SECT. I. Of the several apprehensions of men con­cerning it.

WHen our Blessed Lord was to nail the hand writing of Ordinances to his Cross, he was pleased to retain two Ceremonies, Baptism and the Ho­ly Supper; that Christians may first wash, add then eat; first be made clean, and then eat of the Supper of the Lamb: and it cannot be imagined but that this so signal and pe­culiar retention of two Ceremonies is of great pur­pose and remarkable vertues. The matter is evi­dent in the instance of Baptism; and as the Myste­ry is of the foundation of Religion, so the vertue of it is inserted into our Creed, and we all believe [Page 11] one Baptism for the remission of our sins;Heb. 6.1.2. and yet the action is external, the very Mystery is by a Ce­remony, the allusion is bodily, the Element is water, the minister a sinful man, and the effect is produced out of the Sacrament in many persons and in many instances, as well as in it; and yet that it is effected also by it and with it,Act. 2.38. in the con­junction with due dispositions of him that is to be baptized, we are plainly taught by Christs Apostles and the symbols of the Church.

But concerning the other Sacrament there are more divisions and thoughts of heart; for it is ne­ver expressly joyned with a word of promise, and where mention is made of it in the Gospels, it is named only as a duty and a Commandment, and not as a grace, or treasure of holy blessings; we are bid­den to do it, but promised nothing for a reward, it is commanded to us, but we are not invited to obe­dience by consideration of any consequent blessing: and when we do it, so many holy things are re­quired of us, which as they are fit to be done; even when we do not receive the Blessed Sacra­ment; so they effect salvation to us by vertue of their proper and proportioned promises in the ver­tue of Christs death however apprehended and understood.

Upon this account some say that we receive no­thing in the B. Eucharist; but we commemorate many blessed things which we have received; that it is affirmed in no Scripture that in this mystery we are to call to minde the death of Christ, but be­cause we already have it in our minde, we must al­so have it in our hearts, and publish it in our con­fessions and Sacramental representment, and there­fore [Page 12] it is not the memory, but the commemoration of Christs death; that as the anniversary sacrifices in the law were Heb. 10.3. [...]. a commemoration of sins every year; not a calling them to minde; but a confession of their guilt and of our deserved punishment; so this Sacrament is a representation of Christs death by such symbolical actions as himself graciously hath appointed: but then, excepting that to do so is an act of obedience, it exercises no other vertue, it is an act of no other grace, it is the instrument of no other good; it is neither vertue nor gain, grace nor profit. And whereas it is said to confirm our faith, this also is said to be unreasonable; for this being our own work, cannot be the means of a Divine grace; not naturally; because it is not of the same kind, and faith is no more the natural effect of this obedience; than chastity can be the product of Christian fortitude; not by Divine ap­pointment; because we find no such order; no pro­mise, no intimation of any such event; and al­though the thing it self indeed shall have what re­ward God please to apportion to it as it is obedi­ence; yet of it self it hath no other worthiness; it is not so much as an argument of persuasion; for the pouring forth of wine can no more prove or make faith that Christs blood was poured forth for us, than the drinking the wine can effect this persuasion in us that we naturally, though under a vail, drink the natural blood of Christ; which the Angels gathered as it ran into golden phials, and Christ multiplied to a miracle like the loaves and fishes in the Gospel. But because nothing that naturally remains the same in all things as it was be­fore, can do any thing that it could not do before; the Bread and wine which have no natural change, can effect none; and therefore we are not to look [Page 13] for an egge where there is nothing but order; and a blessing where there is nothing but an action; and a real effect where there is nothing but an ana­logy, a Sacrament, a mystical representment, and something fit to signify, and many things past, but nothing that is to come. This is the sense and dis­course of some persons that call for an express word, or a manifest reason to the contrary, or else resolve that their belief shall be as unactive as the Scriptures are silent in the effects of this mystery. Only these men will allow the Sacraments to be, marks of Christianity, symbols of mutual Charity, testi­monies of a thankful mind to God, allegorical admoni­tions of Christian mortification, and spiritual alimony, symbols of grace conferred before the Sacrament, and rites instituted to stir up faith by way of object and re­presentation; that is, occasionally and morally, but neither by any Divine or physical, by natural or supernatural power, by the work done, or by the Divine institution. This indeed is something but very much too little.

But others go as far on the other hand and affirm that in the Blessed Sacrament we receive the body and blood of Christ; we chew his flesh, we drink his blood; for his flesh is meat indeed and his blood is drink indeed, and this is the Manna which came down from heaven; our bodies are nourished, our souls united to Christ; and the Sacrament is the infal­lible instrument of pardon to all persons that do not maliciously hinder it; and it produces all its effects by vertue of the Sacrament it self so ap­pointed; and that the dispositions of the Commu­nicants are only for removing obstacles and impe­diments, but effect nothing; the sumption of the Mysteries does all in a capable subject; as in infants [Page 14] who do nothing, in penitents who take away what can hinder; for it is nothing but Christ himself; the body that dyed upon the crosse is broken in the hand of him that ministers, and by the teeth of him that communicates; and when God gives us his Son in this Divine and glorious manner, with heaps of miracles to verify heaps of blessings, how shall not he with him give us all things else? They who teach this doctrine call the holy Sacrament; The host, the unbloody sacrifice; the flesh of God, the body of Christ, God himself, the Mass, the Sacra­ment of the Altar. I cannot say that this is too much; but that these things are not true; and al­though all that is here said, that is of any material benefit and reall blessing is true; yet the blessing is not so conferred, it is not so produced.

A third sort of Christians speak indefinitely and gloriously of this Divine mystery; they speak enough, but they cannot tell what; they publish great and glorious effects; but such which they ga­ther by similitude and analogy, such which they desire, but cannot prove; which indeed they feel, but know not whence they do derive them: they are blessings which come in company of the Sacra­ments, but are not alwayes to be imputed to them; they confound spiritual senses with mystical expres­sions, and expound mysteries to natural significa­tions: that is, they mean well but do not alwayes understand that part of Christian Philosophy which explicates the secret nature of this Divine Sacra­ment, and the effect of it is this; that they some­times put too great confidence in the mystery; and look for impresses which they find not, and are sometimes troubled that their experience does not answer to their Sermons; and meet with scruples [Page 15] instead of comforts, and doubts instead of rest. and anxiety of mind in the place of a serene and peaceful conscience. But these men both in their right and in their wrong enumerate many glo­ries of the holy Sacrament which they usually signifie in these excellent appellatives, calling it, the Supper of the Lord; the bread of elect souls, and the wine of Angels, the Lords body, the New Testa­ment and the calice of benediction, spiritual food, the great Supper, the Divinest and Archisymbolical feast; the banquet of the Church, the celestial dinner, the spiritual, the sacred, the mystical, the formidable, the rational Table, the supersubstantial bread, the bread of God, the bread of life, the Lords mystery, the great mystery of salvation, the Lords Sacrament, Note: [...]. Desi­derata. [...], h [...]stia hostiarum, mysterium mysteriorum [...], Dominicum. the Sacrament of piety, the sign of unity, the contesse­ration of the Christian communion, the Divine grace, the Divine ma­king grace, the holy thing, the desi­rable, the comunication of Good, the perf [...]ction and consummation of a Christian, the holy particles, the gracious symbols, the holy gifts, the Sacrifice of commemoration, the intellectual and mystical good, the hereditary donative of the New Testament, the Sa­crament of the Lords body, the Sacrament of the Ca­lice, the Paschal Oblation, the Christian pasport, the mystery of perfection, the great Oblation, the Worship of God, the life of Souls, the Sacrament of our price and our Redemption; and some few others much to the same purposes, all which are of great and useful signification; and if the explications and conse­quent propositions were as justifiable as the title [...] themselves are sober and useful, they would be apt [Page 16] only for edification, and to minister to the spirit of devotion. That therefore is to be the design of the present Meditations, to represent the true and proper and mysterious nature of this divine nutri­ment of our souls; to account what are the bles­sings God reacheth forth to us in the Mysteries, and what returns of duty he expects from all to whom he gives his most holy Son.

I shall only here add the names and appellatives which the Scripture gives to these Mysteries, and place it as a part of the foundation of the follow­ing doctrines; [...] 2 Pet. 2.13. 1 Cor. 11.20.8.29. 1 Cor. 10.16. Jude v. 12 Acts 16.2 It is by the Spirit of God called, The bread that is broken, and the cup of blessing, the break­ing of bread; the body and blood of the Lord; the communication of his body, and the communication of his blood; the feast of charity or love; the Lords Table, and the Supper of the Lord. Whatsoever is consequent to these titles we can safely own, and our faith may dwell securely, and our devotion like a pure flame, with these may feed, as with the spi­ces and gums upon the Altar of Incense.

SECT. II. What it is which we receive in the holy SACRAMENT.

IT is strange that Christians should pertinaciously insist upon carnal significations and natural ef­fects in Sacraments and Mysteries, when our blessed Lord hath given us a sufficient light to conduct and secure us from such mis-apprehensions. [The flesh profiteth nothing: the words which I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life,] that is, the flesh is corruption, and its senses are Ministers of death: and this one word alone was perpetually sufficient for Christ's Disciples. For when upon occasion of the grosse understanding of their Ma­sters words by the men of Capernaum, they had been once clearly taught that the meaning of all these words was wholly spiritual; they rested there and inquired no further: insomuch that when Christ at the institution of the Supper affirmed of the bread and wine, that they were his body and his blood, they were not at all offended, as being sufficiently before instructed in the nature of that Mystery. And besides this, they saw enough to tell them that what they eat was not the natural body of their Lord: This was the body which himself did or might eat with his body: one body did eat, and the other was eaten; both of them were his body, but after a diverse manner. For the case is briefly this;

[Page 18]We have two lives, a natural and a spiritual, and both must have bread for their support and maintenance in proportion to their needs,Duplex vita, du­plicem poscit pa­nem. St, Aug. opor­tuit au­tem, non solum primitias nostrae naturae in participationem venire melioris, sed omnes quotquot velint ho­mines & secundâ nativitate nasci, & nutriti cibo novo, & huic na­tivitati accommodato, at (que) ita praevenire mensuram perfectionis. Damasc. de fide orthod. l. 4. c. 14. Et quoniam spiritualis est Adam, oportuit & nativitatem spiritualem esse, similiter & cibum. Ib. ibid. and to their capacities: and as it would be an intollerable charity to give nothing but spiritual nutriment to a hungry body, and pour diagrams, and wise pro­positions into an empty stomach; so it would be as useless and impertinent to feed the Soul with wheat, or flesh, unless that were the conveyance of a spiritual delicacy.

In the holy Sacrament of the Eucharist the body of Christ, according to the proper signification of a humane body is not at all, but in a sense differ­ing from the proper and natural body, that is, in a sense more agreeing to Sacraments; so St. Hie­rom expresly. [‘Of this sacrifice which is won­derfully done in the commemoration of Christ we may eat,in Levit: & habetur de conse­crat: dist. 2. secun­dum se. but of that sacrifice which Christ offered on the altar of the Crosse by it self, or in its own nature, no man may eat] For it is his flesh which is under the form of bread, and his blood which is in the form and tast of wine: for the flesh is the Sacrament of flesh, and blood is the Sa­crament of blood: for by flesh and blood that is invisible,habet. de consecrat, dist. 2. Epist. ad. Iren. spiritual, intelligible, the visible and tangible body of our Lord Jesus Christ is consigned, full of the grace of all vertues, and of Divine Majesty.] So St Augustine. For there­fore ye are not to eat that body which ye see, nor to drink that blood which my crucifiers shall [Page 19] pour out: it is the same, and not the same; the same invisibly, but not the same visibly.] For un­til the world be finished, the Lord is above, but the truth of the Lord is with us. The body in which he rose again must be in one place, but the truth of it is every where diffused.’ Ibid.] For there is one truth of the body in the Mystery, and another truth simply and without Mystery. It is truly Christs body both in the Sacrament, and out of it;vide eund. in Joha [...]. tract. 50. but in the Sacrament it is not the natural truth, but the spiritual and the mystical.

‘And therefore it was that our Blessed Saviour, to them who apprehended him to promise his na­tural body and blood for our meat and drink, spake of his ascension into heaven, that we might learn to look from heaven to receive the food of our souls, heavenly and spiritual nourishment, said St. Athanasius. In tract. verb. Qui­cun (que) dix­erit ver­bum in fi­lium homi­nis. In Levit. c. 10. hom. 7. For this is the letter which in the New Testament kills him who understands not spiritually what is spoken to him, under the signi­fication of meat and flesh, and blood and drink: So Origen For this bread does not go into the body (for to how many might his body suffice for meat?) but the bread of eternal life supports the substance of our spirit; and therefore it is not touch'd by the body, nor seen with the eyes, but by faith it is seen and touched: So St. De Sa­cram. l. 5. c. 4. & in Luc. l. 6. c. 8. Ambrose. And all this whole mystery hath in it neither car­nal sense, nor carnal consequence, saith St. In Jo­han. 6. hom. 47. Tract. 26. in Johan. [...]. S. Ba­sil in Ps. 33 Chrysostom.] But to believe in Christ is to eat the bread; and therefore why do you prepare your teeth and stomach? believe him, and you have eaten him’] they are the words of S. Austin. For faith is that intellectual mouth, as S. Brasil calls it) which is within the man, by which he takes in nourishment.

[Page 20]But what need we to draw this water from the lesser cisterns? we see this truth reflected from the spring it self, the fountains of our blessed Saviour, I am the bread of life, Joh. 6.35. he that cometh unto me shall not hunger, and he that believeth on me shall not thirst;v. 54, 56. and again, He that eats my flesh hath life abi­ding in him, and I will raise him up at the last day; The plain consequent of which words is this, that therefore this eating and drinking of Christs flesh and blood, can only be done by the Ministeries of life and of the spirit, which is opposed to nature, and flesh, and death. And when we consider, that he who is not a spiritual and a holy person does not feed upon Christ, who brings life eternal to them that feed on him, it is apparent that our manducati­on must be spiritual, and therefore so must the food; and consequently, it cannot be natural flesh, how­ever altered in circumstance and visibilities, and im­possible or incredible changes. For it is not in this spiritual food as it was in Manna, of which our Fa­thers did eat and died; but whosoever eats this di­vine nutriment shall never die.Res ipsa cujus Sa­cramen­tum est, omni ho­mini ad vitam, nulli ad exitium quicun (que) ejus par­ticeps su­erit. S. Aug tract 16. in Joh. de resur. car. c. 37. The Sacraments indeed and symbols, the exterior part and ministe­ries may be taken unto condemnation; but the food it self never. For an unworthy person cannot feed on this food, because here to eat Christs flesh is to do our duty, and to be established in our title to the possession of the eternal promises. For so Christ disposed the way of salvation, not by flesh, but by the spirit, saith Tertullian; that is, according to his own exposition, Christ is to be desired for life, and to be devoured by hearing, to be chewed by the un­derstanding, and to be digested by faith; and all this is the method and oeconomy of heaven, which whosoever uses and abides in it, hath life abiding in [Page 21] him. He that in this world does any other way look for Christ, shall never find him; and therefore, if men say, Loe here is Christ, or loe there he is in the desart, or he is [...], in the Cupboards or Pan­tries where bread or flesh is laid, believe it not: Christs body is in heaven, and it is not upon earth: the heavens must contain him till the time of restituti­on of all things, Annon [...] hoc my­sterium pronunciat [Nestorius] & irreligiose fidelium mentes in sen­sus adulterinos detrudit ac humanis cogitationibus aggreditur, quae solâ purâ & inexquisitâ fide accipiuntur. S. Cyril lib. ad Euophium anathem. 11. and so long as we are present in the body, we are absent from the Lord.

In the mean time we can taste and see that the Lord is gracious, that he is sweet: but Christ is so to be tasted as he is to be seen, and no otherwise; but here we walk by faith and not by sight, and here also we live by faith, and not by meer or only bread, but by that Word which proceedeth out from God;Quod esca est carni, hoc anim [...]e fides. S. Cypr. de coen [...] Dom. that as meat is to the body, so is Christ to the soul, the food of the soul, by which the souls of the just do live. He is the bread which came down from heaven, the bread which was born at Bethl [...]hem, the house of bread, was given to us to be the food of our souls for ever.

The meaning of which mysterious and Sacra­mental expressions, when they are reduced to easie & intelligible significations, is plainly this; By Christ we live and move and have our spiritual being in the life of grace, and in the hopes of glory. He took our life, that we might partake of his; he gave his life for us, that he might give life to us: He is the Author and finisher of our faith, the beginning and perfection of our spiritual life. Every good thought [Page 22] we think, we have it from him; every good word we speak, we speak it by his spirit [for no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the holy Ghost:] and all our prayers are by the aids and communications of the spirit of Christ, who helpeth our infirmities, and by unutterable groans, and unexpressible re­presentment of most passionate desires, maketh in­tercession for us. In fine, all the principles and parts, all the actions and progressions of our spiritual life, are derivations from the Son of God, by whom we are born and nourished up to life Eternal.

[...] apud Ara­bas & He­braeos sig­nificat pa­nem & corpus. [...]. S. Chrysost2. Christ being the food of our souls, he is plea­sed to signifie this food to us by such symbols and si­militudes as his present state could furnish us with­al. He had nothing about him but flesh and blood, which are like to meat and drink; and therefore what he calls himself, saying, I am the bread of life, he afterwards calls his flesh and his blood, saying, My flesh is meat indeed, my blood is drink indeed; that is, that you may perceive me to be indeed the food of your souls, see, here is meat and drink for you, my flesh and my blood; so to represent himself in a way that was neerest to our capacity, and in a more intelligible manner; not further from a Mystery, but neerer to our manner of understanding; and yet so involved in figure, that it is never to be drawn neerer than a Mystery, till it comes to expe­rience, and spiritual relish and perception. But be­cause we are not in darknesse, but within the fringes and circles of a bright cloud, let us search as far in­to it as we are guided by the light of God, and where we are forbidden by the thicker part of the cloud, step back and worship.

3. For we have yet one further degree of cha­rity [Page 23] and manifestation of this Mystery. The flesh of Christ is his word; the blood of Christ is his spi­rit; and by believing in his word, and being assisted and conducted by his spirit, we are nourished up to life; and so Christ is our food, so he becomes life unto our souls.

Thus St. Pedag. 1. lib. de re­sur. car. [...]. Euseb. l. 3. Eccles. Theol. M.S Prov. 9.5. Moreh. Ne­vouch. l. 1. c. 30. Clemens of Alexandria, and Pedag. 1. lib. de re­sur. car. [...]. Euseb. l. 3. Eccles. Theol. M.S Prov. 9.5. Moreh. Ne­vouch. l. 1. c. 30. Ter­tullian affirm the Church in their days to have un­derstood this Mystery, saying, The word of God is called flesh and blood: For so the eternal wisdom of the Father calls to every simple soul that wanteth un­derstanding, come eat of the bread and drink of the wine which I have mingled: and that we may know what is this bread and wine, he adds, forsake the foolish and live, and go in the way of understanding. Our life is wisdom, our food is understanding. The Rabbins have an observation, that when ever men­tion is made in the Book of the Proverbs of eating and drinking, there is meant nothing but wisdom and the Law: and when the Doctors using the words of Scripture, say, Come and eat flesh in which there is much fatness, they would be understood to say, Come and hear wisdom, and learn the fear of God, in which there is great nourishment and advantage to your souls. Thus Wisdom is called Water, and Ʋnderstanding Bread, Ecclus. 15.3. by the son of Sirach [with the bread of understanding shall she feed him, and give him the water of wisdom to drink.] It is by the Prophet Isaiah called water and wine;Isa. 55.1, 2. and the desires of righteousness are called hunger and thirst by our blessed Saviour in his Sermon on the Mount:Mat. 5.6. And in pursuance of this mysterious truth, we find that God in his anger threatens a famine of hearing the words of the Lord:Amos. 8.11. when we want Gods word, we die with hunger, we want that bread on which [Page 24] our souls do feed. It was an excellent Commentary which the Jewish Doctors make upon those words of the Prophet [with joy shall ye draw waters from the wells of salvation] that is,Isa. 12.3. from the choicest or wisest of the just men,à selectis justorum; à capiti­bus & pri­mariis coetus. saith Rabbi Jonathan; from the chief Ministers of Religion, the Heads of the peo­ple, and the Rulers of the Congregation; because they preach the Word of God, they open the wells of salvation, from the fountains of our Saviour gi­ving drink and refreshment to all the people. Thus the Prophet Jeremy expresses his spiritual joy, and the sense of this Mystery;Jer. 15.16. Thy words were found and I did eat them, and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; for I am called by thy Name, O Lord God of Hosts: the same with that of our Blessed Saviour; My words are spirit, and they are life, they give life and comfort, they re­fresh our souls, and feed them up to immortality.

As the body or flesh of Christ is his Word, so the blood of Christ is his Spirit in real effect and signi­fication. For as the body without blood is a dead and liveless trunck, so is the Word of God without the Spirit a dead and ineffective Letter: and this Mystery we are taught in that incomparable Epistle to the Hebrews: For by the blood of Christ we are sanctified; and yet that which sanctifies us is the spirit of grace, and both these are one: For so saith the Apostle,Heb. 9.14. the blood of Christ was offered up for us, for the purification of our consciences from dead works; but this offering was made through the eternal spirit; and therefore he is equally guilty and does the same impiety, he who does d [...]sp [...]te to the spirit of Grace, 10.29. and he who accounts the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing; for by this spirit and by this blood we are sanctified,13.20. by this spirit, and [Page 25] by the blood of the everlasting Cov [...]nant, Jesus Christ does perfect us in every good work; so that these are the same Ministry of salvation, and but one and the same Oeconomy of God. Thus St. Peter af­firms, That by the precious blood of Christ we are redeemed from our vain conversation; and it is every where affirmed, that we are purified and cleansed by the blood of Christ, and yet these are the express effects of his Spirit: for by the spirit we mortifie the deeds of the body; and we are justi­fied and sanctified in the name of our Lord Jesus by the spirit of our God. By which expressions we are taught to distinguish the natural blood of Christ from the spiritual; the blood that he gave for us, from the blood which he gives to us; that was in­deed by the spirit, but was not the same thing; but this is the spirit of grace, and the spirit of wisdom. And therefore, as our Fathers were made to drink into one spirit, when they drank of the water of the rock; so we also partake of the spirit when we drink of Christs blood, which came from the spi­ritual rock when it was smitten: for thus accor­ding to the Doctrine of St. John, the water a [...]d the blood and the spirit are one and the same glorious purposes.

As it was with our Fathers in the beginning, so it is now with us, and so it ever shall be, world without end: for they fed upon Christ, that is, they be­lieved in Christ, they expected his day, they lived upon his promises, they lived by faith in him: and the same meat and drink is set upon our Tables: and more than all this, as Christ is the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world, so he shall be the food of souls in heaven, where they who are accounted worthy shall sit down and be feasted in the eternal [Page 26] Supper of the Lamb: concerning which blessedness our B. Saviour saith,Luke 14.15. Blessed is he that eateth bread in the Kingdom of God; for he hath appointed to his chosen ones to eat and drink, at his table in his King­dom; plainly teaching us, that by eating and drinking Christ,

is meant in this world to live the life of the spirit, and in the other world it is to live the life of glo­ry: here we feed upon duty, and there we feed upon reward: our wine is here mingled with water and with myrrhe, there it is mere and unmixt; but still it is called meat and drink, and still is meant grace and glory, the fruits of the spirit and the joy of the spirit; that is, by Christ we here live a spiritual life, and hereafter shall live a life eter­nal.

Thus are sensible things the Sacrament and repre­sentation of the spiritual and eternal;Eâ for­mâ quâ semper carnalia in figu­ram spi­ritualium antece­dunt. Ter­tul. de ba­ptis. and spiritual things are the fulfillings [...]. [...]. Philo. Allegor. In ratione sacrorum par est & animae & corporis causa, nam plerun­que quae non possunt circa animam fieri, fiunt circa corpus. Servius in illud Virgil. [vittas (que) resolvit] & lib. 4. In sacris quae exhiberi non po­terunt, simulabantur & erant pro veris. of the sensible. But the consequent of these things is this; that since Christ always was, is, and shall be the food of the faithful, and is that bread which came down from heaven; since we eat him here, and shall eat him there, our eating both here and there is spiritual; only the word of teaching shall be changed into the word of [Page 27] glorification, and our faith into Charity; and all the way our souls live a new life by Christ, of which, eating and drinking is the Symbol and the Sacra­ment. And this is not done to make this mystery obscure, but intelligible and easie. For so the pains of hell are expressed by fire, which to our flesh is most painful; and the joyes of God by that which brings us greatest pleasure, by meat and drink, and the growth in grace by the natural instruments of nutrition; and the work of the Soul by the mini­steries of the body, and the graces of God by the blessings of nature, for these we know, and we know nothing else, and but by phantasmes and ideas of what we see and feel we understand no­thing at all.

Now this is so far from being a diminution of the glorious mystery of our Communion, that the changing all into spirituality is the greatest increase of blessing in the world: And when he gives us his body and his blood, he does not fill our stomachs with good things, for of whatsoever goes in thither, it is affirmed by the Apostle, that God will destroy both it and them, but our hearts are to be replenished, and by receiving his spirit we receive the best thing that God gives; not his liveless body, but his flesh with life in it, that is, his doctrine and his spirit to imprint it, so to beget a living faith and a lively hope that we may live and live for ever.

4. St. John having thus explicated this mystery in general,Joh. Chap. 6. of our eating the flesh and drinking the blood of Christ; added nothing in particular concerning any Sacraments, these being in parti­cular instances of the general mystery and commu­nion with Christ. But what is the advantage we re­ceive [Page 28] by the Sacraments, besides that which we get by the other and distinct ministeries of faith, I thus account in general.

The word and the spirit are the flesh and the blood of Christ; that is the ground of all. Now be­cause there are two great Sermons of the Gospel which are the summe total and abbreviature of the whole word of God, the great messages of the word incarnate, Christ was pleased to invest these two words with two Sacraments, and assist those two Sacraments, as he did the whole word of God, with the presence of his Spirit, that in them we might do more signally and solemnly what was in the ordinary ministrations done plainly and without extraordinary regards.

Believe and repent; is the word in Baptisme, and and there solemnly consigned; and here it is that by faith we feed on Christ: for faith as it is op­posed to works, that is, the new Covenant of faith as it is opposed to the old Covenant of works, is the covenant of repentance; repen­tance is expressly included in the new covenant, but was not in the old; but by faith in Christ we are admitted to pardon of our sins if we repent and forsake them utterly. Now this is the word of faith; and this is that which is called the flesh or body of Christ, for this is that which the soul feeds on, this is that by which the just do live; and when by the operation of the holy spirit, the waters are reformed to a Divine Nature or efficacy, the bap­tized are made clean, the [...] are sanctified and pre­sented pure and spotless unto God. This mystery Ad in­fantes apud Bedam. St. Austin rightly understood when he affirmed, that we are made partakers of the body and blood of [Page 29] Christ when we are in baptisme incorporated into his body; we are baptized in the passion of our Lord, so Tingi­mur in passione Domini. Tertul. l. de bapt. [...]. S. Cyril. vocatbap­tismum Catech. 11 Tertullian, to the same sense with that of St. Paul, we are buried with him in baptisme into his death; that is, by baptisme are conveyed to us all the effects of Christ's death; the flesh and blood of Christ crucified are in baptisme reached to us by the hand of God, by his holy spirit, and received by the hand of man, the Ministery of a holy faith. So that it can without difficulty be understood that as in receiving the word and the spirit illuminating us in our first conversion, we do truely feed on the flesh and drink the blood of Christ who is the bread that came down from heaven; so we do it also, and do it much more in baptisme, because in this, be­sides all that was before, there was superadded a rite of Gods appointment. The difference is only this; That out of the Sacrament, the spirit ope­rates with the word in the ministery of man; in Baptisme the spirit operates with the word in the ministery of God. For here God is the preacher, the Sacrament is Gods sign, and by it he ministers life to us by the flesh and blood of his Son, that is, by the death of Christ into which we are bap­tized.

And in the same Divine method the word and the spirit are ministred to us in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper. For as in Baptisme so here also there is a word proper to the ministery. So often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye declare the Lords death till he come. This indeed is a word of comfort. Christ died for our sins; that is, our repentance which was consigned in baptisme shall be to purpose; we shall be washed white and clean in the blood of the sacrificed Lamb. This is ver­bum visibile; the same word read to the eye and to [Page 30] the ear. Hear the word of God is made our food in a manner so near to our understanding, that our tongues and palats feel the Metaphor and the Sacra­mental signification; here faith is in triumph and exaltation: but as in all the other ministeries Evangelical, we eat Christ by faith, here we have faith also by eating Christ: Thus eating and drink­ing is faith; it is faith in mystery, and faith in ce­remony; it is faith in act, and faith in habit; it is ex­ercised and it is advanced; and therefore it is cer­tain that here we eat the flesh and drink the blood of Christ with much eminency and advantage.

The sum is this. Christs body, his flesh, and his blood are therefore called our meat and our drink, because by his incarnation and manifestation in the flesh he became life unto us: So that it is mysterious indeed in the expression, but very proper and in­telligible in the event, to say that we eat his flesh and drink his blood, since by these it is that we have and preserve life. But because what Christ begun in his incarnation, he finished in his body on the crosse, and all the whole progression of mysteries in his body, was still an operatory of life and spi­ritual being to us; the Sacrament of the Lords Sup­per being a commemoration and exhibition of this death which was the consummation of our redemp­tion by his body and blood, does contain in it a visible word, the word in symbol and visibility, and special manifestation. Consonant to which Do­crtine, the Fathers by an elegant expression call the blessed Sacrament, [the extension of the Incar­nation.]

So that here are two things highly to be re­marked.

[Page 31]1. That by whatsoever way Christ is taken, out of the Sacrament, by the same he is taken in the Sacrament: and by some wayes here, more than there.

2. That the eating and drinking the consecrated symbols is but the body and lesser part of the Sacra­ment: the life and the spirit, is believing greatly, and doing all the actions of that believing, direct and consequent. So that there are in this, two man­ducations, and Sacramental, and the Spiritual. That does but declare and exercise this: and of the sacramental manducation as it is alone, as it is a ceremony, as it does only consigne or expresse the internal; it is true to affirm that it is only an act of obedience: but all the blessings and conjugations of joy which come to a worthy Communicant proceed from that spiritual eating of Christ, which as it is done out of the Sacrament very well, so in it and with it, much better. For here being (as in bap­tisme) a double significatory of the spirit, a word, and a sign of his own appointment, it is certain he will joyn in this Ministration. Here we have bread and drink, flesh and blood, the word and the spirit, Christ in all his effects, and most gracious communi­cations.

This is the general account of the nature and purpose of this great mystery. Christians are spi­ritual men, faith is their mouth, and wisdom is their food, and believing is manducation, and Christ is their life, and truth is the Air they breath, and their bread is the word of God, and Gods spirit is their drink, and righteousness is their robe, and Gods laws are their light, and the Apostles are their [Page 32] salt; and Christ is to them all in all: for we must put on Christ, and we must eat Christ, and we must drink Christ: we must have him within us, and we must be in him: he is our vine, and we are his branches; he is a door, and by him we must en­ter; he is our shepherd, and we his sheep: Deus meus & omnia, he is our God, and he is all things to us: that is, plainly, he is our Redeemer, and he is our Lord: He is our Saviour and our Teacher: by his Word and by his Spirit he brings us to God and to felicities eternal, and that is the sum of all. For greater things than these we can neither receive nor expect: But these things are not consequent to the reception of the natural body of Christ, which is now in heaven; but of his Word and of his Spirit, which are therefore indeed his body and his blood, because by these we feed on him to life eternal. Now these are indeed conveyed to us by the several ministries of the Gospel, but especially in the Sa­craments, where the Word is preached and con­signed, and the Spirit is the teacher, and the feeder, and makes the Table full, and the Cup to overflow with blessing.

SECT. III. That in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper there are represented and ex­hibited many great blessings upon the special account of that sacred ministe­ry, proved in General.

IN explicating the Nature of this Divine mystery in general, as I have manifested the nature and operations and the whole ministery to be spiritual, and that not the natural body and blood of Christ is received by the mouth, but the word and the spirit of Christ, by faith and a spiritual hand, and upon this account have discovered their mistake, who think the secret lies in the outside, and sup­pose that we tear the natural flesh of Christ with our mouthes: So I have by consequent explicated the secret which others indefinitely and by conje­cture and zeal do speak of, and know not what to say, but resolve to speak things great enough; it remains now that I consider for the satisfaction of those that speak things too contemptible of these holy mysteries; who say, it is nothing but a commemoration of Christs death, an act of obe­dience, a ceremony of memorial, but of no spiri­tual [Page 34] effect, and of no proper advantage to the soul of the receiver. Against this, besides the preceding discourse convincing their fancy of weakness and derogation, the consideration of the proper excellencies of this mystery in its own seperate nature will be very useful. For now we are to consider how his natural body enters into his oeconomy and dispensation.

For the understanding of which are to con­sider that Christ besides his Spiritual body and blood did also give us his natural, and we receive that by the means of this. For this he gave us but once, then, when upon the Crosse he was broken for our sins; this body could die but once and it could be but at one place at once, and Hea­ven was the place appointed for it, and at once all was sufficiently effected by it which was design'd in the Counsel of God. [...]or by the vertue of that death Christ is become the Author of life unto us and of salvation; he is our Lord and our Lawgi­ver; but it he received all power in heaven and earth, and by it he reconciled his Father to the world, and in vertue of that he intercedes for us in heaven, and sends his spirit upon earth, and feeds our souls by his word, he instructs us to wis­dom and admits us to repentance, and gives us pardon, and by means of his own appointment nourishes us up by holinesse to life eternal.

This body being carried from us into heaven; cannot be touch'd or tasted by us on earth; but yet Christ left to us symbols and Sacraments of this natural body; not to be, or to convey that natu­ral body to us, but to do more and better for us; to convey all the blessings and graces procured for [Page 35] us by the breaking of that body, and the effusion of the blood: which blessings being spiritual are therefore called his body spiritually, because pro­cured by that body which died for us; and are therefore called our food, because by them we live a new life in the spirit, and Christ is our bread and our life, because by him after this manner we are nourished up to life eternal. That is plainly thus: Therefore we eat Christs spiritual body, be­cause he hath given us his natural body to be bro­ken, and his natural blood to be shed, for the remis­sion of our sins and for the obtaining the grace and acceptability of repentance. For by this gift, and by this death, he hath obtained this favour from God, that by faith in him and repentance from dead works, by repentance towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, we may be saved.

To this sense of the Mystery are those excellent words of the Apostle:Rom. 5.10. Col. 1.20, 21, 22. Tit. 2.14. Heb. 2.9, 14. Heb. 9.15 1 Pet. 1.18. 1 Pet. 2.24. Tertul. l. 3. c. 8. contr. Marcion. He bare our sins upon his own body on the Tree, that he might deliver us from the present evil world, and sanctifie and purge us from all pollution of flesh and spirit, that he might destroy the works of the devil, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, that he might purchase to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works, and that we being dead unto sin▪ might live unto righteousnesse. Totum Christiani nominis & pondus & fructus, mors Christi. All that we are, or do, or have, is produced and effected by the death of Christ.

Now because our life depends upon his death, the ministry of this life must relate [...]o the ministry of this death; and we have nothing to glory in but the Crosse of Christ: the Word preached is no­thing, [Page 36] but Jesus Christ crucified: and the Sacra­ments are the most eminent way of declaring this word: for by Baptism we are bu­ried into his death, Note: Figura est ergo praecipi­ens, passioni Domini esse communicandum, & sua­viter atque utiliter re­condendum in memoria, quo pro nobis caro ejus crucifixa & vulnerata sit. S. August. de doctr. Christ. l. 3. and by the Lords Supper we are partakers of his death: we communicate with the Lord Jesus as he is crucified; but now, since all belong to this, that Word and that Mystery that is highest and neerest in this rela­tion, is the principal and chief of all the rest; and that the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is so, is evident beyond all necessity of in­quiry, it being instituted in the vespers of the Pas­sion, it being the Sacrament of the passion, a sensi­ble representation of the breaking Christs body, of the effusion of Christs blood; it being by Christ himself intituled to the passion, and the symbols in­vested with the names of his broken body, and his blood poured forth, and the whole ministry being a great declaration of this death of Christ, and com­manded to be continued until his second coming. Certainly by all these it appears, that this Sacrament is the great ministry of life and salvation: here is the publication of the great word of salvation: here is set forth most illustriously the body and blood of Christ, the food of our souls; much more clearly than in Baptism, much more effectually than in simple enunciation, or preaching and declaration by words; for this preaching is to strangers and in­fants in Christ to produce faith, but this Sacramen­tal enunciation is the declaration and confession of it by men in Christ; a glorying in it, giving praise for it, a declaring it to be done, and own'd, and ac­cepted, and prevailing.

The consequent of these things is this, That if [Page 37] any Mystery, Rite or Sacrament be effective of a­ny spiritual blessings, then this is much more,Note: Et tu qui accipis panem divinae ejus substantiae in illo participas alimento. S. Ambros. lib. 66. de sacram. Hic umbra, hic imago, il­lic veritas: umbra in le­ge, imago in evangelio, veritas in coelestibus. Idem de offic. lib. 4. cap. 48. [si quis verò transire potue­rit ab hâc umbrâ, veniat ad imaginem rerum, & vi­deat adventum Christi in carne factum, videat eum pontificem, offerentem quidem & nunc patri ho­stias, & postmodum obla­turum, & intelligat haec omnia imagines esse spiri­tualium rerum, & corpo­ralibus officiis coelestia de­signari. Origen in Psal. 38. Vide eund. hom. 7. in Levit. & Epiphanium in Anchorato. as having the prero­gative and illustrious principality above every thing else in its own kind, or of any other-kind in ex­teriour or interiour Religion: I name them both, because as in Baptism the water alone does no­thing, but the inward cooperation with the outward oblation does save us, yet to Baptism the Scri­ptures attribute the effect: so it is in this sacred solemnity, the ex­ternal act is indeed nothing but obedience, and of it self only declares Christs death in rite and ceremony, yet the worthy com­municating of it does indeed make us feed upon Christ, and unites him to the soul, and makes us to become one spirit, according to the words of S. Ambrose, De sa­cram. l. 6. Ideo in similitudinem quidem accipis sacramentum, sed verae naturae gra­tiam virtutemque consequeris, [thou rec [...]iv [...]st the Sa­crament as the similitude of Christs body, but thou shalt receive the grace and the virtue of the true na­ture.]

I shall not enter into so useless a discourse, as to inquire whether the Sacraments confer grace by their own excellency and power with which they are endued from above, because they who affirm they do, require so much duty on our parts as they also do who attribute the effect to our moral dispo­sition: but neither one nor the other say true: [Page 38] for neither the external act, nor the internal grace and morality, does effect our pardon and salvation; but the spirit of God, who blesses the symbols, and assists the duty, makes them holy, and this accepta­ble. Only they that attribute the efficacy to the Ministration of the Sacrament, chose to magni­fie the immediate work of man, rather than the imme­diate work of God, and prefer the external, at least in glorious appellations, before the internal: and they that deny efficacy to the external work, and wholly attribute the blessing and grace to the moral cooperation, make too open a way for de­spisers to neglect the divine Institution, and to lay aside or lightly esteem the Sacraments of the Church. It is in the Sacraments as it is in the Word preached, in which not the sound, or the letters and syllables, that is, not the material part, but the formal, the sense and the signification, prepare the mind of the hearer to receive the impresses of the holy spirit of God, without which all preach­ing and all Sacraments are ineffectual: so does the internal and formal part, the signification and sense of the Sacrament, dispose the spirit of the recei­ver the rather to admit and entertain the grace of the spirit of God there consigned, and there exhi­bited, and there collated: but neither the outward nor the inward part does effect it, neither the Sa­crament nor the moral disposition; only the spirit operates by the Sacrament, and the Communicant receives it by his moral dispositions, by the hand of faith. And what have we to do to inquire into the philosophy of Sacraments? these things do not work by the methods of nature: But here the ef­fect is imputed to this cause, and yet can be produ­ced without this cause, because this cause is but a s [...]gn in the hand of God, by which he tells the soul when he is willing to work.

[Page 39]Thus Baptism was the instrument and sign in the hands of God to confer the holy Spirit upon belie­vers: but the holy Ghost sometimes comes like lightning, and will not stay the period of usual ex­pectation; for when Cornelius had heard St. Peter preach, he received the holy Ghost: and as some­times the holy Ghost was given because they had been baptized, now he and his company were to be baptized because they had received the holy Ghost: and it is no good argument to say, The graces of God are given to believers out of the Sacrament, ergo, not by or in the Sacrament; but rather thus, If Gods grace overflows sometimes, and goes with­out his own instruments, much more shall he give it in the use of them: If God gives pardon with­out the Sacrament, then rather also with the Sacra­ment: For supposing the Sacraments in their design and institution to be nothing but signs and ceremo­nies, yet they cannot hinder the work of God: and therefore holinesse in the reception of them, will do more than holinesse alone: for God does nothing in vain; the Sacraments do something in the hand of God, at least they are Gods proper and accu­stomed times of grace; they are his seasons and our opportunity: when the Angel stirs the pool, when the Spirit moves upon the waters, then there is a ministry of healing.

For consider we the nature of a Sacrament in ge­neral, & then pass on to a particular enumeration of the blessings of this, the most excellent. When God appointed the bow in the clouds to be a Sacrament, and the memorial of a promise, he made it our com­fort, but his own sign:Gen. 9.15. I will remember my Cove­nant between me and the earth, and the waters shall [Page 40] be no more a flood to d [...]stroy all flesh. This is but a token of the Covenant; and yet at the appearing of it God had thoughts of truth and mercy to man­kind; The bow shall be in the cloud, and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting Cove­nant between me and every creature. Thus when Elisha threw the wood into the waters of Jordan;2 Kings 6.6. advers. Judaeos. Sacramentum ligni, the Sacrament of the wood, Tertullian calls it; that chip made the iron swim, not by any natural or any infused power, but that was the Sacrament or sign at which the Divine power then passed on to effect and emanation. When Elisha talked with the King of Israel about the war with Syria, he commanded him to smite upon the ground,2 Kings 13.18, 19. and he smote thrice and stayed. This was Sacramentum victoriae, the Sacrament of his future victory: For the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times, then thou hadst smitten Syria until thou hadst consumed it; whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice. In which it is remarkable, that though it was not that smiting that beat the Syri­ans, but the ground; yet God would effect the beating of the Syrians by the proportion of that Sacramental smiting. The Sacraments are Gods signs,Acts 22.16. Rom. 6.5. & 8.11. the opportunities of grace and act [...]on Be ba­ptized and wash away thy sins, said Ananias to Saul: and therefore it is cal [...]'d the laver of regeneration and of the ren [...]wing of the holy Gh [...]st; that is, in that Sacrament, and at that corporal ablution, the work of the spirit is done: for although it is not that washing of it self, yet God does so do it at that ablution, which is but the similitude of Christs death, that is, the Sacrament and symbolical re­presentation of it; that to that very similitude a very glorious effect is imputed, for if we have been [Page 41] planted together in the LIKENESSE of his death, Rom. 6.5. we shall be also in the LIKENESS of his Resurrection. For the mystery is this: by im­mersion in Baptism, and emersion, we are configu­red to Christs Burial, and to his Resurrection: that's the outward part; to which if we add the inward, which is there intended, and is expressed by the Apostle in the following words;v. 6. knowing that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin; that's our spiritual death, which answers to our configuration with the death of Christ in Baptism;v. 4. that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in n [...]wness of life; there's the corre­spondent of our configuration to the resurrection of Christ: that is if we do that duty of Baptism, we shall receive that grace: God offers us the mercy at that time, when we promise the duty, and do our present portion.1 Pet. 3.16. This St. Peter calls the stipulation of a good conscience, the postulate and bargain which man then makes with God, who promises us pardon and immortality, resurrection from the dead, and life eternal, if we repent toward God, and have faith in the Lord Jesus, and if we promise we have and will so abide.

The same is the case in the other most glorious Sacrament: it is the same thing in neerer repre­sentation: only what is begun in Baptism, proceeds on to perfection in the holy Com­munion.

Baptism is the antitype of the passion of Christ; and the Lords Supper [...], that also represents Christs passion: Baptism is the union of the mem­bers [Page 42] of Christ and the admission of them under one head into one body: as the Apostle affirms we are all baptized into one body;1 Cor. 12.13. 1 Cor. 10.16.17. and so it is in the Communion, the bread which we break, it is the communion of the body of Christ; for we being many, are one body and one bread: in baptisme we partake of the death of Christ: and in the Lords Supper we do the same, in that as Babes, in this as men in Christ; so that what effects are affirmed of one, the same are in greater measure true of the other; they are but several rounds of Jacobs ladder reach­ing up to heaven upon which the Angels ascend and descend; and the Lord sits upon the top.

And because the Sacraments Evangelical be of the like kind of mystery with the Sacraments of old; from them we can understand, that even signs of secret graces, do exhibit as well as signifie: for besides that there is a natural analogy between the ablution of the body and the purification of the soul, between eating the holy bread and drinking the sacred calice, and a participation of the body and blood of Christ, it is also in the method of the divine oeconomy; to dispense the grace which him­self signifies in a ceremony of his own institution; thus at the Unction of Kings, Priests and of Pro­phets, the sacred power was bestowed, and as a Canon is invested in his dignity by the tradition of a book, Serm. de coenâ Dui. and an Abbat by his staffe, a Bishop by a ring (they are the words of St. Bernard:) so are divisi­ons of graces imparted to the diverse Sacraments. And therefore although it ought not to be denyed, that when in Scripture and the writings of the ho­ly Doctors of the Church, the collation of grace is attributed to the s [...]gn, it is by a metonymy and a Sacramental manner of speaking, yet it is also a [Page 43] synecdoche of the part for the whole; because both the Sacrament and the grace are joyned in the law­ful and holy use of them, by Sacramental union, or rather by a confederation of the parts of the ho­ly Covenant. Our hearts are purified by faith, and so our consciences are also made clean in the cestern of water. By faith we are saved;Acts 15.9. and yet he hath sav [...]d us by the laver of regeneration, Ephes. 5.26. Rom. 3.28. Luk. 7.50. Tit. 3.5. Eph. 5.26. and they are both joyned together by St. Paul, Christ gave himself for his Church, that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word: that is, plainly by the Sacrament, according to the fa­mous Commentary of St. Austin, accedat verbum ad elementum & tum fit sacramentum, when the word and the element are joyned, then it is a per­fect Sacrament, and then it does effect all its pur­poses and intentions. Thus we find that the grace of God is given by the imposition of hands;2 Tim. 1.6 lib. 15. de Trinit. cap. 26. and yet as Austin rightly affirmes, God alone can give his holy spirit, and the Apostles did not give the holy Ghost to them upon whom they laid their hands, but prayed that God would give it, and he did so at the imposition of their hands.Act. 8.18. Thus God sanctified Aaron, and yet he said to Moses, thou shalt sanctifie Aaron: that is, not that Moses did it instead of God, but Moses did it by his ministery,St. Aug. lib. 3. in Levit. pu. 84. and by visible Sacraments and rites of Gods appointment, and though we are born of an immortal seed, by the word of the living God, yet St. Paul said to the Corinthians, I have begotten you through the Gos [...]el, and thus it is in the greatest as well as in the least, he that drinks Christ's blood, and eats his body hath life abiding in him, it is true of the [...]acrament and true of the spiritual mandu­cation and may be indifferently affirmed of either, when the other is not excluded, for as the Sacra­ment [Page 44] operates only by the vertue of the spirit of God; so the spirit ordinarily works by the instru­mentality of the Sacraments. And we may as well say, that faith is not by hearing, as that grace is not by the Sacraments, for as without the spirit, the word is but a dead letter, so with the spirit, the Sacrament is the means of life and grace: And the meditation of St. Chrysostom is very pious and rea­sonable, ‘If we were wholly incorporeal, God would have given us graces unclothed with signs and Sacraments, but because our spirits are in earthen vessels, God conveyes his graces to us by sensible ministrations.’] The word of God ope­rates as secretly as the Sacraments, and the Sacra­ments as powerfully as the word, nay the word is alwayes joyned in the worthy administration of the Sacrament, which therefore operates both as word and sign by the ear and by the eyes and by both in the hand of God, and the conduct of the spirit, effect all that God intends, and that a faithful re­ceiver can require and pray for.

For justification and sanctification are continued acts: they are like the issues of a Fountain into its receptacles, God is alwayes giving, and we are alwayes receiving, and the signal effects of Gods holy spirit, sometimes give great indications, but most commonly come without observation, and therefore in these things we must not discourse as in the conduct of o [...]her causes and operations natural: for although in natural effects, we can argue from the cause to the event, yet in spiritual things we are to reckon only from the sign to the event. And the signs of grace we are to place in stead of natu­ral causes, because a Sacrament in the hand of God, is a proclamation of his graces, he then gives us [Page 45] notice that the springs of heaven are opened: and then is the time to draw living waters from the fountains of salvation. When Jonathan shot his arrows beyond the boy, he then by a Sacrament sent salvation unto David; he bad him be gone and flie from his Fathers wrath; and although Jonathan did do his business for him by a continual care and observation, yet that symbol brought it unto Da­vid; for so are we conducted to the joyes of God by the methods and possibilities of men.

In conclusion; the sum is this, The Sacraments and symbols if they be considered in their own na­ture, are just such as they seem, water, and bread, and wine; they retain the names proper to their own natures; but because they are made to be signs of a secret mystery; and water is the symbol of purification of the soul from sin, and bread and wine, of Christs body and blood; therefore the symbols and Sacraments receive the names of what themselves do sign; S. Austin. in Levit. q. 57. solet autem res quae signi­ficat, ejus rei nomine quam sig­nificat, nuncu­pari. Theodoret. dial. 1. c. 8. [...]. they are the body and they are the blood of Christ; they are Metonymically such. But because yet further, they are instru­ments of grace in the hand of God, and by these his holy spirit changes our hearts and translates us into a Divine nature; therefore the whole work is attributed to them; by a Synecdoche; that is, they do in their manner the work for which God or­dained them, and they are placed there for our sakes, and speak Gods language in our accent, and they appear in the outside; we receive the benefit of their ministery, and God receives the glory.

SECT. IV. The blessings and Graces of the Holy Sa­crament enumerated and proved par­ticularly.

IN the reception of the blessed Sacrament; there are many blessings which proceed from our own actions, the conjugations of moral duties, the of­fices of preparation and reception, the reverence and the devotion; of which I shall give account in the following Chapters; here I am to enumerate those graces which are intended to descend upon us from the spirit of God in the use of the Sacrament it self precisely.

But first I consider that it must be infinite­ly certain that great spiritual blessings are con­sequent to the worthy receiving this Divine Sa­crament; because it is not at all received but by a spiritual hand: for it is either to be understood in a carnal sense that Christs body is there eaten, or in a spiritual sense. If in a carnal, it profits no [...]hing. If in a spiritual he be eaten, let the meaning of that be considered, and it will convince us that innume­rable blessings are in the very reception and Com­munion. Now what the meaning of this spiritual eating is; I have already declared in this chapter, [Page 47] and shall yet more fully explicate in the sequel.Chap. 3. Sect. 5. In the Sacrament we do not receive Christ carnally; but we receive him spiritually; and that of it self is a conjugation of blessings and spiritual graces. The very understanding what we do, tells us also what we receive. But I descend to particulars.

1. And first I reckon that the Sacrament is in­tended to increase our faith: for although it is with us in this Holy Sacrament, as it was with Abra­ham in the Sacrament of circumcision; he had the grace of faith before he was circumcised; and received the Sacrament after he had the purpose and the grace; and we are to believe, before we receive these symbols of Christ death; yet as by loving we love more, and by the acts of patience we increase in the spirit of mortification; so by believing we believe more; and by publication *Ante communicationem corporis Christi & sangui­nis, juxta Orientalium par­tium morem, unanimiter clarâ voce sacratissimum fi­dei recenseant Symbolum, ut primum populi quam credulitatem teneant, fate­antur. Concil. Tolet. 3. c. 2. & St. Ambros. quibus [sym­bolis] vescentes confessio­nem fidei suae addebant: re­spondebant. Amen. Idem etiam sancitum in Concil. Agath. of our confessi­on we are made confident, and by seeing the signs of what we believe, our very senses are in­corporated into the article; and he that hath shall have more, and when we concorporate the sign with the signification, we con­joyn the word and the spirit, and faith passes on from believing to an imaginary seeing; and from thence to a greater earnestness of believing, and we shall believe more abundantly; this increase of faith not being only a natural and proper production of the exer­cise of its own acts; but a blessing and an effect of the grace of God in that Sacrament; it being cer­tain, that since the Sacrament being of Divine institution it could not be to no purpose (for in [Page 48] spiritualibus Sacramentis ubi praecipit virtus, Euseb. Emiss. ha­betur de consecrat dist. 2. servit effectus, where the commandment comes from him that hath all power, the action cannot be destitute of an excellent event) and therefore that the repre­senting of the death of Christ being an act of faith, and commanded by God must needs in the hands of God be more effectual than it is in its own na­ture; that faith shall then increase not only by the way of nature, but by Gods blessing his own in­struments, can never be denied but by them that neither have faith nor experience. For this is the proper scene and the very exaltation of faith: the Latine Church for a long time into the very words of consecration of the calice, hath put words re­lating to this purpose, [For this is the cup of my blood of the New and Eternal Testament, the mystery of faith, which for you and for many shall be shed for the remission of sins.] And if by faith we eat the flesh of Christ; as it is confessed by all the Schools of Chri­stians, then it is certain, that when so manifestly and solemnly according to the divine appointment we publish this great confession of the death of Christ, we do in all senses of spiritual blessing eat the flesh and drink the blood of Christ; and let that be ex­pounded how we list, we are not in this world ca­pable, and we do not need a greater blessing and God may s [...]y in the words of Isaac to his son Esau, with corn and wine have I sustained [thee] and what is there left that I can do unto thee my son? To eat the flesh and to drink the blood of Christ Sacramentally is an act of faith, and every act of faith joyned with the Sacrament does grow by the nature of grace, and the measures of a blessing, and therefore is eating of Christ spiritually, and this reflexion of acts like circles of a glorious and eternal fire, passes on in the univocal production [Page 49] of its own parts till it passe from grace to glory.

2. Of the same consideration it is, that all the graces which we do exercise by the nature of the Sacrament requiring them, or by the necessity of the commandment of preparation, do here receive increase upon the account of the same reason; but I instance only in that of Charity, of which this is signally and by an especial remark the Sacrament: and therefore these holy conventions are called by St. Jude, feasts of charity, Jude 12. which were Christian Festivals, in which also they had the Sacrament ad­joined; but whether that do effect this persuasion or no, yet the thing it self is dogmatically affirmed in St. Pauls explication of that mystery,

we are one body because we partake of one bread; that is, plainly, Christ is our head, and we the members of his body, and are united in this mystical union by the holy Sacrament; not only because it symbolically does teach our duty, and promotes the grace of charity by a real signature, and a sensible Sermon; nor yet only because it calls upon Christians by the publick Sermons of the Go­spel, and the duties of preparati­on, and the usual expectations of conscience and Religion; but even by the blessing of God, and the operation of the holy Spirit in the Sacrament, which (as appears plainly by the words of the Apo­stle) is designed to this very end, to be a reconciler and an atonement in the hand of God, a band of charity, and the instrument of Christian Commu­nion; that we may be one body, because we par­take [Page 50] of one bread; that is, we may be mystically united by the Sacramental participation: and therefore it was not without mystery, that the Con­gregation of all Christ servants, his Church, and this Sacramental bread, are both in Scripture called by the same name: This bread is the body of Christ, and the Church is Christs body too; for by the communion of this bread all faithful people are confederated into one body, the body of our Lord. Now it is to be observed, that although the expres­sion is tropical [...]. Isid. Pe­lusiot. and figurative, that we are made one body, because it is meant in a spiritual sense; yet that spiritual sense means the most real event in the world; we are really joyned to one common Di­vine principle, Jesus Christ our Lord, and from him we do communicate in all the blessings of his grace, and the fruits of his passion, and we shall, if we abide in this union, be all one body of a spi­ritual Church in heaven, there to reign with Christ for ever. Now unless we think nothing Good but what goes in at our eyes or mouth; if we think there is any thing good beyond what our senses perceive, we must confess this to be a real and e­minent benefit; and yet whatever it be, it is there­fore effected upon us by this Sacrament, because we eat of one bread. The very repeating the words of St. Paul is a satisfaction in this inquiry; they are plain and easie, and whatever interpretation can be put upon them, it can only vary the manner of effecting the blessing, and the way of the Sa­cramental efficacy; but it cannot evacuate the bles­sing, or confute the thing: Only it is to be ob­served in this, as in all other instances of the like nature, that the grace of God in the Sacrament usually is a blessing upon our endeavours, for spi­ritual graces and the blessings of sanctification do [Page 51] not grow like grasse, but like corn; not whether we do any husbandry or no, but if we cultivate the ground, then by Gods blessing the fruits will spring and make the Farmer rich, if we be disposed to receive the Sacrament worthily, we shall receive this fruit also. Which fruit is thus expressed, say­ing,Serm. 8. ad fratres in erem. Hoc Sa­cramen­tum ideo nobis datum est ut corpus Ecclesiae Christi in terris cum capite quod est in coelis coadunetur] Itaque petendo panem nostrum quotidianum perpetuitatem postulamus in Christo, & individui­tatem à corpore ejus. Tertul. de orat. Et ideo panem nostrum, i.e. Christum dari nobis quotidie petimus, ut qui in Christo manemus, à sanctificatione ejus & corpore non [...]ecedamus St. Cyprian de orat. Domin. [this Sacrament is therefore given unto us that the body of the Church of Christ in the earth may be joyned, or united with our head which is in the heavens.]

3. The blessed Sacrament is of great efficacy for the remission of sins; not that it hath any formal efficacy, or any inherent vertue to procure pardon, but that it is the ministery of the death of Christ and the application of his blood, which blood was shed for the remission of sins, and is the great means of impetration, and as the Schools use to speak, is the meritorious cause of it. For there are but two wayes of applying the death of Christ: an internal grace and an external mini­stery. Faith is the inward applicatory, and if there be any outward at all, it must be the Sacraments; and both of them are of remarkable vertue in this particular; for by baptisme we are baptized into the death of Christ, and the Lords supper is an appointed enunciation and declaration of Christs death, and it is a Sacramental participation of it. Now to partake of it Sacramentally, is by Sacrament to receive it, that is, so to apply it to us, as that [Page 52] can be applyed: it brings it to our spirit, it pro­pounds it to our faith, it represents it as the matter of Eucharist, it gives it as meat and drink to our souls, and rejoyces in it in that very formality in which it does receive it, viz, as broken for, as shed for the remission of our sins. Now then what can any man suppose a Sacrament to be, and what can be meant by sacramental participation? for un­less the Sacraments do communicate what they re­late to; they are no communion or communication at all; for it is true that our mouth eats the mate­rial signs; but at the same time, faith eats too, and therefore must eat, that is, must partake of the thing signified; faith is not maintained by ce­remonies: the body receives the body of the mystery; we eat and drink the symbols with our mouths, but faith is not corporeal, but feeds up­on the mystery it self; it entertains the grace, and enters into that secret which the spirit of God con­veyes under the signature. Now since the mystery is perfectly and openly expressed to be the remis­sion of sins; if the soul does the work of the soul, as the body the work of the body, the soul re­ceives remission of sins, as the body does the symbols of it and the Sacrament.

But we must be infinitely careful to remember that even the death of Christ brings no pardon to the impenitent persevering sinner; but to him that repents truely, & so does the Sacrament Qui scel eratè vivunt in Ecclesiâ, & communicare non desinunt putantes setali communione mundari, discant nihil ad emundationem proficere dicente prophetâ, quid est quod dilectus meus facit in domo meâ scelera multa? nunquid carnes sanctae auferent à te malitias tuas? Jer. 11.15. Isidor. Hispal. de summo bono lib. 1. cap. 24. of Christs [Page 53] death; this can do no more than that: and there­fore let no man come with his guilt about him, and in the heat and in the affections of his sin, and hope to find his pardon by this ministery. He that thinks so will but deceive, wil but ruine himself. They are excellent but very severe words, which God spake to the Jews, and which are a prophe­tical reproof of all unworthy Communicants in these divine mysteries, What hath my beloved to do in my house seeing she hath wrought l [...]wdness with many? The holy flesh hath passed from thee when thou doest evil, that is, this holy sacrifice, the flesh and blood of thy Lord shall slip from thee without doing thee any good, if thou hast not ceased from doing evil. But the vulgar Latin reads these words much more emphatically to our purpose, Shall the holy flesh take from thee thy wickedness in which thou rejoycest? Deceive not thy self; thou hast no part nor portion in this matter. For the holy Sacrament operates indeed and consigns our pardon, but not alone; but in conjunction with all that Christ re­quires as conditions of pardon; but when the conditions are present, the Sacrament ministers pardon, as pardon is ministred in this world; that is, by parts, and in order to several purposes, and with power of revocation, by suspending the Di­vine wrath, by procuring more graces, by obtain­ing time of repentance; and powers and possibili­ties of working out our salvation; and by setting forward the method and Oeconomy of our salvati­on. For in the usual methods of God, pardon of sins is proportionable to our repentance; which because it is all that state of Piety we have in this whole life after our first sin; pardon of sins is all that effect of grace which is consequent to that repentance; and the worthy receiving of the holy Communion, [Page 54] is but one conjugation of holy actions and parts of repentance, but indeed it is the best and the noblest, and such in which man does best cooperate towards pardon, and the grace of God does the most illu­striously consign it. But of these particulars I shall give full account when I shall discourse of the preparations of repentance.

4. It is the greatest solemnity of prayer, the most powerful Liturgy and means of impetration in this world. For when Christ was consecrated on the crosse and be­came our High Priest,Note: [...], &c. having reconciled us to God by the death of the crosse, he became infinitely gracious in the eyes of God, and was admitted to the celestial and eternal Priesthood in heaven; where in the vertue of the crosse he in­tercedes for us, and represents an eternal sacrifice in the heavens on our behalf. That he is a Priest in heaven appears in the large discourses and direct affirmatives of St. Paul; that there is no other sacrifice to be offered,Heb. 7.24. but that on the crosse; it is evident, because he hath but once appeared in the end of the world to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself; and therefore since it is necessa [...]y that he hath something to offer so long as he is a Priest, and there is no other sacrifice but that of himself offer­ed upon the crosse;Heb. 8.3. it follows that Christ in heaven perpetually offers and represents that sacrifice to his heavenly Father, and in vertue of that obtains all good things for his Church.

Now what Christ does in heaven he hath com­manded us to do on earth, that is, to represent his [Page 55] death, Nonne semel immola­tus est Christus in seipso? & tamen in Sacramento non solum per omnes paschae solennitates, sed omni die populis immolatur. Nec utique mentitur qui inter­rogatus, eum responderit immolari: si enim Sacramenta quan­dam similitudinem earum rerum quarum Sacramenta sunt non haberent, omnino Sacramenta non essent St. Aug. Epist. ad Boni­fac. 23. Quia corpus assumptum ablaturus erat ab oculis, & illa­turus syderibus, necessarium erat ut die coenae Sacramentum no­bis corporis & sanguinis consecraretur, ut coleretur jugiter per mysterium quod semel offerebatur in precium, ut quia quotidi­ana & indefessa currebat pro omnium salute redemptio, perpetua esset redemptionis oblatio, & perennis victima illa viveret in me­moria, & semper praesens esset in gratia, vera unica, & perfecta hostia, fide aestimanda non specie, ne (que) exteriori censenda visu sed interiore affectu. Unde coelestis confirmat authoritas, quia caro mea verè est cibus, & sanguis meus verè est potus. Recedat ergo om­ne infidelitatis ambiguum quoniam qui author est muneris, idem testis est veritatis. Euseb. Emiss. & habetur de consecrat. dist. 2. to commemorate this sacrifice, by humble prayer and thankful record; and by faithful mani­festation and joyful Eucharist to lay it before the eyes of our heavenly Father, so ministring in his Priesthood, and doing according to his command­ment and his example; the Church being the image of heaven, the Priest the Minister of Christ, the holy Table being a Copy of the celestial altar; and the eternal sacrifice of the Lamb slain from the beginning of the World, being alwayes the same; it bleeds no more after the finishing of it on the Crosse; but it is won­derfully represented in heaven, and graciously re­presented here; by Christs action there, by his commandment here; and the event of it is plainly this, that as Christ in vertue of his sacrifice on the crosse intercedes for us with his Father; so does the Minister of Christs Priest-hood here, that the vertue of the eternal sacrifice may be salutary and effectual to all the needs of the Church both for things temporal, and eternal: and therefore [Page 56] it was not without great mystery and clear sig­nification that our blessed Lord was pleased to command the representation of his death and sacrifice on the crosse should be made by breaking bread and effusion of wine; to signifie to us the nature and sacredness of the Liturgy we are about, and that we minister in the Priest-hood of Christ; who is a Priest for ever after the order of Melchi­sedeck; that is, we are Ministers in that unchanga­ble Priest-hood imitating in the external Ministery, the prototype Melchisedeck: Of whom it is said,

he brought forth bread and wine and was the Priest of the most high God; and in the internal imitating the antitype or the substance, Christ himself; who offered up his body and blood for atonement for us, and by the Sacraments of bread and wine, and the pray­ers of oblation and intercession commands us to officiate in his Priest-hood, in the external mi­nistring like Melchisedeck; in the internal after the manner of Christ himself.

This is a great and a mysterious truth, which as it is plainly manifested in the Epistle to the Hebrews, so it is understood by the ancient and holy Doctors of the Church. So St.Ambrose. [Now Christ is offered, but he is offered as a man, as if he recei­ved his passion; but he offers himself as a Priest, that he may pardon our sins; here in image or re­presentation, there in truth, as an Advocate inter­ceding with his Father for us.] So St. Chrysostom; [Page 57] In Christ once the Sacrifice was offered, which is powerful to our eternal salvation; but what then do we? do not we offer every day? what we daily offer is at the memorial of his death, and the Sacrifice is one, not many; because Christ was once offered: but this Sacrifice is the example or representation of that. And another: Christ is not impiously slain by us, but piously sacrificed; and by this means we declare the Lords death till he come: for here through him we humbly do in earth, which he as a son who is heard according to his reverence, does powerfully for us in heaven, where as an advocate he intercedes with his Father, whose office or work it is; for us to exhibit and interpose his flesh which he took of us and for us, and as it were to presse it upon his Father. To the same sense is the meditation of St. Austin: By this he is the Priest and the Oblation, the Sacrament of which he would have the daily Sacrifice of the Church to be; which because it is the body of that head, she learns from him to offer her self to God by him, who offered himself to God for her. And there­fore this whole Office is called by St. Basil, [...], the prayer of oblation, the great Chri­stian Sacrifice and Oblation in which we present our prayers and the needs of our selves and of our brethren unto God in virtue of the great Sacrifice, Christ upon the Crosse, whose memorial we then celebrate in a divine manner, by divine appoint­ment.

The effect of this I represent in the words of Lyra: [That which does purge and cleanse our sins must be celestial and spiritual, and that which is such hath a perpetual efficacy, and needs not to be done again; but that which is daily offered in the Church, is a daily commemoration of that one Sacrifice which was offered on the Crosse, accor­ding [Page 58] to the command of Christ, Do this in comme­moration of me.]

Now this holy Ministry and Sacrament of this death, being according to Christs commandment and in our manner a representation of the eter­nal Sacrifice, an imitation of Christs intercession in heaven in vertue of that Sacrifice, must be after the pattern in the Mount, it must be as that is, pur â prece, as Tertullians phrase, is by pure prayer; it is an intercession for the whole Church present and absent in the virtue of that Sacrifice. I need add no more, but leave it to the meditation, to the joy and admiration of all Christian people to think, and to enumerate the blessings of this Sacrament, which is so excellent a representation of Christs death, by Christs commandment; and so glorious an imi­tation of that intercession which Christ makes in heaven for us all; it is all but the representment of his death, in the way of prayer and interpellati­on; Christ as head, and we as members; he as High Priest, and we servants as his Ministers: and therefore I shall stop here, and leave the rest for wonder and Eucharist: we may pray here with all the solemnity and advantages imaginable; we may with hope and comfort use the words of David, I will take the cup of salvation, Psal. 116. and call upon the name of the Lord: we are here very likely to prevail for all blessings, Hinc ergo pen­semus quale sit hoc sa­cramen­tum, quod pro absolutione nostrâ passionem unigeniti filii imitetur. Quis n. fidelium habere dubium posset in ipsâ immolationis horâ ad Sacerdotis vo­ [...]m coelos aperiri, in illo Jesu Christi mysterio angelorum choros [...]lesse: S. Gregor. in homil. Paschali. for this is by way of eminency, glo­ry, and singularity, Calix benedictionis, the cup of blessing which we bless, and by which God will bless us, and for which he is to be blessed for ever­more.

[Page 59]5. By the means of this Sacrament our bodies are made capable of the resurrection to life and e­ternal glory. For when we are externally and symbolically in the Sacrament, and by faith and the spirit of God internally united to Christ, and made partakers of his body and his blood, we are joyned and made one with him who did rise again; and when the head is risen, the members shall not see corruption for ever, but rise again after the pattern of our Lord. If by the Sacrament we are really united and made one with Christ, then it shall be to us in our proportion as it was to him; we shall rise again, and we shall enter into glory. But it is certain we are united to Christ by it; we eat his body and drink his blood Sacramentally by our mouths, and therefore really and spiritually by our spirits and by spiritual actions co­operating.

For what good will it do us to partake of his bo­dy, if we do not also partake of his spirit? but certain it is, if we do one, we do both; cum natu­ralis per sacramentum proprietas perfectae sacramentum sit unitatis, as St. Hilaries expression is; the natural propriety, viz the outward elements by the Sacrament, that is, by the institution and blessing of God, become the Sacrament of a perfect unity, which beside all the premisses is distinctly affirmed in the words of the Apostle; we which are sanctified, and he which sanctifies are all of one; and again, the bread which we break, is it not the communication of the body of Christ; and the [Page 60] cup which we drink is it not the communication of the blood of Christ? plainly saying, that by this holy ministery we are joyned and partake of Christs body and blood, and then we become spiritually one body, and therefore shall receive in our bodies all the effects of that spiritual union; the chief of which in relation to our bodies, is resurrection from the grave. And this is expresly taught by the Ancient Church. So St. Irenaeus teaches us. ‘As the bread which grows from the earth,Lib. 4. c. 34. St. Clem. A­lex. lib. 2. paedag. c. 2. Bibere Jesu san­guinem est parti­cipem esse incorrup­tionis Do­mini. lib. 5. receiving the calling of God, (that is, blessed by prayer and the word of God) is not now common bread, but the Eucharist, consisting of two things, an earthly, and an heavenly: so also our bodies re­ceiving the Eucharist, are not now corruptible, but have the hope of resurrection. And again, when the mingled calice and the made bread re­ceives the word of God viz. is consecrated and blessed, it is made the Eucharist of the body and blood of Christ out of those things by which our body is nourished, and our substance does consist: and how shall any one deny that the flesh is capable of the gift of God, which is eter­nal life, which is nourished by the body and blood of Christ? [...], Epist. ad Ephes. [...].’ And St. Ignatius calls the blessed Eu­charist [...]; the medicine of im­mortallity, for the drink is his blood who is [...], incorruptible love and eter­nal life [...], so the Fathers of the Nicene Councel; the symbols of our resur­rection, the meat nourishing to immortallity and eternal life, so Cyril of Alexandria; for this is to drink the blood of Jesus, to be partakers of the Lords incorruptibility, said St. Clement. For bread is food, and blood is life; but we drink the blood of Christ, himself commanding us that together with [Page 61] him, we may by him be partakers of eternal life; So St. Cyprian, aut quicun (que) sit author Sermon. de coenâ Domini.

6. Because this is a ministry of grace by bodily ceremonies, and conveys spiritual blessings by temporal ministrations; there is something also of temporal regard directly provided for our bodies by the holy Sacrament. It sometimes is a means in the hand of God for the restoring and preserving respectively of our bodily health, and secular ad­vantages: I will not insist upon that of St. Gorgonia ▪ who being oppressed with a violent head-ach, threw her self down before the holy Table where the Sa­crament was placed, and prayed with passion and pertinacy till she obtained relief and ease in that very place: Nor that of St. Ambrose, who having trod upon a Gentlemans foot afflicted with the gout, in the time of ministration, gave him the holy smbols, and told him it was good for his sick­nesse also, and that he presently found his cure. I my self knew a person of great sanctity, who was afflicted to deaths door with a vomiting, and preparing her self to death by her viaticum the ho­ly Sacrament, to which she always bore a great re­verence, she was infinitely desirous and yet equally fearful to receive it, lest she should reject that by her infirmity which in her spirit she passionately longed for; but her desire was the greater passion, and prevailed; she received it, and swallowed it, and after great and earnest reluctancy being forced to cast it up, in zeal and with a new passion took it in again, and then retained it, and from that instant speedily recovered, against the hope of her Physi­cian, and the expectation of all her friends. God does miracles every day; and he who with spittle [Page 62] and clay cured the blind mans eyes, may well be supposed to glorifie himself by the extraordinary contingences and Sacramental contacts of his own body. But that which is most famous and remarked is, that the Austrian Family do attribute the rise of their House to the present Grandeur, to W [...]lliam Earl of Hasburgh, and do acknowledg it to be a reward of his piety in the venerable treatment and usage of these Divine mysteries. It were easier to heap together many rare contingences and mira­culous effects of the holy Sacrament, than to find faith to believe them now-adayes; and therefore for this whole affair I relie upon the words of Saint Paul, 1 Cor. 11.26. affirming that God sent sicknesses and sundry kinds of death to punish the Corinthian irreverent treatment of the Blessed Sacrament; and there­fore it is not to be deemed, but that life and health will be the consequent of our holy usages of it: for if by our fault it is a savour of death; it is cer­tain, by the blessing and intention of God it is a favour of life. But of these things in particular we have no promise, and therefore such events as these cannot upon this account of faith and certain ex­pectations be designed by us in our communions. If God please to send any of them, as sometimes he hath done, it is to promote his own glory and our value of the Blessed Sacrament the great ministry of salvation.Haec sump­ta & hausta fa­ciunt ut nos in Christo & Christus in nobis sit. lib. 8. de Trinit. habetur de consecrat. dist.

7. The sum of all I represent in these few words of St. Hilary. These holy mysteries being taken, cause that Christ shall be in us, and we in Christ; and if this be more than words; we need no fur­ther inquiry into the particulars of blessing conse­quent to a worthy communion, for if God hath given his Son unto us, how shall not he with him give [Page 63] us all things else? nay all things that we need are effected by this, said St. Clement of Alexandria, one of the most antient Fathers of the Church of Christ: Eucharistia qui per fidem sunt participes, lib. 2. paed. c. 2. sanctifi [...]antur & corpore & animâ: They who by faith are partakers of the Eucharist are sanctified both in body and in soul.

‘How great therefore and how illustrious bene­fits (it is the meditation of St. Eusebius Emisse­nus) does the power of the Divine blessing pro­duce? you ought not to esteem it strange and im­possible; for how earthly and mortal things are converted into the substance of Christ, ask thy self, who art regenerated in Christ: Not long since, thou wast a stranger from life, a pilgrim and wanderer from mercy, and being inwardly dead thou wert banished from the way of life. On a sudden being initiated in the laws of Christ, and renewed by the Mysteries of Salvation, thou didst passe suddenly into the body of the Church not by seeing, but by believing, and from a son of perdition, thou hast obtained to be adopted a son of God by a secret purity: remaining in a visible measure, thou art invisibly made greater than thy self, without any increase of quantity, thou art the same thou wert, and yet very much another person in the progression of Faith, to the outward nothing is added, but the inward is wholly changed, and so a man is made the son of Christ, and Christ is formed in the mind of a man. As therefore suddenly without any bodily [Page 64] perception, the former vileness being laid down, on the sudden thou hast put on a new dignity, and this that God hath done, that he hath cured thy wounds, washed off thy staines, wiped away thy spots, is trusted to thy discerning, not thy eyes: so when thou ascendest the reverend altar to be satisfied with spiritual food, by faith regard, honour, admire the holy body of God, touch it with thy mind, take it with the hand of thy heart even with the draught of the whole in­ward man:’

SECT. V. Practical conclusions from the preceding Discourses.

THe first I represent in the words of St. Augu­stin, Tract. 17. in Johan. Contenti sint ad venera [...]i­onem fi­guris de­fendenti­bus a vi­litate se­cretam. Macrob. in somn. Scip. l. 1. c. 2. who reduces this whole doctrine to pra­ctice in these excellent words [let this whole affair thus far prevail with us that we may eat the flesh, [and drink] the blood of Christ, not only in the Sacrament, which many evil persons doe; but let us eat and drink unto the participation of the spirit; that as members we may abide in the Lords body, that we may be quickened by his spirit; and let us not be scandalized because many do temporally eat and drink with us, who yet in the end shall find eternal torments] that is; let us remember that the exteriour ministery is the least part of it; [Page 65] and externally and alone it hath in it nothing ex­cellent, as being destitute of the sanctity that God requires, and the grace that he does promise, and it is common to wicked men and good: but when the signs and the thing signified, when the prayers of the Church and the spirit of God, the word and the meaning, the sacrament and the grace do con­cur; then it is [...], it is a venera­ble cup, and full of power,St. Chry­sost. [...] Origen. [...]. and more honourable than all our possessions, it is a holy thing saith Ori­gen and appointed for our sanctification. For Christ in the Sacrament is Christ under a vail: as without the hand of faith we cannot take Christ, so we must be sure to look here with an eye of faith, and whatsoever glorious thing is said of the holy Sacrament; it must be understood of the whole Sacrament, body and spirit, that is, the Sacramental and the spiritual Communion.

2. Let no man be lesse confident in his holy faith and persuasion concerning the great blessings and glorious effects which God designs to every faith­ful and obedient soul in the communication of these Divine mysteries, by reason of any difference of judgement which is in the several Schools of Chri­stians concerning the effects and consequent bles­sings of this Sacrament. For all men speak honour­able things of it, except wicked persons, and the scorners of Religion, and though of several per­sons like the beholders of a dove walking in the sun, as they stand in several aspects and distances, some see red and others purple, and yet some per­ceive nothing but green, but all allow and love the beauties: so do the several forms of Christians, according as they are instructed by their first teach­ers, or their own experience conducted by their [Page 66] fancy and proper principles, look upon these glori­ous mysteries some as vertually containing the re­ward of obedience, some as solemnities of thanksgi­ving and records of blessings, some as the objective increasers of faith, others as the Sacramental parti­cipations of Christ, others as the acts & instruments of natural union, yet all affirm some great things or other of it, and by their differences confesse the immensity and the glory. For thus Manna repre­sented to every man the taste that himself did like, but it had in its own potentiality all those tasts and dispositions eminently, and altogether, those feasters could speak of great and many excellencies, and all confessed it to be enough, and to be the food of An­gels: so it is here, it is that to every mans faith, which his faith wisely apprehends; and though there are some who are of little faith, and such receive but a less proportion of nourishment, yet by the very use of this Sacrament the appetite will increase, and the apprehensions grow greater, and the faith will be more confident and instructed; and then we shall see more, and feel more. For this holy nutriment is not only food, but physick too, and although to him who believes great things of his Physitian, and of his medicine, it is apt to do the more ad­vantage; yet it will do its main work, even when we understand it not, and nothing can hinder it; but direct infidelity, or some of its foul and de­formed ministers.

3. They who receive the blessed Sacrament must not suppose that the blessings of it, are effected as health is by physick, or warmth by the contact and neighbourhood of fire; but as musick one way affects the soul, and witty discourses another, and joyful tidings a way differing from both the former, so the operations of the Sacrament are produced by [Page 67] an energy of a nature intirely differing from all things else; But however it is done, the thing that is done is this, no grace is there improved, but what we bring along with us: no increases but what we exercise; we must bring faith along with us, and God will increase our faith, we must come with charity, and we shall go away with more, we must come with truly penitential hearts, and to him that hath shall be given, and he shall have more abundantly: he shall be a better penitent: when he hath eaten the sacrifice that was slain for our sins, and died in the body, that we might live in the spirit and die no more. For he is the bread from heaven, he is the grain of wheat which falling into the earth, unless it dies it remains alone, but if it dies, it brings forth fruit and brings it forth abundantly.

4. Although the words, the names, and sayings con­cerning the Blessed Sacrament are mysterious and inexplicable, yet they do, nay, therefore weare sure they signifie some great thing, they are in the very expression beyond our understanding, & therefore much more are the things themselves too high for us: but therefore we are taught three things. 1. To walk humbly with our God, that is, in all entercour­ses with him to acknowledg the infinite distance be­tween his immensitie and our nothing; his wisdom and our ignorance; his secrets and our apprehensions; he does more for us than we can understand. It was an excellent saying of Aristotle which Seneca reports of him, Nunquam nos verecundiores esse debere, quam cum de Diis agitur, we ought never to be more bashful and recollect, than when we are to speak any thing of God. Timidè de pot [...]state Deorum, & pauca dicenda sunt, said Cicero, Denat. Deor. we must speak of his power and glory, timorously and sparingly, [Page 68] with joyfulness and singleness or simplicity of heart, so the first Christians eat their Bread, their Eucha­rist, so we understand the words of St. Luke. 2. To walk charitably with our disagreeing bro­ther, that this may be indeed a Sacrament of charity, and not to wonder if he be mistaken in his discourses of that which neither he nor you can understand. 3. Though it be hard to be under­stood: yet we must be careful that with simplicitie we admire the secret, and accept the mystery; but at no hand by pride or ignorance, by interest or vanity to wrest this myste [...]y, to ignoble senses, or to evil events, or to dangerous propositions, or to our own damnation.

5. Whatever propositons any man shall enter­tain in his manner of discoursing of these mysteries; let him be sure to take into his notice and memorie, those great appellatives with which the purest ages of the Church, the most ancient Liturgies, and the most eminent Saints of God use to adorn and invest this great mysteriousness. In the Greek Liturgie attributed to St. James; the Sacramental Symbols are cal­led, [...]. sanctified, honourable, preci­ous, celestial, unspeakable, incor­ruptible, glorious, fearful, formi­dable, divine; in the use of which Epithets, as we have the warran­ty and consent of all the Greek Churches since they ever had a Liturgy; so we are taught only to have reverend usages and religious apprehensions of the Divine mysteries, [...]. Lib. 8. contr. Celsum. but if by any appellative we can learn a duty, it is one of the best waies of entring into the secret. To which purpose the ages Primitive and Apostolical did use the word [Page 69] Eucharist: the name and the use we learn from Origen; the Bread which is called the Eucharist, is the Symbol of our thanksgiving towards God. But it is the great and most usual appellative for the holy Supper; [...], and [...], we find in Epist. ad Smyr. Ignatius, St. Clemens. Justin Martyr, the Syrian Paraphrast, Origen, and ever after amongst the Greeks, a [...]d afterwards amongst the Latins. By him we understand that then we receive great blessings, since [...]he very mystery it self obliges us to great thank [...]ulness. I have instanced in this as an example to the use of the other Epithets and appellatives which from Antiquity I have enumerated.Sect. 1. of this Chap.

6. He that desires to enter furthest into the se­crets of this mystery,Ecclus. 21.11. and to understand more than others, can better learn by love Nam a­nimalis homo, ho [...] est, qui sequitur co­gitationes humanas & ani­males sive naturales, non est capax eorū, quae sunt su­pra naturam, & spiritualiū, at (que) ita & spiritualem esum carnis Dominicae non in­telligit, cujus qui non sunt participes, non erunt par­ticipes aeternae vi [...]ae. Theo­phylact in cap. 6. Joh. than by inqui­ry. He that keepeth the law of the Lord getteth the understanding thereof, saith the wise Bensirach; if he will prepare himself dili­gently, and carefully observe the dispensations of the Spirit, and receive it humbly, and treat it with great reverence, and dwell in the communion of Saints, and pass through the mystery with great devotion and purest sim­plicity, and converse wi [...]h the purities of the Sacrament frequ [...]ntly, [...]nd with holy intention, this man shall unde [...]stand more by his experience, than the greatest Cle [...]ks can by all their subtilties, the commentaries of the Doctors, and the glosses of inquisitive men: Obey and ye shall understand, said the Prophet: and our blessed [Page 70] Saviour assur'd us,Joh. 8.31, 32. that if we continue in his word, then we shall know the truth; and if any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or no. For we have not turned from our iniqui­ties, that we might understand the truth, said Dani­el:Ecclus. 25 11. for the love of the Lord (saith the wise man) pas­seth all things for illumination.

7. Let no man advance the preaching of the word of God, to the disparagement. or to occasion the neglect of the Sacraments. For though it be true, that faith comes by hearing; yet it is not in­tended that by hearing alone faith is ingendred; for the faith of the Apostles came by seeing; and St. Pauls faith did not come by hearing; but by intuition and revelation; and hearing in those words of St. Paul does not signifie the manner of ministration;1 Joh. 1.1. but the whole Oeconomie of the word of God, the whole office of preaching; which is done most usefully to babes and strangers by ser­mon and homily, but more gloriously and illustri­ously to men, by Sacraments. But however, be it so or otherwise; yet one ordinance ought not to exclude the other, much less to disparage the other, and least of all to undervalue that which is the most eminent: but rather let every Christian man and woman think; that if the word mini­stred by the spirit is so mightie, it must be more, when the word and the spirit joyn with the Sacra­ment, which is their proper significatorie. He that is zealous for the word of God does well; but let him remember, that the word of God is a good­ly ring and leads us into the circles of a blessed eter­nity; but because the Sacrament is not without the word, they are a jewel encha'sd in gold when they are together. The Ministeries of the Gospel are all [Page 71] of a piece; they, though in several manners, work the same salvation by the conduct of the s [...]me spirit.

8. Let no man in the reception of the Sacra­ment, and in his expectation of blessings and e­vents from it, limit his hopes and belief to any one particular, for that will occasion a littleness of faith, and may make it curious, scrupulous and phan­tastical; rather let us adore the secret of God, and with simple expectations receive it; disposing our selves to all the effects that may come rather with fear and indefinite apprehensions, than with dog­matical and confident limitations; for this may be­get scruples and diminution of value; but that hin­ders nothing, but advances the reverential treat­ments and opinion.

9. He that guesses at the excellency and power of the Sacrament, by the events that himself feels; must be sure to look for no other than what are e­minently or virtually contained in it; that is, he must not expect that the Sacrament will make him rich; or discover to him stoln goods, or cure the Tooth-ach, or Countercharm Witches, or appease a Tempest if it be thrown into the Sea. These are such events which God hath not made the effects of religion; but are the hopes and expectations of vain and superstitious people. and I remember that Pope Alexander the third in the Council of La­teran wrote to the Bishop of S. Agatha advice how to treat a woman who took the Holy Sacrament into her mouth, and ran with it to kiss her husband,Concil. Later. part 50. cap. 30 hoping by that means to procure her husbands more intense affection. But the story tells that she was chastis'd by a miracle, and was not cur'd but by a long and severe repentance.

[Page 72]10. He that watches for the effects and blessings of the Sacrament, must look for them in no other manner, than what is agreeable to the usual dispen­sation; we must not look for them by measures of nature and usual expectations: not that as soon as we have received the Symbols, we shall have our doubts answered; or be comforted in our spirit as soon as we have given thanks for the holy blood; or be satisfied in the inquiries of faith, as soon as the prayers of consecration and the whole ministery is ended; or prevail in our most passionate desires as soon as we rise from our knees; for we enter into the blessings of the Sacrament by prayer, and the exercise of proper graces; both which being spiri­tual instruments of vertues, work after the manner of spiritual things; that is, not by any measure we have, but as God please; only that in the last e­vent of things, and when they are necessary, we shall find them there: Gods time is best, but we must not judge his manner by our measures, nor measure eternity by time, or the issues of the spirit, by a measuring line. The effects of the Sacrament are to be expected as the effect of prayers: not one prayer or one solemn meeting, but persevering and pas [...]ionate, fervent and lasting prayers; a continu­al desire and a dayly address is the way of prevail­ing In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening with-hold not thy hand, Eccles. 11.6. for thou knowest not whether sh [...]ll prosper▪ either this or that, or whether they shall be both alike good.

11. He that looks for the effects and blessings told of to be appendant to the Sacrament, must ex­pect them upon no other terms, but such as are the conditions of a worthy Communion. If thou doest [Page 73] find thy faith as dead after the reception as it was before; it may be it is because thy faith was not only little, but reprovable: or thou didst not pray vehemently, or thou art indisposed by some secret disadvantage: or thou hast not done thy duty: and he shall imprudently accuse that physick for useless and unfit, that is not suffered to work by the incapacity, the ill-diet, the weak stomack, or some evil accident of the patient.

12. Let no man judge of himself or of the bles­sings and efficacy of the Sacrament it self, or of the prosperity and acceptation of his service in this mi­nistery by any sensible relish, by the gust and delici­ousnesse which he sometimes perceives, and other times does not perceive For these are fine accidents and given to some persons often, to others very sel­dom, to all irregularly, as God please: and some­times are the effects of natural and accidental dispo­sitions, and sometimes are illusions. But that no man may fall into inconvenience for want of them: we are to consider that the want of them proceeds from diverse causes. 1. It may be the palate of the Soul is indispos'd by listlesness or sorrow, anxiety or weariness. 2. It may be we are too much im­merg'd in secular affairs and earthly affections. 3. Or we have been unthankfull to God when we have received some of these spiritual pleasures, and he therefore withdraws those pleasant entertainments. 4. Or it may be, we are therefore without relish and gust, because the Sacrament is too great for our weakness, like the bright Sun to a mortal eye; the object is too big for our perceptions, and our little faculties. 5. Sometimes God takes them a­way least we be lifted up and made vain. 6. Some­times for the confirmation and exercise of our faith; [Page 74] that we may live by faith and not by sense. 7. Or it may be that by this driness of spirit God intends to make us the more fervent and resign'd in our di­rect and solemn devotions, by the perceiving of our wants and weakness, and in the infinite inability, and insufficiency of our selves. 8. Or else it hap­pens to us irremediably and inevitably, that we may perceive these accidents are not the fruits of our labour, but gifts of God, dispensed wholly by the measures of his own choice. 9. The want of just and severe dispositions to the Holy Sacrament may possibly occasion this uncomfortableness. 10. Or we do not relish the Divine Nutriment now, so as at other times, for want of spiritual mastication, that is, because we have not considered deeply, and me­ditated wisely and holily. 11. Or there is in us too much self-love and delight in, and adherence to the comforts we find in other objects. 12. Or we are carelesse of little sins, and give too much way to the dayly incursions of the smaller irregula­rities of our lives. If upon the occasion of the want of these sensible comforts and delightful relishes, we examine the causes of the want, and suspect our selves in these things, where our own faults may be the causes, and there make amends; or if we sub­mit our selves in those particulars where the causes may relate to God, we shall do well, and receive profit. But unlesse our own sin be the cause of it, we are not to make any evil judgment of our selves by reason of any such defect; much lesse diminish our great value of the blessings consequent to a worthy communion.

13. But because the pardon of sins is intended to be the great effect of a worthy Communion, and of this men are most solicitous, and for this they [Page 75] pray passionately, and labour earnestly, and al­most all their lives, and it may be in the day of their death have uncertain souls; and therefore of this men are most desirous to be satisfied, if they appre­hend themselves in danger, that is, if they be con­vinced of their sin, and be truly penitent; although this effect seems to be least discernable, and to be a secret reserved for the publication and trumpet of the Arch-Angel at the day of Doom; yet in this we can best be satisfied. For because when our sins are unpardoned, we are under the wrath of God to be expressed as he pleases, and in the method of e­ternal death; now if God intends not to pardon us, he will not bless the means of pardon; if we shall not return to his final pardon, we shall not passe through the intermedial; if he will never give us glory, he will never give us the increase of grace. If therefore we repent of our sins, and pray for pardon: if we confess them and forsake them: if we fear God and love him: if we find that our de­sires to please him do increase, that we are more watchful against sin, and hate it more: that we are thirsty after righteousnesse: if we find that we increase in duty, then we may look upon the tra­dition of the holy Sacramental Symbols as a direct consignation of pardon: not that it is them com­pleated; for it is a work of time, it is as long in doing as repentance is in perfecting, it is the effect of that, depending on its cause in a perpetual opera­tion; but it is then working, and if we go on in duty, God will proceed to finish the methods of his grace, and snatch us from eternal death which we have deserved, and bring us unto glory. And this he is pleased by the Sacramental all the way to consigne: God speaks not more articulately in any [Page 76] voice from Heaven than in such real indications of his love and favour.

14. Lastly, since the Sacrament is the great so­lemnity of prayer, and imitation of Christs inter­cession in Heaven; let us here be both charitable and religious in our prayers; interceding for all states of men and women in the Christan Church; and representing to God all the needs of our selves and of our Relatives. For then we pray with all the advantages of the spirit, when we pray in the faith of Christ crucified, in the love of God and of our neighbour, in the advantages of solemn piety, in the communion of Saints, in the imitation of Christs intercession, and in the union with Christ himself Spiritual and Sacramental; and to such prayers as these nothing can be added, but that which will certainly come, that is, a blessed hearing and a gra­cious answer.

SECT. III. Devotions preparatory to this Mystery.

SECT. I. Of Examination of our selves in order to the Holy Communion.

THere is no duty in Christianity that is partly solemn and partly moral, that hath in it more solemnity and more morality than this one duty; and in the greatest declension of Religion, still men have fear when they come to receive this holy Sacrament. They that have no Religion will fear when they come to die; and they who have but a little, will fear when they come to communicate. But although men who believe this to be the great­est secret and sacrednesse of our Religion, do more in their addresses to this than to any thing else, yet many of them that do come, consider that they are only commanded to examine themselves; and that according to the ordinary methods is easily done. It is nothing but asking our selves a few questions: Do I believe? Do I repent? and am I in charity? To these the answers are ready enough; I do be­lieve that Christ gave his body and blood for me, as for all mankind; and that Christ is mystically pre­sent in the Sacrament: I have been taught so all my life, and I have no reason to doubt it. 2. I do also repent according to the measures I am taught: I am sorry I have sinned, I wish I had not done it; [Page 84] and I promise to do so no more: and this I do constantly before every Communion; and before the next comes I have reason enough to renew my vows; I was never so good as my word yet, but now I will. 3. I am also in charity with all the World; and against this good time, I pray to God to forgive them; for I do. This is the usual ex­amination of Consciences; to which we add a fa­sting day, and on that we may say more prayers than usual; and read some good discourses of the Sacrament; and then we are dressed like the friends of the Bridegroom, and with confidence come to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. But this exa­mination, hath it self need to be examined. No­ah laboured a hundred years together in making the Ark that he and a few more might be saved: and can we think in an hour to prepare our souls for the entertainment of him that made all the World? This will very hardly be done. For al­though our duty of preparation is contained in this one word, of [Try, or Examine] it being after the manner of mysteries, mysteriously and secretly described, yet there is great reason to be­lieve that there is in it very much duty, and there­fore we search into the secret of the word, and to what purposes it is used in the New-Testament.

[...].1. It signifies to try and search, to enter into the depths and secrets, the varieties and separati­ons and divisibilities of things. The word is taken from the tryers of Gold: which is tryed by the touch-stone; and in great cases, is tryed by the fire. And in this sense St. Paul might relate to the present condition of the Christians, who were of­ten under a fiery t [...]yal For the holy Communion being used by the Primitive Christians according to [Page 85] its intention, was indeed a great consolation to the Martyrs and Confessors, as ap­pears often in St. Cyprian:

and this blessing and design was my­stically represented to the Church in the circumstance of the institu­tion, in being done immediately before the passion: they who were to pass through this fiery tryal,Note: Lib. de lapsis. & Epist. 54. Nunc non infirmis sed for­tibus pax necessaria est; nec morientibus, sed viventi­bus communicatio à nobis danda est: ut quos excita­mus & hortamur ad praeli­um, non inermes & nudos relinquamus: sed protecti­one sanguinis & corporis Christi muniamus: & cum ad hoc fiat Eucharistia, ut possit accipientibus esse tu­tela, quos tutos esse contra adversarium volumus, mu­nimento Dominicae saturi­ritatis armemus. ought to examine them­selves against this solemnity in order to that last tryal, and see whether or no they were vessels of sanctification and honour; for none else were fit to communi­cate but they also that were fit to die; Christ would give himself to none but to them who are ready to give themselves for him; ac­cording to that saying of Christ, Revel. 3.20, 21. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come into him and sup with him and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me &c. That is, those who are tryed by the experiments of a great love, and a great patience, that out of love are willing to suf­fer, and with patience do suffer unto the end;

these are the guests at my heavenly Table: for labour and affrightment put a price upon the Martyrs Crown, while his vertue grows in danger, and like the water-plants ever grow higher than the Floods. Now the use that we can make of this sense of the [Page 86] word is that we also are to examine what we are likely to be, or what we have been in the day of persecution; how we have passed through the fire? Did we contract the smel of fire, or the pollution of smoak? or are we improved by the purification of the discerning flames? Did we do our duties then, and then learn to do them better? or did we then only like glasse, bend in all the flexures and mobilities of the flame, and then mingle with the ashes, incorporating with the interests and foulest pollutions of the world? or were we like Gold, patient of the hammer, and approved by the stone of tryal? like Gold in the fire, did we untwist our selves from all complications and mix­tures with impurer drosse? certain it is, that by persecution and by mony Ecclus. 81.9. men are in all capaci­ties and relations best examined how they are in their Religion and their Justice.

[...].Sometimes God tries his friends as we try one another, by the infelicities of our lives; when we are unhappy in our affliction, if we be not unhap­py in our friend too, he is a right good one; and God will esteem of us so, if we can say with David, though thou hast smitten us into the place of Dragons, yet have we not forgotten thee; and my soul is alway in my hand, that is, I am alwayes in danger and trouble, and I bear death about me, yet do I not forsake thy Commandments. This indeed is Gods way of Examination of us; but that's all one; for we must examine our selves here in order to our duty, and state of being, as God will examine us hereafter in order to what we have been and done. And there is no greater testimony of our being fit to receive Christ, than when we are ready to die for him. But this is a final trial: we must have [Page 87] some steps of progression before we come thus far.

2. There is a way something less than this; [...] Sui­das. [...]. Ly­curgus instituted among the Spartans, that the Princes, the Magistrates, the Souldiers and every Citizen that was capable of dignity should be try­ed; They examined their lives whether they had lived according to the rate of their employment or pretensions; and those who were so examined were called [...] tryed and examined men; and if they were persons quitting themselves like men, they were ascribed into the number of the good Citizens. That is our way, to try whether we be instructed and rightly prepared to this good work, and that is to be examined by a course and order of good works, that was the old and true way of ex­amining.

For examination is but a relative duty; and no­thing of it self, for no man is the better for being examined if being examined there follows nothing after it. He that is examined, either must be ap­proved, or else in St. Pauls phrase he is [...] a reprobate; and to what purpose is it that every man should examine himself, but in case that he find himself unfit, to abstain and forbear to come: for if he comes unworthy he dies for it; and there­fore to Examine must signifie; let every man ex­amine himself so that he be approved;Rom. 14, 22. [...]. Phil. 1.4, 10. Gal. 6.4. Ephes. 5.10. and so the word is used by St. Paul, Happy is he that doth not condemn himself in that which be approveth: The word signifies both to examine and to approve that is indeed to examine as wise men should; [ [...], saith Suidas] it is all one as to judge righteous Judgment after due exami­nation; [Page 88] and that is expresly added by the Apostle, in the same Chapter, after the precept of examina­tion, judge your selves that you be not judged of the Lord; that is, your examination of your selves will prevent the horrours of the eternal scrutiny; your condemnation of your sins will prevent Gods condemnation of you for them; and then when you examine so as to judge, and so condemn your sins that you approve your selves to God and your own Consciences, then you have examined right­ly.

The sense then is this: Let a man examine and prove himself, whether he be fit to come to the ho­ly Communion, and so let him eat: not so if upon examination he be found unfit: but because it is intended he should come, and yet must not come without due and just preparations, let him who comes to the holy Communion, be sure that he worthily prepare himself.

These then are the great inquiries: 1. How a man shall so examine himself, as to know whether he be fit or no. 2. What are those necessary dis­positions without which a man cannot be worthily prepared. The first will represent the general rules of preparation. The second inquiry will consider the more particular.

SECT. II. Of the Examination of our desires.

EVery one that comes to the holy Sacrament must have earnest affections and desires towards God and Religion, and particularly toward these Divine mysteries, and therefore he must examine accordingly whether or no he be willing and pas­sionately desirous to do all his duty? His saying that he is so, I do not suppose to be a sufficient satis­faction to a serious inquiry, unless he really feels himself to be so. For we find that all men pretend that they have earnest desires to be saved; and very many espying the beauties of wisdom, the bright­ness of chastity, the health of temperance, the peace of meek persons, and the reputation an [...] joy of the charitable; wish that they were such excel­lent persons. But they consider not, that it is the splendor, not the vertue; the reputation, not the usefulness; the reward, and not the duty that they are in love withal: our desires of holiness are too often like our desires of being cut of the stone, or suffering causticks or cupping-glasses, an unwilling willingness, a hard and a fatal necessity, and there­fore something of a consequent choice; since it can [Page 90] be no better, it must be no worse: but this can never make our duty pleasant, we can never be heartily reconciled to the things of God as long as we feel smart and pain in the ministeries of Reli­gion: we suffer Religion, and endure the laws of God, but we love them not. He that comes to God whether he will or no, confesses the greatness of God and the demonstrations of Religion, but sees no amability and comeliness in it; and shall find as little of the reward.

It is true that force and fear may bring us in to God; and the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and Christ said, compel them to enter, and our natural needs, or our superinduced calamities may force us to run to God, and affright us into Religion as into a Sanctuary: but then if we enter at this door we must examine whether we be taken with the beauties of the interior house: does fear make us look, and does looking make us like? if holy desires, and love be not in the beginning or the progression, we shall do the work of grace pitti­fully, and our preparations coldly, and our at­tentions distractedly, and receive the Sacraments without effect.

Now concerning our desires, we shall best judge of them by the proper effects and significations of desire.

SECT. III. Of our Examination concerning Rema­nent Affections to Sin.

HE that desires communicate worthily, must examine himself whether there be not in him a­ny aff [...]ction to sin remaining. This examination is not any part of repentance, but a trial of it; for of preparatory repentance I shall give larger ac­counts in its own place: but now we are to try whether that duty be done, that if it be we may come; if not, we may be remanded, and go away till we have performed it: For he that comes must [Page 101] have repented first; but now he is to be examined whether he have or no done that work so material­ly, that it is also prosperously; that is, whether he have done it not only solemnly and ritually, but effectively; whether he have so washed, that he is indeed clean from any soul and polluting principle.

When the Heathens offered a Sacrifice to their false gods, they would make a severe search to see if there were any crookednesse or spot, any un­cleannesse or deformity in their Sacrifice. The Priest was wont to handle the liver,Et fibras pecorum & spiran­tia consu­lit exta. Virg. and search the throbbing he [...]rt; he inquires if the blood springs right, and if the lungs be sound; he thrusts his hand into the region of the lower belly, and looks i [...] [...]here be an ulcer, or a schirrus, a stone, or a bed of gravel: Now the observation which Tertullian makes upon these Sacrifical Rites is pertinent to this rule.Note: Miror com hostiae proban­tur penes vos à vitiosissimis Sacerdotibus, cur praecor­dia potiùs victimarum, quàm ipsorum sacrificanti­um examinantur: Apolog. c. 30. When your impure Pri [...]sts look after a pure Sacrifice, why do they not rather inquire into their own heart, than into the lambs appurtenance? why do they not ask after the lust of the Sacrifice [...]s, more than the little spot up­on the bulls liver? The rites of Sacrifices were but the monitions of duty;Note: Submonentur in his Sym­bolis ut quoties accedunt ad altaria, vel nuncupaturi vota, vel reddituri nullum vitium, nullumque mor­bum asserant in animâ. Ph [...]lo. and the Priests inquiry into the puri [...]y of the beast was but a precept represented in ce­remony and hieroglyphick, com­manding us to take care that the man be not lesse pure and perfect than the beast. For if an unclean man brings a clean Sacrifice, the sacrifice shall not cleanse the man, but the man will pollute the Sacrifice; let them bring to God a soul [Page 102] pure and spotless,Conentur omnino nitidam & immacu­latam [a­nimam] in conspe­ctu Dei produce­re ne vi­sam aver­setur. Philo. Si morta­le corpus, multo magis im­mortalem animam. Idem. lest when God espying a soul humbly lying before the Altar, and finding it to be polluted with a remaining filthinesse, or the re­proaches of a sin, he turns away his head and hates the Sacrifice. And God who taught the Sons of Israel in figures and shadows, and required of the Levitical Priests to come to God clean and whole, straight, and with perfect bodies, meant to tell us, that this bodily precept in a carnal Law, does in a spiritual Religion signifie a spiritual purity. For God is never called a lover of bodies, but the great lover of souls; and he that comes to redeem our souls from sin and death, from shame and reproach, would have our souls brought to him as he loves them; An unclean soul is a deformity in the eyes of God; it is indeed spiritually discerned, but God hath no other eyes but what are spirits and flames of fire.

Here therefore it concerns us to examine our selves strictly and severely, always remembring, that to examine our selves (as it is here intended) is not a duty compleated by examining;Salvato­rem no­strum (fratres charissi­mi) susce­pturi, totis viribus debemus nos cum ipsius adjutorio praeparare, & omnes latebras animae nostrae diligenter aspicere, ne fortè sit in no­bis aliquod peccatum absconditum, quod & conscientiam nostram confundat & mordeat, & oculos Divinae Majestatis offendat. S. Am­bros. de Sacram. for this car­ries us on to the Sacrament, or returns us to the mortifications of repentance.

But sometimes our sins are so notorious, that they go before unto judgment and condemnation, and they need no examining: and whatsoever is not done against our wills, cannot be besides our knowledg, and so cannot need examination, but [Page 103] remembring only; and therefore I do not call up­on the drunkard to examine himself concerning temperance, or the wanton concerning his unclean­ness, or the oppressor concerning his cruel cove­tousness, or the customary swearer concerning his profaneness. No man needs much inquiry to know whether a man be alive or dead when he hath lost a vital part.

But this caution is given to the returning sinner, to the repenting man, to him that weeps for his sins, and leaves what was the shame of his face and the reproach of his heart. For we are quickly apt to think we are washed enough; and having re­membred our shameful falls, we groan in method, and weep at certain times; we bid our selves be sorrowful, and tune our heart-strings to the accent and key of the present solemnity; and as sorrow enters in dresse and imagery when we bid her, so she goes away when the scene is done. Here, here it is that we are to examine whether shows do make a real change; whether shadows can be sub­stances, and whether to begin a good work splen­didly can effect all the purposes of its designation. Have you wept for your sin so that you were in­deed sorrowful and afflicted in your spirit? Are you so sorrowful that you hate it? Do you so hate it that you have left it? And have you so left it that you have left it all, and will you do so for ever? These are particulars worth the inquiring after. How then shall we know?

SECT. IV. Of Examination of our selves in the matter of our Prayers in order to a Holy Communion.

THe Holy Sacrament is in its nature and design a solemn prayer, and the imitation of the intercession which our glorious High Priest conti­nually makes for us in heaven; and as it is our mi­nistery,See Chap. 1. Sect. 4. N. 4. and contains our duty, it is nothing else but the solemnity and great oeconomy of prayer, for the whole, and for every member, and for all and every particular necessity of the Church; and all the whole conjugation of Offices, and union of hearts, and conjunction of Ministers, is nothing but the advantages, and solemnity, and sanctification of Prayer; and therefore in order to do this work in solemnity as we ought, it were fit that we exa­mine our selves how we do it in ordinary and daily offices.

For since there are so many excellent promises made to Prayer, and that nothing more disposes us [Page 115] to receive the grace of the Sacraments, and the blessings of Communion, than holy Prayer; since Prayer can obtain every thing, it can open the windows of heaven, and shut the gates of hell; it can put a holy constraint upon God, and detain an Angel till he leave a blessing; it can open the trea­sures of rain, and soften the iron ribs of rocks, till they melt into tears and a flowing river: Prayer can unclasp the girdles of the North, saying to a Mountain of Ice, Be thou removed hence, and cast into the bottom of the Sea; it can arrest the Sun in the midst of his course, and send the swift winged winds upon our errand; and all those strange things, and secret decrees, and unrevealed transactions which are above the clouds, and far beyond the re­gions of the stars, shall combine in ministery and advantages for the praying man: It cannot be but we should feel less evil, and much more good than we do, if our Prayers were right. But the state of things is thus: It is an easie duty, and there are many promises, and we do it often, and yet we prevail but little. Is it not a strange thing, that our friends die round about us, and in every family some great evil often happens, and a Church shall suffer persecution for many years together without remedy, and a poor man groans under his oppres­sor, who is still prosperous, and we cannot rescue the life of a servant from his fatal grave; and still we pray, and do not change the course of provi­dence in a single instance many times, whether the instance be of little or of great concernment: what is the matter? we patiently suffer our prayers to be rejected, and comfort our selves by saying, that it may be the thing is not fit for us, it is against the decree of God, or against our good, or to be de­nied is better; and there is a secret order of thing [...] [Page 116] and events, to which a denial does better minister than a concession. This is very true, but not al­ways when we are denied; for it is not always in mercy, but in anger very often we are denied, be­cause our duty is ill performed: For if our Pray­ers were right, the Providence of God would often find out ways to reconcile his great ends with our great desires; and we might be saved hereafter, and yet delivered here besides; and sometimes we should have heaven and prosperity too, and the crosse should be sweetned, and the days of afflicti­on should for our sakes be shortned, and death would not come so hastily, and yet we should be preserved innocent in the midst of an evil generati­on, though it waited for the periods and usual de­terminations of nature: Let us rectifie our Pray­ers, and try what the event will be; it is worth so much at least; but however, as to the present case, if we perform this duty pitifully and culpably, it is not to be expected we should communicate holily. The gradation and correspondencies of this holy ministry will demonstrate this truth.

For what Christ did once upon the Crosse in re­al Sacrifice, that he always does in heaven by per­petual representment and intercession; what Christ does by his supream Priest-hood, that the Church doth by her ministerial; what he does in heaven, we do upon earth; what is performed at the right hand of God, is also represented and in one man­ner exhibited upon the holy Table of the Lord: and what is done on Altars upon solemn days, is done in our Closets in our daily offices; that is, God is invocated, and God is appeas'd, and God is reconciled, and God gives us blessings and the fruits of Christs passion in the vertue of the sacri­ficed [Page 117] Lamb; that is, we believing and praying, are blessed and sanctified and saved through Jesus Christ. So that as we pray so we communicate: if we pray well, we may communicate well, else at no hand. Now in this, besides that we are to take account of our Prayers by all those measures of the Spirit which we have learned in the holy Scriptures, there are two great lines of duty by which we can well examine our selves in this particular.

1. That our Prayers must be the work of our hearts, not of our lips; that is, that we heartily desire what we so carefully pray for: and God knows this is not very ordinary. For besides that we are not in love with the things of God, and have no worthy value for Religion, there are many things in our Prayer which we ask for, and do not know what to do with if we had them, and we do not feel any want of them, and we care not whe­ther we have them or no. We ask for the Spirit of God, for Wisdom, and for a right Judgment in all things; and yet there are not many in our Chri­stian Assemblies who use to trouble themselves at all with judging concerning the Mysteries of God­linesse. Men pray for humility, and yet at the same time think that all that which is indeed humi­lity, is a pitiful poornesse of spirit, pusilanimity, and want of good breeding. We pray for contri­tion and a broken heart; and yet if we chance to be melancholy we long to be comforted, and think that the Lectures of the Crosse bring Death, and therefore are not the way of Eternal Life. We pray sometimes that God may be first and last in all our thoughts; and yet we conceive it no great matter whether he be or no; but we are sure that he is not, but the things of the world do take up the place of [Page 118] God; and yet we hope to be saved for all that, and consequently are very indifferent concerning the return of that Prayer. We frequently call upon God for his grace, that we may never fall into sin; now in this, besides that we have no hopes to be heard, and think it impossible to arrive to a state of life in which we shall not commit sins, yet if we do sin, we know there is a remedy so ready, that we believe we are not much the worse if we do. Here are prayers enough, but where are the de­sires all this while? We pray against covetousnesse, and pride, and gluttony; but nothing that we do but is either covetousnesse or pride; so that our Pray­ers are terminated upon a word, not upon a thing. We do covetous actions, and speak proud words, and have high thoughts, and do not passionately desire to have affections contrary to them, but on­ly to such notions of the sin as we have entertain­ed, which are such as will do no real prejudice or mortification to the sin: and whatever our Pray­ers are, yet it is certain our desires are so little, and so content with any thing of this nature, that for very many spiritual petitions we are indifferent whether they be granted or not.

But if we are poor or persecuted, if we be in fear or danger, if we be heart-sick or afflicted with an uncertain soul, then we are true desirers of re­lief and mercy; we long for health, and desire earnestly to be safe; our hearts are pinch'd with the desire, and the sharpnesse of the appetite is a pain; then we pray, and mind what we do. * He that is in fear of death, does not when he prays for life think upon his money and his sheep; the entring of a fair woman into the room does not bend his neck, and make him look off from the [Page 119] Princes face of whom he sues for pardon. And if we had desires as strong as our needs, and appre­hensions answerable to our duty, it were not pos­sible that a man should say his prayers and never think of what he speaks: but as our attention is, so is our desire, trifling and impertinent; it is frighted away like a bird, which fears as much when you come to give it meat, as if you came with a design of death.

When therefore you are to give sentence con­cerning your Prayers, your [...]rayer-book is the least thing that is to be examined; your Desires are the principal, for they are fountains both of action and passion. Desire what you pray for; for certain it is, you will pray passionately if you de­sire ferven [...]ly. Prayers are but the body of the bird; Desires are its Angels wings.

2. If you will know how it is with you in the matter of your Prayers, examine whether or no the form of your Prayer be the rule of your life. Every Petition to God is a Precept to man; and when in your Litanies you pray to be delivered from malice and hypocrisie, from pride and envy, from fornication and every deadly sin; all this is but a line of duty, and tells us that we must never consent to an act of pride, or a thought of envy, to a temptation of uncleannesse, or the besmear­ings and evil paintings of hypocrisie. * But we when we pray against a sin think we have done e­nough; and if we ask for a grace, suppose there is no more required. Now Prayer is an instrument of help, a procuring auxilliaries of God, that we may do our duty; and why should we ask for help, if we be not our selves bound to do the [Page 120] thing? Look not therefore upon your prayers as a short method of ease and salvation, but as a per­petual monition of duty; and by what we require of God, we see what he requires of us; and if you want a system or collective body of holy precepts, you need no more but your prayer book; and if you look upon them first as duties, then as prayers, that is things fit to be desired, and fit to be laboured for, your prayers will be much more usefull; not so often vain, nor so subject to illusion, not so desti­tute of effect, or so failing of the promises. The prayers of a Christian must be like the devotions of the husbandman. God speed the plough, that is, labour and prayer together; a prayer to bless our labour. Thus then we must examine.

Is desire the measure of our prayer? and is la­bour the fruit of our desire? if so; then what we ask we shall receive as the gift of God and the re­ward of our labour; but unless this be the state of o [...]r prayer, we shall finde that the receiving of the Sacrament will be as ineffective because it will be as imperfect as our prayer. For prayer and Commu­nion differ but as great and little in the same kinde of duty. Communion is but a great, publick and solemn addresse and prayer to God through Jesus Christ: and if we be not faithful in a little we shall not be intrusted in a greater; he that does not pray holily and prosperously, can never communi­cate acceptably. This therefore must be severely and prudently examined.

But let us remember this; that there is nothing fit to be presented to God but what is great and [...]x­cellent; for nothing comes from him but what is great and best; and nothing should be returned to [Page 121] him that is little and contemptible in its kinde. It is a mysterious elegancie that is in the Hebrew of the Old Testament;Gen. 35.15. when the Spirit of God would call any thing very great, or very excellent, he calls it [of the Lord]; so the affrightment of the Lord; that is, a great affrightment fell upon them; and the fearful fire that fell upon the shepherds and sheep of Job is called the fire of God:Job 1.16. and when Da­vid took the speare and water-pot from the head of Saul while he and his guards were sleeping, it is said, that the sleep of the Lord, that is, a very great sleep was fallen upon them. Thus we read of the flames of God, and a land of the darknesse of God, that is, vehement flames,Cant. 8.6. Jerem. and a land of exceed­ing darknesse: and the reason is, because when God strikes, he strikes vehemently, so that it is a fear­ful thing to fall into the hands of the living God: And on the other side, when he blesses he bles­ses excellently; and therefore when Naomie bles­sed Boaz, she said, Let him be blessed of the Lord, that is, according to the Hebrew manner of speak­ing, Let him be exceedingly blessed. In propor­tion to all this, whatsoever is offered to God should be of the best; it should be a devout Pray­er, a fervent, humble, passionate supplication. He that prays otherwise, must expect the curses and contempt of his lukewarmness, and will be infi­nitely unworthy to come to the holy Communion, whether they that come intend to present their Prayers to God in the union of Christs intercession, which is then solemnly imitated and represented. An indevout Prayer can never be joined with Christs Prayers. Fire will easily combine with fire, and flame marries flame; but a cold devotion and the fire of this Altar can never be friendly and unite in one pyramid to ascend together to the [Page 122] regions of God and the Element of love. If it be a prayer of God, that is, fit to be intitled, fit to be presented unto him, it must be most vehement and holy. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man, only can be confident to prevail; nothing else can ever be sanctified by a conjunction with this sacri­fice of prayer, which must be consumed by a hea­venly fire. There is not indeed any greater indica­tion of our worthiness or unworthiness to receive the holy Communion than to examine and under­stand the state of our daily prayer.

SECT. V. Of preparatory examination of our selves in some other instances.

HE that comes to the holy Communion must examine himself concerning his passions; whether that which usually transports him to unde­cency and shame, to sin and folly, be brought un­der the dominion of grace, under the command of reason, under the Empire of the spirit. For the passions of the soul are the violences and storms of reason, neither reason nor grace can be heard to speak when they are loud; and in vain it is that [Page 123] you tell a passionate person of the interests of wis­dom and Religion. We see it in fools who have no allay of reason; their anger is rage, their jealou­sie is madness, their desires are ravenous, their loves are troublesome and unseasonable, their hopes are groundless but ever confident, their fears are by chance, but alwayes without measure: and a fool when his belly is full may as soon be perswaded in­to temperate discourses, as he that is passionate, to be obedient to God and to the rules of his own felicity.

A great fear and a constant vertue are seldom found in one man; and a coward is vertuous by chance, and so song as he is let alone; but unless the fear of God be greater than the fear of man, it is in the power of his enemy whether that man shall be happy or wise. And so it is in a great or easie anger; every man and every thing can put a peevish person out of his Religion. It cannot in these and all the like cases be well, unless by examining we find that our spirit is more meek, our passion easier overcome, and the paroxysms or fits return lesse frequently, and the symptomes be lesse malignant. In this instance we must be quick and severe; and begin betimes to take a course with these vermin and vipers of the soul. Suetonius tells, that when the witty flatterers of Cesar had observed that no frogs did breed in his Grandfathers Villa which was in the suburbs of Rome, they set themselves to invent a reason which should flatter the Prince, and boldly told abroad that when young Octavius was a childe he once in sport forbad them to make a noise, and for ever after they were silent and left those pools; ever since Octavius began to speak, they left off to make their noises and their [Page 124] dwellings there. If we suppresse our passions that make inarticulate noises in the soul, if betimes and in their infancie we make them silent, we shall find peace in all our dayes. But an old passion, an inveterate peevishness, an habitual impotency of lust and vile desires are like an old Lion; he will by no means be made tame and taught to eat the meat of peace and gentleness.

If thy passion be lasting and violent, thou art in a state of evil: if it be sudden and frequent, transi­ent and volatile, thou wilt often fall into sin; and though every passion be not a sin, yet every excess of passion is a diminution of reason and Religion; and when the acts are so frequent that none can number them, what effects they leave behind, and how much they disorder the state of grace, none can tell. Either therefore suffer no passion to trans­port and govern you, or no examination can signi­fie any thing. For no man can say that a very passio­nate man is a very good man; or how much he is be­loved of God who playes the fool so frequently; nor how long God will love him who is at the mer­cy of his imperious passion,Dolori si fraena re­miseris nulla me­teria non est maxi­ma. which gives him laws and can every day change his state from good to bad. It was well said of one; If you give the reines to grief, every thing that crosses thee can produce the biggest grief; and the causes of pas­sions are as they are made within. He that checks at every word, and is jealous of every look, and disturb'd at every accident, and takes all things by the wrong handle, and reflects upon all distur­bances, switches and spurs his passion, and strives to overtake sin and to be tied to infelicity: but no­thing can secure our Religion, but binding our passions in chains, and doubling our guards upon [Page 125] them, least like mad-folk [...] they break their locks and bolts and do all the mischief for which they can have instruments and opportunity.

Concerning some sorts of passionate persons, it may be truly said, that they are very unfit to communi­cate, but that th [...]y are fit, it can be confidently said of none.

SECT. VI. Devotions to be used upon the days of our Examination, relative to that duty.

SECT. I. Of Catechumens, or unbaptised persons.

THE Blessed Sacrament before him that hath no faith is like messes of meat set upon the graves of the dead

, they smell not that nidour which quickens the hungry belly; they feel not the warmth, and taste not the juyce; for these are pro­vided for them that are alive, and the dead have no portion in them. This is the first great line of intro­duction, and necessarily to be ex­amined: we have the rule from the Apostle;2 Cor. 13.5. Exa­mine your selves whether ye be in the faith, prove your own selves Know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Ch [...]ist is in you except ye be reprobates? As if he had said, ye are reprobates, and Jesus Christ shall never dwell in you, except by faith; without this you can never receive him; and therefore ex­amine strictly your selves concerning your faith.

But the necessity of this preparation by faith hath a double sense, and a proportionable necessi­ty. 1. It means that no unbaptised person can come to the holy Communion. 2. It means that those that are baptized have an actual and an operative [Page 144] faith, properly relative to these divine Mysteries, and really effective of all the works of faith. Of this we have the most ancient and indubitable re­cords of the Primitive Church: For in the Apolo­gy which Justin Martyr made for the Christians,Note: [...]. he gives this ac­count of the manner of dispen­sing the holy Eucharist. ‘It is lawful for none to participate of this Eucharistical bread and wine, but to him who believes those things to be true which are taught by us, and to him that is washed in the laver of regeneration, which is to the remission of sins, and who live as Christ hath commanded Shut the pro [...]hane and the unhallowed people out of doors. [...].’ So. Orpheus sang. None comes to this holy feast but they whose sins are cleansed in Baptism, who are sa [...]ctified in [...]hose holy waters of regeneration, who have obedient Souls, ea [...]s attentive to the Sermons of the Gospel, and hearts open to the words of Christ. These are they who see by a brighter light, and walk in the warm [...]h of a more refreshing Sun; they live in a better air, and are irradiated with a purer beam,Note: — purior illos Solis fervor alit, pretiosa (que) pabula libant. the glories of the Sun of righteousnesse; and they only are to eat the precious food of the sacrificed lamb: For by Baptism we are admitted to the spiritual life, and by the holy Communion we nourish and preserve it.

But although Baptism be always necessary, yet alone it is not a sufficient qualification to the holy Communion; but there must be an actual faith also [Page 145] in every Communicant. Neither faith alone, nor baptism alone can suffice; but it must be the actu­al faith of baptized persons which disposes us to this sacred Feast: For the Church gives the Commu­nion neither to Catechumens, nor to Infants, nor to mad men, nor to natural fools.

SECT. II. Of Communicating Infants.
Question. Whether Infants are to be admitted to the Holy Communion?

WHether the holy Communion may be given to Infants, hath been a great question in the Church of God; which in this instance hath not been as in others, divided by parties and single persons, but by whole ages: for from some of the earliest ages of the Church,St. Cypri­anus lib. de lapsis. down to the time of Charles the Great, that is, for above six hundred years, the Church of God did give the holy Com­munion to newly baptized Infants. St. Cyprian re­counts a miracle of an Infant, into whose mouth (when the parents had ignorantly and carelesly left the babe) the Gentile Priests had forced some of their Idol Sacrifice: But when the Minister of the Church came to pour into the mouth the Calice of our Lord, it resisted, and being over-powred grew sick, and fell into convulsions. By which narrative the practice of the Church of that age is sufficient­ly declared. Of the matter of fact there is no que­stion; but they went further.

The Primitive Church did believe it necessary to the salvation of Infants: St. Austin believed that this Doctrine and practice descended from the Apo­stles; [Page 148] that without both the Sacraments no person could come to life, or partake of the Kingdom of heaven; which when he had endeavoured to prove largely, he infers this conclusion: It is in vain to promise salvation and life eternal to little children,Note: Si ergo, ut tot & tanta Di­vina testimonia concinunt, nec salus nec vita aeterna sine baptismo & corpore & sanguine Domini cuiquam expectanda sunt, frustra si­ne his promittitur parvu­lis. lib. 1. de peccat. merit. & remiss. cap. 20. &c. 24. vide eundem de verbis A­postoli ad Bonifac. Epist. 23. ad vitalem epist. 106. cont. duas epistol. Pelagi­an. l. 1. c. 22. & lib. 4. c. 4. lib. contr. Julian c. 2. & S. Cyprian. lib. 3. Test. ad Quirin. c. 25. Author Hy­pognost. in operibus S. Au­gust. idem ait expresse S. Paulinus Epist. Nolanus e­pist. 12. ad Severum. S. Cyril. Hieros. Catech. 3. c. 1. Idem dixit P. Innocen­tius. Capit. Caroli Mag. lib. 1. cap. 161. Alcuin. lib. de divinis offic. Idem videre est in Ordine Romano quem edidit Michael Hittorpi­us. unlesse they be baptized, and re­ceive the body and blood of Christ since the necessity of them both is attested by so many, so great, and so divine Testimo­nies. And that this practice con­tinued to the time of Charle­maine, appears by a Constitution in his Capitular, saying [That the Priest should always have the Eucharist ready, that when any one is sick, or when a child is weak, he may presently give him the Communion, lest he die without it.] And Alcuinus recites a Ca­non expresly charging, that as soon as ever the Infants are ba­ptized, they should receive the holy Communion before they suck, or receive any other nou­rishment. The same also is used by the Greeks, by the Aethiopi­ans, by the Bohemians and Mora­vians: and it is confessed by Mal­donate *Maldonatus in Johan. 6. num. 116., that the opinion of St. Austin and Innocentius, that the Eucharist is necessary even to Infants, prevailed in the Church for six hundred years together.

But since the time of Charles the Great, that is, [Page 149] for above eight hundred years,Note: Vide Hierem. Patr. C. P. doctr. exhor. ad Germanos Alvarez in it in. Aethiop. Joachimum Vadianum in notat. lib. 1. fol. 14. de Sa­cram. Eucharistae concil. Trid. Sess. 21. can. 4. this practice hath been omitted in the Western Churches generally; and in the Council of Trent it was condemned as unfit, and all men commanded to believe, that though the ancient Churches did do it upon some probable reasons, yet they did not believe it necessary. Concerning which I shall not interrupt the usefulnesse which I intend in this discourse, by confuting the Canon; though it be intolerable to command men to believe in a matter of fact contra­ry to their evidence,Note: [...], dixit Agatho apud Aristot. and to say that the Fathers did not believe it to be necessary, when they say it is, and used it accordingly: yet because it relates to the use of this divine Sacrament, I shall give this short account of it.

The Church of Rome, and some few others, are the only refusers and condemners of this ancient and Catholick practice: But upon their grounds they cannot reasonably deny it. 1. Because Infants are by them affirmed to be capable of the grace and benefits of the Eucharist: for to them who put no bar (as Infants put none) the Sacraments by their inherent virtue confer grace, and therefore parti­cularly it is affirmed, Franc. à victor. de Euchar. n. 75. that if Infants did now re­ceive the Eucharist, they should also receive grace with it: and therefore it is not unreasonable to give it to them, who therefore are capable of it, because it will do them benefit; and it is conse­quently (upon these grounds) uncharitable to deny it. For,

[Page 150]2. They allow the ground upon the supposition of which the Fathers did most reasonably proceed; and they only deny the conclusion. For by the words of Christ, it is, absolutely necessary to eat his flesh and drink his blood:John 6.53. John 3.5. and if those words be understood of Sacramental manducation (in which interpretation both the ancients and the Church of Rome do consent) then it is absolutely necessary to communicate. For although there are other ways of eating his flesh and drinking of his blood, besides the Sacramental manducation, yet Christ in this place meant no other; and if of this he spake when he said [Without doing this we have no life in us,] then it will not be sufficient to baptize them, though it baptism they should receive the same grace as in the Eucharist; because abstracting from the benefit and grace of it, it is made necessary by the Com­mandment, and by the will of God it is become a means indispensibly necessary to salvation. It is necessary by a necessity of the means, and a neces­sity of precept. True it is, that in each of the Sa­craments there is a proportion of the same effect, as I have already discoursed Chap. 1. Sect. 3.; yet this cannot les­sen the necessity that is upon them both; for so Pharaohs dream was doubled, not to signifie divers events, but a double certainty; and therefore al­though children even in baptism are partakers of the death of Christ, and are incorporated into and made partakers of his body; yet because Christ hath made one as necessary as the other, and both for several proportions of the same reason, the Church of Rome must either quit the Principle, or retain the consequent; for they have digged a ditch on both sides, and on either hand they are fallen in­to inconvenience. But it will be more material to [Page 151] consider the question as it is in it self, and without relation to any Schools of learning. Therefore,

3. It is certain that in Scripture there is nothing which directly forbids the giving the Holy Com­munion to Infants. For though we are commanded to examine, and so to eat; yet this precept is not of it self necessary, but by reason of an introdu­ced cause; just as they are commanded to believe and repent who are to be baptized; that is, per­sons that need it, and that can do it, they must: and Infants without examination can as well receive the effect of the Eucharist, as without repentance they can have the effect of Baptism. For if they be communicated, they and the whole Assembly do declare the Lords death; for that is done by vertue of the whole solemnity, and it is done by the conj [...]nct devotion of the whole Community; it is done by the Prayers and Offices of the Priest, and it is done by the action of every one that com­municates: it is done in Baptism; and yet they are baptized who cannot with their voices publish the Confession. Infants indeed cannot discern the Lords body, so neither can they discern truth from falshood, an Article of Faith from an here­tical Doctrine; and yet to discern the one, is as much required as to discern the other: but in both the case is equal; for they must discern when they can confound or dishonour; but till they can do evil, they cannot be tied to do good. And it were hard to suppose the whole Church of God in her best and earliest times to have continued for above six hundred years in a practical error; it will not well become our modesty to judge them without further inquiry and greater evidence.

[Page 152]4. But as there is no prohibition of it, so no command for it. For as for the words of our blessed Lord recited by St. John, John 6.53. upon which the holy Fa­thers did principally rely, they were spoken before the Institution of both the Sacraments, and indif­ferently relate to either; that is, indeed to them both, as they are the ministries of faith; but to nei­ther in themselves directly, or in any other pro­portion, or for any other cause; for faith is the prin­cipal that is there intended; for the whole analogy of the discourse drawn forth of its cloud and alle­gory, infers only the necessity of being Christs Disciples, of living the life of grace, of feeding in our hearts on Christ, of living in him, and by him, and for him, and to him; which is the work of faith,See Chap. 1. Sect. 2. & 3. and believing in Christ, as faith signifies the being of Christs Disciple.

5. The thing it self then being left in the midst, and undetermined, it is in the power of the Church to give it or to deny it: [...]or in all things where Christ hath made no Law, the Church hath li­berty to do that which is most for the glory of God, and the edification of all Christian people. And therefore although the Primitive Church did confirm newly baptized persons, and com­municate them; yet as with great reason she did change the time of Confirmation from their first Baptism, till they could give an account of their faith; so with equal authority, when she hath an equal reason, she may change and limit the time of ministring the Communion. The Church is tied to nothing but to the Laws of the Sa­crament, and the Laws of Reason, and the Laws of Charity. But that either of them is reasonable e­nough, [Page 153] may appear in the following considerations.

For the Primitive Church had all this to justi­fie their practice: That the Sacraments of the Gospel are the great channels of the grace of God: * That this grace always descends upon them that do not hinder it, and therefore certainly to Infants; And some do expresly affirm it, and none can with certainty deny, but that Infants if they did receive Communion, should also in so doing receive the fruits of it: * That to Baptism there are many acts of predisposition required, as well as to the Communion; and yet the Church, who very well understands the obligation of these precepts, supposes to children to be obliged to those predi­spositions to either Sacrament, but fits every Com­mandment to a capable subject: * That there is something done on Gods part, and something on ours; that what belongs to us, obliges us then when we can hear and understand, but not before; but that what is on Gods part is always ready to them that can receive it: * That Infants although they cannot alone come to Christ, yet the Church their Mother can bring them in her arms: * That they who are capable of the grace of the Sacra­ment, may also receive the sign; and therefore the same grace being conveyed to them in one Sa­crament, may also be imparted to them in the other: * That as they can be born again without their own consent, so they can be sed by the hands of others; and what begins without their own actu­al choice, may be renewed without their own actu­al desire: * and that therefore it may be feared lest, if upon the pretence of figurative speeches, allegories and allusions, and the injunction of cer­tain dispositions, the holy Communion be denied [Page 154] them, a gap be opened upon equal pretences to de­ny them Baptism. * That since the Jewish In­fants being circumcised, is used as an argument that they might be baptized their eating of the Paschal Lamb may also be a competent warrant to eat of that Sacrament, in which also, as in the other, the sacrificed Lamb is represented as offered and slain for them. Now The Church having such fair pro­babilities and prudential motives, and no prohibi­tion, is she shall use her power to the purposes of kindnesses and charity, she is not easily to be re­proved, lest without necessity we condemn all the Primitive Catholick Church, and all the Modern Churches of the East and South to this day; espe­cially since without all dispositions Infants are baptized; there is less reason why they may not be communicated, having already received some real dispositions towards this, even all the grace of the Sacrament of Baptism, which is certainly something towards the other: And af­ter all, the refusing to communicate Infants entred into the Church, upon an unwarrantable ground. For though it was confessed that the Communion would do them benefit, yet it was denied to them then when the Doctrine of Transubstantiation en­tred,Victoria. Relect. de Eucharist. ubi supr [...]. upon pretence lest by puking up the holy Symbols the Sacrament should be dishonoured; which indeed, though that Doctrine were true, were infinitely unreasonable; as supposing that Christ, who suffered his body to be broken upon the Cross that he might convey grace to them and us, would refuse to expose the symbols to the accidents of a childs stomach, and rather deny them that grace than endure that sight; who yet does daily suffer mice and mouldiness to do worse unto it.

[Page 155]But on the other side, they that without interest and partiality deny to communicate Infants, can consider that Infants being in Baptism admitted to the Promises of the Gospel, and their portion in the Kingdom of Christ, can have upon them no necessity to be communicated. For by their first Sacrament they are drawn from their meer natural state, and lifted up to the adoption of Sons; and by the second Sacrament alone they can go no fur­ther: * That although the first grace which is given in Baptism be given them as their first being, yet the second graces are given to us upon other ac­counts, even for well using the first free grace: * That in Baptism there were promises made, which are to be personally accepted and verified before any new grace can be Sacramentally imparted: * That it was necessity which gave them Baptism before their Reason; and that necessity heing ser­ved, there can be no profit in proceeding upon the same method without the same reason: * That Baptism is the Sacrament of the new born, the be­ginning, the gate of the Church, the entry of the Kingdom, the birth of a Christian; but the holy Eucharist is the Sacrament of them that grow in grace, of them that are perfect in Christ Jesus: * And lastly, to him that lists to be contentious, we are to say as St. Paul did, We have no such cu­stom, nor the Churches of God.

Now these probabilities on both sides may both of them be heard, and both of them prevail in the sense of the former determination: For by the first it may appear that to communicate Infants is lawful; but the second proves that it is not ne­cessary: for having in baptism received sufficient [Page 156] title to the Kingdom of Heaven, they who before the use of reason cannot sin and cannot fall from the grace they have received, cannot be obliged to the use of that Sacrament which is for their reparation and security: and therefore in this case the pre­sent practice of the Church is to be our rule and measure of peace, and determination of the Article.

SECT. III. Whether Innocents, Fools, and Mad-men may be admitted to the Holy Communion?

TO this I answer, That if fools can desire it, and can be kept innocent, the Church did never deny it to them; but unless they be capa­ble of love and obedience in some degree, they must in no case be admitted. A vicious fool is in­tolerable; and he that knows nothing of it, nor can be taught any thing, must be permitted to the mercies of God and the prayers of the Church; but he that is not capable of Laws, can be no part of a Society, and therefore hath nothing to do with Communion. If he can but learn so much that it is good for his soul, if he can desire to go to God, and if he can in any degree believe in Christ, he will be judged according to what he hath, and not according to what he hath not; but if he cannot discern between good and evil, but [...]ndifferently [Page 157] likes and does one and the other, though mercy is to be hoped for him in the last account, yet because he does that which is materially evil, and cannot discern what is spiritually good, he must not be admitted so much as to the Symbols of the divine Mysteries.

But concerning Mad men the case is otherwise; and therefore I am to answer with a distinction. If from a state of sin and debauchery they entred into their madness, their case is sad and infinitely to be deplored; but their debt-books are sealed up, they are like dead men, until they be restored to reason they cannot be restored to grace, and therefore not admitted to the Sacrament. But if they were men of a good life, they may in their intervals, that is, when they can desire it, and when they will not use the Sacrament irreverently, be communicated. For the seed of God abides within them, and no accident of nature can destroy the work of God, and the impresses of the spirit; nothing but their own wills can do that.

For in these cases it is a good rule, and of great use in the practice of the Sacrament: Whoever can communicate spiritually, may be admitted to communicate Sacramenttally; that is, they who are in a state of grace, and can desire it, must not be rejected: And therefore good men falling into this calamity, when they have any ease from their sadnesse, and that they can return to words of order, and composed thoughts, though but for a while, though but in order to that ministery, are not to be rejected.

[Page 158]But on the other side, whoever can hinder the effect of the Sacrament, they are not to be ad­mitted to it, unless they do not only not hinder it, but actually dispose themselves to it: For if they can do evil, they can and ought to do good; and therefore vicious madmen having been and still re­maining in a state of evil, cannot be admitted till they do good; and therefore never while their madnesse remains. The godly man that is so affli­cted may; but yet not till the fire that was hidden makes some actual and bright emissions.

But then lastly, For others who are of a probable life, concerning whom no man can tell whether they be in the state of grace or no; because no man can tell whether he that comes with that sad­nesse be capable or no, no man can tell whether he does well or ill; and therefore he must determine himself by accidents and circumstances, and pru­dential considerations, having one eye upon the designs and compliances of charity, and the other upon the reverence of the Sacrament. And the case is in all things alike with dying persons, past the use of speech and reason.

SECT. IV. Of actual faith as it is a necessary disposi­tion to the Sacrament.

BEsides the faith that is previous to Baptisme, or is wrapped up in the offices of that Sacrament, the Church of God admitted only such persons to the Sacrament whom she called Fideles or Faithful, by a propriety or singularity and eminency of ap­pellation. They accounted it not enough barely to believe or to be professors; for the penitents, and the lapsed and the Catechumens were so; but they meant, such persons whose faith was operative and alive and justifying; such men whose faith had overcome the world, and overcome their lusts, and conquered their spiritual enemy; such who by faith were real servants of Christ, disciples of his do­ctrine, subjects of his Kingdom and obedient to his institution. Such a faith as this is indeed neces­sary to every worthy communicant; because with­out such a faith a Christian is no more but a name; but the man is dead; and dead men eat not. Of this therefore we are to take strict and severe ac­counts: which we shall best do by the following measures.

1. Every true Christian believer must consent to the Articles of his belief by an assent firmer than can be naturally produced from the ordinary argu­ments [Page 160] of his persuasion. Men believe the resur­rection; but it is because they are taught it in their child-hood, and they inquire no further in their age: their Parents and their Priests, the laws of the Church and the Religion of the Country make up the demonstration; but because their faith is no stronger than to be the daughter of such argu­ments, we find they commonly live at such a rate, as if they did neither believe nor care whether it were so or no. The confidence of the article makes them not to leave off violently to pursue the in­terests of this world, and to love and labour for the other. Before this faith can enable them to re­sist a temptation they must derive their assent from principles of another nature; and therefore be­cause few men can dispute it with arguments in­vincible and demonstrative and such as are natural­ly apt to produce the most perfect assent, it is ne­cessary that these men of all other should believe it because it is said to come from God, and rely up­on it because it brings to God, trust it because it is good, acknowledge it certain because it is excel­lent; that there may be an act of the will in it, as well as of the understanding, and as much love in it as discourse.

For he that only consents to an article because it is evident, is indeed convinced, but hath no excel­lency in his faith but what is natural, nothing that is gracious and moral: true Christian faith must have in it something of obscurity, something that must be made up by duty and by obedience: but it is nothing but this; we must trust the evidence of God in the obscurity of the thing. Gods testimo­ny must be clear to him, and the thing in all other senses not clear; and then to trust the article be­cause [Page 161] God hath said it, must have in it an excel­lency which God loves and that he will reward. In order to this, it is highly considerable that the greatest argument to prove our Religion, is the goodness and the holiness of it: it is that which makes peace and friendships, content and comfort, which unites all relations and endears the relatives, it relieves the needy and defends the widdow, it ends strife and makes love endless; all other arguments can be opposed and tempted by wit and malice, but against the goodness of the Religion no man can speak, by which it appears that the greatest argu­ment is that which moves love intending by love to convince the understanding.

But then for others who can enquire better; their inquiries also must be modest and humble, ac­cording to the nature of the things, and to the designes of God: they must not disbelieve an arti­cle in Christianity which is not proved like a con­clusion in Geometry; they must not be witty to object, and curious to enquire beyond their limit: for some are so ingeniously miserable, that they will never believe a proposition in Divinity if any thing can be said against it; they will be credulous enough in all the affairs of their life, but impene­trable by a Sermon of the Gospel; they will be­lieve the word of a man and the promise of their neighbour; but a promise of Scripture signifies no­thing unless it can be proved like a proposition in the Metaphysicks. If Sempronius tell them a story, it is sufficient if he be a just man, and the narra­tive be probable: but though Religion be taught by many excellent men who gave their lives for a testimony, this shall not passe for truth till there is no objection left to stand against it. The reason [Page 162] of these things is plain: they do not love the thing; their interest is against it: they have no joy in Re­ligion; they are not willing and desirous that the things shall appear true. When love is the prin­ciple, the thing is easie to the understanding, the objections are nothing, the arguments are good, and the Preachers are in the right. Faith assents to the revelations of the Gospel, not only because they are well proved, but because they are ex­cellent things; not only because my reason is convinced; but my reason yields upon the fairer termes because my affections are gained. For if faith were an assent to an article but just so far as it is demonstrated, then faith were no vertue, and infidelity were no sin; because in this there is no choice, and no refusal: but where that which is probable is also naturally indemonstrable, and yet the conclusion is that in which we must rejoyce, and that for which we must earnestly contend, and that in the belief of which we serve God, and that for which we must be ready to die. It is certain that the understanding observing the credibility, and the will being pleased with the excellency, they produce a zeal of belief, because they together make up the demonstration. For a reason can be opposed by a reason, and an argument by an argu­ment; but if I love my Religion, nothing can take me from it, unless it can pretend to be more useful and more amiable, more perfective and more excellent than heaven and immortality, and a king­dom and a crown of peace, and all the things and all glories of the Eternal God.

2. That faith which disposes to the holy Com­munion must have in it a fulness of confidence and relying upon God, a trusting in, and a real ex­pectation [Page 163] of the event of all the promises of the Gospel. God hath promised sufficien [...] for the things of this life to them that serve him. They who have great revenues and full bags can easily trust this promise: but if thou hast neither mony nor friends, if the labour of thy hands, and the successe of thy labour fails thee, how is it then? Can you then re­lie upon the promise? What means your melan­choly and your fear, your frequent sighs and the calling of your self miserable and undone? Can God only help with means? or cannot he also make the means, or help without them; or see them when you see them not? or is it that you fear whe­ther he will or no? He that hath promised, if he be just, is alwayes willing, whether he be able or no; and therefore, if you do not doubt of his power, why should you at all doubt of his willing­ness? For if he were not able, he were not Al­mighty; if he were not willing to perform his pro­mise, then he were not just: and he that suspects that, hath neither faith nor love for God, of all things in the world, faith never distrusts the good will of God, in which he most glories to commu­nicate him self to mankind. If yet your fear ob­jects and sayes that all is well on Gods part; but you have provoked him by your sins, and have lost all title to the promise; I can say nothing against that, but that you must speedily repent and amend your fault, and then all will be quickly well on your part also, and your faith will have no ob­jection, and your fears will have no excuse. When the glutton Apicius had spent a vast revenue in his prodigious feastings, he kill'd himself for fear of starving: but if Caesar had promised to give him all Sicily or the revenues of Egypt, the beast would have lived and eaten. But the promises of [Page 164] God give to many of us no security, not so much as the promise of our rich friend, who yet may be disabled, or may break his word, or die. * But let us trie again. *

God hath promised that all things shall work toge­ther for good to them that fear him. Do we believe that our present affliction will do so? Will the loss of our goods, the diminution of our revenue, the amission of our honour, the death of our eldest son, the unkindness of a husband, the frown of our Prince, the defeating of our secular hopes, the unprosperous event of our imployment? Do we find that our faith is right enough really to be satisfied in these things so much as to be pleased with Gods order and method of doing good to us by these unpleasing instruments? Can we rejoyce under the mercy by the joys of believing at the same time when we groan under the affliction by the pas­sions of sense? Do we observe the design of cure, when we feel the pain and the smart? Are we pati­ent under the evil,Quae (que) la­tent meli­ora puta. being supported by the expectati­on of the good which is promised to follow? This is the proper work of faith, and its best indication.

Plutarch tells that when the cowards of Lace­daemon depicted upon their shields the most terrible beasts they could imagine, their design was to af­fright their enemies that they might not come to a close fight; they would fain have made their ene­mies afraid; because themselves were so. Which when Lacon espied, he painted upon a great shield nothing but a little fly for his device; and to them who said he did it that he might not be noted in the battle, he answered; yea but I mean to come so neer the enemy, that he shall see the little fly. This is our case, our afflictions seem to us like Gorgons [Page 165] heads, Lions and Tigres, things terrible in picture, but intolerable in their fury; but if we come neer and consider them in all the circumstances; they are nothing but a fly upon a shield, they cannot hurt us, and they ought not to affright us, if we remember that they are conducted by God, that they are the effect of his care and the impresse of his love, that they are the method and order of a blessing, that they are sanctified and eased by a promise;poenam Phaethon pro mu­nere pos­cis. and that a present ease it may be would prove a future infelicity. If our faith did rely upon the promise, all this were nothing; but our want of faith does cause all the excesse of trouble. For the question is not whether or no we be afflicted, whether we be sick, or crossed in our designs, or deprived of our children, this we feel and mourn for: but the question is, whether all this may not, or be not intended to bring good to us? Not whe­ther God smiles or no, but to what purposes he smiles? Not whether this be not evil, but whether this evil will not bring good to us? If we do believe, why are we without comfort and without patience? If we do not believe it, where is our faith?

And why does any of us come to the holy Com­munion if we do not believe it will be for our good? but if we do think it will, why do we not think so of our crosse? for the promise is that eve­ry thing shall. Cannot the rod of God do good as well as the bread of God? and is not he as good in his discipline as in his provision? Is not he the same in his School as at his Table? Is not his physick as wholesome as his food? It is not reason, but plainly our want of faith that makes us think otherwise. Faith is the great magazine of all the graces and all the comforts of a Christian: and therefore the Devil [Page 166] endeavours to corrupt the truth of it by inter­mingling errours, the sincerity of it by hypocri­sie, the ingenuity of it by interest, the comforts of it by doubting, the confidences of it by ob­jections and secular experiences and present consi­derations; by adherence to humane confidences, and little sanctuaries, and the pleasures of the world and the fallibilities of men. * When Xerxes had a great army to conduct, and great successes to desire, and various contingencies to expect, he left off to sacrifice to his Country gods, forsook Jupiter and the Sun, and in Lydia espying a goodly Platan tree, tall and strait and spread, he encamped all his army in the fields about it, hung up brace­lets and coronets upon the branches, and with costly offerings made his petitions to the beauteous tree; and when he march'd away he left a guard upon his God, lest any thing should do injury to the plant of which he begged to be defended from all injury. By such follies as these does the Devil endeavour to deflour our holy faith and confidences in God: we trust in man who cannot trust himself; we relie upon riches, that relie upon nothing; for they have no stabiliment, and they have no foundation; but are like atoms in the air; the things them [...]elves can bear no weight, a [...]d the foundation cannot bear them. In our afflictions we look for comfort from wine or company, from a friend that talkes well, or from any thing that brings us present ease, but in the mean time we look not into the promises of God which are the store houses of comfort; and like the dogs at Hippocrene, we lick the water drops that fall upon the ground and take no notice of the fountain and the full vessels. These things are so necessary to be considered in order to our prepara­tion [Page 167] to the Communion, as they are necessary to be reduced to practice in order to a Christian Con­versation: for the holy Communion is the sum­mary and compendium of the Religion and duty of a whole life; and as faith cannot be holy, material and acceptable without it contain in it a real trust in the promises of God; so neither can it be a suffici­ent disposition to the receiving the divine myste­ries unlesse upon this ground it be holy, acceptable and material.

3. That faith which is a worthy preparatory to the holy Communion must be the actual principle and effective of a good life: a faith in the threat­nings and in the Commandments of God. Who can pretend to be a Christian and yet not believe those words of St. Paul [Follow after peace with all men and holiness, without which no man shall see God? Heb. 12.14.] and yet if we do believe it, what do we think will become of us, who neither follow peace nor holi­ness, but follow our anger and pursue our lust? If we do believe this, we had need look about us and live at another rate than men commonly do. But we still remain peevish and angry, malicious and unplacable, apt to quarrel and hard to be recon­ciled, lovers of money and lovers of pleasures, but careless of holiness and Religion; as if they were things fit only to be talked on, and to be the subject of Theological discourses, but not the rule of our lives and the matter of our care. 1 Cor. 11.28. It is ex­presly said by St. Paul; He that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself. Now if we observe what crouds of people in great Cities come to the holy Communion, good and bad, penitent and impenitent, the covetous and the proud, the crafty Merch [...]nt from yesterdays [Page 168] fraud, and the wanton fool from his last nights lust, we may easily perceive that not many men believe these words. He that sayes to me, drink not this for it is poyson, hath given me a law and an af­frightment, and I dare not disobey him, if I be­lieve him; and if we did believe St. Paul, I suppose we should as little dare to be damned as to be poy­son'd.Mat. 7.2. Our Blessed Saviour told us, that with what measure we mete to others, it shall be measured to us again; but who almost believes this, and considers what it means? Will you be content that God should despise you as you despise your brother? that he should be as soon angry with you, as you are with him? that he should strike you as hastily, and as seldom pardon you, and never bare with your infirmities, and as seldom interpret fairly what you say or do, and be revenged as frequent­ly as you would be? And what think we of these sayings [Into the heavenly Jerusalem there shall in no wise enter any thing that defileth, Revel. 21.27. or prophaneth, nei­ther whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie?] Do men believe God, and yet doing these things hope to be saved for all these terrible sayings? [Now the works of the flesh are manifest, Galat. 5.21. adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, &c. of which I tell you before, that they which do such th [...]ngs shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.] Certainly if we did believe that these things are spoken in earn­est, we should not account fornication such a de­cent crime, so fashionable and harmless; or make such a maygame of the fearful lectures of damna­tion. For if these words be true; will men leave their sins, or are they resolved to suffer damnation, as being lesse troublesome than to quit their vain Mistresses? surely that's not it; but they have some little subterfuges and illusions to trust to. They say [Page 169] they will relie upon Gods mercy. Well they may; if in well doing they commit their souls to him as to a faithful Creator: but will they make God their enemy, and then trust in him while he remains so? That will prove an intollerable experiment; for so said God, when he caused his name to be pro­claimed to the host of Israel; The Lord God merci­ful and gracious: he caused to be added; and that will by no means quit the guilty. By no means? No, by no means, let us believe that as well as the other. For the passion of our Redeemer, the intercession of our high Priest, the Sacraments of the Church, the body and blood of Christ, the mercies of God, the saying Lord, Lord, the priviledges of Christians, and the absolution of the Priest, none of all this, and all this together shall do him no good that remains guilty, that is, who is impenitent, and does not forsake his sin. If we had faith we should believe this, and should not dare to come to the holy Communion with an actual guiltiness of many crimes, and in confidence of pardon, against all the truth of Divine relati­ons, and therefore without faith.

But then here we may consider, that no man in this case can hope to be excused from the necessi­ties of a holy life upon pretence of being saved by his faith. For if the case be thus; these men have it not. For he that believes in God, believes his words; and they are very terrible to all evil persons: For in Christ Jesus nothing can avail, but a new creature, nothing but keeping the Commandments of God, nothing but faith work­ing by charity: they are the words of God. Wicked men therefore can never hope to be saved by their faith, or by their faith to be [Page 170] worthy Communicants, for they have it not. Who then can?

He only by his faith is worthily disposed to the Communion, and by his faith can be saved, who by his faith lives a life of grace; whose faith is to him a magazine of holy principles, whose faith endears obedience, and is the nurse of a holy hope, and the mother of a never failing charity. He shall be saved by his faith who by his faith is more than conquerour; who resists the Devil and makes him flie, and gives laws to his passions, and makes them obedient; who by his faith overcomes the world and removes mountains, the moun­tains of pride and vanity, ambition and secular designs; and whose faith casteth out Devils, the Devil of lust and the Devil of intempe [...]ance, the spirit that appears like a goat, and the spirit that comes in the shape of a swine: he whose faith opens the blind mans eyes and makes him to see the things of God, and cures the lame hypocrite and makes him to walk uprightly. For these signs shall follow them that believe (said our blessed Savi­our;Mark 16.17.18.) and by these as by the wedding garment we are fitted to this heavenly Supper of the King. In short, for what ever end faith is designed, whatever propositions it intends to perswade, to what duties soever it does engage, to what state of things soever it ought to efform us, and whither­soever the nature and intention of the grace does drive us, thither we must go, that we must do, all those things we must believe, and to that end we must direct all our actions and designs. For [...]he nature of faith discovers it self in the affairs of our Religion as in all things; if we believe any thing to be good we shall labour for it; if we think so, [Page 171] we shall do so; [...]. Just. Mart. and if we run after the vanities of the world and neglect our interest of heaven, there is no other account to be given of it, but because we do not believe the threatnings and the Laws of God, or that heaven is not so considerable as those sottish pleasures and t [...]ifling regards for which all pains is too much, though we think all labour and all passion is too little. Isid. & Osir. Plutar [...]h tells that when poverty desired to have a childe she lay with the God Porus their God of plen [...]y, and she proved with childe and brought forth Love, by which they intended to represent the nature of the Divine love; [...] it is born of a rich Father and a poor mother; that is, it proceeds from a contempt of the world and a value of God; an emptiness of secular affections and a great estimate of wisdom and Religion.

But therefore it is that God and the fruits of his garden, and the wealth of his treasure, and the meat of his Table, and the graces of his spirit are not gustful and delicious, because we dote upon mushromes and colliquintida. But as Manna was given in the desart and it became pleasant when they had nothing else to eat: So it is in [...]he sweet­nesses of Religion; we cannot live by faith, and rejoyce in the banquets of our Saviour, unlesse our souls dwell in the wilderness; that is, where the pleasures and appetites of [...]he world may not prepossesse our palates and debauch our reasonings.Delicata est Divina consola­tio quae non datur admit tentibus alienam. S. Ber­nard. And this was mysterio [...]sly spoken by the Psalmist, The broad places of the wilderness shall wax fat, and the hills shall be en [...]ircled with joy; that is, what­soever [...]s barren and desolate, not full of the things and affections of the world shall be inebriated with the pleasures of Religion and rejoyce in Sacra­ments, in faith and holy expectations. But the [Page 172] love of mony and the love of plea­sures are the intrigues and fet­ters to the understanding; but he only is a faithful man who Fraenetur ergo corpo­rum cupidines Detersa ut intus emicet prudentia, Sic excitato perspicax acu­mine Liberque flatu laxiore Spi­ritus Reum parentem rectius precabitur. Prudent. in Cathemerin. re­strains his passions and despises the world and rectifies his love, that he may believe a right, and put that value upon Religion as that it become the satisfaction of our spirit and the great object of all our passionate desires; pride and prejudice are the Parents of misbelief, but humility and contempt of the world first bear faith upon their knees, and then upon their hands.

SECT. V. Of the proper and Specifick work of Faith in the reception of the holy Communion.

HEre I am to enquire into two practical questi­ons. 1. What stresse is to be put upon faith in this Mystery: that is, how much is every one bound to believe in the article of this Sacra­ment before he can be accounted competently pre­pared in his understanding, and by his faith?

[Page 173]2. What is the use of faith in the reception of the Blessed Sacrament? and in what sense, and to what purposes, and with what truth it is said that in the holy Sacrament we receive Christ by faith?

SECT. VI. Meditations and Devotions relative to this Preparatory Grace; to be used in the days of Preparation, or at any time of spiritual Communion.

SECT. I.

THE second great Instrument of preparation to the blessed Sacra­ment, is Charity: for though this be involved in faith, as in its cause and moral principle, yet we are to consider it in the proper effects al­so of it, in its exercise and operations relative to the Mysteries. For they that speak distinctly, and give proprieties of employment to the two Sacra­ments, by that which is most signal and eminent in them both respectively, call Baptism the Sacrament of Faith, and the Eucharist the Sacrament of Cha­rity; that is, Faith in Baptism enters upon the work of a good life; and in the holy Eucharist it is actually productive of that Charity, which at first was designed and undertaken.

For Charity is that fire from heaven, which un­lesse it does enkindle the Sacrifice, God will never accept it for an atonement. This God declared to [Page 198] us by his Laws given to the sons of Israel and Aa­ron. The Sacrifice that was Gods portion was to be eaten and consumed by himself, and therefore to be devoured by the holy fire that came down from heaven: And this was imitated by the Persi­ans, who worshipped the fire, and thought what the fire devoured, their god had plainly eaten.Note: [...]. So Maximus Ty­rius tells of them, that bringing their Sacrifices, they were wont to say, O Fire our Lord, eat this meat. And Pindar

in his Olympiaes tells of the Rhodians, that when they brought a Sacri­fice to Jupiter, and had by chance forgotten to bring their fire, he accepting of their good intentions, and pitying their forgetfulnesse, rained down upon them a golden shower from a yellow cloud; that is, a shower of fire came and con­sumed their sacrifice. Now this is the great emblem of Charity:Note: Epulantes adludit flamma. the flame consumes the feasters Sacrifice, and makes it a divine nutriment; our Charity it purifies the Oblation, and makes their Prayers accepted,

[...] Diaconi solebant enunciare in Synaxi.The Tables of the Lord, like the Delian Altars, must not be defiled with blood and death, with an­ger and revenge, with wrath and indignation: and this is to be in all senses of duty and ministration an unbloody Sacrifi [...]e. The blood of the Crosse was [...]he last that was to have been shed. The Laws can shed more, but nothing else. For by remem­bring and representing the effusion of blood, not [Page 199] by shedding it, our expiation is now perfected and compleat: but nothing hinders it more than the spirit of war and death; not only by the emissions of the hand, or the apertures of a wound, but by the murder of the tongue, and the cruelties of the heart, or by an unpeaceable disposition.

It was love that first made Societies, and love that must continue our Communions: and God who made all things by his power, does preserve them by his love; and by union and society of parts every creature is preserved. When a little w [...]ter is spilt from a full Vessel, and falls into its e­nemy dust, it curles it self into a drop, and so stands equally armed in every point of the circle, divi­ding the Forces of the enemy, that by that little union it may stand as long as it can; but if it be dissolved into flatnesse, it is changed into the nature and possession of the dust.Scelera dissident. Seneca. War is one of Gods greatest plagues; and therefore when God in this holy Sacrament pours forth the greatest effusion of his love, peace in all capacities, and in all dimensi­ons, and to all purposes, he will not endure that they should come to these love-feasts *Facinus saevum & atrox inter pocula atque epulas, ubi libare Diis dapes, ubi be­nè precari mos esset, ad spe­ctaculum scorti procacis in sinu Consulis rec [...]bantis, mactatam humanam victi­mam esse, & cruore men­sam respersam. Sic Valeri­us Antiates apud Livium, lib. 39. who are unkind to their brethren, quarrelsom with their neighbours, implacable to their enemies, apt to contentions, hard to be reconciled, soon angry, scarcely appeased. These are dogs, and must not come within the holy place, where God who is the Congregating Father, and Christ the great minister of peace,Note: [...], Dionys. Areop. and the holy spirit of love are pre­sent in mysterious Symbols and most gracious Com­munications.

[Page 200]For although it be true that God loves us first, yet he will not continue to love us, or proceed in the methods of his kindnesse, unlesse we become like unto him and love. For by our love and charity he will pardon us, and he will comfort us, and he will judge us, and he will save us; and it can never be well with us till love that governs heaven it self be the Prince of all our actions and our passions. Cum no­stros ani­mos amor quo coe­lum regi­tur, regit. Boeth. con­sol. Philos. By this we know we are transla­ted from death to life, by our love unto our brethren: That's the testimonial of our comfort. I was hungry and ye fed me: I was hungry and ye fed me not: These are the Tables of our fi [...]al judg­ment. If ye love me, keep my Commandments: That's the measure of our obedience. In that ye have done kindnesse to one of these little ones, ye have done it unto me: That is the installing of the Saints in their Thrones of Glory. If thou bringest a gift to the altar, leave it there; go and be recon­ciled to thy brother: That's the great instrument of our being accepted. No man can love God and hate his brother: That's the rule of our examinati­on in this particular. This is a new Commandment, that ye love one another: There's th [...] great precept of the Gospel. This is an old Commandment, that ye love one another: There is the very Law of Nature. And to sum up all; Love is the fulfilling of the Law; that's the excellency and perfection of a man; and there is the expectation of all reward, and the doing all our du [...]y, and the sanctificati­on of every action, and the spirit of life: It is the heart and the fire and the salt of every Sa­crifice; it is the crown of every Communion. And all this mysterious excellency is perfectly represented by that divine exhortation made by [Page 201] Saint Paul; Purge out therefore the old leaven, 1 Cor. 5.7, 8. that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passeover is sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of MALICE and wick­ednesse, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Now concerning this grace, if we will inquire after it in order to a worthy receiving the holy Communion, we must inquire after the effects and offices of Charity; and by the good we do, or are ready to do, take an account of our selves in this particular. The offices and general duties are three. 1. Doing good. 2. Speaking good, and, 3. [...]orgiving evil.

SECT. II. Of doing good to our Neighbours.

HE that loves me does me good; for until love be beneficial, it is not my good, but his fancy and pleasure that delights in me. I do not examine this duty by our alms alone; for although they are an excellent instrument of life (for alms deliver from death, Tobit 12.9. said the Angel to old Tobit) yet there are some who are bountiful to the poor, and yet not charitable to their neighbour. You can best tell whether you have charity to your brother, by your willingnesse to oblige him, and do him real benefit, and keeping him from [Page 202] all harm we can. Do you do good to all you can? Will you willingly give friendly counsel? Do you readily excuse your neighbours faults? Do you rejoyce when he is made glad? Do you delight in his honour and prosperity? Do you stop his entry into folly and shame? Do not you laugh at his miscarriages? Do you stand ready in mind to do all good offices to all you can converse with? For nothing makes Societies so fair and lasting, as the mutual endearment of each other by good offices; and never any man did a good turn to his brother, but one time or other himself did eat the fruit of it. The good man in the Greek Epigram that found a dead mans scul unburied, in kindnesse digging a grave for it, opened the inclosures of a Treasure: And we read in the Annals of France, that when Goutran King of Burgundy was sleeping by the murmurs of a little brook, his Servant espied a Lizard coming from his Masters head, and essayed to passe the water; but seeming troubled because it could not, he laid his sword over the brook, and made an iron bridge for the little beast, who passing entred into the earth, and speedi­ly returned back to the King, and disturb'd him (as it is supposed) into a dream, in which he saw an iron bridge which landed him at the foot of the mountain, where if he did dig he should find a great heap of gold. The servant expounded his Masters dream, and shewed him the iron bridge; and they digged where the Lizard had entred, where they found indeed a Treasure; and that the Servants piety was re­warded upon his Lords head, and procured wealth to one and honour to the other. There is in hu­mane nature a strange kind of noblenesse and love to return and exchange good offices: but because [Page 203] there are some dogs who bite your hand when you reach them bread, God by the ministery of his little creatures tells, that if we will not, yet he will certainly recompence every act of piety and charity we do one to another. * This the [...]gypti­ans did well signifie in one of the new names of their Constellations: For when the wife of Ptolo­maeus Euergetes had vowed her hair to the Temple upon condition her husband might return in safety, and she did consecrate the beauty of her head to the ornaments of Religion, Comonus the Astrono­mer told her that the Gods had p [...]aced her hair a­mong the Stars; and to this day they call one knot of Stars by the name of Berenices hair. For eve­ry such worthinesse like this will have an immortal name in some Record,—Ille ca­pillos coelo infert, in­opes qui miseratus alit. Billii antholog. and it shall be written above the Stars, and set by the names of the Sons of God, who by doing worthy things have endeared Communions and Societies of mankind.

In all the Sacrifices of the Ancients they were hugely kind to one another; they invited their friends to partake the Sacrifice, and called them to a portion of the pardon, that they might eat of that mercy and that forgivenesse which they expected from their God. Then they sent portions to the absent; then they renew­ed Leagues, and re-established Peace, and made marriages, and joined Families, and uni­ted hearts, and knitted Interests by a thred and chain of mutual acts of kindness and endear­ment: And so should we, when we come to this holy Sacrifice; we must keep our hearts entire to God, and divide them amongst our Brethren, and heartily love all them who feed upon the same Christ, who live by the same faith, [Page 204] who are entertained by the same hope, and are confederate by the laws, and the events and the causes, by the acts and emanation of the same Charity. * But this thing is plain; no discourse here is useful, but an exhortation; all that can be said is this; that it is decent and it is useful, and it is necessary that we be very kind and very charitable to all the members of Christ; with whom we are joyned by the ligatures of the same body, and supported by the strength of the same nourish­ment, and blessed by influences from the same Di­vine head, the Lord Jesus Christ.

SECT. III. Of speaking good of our neighbours.

IF it be not in our hands to do well, it must be in our hearts; and the contrary must never be up­on our tongues; we are sure we can speak well, or we can abstain from speaking ill. If it be other­wise with us, we can not be welcome here; we shall not worthily communicate. God opens his mouth and his heart and his bowels, his bosome and his treasures to us in this holy Sacrament, and calls to us to draw water as from a river; and can we come to drink of the pleasant streams that we may [...]. have only moisture enough to talk much and [Page 205] long against the honour of our brother or our sister?*Inter epulas, ubi benè precari mos erat. Livius. lib. 39. Can it be imagined that Christ who never spake an ill word, should take thee into his arms,— gravior terras infestat Echidna Cum sua vipereae jaculan­tur toxica linguae At (que) homini fit homo ser­pens, O prodiga culpae Germina, natur [...]eque utero fatalia monstra! Queis nimis innocuo volu­pe est in sanguine rictus. Tingere, fraternas (que) sibras, cognata (que) pasci Viscera, & arrosae deglubere funera famae Quae morum ista lues? and feast thee at his table, and dwell in thy heart, and lodge thee in his bosome, who makest thy self all one with the Devil; whose office and work it is to be an accuser of the Brethren? No, Christ never will feast serpents at his Table *, persons who have stings instead of tongues, and venom in all the moisture of their mouth, and re­proach is their language.

We should easily consent that he [...]hat ki [...]d a man yesterday and is likely to kill another to mor­row were not this day worthy to Communicate: now some persons had rather lose their lives than lose their honour; what then think we of their pre­paration to the holy communion, that make nothing of murdering their brothers or their sisters same? that either invent evil stories falsely and malicious­ly, or believing them easily, report them quickly, and aggravate them spitefully, and scatter them diligently? He that delights to report evil things of me, that will not endure so much as to have me well spoken of, hath certainly but little kind­ness to me: he would very hardly die for me, or lay out great sums of mony for me, that will not afford me the cheapest charity of a good word. The Jewes have a saying; that it were better that a man were put into a flame of fire, than he should publickly disgrace his Neighbour. But in this there are two great considerations that declare the unworthiness of it.

[Page 206]1. They who readily speak reproachfully of o­thers, destroy all the love and combinations of charity in the world; they ruine the excellency and peculiar priviledge of mankind, whose nature it is to delight in society, and whose needs and na­ture make it necessary. Now slander and reproach and speaking evil one of another poysons love, and brings in hatred, and corrupts friendship, and tempts the biggest vertue by anger to passe unto revenge. For an evil tongue is a perpetual storm; it is a daily temptation and no vertue can without a miracle withstand its temptation. If you strike a lamprey but once with a rod (saith the Greek pro­verb) you make him gentle; [...]. but if often you pro­voke him. A single injury is entertained by Chri­stian patience like a stone into a pocket of wooll; it rests soft in the embraces of a meek spirit, which delights to see it self overcome a wrong by a wor­thy sufferance; but he that loves to do injury by talk, does it in all companies, and takes all occa­sions, and brings it in by violence, and urges it rudely, till patience being weary goes away, and is waited upon by Charity, which never forsakes or goes away from patience. A wound with the tongue is like a bruise, it cannot be cured in four and twenty hours.

2. No man sins singly in such instances as these. Some men commit one murder and never do another; some men are sur­prized and fall into uncleanness or drunkenness; but repent of it speedily and never again return to folly: but an evil and an un­charitable [Page 207] tongue is an accursed principle; it is in its very nature and original equal to an evil habit, and it enters without temptation, and dwells in every part of our conversation, and injures every man, and every woman: and is like the evil spirit that was in love with Tobias his wife; if you drive him from Nineve, he will run to the utmost parts of Egypt, there also unlesse an Angel binde him, he will do all the mischief in the world, for there is not in the world a worse Devil than a devilish tongue

But I am not now to speak of it as it is injurious to our neighbour,Nefas e­nim est per os quo profertur Nomen illud san­ctissimum, quicquam turpe pro­gredi. but as it is an hinderance to our worthy communicating, The mouth that speaketh lies, or stings his neighbour, or boasteth proud things, is not fit to drink the blood of the sacri­ficed Lamb. Christ enters not into those lips from whence slander and evil talkings do proceed, and the tongue that loves to dispraise his brother, can not worthily celebrate the praises and talk of the glorious things of God; and let no man de­ceive himself, an injurious talker is an habitual sin­ner; and he that does not learn the discipline of the tongue, can never have the charity of Christ, or the blessings of the peaceful Sacrament. *De Catone dixit Plutar­chus, Mensam inprimis pu­tabat esse amicitiae concili­andae aptam; ac frequens illic laudatio egregiorum virorum introducebatur; frequens etiam malorum & improborum oblivio, nec vituperationi eorum, vel commendationi permitte­bat in convivium suum Ca­to accessum. Persons that slan­der or disgrace their brother are bound to make restitution; It is as if they had stoln a jewel, they must give it back again, or not come hither. But they that will neither do nor speakwell of others *De Catone dixit Plutar­chus, Mensam inprimis pu­tabat esse amicitiae concili­andae aptam; ac frequens illic laudatio egregiorum virorum introducebatur; frequens etiam malorum & improborum oblivio, nec vituperationi eorum, vel commendationi permitte­bat in convivium suum Ca­to accessum. are very far from charity, and they that are so, ought to be as far [Page 208] from the Sacrament, or they will not be very far from condemnation. But a good man will be as care­ful of the reputation, as of the life of his brother; and to be apt to speak well of all men is a sign of a charitable and a good man; and that goes a great way in our preparation to a worthy Communion.

SECT. IV. Forgiveness of injuries a necessary part of preparation to the holy Sacrament.

THis duty is expressed not only as obligatory to us, but as relative to the Holy Sacrament, in the words of our blessed Saviour, When thou bringest thy gift to the Altar, Mat. 5.23, 24. and there remembrest that thy Brother hath ought against thee, leave there thy g [...]ft and go, be first reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer. This Precept was indeed instanced in the Levitical Sacrifices and Jewish Altars; but because, as St. Irenaeus observes, the Precepts of Christ, however expressed, relate to Moses Law but less principally, and chiefly designe an Evangeli al duty See this discour­sed and proved. Rule of Consci­ence, Book 2. Chap. 3. Rule 15. Irenae. lib. 4. c. 34.; therefore he referrs these words to the celebration of the Christian Eucharistical Sacrifice and Oblation; concerning which he hath these excellent words: ‘From the beginning God respected Abels offering because he offered in righteousness and singleness of heart. But God regarded not the Sacrifice of Cain, because he had a heart divided from his Brother, full of [Page 209] zeal and malice, and therefore God who knoweth all secrets thus reproves him. If thou doest rightly offer, but not rightly divide, be quiet, God will not be appeased with thy sacrifice. For if any one in outward appearance offers a clean, a right, and a pure sacrifice, but in his soul does not truly apportion his communion to his neighbour, he hath sin within, and by his external sacrifice does not bring God unto him, neither will the oblation profit him at all, unless the malice that he hath conceived within does cease, but that sin will make him every day more and more a murderer.’] In pursuance of this; St. Cyril tells,St. Cyril. Hier. my­stag. Cat. 5. that the Ancient Christians were wont before the Communion to kiss each other as a Symbol of reconciled minds, and forgotten in­juries; and in confirmation of this practice brings the preceptive words of our Lord now cited.

And our blessed Saviour himself adds a parallel to the first precept, which gives light and explica­tion to it: [When you stand praying, if you have any thing against any man forgive him, Mar. 11.25. that your Fa­ther which is in heaven may forgive you your tres­passes] and so Christ taught us to pray [Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us.] Let us consider what we do, and con­sider what we say. Do we desire to be forgiven no otherwise? Do not we exact every little igno­rance, and grow warm at every mistake? And are not we angry at an unavoidable chance? Would we have God do so to us, and forgive us in no other manner than as we do, that is, turn his an­ger into every shape, and smite us in every part? Or would we have God pardon us only for little things, for a rash word, or an idle hour spent less [Page 210] severely? If we do so to our Brother, it is a great matter, but if he reviles us to our head, if he blasphemes, and dishonours us, if he rob us, if he smite us on the face, what then? We rob God of his honour, his Priests of their reverence, his houses of their beauty, his Churches of their maintenance: we talk vile things of his holy Name, we despise Religion, we oppose his Honour, and care not for his Service. It is cer­tain we do not usually forgive things of this nature to our brother; what then will become of our prayer? And what will be the effect of our Com­munion? And yet it is certain, there is nothing in the world easier than to forgive an injury. It costs us nothing, after it is once suffered; and if our passions and foolish principles would give us leave to understand it; the precise duty of forgiveness is a perfect negative; it is a letting things alone as they are, and making no more evils in the world, in which already there was one too many, even that which thou didst suffer. And indeed, that forgive­ness is the best which is the most perfect negative; that is▪ in malice be children; whose pretty quar­rells though they be fierce as a sudden spark, yet they are as innocent as the softest part of their own flesh,Ignora­mus sine pace Com­munionem. S. Hi­eron Epist. 62. ad The­ophilum. and as soon out as that sudden spark, and forgotten perfectly as their first dream: and that's true forgiveness: and without this we can never pray with just and perfect confidence and expecta­tions.

1 Pet. 3.7.St. Peter gives this precept in a considerable instance; Give honour unto the wife as unto the wea­ker vessel that your prayers be not hindred; that is, consider that they are weak and tender, easily mo­ved, and soon disordered; their understanding is [Page 211] less, and their passions more; and if it happens to be so, bear their burdens, comply with their inno­cent passions, pity their infirmities, supply the breaches made by their indiscretions, take no no­tice of little inconveniences: Counsel sweetly, re­prove tenderly, strike no fires, and enkindle no flames; that is, do all that you can for peace, without peevish quarrels and little commencements of a Domestick War: for if you give way to any thing of this nature, it will hinder your prayers; for how shall the husband and the wife pray toge­ther if they be angry at each other? For without love and without peace it is to no purpose to pray. The devotion of a man that is not in actual peace and kindness with his wife, is like a hot dead coal, it will burn his fingers that touches it; but it is wholly useless: but he that lives in peace with her, in love and prudent conduct, his devotion is a flaming fire; it kindles all that is round about it, it warms and shines, it is beauteous in it self, and it is useful to others; it is fit for the house, and fit for the Altar; it will set the Incense on smoaking, and put the sacrifice on fire. And so it is in every instance of society and conversation; but I instan­ced in this the rather, because charity at home and a peaceable society in a Family is the first of all publick unions. When Philip of Macedon perswa­ded the Greek Embassadors that they should invite their Cities to peace and concord, Demaratus of Corinth began to laugh at him for his counsel, and thought it a thing ridiculous for him to speak of peace among the Greek Republicks, who was al­waies wrangling at home with his wise Olympias, But as to the present matter,

The fourth Council of Carthage refused to [Page 212] accept the oblations of quarrelling and angry persons;

it is like that of the High Priests in the case of Judas his restitution of the mo­ney, they would not put it into the Treasury because it was the price of blood. Now because our blessed Master in his Law hath handled all great angers and un­charitableness under the title of murder; The Church thought it reasonable not to receive the offerings, that is to reject from the Communion all those persons that were in mutual feuds, enmities and fierce angers. I wonder (saith St. Cyprian) what peace they can look for that are at war with their brethren?Note: Possunt tales acerrimis in­ediis macerari donec re­concilientur. Fabian. dist. 90. cap. si quis.These men may be compelled by the injun­ction of s [...]vere fastings to be re­conciled: said Fabianus the Mar­tyr. And in the decree of P. Victor it was expressely com­manded,Note: Epist. 2. ad Afros. that they should be driven from the communion of all faithful people, who are not in peace, and have no charity to all their Brethren. This decree was renewed and earnestly pressed in the Council of Agatho. Placuit ut (sicut plerunque fit) qui­cunque odio aut longinqua inter se lite dissenserint & ad pacem revocari divina intentione nequiverint, a Sacerdotibus civitatis primitus arguantur, Quod si inimicitias deponere perniciosa inten­tione noluerint, de Ecclesiae coetu justissima excommunicatione pel­lantur. Concil. Agath. can. 31. ‘They that will not by the grace of God working within them lay aside the hat [...]ed and long suits and dissentions, first let [Page 213] them be reproved by the Priests of the City. But if they will not at their reproof lay aside their enmities, let them by a most just excommu­munication be driven from the Congrega­tions of the Church.’ Det ille veniam facile, cui venia est opus. [...]. Libanius.] Which Decree the Church of England hath inserted into the second Rubrick before her office of Communion; of which I shall afterwards give account. But for the present we may consider that it is infinitely reasona­ble, that he that needs and comes for a great pardon, should not stick at the giving of a little, and he that desires to be like God, and comes to be united to him, should do like him, that is rejoyce in remit­ting offences rather than in punishing them. In this as in all other things we must follow Gods example; for in this alone he else will follow ours. In imita­ting him it is certain we are innocent; and if in this he follows us, though we be wicked, yet he is holy, because revenge is his, and he alone is to pay it. If therefore we will forgive, he will; if we will not,

neither will he: for he makes his spear as long, and his angers as lasting as we do ours. But this duty, and the great reasonableness and necessity I shall represent in the excellent words of the Talmudists, recor­ded also by the famous Bensi­rach *Ecclus. 28.1, 2.3. [‘He that revengeth shall find vengeance of the Lord, and he will surely keep his sins in remembrance. For­give thy neighbour the hurt that he hath done unto thee, so shall thy sins also be forgiven when thou prayest. One man keepeth anger against another, and doth he seek healing from the Lord? [Page 214] He sheweth no mercy to a man that is like him­self, and doth he ask forgiveness for his own sins? If he that is but flesh nourish hatred, who will intreat for pardon of his sins?’] The duty is plain, and the reason urgent, and the Command­ment express, and the threatning terrible, and the promise excellent. There is in this no more to be said; but that we consider concerning the manner of reducing it to practice, in order to our prepara­tion to a worthy Communion: and consider the special cases of conscience relating to this great duty.

1. Therefore we are bound to forgive every man that offends us. For concerning every one of our Brethren it is equally true, that he is an ex­cellent creation, that he is thy brother, that he is heir of the same hopes, born to the same inheri­tance, descended of the same Father, nursed by the Church which is his Mother and thine; that there is in him Gods Image drawn by the same hand, de­scribed in the same lines; that there are in him many good things for which he can be loved, and many reasons in him for which he ought to be par­doned; God hath made many decrees for him, and the Angels minister to him, and Christ died for him, and his soul is very precious in the eyes of God, and in Heaven it self the man whom thou ha­test is very considerable; and there, there are great desires for his temporal and eternal happiness, and why shouldest thou despise, and why shouldest thou stand out against all this?

2. Not only every man, but every offence must be forgiven. The Wise man saies, [That for some things there will be no returning again: a blow in­deed, [Page 215] or an evil word may be pardoned; but for upbraiding and pride, and disclosing secrets, and a treacherous wound every friend will depart, Ecclus. 22.22. and never return again.] But he only tells how it will be, not what ought to be; what it is likely to be in mat­ter of fact; not how it should be in case of con­science: and he means this of societies and civil friendships; but in Religion, we go higher, and even these also, and greater than these must be par­doned; unless we would prescribe a limit to Gods mercy in the remission of our sins. He will pardon every sin of ours, for the pardon of which we can rightly pray; but yet we must pray for it, and hope it upon no measures but those of our, forgiveness;Note: Jupiter omnipotens preci­bus si flecteris ullis, Aspice nos, hoc tantum, ut si pie­tate meremur, Da deinde auxilium. Aeneid. 2. ‘O Jupiter (said the distressed Prince) hear our prayers according to our piety, look upon us, and as we do, so give us help, and there is no instance that can be conside­rable to the lessening or excusing of this duty.’ Note: Dimittenda sunt debita, non pecuniae solum, sed omnium causarum, culpa­rum, criminum, quicquid homo incurrere poterit; in his tibi quum incurrerit al­ter, ignosce. We must forgive not only injuries in the matter of mo­ney; but in all errours and crimes whatsoever in which any man can sin, and thou canst be of­fended.

3. Although in these things there is no difficulty; yet in the intention and expressions of this duty there is some. For if it be inquired what is meant by forgiving; many men suppose it is nothing but saying, I forgive him with all my heart, and I pray God forgive him; But this is but words, and we must have more material significations of it then so, be­cause nothing can commute for the omission of the [Page 116] necessary parts of this duty. It is therefore necessa­ry that we observe these measures.

1. Every man that hath received injuries be they never so great, must have a mind perfectly free from all intentions of revenge in any instance whatsoever. For when the question is concerning forgiving him that did the wrong, every man can best answer his question by placing himself in the seat of him that did the offence, and considering to what purposes, and by what significations, and in what degrees, and to what event of things himself would fain be pardoned, if he were in his case and did repent the injury and did desire pardon. That's the measure and the rule; and we learn it from *Homo sine peccato esse non potes, & vis semper tibi dimitti. Dimitte sem­per. Quantum vis tibi di­mitti, tantum dimitte. Quo­ties vis dimitti tibi toties dimitte imo quia vis to­tum dimitti tibi, totum di­mitte. Chrysologus. Chrysologus.

Thou art a sinful man, and thou wouldst that God and man should alwaies forgive thee. Do thou forgive al­waies; so much, so often, so in­tirely as thou wouldest be par­doned thy self; so much, so often, and so intirely give pardon to thy enemy: and this together with the reason of it is well expressed in the Gospel of the Nazarens. ‘If thy Brother sins against thee in words, and offers thee satis­faction seven times in a day, receive him. Simon his Disciple saith unto him, seven times in a day? The Lord answers, yea, I say unto you, seventy times seven times. For even amongst the Prophets also, after they were annointed with the Holy Ghost, there was found the word of sin, that is, they also offend­ed in their tongues.’

[Page 217]Against this there is no objection, but what is made by the foolish discourses of young men, figh­ters and malicious, who by the evil manners of the world are taught to call revenge gallantry, and the pardoning of injuries to be pusillanimity and cowardice: for this Devil that dwells in tombs and and cannot be bound with chains, prevailes infinit­ly upon this account amongst the more glorious part of mankind; but (as all other things are, which oppose the wisdom of God) is infinitely unreasonable; there being nothing in the world a greater testimony of impotency and effiminacy of spirit than a desire of revenge. Who are so cruel as Cowards, and who so revengeful as the weak­est and the most passionate women? Wise Crysip­pus, and gentle Thales, and the good old man who being to drink his poyson refused to give any of it to his persecutor; these men did not think revenge a pleasure, or a worthy satisfacti­on.

Fot what man is so barba­rous as to recover his leprosie by sucking the life blood from dying infants? a good man would ra­ther endure ten leprosies than one such remedie. Such a thing is re­venge; it pretends to cure a wound but does it with an intole­rable remedy. It was the song of Cyclops to his sheep; feed you upon the tender herbs, I mean to feed up­on the flesh and drink the blood of the Greeks; this is a violence not on­ly to the laws and manners,Note: Pascite vos herbas, sociis ego pascor Achivis. but even to the very nature of men. Lions indeed and Tygres do with a strange curio­sity eye and observe him that struck them, and they [Page 218] fight with him above all the hunters; to strike a­gain is the return of beasts; but to pardon him that smote me, is the bravest amends and the noblest way of doing right unto our selves; whilest in the wayes of a man and by the methods of God, we have conquered our enemy into a friend. But revenge is the disease of honour, and is as contrary to the wisdom and bravery of men as dwelling in rivers and wallowing in fires is to their natural manner of living, and he who out of pre­tence of valour pursues revenge is like to him, who because fire is a glorious thing, is willing to have a St. Anthonies fire in his face.

2. He that is injured must so pardon, as that he must not pray to God to take revenge of his enemy. It was noted as a pitiful thing of Brutus, that when his army was broken and himself ex­posed to the insolencies of his enemies, and that he could not revenge himself, he cryed out most pas­sionately in the words of the Greek tragedy [...]., to Jupiter to take vengeance of young Octavius. But nothing is more against the nobleness of a Christi­an spirit, and the interest of a holy communion, than when all meet together to pray for all, and all for every one, that any man should except his enemy; that he who prayes for blessings to the whole mystical body of Christ, should secretly de­sire that one member should perish. If one prayes for thee,Quidenim prodest si­unus pro­te oret ad Dominum & alius adversum te Deum interpellet? S. Chrysost. in 5. Matth. and another prayes against thee, who knows whether thou shalt be blessed or accursed?

3. He that means to communicate worthily must [Page 219] so forgive his enemy, as never to upbraid his crime any more. For we must so forgive as that we forget it; not in the sense of nature, but per­fectly in the sense of charity. For to what good purpose can any man keep a record of a shrewd turn, but to become a spie upon the actions of his enemy, watchful to do him shame, or by that to aggravate every new offence? It was a malicious part of Darius, Herod lib. 5. when the Athenians had plundered Sardis, he resolving to remember the evil turn till he had done them a mischief, commanded one of his servants that every time he waited at sup­per, he should thrice call upon him, Sr. remem­ber the Athenians. The Devil is apt enough to do this office for any man; and he that keeps in mind an injury, needs no other tempter to uncharitable­ness but his own memory. He that resolves to re­member it, never does forgive it perfectly; but, is the under officer of his own malice. [...]or as ri­vers that run under ground do infallibly fall into the sea and mingle with the salt waters: so is the injury that is remembred; it runs under ground in­deed, and the anger is head, but it tends certainly to mischief; and though it be sometimes lesse deadly for want of opportunity, yet it is never lesse dan­gerous.

4. He that would communicate worthily must so pardon his enemy, that though he be certain the man is in the wrong, and sinned against God in the cause, yet he must not under pretence of right­ing God and Religion and the laws, pursue his own anger and revenge,

and bring him to evil. Every man is concerned that evil be to him that loves it, but we cozen our selves [Page 220] by thinking that we have nothing to do to pardon Gods enemies, and vile persons. It is true, we have not; but neither hath any private man any thing to do to punish them; but he that cannot pardon Gods enemy, can pray to God that he would: and it were better to let it all alone, than to destroy charity upon pretence of justice or Re­ligion. For if this wicked man were thy friend, it may very well be supposed that thou wouldest be very kind to him, though he were Gods enemy: and we are easie enough to think well of him that pleases us, let him displease whom he list besides.

5. He may worthily communicate, that so par­dons his enemy, as that he endeavour to make him to be his friend. Are you ready to do him good? Can you relieve your enemy, if he were in want? Yes; it may be you can, and you wish it were come to that. And some men will pursue their enemy with implacable prosecutions till they have got them under their feet; and then they de­light to lift them up, and to speak kindly to the man, and to forgive him with all the noblenesse and bravery in the world.Nostrapte culpâ fa­cimus ut malis ex­pediat esse, Dum nimium dici nos bonos stu­demus & benignos. Terent. in Phorm. But let us take heed, lest instead of shewing mercy we make a triumph. Relieve his need and be troubled that he needs it. Rescue him from the calamity which he hath brought upon himself, or is fallen into by misad­venture, but never thrust him down, that thou mayest be honoured and glorious by raising him from that calamity in which thou art secretly de­lighted, that he is intangled. Lycurgus of S [...]arta in a tumult made against him by some Citizens lost an eye: which fact the wiser part of the people in­finitely detesting, gave the villain that did it into their Princes power; and he used it worthily; he [Page 221] kept him in his house a year, he taught him vertue, and brought him forth to the people a worthy Citi­zen. To pardon thy enemy as David pardoned Absalom, that's true charity; and he that does so pardon, needs no further inquiry into the case of conscience. It was an excellent saying of Seneca. [When thou doest forgive thy enemy,Cum au­tem igno­scis, ita benefici­um tuum tempera, ut non ig­noscere videaris sed absolvere: quia gravissimum poenae genus est contumeliosa venia. rather seem to acquit him than to pardon him; rather ex­cuse the fault, than only forbear the punishment: for no punishment is greater, than so to order thy pardon, that it shall glorifie thy kindness, and upbraid and reproach his sin.

6. He that would be truly charitable in his for­giveness, and with just measures would commu­nicate, must so pardon his enemy, that he re­store him to the same state of love and friendship as before. This is urged by St. Ber­nard;Note: Tam liberaliter Dominus omnem condonavit injuri­am, ut jam nec damnet ulci­scendo, nec confundat im­properando, nec minus di­ligat imputando. St. Bernard in Cantic. as the great imitation of the Divine mercy. God hath so freely, so intirely pardoned our sins, that he neither condemns by revenging, nor confounds by upbraiding, nor loves lesse by imputing. He revenges not at all, he never up­braides, and when he hath once pardoned, he never imputes it to any evil purposes any more, And just so must our reconciliation be; we must love him as we loved him before; for if we love him lesse, we punish him, if our love was valuable; then he is forgiven indeed when he hath lost no­thing. I should be thought severe if I should say that the true forgiveness and reconciliation does imply a greater kindness after than before; but [Page 222] such is the effect of repentance, and so is the nature of love. [‘There is more joy over one sinner that repenteth, than over ninety and nine just per­sons that need no repentance:] and a broken *Nam in hominum aetate multa eveniunt hujusmodi Capiunt voluptates, mox rursum miserias, Irae interveniunt, redeunt rursum in gratiam. Verùm irae si quae fortè eve­niunt hujusmodi Inter eos rursum si reven­tum in gratiam est Bis tanto amici sunt, inter se quam prius. Plaut. in Amp. love is like a bro­ken bone, set it well, and it is the stronger for the fracture.’ When Nicanor railed upon Philip of Macedon, he slighted him, and he railed still; he then reproved him, but withal forgave him, and still he railed; but when he for­gave him, and g [...]ve him a dona­tive, he sealed Nicanors pardon, he confuted his calumny, and taught him virtue.

But this depends not upon the injured person a­lone, but upon the return and repentance of him that did it. For no man is the better with God for having sinned against him; and no man for having injured his brother can be the better beloved by him: But if the sinner double his care in his repen­tance, and if the offending man increase his kind­nesse, justice, and endearments in his returns to friendship, then it is the duty of charity so to par­don, so to restore as the man deserves; that is, the sin must not be remembred in anger, to lessen the worthinesse of his amends. And this is that which our Blessed Saviour says, [If he shall return and say, I repent, thou shalt forgive him.]

But the understanding of this great duty will re­quire a little more exactnesse: let us therefore in­quire more particularly into the practical Questions or Cases of Conscience relating to this duty.

[Page 223]1. How far we are bound to forgive our ene­my that does repent, and how far him that does not?

2. How long and how often must we proceed in our pardon to the penitent?

3. What indications and signs of repentance are we to require and accept as sufficient?

4. Whether after every relapse must the conditi­ons of his pardon be harder than before?

5. Whether the injured person be bound to of­fer peace and seek for reconcilement? or whether may he let it alone, if the offending party does not seek it?

6. Whether the precept of charity and forgive­nesse obliges us not to go to Law?

7. What charity or forgivenesse the offended Husband or Wife is to give to the other in case of adultery repented of?

SECT. V. Devotions relative to this grace of Charity; to be used by way of exercise and preparation to the Divine My­steries; in any time or part of our life: but especially before and at the Communion.

COme behold the works of the Lord: what desolations he hath made in the earth.

He maketh Wars to cease unto the ends of the earth: he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder, he burneth the chariot in the fire.

But unto the wicked said God, what hast thou to do to declare my Statutes, or that thou shouldst take my Covenant in thy mouth, see­ing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee?

[Page 253]Thou sittest and speakest against thy Bro­ther; thou slanderest thine own mothers Son.

These things thou hast done, and I kept si­lence: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.

Now consider this ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces and there be none to deli­ver.

Deliver me from bloud-guiltiness O God, thou God of my salvation; and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.

Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in the time of trouble,

The Lord will deliver him and keep him alive, and he shall be blessed upon the earth; and thou wilt not deliver him into the will of his enemies.

The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.

But I said, Lord be merciful to me: heal my soul for I have sinned against thee.

Yet the Lord will command his loving kindness in the day time, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life:

O send out thy light and thy truth, let them lead me, let them bring me to thy holy Hill, and to thy Tabernacles.

Then will I go unto the Altar of God my exceeding joy: yea upon the harp will I praise thee O God my God.

[Page 254]The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.

Do good O Lord to them that are true of heart, and evermore mightily defend them: Do good in thy good pleasure unto Sion, build thou the walls of Jerusalem.

In God will I praise his word: in the Lord will I praise his word: Thy vows are upon me O God, I will render praises unto thee.

For thou hast delivered our souls from death: wilt not thou deliver our feet from falling, that we may walk before God in the light of the living?

I will love thee O God, and praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it: and I will wait on thy name, for it is good before thy Saints.

SECT. I.

WHen Isaac and Abimelech had made a covenant of peace and mutual a­greement, they would not confirm it by a Sacramental Oath till the next morning, that they might swear fasting, for the reverence and religious regard of the solemn Oath (saith Lyra.) But Philo says they did it Symbolically, to repre­sent that purity and cleanness of soul which he that swears to God, or comes to pay his vows, ought to preserve with great Religion. He that in a religi­ous and solemn addresse comes to God, ought to consider whether his body be free from unclean­nesse, and his soul from vile affections. He that is righteous, Rev. 22.11. let him be righteous still; and he that is justified, let him be justified, yet more, saith the Spirit of God; and then it follows, He that thirsts, let him come and drink of the living waters freely and without money: —17. meaning, that when our affe­ctions to sin are gone, when our hearts are clean, [Page 259] then we may freely partake of the feast of the sup­per of the Lamb.

For as in natural forms, the more noble they are, the more noble dispositions are required to their production; so it is in the spiritual: for when Christ is to be efformed in us, when we are to be­come the Sons of God, flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone, we must be washed in water, and pu­rified by faith, and sanctified by the spirit, and cleansed by an excellent repentance; we must be confirmed by a holy hope, and softned by charity. So God hath ordered in the excellent fabrick of hu­mane bodies: First our meat is prepared by fire, then macerated by the teeth, then digested in the stomach, where the first separation is made of the good from the bad, the wholesom juyces from the more earthy parts: these being sent down to earth, the other are conveyed to the Liver, where the matter is separated again, and the good is turned into blood, and the better into spirits; and thence the body is supplied with blood; and the spirits repair unto the heart and head, that thence they may be sent on Embassies for the ministeries of the body, and for the work of understanding. So it is in the dispensation of the affairs of the soul: The ear, which is the mouth of the soul, receives all meat, and the senses entertain the fuel for all passions, and all interests of vertue and vice. But the understanding makes the first separation, di­viding the clean from the unclean: But when the spirit of God comes and purifies even the separate matter, making that which is morally good to be spiritual and holy, first cleansing us from the sen­sualities of flesh and blood, and then from spi­ritual iniquities that usually debauch the soul, [Page 260] then the holy nourishment which we receive passes into divi [...]e excellencies. But if sensuality be in the palate, and intemperance in the stomach; if lust be in the liver, and anger in the heart, it corrupts the holy food, and makes that to be a savour of death, which was intended for health and holy blessi [...]gs.

But therefore when we have lived in the cor­rupted air of evil company, and have sucked in the vile juices of coloquintida and the deadly henbane; when that is within the heart which defiles the man, the soul must be purged by repentance, it must be washed by tears, and purified by penitential sor­row. For he that comes to this holy Feast with an unrepenting heart, is like the flies in the Temple upon the day of Sacrifice: the lit­tle insect is very busie about the flesh of the slain beasts;

she flies to every corner of the Temple; and she tastes the flesh before the portion is laid be­fore the God: but when the nidour and the deli­cacy hath called such an unwelcome guest, she cor­rupts the Sacrifice, and therefore dies at the Altar, or is driven away by the officious Priest. So is an unworthy Communicant; he comes it may be with p [...]ssion and an earnest zeal; he hopes to be fed, and he hopes to be made immortal; he thinks he does a holy action, and shall receive a holy blessing; but what is his portion? It is a glorious thing to be feasted at the Table of God; glo­rious to him that is invited and prepared,

but not to him that is unprepared, hateful, and impeni­tent.

[Page 261]But it is an easie thing to say that a man must repent before he communicates; so he must before he prayes, before he dies, before he goes a jour­ney, the whole life of a man is to be a continual repentance See the doctrine and pra­ctise of Repen­tance, Chap. 1. & 2.; but if so; then what particular is that which is required before we receive the holy Com­munion? For if it be an universal duty of infinit, extent, of unlimited comprehension; then every Christian must alwayes be doing some of the of­fices of repentance: but then, which are the pecu­liar parts and offices of this grace which have any special and immediate relation to this solemnity? for if there be none; the Sermons of repent [...]nce are nothing but the general doctrine of good life, but of no special efficacy in our preparation.

The answer to this, will explicate the intrica­cy, and establish the measures of our duty in this proper relation, in order to this ministery.

SECT. II. The necessity of repentance in order to the holy Sacrament.

1. THe holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper does not produce it's intended effect upon an un­prepared subject. He that gives his body to that which is against the spirit, & his spirit to the affecti­ons of the body, cannot receive the body of Christ in a spiritual maner. He that receives Christ, must in [Page 262] great truth be a servant of Christ. It is not lawful (saith Justin *Just. Martyr apol. 2. Mar­tyr) for any one to receive the holy Eu­charistical bread and to drink of the sacred Calice, Note: Non per id quod recte foris oblatum est sacrificium ad se ducit Deum, intus ha­bens peccatum. Ire. l. 4. c. 23. [...], but to him that be­lieves, and to him that lives according to Christs Commandment. For as St. Paul argues of the infinite undecen­cy of fornication, because it is a ma­king the members of Christ to be­come the members of an harlot: upon the same account it is infinitely impossible that any such polluted persons should become the mem­bers of Christ to the intents of blessing and the spi­rit. How can Christs body be communicated to them who are one flesh with an harlot? and so it is in all other sins: we cannot partake of the Lords table, Non bene inaequales veniunt ad aratra juvenci. and the table of Devils. A wicked person and a Communicant are of contrary interests, of differing relations, designed to divers ends, fitted with other dispositions, they work not by the same principles, are not weighed in the same ballance, nor meted by like measures: and therefore they that come must be innocent or return to inno­cence; that is, they must repent, or be such per­sons as need no repentance: and St. Ambrose gives this account of the practise of the Church in this affair. This is the *Ubique mysterii ordo ser­vatur, ut prius per remissio­nem peccatorum Vulneri­bus medicina tribuatur, postea alimonia mensae coe­lestis exuberet. lib. 6. in Luc. c. 37. order of this mystery which is every where observed, that first by the pardon of our sins our souls be healed, and the wounds cured with the medicine of repentance, and then that our souls be plentifully nourished by this holy Sacrament: and to this purpose he ex­pounds the parable of the prodigal son saying [that [Page 263] no man ought to come to this Sa­crament unless he have the wed­ding ring and the wedding gar­ment;Note: Nemo huc accedere debet nisi qui signaculum justi­tiae custodierit, aut rece­perit lib. 7. c. 66.] unless he have receiv'd the seal of the spirit, and is cloathed with white garments, the righteousness and justification of the Saints. And to the same purpose it is, that St. Cyprian complains of some in his Church, who not having repented, not be­ing put under discipline by the Bishop and the Clergy, yet had the Sacrament ministred to them:Note: Lib. 3. epist. 14. Nondum poenitentiâ actâ, nondum fact [...] exomologesi, nondum manu eis ab Episcopo & Clero impositâ Eucharistia eis datur. 1 Cor. 11.28. against whom he presses the severe words of St. Paul; He that eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks dam­nation to himself; that is, he that repents not of his sins before he comes to the Holy Sacrament, comes before he is prepared, and therefore before he should: and St. Basil hath a whole chapter on purpose to prove [that it is not safe for any man that is not purged from all pollution of flesh and spirit to eat the body of the Lord] and that is the title of the chap­ter:St. Basil. lib. 2. de baptism. cap. 3. The wicked think to appease God with rivers of oyl, and hecatombs of oxen, and with flocks of sheep: they think by the ceremony and the gift to make peace with God;

to get pardon for their sin, and to make way for more: but they lose their la­bour (saies the comedy) and throw away their cost:

because God ac­cepts no breakers of their vowes; he loves no mans sacrifice, that does not truly love his service: what if you empty all the Maeva­nian [Page 264] valleys, and drive the fat lambs in flocks unto the Altars?Note: Quia nihil ei acceptum est à peri juris supplicii. what if you sacrifice a herd of white buls from Clitumnus?

One sacrifice of a troubled spirit, one offering of a broken heart is a better oblation then all the weal [...]h which the fields of the wicked can produce. God by the forms and rites of sacrifice * [...]. Philo. teaches us how to come to the Altars, whether for Prayer or Eucharist; we must be sure to bring no evil passion, no spiritual disease along with us; faith Philo. The sacrament of the Lords Supper is the Christian sa­crifice, and though the lamb of God is represented in a pure ob­lation, yet we must bring some­thing of our own: our lusts must be crucified *Quin horres, vererisque talia committere, ac altaria frequentare? quomodo im­maculata sacrorum myste­ria aud es attingere? Hortor igitur te, ut vel committere hujusmodi desinas, vel à venerandis altaris sacrifi­ciis abstineas, ne quando ignem de coelo capiti a [...] ­cersens tuo, turpè meritas poenas, ut optasti, luas. Sic Zosymum Presbyterum ar­guit St. Isidorus Pelusiota. l. 5. ep. 12., our passions brought in fetters, bound in chains, and laid down at the foot of the throne of God. We must use our sins as the asses first colt was to be used among the Jewes; there is no redeeming of it but only by the breaking of its neck: and when a sinner comes to God groaning under his load, carrying the dead body of his lusts and lay­ing them before the Altar of God, saying [this is my pride that almost ruin'd me: here is the corps of my lusts, they are now dead, and as carkasses are more heavy then living bodies, so now my sin feels more pon­derous [Page 265] because it is mortified: I now feel the intollerable burden, and I cannot bear it.] When a sinner makes this address to God, coming with a penitential soul, with a holy sorrow, and with ho­ly purposes, then no oblation shall be more plea­sing, no guest more welcome, no sacrifice more accepted. The Sacrament is like the word of God,Note: Omnia Sacramenta obsunt indignè tractantibus: pro­sunt tamen dignè sumen­tibus, sicut & verbum Dei. S. August. contr. epist. Parmen. if you receive it worthily, it will do you good; if unworthily, it will be your death and your destruction. Here the penitent can be cleansed, and here the impenitent are consumed: here they that are justified shall be justified still, and they that are unholy become more unholy and accursed: here they that have not, shall have more abundantly, and they that have not, shall lose what they have already: here the living are made strong and happy, and the dead do die again.

He that giveth honour to a fool (saith Solomon) is like him that bindeth a stone in the sling: Pro. 2 [...].8. so we read it; but so, it is not easie to tell the meaning. The vulgar Latine reads it: As he that throws a stone in­to the heap of Mercury: so is he that giveth honour to a fool: and so the Proverb is easie. For the Gentiles did of old worship Mercury by throwing stones at him: now giving honour to a fool is like throwing a stone at Mercury, that is, a strange and unreaso­nable act: for as the throwing of stones is against all natural and reasonable way of Worship and Religion; and is against the way of honour: so is a fool as strange and unfit a person to receive it. But when Rabbi Manasses threw stones at Mercu­ry in contempt and defiance of the image and th [...] false god, he was questioned for idolatry, and paid [Page 266] his liberty in exchange for his outward worship of what he secretly hated: but by his external act he was brought to judgment, and condemned for his hypocrisie. This is the case of every one that in a state of sins comes to the holy Sacrament; he comes to receive the bread of God, and throws a stone at him; he pretends worship and secretly hates him; and no man must come hither, but all that is within him, and all that is without, must be symbolical to the nature and holiness of the mysteries, to the designs and purposes of God. In short; The full sense of all this is expressed in the Canon-Law, in a few words. A Sacrament is not to be given but to him that repents: Cap illud. dist, 95. Non poe­nitentibus istud in­fundi non potest quia Sacra­menti ge­nus est. for there must no sinful habit, or impure affection remain in that tabernacle where God means to place his holy spirit. It is like bringing of a swine into the Propitiatory: such a presence cannot stand with the presence of the Lord. It is Dagon before the Ark; the Chechinah, the glory of the Lord wil depart from that unhallow­ed place.

But because the duty of Repentance, as it is a particular grace, is limited and affirmative, and therefore is determinable by proper relations and accidents, and there is a special necessity of repen­tance before the receiving of the Sacrament; we must inquire more particularly:

1. What actions or parts of repentance are ne­cessary in our preparation to the receiving these Divine mysteries.

2. How far a penitent must be advanced in a good life, before he may come safely; and how far, before he m [...]y come with confidence.

[Page 267]3. What significations of repentance are to be accepted by the Church.

4. Whether in case the duty be not performed, may every Minister of the Sacrament refuse to ad­mit the wicked person, or the imperfect penitent that offers himself and persists in the desire of it.

SECT. III. What actions of repentance are specially required in our preparations to the Holy Sacrament?

THe particular actions of repentance, which are to be performed in their proper seasons, which cannot be alwaies actual because they have variety, and cannot be attended to altogether, all such par­ticulars of repentance are then in their season, they have this for their opportunity. For it is an admirable wisdom of God so to dispose the times and advantages of Religion, that by the solenni­ties of duty our dispersions are gathered up, our wandrings are united, our indifferencies are kind­led, our weariness is recreated, our spirits are made busie, our attention is called upon, our powers are made active, our vertues fermented: we are cal­led upon, and looked after, and engaged. For as it is in motion, and as it is in lines, a long and a [Page 268] straight progression diminishes the strength, and makes languishing and infirmity; but by doubling the point, or making a new Centre the moving bo­dy gathers up its parts and powers into a narrower compass, and by union, as by a new beginning, is re­scued from weakness and diminution: So it is in the life of a Christian; when he first sets forth, he is zea­lous and forward, full of appetite, and full of holy fires: but when his little fuel is consumed, and his flame abates, when he goes on & grows weary, when he mingles with the world, and by every conversa­tion is polluted or allayed; when by his very ne­cessary affairs of life he is made secular and intere­sted, apt to tend his civil regards, and to be remiss in the spiritual; by often and long handling of mo­ney, beginning too much to love it: then we are interrupted in our declining piety, we are called upon by Religion, and by the sacrednesse of this holy duty are made to begin again, not to go back, but to be re-enkindled.

Every time we receive the holy Sacrament all our duties are summed up; we make new vowes, we chastise our negligence, we mend our pace, we actuate our holy purposes, and make them stron­ger, we enter upon Religion as if we had never done any thing before; we bring again our first pe­nitential heats: and as when we pray, and pray long, our devotion slackens, and our attention becomes trifling, and by wandring thoughts we are gone very far from the observation of the offices; the good man that ministers calls out to us, Let us pray: and then the wandring thoughts run home, then we are troubled that we have lost so much of our [...]rayers, as we have not attended to; then we be­gin ag [...]in, and pray the more passionately by how [Page 269] much we observe our selves to have been more negligent before. If God did not particularly call upon us by these religious necessities, and stop us by the solemn return of the Sacrament, and stir up our fires, and remind us of our duty, and make actual seasons and opportunities for actual and great attendencies on religion, if God did not make some daies, and some necessities, and some oppor­tunities for heaven; the soul and her interest would not be at all regarded. For this life is the day for the body, and our needs do indeed require so much at­tendance, and imploy so much of our affections, and spend so much of our time, that it is necessary some abstractions and separations of time and offices be made.

Receiving the holy Sacrament is like a Lock up­on the waters; which makes them rise higher, and begin a fuller stream as from a new principle of emanation: So that the repentance which is the duty of our life and dispersed over all the parts and periods of it, like the waters in the first Creation upon the face of the whole earth, is gathered toge­ther against the day of the Lords Communion as into a bosome and congregation of penitential wa­ters. * Then you are to mourn for your sins, and to resolve against them, then you are to remem­ber what vowes you have already made and bro­ken, how often you have prevaricated in your du­ty, and by what temptations you are used to fall: then you are to renew the strength of your pur­poses, to fortifie your tenderest part, and to cut off all advantages from the enemy: then you must prune your Vine,

and make the branches bleed; then the Bridegroom comes, and you must trim your Lamp, and [Page 270] adorn it with the culture of Religion: that is, against the day of Communion, you must sum up all the parts of your repentance; for the Sacra­ment is a summary of all the mysteries, and all the duty of the whole religion of a Christian.Note: Parum est baptizari, & Eu­charistiam accipere, nisi quis factis & opere perfici­at. S. Cyprian. But Baptism and the holy Eucharist do nothing for us unless we do good works, and perfect them with a conjugation of holy duties, bringing forth fruits meet for re­pentance.

But our iniquity must be yet a little more parti­cular.

There are some actions of repentance which must be finished and made perfect before we receive the holy Communion: and there are some which will be finishing all our life. Concerning the first the question is, which they are, and what must be done concerning them. Concerning the second, we are to inquire how far we must have proceeded in them before we may communicate.

Those parts of repentance which must be fini­shed before we approach the blessed Sacrament, are these:

1. We must have renounced, perfectly renoun­ced all affections to sin, and firmly purpose to amend all, to sin no more, to lead a new life in all solid and material practises of vertue. This we learn from Origen: [We eat the bread which is made a holy thing, [...]. Lib. 8. advers. Celsum. and which sanctifies and makes [Page 271] holy all them who use it with holy and salutary pur­poses] and designs of living holily: not by a so­lemn and pompous profession only, but with a real and hearty resolution: resolving not to say so, and be a fool; but to say so, because indeed we mean so; not to profess it because it is the custome of Christians, and the expectation of the solemni­ty, but because we intend really to be quit of the sin for ever. Now concerning our purposes of amendment, these things are to be taken careof:

1. That they be made prudently, attentively, sincerely, and with intuition upon a credible, possi­ble, and designed effect. For there are some that make vowes (purposes I cannot call them) which they believe impossible to keep, and no man can wisely purpose such things, of which he hath such belief: but they believe themselves inevitably en­gaged to commit a sin, and yet as inevitably enga­ged to say they will not. The Greeks tell of a fa­mous fool among them; her name was Acco, who when she saw her self in a glasse, would discourse as wisely as she could to the other woman, and supposed her own shadow to be one of her neigh­bours; with whom sometimes she had great busi­ness, but alwaies huge civilities; only she could never agree which of them should go away first, or take the upper hand. Such wise resolvers are some persons: they take the shadow of it for a substance, and please themselves by the entertainment of the images of things; and think that the outside and the words of a promise are the only thing that God requires; they and their promises do not know which shall go away first; the resolution quickly dies, and the man presently after; but the sin lives and abides there still, and will do so for ever. Cast [Page 272] about and see; you have promised what you are likely to perform; and do you intend it in good earnest never to consent to a sin, in no circumstance, and for no argument, and by no temptation? For he that resolves never to commit that, which he knows he shall commit, is like him who resolves he will never die; his vain resolution sets not his death back one hour. It is hypocrisie and lying to say it before God, and it is folly and madness to pretend that we will do it, to our selves; but of this I h [...]ve already spoken Chap. 2. Sect. 3.

2. He that in his preparation to the holy Com­munion purposes to live a holy life, must not judge of the goodnesse of his purposes by the present in­tendment, but by the consequent performance. He must not think it is well yet, because many good purposes are broken by temptations, disordered by supervening accidents, frustrate by impotency, and laid aside by the purposes to the contrary; [...]. See Great Exem­plar, Part 2. Sect. 12. n. 34. such which Plutarch compares to windy eggs, which though they look fairly, yet produce no birds. Now by this consideration it is not intended that a man must defer his Communion till he hath fully performed all his purposes of a holy life, for then he should never Communicate till he dies: but by this we are advised to make such inq [...]iry, and to use such cau­tions, and to require such indications of the reality of our purposes, as becomes wise, interested, and considering persons, who are undone if they be deceived, and receive damage by the prophane and u [...]holy usages of the Divine Mysteries, if they were cozen'd and abused themselves in the sinceri [...]y and [...]fficacy of their preparatory purposes. Plato tells that Alc [...]biades did sometimes wish Socrat [...]s h [...]d been dead, because he was ashamed to see him, [Page 273] for that he had not kept the promises which he had so often made to him. If we who often have com­municated, do find that the purposes of reformati­on which we have formerly made proved ineffe­ctive; if we perceive that we have begged pardon for our lust, and yet still remain under the power of the passion; if we have deplored our pride, and yet cannot endure to have others preferred before us; if we have resolved against our hasty angers, and yet after the Communion find our peevishness to return as often Talis mensae fu­isti parti­ceps, & cum om­nibus de­beres esse mitior, & clementior, & par Angelis, fuisti omnium curdelissimus. Gustavisti sanguinem Dominicum, & ne sic quidem fratrem agnoscis. St. Chrysost. homil. 27. in Corinth., and to abide as long, and still to forrage and to prevail, we are like those foolish birds who having conceived by the wind, lay their eggs in the sand, and forget the place, and the wa­ters wash them away.

In such cases as these something more must be done besides making resolutions. Let every man make some experiment of himself, and give some instances of performance, and get ground of his passion; and make no great haste to passe instantly to the holy Communion; you may more safely stay one day longer, than passe on one minute too soon: but be sure of this, the fierce saying of a few warm and holy words is not a sufficient preparati­on to these sacred Mysteries; and they who upon such little confidencies as these have hastned hither,

have after­wards found causes enough to deplore their profane follies and presumptions; for they see when they have eaten the Sop, they go out to sin against the Lord; as soon as the sacred Calice hath [Page 274] refreshed their lips, they dishonour God with their mouths, and retain their affections here be­low fastned to earth and earthly things.

This is it that makes our Communions have so little fruit. Men resolve to be good, and then Communicate; they resolve they will hereafter, but they are not yet, and yet they will Communi­cate; they resolve, and think no more of it, as if performance were no part of the duty and the ob­ligation. In such cases it is not good to be hasty;

for a little stay will do better than twenty argu­ments to inforce your purposes. You must make new resolutions, and re-enforce your old; but if you have already tried, and have sound your purposes to be easily untwisted, and that, like the Scenes at Masques, they were only for that show, to serve at that so­lemnity, learn to be more wary and more afraid the next time. The first folly was too bad, but to do so often is intolerable. But here are two Cases to be resolved.

SECT. IV. How far we must have proceeded in our General repentance and emendation of our lives before we Communicate?

TO this I answer, that No man is fit to Commu­nicate, but he that is fit to die: that is, he must be in the state of grace; and he must have trimmed his lamp: he must stand readily prepared by a state of repentance; and against the solemn time, he must make that state more actual, and his graces operative.

Now in order to this, it is to be considered; that preparation to death hath great latitude; and not only he is fit to die who hath attained to the fulness of the stature of Christ, to a perfect man in Christ Jesus; but every one who hath renounced his sin with heartinesse and sincerity, and hath begun to mortifie it. But in these cases of beginning, or of Infancy in Christ; though it be certain that every one who is a new Creature, though but newly be­come [Page 290] so, is born of God, and hath life abiding in him, and therefore shall not passe into condemna­tion: yet concerning such persons the Rulers of Souls and Ministers of Sacraments have nothing but a judgment of charity, and the sentences of hope relating to the persons; the state is so little and so allayed, and so near to the late state of death from which they are recovering, that God only knows how things are with them; yet because we know that there is a beginning in which new converts are truly reconciled, there is a first period of life, and as we cannot say in many cases that this is it; so in many we cannot say, this is not; therefore the Church hopes well of persons that die in their ear­ly progressions of piety; and consequently refu­ses not to give to them these divine Mysteries. Whoever are reconciled to God, may be reconci­led to the Church; whose office it is only to de­clare the Divine Sentence, and to administer it, and to help towards the verification of it.

But because the Church cannot be surer of any person that his sins are pardoned, that he is recon­ciled to God, that he is in the state of Grace, that if he then dies he shall be saved, than a man him­self can be of himself and in his own case, which certainly he knows better than any man else; and that our degrees of hope and confidence of being saved when it is not presumption, but is prudent and reasonable, does increase in proportion to our having well used and improved Gods grace, and inlarges it self by our proportions of mortification and spiritual life; and every man that is wise and prudent, abides in fears and uncertain thoughts, till he hath gotten a certain victory over all his sins; and though he dies in hope, yet not without trem­bling, till he finds that he is more than conque­rour; [Page 291] therefore in proportion to this address to death, must also be our address to the holy Sa­crament. For no man is fit to die, but he that can be united unto Christ; and [...]he only that can be so, must be admitted to a participation of his body and his bloud. It is the same case, in both we dwell with Christ; and the two states differ but in de­grees; it is but a passing from altar to altar, from that where the Minister of the Church officiates, to that where the head of the Church does inter­cede.

There is this only difference; there may be some proportions of haste to the Sacrament, more than unto death, upon this account; because the re­ception of the Sacrament in worthy dispositions does increase those excellencies in which death ought to find us; and therefore we may desire to communicate, because we perceive a want of g [...]ace; and yet for the same reason we may at the same time be afraid to die; because after that, we can receive no more; but as that finds us, we shall abide for ever. But he that fears justly, may yet in many cases die safely; and he shall find that his fears when he was alive were useful to the caution and zeal and hastiness of repentance; but were no certain indication that God was not reconciled un­to him. The best and severest persons do in the greatest parts of their spiritual life complain of their imperfect state, and feel the load of their sins, and apprehend with trembling the sad consequents of their sins, and every day contend against them; and forget all that is past of good actions done, and press forwards still to more grace, and are as hun­gry as if they had none at all and those men if they die, go to Christ and shall reign with him for [Page 292] ever; and yet many of them go with a trembling heart, and though considering the infinite obliqui­ty of them they cannot over-value their sins, yet considering the infinite goodness of God, and his readiness to accept it, they undervalue their re­pentance, and are safe in their humility, and in Gods goodness, when in many other regards they think themselves very unsafe. Now such men as these must not be as much afraid to communicate as they are afraid to die; but these and all men else must not communicate till they be in that conditi­on, that if they did die▪ it would go well with them: and the reason is plain: because every friend of God dying so, is certainly saved; and he that is no friend of God is unworthy to partake of the Table of the Lord.

But for the reducing the Answer of this Questi­on to practice and to particular considerations: I am to advise these things.

1. Because no man of an ordinary life, and a newly begun repentance ought hastily to pronounce himself acquitted, and in the state of grace, and in the state of salvation, in this rule of proportion; we are only to take the judgment of charity, not of certainty, and what is usually by wise and good men sup [...]osed to be the certain, though the least measure of hopeful expectations in order to death, that we must suppose also to be our least measure of repentance preparatory to the blessed Sacra­ment.

2. This measure must not be taken in the daies of health and carelesness; but when we are either actually in apprehension, or at least in deep medita­tion [Page 293] of death; when it is dressed with all such ter­rors and material considerations, that it looks like the King of terrors, and at least makes our spirits full of fear and of sobriety.

3. This measure must be carefully taken without the allay of foolish principles, or a care­less spirit, or extravagant confidences of personal predestination, or of being in any sect; but with the common measures which Christians take when they weigh sadly their sins and their fears of the Divine displeasure; let them take such proporti­ons which considering men relie upon when they indeed come to die; for few sober men die upon such wild accounts as they rely upon in talk and interest when they are alive. He that prepares him­self to death, considers how deeply God hath been displeased, and what hath been done towards a re­conciliation; and he that can probably hope by the usual measures of the Gospel that he is in pro­bability of pardon, hath by that learnt by what measures he must prepare himself to the holy Sa­crament.

4. Some persons are of a timorous conscience, and apt to irregular and unreasonable fears, and nothing but a single ray from heaven can give them any portions of comfort, and these men never trust to any thing they do, or to any thing that is done for them; and fear by no other measures but by consideration of the intolerable misery which they should suffer if they did miscarry; and because these men can speak nothing and think nothing comfortable of themselves in that agony, or in that meditation; therefore they can make use of this rule by the proportions of that judgment of charity [Page 294] which themselves make of others; and in what cases, and in what dispositions they conclude others to die in the Lord; if they take those or the like measures for themselves, and accordingly in those dispositions address themselves to the holy Sacra­ment, they will make that use of this rule which is intended, and which may do them benefit.

5. As there are great varieties and degrees of fitness to death; so also to the holy Sacrament; he that hath lived best, hath enough to deplore when he dies, and causes enough to beg for pardon of what is past, and for aids in the present need; and when he does communicate, he hath in some proportion the same too; he hath causes enough to come humbly, to come as did the Publican, and to say, as did the Centurion, Lord, I am not worthy: but he that may die with most confidence because he is in the best dispositions, he also may communi­cate with most comfort, because he does it with most holiness.

6. But the least measures of repentance; less than which cannot dispose us to the worthy recepti­on of the holy Mysteries are these:

1. As soon as we are smitten with the terrors of an afflicted conscience, and apprehend the evil of sin, or fear the Divine Judgments, and upon that account resolve to leave our sin, we are not instantly worthy and fit to communicate. Attriti­on is not a competent disposition to the blessed Sa­crament; because although it may be the gate and entrance of a spiritual life, yet it can be no more, unless there be love in it; unless it be contrition, it is not a state of favour and grace, but a disposition [Page 295] to it. He that does not yet love God, cannot com­municate with Christ; and he that resolves against sin out of fear only, or temporal regards, hath gi­ven too great testimony that he loves the sin still, and will return to it, when that which hinders him shall be removed. Faith working by charity is the wedding garment; and he that comes hither not vested with this, shall be cast into outer darkness. But the words of St. Paul are express as to this particular.Gal. 5.6. In Christ Jesus nothing can avail but faith working by love; and therefore without this, the Sacrament it self will do no good; and if it does no good, it cannot be but it will do harm. Our repentance disposing us to this Divine feast, must at least be contrition, or a sorrow for sins, and purposes to leave them, by reason of the love of God working in our hearts.

2. But because no man can tell whether he hath the love of God in him, but by the proper effects of love, which is keeping the Commandments; no man must approach to the holy Sacrament upon the account of his mere resolution to leave sin: untill he hath broken the habit, untill he hath cast away his fetters, untill he be at liberty from sin, and hath shaken off its laws and dominion; so that he can see his love to God entring upon the ruines of sin, and perceives that Gods Spirit hath advanced his Scepter, by the declension of the sin that dwelt within; till then he may do well to stand in the out­ward Courts; lest by a too hasty entrance into the Sanctuary he carry along with him the abominable thing, and bring away from thence the intolerable sentence of condemnation. A man cannot rightly judge of his love to God, by his acts and transports of fancy, or the emanations of a warm passion; [Page 296] but by real events and changes of the heart. The reason is plain, because every man hath first loved sin, and obeyed it, and untill that obedience be changed, that first love remains, and that is abso­lutely inconsistent with the love of God: an act of love, that is, a loving ejaculation, a short prayer affirming and professing love, is a very unsure warrant for any man to conclude that his repen­tance is indeed contrition: for wicked persons may in their good intervals have such sudden fires; and all men that are taught to understand contrition to be a sorrow for sins proceeding from the love of God, and that love of God to be sufficiently signi­fied by single acts of loving prayer, can easily by such forms and ready exercises fancy, and conclude themselves in a very good condition at an easie rate. But contrition is therefore necessary, because attrition can be but the one half of repentance; it can turn us away from sin, but it cannot convert us unto God; that must be done by love, and that love, especially in this case, is manifestly nothing else but obedience: and untill that obedience be evident and discernable, we cannot pronounce any comfort concerning our state of love; without which no man can see God, and no man can taste him or feel him without it.

3. A single act of obedience in the instance of any kind where the scene of repentance lies, is not a sufficient preparation to the holy Sacrament, nor demonstration of our contrition: unless it be in the case of repentance only for single acts of sin. In this case, to oppose a good to an evil, an act of proportionable abstinence to a single act of intem­perance, for which we are really sorrowful▪ and (as we suppose) heartily troubled, and confess it, [Page 297] and pray for pardon, may be admitted as a compe­tent testimonial that this sorrow is real, and this repentance is contrition; because it does as much for vertue, as in the instance it did for vice: al­waies provided that whatsoever aggravations or ac­cidental grandeurs were in the sin, as scandal, deli­beration, malice, mischief, hardness, delight, or ob­stinacy, be also proportionably accounted for in the reckonings of the repentance. But if the penitent return from a habit or state of sin, he will find it a harder work to quit all his old affection to sin, and to place it upon God intirely; and therefore he must stay for more arguments than one or a few single acts of grace: not only because a few may proceed from many causes accidentally, and not from the love of God; but also because his love and habitual desires of sin must be naturally extin­guished by many contrary acts of virtue; and till these do enter, the old love does naturally abide. It is true, that sin is extinguished not only by the natural force of the contrary actions of vertue, but by the Spirit of God, by aids from heaven, and powers supernatural; and Gods love hastens ou [...] pardon and acceptation; yet still, this is done by parts and methods of natural progression; after the manner of nature, though by the aids of God; and therefore it is fit that we expect the changes, and make our judgment by material events, and discerned mutations, before we communicate in these mysteries, in which whoever unworthily does communicate, enters into death.

4. He that hath resolved against all sin, and yet falls into it regula [...]ly at the next temptation, is yet in a state of evil, and unworthiness to com­municate; because he is under the dominion of sin, [Page 298] he obeys it, though unwillingly; that is he grum­bles at his fetters, but still he is in slavery and bon­dage. But if having resolved against all sin, he de­lights in none, deliberately chooses none, is not so often surprized, grows stronger in grace, and is mistaken but seldom, and repents when he is, and arms himself better, and watches more carefully against all, and increases still in knowledge; what­ever imperfection is still adherent to the man un­willingly, does indeed allay his condition, and is fit to humble and cast him down; but it does not make him unworthy to communicate, because he is in the state of grace; he is in the Christian warfare, and is on Gods side; and the holy Sacrament, if it have any effect at all, is certainly an instrument or a sign in the hands of God to help his servants, to inlarge his grace, to give more strengths, and to promote them to perfection.

5. But the sum of all is this; He that is not freed from the dominion of sin, he that is not really a subject of the Kingdom of grace; he in whose mortal body sin does reign, and the Spirit of God does not reign, must at no hand present himself be­fore the holy Table of the Lord; because, what­ever dispositions and alterations he may begin to have in order to pardon and holiness, he as yet hath neither, but is Gods enemy, and therefore cannot receive his holy Son.

6. But because the change is made by parts and effected by the measures of other intellectual and spiritual changes, that is, after the manner of men, from imperfection to perfection by all the inter­medial steps of moral degrees, and good and evil in some periods have but a little distance though they [Page 299] should have a great deal; and it is at first very hard to know whether it be life or death; and after that, it is still very difficult to know whether it be health or sickness; and dead men cannot eat, and sick men scarce can eat with benefit, at least are to have the weakest and the lowest diet: and after all this, it is of a consequence infinitely evil, if men eat this Supper indisposed and unfit: It is all the reason of the world that returning sinners should be busie in their repentances, and do their work in the field (as it is in the parable of the Gospel) and in their due time come home, and gird themselves and wait upon their Lord, and when they are bidden and warranted, then to sit down in the Supper of their Lord. But in this case it is good to be as sure as we can; as sure as the analogy of these divine Mysteries require, and as our needs permit.

7. He that hath committed a single act of sin a little before the Communion, ought for the reve­rence of the holy Sacrament to abstain till he hath made proportionable amends; and not only so, but if the sin was inconsistent with the state of grace, and destroyed or interrupted the divine fa­vour, as in cases of fornication, murder, perjury, any malicious or deliberate known great crime, he must comport himself as a person returning from a habit or state of sin; and the reason is, because he that hath lost the divine favour cannot tell how long he shall be before he recovers it, and therefore would do well not to snatch at the portion and food of Sons, whilest he hath reason to fear that he hath the state and calamity of Dogs, who are caressed well, if they feed on fragments and crums that are thrown away.

[Page 300]Now this Doctrine and these cautions, besides that they are consonant to Scripture and the analo­gy of this divine Sacrament, are nothing else but what was directly the sentiment of all the best, most severe, religious and devoutest ages of the Primitive Church. For true it is, the Apostles did indefinitely admit the faithful to the holy Commu­nion; but they were persons wholly enflamed with those holy fires which Jesus Christ sent from hea­ven to make them burning and shining lights; such which our dearest Lord, with his blood still warm and fresh, filled with his holy love; such whose spirits were so separate from the affections of the world, that they laid their estates at the Apostles feet, and took with joy the spoiling of their goods; such who by improving the graces they had recei­ved, did come to receive more abundantly; and therefore these were fit to receive the bread of the strong [...]. But this is no invitation for them to come who feel such a lukewarmnesse and indifference of spirit and devotion, that they have more reason to suspect it to be an effect of evil life, rather than of infirmity: for them who feel no heats of love but of themselves; for them who are wholly immerg'd in secular affections and interests; for them who are full of passions, and void of grace; these from the example of the others may derive caution, but no confidence: So long as they persever'd in the Do­ctrine of the Apostles, Act. 2.48. so long they also did conti­nue in the breaking of bread and solemn conventions for prayer: for to persevere in the Doctrine of the Apostles signified a life most exactly Christian; for that was the Doctrine Apostolical, according to the words of our Lord, teaching to observe all things which I have commanded you. Mat. 28.

[Page 301]And by this method the Apostolical Churches and their descendants did administer these holy Myste­ries; a full and an excellent testimony whereof we have in that excellent Book of Ecclesiastical Hierar­chy commonly attributed to St. Dionys. Cap. 3. ‘The Church drives from the Sacrifice of the Temple [meaning the divine Sacrament] such persons for whom it is too sublime and elevated: First, those who are not yet instructed and taught concerning the participation of the Myste­ries: Next,Note: [...]. those who are fal­len from the holy and Christian state, [meaning Apostates, and such as have renounced their Baptism, or fallen from the grace of it, by a state of deadly sin, or foulest crimes.] Thirdly, they who are possessed with evil spirits: And lastly, those who indeed have begun to retire from sin to a good life, but they are not yet purified from the phan­tasms and images of their past inordinations, by a divine habitude and love, with purity and with­out mixture. And to conclude, they who are not yet perfectly united to God alone, and to speak according to the style of Scripture, they who are not intirely inculpable and without re­proach.’ And when St. Soter exhorted all persons to receive upon the day of the Institution, or the vespers of the Passion, he excepted those who were forbidden because they had committed any grie­vous sin.

But what was the Doctrine and what were the usages of the Primitive Church in the ministery of [Page 302] the Blessed Sacrament, appears plainly in the two Epistles of St. Basil to Amphilochius in the Canons of Ancyra, those of Peter of Alexandria, Gregory Thaumaturgus, and Nyss [...]en, which make up the Penitential of the Greek Church, and are explica­ted by Balsamo; in which we find sometimes the penance of two years imposed for a single theft; four years, and seven years, for an act of unclean­nesse, eleven years for perjury, fifteen years for adultery and incest; that is, such persons were for so many years sep [...]rate from the Communion, and by a holy life and strict observances of penitential impositions, were to give testimony of their contri­tion and amends. The like to which are to be seen in the Penitentials of the Western Church; that of Theodorus Archbishop of Canterbury, that of venerable Bede, the old Roman, and that of Rabanus Maurus Archbishop of Mentz: The reason of which severity we find thus accounted in St. Basil; [‘All this is done that they may try the fruits of their repen­tance:Note: [...]· cap. 2. ad Amphiloch, For we do not judge of these things by the time, but by the manner of their repen­tance.’] For the Bishop had power to shorten the days of their separation and abstention; and he that was an excellent penitent was much sooner ad­mitted; but by the injunction of so long a trial, they declar'd that much purification was necessary for such an address. And if after, or in these penitential years of abstention, they did not mend their lives, though they did perform their penan­ces, they were not admitted. These were but the Churches signs; by other accidents and manifesta­tions if it hapned that a great contrition was signifi­ed, [Page 303] or a secret incorrigibility became publick, the Church would admit the first sooner, and the latter not at all.* [...]. ibid. For it was purity and holinesse that the Church requi­red of all her Communicants; and what measure of it she required, we find thus testified: [‘The faithful which hath been rege­nerated by baptism ought to be nourished by the participation of the divine Mysteries; and being cloathed with Jesus Christ,Note: Lib. 1. de bapt. cap. 3. and having the quality of a child of God, he ought to receive the nutri­ment of life eternal, which the Son of God him­self hath given us: and this nutriment is obe­dience to the word of God, and execution of his will, of which Jesus Christ hath said, Man lives not by bread alone; but my meat is to do my Fa­thers will] and a little after he affirms [that where­as St. Paul saith that Jesus Christ hath appointed us to eat his body in memory of his death, the true remembrance which we ought to have of his death, is to place before our eyes that which the Apostle saith, that we were wholly dead, and Jesus Christ died for us, to the end that we should no more live unto our selves, but to him alone, and that so we should do him honour, and give him thanks for his death by the purity of our life, without which we engage our selves in a terrible damnation if we receive the Eucharist.] And a­gain: [He that, not having this charity which presses us, and causes us to live for him who died for us, dares approach to the Eucharist, grieves the holy Spirit. For it is necessary that he who comes to the memorial of Jesus Christ, who died [Page 304] and rose again for us, should not only be clean from all impurity of flesh and spirit; but that he should demonstrate the death of him who died and rose for us, by being dead unto sin, to the world, and to himself, and that he lives no more but only to God through Jesus Christ.] And therefore St. Cyprian complains as of a new and worse persecution,Vide eti­am S. Cy­prian. lib. de lapsis & epist. 28. that lapsed persons are ad­mitted to the Communion before they have brought forth fruits of a worthy repentance; and affirms, that such an admission of sinners is to them as hail to the young fruits, as a blasting wind to the trees, as the murren to the cattel, as a tempest to the ships: The ships are overturned and broken, the fruits fall, the trees are blasted, the cattel die, and the poor sinner by being ad­mitted too soon to the ministeries of eternal life, falls into eternall death.’ And if we put together some words of S [...]. Ambrose, S. Ambr. lib. 5. de Sacram. c. 2. they clearly declare this Doctrine, and are an excellent Sermon: ‘Thou comest to the Altar, the Lord Jesus calls thee; he sees thee to be clean from all sin, because thy sins are wash'd away, therefore he judges thee wor­thy of the c [...]lestial Sacraments, and therefore he invites thee to the heavenly banquet: Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth] But some de­sire to be admitted to penance,Lib. 2. de poenit. c. 9. that presently they may receive the Communion: These men do not so much desire themselves to be absolved, as that the Priest be bound; for they do not put off their own evil conscience.Lib. 1. de poenit. c. 16.] But I would that the guilty man should hope for pardon; let him require it with tears, seek it with sighs, beg to obtain it by the weepings of all the people, and if he be denied the Communion again and again, let him consider that his prayer was not suffici­ently [Page 305] earnest; let him weep more and pray more] To which I shall add some like words of St. Austin, Serm. 252. de tempore. [Therefore my dearest Brethren, let every one consider his conscience, and when he finds him­self wounded with any crime, first let him take care with prayers and fastings and alms to cleanse his conscience, and so let him receive the Eucha­rist.... for he that knowing his guilt, shall hum­bly remove himself from the Altar for the amend­ment of his life, shall not fear to be wholly ex-communicate from that eternal and celestial ban­quet: For this Divine Sacrament is not to be eaten with confidence and bold­nesse, Note: Homil. 24. in 1 Corinth. [...]. but with fear and all man­ner of purity, saith St. Chryso­stome; for impudence in these approaches will certainly slay the souls.] For th [...]s is the body whither none but Eagles are to gather; because they ought to be sublime and elevated souls, such which have no­thing of earthliness in them, that do not sit and prey upon the ground, that are not immerg'd in the love of Creatures; but such whose flight is towards heaven, whose spirit does behold the Sun of Righteousnesse with a penetrating contem­plation, and piercing eyes: for this is the Table of Eagles, and not of Owls] And therefore this Saint complains of some [who did approach to the Eucharist as it were by chance, or rather by custom and constraint of Laws, rather than by argument and choice. In whatsoever estate their souls are, they will partake of these Mysteries because it is Lent, or because it i [...] the feast of the Epiphany: but certain it is, that it is not the time which puts us into a capacity of doing this [Page 306] action. For it is not Lent nor the Epiphany which makes us worthy to approach to the Son of God; * [...]. Homil. 3. in 1. cap. Epist. Ephes. But the sincerity and purity of the soul: with this come at any time; but without this, never.’ In fine, it is the general doctrine of the holy Fathers, and the pub­lick practice of the Primitive Church, that no impenitent person should come to these divine Mysteries: and they that are truly penitent should practice deep humili­ty, and undergo many humiliatiōns, and live in a state of repentance, till by little and little they have recover'd the holinesse they had lost, and must for a long time live upon the word of God, before they approach to the holy Table to be nourished by his body. For so should every prodigal child cry unto his Lord,Homil. de prodigo. [‘Drive me not O Lord out of thy doors, lest the enemy espying a wanderer and a vagabond, take me for a slave. I do not yet de­sire to approach to thy holy Table, thy mystical and terrible Table; for I have not confidence with my impure eyes to behold the holy of holies. Only suffer me to enter into thy Church amongst the Catechumens, that by beholding what is there celebrated, I may by little and little enter again into the participation of them; to the end that the Divine Waters of thy Word running upon me, may purifie my ears from the impressions which have been made upon them by ungodly songs, and from the filthinesse they have left be­hind; and seeing how the righteous people par­take by a holy violence of thy precious jewels, I may conceive a burning desire to have hands worthy to receive the same excellencies.’ I end this collection of the ancient Doctrine of the [Page 307] Church with recitation of the words of Gennadius, De dog­mat. Ec­cles. c. 53. [‘I perswade and exhort Christians to receive the Communion every Lords day; but so that if their mind be free from all affection of sinning: For he who still hath will or desires of sin, he is burdened and not purified by receiving the Eu­charist. And therefore although he be bitten [or griev'd] with sin, let him for the future re­nounce all will to sin, and before he communi­cate let him satisfie with prayers and tears; and being confident of the mercy of our Lord, who uses to pardon sins upon a pious confession, let him come to the Eucharist without doubting. But this I say of him who is not pressed with capi­tal and deadly sins; for such a person, if he will not receive the Eucharist to judgment and con­demnation, let him make amends by publick pe­nance, and being reconcil'd by the Bishop or Priest, let him communicate. I doubt not also but such grievous sins may be extinguish'd by private satisfactions; but this must be done by changing the course of his life, by a professed study of Religion, by a daily and perpetual mourning or contrition, that through the mercy of God he may do things contrary to these whereof he does repent; and then humbly and suppliant let him every Lords day communicate to the end of his life.’

This advice of Gennadius declares the sentiment of the Church, that none must communicate till they have worthily repented, and in the way of piety and contrition made amends for their faults as well as they may; and have put themselves into a state of vertue contrary to their state of sin, that is, have made progression in the reformation of [Page 308] their lives; that they are really changed and be­come new men, not in purpose only, but actually and in the commencement of holy habits. And therefore it is remarkable that he advises that these persons who do not stand in the place of publick penitents, should upon the commission of grievous faults enter into Religion; he means into solitude, and retirement, and renunciation of the world, that by attending wholy to the severities and puri­ties of a religious life, they may by such strictnesses and constant piety be fitted for the communion. Now whatever ends besides this, the Divine Provi­dence might have, yet it is not to be neglected, that when the ancient discipline of the Church, of penances and satisfactions was gone into desuetude, the Spirit of Religion entred more fully into the world, and many religious orders and houses were instituted, that at least there, the world might practise that severity in private which the change of affairs in the face of the Church had taken from the publick ministeries; Penance went from the Churches into desarts and into Monasteries; but when these were corrupted, and the manners of men were worse corrupted, it is hard to say whi­ther it is gone now. It may be yet done in private, and under the hand of a spiritual guide; or by the spirit of penance in the heart of a good man, and by the conduct of a wise counsellor; but besides that the manners of men are corrupted, the do­ctrines also are made so easie, and the Communion given to sects and opinions, or indifferently to all; that it is very rare to see them who have sinn'd grievously repent worthily; who therefore can never be worthy communicants, for no impenitents can partake of Christ,S. Hierom in Isai. c. 3. Princeps poenitentiae & caput eorum qui salvantur per poenitentiam Christus est. who as S. Hierom cals him, [Page 309] is the prince of penance, and the head of them who by repentance come unto salvation. But this was his advice to them that commit grievous sins, such which lay the conscience wast, and whose every single action destroyes our being in the state of grace.

But as for them whose sins are but those of dayly incursion, and of infirmity, or imperfection, such which a great diligence and a perpetual watchful­ness might have prevented, but an ordinary care would not; these must be protested against, they must not joyn with our consent, our will must be against them, and they must be confess'd and de­plor'd, and prayed against before we may commu­nicate. Non sa­turantur ergo nisi famelici: qui à vitiis perfectè jejunantes divina Sacramenta percipiunt in plenitudine virtutis. Et quia sine peccato electi etiam viri esse non possunt, quid restat, nisi ut à peccatis quibus eos huma­na fragilitas maculare non desinit, evacuari quotidiè conentur? Nam qui quotidie non exhaurit quod delinquit, et si minima sint peccata quae congerit, paulatim anima repletur, atque ei auferunt fructum internae Saturitatis. Gregor. lib. 2. in Reg. cap. 1. This is the sense of the Church of God.

Having established this great general measure of preparation, it will not be very difficult to an­swer that great question often disputed amongst spiritual persons: viz.

SECT. V. What significations of Repentance are to be accepted by the Church in admissi­on of Penitents to the Communion.

THis inquiry will quickly be answered, when we consider that the end why the Church en­joyns publick or private amends respectively to any convict or confessed Criminal, she only does it as a Mother and a Physician to souls, and a Minister of the Divine Pardon, and the Conductress of peni­tential Processes: she does it that the man may be recovered from the snare of the enemy, that she may destroy the work of the Devil, that the sinner may become a good Christian: and therefore the Church, when she conducts any mans repentance, is bound to enjoyn so many external Ministeries, that if they be really joyned with the external con­trition and reformation, will do the work of re­concilement in the Court of heaven. The Church can exact none but what she can see or some way take external notice of; but by these externals in­tends to minister to the internal repentance; which when it is sufficiently signified by any ways that she may prudently rely upon as testimonies and mini­steries of a sufficient internal contrition and real amends, she can require no more, and she ought not to be content with lesse.

[Page 330]It is therefore infinitely unsafe and imprudent to receive the Confessions of Criminals, and after the injunction of certain cursory penances,Note: Si cito rediret homo ad pri­stinam beatitudinem, ludus illi esset cadere in mortem. S. Aug. Serm. 34. de diver­sis. to admit them to the Blessed Sacrament without any further emendation, without any trial of the sincerity of their con­version, before it is probable that God hath pardon'd them,Note: In ipsâ Ecclesia ubi maxi­mè misereri decet, quam maximè decet forma justi­tiae, nequis à communionis consortio abstentus, brevi lachrymulâ atque ad tem­pus paratâ, vel etiam ube­rioribus fletibus Communi­onem, quam plurimis de­bet postulare temporibus, facilitate sacerdotis extor­queat. S. Ambros. in Psal. 118. in haec verba. Misere­re mei secundum eloqui­um tuum. before their affections to sin are dead, before the spirit of mortification is entred, before any vice is exter­minated, or any vertue acquired: Such a loosnesse of discipline is but the image of repentance (whether we look upon it as it is described in Scripture, or as it was practised by the Primitive Church) which at least is a whole change of life, a conversion of the whole man to God. And it is as bad when a notorious criminal is put to shame one day, for such a sin which could not have obtain'd the peace of the Church under the severity and strictness of fifteen years, amongst the holy Primitives. Such publick Ecclesiastical penances may suffice to re­move the scandal from the Church, when the Church will be content upon so easie terms; for she only can tell what will please her self. But then such discipline must not be esteem'd a sufficient ministery of repentance, nor a just disposition to pardon. For the Church ought not to give par­don, or to promise the peace of God upon terms easier than God himself requires; and therefore when repentance comes to be conducted by her, she [Page 331] must require so much as will extinguish the sin, and reform the man, and make him and represent him good.

All the liberty that the Church hath in this, is what is given her by the latitude of the judgment of charity; and yet oftentimes a too easie judg­ment is the greatest uncharitableness in the world, and makes men confident and careless and deceiv'd: and therefore although gentle sentences are useful when there is danger of dispair or contumacy, yet that is rather a palliation of a disease than a cure; and therefore the method must be chang'd as soon as it can, and the severe and true Sermons of the Gospel must be either proclaimed aloud, or insinu­ated prudently and secretly, and men be taught to rely upon them and their consequents, and upon no­thing else; for they will not deceive us. But the corrupt manners of men, and the corrupt doctrines of some Schools, have made it almost impossible to govern souls as they need to be governed.

The Church may indeed chuse whether she will impose on Criminals any exterior significations of repentance, but accept them to the Communion upon their own accounts of a sincere conversion and inward contrition; but then she ought to do this upon such accounts as are indeed real and suffi­cient, and effective and allowed; that is, when she can understand that such an emendation is made, and the man is really reformed, she can pronounce him pardoned; or which is all one, she may com­municate him. And farther yet; she can by Ser­mons declare all the necessary parts of repentance, and the conditions of pardon, and can pronounce limited and hypothetical or conditional pardons; [Page 332] concerning which the penitent must take care that they do belong to him. But if she does undertake to conduct any repentances exteriously, it is to very little purpose to do it any way that is not com­mensurate to that true internal repentance which is effective of pardon. Indeed every single act of penance does something towards it; but why something should be enjoyned that is not sufficient, and that falls infinitely short of the end of its desig­nation, though the Church may use her liberty, yet it is not easie to understand the reason. But I leave this to the consideration of those who are concerned in Governments publick, or in the pri­vate conduct of souls, to whom I earnestly and humbly recommend it; and I add this only, that when the Ancient Churches did absolve and com­municate dying penitents, though but newly re­turn'd from sin, they did it de benè esse, or with a hope it might do some good, and because they thought it a case of necessity, and because there was no time left to do better: but when they did as well as they could, they could not tell what God would do; and though the Church did well, it may be it was very ill with the souls departed. But be­cause that is left to God, it is certain some things were done upon pious confidence and venture, for which there was no promise in the Gospel.

That which the Church is to take care of is, that all her children be sufficiently taught what are the just measures of preparation and worthy dis­position to these Divine mysteries; and that she admits none, of whom she can tell that they are not worthy; such as are notorious adulterers, homi­cides, incestuous, perjurers, habitually peevish to evil effects, and permanently angry (for this I [Page 333] find reckoned amongst the Primi­tive Catalogues of persons to be excluded from the Communion) rapines, theft, sacriledge,Note: Si permansissemus illâ in munditiâ quae nobis per baptismum data est, verè faelices essemus, sed non permansimus. Cecidimus enim per nostram culpam, non solum in peccata, sed etiam in crimina, propter quae peccatores ab Ecclesiâ separantur: qualia sunt, Homicidia, adulteria, fo [...] ­nicationes, sacrilegia, rapi­nae, furta, falsa testimonia, superbia, invidia, avaritia, diutina iracundia, Ebrietas assidua. Fulbert. Carnot. Ser. 2. ad Populum. false witness, pride, covetousness and envy. It would be hard to re­duce this rule to practice in all these instances, unless it be by consent and voluntary submission of penitent persons. But that which I remark is this: that Proud persons and the Covetous, the Envious and the Angry were esteemed fit to be excommunicate; that is, infinitely unfit to be ad­mitted to the blessed Sacrament; and that by the rules of their discipline they were to do many actions of publick and severe pe­nance and mortifications before they would admit them.

Now then the case is this. They did esteem more things to be requir'd to the integrity of repentance, and God not to be so soon reconcil'd, and the Devil not soon dispossess'd, and mens re­solutions not so fit to be trusted, and more to be re­quired to pardon than confession and the pro­nouncing absolution; all this otherwise than we do, and therefore so long as they did conduct repen­tances; they requir'd it as it should be; being sure that no repentance that was joyned with hope and charity could be too much, but it might quickly be too little; and therefore although the Church may take as little as she please for a testimonial of repen­tance, and suppose the rest is right though it be not signified; yet when she either in publick or in pri­vate [Page 334] is to manage repentances she must use no mea­sure, but that which will procure pardon, and ex­tinguish both the guilt and dominion of sin. The first may be of some use in government; but of little avail to souls, and to their eternal interest: there­fore in the first she may use her liberty and give her self measures, in the latter she hath no other but what are given her by the nature of repentance, and its efficacy and order to pardon, and the designs of God, for the reformation of our souls and the extermination of sin.

SECT. VI. Whether may every Minister of the Church and Curate of Souls reject impenitent persons, or any criminals from the holy Sacrament, until themselves be satisfied of their repentance and a­mends?

SEparation of sinners from the Blessed Sacrament was either done upon confession and voluntary submission of the penitent; or by publick convicti­on and notoreity. Every Minister of religion can do the first, for he that submits to my judgment, does choose my sentence; and if he makes me Judge, he is become my subject in a voluntary Govern­ment: and therefore I am to judge for him when [Page 335] it is fit that he should communicate: only, if when he hath made me Judge, he refuses to obey my counsel, he hath dissolved my Government, and therefore will receive no further benefit by me. * But concerning the latter of these; a separation upon publick conviction or notoreity; that requires an authority that is not precarious and changeable. Now this is done two waies; either by authority forbidding, or by authority restraining and com­pelling; that is, by the word of our proper mini­stry, disswading him that is unworthy from com­ing, and threatning him with Divine judgments if he does come; or else rejecting of him, in case that he fears not those threatnings, but persists in his desires of having it.

Now of the first of these, every Minister of the Word and Sacraments is a competent Minister; for all that minister to souls are to tell them of their dangers, and by all the effects of their office to present them pure and spotless unto God; the Seers must take care that the people may see; lest by their blindness they fall into the bottomless pit. And when the Curates of souls have declared the will of God in this instance, and denounced his judgments to unworthy Communicants, and told to all that present themselves who are worthy, and who are not, they have delivered their own souls; all that remains is, that every person take care con­cerning his own affairs.

For the second, viz denying to minister to Cri­minals though demanding it with importunity; that is an act of prudence and caution in some cases, and of authority in others. When it is matter of cau­tion, it is not a punishment but a medicine; ac­cording [Page 336] to those excellent words of S. Cyprian; To be cast out (viz.; for a time, from the Communion) is a reme­dy and a degree towards the recove­ry of our spiritual health: Note: Nam ejici remedium est & gradus ad recuperan­dam sanitatem. lib. de dupl. Martyr. and be­cause it is no more; it cannot be pretended to be any mans right to do it; but it may be in his duty when he can; but therefore this must depend upon the consent of the penitent. For a Physician must not in despite of a man cut off his leg to save his life: the sick man may choose whe­ther he shall or no. But sometimes it is an act of authority; as when the people have consented to such a discipline, or when the secular arm by assi­sting the Ecclesiastical, hath given to it a power of mixt jurisdiction; that is, when the spiritual power of paternal regiment which Christ hath given to his Ministers the supreme Curates, is made opera­tive upon the persons and external societies of men. Now of this power the Bishops are the prime and immediate subjects, partly under Christ, and partly under Kings; and of this power, inferiour Ministers are capable by delegation,See Rule of consci­ence, l. 3. c. 3. & 4. but no other­wise; they being but Deputies and Vicars in the cure of souls under their superiours, from whom they have received their order and their charge. And thus I suppose we are to understand the Ru­brick before our Communion office; which war­rants [...]he Curate not to suffer open and notorious evil livers by whom the Congregation is offended, and those between whom he perceiveth malice and hatred to reign, to be partakers of the Lords Ta­ble. In the first, the case is of notorious Criminals, and is to be understood of a notoreity of Law; and in this the Curate is but a publisher of the Judges sentence: In the second, the Criminal is [Page 337] ipso facto excommunicate; and therefore in this the Curate is but the Minister of the Sentence of the Law, or at least hath a delegate authority to pass the Churches Sentence in a matter that is evident. But this is seldom practised otherwise than by reje­cting such persons by way of denunciation of the divine Judgments; and if it be so understood, the Curate hath done his duty which God requires; and I believe the Laws of England will suffer him to do no more by his own authority.

But this is to be reduced to practice by the fol­lowing measures.

1. Every man is to be presumed fit, that is not known to be unfit; and he that is not a publi [...]k Criminal, is not to be suppos'd unworthy to Com­municate. It may be he is; but that himself only knows, and he can only take care; but no man is to be prejudiced by imperfect and disputable princi­ples, by conjectures and other mens measures, by the rules of Sects and separate Communities:Omnibus Episcopis & Presby­teris in­terdici­mus se­gregare aliquem à sacrâ communione, antequam causa monstretur propter quam sanctae regulae hoc fieri jubent. Collat. 9. tit. 15. c. 11. de Sanctissimis Ep [...]scopis. And if a man may belong to God and himself not know it, he may do so when his Curate knows it not.

2. No man may be separated from the Com­munion for any private sin, vehemently or lightly suspected. This censure must not pass but when the crime is manifest and notorious; that is, when it is delated and convict in any publick Assembly, Civil or Ecclesiastical, or is evident to a Multi­tude, or confessed. This is the express Doctrine [Page 338] of the Church in St. Austin's time,Note: Nos à communione quen­quam prohibere non possu­mus, nisi aut sponte con­fessum, aut in aliquo judi­cio Ecclesiastico vel saecu­lari nominatum atque con­victum. Homil. 50. & de Medicin [...] poenit. super illud 1 Cor. 5. si quis frater. who affirms that the Ecclesiasticks have no power to make separati­ons of sinners not confessed nor convict. And besides many others it relies upon this prudential consi­deration which Linwood hath well observed; [‘Every Christian hath a right in the receiving the Eucharist,Note: De celebrat. Missar. unlesse he loses it by deadly sin: Therefore when it does not appear in the face of the Church that such an one hath lost his right, it ought not in the face of the Church to be denied to him; otherwise a licence would be given to evil Priests, according to their plea­sure with this punishment to afflict whom they list.’]

3. Every sinner that hath been convict, or hath confessed, and affirms himself to be truly penitent, is to be believed, where by the Laws of the Church he is not bound to passe under any publick disci­pline: For no man can tell but that he says true; and because every degree of repentance is accepted to some dispositions and proportions of pardon, and God hath not told us the just period of his being reconcil'd, and his mercy is divisible as our return, and unknown to us; he that knows that without repentance he eats damnation, and professes upon that very account that he is penitent, may be taught as many more things as the Curate please, or as he is supposed to need; but must not be rejected from the Holy Communion, if he cannot be per­swaded. [...]or this judgment is secret, and is to pass between God and the soul alone; for because no man can tell, no man can judge; and the Curate [Page 339] who knows not how it is, cannot give a definite sentence.

4. But if there come any accidental obligation upon Criminals; as if by the Laws of a Church to which they are subjected, it be appointed they shall give publick evidence and amends, they are to be judg'd by those measures, and are not to be restor'd ordinarily,See Rul [...] of Con­science, l. 3. c. 1. &c. 4. till they have by publick measures pro­ved their repentance. This relies upon all those grounds upon which obedience to Ecclesiastical Ru­lers is built.

5. It is lawful for the Guides of souls to admit to the Communion such persons whom they be­lieve not to be fit and worthily prepared, if they will not be perswaded to retire: It is evident in the case of Kings and all Supream Powers, and great Communities, and such who being rejected will be provok'd into malice and persecu­tion.Note: S. Cyprian, sive quicun­que sit Author libri d [...] duplici Martyrio. [‘Such indeed the Church sometimes tolerates, lest being provoked they disturbe the people of God: but what does it profit them not to be cast out of the Assemblies of the godly, if they deserve to be cast out? To deserve ejection is the highest evil; and to no purpose is he mingled in the Con­gregations of the faithful, who is excluded from the society of God, and the mystical bo­dy of Christ.’] And it is also evident in the Societies of the Church, which we know by the words of Christ and by experience are a mixt multitude: And since the Scripture does not exempt a secret sinner from the Communion, why wilt thou endeavour to except him? It [Page 340] is St. Austins argument. And who shall rej [...]ct every man that he be­lieves to be proud,Note: Ad hoc enim altare quod nunc in Ecclesiâ est, in ter­râ positum, ad Mysterio­rum Divinorum signacula celebranda, multi etiam scelerati possunt accedere: quoniam Deus commendat in hoc tempore patientiam suam, ut in futuro exerat severitatem suam. Ad illud autem altare quo praecur­sor pro nobis introivit Je­sus, quo caput Ecclesiae praecessit, membris caeteris secuturis, nullus eorum ac­cedere poterit, de quibus dixit Apostolus, Quoniam qui talia agunt regnum Dei non possidebunt. S. Aug. homil. 50. c. 9. or covetous, or envious? Who shall define pride, or convince a single person of a proud heart, or of his latent en­vy? and who shall give rules by which every single man that is to blame can be convinc'd of cove­tousnesse? If it be permitted to the discretion of the Parish Priest, you erect a gibbet and a rack by which he shall be enabled to tor­ment any man; and you give him power to slander or reproach all his neighbours; if you go about to give him measures you shall ne­ver do it wisely or piously; for no rules can be sufficient to convince any proud man; and if you make the Parish Curate judge of these rules, you had as good leave it to his discreti­on; for he will use them as he please: and after all, you shall never have all the people good; and if not, you shall certainly have them hypocrites; and therefore it cannot be avoided, but unfit persons will be admitted: for since the Kingdom of Grace is within us. and Gods chosen ones are his secret ones, and he only knows who are his, it will be strange that visible Sacraments should be given on­ly to an invisible Society: and after all, if to com­municate evil men be unavoidable, it cannot be un­lawful.

I do not say that persons unprepar'd may come; for they ought not, and if they do, they die for it: but I say, if they will come it is at their peril, [Page 341] and to no mans prejudice but their own, if they be plainly and severely admonished of their duty and their danger; and therefore that every man must judge of his own case with very great severity and [...]ear, even then when the Guides of souls must judge with more gentlenes [...] and an easier charity; when we must suspect our little faults to be worse than they seem, and our n [...]gligences more inexcu­sable, and sear a sin when there is none, and are ready to accuse our selves for every indiscretion, an [...] think no repent [...]nce great enough for the foul­nesse of [...] sin [...], and at the same time when we judge for oth [...]s, we ought to esteem their certain good th [...]ng [...] better than they do, and their certain evils less [...], and their disputable good things certain, and [...]h [...]ir u [...]certain evils none at all, or very excu­sable. And [...]herefore it was to very great purpose that th [...] Apost [...]e gave command, that eve [...]y man should examine hims [...]lf and so let him ea [...] In hâc ergo poe­nitentiâ majorem quisque in se severit [...]tem debet exercere ut à seipso judicatus non judicetur à Deo, sicut idem Apostolus ait. Si enim nos judicaremus, à Do­mino non judicaremur. Ascendat itaque homo adversum se tribu­nal mentis suae, si timet illud quod oportet nos exhiberi ante tri­bunal Christi, ut illud recipiat Unusquisque quod per corpus gessit, sive bonum, sive malum; constituat se ante faciem suam ne hoc ei postea fiat. Nam minatur hoc Deus peccatori, dicens, arguam te, & statuam te ante faciem tuam. Atque ita constituto in corde judi­cio, adsit accusatrix cogitatio, testis conscientia, carnifex timor. Inde quidam sanguis animi consitentis per lachrymas profluat. Po­stremò ab ipsa mente talis sententia proferatur, ut se indignum ho­mo judicet participatione corporis & sanguinis Domini: ut qui sepa­rari à regno coelorum timet per ultimam sententiam summi Judicis, per Ecclesiasticam disciplinam à Sacramento coelestis panis interim separetur. Versetur ante oculos imago futuri judicii, ut cum alii accedunt ad altare Dei, quo ipse non accedit, cogitet quàm sit con­tremiscenda illa poena, quâ percipientibus aliis vitam aeternam, alii in mortem praecipitantur aeternam. S. August. homil. 50. c. 9., that is, let it be done as it may be done thorowly; l [...]t him [Page 342] do it whose case it is, and who is most concerned that it be done well; let it be done so that it may not be allayed and lessened by the judgment of cha­rity; and therefore let a man do it himself: For when the Curate comes to do it, he cannot do it well, unless he do it with mercy; for he must make abatements, which the sinners case does not often need in order to his reconciliation and returns to God, where severity is much better than gentle sentences. But the Minister of Religion must re­ceive in some cases such persons who ought not to come, and who should abstain when themselves give righteous judgment upon themselves.

For if it be lawful for Christian people to com­municate with evil persons, it is lawful for Christi­an Priests to minister it; it being commanded to the people in some cases to withdraw themselves from a Brother that walks inordinately; but no where commanded, that a Minister of Religion shall refuse to give it to him that requires it, and is within the Communion of the Church, and is not yet as an heathen and a publican: and it is evident, that in the Churches of Corinth the Communion was given to persons who for unworthiness fell un­der the divine anger; and yet no man was reprov'd but the unworthy Communicants, and themselves only commanded to take care of it. For he that says the people may not communicate with wic­ked persons, falls into the errour of the Donatists, which St. Austin and others have infinitely confu­ted; but he that says the people may, ought not to deny but that the Priest may; and if he may communicate with him, it cannot be denied but he may minister to him. But this was the case of the Sons of Israel, who did eat Manna, and drank of [Page 343] the rock *Quemadmodum tu co­medis Christi corpus, sic il­li Manna; & quomodo tu bibis sanguinem sic illi a­quam ex petrâ. S. Chrysost. homil. 18. in 2 Corinth.; and yet that rock was Christ, and that Manna was also his Sacrament, and yet with ma­ny of these God was angry, and they fell in the wildernesse. And if Ba­ptism was given as soon as ever men were converted, in the very day of their change, and that by the Apostles themselves, and yet the same Christ is there consigned and exhibi­ted; we may remember that in Scripture we find no difference in the two Sacraments as to this parti­cular. But in this there needs not much to be said; they that think things can be otherwise, and have tried, have declar'd to all the world by the event of things, that although the guides of souls may by wise and seasonable discourses persuade and pre­vail with some few persons, yet no man can reform the world; and if all were rejected whose life does not please the Curate, some will not care, and will let it quite alone; and others that do care, will ne­ver the more be mended, but turn hypocrites; and they are the worst of men, but most readily com­municated: Some other evils do also follow; and when we have reckoned schisms, partialities, reproaches,Note: Ne dum purgatissimam Ec­clesiam volunt instituere, brevi nullam habeant. Bul­linger ad Bezam. animosities and immortal hatreds between Priest and People, we have not reckon'd the one half.

6. When to separate Criminals can be prudent and useful, and is orderly, limited, and legal, it ought not to be omitted *Quantum ruboris civita­ri turpiter se gorendo in­cusserunt, tantum laudis gravitèr puniti adferant. Valer. Max. upon any consideration, because it is the sinews and whole strength of Ec­clesiastical discipline, and is a most charitable ministery to souls, and [Page 344] brings great regard to the holy Sacrament, and pro­duces reverence in the Communicants, and is a de­letery to sin, and was the perpetual practice of the best Ages of the Church, and was blest with an ex­cellent corresponding piety in their Congregati­ons;Ezek. 13.18. upon which account, and of other considera­ons, S. Cyprian De lap­sis & lib. 3. ep. 15., S. Basil Epist. ad Amphil. c. 2.84.85., S. Chrysostom Non parva vobis imminet ultio, si quem cujuspiam conscium ne­quitiae, hujus mensae participem concedatis, sanguis ejus de vestris manibus exquiretur. S. Chrysost. homil. 60. ad pop. Antioch., and divers others, call upon Prelates and people to exercise and undergo respectively this Ecclesiastical discipline.

See Rule of consci­ence, l. 3. c. 4. rule 9. p. 257.But this hath in it some variety 1. For if the person be a notorious, a great and incorrigible Criminal, refusing to hear, the Church proceeding against him upon complaint, confession or noto­reity, and consequently to be esteem'd as a Hea­then and a Publican; then comes in the Apostolical rules;1 Cor. 5.11. 2 Thess. 3.6. with such a one not to eat; and withdraw from such a one, for there is no accord between Christ and Belial, between a Christian and a Heathen or an Unbeliever; that is, one who is thrust into the place and condition of an Infidel, and give n [...]t th [...]t which is holy unto Dogs. 2. But if he be within the Communion of the Church, and yet a Criminal, not delated, not convict, not legally condemned; and yet privately known to be such, or publickly suspected and scandalous; the Minister of Religion must separate him by the word of his ministry, and tell him his danger, and use all the means he can to bring him to repentance and amends before he admits him; if the Minister of Religion omits this duty, he fals und [...]r the curse threatned by God in the Prophet,Ezek. 3.18. If he does not warn him, if he does [Page 345] not speak to the wicked to give him warning to save his life; his blood shall be upon him. 3. If there be a regular jurisdiction established, and this spi­ritual authority be backed with the secular, it must be used according to the measures of its establish­ment, and for the good of the Church in general, and of the sinner in particular; that is, although the person be not as a heathen, and excommuni­cate by the Churches sentence, yet he must be rejected for a time, and thrust into repentance and measures of satisfaction, and as he must not refuse, so must not the Minister of the Sacrament otherwise admit him; and in this sense it was that S. Chrysostom said, he would rather lose his life, Homil. 83. in Matth. than admit unworthy men to the Lords Table.

7. But because piety hath suffer'd shipwrack; and all discipline h [...]th been lost in t [...]e storm, and good manne [...]s have been thrown over board; the best remedy in the world that yet remains and is in use amongst the most p [...]ous sons and daughters of the Church, is that they would conduct their re­pentance by the continual advices and ministery of a spiritual guide; for by this alone or principally, was the primitive piety a [...]d repentances advanced to the excellency which we often admire but sel­dom imitate, and the event will be, that besides we shall be guided in the wayes of holiness in gene­ral, we shall be at peace as to the times and man­ner of receiving the holy Sacrament, our peniten­tial abstentions and season [...]ble returns: and we sh [...]ll not so frequently feel the effects of the Divine anger upon our persons as a reproach of our folly, a [...]d the punishment of our unworthy receiving the Divine mysteries. And this was ear­nestly advised and pressed upon their people by the [Page 346] holy Fathers, who had as great experience in their conduct, as they had zeal for the good of souls [‘Let no man say; I repent in private; I repent before God in secret. God who alone does pardon, does know that I am contrite in heart. For was it in vain, was it said to no purpose; whatsoever ye shall loose in earth shall be loosed in heaven? we evacuate the Gospel of God, we frustrate the words of Christ] so S. Austin. [And there­fore when a man hath spoken the sentence of the most severe medicine,Homil. 49. let him come to the Pre­sidents of the Church, who are to minister in the power of the Keyes to him; and beginning now to be a good son, keeping the order of his Mother, let him receive the measure and man­ner of his repentances from the Presidents of the Sacraments.Ibid.’] Concerning this thing, I shall never think it fit to dispute, for there is nothing to inforce it, but enough to perswade it, but he that tries, will find the benefit of it himself, and will be best able to tell it to all the world.

SECT. VII. Penitential Soliloquies, Ejaculations, Exercises, and preparatory Prayers to be us'd in all the days of preparation to the Holy Sacrament.

SECT. I.

HE that is dressed by the former mea­sures is always worthy to commu­nicate; [...]. but he that is always well vested, will against a wedding day be more adorn'd; and the five wise Virgins that stood ready for the coming of the Bridegroom, with oyl in their lamps and fire on their oyl, yet at the notice of his com­ing trimm'd their lamps, and made them to burn brighter. The receiving of the Blessed Sacra­ment is a receiving of Christ; and here the soul is united to her Lord; and this Feast is the Supper of the Lamb, and the Lamb is the Bridegroom, and every faithful soul is the Bride; and all this is but the image of the state of blessednesse in heaven, where we shall see him without a vail, whom here we receive under the vail of Sacraments; [Page 356] and there we shall live upon him without a figure,Note: Panem Angelorum sub Sa­cramento manducamus in terris, eundem sine Sacra­mento manifestius edemus in coelis, non ministerio corporali saepe repetitis a­ctionibus ad eundem re­vertentes: Sed consum­mato Sacerdotio nostro erit & permanebit perpetua & stabilis, implens & reficiens nos sufficientiâ, quâ profe­ret se palam absque ullis in­tegumentis, omnibus con­spicabilis summi praesentia sacerdotis. S. Cyprian. de coenâ Dom. cap. 2. to whom we are now brought by significations and representments corporal. But then as we here receive the same thing as there, though after a less per­fect manner; it is also very fit we should have here the same, that is, a heavenly conversation, though after the manner of men living upon the earth. It is true, that the blessed souls receive Christ al­ways, and they live accordingly, in perpetual uninterrupted glori­fications of his name, and confor­mities to his excellencies.

Here we receive him at certain times, and at such times we should make our conversation coelestial, and our holiness actual, when our ad­dresses are so; so that in our a­ctual addresses to the reception of these divine Mysteries, there is nothing else to be done, but that what in our whole life is done habi­ [...]ually, at that time be done actually▪ No man is fit to die, but he who is safe if he dies suddenly; and yet he that is so fitted, if he hears the noise of the Bridegrooms coming, will snuff his lamp, and stir up the fire, and apply the oyl; and so must he that hath warning of his Communion.

He that communicates every day, must live a life of a continual Religion; and so must he who in any sense communicates frequently, if he does it at all worthily; but he that lives carelesly, and dresses his soul with the beginnings of vertues a­gainst [Page 357] a Communion day, is like him that repents not till the day of his death; if it succeeds well, it is happy for him; but if it does not, he may blame himself for being confident without a promise. E­very worthy Communicant must prepare himself by a holy life, by mortification of all his sins, by the acquisition of all Christian graces; and this is not the work of a day, or a week; but by how much the more these things are done, by so much the bet­ter we are prepar'd.

So that the actual addresse and proper prepara­tion to the Blessed Sacrament is indeed an inquiry whether we are habitually prepar'd; that is, whe­ther we be in the state of grace; whether we be­long to Christ, whether we have faith and charity, whether we have repented truly. If we be to com­municate next week, or it may be to morrow, these things cannot be gotten to day, and therefore we must stay till we be ready. And if by our want of preparation we be compelled for the s [...]ving of our souls, and lest we die, to abstain from this holy feast, let us consider what our case would be if this should be the last coming of the Brideg [...]oom. This is but the warning of that; this is but his last coming a little antedated; and God graciously calls us now to be prepared here, that we may not be unprepa­red then; but it is a formidable thing to be thrust out when we see others enter.

And therefore when the Masters of spiritual life call upon us to set apart a day, or two, or three, for preparation to this holy Feast, they do not mean that any man who on the Thursday is unfit and un­worthy, should be fitted to communicate on Sun­day; but that he should on those days try whether [Page 358] he be or no, and pass from one degree of perfecti­on to a greater, from the less perfect to the more; for let us think of it as we please, there is no other preparation; and it might otherwise seem a won­der to us, why St. Paul who particularly speaks of it, and indeed the whole New Testament, should say nothing of any particular preparation to this holy [...]east; but only gives us caution that we do not receive it unworthily, but gives us no particu­lar rule or precept but this one, that a man should examine himself, and so let him eat: I say, this might seem very strange, but that we find there is and there can be no worthy preparation to it but a life of holiness, and that every one who names the Lord Jesus should depart from iniquity; and there­fore, that against the day of Communion there is nothing peculiarly and signally required, but to examine our selves, to see if all be right in the whole; and what is wanting towards our propor­tion of perfection and ornament, to supply it. So that the immediate preparation to the holy Commu­nion can have in it but three parts and conjugations of duty.

1. An examination of our conscience.

2. An actual supply of such actions as are want­ing.

3. Actual devotion, and the exercise of special graces by way of prayer, so to adorn our present state and dispositions.

SECT. II. Rules for Examination of our Consci­ences against the day of our Commu­nion.

HOw we are to examine our selves concerning such states of life and conjugations of duty as are properly relative to the great and essential preparation and worthiness to communicate, I have already largely consider'd Cap. 2.: Now I shall add such practical advices which may with advantage mini­ster to the actual reception, such which concern the immediate preparatory and ornamental address; that we may reduce the former Doctrine to action and exercise against that time; and this will serve as an appendix, and for the compleating the former measures.

1. In the days of your address consider the greatness of the work you go about; that it is the highest mystery of the whole Religion you handle; that it is no less than Christ himself in Sacrament that you take; that as sure as any Christian does ever receive the Spirit of God, so sure every good man receives Christ in the Sacrament; that to re­ceive Christ in Sacrament is not a diminution or lessening of the blessing; it is a real communion with him, to all material events of blessing and ho­liness; that now every Communicant does an act [Page 360] that will contribute very much to an happy or un­happy eternity; that by this act and its appendages a man may live or die for ever; that a man cannot at all be supposed in any state, that this thing will be indifferent to him in that state, but will set him for­ward to some very great event; that this is the greatest thing that God gives us in the world, and if we do it well, it is the greatest thing we can do in the world; and therefore when we have consi­dered these things in general, let us examine whe­ther we be persons in any sense fitted to such glori­ous communications, and prepar'd by such disposi­tions which the greatnesse of the Mystery may in its appearance seem to require. Some may perceive their disproportion at the first sight, and need to ex­amine no farther. It is as if a Jew in Rome with his basket and bottle of hay should be advised to stand Candidate for the Consulship; you mock him if you speak of it: and therefore if you find your case like this, start back and come not neer. It is [...], there's Divinity in it; and to the wicked it brings brimstone and fire.

2. Next to this general consideration, examine your self concerning those things in which you are or may be offensive to others: For although every man is to begin at home, yet that which is first to be chang'd is that which is not only evil in it self, but afflictive to others; that which is sin and shame, that which offends God and my neighbour too; that is, it is criminal, and it is scandalous. Examine therefore thy self about injuriousness, robbery, de­traction, obloquy, scolding, much prating, peevish conversation, ungentle nature, ap [...]ness to quarrel, and the like: For thus if like Zachary and Eliza­beth we walk unblameably, and unreprovable before [Page 361] all the world, certain it is, the Church will not re­ject us from the Communion; and we have pur­chas'd a good deg [...]ee in the faith, and shall think our condition worth preserving and worth impro­ving.

3. Examine thy self concerning all entercourses in the matter of men, whether any unhandsome contract was made, any fraudulent bargain, any sur­prise or out-witting of thy weaker, thy confident, or unwary Brother; and whatever you do, place that right: For money is a snare; and in contracts we are of all things soonest deceived, and are very often wrong, and yet never think so, and we do every thing before we part with this. But when e­very thing is set right here, we may better hope of other things; for either they are right, or will with less difficulty be made so.

4. Like to this, for the matter of the inquiry, is that we examine our selves in the matter of our debts, whether we detain them otherwise than in justice we are oblig'd? Here we must examine whe­ther we be able to pay them? If so, whether pre­sently or afterwards? By what we are disabled? Whether we can and ought to alter the state of our expences? What probability we have to pay them at all? How we can secure that they shall be paid? and if they cannot, how much can we do towards it? And what amends can we make to our Credi­tors? And how we mean to end that entercourse? For this ought to be so far at least stated, that we may be sure we do no injustice, and do no injury that we can avoid. This is a material consideration, and of great effect unto the peace of conscience, and a worthy dispo [...]ition to the holy Communion.

[Page 362]5. Let us examine our selves how we spend our time. Is it imployed in an honest calling, in worthy studies, in useful business, in affairs of government, in something that is charitable, in any thing that is useful? But if we throw away great portions of it, of which we can give no sober account; although the Laws chastise us not, and appoint no guardians to conduct our estates, as it does to fools and mad men; yet we are like to fall into severer hands; and God will be angry. But they are very unfit to en­tertain Christ, who when they have received his Sacrament resolve to dwell in idleness and foolish divertisements, and have no business but recreation. At the best, it is but a suspicious state of life, that can give no wise account to God and the Common­wealth.

6. Examine thy self in the particulars of thy relation; especially where thou governest and ta­kest accounts of others, and exactest their faults, and art not so obnoxious to them as they to thee. Princes, and Generals, and Parents, and Husbands, and Masters think more things are lawful to them towards their inferiours, than indeed there are; and as they may easily transgress in discipline and reproof, so they very often fail in making provisi­ons for the souls and bodies of their inferiours; and proceed with more confidence and to greater progressions in evil because they pass without animadversion, or the notice of laws. These per­sons are not often responsible to their subordinates, but alwaies for them; and therefore it were good that we took great notice of it our selves, because few else do.

[Page 363]7. Let us examine our selves concerning the great and little accidents of our private entercourse and conversation in our family; especially between man and wife in the little quarrellings and acciden­tal unkindnesses wherein both think themselves in­nocent, and it may be both are to blame. If the matter be disputable, then do thou dispute it with thy self, or rather condemn thy self; for if it be fit to be questioned, it is certainly in some measure fit to be repented of. For either in the thing it self, or in the misapprehension of the thing, or in the not expounding it well, or in the not suffering it, or in the not concealing it, or in the not turning it into vertue, or in the not for­giving it, or not conducting it prudently, it is great odds but thou art to blame. These little rencontres between man and wife are great hindrances to prayer, 1 Pet. 3.7. as St. Peter intimates; and by consequence do infinitely indispose us to the greatest solennity of prayer, the holy Sacrament; and therefore ought to be strictly surveyed, and the principles rescinded, and the beginnings stopt, or else we shall commu­nicate without fruit.

8. Be sure against a day of Communion to examine thy self in those things which no law con­demns, but yet are of ill report, such as are sum­ptuous and expensive cloathing, great feasts, gaudy dressings, going often to Taverns, phantastick fol­lowing of fashions, inordinate merriments, living beyond our means; in these and the like, we must take our measures by a proportion to the prudence and severity of Christian Religion, and by obser­vation of the customs and usages of the best and wisest persons in every condition of men and women. For that we do things which are of good [Page 364] report is a precept of the Apostle: and as by little illnesses in the body; so by the smallest indisposi­tions in the soul, if they be proceeded in, we may finish [...]he method of an eternal death. And these things, although when they are argued, may in many particulars by witty men be represented in themselves as innocent, yet they proceed from an evil and unsafe principle, and not from a spirit fitted to dwell with Christ, and live upon Sacra­ments and secret participations.

9. Let us with curiosity examine our souls in such actions which are condemned by the Laws of God and man respectively, but are not defined, and the guilty person cannot in many cases be argued and convinced; such as are pride and co­vetousness. For when external actions can proceed from many principles, as a haughty gate from pride, or an ill habit of body, or imitation, or carelesness, or humour; it will be hard for any man to say, I am proud because I lift up my feet too high; and who can say that a degree of care and thriftiness in my case and in my circumstances is covetousness? Here as we must be gentle to others, so we must be severe to our selves; and not only condemn the very first entries of an infant sin; but suspect his approaches, and acknowledge a fault before it be certain and evident.

In these things we must the rather examine our selves; because we can be the most certain accusers of our selves; and the inquiries are of great concernment, because they are that curiosity of piety and security of condition which becomes persons of growth in grace, and such as are pro­perly fitted to the Communion: and indeed they [Page 365] are of things most commonly neglected; men usually living at that rate▪ that if they be not scandalous, they suppose themselves to be Saints and fitted for the nearest entercourse with Christ.

These instances of examination do suppose that we have already examined our selves concerning all habits of sin, and laid aside every discernable weight, and repented of every observed crimi­nal action; and broken every custome of lesser irregularities, and are reformed by the measures of Laws and express Commandments, and are changed from death to life; and that we are per­sons so far advanced that we need not to regard what is behind, but to press forward towards the state of a perfect man in Christ Jesus. For he that is in that state of things, that he is to examine how many actions of uncleanness, or intemperance, or slander he hath committed since the last Com­munion, is not fit to come to another, but must change his life, and repent greatly before he comes hither.

SECT. III. Of an actual supply to be made of such actions and degrees of good as are wanting; against a Communion-day.

1. IF on a Communion-day, we need very much examination, we can make but little supply of those many defects which it is likely a diligent in­quiry will discover; and therefore it is highly ad­visable, that as we ought to repent every day, and not put it all off till the day of our Communion or our death; so we should every day examine our selves, at the shutting in of the day, or at our going to bed; for so St. Basil, St. Chrysostome, Note: Serm. 1. de instit. Monach. Serm. de poenit. in illud Psalmi. In Cubilibus ve­stris compungimini. lib. 50. homil. 44. St. Anthony and St. Austin, St. Ephrem and St. Do­rotheus do advise. Others advise that it be done twice every day: and indeed the oftner we recol­lect our selves: 1. The more weaknesses we shall observe, and 2. the more faults correct, and 3. watch the better, and 4. repent the more perfectly, and 5. offend less, and 6. be more prepared for death, and 7. be more humble, and 8. with ease prevent the contracting of evil habits, and 9. inter­rupt the union of little sins into a chain of death, [Page 367] and 10. more readily prevail upon our passions, and 11. better understand our selves, and 12. more frequently converse with God, and 13. oftner pray, and 14. have a more heavenly conversation, and in fine, 15. be more fitted for a frequent and holy Communion.

2. The end of examination is, 1. That we grieve for all our sins. 2. That we resolve to amend all. * 3. That we actually watch and pray against all: Therefore it is necessary that when we have ex­amined against a Communion day; 1. We alwaies do actions of contrition for every thing we have observed to be amiss; 2. That we renew our resolutions of better obedienc [...], 3. And that we pray for particular strength against our failings.

3. He that would communicate with fruit must so have ordered his examinations, that he must not alwaies be in the same method. He must not al­waies be walking with a candle in his hands, and prying into corners; but they must be swept and garnished, and be kept clean and adorned. His examinations must be made full and throughly and be productive of inferiour resolutions, and must pass on to rules and exercises of caution. That is, 1. We must consider where we fail oftenest. 2. From what principle this default comes. 3. What are the best remedies. 4. We must pass on to the real and vigorous use of them: and when the case is thus stated and drawn into rules and resolutions of acting them; we are only to take care we do so; and every day examine whether we have or no. But we must not at all dwell in this relative and preparatory and ministring duty. But if we find [Page 368] that we have reason to do so; let us be sure that something is amiss; we have played the hypo­crites, and done the work of the Lord negligently or falsly.

4. If any passion be the daily exercise or tem­p [...]ation of our life, let us be careful to put the greatest distress upon that, and therefore against a Communion-day, do something in defiance and diminution of that; chastise it, if it hath prevailed: reenforce thy resolutions against it, examine all thy aids, see what hath been prosperous, and pursue that point; and if thou hast not at all prevailed, then know, all is not well; for he communicates without fruit, who makes no progressions in his mortifications and conquest over his passions. It may be we shall be long exercised with the remains of the Canaanites; for it is in the matter of Passi­ons as Seneca said of Vices,Pugna­mus, non ut penitus vincamus, sed ne vincamur. We fight against them not to conquer them intirely, but that they may not [...]onquer us; not to kill them, but to bring them under command; and unless we do that, we cannot be sure that we are in the state of grace; and therefore cannot tell if we do, or do not worthily communicate. For by all the exteriour actions of our life we cannot so well tell how it is with us, as by the observation of our affections and passions, our wills and our desires. ‘For I can command my foot,S. Aug. lib. 8. confess. cap. 9. and it must obey; and my hand, and it cannot resist; but when I bid my appetite obey, or my anger be still, or my will not to desire, I find it very often to rebell against my word, and against Gods word’] Therefore let us be sure to take some effective course with the appetite, and place our guards upon the inward man; and upon our preparation daies do some vio­lence [Page 369] to our lusts and secret desires, by holy reso­lutions, and severe purposes, and rules of caution, and by designing a course of spiritual arts and exer­cises for the reducing them to reason and obedi­ence: something that may be remembred; and something that will be done. * But to this let this caution be added; that of all things in the world we be careful of relapses into our old follies or infirmities; for if things do not succeed well after­wards, they were not well ordered at first.

5. Upon our communion daies, and daies of prep [...]ration; let us endeavour to stir up every grace which we are to exercise in our conversation; and thrust our selves forward in zeal of those graces: that we begin to amend our lukewarmness, and repair our sins of omission. For this is a day of sa­crifice; and every sacrifice must be consumed by fire, and therefore, now is the day of improvement, and the proper season for the zeal of duty; and if upon the solemn day of the soul we do not take care of omissions, and repair the great and little forget­fulnesses, and omissions of duty, and pass from the infirmities of a man to the affections of a Saint, we may all our life time abide in a state of lukewarm­ness, disimprovement and indifference; To this purpose,

6 Compare day with day, week with week, Communion with Communion, time with time, duty with duty, and see if you can observe any advantage, any ground gotten of a passion; any further degree of the spirit of mortificaton, any new permanent fires of devotion; for by volatile, sudden and transient flames we can never guess steadily. But be sure never to think you are at all [Page 370] improved unless you observe your defects to be, 1. fewer: 2. or lighter: or 3. at least not to be the same; but of another kind and ins [...]ance, against which you had not made particular provisions for­merly; but now upon this new observation and ex­perience you must.

7. Upon or against a Communion day endeavour to put your soul into that order and state of good things, as if that day you were to die; and consi­der that unless you dare die upon that day, if God should call you, there is but little reason you should dare to receive the Sacrament of life, or the ministry of death. He that communicates worthily is justified from sins; and to him death can have no sting, to whom the Sacrament brings life and health; and therefore let every one that is to com­municate place himself by meditation in the gates of death, and suppose himself seated before the Tri­bunal of Gods Judgment, and see whether he can reasonably hope that his sins are pardoned, and cured, and extinguished. And then if you judge righteous judgement, you will soon find what pinches most, what makes you most afraid, what was most criminal, or what is least mortified; and so you will learn to make provisions accord­ingly.

8. If you find any thing yet amiss, or too suspi­cious, or remaining to evill purposes, the reliques of the scattered enemy after a war, resolve to use some general instrument of piety or repentance, that may, by being useful in all the parts of your life and conversation, meet with every stragling irregularity, and by perpetuity and an assiduous force clear the coast. 1. Resolve to have the pre­sence [Page 371] of God frequently in your thought. 2. Or endeavour and resolve to bring it to pass to have so great a dread and reverence of God, that you may be more ashamed and really troubled and con­founded to sin in the presence of God than in the sight and observation of the best and severest man. 3. Or else resolve to punish thy self with some proportionable affliction of the body or spirit for every irregularity or return of undecency in that instance in which thou sets thy self to mor­tifie any one special passion or temptation: Or 4. Firmly to purpose in every thing which is not well, not to stay a minute, but to repent instantly of it, severely to condemn it, and to do something at the first opportunity for amends: Or 5. To resolve against an instance of infirmity for some short, sure, and conquerable periods of time: as if you be given to prating, resolve to be silent, or to speak nothing but what is pertinent for a day; or for a day not to be angry; and then sometimes for two daies; and so diet your weak soul with little por­tions of food till it be able to take in and digest a full meal: Or 6. Meditate often every day of death, or the day of judgment. By these and the like in­struments it will happen to the remains of sin, as it did to the Aegyptians; what is left by the Hail, the Catterpiller will destroy; and what the Catter­piller leaves, the Locusts will eat. These instruments will eat up the remains of sin as the poor gather up the gleanings after the Carts in harvest.

9. But if at any Communion and in the use of these advices you do not perceive any sensible pro­gression in the spirit of mortification or devotion; then be sure to be ashamed, and to be humbled for thy indisposition and slow progression in the disci­pline [Page 372] of Christ: and if thou beest humbled truly for thy want of improvement, it is certain thou hast improved. And if you come with fear and trembling, it is very probable you will come in the spirit of repentance and devotion.

These exercises and measures will not seem many, long and tedious

as the rules of art; if we consider that all are not to be used at all times, nor by every person; but are instru­ments fitted to several necessities,Note: Ven. Fortunat. lib. 3. epigr. 37. and useful when they can do good, and to be used no longer. [...]or he that uses these or any the like advices by way of solemnity, and in periodical returns, will still think fit to use them at every Communion as long as he lives; but he that uses them as he should, that is, to effect the work of reformation upon his soul, may lay them all aside, according to his work is done. But if we would every day do something of this; if we would every day prepare for the day of death, or which is of a like consideration, for the day of our Communion; if we would every night examine our passed day, and set our things in order; if we would have a perpetual entercourse and conversa­tion with God; or, which is better than all exa­minations in the world, if we would actually at­tend to what we do, and consider every action, and speak so little that we might consider it, we should find that upon the day of our Communion we should have nothing to do, but the third particular, that is, the offices of Prayer and Eucharist, and to renew our graces by prayer and exercises of devo­tion.

SECT. IV. Devotions to be used upon the morning of the Communion.

1. O Blessed Lord, our gracious Saviour and Redeemer Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords; thou art fairer than the children of men; upon thee the Angels look and behold and wonder; what am I O Lord, that thou who fillest heaven and earth, shouldst descend and desire to dwell with me, who am nothing but folly and infirmity, misery and sin, shame and death?

2. I confess, O God, that when I consider thy greatness and my nothing, thy purity and my uncleanness, thy glory and my shame; I see it to be infinitely unreasonable and presumptuous that I should approach to thy sacred presence, and desire to partake of thy Sacraments, and to enter into thy grace, and to hope for a part of thy glory. But when I consider thy mercy and thy wisdome, thy bounty and thy goodness, thy readiness to forgive, and thy desires to im­part thy self unto thy servants; then I am [Page 374] lifted up with hope; then I come with boldness to the throne of grace. Even so O Lord be­cause thou hast commanded it, and because thou lovest it should be so.

3. It was never heard O Lord from the be­ginning of the world, that thou didst ever de­spise him that called upon thee, or [...]orsake any man that abides in thy fear, or that any person who trusted in the Lord, was ever confounded. But if I come to thee, I bring an unworthy per­son to be united unto thee; if I come not, I shall remain unworthy for ever; If I stay away, I fear to lose thee; If I come, I fear to offend thee, and that will lose thee more, and my self too at last. I know O God I know, my sins have separated between me and my God; but thy love and thy passion, thy holiness and thy obe­dience hath reconciled us: and though my sins deter me, yet they make it necessary for me to come; and though thy greatness amazes me▪ yet it is so full of goodness that it invites me.

4. O therefore blessed Saviour, who didst for our sakes take upon thee our passions and sensi­bilities, our weaknesses and our sufferings, who wert hungry after the temptation of the Devil, weary and thirsty in thy discourse with the wo­man of Samaria, who didst weep over Laza­rus, wert afflicted in the garden, whipt in the Consistory, nail'd on the Cross, pierc'd with a [Page 375] spear, wrapp'd in li [...]nen, laid in the grave, and so art become a [...] High Priest and piti­ful to our infi [...]ie [...]; be pleased to receive a weary sinner, [...] overburd [...]ne [...] [...]nscience, an afflicted polluted soul i [...]to thy c [...]re and con­duct, into thy custody and [...]re. I know that a thousand years of tears and sorrow, the purity of Angels, the love of Saints, and the humilia­tion of the greatest penitent is not sufficient to make we worthy to dwell with thee, to be uni­ted to thy infinity, to be fed with thy body, and refreshed with thy purest bloud, to become bone of thy bone, and flesh of thy flesh, and spirit of thy spirit.

5. But what I cannot be of my self, let me be made by thee; I come to thee, wounded and bruised and bleeding; for thou art my Phy­sician, arise then with healing in thy wings; I am thirsty and faint, as the Hart longeth after the water brooks, so longeth my soul after thee O God; thou art the eternal fountain, from whence spring the waters of comfort and sal­vation; I am hungry and empty and weak, and I come running after thee because thou hast the words of eternal life; O send me not away empty, for I shall faint and die; I cannot live without thee. O let vertue go forth from thee and heal all my sickness; do thou appear to my soul in these mysteries; heal my sores, purifie my stains, enlighten my darkness, turn me from [Page 376] all vain imaginations and illusions of the ene­my, all perverseness of will, all violence and inordination of passions, sensual desires and devillish angers, lust and malice, gluttony and pride, the spirit of envy and the spirit of de­traction; let not sin reign in my members, nor the Devil lead my will captive, nor the world abuse my understanding and debauch my con­versation.

6. O Jesus be a Jesus unto me: and let this Sacrament be a savour of life, and thy holy body the bread of life, and thy precious bloud the purifier of my sinful life. Grant I may re­ceive these Divine mysteries for the amend­ment of my life, and the defensative against my sins; for the increase of vertue and the per­fection of my spirit; Grant that I may from thee thus Sacramentally communicated derive prevailing grace for the amendment of my life; spiritual wisdom for the discerning the waies of peace; the spirit of love, and the spirit of purity; that in all my life I may walk wor­thy of thy gracious favours which thou givest to me unworthy; that I may do all my works in holiness and right intention, that I may re­sist every temptation with a never fainting courage, and a caution never surprized, and a prudence never deceived.

[Page 377]7. Sweetest Saviour, I come to thee upon thy invitation, and thy commandment; I could not come to thee but by thee; O let me never go from thee any more, but enter into my heart; feed me with thy word, sustain me with thy spi­rit, refresh me with thy comforts, and let me in this divine mystery receive thee my dearest Saviour; and be thou my wisdom and my righteousness,, my sanctification and redempti­on; let me receive this holy nutriment as the earnest of an eternal inheritance, as a defen­sative against all spiritual danger, for the evi­ction of all the powers of the enemy, as an in­centive of holy love, and a strengthning of my faith, for the increasing of a holy hope, and the consummation of a heavenly love, that thou being one with me, and I with thee, I may by thee be gracious in the eyes of thy heavenly Father, and may receive my portion amongst the inheritance of Sons, O eternal and most gracious Saviour and Redeemer Jesu. Amen, Amen.

SECT. I. Of the Circumstances and Manner of Re­ception of the Divine Mysteries.

IT is the custom of the Church of great antiquity, and proportionable regard, that every Christian that is in health should receive the Blessed Sacrament fasting. The Apostles and primitive Bishops at first gave it after Supper, or together with it; but that soon passed into inconvenience; and some were drunken, and some were empty and despis'd, and the Holy Sacrament was dishonour'd, and the Lords body was not discerned, and God was provoked to anger, and the sinners were smit­ten and died in their sin; as appears in the sad nar­rative which St. Paul makes of the misdemeanours and the misfortunes in the Corinthian Churches.1 Cor. 11.21, 30. [Page 379] Something like to which, is that which Socrates tells of some Christians in Aegypt; they celebrated the Holy Communion at evening, but never till they had fill [...]d themselves with varities of choice meat. Note: [...]. Socrat. l. 5. epist. 118. ad Januar. Of some also in Africa that communicated at e­vening St. Austin speaks; and of others who communicated both morning and evening: At evening, because S. Paul called it [...], the Lords Supper; and in the morning, from the universal custom of the Church, which in most places from the very days of the Apostles prevail'd, that the holy Eucharist should be given to none but to them that were fast­ing: which thing was also decreed in the third Council of Carthage, and hath been observed ever since.Ut Sacra­menta Altaris non nisi à jejunis hominibus celebrentur, excepto uno die anniversario, quo coena Domini celebratur. Vide Zonar. in hunc Canon: & Concil Ma­tiscon. 2. & Petrum Abailardum epist. 8. And in this the Church hath not without good reason taken up the custom.

For besides that the intemperance of them that f [...]asted before they communicated, did not only give scandal to the Religion, but did infinitely in­dispose them that came, and dishonour the Divine Mysteries; and such feastings would for ever be a temptation and a snare, and therefore could not be cured so well as by taking the occasion away; be­sides these things, the Church observed, that in the time of the Synagogue, the Servants of God did religiously abstain from meat and drink upon all their solemn feast days, till their great Offices of Religion were finish'd; and that upon this account the Jews were scandaliz'd at the Disciples for eating the ears of corn early on their Sabbath; and Christ [Page 380] excus'd them only upon the reason of their hunger, that is, upon necessity or charity: and after all, e­ven by natural reason and experience we find that they pray and worship best who are not loaden with meat and drink; and that therefore this so­lemnity being the greatest worship of God in the whole Religion, consequently ought to be done with all advantages; it was therefore very reason­able that the Church took up this custom; and therefore they who causelesly do prevaricate it, shall bear their own burden, and are best reproved by St. Pauls words. We have no such custom, nor the Churches of God. But sick people and the weak are as readily to be excused in this thing, as the Apo­stles were by Christ in the case before mentioned: For necessity and charity are to be preferr'd before such ceremonies and circumstances of address.

1. When you awake in the morning of your Communion day, give God thanks particularly that he hath blessed thee with so blessed an oppor­tunity of receiving the Symbols of pardon, the ministery of the Spirit, the Sacrament of Christ himself, the seed of immortality, and the Ante­past of heaven, and hasten earlier out of your bed: The cock crowing that morning is like the noise that is made of the coming of the Bridegroom; and therefore go out to meet him, but rise that you may trim your lamp. When you are up, presently address your self to do such things as you would willingly be found doing when the Bridegroom calls, and you are to appear before him to hear your final sentence.

2. Make a general confession of your sins, and be very much humbled in the sense and apprehension of them. Compare the state and union of all your [Page 381] evils, with the state and grandeur of that fa­vour which God intends that day to consign to you; and then think what you are, and what God is; what you have done, and what God intends to do; how ill you have deserved, and yet how graci­ously you are dealth with. And consider what an infinite distance there is between that state which you have deserved, and that good which you are to have; by considering how intolerable your case would have been, if God had dealt with you as you deserve, and as he hath dealt with very many who sinn'd no more than you have done; and yet in what felicities you are placed by the mercies of your good God; that you are in the hopes, and in the methods, and in the participations of pardon and eternal life.

3. The effect of this consideration ought to be, that you make acts of general contrition for all your sins known and unknown: That you renew your purposes and vows of better obedience: That you exercise acts of special graces; and that you give God most hearty and superexalted thanks with all the transports and ravishments of spirit, for so unspeakable, so unmeritable, so unrewardable a lo­ving kindness.

4. Worship Jesus: Love him; dedicate thy self to him; recollect what he hath done for thy soul, what glories he laid aside, with what meanness he was invested, what pains he suffered, what shame he endur'd, what excellencies he preach'd what wis­dom he taught, what life he liv'd, what death he died, what Mysteries he hath appointed, by what ministeries he conveys himself to thee, what rare arts he uses to save thee; and after all, [Page 382] that he intercedes for thee perpetually in heaven, presenting to his heavenly Father that great Sacri­fice of himself which he finished on the Cross, and commands thee to imitate in this Divine and My­sterious Sacrament; and in the midst of these thoughts and proportionable exercises and devoti­ons, address thy self to the solemnities and bles­sings of the day.

5. Throw away with great diligence and seve­rity all unholy and all earthly thoughts; and think the thoughts of heaven: for when Christ descends he comes attended with innumerable companies of Angels, who all behold and wonder, who love and worship Jesus; and in this glorious imployment and society let thy thoughts be pure, and thy mind ce­lestial, and thy work Angelical, and thy spirit full of love, and thy heart of wonder; thy mouth all praises, investing and incircling thy prayers as a bright cloud is adorned with fringes and margents of light.

6. When thou seest the holy man minister, di­spute no more, inquire no more, doubt no more, be divided no more; but believe, and behold with the eyes of faith and of the spirit, that thou seest Christs body broken upon the Cross, that thou seest him bleeding for thy sins,S. Cyprian de coenâ Dom. san­guinem sugimus, &c. that thou feedest upon the food of elect souls, that thou puttest thy mouth to the hole of the rock that was smitten, to the wound of the side of thy Lord, which being pierced streamed forth Sacraments, and life, and holiness, and pardon, and purity, and immortality upon thee.

7. When the words of Institution are pronoun­ced, [Page 383] all the Christians us'd to say Amen; giving their consent,Note: [...]. Justin Martyr. con­fes [...]ing that faith, believing that word, rejoicing in that Mystery which is told us when the Minister of the Sacrament in the person of Christ says, This is my body, This is my blood; This body was broken for you, and this blood was poured forth for you; and all this for the remission of your sins. And remember, that the guilt of eternal damnation which we have all incurr'd, was a great and an intolerable evil, and unavoidable if such miracles of mercy had not been wrought to take it quite away; and that it was a very great love which would work such glo­rious mercy, rather than leave us in so intolerable a condition. A greater love than this could not be; and a less love than this could not have rescued us.

8. When the holy Man reaches forth his hands upon the Symbols, and prays over them, and inter­cedes for the sins of the people, and breaks the holy bread,Note: Illud quaeso vir Sapientis­sime ipsâ re approbes; quis sit iste Deus quem vobis Christiani quasi proprium vendicatis, & in locis ab­ditis praesentem vos videre componitis? dixit Maxi­mus Medaurensis in epist. ad S. Augustinum tom. 2. ep. 43. post medium. and pours forth the sacred calice, place thy self by faith and meditation in heaven, and see Christ doing in his glorious manner this very thing which thou seest ministred and imitated upon the Table of the Lord; and then remember that it is impossible thou shouldest miss of eternal blessings, which are so powerfully procur'd for thee by the Lord himself; unless thou wilt despise all this, and neglect so great salvation, and chusest to eat with swine the dirty pleasures of the earth, rather than thus to feast with Saints and Angels, and to eat the body of thy Lord with a clean heart and humble affections.

[Page 384]9. When the consecrating and ministring hand reaches forth to thee the holy Symbols, say within thy heart as did the Centurion, Lord I am not worthy: but entertain thy Lord as the women did the news of the resurrection, with fear and great joy [...]. Mat. 28.8; or as the Apostles, with rejoycing and sin­gleness of heart Act. 2.46. Atque illud etiam scire cupio quo consilio aut quâ mente fueris ut in epulo C. Arcii familiaris mei cum togâ pullâ accumberes? quis unquam coenavit atratus? Cicer. epist. ad Atti­cum. Qui potuî (dixit Aaron) cum tristis fuerim, offerre sacri­ficium?; that is, clear, certain and plain believing, and with exultation and delight in the loving kindness of the Lord.

10. But place thy self upon thy knees, in the humblest and devoutest posture of worshippers, and think not much in the lowest manner to wor­ship the King of Men and Angels, the Lord of hea­ven and earth, the great lover of souls, and the Sa­viour of the body; him whom all the Angels of God worship; him whom thou confessest worthy of all, and whom all the world shall adore, and before whom they shall tremble at the day of judgment: For if Christ be not there after a peculiar manner, whom or whose body do we receive? But if he be present to us, not in mystery only, but in blessing also, why do we not worship? But all the Chri­stians always did so from time immemorial. No man eats this flesh unless he first adores, In Psal. 99. Vide etiam S. Ambros. carnem Christi in Mysteriis adoramus. de Spir. S. lib. 3. cap. 12. S. Bernard. de coen Domini ad Petrum presbyterum. said S. Au­stin: [‘For the wise men and the Barbarians did worship this body in the manger with very much [Page 385] fear and reverence: let us therefore who are Ci­tizens of heaven at least not fall short of the Bar­barians. But thou seest him not in the Manger, but on the Altar; and thou beholdest him not in the Virgins arms, but represented by the Priest, and brought to thee in Sacrifice by the holy Spi­rit of God’] So. St. Chrysostome argues: and ac­cordingly this reverence is practi­sed by the Churches of the East,Note: Johannes Petrus Maffeu [...], hist. Ind. Orient. lib. 2. circa med. and West, and South; by the Christians of India; by all the Greeks,Resp. ad Quaesi. 6. as appears in their answer to the Cardinal of Guise; by all the Lutheran Churches; by all the world, sa [...]es Erasmus; only now of late,Note: Vide Erasm. lib. 9. epist. ad Pellicanum cujus initium [Evangelii vigor. some have excepted them­selves. But the Church of Eng­land chooses to follow the reason and the piety of the thing it self, the example of the Primitive Church, and the consenting voice of Christendome [‘And if it be irreverent to sit in the sight and before the face of him whom you ought to revere; how much more in the pre­sence of the living God, where the Angel the president of prayer does stand, must it needs be a most irreligious thing to sit, unless we shall up­braid to God; that our prayers to him have wea­ried us?’] It is the argument of Tertullian. Lib. de orat. To which many of the Fathers add many other fair in­ducements, but I think they cannot be necessary to be produced here; because all Christians gene­rally kneel when they say their prayers, and when they bless God, an [...] I suppose no man communicates but he does both; and therefore needs no o [...]her inducement to perswade him to kneel,

especially since Christ himself, and St. Stephen, and [...]he [Page 386] Apostle St. Paul used that posture in their devoti­ons; that or lower; for St. Paul kneeled upon the shore; and our Lord himself fell prostrate on the earth. But to them that refuse, I shall only use the words of Scripture, which the Fathers of the Council of Turon applied to this particular: Why art thou proud O dust and ashes? And when Christ opens his heart and gives us all that we need or can desire; it looks like an ill return, if we shall dispute with him concerning the humility of a gesture and a circumstance.

11. When thou dost receive thy Lord, do thou also receive thy Brother into thy heart and into thy bowels. Thy Lord relieves thee, do thou relieve him; and never communicate but be sure to give thy alms for one part of thy offering. St. Cyprian does with some vehemency upbraid some wealthy persons in his time who came to the celebration of the Lords Supper, and neglected the Corban, or the ministring to the Saints. Remember that by mercy to the poor the sentence of dooms-day shall be de­clared; because what we do to them we do to Christ; and who would not relieve Christ who hath made himself poor to make us rich? And what time is so seasonable to feed the members of Christ, as that, when he gives his body to feed us, and that, when his members are met together to confess, to celebrate, to remember, and to be joyned to their head and to one another? In short, The Church alwaies hath used at that time to be liberal to her poor; and that being so seasonable and blessed an opportunity, and of it self also a proper act of wor­ship and sacrifice, of religion and homage, of thankfulness and charity; it ought not to be omit­ted; and it can have no measure, but that of your [Page 387] love, and of your power, and the other accidents of your life and your religion.

12. As soon as ever you have taken the holy Elements into your mouth, and stomach; remem­ber that you have taken Christ into you, after a manner indeed which you do not understand, but to all purposes of blessing and holiness, if you have taken him at all. And now consider that he who hath given you his Son, with him will give you all things else: therefore represent to God through Jesus Christ all your needs, and the needs of your relatives; signifie to him the condition of your soul; complain of your infirmities; pray for help against your enemies; tell him of your griefs; re­present your fears, your hopes, and your desires. But it is also the great sacrifice of the world which you have then assisted in, and represented; and now you being joyned to Christ are admitted to intercede for others, even for all mankind, in all necessities, and in all capacities; pray therefore for all for whom Christ d [...]ed; especially for all that communicate that day, for all that desire it; that their prayers and yours being united to the in­tercession of your Lord, may be holy and pre­vail.

13. After you have given thanks, and finished your private and the publick devotions, go home, but do not presently forget the solemnity, and sink from the sublimity of devotion and mystery into a secular conversation, like a falling star, from brightness into dirt. The Ethiopians would not spit that day they had communicated, thinking they might d [...]shonour the Sacrament if before the con­sumption of the Symbols they should spit: but al­though [Page 388] they meant reverence, yet they express'd it ill. It was better which is reported of St. Marga­ret a daughter of the King of Hungary, that the day before she was to communicate she fasted with bread and water: and after the Communion she retired her self till the evening, spending the day in meditations, prayers, and thanksgiving; and at night she eat her meal. Her imployment was very well sitted to the day; but for her meal, it is all one when she eat it, so that by eating, or abstain­ing she did advantage to her spiritual imployment. But they that as soon as the office is finished part wi [...]h Christ, and carry their mind away to other interests, have a suspicious indifferency to the things of God. They have brought their Lord in­to the house, and themselves slip out at the back­door, Otherwise does the Spouse entertain her be­loved Lord,Cant. 3.4. I found him whom my soul loveth, I held him, and would not let him go. He that consi­ders the advantages of prayer which every faithful soul hath upon a Communion day, will not easily let them sl [...]p; but tell all his said stories to his Lord, and make all his wants known; and as Jacob to the A [...]gel, will not let him go till he hath given a bles­sing. Upon a Communion-day Christ who is the beloved of the soul is gone to rest, and every secu­lar imployment that is not necessary and part of duty, and every earthly thought does waken our Beloved before he please, let us take heed of that.

14. But what we do by devoti­on and solemn religion that day,Note: Tu pane vitae accepto, facis rem mortis, & non horre­seis? Nescis quam multa mala proficiscantur & sube­ant ex deliciis. S. Chrysost. homil. 27. in 1 Cor. we must do every day by the ma­terial practice of vertues; we must verifie all our holy vows and pro­mises; we must keep our hearts [Page 389] curiously; restrain our passions powerfully; every day proceed in the mortification of our angers and desires; in the love of God and of our neigh­ [...]urs, and in the patient tolerati­on of all injuries which men offer,

and all the evil by which God will try us. Let not drunkenness enter, or evil words go forth of that mouth through which our Lord himself hath passed.

The Hea­thens used to be drunk at their Sacrifices; but by this sacrifice Eucharistical it is intended we should be filled with the Spirit.Note: [...]. If we have communicated worthily, we have given our selves to Christ; we have given him all our liberty and our life, our bodies and our souls, our actions and our passions, our affections and our fa­culties, what we are, and what we have; and in exchange have received him; and we may say with St. Paul, I live: but not I;Gal. 2.20. But Christ liveth in me. So that we must live no more unto the world, but unto God; and having fed upon Manna, let us not long to return to Aegypt to feed on Garlick. ‘For as when men have drank wine largely, the mind is free and the heart at liberty from care: so when we have drank [...]he bloud of Christ, the cup of our salvation, the chains of the old man are untied,Note: Pros [...]l [...] E [...]angelium Ab [...]t in viam [...]entium: Q [...]i sanctae pacis o [...]um elegerat, Redit ad ollas carnium: Regale sacerdotium Ad c [...]nis impropertium degene­rat. Sic Petrus Bl [...]sensis deplorat reci­divationem ad carnis delicias. Post S [...]. Communionem. and we must forget our secular conversation] So St. Cyprian, aS. Cyprian lib. 2. epist. 3. ad Caecilium.:’ But the same precept is better given by Saint Paul, b2 Cor. 5.14, 15., But the love of Christ con­straineth u [...], becuase we thus judge— that he died for all, that [Page 390] th [...]y which live should not henceforth live unto them­selves, but unto him which died for them and rose again. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are past away, b [...]hold all things are become new. He that hath communicated; and does not afterwards live by the measures of that daies duty, hath but acted a scene of Religion but himself shall dearly pay the p [...]ice of the pompous and solemn hypocrisie.

Remember that he is sick, who is not the better for the bread he eats; and if thou dost not by the aids of Christ whom thou hast received subdue thy passion and thy sin, thou hast eaten the bread of idleness;S. Hier. in Pro. 31.27. for so (saith St Hierom) does every one, who when he hath taken of the Sacrific [...] of the Lords body, does not persevere in good works, imitating that in deed which he hath celebrated in mystery. Let us take heed; for the Angels are pre­sent in these mysteries to wait upon their Lord and ours: and it is a matter of great caution which was said by Vincentius Ferrerius: Serm. 4. de corpore Christi. The Angels that as­sist at this Sacrament, would kill every unworthy Communicant; unless the Divine mercy and long sufferance did cause them to forbear a speedy exe­cution, that the blessed Sacrament might acquire its intention, and become a favour of life unto us.

SECT. II. Acts of Vertues and Graces relative to the Mystery, to be us'd before or at the Celebration of the Divine Sacra­ment.

SECT. III. An Advice concerning him who only Communicates Spiritually.

THere are many persons well disposed by the measures of a holy life to communicate fre­quently; but it may happen that they are unavoi­dably hindred. Some have a timerous conscience, a fear, a pious fear, which is indeed sometimes more pitiable than commendable. Others are advis'd by their spiritual Guides to abstain for a time, that they may proceed in the vertue of repentance fur­ther yet, before they partake of the Sacrament of love: and yet if they should want the blessings and graces of the Communion, their remedy which is intended them would be a real impediment. Some are scandalized and offended at irremediable mis­carriages in publick Doctrines or Government, and cannot readily overcome their prejudice, nor re­concile their consciences to a present actual Com­munion. Some dare not receive it at the hands of a wicked Priest of notorious evil life. Some can have it at no Priest at all, but are in a long journey, or under a Persecution, or in a Country of a dif­fering perswasion. Some are sick; and some can­not have it every day, but every day desire it.

Such persons as these, if they prepare themselves [Page 413] with all the essential and ornamental measures of address, and eanestly desire that they could actual­ly Communicate, they may place themselves upon their knees, and building an Altar in their heart, celebrate the death of Christ, and in holy desire joyn with all the Congregations of the Christian world, who that day celebrate the holy Commu­nion; and may serve their devotion by the former Prayers and actions Eucharistical, changing only such circumstantial words which relate to the actual participation: And then they may remember and make use of the comfortable Doctrine of S. Austin;Serm. 11. de verbi [...] Domini. [‘It is one thing (saith that learned Saint) to be born of the Spirit, and another thing to be fed of the Spirit: As it is one thing to be born of the flesh, which is when we are born of our mo­ther; and another thing to be fed of the flesh, which is done when she suckles her Infant by that nourishment which is chang'd into food that he might eat and drink with pleasure, by which he was born to life: when this is done without the actual and Sacramental participation, it is called spiritual Manducation.’] Concerning which I on­ly add the pious advice of a religious person;Bles. in reg. Ty­ron. Spi­rit. sect. 4. n. 3. Let every faithful soul be ready and desirous often to receive the holy Eucharist to the glory of God: But if he cannot so often Communicate Sacramen­tally as he desires, let him not be afflicted, but re­main in perfect resignation to the will of God, and dispose himself to a spiritual Communion: For no man and no thing can hinder a well-disposed soul, but that by holy desires she may, if she please, com­municate every day.

To this nothing is necessary to be added, but that this way, is to be used never but upon just necessity, [Page 414] and when it cannot be actual: not upon peevishness and spiritual pride; not in the spirit of schism and fond opinions; not in despight of our Brother, and contempt or condemnation of the holy Con­gregations of the Lord; but with a living faith, and an actual charity, and great humility, and with the Spirit of devotion; and that so much the more intensly and fervently, by how much he is really troubled for the want of actual participation in the Communion of Saints; and then, that is true which S. Austin said,Tract. 25. & 26. in Johan. Crede & manducasti; Believe and thou hast eaten. Adora Jesum.