A Godly and shorte Treatise of the Sa­cra [...]e [...]s.

VVritten by Ro­bert Some.

By one spirite are we all baptised into one body, whether Iewes or Grecians, whether bond or free: and haue bin all made to drinke into one spirit.

1. Corinth. chap. 12. verse. 13.

Imprinted at Lon­don for Geo. Bish.

Anno. 1582.

To the right honoura­ble & his very good Lord & master, the Lord Robert Dud­ley Earle of Leicester, Baron of Den­bigh, knight of the most noble order of the gatter, Maister of the Queenes Maie­sties Horses, and one of her highnesse most honourable priuie Counsell, Robert Some wisheth increase of Gods giftes by Iesus Christ.

IT hath pleased God to deale verie graci­ously with your L. your thankfulnesse to his Maiestie wil nota­bly appeare, if you goe on in doing your best for the increase of Gods religion. The high way to compasse this, is the calling for, and placing of such in the lande, as by gods blessing are able and willing to pro­fite his Church. When fitt men are found out they must haue both defence & main­tenance: [Page]defence, that for well doing they be not discouraged: maintenāce, that they may attende vpon Gods seruice without distraction of minde. If this were put in practise, almightie God should bee better serued then he is, and our gracious soue­raigne Queene Elizabeth more heartely obeyed then shee is. Howe singlie many parts of this realm are furnished with tea­chers, all the worlde doth see: the enemie with great ioy, the godly with great grief. The cause of this mischiefe is either great want of iudgement, or great corruption in thē which do preferre, & are preferred to ecclesiasticall liuings. The first of these is a grose fault, but the latter is intollerable sin, as is manifestly proued in the nexte leafe after this epistle. Our Vniuersities both haue and do bread vp many excellent mē, and may well be cōpared to the Apple tree of Persia, which in good mesure doth bud, blossō, & beare fruit al times of the yere. Before that students do come to excellent passe, their paines and charges are verie great, for without labour and Gods bles­sing, learning is not come by, and without expence, studie cannot be maintayned.

When students are furnished with know­ledge, [Page]are they prouided for? is good done to thē for the churches greater good? it is verie cleare that they are singly rewarded, and the case of manie both in the vniuer­sities & abroad doth sufficiētly proue this. But answere peraduēture wilbe made that these studentes must vse meanes for their preferment. If by meanes we vnderstande coasting vp & down ye coūtrey for liuings,Iudg. chap. 17. verse 8. it was ye practise of Michahs priest, & is at no hād, to be liked of: if by meanes be vn­derstood either buying of places right out, or departing with some part of the cōmo­dities, it is a grieuous plague, & must bee taken head of: for it infecteth both the ta­ker, & the giuer, & some other partes of the Church of God: the taker, because it maketh him thinke vily of religion, when he sees & feeles ye corruption of a teacher: the giuer, for besids the present shipwrack of a good conscience, he is driuen to sell deare because he bought deare: the church of God, for it pesters it with vnfit & cor­rupt both teachers & gouernours, wher­by gods honor is greatly defaced, & ye good subiects of the land, very greuously offen­ded. I may add to this, yt this mischief, if it [Page]not in time meete with, will be the vndo­ing of Cambridge and Oxford, and con­sequently bring forth Barbarisme.Gene. cha. 47 verse. 22. The priestes of Egypt were carefully prouided for in the time of famine, and shall a num­ber of our learned preachers almost famish in the florishing estate of the realme of England? The popish sort are very carefull that the Popes plough goe forwarde, they spare neither cost not labour to increase superstition. Howe bountifully their priests are dealt with euery man may see, and their liberalitie doth more hurt Gods religion, then we are aware of. Shall they prouide extraordinarilie for theirs, and shall ourgodly and learned students not haue that prouision which of right be­longs vnto them? they which are seruante to any mē of trade, are after a time in case to maintaine thēselues & theirs, and shall the vniuersitie diuines after many yeeres studie and great expense, be compelied for want of maintenance either to commend themselues to the staffe and waller, or be­take themselues to some other course? ma­ny seruants in court, for a litle and meane seruice receiue great good of their Lordes and masters charge, & what haue the stu­dentes [Page]committed not to haue prouision of their own, that is to say, of the Chur­ches charge. Good my L. tēder the studēts cases, & seing almighy God hath giuē cō ­maundement for their defence and proui­sion, haue good care especially of such as are furnished by almightie God for the comfort of his Churche. If your Lord­ship worke the good of these (which I do and will pray for) you shall do God great seruice, & he wil multiplie his blessings & fauour vpon you. As for them which are guilty of corruptiō, either by taking or gi­uing money, because their sinne is very great, they must first make restitution of money, & Church liuings, vngraciouslye come by, & then craue pardon humblie as almightie Gods handes for these grose e­normities.

This order which I prescribe is gods or­der, and therefore with al reuerence to his Maiestie must be liked of. If restitution be not made by such as are in case to doe it, their repentance is no repentāce, & there­fore the pardō they looke for at gods hāds will not be graūted thē. I beseech almigh­tie God either to giue these men vnfained repentance of his great mercy for the lesse [Page]hurt of the church, or to cōfoūd thē of his iustice for the greater good of his church.Aug. epist. 54. ad Macedomum. Nehem. chap. 5. verse 13. And as to Nehemias praier in another case of oppression, the Lords people said Amē: so I doubt not but your Lorship and all which feare God both in the court, & o­ther parts of this land, wil say many a har­ty Amē, to this praier of mine, against the spoyle of both church & vniuersities.

I did present to your L. when I waited on your honor in the court, a latin Sermō: be­cause it pleasd you to take it in good part, I am now bold to offer to your L. a Trea­tise of the Sacramēts for another testimo­nie of my dutiful mind. If it shal please you to peruse it, I doubt neither of your profi­ting by it, nor of your good accepting of it. The stuffe in this treatise is very soūd, and hath in it varietie inough for the cōpasse of so short a writīg. Thus desiring almigh­tie God to increase his good gifts in your L. for the great good of this noble land, & for your own singuler comfort, I take my leaue of your good L. in most humble ma­ner. At Cambridge the 15. of May. 1582.

Your Lordships most humble Chap. Robert Some.

The Church liuinges may not bee taken from godly and learned minister, but must be freely bestowed vpon them.

WIll a man spoyle his Gods?Malac. chap. 3. ver. 8.9. yet haue yee spoyled me: but yee say, wherin haue we spoyled thee? in tythes & offrings: ye are cursed wt a curse, for yee haue spoiled me &c. saith ye Lord. If almighty God was robbed of his ho­nour in the time of the law, when tythes and offrings were not brought into his storehouse for the maintenance of his seruice, and for the reliefe of the priests & poore amongst thē, it is a necessary cō ­sequent, that Gods honour is greatlye impayred by them, which pull from the Church any part of that which is giuen for the vpholding of Gods religion, and therefore that they are accursed.

Let him that is taught in the worde make him that hath taught himGalath. chap. 6. ver. 6. [Page]partaker of all his goods. If the hō ­ly Ghost commaund vs to giue of our owne goods to our teachers, then wee may not spoyle them of the Churches goods.

Samuel describing the conditions of an vsurping king,1. Sam. chap. 8. ver. 15. setteth downe this for one, vnto ye Israelites: he will take the tenth of your seede & of your vine­yards, and giue it vnto his Eunuches and seruantes. If the king might not take the tenthes of seede and vineyards,Nomb. chap. 18. ver. 21. because they were dewe to the priestes by Gods owne order and commaunde­ment for the maintenance of Gods ser­uice, no man hath any priuiledge to in­rich him selfe, his child, or seruants with the spoyle of Churche lyuinges, or ta­king money or pensions for preferring other to them.

The elders of the Iewes desired Christ instantly to heale the Cēturions seruant:Luke. chap. 7. ver. 5. their reason was this, he lo­ueth our nation and hath built vs a sy­nagogue. If the building of a Tem­ple for the Iewes godly assēblies, was an argument of the Centurions loue [Page]vnto that nation, the pulling away of that from the Churche and Churche­men which woulde mainteyne godlie and Christian assemblies, is a sure ar­gument that little care is had eyther of Gods honour, or of his Ministers, or of Gods people, or of any religion at all.

Ezechias the king of Iuda con­maunded that the Priestes and Leuites should be throughly prouided for by the people of Ierusalem,2. Chro. chap. 31. ver, 4. that they might be incouraged in the lawe of the Lorde, that is to say, that they might cheereful­ly and without distraction of mynde at­tend vppon their calling. If it was e­quall in Ezechias time that the Mini­sters of Ierusalem shoulde haue mayn­tenance at the hands of the nobility and Citizens of Ierusalē, it is most equall, that none in our time whatsoeuer should take to themselues, eyther the whole or part of such maintenance, as hath beene heeretofore prouided for the Ministers, and is nowe confirmed to them by the godlie lawes of this noble lande.

If Dauid refused to drinke of the wa­ter of Bethlehem because it was gotten with daunger of losing a few temporall liues,1. Chro. chap. 11. ver. 16.17.18.19. it is a very great sinne by praying vpon the church liuinges (as a hawke doth vpō partriches) to spoyle Christiās of ye food of their soules, & so to bring a plague of famine amongst them. If Dauid deserue commendation for pow­ring out the water of Bethlehem to the lord for a sacrifice, what do they deserue which by pulling from the Church and Churchmē, do spoyle almighty God of his seruice & ye poore of necessary releif, which are grosse sinnes against both the tables of the commaundements.

If anie faithfull man or faithfull woman haue widowes,1. Tim. chap. 5. ver. 16. let them mini­ster vnto them and let not the Churche be charged, that there may be sufficient for them that are widowes in deed. If they sinne which for the ease of their owne purses suffer the Churche to bee charged, their sinne is greater which do pull from the Churche, or take eyther mony or pensions of the Church men for preferring of them.

If God doe curse,Deut. chap. 27. ver. 17. and all good men detest them which remoue the bounde­stone, because by yt fact, quarrels growe amongst neighbors, & other mēs land is somtimes vniustly come by, they are vn­der a more greeuous curse at Gods hands, & vnder greater detestatiō at his peoples hands, which take away either landes or commodities from ye Church and Churchmen. The remouing of the bowndstone hurtes but a fewe, and to their little losse. The taking away of the maintenāce of the Minister hurts a great number, and keepes from them learned and godly men, which shoulde teach and gouerne them.

If Iesus Christ did cast out of the tēple in Ierusalē all them that sold & bought in the temple,Math. chap. 21. ver. 12. and did ouerthrowe the tables of the mony chaungers, and the seates of them that sold doues, hee will deale more rowndly with buyers and seslers of Cleargy liuinges, because their sinne is greater. They which sold doues and were mony changers in Ie­rusalem had two goodly pretenses for their marchandize: first that the people [Page]which came to sacrifice at Ierusalem needed not to seeke farre for doues to sacrifice, or for monie to offer in the tē ­ple, because they might haue both mo­ny & doues at hand for ye seruice of God in Ierusalem. Secondly, the exchange of monie and sale of doues was not in the sanctuarye but in the court of the Temple, which court was sometimes tearmed by the name of the temple. They which make marchandize of cler­gy liuings haue no such colour for their defence, they cannot say that they are monie chaungers and doue sellers, to furnish Gods people with monie for offeringes and with doues for sacrifice: but they take mony and gifts of corrupt men, to famish Gods people and to keep from them the goodlye funneshyne of Gods fauour, which the sounde prea­ching of the Gospell doth very liuely & comfortably offer vnto them. They which sold doues and changed monie in Ierusalem, defiled not the sanctuary but the court of the temple: they which sell Church liuinges doe great hurt to the bodie of the Churche and commonwealth, [Page]therefore their condemnation will bee more greauous because their sinne is greater.

The Emperour Constantinus com­maunded Anilinus,Euseb. lib. 1 [...]. chap. 5. to bee carefull that gardens, howses, or any thing whatsoe­uer belonging to the right of the chur­ches should with all speede bee restored to them. If pulling from the Churches had beene lawfull, Constantinus com­maundement had deserued neither li­king nor performance. Our gracious souereigne Queene Elizabethes both desire and pleasure is, that worthy men be called for, and haue that maintenance freely which belonges vnto them: this hath her Maiesty deliuered in speeche, and it is prouided for by hir highnes lawes. All ye feare God doe thanke him for, and are glad of this, and do therefore think very hardly of corrupt mē which will not be restrayned and reformed ey­ther by Gods and the Queenes both lawes and speech, or by the woorthye example of Constantinus, or by the testimonye of their owne consciences, which cannot but both accuse & condēne them,

They which present mē to ecclesiasti­cal liuings are called patrons, that is to say, defenders of ye church: to keepe back either all or part of ye church liuinges is not to be a shielde to couer the Churche and the Minister, but a sworde to cut them, and therefore they may iustly be called the schollers of Lysimachus the Churchrobber which was slaine for his villanies.2. Machab. chap. 4. ver. 42. If a patrone preferre a mini­ster for monye and corruption, hee must needs thinke hardly and vily of that mi­nister, & the minister likewise of that patrone: for who can like a minister when he feeles his corruption, and what minister though hee fishe with a siluer hooke, wil accompt of yt patrons friend­ship which he payes so deare for: and what good men can like of eyther him that preferres or is preferred in this sorte: will they not iudge them to bee straunge market men? Iero­hoam made Priestes of the lowest of the people which were not of the sōnes of Leui,1. Kings chap 12. ver. 31. & chap. 13. ver. 33. but hee did it for monye. For the like respect, I feare, manye haue beene preferred, which cannot [Page]be allowed for Prophets because they neuer were the sonnes of the Pro­phets.

I haue handeled these poyntes, I trust for the good of all▪ that they which are guiltie of this sinne may make re­stitution and leaue the practise of it, and that they which are not guiltie of it, may take good heede that they fall not into that sinke of corruption. If anye be offended with this I haue set downe, it is their faulte and not mine: for the seed which I haue sowen is very good, but the ground which receiues it not, is very bad: but my comfort is this, that I haue pleased almighty God and his seruauntes in this godly labour, though this certayne truthe bee a shut booke & as a sealed letter vnto graceles Cor­morantes.

Question.

Whether landes and pensions gi­uen for the maintenance of Idolatrie, may and ought to be conuerted to the seruice of God?

Answere.

They may & ought: for if mē should conuert them to their priuate vse, it might bee iustly thought, that in abo­lishing superstition priuate gaine is the marke which is louelled at, and not the promoting of Gods true religion. This is Augustines iudgement in a notable and learned Epistle,Aug. epist. 154▪ ad Pub­licolam. and de­serues to be greatly liked of.

To the Reader.

SInce the printing of the first part of my Catechisme, I haue bin earnestly dealt with to write somewhat of the Sacraments. The request was verie equall, and I haue yeelded to it, as appea­reth by these Treatises. The course I haue taken in them is plaine and short: If they shall profite such as haue neede of in­struction, I will thanke God very humbly for it, and hereafier, by Gods assistance, set downe another short Treatise of the Scripture, and the Church and Confessi­on, for their further benefit. These points are waighty, but necessary arguments to be handled, yet very breesly: because the memories of the simple are verie shorte and long discourses are not easily dige­sted by them. God giue vs grace to in­crease in the knowledge of his truth, and to frame our liues accordingly, to his glo­rie and our comforte, through Iesus Christ.

A Table of such poyntes as are contained in the first part of this Treatise.
  • 1 VVHat a Sacrament is.
  • 2 There are but two Sacramēts, Baptisme & the Lords supper: the other fiue which went vnder the name of Sa­craments, are no Sacraments.
  • 3 It is not in any mans power to make a Sacrament.
  • 4 Whether the Sacraments of the olde and new testament are all one, and howe they differ.
  • 5 The Sacramēts must not be admini­stred at all aduentures to euery one.
  • 6 The signe must not bee confounded with the thing fignified in the Sacramēt.
  • 7 The Sacraments are not to be estee­med better for the worthines of the mini­ster, or the worse for his vnworthines.
  • 8 The Sacramentall signes offer grace vnto all, but doe not of their owne nature conferre grace vnto all that doe receiue them.
  • 9 Why almighty God would haue the external signes in the Sacramēts, to con­sist of very simple and vsuall things.
  • [Page]10 The Sacraments are not naked & bare signes.
  • 11 The Sacramentes must haue the word of God annexed to them.
  • 12 Gods Church hath neede of Sacra­ments, so long as it is in this world.
  • 13 The Sacraments are highly to bee esteemed.
  • 14 The contempt of the Sacramentes is very daungerous.
  • 15 The Sacraments during the tyme of the action of Baptisme & of the Lords supper are Sacraments, but after the ac­tion is ended, they are no Sacraments.
  • 16 What good we receiue by the Sa­craments.

❧ A Treatise of the Sacraments.

1 What a Sacrament is.

A Sacrament is a visible signe of an inuisible grace.

2 There are but two Sacramentes, Baptisme and the Lordes Supper: The other fiue which went vnder the name of Sacramentes, that is to say, Matrimo­nie, Orders, Pennaunce, Extreme vn­ction and Confirmation are no Sacra­mentes.

SAynt Paule prouing that the Israe­lites were equal vnto thē of Corinth,1. Cor. chap. 10. ver. 2. 3. and consequently of vs in the externall signes of Gods fauour, nameth onelye Baptisme and the Lordes Supper: wherein hee had dealt verie strangely, if of seuen Sacramentes he had left out fiue.

Two thinges are especially & ioynt­ly [Page]required vnto euery necessary Sa­crament of the Churche. First a sēsi­ble outward element: Secondly the word of institution: the element in Bap­tisme is water: the elementes in the Lords Supper are bread & wyne: the word of institution in baptisme, is that which is pronounced by the minister: I baptize thee in the name of the Fa­ther, of the Sonne,Math. chap. 28. ver. 19. and of the holye Ghost. the word of institutiō in ye Lords supper, is:1. Cor. chap. 11. ver. 23.24.25. The Lorde Iesus the same night that he was betrayed tooke bread, and when he had giuen thanks he brake it and sayde, take, eate, this is my bodie which is broken for you, this do ye in remembrance of me. After the same ma­ner also he tooke the cup when hee had supped, saying, this cup is the new Te­stament in my blood, this doe as oft as yee drinke it in remembrance of me.

Matrimony, orders, & pennance haue ye word of God but no outward element. Extreme vnction and Confirmation haue neither word nor element.

Obiection for Matrimony.

For this cause shall a man leaue fatherEphes. chap. 5. ver. 31.3 [...] [Page]and mother and shal cleaue to his wife & they twayne shall be one flesh: this is a great mysterie, yt is to say, Sacramēt. as the Church of Rome translateth it, therefore. Matrunonie is a Sacrament.

Answeare.

If by this word (Mistery) we vnder­stād a Sacramēt,2. Thes. chap. 2. ver. 7. Ephe chap. 5. ver. 32. iniquity shal be a Sa­cramēt, for ye Apostle makes mentiō of ye Mystery of iniquitie: Besides, this My­stery pertayneth not to the carnall ma­riage of man and wife, but to the spiritu­all mariage of Christ and the Church: S. Paules wordes doe warrant this: this is (saith he) a great secret, but I speake concerning. Christ and the Church.

Obiection for Matrimonie.

Mariage is a signe of a holy thing, therefore it is a Sacrament.

Answere.

The argument folowes not: for if to bee a signe of a holie thing bee suf­ficient to make a Sacrament, I con­fesse mariage is a Sacrament because it resembles the coniunction of Christe and his Churche: but by this meanes [Page]we are like to haue more then seuen sa­cramentes: for then Christes washing of his disciples feete, his imbracing of young children in his arme, and almost all his actions, because they are signes of holy thinges must goe for Sacra­mentes.

Obiection for extreeme vnction.

Is any man sicke among you: let him call for the Elders of the Church,Iam. chap. 5. verse 14.15. and let thē pray for him & anoint him with oyle in the name of the Lorde, and the prayer of fayth shall saue the sicke, and the Lord shall raise him vp. &c.

The Apostle setteth downe a com­maundement in these wordes (let him call for the Elders of the Church) and the element in these words (anoint him with oyle, and a promise aunexed to the element in these wordes (and the Lord shall rayse him vp), therefore extreeme vnction is a Sacrament.

Answere.

I graunt there is a comaundement, an element, and a promise, but because that commaundement is not giuen to [Page]vs nor that promise belongs to vs, an­nointing with oyle which was vsed in the Primitiue Church, must not in that case be vsed of vs, and therefore ney­ther is nor must bee accounted a Sacrament for vs. Circumcision had the worde of institution and a sensible outward element, but because che com­maundement and promise was giuen to the Israelites and not to vs, it was a Sacrament to them, but is not so to vs. Secondly the Apostle Iames spea­keth of an extraordinary gift of healing by anoynting with oyle, as the Euan­gelist Marke reporteth:Mark. chap. 6. verse. 13. whiche extra­ordinarie gift of healing being ceased many yeeres past, what extreeme folly is it to retayne annoynting with oyle, which was a signe of that gift. Thirdly the annointing with oyle vsed in the Primitiue Churche is very vnlike the extreme vnctiō of the Popish Church. Saint Iames woulde haue all sicke folkes to be anointed: his woordes are playne (is any sicke &c.) The Pa­pistes do anoynt them onely which are at deathes dore. Saint Iames promi­seth [Page]recouerie of health to the sicke which were anointed in the Prinitiue Church, which promise was according­ly perfourmed: his woordes are mani­fest (and the Lorde shall rayse him vp): the Papists may promise recouerie to them whō they anoint, but they are not in case to performe it, for they haue not the gift of healing.

If they woulde answere they haue it, they might bee iustly conuin­ced of great, both vanitie and cruel­tie: vanitie, for vaunting of that which all the worlde sees they haue not, cruel­tie, for not curing those sicke men and women whom they see to die presently after their anointing. Lastly, the anoin­ting in S. Iames time and curing of the sick extraordinarily by that meanes and godly praiers, did make greatly for the confirmatiō and increase of religi­on at the first planting of the Gospell,Acts. chap. 5. vers. 15. Act. chap. 19 verse 12. as Peters shadowe, and Paules Nap­kinnes did. The extreme vnction of the Papistes neyther cures sicke men nor increases religion, but nourishes superstition and prooues gaynefull to the popish priestes.

3 It is not in any mās power to make a Sacrament.

The Israelites had two Sacraments,Gene. cha. 17 vers. 10.11. Exod. cha. 12 verse 3. Mat. cha. 21 verse 25. Circumcision and the passeouer: God himself was the authour of them both.

Christ asking the Pharises whether Iohns Baptisme were from heauen, doeth giue vs very clearely to vnder­stande, that it was not to be allowed for a sacrament, vnles it had bin comman­ded of almightie God.

The Apostle remembring that by one spirite we are all baptised into one body,1. Cor. cha. 12 verse 13. doth manifestly teach vs, that the Sacramentes are not the worke of any man but of the spirit of God.

Saint Paule doth not take vpon him to institute the Lordes Supper in the Church of Corinthe,1. Cor. cha. 11 verse 23. but (for the refor­mation of such abuses as had crept into that holy Sacrament) deliuers that to them which he receiued of the Lorde.

The name of the Lordes Supper doeth teach vs that Iesus Christe was the authour of it.

A Sacrament can neuer be without promise of saluation: all men of the worlde can not of them selues promise any thing to vs of our saluation: Ther­fore they neither can nor ought of them selues to institute or erect any Sacra­ment.

4 Whether the sacraments of the old and newe Testamēt are all one, and how they differ.

Circumcision was to the Israelites a Sacrament of regeneration: Bap­tisme is so to vs. By Circumcision, the Israelites were incorporated into gods visible Church: so are we by Baptisme. Circumcision was to them a signe of Gods couenant: so is Baptisme to vs.

The Paschall Lambe was to the Is­raelites a sacrament of yt immaculate Lambe Christe Iesus, by whose blood their redemption shoulde bée wrought: the bread and wine in the Lords Sup­per is a Sacrament to vs of Christes body and blood which is giuen and shed for vs.

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The Israelites did eate the same spi­rituall meate whiche wee doe,1. Cor. chap. 10. verse 2. because there was one and the selfe same sub­stance of their Sacraments and ours, that is to say, the partaking of Iesus Christ vnto life euerlasting.

The Sacramentes of the Israelites (touching the external signes) do differ from ours, but theirs & ours are a like if we consider the thinges signified by them: For in their Sacramentes was expressed the death of Christ which was then to come: in ours is expressed the death of Christ already past.

The new Sacraments instituted of Christ are plainer and clearer then the Sacramentes vnder the Lawe, as the Gospell is playner and clearer then ye Lawe, but the thinges signified in and by their sacramentes and ours, are not contayned more in our Sacramentes then in theirs.

5 The Sacramentes must not bee ad­ministred at all aduenture to euerie one.

The Passeouer was one of the Sa­craments amongest the Israelites.Exod chap. 12. vers. 48. It was not lawefull for any that was vn­circumcised, to eate of it.

It is not lawfull to giue the precious treasure of Gods worde to them which do contemne it,Mat. chap. 7. verse 6. therfore it is as vnlaw­full to giue vnto them the Sacramēts which are the seales of the worde.

Philip the Emperor offered himselfe to be partaker of the prayers in a pub­licke assemblie:Euseb. lib. 6. chap. 34. the gouernour of that Church refused to admit him, vntill by confession of his sinnes he satisfied the Church, and had ioyned himselfe to the penitentiaries in the face of the cōgre­gation. The Emperor according to his duetie yeelded his obedience most wil­lingly. If the Emperour was repelled for a time from the publike prayers, it is a cleare case that hee shoulde not at that time haue bin admitted to the holy Sacrament.

The Emperour Theodosius after yt he had defiled himself with shedding in­nocent blood in the citie of Thessaloni­ca,Theod. lib. 5. cha. 17. & 18 was not admitted by Ambrose ye Bi­shop of Mediolanum either to enter in­to the Church, or to present him selfe to the partaking of the holy Sacra­ment, vntill Theodosius by a notable [Page]confession of his sinne had satisfied and reconciled himselfe to the Churche of God.

6 The signe must not be confounded with the thing signified in the Sacrifice.

For not eueryone yt receiueth the signe is partaker of the thing signified: This is cleare in Simon Magus for Baptis­me, and in the traytour Iudas for the Lords Supper.

The water of Baptisme is one thing, the blood of Christ signified by the wa­ter is another thing: The water pur­geth our bodyes, Christes blood pur­geth our soules: without partaking of Baptisme (so that contempt be absent) we may be saued, without Christs blood we can neuer be saued.

The bread of the Sacrament is one thing, the body of Christ is another, the breade entereth onely into the bodily mouth, Christes fleshe entreth onely in­to the soule: without eating the bread of the sacrament (so that contempt bee [Page]absēt) we may be saued, without eating of Christes flesh we can neuer be saued.

It is a miserable bondage of the soule,Aug. de doct. Christ. lib. 5. cap. 5. to take the signes (in the Sacramēts) for the thinges signified by them.

I confesse that the name of the thing signified is giuē sometime to the signe.Gene. cha. 17 verse. 10. Circumcision is sayde to bee the coue­nant betweene God & Abraham, when notwithstanding it was not the coue­nant but the signe of Gods couenant. The Lambe is called the Lords Passe­ouer,Exod. cha. 1 [...] verse 11. but the Lambe was not the pas­sage it selfe (of the Israelites out of E­gypt) but remembred vnto them the be­nefite of that great deliuerāce of theirs out of Egypt. The bread in the Lordes Supper, is called the body of Christe,Aug. contra Adimant. cap. 12. but it was onely a figure and signe of Christs body: & yet the worthy receiuer which bringes fayth and repentaunce with him to the Lords Supper, is par­taker as of the bread and the wine, so of the bodye and blood of the Lorde Ie­sus.

7 The Sacramentes are not to bee e­steemed better for the worthinesse of the minister, or the woorse for his vn­worthines.

Iesus Christ him selfe baptised not, but his disciples,Iohn. chap. 4. verse 2. Iohn chap. 4. ver. 1. and chap. 3. verse 22. and yet the baptisme ministred by the disciples was Christes Baptisme. If that be Christes baptisme which is ministred by man, whatsoeuer the minister be, baptisme still remaines to be Christes baptisme.

Wee are baptised in the name not of any creature but of the holy Trinitie:Cypr. de bapt. Christi. therefore whether Iudas or Paule doe baptize, Christ doth wash and put away our sinnes.

As golde is gold of whom soeuer it be giuen or receiued, so is the Sacra­ment alwayes a Sacrament whether it be giuē to vs by good or bad ministers.

The Sacramentes are Gods ordi­nance: mans lewdnesse can not peruert the nature of Gods ordinance.

The Anabaptistes in our time doe thinke that baptisme is defiled by the lewdnesse of the minister. The Do­natistes [Page]in Augustins time did esteeme of the worthinesse of the Sacrament by the worthinesse of the minister. These are grosse and palpable errours.

It is a cleare trueth in diuinitie that the Sacramentes are neyther bet­ter nor woorse for the goodnesse or the badnesse of the ministers, yet vnlearned and lewde ministers must eyther labor to bee better furnished with learning and honesty for the good of the Church, or els be remooued to the lesse hurte of the Church.

8 The Sacramentall signes offer grace vnto all, but doe not of their own na­ture conferre grace vnto all that doe receyue them.

Many haue been partakers of the Sacramentes, which notwithstanding were very vngracious. Many of the Iewes receiued Circumcision of the fleshe without Circumcision of the heart. Simon Magus receyued Baptisme but not regeneration: Audas receyued the breade of [Page]the supper, but not the body of Christ.

The Sacramentes do bring to passe that which they doe figure,Aug. de bapt. paruulo. onely in the elect.

We neyther doe nor may attribute forgiuenes of sinnes to the externall e­lement otherwise then instrumentally. We must by no meanes say that grace is contayned essentially in the Sacra­ments, as water in a vessell, or as medi­cine in a boxe, but the Sacraments are saide to containe grace, because they besignes of grace.

It is a certaine trueth that the Sa­cramentes doe alwayes retayne their nature.Tit chap. 3. verse 5. 1. Cor. cha. 10 verse 16. Baptisme is a lauer of re­generation. The Lordes Supper is the communion of Christes body & blood, though no sparke of faith remayned in the world: but we receiue not the grace which is offered by y• Sacraments, vn­lesse we bring fayth to the partaking of the Sacramentes.

If any aske me, why the infantes of the faithfull which haue not fayth are presented to baptisme, I answere that [Page]though they haue not fayth, yet they are vnder Gods couenant, wherof Baptis­me is to vs a sure warrant and confir­mation.

Obiection.

The Church is clensed by the wash­ing of water through the worde,Ephe chap. 2. verse 26. there­fore Baptisme doth conferre saluation.

Answere.

The Apostle ioynes together the worde of life and the washing of water, as if he shoulde say, by the Gospell the message of our washing and sanctifica­tion is deliuered vnto vs, and by Bap­tisme, the same message is sealed vp vn­to vs.

9 Why almightie God woulde haue the externall signes in the Sacraments to consiste of very simple and vsuall thinges.

Almightie God woulde haue them consist of most simple and vsual things, First that we shoulde not hang vpon or [Page]cleaue vnto these earthly thinges, but lift vp our heartes vnto the Lorde: Se­condly, least we which incline to much by our corrupt nature to superstition, shoulde abuse the outward signes. Last­ly, because hee woulde barre none, no not the poorest from beeing partakers of the holy Sacramentes. This course did the Lord take in the time of ye Iawe: they whiche were not able to offer vnto him,Leuit. chap. 5. vers. 7.11. Oxen, Sheepe, Lambes, &c. did of­fer vnto him Pigions & turtle Doues. If their abilitie serued not for these, they offred a little meale.

The outwarde signes in the Sacra­ments are very meane and base things if wee looke on them with the eyes of our fleshe, but they are most precious and singuler Iewelles if wee looke on them with the eyes of our fayth, and do esteeme them according to the Lordes institution.

10 The Sacramentes are not naked and bare signes.

In Baptisme, ye efficacie of Gods spi­rite, is present to washe and regenerate [Page]those, which appertayne vnto God.

The Lordes Supper is a spirituall banquet,1. Cor. chap. 10. ver. 3.4.16 wherein Gods children are truely and in deede fedde with the body and blood of Christ. The apostle calleth the Sacrament spirituall meate and spirituall drinke, and a litle after in the same chapter, hee calleth the cuppe of blessing which we blesse, the communi­on of the blood of Christe, and the bread which we break, the communion of the body of Christ.

The Sacraments are not bare signes, because we haue the Lords institution: they are seales of righteousnes and to­kens of grace, they are sure warrantes of Gods promises, whereby God bin­deth himselfe vnto vs and wee likewise stande bounde to his Maiestie, so that God is our God and we are his people.

11 The Sacramentes must haue the worde of God annexed to them.

For the worde of institution is the life of the Sacrament.

The Sacraments are seales of Gods word.Rom. chap. 4. verse 11. Therefore where the word of in­tution [Page]is not, there is no place left to the Sacraments. There is no vse of that seale, and in deede it deserues not the name of a seale, whiche is put to an vn­written either paper or parchment.

Take away the word (of institution) and what is the water (of Baptisme) but water.Aug. Tract. 80. in Iohan.

The woorde of institution is added to the element & it becomes a Sacra­ment.

12 Gods Churche hath neede of Sa­craments, so long as it is in the worlde.

The fayth of Gods children is true, that is to say not counterfaite, but their faith is not perfit in this life. The Sa­craments are pillers of our faith.

Saint Paul hath these wordes: as of­ten as ye shall eate this bread and drink this cup,1. Cor cha. 11 verse 26. ye shewe the Lordes death till he come: whereby it is manifest, that vntill Christes seconde comming, wee haue both neede and vse of the Sacra­ments, whereof wee shall haue neither vse nor neede in the life to come.

13 The Sacramentes are higly to be esteemed.

The Sacramentes are pillers of our fayth: they are glasses wherein we may beholde the riches of Gods grace which he reacheth vnto vs, they are the Lordes couenauntes: therefore they contayne promises, whereby our consciences are lifted vp to the hope of eternall life. Gods childrē receiue great benefit by baptisme,Galath. chap. 3. ver. 27. 1. Cor. chap. 10. ver. 16. for all that are baptized into Christ haue put on Christ: & by ye Lords supper, bicause ye bread which we breake is the cōmunion of the bodie of Christ, and the cup of blessing is the commu­nion of the bloud of Christ.

If the Sacramentes are highly to be esteemed, what shall we thinke of Pope Iohn the 23. for baptizing and beeing godfather to the great bell of Laterane in Rome, & of the popish sort for giuing out yt we haue nothing but bare bread & bare wyne in the holy communion.

The Sacramentes are highly to bee accounted of, and honoured as holy my­steries, but they must not bee honoured with diuine honour.

14 The contempt of the Sacraments is very daungerous.

The contempt of Circumcisiō which was one of Gods sacraments was gree­uously punished.Gen. chap. 17 ver. 14. Exod. chap. 4. ver. 25. The Angell woulde haue killed Moses, because his sonne was not circumcised.

Negligence in keeping the passeo­uer,Nomb. chap. 9. ver. 13. was greeuously punished.

It is a common & a very soūd speech, that not the want, but ye contēpt of hap­tisme bringeth condemnation.

The Messalian heretikes did condēne, both externall signes & Sacraments.

Obiection.

The Israelites were not circūcised in the wildernes by ye space of 40. yeeres.Iosue chap. 5. ver. 7.

Answere.

God commaunded the Israelites to goe on continually in their iourney. If they had beene circumcised, they had not bin able by reason of the sorenes of their bodies,Iosue. chap. 5. ver. 8. to do as God commanded them: so that Gods latter commaundement, was a dispensation to thē for the omit­ting and deferring of circumcision.

Obiection.

The Apostles would not presse the Gentiles to be circumcised.Acts. chap. 15 ver. 24.28.

Answere.

Circumcision after Christes ascensiō was not a necessary Sacrament, but a thing indifferent, that is to say, which might for a time eyther be vsed or omit­ted. If it had been a necessary sacramēt in the Primitiue Church, Titus should haue beene circumcised,Gala. chap. 2. ver. 3. as Timothie was. Besides, circumcision after Chri­stes ascension might not be thrust vppon the Gentiles,Acts. chap. 16. ver. 3. because Moses must giue place to Christ Iesus.

15 The Sacraments, during the time of the action of Baptisme and of the Lordes Supper, are Sacramentes, but after the acti­on is ended, they are no Sacramentes.

The elements in ye sacrament, during the time of the action which they serue for, are true signes and pledges of the things signified by thē: for in baptisme, Christes bloud is propounded to vs as a lauer: with which bloud we being washed, are more and more graft into [Page]Christ, & buried together with Christ: In the Lords supper, Christes body and bloud is giuen to vs,1. Cor. chap. 10. ver. 16. and that by distinct and seueral signes (I meane the bread & the wine) as our true meate and true drinke vnto life euerlasting.

When the action of baptisme & the Lords supper is ended, the water in the font is no Sacrament, but simple and common water, and the bread and wine in the Lordes supper, are not the Sa­crament of Christes body & bloud, but commō bread and commō wine: There­fore their fault is great, which (after the action of the Sacrament is ended) ey­ther reserue any part of the elementes for Sacramentes, or doe thinke that a mowse, dogge, or such like, tasting or eating of the bread (after the Lords sup­per is ended) doe receiue the Sacra­ment: whereas it is a certaine truth, that if eyther mowse or dogge shoulde eate of the bread in the Lordes Supper, during the time of the holy action, they neyther doe receiue, nor can be saide to receiue the Sacrament at any hande. For, seeing the Sacraments are seales [Page]of Gods promises, touching eternall life, it is certayne that no such seale is or can be giuen vnto, or receiued by thē, to whom Gods promise of eternal life in no wise doth appertayne.

16 What good we receiue by the Sa­cramentes.

We are put in mynde by the Sacra­ments of Christes inestimable benefits, which by the lauer of water purgeth vs in baptisme, and by his flesh feedeth, and by his blood refresheth our soules in the Lordes supper: Our faith is confirmed and increased by the Sacraments: we are by them stirred vp, to performe great duetie & thankfulnesse to almigh­ty God: we are seuered by the Sacra­ments (as by a partition wall) from all such, as are not entred into the professi­on of Christianity, & we are by the Sa­craments more surely lincked togither amongest our felues.

A table of such poynts as are con­tayned in the second part of this Treatise.
  • 1 VVHat Baptisme is▪
  • 2 The Baptisme of infants is ve­ry lawfull.
  • 3 It is not lawful for women or priuate men to baptize, for only the minister must doe it.
  • 4 All that dye before Baptisme are not dāned, because we are Christians before we are baptized.
  • 5 Baptisme must not be deferred to [...] long.
  • 6 Baptisme must not be iterated, that is to say, they which are once baptised, must not be baptized againe.
  • 7 Whether those children which are knowen to be base borne, are to be admit­ted to Baptisme.
  • 8 What time is fitt for the administra­tion of Baptisme.
  • 9 What is required of them which are already baptised, whē they are of yeares.

A Treatise of Baptisme.

1 What Baptisme is.

BAptisme, is a sacrament of regenera­tion consisting of water & the spirite by the word of God, whereby wee haue forgiuenes of sinnes & euerlasting life according to Christes promise.

2 The Baptisme of Infantes is verie lawful.

The Infants of the Israelites were circumcised whē they were eight dayes old:Gen. chap. 17 ver. 12. & cha. 21. ver. 4 our baptisme is come into ye place of their circumcision. I cōfesse that wee are not tyed to the eight day for the bap­tisme of our infāts as ye Israelites were for the circūcising of theirs: neither are women children to be barred from bap­tisme amongst vs, because their women children were not circumcised: & yet their women children were partakers of Gods promise: for vnder ye mankinde all were consecrated.

The children of the faithfull are ho­ly,1. Cor. chap. 7. ver. 14. Acts. chap. 2. ver. 39. they are vnder Gods couenāt (which couenant is contayned in these wordes, [Page]I will be thy God and the God of thy seede) therefore they may not be barred from baptisme which is a seale of Gods couenant.

Obiection.

He that shal beleeue and be baptized, shal be saued:Marke. chap. 16. ver. 16. therefore none are to bee admitted to baptisme before they be­leeue: which infantes doe not.

Answeare.

Christ speaketh onely of those which are capable of his doctrine and which were before alients from his Churche. Such neyther were nor may be presen­ted or admitted to baptisme before they beleeue in Christ Iesus. This is mani­fest in the Samaritanes, and the noble man of Ethiopia,Acts. chap. 8. ver. 12.37.38. & chap. 16. ver. 32.33. and in the Iayler of Philippos, and in a Iewe baptized of late yeeres in London: all which were taught and beleeued in Christ, before they were admitted to baptisme: so that Christs words doe no more barre Chri­stian infantes from baptisme, because they beleeue not,2. Thes. chap. 3. ver. 10. then Paules doe from meate because they cannot labour.

3 It is not lawful for women or pri­uate men to Baptise, for onely the mini­ster must doe it.

No man may take honour to him­selfe but hee which is called as Aaron was:Heb. chap. 5. ver. 4. to administer eyther the word or sacrament, is a singuler honour in the churche of God: therefore &c. If aun­swere be made that baptisme is necessa­rie, I graunt it to be true, when it may bee administred according to the order which God hath appoynted. Gods order is that a publike minister shall doe it. Saul had great reasons in mans iudge­ment for his sacrificing in Samuels absence,1. Sam. chap. 13. ver. 11. 2. Sam. chap. 6. ver. 6. [...]. and Vzzah from staying the Arke which was otherwise like to haue fallen: but because they tooke vpon thē that, wherevnto God had not called thē, they receiued a iust rewarde of their rashnes.

The Sacramentes are seales of the worde:Math. chap. 28. ver. 19. our sauiour Christ ioyned them togither, when hee sent foorth his Apo­stles, and prescribed a forme of Bap­tisme in these wordes, goe and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of [Page]the father and the sonne and the holye Ghost. The selfe same men are authori­zed by Christ to baptize, which are au­thorized to preach, I meane yt Apostles, whom the publique minister succeedes in preaching the word & administring the Sacraments. This difference, is notwithstanding betwene the Apostles and vs: they were called immediately by Christ himselfe, so are not we: they had Gods giftes miraculously pow­red vpon them, so haue not we: they had all the world for their plough lande, so haue not we: seing the Apostleship was long agoe at an end. If the Apostleship be ended, what so much as colour of pri­uiledge hath the Pope for erecting a new Apostleship, and sending heardes of susperstitious Iesuites and droues of Massing priestes into this realme of England. I will say nothing of the re­ligion deliuered by these new Apostles, because their Apostleship and doctrine haue not Christes but the Popes hande and seale to confirme them.

The Pharisies did thinke it vnlawful, [Page]and that iustly, that any one without cal­ling should administer baptisme: their wordes to Iohn Baptist, are manifest.Iohn. chap. 1. ver. 25. If thou art not Christ nor Elias &c. why doest thou baptize: as if they should say vnto Iohn, thou art not a publique minister, therefore thou mayest not bap­tize. The Pharisees deserue cōmenda­tion for not allowing a priuate man to baptize, but they were fowly deceiued in taking Iohn Baptist to bee a priuate man, for Iohn Baptist was that Elias which the Prophet Malachie & our Sauiour Christ spake of, and there­fore no priuate man as the Pharisees i­magined.

The administration of baptisme by women,Epiph. lib. 1. cont. haeres. Tertul. de prescript. ad­uer. haeret. is a braunche of Marcious he­resies, and is condemned by Epiphani­us and Tertullian.

To say that eyther a midwife or a lay man, as we call him, may administer the Sacrament, because the minister is not then in place, is as if we should allowe a priuate man to condemne a murthe­rer. because the magistrate is not [Page]then at hand to doe it.

Obiection.

Sephora,Exod. chap. 4. ver. 25. Moses wife did circumcise hir sonne.

Answere.

Sephoraes fact was vnorderly and confused,Exod chap. 4. ver. 25.26. for shee did it, first, in a so­daine and angry fit, as appeareth in the text: secōdly, in the presence of Moses, which is sufficient to improue her do­ing, euen by the Papists iudgement, which thinke it vnlawfull for a woman to baptize, when any man is in place.

4 All that dye before baptisme are not damned, because wee are Christians before we are baptized.

Abraham was iustified before he was circumcised:Rom. chap. 4. ver. 11. Acts. chap. 2. ver. 38.39. otherwise circumcision coulde not haue beene called by Saynt Paule a seale of the righteousnes of faith.

Gods promise belongs to Christian Infāts before their baptisme (otherwise baptisme which is a seale of this pro­mise should be denied thē): therfore they are children of the promise & cōsequent­ly [Page]Christians before they are baptized.

If Infantes dying before baptisme are dāned, two grosse absurdities would folow: first the saluation of our infants, should rest not vpō Gods couenāt which is the ground worke of our saluation, but vpon ye seale which is put to the co­uenant: secōdly, the saluation and dam­nation of infants should consist in ye dili­gence & negligence of their parents &c.

Baptisme was ministred in Thessalia only on Easter day,Socrat. lib. 5. cap. 22. Tertul. de Baptis. and in Carthage in Tertulliās time only at Easter & Whit sontide. If the infantes of the faithfull be not Christians before their baptisme, what shal we say of the infants of Thes­salia and Carthage, which dyed before Easter.

The Papists thēselues whē they bap­tize one of yeeres, aske these questions of him before his baptisme: doest thou beleeue, doest thou [...]enounce the Deuil? the party answeres, I beleue, I renoūce the deuill: whereby it is cleere, yt hee eyther is indeed, or at the least is esteemed of them to bee a Christian before hee is baptized, & so consequently admitted by [Page]them to the partaking of that sacramēt.

Plaine men of the countrie, doe marke onely those sheepe for their own, which they eyther knowe or at the least doe take to be their owne. Baptisme is one of Gods seales: The church doth onely marke those with this seale, whō they eyther know, or at the least do take before the administration of baptisme, to be Gods lābes & sheepe. If they which are offered to baptisme, are Gods sheepe & lambes before their baptisme: it is a cleere case yt they are Christians before they are baptized, & consequētly, yt bap­tisme is not the cause but a seake of our coniunction with almighty God.

Obiection.

The vncircumcised man childe in whose flesh,Gen. chap. 17 ver. 14 the foreskinne is not cir­cumcised, euen that person shall bee cut off, from his people, because he hath bro­ken my couenant.

Answere.

If any of the Israelites were ey­ther principalles or accessaries to the o­mitting of their own circumcision, they deserued to be cut off, otherwise not, vn­lesse [Page]we will condemne the child for the fault of his Parēts, which is barbarous crueltie. The childrē of the Hebrewes, if they dyed the fifth or sixth day after their birth, were not vnder condēnatiō,Gen. chap. 17. ver. 12. for the eight day was the day of circumcision.

Obiection.

Except a man be borne of water & of the spirit,Iohn. chap. 3. ver. 5. he cannot enter into the king­dome of God.

Answere.

If we vnderstand this of baptisme, what shal we say of the Emperour Va­lētinian which went to Ambrose the bi­shop of Medtolanum to be baptized, and was slayne in his iourney before hee came to Ambrose: shall we condemne him for wāt of baptisme, because Christ sayde to Nichodemus except a man be borne &c? This dealing were very per­emptory. If aunswere bee made, that Valentinians desire of Baptisme is a sufficient defence, I graunt it was so: and, if the Emperours desire keepe him out of the compasse of condemna­tion, why maye not Gods promise be sufficient to deliuer the infantes of [Page]the faithfull from condemnation if they dye vnbaptized: for not the want but cō ­tempt of Baptisme doth condemne vs. Besides, our Sauiour Christes speeche was with Nicodemus, which was of good yeeres, and might haue at his plea­sure the vse both of water & a minister for this godly purpose.

Question.

If the Infantes of Christians be vn­der Gods couenant before they be bapti­zed, their Baptisme seemes to be super­fluous: why are they baptized:

Answeare.

Gods commaundement must be ful­filled. He commaunded both circumcisi­on & baptisme, & punished ye contēpt of circūcisiō sharply in ye Israelites, & will punish the contempt of baptisme gree­uously in vs. Besides, Gods promise which pertayneth to our infantes,Acts. chap. 2. ver. 38.39. must be confirmed with the outward seale of Baptisme, ye we may be alwayes mynd­full of Gods promise. Lastly, the godly praiers of the minister & of thē which of­fer the child to baptisme, do greatly pro­fit the infant, and the congregation [Page]which is then present at the administra­tion of baptisme, receiues some instruc­tion touching their saluation.

5 Baptisme must not be deferred too long.

Baptisme is a Sacrament of our re­generation: by Baptisme we enter and are graft into Gods visible Church: Gods couenant with vs and our chil­dren is sealed by Baptisme, both in vs and our children. Therefore &c.

Baptisme contayneth in it the first profession of Christian religion: If it be deferred too long, when it may bee godly come by, it draweth the parentes and friendes of the infant into suspici­on either of Atheisme or Anabaptisme, and besides, breedeth great offence.

Gregorie Nazianzene was a By­shops sonne:Orat. in san [...]. baptis. he was not baptised before he was of good yeeres: it was a grosse fault in that time, and Nazianzene him selfe inueigheth sharply against the de­ferring of Baptisme.

Nectarius was appointed Bishop ofSozō. li. cap. [...] [Page]Constantinople before hee was bapti­zed. Nectarius was a good man, but this deferring of baptisme commendes neyther him nor the Bishops of yt time.

Constantinus deferred his baptis­me vntill his dying day.Euseb. lib. 4. de vita Con­stantini. He was a wor­thie Emperour, but this fact of his, can not be iustified.

Question.

What if by reason of differring of baptisme, the infant die vnbaptised?

Answere.

It is a grosse faulte in the childes friendes, & must be punished with great seueritie: but the infant deserues no cō ­demnation for this at Gods hands, ney­ther shutting from Christian buriall at the Churches handes: for not the want but contempt of baptisme doth condēne vs.

6 Baptisme must not be iterated, that is to say, they whiche are once baptized must not be baptized againe. 2. Chr. chap. 30. verse 9. & chap. 35. verse 1.

The Israelites which reuolted from Gods religion in the raigne of Ezechi­as [Page]and Iosias, were not circumcised the seconde time: onely, they testified their vnfaygned repentance and retur­ning to the Lorde by celebration of the Passeouer.

Baptisme is a Sacrament of rege­neration, regeneration is the misterie of this Sacrament: the misterie of this Sacrament cannot be iterated (because they which are altogether fallen from grace cannot be renewed):Heb. chap. 6. verse 4.5.6. Therefore the Sacrament of regeneration may not be iterated.

They which are baptized eyther of popishe or other heretiques (which in their baptisme do adde to the element the word of institutiō) are not baptized into the name of any creature but of the holy Trinitie: thefore they haue recei­ued true baptisme (as touching the sub­stance of baptisme) and consequently not mans but Gods baptisme: and therefore neede not any seconde baptis­me. If it were Gods baptisme, it contei­ned in it, promise of forgiuenesse of sinnes, mortification of the fleshe, [Page]quickening of the spirit, and partaking of Christ. &c.

Question.

Seeing that wee sinne dayly, and that our sinnes are done away by Bap­tisme, why shoulde wee not desire, and present our selues to be very often bap­tised.

Answere.

If the efficacie of Baptisme did reach only to the sinnes committed be­fore Baptisme, as for example, in yong children, to origmall sinne, and in those wc are of yeeres, both to their original and actuall sinnes, which went before their baptisme: I coulde like well of them whiche for the cleare washing a­way of their sins eyther deferred their Baptisme vnto their dying day, which was grosse ignoraunce, or of such whi­che in our time for the like reasō would desire to be often Baptised, whiche is a palpable errour. It is a certaine trueth [Page]in diuinitie, that our sinnes committed after Baptisme do not abolish our bap, tisme: For Christes puritie is offered to vs in Baptisme: whiche puritie of Christ, because it is alwayes in force, is not rased out by any sinnes of ours, but clenseth vs from all filthines whatsoe­uer. The Galathians reuolted from that truth which Paul had taught thē,Gal. 3.5.6. chap. and were corrupt in their liues: these were great sinnes after they had recei­ued Baptisme: Paul notwithstanding reuiueth their faith by that Baptisme which, before, they had receiued.Gal. chap. 3. verse. 27. Bap­tisme must not be shut vp in straighter rome then Christ himselfe, seeing that in Baptisme we put on Christ:Rom. chap. 6. vers. 1.2.3. and the efficacie of Baptisme, is not lesse then the efficacie of Christes death, vnto whiche Baptisme hath a singular re­spect.

To be once regenerate and to haue once entred into Christs Church is suf­ficient, neyther is any of Gods electe cast out at any time: for he that is once indewed with the spirit of sanctificati­on, is alwayes endewed with the same [Page]spirite of sanctification. My reasons are these.

The giftes and calling of God,Rom. chap. 11 verse 29. 1. Pet. chap. 1 verse 23. are without repentance.

The worde of God whereby we are regenerate, is immortall seede, that is to say, neuer dieth in his children. The shielde of fayth may be wounded, but it can not be stricken through.

Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not,1. Ioh. chap. 3 verse. 9. & cap. 5. ver. 18 for his seed remayneth in him, nei­ther can he sinne, because he is borne of God. The Apostle Iohn meaneth not that sinne dwelleth not in Gods chyl­dren, but that it hath not dominion ouer them: and therefore Paul saith not, let not sinne dwel,Rom. chap. 6. verse 12. 2. Sam chap. 11. verse. 4.15.24. 2. Sam. chap. 12. vers. 13. but let not sinne raigne in your mortall bodies.

Dauid dealt verye strangely with Vrias and with the Lordes armie: his faith seemed to be quenched, but he was not cleane spoyled of all sparkes of grace: there remayned as it were, a quicke coale in the ashes: other wise the Prophet Nathan had not so easily and speedily awaked him.

Christes resurrection is a notable [Page]piller of our faith, and the very locke and kepe of all religion.Iohn chap. 20. verse. 25. The Apostle Thomas doubted so much of it, that he vttered these wordes: except I see in his handes the print of the nayles, and put my finger into the printe of the nayles, and put my hande into his side, I will not beleeue it. This sinne of Thomas was so grosse, that it might he fealt with the fingers, and yet faith was not cleane extinguished in him,Iohn chap. 20 verse 28. as ap­peareth by his answere to Christe, my Lord and my God.

They whiche thinke that they are vtterly voyde of Gods spirite in whom the fruites of the spirit do not alwaies appeare, are like vnto thē which thinke there is no sire where there is no flame, and that trees are dead in winter, bee­cause they bring forth neyther fruit nor leaues in winter.

7 Whether those children whiche are knowen to be base borne are to bee admitted to baptisme.

The children which are base borne amongst vs, are not to bee shutte from baptisme for the parentes sinne, if such as feare God present them to baptisme, and promise faithfullye to see them brought vp in the feare of God.

Augustine had a base sonne, but hee was baptised,Aug. confes. lib. 9. cap. 6. and verye Christianly brought vp.

8 What time is fitte for the admini­stration of baptisme.

Circumcision was administred the eyght day after the childs birth:Gene. cha. 17. verse 12. & chap. 21. verse 4. Luk. chap. 1. vers. 59. & cha. 2. ve. 21 at that time Isaac, Iohn Baptist, and Iesus Christ, were circumcised. If the Sab­both was the eyght day after the childs birth, hee was circumcised on the Sab­both day. Iohn chap. 7. verse 23.

That tyme is fittest for the admini­stration of Baptisme, wherein care is had that the infants die not vnbaptised, if it may bee done without breache of Gods order, and yet, that their supersti­tion, which tie saluation to baptisme, at no hande be fauoured. The Lordes [Page]day is a very fit day for Baptisme, euē in the presence of the congregation.

9 What is required of them whiche are alreadie baptized when they are of yeeres.

It is required, first, that they beleeue aright: secondlye, that they mortifie the bodie of sinne: Lastly, that they walke in newnesse of life: a principall branch whereof, is, to be at vnitie with the godly. One God is father of all,Ephe. chap. 4 verse 4.5.6. one Christ hath redeemed vs all, one holye ghost doth sanctifie vs all, one fayth and one baptisme is common to vs all, & there is but one hope of our calling, I meane, euerlasting life: therefore it becomes vs to bee linked together in the feare of God. Salomon sayth, that a threefolde corde can not easely be broken:Eccle. chap. 4 verse. 12. if this sixefolde and golden chaine will not holde vs, wee breake it not by the power of God,Iudg. cha. 16. verse 9. as Sampson did his cordes, but by some other power which is not of God. Many grapes make one cuppe of wine, many cornes [Page]one loafe of bread, wee are members of one body, whereof Christ is the heade: therefore we must be at vnitie with Christ, by giuing great honour to him, and with our fellow members by doyng good vnto them.

A table of such poynts as are contayned in the last part of this treatise.
  • 1 WHat the Lordes Supper is.
  • 2 Why two elemēts, that is to say, bread & wine, are vsed in the Lordes supper & but one elemēt, that is to say, water, in the Sacramēt of baptisme.
  • 3 Why Christ did celebrate the Supper at night.
  • 4 The essentiall partes of the Lordes Supper are not to be omitted, but the accidentall may.
  • 5 None may presume to presēt thēselues to the Lords Supper, but after dewe examination of themselues.
  • 6 The godly are not defiled, if they re­ceiue the holy cōmunion at such time, as wicked men do present them selues, and are admitted to the Lords table.
  • 7 The Lordes Supper must be commō to all the godly, not priuate to the mi­nister alone.
  • 8 Gods people must not be barred from the cup in the Lordes Supper.
  • 9 What consecration is.
  • 10 The substance of bread and wine re­mayne [Page]in the Lords Supper, after the wordes of consecration.
  • 11 The wicked do not eate Christes bo­dy in the Sacrament.
  • 12 Christes body, is not euery where.
  • 13 The bread and wine in the Lordes Supper, must not bee reserued for any superstitious vse.
  • 14 Howe gods children must be haue themselues, at and after, the recey­uing of the holy Supper.

❧ A Treatise of the Lords Supper.

1 What the Lordes Supper is.

The Lordes Supper is a holy acti­on, wherein according to Christes in­stitution, the Sacrament of his bodye and blood, by a misticall breaking of breade and blessing of the cuppe, is dis­tributed by the minister and receyued by the godly assēblie, & wherein the re­membrance of Christes sacrifice on the alter of the crosse, is celebrated with perfourmance of most humble thankes to his Maiestie, and of Christian chari­tie amongst our selues.

2 Why two elements, that is to say, bread and wine are vsed in the Lordes Supper and but one element, that is to say, water, in the Sacrament of Baptis­me.

Christ in baptisme is propounded vnto vs as a lauer, therefore only water [Page]is sufficient. But in the Lords Sup­per, because Christ (as heauenly foodé) is giuen vnto vs, and that this life of ours, hath neede as well of drinke as meate▪ it pleased our Sauiour Christ to vse in this holy supper, both wine and bread, that we may be well assured, that our whole life is to bee sought by vs in Iesus Christ alone.

The Passeouer consisted of two ele­ments, meate and drinke.Exod. cha. 12 verse 8. The lambe with the vnleauened breade was the meate, the cup of the Testament wher­in there was remembrāce of the blood, whiche was clapt vppon the Israelites doore postes, for assurance of their deli­ueraunce our of Egypt) was the drinke in the Passeouer. The Lordes supper consisteth of two partes, meat & drinke. Christes body offred for vs on the crosse is the meate: Christes blood shedde on the crosse for our sinnes, is the drynke: Our Sauiour Christ instituting a Sa­crament of this meate and drinke,Matth. chap. 26. vs. 26.27 vseth bread and wine for the externall signes in this Sacrament.

8 Why Christ did celebrate the supper at night.

The Passeouer by Moses law was to be eaten at night:Exod. cha. 12 verse. 8. Iosu. chap. 5. vers. 10. Christ did first eate the Paschall lambe, and did presently after, institute the Sacramente of the Supper in the place of the Passeouer. Wee are not tyed to the euentide for the celebration of the Lords Supper, because Christe did so: for wee are not bounde to eate any Passeouer, immedi­atly before the Lords supper, as Christ was by the lawe of Moses: and in the forenoone, whilest we are fasting, wee are more earnestly and reuerently ad­dicted to the partaking of the word and Sacrament. He that thinkes that the Lordes Supper must of force be mini­stred at night, because Iesus Christ did so, will, I feare, bee mooued by a little perswasion, to deferre baptisme vntill the age of thirtie yeeres,Euseb. lib. 1. cap. 10. because Christ before that time was not partaker of that holy Sacrament.

4 The essentiall partes of the Lords Supper are not to be omitted, but the accidentall may.

The essentiall ceremonies of the Lordes supper are these: yt the minister after a reuerent deliuery of ye words of Christes institution, and inuocation of the name of God, breaketh the bread: & when it is broken, distributeth it to the communicants in order, & afterwards, likewise the cup. They whiche pre­sent them selues to the Lordes table, are commaunded to take and eate the bread, and to drinke of the cuppe, shew­ing the Lordes death, that is to say, pro­fessing their fayth in Christ Iesus, with a solemne remembrance of his passion, & humble thankesgiuing to his Maie­stie, for that inestimable benefit. These essentiall ceremonies, may not bee ey­ther altered or omitted.

The accidentall ceremonies of the Lordes Supper, are, that it was mini­stred at night, & to the disciples, whilest they did sitte at table. These accidentall [Page]ceremonies, may bee altred by the Churches ordre.

5 None may presume to present them­selues to the Lordes Supper, but after due examination of themselues.

None might eate the Passeouer be­fore he was prepared.2. Chro. cha. 35. ver. 6. The Passeouer was the same to the Israelites, that the holie supper is to vs: but because our sacrament is more excellent then theirs, great care must be had in prepa­ring our selues.

Saynt Paule commaundeth a man to examine himselfe,1. Cor. chap. 11. ver. 28. before the perta­king of the holy Supper. This exami­nation consists in faith and repentance, faith containeth the truth of our beleef: repentaunce concerneth the amende­ment of our life.

Weakenes of faith, ought not to withdraw vs from the holy communi­on: seeing, it is instituted for the streng­thening of our faith.

Vncleannes of life, which is priuate and not openly knowen, neyther may [Page]nor doth barre any frō the Lordes sup­per, but such as meane not to amend.

6, The godly are not defiled if they re­ceiue the holy communion at such time as wicked men doe present themselues and are admitted to the Lordes table.

He that eateth and drinketh vnwor­thily, eateth and drinketh iudgement to himselfe,1. Cor. chap. 21. ver. 29. S. Paule saieth, to himselfe not to others.

The Apostle willeth a man to exa­mine himselfe,1. Cor. chap. 21. ver. 28. before he presēt himselfe to ye Lords supper. Hee requireth not a­ny cōmunicant to examine ye rest of that church, which, no doubt, he would haue required, if a godly mā were defiled by ye vnworthines of any lewd cōmunicāt.

Obiection.

It is not lawfull for vs to eate our owne bread with a wicked man: there­fore it is not lawfull to eate the Lordes bread with him.1. Cor. chap. 5 ver. 11.

Answere.

It is in our power to practise ye former, but it is not in our power to abstayne [Page]from the Lords supper, though east mē be, at that time partakers with vs.

It is a great sinne for a knowē wicked mā, either to minister ye Lords supper, or to presēt himself to ye holy cōmuniō: & such boldnes must be seuerely puni­shed by thē in whose handes it is to re­dresse it. But if this grosse sinne be pra­ctised & no medicine vsed to cure it, the godly must cōtent thēselues with grief for these enormities, and remēber that the sacrament sealeth vp Gods sweete promises to thē, which the wicked sorte at no hand are partakers of.

7 The Lords supper must bee common to al the godly, not priuate to the minister alone.

When our Sauiour Christ did in­stitute the holy supper & commend it to his apostles,Math. chap. 26. ver. 26.27 he did neither eate & drink alone for them, nor cōmaunded that one of them shoulde eate and drinke for the rest: but he sayde, take yee, eate yee &c. Likewise, drinke yee all of this &c.

1. Cor. chap. 10. ver. 16. The Apostle calleth the cup of bles­sing [Page]&c, the communion of the bloud of Christ, and the bread which wee breake the communion of the bodie of Christ: by which wordes it is manifest that the holie Supper must bee no priuate banquet.

Saint Paule willeth them of Co­rinth,1. Cor. chap. 11. ver. 33. when they come together to eate, to tarry one for another: which words doe euidently condemne all pri­uate and alone pertaking of this holye Sacrament. If any saye that Paules wordes proue not my purpose, because they are to be refered to the Corinthi­an loue feastes, my answere is that the Apostles wordes doe make greatly for my purpose, though it were as they fay: because the feasts of Corinth were ioy­ned with the celebration of the holie communion.

In the time of Iustinus Martyr al that were present in the holie assembly did cōmunicate:Apol▪ 2 pro Christ. Priuate Masses, as yet were neither borne nor conceiued &c.

8 Gods people must not bee barred from the cup in the Lordes Supper.

Christ at the first institution of the holy Supper, said, drinke ye al of this,Math. chap. 26. ver. 27. &c. If the papists say that Christ spake vnto the Apostles onely, my answere is that they may as wel barre Gods peo­ple from the bread of the Sacrament, because onely the Apostles were parta­kers of the bread as well as of the cup, at the institution of the Supper.

Let a man examine himselfe,1. Cor. chap. 11. ver. 28. and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this cup, &c. Saint Paule ioynes the bread and cup together: how then dare any man make a diuorce betweene the bread and the cup? Saint Paule spea­keth to the whole body of the Church: howe dare anye man presume to barre Gods people from the cup, and to re­strayne it to the popish priestes? The breaking of the bread and distributing of the cup to the communicants, are es­sential parts of the holy supper, & ther­fore may not be omitted or altred.

In Iustinus Martyres tyme, after cō ­secration of the bread and cup,Apol. 2. pro Christ. both bread and cup were distributed to the communicants.

In Cyprians Ambroses and Chriso­stomes time,Cyp. lib. 1. Epist. 2. Theodoritus lib. 5. cap. 18. Chrysost. in cap. 8. epist. 2. ad Corinth. Hom. 18. Gods people were parta­kers of the cup in the Lords supper.

Innocentius the 3. was the first yt shut Gods people frō ye cup in ye Lordes supper. He did this strāge fact in ye La­terane councell, in the yeare of our Lorde 1215.

9 What consecration is.

Consecration is a dedicating to the holy vse of the supper, of so much bread & wine, as shal be occupied in the cele­bration of the holy communiō, and nei­ther more nor lesse.

Cōsecratiō stādeth not in ye abolishing of natures, but in the conuerting of the naturall elemēts into a godly vse. This is cleere in both the sacramēts: whē the minister hath added the word of institu­tiō to the water, it is no more common water, but baptisme, which is a Sacra­mēt of our Regeneratiō. Whē he hath done the like, to the elemēts of bread & wine, it is no more cōmon bread & com­mon wyne, but the sacrament of the bo­dy & bloud of Christ Iesus: & yet the substaunce of water is not abolished in baptisme, nor the substance of bread and [Page]wine in the Lords supper.

If anie say that the meate which is set on the table at dinner & supper,1. Tim. chap. 4. ver. 5. is de­dicated to a godly vse, when it is sancti­fied by the worde of God & prayer: I grāt it to be so, but there is another sig­nification of yt, then of this in the sacra­mēt. We obtaine by the word of God & prayer ye lawful vse of Gods creatures at our dinners & suppers: yt if any iot of Gods first curse vpō ye earth and fruites thereof remained, it shal not be hurtfull to vs: but the elemēts & signes in the sa­craments become more excellēt things by many degrees, for by Gods worde & institution they are made signes & my­steries of our saluation.

10 The substance of bread and wine, re­maine in the Lordes Supper after the words of Consecration.

The bread which we breake in the Lords supper,1. Cor. chap. 10. ver. 16. is it not the partaking of the body of Christ? Saint Paule doeth expressely call that which is broken, bread, not the Accidents of bread.

I will not hence forth drinke of this fruite of the vine &c. by the fruite of theMat. cha. 26 ver. 29. [Page]vine our Sauiour Christ meaneth wyne, not the accidentes of wyne. By Accidents of bread & wine are vnder­stāded the colour, roundnes, breadth & tast &c. of bread and wyne.

The worde (of institution) is added to the Element and it is made a Sacra­ment.Tract. 80. in Iohan. Augustine saith not, that it taketh away, or expelleth the element.

Tertullian calles that, bread, by which Christ represented his bodie.Tertul. lib. 1. cont. Mar. The same Tertullian (labouring to prooue that Christ had not a fantasticall body as the Heretique Marcion imagined but a true body) reasons thus frō ye sacramēt. Christ did giue bread in the sacrament for a true figure of his body,lib. 4. cont. Mar. therefore Christ had not a fantasticall but a true bodie. If no substance of bread re­mayne in the Lordes Supper, which the Papistes hold, Tertullians argu­ment against Marcion were verye weake, and Marcions monstrous opi­nion were very strong.

If we say that Christes bodie is made of the substance of bread, how is it true that his body was made of the substāce [Page]of the blessed virgin:

There must be alwayes an Analo­gie betweene the signe and the thing fignified in the sacrament. The Analo­gie in the holy supper appeareth in fer­ding. The body & bloud of Christ doth feed our soules, ye bread and wine doeth feed our bodies. If ye substāce of bread & wine bee abolished, what is left to feede our bodies. If ye popish sort say yt the Ac­cidēts of bread & wine doe feede vs, they teach strange, both, diuinitie and philo­sophie: straunge diuinitie, because they are manifestly confuted by Christ and Paule: straunge philosphie,Math. chap. 26. verse 26. 1. Cor. chap. 10. ver. 17. Arist. cap. 5. de sensu & sensili. because they reuiue an olde and grosse errour of the Pithagoreans confuted long agoe by Aristotle. Besides, the Philosophers teach vs that wee consist of the same thinges, wherewith we are nourished: If we be fedd and nourished with Acci­dents, the substance of our bodies must consist of Arcidentes. The popish sorte call vs Sacramentaries, that is to say, such as doe abolish the force & vse of the Sacrament: If our doctrine did ouer­throw the Analogie of the Sacrament [Page]is theirs doth, we might iustly be cal­led Sacramentaries.

Transubstātiatiō was borne in y• co [...] ­cel of Laterane, in ye yeere of our Lord, 1215.

Obiection.

Christ said at the institution of the ho­ly supper,Math. chap. 26. ver. 26. This is my body, therefore the substance of the bread is changed in­to the body of Christ.

Answere.

This argument hangs together like sād &c. If Christ whē he reached bread vnto his Apostles, did giue his body re­ally & substantially to be eaten of them, then had Christ many reall & substātial bodies at & in one & the selfe same time & place, which is a grosse absurditie: I confesse that Christes speech, this is my body, when he had giuen the bread to his Apostles, is a very true speech: If it be a true speech, it must bee true, either properly and literally, or figuratiuely. If it be true properly & literally, then whatsoeuer may bee saide of Christes body, (as that it was borne of ye blessed virgine, suffered & dyed & rose againe [Page]&c,) may be applied to the brend in the Sacramente & whatsoeuer may be said of the bread (as that it was sowen, rea­ped, threshed, baked &c,) may bee like­wise, applied to Christes bodie, which no man that feareth God can admit. If Christs speech be vnderstanded literal­ly, he did commaunde a foule and hay­nous thing, which is sufficient to proue it a figuratiue speech,Leb. 3. cap. 16 de doct. Chri. according to Au­gustines rule. If any doe aske me, what I take to be the true meaning of Chri­stes words, This is my body: My aun­swere is, that they are notably expoun­ded by S. Paule, when he saith: ye bread which we breake,1. Cor. chap. 10. ver. 16. is it not the partaking of the body of Christ?

Question.

If Christ be not bodily present in the sacramēt, what do Gods childrē receiue whē they are partakers of the holy sup­per.

Answere.

They receiue ye food of life & immorta­lity, they eate life & drink life: & when ye sacrament is reached vnto them, they receiue as bread & wine for the nouri­shing of their bodies, so ye body & bloud [Page]of the Lord Iesus for the most comfor­table nourishing of their soules.

If any either drowned in Popery, or inclined to it, shall peruse this which I haue written, I referre him for his fur­ther instruction to a notable treatise of Christs body, and bloud, writtē by Ber­tram vnto the Emperour Charles the great. This Bertrame was both a Priest and a Monke, and liued in the yeare of our Lord 840.

11 The wicked doe not eate Christes bodie in the Sacrament.

Christ cannot be separated from his spirite: which spirite of Christ, because the wicked haue not, they cānot be par­takers of Christ.

Hee that eateth Christ shall liue by Christ,Iohn chap. 6. verse 57. Iohn. chap. 6. ver. 56. Iohn chap. 15 ver. 5. ye wicked shal not liue by Christ. He that eateth my flesh & drinketh my bloud, abideth in me & I in him. The wicked doe not abide in Christ, because they bring not forth much fruite.

The meate of the soule is not eaten of thē which haue not the mouth of the foule.

Cyprian writes that the wicked doe licke the rocke,De coena Domini. but yt they sucke from thence neyther hony nor oyle, because they are quickned neither wt any sweet­nes of charity, nor with any moysture of ye holy spirit: & besides, that they ney­ther iudge themselues, nor discerne the sacraments. For further proofe of this poynt, I referre the learned reader to Cyprians treatise of the holy Supper.

Question.

Whosoeuer shall eate this bread & drinke the cup of the Lord vnworthely,1. Cor. chap. 11. ver. 27. shall be guiltie of the bodie and bloud of the Lord. The wicked are guiltie of the bodie & bloud of the Lord, therefore the wicked doe eate the bodie & drinke the bloud of the Lorde.

Answeare.

The argument folowes not: and the wicked are guilty of the body & bloud of the Lorde, because they eate & drinke vnworthely the bread & wine which are sacramēts of the body and bloud of the Lorde. For the iniury done to the Sa­cramentall signes, reacheth to the thinges which are signified by them. [Page]If the princes cloth of estate be abused, it is a grosse fault: and the iniury rea­cheth to the person of the Prince.

Obiection.

The wicked man is guiltie of the Lords body because hee discerneth not the Lords body,1. Cor. chap. 11. ver. 29. therefore by eating Christes body he is guilty.

Answere.

The argument followes not: for not to discerne the Lords body, is, to make no difference betweene ye sacrament of Christes body & cōmon meate: & to a­buse it, which is a grosse sinne, & being committed against the sacrament, rea­cheth vnto Christes body it selfe.

12 Christes bodie is note uery where.

The Apostle Peter saith that heauen must containe Christ vntil the time that all things be restored,Act. chap 3. ver. 21. that is to say, vn­till Christes second comming.

The Angels say that Christ is taken vp into heauen &c.Acts chap. 1. ver. 11. If he be taken vp in­to heauen (touching his body) which must needs be the meaning of the An­gels [Page]wordes: how is Christes bodye in many places at once?

If Christs body be in many places at once, then Christs body is infinit: if it be infinite, then Christes humanity is ey­ther abolished of made infinite by being turned into the godhead, which are grosse heresies & fauour the mōstrous opiniōs of Eutiches & Schwēkfeldins.

Obiection.

The diuinity & humanity are vnited in Christ, therefore where the godhead is, the māhood is likewise: but the god­head is euery where, therefore the man­hood is euery where.

Answeare.

The person of Christ is but one, and yet in doth so cōsist of two natures, yt the proprieties of ech nature doeth & must remayne whole & without confusion to their seuerall natures. For to deny or confounde the proprieties,Lib. 4. cont. Eutish. is to con­founde the natures. Vigilius saith that Christ is contayned in a place by the nature of his fleshe, and is not contay­ned in a place by the nature of his godhead.Epist. 57. ad Dardanum. Augustine is very plētifull & [Page]flat for this point in one of his epistles.

I confesse that the proprieties of Christes māhood may be applied to his godhead, & contrarimise yt the proprie­ties of his godhead, may bee applied to his māhood, but yet without cōfoūding the natures: as for exāple, Christes pas­sion doth pertaine to his flesh according to the proprietie of nature, and if per­taynes to the worde, that is to saye, Christes godhead, according to the per­son:Vigil. lib. 2. cont. Eutich. because there is one and the selfe same person both of the worde and the flesh: so that whole Christ both: God & man suffered according to the vnity of persō, but suffered not according to the propretie of nature, that is to say of his godhead. According to this I haue set downe,Acts. chap. 20. ver. 28. 1. Cor. chap. 2. ver. 8. are Saint Paules words in the Actes and to the Corinthians to be vn­derstanded. The councell of Constan­tinople did decree that the blessed Virgine shoulde bee called the mother of GOD. We doe allowe that decree of the councell, and yet we neither doe nor may thinke that the virgine Mary did heare Christies Godhead in hir [Page]wombe: but the meaning is, yt he whi­che was horne of the blessed virgine, was not onely man, but (for the con­iunction of the word to the fleshe) God and man.

13. The bread and wine in the Lords Supper must not bee reserued for any superstitious vse.

It was not lawfull to keepe any part of the (Paschall) lambe.Exod. cha. 12 verse 10. Exod cap. 16. verse. 19.20.

It was not lawfull to reserue of the Manna: That which was reserued, was full of wormes and did stinke.

Our Sauiour Christ at the instituti­on & administration of the holy Sup­per,Mat. chap. 26. verse 26. commaunded his disciples to take and eate, not to take and reserue it.

Cyprian writes that the Sacrament was receiued,Decoena Do­mini. but not shut vp and reser­ued.

I confesse that the Sacrament in olde time was reserued.De lapsis lib. 6. chap. 44. Cyprian wri­teth that a certaine woman had it in her chiest. Eusebius saith, out of Dionifi­us, that a priest had it in his chamber: [Page]where hee deliuered it to Serapions boy, to carried to Serapion which was then at ye poynt of death. But this reler­ning of the Sacrament, was a strange abuse, and therefore afterwarde was iustly abolished.

The reseruing and hanging vp of the Sacrament as the Papistes call it in a Pixe vnder a Canopie, hath no light in Gods booke to shewe it by: and before the time of Innocentins the fourth, it was neyther an article of our fayth, nor any lawe of the Church, that Christians shoulde worship the breade & wine in the Sacrament, much lesse, giue diuine honour to a wafer cake af­ter that the action of the Sacrament is ended, if that the Popish Sacrament of the Altar might be accompted a sa­crament.

14 Howe Gods chyldren must be­haue themselues, at, and after, the receiuing of the holy Supper.

In the time of the administration of [Page]the holy Supper, wee must vse our eares and eyes very reuerently: our eares, in attending to Gods trueth and the holy institution of the Supper: our eyes in beholding the holy misteries set vpon the Lordes table. When the Sa­crament is reached vnto vs, wee are weightely to consider, that as the bread and wine is broken and powred out in the holy supper for our vse: so Christs bodye and blood, which was giuen and shed on the crosse for perfiting the pre­cious woorke of our redemption, is gi­uen vnto vs to be the food of our soules: and for this inestimable benefite, wee must confesse our selues, to be greatly and deeply bouns to our mercifull Sa­uiour, & by his grace giue vp our selues wholie to his prayse and seruice.

After that our soules are fedd at the Lordes table, and that wee are graft in­to Christ as into a flourishing vine, and ioyned to the faithfull as to goodly branches of this vine, wee must liue Christianly not a day or two, but al our life time: first, in beating downe our pride & vanitie: secondly, in doing good [Page]to our brethren: Lastly, in keeping the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peare.

These graces if we doearnestly pray for, to almightie God: hee will giue them vnto vs in mercie for his greater glorie, & our singular comfort, through Iesus Christ. Amen.

FINIS.

Imprinted at London at the three Cranes in the Vinttee, by Thomas Daw­son, for George Byshoppe. 1582.

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