Exposition of the Principal Scriptures Used in our English Liturgy, Part 33 – Part 34
The 10. Commandement.
THe former precepts intend thoughts and desires, aswel as act and practise: for the Lawgiuer is a spirit, and therefore must be worshipped in spirit: yet lest wee should pretend ignorance, God in this Commandement giueth especiall order for them. Or askMelancthon, & Caluin. Cat. other: The former precepts did condemne the setled thought to doe mischiefe: but this euen the first inclination and motion to sinne, though a man neuer consent, but snub it in the beginning: Rom. 7. 7. Thou shalt not lust or desire.
Now we sin three waies in this kinde:
1. By coueting ye goods of our neighbour,
Immoueable: as his land and house.
Moueable: as his oxe and asse, &c.
2. By coueting his wife.
3. By plotting treason, and murther.
To couet his goods is against his profit, which is deare to him: to couet his wife is against his honor, which ought to bee more deare: to couet his bloud is against his life, which of all wordly things is most deare.
Whereas it is obiected that desire of murther is not forbidden in particular, as the desire of theft and adulterie: for the Commandement saith, Thou shalt not couet thy neighbours house, thou shalt not couet thy neighbours wife: but it is not said, Thou shalt not couet thy neighbours bloud: Answere is made, that a man doth not desire any thing principallie but that which bringeth him someArist. Ethic. lib. 1. cap. 1. good, at least in appearance. And so he desireth adulterie, because it bringeth delight: hee desireth theft for that it bringeth profit: but murther bringeth no good at all: and therefore it is not desired for it selfe, but only to attaine to theft, or adultery, or some such designement.
So that God hauingē forbidd expresly the disordinate desires of delectation and gaine, comequently forbad desires of murther, which is not coueted b…t for vnlawfull profit or pleasure. Thus perfect righteousnesse is fulfilled when we wrong not our neighbour either in deed, or in word, or desire: but contrariwise, doe good vntounto all, speake well, and thinke charitably of all.
Now the reason why the Church appoints the Decalogue to be read at the Communion, is euident: namely, because the law is amGal. 3. 24. schoolemaster vntounto Christ; teaching vsus tonRom. 3. 20. know sinne, and by knowing of sinne to know our selues, and knowing our selues to renounce our selues, as of our selues vnable to doe anyoIohn 16. 5. thing, and so come to Christ: who doth strengthen vsus to doe allpPhil. 4. 13. things. Almighty God (saithqTom. 1. fol. 1. Luther) hath written his law not so much to forbid offences to come, as to make men acknowledge their sinnes already past, and now present: that behol…ing themselues in the lawes glasse, they may discerne their owne imperfections, and so flie to Christ: who hath fulfilled the law, and taken away the sinnes of the whole world. For (as therCom. Prayer bookes, tit. Lords Supper. reformed Churches of Scotland and Geneua speake) the end of our comming to the Lords table, is not to make protestation that wee are iust, and vpright in our liues: but contrariwise we come to seeke our life and perfection in Iesus Christ: being assuredly perswaded that the Lord requireth on our part no other worthinesse, but vnfainedly to confesse our vnworthinesse. So that (our enemies being Iudges) it is well ordered that the Commandements are rehearsed in the ministration of this holy Sacrament. Let the Nouelists here blush, whosFor it is inserted elsewhere both in the common Catechis. and in the BB. Bible: Exodus 20. 1. Deut. 5. 6. calumniously censure our Church for omitting in thetMinisters of Deuon. and Cornwall reasons, part. 1. cap. 26. proeme of the Decalogue one halfe line: when as themselues in their owne Communion bookes hauehave left out all the whole law. This indeed occasioned me to remember an obseruation ofuLib. 1. cap. 4. Cominaeus vponupon the battell of Montlehery, that some lost their offices for running away, which were bestowed vponupon other that fled ten leagues further. Hypocrite first cast out the beame out of thine owne eye; and then shalt thou see cleerely to cast out the mote out of thy brothers eye.
Matth. 5. 16.
Let your light so shine before men, &c.
THe Lords Supper is called a sacrifice by the learned ancient Doctors in foure respects:
First, because it is a representation & memoriall of Christs sacrifice on the crosse: 1. Cor. 11. 26. As often as yee shall eate this bread, and drinke this cup, ye shew the Lords death vntill he co…e. SoxLib. 2. de Virgin. S. Ambrose: Christ is daily sacrificed in the mindes of beleeuers, as vponupon an altar: Semel in cruce, quotidie in sacramento. saithyLib. 4. sent. dist. 12. Lombard.
Secondly, because in this action we offer praise & thanksgiuing vntounto God, for the redemption of the world: and this is the sacrifice of our lips: Heb. 13. 15.
Thirdly, because eueryevery Communicant doth offer and present himselfe body and soule, a liuing, holy, acceptable sacrifice to the Lord: Rom. 12. 1. The which excels the sacrifices of the Priests in old time: for they did offer dead sacrifices, but we present our selues az1. Collect after the receiuing of the bread and wine. liuely sacrifice to God.
Fourthly, because it was aaIustin Martyr Apolog. 2. custome in the Primitiue Church at the receiuing of this blessed Sacrament to giuegive large contribution vntounto the poore, a sacrifice well accepted of God: Heb. 13. 16. Now the Church allowing and following this good old custome, stirres vp the people to giuegive cheerfully by repeating some one or two choice sentences of scripture best fitting this occasion, as Matth. 6. 19. Matth. 7. 12, &c. 5. 10
These kinds of oblation are our Churches offertorie, and vnbloudy sacrificesbCollect for the whole estate of Christs Church. offred by the whole congregation vntounto the Lord: so farre differing from popish sacrificing, as S. Pauls in London is from S. Peters in Rome.