The Sacraments Generally and of Baptism and the Supper, Part 3 – Part 4

The Sacraments Generally and of Baptism and the Supper · Part 3 – Part 4

Of the Supper.

THe Leuits dutie was to prepare the people to the worthy receiuing of the Paſſeouer.2. Chro. 35.62 Chr 35:6 In place whereof, hath ſucceeded the Sacramēt of the body & blood of our Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt, with ſemblable, neceſſarie, and conuenient preparatiō thereunto.Chriſoſt. in 1. Cor. hom. 24. For if it were a princes ſacred body, or but purple garment onelyonly (the matter whereof is wormes thread, & colour no better then the dead fiſhe blood) yet were it not raſhly to be abuſed w^t vnwaſhed or vncleane handes. How much the more reuerent then ought y^e receiuing of theſe holy myſteries of Chriſts body and blood to be of all them that know what it is to ſtand in awe that they offend not? Wherfore let a man examine himſelfe, ſaith y^e Apoſtle,1. Cor. 11.281 Cor 11:28 & ſo let him eat of this bread, & drinke of this cup. Euen ſo, & therfore if not ſo, not at all. Better to abſtaine, then to come together for the worſe.

As the print in waxe is more fitly receiued and fully expreſſed, when the waxe is wrought and warmed firſt: ſo like wiſe the effect of this Sacrament is more liuely felt and ſeene, when wee repayre thereunto with prepared mindes, wel inſtructed, and throughly examined.

In which examination, two poyntes chiefely are obſerued, wherof the one cōcerneth faith, the other louelove. Fayth, to be ſetled in our heartes towardes God: LoueLove, to be ſhe wed to our neighbor. The latter procedeth out of the former, and both from the ſpirit of God. Faith receiueth increaſe by hearing and prayer:Rom. 10.17. Luk. 17.5. Mark. 9.24.Rom 10:17Luke 17:5Mark 9:24 O Lord increaſe our faith. LoueLove and faith iointly are ſtirred vp and ſtrengthened by repentance, in y^e worthy repayring to, & receiuing at the Lordes table. Wherupon ariſeth theſe three, as agents in this examination, aſſured faith, brotherly louelove, earneſt repentance.

Faith directeth in knowledge. LoueLove is occupied in thākfulnes to God, and good doing toward men. Repentance euer in eyther amendeth what is omitted or done amiſſe, and craueth pardon with humble minde and ful purpoſe, not to offend in the like againe. All which dueties (as I take) may be rightly conſidered according to the times, wherin eyther we are to receiue, or preſently receiue, or hauehave receiued the Sacrament. The firſt is called a Preparation vntounto the Supper, y^e ſecond, a meditation therein, the third, a chriſtian conuerſation that muſt enſue thereupon.

In preparing our ſelues is required,Preparatiō. y^t we knowe of whom, what, and in what order wee muſt receiue.

It ſeemeth to be recorded as a commēdation,Of whom we receiue 1. Sam. 1.23.1 Sam 1:23 that Anna nurſed her owne ſonne: in which reſpect among infinite others, the louelove of God exceedeth all louelove. Wherein as he ſpareth no coſt, ſo hee vndertaketh any care,Plutar de inſtitu. lib. which nice and vnnatural mothers refuſe to do, putting forth their infantes to bee nurſed abroade, without neede or cauſe. Our God doeth not ſo, neyther needeth he ſo to doe,Iſai. 49.15.Isa 49:15 his breaſts are neither ſore, nor drye at any time. Of his owne good will he begat vsus againe in baptiſme, & ſo will he ſtil feede and bring vsus vp to a full age, & perfect grouth in Chriſt. Sufficient or abundant prouiſion for y^e houſe, himſelfe in his wiſedome hath prouided, y^e holy ſpirite being ſteward of all, and as it were diſtributer and caruer at the board.

What we receiue.And to come to the ſeconde poynt, what we receiue. The meate of this table, is the very death of Chriſt, the Lambe of God, that taketh away y^e ſinnes of the world. The ſtory and inſtitution whereof, is recorded by three Euangeliſtes,Matt. 26.26. Mark. 14.22 Luk. 22.19.Matt 26:26Mark 14:22Luke 22:19 and againe commented vponupon by the holy ghoſt at large in the former Epiſtle of S. Paul to the Corinthians: where the Apoſtle beginneth the matter with a faithful ſaying,1. Cor. 11.231 Cor 11:23 That which I hauehave receiued of the Lorde, I hauehave deliuered you. For otherwiſe, if he came with offers of his own deuiſing, himſelfe raught the Galathians what his entertainement ought to be:Gal. 1.8.Gal 1:8 Let him be accuſed, though he were an Angell of God from heauen.

The Lord Ieſus, that night y^t he was betrayed, tooke bread: and when he had giuen thanks, he brake, and ſayde, Take, eate, this is my bodie which is broken for you: this doe in remembrance of me, In like maner the cup, &c. For as often as ye ſhall eate this bread and drinke this cup, ye ſhewe the Lordes death till he come againe. Wherein wee ſee euidently what Chriſt did, & alſo in duetie what we muſt do. In the viſible ſignes which he tooke, of bread that he brake, wine that he powred foorth, and in deliuering thē both to be taken, eaten and drunke, he manifeſtly declared two things: the one, that he woulde immediately make an oblation for the redemption of mankinde vponupon the altar of y^e croſſe: the other that for euer he woulde be the euerlaſting foode of their ſoules, his body to be the bread of life, his precious blood to be their comfortable drinke, y^e Phyſicke of immortalitie, Ignat. epiſt. ad Eph.and preſeruatiue againſt all euill. The ſacrifice & oblation he intēded, is plaine by theſe words, Which is broken, Mat. 26.28.Matt 26:28which is ſhed for many for remiſſion of ſinnes. Euen is brokē and ſhed, becauſe y^e houre wherin he ſhould be betrayed and ſuffer, drewe nigh and was at hande, That he would be their foode, is proued cleerely, in that hee commaūded to take, & eate, this is my body. Nowe by the way, out of theſe two notes, may be noted two forcible reaſons, againſt the ſacrifice pretended in the maſſe.

They are lately delighted w^t motiues and demandes, may I aſke them this queſtion? Doe they thinke a ſinfull prieſt can do more at his maſſe, then the ſōne of God did at his ſupper? I hope they will not prefer a meere man before Chriſt God and man, the Sauiour of the worlde. And if ſo, then may they ſee their prieſt can make no ſacrifice: for Chriſt himſelfe when he ſate at boorde with his diſciples, made none, but declared what he meante to make. For and if he had ſo done y^e Thurſday at night, what needed he thē to hauehave ſuffered y^e Fryday at noone? againe, he willeth vsus to take and eate, and feede on him. He offreth himſelfe to be receiued of vsus, not to be offered by vsus to his Father. That was his owne proper and perſonall duety. But to leaue to ſpeake hereof, our dewtie is with thankfulnes to feede on the food he offreth vsus, euen to eate and drinke him, to partake his bleſſed body and precious blood. Wherein, notwithſtanding to miſtake and mingle the ſignes, and the things ſignified cōfuſedly without differēce, were as Aug. ſayth,De doct. Chr. a miſerable thraldome to the very ſoule of a Chriſtian man. Chriſtes wordes be plaine. He tooke bread, after thankes giuen he breake & gaue bread: for what he toke, he brake, and what he brake, he gaue, and therefore he gaue bread. For the Apoſtle ſaith he brake bread, and that he calleth his body, and ſo concerning the cuppe: for after a ſort, to ſpeake of one, is to ſpeake of both. Marie tooke Chriſt to hauehave bene a Gardiner,Iohn 20.15.John 20:15 but y^e aduerſaries take a portion of bread to be Chriſt. The true profeſſors ſay and beleeue, that this ſaying of the Lorde, This bread is my body, hath a ſpirituall and Sacramental meaning, & otherwiſe to auouch, y^t a piece of bread (for y^t it is bread, is proued) or els which is all one, y^e the ſhewe of bread is literally very Chriſt, is a mōſtruous kinde of ſpeaking, vtterly impoſſible, & altogether blaſphemous. For if bread, or the ſhew of bread, or that which was bread, be called Chriſt properly, and w^t out figure of ſpeache: without all controuerſie, as properly and as truely (but there is no ſhewe of trueth in ſo groſſe errors) bread was borne of the virgin Marie, bread was crucified on the croſſe, bread ſhal iudge the quicke and y^e dead, and a piece or a fancye of bread is the Sauiour of the worlde, the ſonne of God, the ſeconde perſon in Trinitie, God himſelfe, & the Lord of life. In effect ſo ſtrangely, hauehave our vnnatural countrey men writtē and one more fondly then the reſt,Sand. in his Manhu. directing an Epiſtle dedicatorie to his Lorde and God, vnderunder the formes of bread and wine in the Sacrament. Thus it fareth w^t theſe men by the iuſt iudgement of the Almighty God, who hauehave giuen him ouer, & he them, that becauſe they woulde not beleeue the trueth, they ſhoulde ſtill beleeue lyes without ende, chaunging the glorie of the immortall God, into the ſimilitude of corrupt creatures, beſides all ſenſe, reaſon, and congruence of fayth. Chryſoſtome, writing vponupon Labans complaint, where he ſaith to Iacob,Gene. 31.30.Gen 31:30 Why haſt thou ſtolen my gods? what, ſaith that father, what perfect folly is this? Are thy gods ſuch, as they may be ſtolen? or art thou not aſhamed in ſo ſaying? Semblably, what a Chriſt hauehave y^e aduerſaries made and imagined? is Chriſt made of bread? ground with teeth, conſumed w^t the bitte of mouth, and ſtolen away ſometime of the ſely mouſe? or are they not aſhamed of theſe carnal & fleſhly more the Capernaitical groſſe dreames, y^e profite nothing? nay rather dread they not in hearte & ſoule, to ſay as they hauehave ſayde to the cake in the Prieſts hands,D. Har. confuta. of the Ap. pag. 94. Pointz in his Teſti. cap. 3. Briſt. Mot. 26. Thou art my maker, and to the wine in the chalice, Thou art my Lord and my God, by thee alone and nothing elſe, I hope to be ſaued

Biſh. Cran. to Winch. and Biſh. Iewel to Hard. &c.The iuſt confutatiō of which ſtrāge ſpeaches, hath bin vnderunder taken & diſcharged of moſt excellent learned mē, in our Engliſh tongue. My purpoſe is onelyonly in a worde, to giuegive warning to y^e ſimple of this myre, wherin they ſee thoſe drūken men, ſeruants to their owne deuiſes, thus to wallowe, plunge, and tumble themſelues vp and downe.

There are others, who albeit they are not ſo farre gone out of the way, yet they treade not the true hie way, in eueryevery reſpecte. As they confeſſe Chriſt to be in heauen, and yet they worſhippe no heauen, but Chriſt, ſitting there at the right hand of his father: ſo ouer much reſting vponupon the bare letter of the words, they ſuppoſe onelyonly a conioyned preſence in the bread, and no more. They go no further, neither doe they adore the bread, thogh they thinke Chriſt conſubſtantially to be therein. When they are vrged with the vndouted article of the Creed, wherby we beleeue y^e aſcenſion of our Sauiour, ſome of thē replie, y^t Chriſt being God, may be eueryevery where. Others altogether abſurdly ſay, he auen it ſelfe is eueryevery where. Were it not but that ſomewhat might bee learned, belōging neceſſarily to this treatiſe by y^e way, it were a folly to refute follies. Verely as Chriſt is perfect God, ſo is hee perfect man, & the properties of both natures entire in one perſon. We may not build his deity, & deſtroy his humanity. Who according to his manhood, is gone from y^e earth, taken vp to his father, aſcended on hie, ſitteth and maketh interceſſion there: the heauens muſt conteine him, till the laſt tymes, and then & thence we look for his comming again. Neither can all this be a meere ſuppoſed vaniſhing out of ſight, but a locall departure: becauſe the place is ſet downe whence he went, and whither he aſcended, and that he ſhall come againe. I leaue the worlde and goe to the father. Ioh. 16.28.John 16:28and he ſhall ſo come againe from heauen. Act. 1.11.Acts 1:11And here to dreame y^t heauen is eueryevery where, were a madneſſe. For then Chriſt had bene in heauen before already, & ſo what needed he to departe and aſcende and goe hence? and if earth were heauen, the wicked and earthely minded men were moſt in heauen. And not onelyonly they but y^e very damned ſpriits in hell were in heauen alſo: for hell is ſome where, and they ſay heauen is eueryevery where. And thē where were that great Chaos, that is ſpoken of in the Goſpel,Luk. 16.23.26.Luke 16:23Luke 16:26 betwixt Abrahams ioyes in heauen aboue, and the riche mans torments in hel beneath? There is a kinde of ſpirite which is not driuen away but with prayer & faſting, to the end to praye more earneſtly, the Lorde if it be his will, ende all quarels, eſpecially about this ſacrament of vnitie, open the eyes of all thoſe who euer they be, y^t ſeeke vaine ſhiftes and fond detriſes, to the end onelyonly to exclude one conuenient & vſual figure, which neceſſarily goeth w^t the nature of a ſacramēt, & agreeth w^t the canons of chriſtian beleefe, & w^tout the which our beleefe concerning the perſon of Chriſt, can neuer ſtande. For if hee be perfect man (as we beleeue) like to his brethren in al thinges,Heb. 1.17.Heb 1:17 ſinne excepted, being but one man, hee can bee but in one place at one tyme. The want of ſinne both not extende a bodye to pluralities of places: for then eueryevery man, as hee hath leſſe or more ſinne, ſhoulde bee ſtraightwaye in fewer & moe places accordingly. But theſe thinges in ſight are but vanities. Wherfore Chriſt according to his humanitie, is and muſt bee in one place at once, and no moe, and that is in heauen.

Nowe then in earth, what do wee receiue, while wee receiue y^e Sacrament? certainely Chriſt Ieſus, the land and the fruite, Chriſt and the vertues of his life and death, and of what euer hee did. But he is in heauen, and we in earth, and y^e diſtance is great. Faith hath an eye, an hande & a wing, wherby it pearceth, reacheth and flyeth vp to heauen it ſelfe. To fayth, thinges abſent are preſent, thinges diſtant are conioyned, thinges ſecret are open, vnſeene are viſible, impoſſible are eaſy. As verely as bread both ſerue for the ſtrength of the body, and wine for the comforte thereof: ſo and as certainly to y^e in warde man in fayth, Chriſt is bread to the ſoule, and wine to y^e minde, and we miſtically made one in him, and hee with vsus, dwell in him, and hee in vsus, feede on him, and he our ſpirituall foode. And this is that which we receiue at his boarde. I confeſſe, our knowledge is in parte, and therefore our ſpeach is vnperfect. Thoſe harder partes of the Lambe that could not be eaten, were conſumed with fire: euen ſo, if there be any thing (as I graunt to me there is) which wordes cannot expreſſe, a godly mans faith may better comprehend, and in heart conceiue, thē I vtter. It is not bare bread & a ſip of wine (as ſcorners ſpeake) that we receiue, but truely, & in deed very Chriſt. And wheras it is ſo, let vsus go on & ſee how ſuch a gheſt ought to be entertained.

…we …riſt …ght to recei…Prepare the chamber of thy ſoule, ſweepe the houſe of thy cō ſcience, yeeld vp the keyes of thy heart, proſtrate thy ſelfe in humilitie, open wide the gates of faith, that the king of glory may enter therein.

Berengaria… his recantation.The aduerſary whetteth his teeth, openeth his mouth, maketh ready his belly y^e he might chewe and ſwallow vp his maker. Meate for the belly, & the belly for meate, and the Lord ſhall deſtroy them both. O my brethren, who euer you are, this heauenly foode is not Let vsus eate and drinke, 1. Cor. 6.1….1 Cor 6:1and to morrowe we ſhall dye. Here is neither veniſon for Iſahac, nor a Kid for Tobi, nor Quailes in the deſert, nor wine in boules, nor wine in flagons. Who euer eateth of this celeſtial Manna, & drinketh of this ſpiritual rocke which is Chriſt, ſhal not only walke in y^e ſtrength of it fourty dayes and fourty nights as the Prophet did, but ſhal liue for euer with God.

Wherfore the wicked and vngodly,Faith. hauehave no part nor portion therein. They eate the bread of y^e Lorde, but not the Lorde the bread of life, becauſe they want the hand of fayth to receiue him. He that eateth Chriſt, ſhall liue by the meanes of Chriſt: but the life of the wicked is no life, & in their death is eternal dānation.

The aduerſaries care litle what Iewels they caſt to ſwine, what vncleane beaſtes they driue into the Lordes paſtures, howe fine manchet they throwe to very dogges. There is no communicating of Chriſt, but in the true communion of Chriſt. One head is head but of one body: and though it giueth ſome heate by meanes of y^e heart to a rotten member that is not yet cut off, yet it giueth life only to the ſound partes. The chaffe and huſke of corne receiueth a kind of humour, but the fat and heart of the ſeede onelyonly nouriſheth the wheate, and not the chaffe. The bare name of Chriſtianitie, the barke and letter of the word, the outward elemēts of the Sacrament, are after a ſort in common to all: but true Chriſtianitie, a good vnderſtanding, and the inward grace of theſe thinges, are proper to the godly, and to none other. The humor y^t the wicked receiue frō the roote, ſerueth to encreaſe a great deale more chaffe, and the chaffe to nouriſh a bigger fire, y^e is due for a greater quantitie thereof. If it were otherwiſe, howe eaſely might the Apoſtle be anſwered, and howe ſoone put to ſilence, when he aſketh what part & communion,2. Cor▪ 6.19.2 Cor 6:19 meaning a good ſocietie, is there betweene the faithfull and the infidels? Forſooth they hauehave a fellowſhip in the participation of Chriſt in the Sacrament. No, the ſpirit of God ſuffreth no replye.

The Communion in this ſupper is two folde. In reſpect of the giuer, and the duetie of the receiuers, toward him alone and amongſt themſelues onelyonly. The gift of communicating him, is offered by grace: for who euer gaue him firſt, that it may be giuen him againe?Cyril. lib. 4. cap. 17. in Iohn. And he is receiued by faith: ſend forth thy faith, & thou haſt taken holde on him. The communitie which is betwixt y^e receiuers themſelues, is by charitie & louelove. LoueLove ſeeketh not his owne,LoueLove. and that is louelove in deede, which is betwixt brethren then when a man loueth another,Auguſt. de temp. ſer. 256. either becauſe Chriſt is in him, or to the ende Chriſt may be in him. And this is a neceſſary poynt, which muſt alſo be brought to the worthy receiuing of Chriſt. Some are pale with faſting, and blewe with enuie, tame their body as it were a wilde horſe, and ride out of the way whē they hauehave done. When you come together, there are diſſentions among you, ſayth S. Paul to the Corinthians, eueryevery man maketh his ſupper, before he come to the Lords Supper, no man tarieth one for another. Ye hauehave made a priuate matter of the publike liturgie & church duetie. What ſhall I ſay? ſhall I praiſe you? in this I praiſe you not. And his not prayſing thē, was a marueilous diſprayſe. The rich diſdained the poore, the poore enuied the rich, the head would not direct the foote, one member was at variance with an other, and yet eueryevery member hath an intereſt in the next, & ſo the laſt and eueryevery one eche in another, and altogether among them ſelues. The candle muſt not hide it ſelfe vnderunder a buſhel, nor flaſh in another mans eies, being proud that one hath lighted it, and litle conſidering that it ſelf might be burnt or put out, and another lighted in his roome. Veſſels conteine water not for them ſelues, but for others, & if they refuſe their duetie, though they are ful, they may be emptied. There is a more excellent way, if men did walke therein, and if eueryevery mā woulde cary his brothers burden. The elme vnderproppeth the vine, & the vine is without prickes, and hurteth not, but is an ornament to the elme. The foot beareth the head and body, & the head guideth them both. Shall an Hebrewe wound an Hebrewe,Exod. 1.13.Exod 1:13 the fathers ſonne his brother and the ſonne of his mother, the ſeruant his fellowe? The worlde that is w^tout, hateth vsus ynough, though we y^t are within, hate not our ſelues. The God of louelove enflame our coldeneſſe in charitie, mollifie our hard and cruell hearts, qualifie and ſoften all rough and vneuen wayes and dealing. Why? are we not brethren of the ſame parent, of God in his Church? ſubiectes of one King the Lorde? and vnderunder one Queene a gracious Lady? are we not coūtrymen and fellowes in one familie? hauehave we not the ſame hope and ſpirite? hauehave wee not the ſame enemies, friendes, faith and the foode of faith, the word and Sacraments?Cor. Tacit. in vita Iul. Agric. Cornelius Tacitus reporteth that the olde Britons were eaſely conquered, becauſe they vſed no cō ſultation nor common conſent in matters. The Madianites killeth one an other. Ioſias fought an vnneceſſary battell, & dyed in the field. It is good to be wiſe and patient, wiſe and conſtant, patient & ſilent in trifles, when a man ſhall but digge in the fire, & the ſparkles flie in his face and no good done. Otherwiſe if a venimous ſpider come in the way, who will not ſet foot vponupon it? Yf the cauſe be the Lordes, and the quarell good, & thy calling according, it is good fighting theſe battels. Striue for the trueth for life, defende iuſtice vntounto death. Eccle. 4.2.Eccl 4:2In this caſe the white liuered ſouldier that feareth a froſt ſhall be couered with ſnow. If eueryevery heare were a life, and eueryevery life a thouſand liues, vēter them all for him that gaue them all. But againe in y^e dayes of peace, where peace may be redeemed with leſſe a doe, what wiſe man woulde be hanged in heare of his own fancie, or fal as Saul did vponupon his owne ſword. He that loueth daunger, ſhal periſh in trouble and no man pitie him, and the meeke ſhall poſſeſſe the earth.

A gentlewoman of Lacedemonia,Plutar. contra Colo. and Diotorus his wife did alwayes fall out at the table and varie, becauſe the one loued oyle, and the other butter, and yet the qualities of butter and oyle were not much diuerſe.

Charitie doeth couer malice, enuie and hatred doeth vncouer as the boyſterous Northwinde all imperfections, and naturally men are giuen to prie in at other mens windowes, to beate duſt of their coates, & find motes in their eyes. But Saint Paul ſaith, Let eueryevery man proue him ſelfe and not other men, and ſo let him come to this Sacramēt. When Chriſt foretolde that one of his diſciples ſhoulde betray him, eueryevery one of them began to aſke him,Mar. 14.19.Mark 14:19 Is it I? not is it he or he, but eueryevery one was deſirous to proue him ſelfe and know, whither it were he, Is it I? they were not like him that ſaide,Mat. 7.4.Matt 7:4 Brother ſuffer me to take foorth the mote out of thine eye. And doe we call them brethrē, whoſe good name we ſeeke to take from them in obiecting motes and faultes? A mote is a litle fault, and a beame is a great faulte, and neither great nor litle ſhould be ſuffered, eſpecially in the eye. Yet eueryevery man is not a fit Phyſition, the eye is a tender parte, and maye as ſoone take hurt as good, if there be not great diſcretion taken. Let the publike miniſter proue all, and the priuate man proue him ſelfe, and ſo in fayth and louelove let vsus all in one repair to the Sacrament of vnitie which as goates milke ſhoulde breake and mollifie the ſtonie hearts of men,Plin lib. 20. prooe. & lib. 3.7. cap. 4. as rayne alaieth great windes, & as Dauids muſicke aſſwaged Sauls melācholie and euill ſpirite. And yet when all this is done, the beſt men are men ſtill, and the beſt earth is earth euer, and will beare nettles and brambles and prickes. Fleſh is fraile in faith, blood imperfect in louelove, ſeetheth and boyleth with a litle fire and vponupon a ſmall occaſion,Repētance. & therefore repentance alwayes in eyther is moſt requiſite, which accompanying with faith her mother, and louelove her ſiſter, warmeth and cheriſheth them both, who otherwiſe waxe wanne and colde and looſe their force.

Yf any man deeme Chriſtes death vnſufficiēt, ſuppoſe his ſacrifice needeth renuing, imagineth any other interceſſours requiſite, doubteth of his kingdō, beleueth not his word, theſe are great wants of faith, and he neuer proued himſelfe, that cōmeth with this minde to the Lordes boorde, where theſe thinges are or ſhould be felt & fed vponupon. Here Repentance is requiſite to helpe fayth. Againe, if any man hauehave any thing againſt his brother, or his brother againſt him, let him go firſt and be reconciled before he eate and drincke the Sacramente, which is of vnitie in Chriſt Ieſus. Thus examining his conſcience as before, and acknowledging his ſinnes in his ſight, aſke pardon with ſighes & teares, becauſe he eyther diſtruſted, or diſobeyed, and ſo diſpleaſed ſo gratious a God, ſo mercifull a father, ſo perfecte a Sauiour, that had commanded himſelfe to be beleeued vponupon, & our ſelues of our ſelues to be beloued in him one of another.

There is neuer a threede in Papiſtrie but is ſtayned. They hauehave neither perfect faith which they deuide betwene God & his creatures, nor true louelove (which wanteth the bonde of louelove, true faith) nor due repentance hauehave they. For al their repentāce ſtandeth in whiſpering in a Prieſtes eare, or abſteyning from the moderate vſe of certaine meates, in which they put a ſatiſfaction: as if God were pleaſed & ſinne done away with the eating of fiſh and not of fleſhe, or the not vſage of other his creatures reuerently w^t thankes giuing.1. Tim, 4.3.

But in deed the ſowre herbes wherwith we muſt eate his paſſeouer, are a penitent hearte, a broken and contrite ſpirite, becauſe fooliſh fleſh laboureth and werieth it ſelfe in ſinfull wayes, and doeth eftſoones offende in thought, worde, & deede, againſt his diuine maieſtie. And this if we do, crauing pardon for al our ſinnes and miſdoings, no doubt hee will conſider our ſighes, receiue our prayers, forgiue our ſinnes, accept vsus for iuſt, accoūt vsus for his own, & make vsus meete partakers of his heauenly table.

Being thus prepared, inſtructed in fayth,Meditatiō enflamed in louelove, & after a ſort repaired by repētāce, y^u maiſt preſent thy ſelf before the Lord. Wherin (as y^e wiſemā willeth in an other caſe) meditate againe and againe what is ſet before thee,Pro. 23.1.Prov 23:1 leaſt thy table bee thy ſnare, thy meate thy bane, thine own knife cut thine own throte. Bread which is y^e ſtaffe of ſtrēgth to man, wil choke y^e Hawke. The faithfull, charitable and repentant ſoule partaketh ſaluation, the vnworthie receiuer eateth & drinketh his owne damnation: euen as the Babylonian dragon brake aſūder as ſoone as he receiued y^e balles y^t Daniel put into his mouth, as y^t ſtory reporteth.

Wherfore y^u godly man & child of God, ponder with thy ſelfe, enter into thy conſcience, let cō uenient thoughtes & meditations occupy & poſſeſſe thy inward partes. And that thou mayeſt ſo do, remēber what y^u art a doing, what worke thou haſt in hande. Doe this in remembrance of Chriſt,Plutar. in vlta Numae, Hoe Age. feede on him in thy ſoule with thanks, & ſet forth (liuely) his death w^t praiſe. Pharaohs butler forgate Ioſeph,Gen. 40.23Gen 40:23 y^e vnclean hog neuer loketh vp to him that beateth downe the maſte from y^e tree. Lift vp your heartes, wee lift them vp vntounto the Lord. They are the wordes of the church ſeruice, godly wordes. It is meete & right ſo to doe, and our bounden duetie that we ſhould at al times recorde his goodneſſe, but eſpecially at the time of this action, to ſhewe foorth his death till his comming againe, & agnize our ſinnes, which being the cauſe of his dying plucked y^e ſonne of God out from y^e boſome of the father to be crucified on earth, of, amōg, and for ſinfull men.

The maymes wee receiued in Adam & remaine yet in vsus, are three. Sinne, Ignorance, Weakneſſe. The remedies whereof we finde in Chriſt, the Phyſition of our ſoules. Medicus eſt miniſter naturae: that which is wanting by nature, is ſupplied by grace.

Chriſt is a Prieſt to cleanſe our ſinnes, a Prophet to inſtruct our rudeneſſe, & a Kinge to conquere our enemies. But his Prieſthoode and his ſacrifice we chiefly celebrate in this Sacrament, which alſo may be and is termed therfore a Sacrifice, not of Chriſt, but to Chriſt in remē brance of his, y^e ſacrifice of praiſe, the calues of our lippes, the incenſe of thankes giuing: and this Leuites fire ſhould neuer go out, and in the preſent, flame all abroad. Wherein we beleeue in heart, & confeſſe with mouth, that Ieſus Chriſt came into the world to ſaue ſinners, being perfite God, was made perfite man. Man, y^t he might die: God, y^e in dying, he might ſatiſfie for mankind: for becauſe y^t the fleſh alone profiteth nothing, his manhood was not ſufficient, except alſo he had bene very God. Wherfore God, euen our God ſo exceedingly loued the world, that he gaue his onelyonly begotten ſonne (and therefore he alſo naturaly God, the ſonne like the father) to bee the ranſome for the ſinnes of the world.Iſai. 53.5…Isa 53:5 The chaſtiſement of our peace was vponupon him, the peace ours, the chaſtiſement his, all ſufficient for all the ſinnes both of body and ſoule of all ſinners.

The grieuouſnes and bitternes of which cup may be conſidered, in that our Sauiour after a ſort taſted thereof, and it taſted bitter: put forth his hand to take it, pulled it in againe, & began to tremble: his very ſoule was ſorowful, praied earneſtly, went out and prayed againe, that if it were poſſible, it might paſſe ouer, needed an Angell for comfort, ſwet water & drops of blood.

If there were nothing herein but an vſuall death, woulde Chriſt thus hauehave bene afflicted? The heathē hauehave ſuffred more, & with more pacience apparant: therfore there muſt be, and was more in it, and yet he is not come to the bitternes in the bottom of the cup. Thoſe former agonies were but hony in compariſon of the conflict with Sathan which followed, and the wrath of his father which enſued, when all ſinnes, as heauy as hell, & more then the ſtarres of heauen, or the ſand of the ſea were layed in one vponupon him, and he for them made a curſe and execration,Iſa. 53.8.Isa 53:8 the iuſt executed for the vniuſt, one for all.

A childe is borne to vsus, and giuen vntounto vsus, and liued for vsus. This might comfort Ieruſalem at the heart: but the end & perfection of our ioy, and his ſorowe, was his death on croſſe, wherein conſiſteth the thankfull meditation I ſpeake of, holpen by breaking of the bread, and the powring foorth of the wine before our ſight: wherein the default of our aduerſaries appeareth greatly, that debarreth the people of ſo great an helpe. For be it that perfect Chriſt be communicated in the bread, yet in the wine ſignificātly is reſembled his bloodſheding moſt. And howe dare they alter the Lordes inſtitution? As he tooke bread, euen ſo he tooke the cup:foreign then if bread be requiſite, ſo is y^e cup alſo. For as he tooke the one, ſo he tooke the other.Eckius in ench. Eckius woulde proue his halfe cōmunion out of his Paternoſter: giuegive vsus this day our daily bread. A begger is neuer out of his way. What ſcripture wil not ſerue for any purpoſe, if y^t do for his? Saint Paul teacheth what the Lorde did, and what y^e Corinthians ſhould do till Chriſt his comming in the cloudes, hee meaneth what al poſteritie was to do. For thoſe Corinthians are gone the way of all fleſhe, & their church raſed. He telleth them, & in them vsus: Other thinges at his comming he would diſpoſe of (as of indifferent circūſtances.) But for the lawfull and inuiolable vſage of the Sacrament in both kindes, he deliuered as he had receiued.

Dauid ſlewe the Gyant with one ſtone, but he toke more then one out of the brook. Chriſt is receiued in his word, by his ſpirit, in baptiſme, ſacramentaly in either, or rather in both the ſignes of the Supper ioyntly taken as he ordeyned. So ſufficiently and aboundantly hath y^e Lord prouided for his houſhold, bread made of many graynes, and alſo wine of many grapes, y^e anſwerably we being many, may bee one in him and hee in vsus, expecting the accompliſhment of our ioy to the full, no more in ſignes & figures in earth, but apparantly to eate and drincke at Chriſtes table w^t him in the kingdome of heauen, where we ſhal ſit on ſeates & iudge the twelue tribes of Iſrael. Luke. 22.30Luke 22:30Amen.

There are certaine kindes both of byrdes and beaſtes,Conuerſation. whoſe meate wil not tarie w^t them, but paſſeth quickly away recto inteſtino Such beaſtes neuer chew the cud. And ſome men not vnlike or worſe then beaſtes, meditate litle of whom they were begotten and fed, what they feede on or in what ſorte, much leſſe doth the meat digeſt with them to make thē ſtrōg men in Chriſt, as if Sara were their mother, & Agar their nurſe, or as if they were nurſed with milke & weaned with poyſon, and the meate naught and woulde not proue with them, ſo doe they liue. In comming to the Seruice & Sacramentes, eyther for company or cuſtome ſake, they looke one way with the godly, but in their conuerſation, they row another way, and ſhewe in their deedes, of what felowſhip they are. They paſſe through the redde ſea, but murmure in the wildernes, nay euen at the redde ſea offend they God. In pretence ſomwhat they are, but inwardly nothing, and in fact naught. Their windows be not ſcued as Salomōs were, to giuegive a full light into y^e houſe to their owne heartes, in hypocriſie ſomewhat is ſhewed, the window wide enough outwardly. Fayth, LoueLove, Repentance, to ſight are ſet forth, in performāce eueryevery one is for him ſelfe, neyther thankefull to God, neyther charitable to his neighbor, and both without remorſe. Theſe thinges ought not to be ſo, this Paſſeouer would not be ſo eaten, our loynes ſo ſoone vngirded, & our ſtaues throwen away, the water of Baptiſme trampled on, the bread and wine, or the body and blood of Chriſt thus receiued all in vaine. Were it that the naughtye liuer could bee a good beleeuer for the time, or were it, y^t as water he might be whote immediately before and at y^e action of receiuing, yet if when the fire is remoued, the cold qualities returne againe, what auayleth y^e former heate? A cole is red while it is in the fire: when the fire is out, his blacke and naturall colour returneth by & by againe, and then light it againe, and it ſeemeth red againe, but yet in y^e ende it conſumeth to aſhes. The bone that is often ſet in ioynte,Auguſt de tem. Ser. 58. will hardly be wel ioyned often. Let no man preſume of ſinning, nor yet deſpaire of merciemercy. The Sacraments, as they are ſeales of mercy, ſo are they alſo bondes of obedience: & as God will perfourme on his part al, ſo muſt we endeuour to ſhew our ſelus duetiful in al good works. Wherunto to perſwade, if there were nothing els but this, this may ſuffice: that becauſe Chriſt our Paſſeouer is offered vp,1. Cor. 5.1 Cor 5 we keepe an holy feaſt vntounto the Lorde, not in the leauen of wickednes, but in the ſweete bread of a ſyncere conſcience, and vpright conuerſatiō in Chriſt Ieſu.

A prayer vponupon conſideration generally of the Sacraments.

O Almightie God & moſt merciful Father, who of thy tē der kindneſſe, haſt choſen thine elect to euerlaſting ſaluation before al times, and in due time haſt called them to the knowledge of thy good will, reueiled in thy word, & ſealed with the Sacraments of thine own ordaining, we thy humble ſeruants, and by merciemercy in Chriſt thine adopted ſonnes, pray thy fatherly goodnes to make vsus meete partakers of theſe & al other thy benefits ſo largely euer more beſtowed and powred vponupon vsus.

Let vsus not (O Lorde) neither detaine y^e trueth of thy word in y^e vnrighteouſnes of a ſinfull life: neither ſuffer vsus (deare Father) to receiue y^e pledges of thy endles louelove in vaine, but to the endes that thou haſt appointed them.

Wherefore graunt vsus thy heauenly grace, that we thy choſen people may vſe thy holy ordinā ces to moſt holy purpoſes: namely, to the further increaſe of our weake faith, to the comfort of our wan hope, to the enflaming of our colde and frozen charitie in theſe hard and euill dayes, to the dutifull and thankefull ſetting foorth of the glory of thy holy name, Amen.