dignitie Friendship Riches Health Stength Beautie and such like which all may bee had and lost in an houre And therefore a great vanitie it were for these so vayne fraile and brickle things to sorsake the doctrine of eternall saluation and the vnestimable treasures of the kingdome of God An other instrument that Christ in the same place hath framed to grubb vp the cares of the world is confidence and trust in the prouidence of God wherevppon onely we ought to depend for all things pertaining to this lyfe and therfore to bend al our care and studie to seeke the kingdome of God and the glory thereof Be not carefull saith he for your life what ye shall eat or what ye shall drinke or for your bodies what apparell ye shal vse c. But first of all seeke the kingdome of God all things shall be aboundantly giuen vnto you This instrument is strengthened with sundry reasons as it were bondes to fasten the same in our heartes The first is that he which giueth vs the greater things and of more price will prouide for vs and bestowe vppon vs those things that bee of lesse value God hath giuen a lyfe and a bodye which in deede are precious giftes therefore he will not fayle to prouide meate drinke and cloth sufficient to maintayne the same if wee call vpon him and repose our trust in hym for the same The second reason is the example of most contemptible creatures if they bee compared to the worthynesse of mankinde fouies of the aire Rauens Sparâ—â—â—es flowers of the fielde which God feedeth maintaineth and preserueth without any carke care or labour of theirs for they neyther sowe nor reape nor spinne nor carde And shall not the same good and mercifull Lorde prouide for his most excellent creatures his owne people that depend vpon him put their trust in him The third reason is the vnsufficiencie of our labour carke and care in these things if God giue not good successe therevnto For what man with al his care and diligence can adde one cubite vnto his heigh c. The husbandman wyth great trouble and toyle may till the earth and sowe his seede but he is not able to make faire weather to giue seasonable showres to temper the grounde without which his labour is nothing worthe much lesse is he able to giue that strength and power to the seede to growe in the earth for that is the onely finger and mightie power of God y t worketh in his creatures Those things that we esteeme to be ordinarie workes of nature are in deede wonderfull and myraculous workes of Gods almightie power dayly shewed among vs and because they be dayly done wee
wee must not doe it coldly but boldly fearing no authoritie of man to Preache Jesus Christ crucified Againe in the same Prophet Crie and cease not lift vp thy voyce as a Trumpet tell my people their iniquitie and the house of Iacob their sinnes So that with like earnest boldnesse are wee in this place willed to crie out agaynst sinne and wickednesse and to tell men plainely of their iniquitie In Ezechiell we are compared vnto watchmen that should alway stand in the watch tower of the Churche of God if wee espie either corrupt doctrine or false worshipping of God or wickednesse of life by any meanes eyther openly or colourably to thrust themselues into the Church of God that wee presently ring out the alarme sound the Trumpet to giue warning to the inhabitants of the Citie of God the celestiall Hierusalem that they take heede and beware of themselues otherwise the blood of other that perish without warning will be required at our handes And that men may not thinke that this charge belongeth to the Prophetes alone S. Paule to Timothie and by hym of all other requireth the same Preache the worde But howe Bee earnest in season out of season for no time is vnconuenient to Preach true doctrine And he addeth Reproue intreate rebuke with all patience and doctrine so that if mens obstinacie bee such that they wyll not amend wee must leaue it to God and take it patiently For wee are but planters and waterers God must gyue the successe and increase Nowe if our charge bee thus earnestlye required of vs as wee are greatly to blame if we doe it not so they that be of God can not mislike with vs when wee doe it though happily their owne persons be touched therewith But we must not teach onely but we must liue also accordingly We must be Exemplaria gregis Be thou saith Paule to Timothie an example to the faithful in word in conuersation in charitie in faith And to Titus Aboue all things bee thou an example of good workes with vncorrupt doctrine with grauitie with integritie And Chrisost God sayeth he will not haue a Christian to be contented with himself but to edifie other also and that not in doctrine onely but in life also For men looke not onely what is spokē but what is done As there was neuer time more captious perilous and daūgerous then these dayes are so was circumspect walking neuer more necessarie y t our enimies take not a pretence by our blemishes to quarrell agaynst our doctrine This if we doe we shal be good Ministers of Christ we shal walke in the house of God w t good conscience we shal be able for any iust cause to stoppe y ◠enimyes mouthes force them to praise God in the day of visitation we shall be able for mans iudgement to say w t Christ Quis ex vobis c. Which of you cā rebuke me of sinne But if we doe not this our conscience must needes be heauily burthened Gods iudgementes as he threatneth by his Prophetes will bee greeuous against vs he will rase vs out of the booke of Israell he will set himselfe agaynst vs he wyll feede vs with worme wood and giue vs water with gaule to drinke yea he wyl cry out Woe and curse against vs as he doth in Jeremie Ezechiel Woe saith he to these pastors that hurt and destroye my flocke And in Jeremie 25. Howle ye sheepards and crie and wallow your selues in the ashes yee principall of the flocke for your dayes of slaughter are accomplished the flyght shall fayle from the sheepardes the principall of the flocke shall not escape c. In which words althoughe the Prophet chiefely doth speake of Princes Magistrates and gouernous of the people of GOD yet hee comprehendeth also those that hee hath appoynted to direct them in doctrine and teaching What the Byshops Preachers and y ◠Ecclesiasticall state of this Realme haue deserued I knowe not but what the world speaketh of them and howe men open their mouthes against them I knowe and with griefe of my harte I knowe it and heare it If wee bee such horrible offences to the Churches of God as the common voyce of men doth make vs as before I haue sayde in this place Better it were that Milstones were tyed about our neckes we cast headlong into the Sea as Christ speaketh of them that giue offence to y t meanest of his churche If wee bee so retchlesse and negligent that when wee bee made Byshops and haue gotten the Rochet on our backe wee forget howe to Preache if we be so giuen ouer to the worlde as wee haue eyther lyttle or no care at all of our duetie and calling as men saye to our faces our faulte must needes bee great neyther can any excuse bee made But if wee bee so wee lyue vnder a Prince and lawes vnder Magistrates and gouernours neyther doe wee challenge any exemption as the annoynted of Rome did but let our causes and crymes bee tryed wyth suche indifferencie as other States woulde bee contented to bee iudged by and then let euerye man carye his owne burthen according to the weight of hys desertes I desire na fauour eyther for other or for my selfe although I knowe more faultes by my selfe then I doe by other Onely this I require that gnats bee not turned into Elephantes and moulehilles be made Mountaynes that is small blemishes no faultes in other horrible and great crymes in vs onely of affection to deface our calling and to discredite the Gospell which wee Preache Sathan knoweth ryght well and I feare his cunnyng bee too well learned that there is no waye so fitte to deface any kynde of doctrine as by all meanes that maye be to bryng the Ministers and Preachers thereof in discredite hatred and contempt There is in the Ecclesiasticall historye a notable example of that noble Emperour Constantine the greate who after that he had assembled the great Councell of Nice for the suppressing of the Heresie of Arrius and there were assembled to the number of 318 Bishops whereof the greatest number were men of notable fame as well for life as learning yet by humayne frayltie forgetting themselues and the principall cause that they came for they began to offer to the Emperour Libels and Bils of complaynt one agaynst another blazing euery man the others infirmities which thing the Emperour greatly misliking and foreseing the great inconuenience that might come thereby to the Christian fayth whiche lately before hee had excepted into his Empire he would not so muche as once looke into the Bils of complayntes but wrapped them vp togeather and in theire sighte cast them into the fyre with reuerente wordes exhorting them to forget those quarrels to bende themselues wholye to that matter for whiche principallye they came So that the Godlye Emperoure did rather indeuour with Sem and Iaphet
in the externall signes respect of time In Ps 73. CoÌ„ Faust. lib. 19. cap 14. De doct Christ. in Jo. in psal Note August Tract in Joh. 26. The faythfull Jewes did eate and drinke spiritually the body blood of Christ before his reall comming in the flesh and soe doe we that ar borne beleeue since his incarnation the conclsion thereupon Christ the food of our soules Esay 55. 1. Joh. 7. 37. Io. 6. 26. c. Ioh. 6. 32. c. Ioh. 6. 35. Ioh. 6. 48. c. Io. 6. 53. â— Ioh. 6. 63. How the body and blood of Christ are said to hes meate and drinke Acomparison betwixte the body and the soule What the soule is to the body that is God to the soule 1. Io. 5. 12. How Christ was prepared to be the food of our soules Io. 6. 35. Why Christ of necessitie was to be both god and man firste why he shold be god 1. Jo. 5. 20. 1. Jo. 3. 5. Joh. 1. 12. Heb. 7. Ro. 8. 34. Why Christ world necessarily be man Joh. 12. 26. Heb. 4. 15. Now Christ his body and blood is truly rightlye to be eaten drunken as well in the Sacraments as without them Against the carnal eating drinking of Christs body and blood Mat. 15. 11 Rom. 8. 11. Iac. 1. 17. Fayth the mouth of the soule whereby Christe is eaten Ioh. 6. 29. 33. 35. What to eate Christ is what to drinke his blood is Ver. 4â— Tract in Ioh. 26. Trast 25 De coenae Domini The force of fayth Ioh. 6. 54. The eating of Christ by fayth is no derogation to the dignity of the Sacramente and profite theâ— of Luc. 23. 4â— Acts. 10. In the vse of the Sacrament is a double eating to be noted Our senses in the vse of the Sacrament are helpers to our better receauing of the same Hearinge Ma. 26. 26 Ro. 10. 17. Luc. 22. 19. Seeing Feeling Tasting Sacraments are badges by which we Christians are knowne from idolaters Sacraments are the seales wherby gods promises are confirmed vnto vs. Sacraments vnite vs to Christe Sacraments are to linke vs togeather in brotherly vnitie Blasphemus doctriue of wicked mens eating of the body of christ â—efelled Joh. 6. 56. Joh. 6. 54. In Mat. 15. De Trini lib. 4. Tract 59. PaneÌ„ dnÌ„â— PaneÌ„ dnÌ„i Tract 26. How we ought to prepare our selues to the worthy receauing of the lords supper 1. Co. 11. 18. How we are to make trial of our selues before we come to the lords table Deut. 6. 5. Deu. 27. 26 1 2 3 Obiection Answeare Psal 103. 14. A breife praier for communicants Mar. 9. 24 Ma. 26. 33. Mar. 9. 33. Heb. 1â— 22. Mat. 7. 21. It is not sufficient to saluation to be idle professors of god but also doers of godly deedes Iam. 1. 22. c. Luc. 11. 28. Mat. 7. 24. Maâ— 11. 13. Wicked mâ—n are plagued of god for their owne sinnes to our â—â—â—ngle Nothing beâ—â—ideth man by fortune but al thingâ— by gods direction Joh. 5. 17. Act. 17. 28. Psal 104. 29. Nature what it is Gen. 7. 3. Reg. 17. Retract Fortune what it is Mat. 10. 29 God the Creatour disposer and preserner of all The absurd opinion of theÌ„ confuted that imagined god to gouerne great thinges and matters only without prouiding any whitt for things of leue value God is not the author of sinne Euerie act is to be measured good or bad by the intent of the actor Jer. 7. 13. Esai 10. 5. God vseth naughtie instruments to the working of good What the causes ate that moue god to plague men The punishment of sin Leu. 26. 40 Jos 24. 20. Deutro 21. Leu. 26. 14. c. punishmenes sent from god for examâ—ples sake Luc. 13. 2. Psal 543. 2. â—um 11. 4. Num. 25. â—â— Num. 16. 3. Esai 36. 37. Afflictions are laid vpon the righteous to trie them withal Eccl. 27. 5. Prou. 17. 3. Judi 8. 21. Job 1. 21. Heb. 12. 6. Rom. 5. 3. 1 2 3 4 Christ compareth the church to husbandry especially in pasturing vintage and tillage Psal 23. 1â— Psal 95. â— Joh. 10. 11 Joh. 15. 1. Esa 5. 1. c. Mat. 21. 33 Joh. 4. 35. Mat. 9. 37 Why the Spirit of god doth compare the church to husbandrie as beforesaide Interpretation of this parable of the seede sower Preachers are authoriâ—ed by god in their calling 1. Cor. 4. 1. What â—â—â—matâ—â—â— ought to be had of prechers 1. The. 2. 13. Gal. 4. 14. 2. The. 4. 8 Luc. 10. 16. How those are to be thought of who lightlie regard-either preachinge or preachers 1. Pet. 1. 23. That the worde of god is resembled to seede and why Esa 40. 6. The power of the words of god in it selfe and in the estimation of the worlde Rom. 1. 16. What gods worde woorketh in the hearâ—â—s 1. Cor. 1. 23. Verse 27. How gods worde preuaileth euen against mans wisdome and cunning Example of the Apostles time Example of later and of these present times Pâ—â—â— â— â— The imaginations praâ—tises meanes of the wicked to withstand gods worde Psal 2. 4. The increase of the church by Martâ—rdom 〈…〉 d in a similitude What increase only coâ—â—â—â—eth by Marâ—â—â—dom 2. The. 2. 8. An obiection made against the credit of the gospell and the preachers of it because it is likened to seede Esa 55. 10. Answere Some preachers had but barren successe and yet was theire doctrine â—â—â—â—he The like to be saide of Christ and his Apostles The cause of barren successe is all one to the present preachers as was to the prophets Christ and his apostles and yet is not their successe the lesse How greeuous it is for preachers to offende Why preachers offences are not to be made more greeuous then they are The true cause why the worde preached doth not allway bringe forth fruite The godly do alway take pro 〈…〉 of the preaching of the worde The first kinde of grounde Three sorts of foules vvhich doe eate vp the seede of gods vvorde in the heigh â—vaies Of worldly securitie The inconuenience of pre achingiâ— generalitie Luc. 1. 74. 75. Rom. 6. 3. 1. Pet. 3. 7. Rom. 8. 17. Eph. 2. 19. Mat. 23. 37 How god calleth Engto repentance and without repentance what is like to befall it Of heathenish Gentilitie and the mischiffe by it Sap. 2. 5. c. How they are to be accounted of that deride preachers 2. Pet. 3. 1. c. Mocâ—es against god his iudgmentes Ier. 5. 1â— How to trie crulye who do beleauâ— there is a god and who not Contempt of godlinesse of life can nor stand with the acknowledging of a god We cannot acknowledg a god but that with all he must punishâ— sinne Against those that denie god altogeather Rom. 1. 20. Meanes to make those acknowledge a god which â—â— altogetheâ— deny him The saying of the Heathens that al things stand according to the course of Nature is to be vnderstod of god
I thinke it necessary in a worde or two to teach you how Christians should prepare themselues as worthy guestes to come to this holy Table But before I come to that I will fyrste aunswere an euell and peruerse Doctrine broughte into the Church by the Sea of Roome and the Preachers and teachers thereof directlye both agaynste Christes owne wordes and agaynst the doctrine of the auncient fathers that is that very wicked meÌ„ and horrible sinners as Iudas and other doe eate in the sacrament the very Reall and naturall body of Christe as fully as Peter or any other Saint of God or other faythfull Christian hath done or doth This Doctrine as it is reprochefull to the body and blood of Christ so it is plainly against y t which Christ himself teacheth in Iohn For there Christ sayth thus He that eateth my flesh drinketh my blood abideth in me and I in him As the liuing Father sent me and I liue by the Father so hee that eateth me shall liue by me I adde But the wicked naugty persons abide not in christ nor liue by him therfore sinfull and wicked faythlesse persons doe not eate Christ nor drinke his blod In the same place Christ sayeth further Whosoeuer eateth my fleshe and drinketh my blood hath eternall life c. I adde here likewise But the wicked haue not eternall life by christ nor shall bee raysed to life but to eternall damnation therefore it is a false and a wicked Doctrine that Iudas and such other naughtie persons doe eate the very true reall and Naturall bodye of christ for if they did they shold theÌ„ be partakers of those benefits which christ truth it self promiseth to theÌ„ y t eat him Though this their doctrine to any godly man may seeme absurde in it selfe and Christ his wordes against it be plain ynough and will not easylye admitte any glose yet if the aunciente Fathers also teache not herein as wee doe let vs be thought to deuise it of oure selues Origin sayeth this These thinges haue I spoken of the typicall and fyguratiue body Much also may be spokeÌ„ of the word himselfe which became fleshe whome whosoeuer shall eate shall surely liue for euer and he addeth Whome no euill man can eate For if it could be that he which coÌ„tinueth euill did eate the word that became flesh seing that he is the word bread of life it would neuer haue ben writteÌ„ whosoeuer eateth the bread shall liue for euer Hitherto Orig. And S. Aug. He that discordeth froÌ„ Christ eateth not his flesh nor drinketh his blood but he receaueth the Sacrament of so holy a thing to the iudgement of damnation against himselfe And y â— same father vpoÌ„ S. Joh. The Apostles sayth he did eat the bred that was the Lord but Iudas did eate the breade of the Lord against the Lord. But most plainly he sayth in an other place The sacrameÌ„t of the vnity of the body blod of Christ is receiued at the Lords table of some to life of some to destruction But the thing it selfe whereof it is a sacrament is life to euery man and death to none whosoeuer shall be partaker of it And in the same place To eate that meate and to drink that drinke is to dwel in Christ to haue christ dwelling in him And by that it followeth that he which dwelleth not in Christ nor hath christ dwelling in him vndoubtedly doth not spiritually eat his flesh nor drink his blood although carnally visibly he presse with his teeth the sacrament of the body blood of Christ c. Although I might alleage a nuÌ„ber of other places to y t same purpose yet because these fathers vndoubtedly did know the fayth Doctrine of the church in their time this may be sufficient to such as haue not a minde willingly to abyde in errour Seing none be partakers of that heauenly foode laid forth at that holy table but such as worthily come to receaue the same it behoueth all good Christians as before I haue sayde to learne how to prepare themselues to the worthy receiuing thereof And how that may be done S. Paule in generall words brecfely sheweth Let a man sayeth hee prooue himselfe and so let him eate of this bread and drink of this Cuppe The meanes therefore to come worthilye is to proue and trie our selues whether those thinges bee in vs which the worthy Guestes of that Table should haue First therefore we must looke vnfainedlye into our selues whether we haue an appetite or desyre to eate of y t blessed foode For a loathing stomache neuer perfectly digesteth any meat y t it receaueth but turneth it to the hurt of the body This Appetite or desire cannot be in vs vnlesse it be wrought by the sharpe sauce of seuere repentance for our sinnes which we shall the better prepare if wee examine our selues by the perfect rule of Gods iustice in his law consider how farre we are from the same and what danger hangeth ouer our heads for the wante thereof God sayth in his law Thou shalt loue the Lord thy god with al thy hart with all thy foule with all thy minde with all thy strength and thy Neighbour as thy selfe That is wee should loue we should hate we should feare we shold hope for nothing but in God and to his glory we should thinke or muse vpon nothing in our minde and vnderstanding but that may make to the honour and glory of god We should imploye all the powers of our bodye and of our worldelye giftes to the same ende wee shoulde doe nothing to anye other man which we woulde not willinglye bee contented should be tone vnto vs. If wee examine our selues by this rule we shal see we be so farre from that we should be that â—â—nosâ— we haue not one branche thereof in vs whiche will more euidently appeare if wee will trie our selues by euery particular commaundemente rightely and truely vnderstanded Seing then we be so farre from the iustice of Gods lawe the curse thereof must needes be due vnto vs for God sayth Cursed is he whosoeuer keepeth not all thinges written in the booke of his lawe In this manner if wee examine our selues sincerely we shall throughly know what wee are in the sight of God as well by the corruption of oure nature as by the course of our euill and naughtie lyfe wee shall haue sence of our own sinne wee shall hate and detest it wee shall from the bottome of oure hartes be sory for it with trembling mindes we shal feare the heauie iudgement of God against vs and so will there be stirred vp in vs that Godly appetite and greedye desyre to eate of that spirituall meate whiche onelye can satisfye our troubled conscience and cure our repentaunt and broken hattes c. But though the appetite and desyre bee neuer so great in vayne he commeth to any table that hath no mouth to eate nor strength