The Sacraments Generally and of Baptism and the Supper, Dedication – Preface
To the right honourable Sir Francis Walſingham Knight, chiefe Secretarie to her Maieſtie, Chaunceller of the Order, & one of her highnes priuie Counſell, all grace and peace in Chriſt Ieſu.
THe endeleſſe making of bookes was a vanitye in the dayes of Salomon, when Printing was not. The end of all, is the ſeate of God. Certainely men may not make it a light matter in conſcience, to trouble the worlde with vnprofitable writinges. Yet, as in the ſhewebread that was ſhewed to the people as a figure of Chriſt the olde loaues hauing ſerued to their uſe were remoued, and other ſupplied in their roome, yet ſtill breade in nature, & twelue loaues in nomber: ſo thoſe writinges that figure out Chriſt, and ſet foorth Chriſtian duetye, may be oftentimes treated of, and eftſoones repeated and added to other mens doinges, not withſtanding no great variety in the matter or maner of handling. It hath beene thought expedient I write & publiſhe this litle treatiſe. Wherupon (right Honorable) therewithal I hauehave thought it my boundē duetie humbly to preſent it to your honours viewe: the rather, in parte to excuſe mine ouer great boldneſſe elſe when, but principally, to craue ſuch furtheraunce in the ſetting out therof, as your honors piety and place accuſtometh to ſhewe, to ſuch as in their calling with their talentes, eyther fiue, two, or but one, labour to ſet foorth the trueth, to inſtruct the ſimple, & to ſaue ſoules. This hath bene mine endeuor: the ſucceſſe whereof is to be prayed for of the almightie and merciful God, who alwayes preſerue your honour to the glorie of his name, the benefite of his Church and this our countrie, in all faithfull ſeruice to her Maieſtie, and great cō forte of her louing ſubiectes in the Lorde. Februarie. 14. Anno. 1582.
Your Honours moſt humble and bounden Iohn Prime.
The Preface.
AS the vſe of all things is moſt precious, ſo is their abuſe moſt pernicious. Many excellent thinges are ſpoken of the Sacraments of Chriſtian faith: They are the Lordes owne ordinances, memorials of diuine promiſes, monuments of our duety, ſignes to the word which we profeſſe, aſſured ſeales of his good will, ſtrong bandes whereby we ſtande bounde first to God in obedience, and then in mutual louelove amongſt our ſelues. Notwithſtanding, theſe ſacred myſteries, the very inſtrumentes of the holy Ghoſt, hauehave they not bene of olde, or are they not now either vnthankefully refuſed, or vnworthily receiued, or leſſe duetifully regarded, then was, and is behoofeful? Ful hands can not apprehend any other thing, they are full already: fowle handes and ſoyled in the clay and brickeworke of ſinfull thoughtes and deedes, they are profane, and ſhould not preſume to touch his Iewels. Want of true knowledge in the worde of God, hath bred ſundry diſtemperatures and diſeaſes, errors and hereſies in the body of Christes Church in this behalfe. When the writing is not knowen, the ſeales are leſſe or more then duely, and neuer aright eſteemed of the ignorant man. Whē the light of the Scriptures was hidde vnderunder the buſſhel of a ſtrange tōgue, the Sacramēts alſo in the darke were most irreligiouſly contemned, ſuperſtitiouſly abuſed, carnally and groſly miſtaken. As good hauehave a ſeale to a blancke, as to a writing drawen in ſtrange characters and letters that cannot be read, or if read, yet vnderſtoode but of a fewe, and of them no further then it pleaſed the maſters of corrupt time at their leaſure, or begging Fryers for their gaine, to expounde in miſerable maner, to hungry, poore, and sterued ſoules. And then as good no bread at all, as ſo vile a prouender made of mixtures, eyther hard, or dowbaked and clammie: eyther they coulde not chewe it, or it coulde not nouriſhe them.
Thus was the Lordes inheritance abuſed,Iren. lib. 3. cap. 19. famiſhed for want of true foode, or fedde as Irenee ſpeaketh, with lyme & water, in ſtead of milke. The Deuil knewe he could not beguile in the light, and therefore no ſleight of Satan euer like to this to deceiue men,Mar. 12.24. and ſlay ſoules. Whiles that Chriſtians were wiſe, they neuer ſought in pilgrimage from ſhrine to ſhrine,S. P. Q. R. Beda. neyther to Rome, nor to Ieruſalem, nor to any ſingular place vnderunder heaven, with obſeruation of the place,Luke 17.20. as if God were more tyed to this region, then to that, one or other. The true worſhippers worſhipped in ſpirit & trueth. In trueth, without hypocriſie,Ioh. 4.23. and in ſpirite, without externall reſpectes. For as the Conye is acquainted with his owne burrowe & ſafe rocke:Prou. 30.26. ſo Chriſtians then knew where to ſeeke, whither to runne, and howe to finde reſt in heauē for their ſoules. They aſked help alwayes of an able hande, trode the kings high way, knocked at the right gate, builded their houſe on the onelyonly foundation: that is, they beleeued in Christ, called vponupon God, were guyded by his ſpirite, truſted in his promiſes, hoped in his mercies manifeſtly layde abroad, and ſufficiently reuealed in his written worde,Iohn 20.31. and as certainely confirmed by the pledges of his will the holy Sacramentes: whereof this treatiſe is intended for all ſuch as can be content to learne in fewe wordes of a ſimple teacher.