The Mystery of the Lords Supper, Title page – Printer to the reader
THE MYSTERIE OF THE LORDS SVPPER.
CLEERELY MANIFESTED IN FIVE SERMONS; Two of Preparation, and Three of the Sacrament it ſelfe.
BY A REVEREND AND FAITHfull Preacher of Gods word.
IOHN 6.54.63.
Whoſoeuer eateth my fleſh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternall life, and I will raiſe him vp at the laſt day.
It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the fleſh profiteth nothing: the words that I ſpeake vntounto you are ſpirit and life.
AT LONDON Imprinted for Thomas Man. 1614.
THE PRINTER TO THE READER.
I Preſent here vntounto thy viewe (good reader) a learned and godly treatiſe, wherein the Doctrine of the Lords ſupper is both plainely and fully handled. A worke which heretofore hath beene in diuers mens hands, yet not without ſome inconuenience; for being at firſt borne in another ſoyle then our owne, it was written in a language (though but the ſame, with ours in ſubſtance) yet by reaſon of the peculiar dialect or propriety ſo often varying, and more then ſufficient to make them that are not throughly acquainted with the difference, to miſtake euen things that to our vnderſtanding are much more familiar then the holy myſteries of our ſaluation. The conſideratiō of which incommodity did moue a worthy and truly religious Gentleman M. S. Michell, to take the paines to peruſe and poliſhe ſo good a worke to the end to publiſh it, that ſo it might be profitable to all: But hauing ſcarſe finiſhed and prepared it for the preſſe, it pleaſed God to take him to himſelfe, before he could ſee a finall end of this, and many other his religious and honeſt endeauors, yet leaſt the Church ſhould hauehave loſt ſo precious a Iewell (his zeale of good doing continuing vntounto the end) he committed the execution of this ſo godly a deſire, to the ſpeciall care of one of his good and truſty friends, who being faithfull in the truſt committed vntounto him is a principal meanes that now it commeth ſafely to thy hands; receiue it therefore and eſteeme it (as the moſt godly and iudicious hauehave euer done) the beſt and moſt profitable treatiſe that euer hath bin publiſhed of this ſubiect, and ceaſe not to thanke God for raiſing vp ſo many meanes to procure thy good, whoſe ſole end in all their labours is Gods glory, and the furthering of thy true happineſſe. Farewell.
Thine in Chriſt Ieſus, F. B.