THE differing opinions, and eager contentions, betweene the professors of Christian Religion, specially in that deepe mysterie of the blessed Sacrament of the body and bloud of our Saviour at his last Supper, doe shew, that vnity in faith is dangerously broken. I would to God that wee were all sound sheepe of one fold, and true branches of one vine. But all is not gold [Page 2] that glittereth, nor are they all Israel which are of Is­rael, neither is it sufficient for any to call themselues Catholikes, if (having but that name of life) they be indeede dead. By this ensuing discourse, I hope, will be discovered, who are in the truth, and who are misled by falsehood. For mine owne part, I protest before God and his holy Angels, (whom I call to witnesse for, or against mee,) that I doe, and will, carefully endeavour, to deale sincerely in this Controversie, as it becom­meth the faithfull minister of Iesus Christ.

But before I enter into the handling of the Question, touching the manner of Christs presence in the Lords supper, I most humbly pray Christ Iesus, (whose cause I haue in hand,) that he will vouchsafe to be gratiously present, with mine heart for meditation, and with mine hand in writing, as also with the hearts, and vnderstan­dings of all those, who shall willingly reade what is here written. In confidence whereof, I proceed as followeth.

Iesus Christ, the Sonne of God, and Saviour of the world, after Supper, when now with his Disciples he had eaten the passeover, in the same night wherein hee was betrayed, and a little before his death, Signed his last Will and Testament, as vsually men doe before they die: wherein he gaue, and bequeathed, to all faith­full beleevers, himselfe with all his merits. This preci­ous, and vnvaluable Legacie, hee Signed in bread, and wine, Sealed with his body and bloud, Delivered Sacra­mentally before his death, and at his death Really, and indeede vpon the crosse; of both which deliveries [Page 3] were many Witnesses, so that this Will of that Testator, was, is, and shall remaine in force, vnto the end of the world, authentically Proved in the Prerogatiue of the Church of Christ, by Godly Bishops, Ancient Fathers, and Reverend Doctors of the same Church.

The foundation of my following discourse being thus laid, I will (by Gods helpe) prosecute every poynt in order as here they are set downe. And first touching Signing of this Will.

I know, and be it knowne to all, that it is no novelty or strange thing, to call a Signe by the name of the thing it signifieth; So God himselfe called Circumcision Gen. 17. 10. Exod. 12. 11. the Covenant, and the Lambe the Passeover; yet Circum­cision was not the Covenant, but the Signe & seale there­of, nor the Lambe the Passeover, but to put the Iewes in minde of that great benefit: so Iacob, setting vp an Al­tar, named the same The mighty God of Israel, not thatGen. 33. 10. it was God, but erected by Iacob, in token that God had mightily delivered him. And he, that said that Rocke was Christ, did not say that Rocke signified Christ, but that Rocke was Christ, yet spake he truth, though not ac­cording1. Cor. 10. 4. to the substance of the Rocke, yet according to the signification, and vse thereof. So Christ (as Euthi­mius In Cap. 26. Matth. observeth) said not, These are the Signes of my Bo­dy, but This is my body; otherwise indeed his speech had not beene sacramentall, and mysticall, but proper; in the vulgar, & literall sence whereof, there had beene no power of mysterie contayned, no promise of the thing signified, assured, but onely a naked adumbration thereof. But Christ, intending to institute, and deliver [Page 4] these holy mysteries, not onely for signification, but also for communication of spirituall and divine things, to the end, that he might more powerfully expresse the vertue of the Sacrament, by the vse and end of the insti­tution thereof, he vsed this mysticall forme of speech, This is my body, thereby promising the grace of the thing signified. So Saint Paul saith, By Baptisme we are [...] buried with Christ into his death; he saith not we signifie his Buriall, but are buried: Sacramentum ergo tantae rei Aug. [...]. Rom. [...]p. 23. ad. Bonifac. vocabulo ejusdem rei nuncupavit; therefore hath he cal­led, (saith S. Augustine) the Sacrament of so great a thing, by the name of the thing it selfe. Oportet ergo non [...]m. in cap. [...]. Matth. ad naturam eorum, quae proposita sunt aspicere, sed ad ipso­rum virtutem, & efficaciam. Looke not vpon the naked Signes alone, consider their blessing and efficacie. For [...]codoret. [...]. Gelas. [...]on Euty. though after sanctification, they loose not their nature, but remaine in the propriety thereof; yet are they Tre­menda mysteria, the dreadfull mysteries, whereby (through divine operation) we are made partakers of the bodie and bloud of Iesus Christ.

I confesse, that where diverse names, and diverse kindes, are reduced to one essence; their causes con­curre with effects. But it is not so with significations, and things signified, which are onely called by one & the selfe same name, without changing the essence of the signifier, into the substance of the thing signified. Thus Cyprian, after he had discoursed of our Lords de­livering bread and wine with his owne hands, to shew how wine, and bread, might be called flesh, andCypr. [...]ract. de vnctione chrys. ma [...]is. bloud, he teacheth, that significantia, & significata ijs­dem [Page 5] nominibus censentur. The Signes and the things sig­nified are called by the same names. The like hath S. Augustine, non dubitavit Dominus dicere, Hoc est cor­pus Aug. con. di­mant. c. 12. & in Psal. 99. meum, quum Signum daret corporis sui. The Lord doubted not to say, This is my body, when he gaue a Signe of his body. For though Signes, and things signified, are distinct, and different in nature, and qua­lity, a Signe being (according to S. Augustine) that, quod Aug. 1. Tom. de princip. dialect. in se aliquid oculis ostendit, aliud praeter se animo signi­ficat, which offereth one thing to the eye, but another thing, besides it selfe, to the vnderstanding and minde of man: though, I say, this aliquid in se, and aliud prae­ter se, something in the Signe, & another thing besides the Signe, in the blessed Sacrament of the Lords Sup­per, be distinct, and in the nature of disparates; yet Bread, after consecration, Liberatus est quidem ab appella­tione Author ad Caesarium Mon. panis, dignus autem habitus est Dominici corporis ap­pellatione. The like may be said of the Wine, which with the bread, then is no more to be called bread, & wine, in a vulgar appellation, but the Body, and Bloud, of Iesus Christ, by reason of the similitude they haue therewith. Quando enim fractus panis, percipit verbum Dei, fit Eu­charistia Irenaeus ad­vers. haeres. lib. 5. c. 4. corporis Christi: The Bread consecrated, and broken, is the visible signe, the memoriall, the figure, the type, the pledge, the image, representing the cru­cified Body of the Sonne of God, exhibiting, and sea­ling vnto our faith, the communion that we haue with him: and the Wine is the externall signe, putting vs in minde of the Bloud of Iesus, shed for the remission of our sinnes, and assuring vs, both of the certainty of the [Page 6] Covenant of grace, & of the continuance thereof. And, as there is not onely bread in the Sacrament, but also wine, so is there in Christ, not some part alone of our felicity, but fulnesse of refection, and plenteous satisfacti­on. The meanenesse of the Elements disheartens notChrys. in 1. ad Cor. my faith, but as in Baptisme, we see the water, and per­ceiue the washing of the body, but we belieue the pur­ging by the spirit, the sepulture and resurrection ofDe coena Do­mini Cypr. Christ: so in the Lords Supper, Panem Angelorum sub Sacramento manducamus in terris: we eate the bread of Angels, not the bread which goeth into the body, but the bread of eternall life, which strengtheneth the sub­stanceAmbr. of our soules. In the Sacrament of Baptisme we haue remission of sinnes, in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper we haue strength against sinne, neither of them inclusiuely in the water, or bread, but by spirituall signification, invisible sanctification, and secret grace, the Spirit of God testifying to our spirit, that we are the sonnes of God. When the Lord ordained the Passe­over, hee ordained it for a signe, not onely that his people Israel should passe away, and be delivered out of their bondage, and thraldome in Egypt; but also, that the destroying Angell, should, in that night, when all the first-borne of Egypt were destroyed, passe over that house, and not destroy, or plague it, where the doore, and two side postes thereof, were stricken with the bloud of the lambe, slaine for such purpose, and such signification. For by this meanes, it pleased God then, to distinguish his Church, from the synagogue of the vnfaithfull, as hee doth continually, by his [Page 7] Word, and Sacraments. This Lambe was vsually cal­ledExod. 12. 11. the Passeover, not onely at the first institution of that Sacrament, but even vnto the time of it's abolition al­so. So said the Disciples to Iesus, Where wilt thou that we Matth. 26. 17. v. 18. prepare the Passeover? So Christ to them, say to such a man, I make the Passeover at thine house. So S^t Marke Marc 14. 12. plainely, they did kill the Passeover, and Christ did eate the Passeover. And S^t Luke in the same terme, Then came Luc. 22. 7. the day of sweete bread; when of necessity, the Passeover must be killed. And yet, (as is said before,) the Lambe was not the Passeover, but a signification, or signe thereof, and a token, or pledge of that immaculate Lambe, that was then to come, to take away the sinnes of the world. In which regard, S^t Paul calleth Christ, our Passeover, be­cause1. Cor. 5 7. we feeding on him, doe passe, from the house of bondage, into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God. And for this cause it is, that consecrated bread, is named the Body of Christ, the bread of life; holy bread, our Passeover, the cōmunion of the body of Christ, &, (if you will) supersubstantiall (that is surpassing) bread, beyond the condition of other bread; with many other excellent names, & titles to it. Neither doe I thinke, (I­dolatrous adoration being prevented) that we can too reverently esteeme of this bread. For it is the Sacramēt of Christ's body to vs. And, as to our Fathers, the Rocke was an instrument, and meane for their be­liefe: so the bread is to vs, an instrument, and meane for faith. Christus heri, & hodie, Christ yesterday, and to day; yesterday to our Forefathers, to day to vs: Heri; & hodie, diversa verba, sed idem Christus: yesterday, and to day are diverse words, but it is but one Christ; [Page 8] The Rocke, and Bread, are diverse words, but both of them signifie one Christ, and yet neither of them is Christ in carnall beeing, but either of them is Christ in spirituall vnderstanding.

And this we the rather belieue, because, if our Fa­thers, before the comming of Christ, were justified, and saved through faith in him, of whom they had signes, and tokens given them, that he should come; how much more may we stand assured of our justifica­tion, and salvation by faith in the Sonne of God? who being already come, hath taken our flesh vpon him, and in that flesh taken our sinnes from vs, and thereof gi­ven Testimony at his last Supper, by taking bread, and wine, sanctifying, and calling them, his body, and his bloud, the one broken, the other shed, for the remission of sinnes. This is that, which S^t Hierome calleth, theHier. in 1. Cor. cap. 11. last remembrance which he left vs: Nempe vt edentes, & bibentes, saith S^t Basil, that we; eating, and drinking,Basil. de Bap­tismate. may evermore be mindfull of him, that died for vs, and rose againe. I confesse the whole worke belongs toChrys. in 2. ad Timoth Aug. faith: Crede, & manducasti, belieue, and thou hast eaten. Yet, because it is not possible for our minde to lift vp itDion. coel. Hier. c. 1. selfe, to the spirituall contemplation of heavenly thinges, vnlesse it haue the corporall leading of such thinges as are about it; the mercifull God hath, not onely by his word revealed his will, promised and pro­posed grace, but also by his Sacraments, more neerely and efficaciously, exhibited the same grace vnto our soules, leading vs by these sensible representations, asDion. Eccl. Hier. c. 1. much as may be, to heavenly contemplations. Nam [Page 9] hujusmodi est mysteriorum nostrorum natura: such is theChrys. in 1. ad Cor. hom. 7. Ambr. in 1. ad Cor. c. 11. nature of this Sacrament, that, because we are freed by the death of our Lord, being mindfull thereof, in ea­ting and drinking, we signifie the flesh and bloud thatAmbr. de Spir. Item lib. 3. Christ offered for vs. Alterum invisibile, alterum visi­bile testimonium. The one is an invisible, the other a visible witnesse of our redemption. Miserable there­foreAug. de doctr. Christ. l. 3. c. 5. is the bondage of that soule, which taketh the signes for the thinges that be signified, and hath not power to lift vp the eye of the minde aboue the bodi­ly creature, to receiue the light that is everlasting. Ad Chrys. in 1. Cor. 10. hom. 24. alta contendat oportet, qui ad hoc corpus accedit: The soule is not fed with bare signes, and naked figures; but he that will reach to that body, must mount on high. This is then carefully to be thought of, Ne figuratam locuti­onem Aug. de doctr. Christ. l. 3. c. 5. ad literam accipias: That thou take not a figuratiue speech according to the letter, for that is fleshly vn­derstanding, neither is there any death more fitly cal­led the death of the soule: oh wrong not thy poore soule so much, as to stop it's mouth from feeding vpon that great bread, which filleth not the belly, but theChrys. in Mat. hom. 9. Basil. in Psal. 33. minde. Depriue it not of that delectation, and pleasure, whereof thy body is not capable, it being inwardly caused by a spirituall kinde of taste. And wrest not the speech of Christ to thine owne confusion, reteyning the words, but overthrowing the meaning. ConsiderSigna enim re­rum sunt aliud existentia aliud significantia. Aug. contra Maximin. lib. 3. cap. 22. well, that when he said, This is my body, he instituted a Sacrament, and, In Sacramentis, non quid sint, sed quid sig­nificent videndum est, saith S^t Austine. In Sacraments, not what the elements are in themselues, but what [Page 10] they signifie is to be regarded. For, Sacramentum in a­limentum Rabanus Man­nis lib. 1. c. 31. corporis redigitur, virtute Sacramentiaeternam vitam adipiscimur. The Sacrament is turned into the nourishment of the body, by the vertue of the Sacra­ment we gaine everlasting life. In a carnall sense, the let­terAug in Psal. 98. killeth, but spiritually vnderstood, it giveth life.

To giue some illustration to this, whensoever in Scripture we finde this verbe, or word, Est, (Is:) or this, Sum (I am:) or in the plurall number, Estis (yee are,) &c, betweene two substances heterogeneall, different in kinde, and nature; then must the rule of Logicians Inter disparata take place, which is, that such thinges cannot otherwise then figuratiuely, or significatiuely be affirmed one of the other. Of this kinde are Bread, and Christs Body; Wine, and Christs Bloud, which can­not be spoken one of another, in a literall, or gramma­ticall construction, but in a Theologicall, and mysticall interpretation. Many other instances might be given for this purpose, as where the Apostles were called the salt of the earth, not that they were salt in sub­stance, but in semblance, that as salt seasoneth, and preserveth from corruption: so they by their life, and doctrine, should season others, to preserue them from errour in matters of faith, and from wickednesse in their conuersation. So our Saviour calleth himselfe a Doore, a Way, a Vine; David, and Daniel call him a Stone; Ieremie a Branch; Salomon a Lillie. All which predicati­ons, with many other, concerning him, are spoken, not according to the substance of the thinges, but in respect of Analogie, and resemblance; and therefore [Page 11] are to be vnderstood tropically, not literally, sembla­bly, not simply, figuratiuely and not properly. But these phrases may not be affirmed one of the other è converso, as thus, Christ is a way, doore, vine, stone, rock, lillie, therefore è converso, wayes, doores, vines, &c. are the very substance of Christ; this were most shamefull, most absurd, and most blasphemous: yet this must needs follow, if these and the like phrases were spoken properly, and not by similitude. As also then it may be inferred, that if the bread be turned into the very body of Christ, because Christ sayd This is my body, then Christ also himselfe was once turned into the very sub­stance of bread, because he said and that truly, that hee was the bread of life, and that bread which came downe Ioh. 6 from heaven.

But it may be objected, that we take and receiue that, which was giuen for vs, which was not the bread, but the body of Christ: and that wee drinke that which was shed for vs, which was not the wine, but the blood of Christ, and therefore that the receiuer eateth and drin­keth the very body and blood of Christ. To which I answere, that the body of Christ is taken, and eaten, and his blood drunke, either sacramentally alone, without faith, or spiritually without a Sacrament by faith; or in faith both sacramentally, and spiritually. They who re­ceiue sacramentally alone without faith, receiue not to salvation, so Iudas receiued, of whom S. Augustine saithAug. thus, percepit preciū redemptionis, he receiued the price of redemption: where the Sacrament which he receiued without faith, is called the price of redemption. Ne­verthelesse [Page 12] wee know that Iudas is damned. There is therefore a second way of eating the flesh and drin­king the blood of the sonne of man, and that is spiri­tually alone without the Sacrament, so Abraham, Moses, Aaron, and others received the body of Christ truly, and effectually, long time before that Christ, either had receiued flesh of the blessed Virgin, or had ordained the Sacrament: so the rest of the beleeuing Patriarckes, were of old engraffed into him, who seeing him afarre off, and beleeuing in him, did all eate of that spirituall Manna in the wildernesse, and did all drinke of that spi­rituall drinke which flowed out of the Rocke, which Rocke was Christ. And shall wee doubt that a faith­full man, being in the vnity of Christ's body, is with­out the fellowshippe of that bread and of that cup, ifAug. ser. ad in­fantes cit. à Be da in 1. Cor. 10. he depart this world before he eate of that bread, and drinke of that cup? No, no, hee is not made frustrate of the Communion, and benefit of that Sacrament, while hee findeth that thing which is signified by the Sacrament. For nonsolum in Sacramento, sed etiam reipsa Aug. de civ. Dei lib. 21. [...]. 20. manducaverunt corpus Christi: the faithfull haue eaten Christs body not onely in the Sacrament, but also in very deede, as S. Austin confesseth. And speaking of the beleevers before Christ, hee avoucheth plainely, that Idem in misterio cibus & potus illorum, & noster, sed Aug in psal. 77. significatione idem, non specie, their meate and their drinke was in mistery the same with ours, the same not in kinde, but in signification. But blessed be God in Iesus Christ our Saviour, for that he hath allowed vs a third way to eate the body, & to drinke the blood of Christ, [Page 13] namely both Sacramentally, and Spiritually! for lest our faith should faile, wee having not so many, nor so great miracles vnder the time of the Gospell, since the Ascention of our Saviour, as our Fathers had in their deliverance from Aegypt, and in the wildernesse; Christ did institute at his last supper this blessed Sacra­ment of his blessed body and blood, vnder the formes of bread and wine, with command that it should be done in remembrance of him: to teach vs, that if they were happie, who in the wildernesse did onely spiritu­ally feede on him that was to come, on him (I say) by faith, without this Sacrament, much more happy, and blessed might wee account our selues, who haue this third way by faith, to feede both Sacramentally and Spiritually on him that is come, and is become our Sa­viour, and mighty deliverer from sinne, death, and damnation.

Here then let noe man thinke that the communication of Christs benefits consisteth barely in the Priest's con­secration, and deliverie of bread, except also the affecti­on, true vnderstanding, and application of the receiver concurre therewith; none otherwise then as the mini­ster of the Gospell, to whom it is sayd, whose sinnes ye forgiue, they are forgiuen, can forgiue the sinner, ex­cept he be penitent, because repentance must of neces­sitie goe before remission of sinnes. It is the worke of the holy spirit cooperating with the Sacrament, which doth inwardly, by a secret power, effectually, and in­deede nourish the inward man of the faithfull receiver, with the very bodie and very bloud of Christ vnto e­ternall [Page 14] life, as truly, and as really, as wee know that bread and wine doe nourish our fraile and mortall bo­dies in this transitorie life. Therefore is this called a spirituall food, not only because the feeders thereon are by the spirit of God quickned in a spirituall life; but also because this spirit by a secret working in vs, maketh vs partakers of the wonderfull, and powerfull flesh of Christ; by which participation, communion, and conjunction with Christ, we are fed to life eter­nall. Of this great misterie of our conjunction with Christ, no tongue can worthily tell, nor pen sufficient­ly describe, yet let vs thankefully & joyfully beleeue, as the blessed Apostle sayth, that we are members of his Eph. 5. 30. bodie, of his flesh, and of his bones. For howsoever belee­vers are in person separated farre, and wide vpon the face of the earth, and howsoever the bodie of Christ in his carnall presence is sayd by S^t Luke, to haue departed Luke 24. 51. oh. 16. 28. Act. [...]1. 9. Act. 3. 21. from hence, and by S^t Iohn, to haue left the world; and by S^t Luke againe, to bee taken vp; and by S^t Peter, to bee contained and held in the heavens, till there come a restoring of all things▪ so as yet he is neither bodily with vs, till he commeth to judge both the quicke, and dead, nor we in our bodies with him, till all things bee restored: Yet the spirit of Christ, not limited to place, or time, tyeth a fast knot betweene Christ and vs, whereby we are made one with Christ, & Christ with vs, the Gospell1. Thess. 2. 12. calling vs vnto the participation of the glorie of our Lord Iesus Christ. Humane reason doth not compre­hend this, therefore the holy Apostle calleth it a great Eph. 5. 32. misterie, for I speake (sayth he) of Christ and his Church, [Page 15] which joyned to the Lord is become one spirit. 1. Cor. 6. 17.

What shall we now say? but that as in Adam all die, so in Christ all are made aliue: and though the reward of sinne be death, yet now the gift of God is everlasting Rom. 6. life, through Iesus Christ. O now, and ever more, praise, and glorie be to the Sonne of God, and Saviour, of the world, who is the only Emanuell, and onely mediator betweene god and man, who onely hath broken downe the partition wall, thereby vniting God and man, in one Christ, and redeeming with his precious bloud, those for whom he daiely prayeth the father, that the spirit of truth might lead them into all truth, and thatIoh. 14. 16. Christ might dwell in them, and communicate him­selfe, & all his merits in righteousnesse to them, & that the spirit of Christ dwelling in them, they might not now be carnall, but spirituall, knowing that he that hath Rom. 8. 9. not his spirit belongeth not to him. But where the Church is coupled to Christ, and made one with him, there the faithfull become sonnes of God, and are made Temples of the Holy Ghost, dwelling in them, to the quickning of1. Cor. 6. 19. their mortall bodies to eternall life, as he raised Christ from the dead, to liue, and raigne with God for euer, in the highest heavens. For this cause, namely to sig­nifie that Christ doth dwell in our hearts by faith, and that by faith we are coupled to him, & made one with him, to liue here by him, and hereafter for ever with him, it pleased our Saviour in the institution of this Sa­crament at his last supper, to take bread, & none other thing, to set foorth▪ his bodie to vs, because he and none other, is that bread of life. And that bread, and [Page 16] none other, is that meate which doth not perish, forIoh. 6. which we ought to labour. And that bread, and none other is the flesh of the sonne of man▪ which except we eate, we haue not everlasting life abiding in vs. And therefore we do reverently receiue the Sacrament of the body of Christ, meekely kneeling vpon our knees, yet we adore not, nor worship it, lest we confound the signe, with the thing signified; and lest we offer to god, him torne with our teeth, who once offered himselfe for vs on the Crosse: And lest in a reprobate sence weRom. 1. worship the Creature for the Creator. And albeit the common people misled by the Priest, (for such a Priest maketh such a people) in falling downe and worship­ping the Eucharist, worship the Accidents of bread, and so commit Idolatrie, for seeing the bread, they com­monly say they haue seene their maker, (Honorius the third being the first author both of elevation, and of adoration thereof,) yet we make difference betweene a Sacrament, and a Sacrifice, as we doe betweene eating by faith, and crucifying of Christ, the one being done in the Sacrament, the other performed by Sacrifice on his Crosse. And therefore we receiving this Sacra­ment, doe offer vp our selues, our bodies, & our soules, and in them a Sacrifice also, yet but only the Sacrifice of Psal. 50. praise, and thankesgiving vnto God, for his mercie in redeeming vs, by the death of his beloued Sonne. But we cannot, neither ought we acknowledge, that any other Sacrifice besides that once offered, of the imma­culate Lambe, crying out vpon his Crosse, Consumma­tum est, doth take away the sinnes of the world, as the [Page 17] Apostles, and primitiue Churche, and, after them, the holy ancient Fathers, alwaies spake: albeit in and af­ter the late time of Innocentius the third, Thomas Aquinas and other Schoolemen in their transubstantiation, vr­ged another Sacrifice, then the Primitiue Church of Christ maintained, or then the reformed Churches of Christendome at this day belieue, namely their Popish propitiatorie Sacrifice both for the quicke, and for the dead. Therefore all reformed Churches acknowledge, and belieue, that the reverent receivers of this blessed Sacrament, haue their sinnes forgiven them onely by vertue of his Sacrifice vpon the Crosse, who did there giue his body to death for them who belieue in him. Other Sacrifices for sinne are not now required, but a thankefull remembrance of that Sacrifice, which was once offered vp vpon the Crosse by our High Priest, who sayd, Loe I come, Loe I am content to fulfill thy will O God. Psalm. 40.

Here doe I wish, and for that doe hartily pray to god, that the simplicitie of Gods truth revealed in the Gos­pell, might prevaile with all Christian men, without contention, or contradiction, who are, or should be, in receiving the Sacrament of the Communion of the blessed bodie of our Saviour, a Communion of Saints, v­nited in Christ, and in him (which is the head) made one bodie, as many cornes of wheate are kneaded to­gether, to make one bread.

But alasse it is to be lamented, that truth with it's sim­plicity, seeking no corners, is thrust behinde the doores, with needlesse disputes, concerning the Sacraments, [Page 18] and with nice curiosities, which trouble the cleare fountaine of living water, and cast cloudes, and mistes ouer simple soules, & vpon the knowne truth of Chri­stian religion. By which meanes all reformed Church­es haue beene forced with their pennes, and voices, to fight the Lords battaile, leaving pikes, swords, and deadly weapons for crueltie, and persecution, to their adversaries, wherein the adversaries haue both skill, & practise. The reformed Churches, in the meane time, playing the part of David, & comming forth, but with a sling, and stones in the budget, even the power of Gods word, despised by that great Goliah, and by all those which raile against, and revile the host of Israell.

Sealed by his body and bloud.

WE teach not that Sacraments are called signes, or bare significations onely, but we say, that they be such signes, as doe exhibite, & seale to vs all grace, and promises of Christ, really, truely, and substantially in his body, and bloud. For if invisible sanctification may come, and be given to a faithfull beleever without a signe; much more they which haue a signe, or a Sacra­ment, and that from Christ himselfe, may be assured both of sanctification & salvation; when together with the signe, or Sacrament a seale is put too, shewing that with such Sacrament the thing it selfe is exhibited and given to vs. What shall we thinke of common bread, but bread? what of common waxe, but waxe? And yet when waxe hath it's printe, and is made a seale, it is no longer common waxe, but hath received another na­ture, namely, by sealing, to convay over some land, or other thing granted, and with such waxe sealed. So must we say of bread, which before being common, but now appropriated to a more heavenly vse, hath received another nature, namely to convay to vs that land of the living in the celestiall Hierusalem. It is not in our [Page 20] power to make purchase of such land, but our Saviour Christ in his goodnes hath purchased it for vs, signed the same in bread, and wine, and graciously sealed it to our vse in his owne body, & bloud, whereby the thing signified is invisibly given to vs, which the signifying signe doth offer vnto vs. For so it pleased God to workeAlanus in Sa­cram. c. 31. by Sacraments, as by an instrumentall cause, no other­wise, or lesse true, then is said that a man writeth his minde with his penne. Therefore we must acknow­ledge that God by his holy spirit, worketh invisibly, giving grace when the visible Sacraments are visibly ministred, and that this grace is granted, and sealed vp by the body of Christ, and by his bloud onely to be­leevers, the wicked having no benefit by this Seale, though they haue part of the Sacrament: for though Sacraments are common for all, as well for the vnwor­thy as the beleeving Christian; yet onely the beleever together with the signe in the Sacrament, hath the seale, and feedeth on the body, and bloud of Christ Ie­sus to the salvation of his soule: But the vnworthy re­ceiver goeth away onely with the signe, and stayeth not for the seale to be joyned with it, and so insteed of salvation, he purchaseth to himselfe damnation; as Simon Magus did, when he thought to purchase the Holy Ghost with money. But what doth Saul among the Prophets? or what doth Iudas among the Apostles? It is a savour of death vnto death to receiue the signe without the seale, to receiue the Sacrament withoutIn Epist. ad Frattes de monte, de vita solitar [...]a. the thing thereby signified; for the vnworthy (saith S^t Bernard) may receiue the Sacrament vnto his judgment, [Page 21] and death; but the worthy receiver only hath the thing of the Sacrament, without which thing the Sacrament is death, but by the Sacrament in the thing thereof is given eternall life.

I will not here vrge the abuse in the Church of Rome, who giue to the people the halfe Communion, namely the bread onely, and not the wine; wherein they shew but halfe the signe, and consequently printe but halfe the Seale, and not the whole, contrary to Christ his holy institution, who not onely tooke bread, but after supper likewise tooke the cuppe, and spake to his Apostles of the cuppe, as he did of the bread; so that there is as great reason, to take from the people, the bread, as there is to take from them the cuppe. The first institution was of both, the remembrance commanded was of both, both were consecrated, and both were gi­ven, and by both it was appointed, that the Lords death should be shewed vntill his second comming to judge both quicke, and dead. But it is alleadged by them, that the body of Christ is not without bloud, and therefore they take away the cuppe; to which it might be well replyed, that Christ in bread and wine, gaue Sacra­ments both of his body, and of his bloud, and by these two shewed, that his body must suffer death; and as wine was powred forth into the cuppe, so his precious bloud, should be shed, and powred forth for the re­demption of the world. This now the people may not see, for they haue no wine, they see no powring forth, no Sacrament of bloud, that they may be blessed, which belieue, and see not. I confesse such blessing may be [Page 22] by a spirituall drinking of Christs bloud, without wine, and so likewise in a spirituall feeding on Christs body, without bread; but in a sacramentall eating, and sacramentall drinking this cannot possibly be with­out bread and wine. I will presse this point no farther, neither by reason, nor by Scripture, nor by the Fa­thers, though in all their bookes they make for mini­string in both kindes. But I will here leaue farther pro­secution hereof, as a thing at this time not pertaining to my purpose.

I will therefore proceed, examining together both the signing and sealing of our Saviours last will in this Sacrament of his Supper. For so S^t Bernard seemeth to speake both of the signe, and seale together, saying, The Lord being neere his passion,Serm. de coena Dom. provided, that invisible grace should be given by a visible signe; for such Sacraments are ordained to this end, and for this wee receiue the bread, and wine in the Eucharist. And S^t Augustine speakingIn sententijs a Prosp. col­lect is. both of the signe, and thing signified, saith, that here are two thinges, both the visible elements, and the invisible flesh, and bloud of Christ, and that heere heavenly bread, which is Christs flesh, is na­med and called Christs body, when indeed, saith he, it is a Sacrament of Christs body. So also, saith venerable Bede, Christ insteed of the flesh, and bloudIn cap. 22. Lucae. of the Paschall lambe, did now institute the Sacra­ment of his owne flesh, and his owne bloud, vn­der the former of bread, and wine. This Sacra­ment therefore is not onely a signe, but also a sure [Page 23] seale to vs, that Iesus Christ in his flesh was cruci­fied, and in his body, and bloud vpon the crosse sa­crificed for vs, to take away sinne, and to redeeme vs sinners: the just (as S^t Peter saith) dying for theLib. 4. contra haeret. vnjust. Irenaeus also speaking both of this signe, and seale together, saith, The bread called the body, consisteth of two thinges, the one earthly, the other heavenly: which words must needs be spoken of bread consecrated, and made a Sacrament. For be­fore the bread be consecrated, and made a Sacra­ment, it hath but one nature, and is but one thing, namely earthly; but after consecration it consisteth of two thinges: viz. earthly, and heavenly. The bread which is made a Sacrament, remaining in it's substance still earthly, but the thing meant by the Sacrament, which Divines call rem Sacramenti, (the thing of the Sacrament, being heavenly, even the body of Christ, which is now locally in heaven sitting at the right hand of God, there in the same body making continu­all intercession for vs:) for which cause we, who minister the Sacrament to the people of God receiving it, say to them, Sursum corda, lift vp your hearts, and they answere vs, we lift them vp vnto the Lord. As if they said, wee acknowledge, that the blessed body of our Saviour Christ, which by faith we feed on, is not meate for crowes, or pies, picking on the earth; but for eagles mounting to heaven. And there­fore by the winges of faith wee flie to him, and not as Gyants seeke to pull his Divine Majestie out of his heavenly throne, so to receiue him [Page 24] inclosed, or imprisoned in a wafer cake, but humbly by faithfull prayer to ascend to his throne of grace, and mercy, that both his grace, and mercy might descend vpon vs for the forgiuenes of our sinnes; and that in his great goodnes, the effect and vertue of his scourgings, of his wounds, and of his precious bloud, might reflect vpon vs, to procure pardon and absolution for all our transgressions, which thing we humbly seeke, and begge, at his gracious hands, and duely receiue this blessed Sacrament in obedience to his last will, who re­quired vs when he tooke bread, & consecrated it, (say­ing, This is my body) to doe this in remembrance of him.

Wherefore blessed, and evermore blessed be our Sa­viour, who, lest we should forget the infinite benefit of that invaluable, and inestimable legacie, bequeathed in his will, and sealed by his sufferings, did institute this Sacrament in remembrance of his death, and passion, who (as S^t Peter saith) did beare our sinnes on the tree: And, as S^t Paul speaketh, hath nayled them to his crosse, the just, (as is before said) dying for the vn­just, and shedding his most precious bloud to reconcile vs vnto God. For except Iesus Christ had died, and shed his precious bloud for vs, the reward of our sinnes had beene to vs eternall death, but now everlasting life is the gift of God through Iesus Christ, Rom. 6. who instituting this Sacrament as a signe, and pledge of his death, and saying, This is my body given for you, did speedily seale it with his body, and bloud on the crosse, for salvation to all believers. Now [Page 25] therefore in the closing vp of his eyes, and in yeel­ding vp the ghost, is the sure safe sealing, and clo­sing vp of his last will, the consecrated bread be­ing but a mystery of the body, and the body it selfe being the matter, and subject of that high, and heavenly mystery. These sure seales of our salva­tion in his body, and in his bloud doe assure vs that the manuall signe is of force, because the seale ma­keth it effectuall. Wherefore, although wee know that common bread is the foode of mans body, yet wee acknowledge, that it being separated, con­secrated, and made mysticall bread, doth shew, and signifie a better, and more excellent thing then bread, even the body it selfe, which is our sealed assurance of that bread of life, even Christs body, which was given for vs. Hereby wee now easily perceiue, that by bread is signed the gift and lega­cie of the body, but the gift, and legacie it selfe is sealed, and delivered in the death of his body. Manna, even Angels foode was given in the wil dernes to our forefathers, a signe, and figure of Christ, but the seale was in some sort reserved, till the fulnesse of time was come. And therefore of them it is said, that they saw a farre off, and belie­ved, and that they lived but in hope of that which was to come. But the bread in the Sacrament is a sweeter signe, and more excellent then that of Manna, for this bread was given in the same night, that Christ was betrayed, and this signe was not [Page 26] long without it's seale, but had it's seale for farther assurance presently set to, even the body of Christ really given, and his bloud truely shed for the sinnes of the whole world. Our state, and condition by this is farre better then that of the Patriarkes, of the Prophets, and of our Forefathers, for they lived in hope, and expectation of him that was to come, we in knowledge, faith, and assurance that he is come, and that the night before he dyed, he signed his will in bread and wine, sealing, and delivering the great and gracious legacy of his body & bloud vpon the crosse, in the sight of God, Angels, and men.

All the sacrifices of the old Law were but shadowes of this powerfull sacrifice once offered in his body, to take away the sinnes of all, which belieue in him, neither neede wee any more propitiatory sacrifices, nay we disclaime all other, then that which was once offered by Christ our Saviour, to purge and take away sinne. It was not then in a fleshly vnderstanding, and carnall manner, that the body and bloud were given in bread and wine, for then there had beene at supper one sacrifice, and shortly after another on the crosse; But we are assured by Gods holy word that the all-suf­ficient sacrifice for sinne was but once given, and if carnally in the Sacrament before hee suffered, then not on his crosse, if on his crosse onely, then not in the Sacrament; for hee had not one body for the Sacrament, and another for the crosse, but that thing in the Sacrament is signed, which on the crosse is sealed [Page 27] and delivered. And when men haue toyled, and wearied themselues in searching, and disputing about the manner of Christ his gift in the Sacrament, and of that on the Crosse, in the Sacrifice there offered once for all, they shall finde it, not onely most reasonable, but also agreeing to Christian faith, not to conclude vpon a signe, but to stay their conclusion till the seale be put too, and delivery made, that the reality, verity, and very substance of Christs body may not onely Sa­cramentally in bread, but also truly, and indeede be received by faith to take away sinnes, because it was truly, and indeede given for vs. And in this spirituall sense may the body of Christ command bread to giue place, and to avoyde, and set aside the very substance of bread, as if there were no roome for it, when Christs body commeth in place. I say no roome for it, but only for the body of Christ, spiritually nourishing both bo­dy, and soule to everlasting life, of all those who feede on him by faith with thankesgiving.

And therefore Iustine Martyr sayth, non enim cibum, In Apolog. 2. qui Eucharistia dicitur, vt communem panem, & poculum sumimus, quia sit incarnati Iesu Christi caro, et quia per pre­ces sermonis quem à Christo accepimus, consecratur. We take not the meate of the Eucharist for common bread, because it is the flesh of Iesus Christ incarnate, and be­cause it is consecrated by prayers of the word, which we haue received of Christ. But this saying which I alleage in behalfe of the faithfull receiver of this Sacra­ment, is by the adversaries of truth vrged against vs, as if it made against vs, which indeede is for vs. For we [Page 28] confesse the bread to be consecrated and that it is not now common bread, but is become the flesh of the in­carnate sonne of God, yet not by reall transmutation of things, and substances, otherwise then that the bread is changed from it's owne nature to another and better vse, namely not onely to a Sacramentall eating of the body of Christ, but to a reall feeding on Christ his bo­dy by faith, remembring that it was not bread, but the true naturall body of Christ which was given for vs: for the faithfull receiver liveth not by bread onely, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God, special­ly by that word of consecration, This is my body which is given for you: For this bread becommeth flesh signifi­catiuely in the Sacrament, though not substantially, by transmutating bread into the flesh of the sonne of man. And yet this flesh our forefathers, (as hath beene sayd) did eate spiritually without this Sacrament; much more easily may we in like manner eate it, being Sacramen­tally signed by bread, and truly sealed to vs in Christs body to be fed on by faith. And so must that place of S^t Cyprian (wherein some glory so much, and which they account most pregnant, and strong against vs) be vnderstood, where he sayth, panis, quem Dominus disci­pulis porrigebat, non effigie, sed natura mutatus, omnipoten­tia verbi factus est caro. The bread which the Lord gave to his Disciples being changed not in shape, or shew, but in nature, is made flesh, by the omnipotency of the word. All which is confessed, and nothing de­nied thereof, if you make a difference betweene a faith­full, and an vnfaithfull; betweene a worthy, and an [Page 29] vnworthy receiver▪ For the vnworthy receiver taking onely the Sacrament of bread, doth not discerne the Lords body, but the faithfull receiver discerneth the Lords body, looketh on it with the eye of faith, know­eth that the bread is changed, though not in shape, or appeareance, yet in quality, vse, and nature,. And this nature S^t Ambrose in the Sacrament of Baptisme, taketh for quality, and not for substance, saying, that the nature of that water is changed after benediction, not meaning the substance, but the quality; and so the bread likewise is changed, and made Sacramentall, and by the omnipotency of the word is (as S^t Cyprian sayd) made flesh, that is spirituall foode to a Christian belee­ver. For none but Christ by his word of consecration could set apart bread to make it a Sacrament of so great a mistery, that the worthy receever thereof after con­secration might by faith feede on the very flesh of the sonne of God, nourishing both his body, and soule to eternall life.

Let no man thinke that this is so hard a matter to feed on him, and on his flesh by faith, let them, who vnder­stand as the Capernaits did, say durus est hic sermo, This is a hard saying. But where, mens est maximè homo, where the minde is cheifely the man, and where the Christian liveth by faith, there his life is hid in Christ, and there he seeketh for life in Christ, by feeding on him sometimes Sacramentally, & sometimes spiritually without a Sacrament, and sometimes both Sacramen­tally, and spiritually (as is before alleaged:) and in this sense ought we to vnderstand the transmuting of bread [Page 30] into the very flesh of Christ, saying with S^t Ambrose; Non est quod natura formavit, The bread is not now that, which nature made, for nature did not make it Sacra­mentall, or misticall, but the word of Christ, & grace, to the receiver made it another thing, besides that, which nature made it: Therefore Hesichius affirmeth, that the body, & bloud of Christ is in the Sacrament, fecundum veritat [...]m, according to truth, but sayth with­all in that place, Sanctificationem mystici sacrificij, & à sensibilibus ad intelligibilia translationem sive commutatio­nem, Christo oportet dari, ipsi de eis miraculum cedere. (1) That the consecrating of the mysticall Sacrifice, and the translation or commutation from things sensible to things intelligible, ought to be attributed to Christ, and ascribed to his miraculous and powerfull operati­on. But of this I shall speake more fully in another place.

In the meane time marvellous is the mercy of our Saviour, and I confesse a kinde of miracle wrought vn­to vs, who are frayle flesh, for confirmation of our faith; to consecrate common bread for our better vn­derstanding of that Sacrifice of his body to be offered vp for our sinnes, which Hesichius in that Sacrament all bread calleth a mysticall Sacrifice, for the Sacrifice it selfe was not yet offered, but was mystically in the bread given, which Hesichius nameth in some sort a mi­racle, because the translation, or commutation is (as he himselfe confesseth) à sensibilibus ad intelligibilia, from things sensible to things vnderstood, ab oculo (say I) ad animum, from the eye to the minde; à sensu ad intel­lectum, [Page 31] from that we see to that we vnderstand. And this is verily a miracle to men, as they are but men, but no miracle to a regenerate, and faithfull man. And therefore saith Saint Augustine, concurring with that of Hesychius, and speaking in the person of Christ, Non, hoc corpus quod videtis, manducaturi estis, nec bibituri illum In Ps. 98. sanguinem, quem effusuri sunt Iudaei, Sacramentum vobis commendavi, spiritualiter intellectum vivificabit vos. Yee are not to eate that body of mine, which yee see with your eyes, nor to drinke that blood which the Iewes vvill shed, but I haue commended to you a Sacrament, which being spiritually vnderstood will giue you life. For it is the secret power of the grace of Gods holy Spirit, which by the visible Sacrament of bread con­veyeth to our vnderstanding the body of Christ, other­wise vnseene of vs, to be taken by the hand of faith: And therefore saith Theodoret, it is Gods vvill, that theyIn dialog 1. inter Orth. & Evan. vvhich pertake the Divine mysteries, in the change of the names, viz. of bread and wine, should beleeue that change vvhich is made by grace, for indeede it vvas a gracious vvorke of the Lord by consecrating bread to stirre vp our faith to feede on the flesh of Christ, and by a visible Sacrament to set forth and present to the vvorlds end his body and blood, and by a sensible thing to moue our vnderstanding to a Divine contem­plation; and invvard meditation of eating Christ, by belieuing that his body vvas offered vp, and his blood shed to take avvay our sinnes.

I tell you that this seale is now deepely graven, and that herein is a great mysterie, nay miracle, for such [Page 32] faith though as little as a graine of mustard-seede, isHeb. 12. 1. able to remoue mountaines, even the mountainous weight of our sinnes, otherwise sticking fast, and pres­sing sore. The cut, and graving of this seale no cunning Artist can so liuely expresse, as it was openly shewed on on the crosse, where the just dying for the vnjust, to re­concile vs to God, was nailed to the tree, with his head vpward, to appease the wrath of God aboue, with his feete downeward, to treade sinne, death, and hell vn­der his feete; and with his armes stretch out to embrace and receiue all them that belieue in him. This seale thus cut printeth deepe, even in hard and stony hearts, pear­ceth betweene the marrow and the bone, and entreth even vnto the soule. Happy is hee who is sealed in the forehead with this seale, he beeing delivered from sin, and Satan, and from all his soules enemies, may sing the song of Moses and of the Lambe, saying, Great and mar­veilous Revel. 15. 3. are thy workes Lord God Almighty, just and true are thy wayes King of Saints. What hand shall we now seeke to set this ingraued seale on vs, and to print the same in our hearts? shall we repaire to a cunning curious cutter for a Crucifix? no, remember, that they which make images and idols, are like to the images themselues, and so are all they which put their trust in them. (What then?Psalm. 115. mortifie thy selfe, and crucifie thy earthly members, praying to God through Iesu Christ, that the hand of the Holy Ghost may evermore offer to the eye of thy faith Christ crucified for thee, Christ dying for thee, & Christ shedding his precious blood for thee: here is a true crucifix, & a deepe printing seale, where in prayer, [Page 33] fasting, and holy meditation, thou with the eye of faith dost dayly looke on the wounds of thy Saviour, the bowing downe to kisse thee, the giuing vp his ghost to giue life to thee, his sides thrust through with a speare, to open a gappe to hide and hold thee, his very heart pearced for loue of thee, and his precious blood shed to redeeme thee. Oh, sayth S. Bernard consider now with thy selfe, what great things are done for thee, Vt totus tibi figatur in corde, qui totus pro te fixus est in cruce. That he may altogether be fixed in thy heart, who altogether was fastned to the crosse for thee. Here this seale hath made a good print, and deepe impression.) As for other which cannot pray, nor consider Christ crucified with­out a crucifixe of wood, stone, cast mettall, or by some other device, set before them, they stung with their sin are in more miserable estate then the children of Isra­ell, stung with fiery Serpents in the wildernesse: for these stung with serpents had by Gods owne com­mand (in his mercy to his people) a serpent of brasse set vpon a pole by Moses, that whosoever looked there­on, might recover of the serpents biting, and not dye: but these stung with sinne haue no such warrant, as had Israell, but a commandement to the contrary, Thou shalt not make to thy selfe a graven image &c. And albeit Israell had his warrant for that brasen serpent, yet King Hezechias brake it all to pieces when once idola­try was committed to it. What then shall we say of made, and molten crucifixes? is not much idolatry by ignorant people committed in them? are not they ima­ges forbidden to be made? and are not they an vnhap­py [Page 34] people, vnsealed, and vnsure of salvation, who fall downe and worship before them? Doubtlesse it seem­eth that these would altogether forget their Saviour, and what hee had done for them; except a crucifixe should put them in remembrance of him. But doubt­lesse infoelix est illa memoria, quae non meminit Christi nisi per idolum. But here against vs is vrged the signe of the crosse, shewed to Constantine, to encourage him against his enemies; but this maketh nothing against vs, for my part in this I am of Cardinall Baronius his minde, who expresseth the signe, which Constantine saw, In hoc signo vinces, not to be a crucifixe in the fashion wee now make them, but a signe after this manner, viz. with the two greeke letters, Chi and Rho, thus [...] And what is this in Chiro vinces, but in Christo vinces, not in the crosse, but in Christ thou shalt overcome? And what signe soever Christ was pleased to shew the Empe­rour, to encourage him against his enemies, yet it fol­loweth not, that we without like warrant should set before our eyes a Crucifix, when in prayer we fight a­gainst our deadly enemies sinne, and Satan: But it is not much materiall in what signe, or in what forme Constantine saw the signe. Whether as Socrates sayth inSoc lib. 1. c. 20. shew of a Crosse, with this inscription, In hoc vince. Or as Sozomenus affirmeth, that at the sight of this hea­venlyLib. 1. cap. 3. signe, the Angells standing by sayd, In hoc vin­ce. Or as Nicephorus alleageth, a bright fiery pillar inLib. 7. Cap. 29. the ayre appeared in forme of a crosse, expressing a fi­gure of latine letters, In hoc vince. Or as Eusebius re­cordeth, that in heaven aboue the Sunne appeared a [Page 35] trophie of a Crosse, made all of light with an inscripti­on, In hoc vince. But this is very materiall, and to bee well noted, that they all agree in this, that Christ him­selfe appeared, the next night after, to Constantine in his sleepe, bidding him make the same signe, which he had seene the day before, and with it march against his ene­mies, and ouercome them. This command of Christ himselfe for that present, and to that person, altereth the case, & if any man can shew me the like command from Christ in generall, or for a Crucifix in religious worship, I will not onely goe, but runne with him. But withall we must still remember, that the brasen serpent it selfe (as afore sayd, set vp by Gods command) was broken in peeces, when once idolatry was committed before it; for in truth all superstition, and idolatry, yea every tradition, and devise besides, and against the written word of God, as also reliques, and miracles imagined to be done by supposed Saints, with many other inventions of the Church of Rome, are all of them, but like so many stones cast at Christ, whereby he is enforced to goe out of their Temples, and to hide himselfe. If any inquire for Christ there, he shall findeIoh. 8. v. 59. a shew of holynes in many vanities, but in verity the power thereof denyed. Of such speaketh the Pro­phet Ose saying, They shall come with their sheepe, and bul­locks Ose. v. vers. 6. to seeke him, and shall not finde him, because he is gon from them.

But in this Sacramentall bread, the faithfull euer finde Christ, and feede on him; and as many graines are kneeded together into one loafe, so all the faithfull [Page 36] receivers are knit together in one Communion, and fellowship in the mysticall body of Iesus Christ, and all these haue on them the seale of the living God, even the Crosse of Christ, whereby God was reconciled to man. In this Crosse they rejoyce with the hundred forty and foure thousand of all the tribes of Israell, which were sealed in their foreheads. The print of this seale the servants of God first receiue in baptisme, carry it in riper yeares to the Lords Table, and from thence to their dying day into heaven, that they which in baptisme were signed with the signe of the Crosse, boldly to confesse the faith of Christ crucified, and manfully to fight vnder his banner against sinne, the world, and the Devill, might be blessed, thus to be sea­led with the body, and bloud of Christ; that being par­takers of Christ his death, in crucifying and abolishing the whole body of sinne, they might also be partakers of Christ his resurrection in rising from sinne, and fi­nally inherit everlasting life.

Delivered to the vse of all faithfull Christians.

INvaluable, infinite, and not to be ex­pressed is the Legacie which Christ in the Sacrament of his body and blood invisibly gaue, and by the sa­crifice of his body and blood vpon the crosse visibly delivered to our vse. Now if men will remember any thing, let them never forget this; and if they will be thankefull for any thing, let them be thankfull for this. For these deliveries both of the Sacrament of the Sup­per, and of the Sacrifice of the Corsse, do assure vs, that we are freed both from the bondage, and from the pu­nishment of sinne. For in him the Father is well pleased; in him (I say) who by the Crosse hath reconciled vs vnto God, so that neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor Principalities nor Powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other creature is able to separate vs from the loue of God, which is to vs-ward in Iesu Christ. Here I suppose, that no man will contest with mee about the like legacie: This only, only this is inesti­mable, [Page 38] and without compare. Therefore let no man presume to eate of this bread, and to drinke of this cup, except he first trie and examine himselfe. Even Moses himselfe must lay aside his shoes, before he come nigh the fiery Bush. And we who will make right vse of this Sacrament, must do it in remembrance of him, that as Christ dyed, and rose againe, so we might learne to die to sinne, to crucifie the old man, and to liue to righte­ousnesse, saying with the Apostle; God forbid that wee should rejoyce in any thing but in the Crosse of Christ, whereby the world is crucified to vs, and we vnto the world. When Christ opened the vnderstandings of men, hee opened them to vnderstand the Scriptures, and then hee sayd to them, This it behoueth Christ to suffer and to rise againe, Luke. 24. that repentance and remission of sinnes might be preached in his name to all Nations. For herein resteth the right vse of remembring Christ his death, in learning to die to sinne, and so by Christ to obtaine remission of sinne; which they do not, who without repentance continue in sin, and crucifie againe to themselues the Lord of life. Therefore all the wicked, who do not, nor can feede on the body of Christ, are to be put from this holy Table, till by repentance they seeke, and finde Christ; not in the fained repentance of Iudas, who confessed, that hee had betrayed innocent blood, nor in the desperate conceit of Cain, who thought his sinne greater then that it might be forgiuen; But in the faithfull, sorrowfull, & devoutly contrite heart of Peter, who for denying his Master, went forth and wept bit­terly.

So Tertullian, speaking against Idoll-makers, shew­ethLib. de Idol. Cap. 7. that the Sacraments here mentioned are not delive­red, nor to be delivered to vnbeleevers, nor doe any way concerne evill men; because the zeale of faith doth prohibite a Christian to come from Idolls into the Church, to lift vp hands to god, who were makers and mothers of Idolls, and to put forth those hands to re­ceiue the body of Christ, which did make and bring bodies to the Devill. And as this rule is good against Idolaters, so it excludeth all other wicked men, abiding in sinne, to participate in the vse of those Divine my­steries without repentance. Reprobates and vncircumci­sed persons may not enter vpon the Lords inheritance,Theodor. Hist. Eccl. Lib. 5. cap. 18. nor defile his Temple. And therefore they ought to be interdicted from comming into the Temple, to stretch forth their hands to receiue the blessed body of the Lord, which any way are tainted with slaughter and bloud of his members. And for this there is great rea­son: because men, whose hands are imbrued in bloud, may not handle those divine mysteries vntill they wash their hands, and make them cleane with cleare water of teares of repentance. Let them goe out from vs, who are not of vs. For they haue no Legacy heere, who are not in fellowship with vs, who are not in Christ, nor of the Communion of Saints. And there­fore they ought to be kept from the Communion of Sacraments, because they cannot by faith feede on the body of Christ. They liue in the Church, but are not of the Church, no more then they are all Israell, which are of Israell. Such chaffe among good wheate, [Page 40] and such tares growing vp together with the good corne, will and must in the end be bound vp in bundels to be burned, when the wheate shall be gathered toge­ther, and layd vp in Gods Barne. Therefore the Church of Christ is like to a faire garden, full of fresh and sweete-smelling flowers; which garden is com­passed about with a strong wall all of stone, hewne out of a rocke, which rocke is Christ. And the reason of compassing it with such a strong wall is, to keepe out all reprobates, and wicked vnrepenting sinners, who like fooles build all on sand, and not on the Rocke, and say in their hearts, There is no God. No marvaile if these haue no comfort in Gods holy spi­rit; heare their dolefull doome, I know you not, & are left out of this Will of Christ our Saviour, having in it no Legacie, nor any gift delivered to them, or to their soules vse.

But let no faithfull Christian doubt, whether or no, he had the Legacy of eternall life given him; or, whe­ther or no, the last will and Testament of Iesus Christ was signed, sealed, and delivered to his vse, because he is made partaker both of the body and of the bloud of Christ, not only in baptisme, when he is made a mem­ber of Christ, but also in the Sacrament of bread and wine, when by faith he feedeth on Christ, beleiveth in Christ, and is made one with Christ, and Christ with him, abiding in Christ, and Christ in him. For Christ to him is meate, Christ to him is drinke, and in the vse of the Sacrament of bread and wine, he hath the right and full vse of that meate, and of that drinke, wherein [Page 41] is the very substance of life it selfe, by receiving living bread, and living wine, and by receiving Christ him­selfe, with all his merits and benefits of his passion vnto life eternall. And now that it, which in the will it selfe was delivered to our vse, might remaine for our vse to the worlds end, such was the grace and goodnes of Iesus Christ to vs-ward, that he required a continuall memo­riall hereof, saying, Doe this in remembrance of me. Our Saviour saw the frailty of flesh in man, apt to forget what should be remembred: And therefore least the vse of this so great legacy should either be forgotten, or laid aside, he requireth the Apostles, & in them vs, to doe this in remembrance of him. For this our holy action of taking bread, of consecrating it, and of giving it with these words (The body of our Lord Iesus Christ, which was given for thee, preserue thy body and soule to ever­lasting life.) All this action, I say, of consecration in the Minister, and of faith in the receiver, and giving of thankes in both, is a true memoriall of that Reall, propi­tiatory sacrifice, which Christ once offered, and deli­vered on the Crosse in his body for our redemption. And of this sacrifice, all the sacrifices of the old Law were but shadowes, figures, and fore-shewes.

The Sacrament a little before Christs death, and the Sacrifice in his death, being thus delivered to our vse, we should shew our selues too vngratefull, not to haue solemne commemoration, both of the one, and of the other, the Sacrament of bread, and wine, being a signe and pledge of that inestimable Sacrifice, which for our vse, and for our salvation, was truely and real­ly [Page 42] offered vp vpon the Crosse to take away our sinnes, and to purchase our salvation. This Sacrament Christ instituted being yet aliue, this Sacrifice Christ offered now dying, and both by this Sacrament, and by this Sacrifice, we haue assurance of our salvation. And as the bloud sprinkled vpon the doore posts, was both a signe and seale of safety to Israell, when the destroying Angell slew the Egyptians. So in the Sacrament, when vnworthy and vnfaithfull receivers take only bread to their damnation, the faithfull receiver hath the pro­mise of salvation, in these words, This is my body given for you. This gift, this legacy, intended, and promi­sed in the Sacrament of bread and wine, and perfor­med in the Sacrifice of his body on the Crosse, and de­livered in both, even this great deede of gift ought (I say) never to be forgotten, but in all thankefullnes to be had in everlasting remembrance. For a greater gift was never knowne then this of the sonne of God, willingly to giue his pretious life for vs his enimies.

Therefore the ancient Fathers of the. Church haue called the Sacrament of the Supper by the name of Sa­crifice, that we might never forget, while we celebrate the Sacrament of the supper to be thankefull to Christ, who soone after the institution of the Sacrament of the supper, was in his flesh offered vp to God a sufficient Sacrifice for the sinnes of the whole world. What then shall we say? shall we in dulnes, oblivion, or neglect passe over this our great Passeover, whereby we passed not as our Forefathers did from Egypt the house of bondage, to the land of promise, but from death and [Page 43] finall destruction to eternall life? Must the children of Israel tell their posterity of their Passeover; and shall we be silent, and forget our Passeover? Nay rather, if any will know what they should doe, or what they should giue to the Lord for this, let them consult with the Pro­phet David, And let them take the cup of salvation, and call vpon the name of the Lord: For Prayer, Praysing of God, and Tranksgiving are our duties in this behalfe, lest we seeme to forget that which we should remēber. What richer table, then that which Christ hath prepared? What meat so good, so sweet, so nourishing, as his flesh? what wine so pure, so pleasant, so precious, as his bloud? This table, this meate, this wine is prepared for vs, and shall wee doe nothing to remember it? There was a pot of Manna reserved in the Tabernacle for remembranceHeb. 9. 4. of Gods goodnes, feeding his hungry people with An­gels foode, even then, when for want of food, they were ready to perish in the wildernes. But behold, here is a more heavenly meate to satisfie Christian hungry soules, even the flesh of the Sonne of God, whereon by faith they feede. Wherefore be it now proclaimed to all Christian people, that all that which Christ signed by bread and wine in the Sacrament of his Supper, and all that which he sealed by his body and by his bloud in his sacrifice on the crosse, all that, I say, with all great & vnspeakeable vertues, with all rich gifts and graces, and with all plentifull blessings, was Signed, Sealed, and Deli­vered for our vse only, and for our Redemption.

Therefore, saith Eusebius Emissenus, it was needfull, that at his last Supper, Christ should cōsecrate the Sacramēt of his body & of his bloud, that he might ever be wor­shipped [Page 44] by that Mystery, who was once offered vp for vs in his body. Eusebius calleth his offering per precium, by a price, which I haue translated, By his body, because there was no price nor ransome for all our sinnes, but onely his body. In this body, our Forefathers as well as we had their share, as in this Discourse is often re­membred; and for them as well as for vs, and to their vse, as to ours, The seede of the woman was to bruise the ser­pents head, and the seede of the blessed Virgine in the person of Christ was alike to them, and to vs, that im­maculate Lambe, which was slaine from the beginning of the world. But this was not delivered nor put in execution, till the death of Christ, who for vs, and for our salvati­on, was betrayed, and by Pontius Pilate delivered over to the Iewes to be crucified and slaine; of which his death, even the same night that he was betrayed, he foretold to his Apostles, and by taking and consecra­ting bread and wine foreshewed the same speedily en­suing, that we afterwards by taking bread and wine sa­cramentally, might ever remember that sacrifice, which in his body and in his bloud he offered vp for vs. For, as S^t Austine saith, Sacramento corporis & sanguinis sui Lib. z. de Doctr. Christ. cap. 3. praegustato, significabat quod voluit: By the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ taken & tasted before his death, he signified that which he would performe for vs by his death.

Now then, as there is great difference betweene hearing or reading the Scriptures, and learning or belee­ving them, as S^t Ierome well noteth, because the one in­sinuatethHier. Cōment. in 1. cap. ad Gal. it selfe by the eye, or eare onely, in reading, or [Page 45] hearing them; but the other, which is learning or be­leeving them, is taught by Christ, and by the working of the Holy Spirit; even so in the blessed Sacrament of bread and wine, there is great difference betweene ta­king and eating. Iudas did take, but Peter did eate, and wicked ones take, but onely the faithfull eate. The out­ward Sacraments of themselues conferre not alike to all men inward gifts and invisible grace, I say, not to Iudas as to Peter, or as to the rest of the Apostles. Onely the faithfull, which belieue in Christ (as also in this discourse is often alleadged) feed on Christ really, tru­ly, and indeed, not that the reall presence of the flesh and body of Christ is really, truly, and indeed included and inclosed in the bread, but that they, who faithful­ly beleeue that Christs body was really, truly, and in­deed crucified, to take away their sinne, might be sure by receiving this Sacrament really, truly, and indeed, to obtaine salvation. ▪ For when by the Sacrament of Bread given by the Minister, the body of Christ is spi­ritually by faith received of the believer, then there is no doubt, but that he which hath Christ, hath with him all thinges, even all gifts and graces for assurance of life eternall to abide in him. If a rich, wise, and ho­nest man, whose words and deeds are the same, doe pro­mise any thing, we belieue him, and assure our selues that we cannot be deceived by him. Why then should we waver or doubt when God himselfe speaketh toCyp. lib. de mor­talit. Sect. 4 vs, who, when he was ready to leaue this world, pro­mised immortality and eternity? He that now doub­teth, knoweth not God, offendeth Christ the Lord, [Page 46] and being in the Church, hath no faith in the house of faith.

Wherefore this remaineth for vs, that we apply and appropriate the last Will and Testament of Iesus, as it was meant and delivered by Iesus, namely to our vse, that what the Lord professed and promised concerning his body to be given for vs, that we might beleeue and receiue with thanksgiving. Therefore, saith S ^t Austine, I beleeue him that promised; the Saviour speaketh truth, promiseth truth, and he hath said vnto me, Hee that heareth my word, and beleeveth him that sent me, hath eternall life, and hath passed from death to life, and shall not come into Iudgement.

Here now the faithfull man taketh possession of the great Legacy of Christs body, Delivered for his vse: where the charity of adoption, the verity of the pro­mise, and the power and vse of so great a gift meete together. If any murmure at this, saying to mee, who art thou, or what is thy desert, that thou hopest for such great thinges? I will answere, I know whom I haue Bernard. beleeved, and am sure, because in this abundant loue he hath adopted mee, in his word he hath promised mee, & in his power he can, and will performe to mee▪ This loue, this word, this power, is that three-fold Cable which cannot be broken.

Who now is so fearefull or faint-hearted, as to make question, whether the great Legacie of Christs body be given and delivered to him, and to his vse, yea or no? Nay, saith Hilarius, the Lord wouldComment. in Mat. Canon. 5. haue vs hope without doubting for the kingdome of [Page 47] heaven: of which the Prophets spake, Iohn prea­ched, and the Lord professed to be in him, otherwise we should not finde our selues justified by faith in him, if our faith faile, and we be doubtfull. Wherefore se­ing eternall life is the gift of God through Iesus Christ, Rom. 6. let vs like the wise Merchant in the Gospell, sell, and willingly forgoe all we haue to gaine and possesse that rich peereles pearle; let vs forsake our selues to finde Christ, and to be found in him; and let vs account all Ph [...]il. 3. thinges but losse, nay dung it selfe in comparison of him: for he hath freely given himselfe for vs, and to vs, that without the righteousnesse of the Law we might be saved through faith in him. Great had beene our want, grievous our penury, and intollerable our misery, saving that our want was supplied, our penu­ry releeved, and our misery released by that Legacy, which our Saviour vouchsafed to giue vs of his owne body. Turne then againe to thy rest, ô my soule, Psal. 137. for the Lord hath rewarded thee. Thou desired'st a long life, and the Lord hath given thee life, even for ever and ever: thou hast kept the faith, and the Lord hath laid vp for thee a crowne of righteousnesse to be given thee in that day, when Christ shall say to thee, Come thou blessed of my Father, possesse the kingdome prepared for thee from the beginning of the world.

Here I wish all the faithfull to make diligent in­quisition touching the vse, before spoken: for a Lega­cie is both given and Delivered, and that a great good one, even the Body of Christ. All (as is aforesaid) [Page 48] haue not part in it. Therefore God in wrath, powreth out his indignation vpon them that belieue not, and vpon such as call not vpon his name. But the faithfull,Psal. 79. (as is plentifully proved) are the onely partakers there­of, to whom, and for whom, Christ sent his Holy Spi­rit, that the same Spirit might bring to their remem­brance, whatsoever Christ had said for the worke of their redemption. Let vs therefore set before our eyes the difference betweene the faithfull and the vnfaith­full receiver, (so often here mentioned,) seing the faith­les haue no sence nor feeling in the efficacie of those words, This is my Body. But the faithfull are illumina­ted in the light of Gods spirit, to see and vnderstand the secret mystery: Those doe not participate in the spirituall grace; but these take and taste of the heavenly gift: They in taking bread, snatch onely at a shadowe; but these by faith apprehend the true body of Christ: They therefore as bastards of corrupt seed, are full of feare and doubting, touching assured hope of salvati­on; but these being regenerate children of the seed of life, are bold through faith to crie, Abba, Father. Where­fore we see that the Signe is alike common both to just and vnjust, as is the sunne and raine to all, but the Sea­ling and Deliverie of the Deed it selfe is proper onely to those, who spiritually by faith take and apply the same to their proper vse. For the very Print of this Seale is ever seene and looked on with faithfull eyes of those who beleeue, and are assured that their sinnes are forgi­ven in Christ Iesus, their consciences by faith▪ being quieted; and the loue of God being shed abroad in their [Page 49] hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given to them. Let vsRom. 5. 5. therefore still sticke to those words, This is my body, and this body is given for vs. For, as Tertullian saith, thisTert. lib. de pra­scr. adversus h [...]r [...]t. cap 9. must by all meanes be beleeved of all nations, which is the sure and certaine institution of Christ: we ought to seeke for this, that finding it, we might beleeue. Wee must seeke till we finde; and finding, we must beleeue; and beleeving, we must keepe and hold fast: for belee­ving aright, thou doest beleeue that nothing more in that which thou believest, is to be beleeved, no nor sought for, seing thou hast found, and beleeved that which was instituted of Christ, who doth not cōmand thee to beleeue more then himselfe hath instituted.

The Scriptures teach vs the truth and right vse of Christs institution of the Sacrament of his supper. By reading and hearing Scriptures we know them, and by knowing them, we haue faith: for faith commeth by Rom. 10. hearing, and hearing by the word of God. What then, by this word shall we beleeue touching the Sacrament? name­ly, that Christ tooke bread, that he gaue bread, and that he called it his Body which was given for vs. Nothing then is, or can be more plainely spoken, then that his body was given for vs? And as for the manner of this gift, and of calling this bread his body, I haue not onely de­clared it by other Scripture (Scripture being the best meane to open the vnderstanding of Scripture) but also by the Fathers of the Church. And shall be occasio­ned hereafter to handle it more plentifully in the probat of this Testament.

Witnesses.

THE blessed Apostles were present at making this Will, they were both eye, and eare-witnesses thereof, & receiued their Legacie, which likewise descen­ded to all beleevers, enriching them with grace, peace, mercy and spiritu­all joy to the worlds end, and after this life with a crowne of glory without end, and after this life with a crowne of glory without end. These (I say) were faithfull witnesses, and their witnesse is true, who themselues remembred, and preached to others, that the sonne of man was delivered into the hands of sinfull men, was crucified, and rose againe the third day. And these witnessed the truth hereof by words, by signes, by holines of life, & by death, testifying first by word, and writing, that the Father sent his Sonne to be the Saviour of the world, and bearing witnesse of that eter­nall life, which was with the Father, made manifest to to the Apostles, and by them declared to others, that1. Ioh. 4. v. 14. others also might haue fellowshippe in the faith with them, and both they, and others might in such fellow­ship be with the Father, and with his son Iesus Christ. And albeit wee, which now liue, haue not seene Christ [Page 52] in the flesh, yet wee loue him, and in him (though wee see him not) do beleeue, and do beare witnesse to him, receiuing the end of our faith, even salvation. Of which salvation the Prophets inquired, who prophesied of the grace, 1. Pet. 1. vers 8. 9. 10. 11. which should come to vs, searching when, or at what time the spirit, which testified before of Christ, which was in them, should declare the sufferings that should come vnto Christ, and the glory that should follow. And of these things, sayth Christ, after his resurrection to his Disciples, ye are wit­nesses, namely, that it behoued Christ to suffer, and to rise a­gaine, that repentance & remission of sins might be preached Luke 24. v. 47. 48. in his name among all Nations.

Secondly they justified this their witnesse, and made it good by signes, and wonders, which they wrought, as well as by words spoken, or writings sent abroade. For in his name (of whom they gaue testimony in Ieru­salem, Acts 1. v. 8. in all Iury, in Samaria, and vnto the vtmost part of the earth) they cast out divels, they spake with newMarke 16. v. 17. 18. tongues, draue away serpents, were not hurt (though drinking deadly things,) layd their hands on the sicke and the sicke recovered. And so his Apostles went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming their words with miracles following. Wherefore wee ought diligently to giue heede to the things which wee haue heard: for if the word spoken by Heb. 2. v. 1. 2. 3. 4. Angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedi­ence receiued a just recompence of reward; how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation, which at the first beganne to be preached by the Lord, and afterwards was confirmed to vs by them, which heard him, God bearing witnesse thereto, [Page 53] both with signes and wonders, and diverse miracles and gifis of the Holy Ghost.

Thirdly, wee know that their witnesse was true, be­cause they were for that purpose select vessels of God, separated and set apart from the wicked world, justify­ing the truth of their testimony in their holines of life: for if they had beene evill men, none would haue be­leeued them. But they were chosen and set apart from the men of this world by their good life, and pure do­ctrine, to bring the world to the knowledge of Iesus Christ, as St Peter being powerfull in word by the Ho­lyAct. 2. v. 41▪ Ghost, converted at one Sermon about three thou­sand soules added to the Church.

Lastly the holy Apostles witnessed a good witnes by suffering death for testimony of the truth, which is the greatest, and strongest argument of the power of faith, which also (as well as they) thousands of holy Martyrs from time to time haue done, specially in the Primitiue Church vnder the then bloudy, and cruell Tyrants; as also among vs by the lamentable, and cru­ell practise of Priests, and Popish Bishops in Queene Maries dayes. I could here begin with Stephen, who was stoned, with Peter, who was crucified, with Paule, and Iames, who were beheaded; and so proceede vnto this day. But I should then bring such a catalogue of holy men, which did striue for the truth even vnto death, as but naming them, would containe a great vo­lume.Eccles. 4. It may suffice vs, that though these for witnes­sing a truth of Christ, were long sithence persecuted to vntimely and violent deaths, yet (as the holy Ghost [Page 54] speaketh of them, which after Christs resurrection came vp with him from Galilee to Ierusalem, that theyAct. 13. v. 31. were his witnesses vnto the people) so all the Martyrs, and holy men of God, which for Christs sake, and for con­fessing, and professing him, haue suffered death, haue beene his witnesses vnto the people, even to this day.

Which thing though every Iulian, & worldly Tyrants do laugh at with scorne, yet true Christians, in serious cogitation & consideration hereof, know that this is the Lords doings & it is wonderfull in our eies, that any mā should be so strōg in faith as willingly to giue his body to be burned, or any other wayes to be put to death for bearing witnes to Iesus, who was poore, despised, evill intreated, buffeted, spit on, crowned with thorns, mock­ed, scourged, and crucified. But blessed are all they, which Mat. 5. suffer persecution for righteousnes sake, for theirs is the king­dome of heaven. And as our Saviour saith, blessed are yee, when men revile you, and speake evill of you for my names sake. For if when you doe well, you suffer wrong, and take it patiently; this is acceptable to God: for herevnto are yee called; for Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an exam­ple, 1. Pet. 2. that yee should follow his steps.

As the Apostles were witnesses of Christs last Will, and Testament in the institution of the Sacrament of his supper, to whom Christ gaue bread after he had blessed it; so also of Christs sufferings, and of that sacri­fice, which for our sins he offered vp vpon the Crosse, there is no want of many witnesses. Iudas himselfe can tell you, he betrayed him, they which came with Iudas can speake how they tooke him, the high Priest [Page 55] can say how he was bound, and led away to Pontius Pylate to judge him, Pylate can report how he was buffe­ted, scourged, crowned with thornes, and at last cruci­fied, Symon of Cyrene can witnes how the Iewes com­pelled him to beare his Crosse, the Souldier can affirme how he thrust a speare into his sanctified side, all the lookers on can set forth the spreading of his armes, the nayling of his hands, and of his feete to the Crosse, their giving him gall and vineger to drinke, and their rayling, and reviling him, till he gaue vp the ghost. What neede we any moe witnesses?

It is requisite now that all Christian men before they goe to the Lords Table, doe consider to what feast thus evidently witnessed, they are invited, that they presume not to come thither, as he did to the marriage feast without his wedding garment. But that wisely discerning the Lords body, they avert, and avocate their minds wholy from bread, which they eate at home, to meditate, and by meditation in faith to feede on the reall body of Christ. They must consider, that our flesh, and our bloud could never inherit the king­dome of God, and life eternall, but onely by meanes of the flesh, and bloud of Iesus Christ, who is life it selfe, and liveth in vs by faith. He that eateth not this flesh hath no life in him, but he which eateth this flesh, and drinketh this bloud liveth in Christ and Christ in him. Therefore saith our Saviour, breaking, & consecrating bread; This is my body, and blessing the cup, This is my bloud; because verily, & in truth he giveth to the faith­full receivers his body in the bread, and his bloud in [Page 56] the wine; but not as meate and drinke for the belly, which perisheth, but as foode for a Christian soule, in­during to eternall life. Therefore they deale vnjustly with vs, who charge vs, that we esteeme sleightly of the greate misterie of the Eucharist, saying, that wee call it abare and naked signe of the body, and giue it not that due, and high esteeme, as is meete. For albeit touching his body, and locall presence thereof, we acknowledge that hee hath left the world, and is gone to his Father, yet we know and confesse that in the efficacie, and effe­ctuall working of his body and vertue thereof, he is re­ally present with vs in power, in mercy, and in grace, who by his holy spirit, by his holy word, and heaven­ly Sacraments is with vs, and abideth in vs for remissi­on of our sinnes to the end of the world.

And as in receiuing our friends letter who dwelleth a thousand myles from vs, wee say, and truly say, wee haue spoken with our friend, and vnderstood his minde this day; so this day, & to the & orlds end, when vve re­ceiue the blessed Sacramēt of the blessed body & blood of Christ, it may be sayd, we also this day receiued the body of Christ. We reade that Christ did breath into his disciples, and bade them receiue the Holy Ghost;Ioh. 20. v. 22. and Christ at that time truly gaue it, and they then tru­ly receiued it, yet I suppose that no man vvill thinke, or say, that the Holy Ghost then was locally included in the breath of the mouth, no, no more then the body is really inclosed in the bread, and yet both were giuen and that truly, the one by breathing, the other by bread, both of them symbolically, not that the breath [Page 57] giuen was the Holy Ghost, nor that this bread is the very flesh of Christs body, no, no more then that the oyle, wherewith Samuel annointed David, was the spi­rit of the Lord, the Text saying, that then the spirit of the 1. Sam. 16. v. 13. Lord came vpon David. I will not vrge here, how by im­position of hands, the Holy Ghost was giuen to the ho­ly Ministery of the Church of Christ, nor how the Ho­ly Ghost came in a great winde, filling the whole house, and in fire and in cloven tongues, working a wonderfull worke among many of diverse Nations in one house. But I am sure that the winde it selfe, the fire, or tongues seene, was not the Holy Ghost, no more then the bread is the very body, yet the faithfull receiuer of bread, feedeth on the very body of Christ, as in that winde, fire, and tongues they were all filled with the Holy Ghost: both of them effective by effect effectual­ly. And of this were very many witnesses of many Na­tions.

Thus are visible signes given of invisible things, the more to stirre vp our faith, and to set forth the power, and glory of our gratious God, who in his goodnes doth these things to inflame our faith, lest otherwise we might minister the supper of the Lord without the Lord, and seeme to feede on Christ, and in consecrati­on but repeate the words without the sence and effect of them, and take but a shadow in steed of a substance, a signe and not the thing signisied, even bare bread and not the body, which was given for vs. But our Com­munion is not imaginary, or meerely figuratiue, con­sisting onely of words, but of truth. So as with the [Page 58] bread given, by power of the word of Christ, the very body is received, and the faithfull receivers are all made one body with Christ their head, and are all re­ally vnited to him by faith, as vnder the forme of the bread, the very body of Christ is truly received, and spiritually fed on by faith. Wherefore they, which teach the receiving onely of a bare signe in the holy Sacrament, are no good or lawfull witnesses of Christs death, nor of our legacy therein▪ but doe as much as lyeth in them, quench the heavenly working of Gods holy spirit in that Sacrament, and suffocate the very life of the words of consecration, that the receivers might not take, and tast how sweete the Lord is. Here­in Satan hath his snare, who did lye to Adam and Eve in Paradise, saying, Non moriemini, as here he who is the father of lyes, laboureth by all meanes to destroy our faith, that we might not feede on the flesh of Christ and liue: for doubtles in the Church hee striveth to be as powerfull in this, that we might not feede on Christ, and liue; as he was in Paradise, that our first Parents should eate the fruit forbidden, and dye. But by the power of Gods spirit, which God hath shed in our hearts, moving, and multiplying our faith, we re­ceiue Christ wholy, truly, and bodily by beliefe, that he is wholie ours, truly ours, and bodily ours, who in his body bare our sinnes on the tree, that we being delivered from sinne, might liue in righteousnes. 1▪ Pet. cap. 2. v. 24.

Wherefore by this Communion we beleeue, that we are joyned to Christ, and Christ to vs, yet not by a fleshly conjunction, as they thinke, which eate his flesh, [Page 59] and drinke his bloud after a carnall manner, as they eate other meates: but we knowing that the first Adam was made a living soule, but the second Adam a quick­ning1. Cor. cap. 15. spirit, doe acknowledge, and beare witnes, that the posterity of the first Adam liveth by bread, but the regenerate of the second Adam, not by bread only, but by every word, which proceedeth from the mouth of God, specially by this word in the institution of this Sacrament, This is my body: for so are all they, which are of the second Adam, fed, and nourished to eternall life by the word, and by the Sacraments, that by hea­ring the one, and receiving the other, they might be vnited to Christ, that as in Adam all die, so in Christ1. Thes. cap. 2. all might be made aliue. Therefore S^t Paul telleth vs, that God hath called vs by the preaching of his Gospell into the participation of the glory of our Lord Iesus Christ. And concerning the blessed Sacrament of the Supper, the same Apostle saith, that the bread which we breake, is the Communion of the body of Christ: which Communion in another place he cal­lethEphes. 5. a great mystery, as in deede it is a great mystery, by ministration, and receiving of Sacraments to bee joy­ned to Christ, whether it be by baptisme, or by taking consecrated bread.

O [...] the most wonderfull, mysticall, and spirituall Communion, and conjunction betweene Christ, and vs: flesh, and bloud doth not, nor can conceiue it. It is a worke of faith, and cannot be comprehended by humane reason. It is the worke of the holy Spirit, which witnesseth to our spirits the truth thereof: for [Page 60] it is the power of God through the holy spirit, which worketh effectually in our hearts, teaching vs, that we are truely joyned to Christ, are flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone, whereby our flesh shall be raised vp at the last day, and quickned to eternall life: for where he is, there also we shall, and must be by meanes of him, who joyned himselfe to vs when he tooke our nature vpon him, and was pleased that likewise we should joyne our selues to him by faith, by regeneration, and by the power of the holy Spirit: for this Spirit beeing the power of the ever living God, & proceeding from the Father, and the Sonne, doth powerfully, and truly vnite vs to Christ, as the members of the body are vni­ted vnto the head, whereby we are become one with him. Mysterium loquor magnum, I vtter a great myste­ry:Ephes. [...]. for as we dye in Adam, descended by generation from him; so we all liue in Christ by regeneration in this life, by resurrection after death, and by the holy Spirit, vniting vs to him, who is life it selfe.

By this Spirit we cry Abba father, and by this spirit we are comforted: for Christ hath prayed to his father to send to vs another comforter, even the spirit of truth,Ioh. 14. Ioh. 15. proceeding from the father, which spirit, if it dwelleth in vs, shall also quicken our mortall bodies to eternall life, as he raised Iesus from the dead: for as by the our­ward preaching of the word, the holy Spirit of God inwardly working, leadeth vs into all truth (for Paul 1. Cor. cap. 3. may plant, and Apollos water, but God alone giveth increase, as he did in Lydia, opening her heart to harkenAct. 16. to those things, which were spoken by Paul) so in the [Page 61] outward administring of the Sacraments, whether it be of Baptisme, or the Lords Supper, the Minister reaching foorth his hand and giuing signes of things, and shewes of truth, the things themselues are truly and indeede receiued by faith through the operation of the spirit. In baptisme the Minister vseth outwardly water, but the Spirit baptizeth inwardly with the blood of the imma­culate Lambe. And all they that are baptized into Christ, Gal. 3. 27. haue put on Christ, and are the Sonnes of God by faith in Iesu Christ. And in the Supper of the Lord, the Mi­nister outwardly reacheth foorth to the people bread and wine; but the holy Spirit by his secret power doth truly feede faithfull receiuers with the very bo­dy and blood of Iesus Christ, vnto eternall life.

Now then wee must confesse that the working of Gods holy Spirit in the Sacraments sheweth it selfe powerfully, and effectually, as the Creator of heaven, and earth is most excellent in his holy word and most glorious in all the creatures hee made. And by this holy Spirit the omnipotent power of God is manifested to men, in that by Baptisme we are washed,1. Cor. cap. 6. 11. we are justified, & we are Sanctified in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ, and by the spirit of our God; And that in the Lords Supper, Secundum ineffabi­lem, & invisibilem gratiam, after an ineffable, and an invisible grace, as Saint Augustine witnesseth.Aug in Ioh. Hom. 5. Christ Iesus is with vs all the dayes of our life; though according to the flesh, which hee tooke of the Virgin Mary, and in which flesh hee was borne, in which hee vvas apprehended of the Iewes, [Page 62] was nayled to the crosse, was taken downe from the crosse, was wrapped in lynnen, layd in his graue, and rose againe the third day, hee is not with vs, but sitteth on the right hand of God to the end of the world. Therefore sayth Saint Am­brose, Ambr lib 10. in Luc cap. 24. C [...]l. 3. v. 1. Paul did teach where to seeke and finde Christ, saying, If yee be risen with Christ, seeke the things, which are aboue, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God: For sayth Eusebius Emissenus, Christ therefore con­secrated the Sacrament of his body and blood, be­cause hee was to carry away his body from vs into heaven. Wherefore the Minister of this Sacrament Delivering panem Domini, and vinum Domini▪ the bread of the Lord, and the wine of the Lord, the faithfull receiuer spiritually feedeth on Panem Domi­nu [...]m, even the Lords body, and the Lords blood: Not that the bread is really transmuted into the very bo­dy, or wine into the very blood of Christ, but that wee receiuing the bread of the Lord, and the wine of the Lord, consecrated to so high and heavenly a Sacrament, of the very body and blood of the Lord, might be sure, by faith to receive the Lord himselfe, and to feede on him to eternall life. And though concerning his carnall presence, hee be in heaven, sitting on the right hand of God in glory, and from thence to come in the cloudes to judge both quicke and dead; yet secundum ineffabilem & invisibi­lem gratiam, as is before-sayd, hee by his holy Spirit communicateth his flesh to vs by faith to feede on the same, in assurance that by his flesh, our flesh [Page 63] is sanctified, and our soules nourished: for in his flesh hee wrought righteousnesse that it might be im­puted to vs. Hee in his flesh subdued sinne, that it might be taken from vs: hee in his flesh sanctified the graue, that wee in our flesh might rise againe from death to life: hee in his flesh left the world and ascen­ded to his Father, that hee might prepare a place for vs, that where hee in his glorified flesh is, now raign­ing for ever in the highest places with God, there wee in our flesh, being at the last day raised from the dead, might also be, to liue in eternall joy, and glory with him.

In this godly meditation (the heart and minde bee­ing altogether fixed on Christ) all the faithfull recei­vers of bread, and wine are become faithfull Witnesses of Christs death, and doe truly, really, and indeede, (as is before said,) feede on his body, and on his bloud: who though for the space of forty dayes after his re­surrection, he conversed with his Apostles, the more to confirme them, whom he sent abroade into the whole world, that by their ministry they, who should be saved, might beleiue; yet afterward he ascended intoAct. 3. v. 21. heaven, there in his body, & reall presence to remaine, & be contained, till the time of restoring all things: Never­theles though Christs body be now in heaven, yet that heavenly body may, and is become the foode of faith­full men, feeding on his flesh indeede, by meanes, of the holy Ghost, working in their hearts, and telling them, that he, who in his body redeemed them, in his body now maketh intercession for them, & by his body [Page 64] in his flesh hath vnited them to him, to raise their bo­dies, that they may haue glory, as he himselfe is glo­rious.

Iesus Christ himselfe, who in all things was like to vs (sinne onely excepted) hee I say for strengthning his naturall body, did eate, and drinke, as we do to preserue our narurall bodies. And yet we know that he had a­nother meate, of which his Disciples knew not, and of this meate did he every houre eate, and at all times, yeaIoh. 4. v. 32. even then, when with his Disciples he did eate com­mon foode, he did eate the meate they knew not of, namely to doe the will of God, who sent him, and to finish his worke. And as our Saviour Christ called the dooing of Gods will, his meate, and ever in spirit fedde on this meate; so let vs receiving consecrated bread and wine, called Christs body and his bloud, spi­ritually, and by faith feede on that meate, which the world knoweth not, but they that are set apart, & cho­sē out of the world, know it; namely the flesh of the Son of man, which except we feede on for comfort, and nourishment to our soules, as we daily feede on bread for nourishing of our bodies, we cannot be saved. Therefore it behoveth that all our studies tend to this one thing, namely to feede on Christ, to beare witnes of his death, to eate his flesh, to liue in him, and by him, whom wee see not, as Christ himselfe fed on meate which the Disciples knew not, of which meateLuke. 2. v. 49. he also spake to his mother the blessed Virgin, say­ing, wote you not, that I must goe about my fathers busines. And concerning our foode, wee may likewise say, [Page 65] our edere is credere, our bibere, vivere, our eating is to be­leeue, and our drinking to liue in, and by him, and none other. Therefore saith venerable Bede, thatBed. lib. 6. in cap. 24 Luc. out of the sides of Christ thrust through with a speare, these Sacraments of blood▪ and water did spring, of which the Church is both borne and nou­rished. Now then who knoweth not, that nourish­ing is off, and from the same, whereof a thing is borne or springeth? And if any child sucke not the milke of the mother, it is fedde, and nourished by the milke of a stranger, whereby nature is altered; so is it with the true Church. It is both borne, and nou­rished with blood, and water of Christ. And if the childe borne be now put forth to nursing, to be fedde by any other then by Christ and his blood, verily he is not fedde by those pappes, which should giue him sucke, but by the pappes of a stranger. I speake this concerning that childe, and that Church, which feed­eth on the remembrance of the blood shed of their Saints, and Martyrs, as they call them, yea sometimes of sinfull men, who haue dyed for treason against their King, and Countrie. And yet at the foote of the gal­lowes some dying for the same offence with them, haue with like hope, and confidence prayed to them being dead, with Suecurrite Sancti, as the theefe on the Crosse prayed to Christ yet aliue, with Memento mei, cùm veneris in regnum tuum. But as there is no other foundation, that can be laid, then Iesus the Lord, and1. Cor. cap. 3. v. 11. whosoever buildeth on him, his worke will remaine, & he receiue reward, because he raiseth an house of gold, [Page 66] silver, and pretious stones, so whosoever buildeth on any other foundation, then that which is laid, his worke will perish and he receiue losse; for he raiseth an house, but of straw, hay, and stubble. He therefore that will feede on Christ must raise vp the building of his regeneration, sanctification, and justification by faith in Christ. And he that will liue by Christ, must be­leiue in Christ.

He that beleiveth in him, eateth him, and he is fedAmbr. lib de ijs, qui init. cap. 9. at full invisibly, who is regenerate by him invisibily: for this bread strengthneth, and this wine maketh glad the heart of man. Wherefore we may not thinke, that he, which is ascended, can otherwise be taken, or tou­ched, then by affection, not with the hand but with the heart, not with the eye, but by faith; and as witnesseth S^t Bernard saying, thou must both touch, and take him,Ber. ser. 18. su­per Cant. by thy hand of faith, by thy finger of desire, by the em­bracing of devotion, and by the eye of thy minde. And therefore howsoever this day the Church of Rome speaketh, and teacheth otherwise, yet the whole Ro­man Synod with their then Bishop of Rome in an Epistle to the Church at Constantinople, said, as is alleaged in the Cannon law, in the second Distinction of Consecration and the chapter In quibus, 38. that in that mysticall di­stribution of spirituall foode, we take, and receiue the vertue of heavenly foode, and become flesh with him, who was made our flesh: for the Eagles flye with spi­rituall wings to the same body, of which it is said, My flesh is meate indeede, and my bloud is drinke indeede. [Page 67] Now may every man conclude out of these words, this cannot be any corporall or carnall foode, which is thus truely called spirituall foode, and a mysticall distribution, onely for Eagles to feed on. Where­fore we say with S^t Ambrose, that with these Sacra­mentsAmb. in lib. de ijs qui myst. cap. 9. of bread and wine, Christ feedeth his Church: and by them the substance of each soule is strength­ned: for in that Sacrament is Christ, because the bo­dy of Christ is there. And therefore, saith hee, it is no corporall, but a spirituall foode. And if ChristIdem in Psal. 108. serm. 18. be my meate, and Christ be my drinke, how shall I die, whose meate is life? And how shall I fall a­way, which haue in him wholly a living substance? for this meate maketh them which eate it, immor­tall and incorruptible, who feed on the body ofAug. trac. 26. in Ioh. tom. 9. Christ, that they might be partakers of eternall life.

Therefore wee againe and againe affirme, that In­fidells, and wicked men, beare not Witnes with vs, nor haue eternall life, but death it selfe abiding in them, yea, though perhaps for fashion sake, they some­times once or twice in a yeare, receiue the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ; yet wanting faith, they neither eate the body of Christ, nor drinke his bloud; and so consequently haue not eternall life abiding in them. These are those dogges, which recei­ving onely the bare signe, feed on the crummes vnder the table, when the meate vpon the table belon­geth onely to the children. I wish all men to take this into due consideration; for verily hee cannot [Page 68] eate the body of Christ, which is not of the body of Christ, neither can he be said to eate Christs body, which is not a member of Christs body. And he that is not so, abideth not in Christ, nor Christ in him.Aug. tract. 26. in Ioh. And doubtles, saith S^t Augustine, he that abideth not in Christ, doth not feed on the body of Christ, nor drinke his bloud, though carnally, or visibly he grin­deth with his teeth the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ, but rather eateth and drinketh the Sa­crament of so great a thing vnto judgement: and this judgement S^t Paul calleth damnation: for this flesh,Cyr. in Levit. Lib. 13. which onely the faithfull feed on, is holy meate, and holy bread for holy men, not common to all, neither can the vnworthy eate it: but the faithfull receivers are worthy receivers, and they onely are become one with Christ, and Christ with them, not onely in that Christ tooke their nature vpon him in the flesh, sinne onely excepted, but also, because they grow vp toge­ther with him into one body, till they become strong, and perfect men in Christ. And as the early and latter raine refresheth the earth, so as the plants and trees grow therein bigger, to bring forth more fruite in due season; so they, comforted with the Spirit of Christ, watered with the dew of heaven, instructed by the word of God, and nourished by the Sacraments, grow from strength to strength, from vertue to vertue, and from grace to grace, into one body in Christ, as bran­ches grassed into one vine, grow vp into one body with that vine.

It were an absurd thing to say, or thinke, that because [Page 69] Christ tooke flesh of the Virgine Mary, and became flesh of our flesh, therefore we are [...]nited to him, as our armes are knit to our bodies, in the same essence corporally: nay rather let vs know, that as in Christ, all the faithfull make but one body, and yet are not car­nally knit, or vnited together; so Christ, taking our flesh vpon him, and in the flesh offering vp his body on the crosse, to reconcile vs vnto God, hath made all one, in that he is ours, and one with vs, even the head of the Church, whereby God hath called vs vnto the 1. Cor. 1. 9. fellowship of his Sonne Christ Iesus our Lord. This fel­lowship is that holy communion of holy men, where­by Christ is one with them, and they with him, to communicate of his grace, and heavenly benediction, who gaue his body, and shed his bloud for them, so as his body and his bloud may well be called Christian foode. This, some may say, is an high straine, why should we goe farther then the words themselues, This is my body? yes I pray, one word more, else you will never beare good witnesse to him, Doe this in remem­brance of mee. For this doing in remembrance of him, sheweth forth his death, and Witnesseth the same till his comming, and is the very foode, and life of a Chri­stian man in Iesus Christ. For by so great a mystery of mariage betweene Christ and his Church, and by coupling them together, life it selfe commeth downe from heaven vpon earth, and by the power of Gods Spirit, working faith in our hearts, the flesh of Christ giveth life to vs, that though his bodily presence re­maine in celestiall glory, yet from thence life may [Page 70] be derived, and sent downe to beleeving Christians, as sap, and nouri [...]hment commeth from the roote to to the branches. And now is Christs flesh made living foode for vs, and to vs, not onely to feede vpon him by faith, wrought in our hearts (as was said) by the operation of his holy Spirit, but also by good workes (in the power of the same Spirit directing vs) to shew forth piety, righteousnesse, chastity, and all o­ther good gifts of the Holy Ghost, dwelling and abiding in vs. And this is life it selfe, true, and living life, even a Christian life, so by the Spirit of Christ to be vnited vnto Christ, that being partakers of grace with him here, we might be assured to be part­ners with him in glory hereafter: which is a great prerogatiue granted and given to every beleeving Christian. Christ for him hath beene crucified, Christ for him hath shed his bloud, Christ hath reconciled him to God his Father, hath taken away all his sinnes, hath nailed thē to his crosse, buried them in his graue, and purchased for him eternall redemption. Tell mee now, is not this good meate to eate? Is not the remembrance of this better then bread, or any car­nall and corporall foode? The just man liveth by faith, else what preferment, or profit hath the just before the vnjust? verily without this foode, and without this life, little every way. Therefore vnto him onely, not onely the credit in trust, but the bene­fit in truth of Christs sufferings, and of the blessed Sacrament of Christs Supper is committed. And though some (sticking to, and vpon the bare letter,) [Page 71] doe not beleeue the working of Gods holy Spirit by faith in Christian hearts; yet shall not, nor can their vnbeliefe make the faith, which God giveth to his e­lect, to be of none effect: yea rather, Let God he true, Rom. 3. 4. and every man a liar, as it is written, that thou may'st be justified in thy word, and overcome when thou art jud­ged.

Here then let vs in all tentations and afflictions, haue recourse to the prerogatiue of a true Christian, I say in time of tentation, when the thing that wee would doe, wee doe not, and when the thing wee should not doe, wee doe. And when for this our conscience is so troubled, that in sorrow of soule we crie out, Miserable men that wee are, who shall de­liver Rom. 7. vs from the body of sinne? In this case, I say, when we demand who shall deliver vs? let vs with the blessed Apostle, haue recourse to a Christians prerogatiue with this ready answere, Wee thanke God through Iesus Christ. So likewise in time of affliction, whether it be of body, or soule, ne­ver so grievous, never so painefull, dolorous, and full of vexation; let vs in this case, as in the other, resort to a Christians prerogatiue, saying, Why art thou so heavy, ô my soule? and why art thou so disquieted within me? And let vs answere our selues with this ready an­swere, O put thy trust in God, and still giue him thankes, who Psal. 42. vlt. is the helpe of thy countenance, and thy God. In these thinges wee are more then conquerours through him who loved vs: For we know that all thinges worke [Page 72] together for the best vnto them that loue God. AndRom. 8. 32. if God be with vs, who can be against vs? Seing God spared not his owne Sonne, but gaue him for vs all to death, how also shall he not with him giue vs all thinges?

Proved.

WEE come now to the Proving of this last Will and Testament of Iesus Christ. For his death is past, and Testaments take authority, and are confirmed, when men are dead, be­ingHeb. 9. 17. of no force as long as hee that made them is aliue. But now Christ died, and was once offered to take away sinnes, that by Heb. 10. 19. 20. the Bloud of Iesus▪ we might be bold to enter into the holy Place, by the new and living way, which he hath prepared for vs, through the vaile of his flesh.

In Proving this Will, there hath beene much alter­cation in the Church, touching the literall or spiritu­all vnderstanding of these words: This is my Body. But for better satisfaction, as I haue at large in this my whole Discourse laid open the truth and true meaning of the words, so will I now conclude this Treatise with a true narration, not onely of the judgement of the Apostles, who better then others knew the minde of their Master herein, but also by the construction of the words in the Primitiue Church, and afterwards, by the Ancient Fathers, Reverend godly Bishops, and wor­thiest [Page 74] Doctors. Which done, I hope none will gaine­say, but confesse, that the last Will and Testament of Iesus our Saviour, is sufficiently Proved in the Preroga­tiue of the true Church of Christ, howsoever the Church of Rome, for their worldly profitable respects in their Sacrifice of the Masse, maintaine the con­trary.

But first, because every Testator best knoweth his owne meaning in any mysticall words of his owne Testamentary Will, let vs gather from the words of Christ himselfe, what construction of them best agreeth with his owne meaning, and with Christian Faith.

Now if any will aske mee, how I know Christs meaning, otherwise then by his owne words, I will, and must answere, that his word sheweth mee his mea­ning. For we must consider of bread after consecra­tion, as of wine after consecration. But our Saviour after consecration, called the consecrated wine by the name of Wine, and not of his Bloud; saying, I shall Mat. 26. 29. not henceforth drinke of the fruite of the vine, vntill I drinke it with you new in my Fathers kingdome. Therefore by the words of Christ himselfe it may be concluded, that bread after consecration, remaineth in it's sub­stance Bread, as the wine in substance remaineth wine: especially seeing our Saviour, the best expounder of himselfe, in the 6. of S ^t Iohn, calleth himselfe, theIoh. 6. 33. Bread of God, which came downe from heaven, and giveth life vnto the world: Our Saviour in no other sence cal­ling himselfe Bread, then Bread in the Sacrament is called the Body: Neither is the bread in the Sacra­ment [Page 75] in any other sence to be called Christs body, the Christ himselfe without the Sacrament, called him­selfe Bread. His words are true, for hee is truth it selfe, & both in the Sacrament and without the Sacrament, wee must beleeue his word, if wee will haue everlasting life: For hee onely is the bread of life, of which if any man eate hee shall liue for ever. This bread sayth our Saviour, is my flesh, for my flesh is meate indeede, and my Vers. 55. 56. blood is drinke indeede; hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in mee, and I in him. The Disciples thought these sayings hard, therefore our Saviour when they murmured and were offended, told them, that the words which hee spake vnto them were Spirit and life.

Wherefore for Prouing of this Will, touching the words themselues, This is my Body. I demand here what was it which Christ tooke? It is answered, Bread. Then I reason thus: what hee tooke, that he con­secrated; what hee consecrated that he brake; and what he brake that he gaue. But he tooke bread, consecrated it, brake it, and gaue it to his Disciples: wherefore this (It) which hee tooke, which he consecrated, brake, and gaue, was not his very naturall body, but Bread. And so the inference cannot be denyed, but that hee gaue Bread.

But the Romanists say, Christ gaue thankes, and con­secrated the bread, and then it became his body. But this maketh nothing against that which I still affirme, and that truly, that though the bread was by Christ consecrated, from his common vse, to a mysticall, spiritu­all, [Page 76] and heavenly Bread, yet was it bread still, and that after consecration. For he tooke bread, and when hee had giuen thankes he brake it, and gaue it. So that, what hee tooke before consecration, that after consecration he brake, and that he gaue: else the Scripture is not true, Hee tooke bread, and when hee had giuen thankes, hee brake it, and gaue it. But let men vrge against the truth a little farther, let them say, Christ called it his Body, and said, This is my Body. For my part, I verily beleeue it, but in that sence and signification, as Christ meant it, whose meaning concerning Bread is plainly expressed, as is before shewed in the fruit of the Vine.

As therefore it may be truly said, that the first and old Testament of the Law, was not the very substance, but only a shadow of those things, which were promis­ed to our Forefathers, and afterwards in fullnesse of time truly and indeede exhibited in Christ; so that in the New Testament, the Bread which Christ tooke, which hee brake, and which hee gaue, was not the very substance of the body of Christ; but onely a substantiall and reall signification of Christs body. The first Testa­ment was by the blessed Apostle S. Paul called a Sha­dow, the second, by the Fathers of the Church (as by and by shall be sufficiently proved) called a Signification. But neither of them was the thing it selfe, which was either shadowed to our Forefathers for expectation of that, which was to come; or signifyed to vs, for remem­brance of that which is now past; the offering of Christs body, and the shedding of his most pretious blood be­ing the thing it selfe, shadowed to them in their Sacrifi­ces, [Page 77] and signified to vs for a memoriall to the worlds end in this Sacrament.

But let vs proceede and see, in what sence the Holy Apostles tooke these words, This is my Body: I thinke them meetest for this proofe, because they best knew the minde of their Master, and because of them Christ sayd, To you it is giuen to vnderstand the mysteries of the Luke. 8. 10. kingdome of God. Let vs therefore obserue, what S. Luke sayth: who (albeit he be not reckoned among the A­postles, yet) was one of the foure Evangelists, and ma­kethLuke. 22. 17. the point plaine by the Cuppe saying, Hee also (mea­ning Christ) tooke the cuppe, and gaue it to his Disciples to be devided among them. Whosoever now will strictly tye himselfe to the letter for the bread, let him in like manner tye himselfe, his vnderstanding, and faith, as strictly to the letter for the cup to be devided. But who is so sencelesse to thinke that the cup was to be divi­ded. This could not be done without breaking it in peeces, as the bread was first broken, divided, and then given. But to this they reply, that by the (Cup) S. Luke meant the wine, and by wine, Christs blood. So I answere, and affirme, that in like manner Christ by (bread) meant his Body, not by transubstantiation in either, but by sig­nification in both.

The blessed Apostle S. Paul is also plaine in this point, who speaking of bread, after consecration, saith, The bread which we breake is it not the Communion of the bo­dy 1. Cor. 10. 16. of Christ? Here the Apostle doth not onely call conse­crated bread, Bread; but also in the same manner, and with the like phrase of speech calleth that bread, the [Page 78] Communion of the body of Christ, as Christ himselfe called the bread his Body, now who knoweth not, that bread is not the communion of the body of Christ? how then is it called the communion of his body, but by the selfe same phrase of speech, as consecrated bread is called the Body? But indeede not the Bread, but wee, which receiue it, are the communion of the body of Christ. Let vs then consider the manner of this speech, This is my body; and This cup is the New Testament in my blood; and The bread is the Communion of the body of Christ. Let vs, I say consider the manner of the speech by weigh­ing the matter it selfe, signified, and intended to be sig­nified thereby; and wee shall finde and must confesse, that these phrases of speech are not simply and properly spoken, but semblably, significatiuely, & by similitude, in such manner as in this Discourse is often alleaged, specially in the 1. chap. of this Treatise.

Let vs therefore here goe forward to the proving of Christs Will, by the true meaning of these words, Hoc est corpus meum. Eusebius maketh mention of one Dionysius Areopagita, (of whom S^t Luke speaketh in the 17 cap ofLib. 3. cap. 4. & lib. 4. cap. 23. the Acts, and whom Eusebius affirmeth to be the first created Bishop of Athens) that he expounding the do­ctrine of Divine mysteries, called it, the Reverend tradi­tion of sacred signes, because in mysteries are things sensi­ble, and things intelligible. In the sensible and visi­ble, the invisible and intelligible are signified: and in humane and externall signes, things divine are vnder­stood. In materiall figures, the majesty of things spi­rituall, and in those things which are familiar and com­mon [Page 79] to vs, high and supersubstantiall things are exhi­bited and given vnto vs. Therefore he biddeth vs to consider and to contemplate in our mindes, that by the venerable signes and Sacraments set vpon the Lords Table, Christ himselfe is signified, and Christ himselfe is received. Now then say I, if Christ be received only, as he is signified, then it must needes follow, that he is not after a fleshly manner received, but spiritually, by faith, the Sacrament leading vs to lay hold on that, it signifieth.

In respect whereof, saith Ignatius (not Ignatius theIn epist. 6. ad Philadelph. Father of Iesuites, but Ignatius a disciple of the Apostles, and Bishop of Antioch) There is but one flesh of our Lord Iesus, and one bloud which was shed for vs, and so is there but one bread broken for all, and one cup of the whole Church. I pray you then, saith hee, sticke ye to one faith, one preaching of the word, and one giving of thanks. For therefore the holy Scripture cal­leth1. Cor. 10. 16. the Cuppe in the Sacrament, the Cuppe of Blessing, that is of, Thanksgiving. Wherevpon that holy Ban­quet was called Eucharist, that is, Thanksgiving, because as often as we eate this bread, and drinke this Cuppe,1. Cor. 11. 26. wee with giving of thankes call to minde the death of Christ, & shew forth the same in remembrance of him. And this is the Sacrifice, which then we offer, as Cle­mens Alexandrinus (an ancient writer in the PrimitiueStromat. 7. Church, full of piety and learning) saith, who calleth our prayers and Thanksgiving, our Sacrifice; and the Alter whereon this Sacrifice is laid, our holy minde & heavenly meditation. This holy man did write about [Page 80] 200 yeares after Christ, denying that Christians offe­red any other Sacrifice to god, then glorifying of god, by Sacrificing themselues to him, who was truly on the crosse Sacrificed for them.

About this time lived Tertullian, who acknowledged Sacrifice to be offered vp for the health and long life of the Emperour, even Sacrifice to his god and our god:Ad Scapulam. yet, saith he, such Sacrifice, as God hath commandedContra Iudeos. by pure prayer. This Sacrifice is the Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, from a troubled and contrite heart: This Sacrifice is not terrene but heavenly. And there­fore, saith he, Christ called Bread his body; but by that bread, and by that calling, he represented and signifiedAdversus Maer. lib. 4. his body: for he tooke bread and distributed it to his Disciples, and made it his body, by saying, This is my body; that is, saith he, Figura corpor is mei, a figure or to­ken of my body. For that word which became flesh to feede vs to eternall life, must be desired with appe­tite, eaten and devoured, by hearing him preached,De resurrect. carnis. chewed with our vnderstanding, and digested by faith. And albeit it be alleadged out of Optatus (a godly and learned Bishop) that the Altar is the very seat of the bo­dy and bloud of Christ: And that S^t Austine l. 3. de Trin. said, that the fruite of the earth consecrated by prayer is called the body of Christ, yet we know that there is a naturall and Sacramentall body; not that Christ may be said to haue two bodies, but that the Sacramentall representeth the naturall: and that the Sacramentall & Sanctified bread is in mystery, the body of Christ, not in the true and naturall substance of the body really [Page 81] existing, but as Lumbardus himselfe confesseth: TheLib 4. Distinct. 10. bread is called the body of Christ, because the Sacra­ment of the body is called the body. And as Bonaventure also acknowledgeth, that in S^t Austines words, aboue al­leaged, there lieth a figure, by which, the signe is put for the thing signified.

And therefore, as I haue formerly observed, S^t Cy­prian D [...]vnct. chrism. Sect. 7. De carne. Dom. Sect. 18. Bishop of Carthage, (who lived about 240 yeares after Christ) saith, that significations of things signi­fied are named ijsdem vocabulis, with the same words, and so we become vnited to Christ, being made his body, both by the Sacrament and by that it signifieth: for which we whet not our teeth but prepare our faith, breaking and dividing holy bread.

And S^t Origen, whom S^t Ierome for his authority, stileth, Magistrum Ecclesiarum, the Master or governour of Churches, doth not dissent in opinion touching this point, calling the materiall and visible bread, a typicall and symbolicall body, distinguished and differing from the word incarnate, which is the bread of life, not only in the thing it selfe, but in the manner of eating it. And therefore, saith he, The bread, which is called theIn Math 15. bread of the Lord, sanctified, or consecrated by the word and prayer, in his owne nature doth not sanctify the receiver: for otherwise, he that eateth and drink­ethHom. 16. lib. in. Numer. vnworthily should also be sanctified. But we are said to drinke his bloud, not only in the rite and vse of Sacraments, but also when we heare his word, wherein our very life consisteth, as Christ himselfe saith; The words which I haue spoken to you are spirit and life, Ioh. 6. [Page 82] 63. There is in the new Testament as in the old, a killing letter; and if according to the letter we vnder­stand that saying, Except ye eate of the flesh of the sonne of man, you haue no life abiding in you, verily that letter kil­leth.Hom. 7 in Levit. Therefore in vnderstanding these things, sticke not so much on flesh and bloud, but learne rather to know, what is the bloud of life of that word, wherein it is said, This is my bloud which is shed for you. Hom. 9. in Levit.

Of this bloud of life, which is the meaning and very marrow of the word, speaketh Eusebius Caesariensis, (who lived about 300 yeares after Christ) saying, thatLib. 1. de de­monst. evangel. cap. 6. in the Sacrament of the Supper, there is a daily cele­brating of the remembrance of the body and bloud of Christ. Which celebration and remembrance hee in many places calleth, a Sacrifice without bloud; not meaning the vnblouddy Sacrifice of the very body ofLib. 1. de de­monst. evangel. Christ in the Masse, imagining it to be daily offered vp by the Priests; but the vnbloody Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiuing for that body which was once offered, & that bloud which was once shed, to pay the ransom for all our sins. And therefore he saith, we erect an altar to god of vnbloudy and reasonable Sacrifice, accor­ding to the new mysteries and institution of the new Testament, giving thanks to god for our salvation, and remembring that great Sacrifice, according to the things which were given vs by Christ. Now we know that the things which Christ gaue vs, were in appea­rance, only bread and wine, but in truth, his owne bo­dy also to die, and his bloud to be shed for vs. Not that, that bread was turned into his very body, or the [Page 83] wine into his bloud; but that the bread and wine con­secrated to a divine vse, might bring to our remem­brance, what our Saviour Christ had done for vs, that beleiving in him, we might be saved; and for such sal­vation, so dearely purchased by his owne body and bloud, yeeld all possible praise and thankes to god.

Therefore S ^t Basil, surnamed the Great, (who lived about 370 yeares after Christ) demanding what good these words did bring vnto the Church, Hoc est corpus Lib. de Bap. meum, answereth, that eating and drinking the Sacra­ments of bread and wine, we are, and ever should bee mindefull of him, who died, and rose againe. And in another place he answereth the same demand, saying, it belongeth to them which eate the bread, and drinke the cup of the Lord, to keepe a perpetuall memory of him, who died and rose againe for vs: & for this cause,In mora lib. saith he, the bread of thanksgiuing, & the cup of blessing are shewed to vs in the holy Communion. And greatLib. de Spir. Sancto. cap 27. reason is it by consecrated bread & wine to continue this memorial; because, as Hilarius (a holy Bishop, living about 350 yeares after Christ) telleth vs, that as truly as Christ tooke flesh of our flesh, so surely are we made oneLib. 8. de Trin. with him, receiuing the flesh of his body sub mysterio vn­der a mystery. The mystery can be no other, but that mystery, which is spoken of before by Eusebius, in the Sacrament of the supper, which he calleth, a new My­stery. Now we know that mysteries are not to be taken in common sence, according to the letter, for then theIn Psal. 89. words do not import a mystery. Therefore S. Austine said in the person of Christ, speaking of the supper My­steriū Hom. 11. in [...]. cap. 5. Ma [...]. vobis cōmendo, I cōmend a mystery vnto you. Vn­derstand [Page 84] it spiritually, & it giueth life: for as S. Chryso­stome speaketh, in the things sanctified is not the true &Hom. 38. in Mat. reall body of Christ, but a mystery of his body is con­tained in thē. Therefore when Heretiques object, & say, how doth it appeare that Christ was sacrificed, with ma­ny other words against vs, we sow vp their mouths, with shewing these mysteries. Now then sayth Eusebius E­missenus, It was necessary that Christ in his last supper should consecrate a Sacrament of his body, and of his blood, that hee might evermore be worshipped in that mystery, who was once offered vp for redemption of all in his body.

But I make too much hast from S. Basil, to make so long and wide a step to S. Chrysostome. I will therefore with more leasure proceede with the rest. Now there­fore returning a little, I here produce S. Ierome, who li­ved about the yeare of our Lord 370. and was a good Father and great furtherer of the Church of Christ; He telleth vs that Heretiques offer vp many sacrifices,In Hoseam. lib. 2. cap. 8. and eate of the flesh of them, but do leaue the sacrifice of Christ and eate not his flesh, which is the food on­ly of the faithfull. Wherefore, saith hee, when thou comest to the holy Altar, to be filled with heavenlyHom. de cor. & sang. Christs. foode, touch the holy body and blood of thy God, with thy minde, take it with the hand of thy heart, and receiue it with a secret and inward swallow: For as hee sayth in another place, Thou O Christ art the foode ofIn 1. Cor. cap. 11. the soule, not of the body, thou makest fat faith, not fat bellies. And therefore hath our Saviour given vs a Sa­crament,In Psal. 86. that by it we might evermore remember him, who dyed for vs: for Christ is daily crucified to vs,L [...]ad. Damos. [Page 85] who is dayly sacrificed to vs. Now it cannot, nor may it be understood, that Christ in his body is dayly really crucified, but only that his crucifying is dayly by this Sacrament remembred. And so is he dayly sacrificed, as he is dayly crucified, and dayly crucified for vs, as hee is dayly remembred by vs. Remembrance then being of the minde, and not of the mouth, wee say with the same Saint Hierome, that our Saviour afterIn Mat. 26. cap. hee had fullfilled the Typicall passeover, and had eaten of the flesh of the Pascall Lambe with his Apostles, tooke bread, and passeth now to the true Sacrament of the true Pascall Lambe, that as Melchisedechs prefigu­ration of him, was in bread and wine: so hee himselfe might likewise in bread and wine, represent to vs the truth of his body and of his blood. This truth no man can attaine to, who loueth pleasure more then God,In Esa. cap. 66. because he cannot enter into the Mystery of truth, who being wholy both in body & spirit, feedeth not on the flesh of Iesus, nor drinketh his blood.

Therefore S. Ambrose (who was consecrated Bi­shop Deijs qui myst. Init. cap. 3. about the yeare 378) speaking of Baptisme, saith, doest thou see water, and doubtest of the mysterie? What is water without the crosse of Christ? Even the common element of water without any effect of a Sacrament. And againe, there is no effect nor my­stery, without the water of regeneration. Beleeue then, that this water is not without this working through the Holy Spirit. And so that bread, which before benedi­ction by the heavenly word, is named but bread, is af­terCap. 9. consecration called the body, and the wine is called [Page 86] the blood; because by those Sacraments Christ feedeth and nourisheth his Church, and by them the soule is strengthened. For that bread which came downe from heaven doth minister substance of eternall life, that whosoever eateth thereof might liue for ever. This ho­ly Father speaketh excellently of the distinguishing be­tweene worke & working. In Baptisme, saith hee, water is the worke, but working is of the Holy Ghost. And wee mayDe Sac. lib. [...]. cap. 5. well inferre, if this be so in water, why then is it not so in consecrated bread [...] For the mystery in both is alike: For in both we receiue the Sacrament of the crosse of Christ, washing & redeeming vs by his blood.

This S. Ambrose maketh an excellent speech in forme of a prayer vnto Christ the bread of life; explaining therein the purpose of the Sacrament of the supper, (which prayer I thinke meete here to set downe) say­ing, ‘Sweetest bread, heale the palate of my heart, thatIn Orat. praepar▪ [...]d San. myst. cel. I may taste the sweetenesse of thy loue, heale mee from all diseases, that I may loue no beauty but thee; whitest bread, having in thee all delight and all sweetenesse of taste, which dost ever refresh, let my heart eate thee, and the bowels of my soule be reple­nished with the sweetenesse of thy taste: the Angel eat­eth thee with full mouth, man being a stranger eateth thee in his small measure, that refreshed in his jour­ney hee might not faint by the way. O holy Bread! bread of life, pure bread, which camest downe from heaven, and gauest life to the world, come into my heart, and make mee cleare from all vncleane­nesse of flesh, and of spirit; enter into my soule, [Page 87] sanctifie mee both within and without; that I being defended both▪ without and within by thee, I may in the right way come to thy kingdome, where not in mysteries (as at this time is done) but face to face, we shall see thee.’ I could here at large dilate vpon those words, that in this S^t Ambrose doth not adore Sacramen­tall bread, which in the perclose of his speech he calleth but a mystery; nor intendeth any thing for his mouth, but all for his minde & faith; nor here cōmendeth to vs the Doctrine of Transubstantiation: but I should then insist too long vpon this point, knowing that I could al­leage many more places of this holy Father, making a­gainst the carnall eating of Christ, and against the Do­ctrine of Transubstantiation; as in that place, where hee saith, as we haue the similitude of Christs death in Bap­tisme, so also we take the similitude of Christs body &Lib. 4. cap. 4▪ de Sacr. blood in a mystery. Do wee not know that the simili­tude of Christs death in Baptisme is for vs to die to sin? And know we not that by taking bread and wine, wee receiue the similitude of Christ his body & blood? that as the one is broken, so the other is giuen, and as wine is powred out, so Christ his blood was shed for vs?

But I proceede calling other Doctours, & Ancient Fa­thers, as well as those already recited, for further proofe of Christs last Will and Testament. S. Austine (who li­ved in the time of S^t Ambrose) is very plentifull and sensibly perspicuous▪ first in the true exposition & mea­ning of these words, Hoc est corpus meum. Secondly, in the Sacramentall and Spirituall feeding on Christ: Thirdly in the manner of his presence in the Sacra­ment: [Page 88] And lastly, in the Sacrifice there offered. It would require a whole volume to recite all he saith: Touching these 4 heads, I will with a few of his holy, & heavenly sentences, satisfie my selfe, and so, I hope, satisfy the Reader. And first touching exposition of the words, Hoc est corpus meum. Sacraments, saith he, haue aEpist. 32. certaine similitude with the things themselues, where­of they be Sacraments, otherwise they were no Sacra­ments: and because of such similitude, Sacraments are called by the name of the things, whereof they be Sa­craments. What can be spoken more plainely? Bread is a Sacrament of the body, wine a Sacrament of the bloud of Christ. Therefore for the similitudes sake, here mentioned by S^t Austine, and before spoken of by S^t Ambrose, the bread, and wine, are called by the name of the body and bloud of Christ. Before Christs com­mingContra Faust. Manichaeum. Cap. 21. in the flesh, the offering vp of his flesh and bloud, was promised in the Sacrifices of the Law; the truth whereof was performed in his Passion. But now after Christs ascension the memoriall thereof is celebrated in this Sacrament. Therefore because signes of things, are one thing in their existence, and another thing in their signification; they are considered, not what they are in themselues, but what they set forth to vs. Iohn the Baptist, saw the Holy Ghost in likenesse of aLib. 5. cont. Maximil. c. 22. Doue descending, and lightning vpon Iesus, when after his baptisme he came out of the water. The Holy Ghost is God, God is invisible, yet he saw him; but he saw him in the similitude of a Doue, which may bee seene. So is it in the Sacrament of the supper: we re­ceiue [Page 89] Christ, namely in mentall vnderstanding, where the bread is a signe of the body of Christ, as the Doue was a signe of the Holy Ghost. This Doue was not the very Holy Ghost, the third person in Trinity, neither is the Sacramentall bread the very reall body of Christ, the second person in Trinity. But both the Doue, and the bread, doe signifie that truth, which we beleiue▪ namely, that the Holy Ghost truly descended vpon Christ at his Baptisme, & that the body of Christ is in the Sacrament truly received of all that beleiue in him.

Now therefore we must a little examine, how Christ in the Sacrament of bread is spiritually eaten, for that is the second point I observed in these 4 heads. There­fore saith S^t Austine; why preparest thou thy teeth, andIn Iohn. Tract▪ 15. thy belly, beleeue and thou hast eaten. We receiue visible bread, but the Sacrament is one thing, and the vertue of the Sacrament is another. Therefore, saith he, looke vpon the bread of heaven, and spiritually eate it. The Isralites did eate the same flesh, as we eate:Ibid. tract. 26. theirs and ours differ in the signes, but in signification are the same. He that eateth inwardly, not he that ea­teth outwardly; he which eateth in his heart, not hee which grindeth with his teeth, hath life, for he feedeth on that which pertaineth to the vertue of the Sacra­ment. Did not our Lord Iesus Christ take flesh of the Virgin? was not he in his body crucified, dead & buri­ed? did not he in the same body rise againe, & ascend into heaven? & doth not he in the same body wherein he ascended, fit on the right hand of god, vntill he comeSerm. de infant▪ & popul. from thence to judge both the quicke and the dead? [Page 90] How then is bread become his body; and how is the cup become his bloud? S^t Austine answereth these questions thus. These are Sacraments or mysteries, in which one thing is seene, and another vnderstood; that which is seene is a bodily shew, that which is vnder­stood is a spirituall fruite. This fruit is the body of Christ, & his bloud: eate this body, & eate life; drinke this bloud, and drinke life. For the body and bloud of Christ is life to all, if that which is taken visibly in the Sacrament, be in the truth it selfe spiritually eaten, andDe verb. Apost. Serm. 2. spiriturlly drunken, as we haue heard the Lord himselfe speake: It is the Spirit which quickneth, and the words which I haue spoken to you are spirit, and life. When we shall be­gin to eate that immortall meate, we are nourished, andDe verbis Dom. in Luc. Ser. 64. the meate is not diminished. Our eye is cherished with the light, & yet we diminish not the light, which feedeth the eies of many. And if god hath giuen this to the light for eies of flesh, what is he himselfe, who is the light of the eies of the minde. And if thou wilt prepare thy bel­ly for an excellent dinner, & for meate well cōmended, prepare thy mind now, when god is cōmended to thee.

Thirdly, touching the manner of Christ his presence in the Sacrament, the same S^t Austine saith, that concer­ning the humane body, the Lord is in heaven to the worlds end, and yet the Lord, who is truth it selfe, is al­so with vs. For, saith he, the body of the Lord, in which he rose againe, must of necessity be in one place,Tract. 30. in Ioh. but his truth is diffused, & spread abroad every where. The Church had Christ in his personall presence but a little while, but now the Church taketh hold on [Page 91] him by faith, whom it seeth not with the eye. So then, by the vertue and signification of the Sacrament, by grace and by the Holy Spirit, he is daily with vs, speci­ally in preaching of the Word, and administring of the holy Sacraments: but not in them, nor in one of them, in that forme and substance of flesh, wherein hee ascended into heaven: For in such sence, wee cannot say, Loe here, or loe there. But take heed concerning his presence,Epist. 57. which in his God-head is every where, lest in Christs Divinitie, wee destroy and take away his Humanity. Christ Iesus, God and Man, is one Person, who is every where, in that hee is God, but in heaven as he is Man. Mysterium vestrum in mensa positum est: It is not theSerm. ad Infant. Lord himselfe in his Personall presence, but it is a My­stery for you, that is set vpon the Lords Table. There­foreLib. 33. contra Faust. Man. c. 8. let men come to Iesus, not in the flesh, but in the spirit; not by the presence of a body, but in the power of faith: for it is not of the visible Sacrament, but of the signification and vertue thereof, that wee haue life abiding in vs, who feed on the bread of life, which bread came downe from heaven, which bread is Christ. If the body of Christ were in person and inTract. 26. i [...] Iob. flesh really present in the Sacrament, after a grosse and carnall construction, then many absurdities must needes be admitted against the Articles of our faith, against the nature of humane flesh, and against the hope and faith of godly Christian men: All which I shall in this Discourse speake of at large. Now if the words of consecration doe so transubstantiate bread and wine, as some imagine, then it is not [Page 92] the faith of the receiver, but the words of consecrati­on, which make the bread, the body; and the wine, the bloud of Christ. And if the words actually and re­ally haue such force, then as well Iudas, as the rest of the Apostles; the vnfaithfull, as the faithfull feed on Christ, which is impossible; for, whosoever eateth his flesh, hath eternall life abiding in him. Therefore,Tract. 26. in Ioh. saith S^t Austine, This flesh and meate, make them, who take it, immortall and incorruptible: But we know, that at the Lords table, some receiue to life, and some to death: for it cannot be, that he who abideth not in Christ, should eate the flesh of Christ, or drinke his bloud spiritually, but rather he eateth and drinketh theIbid. Sacrament of so great and excellent a thing, as is the body of Christ, to his owne damnation, though carnal­ly and visibly he grinde with his teeth the said Sacra­ment. For he that abideth not in Christ, nor Christ inLib. 21. de cultu Dei. cap. 25. him, let not him say, that be eateth Christs body, or drinketh his bloud. Now there is no way to abide in Christ, but by faith, and if the faithfull take this Sacra­ment, they with it receiue Christ, as the woman by touching but the hemme of Christs garment, was made whole by the vertue which proceeded from Christ.

I could here alleadge sundry authorities, from many other Fathers of the Church, to this point: but I passe to the sacrifice offered in this Sacrament, which is theLib. de fide ad Petr. Diaconum, cap. 19. 4^th thing proposed by mee out S^t Austine, who saith, Maintaine strongly without doubting, that the Word, e­ven the Sonne of God became flesh, and offered him­selfe, a sweet sacrifice for vs; to whom, with the Fa­ther, [Page 93] and the Holy Ghost, were sacrifices of the old Law, offered by Patriarkes, Prophets, and Priestes; and to whom now, that is, in the time of the New Testament, with the Father, and the Holy Ghost, the Catholike Church throughout the world, ceaseth not to offer the sacrifice of bread and wine, in faith and charity. In those carnall sacrifices of our forefathers, there was a prefiguration of the flesh of Christ, which Christ should offer for sinnes, without sinne; and of his bloud, which Christ should shed for remission of our sinnes. But in this sacrifice, there is thanksgiving and comme­moration of the flesh of Christ, which he offered for vs; and of his bloud, which hee shed for vs. And inIn Euch. all Laur. cap. 62. that one, and singular sacrifice, wherein our Mediatour was once sacrificed, heaven is in league with earth, and earth hath peace with heaven. Hee therefore was once sacrificed in himselfe, and nevertheles in the Sacra­ment, not onely in the solemnity at Easter, but every day is hee sacrificed. Neither doth he lye, who be­ingAd Lauren. cap. 22. asked, doth answere, that he is sacrificed. This last sentence sheweth; First, that Christ was once sacrificed in himselfe, that is, in his owne body. Therefore, say I, the sacrifice in the Eucharist is not a proper, reall, and true sacrifice, in the true nature of a sacrifice, whether it be in bloud or without bloud. Secondly, in the Sa­crament Christ is every day sacrificed. Therefore if he be sacrificed every day, onely in a Sacrament, hee is not sacrificed every day in his owne body. Thirdly, hee is sacrificed after a certaine manner, and by a si­militude: therefore not truely, properly, and really. [Page 94] Wherefore I conclude this point with S^t Austine, say­ing, That, which of men is called a sacrifice, is Signum Lib. 10. de Ci­vit. Dei cap. 5. veri sacrificij, a signe of the true sacrifice. And so secun­dum quendam modum, saith the same S^t Austine, afterEp. 23. ad Bo­ni [...]. epis. a certaine manner, the Sacrament of the body, is the body, and the Sacrament of the bloud is the bloud, namely by way of similitude.

Next S^t Austine, I produce that most eloquent, and golden-mouth'd Grecian Doctor, S^t Chrysostome; who writing of this Sacramentall bread, calleth it Eucha­ristia, In. Mat. Homil. 26. Because, saith hee, it is a remembrance of bene­fits, and a perpetuall action of giving God thankes for them. God proposed certaine festivall dayes to the Iewes yearely for remembrance of all his blessings v­pon them; But vnto vs, saith hee, almost every day, Per haec Mysteria, by these mysteries. Therefore let e­very one goe to receiue with great faith: but to goe with faith, is not onely to receiue the body proposed, but to receiue it with a pure heart, as if one went to Christ to receiue Christ: remembring that that Supper is now celebrated, at which Christ himselfe sate with his Apostles: for there is no difference be­tweene that Supper, and our Communion. That Sup­perHom. in Mat. 51. was instituted by Christ, our Communion is not of, or from man: Christ himselfe is author both of this and of that. Thinke not therefore when thou receivest, that the Priest, but that Christ doth put forth his hand to thee; and that in sanctified Bread and Wine, Non Hom. 11. in Mat. est verum corpus Christi, the true body of Christ is not, but in them, Mysterium corporis Christi continetur the [Page 95] Mystery of the body of Christ is contayned. Sensible thinges are seene with the eye, but Mysteries with in­telligence. Sensible thinges are taken with the hand, but Mysteries with the heart: Sensible thinges with the body, but Mysteries with the soule, and by faith, for the spirit quickeneth. Therefore the words of Christ, (Hoc est corpus meum) are to be heard according to the spirit; and Sacraments are to be considered with in­ward eyes, that is, saith he, spiritualiter, spiritually. NowHom. 46. in Iob. then, when thou hearest it said, This is my body, considerDe Euch. Hom. 21. what thou takest into thy hand, when thou do'st com­municate; and what that bread doth signifie, even the body of Christ. But doe they which eate the bread, feed on the body? yes verily. Quoniam non solum hoc Hom. 60. datur, quod videtur, sed etiam illud quod intelligitur: Be­cause not that onely is given, which is seene, but that also which is vnderstood: which S^t Chrysostome calleth, secretum Mysterium, a secret Mystery, and Mysterium Hom. de Prod. Iud. veritatis, the mystery of truth. The words of this My­stery are vttered by the mouth of the consecrating Priest, but the bread and wine are consecrated by the grace and power of the Deity. This sacrifice thereforeIbid. is spirituall, where Christ is both the sacrificer, and the sacrifice, where hee himselfe is offered that maketh the offering, and whose Altar is the Crosse. Besides this there is no other sacrifice▪ this one, and onely thisIn Epist. ad Heb. Hom. 13. purgeth vs from all our sinnes. Therefore, saith hee, this mysticall bread, is counted worthy of the name ofAd Caesar. M [...] ­nachum. the body of Christ, albeit, the substance of the bread remaine still in it selfe.

Infinite are the Authorities alleadged by all the Re­verend Fathers of the Church to this purpose. I may not alleadge all that for this proofe is written. I pro­ceedIn Ioh. lib. 3. cap. 34. therefore to S^t Cyril, Bishop of Alexandria, a man of excellent wit, and exquisite judgement, (who lived a­bout 416 yeares after Christ,) who writing of this sub­ject, saith, That the onely begotten true Sonne of God, is bread quickning all thinges; but in this sence, saith hee, that as terrestriall bread doth sustaine the weake­nes of our flesh, so Christ by his Holy Spirit, quicke­neth our spirits. And of this quickning, S^t Cyril giveth a reason, namely, because the body of Christ is ineffa­bly joyned to the Sonne of God, who quickeneth and giveth life to all thinges. For the Word, which is life it selfe, and the flesh of our Saviour, being mette toge­ther, and joyned in one person, who is Christ, must of necessity haue his effect in life. Therefore when weeLib. 4. cap. 14. eate this flesh, wee haue life in him, being joyned to him. If any aske, how shall I eate that flesh? S^t Cyril Cap. 16. answereth, Per benedictionem mysterij ipsum Filium Dei suscipimus: Wee receiue the very Sonne of God in, and by the blessed mystery. But how in that blessed myste­ry doe wee feede on his body? Christ, saith this holyIbid. cap. 26. & lib. 9. cap. 47. Father, ingreditur in nos per fidem, entreth into vs by faith, and dwelleth in vs by his holy Spirit. For heeLib. 3. cap. 24. that hath the holy Spirit of Christ in him, hath also Christ himselfe in him, because Christ and his Holy Spirit are never separated. So then, whosoever eatethCap. 17. the flesh and drinketh the bloud of Christ, hee is joyned to Christ, and Christ to him, that he is found in Christ. [Page 97] But this eating is in faith, and in obedience. And who­soeverLib. 4. in. L [...] ­vit. in this wise commeth to Iesus, hath touched the flesh of the sacrifice, and he himselfe is sanctified. But now, saith hee, if according to the letter, thou wilt vn­derstand these words, Except yee eate of the flesh of the Ibid. l. 7. Sonne of man, and drinke his bloud, &c. This letter killeth. But if yee vnderstand it spiritually, then in that letter is the spirit of life. Therefore when thou takest Panem Ibid. lib. 23. mysticum, mysticall bread, eate it in loco mund [...], in a cleane and pure place, that is, in thy soule. For this bread is holy meate, for holy men, who are purified in their hearts, and doe receiue the very Sonne of God, Per han [...] benedictionem mysterij, by this blessing of theLib. 4. in. Ioh. cap. 15. mysterie. For so the beleeving Apostles themselues did vnderstand, that Christ should be ever with them, by theIn Ioh. lib. 11. cap. 22. power of his Deity, though absent from them in his humane body. And that the Lord shewed them salva­tion, not in the corporall presence of flesh after his as­cention, but by the power of his God-head, in which he ascended.

Therefore, saith Gelasius the first, (who lived about 495 yeares after Christ) when now the Heresies of Eu­tiches and Nastorius were on foote in the Church, that even our Lord Iesus Christ is wholly and altogether both God and man, otherwise there would follow a dissolving of the Sacrament, if the man-hood were onely received without the God-head, or the God-head onely without the man-hood; and so our nature and condition, should also not be glorified, except God and man were vnited in one Christ. But, saith [Page 98] hee, my minde abhorreth to say, that the condition of the man hood is so transfused into the God-head, as that it altogether leaveth the property of the man­hood. This saying maketh very much against those, who vrging the reall presence, deny the property of a body, in denying locality of Christs body, to whom the said Gelasius seemes to speake, as well as to Eu­tiches and Nestorius, saying; Who is he, whom S ^t Stephen saw standing at the right hand of power? who is that Sonne of God that shall come to judge the quicke and dead? and who shall hee be, whom they shall see, who wounded him? Take away the nature of a body from Christ, and the Sacrament (saith Gelasius) is made voide, and the mystery there­of is of none effect; yea, that (saith hee) shall be false, (which God forbid that any should thinke) which our Saviour after his Resurrection, said, Touch and feele mee, because a Spirit hath neither bones nor flesh, as yee see mee haue. Wherefore Gelasius concluding, that the similitude of the body and bloud of our Sa­viour is celebrated in the Sacrament, which hee cal­leth Actio mysteriorum, an action of mysteries, saith, that the Sacraments which wee receiue of the body and bloud of Christ are thinges divine, by which wee are made consorts, and communicants in the divine nature; and yet, saith hee, the substance and nature of the bread and wine remaineth.

To this purpose, excellently speaketh Fulgentius, saying, The Sonne of God being true God, God [Page 99] of God, and true man of the seede of David, according to the flesh, having in him the truth both of divine and humane nature, did not therefore lose that which be­longed to his Divinity, when hee tooke that, which ap­pertained to true humanity. But hee which continuethLib. 2. ad Thras. cap. 17. for ever with the Father according to his Deity, was borne of his mother in time, according to the flesh, hee, as man, was locall; he, as God, incomprehensible; in his humaine substance, not in heaven, when hee liued vpon the earth, and in his humane nature, leaving the earth when hee ascended into heaven: but in his essence, not leaving heaven, when hee came from heaven, nor lea­ving the earth, when hee went vp into heaven. And this you may know by the words of Christ himselfe, who to shew that hee was locall concerning the body, saith, I ascend to my Father and to your Father. And concerning Lazarus his death, saith Christ, I am glad for your sakes, that now you may beleeue, Quoniam non eram ibi, be­cause I was not there, Ioh. 11. 15. But speaking of the greatnesse of his god-head, he said to his Disciples, Be­hold I am with you vntill the end of the world. Tell mee now, saith Fulgentius, how is hee in heaven, but as he isLib. de fide ad P [...]t. cap. 2. locall, very man? And how is hee ever present to the faithfull, but as he is in immensitie true God? who be­ing in his humane nature locall vpon earth, did in his divine essence fill both heaven and earth. Therefore so beleeue that Christ was true man, that yee thinke not his flesh to be of any other condition, or nature, then is the flesh of man. Hee speaketh here touching locality, &Ibid. c. 3. therefore saith in the next Chapter; if every carnall or [Page 100] corporall creature were of the selfe same nature with the holy Trinity, which is true God, hee could not locally be kept any where, nor at any time feele change of time, nor passe from place to place, who is at once in all places, nor be circumscribed by the quanti­ty of his owne greatnesse. Hee speaketh this to shew, that wee in our bodies (sinne excepted) are of like na­ture with the body of Christ: and therefore if Christ in his humane flesh be not locall, then wee in our bodies may be not locall, which to affirme were great absurdi­ty. I conclude this point with Fulgentius, Vera humani­tas Christi est localis, the true humanity of Christ is lo­call.Lib 1. ad Thras. cap. 18. If locall then in heaven: if in heaven locally, then not on earth locally, and if not in earth, then not in the Sacrament of Bread. But you may demand how is the body of Christ locall in heaven, and yet receiued by vs vpon earth? I answere, that he is receiued of vs, as he is said to dwell in vs; which cannot be vnderstood accor­ding to his humane flesh, but according to his divine immensity, whereby hee is present in all places, and ac­cording to his grace and holy Spirit, and by his gift for remission of our sinnes. This dwelling in vs, Non est com­prehensibilis Lib. 2. ad Thras. cap. 19. cogitatione, sed venerabilis fide, is incompre­hensible by humane vnderstanding, but venerable by faith.

Of such faith speaketh Gregory surnamed the Great, I [...] Ezech. Hom. 18. sometimes Bishop of Rome, saying, in the knowing of the Omnipotent God, the first gate that is opened vnto vs is faith; and therefore hee calleth the Sacrament the Mystery of faith, because wee ought to beleeue, that in [Page 101] it our salvation consisteth; for the Lord, saith hee: in his providence gaue this Sacrament of our saluation, that because wee sinned dayly, and that hee cannot now a­gaine dye, yet receiuing that Sacrament of his body, wee might stand assured of remission of sinnes: For Christ is dayly eaten and drunken, remaining notwith­standing still whole, living, and immaculate. And there­fore this mystery is a great and fearefull mystery, Be­cause, saith hee, aliud videtur, & aliud intelligitur, in it one thing is seene, and another is vnderstood. Nothing can be spoken more plainely, nothing more truly. And this sentence may be an answere to whatsoever other sayings are gathered, and wrested from him, to make (as some thinke) for popish purpose: for admit that hee sayth, bibendo didicistis quid sit sanguis Agni, you haue learned what is the blood of the Lambe, by drinking it: yet we know that wee drinke it in such manner (as Gre­gory himselfe speaketh) that hee who is immortall and incorruptible dyeth in hoc mysterio: and as hee is mysti­cally a Lambe, so wee mystically drinke his blood. And againe, saith he, his body is receiued, and his flesh suffer­eth, for salvation to his people, and his blood is powred out into the mouths of the faithfull, but withall, saith he, only for vs, to consider this our Sacrifice doth imi­tate, and set forth that sacrifice of Christs passion, which was for our absolution. If we well weigh & pon­der in our mindes the weight of these three words, Mystery, Similitude, and Imitation, wee shall soone an­swere all objections, which seeme according to the let­ter to make against vs. Excellently therefore saith S ^t [Page 102] Chrysostome, Qui misteriorum estis participes, scitis quid dici­tur: Hom 83. in Math. You who are partakers of mysteries, know what is said, as when it is sayd, Take, eate, this is my body: if you vnderstand the words by way of mysterie, you know and rightly vnderstand, what is sayd, and meant by them. But Gregory proceedeth concerning thisLib. 2. in Ezech. Hom. 16. Mystery, saying, There is but one faith of our Fore­fathers, and of vs, as there is an vnity of faith in the hearts of all beleevers, who are the beloued and elect of God. Let vs therefore come to Christ by faith, and feede on him by faith, that so wee may enter into the gate of life. Non enim virtutibus venitur ad fidem, sed per fidem pertingitur ad virtutes: wee come not to faith byIbidem. vertues, but wee attaine to vertues by faith. Wherefore if there be in consecrated bread any vertue, as in truth there is great, not to be expressed; And if the faithfull, receiuing the Sacrament of bread and wine, receiue also the fulnesse of the vertue of the very body and blood of Christ; Let vs account this a great mystery seing the excellent benefits and blessings, belonging to the faithfull receivers, are but fearfull and very feare­full mysteries to the vnfaithfull presumers.

Here I cannot, as I travell this way, but call on Au­relius Cassiodorus, to speake a word or two with him, (who was a learned Abbot, and lived about 500 yeares after Christ) who alleaging these words, Thou dost prepare a Table before me in the sight of mine adversaries, [...]e coena Domin. Psal. 22. saith, that this Table is the holy Altar, the Churches Table, the blessed Communion, the blessed Banquet, [Page 103] saturatio fidei, esca coelestis, the satiating of faith, and the heavenly foode. Now then if this meate be heavenly, it is not carnall; if it be to bee received by faith, it is not belly-cheare; if an holy Altar, let vs in holinesse goe vp vnto it; if the Churches Table, let vs not as men only, but as men belonging to the Church ap­proach it; if a blessed Communion, let vs so communi­cate, that we may be blessed. And if a blessed banquet, let vs in faith eate thereof, as it becommeth blessed men, for remission of sinnes. For Christ, saith he re­jected the Sacrifice and burnt offerings of the old law, because he himselfe was the true Sacrifice: and yet,In Psal. 50. saith he, there is another Sacrifice, which is ever in the sight of God, namely, when the minde of man set on fire with the loue of god, doth in a contrite heart, boyle and decocte his sinnes, and in imitation of Christs Sa­crifice offered vp vpon the crosse, doth crucifie his owne body, and consume his sinnes, as if they were burnt vp with fire. The reason of this imitation of the crosse of Christ, in the fellowship of afflictions, in cru­cifying our earthly members, (as Iohannes Max [...]ntius affirmeth, who liued also about 500 yeares after Christ) consisteth in this, that the Church is called the body of Christ, & every faithfull man is of the body of Christ, (the Apostle bearing witnes, and saying, You are the bo­dy of Christ, 1. Cor. 12. 27.) And so also, saith he, Panis Dial. 2. contra Nestor. ille, quem vniversa Ecclesia in memoriam Dominicae Passio­nis participat, corpus ejus est: That bread, which the whole Church partaketh of, in remembrance of the Lords Passion, is his body. Here, first he calleth it Bread, [Page 104] then Bread taken in remembrance of his Passion, and lastly Bread, his body. Now we are not the naturall but the mysticall body of Christ, and so must we vnder­stand of the bread, as of our selues, to wit in a mystery.

Therefore saith Isidorus, Scholler to Gregory the Great, the bread which we breake is the body of Christ,Lib. 1. de Eccl. Offic. cap. 18. who saith, I am the bread of life; and the wine, which we receiue, is his bloud, who saith, I am the true Vine. Here bread and wine are alike called Christs body and bloud, in the same sence, and after the same manner, as Christ is called Bread, and a true Vine: neither of them materially, but both of them mystically, of which myste­ries he saith in another place, Proficiunt spiritu [...]litèr, quae in mysterio fiunt carnalitèr. The things profit spiri­tually, which in a mystery are done carnally. There­fore, as Theodoret also affirmeth, signes in a mysticallDial. 1. sence, are called by the name of the things they signi­fy; and things themselues are named by the name of the signes, as bread is called the body of Christ, and Christ himselfe is called bread; wine is called the bloud of Christ, and Christ is named the vine. Which things also Isidorus seemes to vnderstand in a mysticallIbidem. cap. 18. meaning: for, saith he, because bread strengthneth the body, therefore it is called the body; and because wine breedeth bloud in the flesh, therefore it hath re­ference to the bloud of Christ. But these two, both bread and wine, are visible, and beeing sanctified by the Holy Ghost, in sacramentum divini corporis transeunt, they passe, and are changed into the Sacrament of the holy body of Christ. Therefore for confirmation of [Page 105] this Sacrament, the Priest, saith he, prayeth, that theLib. de Ec. offic. oblation, which is there offered vnto the Lord being sanctified by his holy spirit, may be made conformable to the body and bloud of Christ. Before is spoken of imitation, of similitude, and of mystery, now of confor­mity. But who knoweth not, that conformity is not the same thing, wherevnto it is conformable, nor imi­tating is the same, that is imitated; which S^t Paul see­meth to insinuate, saying, That I may be made conforma­ble to his death. Phil. 3. 10.

Wherefore venerable Bede (who lived about theIn Luc. lib. 4. cap. 15. yeare 730 after Christ) saith, the flesh of Christ is ea­ten, when the Sacrament of his Passion is received at the mouth, and considered in the heart for imitation. He then that will, let him beleeue in Christ, let himIn 6. cap. Ioh. eate spirituall meate spiritually, and so let him bee in­corporated into the body of Christ. For he (saith Bede, speaking out of S^t Austine) which abideth not in Christ, and in whom Christ abideth not, doth notLib. 3. in Ioh. cap. 6. spiritually eate his flesh, though visibly he receiveth the Sacrament of his body and of his bloud. This Sa­crament he calleth bread and wine, saying, that wee celebrate the Sacrament of the Lords Passion, byLib. 2. de Taber. cap. 2. which we are are redeemed in the New Testament, by offering bread and wine, as they in the old Testament, by offering flesh and bloud. Therefore when the so­lemnitie of the Passeover ceased, which was for com­memorationIn Mar. lib. 4. cap. 14. of deliverance of the people out of Egypt, Christ ordained a new Sacrament, for remembrance of our redemption; and in place of the flesh and bloud of [Page 106] the Lambe, did substitute the Sacrament of his owne body, and of his owne bloud. As one, going a farre journey, leaveth some pledge or token with his freind to remēber him in his absence: even so saith Druthma­rus, In 26. cap. Mat (Beda's Scholler) Dominus transferens spiritualiter panē in corpus, &c. The Lord transferring spiritually bread into his body, & win into his bloud, by this bread and wine he biddeth vs remember him; and to be thanke­full for his great loue in the things he hath done for vs, by his body and by his bloud. And so saith Alcuinus▪ another Disciple of Bede, (who liued about the yeareLib. de divinis officiji. 750) Christ, ready to goe to his passion, and after that, by his resurrection and ascension, to goe out of the world, delivered to his Disciples this last Sacrament, that the remembrance of his so great loue, might make the stronger impression in their mindes. And there­fore he citeth out of S^t Anstine, that the offering of that bread, & of that cup, is a commemoration of the death of Christ, which is acted, not so much in the words as in the mysteries; by which mysteries, that pretious death is the more deepely commended to our mindes. And therefore he (out of S^t Austine expounding, what is a mystery) saith, that then is a mystery, when one thing is seene, and another vnderstood. And now, saith he, the omnipotent God, providing for our infir­mity, who now vse not to eate raw flesh and to drinke bloud, maketh the bread and wine to remaine in their old forme, but are in truth the body and bloud of Christ. Here by the way, I wish none to forget, that only the faithfull feed on his body, and that they feede [Page 107] thereon spiritually, and in a mystery by way of Sa­crament, and then yee shall easily answere whatsoever objection is made in this case. For (as is before alleaged out of Venerable Beede) the flesh of Christ is then eaten, when the Sacrament of his Passion is receiued by the mouth, and considered in the heart for imitation. Therefore I conclude this point, as a thing most plain­ly expressed, that a faithfull Christian eating bread, which is a consecrated Sacrament of Christs body; And beleeving that Christ died and shed his pretious blood for his sinnes; and in imitation of Christs death on the crosse, crucifying the evill affections of his owne earthly body; doth eate Christs body by faith, and spi­ritually feede on the true body of Christ, not by Suppo­sition, or signification only, but Really and indeede: and the very reall body of Christ doth nourish his body and soule really and truly to eternall life. And this was the doctrine of the Ancient Fathers, who never so much as imagined any carnall eating of Christs body, by meanes of Transubstātiating the substance of the bread into the substance of the very body of Christ vntill in the Laterane Councell, 1200 yeares after Christ, by meanes of Pope Innocentius, the Councell thē establish­ed the doctrine of Transubstantiatiō, whereby idolatry was after committed to the consecrated bread, with bowing of bodies, bending of knees, and with carying it about with Pompe, (as Vrbanus and Clemens appoint­ed) for greater adoration.

I suppose that no man well weighing these Authori­ties, now tyeth himselfe to a literall and carnall sence [Page 108] of these words, This is my body. If he doth, let him con­sult with Nicodemus, who in the doctrine of regenerati­on, when Christ taught, that except a man were borne a­gaine hee could not enter into the kingdome of heaven, vnder­standing the words literally, demaunded, whether a man should enter into his mothers wombe and be borne againe. But here is vrged against vs the doctrine of transub­stantiation, by way of miracle, wrought by that Power, which in the beginning spake the word, and all things were made; as also here hee tooke bread, and miracu­lously he made it his body, saying, Hoc est corpus meum, this is my body. But I must tell them, who vrge this do­ctrine of Transubstantiation by way of miracle, Christ in his body taking our nature vpon him, was like vnto vs in all things, excepting sinne: But now, by their do­ctrine, in the institution of this Sacrament, he is not so, not like to vs, nor having our nature in him. For in the doctrine of Transubstantiation, and of this miracle, we know that the whole body of Christ, must needes be in every peece of broken bread, and then it followeth, so many peeces of bread, so many bodies of Christ; which thing is contrary to the nature of an humane body, not to be circumscribed, or not to be contained in one place at once. If therefore we grant this miracle, for re­all transubstantiation of bread into the very body of Christ, many absurdities both against reason and Chri­stian religion will and needes must follow, of which I haue here noted a few among many.

1 First, by meanes of this doctrine of Transubstan­tiation by way of miracle, the Sacrament of Christ is [Page 109] adored and worshipped for Christ, the signe for the thing signified, the creature for the Creator.

2 Secondly, the Sacrament being a signe of that eter­nall Sacrifice once offered for all vpon the crosse in Christs body, is made a new, and another vnblouddy Sacrifice of his body to purge and take away sinnes of quicke and dead. And all this the helping hand of a Priest bringeth to passe, making thereby perfest our re­demption, otherwise, as it seemeth imperfect.

3 In this doctrine of Transubstantiation the substance of the bread is miraculously taken away, and conveyed I know not how, nor whither; and the very substance of Christs body commeth in place; and yet the adjuncts and accidents of bread, as Smell, Tast, Longitude, La­titude, Quantity, Quality, Breaking, and Eating, yea and Corrupting and Putrifying of the very substance thereof do remaine still.

4 Before this miracle, each body having naturall and corporall being, present and presented to vs, was visible; but now by meanes of this miracle there is a body in its nature, and in its carnall and corporall substance present, taken, and eaten, yet that body and substance is invisible, and though taken and eaten, yet not tasted, as are other meates which be eaten.

5 In this miracle is remission of sinnes by an expia­tory sacrifice without effusion of bloud, whereas Saint Paul telleth vs, that without effusion of bloud there is no re­mission. Heb. 9. 22.

6 By this miracle the Deity and power of Christs God, head, in which he is omnipotent to do what hee [Page 110] will, is worthily magnified, but the nature of the huma­nity is wholy destroyed.

7 This miracle maketh Christ come in person, and in carnall presence invisibly by consecration, whom we in absence of his corporall presence should by ta­king consecrated bread remember till hee come vi­sibly to judge both the quicke and the dead.

8 If by this miracle, vnder the visible forme of bread men eate the very humane flesh of Christ really, the Capernaits thought not amisse (and yet abhorred to thinke it) that they should eate Christ carnally.

9 If this miracle maketh the bread and the body of Christ, being correlatiues (as are a signe and the thing signified) to become one thing, then the bread and the body of Christ haue but one definition, which is im­possible in two divers substances.

10 If by this miracle Christ he eaten carnally (as he must needes bee, if the bread be Transubstantiated into the very body of Christ) then Christs glorified body must of necessity suffer; for it cannot bee denied but that which is eaten doth suffer: which thing now to be offered to Christ in his body, is as grevious as thornes, whippes, and nayles, yea worse then gall & vinegar to drinke, which the Iewes gaue him, when he cried on the crosse, I thirst.

11 If by this miracle the naturall flesh of the Son of man be eaten, offence and violence is done both to nature, and to divine law: for both by the law natu­rall and divine, only that is commanded, that God would haue done, and that forbidden, which GodGen 9. [Page 111] would not haue done, concerning eating flesh in the life thereof. Yea, which is most absurd and abomina­ble, by this miracle, the blessed Virgin Mary the mo­ther of Christ, when, after Christs ascension into hea­ven she with the Apostles receiued this Sacrament, did eate the selfe same flesh of her owne sonne, which she nourished in her owne wombe. Which thing to thinke is an abomination; S^t Austine bearing witnes & saying, Omnis praeceptiua loquutio, quae facinus vel flagitium vide­tur Aug. de Doctr. Christ. lib. 3. c. 1. jubere, figuratiua est: Every precept which seemeth to command an vnlawfull act is figuratiuely to be vnderstood.

It is now time to disclaime such miracle, when by benediction the very substance of bread is thus Tran­substantiated, especially seeing in the great miracle of multiplying fishes, and loaues, the miraculous in­crease of them was not in change of substance, as is imagined in consecrated bread, nor was against kinde: as also considering, that eating consecrated bread, the receivers thereof, and not the bread, are through faith in Christ hallowed, changed, and made the sonnes of god. And yet we know, that not their substance but their nature, that is, their will; and quality of their will is changed, and bettered. Let vs therefore, as we con­ceiue of the faithfull receiuer, thinke of the change of bread, namely, no change of substance in either of them, but change in quality, as when Christ spake to one of his Apostles, One of you is a Devill, meaning Iudas, Ioh. 6. who, for all that, was no Devill in substance, but in quality. But indeede this is a miracle and wonder to [Page 112] mee, that S^t Paul telling me, that The lesse is blessed of the greater, and yet that it should not necessarily follow,Heb. 7. that the consecrating Priest should be greater then the consecrated bread, and so consequently greater then the very body of Christ: which body though in the Sacrament it bee mysticall, yet in its reality is glorified, and full of majesty; for Christ is no­where (where he is bodily present) lesse either in truth, or substance, grace, or glory. And if such consecrated bread bee now by miracle become the reall body of Christ glorified, then it must follow that such bread is made equall with God. For the Priest cannot separate the Godhead and glory thereof, from the reall body of Christ, but by supposition, and ima­gination only.

But it may bee (and yet I beleeue it not) that the Logicians and Schoolemen intended this miracle, when they said, Quaedam sunt & non videntur, some things are, & are not seene, as the very body of Christ is vnder the forme of bread, but not seene. And a­gaine, Quaedam videntur & non sunt, some things are seene, but are not, as the bread is seene, and yet it is not bread, but the body. But in this point giue me leaue also to say, that Quaedam & sunt & videntur, some things are, and are seene; as is the consecrating Priest himselfe, and as bread is before and after consecration. And, that Quaedam nec videntur nec sunt, some things neither are, nor are seene; as the very reall and na­turall body of Christ is not, either carnally or visibly in the Sacrament, but only Sacramentally, and signi­ficatuiely. [Page 113] Let vs therefore in this point touching their supposed miracle, here answere, that they which stretch forth the power of God to worke otherwaies, by way of miracle, then agreeth with his will and holy word, are like those Iewes, which rayled on Christ, pressing him to shew his power, and saying, If thou be Mat. 27. the Sonne of God come downe from the Crosse and saue thy selfe. Here therefore not the extent of Christs power, but the intent of his will is to be considered.

But Scoole-boyes and young Logicians can tell vs, à posse ad esse non valet argumentum, it it no good argu­ment to say, God can do this, therefore it it done. God can of very stones raise vp children vnto Abraham, But doth he or ever did he in this according to the let­ter raise vp to Abraham children of very stones? Hee could haue commanded legions of Angels for his de­liverie out of the hands of the wicked Iewes, but did hee in this, what hee might haue done? There be some things, which men might attribute to the worke of omnipotencie, which if they were done, do rather shew impotencie and falsehood in him, who is omnipotent, and true, even power it selfe, and truth it selfe. The very thought of such a worke is great blasphemie a­gainst the high, mighty, and all▪ powerfull God. For we know and beleeue, (be it spoken with feare and re­verence) that God (who is omnipotent, and who wor­keth in the Armies of the heavens, and among the inha­bitants of the earth, what, when, and how hee will) cannot punish the guiltlesse; as the Angell when hee caus'd Lot to hasten him out of Sodome, told him, that [Page 114] he could doe nothing till Lot came away. And as God cannot punish the guiltles, so can he not but forgiue a penitent sinner. And he cannot himselfe sinne: he can­not but keepe his promise, because he is just: he cannotHeb. 6. lye, because he is truth: he cannot deny himselfe, be­cause he is faithfull: he cannot be darkenes, because he is light: he cannot be seene, because he is invisible: he cannot be contained or comprehended in place, who is incomprehensible: he cannot be made nor created, who is eternall: lastly, he cannot haue beginning or en­ding, who is infinite. Therefore saith Theodoret, weDial. 3. inter O [...]ho. & Ern. Ep. 117. finde many things impossible to the omnipotent God: and Isidorus (Chrysostome's Disciple, and familiar with Cyrill) saith, if it be demanded, whether, or no, all things are possible to God? wee answere, that he can doe all things befitting his nature; all things are in his power, but the best things in his will. S^t Austine cleareth this very point of miracle, vrged against vs, by the omnipo­tent power of Christ in the Sacrament, saying; Sacra­menta Lib. 3. de Trin. cap. 10. honorem tanquam religiosa habere possunt, stuporem tanquam mira non habent: Sacraments are no wonders or miracles to amaze vs, but haue in them honour and reverence, as religious things haue.

But let vs not insist only on these sayings, either of Theodoret or Austine. But to cleare this point, let vs looke into all the powerfull and miraculous workes of God, in Transubstantiating one thing into another, and we shall finde that Allmighty God did never yet Transubstantiate, or take away the substance of any one thing, and turne it into another, but together [Page 115] with the substance of that thing, hee withall tooke a­way the accidents, & outward appearance of the same. As Moses Rod was turned into a Serpent, not now a Rod, but a Serpent was seene: Againe, that Serpent was turned into a Rod, not now a Serpent, but a Rod was seene. Of a Ribbe of Adam, Eue was made, and the Ribbe of the man was now turned into a Woman; and now not a Ribbe, but a Woman was seene. At the ma­riage in Cana of Galilee, Water was turned into Wine; not now Water, but Wine was seene. And Lots Wife was turned into a Pillar of Salt; not now the flesh of Lots Wife, but a Pillar of Salt (for seasoning others, and for example to others) was seene. The Waters of the Egyptians were turned into Bloud, so that all their fish died; not now Water, as before, but Bloud, killing fish, contrary to the nature of water, was seene. There­fore beleeue this miracle of Transubstantiation after a fleshly manner, and beleeue all the ridiculous miracles in the Golden Legend, and others of witty bewitching lies.

But tell mee now yee Transubstantiators, is not in the sacramentall changing, and transmutation of bread, bread seene still? Bread taken, bread broken, & bread given? where then is the Transubstantiation? verily onely by application and signification of the bread, signifying, that as the substance of bread doth feed mans body, so the substance of Christs body doth nou­rish vs both in body and soule to eternall life. Other Transubstantiation cannot be vnderstood, but onely that Transmutation in mystery and signification, [Page 116] which all the Fathers in Christs Church spake of, namely, of naturall and common bread for men, chan­ged into Sacramentall, Eucharisticall, and spirituall foode for Christian men. And this change is not of the Accidents which wee see, but of the substance which wee see not; yet in that sence and signification onely, which a Sacrament doth, or can offer vnto vs. And if wee suppose the change to be in other sence, we vtterly take away the nature of a Sacrament, confoun­ding the signe, as is aforesaid, with the thing signified. Thinke not then of such a miracle, as teacheth to eate Christs flesh in fleshly manner. And yet, as before, so I say still, that it is, and may be truely affirmed, that the faithfull receiver of this Sacrament vnder the forme of bread, by withdrawing all his affections from the bread, to a holy meditation of the very body of Christ, doth by faith effectually and indeed feed on the very flesh of the Sonne of God, partaking all the benefit and vertue of Christs Passion, in forgiuenes of sinne, and in the precious purchase of Redemption and eternall life. But I say not, that in this receiving of Christ, there is any actuall Transubstantiation, or reall Consubstantiation. Wee onely in consecrated bread, seeke for the bread of heaven, the bread of God, the true bread, which is a spirituall foode, not for them onely, which receiue the outward Sacrament of bread, but for them also, which without a Sacrament feed on the body and flesh of Christ spiritually by faith.

This flesh is meate indeed, yet not Dentis, but Men­tis; not for the teeth or belly, but for the minde and be­liefe. [...]h. 6. [Page 117] When the people of Israel were in the wilder­nes, so thirsty, that their soules fainted in them, and hadExod. 7. no water to refresh their dying soules, Moses at the com­mand of God, strake the rocke, and out of it flowed water abundantly. The rocke was not by this meanes turned into water, but (as the Prophet David saith) eduxit, Hee brought forth waters out of the hard rocke: even so at the word of Christ, saying, This is my body, doe this in remembrance of mee; (The consecrating of bread and wine being not vnlike the striking of the Rocke,) the bread and wine consecrated, offer to vs the body and bloud of our Saviour to our salvation, as the rocke did water to Israel, for their refreshing: not that the conse­crated bread and wine are in their substance really transmuted into the substance of the very body and bloud of Christ, more then the rocke being stricken, was transubstantiated into water. And yet it is not de­nied, but that Israel was refreshed, not with imaginary, but with true and very water. And even so beleeving Christians are nourished both in body and soule, with true and very Christ. That Rocke, saith S^t Paul, was Christ; teaching vs, by that saying, that as that Rocke at Gods commandement stricken, and yeelding re­freshing water, is said to be Christ: so the bread conse­crated by the word of Christ, is called the body of Christ: where both of them, as well the Rocke, as the Bread, are to be vnderstood, not by transmuting of substances, but by applying signes to their significati­ons. This Rocke, wee know, was as drie, and without visible water, till God said, Strike, as common bread [Page 118] is without invisible Christ, till after consecration, when he said, This is my body. But now as the Rocke at Gods command being stricken, is no more dry, nor dead, no nor dumbe, but seemeth to speake, Heere are Waters, re­fresh your selues, O yee People: so the Sacrament of Bread, consecrated by the Word of Christ, is now not dry, dead, or dumbe bread, but a speaking Sacrament of Christ, saying, Take, Eate, This is my body.

But here will I stay, refreshing my selfe, and soule, vpon an holy meditation of eating the body, & drink­ing the bloud of my Saviour Christ. And although I could alledge many other Authorities of great Do­ctors and graue Divines; yet as an old man, wearied with travell, taketh vp his Inne betimes, the sooner to take his rest: So I stay here, till time affordeth oppor­tunity farther to proceed, if God will be pleased to continue my life and health. Otherwise, Farewell to the World: For I shall fare better with the Saints of God in heaven, where I shall see my Saviour, not in a Sacrament, but as hee is, visible in himselfe.

Amen.