any measure in the like heauinesse JT is true good maistres H. which the Spirite hath spoken and wee seele it by experience that by many tribulations wee must enter into the kingdom of heauē This is a common decree whiche God hath sanctified to be a let for all his children So the author and finisher of our faith Iesus Christe himselfe was made perfect Into his similitude we are also predestinate that we should first die with him then be partakers of his glorie Let vs not therefore refuse that condition of life in whiche we haue the fellowship of al the Saints of God But rather confesse with the holy Apostle that blessed is the man who endureth temptation But because al afflictions are bitter for the present time when the minde is shaken with sorrowe it is then moste easily throwne downe of the enimie let vs learne wisely what our troubles are and be prepa red of remedie in the day of triall All our afflictions are ether according to the fleshe in hunger cold nakednes shame contēpt slander c. or according to the spirite in lamentations mournings which the world knoweth not The first euilles are easilie borne for they are all but vanitie and in vanity ther shall dye if we see no fauour in the sight of the Sun that shire not heare acceptable vnto vs when we haue paide the debt we owe vnto death the Lord then wil deliuer vs from al the iniuries of men But in this behalfe let me confirme my selfe God hath set you free from such afflictions your goodes are vnto you in a liberal portion your life made happie with a louing husband your calling acceptable vnder a gratious and good maistresse In whose sight you haue found fauour In this estate you shall feele no trouble therefore I let it passe The other affliction whithe is the spiritte and whiche can not bee resisted with anye earthlie blessing looke for it assuredly for it will come vnto you the you may suffer with Christ and reign with him in glorie These troubles they come many waies euē accordingly as God doth leade vs into life First we are commanded to learne and knowe the worde of God against this looke for many tentations the enimy will try which way to plucke that out of our hearts out of the worde we must learn a pretious faith hold that vmnouable before God against this what tentations are betweene heauen and earth you shall feele your portion if any thing possible can discourage you with faith you must ioine a liuelie hope which is a longing apprehensiō of gods glory in this also Satan wil pretermit nothing to quēch your affectiō the it may be dead to darken your mind the you may see nothing with out these you can not possiblie liue vnto these you can not possblie come but firste you shall feele what is the strength of sinne And yet notwithstanding faint not the Lion hath ouer come which is of the tribe of Iuda The force of the Serpent shall bruse our heele but it shall not take away from vs the head peece of saluation Learn therefore first the word of God this is the seede of regeneration by which we are made new creatures this is the bread of spirituall nourishment by which wee are growne vp into eternall life This is the weapon of our warfare by which we may wounde and driue away our enimies This is the scepter of our glo rious kingdome by which we do knowe the God doth reign in vs. Take this vnto you the shield of your defence the strengthe of your age the wisedome of your hearte and the safetie of your life cōmended vnto you in the word of Christ Search the Scriptures and seale it in your heart with a good persuasion that it is the word of God of life and he hath grauen in it an expresse image of eternall trueth Let it dwell plentifully within you and your hart is armed with a most strong defence all enimies shall fall before it the wisedome of the wise shall be brought to nought and the counsaile of the prudent shal be made foolishnes the waies of the aduersaries shall be scattered and the scorners seate shall be thrown down so true it is that the Lord hath spoken Blessed is the man whose delight is in the law of the Lorde and whose meditation is in it day night Let vs then bring downe the hawtinesse of our minds and receiue with meekenesse the word grafted in vs whiche can saue our soules To this desire of vnderstanding when God hath brought vs then let vs pray to be deliuered from tentation take heed we be not spoiled of so great a treasure we haue three especial enemies in this behalfe of which S. Paule biddeth vs al beware the one is Philosophy that is a vain curious searching of Gods misteries or measuring thinges reuealed according to our vnderstanding with which tentations whilest our fathers were ouercome they became foolish in their own imaginations and changed the glory of God into the likenes of a corruptible man making images praying to angelles immagining of soules like little children deuising purgatorie rea soning of Gods wiseddme aboue our capacitie As if we be predestinate we may liue as wee list if we are commanded to worke if our daies are numbred why seeke we any safetie to our life If the Angels do keep vs in all our waies that we shall not hurt our foote against a stone why feare we any falling these phantasies and worse then these disquiet our mindes and fight within vs against our humble obedience to the worde of God which all when we haue ouercome and said with the Prophet secrete things are for the Lorde but thinges reuealed for vs and our children yet we haue no peace A second enimie riseth vp greater then the first which S. Paul calleth the traditions of men for the heart of man which drinketh in error as the grounde doth drinke water is very obstinately bound with old customes and long continuaunce measuring trueth which is pure holy onely by time which is corrupt and euil not only this but nature also hath inflamed our affections to loue to muche our fathers waies to like their opinions to esteeme their iudgements to prayse their doings to commend their rage to talk of their names til throgh many entisemēts we are at last bewitched our wisdome is stollen away and trueth is taken from vs by this meanes all corruptions which haue ouerflowed the earth haue still wide roomes in the hearts of many the Popes supremacie latine seruice praier for the dead Masses diriges pardons pilgrimages sensing all poperie with the Authors of it Popes Cardinals Monks Friers all which haue neither trueth nor shadow of truth not one word of them in al the gospel of Christ only old custome hath bred it in our benes an opinion of our fathers hath printed it in our brests
conscience and the peace of his Church in and for his sonne our Lorde Iesus Amen Your Honours most humbly to be alwayes vsed in the Lorde Christe VVILLIAM HOPKINSON ¶ A preparation into the waye of lyfe with a direction into the right vse of the Lords Supper Question HOwe had you your beeing at the first Answere God created mee and all men in Adam as it is written The Lorde God made man of the duste of the grounde and breathed in his face breath of life and man was made a liuing soule Question Wherefore did God create you Ans To seeke his glory as it is written Of him through him and for him are all things to him be glory for euer Amen Qu How will God be glorified Ans According to his will reuealed in his worde For it is written Deut. 12.32 Whatsoeuer I commaunde you take heede that you doe it thou shalt put nothing thereto nor take ought therefrom Iosh 1.7 Qu. In what estate were you created An. Holy and excellent without sinne in perfect righteousnes and holynes before him as appeareth Gen. Let vs make man in our image according to our likenes Gen. 1.27 c. Qu. How became you subiect to so many infirmities Ans By sinne and disobedience As it is written Because thou haste obeyed the voyce of thy wife and hast eaten of the tree wherof I commaunded thee Gen. 3.17 saying Thou shalt not eate of it cursed is the earth for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eate of it all the dayes of thy life Qu. How became you sinnefull An. Adam transgressed the Lords precept in eating the forbidden fruite lost his innocencie and brought sinne vpon him self and all his posteritie As appeareth when he had yeelded to disobey the Lorde Gen. 3.9.10 The Lorde God called to the man and sayde to him Where art thou Who said I heard thy voyce and was afraide because I was naked therefore I hidde my selfe Also the Lorde God sent him foorth from the Garden of Eden Gen. 3.23 to till the earth from whence he was taken c. Qu. Is this sinne in euery one by nature An. Yea in all Adams posteritie none excepted as it is written Rom. 5.12 As by one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne and so death went ouer all men in as much as all men haue sinned Qu. What is the rewarde of sinne An. Death eternall as it is written Deut. 27.26 Cursed bee hee that continueth not in all the wordes of this lawe to doe them Rom. 6.23 Gal. 3.10 Qu. Shall I escape this death by the workes of the lawe An. No. For it is written Rom. 8.3 For that that was impossible to the law in as much as it was not able because of the flesh God sending his owne sonne in the simisitude of sinnefull flesh condemned sinne in the flesh Qu. Sith the Lawe doth not instifie vs before God what profite hath a Christian by it An. The vse of the lawe Iosh 1.8 First it is a way for Gods children to walke in as it is written Let not this booke of the lawe depart out of thy mouth but meditate therein day and night that thou mayest obserue and doe according to all that is written therein for then shalte thou make thy waye prosperous and then shalt thou haue good successe c. Deut. 6.6 Secondly it teacheth man not to truste in his owne innocencie For it is written We haue proued that all both Iewes and Gentiles are vnder sinne Rom. 3.9 10. Psal 14.1.53.4 Thirdly it pulleth downe the pride of mans heart and humbleth him before God as it is written We knowe that whatsoeuer the lawe sayth it sayth it to them which are vnder the lawe that euery mouth may be stopped Ro. 3.19.20 and all the world culpable before God And by the workes of the lawe shall no fleshe be iustified for by the lawe commeth the knowledge of sinne Fourthly it is a scholemaister to Christ Gal. 3.23 for it is written Before faith came we were kept vnder the lawe and shut vp vnto the fayth that should afterwardes be reuealed wherefore the lawe was oure scholemaster to bring vs vnto Christ that we might be made righteous by fayth Qu. Why should we doe good workes sithe they do not iustifie vs An. First The right end of workes Ioh. 14.15 to shewe our loue to God our father in walking as becommeth his children For the Lorde sayth If you loue me keepe my commaundementes Leui. 11.44.19.2 Secondly to shewe our loue to our selues making our election therby sure vnto our selues For it is written Ephes 1.3.4 Blessed be God euen the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ c. He hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the worlde was layde that we should be holy and without blame before him in loue 1. Pet. 1.2.2 Pet. 1.10 Thirdly to profite our brethren and glorifie the Lorde Mat. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good workes maye glorifie your father which is in heauen 1. Pet. 2.12 Qu. VVhat works be good and the contrary Rom 14.23 Howe many things are principally to be considered in good workes An. Three First that they proceede from an heart purified by fayth Whatsoeuer is not of fayth is sinne Mat. 7.17.18 Secondly they muste be ruled by the worde of God for it is written Eph. 2.10 We are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which he hath prepared for vs to walke in Thirdly the speciall ende for which they are done muste be the glory of God 1. Cor. 10.31 for it is written Whether you eate or drinke or whatsoeuer you doe doe all to the glory of God Exod. 32.32 Rom. 9.3 Qu. What is eternall death An. The euerlasting curse of God whiche conteineth all the tormentes that can be deuised both of soule and body for it is written Deut. 27.26 Cursed is he that continueth not in all the wordes of this lawe to doe them Gal. 3.10 Qu. By what meanes shall I escape this death An. Onely by fayth in Christ as it is written Rom. 3.28 We conclude that a man is iustified by fayth without the workes of the lawe Iohn 3.13 36. 5.24 6.40 47. 11.25 20.29 31. Math. 9.2 Luc. 7.50 Act. 10.43 16.3 Rom. 1.12 Gal. 3.26 Phil. 3.9 Col. 1.23 Eph. 3.12 Heb. 11.6 1. Pet. 1.9 c. Qu. What is a Christian fayth An. VVhat fayth is A full perswasion and assurance of mine heart that whatsoeuer Christe hath wrought for mans saluation perteineth not onely to others but to me also and is furely mine as it is written For I am perswaded that neither death for life Rom. 8.38 nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in
shall so escape two daungerous extremities about this Sacrament so are we well warned by a sorowfull experience of Adam as may appeare Gen. 2.17 Gen. 3.3 4 5. Qu. Whiche are the two extremities that may by this herdefull auoyding of false and wrong meaning of the worde be escaped An. Transubstantiation of the Papists and suche like and the vile contempt that Epicures Atheistes carnall Gospellers and many ignoraunt do to it Qu. In many places to this day for want of the Lords good meanes to make the worde familiar to them and to bring the people in obedience to be instructed in the wayes of the Lorde you shall heare many say Those that feare the Lord see the trueth of this to their greefe that they looke to receiue Christ by the act of receiuing the outward signes and some be yet so ignoraunt that if you aske them what they thinke so to receiue they will answere Their maker I praye you what thinke you of it An. Rom. 8.9 First you know it is written that who so hath not the spirite of Christ is none of his So that he that bringeth not Christ or rather is not brought of Christ to the Sacrament may rather assure him selfe of the diuell and damnation then to apply Christ and his merites to him by the acte without faith Mat. 26.47 48. as maye well be seene in Iudas c. Qu. What say you to the state of suche poore soules as first be ignoraunt of all these secondly haue no ordinatie meane of further knowledge and thirdly be straightly tyed vpon much bodily perill to receiue it by a day And what holde you best for them to do An. First if the Lorde haue set their aboade where his countenaunce which is comfortably shewed by the Gospell preached and Sacramentes rightly miuistred is not to be leene wherein alone standeth their knowledge and fayth they are to secke to the Arke where it is 2. Sam. 6.11 euen to Obed Edoms house and to heare what the Lorde sayth to them all excuses set apart Psal 27.8 Seeke ye my face And cōcerning the rest it is good not to runne into the daunger threatned of the Lord nor to touch the way that leadeth to so great perill before they shall haue learned the Lords trueth Qu. Whereas you sayde that this Sacrament must be ministred where the word is preached and shewed cause why I pray you what if some one that lyeth at the poynt of death should desire that the minister should come to deliuer him this Sacrament and hath there one or two of his neighbours or others that will receyue it with him for companie because there must be moe then one yet that the Papistes thinke will serue do you not thinke it good that he haue it An. What I thinke it matereth not much except my thoughtes be stayed vppon the worde of God rightly vnderstood The beste thoughts of the heart of man are vaine if they vvant the vvarrant of Gods vvorde Prou. 2.1 For all the thoughtes of the heart of man are vayne and will casily vanishe as the winde except they be strengthned by the Lords truth which sithe it alone must direct vs in all our actions muche more in these of so great importance For it is written My sonne if thou wilt receiue my wordes and hide my commaundementes within thee c. Then shalt thou vnderstande righteousnes Pro. 2.9 iudgement equitie and euerie good path 1. Cor. 11.31 Rom. 14.23 but as for the matter of your demande it shoulde seeme that whosoeuer in such sorte desireth the Sacrament dothe neither rightly consider him selfe the thing he desireth nor the ende why it was ordeined and therefore needeth more instruction and information of the Lorde then the thing it selfe And thus to minister the Sacrament causeth many times the poore sicke partie to put his hope and confidence in the externall fact and receyuing of the Sacrament and neuer to thinke him selfe sufficiently prepared to death but when he hath receiued the externall signe Also no parte of the Pascall Lambe was brought to the sicke in the eating whereof and celebrating of the Passecuer was onely regarded the Lordes ordinance wherevnto was nothing added or lefte out and it was not done of any in prinate but when the people did it together As it is written Exod. 2.6 All the multitude of the congregation shall keepe it at euen c. Num. 9.4.5 Qu. I pray you what is the cause why you woulde the sacraments not onely to be ministred where the word is preached but when the word is preached An. First that we may holde proportiō with the Lordes people in celebrating the the Passeouer Exod. 12.6 Num. 9.5 4. who held them selues strait ly to al that which they had receiued of the Lorde Also to glorifie the Lorde in yeelding obedience to his worde Who said go preach and baptise Mat. 28.19 Mat. 26.20 and in the institution of this sacrament he him selfe did the like Mark. 14.18 Luke 22.14 Iohn 13.21 Also the sacramentes are to the church of Christe as seales of his promise and what profiteth a seale without it be annexed to a grant Qu. Doe you not thinke it suffiseth in this behalfe if the worde be preached halfe a yeare or more or lesse before and not at the same time for whereas you spake of the seale to be onely in his vse when it is ioyned to the promise you know that men make grantes and seale them afterwards An. Your reason of the vsages of men which make graunts and seale them afterward if it proue any thing it should seeme to proue this that the promise may better be for a time without the seal then the seal without the promise yet you knowe that no man will seale a grant but at the time of sealing he will heare the grant and the meaning of euerie particular made plaine to all that haue interest or right in that action Also the Apostles who shoulde be our best president in this case next to the Lord himselfe helde them selues straightlie to that which they had receiued of the Lord and haue not sundred those thinges which the Lord hath ioined together as it is written Act. 20.7 The disciples being gathered together to breake bread Paul preached vnto them c. Acts. 2.41 Acts. 8.12 Acts. 9.17.18 Act. 10.34 Act. 16.15.32.33 Qu. What inconuenience suppose you may follow of the Sacramentes ministred without the worde preached An. Contempt of the Lorde and an opipion of iustifying in the act which is common with papists and vnbeleeuers and for the moste parte those that be ignorant Qu. The papists say that in the Sacrament of the Lords supper after the words of confirmation as they call them be spoken there remaineth no more bread but the verie bodie of Christ A perillous proofe of wrong meaning to the vvorde reallie and naturallie and they say they haue the worde to proue it namelie
An. The Apostle calleth it breade both before and after 1. Cor. 11.27 and therefore not the naturall bodie of Christ Qu. They will say he calleth it breade after because it was before as Symon the leaper and Naaman were called leapers when they were clensed because they had bene leprouse Exod. 7.12 And Moses his rodde being turned into a serpent was called stil a rod. An. In these was a plaine shewe to the senses that they were changed but in this it is not so but especiallie the Apostle puttes it oute of doubt adding breaking to it whiche can not agree with the bodie of Christe Also if the breade and wine be transubstantiate and tourned into the body and blood of Christe then was it transubstantiate at his last supper but it was not transubstantiation at his last supper therefore there is no such change of the breade and wine as they immagine Qu. Why was it not transubstantiate at his last supper An. No for then shoulde Christes naturall body which sate at the table haue bene also at one instant in their mouthes so that it must needes haue followed that he either had two bodies or else that his bodie was phantasticall and not a true bodie whiche can be but in one place at ouce Qu. But they will say that a glorified bodie may be euerie where and therefore both at the table and in their mouthes at one instant An. Besides that to say that Christ glorified bodye may bee euery where is to speake an intollerable vntrueth for the holie Ghost saith concerning his body which he tooke of the virgin he assended into heauen sitteth on the right hand of God and from thence shall he come c. so if his bodie was not glorified till he rose againe which I trust they will grant then was it not glorified at his last supper and consequently not at the table in their mouths by their owne reason Also Christ is testified to be like his brethren in all thinges Heb. 2.17 whereby we are put in some experience in that his body was like ours in all thinges except sinne and our bodies will not bee forced into suche a straight withall their coniuringes as to be closed in a peece of bread that Christs body is not changed in such sorte as they imagine Qu. What say you to the ministring of the Lords Supper vnder one kind and of keping the Lords cuppe from the people An. Christ did minister it in both Once decline from the worde and ther is no stay in falling whose institution it is not lawfull for any man to alter Qu. Some say that the Churche vpon good consideration may alter what they will and as they see cause in Rites Ceremontes and Sacramentes Christes Church is his spouse and is obedient to the vvorde but the church of Rome is a strumpet and will rule the vvorde An. The Institution of this Sacramēt standeth vpon the order example and commaundement of Christ for first be deuided the bread seuerally from the cup and the cup seuerally from the bread Secondly in this he gaue vs example to doe the same vnto the ende of the worlde Thirdly besides this order taken and example left he added also an expresse commaundement saying Do this drinke ye all of this Agaynst this order example and commaundement of the Gospell no Churche nor counsell of man or Angell hath any power or authoritie to chaunge or alter for it is written Gal. 1.8 9. If any bring vnto you any other doctrine besides that which you haue receiued holde him accursed Qu. They say further why may not the Church as well alter the forme of this Sacrament as the Apostles did the forme of Baptisme where S. Peter sayth Let euery one be baptized in the name of Iesus Christe Acts. 2.38 c. An. That Scripture nor any other proueth that the Apostles vsed this forme of baptising I baptise thee in the name of Christ but they vsed many times this maner of speache to be baptised in the name of Christ not as expressing thereby the formable words of baptising but as meaning that they would haue them to become members of Christ and to be baptised as Christians entring into his baptisme and not onely into the baptisme of Iohn and therfore although the Apostles thus spake yet notwithstanding when they baptised any them selues they vsed doubtlesse the forme prescribed of Christ and none other Qu. What doe the faythfull receiue in the Lordes Supper then more then onely bread and wine An. For our resolution in this Contemners of the Lordes misteries prophane his trueth we must haue respect vnto the minde of Christe which is best knowen by his words who sayth This is my body Which words of Christ be most true and least we should be like vnto strumpets which onely looke to the gystes and neuer regarde the minde of the giuer in a certayne assuraunce of the vndoubted truth of the words of the Lord I couclude that as to the outwarde senses it is bread and wine so to the soule beeing receiued in fayth it is the body and bloud of Christ Baptisme is not onely a signe of washing away of our sinnes but is in a spirituall maner a very washing and cleasing from sinne Ananias sayde to Paule Arise and washe away thy sinnes Acts. 22.16 So the supper is called a pertaking of the Lords body and not a signe of the pertaking of the Lords body Qu. Sithe the body of Christ is in heauen as the worde doth witnesse and we in the earth as experience doth proue howe can we communicate with his body and bloud An. Reason is a beast in Gods causes In deede to our carnall reason it is an absurde thing and therefore the Papistes vnbeleeuers measuring the Lords wayes by their corruption on the one side haue blindly imagined their transubstantiation and the Epicures and such like in the like measure thinke of the Lordes mysteries prophanely as namely in this that in the Lords Supper is onely bare bread and wine Contrary to both which I conclude that supernaturally and spiritually by faith holding fast the truth of the Lords promise we communicate with and are made pertakers of the body and bloud of Christ And albeit in deede the body of Christ is so farre from our eies and senses and therefore from the place where we celebrate the Supper concerning his bodily presence as heauen is from the earth in so muche as this action is heauenly and our fayth ascendeth thither that it maye most effectuall apprehende Christ in this respect whosoeuer doth not graunt that the fleshe of Christ is most effectually present in the Supper maketh boyde the Supper of the Lorde for Christ sayth This is my body which is giuen for you Mat. 26.26 This is my bloud which is shed for you Mar. 14.22 Luc. 22. 1. Cor. 10. which words can not be restrayned to the effects Qu. There
Christes righteousnes holynes innocencie and immortalitie and of all the merites of Christ and his whole glory For it is written The glory which thou gauest me I haue giuen them He also is made partaker with the Church and all the good that euer it or any member of it had hath or shall haue for there is in it a communion and fellowshippe of Saintes which we beleue and which hath wayting on it alwayes the forgiuenes of sinnes the rising agayne and eternall lyfe with God Qu. In examining our selues The third matter in examination what els must we looke for An. Our estate before the Churche The state of the faythfull before the Church wherein is required not onely that we forgiue from our hearts those that haue offended vs that we may haue an experience within our selues of Christes spirit and so glorifie God in our heartes by assurance of his mercy in forgiuing vs and accepting of vs in Christ As it is written Forgeue and you shall be forgiuen Math. 6. But also we muste seeke to be reconciled to them whom we haue offended As it is written Mat. 5.23 If thou offrest thy gyft vpon the alter and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought agaynst thee leaue there thy gifte and go and be reconciled first to thy brother and then come and offer thy gifte and this must not only be done of vs before we come to the Sacrament but also concerning prayer to the Lorde For it is written When you pray say thus Our father c Forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse agaynst vs. Qu. But were it not better firste to doe these thinges that concerne Gods glory then to seeke reconcilement afterwardes for is not this to prefer to offices of charity before the worship of God and to set the the second table which cencerneth our brethren before the first which concerneth the Lorde him selfe An. As the heart of man is prone into the way of offence euen from the wombe and hath not any inclination of it selfe into the way of the Lord The naturall man hath an cuill heart so they in vain pretend to haue receiued eternall blessings from him by his spirite where there is not in some measure these the like fruites of the same spirite And the Lorde taxeth them as false pretenders to worship God which proudly coÌ„temn their brethren whoÌ„ they haue offeÌ„ded And vnder one kinde he setteth downe the outward exercises of the diuine worship wherby men ofteÌ„ times do more couÌ„terfet lines theÌ„ truly testify it which is the property of al hipocrits as it is seen in the pharasie Qu. The papistes in steede of all this say goe to the prieste and tell him all thy sinnes then come at Easter and receiue c. do you thinke it well An. No nothing of vs ought to bee accounted well done that is not done to the gloric of God Qu. Why they will say they doe it to the glorie of God and how can you prooue the contrarie An. There is no good thing vvithout the light of the vvorde Nothing can be done to the gloric of God without obedience There is no obedience without the worde so that I conclude nothing can bee done to the glory of God without the testemony of the worde But these vile immaginations be not only without the worde which were enough to throw them withall their good put poses intents down to the diuel in iudgment but that they may holde their interest in a deeper and more horrible vengeance they are directly agaynst the manifect testimonies of the worde of the Lorde First they will haue the people to confesse their sinnes to them The Scripture willeth vs to confesse our sinnes to the Lorde onely Dauid sayth Remember not Lorde the sinnes of my youth Psal 25.7 Psa 51.3 4. c. And agayne Agaynst thee O Lorde haue I sinned Also Luke teacheth vs by the example of the lost sonne to confesle our sinnes to the Lorde The Publicane sayde Luc. 15.1 Luc. 18.18 Lorde be mercifull to me a sinner And where the Priestes say they must confesse all the Prophet Dauid sayth Who can tell howe ofte hee offendeth Psal 19.12 Also where as they say they can forgiue sinnes Sooner sayde then proued they shew their fust condemnation namely that the diuell and sinne reigneth in them For if they can forgiue sinnes then Christ dyed in vayne But let God be euerlastingly true and the diuell and all Papistes lyers I euen I am he sayth the Lord that put away thine iniquities for mine owne sake Esa 43.23 and will no more remember thy sinnes Psal 3.8 Also whereas they alow the Sacrament to the people onely at Easter they do in that as in the rest for as they robbe the Lorde of his honour and put an holines in the time so all the other times of the yere wherein the Lorde sayth to the whole Church in respect of the Supper beeing a publike action Take ye eaâ—e ye the Papists say let the Priest eate it alone and let all the people gase looke on But be the Lords trueth neuer so playne ageynst this kind of superstitious receyuing the Lords Sacraments yet such force hath these deuises of the diuell to holde the vngodly in condemnation that you shall see many in many places and they not the least euen at this day The Popes friends which professe to ferue the Lord by seasons come once a yere to the Sacrament more for feare of the lawe then for loue to the Lord. who at Easter will come very deuoutly and all the yere after neuer a whit in whom the foule stenche of the diuels excrementes in these and the like practises of popery hath so forestalled their senses that there is no place in them for the sweete fauour of the worde of lyfe whose condemnation sleepeth not And for so muche as these and their Popish teachers hold vp an other doctrine then Christ hath taught vs we are warranted by the Apostle to holde them accursed Qu. What say you to the place of Saint Iames which thy alleage for eare confesseon Iames. 5.16 where he saith confesse your sinnes one to another An. Saint Iames in the wisedome of the holie Ghoste prouideth for the comfort of Gods chosen in the distresse of spirite thorough the conscience of sinne in which case he adutseth the Lords people to imparte them such greefe with some such of their brethren as in the wisedome of Gods spirite according to the folowwip of his hee may iustly hope both for such counsell in the warrantise of the word as his soul needeth and also may be strengthened by his feruent prayers to the Lord and so the words following proue for he saith Confesse your sinnes one to another and pray one for another that ye may be healed c. Also if this gaue any strength to eare confession then must the prieste