THE Word and the Sacra­ments are the two breasts wherewith our mother doth nurse vs.The two brests of the Church. Seeing e­uerie one receiueth, and few vnderstand what they receiue; I thought it the necessariest doctrine to preach of the Sacramēt; which is a wit­nes of Gods promises, a remembrāce of Christs death, & a seale of our adoptiō: [Page 2] therfore Christ hath not instituted this Sacrament for a fashion in his Church to touch, and feele, and see, as we gaze vpon pictures in the windowes; but as the woman which had the bloudie issue,Matth. 9. 20. touching the hemme of Christes garmēt, drew vertue from Christ him­selfe because she beleeued: So Christ would that we touching these signes, should draw vertue from himself, that is, all the graces which these signes re­present.2. Chro. 35. 6. Therefore as the Leuits vnder the Law, were bound to prepare their brethren before they came to the Passe­ouer; so preachers of the Gospel should prepare their brethrē before they come to the Supper of the Lord. For which purpose I haue chosen this place to the Corinthians, which is the clearest & ful­lest declaration of this Sacrament in all the scripture.

The Lord Iesus in the night, &c:

The summe of all these words is,The diuision the institution, and vse of the Lords Sup­per. First Paul sheweth the author of it, The Lord Iesus; then the time when [Page 3] it was instituted, in the night that he was betrayed; then the manner how he did institute it, he tooke bread, and when he had giuen thankes, he brake it, and gaue vnto his Disciples, &c. then the end why he did institute it, for a remembrance of his death.

Touching the author,The Author. he which is signified by it, was the author of it. The Lord Iesus hath bid vs to supper,Iohn. 1. 27. I am not worthy (saith Iohn) to loose his shoe; so we are not worthy to waite at his tren­cher, and yet he wil haue vs sit at his ta­ble. To him belongeth the power to ordaine Sacraments in his Church,None but Christ may ordaine Sa­craments. be­cause he fulfilled the Sacraments of the Law. When Christ came the Passeouer ceased, because he is our Passeouer, that is,Iohn. 1. 29. the Lamb by whose bloud we are sa­ued. When Christ came, Circumcision ceased, because he is our Circumcision, that is, the purifier and clenser of our sinnes.Reuel. 7. 14. Now these two sacraments are fulfilled, he hath appointed two other Sacraments for them: in steed of the paschall Lambe, which the Iewes did [Page 4] eate,Iohn. 1. 29. he hath giuen vs another Lamb to eate, which Iohn calleth the Lambe of God, that is himselfe, vpon whom all do feede, whosoeuer do receiue this Sacra­ment with an assured faith that Christ died to possesse them of life. The brea­king of the bread, doth signifie the wounding of his bodie: the powring of the wine doth signifie the shedding of his blood. The eating of the bread, and drinking of the wine, doth signifie that his flesh and bloud doe nourish in vs life eternal, as the bread and wine do nourish the life present.

In steed of Circumcision,Gen. 17. 10. which be­gan at Abrahā, he hath ordained Bap­tisme,Who was therefore called Iohn the Baptist. which began at Iohn, a more liue­ly representation of the true circumci­sion of the hart, because it representeth vnto vs the bloud of Christ which wa­sheth our soules,Matth. 3. 1. as the water in Bap­tisme washeth our bodies.Reuel. 1. 5. Reuel. 22. 14.

Touching the time:Time. In the night (saith Paul) therefore this Sacrament is called The Lords Supper, Verse. 23. because it was insti­tuted at night when they vsed to sup. [Page 5] But what night? euen that night (saith Paul) when he was betrayed: that night which he should haue cursed,Iob. 3. 3. as Iob did the day of his birth, if he had suffred a­gainst his will: that night when hee should haue thought to destroy men, as men conspired to destroy him, that night (saith Paul) this Sacrament of grace, and peace, and life began. Euen that night when we betrayed him. Manie nights did he spend in watching, and praying for vs; & is there a night now for vs to kill & betray him? That was a darke night, when men went about to put out the sonne which brought them light. Who can but wonder, to see how Christ, & they for whom Christ came, were occupied at one time? when they deuised mischief against him, & sought all meanes to destroy him, then he con­sulted how to saue them, and institu­ted the same night this blessed Sacra­ment, to conuay all his graces and bles­sings vnto them, Euen that night when they betrayed him.

The reason why this actiō was defer­red [Page 6] vntill night,Why this sa­crament was instituted at night. is, because that was the time appointed by the Law to eate the Passeouer, which was like a predecessor of this Sacrament.Why it was deferred till his last night The reason why he deferred vntill his last night, was, be­cause the Passeouer could not be ended, before the fulnesse of time, and the true Paschal Lambe were come to be slaine in stead of the other. Therefore how fitlie did Christ ende the Passeouer, which was a signe of his suffering, so presently before his suffering? And beside, how sweetly did he confirme his disciples faith, when as they should see that the next day performed before their eyes, which ouernight both in the Passeouer, and in the Sacrament was so liuely resembled vnto them? If any from this do gather,Why we re­ceiue not the Lords supper at night. that we ought to eate the Lords supper at night as Christ did, he must vnderstand that we haue not the same cause to do so which Christ had, because of the Passeouer. And therefore the Church which hath dis­cretion of times and places, hath altered both the time and the place, vsing the [Page 7] temples in stead of the chamber, and the morning in stead of the euening: for indifferent things are ruled by order & decencie.

Touching the maner,Vers. 23. 24. He tooke bread, and when he had giuen thankes, he brake it, and gaue it vnto them. He would not eate it, nor breake it, before he had giuē thankes to God. What neede he which was God, giue thankes to God, but to shew vs what we should doe, when we eate our selues?1. Thes. 5. 18. In all things giue thankes (saith Paul) whereby we declare, that all things come from God:Note. but the wicked beleeue easier that God doth take, than that he doth giue, and therefore they neuer pray heartily vnto him for any thing, nor feelinglie thanke him for it. For which the Lord complaineth, say­ing: I haue loued you, Mala. 1. 2. yet ye say, wherein hast thou loued vs? Shewing, that we are worse than the Oxe,Esay. 1. 3. which knoweth his feeder. And if we acknowledge all things from God,Gene. 19. 20. yet we do like Lot, Is it not a little one (saith he) when he cra­ued to go vnto Zoar, as though it were [Page 8] not much which he asked: so we mince and extenuate the giftes of God, before we receiue them and after; like them which haue a grace for dinner, and none for breakfast, as though they had their dinners from God, and breakfastes of their owne. Our exāple did not so: Al­though it was but bread which he recei­ued, yet he was more thākfull for bread, than many which burie the fowles, and fishes, and beasts, in their belly: for if a coūt of all were kept, for one that pray­eth,Luke. 11. 3. Giue vs this day our dayly bread, a hundred take their bread, and meate, & sleepe to, which neuer pray for it.

After he had giuen thankes, he brake it, and gaue vnto them, and sayd, Take, eate: for when he had giuen thankes to God, then it was sanctified, and bles­sed,Note. and lawfull to eate. So when thou seruest God, then it is lawfull for thee to vse Gods blessings, then thou mayst eate and drinke as Christ did, but not before, for these things were created to serue them which serue God; if thou doest not serue him for them, [Page 9] thou encrochest vpon Gods blessings, and stealest his creatures, which are no more thine, than thou art his, for the good God created all things for good men, as the deuils possessions are reser­ued for euill men.

Therfore as Christ would not breake the bread, before he had giuen thankes to the founder; so know, that there is some thing to be done before thou re­ceiue any benefite of God, and presume not to vse his creatures with more li­bertie than his Sonne did, which did not eate without giuing thankes, nor rise a­gaine without singing of a Psalme.Mat. 26. 30.

It followeth, This is my body. Here is the fruite of his thāks before, he prayed that the bread and wine might be bles­sed,Gene. 27. & they were blessed. As Isaaks bles­sing shewed it selfe vpō Iaakob whō he blessed; so Christes blessing appeared straight vpō these mysteries: for it could not be sayd before, This is my body, because it was meere bread; but now it may be called his body, because his bles­sing hath infused that vertue into it, [Page 10] that it doth not onlie represent his bo­die, but conuey his bodie, and himselfe vnto vs. The efficacie of this blessing is in this Sacramēt euer since, sanctifying it vnto vs as well as it did to the Apo­stles,Luke. 22. 32. euen as Christs prayer stayed Pe­ters faith after Christ was dead.

Now ye haue heard the meaning of these wordes, He tooke bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gaue it: you shall see with what a mysticall resemblance they vnite Christ and vs. First, as Christ in the Supper tooke bread to feede vs:Heb. 2. 16. so in his birth he tooke our flesh to saue vs. Secondlie as Christ when he had ta­ken the bread, blessed the bread to make it a spirituall foode: So Christ, when he had taken our flesh, powred forth most rich & precious graces into it, to make it food of life vnto vs.Iohn. 17. 19. Thirdly, as Christ when he had blessed the bread, brake the bread: so Christ when he had filled his bodie with most precious graces, brake it vp like a rich treasure house, his hands by the nayles, his backe by the stripes, his head by the thornes,1. Pet. 2. 24. his side by the [Page 11] speare; that out of euery hole a riuer of grace and goodnes might issue & flow forth vnto vs.Ephes. 3. 17. Lastly, as Christ gaue the bread when he had broken it: so Christ by a liuely faith cōmunicateth his bo­die after he hath crucified it. Hereby we are taught, that when we see the Mini­ster take the bread to feede vs, we must conceaue that Christ being God from euerlasting tooke our flesh to saue vs. When we see the Minister blesse the bread to a holy vse, we must conceaue that Christ by vniting the Godhead vnto it, sanctified his flesh for the work of our redemption. When we see the Minister breake the bread to sustaine our bodies: we must conceaue that Christ in his death brake his body to re­fresh our soules. When we see the Mini­ster giue the bread to our hāds, we must conceaue that Christ as trulie offereth himself to our faith to be receiued of vs.

Because vpon these wordes the Pa­pists ground their Transubstantiation, that is, that the bread is changed into Christs flesh, and the wine is turned in­to [Page 12] Christes bloud, whereby we eate the same bodie which died vpon the crosse, & drinke the same bloud which issued out of his side; that you may see the blindnes of this popish dreame, I would haue you but marke euery word of this Scripture how they make against Trā ­substantiation, that you may see them slaine like Goliah with their owne sword.1. Sam. 17. 51. Euē as god made Caiphas speake against himself;Iohn. 18. 14. so the Scriptures which heretickes alleage, do make against thē selues,1. King. 18. 28. like the Baalites which wounded their owne flesh.Heretickes alledge scripture like the deuill. I may liken their alle­gations to Sathans, when he tempted Christ in the Wildernesse, he alled­ged but one sentence of Scripture for himselfe,Matth. 4. 4. and that Psalme out of which he borrowed it,Psal. 91. 11. makes so plaine against him, that he was fayne to picke here a word, & there a word, & leaue out that which wēt before, & skip in the middest and omit that which came after, or else he had marred his cause. The Scripture is so holy & pure, & true, that no word, nor fillable therof cā make for the deuil, [Page 13] or for sinners, or for heretickes: yet as the deuill alledged. Scripture, though it made not for him, but against him; so doe the libertines, and Epicures, and he­retickes, as though they had learned at his schoole. Now there is no sentence of the Scripture, which the wiser Pa­pistes alledge boldlie for their Tran­substantiatiō, but this, that Christ sayd, This is my bodie, Matth. 26. 26. by which they may proue as well that Christ is a doore, be­cause he sayth,Iohn. 10. 7. 9. I am the doore: or a vine, because he saith,Iohn. 15. 1. I am a Vine; for his say­ings are like. Figuratiue speaches must not be cōs [...]ued litterally, but this is he­retickes fashion. If you marke, you shal see throughout, that all the testimonies which the Papists alledge for their he­resies,Note. are either tropes, or figures, or alle gories, or parables, or allusions, or darke speaches; which when they presume to expounde allegoricallie, or litterallie, without cōference of other Scriptures, then they wander, and stray from the marke, or else it is impossible that the truth shuld maintaine error, that is, that [Page 14] the Scripture should speake for here­sie, if it were not peruerted: therfore we see that Eue neuer erred,Gene. 3. 3. vntill she cor­rupted the text.

Now we will enter the lists with our aduersaries, & see whether these words do prooue that the bread and wine are turned into Christes bodie.Arguments against Po­pish Trāsub­stantiation. Paule saith, Iesus tooke bread well thē, yet it is bread: when he had taken it, then he blessed it; 1 what did he blesse? the bread which he tooke; well then, yet it is bread: when he had blessed it, then he brake it, what did he breake? the bread which he bles­sed; well then, yet it is bread; when he had brokē it, then he gaue it; what did he giue? the bread which he brake, well then, yet it is bread: when he had giuen it, they did eate it; what did they eate? the bread which he gaue them; well thē, yet it is bread: when they did eate it, thē he said, This is my body: what did he call his bodie? the bread which they did eate; well then, yet it is bread. If it be bread all this while, when he did take it, and blesse it, and breake it, and giue it, [Page 15] and they did eate it, when is it turned into his bodie?Matth. 22. 34 here they stand like the Sadduces, as mute as fishes.

Now that ye may see that not we onelie say it is bread and wine after the consecration; in the 27. Verse Christ himselfe doth call it bread and wine af­ter he had giuē it, as he did before. And in Marke he saith,Mar. 14. 25. I will drinke no more of the fruite of the vine. Here Christ saith, that it was the fruite of Vine which he dranke, but his bloud is not the fruite of Vines, but Wine; therfore wine was his drinke, and not bloud.

Beside, if you would heare Paule ex­pound 2 Christ, he sheweth, that all our Fathers had the same substāce of Christ in their Sacramentes, that we haue in ours,1. Cor. 10. 4. for he saith, They all did eate the same spirituall meate, and all drinke the same spirituall drinke. Vers. 3. 4 Straight he sayth, that this meate and this drinke was Christ. Vers. 4. Marke that he saith not onely, They did eate the same meate that we eate, but he saith, that this meate was Christ: and not onely so, but to shew that Christ is not [Page 16] a corporall meate, as the Papistes say: he saith, he is a spirituall meate, as we say; therfore you see that we do not eate him corporally, no more than our Fa­thers, but that as they did eate him spi­ritually, so do we; for spirituall meate must be eaten spiritually, as corporall meate is eaten corporally.

3 Agayne, for the signes to be turned into the thing signified by thē, is vtter­ly against the nature of a Sacrament, & makes it no Sacrament, because there is no signe: for euery Sacrament doth cō ­sist of a signe, and a thing signified; the signe is euer an earthly thing, and that which it signifieth is a heauenly thing. This shall appeare in all examples, as in Paradise there was a verie Tree for the signe,Gene. 2. 9. and Christ the thing signified by it.Gen [...]. 17. 11. In Circumcision there was a cut­ting off of the skin, and the cutting off of sinne. In the Passe-ouer there was a Lambe,Exod. 12. 3. and Christ. In the Saboth there was a day of rest,Exod. 23. 11. & eternall rest. In the Sacrifices there was an offering of some beast,Heb. 9. 13. and the offering of Christ. In the [Page 17] Sanctuarie there was the holy place,Exod. 30. and heauen.Exod. 25. 24. In the Propitiatorie there was the goldē couering▪ & Christ our couer. In the Wildernesse there was a Rocke yeelding water,Exod. 17. 16. and Christ yeelding his bloud.Mat. 3. 16. In the Apparition there was a a Doue,Iohn. 6. 49. & the holy Ghost. In the Man­na there was Bread, and Christ. In Bap­tisme there is verie water which wa­sheth vs,Iohn. 1. 33. and Christes bloud washing vs; so in the Supper of Christ there is very Bread & Wine for the signe,1. Cor. 11. 19. & the body and bloud of Christ for the thing signified, or else this Sacramēt is against the nature of all other Sacraments.

Againe, there must be a proportion betweene the Passe ouer and the Lords Supper, because this was figured by the other.Exod. 12. Now, the Iewes had in their Passe­ouer, Bread, and Wine, and a Lambe; so Christ instituting his Supper,Mat. 16. 26. left bread and wine, and a Lambe, which name is giuen to himselfe,Iohn. 1. 29. because he came like [...] Lambe, and died like a Lambe.

Agayne, if Christes verie bodie were 5 [...]ffered in the Sacramēt, thē it were not [Page 20] a Sacrament, but a Sacrifice; which two differ as much as giuing, and taking: for in a Sacrifice we giue, & in a Sacra­ment we receiue, and therefore we say our Sacrifice, and Christes Sacrament.

6 Agayne, euerie Sacrifice was offe­red vpon an Altar.Exod. 27. Now marke the wisedome of the holy Ghost, least we should take this for a Sacrifice, he neuer names Altar when he speakes of it, but, The Table of the Lord. Therefore it is no doubt but the deuill hath kept the name of Altar, that we might thinke it a Sacrifice.

7 Agayne, if the bread were Christes flesh, and the wine his bloud, as these two are separate one from the other; so Christes flesh should be separate from his bloud, but his bodie is not deuided, for then it were a dead body.

8 Agayne, that which remaineth doth nourish the bodie, and relish in the mouth as it did before, which could not be, but that it is the same foode which it was before.

9 Agayne, I would aske, whose are [Page 19] this whitenes, and hardnes, and round­nesse, and coldnesse? None of them say that it is the whitenesse, and hardnesse, and roundnesse, and coldnes of Christes bodie: therefore it must needes be the whitenesse, and hardnesse, and round­nesse, and coldnesse of the bread, or else qualities should stand without sub­stāces, which is, as if one should tell you of a house without a foundation.

Agayne, as Christ dwelleth in vs, so 10 he is eaten of vs, but he dwelleth in vs onely by faith. Ephes. 3. 17. Therefore he is eaten onely by faith.

Agayne, none can be saued, without 11 the communion of the body of Christ: but if all should communicate with it corporally, then neither infants nor any of our Fathers, the Patriarkes or the Prophets should be saued, because they receiued it not so.

Agayne, Christ sayth not, this wine, 12 but this cup, and therefore by their con­clusion, not onely the wine should be [...]urned into bloud, but the cup to.

Again, Paul saith, They which receiue 13 [Page 20] vnworthilie, receiue their owne damnation. But if it were the flesh of Christ, they should rather receiue saluation than dā ­nation, Iohn. 6. 54. because Christ sayth, He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath life euerlasting.

14 Agayne, if they would heare an An­gell from heauen: when Christes bodie was glorified, an Angell said to the wo­men,Mat. 28. He is risen, and is not here, as if he should say, his body is but in one place at once, or else he might haue been there, though he was risen.

15 Agayne, why doe they say in recei­uing this Sacrament euer since the Pri­mitiue Church, Lift vp your hearts, if they haue all in their mouthes? To end this controuersie: Here we may say as the Disciples said to Christ,Iohn. 6. 68. Whither shall we go from thee? I meane we need not to goe to any other expositor of Christ than Christ himselfe. Therefore marke what he sayth:Iohn. 6. 60. At first when Christ said, that he was the bread of life, & that all which would liue must eate him, they murmured vntill he expoun­ded [Page 21] his words; and how did he expoūd his wordes?Iohn. 6. 35. Thus, He that commeth vn­to me hath eaten, and he that beleeueth in me hath drunke. After whē he instituted this Sacramēt, in like wordes they mur­mured not, which they would as before, if he had not resolued thē before, that to eate his body, and to drinke his bloud, was nothing but to come to him, & be­leeue in him. After he had sayd so, they murmured not, because they did see some reason in it. As it is plainlie sayd, This is my body; Iohn. 6. 63. so it is plainlie said, these wordes are spirite: that is, they must be vnderstood spiritually, and not literal­ly. But if it be flesh indeed, why do they not satisfie the simple people, how they may eate this flesh in Lent, when they forbid thē to eate any flesh, they must needes eate it doubtfully, and he which doubteth sayth Iames, receaueth no­thing: therefore he which eateth the Masse receiueth nothing.

I did not alledge the Fathers in my Sermon, but if any suspend his assent, till they bring in their verdit, let him [Page 22] heare thē make cōfessiō of their beleefe. Augustin sayth,Aug. vpō the 3. Psalme. the Lord doubted not to say, this is my body, when he gaue one­ly a signe, or Sacrament of his body.

Tertulian saith,Tert. against Marcion the 4. booke. 4. booke 4. ca. of Sacra­ments. this is my body, that is, a signe of my body.

Ambrose sayth, the bread and wine remayne still the same thing that they were.

Theodoret saith,In his first Dialogue. after the consecra­tion, the mysticall signes do not cast off their own nature, but abide still in their first substance and forme.

Origene sayth,Vpon the 15. of Mat. the bread that is san­ctified with the word of God, as tou­ching the materiall substance thereof goeth into the bellie, and forth agayne like other meates.

Irenaeus saith,Irenae. 4. book cap. 34. a­gainst Valē ­tinus. that it hath two things in it, one earthly, and the other heauenly.

Cyrill saith,Ad ob. Theod. Our Sacraments auouch not the eating of a man.Anathematis.

11 Cyprian sayth, the Lord calleth bread made of many graines,1. booke of Epi. his body, & called wine made of many grapes, his bloud.

[Page 23] Athanasius saith,In that Gos­pel whosoe­uer speaketh a word, &c. Christ made menti­on of his ascention into heauen, that he might withdraw his disciples from cor­porall and fleshly eating.

Chrysostome saith,Hom. 60. to the people of Antioch. God giueth vs things spirituall vnder things visible & naturall.To Caesarus the Monke. And againe, being sanctified, it is deliuered from the name of bread, & is exalted to the name of the Lords bo­die, although the nature of the bread still remaine.

And because they beleeue that the Pope cannot erre,Against Eu­tiches the He­retike. Pope Gelasius setteth to his hand, and saith with the rest, Neither the substance of the bread, nor nature of the wine cease to be, more thā they were before.

Tell vs, Papist, doe not these Fathers speake as plaine as we? Canst thou a­uouch. Transubstantiation more flatly than they denie it? How had this here­sie bene chased, if the diuel had hatched it in their time?

Thus the Scriptures on the one side, and the Fathers on the other side did so trouble three arch papists, Biel, Tonstal, [Page 24] and Fisher, Vpō the Ca­non lect. 40. that Gabriel Biel saith, how the body of Christ is in the Sacrament, is not found in the canon of the Byble.

Tonstal saith,1. book of the Sacr. pag. 46. It had bene better to leaue euerie man to his owne conie­cture, as they were before the Councell of Laterane, than to bring in such a question.

Fisher saith,Against the captiuitie of Babylon made by M. Luther No man can proue by the words of the gospel that any Priest in these dayes doth consecrate the verie bodie and bloud of Christ.

Here is fulfilled,Luk. 19. 22. Out of thine owne mouth I will condemne thee. But we will not carry the matter so, because a iudge must haue two eares, therefore now let them speake.The Papistes allegations for the reall presence. Because they cannot tell how the bread and wine should be tur­ned into flesh and bloud, and yet ap­peare bread and wine still, they say it is a myracle: but how do they proue it? If they contēd it is a myracle, they must shew vs a signe, for euerie myracle may be seene, like all the myracles of Moses and Christ, and the Apostles: and therefore a myracle is called a signe,Exo. 4. 8. & 21 [Page 25] because it may be seene like a signe, and the word signifieth a wōder, as though we did see some thing to wonder. And the Iewes crauing a myracle, saide, Shewe vs a myracle: Exod. 9. as though they were taught to iudge of myracles by sight. All which doth shew that a my­racle may be seene, but here no myracle is seene.

Againe, a myracle (especially in the time of the Gospell) is an extraordi­nary thing, but they make this an ordi­narie thing; for if the bread and wine be turned into flesh and bloud, then myracles are as common as Sacramēts, and so because they haue Masse euerie day, they should worke myracles euery day. Lastly, this seemeth strange, that Augustine, whom they so much honor, gathered all the myracles which are written in the scripture, & yet amongst all, speakes not of this; therefore then it was counted no myracle: but Paul speakes of lying myracles, 2. Thess. 2. 9. and this is one of them.

If they say that Christ can turneObiect. [Page 26] bread and wine into his bodie,Obiect. & ther­fore he doth.Answere. First they must proue that he will: for they can doe many things themselues which they doe not, because they will not: therefore it is an old an­swere, that from Can to Will, no argu­ment followeth.Mar. 1. 40. The Leper did not say to Christ, If thou can, thou will; but, If thou wilt thou canst.

But the question which they thinke can not be answered, like their inuinci­ble Nauies,Obiect. is this. If the bread be not his bodie, why doth he call it his bodie? Resolue this knot & al is cleere.Answer. Marke then and we will loose it as well as we cā: He saith, This is my bodie, as he saith after, which is broken for you. Why? his bodie was not broken before he suffe­red, how did he say then, which is bro­ken, before it was broken? There is no sense of it but this, the bread was bro­ken, and signified that his body should be broken. Now, as the breaking of the bread did signifie the breaking of his bodie, so the bread must needs signifie his bodie: but as his bodie was not bro­ken [Page 27] indeed when the bread was bro­ken, so the bread could not be his body indeed: for then his bodie should haue bene broken when the bread was bro­ken: yet let them obiect what they can.

If (say they) the bread and wine be not changed into his bodie and blood,Obiect. why doth he speak so darkly? he might haue spoken plainer.

I answere,Answer. though this seeme darke to Papists, yet it was not darke to the Apostles, they vnderstood his meaning well enough, and all the rest for 1215. yeares after Christ, before Transubstā ­tiation was spoken of. If the Apostles had not vnderstood his meaning, they would not sticke to aske him as their manner was, vntill they were acquain­ted with Christs phrase, whensoeuer they doubted vpon any of his speeches, they were wont to come vnto him, and say,Luk. 8. 9. master, what is the meaning? but they were vsed to such phrases: for it was Christs manner to teach by similitudes, shewing one thing by another, which is the plainest manner of teaching, and [Page 28] most vsed in holy Scripture, especially in the types and shadowes of this Sa­crament. For example, Christ calleth the Lamb the Passeouer,Mat. 26. 17. in place wher­of this Sacrament succeeded, and there­fore presently after they had eaten the Passeouer, Christ instituted this Sacra­ment to be vsed for it. Christ (I say) cal­led the Lambe the Passeouer, and yet the Passeouer was this, an Angel passed ouer the houses of the Israelites, and strooke the Aegyptians: Exod. 12. 27. this was not a Lambe, and yet because the Lamb was a signe of this Passeouer, as the bread & wine is of Christs body therfore Christ called the Lambe the Passeouer, as he calleth the bread and wine his bodie.

Againe,Gen. 17. 13. Circumcision is called the Couenant, & yet Circumcision was no­thing but the cutting away of a skin: but the Couenant is, In Abrahams seede all nations shall be blessed, Gen. 12. 3. I will be their God, and they shall be my people, I will de­fend and saue them, and they shall serue & worship me. This is not Circumcision, & yet as though Circumcision were the [Page 29] Couenant it selfe, it is called the Coue­nant, because it signified the Couenant, so bread and wine are called Christs bodie, because they signifie Christs bo­die.

Againe,Tit. 3. 5. Baptisme is called regenera­tion, and yet baptisme is a dipping of our bodies in water; but regeneration is the renewing of the minde,1. Cor. 6. 11. to the image wherein it was created: this is not Baptisme, and yet as though Bap­tisme were regeneration it selfe, it is cal­led regeneration, because it signified re­generation: so the bread and wine are called Christes bodie, because they sig­nifie Christs bodie.

Againe,Luk. 22. 20. the Cup is called the new Testament, and yet the Cup is but a peece of mettall, filled with wine: but the new Testament is,Iohn. 3. 36. He which belee­ueth in the Sonne, shall be saued this is not a Cup, and yet as though the Cup were the new Testament it selfe, it is called the new Testament, because it signifi­eth the new Testament: so the bread & wine are called Christes bodie, because [Page 30] they signifie Christs body. They which knew that the Lambe is not the Passe­ouer, though Christ called it the Passe­ouer; that Circumcision is not the Co­uenant, though God called it the Co­uenant; that Baptisme is not regenera­tion, though it be called regeneration; that the Cup is not the new Testamēt, though Christ called it the new Testa­ment; could they not as well vnder­stand, that the bread and wine were not Christs body, though Christ called thē his bodie? As they vnderstood these speeches, so they vnderstoode this speech; therfore they which say, that the bread and wine are Christes bodie, be­cause Christ saith,Matth. 26. 26. This is my bodie. may as well say, that the Lambe is the Passe­ouer, because Christ calleth it the Passe ouer, that Baptisme is regeneration, because Paul calleth it regeneration, that the Cup is the new Testament, be­cause Christ calleth it the new Testa­ment.

If euerie Sacrament was called by the thing which it signified, and yet ne­uer [Page 31] any Sacrament was taken for the thing it selfe, what reason haue they to take this Sacrament for the thing it selfe, more than al the rest? It is the con­sent of all writers that a Sacrament is a signe, therefore not the thing signified: no more then the bush at the dore, is the wine in the seller. If I cal the Prince a Phoenix, the Vniuersitie a Fountain, the Court a Peacocke, the Citie a Sea, the Countrey an Eremite, why can the Papists vnderstand me, and not vnder­stand Chrst? What a darke and strange, and intricate, and incredible speech had this beene for them to vnderstand grosly, & literally? Would they think, that they did eate Christes body, when his bodie stoode before them, and he had told them before, that his bodie was like their bodie? Nay, this would [...]aue required moe words, and made [...]hem come againe, with Master, what [...] the meaning? Luk. 9. 8. for they were not so [...]structed yet before the resurrection, [...]o beleeue euerie thing without que­ [...]ioning, if it were contrarie to sense [Page 32] and reason: but as they asked, who had giuen him any meate,Iohn 4. 33. when he said that he had meate, and they coulde see none: so they would haue asked, what meate is this which we see not? How can euerie one of vs eate his bodie, and yet he hath but one bodie, and that bo­die is whole when we eate it? Loe, he standeth before vs and saith, that his bodie is like vnto ours, and yet hee takes bread and breakes it, and giues it vnto vs to eate, and when we eate it,Luk. 24. 39. he saith This is my bodie: and yet his bodie standeth before vs still. If his bodie be like ours (as he saith) how can it be eaten and be there, for ours cannot? Thus they would haue que­stioned, if they had not beene vsed to such phrases: but as they could vnder­stand him when he called himselfe a stone, and a rock, and a dore, and a win­dow, and a Vine, so they could picke out his meaning, when he said that bread was his bodie: for he had told them before,Iohn 16. 5. that he was the bread of e­ternall life.

[Page 33] Now the bread of eternall life is not eaten with teeth, for the bodie cannot eate spiritually, no more then the soule can eate corporally, and therefore he is such a bread as is eaten with faith, and so himselfe saith in the Gospel of Iohn. Iohn. 6. 35. Marke this eating by faith, and all the strife is ended. Flesh and bloud indeed need not faith to chew them, for the teeth can chew thē well enough. Ther­fore if the bread and wine were the bo­die of Christ, then we need not faith to eate it, but all which haue teeth might eate Christs bodie, yea the Mice might eate it as well as men, for they eate the same bread that we do, as well after it is consecrated, as before.

If this be not enough to batter the ruines of this vpstart Heresie, I will come to interrogatories, and see whe­ther they haue learned it by rote, or by reason. If they ground their Tran­substantiation vppon these wordes of Christ,Marth. 26. 26. This is my bodie, which hee spake to his Disciples▪ I aske them, whether they receiue that bodie [Page 34] which was mortall, or that bodie which is glorified;Neither Christs mor­tal bodie, nor his immortal bodie, can be in the same. because one of these bo­dies they must needs receiue, either his mortall bodie, or his glorified bodie. If they say, that it is his mortall bodie, the mortal bodie wil not profite them: for you see that mortall food is but for this mortall life, neither hath Christ a mortall bodie now to communicate vnto them, because it is changed to an immortall bodie, therefore they can­not receiue the mortall bodie, because Christ hath not a mortall bodie to giue them. If they say that they receiue his glorified bodie, then they must she from this Text, for at that time Christ had no glorified bodie.

When this Sacrament was institu­ted, and Christ said This is my bodie, his bodie was not glorified, because the Sacrament was instituted before his death, and his bodie was glorified af­ter his resurrection. Therefore if they receiue the same bodie which the Apo­stles receiued, as they say they do▪ they cānot receiue a glorified body, because [Page 35] then Christ had not a glorified bodie to communicate vnto them. Thus the rocks and sands are of both sides them, they receiue a bodie neither mortall, nor immortall: if Christ hath any such bodie, iudge you. Here they stand like a foole, which cannot tell one his tale; Nebucadnezar dreamed a dreame and knew not what it meant.Dan. 4. 15.

Beside, I aske them to whome Christ spake when he said,Mar. 14. 24. This is my bodie. Marke saith, he spake to them, that is, to his Disciples: well then, if these wordes, This is my bodie, were not spoken to the signes, but to the persons,Christ spake not to the bread and wine, but to his disciples. not to the bread and wine, but to the receiuers: as the words which follow, Do this in remembrance of me: if these wordes were not spoken to the bread and wine, then it is plaine that they doe not change the nature of the bread and wine. If the nature of them be not altered, then the substance re­maineth, and then we receiue no other substance with them, because two sub­stances cannot be in one place.

[Page 36] What then,More in the Lords Sup­per than bread and wine. is there nothing in the Sacrament but bread and wine, like a hungrey nunscion? Nay we say not that the Sacrament is nothing but a bare signe, or that you receiue no more than you see: for Christ saith, that it is his bodie, and Paul saith, that it is the Communion of Christs bodie and bloud. 1. Cor. 10. 16. Therefore there is more in Sacramen­tall bread, than in common breade: though the nature be not changed, yet the vse is changed; it doth not onely nourish the body as it did before, but it bringeth a bread with it which nouri­sheth the soule: for as sure as we receiue bread, so sure we receiue Christ: not on­ly the benefites of Christ, but Christ, al­though not in a Popish maner: yet we are so ioyned vnto him, as though we were but one body.A similitude As the spouse doth not marry with the lands & goods, but with the man himselfe, & being parta­ker of him, is made partaker of them: so the faithfull do not onely marry with Christes benefites, but with Christ him selfe, & being partakers of him, they are [Page 37] made partakers of his benefites: for Christ may not be diuided from his be­nefites, no more than the Sunne from his light.Rom. 8. 32. It is said, the Father gaue vs his sonne, and so the Sonne giueth vs him selfe. As the bread is a signe of his bo­die: so the giuing of the bread is a signe of the giuing of his body. Thus he lyeth before vs like a Pellican which letteth her yong ones sucke her bloud: so that we may say, the Lord inuited vs to Sup­per, and he himselfe was our meate. But if you aske how this is? I must answere, it is a mysterie: but if I could tell it, it were no mysterie. Yet as it is said, when three men walked in the middest of the fornace,Dan. 3. 25. One like the Sonne of God wal­ked amongest them: So, when the faith­full receiue the Bread and Wine, one like the Sonne of God seemeth to come vnto them, which fils them with peace and ioy, and grace, that they maruell what it was which they receiued, besides bread and wine.A similitude For example thou ma­kest a bargaine with thy neighbour for house or land, and receiuest in earnest [Page 38] a peece of gold, that which thou recei­uest is but a peece of gold, but now it is a signe of thy bargaine, & if thou keep not touch with him, happelie it will claspe thee for all that thou art worth; so that which thou receiuest is bread, but this bread is a signe of another mat­ter, which passeth bread.

Againe,Another si­militude. thou hast an Obligation in thy hand, & I aske thee, what hast thou there? and thou saiest, I haue here an hundreth pounds: why (say I) there is nothing but paper, ynke, and waxe: oh but by this saiest thou, I will recouer an hundreth pounds, that is as good. So beloued, this is as good, that vnder these signes, you receiue the vertue of Christs body & bloud by faith, as if you did eate his bodie, and drinke his bloud indeede, which is horrible to thinke that any should deuour their god, thin­king thereby to worship him: neuer a­ny Heretike nor Idolater conceiued so grosly of their God, before the Papist. We reade of a people which did eate men, but neuer of any people which did [Page 39] eate their God. Al the Apostles say, that it was needfull that Christ should take our flesh but no Apostle saith, that it is needfull that we should take Christs flesh; for all the blessings of Christ are apprehended by faith, and nothing is fit to apprehēd him whom we see not but faith: and therfore one of their own pil­lars said,Augustine. Beleeue, & thou hast eaten. Faith doth more in Religion than the mouth, or else we might say with the woman, Blessed are the brests which gaue thee sucke, Luke. 11. 27. and so none should be blessed but Mary: but Mary was not blessed, be­cause Christ was in her bodie, but be­cause Christ was in her heart, and least this should seeme incredible vnto you, because Mary is called blessed among women. When Christ heard the womā say,Luke. 8. 21. Blessed are the brests which gaue thee sucke, he replied vnto her, Blessed are they which heare the word of God, and keepe it, these are my brethren, and sisters and mo­ther (sayth Christ) as though the rest were no kin to him in heauen, though they were kin in earth. Thus if Christ [Page 40] were in thy body, & thou shouldest say as this woman, Blessed is the bodie which hath thee in it, nay would Christ say, Blessed is the heart which hath me in it. If Mary were no whit better for hauing Christ in her armes, nor for hauing him in her bodie, how much better art thou, for hauing him in thy bellie, where thou canst not see him?Note. Must the Sunne needes come to vs, or else cannot his he [...] and light profite vs, nay, it doth vs more good, because it is so farre off: so this Sunne is gone from vs, that he might giue more light vnto vs, which made him say,Iohn. 16. 7. It is good for you that I go frō you; therfore away with this carnall eating of spiritual things.Prou. 31. 29. Many daugh­ters haue done vertuously, but thou (saith Salomon surpassest thē all. So, many here­ticks haue spokē absurdly, but this sur­passeth thē all, that Christ must be ap­plied like Phisicke, as though his bloud could not profit vs, vnles we did drinke it, and swallow it as a potion. Is this the Papistes vnion with Christ? Is this the manner whereby we are made one flesh [Page 41] with Christ, to eate his flesh? Nay, when he tooke our flesh vnto him, and was made man, then we were vnited to him in the flesh and not now. Christ tooke our flesh, we take not his flesh, but be­leeue that he tooke ours, therfore if you would know whither Christes body be in the Sacrament,A way to know whi­ther Christs body be in the Sacra­ment. I say vnto you as Christ sayd vnto Thomas, touch, feele, and see. In visible things, God hath ap­pointed our eyes to be iudges, for as the spirite discerneth spirituall obiectes,Iohn. 20. 27. so sense discerneth of sensible obiectes. As Christ taught Thomas to iudge of his body, so may we & so should they: ther­fore if you cānot see his body, nor feele his body, you may gather by Christ saying to Thomas, that he would not haue you beleeue that it is his bodie, for my body (saith Christ) may be seene, & felt. And thus Trāsubstātiatiō is foūd a lyer.

Now if you aske me,Why Christ calleth the bread his bodie. why Christ cal­leth the signe by the name of the thing it selfe I aske thee agayne. Mayst thou say▪ when thou seest the picture of the Queene, this is the Queene, and when [Page 42] thou seest the picture of a Lyō, this is a Lyon: and may not Christ say when he seeth a thing like his bodie, This is my bodie?

I shewed you before, that euerie Sa­crament is called by the name of the thing which it doth signifie, and there­fore why should we stūble at this, more thā the rest? The reason why the signes haue the name of the things, is to strike a deeper reuerence in vs to receiue this Sacrament of Christ reuerentlie, since­relie, and holilie, as if Christ were there present in bodie and bloud himselfe. And surelie, as he which defaceth the Queenes Seale, is cōuicted of contempt and treason to her owne person; so he which prophaneth these Seales of Christ, doth not worship Christ, but despise him, and that contempt shall be required of him, as if he had contem­ned Christ him selfe. This is the reason, why Christ calleth the signes of his bo­dy, his body, to make vs take this Sacra­ment reuerentlie, because we are apt to cōtēne it, as the Iewes did their Manna.

[Page 43] It followeth,Vers. 24. Do this in remembrance of me, that is, these signes shal be a remē ­braunce of my death: when you breake the bread you shal remember the woū ­ding of my body; and when you drinke the wine, you shall remember the shed­ding of my bloud. If we must do this in remembraunce of Christs body, which was broken like the bread, it is an argu­ment that his bodie is not there, because remembraunce is not of things present, but of things absent; we remember not, but we see that which is before vs. This might put the Papists in remembrance that Christ is not sacrificed now, when we do but remember his sacrifice: this is not Christes sacrifice, but a remem­braunce of his sacrifice; he was sacrifi­ced before, and now it is applied, least his sacrifice should be in vayne.If Christes bodie were in the Sa­crament, it were not a Sacrament but a sacri­fice. This was done once reallie, when he offered himself vpō the Crosse, therfore that of­fering was called a sacrifice, because he was sacrificed indeed; but this offering is called a Sacrament, because it is but a signe of his sacrifice. If Christ in this [Page 44] Sacrament were offered indeed, then it should be called a sacrifice as his once offering was: but because it is but a re­membrance of his sacrifice, therfore it is called a [...] This is not a sacrifice of Christ, but a sacrifice of our selues. Least we should take it to be a sacrifice of Christ, Christ himselfe calleth it a re­membrance of his sacrifice, Do this in my remembraunce. Here is our worke; as Christ hath done, so must we doe, so we minister, and so you receiue we can giue you nothing but that which we haue receiued from him, as Paule saith. Therfore if Christ did not giue his mortall body which stood before them, and could not profit them, nor his glorified body, which was not glorified thē, and when it was glorified ascended vp vnto heauen, and there abideth, how cā these iugling Priestes make their God again which made them? They can no more turne wine into bloud, and bread into flesh, than they can commaund a Gnat to become a Cammell: for it is a greater worke to make God, than to make the [Page 45] world.Mat. 24. 23. Therefore as Christ saith, When they tell you, here is Christ, and there is Christ, beleeue them not: So when they tell you that Christ is in heauen, and that Christ is in earth, in this place and that place, beleeue them not: for E­lias ascention was a figure of Christs as­cention,2. King. 2. 17. when Elias was ascended, yet some sought for his bodie vpō earth: so though Christ be ascended, yet many seeke his body vpon earth: but as they could not finde Elias body, so these can not finde Christes bodie, although they haue sought 300. yeares. But if his bo­die were vpon earth, as they say, should we handle it and touch it, now it is glo­rified? After his resurrection he sayd to Marie, Iohn. 20. 17. Touch me not, because his bodie was glorified, that is, not to be tou­ched with fingers any more, but with faith. Therefore we read of none which touched his bodie after it was risen, but onelie Thomas, to settle his faith. Thus you see we need to suborne no wit­nesses; for euery word in this text which they alledge for Trāsubstantiatiō, doth [Page 46] make against Trāsubstantiatiō, where­by if Antichrist doth signifie thē which are against Christ, you see who may be called Antichrist. There is no question in Poperie (except Purgatorie the Po­pes Publicā & tasker) about which the Papists are at such ciuill warres among themselues, as about this transubstātia­tiō. They cannot tell whē the chāge be­ginneth, nor what manner of chāge it is, nor how lōg the chāge continueth, som hang one way, & some another, like the Midianites which fought one against another.Iudg. 7. 22. And no maruaile though their consciēces stagger about it: for to shew you the right father of it, it was one of the dreames of Innocentius the 3. in the yeare of our Lord▪ 1215.A monster of his age. so many yeares passed before Trāsubstātiation was na­med, & thē a Pope set it first on foote so it came out of Rome the grādame of all heresies, and for wāt of Scriptures, hath been defended with fire, and sword, and swallowed moe Martirs, than all the gulfes of the Papall sea beside.

Now, when the doctrines of men go [Page 47] for Scripture,Eight absur­dities which follow Trā ­substantia­tion. you shall see how many errours rush into the Church: for graūt but this to Innocentius, as the Papists do, that the bread and wine are changed in­to Christes body. First, it will follow,1 that Christs body is not ascended vp to heauen, because it remaineth vpō earth, and so one of the Articles of our fayth shall be falsified,Acts. 19. 11. which saith, He is ascē ­ded into heauē or if he be ascēded, & de­scended agayne, another Article will be falsified,Rom. 8. 34. which saith, that he sitteth at the right hand of his Father, Acts. 3. 21. that is as Peter saith, he abideth in heauen. Secondly, it 2 will follow, that Christ hath not a true body, but a fantasticall body, because it may be in many places at one time: for if his body be in the Sacramēt, he must needes haue so many bodies as there be Sacraments; nay, he must haue so many bodies as there be bits in euerie Sacra­mēt. Thirdly, it will follow, that his bo­die 3 is diuided from his soule, and conse­quētly is a dead bodie, because the bread is onely changed into body, and not into his soule. Fourthly, at will follow,4 [Page 48] that the wicked and prophane, and re­probate, may receiue Christ as well as the godly, because they haue a mouth 5 to eate as well as the best. Fiftly, it will follow,Heb. 9. 28. & 10. 12. that Christs sacrifice once for all was not sufficient, because we must sacrifice him againe, and breake his bo­die & shed his bloud, as the Iewes cru­cified 6 him vpon the Crosse. Sixtly, it will follow, that the bread being tur­ned into the body of our redeemer, hath a part of our redemption as well as 7 Christ. Seauenthly, it will follow, that Christ did eate his owne bodie: for all the Fathers say that he did eat the same bread which he gaue to his Disciples. 8 Lastly, it will follow, that a Massing Priest shalbe the creator of his creator, because he makes him which made him: all these absurdities are hatched of Transubstantiation.

Thus when men deuise articles of their owne, while they strike vpon the handuill, the sparkes flie in their face; & they are like the man which began to build and could not finish it. When I [Page 49] see the Papist in so many absurdities for intertaining one error, me thinks he seemeth like a Collier which is grimed with his owne coales. Therefore as in manners we should think of Peters say­ing,Act. 5. 29. Whether is it meete to obey God or men? So in doctrines we should thinke, whether it be meete to beleeue God or men. Thus you haue heard the author of this Sacrament,Conclusion. the Lord Iesus; the time when it was instituted, in the night that he was betraied; the manner how it was instituted, after thanks giuing; the end why it was instituted for a remem­brance of his death; and the discouery of Transubstantiation, one of the last he­resies which Babylō hatched. Now they which haue been Patrons of it before, should do like the father and mother of an Idolatrer,Deut. 13. 6. & 9. that is, lay the first hand vpon him to shorten his life. Thus I end. Thinke what account ye shall giue of that ye haue heard.

HEre I am to speake of the second seruice (as it were) at the Lordes Table, and of that preparatiō which is like the Wedding gar­ment, that euerie man must bring vnto this banquet. These wordes are diuerslie repeated of the E­uangelistes. Here it is said, This Cup is the New Testament in my bloud. Mat. 26. 28. In Ma­thew and in Marke, Mar. 14. 24. it is sayd. This Cup is my bloud of the New Testament. This is the first mētion which Christ makes of a Testament, as though now his promises deserued the name of a Testa­ment, because the seale is set vnto them, which before this Sacrament was not sealed, but like a bare writing, with­out a signet. This word Testament, doth implie a promise, and therefore teacheth vs, that the Sacrament doth cōfirme and strēgthen, and nourish our [Page 52] fayth, because it sealeth the promise which we should beleeue.

Here is to be noted, that Christ doth not onely speake of a Testament but he calleth it a New Testamēt, which words neuer met together before, as though the Law were for the old man to mor­tifie him, and the Gospell for the new man to comfort him agayne: or, as if the old Testament had so washt her face, and chaunged her apparell at Christes comming, that one would not thinke it the same, but a New Testament, be­cause euē now she was shadowed with a thousand Ceremonies, & now they are gone from her, like a myst at the Sunne rising.Iohn. 13. 34. As Christ calleth loue a New Commaundement, because he renewed it like a Law worne out of memorie, so he calleth the promise of saluati­on a New Testament. Because as it was renewed to Sem, and after re­newed to Abraham, and after renewed to Dauid, so now he renewed it agayne: which should bee alwaye new and fresh vnto vs. Euerie Testament is con­firmed [Page 53] with bloud; the old Testament was confirmed by the bloud of Goats,Heb. 9. 18. and Bullockes, and Rammes, but the New Testament is confirmed by the bloud of Christ,Mat. 26. 28. My bloud (saith Christ) is the bloud of the New Testament: nay This Cup (sayth Christ) is the New Te­stament. Luke. 22. 20. You may see thē that they may gather as well out of Christes wordes, that the Cup is the New Testament, as that the Wine is his bloud. For Christ sayth, This Cup is the New Testament, as well as he sayth, This Wine is my bloud, or This bread is my body. Beside, when Christ speakes of a New Testa­ment,Heb. 8. 13. he implieth, that the old Testa­ment is fulfilled, the Sacrifices, and Ce­remonies of the Law, did signifie Christ before he came, therefore they are ful­filled in his comming, no mo Sacrifices, no moFor types and figures. Ceremonies, for the truth is come. Sacrifices and Ceremonies are ho­norably buried with the Priesthood of Aaron, let them rest, it is not lawfull to violate the Sepulchers of the dead, and take their bodies out of the earth, [Page 54] as the Witch would raise Samuell out of his graue.1. Sam. 28. 14. Therfore they which retaine Ceremonies, which should be abroga­ted, reliques of Iudaisme, or reliques of Papisme, may be said to violate the se­pulchers of the dead, and disturbe the deceased, like the Witch, which presu­med to raise Samuell out of his graue.

This Testament is called a Testa­ment in bloud, because the Testament and will of a man is cōfirmed, when the man is dead; so Christ cōfirmed his Te­stament by his death. Moses saith, that life is in the bloud, Leuit. 17. 11. so the bloud of Christ is the life of this Testament. If Christes bloud had not been shed, this Testa­ment made vnto vs had been vnprofita­ble, as the Testamēt of a Father is to his Sonne, if the Father should not dye but liue.Heb. 9. 22. Therefore the Apostle sayth, with­out shedding of bloud there is no re­mission of sinnes. Therfore the Testa­ment or couenaunt of the remission of our sinnes, is called the Testament in bloud; the bloud of Christ is the seale of the Testament, which we haue to [Page 55] shew vnto God for the remission of our sinnes, and the two Sacraments are a feale of that bloud, to witnes that it was shed.

Againe, this is a matter regarded in Testaments and Willes; to the Testa­ment of him that is dead, no man ad­deth or detracteth, but as the Testator made it, so it standeth without altera­tion: so should this Testamēt of Christ, and this Sacrament of Christ,Deut. 4. 2. no man should alter it now he is dead:Reuel. 22. 18. for hee which addeth or detracteth hath a curse in Gods booke. Therefore Christ when he instituted this Sacrament, comman­ded, do this, that is, do as I do, least they should swarue one whit from his owne manner: yet how many gaudes haue the Papists added to it, that he which had heard Christ say, Do this in remem­brance of me, and should see how they handle the matter in their Masse, could see nothing to remember Christ by,The popish receiuing vnder one kind confu­ted. but a vaile to hide Christ from him. Ther­fore this commandement was repeated againe when he gaue the wine, Do this, [Page 56] &c. as he commanded them to eate the bread in remembrance of him, so he commandeth them to drinke the wine in remembrance of him: nay, he speaks more precisely of the wine than of the bread;Matth. 26. 27. for he saith of the wine, Drinke you all of this, which he saith not of the bread. Surely Christ did foresee that some proud Heretiks would do other­wise after him, euen as it is come to passe: for the Papist doth breake this Commandement of Christ, as flatly as Saul brake the commandement of Sa­muel. 1. Sam. 15. 9. Samuel commanded him to kill the fat & the leane: Saul killed the lean, but not the fat; so Christ commandeth to receiue bread and wine, they teach to receiue bread, but not wine: Christ saith, Drinke you all of this, they say drink not all of this: Christ gaue the bread and wine to all, they giue the bread to all, & the wine to some: their Priests receiue all, but the people must content them­selues with halfe: the Priest eates and drinks, but the people must not drinke for spilling on their cloathes. Is this the [Page 57] Church which cannot erre? Doe they think to hemme Christ in their Masse, and shut his ordinance out of their Masse?Matth. 27. 35. The Souldiers diuided Christes coate, but these diuide his bodie, and se­parate the bread & wine which Christ hath ioyned. Paul speaketh of here­tikes which taught,Colos. 2. 21. Touch not, tast not, handle not: so these say, touch not, tast not, handle not, when they should say, Touch,How the Po­pish Priestes do iniure the people. and tast, and handle, Of all He­resies either old or new, there is none so iniurious to the common people, as the pasture of shauelings Poperie, for they may not reade the scriptures; they 1 may not come to Councels; they may 2 not examine that which is taught thē; 3 they may not be buried without a mor­tuarie; 4 they may not drinke at the Cō ­munion,5 as though their Priestes were their Lords. Therefore we may say as a Heathen did, There is no charitie in the Papists Sacrament, Act. 5. 2. because like Anantas, the Priestes keepe backe that which they should distribute, & mangle the Sacrifice as though Ely his Sonnes had [Page 58] left their hooke to the Massing Friers. Thus that yee may know who succeed the Pharisies,1. Sam. 2. 13. they haue fulfilled that which the Pharisies did, that is, By their owne Commandements they haue made the Commandement of God of no effect. Mar. 7. 13. For whereas the purpose of Christ was to tye our faith wholly to himselfe, that we should not seek for any thing with­out him, knowing that the maintenāce of this life hath need both of meat and drinke, to teach vs that all sufficiencie is in himselfe, by bread and wine he sheweth, that he is in stead both of meat and drinke, that is, in stead of al: which signification is taken away where the wine is not giuen as well as the bread. Therefore as it is said of a horrible and odious crime,Iudg. 19. 30. Consider the matter and giue sentence: so I wish all to consider this Innouation, and giue sentence of it. Can there be any clearer contradicti­on to the Word, or bolder checke to Christ, than when he saith, Drinke you all of this: to say; drinke not all of this? It is euen as when God said,Gen. 2. 17. Ye shal die, [Page 59] the diuell said, yee shall not die. Shall we go now to a Counsell, or a Father, or a Doctor to inquire whether this do­ctrine be like Christ doctrine? I do ve­rely thinke that none here is so simple but that he seeth, that if any thing can be contrarie to Christs speech, this is contrarie to it. But this is onely their detraction from the Sacrament.

Now you shall heare their additions to the Sacrament, looke vpon their ve­stures, and their gestures, and their Al­tars, and their pix, and their incense, & their beckes, and their nods, and their turnings, all this is more then Christ did, and therefore the Prophet may say againe,Esai. 1. 12. Who hath required this of you? Did Christ commaund you to do more then he did, and not do as he did? Ther­fore let them which haue eyes to see, be thankfull for their light, when they heare how blind they were, whom God gaue ouer to be seduced.

The fruit of this Sacrament is noted in these words,Vers. 24. Which is broken for you, which is shed for you, that is (as Matthew [Page 60] interpreteth) shed for the remission of sinnes. Matth. 26. 28. As al was made for vs,Gen. 1. so al which Christ spake, he spake for vs, and all which Christ did,2. Cor. 4. 15. he did for vs, and all which Christ suffered, he suffered for vs, that the sinnes of men might be for­giuen, and yet so few apprehend this benefite, that the way to heauen is cal­led a narrow way, Matth. 7. 13. as though all these pains did ransome but a smal number, and certaine order of men. All are not saued by Christ death, but all which are saued, are saued by Christs death: his death is sufficient to saue all, as the sun is sufficient to lighten all: but if anie man winke, the Sunne will not giue him light: so, if any man contemne, & will not receiue, Christ will not thrust him into Heauen, but euerie man shall haue that which he chooseth (as Dauid saith) Blessing to him that loueth blessing, Psal. 119. 17. and cursing to him which loueth cursing. There wants not a hand to giue, but a hand to take. I would (saith Christ) but you would not. Matth. 23. 37. Stretch forth thy hand, and here is Christes hand, which takes [...] [Page 63] make thee quake and tremble if thou shouldst see but another so dismēbred before thy face? Thou hast no comfort now but this, when I haue suffered I shall be free; before to morrow at this time all my paine will be past, though my shame continue and my children be beggers. What grace, what fauour, what mercie, now, to pardon thee all this, and saue thy life, and set thee at libertie, as though thou haddest neuer offended? So I and thou, and euery one here had committed reason against the King of Kings, and stood condem­ned for it, not to suffer and then to be free, like them which breake the lawes of men, but to suffer and suffer, and e­uer to suffer all that the diuels would heape vpon vs. Then came the mercie of GOD for Christ which shed his blood, like an vmpire betweene God and vs, and said as Esaiah said to Heze­kiah, His wordes are not so, but the effect of his words. 2. King. 20. 5. Luk. 7. 15. Thou shalt not die but liue, loose him, let him go, for he is mine. So we were stayed like the widdowes sonne when hee was carried to his graue. [Page 64] This is the benefite of Christs death, and this Sacrament is the remembrance of it, and therefore whensoeuer we re­ceiue it, this addition commeth with it, which is shed for the remission of sinnes: Matth. 26. 28. our fault was so hainous and grieuous, that no ransome could counteruaile it, vnlesse GOD himselfe had suffered for vs. Being in this extremitie, nei­ther man, nor Angel offered his life for vs, but the Prince himself, which shold haue crucified vs, came to be crucified of vs, for vs, that we might say with stedfast faith,The merci­full Article. I beleeue the remission of sinnes, not the satisfaction of sinnes, but the remission of sinnes. Marke this di­stinction against Popish merites of works, or penance, Christ hath satisfied and not we; we are remitted and not Christ: therfore we say in our Confes­sion, I beleeue the remission of sins, which I may call the merciful Article, because it is the quintessence and sweetnesse of all the twelue. Therefore who but An­tichrist durst depraue it? If there be a satisfaction for our sins by our works, [Page 65] or by our Pilgrimages, or by our Mas­ses, or by our penance, let Christ neuer be called a forgiuer, but an exchanger like the Pope, which selleth his par­dons. Wretched creatures which will not receiue the Lord when he comes to their dore.Reuel. 21. 6. Christ saith, take for nothing and they say no, we will not take, but buy. Vile base miserable men disdaine to take grace of God without satisfa­ction, but they wil cope with the Lord, & giue him so manie Pilgrimages, fast so many dayes, heare so many Masses, & pay so many works for it, vntill they haue done as much good as they haue done euill. Our sinnes are infinite, and God is infinite, but our workes are finite, in number and measure, how can they answere then to that which ex­ceedeth number and measure? There­fore be content with Iosephs brethrē to take your money again, & say that you haue corne for nothing,Gen. 42. 25. that is, you are saued for nothing, or else when you say, I beleeue the remission of sinnes, you lie vnto God, because you do not beleeue [Page 66] the remission of sinnes, but satisfaction for sinnes, like the Papists.

It followeth,Verse. 26. As often as yee shall eate this bread, and drink this cup, ye shall shew the Lords death till he come. Here are three inuincible argumēts against Po­pish Transubstantiation,Three argu­mēts against Transubstā ­tiatiō in one verse. like the three witnesses vnder which euerie worde doth stād First we are said to eat bread; then it is not flesh but bread.Deut. 17. 6. Secondly, we are said to shew the Lords death; then it is but a shew or representation of his death. Thirdly, it is said, vntill he come; if he be to come, then he is not come; if he be come, how can we say, vntill he come. The effect of this verse was shewed in these words, Doe this in re­membrance of me: for to say, Do this in remembrance of me, and to say, so oft as you do this, you shew my death, is much at one: so that if you call this Sacrament a shew of Christes death, as it is called here, then it is not Christ, or if you call it a remembrance of Christ, as it is cal­led there, yet it is not Christ, but a shew, or remembrance of Christ: but this is [Page 67] such a shew, and remembrance, that the next verse saith,Verse. 27. Whosoeuer receiueth it vnworthely, is guiltie of the bodie & bloud of Christ.

Will yee know who receiueth vn­worthily:What it is to receiue vnworthyly. In verse 29. Paul saith, he dis­cerneth not the Lords bodie: that is, which putteth no difference betweene this bread and other, but eateth like a child, the meat which he knoweth not: and after the bread seemeth stones to him, and the wine poyson, because his conscience telleth him, I haue receiued vnworthily, before I could say like Da­uid, Iohn. 10. 27. My heart is prepared. My sheep (saith Christ) know my voice: as they discerne Christs words, so they discerne Christs bodie, and therefore so often as they come to the Lords Table, they seeme to come into the Lords presence: there they greete and kisse and imbrace one another with affections, which none cā know,Luk. 1. 41. but they that feele, like Iohn, which leaped in the wombe, so soone as Christ came neare him?

Will ye know beside, what it is to be [Page 68] guiltie of the bodie & bloud of Christ?How recei­uers may be guiltie of Christes death. euen as Iudas was guiltie for betray­ing him, and Pilate for deliuering him, and the Iewes for crucifying him; so they are guiltie which receiue this Sa­crament vnworthily,Mar. 14. 44. as Pilate and Cai­phas and Iudas were.Mark. 15. 15. If they be guiltie of Christs death,Mark. 15. 25. they are guilty of their owne death to, as if they had commit­ted two murthers: and therefore Paul saith after,Vers. 30. that many of the Corinthi­ans died onely for the vnworthy recei­uing of this Sacrament. As the word is the sauour of death to them which re­ceiue it vnworthily, so the Sacrament is the sauour of death to thē which receiue it vnworthily:1. Cor. 2. 16. it neuer goeth into their mouth, but they are Traitors ipso facto, and may say to Hell, this day I haue ta­ken possession of thee, because I am guiltie of Christs bloud. Therefore it followeth immediatly,How we should be prepared be­fore we cōe to the Lords Table. Let a man exa­mine himselfe before he eate of this bread, or drinke of this wine, as if he should say, if he which receiueth this Sacramēt vn­worthily, be guiltie of Christes death, [Page 69] like Iudas which hanged himselfe: if these signes be receiued to saluation or damnation like the word, the next les­son is, to examine your selues before you receiue, least you receiue like the sonne of perditiō,Ioh. 13. 27. which swallowed the bread and the diuel togither. Therfore, Let a man examine himselfe, and so let him eate: that is, let him examine first, & re­ceiue after:1. Sam. 9. 13. for if we should receiue the bread of the earth reuerētly, how shold we receiue the bread of heauen? When Iehonadab came to Iehu his chariot, he said,2. King. 10. 15. Is thy heart vpright as my heart is toward thee? So when we come to the Lords Table, he would haue our hearts vpright to him, as his heart is to vs, for who feasteth his enimies and mockers? The golden Ring sitteth highest at our table,Iames. 2. 2. but the wedding garment sitteth highest at this Table. It is safer eating with vnwashen hands, than with an vnwashen hart. The Iewes were taught to choose the Lambe of the Passeouer on the tenth day of the first moneth, in which moneth they cāe out of Egypt: & [Page 70] on the fourteenth day after,Exod. 12. 3. & 6. they were taught to eate him, so they had foure dayes respit betweene the choosing, and the killing, to prepare and sanctifie thēselues for the Passeouer, which was a signe of the Lords Supper. This ad­monished them, that the matter now to be performed, was verie waightie, and therfore they were deepely to consider it, for now was the action, & summe of all saluatiō in handling: if they did pre­pare themselues so before they did re­ceiue the figure of this Sacrament, how shold we be prepared before we receiue the Sacramēt it selfe? Therfore as Iosiah commanded the Leuites to prepare the people:12. Chro. 35. 6. so Paul aduiseth the people to prepare themselues, that is, to examine whether they haue faith, and loue, & re­pentāce, before they come to this feast. By this al may see, first that Paul would haue euerie lay man so skilfull in the scripture,Al are bound to know the Scriptures. that he be able to examine himself by it; for this admonition is not to thē which minister the sacramēt, but to al which receiue the sacrament. And [Page 71] the rule by which we must examine ourselues, is the law which we should obey: therfore if the rule be vnknowne, the examination must be vndone. Our doctrine must be examined by the do­ctrine of the Prophets and Apostles;Act. 17. 11. our prayers must be examined by the sixe petitions of Christs prayer;Note. our be­leefe must be examined by the 12. Ar­ticles of faith; our life must be exami­ned by the ten Cōmaundements of the Law.Exod. 20. 1. &c. Now, he which hath his Touch­stone may trie gold from copper, but he which hath it not, takes one for the o­ther.2. Cor. 13. 5. Therfore, before Paules Examine, you had need to learne Christs Search, Iohn. 5. 39. Search the Scriptures and they wil ligh­ten you to search your selues. This is the doctrine with which I will end, and the necessarie point for which I chuse this text, to teach you (if I could) that Chri­stian Arte how to examine your selues.

Let a man examine himselfe before he eate. Vers. 28. Here is first an examination.The diuisiō. Se­condly, an examination of our selues, Thirdlie, an examination before we [Page 72] come to the Sacrament. Touching the first, here Paule sayth, Examine your sel­ues, but in 2. Cor. 13. he doubleth his charge, Prooue your selues, and agayne at next word, Examine your selues; as if he should say, this worke must be done when it is done, because it is neuer throughlie done, and therefore we must double our examination, as Paule dou­bleth his coūsell. If a mā suspect his ene­mie, he will trie him with a question, if that will not search him, he will put forth another; if that be spied, he will moue another, like one which putteth diuers keyes into a locke vntill it open. So he which examineth, must try and try, proue and proue, search and search, for the Angell of darknesse is like an Angell of light,2. Cor. 11. 14. and we haue no way to discouer him,1. Iohn. 4. 1. but that of Iohn, Trie the spirites. God examineth with tri­als, the deuill examineth with temp­tations, the world examineth with persecutiōs: we which are thus exami­ned, had need to examine to. If any mā skill not what Examining meaneth, the [Page 73] verie word. Examine, is so pregnant, that it prompteth vs how we should examine; for it signifieth to put our selues vnto the Touch-stone, as if we would trie Gold from Copper. Ther­fore one saith, that Examination is the eye of the soule,A descriptiō of true exa­mination. whereby she seeth her selfe, and her safetie, and her danger, and her way which she walketh, and her pace which she holdeth, and the end to which she tendeth: she lookes into her glasse, and spieth euerie spot in her face, how all her graces are stayned, then she takes the water of life, and washeth her blots away. After, she lookes agayne, and beholdeth all her giftes, her faith, feare, loue, patience, meekenesse, and marketh how euerie one doth florish, or wither. If they fade and decay; that she feeleth a consump­tion, then she taketh preseruatiues, and restoratiues of prayer, and counsell, and repentance, before the sicknesse grow: thus euery day she letteth downe a buc­ket into her heart, to see what water it bringeth vp, least she should corrupt [Page 74] within, and perish sodenly.

To heare, and read, pray, and fast, and communicate, is a worke of many, but to examine those workes, is the fashion of few,Iere. 8. 6. and therfore Ieremie cōplaineth, No man sayth, what haue I done? as if he should say, no mā examineth himselfe: and therfore in all the Scripture it is said but of one,Iob. 9. 28. that he feared all his workes, as though he durst not thinke, nor speake, nor do any thing before he had exami­ned what it was, from whence it came, and whether it went:Mat. 13. 44. so the more preci­ous treasure is deeper hid in the groūd.

The second point is,1. Thess. 5. 21. to Examine our selues, Paule saith, Trie all things, much more should we trie our selues. The good sower doth sow his own ground,Mat. 13. 25. but the bad sower doth sow another mans ground, as the deuill did. The Di­sciples of Christ said,Mat. 26. 22. Master, is it I? not Master, is it he? The Disciples of Iohn asked,Luke. 3. 10. Master, what shall we do? not Ma­ster, what shall they do? we must obey some, and heare others, and admonish others, & loue all, but examine our sel­ues. [Page 75] That which we applie vnto others, the Apostle applieth vnto our selues; for when we speake of an examiner, we intend one which examineth other: when we speake of an accuser, we intēd one which accuseth other: when we speake of a Iudge, we meane one which iudgeth others, but the Scripture crieth, Examine thy selfe, 1. Cor. 11. 13. accuse thy selfe, iudge thy selfe, that is, be not curious to search a mote in thy brothers eye,Mat. 7. 3. but pull out the beame which is in thy owne eye. This doth shew that they which sit in Gods chaire to iudge others, common­ly haue greater faults themselues, than they whom they vse to iudge: and ther­fore Christ calleth their fault a beame, and the others a mote.Psal. 4. 4. This made Da­uid say, Examine thy heart, thy heart is thy owne heart, therefore thou must examine whether thou pray, whether thou watch, whether thou fast; and not whether he pray, whether he watch, as the Pharisie examined the Publica,Luke. 18. 11. least thou haue Peters checke: when he exa­mined what Iohn should do, Christ said, [Page 76] What is that to thee? Iohn. 21. 22. follow thou me. Thou art a priuate man, and hast a pri­uate examination, therfore let thy que­stion be, What haue I done? and make thy Anatomie of thy selfe.

See beloued, we may not beleeue our selues before we haue examined our sel­ues: for we are false hearted; and the no­tablest cosiner that deceiueth most, for one time that he deceiueth others, ten times deceiueth himselfe. Because the flesh is a wylie seruaunt, and will lye like Gehezi to his own master,2. King. 5. 25. and face him that it hath not sinned, when it cō ­meth from sinne:2. King. 5. 26. therefore as Elisha ex­amined his seruāt, so the soule must ex­amine her seruant, that is, man must be ielous of himselfe, and take himselfe for a lyer, for a flatterer, for a dissembler, vntill he be throughly acquainted with himselfe: for no mā is so often beguiled, as by himselfe, by trusting his double heart, and taking his owne word with­out further triall. If Paule had bid vs examine others,Luke. 22. 31. we would haue sifted thē like Sathan Sathā hath desired to fift [Page 77] thee, saith Christ to Peter, so we haue a desire to sift others: euen Peter which was sifted of Sathan, longed to sift Iohn, and know what he should do, before he karkened to his owne charge. Therfore the helpe of examination is a needfull preseruatiue, although we were as soūd as Peter. They which are suspected of crime do not examine thēselues, but are examined of others, least they should be partiall: but a Christian must exa­mine himselfe of his crime, and be his own iudge, his own accuser, & his own condemner: for no man knoweth the spirit of man but the spirite which is in man,1. Cor. 2. 11. which will condemne him if he be guiltie, and tell him all that he hath done, and with what minde he did it, & what he deserueth for it. This is the pri­uate araignement, or close Sessions, when Conscience sits in her chaire to examine, and accuse, and iudge, and condemne her selfe, because she will not be condemned of God.

Thus holie men haue kept their Ses­sions at home, and made their hearts [Page 78] the foreman of the Iury, and examined themselues as we examine others, the feare of the Lord stood at the doore of their soules, to examine euery thought before it went in, and at the doore of their lips, to examine euery word be­fore it went out, whereby they escaped a thousand sinnes which we commit, as though we had no other worke. So thou shouldest sit in iudgement of thy selfe, and call thy thoughtes, and speaches & actions to giue in euidēce against thee, whether thou be a Christian, or an Infi­dell, a sonne or a bastard, a seruaunt or a rebell, a Protestant or an hypocrit; if thou finde not faith, nor feare, nor loue, nor zeale, when thou examinest thy selfe, let no man make thee beleeue that thou art holy, that thou art sanctified, that thou art a Christian, that thou art a beleeuer, that thou art a Gospeller, be­cause thou art worse than thou seemest thy selfe; for euery man is partiall to himselfe when he is most hūbled. Ther­fore if my heart tell me that I do loue God, whom shall I beleeue before my [Page 79] selfe?Prou. 25. 3. As Salomon faith, No man cā search the heart of the king: so Paule saith; No man knoweth the spirite of any man, 1. Cor. 2. 11. but the spirite which is in man, that is, no mā feeleth the heart of man so well as him self. And yet himselfe, although he haue liued with it euer since he was borne, doth not know his owne heart vnlesse he examine it narrowly, no more than he knoweth his owne bones, or his vaines, or his sinewes, or his arteries, or his muskles, how many are in his body, or where they lye, or what they do. This seemes straunge that a man should not know his owne heart, yet it is true that the best of vs al doth not know his own heart, though he haue dwelt with it frō his mothers wombe. For Christ saith to his disciples,Luke. 9. 55. euen to his disciples, You know not of what spirite you are, that is, you think better of your selues thā you are, and know not what the clocke stri­keth within. There is a zeale without knowledge, and there is a knowledge without zeale; there is a faith without obedience, and there is an obedience without fayth; there is a loue without [Page 80] feare, and there is a feare with loue, and both are hypocrites. Therefore as Dalilah searched where Sampsons strength lay,Iudg. 16. 6. so let euery man search where his weakenesse lyeth, and alway be filling the emptie gap.

3 Now this examination must go be­fore vs to the Sacrament. Euerie meate worketh according as it is digested, & this meate worketh according as it is receiued. Therefore when Christ had taught what we should doe in recei­uing the Sacrament, now Paule shew­eth what we should doe before we re­ceiue the Sacrament, Let a man exa­mine himself. But some will come before they examine themselues, and therfore as the Priestes of the Law, had authori­tie to put by lame and blind sacrifices, so the Ministers of the Gospell haue power to put by lame and blind recei­uers, and he which doth not so, giueth a sword into their hands to kill them sel­ues. If the Pastor would vse this exami­nation duely, it were the onely way to make euery one examine himselfe, least he be put by like Non proficients. As [Page 81] liphtah discerned the Ephramites, be­cause whē they should pronoūce Shib­boleth, they pronounced Sibboleth: so all which cannot pronounce Christ, that is giue a reason of their faith, are to be thrust from this Table.

There is hearing,Luke. 8. 18. and a prepara­tiue before hearing. There is a pray­ing, and a preparatiue before praying. There is a receauing,Eccle. 4. 17. and a preparatiue before receauing; which if it be wan­ting, the receauer receaueth vncom­fortablie, the prayer prayeth idlie, the hearer heareth vnfruitefullie, like those which eate before hunger, and drinke before thirst.

This preparatiue before hearing and praying, and receiuing, doth signifie, that there is a kinde of Phisicke in these three, for preparatiues are ministre [...] [...] wayes before Phisick, & as the prepa [...] tiue which goeth before, maketh way to the Phisicke, or else it would doe no good, but hurt: so vnlesse examination go before the Sacramēt, we seale vp the threatnings which are written against vs, in stead of the promises which are [Page 82] made vnto vs, for the Sacramēt is a seale, and therfore sealeth good or euill, as e­uerie other seale doth.

The preparatiue before we receiue, is to Examine. Luke. 1. 76. As Iohn was the forerun­ner of Christ,The second examinatiō. so examinatiō is the fore­runner of the Sacrament, like the har­binger, which rideth before to prepare the rowme.Iob. 1. 5. For, if Iob commanded his sonnes to sanctifie thēselues before they did come to his sacrifice, how should we sanctifie our selues before we come to Christes Sacrament, wherein we are commaunded to doe as the Lord him selfe did which instituted it? It is said, that the Chamber wherein Christ did institute this Sacrament,Luke. 22. 12. was trimmed; the Chamber wherein the Apostles re­ceiued this Sacrament was trimmed: If Iudas Chamber, his inner Chamber had bene trimmed so to, he had receiued this Sacrament with as much comfort as the other Disciples did: but because his heart was not trimmed, therefore he was the first which was condemned for the vnworthie receiuing of this Sacra­ment.Gene. 3. 6. Adam did not thinke that death [Page 83] had bene in an Apple, so you would not thinke that death should be in bread: but as a coale hath fire in it be­side the coale it selfe, which fire doth ei­ther warme or burne; so this meate hath another meate in it beside that which is seen, which doth either saue or destroy: therefore he which commeth to this spirituall meate, must examine whether hee haue a spirituall mouth, as well as a carnall mouth, or else he shall receiue no more than he seeth, and that which he seeth not shall destroy him.Mar. 2. 22. No man (saith Christ) putteth new wine into old vessels, least the vessels breake and the wine leake. This Wine is new Wine, therefore put it into new vessels, holy vessels, sanctified vessels, or else it will leake forth & breake the vessell, & thou shalt haue no more tast of it, than while the relish of bread is in thy mouth. When Christ commeth to our house, shall we not looke whether our Chamber be trimmed, as the Chamber was trimmed against his cōming to the Passe-ouer? But how shal we trimme it?

When a man takes an office, he exa­mineth [Page 84] his substaunce: when he takes a trade, he examineth his skill: when he goeth to fight, he examineth his strength, but these wants are no wants when he goeth to the Sacrament. Wilt thou know now vpon what articles thou must inquire at that time, that is, how thou shouldest examine thy selfe?

As some prayer may be at all times,1. Thess. 5. 16. and some reioycing may be at all times; so some examination is at all times. Thus Iob examined himselfe euerie day,Iob. 9. 28. nay, euery houre, because he scan­ned all that he did.

But there is a speciall examination before the Sacrament, because it is the bread which is receiued to saluation, or dānation;1. Cor. 11. 29. because it is the feast, to which whosoeuer commeth without his wed­ding garment,Mat. 22. 11. shalbe cast into vtter darknesse, because it is a seale which sea­leth a curse or a blessing. Therefore ha­uing obserued that examination is the necessariest lesson in Christianitie, and lesse knowne than other, I haue studied since my Sermō to lay downe three ex­aminations which you should vse at all [Page 85] times, and a speciall examination, for the Communicants Catechisme, which leadeth immediatly to the Sacramēt as a guest is handed to the Table. In the first examination I wil shew thee a rule how thou shalt trie others spirites, and how thou shalt trie thine owne.

Thou shalt trie straunge spirites by 1 their manner of speaking,The first ex­amination vpon the markes of true spirits & the false, in our selues or other. plainlie, or doubtfullie, boldlie, or fearefullie, ther­fore we read that the oracles of the hea­then had a double meaning, and that the false Prophets neuer spake boldlie, but where their patrons were readie to flesh them.1. King. 22. 11

By the proportion of faith: for eue­rie 2 heresie is contrarie to some article of our beliefe, as euerie sinne is against some of the ten Commandements.

By the euent of their speaches: for 3 they take not effect,Deut. 18. 22. as it is sayd in the 18. of Deut. and therefore they are called false Prophets.Mat. 7. 15.

By their fruits: for none of the false 4 Prophets were good men.Mat. 7. 16.

By their successe: for if they be not of 5 God, they will come to nought, as the [Page 86] Arians and Manichees and Pelagians are vanished, as if they had neuer bene, so time shall weare out euerie doctrine that is not truth. This is thy rule to trie others spirits.

1 Thou shalt trie thine owne spirit by the motions that it hath to good, or e­uill. For as a good stomach turneth all that it eates, into good nutrimēt, and a bad stomach turneth all that it eates in­to raw humors: so a good minde cōuer­teth all that it heareth, & all that it seeth, and all that it feeleth, vnto some profite, but a bad minde maketh a temptation of euery thing: therfore it is said, To the cleane all things are cleane, Rom. 14. 14. and so, to the vncleane nothing is cleane;Titus. 1. 15. that is, they defile themselues with euerie thing.

2 Secondly, by the first cause, or pre­paration which thou haddest vnto it, for whatsoeuer it be, thy thoughts will be where thou louest: to verifie that saying,Mat. 6. 21. Where a mans treasure is, there will be his heart, for lightlie, the be­ginning is a picture of the end, and the act is like the thought which set it a worke.

[Page 87] Thirdly, by the manner of thy con­solation 3 in it, whether it be of know­ledge, or ignorance, whether it be con­stant, or mutable, calme, or boysterous, simple, or mixt; for as a cleare fountain yeeldeth cleare streames, so a pure hart hath pure ioyes.

Fourthly, whether it bring to Christ,4 or take any thing from him to thy self, like al the parts of Popery, which man­gle his honour either to Angels, or to Saints, or to Pope, or to Images. If it a­bide all these questions, and draw thee not from any good, then thou maist say, it is from God, water the seede O Lord, which thou hast sowne. This is the fruite of thy first examination. In the second, by making thee discerne whether another be a Christian, I will teach thee to know whether thy selfe be a Christian, which that thou mayst reach to, obserue this directiō, and thou shalt see of what side thou art.The 2. exa­minatiō vpō the differen­ces between the wicked & the godly.

It must needes be, that they which walke to contrarie endes, should go di­uers wayes: therefore there be mo dif­ferences betweene the children of God, [Page 88] And the children of the world, than there be betweene men and beasts.

1 First, they are distinguished in Will: for the wicked striue to bring Gods wil to their will,Num. 22. 19. like Balaam, which when he had an answere, stayed for another: but the faithfull labour to bring their will to Gods will, like Christ, which said,Matth. 26. 39. not as I will, but as thou wilt.

2 They are distinguished in Faith. All men haue not faith (saith Paul) but the iust liue by faith: 2. Thess. 3. 2. as if he should say,Rom. 1. 17. the iust beleeue, and the vniust beleeue not. The iust beleeue, and applie that they beleeue to thēselues.Iam 2. 19. The wicked may beleeue like the diuels, but their faith is like a gadding hen, which carieth her eggs to other, & neuer layeth at home, so they beleeue that other shalbe saued, but not themselues.

3 They are distinguished in Hope, for because the wicked hope not for any mends of God, therefore they neuer de­fer their reward, but if they doe any good,Matth. 6. 2. they are trumpets of it thēselues, for fear it should not be blased inough, and therefore Christ said, that the Pha­rises [Page 89] had their reward alreadie, because they were boasters of their works;2. Tim. 3. 2. and if they doo no good but euill, yet they would be magnified as much for euill, as other are for good. But the faithful are likened to handmaides, Psal. 123. 2. which wait their reward,Matth. 6. 3. their left hand seeth not when their right hand doth well, and they are afraid to take honor of men, for losing their honour with God,Iohn. 1. 21. like Iohn Bap­tist; which made his vertues meaner than they were, and debased himselfe, when he might haue got a name aboue his Lord.

They are distinguished in obedience, 4 therefore Christ teacheth vs to iudge men by their fruites as an vnfallible rule:Matth. 7. 17. for the euill tree will bring forth euil fruit, and the good tree good fruit, and neither can change his propertie, although the euill fruite is sometimes beautiful, and the good fruit sometimes blasted. All slip, but in the wicked, one sin teacheth another, and in the faithful, one sinne preuenteth another.

They are distinguished in Repentance, 5 for the wicked do but weepe for their [Page 60] sinnes past, but the godly purpose to sinne no more:Exod. 10. 16. so Pharaoh, Saul, and Iu­das said,1. Sam. 15. 30. I haue sinned, but Shadrach, Meshach, Matth. 27. 4. and Abednego said,Dan. 3. 18. We will not sinne: therefore the heart of the godly is called a contrite heart, Psal. 51. 17. but the heart of the wicked is called a heart that can­not repent. Rom. 2. 5. Beside, as Christ cast out a legion of diuels at once,Luk. 8 30. so the godly would be purged of all their sinnes to­gether, but the wicked neuer consent to leaue all, but as Naaman said, Let the Lord spare me in this: 2. King. 5. 18. so euer he excep­teth one sin, which is his beloued sin, like Herod, Matth. 14. 3. which reformed manie things, and yet would not leaue his brothers wife.

6 They are distinguished in Charitie, for yee shall neuer see the wicked loue their enimies: and therefore when the Pharises could not loue their enimies, they taught that men might hate their enimies:Matth. 5. 43. and Christ speaking of Publi­cans and sinners,Luk. 6. 32. exhorteth his disciples not to loue like them, because they lo­ued none but their friends.

7 They are distinguished in Prayer, for [Page 91] the wicked cannot pray, therefore Da­uid saith,Psal. 14. 4. they call not vpon the Lord, as if they had not the spirit of prayer, Zach. 12. 10. & ther­fore Christ calleth their prayers bab­ling, Rom. 8. 16. for they thinke not of God when they speake vnto him.Matth. 6. 7.

They are distinguished in Patience; 8 no hypocrite can beare the crosse, but saith like Caine, Gen. 4. 13. It is heauyer than I can suffer; Act. 16. 25. but Paul and Silas sing in prison, for a faithfull man would haue some­thing to humble him, and reioyceth to beare his masters markes,Gal. 6. 17. because the wounds of a louer are sweete.

They are distinguished in the vse of 9 aduersitie for this is a proper and pecu­liar marke of Gods children, to profite by affliction: and therefore we read not in all the punishments of the wicked, that one of them said like Dauid, Psal. 119. 71. It is good for me that I haue bene afflicted.

They are distinguished in Humilitie, 10 for the wicked are not humbled before the Crosse,Exod. 8. 8. 15. like Pharao that neuer so­rowed, but when he suffered: but the Apostles learned humilitie of their maister before their persecution came.Mat. 11. 29.

[Page 92] 11 They are distinguished in their iudg­ment of the word, for to the wicked it see­meth the hardest and simplest, and vn­pleasantest booke that is, and therefore Paul saith,1. Cor. 1. 18. that it is foolishnesse vnto thē. But to the godly, it seemeth the wisest, and eloquētest, and sweetest, and easiest booke of all other, as though God did sodainly bring the vnderstanding of it to them,Gen. 27. 20. as Iacob said of his veneson, ac­cording to that,Iohn. 7. 17. He that will do his will shall know his doctrine.

12 They are distinguished in their iudgement of God. The wicked are per­swaded now and then of Gods mercie for the present time while they feele it, as the Iewes praised him alwayes when he did as they would haue him:Exod. 15. 20. but they cannot perswade themselues, that God will be mercifull to them stil, like Iob, Iob. 13. 15. which said, Though the Lord kill me, yet will I trust in him: therefore the hope of the righteous is called,Prou. 14. 32. hope in death. Beside,Prou. 23. 18. if the wicked loue God, it is but for his benefits,1. Sam. 10. 6. as Saul loued him for his kingdome. And this is alway to be noted, that in the wicked, the fear of hel [Page 93] is greater than their hope of heauē, but in the faithfull the hope of heauen is greater than their feare of hell.

They are distinguished in their de­lights: 13 for the sport of the vngodly is folly, Dan. 5. 4. like Belshazzars: and therefore when they are sicke, or troubled, they neuer runne to the Word for comfort, as though Gods promises pertained not to thē, but to feasts, or tables, or tales, or musick,1. Sam. 16. 23. as Saul did to the harp: but al the delights of the godly are like Dauids daunce about the Arke,2. Sam. 6. 14. they are neuer merrie, but when they are doing well, not at peace, but when their prayers haue ouercome God,Gen. 32. 28. like Iacob.

They are distinguished in their opi­nions 14 of death: for the faithfull long to be dissolued,Phil. 1. 23. and although they might liue euer in continuall prosperitie, yet they would not stay so long out of hea­uen:Luk. 2. 29. but the wicked would neuer be dissolued; because death comes alway vnto thē like a Iayler to hale vnto pri­son,1. King. 22. 8. as Ahab said to Micaiah, that he neuer prophesied good to him. Hereby a man shal know whether he haue faith; [Page 94] for if he beleeue the promises, he wil be glad to receiue them.

15 They are distinguished in their sense of sinne. Wicked men feele the lothsom­nes of their vices, but none but the faithfull feele the defects of their righ­teousnes. The natural man neuer com­plaineth of his good works, but vaun­teth of them: but a godly man findeth fault with his prayers, and his almes, and his watches,Esay. 64. 6. like Isaiah that said, his righteousnesse was like a menstruous Cloth.Psal. 16. 2. As Christ met the tēpter in the wildernesse,Mat. 4. 1. & 2 a place of prayer, & fasting, and meditation; so a godly man mee­teth the tempter in his prayers, and in his fastes, and in his meditatiōs, that is, he findes some let or spot, or want in all his deuotions. Therfore, vnlesse thy righteousnes mislike thee, aswell as thy prophanesse, know that yet thou art no further than the wicked.

16 They are distinguished in their ends: for the childrē of God propose the glo­rie of God, & leuell all their thoughts, speaches and actiōs, as if they were mes­sengers sent to carie him presents of ho­nour. [Page 95] Thus did Dauid, Psal. 103. 1. when he said, All that is within me, praise the Lord: as though himselfe had rather be without praise, than his master: but the childrē of the world set vp their owne glorie for their marke; like Nebuchadnezzar which said,Dan. 4. 27. for the honour of my maiestie. Therefore they speake, and looke, and walk, as if they did say to their tongue, and eyes, & feete, & apparel, as Saul said to Samuel, 1. Sam. 15. 30. 17 Honor me before this people.

Lastly, they are distinguished in per­seuerance: 17 for the zeale of the wicked lasteth not,Exod. 32. 8. & therfore God saith, They are soone turned out of the way: but the zeale of the faithful was represented by the fire of the temple which neuer went out.Leuit. 6. 12. By these differences thou maist see how much thou doest differ from the wicked, or whether thou be of their band.

Then come to the third examinati­on,The third examinati [...] As the diuell tempteth thee to see what thou wilt do for him,Matth. 4. 9. so thou must tempt thy selfe, and get of thy soule what it would do for God, and what it [Page 96] would do for God, and what it would suffer for him, which hath suffered death for it. Therefore here we will set downe certaine intergatories whereof thou shalt examine it.

First, whether thou hast the hart of Ioshua, Iosh. 24. 15. to worship God as boldly as thou doest, though al the world did re­nounce him, and euery one did mocke thee, as they did Noah while he built the Arke?

Whether thou wouldst not denie Christ as Peter did,Math. 26. 70. if thou were in Pe­ters straights, and nothing to succour thee but thy policie?

Whether thou wouldst not steale, if thou diddest see a booty as fit as Achan, Iosh. 7. 21. which thou mightest catch vp, and no man spie thee?

Whether thou wouldst refuse a bribe like Elisha, 2. King. 5. 16. if thou diddest meete with one which were as willing and able to giue it as Naaman?

Whether thou wouldst not deceiue,Luk. 16. 6. if thou were in such an office as the false Steward,Although this is a pa­rable, yet it carieth the signification of an history whose master referred [Page 97] all vnto him, and knew not when he kept any thing backe?

Whether thou wouldst not fulfill thy lust as Dauid did,2. Sam. 11. 4. if thou haddest his oportunitie and allurement, and mightest do it without daunger of law like a King, as Dauid might?

Whether thou wouldst not tell a lie as Abraham did,Gen. 12. 13. if it stood vpon thy life, which made him twise dissemble that his wife was his sister,Gen. 20. 2. least he should die for her beautie?

Finally, if it should be said vnto thee as the diuell said to Christ,Matth. 4. 9. All these will I giue thee, if thou wilt fall downe and worship me, that is no more, but if thou wilt sin, whether thou wouldest yeeld or no.

If thou haue sinned thus and thus before, I wil not say therefore the Lord will not heare thee,Psal. 66. 18 but Dauid saith, If I regard wickednes in my heart, the Lord will not heare me, that is, if for any cause a man purpose and carrie a minde to sin when he is tempted, the Lord is so far from helping him, that he wil stand [Page 98] like Ball, [...]. King. 18. 26. as though he did not heare him; for he hath a Traitors minde as deepe as any, which thinks, for a duke­dome I wold betray my Prince, though he neuer play the Traitor in his life Thus ye haue heard how to trie spirits and how to discerne a Christian from an hypocrite, and how to oppose your hearts, that yee may be sure to iudge rightly what ye are.

Now we come to that examination,The fourth examination which is the epitome or abridgment of all these; for memorie is short, and all are not of one strength, but some run, and some goe, and some creepe, and all do well, so long as they striue to perfe­ction.Heb. 6. 1. The matters whereof principally the minde should be examined before the Sacrament,The recei­uers articles. are these.

1 First, whether thou haue faith, not onely to beleeue that Christ died, but that he died for thee:Esai. 59. 20. for as the scripture calleth him a Redeemer,Iob. 19. 25. so Iob calleth him his Redeemer.

2 The second article is, whether thou be in charitie, not whether thou loue [Page 99] thē which loue thee, but whether thou loue them which hate thee: for Christ commandeth vs to loue our enimies. Matth. 5. 44.

The third article is, whether thou 3 repent, not for thy open and grose sins, but for thy secret sinnes, and pettie sins, because Christ saith,Matth. 12. 36. that we must giue account for euerie idle word.

The fourth article is, whether thou 4 resolue not to sin againe for any cause, but to amend thy euill life, not when age commeth, or for a spurt, but to be­gin now and last til death, for Christ is Alpha, Reuel. 22. 13. and Omega, both the beginning, and the end, as well in our liuing, as in our being, which hath made no pro­mise to them which begin,Reuel. 2. 10. but to them which perseuere.

The last article is, whether thou canst 5 finde in thy heart to dye for Christ, as Christ dyed for thee, for we are bid, not onely to follow him, but to beare his crosse: and therefore we are called ser­uants,Luk. 12. 38. to shew how we should obey; & we are called souldiers,2. Tim. 2. 3. & 4. to shew, how we should suffer.

[Page 100] These are the receiuers articles, wher­of his conscience must be examined, before he receiue this Sacrament: hap­pie is he which can say,Matth. 19. 20. All these haue I kept: Gen. 8. 11. for the Doue was not so welcome to Noah, as this man is to Christ. But if thou finde not these affections with­in, but a nest of vices, leaue thine of­fring at the Altar,Matth. 5. 24. and returne to thine examination againe, for thou art not a fit guest to sup with the Lord, vntill thou haue on this Wedding garment. Matth. 22. 11. How is it then that some regard their other garments more than this?The prepa­ration of cū ­trie folke be­fore they re­ceiue. Paule saith, Examine your selues, and they ex­amine their apparell, if they haue new clothes in the countrey, then they are readie to receiue. I haue knowne many kept from the Sacrament a whole yeare togither by their masters, for nothing but for want of a new sute to set them forth with their fellowes.

Others respect whether it be a faire day, that they may walke after seruice, making that day vpon which they re­ceiue, like a Schollers Thurseday, which