Fifty Sermons Containing the Chief Points of the Christian Religion, Sermons 4 · Decade 5 · Sermon 6

Fifty Sermons Containing the Chief Points of the Christian Religion · Sermons 4 · Decade 5 · Sermon 6

p. 955¶ Of ſignes, and the manner of ſignes, of Sacramentall ſignes, what a Sacrament is, of whome, for what cauſes, and howe many Sacramentes were inſtituted of Chriſte for the Chriſtian Churche. Of what things they do conſiſt, how theſe are cōſecrated, how the ſigne and the thing ſignified in the Sacraments are either ioyned together or diſtinguiſhed, & of the kind of ſpeeches vſed in the Sacraments.

¶ The ſixt Sermon.

THE treatiſe vppon the ſacramentes remaineth, which wée heard is ioyned to y^e woord of God and prayer. But in ſpeking of ſacraments deliuered by Chriſt our king and high prieſt, and receiued and lawfully vſed of his holy and catholique Churche, I will by Gods grace and aſſiſtance, obſerue this order, firſt to entreate of them generally, and thā particularly, or ſeuerally. And heere before hand I wil determine vppon the certeine ſignification of a ſigne or Sacrament, wherein if I ſhalbe ſomewhat longe or tedious, I craue pardon (déerly beloued) therefore, for I hope it ſhal not be altogether fruitleſſe. Signum, a ſigne, the Latine writers call a token, a repreſenting, a marke, and ſhew of A ſigne.ſome thing that hath ſignification. So ſay Tullie and Fabius. Fabius ſayeth. Some call Signum foreign, thoughe ſome terme it Indicium, other ſome Veſtigium, a marke or token whereby a thing is vnderſtood, as ſlaughter by bloud. S. Aurelius Auguſtine the famous Eccleſtaſtical writer, Cap. 4. De magiſtro, ſayth, We generally call all thoſe things ſignes which ſignifie ſomewhat, where alſo we finde words to bee. Againe, Lib. 2. de doctrina Chriſtiana, cap. 1. he ſaith, A ſigne is a thing beſide the ſemblance, whiche it layeth before our ſenſes, making of it ſelfe ſomethinge to come into oure mind or thought, as by ſeeing ſmoke, we beleue there is fire. The ſaid Aur. Diuiſiō of ſignes out of S. Auguſtine.Auguſt. doth diuide ſignes into ſignes naturall, and ſignes giuen. Naturall he calleth thoſe, whiche without any wil or affection to ſignifie, beſide thē ſelues make ſomething elſe to be knowen, as is ſmoke ſignifying fire. For p. 956ſmoke hath not any will in it ſelfe to ſignifie. Signes giuen are thoſe, which all liuing creatures do giuegive one to an other, to declare as well as they cā the affections of their mind, or any thing which they cōceiue, meane, or vnderſtand. And ſignes giuen hee diuideth againe by the ſenſes. For ſome belong to the eyes, as the enſignes or banners of Capteines, mouing of the hands, & all the members. Some againe belong to the eares, as the trumpet and other inſtruments of muſicke, yea & words themſelues, which are chiefe & principall among men, when they intend to make their meaning knowen. VntoUnto ſmelling hee referreth that ſweete ſauour of oyntment mētioned in the Iohn. 12.John 12Goſpel, whereby it pleaſeth the Lord to ſignifie ſomewhat. To the taſt hee referreth the ſupper of the Lord, For (ſaith he) by the taſting of the ſacrament of his bodie and bloud, he gaue Marke 14.Mark 14or made a ſigne of his will. He addeth alſo an exāple of touching, And whē the woman by touching the hemme of his veſture is made whole, that is not a ſigne of nothing, but ſignifieth Matth. 9.Matt 9ſomewhat. In this manner hath Auguſtine entreated of the kinds & differences of ſignes. Other alſo whoſe opiniō doth not much differ from hi…, Signes diſ…inguiſhed accordinge to their …imes.diſtinguiſh ſignes according to the order of times. For of ſignes (ſay they) ſome are of thinges preſent; ſome of thinges paſt; and ſome of thinges to come. They thincke them ſignes of thinges preſent, whiche ſignifie thoſe things to be preſēt which are ſignified: as y^e Iuie garlād hāging for a ſigne doth giuegive vsus to vnderſtand that there is … to be fould, where it is hanged vp. The ſignes whiche our maiſter Chriſt wrought; did ſignifie that the Meſſ…s, and the kingdome of god promiſed by the prophetes was come. Matth. 12.Matt 12VnderUnder ſignes pa…t they compriſe all tumbes, monuments of the dead, and thoſe ſtones pitched of Ioſue in the middeſt of Iordane, ſignifying to them Ioſue. 4.Josh 4which came after what was done in times before. The fléece did giuegive to Gedeon, a ſigne of thinges to come, y^• Iudg 6.Judg 6is to ſay, a ſigne of the victorie whiche he ſhould hauehave ouer his enimies.

But thoſe ſignes being well conſidered Of ſignes, ſome are giuen of men, other ſome ordeined of God.& not neglected, maye more amplie and plainly be diuided into other ſignes wherof ſome are giuen of men, and ſome ordeined of God himſelfe. Signes or tokens are giuen of men, whereby they ſhew and ſignifie ſome thing, and by the which alſo they kéepe ſome thing in memorie among men, or do as it were ſeale vpp that, which they would hauehave certeine & ſure. After this maner is eueryevery deſcription or Signes giuen of men.picture demonſtratiue called a ſigne. For in Ezechiel, cap. 4. Hieruſalem Ezech. 4.Ezek 4which was portrayed in a tyle, is called a ſigne. They alſo in ancient time termed the images of the dead, ſignes, becauſe by thoſe images they would renue a freſhe the memorie of them, whoſe ſignes they were called, & kéepe them in remēbrance, as if they were aliue. Yea, and the holy ſcripture calleth idols ſignes, as it appeareth in Eſaie, cap. 45. and the 2. Paralip. 33. So ſtones beeing ſett or layed to marke out any thing, as land marks, and all tumbes or monumentes are ſignes. Raha… of Hiericho ſaid to y^e Iſraelits, GiueGive me a ſigne by oath, that you wil ſhew merciemercy to me, and they g…ue her a rope to hange out of her wi…owe. Behold the rope was a ſigne … faith and trueth, wherewith the … (as yee would ſay) ſeale themſelues ſurely and without all diſſimulation, to take diligent héede that Raha… ſhould not be deſtroyed.

p. 957We Zwicers terme ſuch ſignes giuen or receiued in confirmation of faith and trueth, Wortzeichen, beecauſe they are added to the woordes, and doe as it were ſeale them, and Warzeichen alſo, becauſe by them we doe as it were giuegive wittneſſe that in good faith, and without all fraude or guile we will performe that in déede, which we promiſed in word.

Nowe theſe kinde of ſignes are of diuers ſortes. For ſome are mute or The diuerſitie of ſignes giuen of man.dumbe, and perteine to the ſenſe of the eyes, of which ſort are y^e ſtandards vſed in warre, croſſes, banners, flaming fiers, whereof mention is made Num. 2. Pſal. 73. &c. Neither is any man able to reckon vp all of this ſort: for euer & anon new come in as pleaſeth men. Iudas gaue a ſigne vntounto his companie, Whomeſoeuer (ſayeth he) I ſhall kiſſe, that ſame is hee, take Matth. 26.Matt 26him. The ioyning of right handes, whiche pertayneth to the ſenſe of féeling, is a ſigne of faithfulnes, helpe, and fellowſhipp, yea, it is a dumbe ſigne, whiche ſigne Paule calleth the Right hand of fellowſhip. Hitherto Gal. 2.Gal 2belong diuers mouings and geſtures. Some of them are pertayning to the voice, which are conceiued by hearing, and are vttered by mans voice, or by the ſound of things which hauehave no life. By mans voyce are vttered woords, whiſtling, & whatſoeuer other things are of this kinde, wherevnto watchwoords vttered by the voice, maye be added, as Schiboleth in the 12. Chap. Iudg. 2.Judg 2of the Iudges.

Moreouer, voices without life are they whiche are made by trumpets, flutes, hornes, gunnes, drumbes, by ringing of bells and ſounding inſtrumentes, which alſo extend very farre and largely. Now ſignes are giuen of Signes giuen of God.God to this end, to teach & admoniſhe vsus of thinges to come, or of thinges paſt, either that they may after a ſort lay before the eyes of the beholders, & repreſent in a certaine likeneſſe the thinges themſelues whereof they are ſignes: or elſe that they maye (as it were) ſeale the promiſes and woords of God with ſome viſible ceremonie celebrated of men by Gods inſtitution: to be ſhort, that they might exerciſe oure faith, and gather together thoſe whiche are ſcattered into one aſſemblie or companie. And theſe are not all of one ſort, but do much differ betwéene themſelues. For ſome hauehave The diuerſirie o… Signes giuen by God.their beginning of naturall cauſes, and yet neuertheleſſe are giuen as ſignes of God, to put vsus in minde of things paſt, or to renue his promiſes, and to teache men thinges that hauehave béene done, of which kind is the rainebowe, mentioned by Moſes Gen. 9. For when the floud ceaſſed, that God made a newe league with Noah, and ordeined the rainebowe for a ſigne of his couenaunt, he made it not a new, but beeing made long afore, & appearing by natural cauſes, by a newe inſtitution he conſecrated it, to the intent it might cauſe vsus to call to our remembrance the floud, and as it were renue the promiſe of God, that is to ſay, that it ſhould neuer come to paſſe againe, that the earth ſhould be drowned with water. Now this ſigne hath not any ceremonie ordeined, wherby it might bée celebrated amonge men, neither doth it gather vsus together into the ſocietie of any bodie or fellowſhip. But this ſigne is referred chiefly to God, ſaying: I will ſett my rainebowe in the clouds, that when I ſee it, I may remember the euerlaſting couenant made betweene mee and you. Not much vnlike to this are ſignes & Signes & wonders.wonders, ſignes & ſay in the Sunne, p. 958the moone, and the ſtarres, whiche doe forewarne men of deſtruction and calamities Luke. 21.Luke 21to come, vnleſſe by repentance they amende: but neither hauehave theſe any ceremonie ordeined, to celebrate the remembrance of them, or to gather vsus together, &c.

Againe, there be other ſignes altogether myraculous, not naturall, Miraculous …ignes.thoughe there bée naturall thinges in them, of which ſort Gedeons fléece is, and the ſhadowe of the Sunne going backe in the diall of king Ezechias. Eſai. 38.Isa 38Theſe ſignes as we read them to hauehave béene once ſhewed, ſo by no inſtitution are they commaunded to bée followed, or for ſome certeine end to bée celebrated. To Ezechias they were giuen at that time, to ſignifie & wittneſſe the victorie which he ſhuld hauehave againſt his enimies, and the recouerie of his health. Altogether & méerely meruailous are thoſe things which in the laſt of Marke, by oure Lord Ieſus Chriſte are called ſignes, giftes I meane of healing, and ſpeaking with tongues, giuen vntounto & beſtowed vponupon men, not by any power of mā, or vertue of healing in him, but by the power and vertue of Chriſt onelyonly. Thoſe ſignes declared vntounto men, that that was the true and vndoubted preaching of the Goſpell whereby Chriſte is declared to bee Lord of all, Lord of life and death, of Sathan, & of hell alſo it ſelfe. For nowe when through the name of Chriſte the dead doe riſe, and diſeaſes being driuē out go their way, by theſe verie ſignes it is proued that that is true, which is ſaid, that Chriſt is Lord of all things. So the wonders which Moſes & Aaron wrought in Aegypt, Exod. 4. are called in the Scripture ſignes. For they were witneſſes both of Gods lawefull ſending, & tokens of his mightie power to be executed againſt Aegypt, but neither had theſe any ceremonie, nether gathered together into any ſocietie.

Now alſo we read that ſome ſignes are paradigmaticall, that is, vſed in Signes pa…adigmatical or for example.déede of men, but not without Gods commaundement, that theſe alſo may be ſaid to be ſignes from God. Thoſe be altogether frée from myracles, and in déede not onelyonly fetched from natural things, but alſo from things méere common and vſual, as were y^e bands, pitcher, and chaines of y^e holy prophet Ieremie, whereby, beeing willed of God ſo to doe, hee layed before them Iere. 27. 19. 28.Jer 27:19Jer 27:28thoſe thinges in a certaine euident fourme and figure, I meane, in a viſible ſigne to be ſéene with mens eyes, which by his preaching he prophecied ſhould fall vppon them. The like wée maye ſée in Ezech. the 17. and 24. cap. Theſe ſignes paradigmaticall or for exāple, are in ſome things like to thoſe exerciſes of Rhetorique, called Chriae Actiuę, yea rather they are certeine mixt Chriae, ſo termed, for that they conſiſt partly in woords and partly in déeds. Aphthonius defineth an Actiue Chrię, To be that which declareth & plainely ſheweth a thinge by action, deed, or geſture. As when Pythagoras was demaunded, how long mans life laſted? He for a while ſtood ſtill, y^t they might looke vppon him, but anon hée ſhrunke away and withdrew himſelfe out of their ſight, after that manner & action ſignifying, y^e mans life is but ſhort & momentanie. But in the ſcripture for the moſt part are ſett downe Chrię, cōſiſting of word & déed, as whē Chriſt toke a little child, and ſet him in the middeſt of his diſciples, and ſpake theſe words, Verilie I ſaye vntounto you, Matth. 18.Matt 18except ye ſhall turne and beecome as little children, ye ſhall not enter into the kingdome of heauen. But theſe p. 959actions or ſignes hauehave not the inſtitution and commaundement of God, charging vsus to renue this very action by ſolemne celebrating the ſame. Neuertheles Sacramental ſignes are ſeuered frō other ſignes with which the… hauehave many things common.ſacramentall ſignes hauehave ſome affinitie with theſe, namely baptiſme and the Lords ſupper. For they are giuen vntounto vsus from aboue, & are taken from naturall thinges, without any myracle, yea, they are inſtituted vnderunder the fourme of naturall and ſenſible things, and in ſuch things as are verie common, water, bread, and wine. This they hauehave common with other ſignes giuen of God, in that they renue thinges paſt, and ſhadowe out thinges to come, and by a ſigne do repreſent thinges ſignified. They differ peculiarlie from other ſignes, in that they hauehave ceremonies ioyned with y^e commaundement of God, which ceremonies, hee hath commaunded his church to ſolemnize. And this alſo is peculiar to them, y^t being ſeals of gods promiſes, they couple vsus viſiblye to God, and to all the ſainctes, & they are dedicated to y^e moſt holy myſteries of God in Chriſt. Of theſe I wil intreate more largly and diligently hereafter.

The ſacramentall ſignes of Chriſt and of Chriſt his church, namely whiche SacramentChriſt our Lord hath deliuered to his church, and which his church hath receiued of him, and do lawfully vſe, y^e ſame are called of Latine writers by the name of Sacraments. But y^e word is not found in the whole Scripture, ſauing that it is read to be vſed of Interpretours: howbeit, the word Signe is oft in the ſcriptures, and that which helpeth for our purpoſe, is moſt ſignicantly ſet down in Gen. 17. & Rom. 4. In the meane while we do not reiecte the Latine word Sacramentū, a ſacrament, as lightly regarding it, neither yet reiecting it do we forge or deuiſe a new. I likewel enough of y^e word Sacramēt, ſo it be vſed lawfully. S. Auguſt. in his. 5. epiſt. to Marcellinꝰ ſaith, It were too long to diſpute of the diuerſitie of ſignes, which whē they perteine to holy things, are termed ſacraments. From whēce doubtles ſprange that cōmon definition or deſcriptiō, A Sacrament is a ſigne of an holy thing, which as it cannot be reiected, ſo there is none but ſéeth, that in it the nature of the thing is not fully cōprehended or expreſſed, neither is it ſeparated frō thoſe thinges whiche alſo are holy ſignes. There is another definition therfore brought forth and vſed, which is in déed more perfect than the other, A ſacrament is a viſible ſigne of an inuible grace. But becauſe this alſo doeth not in all poinctes expreſſe the nature of the thing: this definition following ſéemeth vntounto many more allowable, which is after this manner: Sacraments are ceremonies, wherwith god exerciſeth his people, firſt to ſtirr vp, increaſe, and mainteine their faith: then to the end to teſtifie before men his religion. This is a true and right definition. But what if you define a What a Sacrament is.ſacrament ſomewhat more fully and largely in this manner? Sacramentes are holy actions conſiſting of wordes or promiſes of the Goſpell, or of preſcripte rites or Ceremonies, giuen for this ende to the Churche of God from heauen, to bee wittneſſes and ſeales of the preaching of the Goſpel, to exerciſe & trie faith, and by earthly and viſible thinges to repreſent & ſett before our eyes the deepe myſteries of God, to bee ſhort, to gather to gether a viſible Church or congregation, and to admoniſhe them of their duetie. This definition truely is farre fett, large, and many fold, a definition, I ſay, gathered of many parts, but p. 960we meane to goe to it ſimplie & plainly, & to lay forth the whole matter before your eyes to be ſéen, then wil we make manifeſt eueryevery part therof, and confirme the ſame w^t teſtimonies of ſcripture. Now y^t I may fully intreat Sacrament taken for …orth.of the names y^e are giuen to this thing, I finde that Latine writers call Sacrament an oath or a religious bond: becauſe it was not done (as I thinke) thoroughly and to the proofe, without certeine ceremonies. M. Varro in his ſecond booke De lingua Latina, declaring what it is to contend with an oth ſayth, The plaintife & the defendant, eche of them in ſome thinges gaged down at the place appointed for that purpoſe, fiue hūdred peeces of ſiluer, and alſo in other thinges a ſett number of ounces, ſo that he which recouered in iudgement ſhould hauehave his gage againe, but hee whiche was caſt ſhould forfaite it to the treaſurie. Since therefore by intermeddling of holy thinges through partaking of the ſacraments, we are boūd to God and to all the ſaincts, as it were by obligation, and that God himſelfe alſo by y^e teſtimonie of the ſacraments, hath as it were by an oathe bound himſelfe to vsus, it appeareth y^t the name of ſacrament is very aptly & properly applied to our ſignes. We read alſo in Latine writers of an oath that ſouldiers Souldiers eath.vſed to take. For it was not lawefull for thē to fight vnleſſe they were put to their oath and ſworne. They toke a ſolemne oath, hauing one to recite the fourme of the oathe to them woord by word, (as Vegetius ſaieth in his booke Deremilitari) y^t they would ſtoutly & readily do whatſoeuer their capiteine commaunded them, and y^t they would neuer forſake the field in the defence of the common weale of Rome. They had a donatiō giuen vntounto ech of them as it were a pledge or earneſt, they gaue vp their names to be inrolled, & were marked that they might be knowen frō other ſouldiers. Now becauſe wee by our ſacramentes, ſpecially by baptiſme, are receiued & inrolled to be Chriſtes ſouldiers, and by receiuing y^e ſacraments doe profeſſe and witneſſe our ſelues to be vnderunder Chriſt our captaines banner, therefore not amiſſe, nor without reaſon, are the ſignes of Chriſt & his church called ſacraments. In y^e meane while I will not ſtoutly ſtand in contention y^t the word Sacrament was for y^e cauſe chiefly attributed of them in auncient time to theſe our ſignes. For Eraſ. Rot. a mā very wel ſeene in the tongues, & throughly tried in old and ancient writers none better, In Cathec. ſua Symb. 5. ſaith, They whiche ſpeake moſt exquiſitly cal Sacramentū, an oth or bond, cōfirmed by the authoritie of god & reuerence of religion. But our elders vſed this word to expreſſe that whiche the Greekes call a myſterie, which a man may call a religious ſecret, becauſe the cōmon people were excluded from meddling with them. Thus farre he. Therfore the old writers did cal thoſe ſignes ſacraments in ſtéede of myſteries. For y^e ſelf-ſame ſignes are called of y^e Gréeks, foreign myſteries, which What a myſterie is.the Latine writers for the moſt part interprete holy and religious ſecrets, holy ſecrets, I ſay, from the celebration of which ſecrets the prophane common people were excluded & debarred. For Cęliusin Lectio. antiquis. ſuppoſeth y^t they are called myſteries, foreign becauſe it behoued thē which hid them, or which miniſtred them to kéepe them cloſe, and to ſhewe them to no common perſon. Whervppon myſteries may be well called ſeparated & holy ſecrets, knowē p. 961to them only which were ordeined for that purpoſe, & to be celebrated onelye of ſainctes or holy men. Yet it maye ſéeme that foreign is deriued of foreign, & foreign, as foreign of foreign & foreign, y^t the Etymon thereof with the Gréeks, maye be of no more force than Teſtamentum amonge the Latines, which is a wittneſſe bearing of the minde. Althoughe I am not ignoraunt what ſome alſo do reaſon in this caſe. Sacramentes therefore are called myſteries, becauſe in a darcke ſpeach they hide other thinges which are more holy. And Paule willingly vſeth this word in his epiſtles. And why this word was attributed to y^e holy ſignes of y^e chriſtian church, there is a plaine reaſon. For theſe thinges are onelyonly knowen to the faithfull, and are hidd from thoſe that are prophane and vnholie. And ſurely the preaching of the Goſpel it ſelfe is called The myſterie of the kingdome of God, to teach vsus, Matth. 13.Matt 13that the vncleane being ſhutt out, it is reuealed to the onelyonly children of God. Ephe. 3.Eph 3For our chiefe interpretour of myſteries, ſayth: Caſt not your pearles before ſwine, neither giuegive that which is Matth. 7.Matt 7holie vntounto dogges. And Paule, If our Goſpell lie hidd as yet, (ſayth he) it is hidd in them which are loſt, in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that beleeue not, 2. Cor. 4. Furthermore many of the Gréeke doctours of the Church, hauehave What a Simbol is.called our ſacraments foreign Symbola, which word is alſo receiued and vſed verie often of the Latines. It is deriued of foreign, (that is to ſay) Confero, to conferr or compare together. For by comparing one thinge w^t another, ſymbols are made apparant and rightly perceiued. Symbolum therefore ſignifieth a ſigne, which hath relation to ſome other thinge, as wée ſaid of the ſtandard, &c. And truely amonge the Grecians in old time the vſe of ſymbols or ſignes was diuers, for in their ſacrifices they had their ſymbols, ſignes (I ſay) Allegorically meaning ſomething, as in the ſacrifices of Bacchus, a ſiue was their ſymbole or ſigne, & the ſame they carried about when they were well tippled: thereby ſignifying y^• ſuch as be dronken are blabbes, and can kéep nothing in ſecret. What if I can proue that opinions of men cōteyning ſomewhat of déepe vnderſtanding by an allegorie or dark ſpeach are called ſymbols? For Pythagoras his ſymbols are wel enough knowen. So myſticall diuinitie began to be called ſymbolicall béecauſe it was inwrapped in more hidd and ſecrete myſteries. So that is myſtical which is darkely vttered, and in maner of a riddle, hauing in it a farre contrarie meaning than by wordes it ſéemeth to offer. Againe, the gift and token of faith & trueth whiche by mutual conſent paſſeth betwéene y^e bride and the bridegrome, wherby it is not lawefull for them to ſhrincke or goe backe from their word, promiſe, or couenaunt, is called a ſymbole. Furthermore to ſouldiers alſo ſeruing vnderunder one and the ſame banner, ſymbols or badges were giuen. VntoUnto certeine confederate cities in like maner, and ioyned together in league of friendſhip, to the end that they might go ſafely to the bordering cities, & to thoſe which toke parts with them, ſymbols or mutuall ſignes were giuen, that is to ſay, tokens, whiche being ſhewed & ſéene, they gaue eche other gentle and curteous interteinement, as to their league-fellowes, companions and ſingular friends. The auncient writers therfore herevppon hauehave applied this word ſymbol to our ſacraments, p. 962bycauſe they repreſente and ſhewe vntounto vsus the excéeding great and déepe myſteries of good: they are Allegorical & Aenigmatical, hard & dark to vnderſtand, bycauſe the Lord him ſelfe by y^e inſtitution of his Sacraments, hath bounde him ſelfe vntounto vsus, and we againe by the partaking of them, doe binde our ſelues to him, and to all the Saints, teſtifying and openly profeſſing to fighte ſtoutly and valiauntly vnderunder the Lordes banner. Moreouer theſe holy ſymbols or ſignes, doe admoniſhe and put vsus in mynde of brotherly louelove and concord, and that we remēber to louelove thē moſt entirely & w^t al our hart, as Gods children & our brethren, which are cōmunicants or partakers with vsus of the ſame table, and are waſhed cleane by the ſame baptiſme. Thus much concerning ſacraments, what they are, by what names they are called, and why they are ſo called, let it be ſufficient that we hauehave briefly noted.

Setting aſide all other thinges, it ſéemeth neceſſarie firſte of all to declare Onelie God is the authour of Sacramētsand ſhewe who was the author of the ſacraments, and for what cauſes they were inſtituted. All men in a manner confeſſe that God alone is the authour of ſacraments, and not men, nor yet the Church it ſelfe. An odde man there is among the ſcholemen, which teacheth the Churche this leſſon, to wit, that ſhe ſhould remember ſhe is no Ladie or miſtreſſe ouer the ſacraments, but a ſeruant or miniſter, and that ſhe hath no more power or authoritie to inſtitute anye fourme of a ſacrament, than ſhe hath to abrogate any law of god. Aquinas alſo Part. 3. quaeſt. 46. ariculo. 2. ſaith, He inſtituteth or is the authour of a thing, which giueth it force and vertue: but the vertue and power of the ſacraments commeth from God alone, therefore God alone is of power to inſtitute or make ſacraments. And in déede God alone is of power to inſtitute the true ſeruice and worſhip: but ſacraments belong to his ſeruice and worſhip, therefore God alone doth inſtitute ſacraments. If any Eſai. 66.Isa 66one in the olde teſtament had offered ſacrifice whiche God commaunded not, or offered it not after that manner that God willed it to be offered, it was not only nothing auailable vntounto him, but alſo his offence in ſo doing was rewarded with moſte terrible and fearefull puniſhment. Who knoweth not that the ſonnes of Aaron, for offering ſtrange fire, were Leuit. 10.Lev 10horribly burnt and ſcortcht vp with fire which fell downe from heauen? Suche ſacrifices therefore diſpleaſe God, as prophane or vnholy, neyther deſerue they to be called lawfull ſacraments, whiche hauehave not God him ſelfe for their authour. Herevnto is added, that ſacraments are teſtimonies, and as it were ſeales of Gods good will and fauour toward vsus. And who I pray you can better, more vprightly, or more aſſuredly beare witneſſe of Gods good will to vsus-warde, than God him ſelfe? In no wiſe deſerueth that to be called or counted the ſeale of God, whereto he neyther ſet his hand, nor printed it with his owne marke, yea, it is a counterfet ſeale, bycauſe it cōmeth not frō God, and yet in the meane time beareth a ſhew outwardly of the name of god. In this behalfe is reade that ſaying of S. Auguſtine, whiche is in euerie mans mouth, The worde is added to the element, and there is made a ſacrament. Whereby we gather, that in the inſtitution of ſacraments, the worde of God obteyneth principall p. 963place, and hath moſt adoe. The word I ſay of God, not the worde of men, nor yet of the Church: Wherevpon it followeth, that the ſigne ought to hauehave his procéeding euen from God him ſelfe, and not from any manner of mē, be they neuer ſo many, be they neuer ſo clearklike or lerned, be they neuer ſo harmleſſe and holy of life: of that nowe there can be no other authour of Sacraments than God him ſelfe alone.

As we doe receiue the worde of Sacramēts are to be receiued as it were at the handes of Chriſt.ſaluation and grace: ſo it is néedefull alſo that we receiue the ſignes of grace. Although the worde of God be preached vntounto vsus by men, yet we receiue it not as the worde of man, but as the worde of God, according to that ſaying of the Apoſtle, When ye had receiued the worde of God whiche ye hearde of vsus, ye receyued it not as the worde of men (but as it is 1. Theſſ. 2.1 Thess 2in deede) the woorde of GOD. It is behoneful for vsus, to hauehave reſpect to the firſt authour thereof, who when he ſent abroade his diſciples, ſayde, Goe into the whole worlde, and preache the Goſpell to all creatures, Marke. 16. Matth. 28.Mark 16Matt 28teaching them to obſerue what ſo euer I hauehave commaunded you, and baptiſing them in the name of the Father, and of the Sonne, and of the holie Ghoſte. He that heareth you, heareth mee, and he which deſpiſeth Luke. 10.Luke 10you, deſpiſeth me. And therefore albeit by the handes of men the Sacramentes are miniſtred, yet are they not receyued of the godly and religious, as procéeding from men, but as it were from the hande of GOD him ſelfe, the firſt and principall authour of the ſame.

To this belongeth the queſtion, which Chriſte our Lorde aſked in the Goſpell, ſaying: The Baptiſme of Iohn, was it from heauen, or of men? Matth. 21.Matt 21Truely Iohn, who did baptiſe, was a man: but in that he baptiſed, he baptiſed according to Gods inſtitution and ordinaunce: and therefore the baptiſme of Iohn was from heauen, though the water (wherewith he baptiſed) flowed out of the bottomeleſſe depthe into the riuer Iordan, and Iohn him ſelfe conuerſaunt on the earth. To this alſo notably agréeth that which Paule ſayth, That 1. Cor. 11.1 Cor 11whiche I deliuered vntounto you, I receyued of the Lorde. Therefore although Sainte Paule were a man, yea, and a ſinner too, yet that whiche he deliuered to the Churche, he did not deliuer it as from him ſelfe, or as any inuention of man, but as Chriſt had deliuered the ſame, ſo that it is not his, or mans, but Chriſtes tradition, a diuine and heauenly tradition. Beſides this, oure highe Prieſte and euerlaſting Byſhoppe woorketh, euen at this daye, in his Churche, whoſe miniſterie they execute, that is, at whoſe commaundement they baptiſe, and according to whoſe inſtitution, they which are the ſtewardes or diſpoſers of the myſteries of GOD, miniſter the holie Sacramentes of the Lordes Supper. The inſtitution therefore of the Sacramentes muſt be acknowledged of vsus, to be the verie worke of GOD. And thus farre touching the authour of Sacramentes.

Peter Lombard in his ſentences Why Sacramentes were inſtituted vntounto vsus in viſible thingsreckoneth vp thrée cauſes why Sacramentes were inſtituted, that is to ſay, why ſpirituall and heauenly thinges were deliuered and committed vntounto vsus vnderunder viſible ſignes, fourmes and ceremonies: the firſt of p. 964whiche is ſo colde and weake, that I am loathe to moue it to memorie. He placeth merite in that that by Gods gouernement and direction (as he affirmeth) man ſéeketh ſaluation in thinges baſer and inferioure to him ſelfe. VntoUnto the whiche he addeth this afterward, Although not in them, yet in GOD through them he ſéeketh ſaluation: which alſo vnaduiſedly enoughe he hath vttered, and not ſufficiently conſidered. The other two cauſes, to wit, that Sacramentes were inuented and ordeined vnderunder viſible ſignes for oure inſtruction and exerciſe, ſéeme not altogether abſurde or diſagréeing from reaſon.

The trueſt and moſt proper cauſe why Sacramentes be inſtituted vnderunder viſible ſignes, ſéemeth partly to be Gods goodneſſe, and partly alſo mans weakeneſſe. For verie hardly doe we reache vntounto the knowledge of heauenly thinges, if without any viſible …ourme, as they bee in their owne nature pure and excellent, they be layde before oure eyes: but they are better and more eaſily vnderſtoode, if they be repreſented vntounto vsus vnderunder the figure of earthly thinges, that is to ſay, vnderunder ſignes familiarly knowne vntounto vsus. As therefore our bountifull and gratious Lorde did couertly and darkely, nay rather euidently and notably, ſet before vsus to viewe the kingdome of GOD in parables or darke ſpeaches: euen ſo by ſignes it pleaſed him to lay before our eies after a ſort, the very ſame thing, and to pointe out the ſame vntounto vsus as it were painted in a table, to renue it a freſhe, and by liuely repreſentation to mainteine the remembraunce of the ſame among vsus. This cauſe doth Iohn Chryſoſtome allowe as a chiefe and proper cauſe, who in his eightie and thrée Homilie vppon Matthewe, ſayeth: The Lorde hath Chryſoſtōe touching the cauſe of ſacraments.deliuered vntounto vsus nothing that is ſenſible. The thinges in deede are ſenſible, howbeit they hauehave altogether a ſpirituall vnderſtanding or meaning. So Baptiſme is miniſtred vnderunder a ſenſible element, namely water, but that which is wrought thereby, that is to ſay, regeneration and Iohn. 3.John 3the newe byrth, doth ſpiritually enter into the mynde. For if thou wert a bodileſſe creature, hee would hauehave deliuered vntounto thee all theſe giftes, bare, naked, and bodileſſe, according to thy nature: but ſince thou haſt a reſonable ſoule coupled and ioyned to thy body, therefore hath he deliuered vntounto thee in ſenſible ſignes & ſubſtā ces, thoſe things which are perceyued with a ſpiritual vnderſtāding. Which I doe not alledge to this end, as if I woulde take the teſtimonie of man for my ſtay, but bicauſe I ſée S. Iohn Chryſoſtome his ſpeache according to the manner obſerued and vſed in the Scripture. For who knoweth not that the Scripture is full of parables, ſimilitudes, allegories, and figuratiue ſpeaches, whiche the holie Ghoſte vſeth, not for his owne, but for oure ſakes? The talke whiche Chriſte had in the Goſpell with Nicodemus, touching heauenly regeneration, is verie well knowne, where he by hidden and couert kynd of ſpeaches, of ayre, winde, and water, &c. reaſoneth, ſaying: If I hauehave told you Iohn. 3.John 3of earthly things, and ye beleeue not, howe will you beleeue if I ſhall tell you of heauenly thinges. He calleth Earthly things, y^t his doctrine of heauēly regeneration or new birth, figured to vsus vnderunder earthly ſignes of water & the ſpirit, or of aire & the winde. p. 965And by heauenly things, he meaneth that ſelfe ſame doctrine of heauenly regeneration, nakedly deliuered to Nicodemus, without any imagination, without ſimilitude, or ſēſible ſignes. The Lorde therefore ſignifieth hereby, that men do more eaſily conceiue and vnderſtand the doctrine of heauenly thinges, when it is ſhadowed out vnderunder ſome dark and couert ſigne of earthly things, then when it is nakedly, & ſpiritually indéede deliuered: that by comparing together of thinges not much vnlike, it may appeare, that the ſacraments were for none other cauſe foūd out or inſtituted thā for demonſtratiō ſake, to wit, that the heauenly thinges might become more familiar and plaine vntounto vsus. In which thing we hauehave to mark the Analogie, which is a certeine aptneſſe, proportion, or (as Cicero termeth it) a conuenience or fit agréemēt of things, I ſay, knowne by their ſignes, that if they be ſleightly paſſed ouer without this analogie, the reaſon of a ſacrament can not be fully and perfectly vnderſtoode: but this analogie being diligently diſcuſſed, and obſerued to the full, offereth to the beholder without any labor at al the verie foreign, that is to ſay, the hidden and ſecrete meaning of a ſacrament. We will when we come to intreat of theſe things, do what we can to make them manifeſt by examples.

Whoſoeuer therfore ſhal throughly The lorde is to be praiſed for inſtituting ſacramentes.weigh the inſtitution of ſacramēts he can not chooſe but extol with prayſes the excéeding greate goodneſſe of the Lorde, who doth not onelyonly open vntounto vsus miſerable men the myſteries of his kingdome, but hath a ſingular care of mans infirmitie, whereby he framing him ſelfe to oure capacitie, doth after a ſort ſtutte and ſtammar with vsus, whileſt he hauing reſpect to oure dulneſſe & the weakeneſſe of our wit, doth as it were cloath and couer heauēly myſteries with earthly ſymbols or ſignes, thereby moſt plainely and pithily opening them vntounto vsus, and laying them before our eyes euidētly to be beheld. In this ſame inſtitution The wiſdome of God ſhineth in th… …nſtitution of the Sacramēts.of the ſacraments, wee hauehave cauſe to extoll and prayſe the wiſedome of God: if ſo be we take in hand to compare great and ſmall things together. For this cuſtome is receiued as a lawe throughout the world, that all the wiſeſt men, when they had occaſion to ſpeake of high myſteries of wiſedome, they did not by words only, but by ſignes and words together commende them to their hearers, to the ende that the two moſt noble ſenſes in man, to wit, Hearing, and Seeing, might be both at once vehemently moued, and forceably prouoked to the conſideration of the ſame. The volumes of heatheniſh philoſophers are ful of examples. What ſay you to the Iewes, Gods olde & auncient people, did not God him ſelfe ſhewe among them verie many ſuch kind of examples? Againe as in making leagues, or in confirming promiſes in earneſt The manner of making leagues or couenaunts.and weightie matters, men vſe ſignes or tokens of truth to winne credite to their wordes and promiſes: euen ſo the Lord doing after the maner of men, hath added ſignes of his faithfulnes and truth to his euerlaſting couenaunt and promiſes of life, the ſacraments I meane, wherewith he ſealeth his promiſes, and the verie doctrine of his Goſpell. Neyther is this rare or ſtraunge vntounto him. Men ſweare euen by the Lorde him ſelfe, when they would make other beléeue certeinely, and in no caſe to miſtruſt the truth of their promiſes: yea, it is p. 966read in the holy Scriptures, that the Lord him ſelfe tooke an othe & ſware by his owne ſelfe, when hee ment Moſt aboundantly to ſhewe to the heires of the promiſes (as the Apoſtle ſayth) the ſtableneſſe of his counſel.

Moreouer, it was the accuſtomed manner among them of olde, as they were making their league or couenaunt, to take a beaſt and to diuide him in péeces, and ech of them to paſſe through and betwéen the péeces ſo diuided, teſtifying by that ceremonie, that they would yeald them ſelues ſo to be diuided, and cut in péeces, if they did not ſtedfaſtly ſtande to that which they promiſed in their league or couenaunt. After the ſame manner the Lorde making, or renuing a league Gene. 15.Gen 15with Abraham, which Moſes deſcribeth at large in the 15. of Geneſis, he commaundeth him to take an heifer, a ſhe goate, and a ramme, each of thē thrée yeares olde, and to diuide them in the middeſt, and to lay eueryevery péece one ouer againſt an other, which whē Abraham had done, the Lord himſelfe in the likeneſſe of a ſmoaking fornace or firebrand went betwéene the ſayd péeces, that thereby Abraham might knowe, that the lande of Chanaan ſhould of a certentie be giuen to him, and to his ſéede to poſſeſſe, and that all things which he had promiſed in that league ſhoulde be brought to paſſe. Since therfore the good and true lord is alwayes like vntounto him ſelfe, & frameth himſelfe after the ſame manner, nowe to his Churche, as we ſayde he did then: what wonder or ſtraunge thing is it (I praye you) that he hath left vntounto vsus alſo at this day vnderunder viſible thinges, ſignes and ſeales of his grace, and myſteries of the kingdome of God? And hitherto hauehave we entreated of the chiefe cauſes of Sacraments for the which they were inſtituted. Touching the kinde & number The number of ſacraments.of Sacraments, which hath the nexte place to that which went before, there are diuers opinions among the writers, ſpecially of later time. For amoung the olde and auncient this queſtion as an vndoubted and well knowne perfecte principle, drewe quickly to an end. But he which ſhal diligently ſearch the Scriptures, ſhal finde that they of the old Teſtament had Sacraments after one kynd, and they of the newe Teſtament Sacraments after an other kind. The Sacraments of the people vnderunder the old Teſtament, were circumciſion and the Paſchal lambe, to which were added ſacrifices, whereof I hauehave aboundantly ſpoken in the thirde Decade and the ſixt Sermon.

In like manner the Sacraments of the people vnderunder the newe Teſtament, that is to ſay, of Chriſtians, by the writings of the Apoſtles, are two in number, Baptiſme, & The Supper of the Lorde. But Peter Lombard reckoneth 7. Baptiſme, Penance, the ſupper of the Lorde, Confirmation, Extreme vnction, Orders & Matrimonie. Him followeth the whole rablement of interpretours, and route of ſcholemen. But all the auncient doctours of the Church for the moſte part do reckon vp two principall ſacraments, among whome Tertullian in his firſt & fourth booke Contra Marcionem: and in his booke De corona militis, very plainly maketh mention but of two onelyonly, that is to ſaye, Baptiſme and the Euchariſt or ſupper of the Lorde. And Auguſtine alſo Lib. 3. de doctr. Chriſtiana. cap. 9. ſayth, The Lorde hath not ouerburthened vsus with ſignes, but the Lorde him ſelfe and the doctrine of the p. 967Apoſtles hauehave left vntounto vsus certeine fewe thinges in ſteade of many, and thoſe moſt eaſie to be done, moſt reuerend to be vnderſtoode, moſt pure to be obſerued, as is baptiſme, and the celebration of the body and bloude of the Lord. And againe to Ianuarius Epiſt. 118. he ſayth: He hath knit and tyed together the fellowſhip of a newe people, with ſacramentes in number verie fewe, in obſeruing verie eaſie, in ſignification verie excellent: as is baptiſme conſecrated in the name of the Trinitie, and the partaking of Chriſts body and bloud, and whatſoeuer thing elſe is commended vntounto vsus in the canonicall ſcriptures, excepte thoſe thinges wherewith the ſeruitude of the olde people was burdened, according to the agreeablnes of their heartes, and the time of the prophets. Which are read in the fiue books of Moſes. Where, by y^e way, is to be marked that he ſayth not, And whatſoeuer things elſe are commended vntounto vsus in the canonicall ſcriptures: but, And what ſo euer thing elſe, &c. which plainely proueth that he ſpeaketh not of Sacramentes, but of certeine obſeruations bothe vſed and receyued of the Churche, as the wordes of Auguſtine whiche folowe do declare. Howbeit I confeſſe without diſſimulation that the ſame Auguſtine elſewhere maketh mention of the Sacrament of Orders: where neuertheleſſe this ſéemeth vntounto me to be alſo conſidered, that the ſelfe ſame authour giueth the name of Sacramentes to Annoynting, and to Prophecie, and to Prayer, and to certeine other of this ſorte, as well as he dothe to Orders: and now and then among them he reckoneth vppe the Sacramentes of the Scripture, ſo that we may eaſily ſée that in his workes the worde Sacrament is nowe vſed one way and ſometimes an other. For he calleth theſe Sacraments, bicauſe being holie, they came from the holie Ghoſte, and bycauſe they be holie inſtitutions of God obſerued of all that be holie: but yet ſo, that theſe differ from thoſe Sacramentes whiche are holie actions conſiſting of wordes and ceremonies, and whiche gather together into one fellowſhippe the partakers thereof. But Rabanus Maurus alſo Byſhoppe of Mentze a diligent reader of Auguſtins works, Lib. 1. de Inſtit. cleric. cap. 24. ſayth: Baptiſme and vnction, and the body and bloude are Sacramentes, whiche for this reaſon are called Sacraments, bycauſe vnderunder a couert of corporall thinges, the power of GOD woorketh more ſecretely oure ſaluation ſignified by thoſe Sacramentes: wherevppon alſo for their ſecrete and holie vertues, they are called Sacramentes. This Rabanus Maurus was famous about the yeare of the Lorde eight hundreth and thirtie, ſo that euen by this we may gather that the auncient Apoſtolique Churche hadde no more than two Sacramentes.

I make no mention here of Ambroſe, although he in his bookes of ſacramentes, numbereth not ſo many as the companie of ſcholemen doe, bycauſe ſome of thoſe workes ſette foorthe in his name are not receyued of all learned men, as of his owne doing: ſo I little force the authoritie of the workes of Dionyſius, whiche of what price and eſtimation they be among learned and good men, it is not needefull to declare. But howe ſo euer the caſe ſtandeth, the holye p. 968Scripture the onelyonly and infallible rule of life, and of all thinges whiche are to be done in the Churche, commendeth baptiſme and the Lordes Supper vntounto vsus, as ſolemne inſtitutions and Sacramentes of Chriſt. Thoſe two are therefore ſufficient for vsus, ſo that we néede not be moued what ſo euer at anye time the ſubtile inuention of mans buſie brayne bring againſt, or beſide theſe twaine. For why? GOD neuer gaue power to any to inſtitute Sacramentes. In the means while, Wholſōe …tes of the church are …ot con…emned.wee doe not contemne the wholeſome rites and healthfull inſtitutions of GOD, nor yet the religious obſeruations of the Church of Chriſt. We hauehave declared elſwhere touching Penaunce, and Eccleſiaſticall Order. Of the reſidue, whiche latter writers doe authorize for Sacra▪ mentes, we will ſpeake in their conuenient place. So hauehave we alſo elſewhere, ſo farre foorthe as we thought requiſite, entreated of the likeneſſe and difference of Sacramentes of the people of the olde and newe teſtament.

Nowe let vsus ſée in what thinges Sacramentes conſiſte. By the teſtimonie of the Scripture, and of all the godly men, they conſiſte in two thinges, to witte, in the ſigne, and the thing ſignified, in the worde and the rite, in the promiſe of the Goſpell and in the ceremonie, in the outwarde thing and the inwarde, in the earthly thing (I ſaye) and the heauenly. And (as Irenaeus the Martyr of Chriſte witneſſeth) in the viſible thing and inuiſible, in the ſenſible thing and the intelligible.In his booke againſt ….

For heerevnto belongeth that whiche Sainte Iohn Chryſoſtome vppon Matthewe ſayth: foreign: CHRIST deliuereth nothing vntounto vsus that is ſenſible, but vnderunder viſible thinges, the outwarde thinges are ſenſible, but yet all ſpirituall. But hee calleth thoſe thinges, foreign ſenſible, whiche are perceyued by the outwarde ſenſes, as by ſéeing, hearing, taſting and touching, but thoſe thinges he calleth foreign, intelligible or mentall, whiche are perceyued by the mynde, the vnderſtanding, conſideration, diſcourſe or reaſoning of the mynde, not of the fleſhe, but of fayth.

By the teſtimonie of the Scriptures, this thing ſhall bée made manifeſt.. Sacraments cō ſiſt of the ſigne and the thing ſignified.The Lorde ſayeth to his diſciples in the Goſpell, Goe into the whole worlde and preache the Goſpell to all creatures, and he whiche ſhall beleeue and bee baptiſed, ſhall be ſaued. Yee ſhall baptiſe in Mark. 1.Mark 1the name of the Father, and of the Sonne, and of the holie Ghoſte. The ſame ſayeth of Iohn Baptiſte, Iohn baptiſed in the wilderneſſe, preaching the baptiſme of repentaunce for the remiſsion of ſinnes. So alſo Sainte Luke witneſſeth, that Sainte Peter ſayde to the Iſraelites: Repent yee and bee baptiſed euerie one of you in the name Actes. 2.Acts 2of IESVS CHRISTE for the remiſsion of ſinnes, and yee ſhall receiue the gifte of the holie Ghoſte.

Therefore in baptiſme, water, or ſprinckling of water in the name of y^e Father, and of the Sonne, and of the holie Ghoſt, and al that which is done of y^e church is a ſigne, rite, ceremonie, & outwarde thing, earthly & ſenſible, lying opē, & made plaine to y^e ſenſes: p. 969but remiſſion of ſinnes, partaking of (euerlaſting) life, fellowſhippe with Chriſt and his members, and gifts of the holy ghoſte, which are giuen vntounto vsus by y^e grace of God through fayth in Chriſt Ieſus, is the thing ſignified, the inward and heauenly thing, and that intelligible thing, whiche is not perceiued but by a faythfull mynde. After the ſame manner the Scripture bearing witneſſe alſo of the Supper of the Lord, which is the other ſacrament of the Church, ſayth: The Lord Ieſus when hee had taken breade, hee Matth. 26 Luke. 22.Matt 26Luke 22gaue thankes and brake it, and gaue it to his diſciples, and ſayde, take ye, eate ye, this is my body whiche is giuen for you. Likewiſe he tooke the cuppe and gaue it to them, ſaying, drinke ye all of this, for this is my bloud of the newe Teſtament which is ſhed for many for the remiſsion of ſinnes, doe this in remembraunce of me. Nowe therefore all that action which is done of the Church after the example of Chriſt our high Prieſte, I meane, breaking of bread, the diſtribution thereof, yea, and the banquet or receyuing of breade and wine, is the ſigne, rite, ceremonie, and the outwarde or earthly thing, and alſo that ſelfe ſame ſenſible thing which lyeth open before the ſenſes: but the intelligible thing & thing ſignified, the inward and heauenly thing is the verie body of Chriſt giuen for vsus, and his bloud ſhed for the remiſſion of ſinnes, and oure redemption and fellowſhip which we hauehave with Chriſte and all the Saintes, yea, whiche he chiefly hath with vsus.

By theſe things it ſhall be eaſie to determine certeinely of the names Signes external and in warde thinges.or termes nowe giuen to the ſacramēts. For they are called external or outward ſignes, bicauſe they are corporall or bodily, entring outwardly into thoſe ſenſes, whereby they be perceyued. Contrariwiſe we call the thing ſignified, inwarde thinges, not that the thinges lye hidde included in the ſignes, but bycauſe they are perceiued by the inwarde faculties, or motions of the mynde, wrought in mē by the ſpirit of God. So alſo thoſe Signes earthly & viſible, thinges heauenly & inuiſible.ſignes are termed both earthly and viſible, bycauſe they conſiſt of thinges taken from the earth, that is to wit, of water, breade, and wine: and bycauſe they are manifeſtly ſéene in theſe likeneſſes. To be ſhort, the thinges ſignified are called heauenly, and inuiſible, bycauſe the frute of them is heauenly, & bicauſe they are diſcerned with the eyes of the mynd, or of faith, not of the body. For otherwiſe y^e ſame body and bloude of our Lorde Ieſus Chriſt which in the ſupper are repreſented to the faythfull by the fourme of breade and wine, are not of their owne proper nature heauenly, or inuiſible. For the body of our Lord, touching his ſubſtaunce and nature, is conſubſtantiall, or of the ſame ſubſtaunce that our bodyes are of? Now the ſame is called heauenly, for his deliueraunce from corruption and infirmitie, or elſe bycauſe it is clarified, not by reaſon of the bringing to nought or laying aſide of his owne nature. The ſame body of his owne nature, is viſible, not inuiſible, reſident in heauen: howbeit it is ſéene of the godly celebrating the ſupper, not with the eyes of the body, but with the eyes of the mynde or ſoule, therefore in reſpect of vsus it is called inuiſible, which of it ſelfe is not inuiſible. Now the worde in the ſacraments is The word and rite.called, and is indéede, a witneſſing of Gods will, and a remembraunce and renuing of the benefits and promiſes p. 970of God, yea and it is the inſtitution and commaundement of God, which ſheweth the author of the ſacrament, with the manner & ende of the ſame. For the word in baptiſme, is the verie ſame that euen now we hauehave recited. Goe ye into all the worlde &c. In the ſupper of the Lord this is the word of God, Ieſus tooke breade &c. And the rite, cuſtome, and manner, howe to celebrate the ſupper, is to be ſought out of the example of the lord, going before in y^e holy action, wherein we comprehend bothe prayers and thoſe things which are recited out of the worde of Chriſt. For as he brake breade and diuided it, and in like maner the cuppe, ſo likewiſe with holy imitation, and ſacramentall rite, we follow the ſame in this holy action. As he gaue thankes, ſo alſo wee doe giuegive thankes: wee by certeine prayers in baptiſme doe requeſt the aſſiſtaunce and grace of the Lorde, we recite certeine places out of the goſpell, which we know to be requiſite in the adminiſtration of baptiſme, and we are woont to doe the ſame alſo in the celebration of the Lordes ſupper. But it is not my intent at this preſente, to ſpeake largely and exactly of y^e rites of the Sacrament, which notwithſtanding we holde to bee beſte, that are taken out of the holie ſcripture, and doe not excéede, of whiche ſhall be ſpoken in theire place.

Some in ſtead of the word, doe put Promiſe & ceremoniepromiſe, and in ſtead of rite, ceremonie. And truely in the word ceremonie, I ſée no daunger at all, if by ceremonie be vnderſtood the outwarde comelines and rite, which the Lorde him ſelfe hath commended to vsus by his example, and left to be vſed in the celebration.

And in verie deede Sacramentall ſignes are not ſimple or bare ſignes, but ceremonies or religious actions: ſo alſo there ſéemeth to bee no daunger in the worde promiſe: ſo that by promiſe, wee vnderſtand the preaching of the goſpel, & the commemoration or remembrance of Gods promiſes which we often vſe in the preching of the goſpell and celebration of the ſacraments, that is to ſay, that God doeth receiue vsus into his fellowſhip, for Chriſte his ſake, through faith, doeth waſh away our ſinnes, endeweth vsus with diuerſe graces, that Chriſte was giuen for our ſinnes, ſhed his bloud to take away the ſinnes of all faithfull. For in celebrating of Baptiſme, we vſe theſe wordes of the Lord, Suffer little children to come vntounto mee, for vntounto ſuch belongeth the kingdome of heauen &c. In the celebration of the banquet of Gods holie children, we vſe theſe holie wordes of our Lord: And after ſupper Ieſus tooe bread, and after he had giuen thanks he brake it & gaue it to them ſaying, take ye, eate ye: this is my bodie whiche is giuen for you. This is my bloud which is ſhed for you for the remiſſion of ſinnes, this do in the remembrance of me &c.

For thoſe remembrances and reherſalls, are promiſſes of the Goſpel, promiſing forgiueneſſe of ſinnes to the beléeuers, ſhewing that the Lords bodie is giuen for them, and his bloud ſhed for them, whiche faith verilie, is the onelyonly and vndoubted meane to obteine life and ſaluation, Chriſte is the ſtrength and ſubſtance of the Sacramentes, by whome onelie they are effectuall, and without whome they are of no power, vertue or effecte. But if any man by promiſe doe vnderſtand couenaunt, whereby p. 971the Lorde doeth ſingularly binde or as you would ſay tye him ſelfe to the ſignes, in which, or with whiche he would be preſent bodily, eſſentially, and really, therein hee ſaith more than hee can ſhewe or proue by the Scriptures. For in no place hath Chriſte promiſed to be preſent corporally, that is, with his true bodie, in the ſignes or with the ſignes: other wiſe I am not ignoraunt how God appeared ſometimes to our fathers vnderunder a bodily figure, that is, in ſome viſible forme or ſhape, as when he ſhewed him ſelfe to Iacob whiche was named Iſrael leaning on a ladder, and to Moſes in the hole of a rock as it were in a glaſſe. But theſe do not properly perteine to this purpoſe where we entreate of the corporall preſence of Chriſte, and of the ſacramentall ſignes. But becauſe many wreſt theſe wordes of the Lord, This is my body, This is my bloud, to proue a corporall preſence of the Lordes bodye in the Supper, I aunſwere that thoſe wordes of the Lord are not roughly to be expounded according to the letter, as though bread and wine were the bodie and bloude of Chriſte ſubſtantially and corporally, but myſtically and ſacramentally: ſo that the bodie and bloud of Chriſt, doe abide in their ſubſtance & nature, & in their place, I meane, in ſome certeine place of Heauen, but the bread and wine are a ſigne or ſacrament, a witneſſe or ſealing, and a liuely memorie of his bodie giuen, and his bloud ſhedd for vsus, but of this thing in place conuenient, we wil intreate more at large. By theſe thinges whiche we hauehave ſpoken of, it appeareth ſufficiently, howe Sacraments conſiſt of two things, the ſigne and the thinge ſignified, of the worde of God and the rite or holie Ceremonie.

There are ſome notwithſtanding, whiche thincke there is ſuche force graffed of God into the words, that if they bee pronounced ouer the ſignes, they ſanctifie, chaunge, and in a manner bring with them, or make preſente the thinges ſignified, and plante or include them within the ſignes, or at the leaſte ioyne them with the ſignes. For here-vppon are theſe kinde of ſpéeches hearde, That the water of Baptiſme by the vertue of the wordes doeth regenerate, and that by the efficacie of the wordes, the breade it ſelfe and the wine in the Supper are made the naturall fleſhe and bloud of the Lorde.

But the Sacramentes of Chriſte and his Churche doe conſiſte of the What is vnderſtood by the worde i… the ſacraments.worde and the ſigne. But it ſéemeth that we muſt diligentlie ſearche out what muſte be vnderſtoods by The worde. I ſaide euen now that▪ The worde in the Sacramentes was a witneſſe-bearing of Gods will and the commaundement of God it ſelfe, or inſtitution of God, whiche declareth vntounto vsus the author, manner, and end of a Sacrament.

By this word (I ſay) and Commaundement of GOD, by this will and inſtitution of God, the Sacramentes are ſanctified, not that the wordes are ſo pronounced of the miniſters, as they ar read afore to be recited of the Lord him ſelfe, or deliuered by his Apoſtles▪ but becauſe God ſo would, ſo did, and commaunded his Apoſtles to doe. For whatſoeuer GOD doeth or commaundeth to doe, is ſanctified by the very commaundement or déede of God. For all thinges which hee hath done are excéeding good, therefore theſe things p. 972which he commaundeth to doe, cannot chooſe but be holie, becauſe he is holie, and the onelie ſanctifier.

Wherefore by the nature, will, déede, and commaundement of God, and not by the pronuntiation of any wordes are the Sacramentes ſanctified. To which wil of GOD, that it may bee applyed vntounto man and doe him good, the faithfull obedience of men is neceſſarily required, whiche altogether ſhould make vsus putt our truſt and confidence in the merciemercy and power of God, who in no wiſe ſhould deſpiſe or caſt behinde vsus the inſtitution of God, although it ſéeme in outwarde appearaunce baſe and contemptible. This will appeare …. Reg. 5.more plainlie in the example of Naaman, the captaine of the King of Syria his bande▪ He heard of the Prophet vndoubtedly at the Lords commaundement, that he ſhould waſhe him ſelfe ſeuen times in Iordane. For ſo it ſhould come to paſſe that he ſhould bee cleanſed from his Leproſye.

Héere thou doeſt heare the worde, the will, (I ſay) and commaundement of God, but thou doſt not heare that any wordes were rehearſed either ouer Iordane or ouer Naaman, or that any words were preſcribed of the prophet to Naamā that he ſhould repeate, wherby (forſooth) there might be any force of purifying or clenſing giuen to the water. Naaman by faith obeyeth the commandement of God, and is clenſed frō his leproſie, not by his owne merit, or by the benefite of the water of Iordane, but by the power of GOD and faithfull obedience.

Lepres alſo in the Goſpel, and that not a fewe, are clenſed by the power ….and will of Chriſt, and through faith, and not by pronouncing or ſpeaking of words. The Lorde indéede ſaid, I will, be thou cleane: but if any man at this day ſhoulde hauehave recited the ſame wordes a hundred times ouer any Lepre, he ſhould hauehave preuailed nothing. Whereby it is manifeſt, that to words there is no force giuen of working health, if they be pronounced

The Apoſtles indéede ſaide to the ſick, féeble, and lame, In the name of In the nāe of the lord Ieſus Chriſt the feeble are healed. Actes. 4.Acts 4the Lorde Ieſus, ariſe and walke, and they roſe vpp and were healed, but they were not healed by the benefite of the words, but by the name, by the power (I meane) and vertue of Chriſte.

For Peter whiche ſaide vntounto the lame man in Hieruſalem, In the name of Ieſus Chriſte of Nazareth, ariſe Actes. 4.Acts 4and walke, ſaide in the middes of the counſell of Hieruſalem, If wee this day bee examined of the deede done to the ſick-man, by what meanes he is made whole: be it knowen vntounto you all, that in the name of Ieſus Chriſte of Nazareth, this man ſtandeth heere whole. And to the ſame people hee ſayeth, And his name, through faith in his name, hath made this man ſounde, whome yee ſee and knowe, and the faith which is by him hath giuen to this man health. Beſide theſe, we read in the Actes of the Apoſtles, Actes. 19.Acts 19that y^• ſonnes of one Scaeua a prieſt, being exorciſts or cōiurers, did call on the name of the Lord Ieſus ouer thē that had euil ſpirits, but theſe were ſo farr off from giuing place to their exorciſmes and coniuringes, that they ranne on them and ouercame them, ſo that they had muche a doe to eſcape aliue. Where it is moſte apparaunt, that thoſe Exorciſtes vſed the ſame forme almoſte in p. 973their inchantmentes, whiche the Apoſtle vſed (for in the name of the Lord Ieſus they proued to caſte out the foule ſpirit.) But ſith theſe were not able ſo to do, who cannot ſèe and perceiue, that the words pronounced doe preuaile nothing at all. Neither is that any let or hinderaunce at all, that thoſe Exorciſtes were without faith. For this is a thinge very well knowen and receiued of all men, that Sacramentes are no leſſe effectuall when they are miniſtred by wicked miniſters, then when they are miniſtred by the beſt miniſters.

But héere is obiected againſte vsus this ſaying of the Apoſtle, Chriſte The place of Paule in the. 5. to the Ephe. is expounded.gaue him ſelfe for the church to ſanctifie it, cleanſing it in the founteine of water by the word, or in the word. Beholde (ſay they) men are cleanſed by the water of Baptiſme, which by the word hath the force of ſanctifying put into it: therfore it muſt néeds be, that words hauehave force to ſanctifie. But I wil confute them by an euident demonſtration, that the Apoſtle did not ſo meane as they ſuppoſe.

The Apoſtle preſcribeth vntounto married Chriſtians their dutie: to the more plaine and pithyer ſettinge foorth whereof, he vſeth the example of Chriſte and his Church, commending that excéedinge louelove whiche Chriſte beareth toward his Church, wherewith béeing inflamed he gaue him ſelfe for it, to this end to make it to him ſelfe a pure and glorious ſpouſe, where, by the way, hée ſetteth downe the manner of purgeing.

For the Lord Ieſus him ſelfe ſayeth, hée hath cleanſed it. For it is onlye Chriſtes office to purge and cleanſe. Now the manner of purgeing followeth: In the founteine of water by the worde▪ which becauſe it is briefly ſpoken, hath in it ſome obſcuritie.

He maketh mention of two thinges which the Lord vſeth to cleanſe thoſe that bée his, The founteine of water, And, The worde. The Founteine of water, is Baptiſme, whiche is the outwarde action and witneſſe-bearing of the inwarde purifying or cleanſing, wrought by the grace and ſpirite of GOD, as the Apoſtle ſayeth: According to his merciemercy Tit. 3.Titus 3hee ſaued vsus by the founteine of regeneration, and renewing of the holie Ghoſte, which hee ſhed vponupon vsus richlie throughe Ieſus Chriſte our Sauiour. For hee addeth, in way of interpretation, And renewing of the holie Ghoſte, whereof the founteine of water is a ſigne.

Moreouer, the Worde is the verie preaching of the Goſpell, teſtifying that by the grace and merciemercy of (God) the Father, his onelye Sonne was giuen vntounto vsus, who béeinge giuen for our ſinnes, maketh them that beléeue in him heyers of eternall life: ſo that now theſe wordes of Paule to the Epheſians the 5. Chapter, doe verie well agrée with this Commaundement of the Lorde mentioned in Sainct Marke, Goe into all the whole worlde and preache the Goſpell to all creatures, hee whiche ſhall beleeue and be baptiſed ſhall be ſaued. &c.

For by theſe words alſo the Lord ſhadoweth out vntounto vsus the manner and meanes of our ſaluation, that it is hee onelie whiche purgeth vsus by faithe: yet in the meane while hee willeth the beléeuers to bee ſigned with Baptiſme, and that it ſhoulde be preached openlye in the worlde, p. 974that it is he which pardoneth ſinnes, yea and which freely giueth euerlaſting life. But, what doe all theſe thinges (I pray you) make for their purpoſe, who wil proue by thoſe wordes of Paule, that there is force and vertue in the words to ſanctifie baptiſme? Theſe wordes of the lord ſpoken to his Apoſtles, do yet make our matter more manifeſt. Now are ye cleane, ſaith he, through the worde Iohn. 15.John 15which I hauehave ſpoken vntounto you. Shall we ſay here that through the wordes which Chriſt rehearſed, the diſciples of Chriſt were made cleane? what then néeded he the nexte day to hauehave bene crucified & to hauehave died? What, to the ende that he might purchaſe power vntounto the wordes? Therefore all boaſtinge in the force of wordes ſhal be cleane taken away. Doth not faith and godluneſſe tell vsus, By the worde of the Lorde, we ſhould rather vnderſtande this, which is declared by the preaching of the Lorde, that is, the death and redemption of Chriſt, wherby, becauſe they beleued it they are clenſed. For in an other place he ſaith, purifying their hearts by faith. Wherefore they erre in that, becauſe they doe not rightly iudge of y^e word or ſpeach. For the Lorde ſpeaketh of the word preached and beléeued, and they vnderſtande him of the worde pronounced, as though béeinge pronounced, it had force from the Lorde to ſanctifie. S. Auguſtine alſo maketh for vsus, who in his 80. treatiſe vponupon Iohn, ſaith, From whence commeth ſo great vertue and power vntounto the water, that it ſhould touch the bodie and waſh the heart, but through the woorking of the worde, not becauſe it is ſpoken or pronounced, but becauſe it is beleeued? For in the word it ſelfe, the ſounde paſsing away is one thing and the vertue which remaineth is an other thinge. This is the worde of faith which wee preach, ſaieth the Apoſtle, becauſe if thou ſhalt confeſſe with thy mouth, that Ieſus is the lord, and beleeue with thy heart that God hath raiſed him from the deade, thou ſhalt be ſaued. For with the hart, man Rom. 10.Rom 10beleeueth vntounto righteouſneſſe, and with the mouth confeſsion is made vntounto ſaluation. Whereupon we reade in the Actes of the Apoſtles, purifying Actes. 15.Acts 15(or cleaſing) their heates by faith. And S. Peter in his Epiſtle ſaith: So alſo Baptiſme ſaueth vsus, not the putting away of the filth of the fleſh, but in that a good conſcience maketh requeſt to God. This is the worde of faith which we preach, wherwith vndoubtedly baptiſme is alſo conſecrated, that it may hauehave power to clenſe. For Chriſt with vsus the Vine, with his father the Husbandman, hath loued his church, and gaue him ſelfe for it. Reade the Apoſtle, and marke what he addeth, ſaying: That he might ſanctifie it, cleanſing it by the founteine of water in the worde. In vaine therefore ſhould cleanſing be attributed to a fraile and vading element, vnleſſe this were added. In the word. And ſo forth. For thus farre I hauehave recited S. Auguſtines wordes: not that I ſtay my ſelfe vponupon mans teſtimonie, or that I would hauehave any man to vrge the ſame, or that I am content to be ruled by the witneſſe of man, but becauſe in theſe wordes he hath gathered together ſome teſtimonies out of the ſcripture, bearing witneſſe of the worde. Whereby we may vnderſtande, that the worde of faith preached, and not the worde ſpoken or pronounced ought to be receiued. This worde I ſay doth truly clenſe, that is to ſay, the grace of Chriſt only p. 975doth purifie, to the which both the worde & faith are directed, & for y^t cauſe he ſaide …xpreſly, Not becauſe it is ſpoken, but be…auſe it is beleeued. Anon after he ſaith, The word of faith which we preach. Fur…hermore he ſaith, by y^e word of faith bap…iſme is cōſecrated y^t it might hauehave pow…r to clenſe. Which what is it elſe thē if …e had ſaid, the very ſubſtāce of faith mak…th baptiſme effectual. For it followeth, For clenſing in vain ſhould be attributed to the vading & corruptible element, vnles were added, In the word. Now if a mā …o conſider the myſteries of the ſaints or The …ordes …poken do …ot form … make ſ… …raments …ff…ctuall.holy men in old time, he ſhal not finde in …he celebration of Circumciſiō, the feaſt of the Paſſeouer, & ſacrifices, any words to hauehave ben ſpoken or pronounced, wherby thei were formed & as it were created ſacramentes, & were made effectuall. To which belongeth this, that Iohn Baptiſt did not only baptiſe the common people without reſpect of perſon, but y^e Lord Ieſus himſelf alſo in the water of Iordane: no words in the mean while béeing pronounced, wherby he called & drew down the heauenly grace ouer or vponupon the water of baptiſme. Againe, whiles Chriſte our high biſhop, did inſtitute his ſupper in the goſpell, he cōmaunded nothing to be ſpokē or pronounced, by vertue of which ſpéech or pronuntiation, the elementes might either be chaunged, or the things ſignified béeing drawen down from heauen ſhould be preſent with, or ioyned to the ſignes: but what the lord hath ſimply done, & what his wil was we ſhould doe, after what maner, & to what end he inſtituted his ſupper, y^e Euangeliſts hauehave declared. We read in no place that y^e Lord ſaid, As often as ye ſpeake or pronounce theſe my wordes, This is my body, this is my bloud, it ſhall come to paſſe by y^e vertue of my words, that y^e ſubſtance of the ſigne ſhalbe made void, & that in the ſame prick of time wherin the words are ſpoken, it ſh…l begin to be the true bodie and the true bloud of the lord, vnderunder y^• formes or likeneſſes of bread & wine, or that the formes or likeneſſes & the truth of y^• ſigne remaining, it ſhal begin at once with the bread and wine to be the very body and blood of Chriſt. Wherfore in the pronoū cing or ſpeaking of y^t words of the lord in the ſupper, there is no power or vertue, either to cal down the things ſignified or to change y^t things preſēt. Theſe imaginations do rather ſéem more to mainteine ſuperſtition than religion. As though the words pronoūced according to the forme conceiued, had power to call down out of heauē, to bring frō one place to another, to reſtore health, to draw to, to put from or to tranſforme or change. S. Au. reconeth vp amonge ſuperſtitions vanities, thoſe things which for remedies of diſeaſes are tyed or faſtened about the body, which alſo phyſick maketh no account of, whether it be in charmings or in certein ſignes called characters, or in hanging certeine thinges about ſome parte of the body. The place is to be ſéene Cap. 20. Li. De doct. Chriſt. 2. And Chryſoſt. béeing very angry with them that hang the writē goſpel about their neck, hath theſe words vponupon Mat. 23. cha. Wherin conſiſteth the force or power of the goſpel? in the forme and figure of the letters, or in the vnderſtanding of the meaning and ſenſe of the ſame? If in the forme of letters, thou doſt wel to hang it about thy neck: but if in the vnderſtanding of the meaning, it is better they were laid vp in thy hart. Thus ſaith he. But there is the ſame reaſon of the figures, and of the pronuntiatiō of the letters, or words of the goſpel. For as the figure of the letters is of power to doe nothing: euen ſo is there no force or vertue either in the pronuntiation or ſounde of words. Plinie an hetheniſh writer alledgeth many heatheniſh examples, wherin he declareth that words are effectual: but yet among other thinges which he bringeth p. 976he hath this. It is a que…io (… he) whether words or inchanting ſpeeches are of any force: but euerye one that is wiſe is ſo far from beleeuing it, that euen man by man they vtterly denye it. The place is to be ſéene Lib. 28. Cap. 2.

But moſt worthily is the true word of God it ſelf preferred before al theſe, the which by Moſes. Deu 18. with great ſeueritie forbiddeth and condemneth all kinde of ſuperſtitions and inchantments. I knowe what the aduerſaries wil here obiect vntounto me, namelie that Whether by bleſſing the nature of thinges are changed.it is a bleſſing or conſecration, and not a ſuperſtition which they vſe. Beſides this, they bring many examples out of the ſcripture, ſet downe in their Canonicall decrées, whereby very fooliſhly & moſt vnaptlie doutleſſe they go about to proue that by bleſſing or conſecration (as they ſay) the natures of y^e things are chaunged, whervpon they alſo gather that the breade by the wordes of bleſſing or conſecrating, is turned into fleſh. Their examples are theſe and of Num. 20. Exod. 7. Iohn. 2. Exod. 15. Exod. 7.Num 20Exod 7John 2Exod 15this ſorte, The water flowing out of y^e rock, after it was ſmittē with Aarons rod, the riuer Nilus turned into bloud, the water at the marriage in Cana of Galile turned into wine, the bitter waters of Marath chaūged into ſwéet water, & Moſes his rod turned into a ſerpent. But (I beſéech you) what make theſe to y^e Lords ſupper, wherwith they hauehave no māner of ſimilitude or likenes, ſo that this muſt néeds be a very vnapt cōpariſon & a doltiſh which they make. The riuer Nilus was turned into blod, therfore the bread is turned into fleſh: the water at the mariage in Cana was changed into wine, therefore y^e wine in the lords ſupper is changed into y^e blood of Chriſt. For while y^t the water guſh…d out of the rock when it was ſmittē, while the riuer Nilus was turned into blood, while y^t water at y^e mariage was chaged into wine, while the bitter waters of Marath becāe ſwéet, while Moſes rod was turned into a ſerpēt: y^e water truly, the blood, y^e wine, y^e ſwéet water & the ſerpēt ſo turned & chāged, were not vnderunder y^• forme or likeneſſe of … things which they were before, … were they at once y^t whiche they were before, & that which thei were thē made: but y^• water of Nilus was very bloud, not water & bloud together, nether was there inuiſible bloud vnderunder the viſible forme of water. And ſo ſtandes the caſe alſo in y^e other examples, therfore they do nothing agrée with the ſacramental ſignes, but are ſo farr from béeing like them, that they are altogether vnlike them. Moreouer, who can wel tell by what pronuntiation of wordes Moſes made water bruſt out of the hard rock? turned y^e riuer Nilus into bloud? changed y^e bitter waters into ſwéete? Who knoweth what forme alſo of wordes y^e lord vſed, when he changed water into wine? Therefore very vnfitly do they apply theſe examples to their bleſſing or conſecration, changing the natures of thinges, ſince it cannot be ſhewed what maner bleſſings y^• ſaints or holy men vſed. Likewiſe we reade not that Moſes & Ioſue pronoūced any wordes of bleſſing wherby they diuided y^e chanell of the Erithean ſea, & the riuer Iordan. Eliſeus is read to hauehave vttered no 4. Reg. 6.words of bleſſing when he made y^• are to ſwim, & reached it out of the water by y^e helue. In al theſe things the power The omnipotenci… of God.of God did worke. But we muſt not imagine what we liſt to procede from it. For it is weakenes and not power which is repugnant to iuſtice, & taketh things in hande which are contrary to gods trueth. But the mighty workes of god are of ſuch ſort, that any mā may vnderſtande and manifeſtly ſee, y^t they are ſuch as they are ſaide to be.

p. 977The Lorde ſaide, Let there be light and there was light. Suche a kinde of Gen 1.Gen 1light I meane whiche was both called light and according to the nature of light, gaue light: it was not called, or made light, whiche was light in déede and yet gaue not lighte: as the Breade is called the bodie of Chriſte whi…he yet hathe not ſo muche as one iotte of the bodie of Chriſte.

Furthermore this word bleſſing in no place in the ſcriptures is ſo vſed, as Of the worde Bleſſing.they woldmake vsus beleue. To bleſſe in the Scriptures, is to thank, to praiſe, to ſalute, to bid farewel, to ſpeake wel of any, to wiſh wel, to reioyce, highly to extoll, to giuegive thanks for a good turne, to increaſe, to enriche, to multiplie, or to make frutefull. I could if néede were, bring examples to proue eche of them. But a man ſhall no where reade, that to bleſſe, is as much as to turne the natures of things by the words of God, or otherwiſe by good wordes and prayers, after a ſet manner pronoū ced. We read (ſay they) in the goſpell, that the Lord tooke bread and bleſſed. Yea and Paule alſo calleth the Bread and cupp by that name, to wit, The bread and Cupp of bleſſing, the bread and cup vndoutedly of conſecration, …. Co…. 10.by whiche conſecration the ſubſtance of the ſignes is miraculouſly chaunged. I aunſwere, That the words bothe of the Goſpel and of the Apoſtle, are wrongfully wreſted to that ſenſe, which neuer came into the mind of the Lord or his apoſtles. For to declare the meaning of that place in the Goſpel: To bleſſe, is not with the geſture of the hande to make the ſigne of the croſſe, or to lay ones mouth vntounto the bread and cup, and in a lowe voice to whiſper out the ſet ſyllables of the words of conſecration: but to ſinge praiſes to God, or to giuegive him thankes for his benefites beſtowed on vsus.

That whiche I hauehave ſaide I will confirme by the authoritie of the Euangeliſtes and Apoſtles. For the Apoſtles and Euangeliſtes vſe the Thankesgiuing & bleſſing.worde of bleſſing or thankeſgiuing, indifferently. For where Marke hath foreign, (that is to ſay) Bleſſing, Mathew, Luke and Paule hauehave foreign, (that is to ſay) Giuing thankes, which worde Marke alſo vſing a little after writeth, And when he had tooke the cup, foreign, that is, When he had giuen thankes he gaue to them. To bleſſe therefore is as the Apoſtles them ſelues doe interprete it, to giuegive thankes, ſince that they put the one for the other. The diligent Reader may ſee the ſame alſo in y^t place of Paule which is 1. Cor. 10, chap. which place we will fullie and wholie entreate of in that whiche followeth. Our aduerſaries therefore hauehave not as yet proued out of the Scriptures, that to bleſſe is as muche as to chaunge the things, or that by words, pronūtiation, or reciting of words, the thinges them ſelues ſignified are brought to, or made preſent. The aunciente writers truely made mention of a myſticall bleſſing, but in a farr other ſenſe than theſe conſecrators. Of true conſecration wee will ſpeake anon, and will confute alſo in another place whatſoeuer thinges they hauehave brought concerning bleſſing or conſecrating of Baptiſme: now wee will make an end of that whiche we began. Words of thē ſelues were inſtituted of god to this end, to ſignifie, and by ſignifying to beare witneſſe, and to admoniſhe, neither hauehave they p. 978beſide any hiden force to chaunge the natures of things, or to cauſe y^e thinges them ſelues to be corporally preſent, neither doe we reade that holie men euer vſed them after this manner: therefore they ſinne and deceiue men which otherwiſe vſe them than they were inſtituted.

Aurel. Auguſt. acknowledged the very ſame thinge, who in his Encheiridion For what …poſe …ords are … of what … they ….ad Laurent, Capit. 22. ſaith, And verily words to this purpoſe are inſtituted, not that men ſhould deceiue one another by them, but by the whiche one might make another to know his meaning: therefore to vſe wordes vntounto deceipt, and not to that end, wherunto they were ordeyned, is ſinne. The ſame Aurelius Auguſtinus gathering a ſumme of his whole booke intituled De Magistro, aſketh this queſtion: But nowe I woulde hauehave thée tel me what thy opinion is of al this that I hauehave ſpokē vntounto thée, whiche by and by he anſwereth: I hauehave learned beeing admoniſhed by thy wordes, that a man is taught no other thing by words, than to learn, and that it is a verie ſmall matter, that by ſpeeche or talke we knowe partly what he thinketh y^t ſpeaketh: but whether the wordes whiche he ſpake were true, that teacheth he only who admoniſhed that hée dwelt in the harte when the other ſpake with the toung. Thus much he, in the laſt Chapter of his booke De Magistro. To this purpoſe perteine the words of Solomon the wiſe in the Booke of the Preacher, ſaying, The wordes of the wiſe are like prickes and nayles Eccle. 12. Authours of gathe…inges, he …leth wiſe men bicaſe they gather the ſayings of the wi…er …orte of men in theire bookes.Eccl 12that go through of the authors of gatheringes, whiche are giuen of one ſheepherd. Where we willingly acknowledge, that there is great force in eloquence and prayers of the iuſt, as the Graecians ſignified by that Hercules of Gallia, alſo Cicero verie plentifully hathe declared the ſame Lib. 1. De Oratore. But that whiche they doe forge and imagine of Pitho, or Suada, or Suadela the Ladie and miſtreſſe of eloquence, that verily do we attribute to the holy ghoſt, which doth bothe giuegive grace to the ſpeaker, and prepareth and ſtyrreth vppe the mindes of the hearers. By theſe thinges it is manifeſt vntounto all men, I thinke, that it is a newe forgerie of man, and not a doctrine of Oracle, to ſay, that in the celebration of the ſacraments, there is ſuch force graffed in the wordes recited, that they turne and chaunge the thinges, or make the thinges ſignified to bée preſent, and either put on, or ioyne them with the ſignes. But wee will ſhewe hereafter that the ſignes are not chaunged or mingled with the thinges ſignified, but that bothe of them do remaine ſtill in their own nature and propertie. It ſhalbe ſufficient if wee attribute that to the wordes whiche the ſcripture doth attribute, to wit, the office of ſignifying & admoniſhing, of mouing and ſtyrring vp, whiche they hauehave from God. For they do defile and blemiſhe the wordes of God, whiche decke them with ſtraunge and falſified titles.

We acknowledge in déed that all the Howe the power of almightie God is attributed to the wordepower of almightie God is attributed to the word of God: but who ſéeth not that y^t is ſpoken & ment of y^e euer laſting ſonne of God, wherin y^t ſcripture is called the word of God? Who is ſuch a dorhead, that cannot rightly diſtinguiſh betwéene the euerlaſting word of God, which is y^• ſonn of God the ſecond perſon in y^e reuerend Trinitie: & the word rehearſed ſpoken, or pronounced by man? The euerlaſting p. 979word of god remaineth in his owne ſubſtance & nature a creator, & not a creature: it is not mingled: it is not graffed or incorporated into mans voice. The word whiche procéedeth from man, is a creature, not a creator, and remaineth ſtill a creature. For it is a ſound which paſſeth away. Neuertheleſſe it is a vertue which (ſtil) remaineth, if it be ſincere and not adulterate, and receiued by faith. For ſo it preſerueth, yet not of his owne proper vertue, or power, or becauſe it is pronounced by man: but through his power or vertue whiche reuealed the word, who is true, and therefore preſerueth thoſe thinges which by his worde he promiſeth to preſerue, ſo that nowe in déede God himſelfe doth preſerue, who ſaid y^t by his word he wold preſerue thoſe y^t beléeue. The word therfore which God hath reuealed vntounto vsus by his ſeruāts the Prophetes, and by his choſen Apoſtles, is not, neither is called the word of God, as if the ſounde of ſyllables, wordes, and voices, are of their owne nature the word of God, that very ſame I meane, which of his ſubſtance is the ſonne of God: But becauſe the reuelation of the woorde was made frō God in the holy ghoſte through the word or wiſdome of god. Wherefore although the original be of God, and not of man, yet the words which the prophets and Apoſtles vttered are mans wordes, neither can they do any thing elſe but giuegive ſignification, w^t the which notwithſtāding I wold not hauehave y^t due force of the external word of God to be lifted vp aboue that which is méete & comely, & thoſe thinges imputed to the literall worde, which is proper to God. I acknowledge all thoſe thinges whiche with a ſound vnderſtanding or iudgment are attributed to the word of God. But of this thing I hauehave elſewhere diſcourſed more at large. But now ſome wil ſay, If by reciting the Of true anctificaion or conſecra…ion.wordes of God, ſacramentes are not ſanctified or conſecrated, from whēce then hauehave they this, y^t they be, and are called ſacraments or holy ſignes? Is the conſecration vaine & of no force? Surely vain & of no force is that cō ſecration which the papiſts hauehave feigned. But of conſecration or true ſantification I hauehave ſpoken in the beginning of this chapt. which now I will ſet forth a litle plainer & more aboū dantly. The holy ſcriptures whē they make mention of holy thinges, they vſe verie oftē this Hebrue word ** which the Gréeke interpreters commonly hauehave tranſlated by foreign the latines by Sanctifico Conſecro and Initio. The vſe of this word reacheth verie far. For it ſignifieth to ſanctifie, to offer vntounto god, to purifie or clenſe, and to iuſtifie, alſo to ſeuer or to put a-part and to ſeparate, to ſeparate (I meane) from prophane vſe & to dedicate them to holie thinges, to call a thing by ſome name, to applie & to appoint. Therfore we ſay y^t to cōſecrate in this place, is no other thing but to ſanctifie, to dedicate to god, & after a faſhiō to ſeparate, or of a thing prophane to make an holy thing. But who doeth this? or he which doth it, by what meanes or inſtrument (I pray you) doth he it? who I beſéech you cō ſecrateth, or holieth? is it God? or is it man? Verily God & not man. For God inſtituting any thing, & teſtifying & declaring by his word, what he hath inſtituted & to what ende, of his owne holy iuſt and good will, by his own only inſtitution (I ſay) without any other meane, he conſecrateth the thing which he himſelfe hath already p. 980inſtituted. For as he is holy, iuſt, and good: ſo whatſoeuer he cōmandeth is holy iuſt & good. And man vnderſtanding by the word of God, y^t God hathe inſtituted any thing to a holy iuſt & good vſe, accepteth, receiueth, and vſeth y^t inſtitution for holy good & iuſt. Therfore man doeth not by vttering certein words conſecrate & make holy the inſtitution. And becauſe he beléeueth y^t all the inſtitutions of God are holy & good, therefore he alſo celebrateth this inſtitution of God, euen as God hathe ordeined, & giueth God thankes, depending altogether vponupon God and the rule of his word. Of this manner of ſanctification the Apoſtle ſpeaking in another certein place ſaieth. Now the ſpirit ſpeaketh euidētly …. Tim. 4that in the latter times there ſhal riſe deceiuers forbidding to marrie & cō manding to abſteine frō meates, whiche God hath created to be receiued with thankſegiuing of them whiche beleue & know the trueth. For euerie creature of God is good, and nothing to bee refuſed, if it bee receiued with thankeſgiuing. For it is ſanctified by the word of god & praier. Lo he ſaith meate is ſanctified by the worde of God & prayer. But the word of God is in this place (as Paule the Apoſtle expoundeth it) a teſtimony of y^e ſcripture, & will of God, whereby we are taught y^t all things which God hathe made are excéeding good, & y^t they are cleane & not vnclean which God hath created for to be eaten, & for our vſe. In the Actes S. Peter heareth, Ariſe Peter, ſlea, and eate, (for he ſawe in a Actes. 10.Acts 10viſion before him al liuing creatures of the earth and the Aire) Peter aunſwered, Not ſo Lorde. For I hauehave neuer eaten any thing that is common or vnclean. Therfore he heard again What God hath clenſed that cal thou not common.

But where (I pray you did hee make them cleane? When hee made and gaue them for the vſe of man. To the word is annexed prayer, not a charming or an inchantment, but a faithfull thanks giuing. For the Apoſtle more then once or twiſe, maketh mention of thanks giuing, that by the generall word, that is to ſay, prayer, no other thinge might be vnderſtoode than the ſpeciall worde, I meane thanks giuing. For prayer is (as a man would ſay) to inuocation and giuing of thankes, as the roote to the braunches. Therefore ſaith he, the meate is holy, becauſe GOD who is good hathe made and appointed the ſame for the vſe of man, and alſo becauſe it is receiued of man with faith and thankeſgiuing. For meate is not holy and good to many men, not through any fault in y^t meat which is always the good creature of God, but in thē is the fault which acknowledge not by faith the benefits of God, or which abuſe them, & glut thē ſelues contrarie to the worde of thē Lord. Euen ſo ſtandeth the caſe with the matter of ſanctification, whiche we muſt alſo applie to y^e ſacraments. God of his owne good wil, and for the Howe our Sacraments are confecrated.commoditie of men ordeined ſacraments. He choſe vntounto him ſelfe out of his good creatures, water, bread, and wine, and appointing them to ſome certeine ende, he laide a platfourme and commaunded vsus to vſe and celebrate them: nowe therefore by the commaundement and choice of God, the water bread and wine are conſecrated, and he ſigneth them with his word, and declareth that he will hauehave them counted for ſacraments, and ſheweth the manner howe hee will hauehave them celebrated.

p. 981So that the conſecration of Sacraments is made through the will, inſtitution, choyce, or commaundement of God, and ſeale of his word. Wherfore, water, bread, & wine, vſed after a cōmon maner, or not ſo as they are choſen and inſtituted of God, the word of God is as it were ſlaundered, and they are altogether common & prophane: but being only vſed according to y^e choyce or cōmandement of God holily, and the worde or ſigne being added, they begin to be Sacramentes whiche they were not afore. The ſame ſubſtaunce remaineth in them ſtill which they had before. But they are inſtituted to another ende and vſe, for they are ſealed with the word and commaundement of God, and therefore are hallowed, wherevnto may alſo be added their holy vſe, by a true faith ſetting forth the benefite of our redemption, and giuing of thanks by faithful praiers to our boū tiful redéemer. To this purpoſe we may fetche examples of ciuil gouernmēt, wherin ſome things for certein newe cauſes adioyned, hauing their ſubſtance remaining ſtill, are now made that whiche before they were not. For ſiluer or golde being not yet coyned with the Magiſtrates marke is nothing elſe but ſiluer and golde. But if by the commandement of the Magiſtrate a new forme be added by a printe, it is made money, whiche it was not before, althoughe it be the verie ſame ſubſtance whiche it was before. Waxe, before it be ſealed, is common and vſuall waxe: but when by the kinges will and commaundement that which is ingrauen in the kinges ſeale, is printed in the waxe, and is ſette to euidences and letters patentes, by and by it is ſo eſtéemed, that who ſo ſhall deface the ſealed euidence is attached as guiltie of treaſon.

Whereby I truſt you ſée plainely, that the true ſanctification or conſecration of Sacraments doeth conſiſt in the will and inſtitution of God, in a certaine ende and holie vſe of the ſame, whiche are declared vntounto vsus in the word. Of the whiche peraduenture I hauehave ſpoken more at large than ſome may think néedfull. But the godlie Reader will pardon mée, this my tediouſneſſe, ſince my deſire is to open all thinges faithfully, diligently, and at large.

Now that I hauehave defended the lawfull vſe of the word, and declared the vertue of it, and opened vntounto you as occaſion ſerued, the true ſanctification or conſecration of Sacramentes, I will returne to that where I left: and becauſe I taught that ſacraments conſiſt of two parts, the ſigne and thinge ſignified, it remaineth to ſhew that thoſe two parts reteine their natures diſtinguiſhed, not communicating properties, by declaration whereof, bothe to thoſe thinges which go before, and to thoſe whiche followe, yea and to the whole ſubſtance of the ſacrament, a wonderful light without doubt ſhal appéere. But of communicating of the names or termes I will ſpeake in their conuenient place. That eche parte reteineth The ſigne and the thing ſignified do… reteine there ſeuerall natures in the ſacraments.theire natures diſtinguiſhed, without cōmunicating or mingling of properties, it is to be ſéne hereby, that many be partakers of the ſigne, and yet are barred from the thinge ſignified. But if the natures of the partes were vnited or naturallye knit together, it muſt néedes be then, that thoſe whiche be partakers of the ſignes muſt be partakers alſo of the thing ſignified. Examples of Scripture, p. 982as they are ready, ſo are they euident. For Simon Magus in the Actes of the Apoſtles receiued y^• ſigne and was baptiſed: but of the thing ſignified he had not, neither receiued ſo much as one iote. And Iudas Iſcariot a cruell and faytheleſſe traytour of his maiſter, did likewiſe Eate the bread of the Lord, but he did not eate bread the Lord. Otherwiſe he had liued happie, iuſt, & bleſſed for The wicked are not partakers of the thing ſignified in the ſacraments.euer. For he which eateth me (ſaieth the Lord himſelfe) ſhal neuer dy: But Iudas died euerlaſtingly, therefore he did not eate that foode of life.

To theſe euident teſtimonies of ſcripture, I will nowe adde alſo certeine of Saint Auguſtines perteyning to that purpoſe, who in his treatiſe vponupon Iohn 26. ſaith. We receiue this day viſible meate: but the Sacrament is one thing, and the vertue of the ſacrament is another. Howe many doe receiue of the things vponupon the altar, and when they hauehave receiued it doe die? Wherevppon the Apoſtle ſayth, He eateth and drinketh his owne damnation. Was not the morſel poyſon which the Lord gaue vntounto Iudas? and yet he receiued it, & after he had receiued it, the enimie entred into him: not becauſe that was euill which he receiued, but becauſe he being euil, did receiue y^t good thing vnworthily. And immediately after he ſaith, The ſacrament of the thing, that is, of the knitting together of the bodie and bloud of Chriſt, is receiued at the Lords table, of ſome vntounto life, of other ſome to deſtruction: but the thing it ſelfe whereof it is a Sacrament, is reteiued of all men vntounto life, of none to deſtructiō, whoſoeuer ſhalbe partakers thereof. And againe he ſayth, He which dwelleth not in Chriſte, nor Chriſte in him, without doubt he neither eateth his fleſh, nor drinketh his bloud ſpiritually, although earnally and viſibly he chawe with his téeth the Sacrament of the bodie & bloud of Chriſt, but he doeth rather eate and drinke the Sacramēt of ſo great a thing to his owne damnation. And ſo forth. He hath the like words in his booke De Ciuit. Dei. 21. cap. 25. And in his booke De Doctri. Christ. 3. ca. 9. he ſheweth that In the Coniunction of natures there had need to be a diſtinction, leſt we ſhuld ſticke too muche vponupon the outwarde ſigne.

Now we come to the proofes of the ſcripture. The Apoſtle witneſſeth in the Cor. 10. chap. that all our fathers were baptiſed, and did all eate of one ſpirituall meate, and did all drinke of one manner of ſpirituall drinke, but the Lord… in many of them had no delight. Whereas if they had eaten that ſpiritual meate, and dranke that ſpirituall drinke ſpiritually by faith, vndoubtedly the Lorde had delighted in them. For without faith, as he himſelfe ſaieth, it is impoſsible to pleaſe God: therefore with them that hauehave faith, GOD is well pleaſed. Wherefore our fathers truely were partakers of viſible ſacraments, but they were deſtitut of inuiſible grace, whereby it followeth that the ſigne and y^• thing ſignified do reteine their natures not confounded or mingled, but diſtinguiſhed and ſeparated. Beſides this, the wordes of the goſpell The affinitie of the worde of God & ſacraments.hauehave ſome affinitie, or at the leaſfe ſome likeneſſe with Sacramentall ſignes. Otherwiſe the wordes are preferred farre before the ſignes, the Apoſtle ſayinge, that he was ſente to preach, and not to baptiſe. But many heare with their outwarde eares the worde of the Lorde, who for all that, p. 983becauſe they are voyde of faith, are alſo without the inwarde frute of the worde, Paule ſaying yet againe, For to vsus was the goſpell preached, as well as vntounto thē, but the word which they Heb. 4.Heb 4heard did not profite them, becauſe it was not coupled with faith. For ſo it commeth to paſſe that many receiue the viſible ſacramentes, and yet are not partakers of the inuiſible grace, whiche by faithe onelyonly is receiued. Whervpon yet againe it followeth that the ſigne is not confounded with the thing ſignified: but bothe of them do reteine their ſubſtance and nature diſtinguiſhed. What, & doth not the ſcripture expreſſely & pithily make a difference betwéene the outward miniſterie of man, and God the inward worker and giuer of ſpirituall gyfts? For Iohn Baptiſte ſaith, I baptiſe you with water, But he (Chriſt) ſhall Matth. 3.Matt 3Baptiſe you with the holy Ghoſte.

Wherewith agréeth y^t ſaying of Peter, Baptiſme ſaueth vsus, not the putting Pet. 3.away of the filth of the fleſh, but in that a good conſcience maketh requeſt to God. To this nowe pertcineth that euident teſtimonie of ſaint The ſcripture maketh difference beetweene th… miniſterie of man & the operation of the ſpirit.Auguſtine which is read 3. Queſt. lib. in Leuit. Quest. 83. In theſe wordes: Wee muſt diligently conſider as often as he ſaith, I the Lord which ſanctifie him, that he ſpeaketh of the prieſt: when he alſo ſpake this to Moſes, & thou ſhalt ſanctifie him. Howe therefore doth both Moſes and God alſo ſanctifie? for Moſes doth not ſanctifie for the Lord: but Moſes doeth ſanctifie in the viſible ſacraments by his miniſterie: and the Lorde by inuiſible grace by his holy ſpirit, where the whole fruit of viſible ſacraments alſo is. For without this ſanctificatiō of inuiſible grace, what profite hauehave we by viſible ſacraments? Thus farre Auguſt. As Iohn Baptiſt made diſtinction betwéene his owne miniſterie in Baptiſme, and the power of Chriſt: euen ſo maketh he diſtinction betwéen the miniſterie of preaching, & the drawing of the ſpirituall teacher, I am (ſaith he) the voyce of a crier in the wildernes, make ſtreight Iohn. 3.John 3the way of the Lord. And againe, He that commeth from on high, is aboue all, he that is of the earth is earthly, & ſpeaketh of the earth, he that cōmeth from heauen is aboue all, and what he hath ſene and heard that he teſtifieth, &c. Saint Paule alſo agréeing therevnto 1. Cor. 3.1 Cor 3ſayth, Who is Paule? What is Apollos? but miniſters by whom ye beleeued, euen as the Lorde gaue to euerie man. I hauehave planted, Apollos watered but god gaue the increaſe. So that neither is hee that planteth any thing neither he that watereth, but God that giueth the increaſe. Albeit the compariſon of miniſters with y^e ſignes agrée not altogether and in euerie part (which I told you before▪) becauſe miniſters are fellowe labourers with Chriſt, according to their office, but the ſignes which are w^tout life are not ſo, vnleſſe foreign, we tranſlate vntounto them that whiche is the miniſters, yet by other proofes I ſuppoſe it to be made plaine that the ſigne & thing ſignified do reteine their natures diſtinguiſhed in the ſacraments. Theſe things doe ſpecially diſproue and conuince thoſe who The opinion of the Papiſtes touchinge tranſubſtantiatiō is cōfutedare perſuaded of that papiſticall trā ſubſtantiation of bread and wine into the ſubſtance of the bodie & bloud of Chriſte. For theſe men vtterly denie that the breade and wine béeing conſecrated in the myſteries, do remaine in their owne ſubſtances. For they contend that theſe ſubſtāces (of bread & wine) are annihilated & turned p. 984into the verie bodie and bloud of the Lord, ſo y^t after the conſecration, the accidents of bread and wine doe remaine, and no part of the ſubſtance thereof at all.

For they ſay that the Lorde in expreſſe words pronounced ouer the bread & wine, This is my bodie, This is my bloud, & that the Lord can eaſily bring to paſſe, by his own omnipotencie, that that which he ſaid may be as he ſaid. For proofe wherof, they alledge theſe & ſuch like places, y^t the Lord for ſoothe faſhioned man out of y^e clay of the earth, & by & by of the rib of man made woman, & alſo turned Lots wife into a piller of ſalt, & therfore y^• he, by the ſelfe ſame his power can make of bread his bodie, & of wine his bloud. And theſe truely are their bulworkes. But we in another place hauehave plentifully diſputed of the meaning of the Lords words, This is my bodie. So that it is ſuperfluous to make long repetition of them. I hauehave alſo tolde you y^• of the omnipotencie of God, we muſte not gather & determine whatſoeuer commeth into our braine: & alſo that Gods power doth nothing againſt trueth, neither againſt it ſelfe, and that no Godly man ought to take that in hand vnderunder pretence of the power of God, whiche is repugnant to the plaine Scriptures, and the articles of the catholique faith.

Now it is euident, and plaine, that after conſecration there remaineth That bread an… wine remaine in their ſubſtāces afte… conſecration.in the ſacrament, y^e ſubſtāce of bread & wine. And herein we néed no other witneſſes than our verie ſenſes, whiche perceiue, ſée, taſte, and féele, no other thing than bread and wine: but while clay was turned into a mans bodie, the ribb into a woman, & Lots wife into a piller of ſalte, they were not, as the ſacrament of the ſupper, y^t which they were before, neither did there appeare vntounto the ſenſes any iotte of the clay, of the ribbe, of Lots wife. Verie fooliſhly therefore and vnaptly are theſe examples applyed to the myſterie of the Lordes ſupper, wherewith they nothing agrée: whiche thing alſo we touched before.

The Goſpel verie diligently deſcribing the moſte holy inſtitution of the Lordes ſupper, and the maner thereof, maketh no mention of miraculous tranſubſtantion: but calleth the bread and wine whiche the Lord tooke and diſtributed to his diſciples, and which they alſo receiued, by the names of bread & wine, as wel after the words of conſecration (as they tearme it) were ſpoken, as alſo before conſecration. Doeth not the Lorde in the 26. cha. of Mat. call the wine being cōſecrated not wine only, but the fruit of the vine, after a more vehement and ſignificatiue kinde of ſpéeche, leſt any ſhold be ignorant that the wine was wine in déede, and ſo remained? In Marke we reade this of the Cuppe: And he tooke the Cuppe, and when he had giuen thanks he gaue to them, And they dranke of it, and he ſaide vntounto them. This is my bloud of the new Teſtament, &c. Loe they d…anke all (ſayth he) of the Cuppe, before y^e words of conſecratiō (as they terme it) were ſpoken: therefore they dranke wine. Nowe if ſo be they anſwere that this place of the Euangeliſt is to be expounded by the figure Hyſtero…protero, y^t is whē any thing is declared out of order prepoſterouſly, thē admitt they tropes & figures in y^e celebration of the ſupper, which notwithſtandinge they hauehave contended p. 985ought ſimplie to bee vnderſtoode without the help of tropes or figures. But Paule alſo the Apoſtle in the 1. Cor. cap. 10. calleth the bread of the Lorde beeing nowe in the verie holy vſe, and (that I may ſo ſay) conſecrated, by the name of bread. And in the 1. Cor. 11. chap. the thirde time hee calleth it bread. To this apperteyneth that the Actes of the Apoſtles doe teſtifie, how that the Churche of the Apoſtles do call the whole myſticall action The breaking of breade, not The breaking of his bodie, or diſtribution of his bloud. It is manifeſt therefore that the ſubſtance of bread and wine in the Sacrament of the Lordes ſupper doe remaine in their owne nature, and that tranſubſtantiation is a ſophiſtical imagination. This alſo is a ſophiſtical and a notable papiſticall forgerie, in that they Whether the bread and wine for their former ſubſtance are ſo called after conſecration.ſay that the bread and wine conſecrated in the Supper is therefore called of the Apoſtles breade and wine, béecauſe they were bread and wine before. For that is nowe done whiche is reade in Erod. to hauehave béene done in times paſt, where Araons rodde is ſaide to deuoure the Inchaunters rods, which neuertheleſſe then were not roddes, but Serpentes: but now they are named roddes, becauſe they were rods before they were ſo chaunged which now are ſerpents and not rods. But againe, who doth not ſée this example hathe no ſimilitude or likeneſſe with the breade and wine of the Lord? For the rod truely was called a rod. But in the meane while it was, and ſéemed plainly to be, not now a rod, but a ſerpént: but y^e bread is called bread, neither doeth it appeare to be any thing elſe but bread: here is no forme of fleſh ſéene, as was ſéene there the fourme of a ſerpent. Beſide this the rod is ſaide to be turned into a ſerpent, & is ſhewed for a wonder or miracle: but ye ſhal read in no place that the breade was turned into fleſh, by any miracle: but a ſacramēt is inſtituted, which in déed looſeth the name & nature of a ſacrament when the ſubſtance of the ſigne beeing annihilated & made voide nothing remaineth there, but the thing ſignified: for y^e which they triflingly ſay of accidents myraculouſly ſubſiſting without their ſubiect, & remayning in ſted of the ſigne, is to no purpoſe. If we ſhuld go about to boaſt of our dreames for miracles, there will be nothing ſo abſurde, & fooliſh which we ſhal not colour with our fanſies, & lyes. What if this word tranſubſtantiatiō doth manifeſtly proue that this whole trifling toy, is not fetcht from the ſimple & plaine doctrine of the Apoſtles, but frō the ſubtile ſchole of quarelling ſophiſters?

But the Apoſtle Paule giueth vsus in charge to beware both of Philoſophie Coloſſ. 2. 1. Tim. 6.Col 21 Tim 6and ſtraungeneſſe of wordes, though at this preſent we do not only intreate of new wordes, but alſo of new matter and new doctrine contrary in all pointes to the Apoſtles. For this doctrine of tranſubſtantiation is cleane cōtrary both to the doctrine of the Apoſtles & Euangeliſtes touching the true incarnation of our Lorde, and the true nature and propertie of his humane body, and alſo the true raiſing vp againe of our bodies. For they are conſtrayned to forge many thinges altogether myraculous, as of the inuiſible body of Chriſt, & of the ſubtile body of Chriſt pearcing by his ſubtility through the gate, & the ſtone, I meane that which couered his ſepulchre, or the Lordes very body béeinge altogether and at p. 986one time in many places, and filling all thinges, and other innumerable which are of this ſtampe abſurde and wicked. Nowe alſo Ioan. Scotus a ſubtile doctour in his woorke Sentent. Diſtinct. 11. Lib. 4. quaeſt. 3. ſaith, That the article of Tranſubſtantiation is neyther expreſſed in the créede of the Apoſtles, neyther in thoſe créedes of the auncient fathers: but that it was brought in and inuented of the Churche (ſo ſayth he, meaning the Romiſhe Churche) vnderunder Innocentius the thirde in the Counſel of Lateran. Whereby we gather that the doctrine of Tranſubſtantiation is The counſell of La…eran was in the yeare of of the lorde. 1215.of late time, and newely ſtart vp, the hiſtorie whereof we hauehave elſewhere more largely compyled. But by this that I hauehave ſayde, I thinke it playnely and effectually enoughe declared, that the ſignes are not mingled with the things ſignified or chaū ged into them, but that eache of them remaine in their ſeuerall natures.

But albeit eyther of the parts without myxture doe reteine their owne nature, yet thoſe two agrée in one ſacrament, and being ioyned together and not diuided, do make one perfect and lawfull Sacrament. For water alone both priuately and ordinarily ſprinckled is no ſacrament, vnleſſe it be applyed and vſed according to the inſtitution of Chriſt. Purifying alſo or waſhing away of ſinnes, and the ingraffing or receiuing into the league and fellowſhippe of God and all Saintes, of it ſelfe is no Sacrament, vnleſſe there be alſo a ſprinckling of water, in the name of the bleſſed Trinitie.

In like maner it is no Sacrament, if we eate bread in a common aſſembly, and drinke wine of the ſelfe ſame cuppe after the common manner: neyther is it a Sacrament if through a faythfull remembraunce thou conſider that the Lordes body was betrayed for thée, and his bloude ſhedde for thée, for the which alſo thou giueſt thankes: but ſo farre f…rth as they are all myſteries of God and our ſaluation, they are generally termed ſacramentes, that is, ſecrete and ſpirituall myſteries of GOD and oure ſaluation. For in a perfect and lawfull Sacramente, there muſt néedes goe together both the holy action corporall or ſenſible, and the ſpirituall celebration thereof, for the whiche this ſacramentall action was inuented and put in practiſe.

But here ſome moue many and diuers queſtions touching the ſacramentall Of the ſacramental vnion.vnion, whether it be perſonall, reall, or rationall. I, bycauſe I ſée nothing of this matter doubtfully deliuered of the Apoſtles, and that the thing being playne of it ſelfe by ſuch maner of ſophiſticatiōs is made dark, doubtful, difficult, and obſcure: ſimply and playnely ſaye, that the ſigne and the thing ſignified are ioyned together in the Sacramentes by Gods inſtitution: by faythfull contemplation and vſe: to be ſhorte, in ſignification and likeneſſe of the thinges: but I vtterly denye that thoſe two are naturally vnited together, ſo that the ſigne in the Sacrament beginneth to be that, whiche the thing ſignified is in his owne ſubſtaunce and nature: I denye that the thing ſignified is ioyned corporally with the ſigne, ſo that the ſigne remayneth ſtill in his owne ſubſtaunce and nature, and yet neuertheleſſe in the meane time hath the thing ſignified corporally ioyned vntounto it, that thereby who ſo euer is partaker of the ſigne, ſhoulde be alſo by the ſigne or p. 987with the ſigne partaker of the thing it ſelfe.

The reaſon why I do ſo conſtantly denie that, appeareth I thinke ſufficiently by thoſe examples whiche I hauehave hetherto declared, and whiche hereafter ſhall be declared. Furthermore, It is declared how in Sacramēts the ſignes and the things ſigniſied are ioyned together.I ſay that the ſigne and the thing ſignified, are coupled together by Gods inſtitution, bycauſe he whiche inſtituted the Sacrament of baptiſme and the Supper, inſtituted it not to this ende, that with water we might waſhe awaye the filthe of the body, as the cuſtome is to doe by daily vſe of bathes, neyther that wee ſhould take oure fill of the breade and wine, but that vnderunder viſible ſignes he might commend vntounto vsus the myſteries of our redemption and his grace, and to be ſhorte of our ſaluation by repreſēting them to renue them, and by ſealing them to confirme thē. My ſaying is, that they are coupled together in a faythful contemplation, bycauſe they which partake the Sacramentes religiouſly, doe not faſten their eyes on ſenſible thinges onelyonly, but rather on thinges inſenſible, ſignified, and heauenly, ſo that the faithfull hauehave in them ſelues both twaine coupled together, which otherwiſe in y^e ſigne or with y^e ſigne are knit together with no bonde. For corporally & ſenſibly they receiue the ſignes, but ſpiritually they poſſeſſe, comprehend, renue, and exerciſe the thinges ſignified.

In ſignification and likeneſſe of the thinges, I ſay, they are coupled together, bycauſe the ſigne is a token of the thing ſignified: And vnleſſe ſignes hauehave likenes with thoſe things whereof they are ſignes, then coulde they be no ſignes. They hauehave therefore moſt apt and verie neare affinitie betwéene them ſelues.

For as water waſheth away the filthe of the body: as breade and wine ſatiſfieth and maketh merrie the hart of man: euen ſo by the grace of God, the people of God are purified: euen ſo the body and bloude of the Lorde which was giuen for vsus, being apprehended by fayth, doth both ſatiſfie and make merrie the whole man, that he maye yealde him ſelfe wholy vntounto thankeſgiuing, and obedient to Godwarde.

I would ſpeake here more largely of the Analogie or of the ſigne and thing ſignified, but that I ſée I maye doe the ſame hereafter in place more conuenient. But I thinke I ſhall not néed any more places out of the ſcripture to open theſe thinges more euidently, ſince they followe of their owne accorde vppon that which we hauehave hitherto by teſtimonies of ſcriptures confirmed, and will hereafter more at large confirme.

Moreouer, in reſpect of the likeneſſe Signes borowe the names of things ſignified.of the ſigne and the thing ſignified, the name of the one is giuen to the other, as I will proue by moſt euident teſtimonies of Scripture. In Geneſis 17. the Lorde ſayth thus to Abraham, Thou ſhalt keepe my couenaunt therefore, bothe thou and thy ſeede after thee in their generations. This is my couenaunt whiche ye ſhall keepe betweene me and you. Euerie man-child among you ſhall be circumciſed. Ye ſhall circumciſe the fleſhe of your foreskinne, and it ſhall be a token of the couenaunt betweene Circumciſion.me and you. The mouthe of the Lorde hath ſpoken this. Who will gaineſay the worde of GOD? The worde of GOD calleth Circumciſion a couenaunt, therefore the name of the thing ſignified, is giuen p. 988to the ſigne. For in verie déede Circumciſion is not the couenaunt it ſelfe. For the couenaunt is the bargaine and agreement betwéene GOD and men, whiche hath certeine conditions and articles. Wherfore afterwarde by interpretation, the ſame Circumciſion is called A token of the couenaunt. And who will finde fault with this interpretation of GOD? The ſignes therefóre, yea, GOD béeing the interpreter, take the names of the thinges ſignified.

So you may reade in the twelfth chapter of Exodus. Yee ſhall eate The paſchallamb.the lambe in haſt, for it is the Lords Paſſeouer. Againe, And the bloud ſhall be vntounto you a ſigne in the houſes wherein you are, &c. And againe, This day ſhall be vntounto you a remembraunce, &c. What can be ſpoken more plainely, than that the Lambe is called the Paſſeouer? But what is the proper meaning of the Paſſeouer? Let vsus giuegive eare to the Lorde, here agayne expounding him ſelfe, and ſaying: I will paſle through the lande of Aegypte this ſame night, and will ſmite all the firſt borne of Aegypt, from man to beaſt, and when I ſhall ſee the bloude (of the Lambe) I will paſſe ouer you, and the plague ſhall not bee vppon you to deſtroye you. Beholde, the Paſſeouer, GOD him ſelfe ſo interpreting it, is that paſſing ouer, whereby the Angel of GOD paſſing ouer the houſes of the Iſraelites whiche were marked with the bloude of the Lambe, ſpared their firſtborne, & ſlue y^e firſt borne of y^e Egyptians. If thou art ignoraunt what, and what manner of Lambe it was, liſten againe to the Lorde inſtructing thée, and ſaying: In the tenth day of this monethmonth euerie man take vntounto him a Lambe according to the houſholde, and let your Lambe be without blemiſhe, a male of a yeare olde, which yee ſhall take out from among the ſheepe, and from among the goates. And here the Lambe is playnely called the Paſſeouer. And who dothe not ſée that the Lamb is not the Paſſeouer? yet bycauſe it is a ſigne or remembrance of the paſſeouer, as the mouth of the Lorde ſayth, ſurely it taketh the name of the Paſſeouer or paſſing by.

Againe you reade in the nintenth of Num. Thus ſpake the Lorde vntounto Moſes: Speake vntounto the children Sacrifices.of Iſrael, that they bring thee a red cow without blemiſhe, And ye ſhall giuegive her vntounto Eleazar the Prieſt, that he may bring her without the hoaſt, and cauſe her to bee ſlayne before his face, and to bee burnt whole, And a man that is cleane ſhal gather vp the aſhes of the cow, and lay them without the hoaſt in a cleane place, And it ſhall bee kept for the multitude of the children of Iſrael, for a water of ſeparation (or ſprinckling.) For it is ſinne. Marke againe the manner of the ſpeaking of the Scripture. A heifer or cow is ſinne, that is, a ſacrifice for ſinne, as Chriſte is ſayde to be made ſinne for vsus, that for (or by) Rom. 8.Rom 8ſinne, he might condemne ſinne, whiche is, that by the one oblation of his body, he might cleanſe and purge vsus from ſinne. Hitherto alſo belongeth that whiche the Apoſtle ſpeaking of ſacrifices vntounto the Hebrues, ſayth: But in theſe ſacrifices there is mention Hebr. 10.Heb 10made of ſinnes euerie yeare, for it is not poſsible that the bloude of bulles and goates ſhould take awaye ſinnes.

As often therefore as ſacrifices, as p. 989Heifers, Goates, Bulls, and Lambs, are called ſanctifications, cleanſings, or ſinnes, the ſignes take the names of the thinges ſigni…ied. For theſe were certein types and figures of the Zacha. 3.Prieſte whiche was to come, and of Chriſte, vppon whome all our ſinnes are layd. For, He, truly, is the Lambe Iſai. 33.Isa 33of GOD whiche taketh away the ſinnes of the worlde.

Nowe we are come alſo to the ſacramentes of the newe Teſtament, Iohn. 1.John 1whoſe ſignes alſo beare the names of the thinges ſignified. For Peter ſaythe, Actes 2. Let euerie one of you 1. Pet. 1.1 Pet 1bee baptiſed in the name of Ieſus Chriſte for the remiſsion of ſinnes. And Paule alſo in the Actes of the Baptiſme. Actes. 22.Acts 22Apoſtles heareth, Ariſe and be baptiſed, and waſhe away thy ſinnes by calling on the name of the Lorde, Therefore truely baptiſme is called a cleanſing, or waſhing awaye of ſinnes.

And Peter alſo elſewhere ſaiths, Baptiſme ſaueth you, not that therby the filthe of the fleſhe is put awaye, but in that a good cōſcience maketh requeſt vntounto God. And Paule alſo ſaith, Ye are waſhed, ye are ſanctified 1. Cor. 6.1 Cor 6ye are iuſtified, in the name of the Lord Ieſus, and by the ſpirite of our GOD.

Therefore the due and right cōparing of theſe places betweene them ſelues doth manifeſtly proue, that to the ſigne of baptiſme, whithe is water, is giuen the name of the thing ſignified.

After the ſame manner is it to be ſéene in the inſtitution of the Lordes Supper or Euchariſte. The broade The ſupper of the lordeis called the body of Chriſte, and the wine the bloude of Chriſte. But ſince the right faythe beléeueth, that the true bodye of Chriſte aſcended out of this world, liueth, and is nowe in heauen, and that the Lorde returneth no more into this worlde vntill he come in the cloudes of heauen to iudge the quicke and deade, euerie man vnderſtandeth, that to the ſigne, to wit, breade and wine, the names of the thinges them ſelues, to witte, the bodye and bloude of Chriſte are giuen throughe the communicating of names.

Many other ſpeaches vſed in the Scripture and in oure dayly talke Sacrameſ… cal and figuratine ſpeaches.are not muche vnlike to the ſpeaches vſed in the Sacrament. We reade that Chriſte is, and is called a Lyon, a Lambe, a Shepehearde, a Vine, a doore, a waye, a Ladder, the Day, the Lighte, the Sunne, the Water, the bread, a Spring, and a Rocke, which if at this day any ſhuld roughly vrge, contending that Chriſte is a Lambe in deede, a doore in ſubſtaunce, a naturall vine or ſuche like: who, I pray you, coulde abide him ſo reaſoning? We woulde hiſſe and driue out from amonge vsus ſuche a one as a madde man, and a peruerter of GODS oracles.

Wee reade in déede, And that rocke was Chriſte: In the meane time it is to bee conſidered, what ſhoulde followe. For if that rocke really and in v…rye déede had béene Chriſte, none of them that dranke of that rocke had béene reprobates. For they are acceptable vntounto GOD which are partakers of Chriſte: But in many of them that dranke of the rocke, the Lorde had no delight. For they were ſtayne in the wilderneſſe: therefore they whiche dranke of the rocke which was Chriſte, were not made partakers of Chriſte.

p. 990Therefore the rocke was not Chriſte really and in verie deed. We alſo ſéeing The mā ner of ſpeach which we daylie vſe.the ſtandards of kings, princes, and cities, we call the ſignes by the names of the kings, princes, and cities: for we ſay, This is the king of Fraunce, This is the prince of Germanie, this is Tigure, this is Berne. So if we ſée the marriage ring, or the image of any prince, we call it the fayth and trothe of wedlocke, or man and wife, yea, and we ſaye by the Image, This is the prince. For matrones ſhewing their wedding ring, ſay, this is my huſband. When we ſhewe to any man the picture or image of the duke of Saxonie, we ſay, This is the duke of Saxonie. If any ſhould goe on obſtinately to affirme, that the ſigne in verie déede is the thing ſignified, bycauſe it beareth the name thereof, woulde not all men crye out that ſuche a one were without with or reaſon, and that he were to be abhorred by all meanes as an obſtinate brawler? Thoſe therefore that are ſkilfull in the things, vnderſtand that that is & hath béene Catholique, receiued of all men, and alſo ſounde, which we ſhewed euen nowe at large, to witte, that the ſignes doe borrowe the names of the thinges, and not turne into the thinges (whiche they ſignifie). And therefore the auncient fathers moued no ſtrife nor The auncient fathers moved no contentiōs about the ſacramēts.contentions about the Sacramentes as are at this day among vsus. For as they did beautifie the ſignes with the names of the thinges (ſignified) ſo did they acknowledge the kynde of ſpeache: neyther did they roughly vrge the wordes, as though the verie ſignes were really & corporally that ſelfe ſame thing which they ſignified. Therefore this canon or rule is ſo often repeated and beaten vppon by Aulerius Auguſt. That the ſignes do take or borrowe the names of thinges ſignified. By the ſame canon or rule he maketh playne certein darke places: of which thing we will nowe ſet downe ſome teſtimonies. In this Epiſt. 23. ad Bonifacium de paruulorū baptiſmate. he ſayth: If ſacraments had not ſome likenes with thoſe thinges whereof they are ſacraments, no doubt they were no ſacramentes, for of this likeneſſe for the moſt part they take the names of the thinges them ſelues. As alſo the Apoſtle ſpeaking of baptiſme, ſayth, Wee are buried with Chriſte by baptiſme into his death. He doth not ſay, We ſignifie the burial, but he doth flatly ſay, We are buried. Therefore he called the ſacramēt of ſo great a thing, no otherwiſe but by the name of the ſelfe ſame thing. And in Tract. ſuper Ioan. 63. When the vncleane perſon is gone, all which remaine are cleane. Such a like thing ſhall there be, when the world being ouercome of Chriſt ſhall paſſe awaye, and there ſhall no vncleane perſon remayne among the people of God, when the tares being ſeparated from the wheate, the iuſt ſhall ſhine like the ſunne in the kingdome of their father. The Lord foreſéeing this woulde come to paſſe, and nowe witneſſing that it was ſignified when Iudas fell awaye, as tares ſeparated, y^e holie apoſtles remaining as wheat, he ſayth, Now is the ſonne of man glorified, as if he had ſayde, Beholde what ſhall be, when I am glorified, where there ſhall be no wicked perſon, and where no good man ſhall periſhe. For he ſaith not thus, Nowe is the glorifying of the ſonne of man ſignified: but he ſayth, Nowe is the ſonne of man glorified: As it It is not ſaide, the rocke ſignifieth Chriſt but the rocke is Chriſteis not ſaid, The rock ſignified Chriſt: p. 991but, The rocke was Chriſte: neyther is it ſayde, the good ſéede ſignifieth the childrē of the kingdome, but he ſaith, the good ſéde theſe are the children of the kingdome: and the tares, the children of the wicked. As the ſcripture therefore is wont to ſpeake, calling the thinges which ſignifie, as the thinges that are ſignified: euen ſo ſpake the Lord, ſaying, Now is the Sonne of man glorified, after that wicked (Iudas) was ſeparated, and his holy Apoſtles remayning with him, his glorification was ſignified, when the wicked being diuided, he ſhal remaine eternally with the ſaintes. The ſame Aurelius Aguſt, in his Epiſtle to Euodius 102. ſaythe, The ſounde of the voyce, and the bodily ſhape of a doue, & clouen tongs like vntounto fire, which came vppon euerie one of them, as thoſe thinges in mount Sina, whiche were done after a moſte fearefull manner: and as that piller of the cloud by day, and that piller of fire by night, were ordayned and ſet for ſome operation which they ſignified. Héerein we muſt ſpecially take héede of this, that none be perſuaded or beléeue, that the nature and ſubſtaunce of the Father, or of the Sonne, or of the holie Ghoſte is chaungeable, or maye be turned. Neyther let any man be moued, for that ſometime the thing which ſignifieth, taketh the name of that thing which it ſignifieth. The holie Ghoſte is ſayde to deſcend and remayne vpō him in the bodily ſhape of a doue. For ſo alſo is the rocke Chriſte, bycauſe it ſignifieth Chriſte.

By theſe examples alledged oute of the Scripture, it is playne, that Their error which will not hauehave ſacramental ſpeeches expoūded ſacramentally.the ſignes doe borrowe the names of the thinges, and not their natures and ſubſtaunces. Wherevpon it is vndoubtedly true that they erre as farre as heauen is wyde, whiche are perſuaded that the ſacramentall ſpeaches are not to be expounded as figuratiue, and borrowed, but moſt properly and literally, ſo that by that meanes the water, bread, and wine, are not nowe ſignes and tokens onelyonly of regeneration, and of the body of Chriſte giuen, and of his bloude ſhed for vsus: but regeneration it ſelfe, and the verie ſubſtantiall body and bloude of oure Lorde Ieſus. For being of this opinion they are offenſiue vntounto the common manner, both of ſpeaking and interpreting vſed in all ages: they are alſo repugnaunt to true fayth, yea & to common ſenſe. Whereby it commeth to paſſe, that by their confounding of the ſigne with the thing ſignified, they bring in a ſeruile weakneſſe, & (that I may vſe S. Aug. words) A carnall bondage. For he Li. 3. de. doct. Ch. ca. 9. intreating of the Sacramentes of Chriſtians, ſayth: The Lorde him ſelfe and the Apoſtles in their doctrine hauehave left vsus fewe thinges in ſteade of many, and thoſe moſt eaſie to be done, moſt reuerend in vnderſtanding, and moſte pure in obſeruing, as is baptiſme, and the celebration of the body and bloud of the Lorde. Which Sacramentes euerie man when hee receyueth, being inſtructed, acknowledgeth wherevnto they are referred, that wee ſhould not worſhippe them with carnall ſeruitude or bondage, but rather with ſpirituall freedom or libertie. And as to folow the Carnal bō dage and ſeruile weakneſſe.letter and to take the ſignes in ſtead of the thinges which are ſignified by them, is a point of ſeruile weakneſſe: ſo to expound the ſignes vnprofitably, is a point of euill wandering error. And yet he ſpeaketh more plainly p. 992chapter. 5. Firſt of all you muſt beware le…t you take a figuratiue ſpech according to the letter. For to this agreeth that which the Apoſtle ſaith: The letter killeth, but the ſpirite giueth life. For whē that which is figuratiuely ſpoken, is taken as though it were ſpoken properly, it is carnally vnderſtanded. Neyther is there any thing that may more agreably be termed the death of the ſoule, then whē that wherein we excell beaſts, which is vnderſtanding or knowledge, is made ſubiect to the fleſhe by following the letter. For he that followeth the letter vnderſtandeth words tranſlated or borrowed as proper or naturall, neither doth he referre that which is ſignified by a proper worde to another ſignification: but if (for an example) he ſhall here mention of the Sabbaoth, he vnderſtandeth it no otherwiſe but as one day of the ſeuē, which by continuall courſe come & goe. And when he heareth mention made of ſacrifice, it wil not out of his heade but that this is ment of that whiche was wont to be done aboute offering of beaſtes and fruites of the earth. To be ſhorte, this is the miſerable bondage of the ſoule, to take the ſignes for the things them ſelues, and not to bee able to lifte vp the eyes of the mynd aboue the bodily creature, for the obteyning of euerlaſting light. Thus farre Auguſt. By theſe wordes of Auguſtine we doe gather, that they reuerēce the ſacraments by ſpirituall libertie, which neither ſtick to the letter, neither worſhip and reuerence the viſible thinges and elements, as, water, breade, and wine, in ſteade of the thinges ſignified: but being rather admoniſhed and ſtirred vp by the ſignes, they are lifted vp in their mindes to behold the things ſignified. How a fig…ratiue ſpeach is to be receiued and acknowledged.The ſame Auguſtine in the ſame booke chapter 15. teaching when, and after what manner a trope or figure is to be receiued or acknowledged, ſayth: In figuratiue ſpeaches this manner of rule ſhall be kept, that ſo long you viewe with diligent conſideration what is read, vntill the interpretation come vntounto the rule of charitie. For if it be not repugnaunt to charitie, thinke not that it is a figuratiue ſpeach. And yet more plainly hee addeth in the 16. chapter following. If it bee an imperatiue ſpeache, eyther forbidding any haynous offence or wicked deede, or cō maunding any profitable or good deede, it is no figuratiue ſpeach. But if it commaund any wicked deede, or forbid any deede of charitie, then it is figuratiue. Except ye eate the fleſhe of the ſonne of man, and drinke his bloude, ye hauehave no life in you. Hee ſeemeth to commaund ſome horrible offence or wicked deede: therefore it is a figuratiue ſpeache commaunding vsus to communicate with the paſsion of Chriſte, and comfortably and profitably to lay vp in our remembraunce that his fleſhe was crucified and wounded for vsus. The Scripture ſayth, If thine enimie hunger, feede him: Heere no man doubteth but hee commaundeth well doing, but that whiche followeth: For in ſo doing thou ſhalte heape coales of fire vppon his head, A man would thinke that a wicked and euill deede were commaunded: therefore doubt not but that it is figuratiuely ſpoken. And ſo foorth. All theſe thinges doe conuince their errour whiche interprete ſacramentall ſpeaches, as proper, and reiect al figures and tropes, eſpecially in the inſtitution of the ſupper. Neuertheleſſe I am not ignorāt, p. 993what they ſet againſte this laſt teſtimonie The wordes of our ſauior in the 6. of Iohn doe mak much for the in terpretatiō of the wordes of the ſupperof S. Auguſtin, that the words of our ſauiour in the ſixte of Iohn doe make nothing to the interpretation of the miniſtration of the ſacrament, and therefore that the place of S. Auguſtine doth nothing agrée to our purpoſe. But it is manifeſt that in the ſame booke S. Auguſtine diſputeth of ſignes and of the ſacramentall ſpeaches. And that is manifeſt alſo by many other places oute of S Auguſtine, that he often alledgeth theſe wordes of our ſauiour out of the ſixte of Iohn, to expounde the celebration of the ſupper. But why doe they nothing perteyne to the celebration of the Supper? Doth he ſpeake of one body in the Supper, and of an other in the 6. chap. of Iohn? ſhal we beleue that the Lorde had and hath two bodies? Our Lorde Ieſus hath but one body, the whiche as it profiteth nothing being eaten corporally, according to S. Iohn 6. chapter: euen ſo that body being corporally eatē, doth nothing auaile, according to S Mat. 26. chapter. But this matter we hauehave elſewhere handled. And of as little force is this vnſauourie obiection of theirs, which is, that the conſequence is falſe when we argue thus: Circumciſion To argue from the ſacramēts of the old teſtament to ours of the newe.is the couenant: the lambe is the Paſſoeuer: Sacrifices are ſinnes, and ſanctifications or cleanſings are ſacramentall ſpeaches myſticall and figuratiue: therefore this alſo, This is my body, is a myſticall and figuratiue ſpeache. For ſince in Sacramentes there is the like reaſon, why may wee not frame arguments from the one to the other? And that ſacraments hauehave the like reaſon, it is receyued of all them whiche acknowledge the trueth aright, and it ſhall be proued hereafter to the full. But if it be not lawfull to reaſon frō the ſacraments of the olde teſtament, and by them after a certeine compariſon to interprete ours, and by ours to make them plaine: truely then the Apoſtle did not well, who by a falſe conſequent by compariſon we reade to hauehave argued from their ſacramēts vntounto ours, in the 1. Cor. 10. and to the Coloſſ. 2. chap. But now we returne to oure purpoſe. That we may yet at lengthe make an ende of this place, We may vſe ſacramentall ſpeaches.they are ſacramentall and figuratiue ſpeaches, when we reade and heare that the breade is the body of Chriſte, and the wine the bloud of Chriſt, and that they do eate and drinke the body and bloude of Chriſte, which eate and drinke the Sacramente of the body and bloude of the Lord, alſo that they are purged from their ſinnes and regenerated into a newe life which are baptiſed in the name of Chriſte, and that baptiſme is the waſhing awaye of all our ſinnes. And after this manner ſpeaketh the ſcripture, and this fourme of ſpeache kept the olde doctours of the Churche, whome for ſo doing none that is wiſe dothe diſpraiſe, neyther can one diſcommend any man whiche ſpeaketh after this manner, ſo that he alſo abide in the ſame ſinceritie wherein it is manifeſt that thoſe holy men of god did walke. For as they did willingly and ſimply vſe thoſe ſpeaches, ſo did they not roughly & rigorouſly ſtrayne the letter and ſpeaches: they did interprete them in ſuche ſorte, that none was ſo vnſkilfull, but that he might vnderſtand that the ſigns were not y^t thing it ſelfe whiche they ſignified, but that the ſignes doe take the names of the things, therfore they vſed words ſignificatiuely, ſacramentally, myſtically, and figuratiuely.

p. 994Nowe whereas ſome will not hauehave Sacramentall ſpeaches are to be expounded.the Sacramentall ſpeaches to be expounded, as though being not expoū ded they were of more authoritie, maieſtie and worthines, this draweth after it a ſoare daunger, and giueth a moſt gréeuous offence, and is repugnant to the rule of the Apoſtles, to ſounde reaſon, and to the cuſtome of them of old. For when theſe kinde of ſpéeches are ſet forth and vttered to the ſimple ſort béeing not expounded, to witt, The bread is the bodie of Chriſte. When thou drinckeſt the wine of the Lord thou drinckeſt the verie bloud of the Lord. Baptiſme ſaueth vsus, &c. what other thing ☞I pray you, is ſet forth, than a ſnare of carnall bondage, and a moſt daungerous offēce of idolatrie? Many words néede not in this matter, ſince experience doeth aboundantly enoughe ſett forthe in this place, what hath béene done, and what at this day is done.

The rule of the Apoſtles commandeth the diuine oracles to be expounded in the Church, and to lay forth all y^e myſteries of the ſcripture, that they may be ſoundly vnderſtanded, as wée may ſée, 1. Corinth. 14. And reaſon it ſelfe teacheth vsus, that the mind of mā is litle or nothing moued if the things themſelues be not vnderſtoode. What fruite therefore ſhall the ſimple ſorte receiue by y^e Sacraments, vntounto whom the meaning of the ſacramentes hath not béene opened. Better therefore did the auncient fathers, not onelyonly in expounding all the myſteries of the kingdome of God, and eſpecially the ſacraments: but in teaching alſo that they ought to be expounded. Whiche although it be made plaine inough by thoſe thinges whiche goe before, yet will I add two examples out of S. Auguſtine touching this matter. Hee, cap. 6. de chatechiſandis rudibus, ſayeth: Let the newe Chriſtian man bée taught concerning y^e ſacraments, that they bée viſible ſignes of heauenlye thinges, and that inuiſible things are to be honoured in them, neither that the ſigne after it is bleſſed and ſanctified, is ſo to bee taken as it is daily vſed. It muſt alſo be tould him what that ſpéech ſignifies which he heareth: and what thing is giuen in the ſigne, whereof it is a repreſentation. Moreouer vppon this occaſion hée muſt bée taught that if he heare any thing euen in the Scriptures that ſoundeth carnally, although he vnderſtand it not, yet to beléeue that ſome ſpirituall thing is ſignified thereby, whiche belongeth to holy manners, and to the life to come. And as followeth. The ſame Auguſtine, Lib. 4. de doctr. Chr. cap. 8. doth vtterly forbid the doctours & teachers of the church, not to thinke that they ought therefore to ſpeake obſcurely of the myſteries of the ſcripture, becauſe they ſée that theſe things are deliuered ſomewhat intricately and darckely in the ſcripture: but he rather requireth light & plainneſſe in them. If any man deſire to heare his wordes, they are theſe: If we fetche examples of the manner of ſpeaking out of the writinges of our canonicall authours and doctours which are eaſily vnderſtoode, yet wée ought not to thincke that wee ſhould followe them alſo in thoſe ſpéeches wherein they hauehave vſed a profitable and wholeſome obſcuritie, to exerciſe, and as it were to quicken the readers mindes, and to take awaye lothſomnes, and to ſtirre vp the ſtudies of the willing learners, and alſo to make the minds of the wicked zealous, that they may either bée turned to godlines, or elſe excluded from the myſteries. For ſo they ſpake p. 995that thoſe which came after them and could vnderſtand and rightly expound them, might reueale a ſecond grace vnlike to the former, but yet enſuing in the church of God. Therefore they which expounde them ought not ſo to ſpeake as if they by the like authoritie would offer themſelues to bee expounded: but in all their kinde of ſpéeches, firſt let them labour chiefly and firſt of all to be vnderſtanded, with as plaine kinde of ſpeaking as they can, that he be very dull and ſlow-witted, which doeth not vnderſtand, or at the leaſt let not the fault of the hardneſſe and ſubtiltie of the thinges which we goe about to open and declare, be in our owne ſpéech, whereby that which we ſpeake ſhould be ſomewhat longer in vnderſtanding. Thus farre Auguſtine. And let this that I hauehave hitherto ſaid of ſacramentall ſpéeches be ſufficient. The Lord be praiſed. Amen.