A Preparation to the Receiving of the Lords Supper, Title page 1 – Chapter 1
A Preparation to THE RECEIVING of the Sacrament, of CHRISTS Body and Bloud. Directing weake Chriſtians how they may worthily receiue the ſame. By W. BRADSHAVV. With a profitable Treatiſe of the ſame Argument, written by another. The fift Edition corrected & inlarged.
LONDON Printed by Io: Beale 1617.
To the Vertuous and worthy Lady, GRACE DARCY.
MADAM,
THoſe notes vvhichwhich vvere lately vvritte forth for your priuate vſe, I am now emboldned to make more common; not for any conceited worth in them, but to auoid the trouble, of yeelding ſatisfaction to other good friends, that deſire & expect the like office from me. I am ſure herein I ſhall hurt none, but my ſelfe; nor ſo much as offend any, excepting thoſe for whoſe vſe the publiſhing heereof was neuer intended.
Your Ladiſhips fauourable acceptance of them in priuate, hath made them the bolder to come foorth in publike, and to grace themſelues with the profeſſion of your fauour, which is their greateſt ornament.
I hope that you, who hauehave giuen them ſome intertainment in your cloſet, will not careleſly paſſe by them as vnknowne, now they preſent themſelues vntounto you in the ſtreet: the rather for that they come not alone, but accompanied, aſſiſted and countenanced with a moſt profitable Treatiſe of the ſame Argument, written long ſince by one whom your Ladiſhip reuerenceth, and whoſe perſon and labours in the work of Chriſt Ieſus, are (and that deſeruedly) much eſteemed of the people of God.
I ſhall not need to admoniſh you of the vſe of either of theſe Treatiſes: Themſelues, how little ſoeuer, are in that point able to ſpeake for themſelues. OnelyOnly take …ed (good Madam) leaſt … their with-drawing of you from the damnable ſin of profaning this holy Sacrament, you be not by miſconſtruction brought vntounto any wicked and ſuperſtitious adoration thereof.
Thus vnfainedly praying the Lord, more and more to bleſſe the worthy Knight your husband, and your ſelf, and from heauen to reward thoſe many fauors receiued from you both, I humbly take my leaue.
Ianuary 2. 1608. Your Ladyſhips much bounden, W. B
To the Reader.
LEt it not offend thee (good Reader) that in this Edition I hauehave varied ſomewhat from the former. When J firſt publiſhed this Treatiſe, I little thought it ſhould hauehave beene thus often called to the Preſſe, which (as I ſuppoſe) is not ſo much for any ſpeciall worth in it, as for the worthineſſe of the other Treatiſe of the ſame Argument, vntounto which it is adioyned; and which, this was a meanes to bring into the light. How-euer, ſeeing by this meanes it comes to paſſe that this of mine falleth into the hands of many, that otherwiſe (I aſſure my ſelfe) would neuer hauehave looked after it, and thoſe ſuch, as (if it had the Authors ſenſe) it would bluſh to looke in the face, being ſo meanly ſet out and furniſhed as it is: I hauehave deemed it fitting this once to review the ſame, & to ſend it forth in this forme thou ſeeſt; wherein ſome defects in the former are (as I thinke) ſupplied, though not ſo many as either thou or I could wiſh. The old plainneſſe thereof doth ſtill continue, which I eſteeme as no diſgrace therevnto, it being by that meanes fitter for the vſe of plaine and ſimple hearted Chriſtians, for whoſe helpe and direction I firſt publiſhed it.
Farewell.
Faults amended.
Fol. 9. page 2. line 19. ordained the ſame. f. 24. p. 2. l. 24. plentifull vſually. fol 29. p. 1. l. 2. cannot. f. 29. p. 2. l. 20 ordinance. f. 101. p. 2. l. 6. ioyning. This is mended in the moſt.
A Preparation TO THE RECEIuing of Chriſts Body and Bloud. The firſt Part. Shewing what a dangerous ſinne, it is to receiue this Sacrament vnworthily.
CHAP. I. Of preparation in generall: and the Apoſtles forme thereof.
NO wiſe man vſeth, to ſet vponupon any difficult work, the well performance whereof may bee much beneficiall, and the ill, very hurtfull and dangerous: (ſuch as the receiuing of the Sacrament, of the body and bloud Chriſt, will appeare to be:) but firſt (if he can) he ſets ſome time a part, to fit and prepare himſelf therevnto; and to forecaſt that he may doe it, in the beſt, and moſt effectuall manner. If we goe but to an ordinary Feaſt, before wee ſet forth of our dores, wee vſe to put on (if wee hauehave it) better then our ordinary attire; or at leaſt to bruſh, and make cleane, and put more handſomely about vsus, that which is vponupon vsus.
This Sacrament therefore, being the Lords Supper, and in that regard, more then an ordinary Feaſt; how ought we to dreſſe, and prepare our ſelues therevnto, before wee preſume to ſit downe at that Table? Surely, if wee ſhould bring our ſoules therevnto, in their ordinary habits and attire, we ſhal doe the Maſter of this Feaſt, a greater diſhonor, then wee ſhould doe to our Prince, if wee preſumed to preaſe to his Table, in the filthieſt habites of Chimney ſweepers or Scauingers.
If then wee deſire to reape fruit, and not hurt by this action; if wee would hauehave the Lord of this Feaſt, to bid vsus truly welcome, and not to frowne vponupon vsus; let vsus before we preſume to come thither, put on our wedding Garments; And in that manner, fit and prepare our ſoules, (for the feeding of which principally, this banquet is prepared) that in the ſame, he may behold, a ſpeciall honour done to him, for preparing ſuch a Table: and what due account, we make of that food, which is there ſet before vsus.
For the due performance of this worke of preparation, we cannot follow a better platforme, then that which the Apoſtle Paul, with his owne hand did draw, for a preparation, to the Church of Corinth, in his firſt Epiſtle, Chap. 11.23-33.
Where for their better preparation to the receiuing of this Sacrament, he teacheth them, (and vsus in them) theſe two points.
1. What a dangerous Sinne it is, to abuſe this Sacrament, v. 23-28.
2. By what meanes the Sinne aforeſaid, is to bee auoided. v. 28-33.
If we can be aſſuredly perſwaded of, & ſoundly affected with the firſt, and with care and good conſcience put in practiſe, that which the Apoſtle propounds in the ſecond; no doubt, but we ſhall then come fitted and prepared to this holy Feaſt; and ſhall with exceeding comfort and delight, feed vponupon that which is prepared therein.
What a dangerous ſin it is to abuſe this Sacramēt, he ſheweth vntounto vsus.
1. By propounding the doctrine of the Sacrament, v. 23-27.
2 By inferring therefrom, that ſpeciall ſinne aforeſaid, v. 27.
From which order of the Apoſtle, wee may learne by the way; That ignorance, or want of due conſideration, of the Doctrine of this Sacrament, is, and euer hath beene one principall cauſe, that ſo many hauehave abuſed and profaned the ſame; and that there is no hope or poſſibilitie, that thoſe, who are groſly ignorant herein, ſhold euer with due reuerence receiue the ſame, and in that regard reap any benefit thereby: But ſo oft as in this eſtate, they partake thereof, they runne their ſoules vponupon a dangerous rocke. Ignorance well may be the mother of Popiſh deuotion; but it is a ſtepdame, to all true Chriſtian piety, and the mother & nurſe of al ſuperſtition, profanenes, and irreligious impieties in Gods Church.