The Sacraments Generally and of Baptism and the Supper

The Preface.

A S the use of all things is most precious, so is their abuse most pernicious. Many excellent things are spoken of the Sacraments of Christian faith: They are the Lord's own ordinances, memorials of divine promises, monuments of our duty, signs to the word which we profess, assured seals of his good will, strong bands whereby we stand bound first to God in obedience, and then in mutual love amongst our selves. Notwithstanding, these sacred mysteries, the very instruments of the holy Ghost, have they not been of old, or are they not now either unthankfully refused, or unworthily received, or less duetifully regarded, then was, and is behoofeful? Ful hands cannot apprehend any other thing, they are full already: fowl hands and soyled in the clay and brickeworke of sinful thoughts and deeds, they are profane, and should not presume to touch his Jewels. Want of true knowledge in the word of God, hath bred sundry distemperatures and diseases, errors and heresies in the body of Christ's Church in this behalf. When the writing is not known, the seals are less or more then duly, and never aright esteemed of the ignorant man. Whē the light of the Scriptures was hid under the busshel of a strange tongue, the Sacraments also in the dark were most irreligiously contemned, superstitiously abused, carnally and grossly mistaken. As good have a seal to a blank, as to a writing drawn in strange characters and letters that cannot be read, or if read, yet understood but of a few, and of them no further then it pleased the masters of corrupt time at their leisure, or begging Friars for their gain, to expound in miserable manner, to hungry, poor, and sterued souls. And then as good no bread at all, as so vile a prouender made of mixtures, either hard, or dowbaked and clammie: either they could not chewe it, or it could not nourish them.

Thus was the Lord's inheritance abused, famished for want of true food, or fed as Irenee speaketh, with lyme & water, instead of milk. The Devil knew he could not beguile in the light, and therefore no sleight of Satan ever like to this to deceive men, and slay souls. Whiles that Christians were wise, they never sought in pilgrimage from shrine to shrine, neither to Rome, nor to Jerusalem, nor to any singular place under heaven, with observation of the place, as if God were more tied to this region, then to that, one or other. The true worshippers worshipped in spirit & truth. In truth, without hypocrisy, and in spirit, without external respects. For as the Conye is acquainted with his own burrowe & safe rock: so Christians then knew where to seek, whither to run, and howe to find rest in heavē for their souls. They asked help always of an able hand, trode the kings high way, knocked at the right gate, built their house on the only foundation: that is, they believed in Christ, called upon God, were guyded by his spirit, trusted in his promises, hoped in his mercies manifestly laid abroad, and sufficiently revealed in his written word, and as certainly confirmed by the pledges of his will the holy Sacraments: whereof this treatise is intended for all such as can be content to learn in few words of a simple teacher.

Of the Sacraments in general.

A Sacrament is a sensible sign to the eye, instituted of God to be continued in his Church, for the further assurance and increase of spiritual graces in the faithful. Of which sort is Baptism and the Supper, and only these two, even as they are jointly specified by the Apostle to the Corinthians.

In the general may be observed these four notes chiefly. The institution to be of God. [ 1] The sign visible in sense and resemblance convenient. [ 2] The graces secret and mystical, but singular benefits to the faithful man. [ 3] The continuance is the Churches duty, [ 4] rightly to use and to enjoy his ordinances as beseemeth the Church of God.

1 Concerning the institution, as God only is to be hearkened unto in his sayings, so must he alone he followed in his ways wheresoever he goeth before us, and leadeth us after him with the least thread. Reason not directed by faith, is a disputing and a busy mistress in the forge of man's brain, and she will be leader in all things. Zeal likewise without knowledge, is a rash fire that licketh up every fond devise, feedeth and glutteth her self on superstitious fancies, whereupon ambition in the man of pride, taking her advantage of the former two, hath stolen away the people's hearts from their God under pretence of deuocion, but in deed superstition, enthronised her self in the consciences of men, and exerciseth a proud dominion over the Lord's inheritance in his holy Temple. Notwithstanding of the Apostle we have learned a contrary lesson, that the only Lawgiuer in Israel is the Lord, because he alone seeth the heart, whereunto the Law is principally proposed, searcheth the reins, and beholdeth the inward parts, may command, and will reward the good conscience, will and is able to discern right, and judge uprightly, and hath denounced to take vengeance of the very souls of sinners, wherein they closely, but chiefly offend. Neither may mortal men add to, take from, or alter at pleasure his words: and what are his Sacraments, but his words made visible, and invested with signs of his own ordaining? The examination of John's Baptism was on this manner: Whence is it? from above, or from beneath? of God, or of mā? If from heaven, it was to be received: if from the earth, they might reject it. For what is earth to heaven? man to God? our dreams to his word? our dregs to his wine? Is there any taste in y ^e white of an egg? What is chaff to wheat, or glass to a diamonde? Verily obedience is better then the sacrifice of good ententes, as they be termed. For will we honor him with the fattest cattle out of the stall, or worship him in the calf of purest gold? the one is but a beast that eateth hay, the other the workmanshippe of the engrauers hands. By obeying, we offer up our bodies & souls a reasonable sacrifice, wherein he is well pleased. Thereby we reverence his majesty, adore his wisdom, subject our willes to his will, rest in his word, making no reckoning at all of any institutions that merely touche the conscience, but of his. Wherupon with the blessed virgin we say, What ever he commandeth, do, and also what he hath not commanded, we fear not to transgress & break asunder, as Samson did those green withes and new cords. We know all such witchecraftes the Lord doeth utterly abhor. As for his Sacraments, they are his own institutions, he marketh his sheep with his own marks, writeth all with his own singer, sealeth his writing with his own signet. Neither should any presume so much as to set to these his seals, but one lie such as are called to so hye a calling, to be as it were the keepers of them to that ende appointed: much less may men make new seals of their own devising.

When it pleased GOD to seal his promise made to Abraham with the sacrament of circumcision, he calleth it his own covenant, and said, It is I the Lord, the author thereof. A particular rule generally to be observed in every Sacrament of either Testament: It is I the Lord.

2 In the second place we are to take view of these seals, for they are visible to the eye, as his voice is audible to the ear.

The drane water fly gazeth on every fair flower, but gathereth no honye as doth the Be. The wandering sight cōsidereth little of the excellency of the seals. Before it was true to say, No institution, no Sacrament: here we may as truly avouch, No sign, no Sacrament. For y ^e whole is made of all his partes, and every Sacrament hath ever these two members, the outward sign, and the inward grace, and without the sign is no grace sacramentally signified at any time, neither is the show of a sign sufficient, it must be material and able in a convenient proportion, to demōstrate and declare to man's frail capacity, the grace implied and signified, as shall better appear in the specials afterward.

The signs barely looked vpō in thenselves, they are base matters, earthly elements, common & ordinary: but put once y ^e princes stamp to y ^e metal, the seal to the wax, the wax and seal to the Lord's promise, the case is altered. For earthly, common and usual elements, that a little before were, do put now upon them, and are endued with divine considerations: yet still in substance remaining y ^e same, but in efficacy, virtue, service, ends, signification and representation of graces, base things become beautiful and marvelous, being thus sequestered by God himself to so high and holy purposes, and therefore are vsualy termed by the very names that the graces themselves are called by. And this is also a common rule amongst y ^e Fathers. See it so in examples out of the Scriptures. Circumcision is the covenant, the Lamb the Passover, the Ark the Lord, Baptism our burial, Christ the rock, the Bread his body, the Cup his blood, because the analogy of these things is lively, the proportion plain, the signs significantly ordained of God: and being thus uttered, they more affect our faith, and touch our affections.

3 Thirdly, the graces, (that is, (the inward parte of the Sacraments) are, though singular in consolation, yet secret in the mystery of their operation. God worketh howe he listeth, and on whom he pleaseth. The Iay feedeth below, the carnal eye seeth nothing but the bark and ryne of these things, bare water and bakers bread. Faith flieth higher, as the Eagle soareth upward, and mounteth to heavē it self, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of the father, the only ground work, life and soul of all the Sacraments that ever were, or are in use. The song of Solomon is called the song of songs for his excellency, and God the God of gods for his puissāce. In like manner, the graces we reap & receive by Christ in y ^e sacraments, (so great & gracious are they) they may be termed graces of graces: as namely, remission of sins, imputation of righteousness, sanctification of life, & a special application of our savior Jesus. Neither yet for all this (which is diligently to be noted) do we tie or bind his goodness so hereby that he must needs work with, or cannot work without these means by his spirit, the salvation of them whom he had chosen and destinated to eternal life before all worlds. Many Israelites that died in the desert when they could not travail if they had been sore and cut, were saved without circumcision. The thief that from the cross went straight to heaven, was never otherwise baptized then in his own confession, faith, and petition to Christ. Salvation is neither kneaded into y ^e dough, nor mingled w ^e water, no more then with the word, which is as Jerome saith more truly Christ, but proceedeth from God, and is conveyed by ordinary means of either word or outward signs, where they are not contemned, but may conveniently he had, & are reverently used as they ought.

4 And this is the fourth and last point, the right use and continuance of the Sacraments. Physic is not prepared, but to be received. As in the Revelation, no man receiveth the white stone, but to whom it is given: so no man readeth the writing, but who receiveth it. The author of the Sacraments, is God, the signs holy, the grace most holy. This Manna would be kept in a golden pot, and these jewels set in y ^e purest gold. The gift that is bestowed, is most sincere, the stone white that is delivered. And ought not then the hand to be a clean hand, or rather the heart a pure heart, that receiveth such pearls? GOD covenanteth to be our God, should we not accept the offer, & rejoice in his covenant? Achaz in hypocrisy pretended he would believe God without a sign. Certainly so must we do in deed many times. Balaam, that saw less thē his asse, saw so much, y ^e God's word is enough. Shall he speak, and not do? Yet when he offereth signs withal, to help forth our infirmities in faith according to his word, either natural as the rainebow, or artificial as the brazen serpent, or miraculous, or Sacramental, or whateuer, if we then refuse them, in stead of shunning the fault of tempting him, we run upon the contempt of his heavenly wisdom. Go preach, baptize all nations. This is a general commandment, 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 and must be observed. As often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye show the Lord's death until his coming again. As often, therefore often and usually: until his coming again, therefore perperually must this Sacrament be continued in a godly remembrance of y ^e Lord's death. The old ceremonies were weak sighted like Leah, and therefore could not last ever. Moses eyes were not dim, until his dying day: so the force of Christian Sacraments remain in their full use until the ende of the world.

Their sacraments, some were special for place and person. In Paradise the tree of life was for the place, the wet & dried fleece, the going back of the dial, were personally to Gideon and Hezekiah. And their chiefest Sacraments, either extraordinary, as Manna and the rock, ceased in the wilderness: or ordinary, as circumcision and the Passover, these also have had their ende in the fullness of time, when their womb (as Cirill speaketh) was delivered of Christ, as a woman of her child into the world. For Christ is come, and their ceremonies were of Christ to come, and when he came, they as shadows yielded place at the presence of the body. The difference of their Sacraments and ours consisteth in cleerenes of knowledge, and continuance of tynte. They carried the former parte of the staff, & we the hinder ende. Christ is borne betwixt us both, but we that come after, have the fuller view, and see directly before our face, they respectively and looking back to that which they carried and came after: and therefore more obscurely then we. And now because Christ is borne no more, liveth no more, dieth no more, & because all these things are plainly to the eye painted, & pointed to with y ^e finger in our Sacraments, ours are not henceforth to be changed anymore, but are constant and perpetual, and continually in all duty to be used and enjoyed till his coming again to judge the quick and the dead in the last day.

Of Baptism.

B Aptisme is the Sacrament of regeneration in water, whereby our sins are cleansed, we clad with Christ, endued with his spirit, our names entered among the number of Christian professors, in the name of the blessed Trinity.

Touching the institution, whether it grow out of y ^e earth, or descend from above, be of men, or of God, being of all confessed to be a Sacrament, and a Sacrament being already proved to be always a divine institutiō, it is needless to repeat or say further therein. Yet moreover and above that, our Saviors own example and general commandment, Go preach, baptize, &c. are evident warrants, autentike, and special for proof herein, that it is of God.

The form of the action declareth what we receive of God, and there withal enformeth us what we owe and ought to render him again. Through singular mercy in the name of the Father, by like merit and mame of the Son, by the virtue of the Holy Spirit, name & power thereof, we are made partakers of all the privileges, that may be incident to such as shall be saved in the house & Church of God. In whose lap, we are as it were new borne, new washed, new appareled, made new creatures in Jesus Christ. Such is the form, so great the force of this sacrament.

Wherein if any man upon a farther desire to be instructed in the mysteries of his profession, muse in mind, break forth, and say as Mary did to the Angel, How may this be, that a material element should thus work in spiritual things, that water touching the body should cleanse the soul, that water in y ^e fountain where it is cleanest, having no such operatiō, should thus change and be changed in the Church and fonte whither it is brought from his spring? are these effects natural? Of old y ^e waters of Marah were made sweet, water in Cana, turned into wine, the rivers of Nile into blood: and though every of these mutations were marvelous in the sight of the wisest eye, yet in this case there is more done. Mere and bitter water in comparison, is made exceeding sweet, sweeter then the fruit of the ripest & purest grape: yea, yet more then this is done. Cold and usual water, is really changed, truly, and indeed turned after the manner of Sacraments, from a common moisture, into y ^e dew of gods spirit, and into the blood of the Lamb, wherein the souls of y ^e Saints are washed. For although it leave not off to be water, but remaineth as before, a visible sign, yet by the access of God's word, and the omnipotent power of his spirit, the Angel as it were descending upon the pool in the Gospel, the change is greater, then man's words can express.

By similitudes framed and uttered to our capacities, faith conceiveth convenient instruction & sufficient comfort. Where the sun warmeth not, water is a sterile and bare moisture, neither can it engender anything without the heat and help of the spirit, that moved upon the waters at their first creation. For as it was then, so is it still, & as it was and is so in y ^e generation of things: so much more is it so in the regeneration of man. Water of it self cannot make a man, much less a Christian man. The spirit of God is sometimes said to enflame and purify like fire, and in this case to regenerate in water, to cleanse and wash like water. And as verily as clear water cleanseth and cooleth the body: so, and as truly, the like graces by the blood of Christ and his spirit, are wrought upon the soul, by entrance into this bathe. Wherein we may observe a further similitude, that as in washing pools, when men go into thē, they do off their aparell, and then enter the bath, and bathe their bodies: so in this the old man is put off, Adams fig leaves thrown aside, & then with niter & fullers sope, nay rather with the blood of the son of God, all our former filthe is scoured away. This dissimilitude is in this similitude, our former rags are never resumed, as sinners resume their garments when they have washed. Those plaguy clothes that took stain and infection from sinful Adam, we bury or we burn. The regenerate man hath done away his former generation, dieth to sin, the gylte and dominion whereof lieth as a dead body in the grave, and hath no more power over the creature which is endued with the new man, freed from Satan, accepted into service and favor in the family of GOD, weareth the cloth of righteousness, and is appareled as the womā in the Revelation with the son of God.

Wherein notwithstanding it is expedient, still and ever to remember from what rock we were he wen, on what stock we grew, what we have lost, and what we have found, howe fowl we were, howe clean we are, that tasting howe sweet the Lord is, we may as it were, feel the difference between soote and sugar, see and view the odds between our crimosin & blood red sins, and the snow white innocence we have obtained in him.

To compare the state wherein we were by creation, & then in nature corrupted, and now by grace and regeneration, were to compare an innocent life, a deserved death, & life everlasting together, that is, Paradise, hell, & heavenly bliss, betwixt themselves. For our case at y ^e first was no worse, afterward no better, and in Christ betterthen ever before. For as by one man came sin, and by sin death, which presupposeth a former innocence, and life: so by the man Christ, much more excellent is the righteousness that is imputed to faith, imported by this Sacrament, and shall be enjoyed without end. As the first Adam, eating of the forbidden tree, he (sustaining the person of all mankind) by his disobedience did set on edge his posterities teeth: so the second Adam trode the wine press alone, and yet we his posterity also drink never the less of his wine. And here let no man say, I have mixed mine own wine, I have compassed these things myself. Strength, if it lean to presumption, is weaker then water, and the broken reed: and yet the strongest things of man, are but mere weakness, the purity of nature, pollution, liberty of will, thralldom, and the merit of works, a stained cloute. And then if the clothe be so course, howe course is the list: or if the wool be course, can the clothe be fine? Adam begat Seth, and all his children in his own likeness. For as the man that is not, cannot beget himself that he may have a being: so man being naught, can never of him self beget anything else, or him self to be good again. Why thē do we presume? A puff of pride bloweth out the candle that was lightened of another at the first, and cannot kindle it self the seconde time. The debtor in the Gospel was not able to make payment for the ten thousand talentes, and the more in debt in process of time, the more unlike to come out of debt, albeit he said as the adversaries of the truth say, if his Lord would have patience, he would pay and satisfy all. The three parables in Saint Luke, tend all to this purpose, to show man's inhabilitie in every respect, and the Lord's exceeding mercy altogether. The lost groat lacketh sense, the strayed sheep wit, the prodigal son wisdom. The woman lighteth y ^e candle, sweepeth the house, seeketh diligently. The shepherd goeth out into the wilderness, and bringeth home on his shoulders. And as for the wasteful son, God in his providence disposed so, that by afliction and famine, he should be taught and constrained to return back, making a most true confession, that he had sinned against heaven and his father, and was no more worthy to be called his son. Had sinned, and therefore now only was to stand upon grace & pardon: had sinned against heaven, and therefore in earth unfit and unable to make satisfaction: had sinned against so loving a father, & therefore unworthy the name of a son. Notwithstanding, while he stood yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, ran, (prevented him with mercy) fell on his neck and kissed him, killed the fat calf, put shoes on his feeete, and a ring on his finger, hired musicians, and called for the best robe, & clad him therewith that was utterly destitute of all attire, except such as Job speaketh of: Mine own clothes defile me.

Many excellent and rich ornaments are laid together in one heap in the Prophet Ezekiel: embroydred works, bracelets, silk, silver, gold &c. and all these God bestowed on them y ^e lay dead in their blood, whom he raised to life, circumcised with his own hand, dried their corruption with salt, washed their uncleanness with water, swaddled and clad them with new & precious apparel, even with Joseph's party coloured coat, or rather with the Queens garment of needle work, which yet was not of her own making.

The old purifyings did prefigure out, and as it were made the first draught thereof: but the water of Baptism most lively expresseth his mercy & compassion, whose only eye, & no man's else, took pity on us then, when we lay, not wounded, but dead & long dead in our sins. In this water y ^e little fish & humble Christian resumeth life again, y ^e lay gasping & dead on the shore before. In this water y ^e Scorpion loseth his venom, and cannot sting. In this water, Sin, Satan, the flesh and the world lie floating & drowned, as in the deluge in Genesis, and red Sea in Exodus, where Noah y ^e preacher of righteousness and a few with him were saved in y ^e Ark, which after a sort was a figure of Baptism. The Israelites went through on dry foot, Pharaoh and all his host drowned in the red sea. But for all this, this is true in the letter of these stories, and certain in the truth of a farther meaning, y ^e though Noah escaped drowning, yet he was overcome afterward with wine: though the Egyptians were overwhelmed all, yet there remained other enemies in y ^e desert: neither did Israel straightways enter the promised land, w ^t out further labor & fightes first had with sundry and diverse nations.

In this Sacrament, though generally iniquity be pardoned, and sin drowned, and we saned, yet for all this, all infirmity is not quite abolished, we are washed all, but our feet (such are y ^e ways wherein we tread) need daily and continual washing. The effect of Baptsme worketh not in a moment, but by little & little, as the leaven seasoneth the whole five pecks at length. After a great sickness, strength is not recovered but in continuance of time: the wound is healed, but it must be skinned over also. When this mortality shall change for immortality, corruption put on incorruption, y ^e old Phenix be made a new, then, & never till then perfectly, every wrinkle shall be made plain, every spot washed, & every tear wiped away from our face, our nakedness covered over, or quite done away, and we presented blameless to the judgment seat of God. In the mean time, while our dwelling is in this vale of misery & houses of clay, it is our continual duty daily more and more to contend and proceed from faith to faith, from strength to strength, frō virtue to virtue, crucifying the old mā, having still recourse to that general grant of pardon we obtained in Baptism at the first, remission of sins in the death of Christ.

Not that this Sacrament be eftsoons repeated & reiterated again in fact, but afresh recorded in faith, godly meditation, & humble prayer. The father doth not often beget his son, but the son remembering that he was begot̄ of a loving father, bethinketh himself, considereth his duty, increaseth in piety, reverent awe & obedience. Neither the seed one and the same grain is often sown, but being once sown in due season, it bringeth forth his fruit. The harvest of man's perfectiō is not in this world. The sowing which is once, and the growing time which is still, is here: full ripeness is found else where. Imus nondum peruenimus: we are but in the way to heaven, going on and travailing till we come thither, even growing toward it, & groaning after it. In y ^e midway, no man spinneth so even a thread that never breaketh, treadeth so right that never trippeth. For besides diverse actual sins, y ^e inevitable sin of concupiscence which lusteth against the spirit, is left still as a sting in the Be, notwithstanding his honey and diverse graces by grace received. The adversaries to the truth, in their Convent at Trent, and in their Treatise of Baptism, would extenuate & make light of it, saying, it is not in any wise sin, except it be consēted unto. Saint James teaching what will be the ende of sin, saith, that concupiscence tēpteth, draweth and entiseth to (actual and external) sin: and is this no sin? It is the mother of sin, and are not y ^e mother & daughter both of one nature? Again the very name Lust carrieth with it a kind of consent, desire, and will to sin. But suppose, that by dissenting the external act of sinning be restrained, what then? God considereth the heart, and he with all our strength, power and faculties, is to be served: the least default in any parte of our inward parts, is an offense and sin against his Majesty. But doeth consent or dissent, make our lusts either sins or no sins? Is not an enemy an enemy if he be conquered? Is not rebellion treason, if it be prevented? Is not sedition sedition, if it be repressed? Is lust no sin if it be kept in? Is fire no fire, except it flame? What need many words? Doth not the Apostle in express words, sundry times cal concupiscence sin, because it hindereth the good he would, & helpeth forward y ^e evil he would not? They say the Apostle speaketh improperly: a wonder. He that framed the ear, made the eye, fashioned the tongue, shall he not hear, doth he not see, can he not speak as properly as the children of men? were there nothing but this, y ^t we are taught to pray with sighs as S. Paul doth against this temptation, it were sufficient & proof plain enough, y ^t it is sin. For in praying y ^t it be not, we cofesse y ^t where it is, it should not be, and so because it is, it is sin, especially being forbidden in y ^e Law. A little feeling of a good conscience, might take away all controversy in the question, as hath been well declared not long since. And thou, O man, which hast a sense what sin is, submit thyself under the power of God's hand, pour forth thy soul in praise to so merciful a Lord, who hath forgiven the gylte of this and all other thine offenses, who bindeth them daily in a bundell, & will one day drown or die them all to another color in y ^e blood of his son, whereof thy Baptism is a sure seal.

This knowledge and confession belongeth to all people, from the cleauer of the wood, to the Prince and counselor, from the Cedars of Libanus, to the Hyssoppe of the wall back again: high and low, rich and poor, old and young, one with another, without respect of persons, they are the Lord's equally. Ancient men must not forget who was he that took them from their cradle, and carried them along in his arms to their gray hears. Children must learn that they also are contained in his covenant. John was sanctified in his mothers womb, Samuel in his childhoode consecrated unto the Lord, Children brought to Christ that he might lay hands on them. Bring we then also our children, that Christ may bless them in his own institution, as of old God did y ^e circumcised infantes of eight days age. Delayes may be dangerous and are needless, the usage is an ancient rule of faith. It is true, y ^t not the lack, but the neglect of the Sacrament doeth hurt: beware then of contempt. Christ baptizeth with y ^e spirit & w ^t fire: with the spirit, that is, w ^t spiritual graces he endueth thē who in faith & thankfulness observe his word, receive his sacraments, are engraffed into him, & grow up in him as lively branches in y ^e true vine. Again he baptizeth with his spirit, able to discern hypocrites, & with fire red hot, ready to consume all chaff & corruption, as both the superstitiō of the Popish, and also the security of y ^e Anabaptist, that either presume, or pervert, or any way pollute y ^e right use of this his holy ordinance, which to the reverent receiver, is the bath of his regeneration in Christ, y ^e badge of his profession, and the bond of brotherly love in the house of our God.

Of the Supper.

T He Levites duty was to prepare the people to the worthy receiving of the Passover. In place whereof, hath succeeded the Sacrament of the body & blood of our Savior Jesus Christ, with semblable, necessary, and convenient preparatiō thereunto. For if it were a princes sacred body, or but purple garment only (the matter whereof is worms thread, & color no better then the dead fish blood) yet were it not rashly to be abused w ^t unwashed or unclean hands. How much the more reverent then ought y ^e receiving of these holy mysteries of Christ's body and blood to be of all them that know what it is to stand in awe that they offend not? Wherefore let a man examine himself, saith y ^e Apostle, & so let him eat of this bread, & drink of this cup. Even so, & therefore if not so, not at all. Better to abstain, then to come together for the worse.

As the print in wax is more fitly received and fully expressed, when the wax is wrought and warmed first: so like wise the effect of this Sacrament is more lively felt and seen, when we repair thereunto with prepared minds, well instructed, and thoroughly examined.

In which examination, two points chiefly are observed, whereof the one concerneth faith, the other love. Faith, to be settled in our hearts towards God: Love, to be she wed to our neighbor. The latter proceedeth out of the former, and both from the spirit of God. Faith receiveth increase by hearing and prayer: O Lord increase our faith. Love and faith jointly are stirred up and strengthened by repentance, in y ^e worthy repairing to, & receiving at the Lord's table. Wherupon ariseth these three, as agents in this examination, assured faith, brotherly love, earnest repentance.

Faith directeth in knowledge. Love is occupied in thankfulnes to God, and good doing toward men. Repentance ever in either amendeth what is omitted or done amiss, and craveth pardon with humble mind and full purpose, not to offend in the like again. All which duties (as I take) may be rightly considered according to the times, wherein either we are to receive, or presently receive, or have received the Sacrament. The first is called a Preparation unto the Supper, y ^e second, a meditation therein, the third, a Christian conversation that must ensue thereupon.

In preparing our selves is required, y ^t we know of whom, what, and in what order we must receive.

It seemeth to be recorded as a commondation, that Anna nursed her own son: in which respect among infinite others, the love of God exceedeth all love. Wherein as he spareth no cost, so he undertaketh any care, which nice and unnatural mothers refuse to do, putting forth their infantes to be nursed abroad, without need or cause. Our God doeth not so, neither needeth he so to do, his breasts are neither sore, nor dry at any time. Of his own good will he begat us again in baptism, & so will he still feed and bring us up to a full age, & perfect growth in Christ. Sufficient or abundant provision for y ^e house, himself in his wisdom hath provided, y ^e holy spirit being steward of all, and as it were distributer and caruer at the board.

And to come to the seconde point, what we receive. The meat of this table, is the very death of Christ, the Lamb of God, that taketh away y ^e sins of the world. The story and institution whereof, is recorded by three Evangelists, and again commented upon by the holy ghost at large in the former Epistle of S. Paul to the Corinthians: where the Apostle beginneth the matter with a faithful saying, That which I have received of the Lord, I have delivered you. For otherwise, if he came with offers of his own devising, himself raught the Galatians what his entertainment ought to be: Let him be accused, though he were an Angel of God from heaven.

The Lord Jesus, that night y ^t he was betrayed, took bread: and when he had given thanks, he brake, and said, Take, eat, this is my body which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me, In like manner the cup, &c. For as often as ye shall eat this bread and drink this cup, ye show the Lord's death till he come again. Wherein we see evidently what Christ did, & also in duty what we must do. In the visible signs which he took, of bread that he brake, wine that he poured forth, and in delivering thē both to be taken, eaten and drunk, he manifestly declared two things: the one, that he would immediately make an oblation for the redemption of mankind upon the altar of y ^e cross: the other that forever he would be the everlasting food of their souls, his body to be the bread of life, his precious blood to be their comfortable drink, y ^e Physic of immortality, and preservative against all evil. The sacrifice & oblation he intended, is plain by these words, Which is broken, which is shed for many for remission of sins. Even is brokē and shed, because y ^e hour wherein he should be betrayed and suffer, drew nigh and was at hand, That he would be their food, is proved clearly, in that he commanded to take, & eat, this is my body. Now by the way, out of these two notes, may be noted two forcible reasons, against the sacrifice pretended in the mass.

They are lately delighted w ^t motives and demands, may I ask them this question? Do they think a sinful priest can do more at his mass, then the sonne of God did at his supper? I hope they will not prefer a mere man before Christ God and man, the Savior of the world. And if so, then may they see their priest can make no sacrifice: for Christ himself when he sat at boorde with his disciples, made none, but declared what he meant to make. For and if he had so done y ^e Thursday at night, what needed he thē to have suffered y ^e Friday at noon? again, he willeth us to take and eat, and feed on him. He offereth himself to be received of us, not to be offered by us to his Father. That was his own proper and personal duty. But to leave to speak hereof, our duty is with thankfulness to feed on the food he offereth us, even to eat and drink him, to partake his blessed body and precious blood. Wherein, notwithstanding to mistake and mingle the signs, and the things signified cōfusedly without difference, were as Aug. saith, a miserable thralldom to the very soul of a Christian man. Christ's words be plain. He took bread, after thanks given he break & gave bread: for what he toke, he brake, and what he brake, he gave, and therefore he gave bread. For the Apostle saith he brake bread, and that he calleth his body, and so concerning the cup: for after a sort, to speak of one, is to speak of both. Marie took Christ to have been a Gardener, but y ^e adversaries take a portion of bread to be Christ. The true professors say and believe, that this saying of the Lord, This bread is my body, hath a spiritual and Sacramental meaning, & otherwise to avouch, y ^t a piece of bread (for y ^t it is bread, is proved) or else which is all one, y ^e the show of bread is literally very Christ, is a mōstruous kind of speaking, utterly impossible, & altogether blasphemous. For if bread, or the show of bread, or that which was bread, be called Christ properly, and w ^t out figure of speech: without all controversy, as properly and as truly (but there is no show of truth in so gross errors) bread was borne of the virgin Marie, bread was crucified on the cross, bread shall judge the quick and y ^e dead, and a piece or a fancye of bread is the Savior of the world, the son of God, the seconde person in Trinity, God himself, & the Lord of life. In effect so strangely, have our unnatural countrymen writ̄ and one more fondly then the rest, directing an Epistle dedicatorie to his Lord and God, under the forms of bread and wine in the Sacrament. Thus it fareth w ^t these men by the just judgment of the Almighty God, who have given him over, & he them, that because they would not believe the truth, they should still believe lies without ende, changing the glory of the immortal God, into the similitude of corrupt creatures, besides all sense, reason, and congruence of faith. Chrysostom, writing upon Laban's complaint, where he saith to Jacob, Why hast thou stolen my gods? what, saith that father, what perfect folly is this? Are thy gods such, as they may be stolen? or art thou not ashamed in so saying? Semblably, what a Christ have y ^e adversaries made and imagined? is Christ made of bread? ground with teeth, consumed w ^t the bitte of mouth, and stolen away sometime of the seely mouse? or are they not ashamed of these carnal & fleshly more the Capernaitical gross dreams, y ^e profit nothing? nay rather dread they not in heart & soul, to say as they have said to the cake in the Priests hands, Thou art my maker, and to the wine in the chalice, Thou art my Lord and my God, by thee alone and nothing else, I hope to be saved

The just confutatiō of which strange speeches, hath been under taken & discharged of most excellent learned mē, in our English tongue. My purpose is only in a word, to give warning to y ^e simple of this mire, wherein they see those drūken men, servants to their own devises, thus to wallow, plunge, and tumble themselves up and down.

There are others, who albeit they are not so far gone out of the way, yet they tread not the true hie way, in every respect. As they confess Christ to be in heaven, and yet they worship no heaven, but Christ, sitting there at the right hand of his father: so over much resting upon the bare letter of the words, they suppose only a conjoined presence in the bread, and no more. They go no further, neither do they adore the bread, though they think Christ consubstantially to be therein. When they are urged with the undoubted article of the Creed, whereby we believe y ^e ascension of our Savior, some of thē reply, y ^t Christ being God, may be everywhere. Others altogether absurdly say, he auen it self is everywhere. Were it not but that somewhat might be learned, belonging necessarily to this treatise by y ^e way, it were a folly to refute follies. Verily as Christ is perfect God, so is he perfect man, & the properties of both natures entire in one person. We may not build his deity, & destroy his humanity. Who according to his manhood, is gone from y ^e earth, taken up to his father, ascended on hie, sitteth and maketh intercession there: the heavens must contain him, till the last times, and then & thence we look for his coming again. Neither can all this be a mere supposed vanishing out of sight, but a local departure: because the place is set down whence he went, and whither he ascended, and that he shall come again. I leave the world and go to the father. and he shall so come again from heaven. And here to dream y ^t heaven is everywhere, were a madness. For then Christ had been in heaven before already, & so what needed he to depart and ascend and go hence? and if earth were heaven, the wicked and earthely minded men were most in heaven. And not only they but y ^e very damned spriits in hell were in heaven also: for hell is some where, and they say heaven is everywhere. And thē where were that great Chaos, that is spoken of in the Gospel, betwixt Abraham's joys in heaven above, and the riche man's torments in hell beneath? There is a kind of spirit which is not driven away but with prayer & fasting, to the end to pray more earnestly, the Lord if it be his will, ende all quarrels, especially about this sacrament of unity, open the eyes of all those whoever they be, y ^t seek vain shifts and fond detrises, to the end only to exclude one convenient & usual figure, which necessarily goeth w ^t the nature of a sacrament, & agreeth w ^t the canons of Christian belief, & w ^t out the which our belief concerning the person of Christ, can never stand. For if he be perfect man (as we believe) like to his brethren in all things, sin excepted, being but one man, he can be but in one place at one time. The want of sin both not extend a body to pluralities of places: for then every man, as he hath less or more sin, should be straightwaye in fewer & moe places accordingly. But these things in sight are but vanities. Wherefore Christ according to his humanity, is and must be in one place at once, and no moe, and that is in heaven.

Now then in earth, what do we receive, while we receive y ^e Sacrament? certainly Christ Jesus, the land and the fruit, Christ and the virtues of his life and death, and of what ever he did. But he is in heaven, and we in earth, and y ^e distance is great. Faith hath an eye, an hand & a wing, whereby it pierceth, reacheth and flieth up to heaven it self. To faith, things absent are present, things distant are conjoined, things secret are open, unseen are visible, impossible are easy. As verily as bread both serve for the strength of the body, and wine for the comfort thereof: so and as certainly to y ^e in ward man in faith, Christ is bread to the soul, and wine to y ^e mind, and we mystically made one in him, and he with us, dwell in him, and he in us, feed on him, and he our spiritual food. And this is that which we receive at his boarde. I confess, our knowledge is in parte, and therefore our speech is imperfect. Those harder partes of the Lamb that could not be eaten, were consumed with fire: even so, if there be anything (as I grant to me there is) which words cannot express, a godly man's faith may better comprehend, and in heart conceive, thē I utter. It is not bare bread & a sip of wine (as scorners speak) that we receive, but truly, & in deed very Christ. And whereas it is so, let us go on & see how such a ghost ought to be entertained.

Prepare the chamber of thy soul, sweep the house of thy conscience, yield up the keys of thy heart, prostrate thyself in humility, open wide the gates of faith, that the king of glory may enter therein.

The adversary whetteth his teeth, openeth his mouth, maketh ready his belly y ^e he might chewe and swallow up his maker. Meat for the belly, & the belly for meat, and the Lord shall destroy them both. O my brethren, whoever you are, this heavenly food is not Let us eat and drink, and tomorrow we shall die. Here is neither venison for Isahac, nor a Kid for Tobi, nor Quails in the desert, nor wine in boules, nor wine in flagons. Who ever eateth of this celestial Manna, & drinketh of this spiritual rock which is Christ, shall not only walk in y ^e strength of it forty days and forty nights as the Prophet did, but shall live forever with God.

Wherefore the wicked and ungodly, have no part nor portion therein. They eat the bread of y ^e Lord, but not the Lord the bread of life, because they want the hand of faith to receive him. He that eateth Christ, shall live by the means of Christ: but the life of the wicked is no life, & in their death is eternal damnation.

The adversaries care little what Jewels they cast to swine, what unclean beasts they drive into the Lord's pastures, howe fine manchet they throw to very dogs. There is no communicating of Christ, but in the true communion of Christ. One head is head but of one body: and though it giveth some heat by means of y ^e heart to a rotten member that is not yet cut off, yet it giveth life only to the sound partes. The chaff and husk of corn receiveth a kind of humor, but the fat and heart of the seed only nourisheth the wheat, and not the chaff. The bare name of Christianity, the bark and letter of the word, the outward elements of the Sacrament, are after a sort in common to all: but true Christianity, a good understanding, and the inward grace of these things, are proper to the godly, and to none other. The humor y ^t the wicked receive frō the root, serveth to increase a great deal more chaff, and the chaff to nourish a bigger fire, y ^e is due for a greater quantity thereof. If it were otherwise, howe easily might the Apostle be answered, and howe soon put to silence, when he asketh what part & communion, meaning a good society, is there between the faithful and the infidels? Forsooth they have a fellowship in the participation of Christ in the Sacrament. No, the spirit of God suffereth no reply.

The Communion in this supper is twofold. In respect of the giver, and the duty of the receivers, toward him alone and amongst themselves only. The gift of communicating him, is offered by grace: for whoever gave him first, that it may be given him again? And he is received by faith: send forth thy faith, & thou hast taken hold on him. The community which is betwixt y ^e receivers themselves, is by charity & love. Love seeketh not his own, and that is love in deed, which is betwixt brethren then when a man loveth another, either because Christ is in him, or to the ende Christ may be in him. And this is a necessary point, which must also be brought to the worthy receiving of Christ. Some are pale with fasting, and blue with envy, tame their body as it were a wild horse, and ride out of the way whē they have done. When you come together, there are dissensions among you, saith S. Paul to the Corinthians, every man maketh his supper, before he come to the Lord's Supper, no man tarrieth one for another. Ye have made a private matter of the public liturgy & church duty. What shall I say? shall I praise you? in this I praise you not. And his not praising thē, was a marvelous disprayse. The rich disdained the poor, the poor envied the rich, the head would not direct the foot, one member was at variance with another, and yet every member hath an interest in the next, & so the last and everyone eche in another, and altogether among them selves. The candle must not hide it self under a bushel, nor flash in another man's eyes, being proud that one hath lighted it, and little considering that itself might be burnt or put out, and another lighted in his room. Vessels contain water not for them selves, but for others, & if they refuse their duty, though they are full, they may be emptied. There is a more excellent way, if men did walk therein, and if every mā would carry his brothers burden. The elme vnderproppeth the vine, & the vine is without pricks, and hurteth not, but is an ornament to the elme. The foot beareth the head and body, & the head guideth them both. Shall an Hebrew wound an Hebrew, the fathers son his brother and the son of his mother, the servant his fellow? The world that is w ^t out, hateth us enough, though we y ^t are within, hate not our selves. The God of love enflame our coldenesse in charity, mollify our hard and cruel hearts, qualify and soften all rough and uneven ways and dealing. Why? are we not brethren of the same parent, of God in his Church? subjects of one King the Lord? and under one Queen a gracious Lady? are we not coūtrymen and fellows in one family? have we not the same hope and spirit? have we not the same enemies, friends, faith and the food of faith, the word and Sacraments? Cornelius Tacitus reporteth that the old Britons were easily conquered, because they used no cōsultation nor common consent in matters. The Midianites killeth one another. Josiah fought an unnecessary battle, & died in the field. It is good to be wise and patient, wise and constant, patient & silent in trifles, when a man shall but dignity in the fire, & the sparkles fly in his face and no good done. Otherwise if a venomous spider come in the way, who will not set foot upon it? If the cause be the Lord's, and the quarrel good, & thy calling according, it is good fighting these battles. Strive for the truth for life, defend justice unto death. In this case the white liuered soldier that feareth a frost shall be covered with snow. If every hear were a life, and every life a thousand lives, vēter them all for him that gave them all. But again in y ^e days of peace, where peace may be redeemed with less a do, what wise man would be hanged in hear of his own fancy, or fall as Saul did upon his own sword. He that loveth danger, shall perish in trouble and no man pity him, and the meek shall possess the earth.

A gentlewoman of Lacedemonia, and Diotorus his wife did always fall out at the table and vary, because the one loved oil, and the other butter, and yet the qualities of butter and oil were not much diverse.

Charity doeth cover malice, envy and hatred doeth uncover as the boisterous North wind all imperfections, and naturally men are given to pry in at other men's windows, to beat dust of their coats, & find motes in their eyes. But Saint Paul saith, Let every man prove him self and not other men, and so let him come to this Sacrament. When Christ foretold that one of his disciples should betray him, everyone of them began to ask him, Is it I? not is it he or he, but everyone was desirous to prove him self and know, whither it were he, Is it I? they were not like him that said, Brother suffer me to take forth the mote out of thine eye. And do we call them brethrē, whose good name we seek to take from them in objecting motes and faults? A mote is a little fault, and a beam is a great fault, and neither great nor little should be suffered, especially in the eye. Yet every man is not a fit Physician, the eye is a tender parte, and may as soon take hurt as good, if there be not great discretion taken. Let the public minister prove all, and the private man prove him self, and so in faith and love let us all in one repair to the Sacrament of unity which as goats milk should break and mollify the stony hearts of men, as rain alaieth great winds, & as David's music asswaged Saul's melācholie and evil spirit. And yet when all this is done, the best men are men still, and the best earth is earth ever, and will bear nettles and brambles and pricks. Flesh is frail in faith, blood imperfect in love, seetheth and boileth with a little fire and upon a small occasion, & therefore repentance always in either is most requisite, which accompanying with faith her mother, and love her sister, warmeth and cherisheth them both, who otherwise wax wan and cold and loose their force.

If any man deem Christ's death vnsufficiēt, suppose his sacrifice needeth renewing, imagineth any other intercessors requisite, doubteth of his kingdō, believeth not his word, these are great wants of faith, and he never proved himself, that cometh with this mind to the Lord's boorde, where these things are or should be felt & fed upon. Here Repentance is requisite to help faith. Again, if any man have anything against his brother, or his brother against him, let him go first and be reconciled before he eat and drink the Sacrament, which is of unity in Christ Jesus. Thus examining his conscience as before, and acknowledging his sins in his sight, ask pardon with sighs & tears, because he either distrusted, or disobeyed, and so displeased so gracious a God, so merciful a father, so perfect a Savior, that had commanded himself to be believed upon, & our selves of our selves to be beloved in him one of another.

There is never a threede in Papistry but is stained. They have neither perfect faith which they devide between God & his creatures, nor true love (which wanteth the bond of love, true faith ) nor due repentance have they. For all their repentance standeth in whispering in a Priests ear, or abstaining from the moderate use of certain meats, in which they put a satisfaction: as if God were pleased & sin done away with the eating of fish and not of flesh, or the not usage of other his creatures reverently w ^t thanks giving.

But in deed the sour herbs wherewith we must eat his passover, are a penitent heart, a broken and contrite spirit, because foolish flesh laboreth and werieth it self in sinful ways, and doeth eftsoons offend in thought, word, & deed, against his divine majesty. And this if we do, craving pardon for all our sins and misdoings, no doubt he will consider our sighs, receive our prayers, forgive our sins, accept us for just, account us for his own, & make us meet partakers of his heavenly table.

Being thus prepared, instructed in faith, enflamed in love, & after a sort repaired by reap̄tāce, y ^u mayest present thyself before the Lord. Wherein (as y ^e wisemā willeth in another case) meditate again and again what is set before thee, least thy table be thy snare, thy meat thy bane, thine own knife cut thine own throat. Bread which is y ^e staff of strength to man, will choke y ^e Hawk. The faithful, charitable and repentant soul partaketh salvation, the unworthy receiver eateth & drinketh his own damnation: even as the Babylonian dragon brake asūder as soon as he received y ^e balls y ^t Daniel put into his mouth, as y ^t story reporteth.

Wherefore y ^u godly man & child of God, ponder with thyself, enter into thy conscience, let convenient thoughts & meditations occupy & possess thy inward partes. And that thou mayest so do, remember what y ^u art a doing, what work thou hast in hand. Do this in remembrance of Christ, feed on him in thy soul with thanks, & set forth (lively) his death w ^t praise. Pharaohs butler forgot Joseph, y ^e unclean hog never looketh up to him that beateth down the maste from y ^e tree. Lift up your hearts, we lift them up unto the Lord. They are the words of the church service, godly words. It is meet & right so to do, and our bounden duty that we should at all times record his goodness, but especially at the time of this action, to show forth his death till his coming again, & agnize our sins, which being the cause of his dying plucked y ^e son of God out from y ^e bosom of the father to be crucified on earth, of, among, and for sinful men.

The maymes we received in Adam & remain yet in us, are three. Sin, Ignorance, Weakness. The remedies whereof we find in Christ, the Physician of our souls. Medicus est minister naturae: that which is wanting by nature, is supplied by grace.

Christ is a Priest to cleanse our sins, a Prophet to instruct our rudeness, & a Kinge to conquer our enemies. But his Priesthoode and his sacrifice we chiefly celebrate in this Sacrament, which also may be and is termed therefore a Sacrifice, not of Christ, but to Christ in remembrance of his, y ^e sacrifice of praise, the calves of our lips, the incense of thanks giving: and this Levites fire should never go out, and in the present, flame all abroad. Wherein we believe in heart, & confess with mouth, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, being perfect God, was made perfect man. Man, y ^t he might die: God, y ^e in dying, he might satisfy for mankind: for because y ^t the flesh alone profiteth nothing, his manhood was not sufficient, except also he had been very God. Wherefore God, even our God so exceedingly loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son (and therefore he also naturally God, the son like the father) to be the ransom for the sins of the world. The chastisement of our peace was upon him, the peace ours, the chastisement his, all sufficient for all the sins both of body and soul of all sinners.

The grievousness and bitterness of which cup may be considered, in that our Savior after a sort tasted thereof, and it tasted bitter: put forth his hand to take it, pulled it in again, & began to tremble: his very soul was sorrowful, prayed earnestly, went out and prayed again, that if it were possible, it might pass over, needed an Angel for comfort, sweet water & drops of blood.

If there were nothing herein but an usual death, would Christ thus have been afflicted? The heathē have suffered more, & with more patience apparent: therefore there must be, and was more in it, and yet he is not come to the bitterness in the bottom of the cup. Those former agonies were but honey in comparison of the conflict with Satan which followed, and the wrath of his father which ensued, when all sins, as heavy as hell, & more then the stars of heaven, or the sand of the sea were laid in one upon him, and he for them made a curse and execration, the just executed for the unjust, one for all.

A child is borne to us, and given unto us, and lived for us. This might comfort Jerusalem at the heart: but the end & perfection of our joy, and his sorrow, was his death on cross, wherein consisteth the thankful meditation I speak of, holpen by breaking of the bread, and the pouring forth of the wine before our sight: wherein the default of our adversaries appeareth greatly, that debarreth the people of so great an help. For be it that perfect Christ be communicated in the bread, yet in the wine significātly is resembled his bloodsheding most. And howe dare they alter the Lord's institution? As he took bread, even so he took the cup: then if bread be requisite, so is y ^e cup also. For as he took the one, so he took the other. Eckius would prove his half communion out of his Paternoster: give us this day our daily bread. A beggar is never out of his way. What scripture will not serve for any purpose, if y ^t do for his? Saint Paul teacheth what the Lord did, and what y ^e Corinthians should do till Christ his coming in the clouds, he meaneth what all posterity was to do. For those Corinthians are gone the way of all flesh, & their church rased. He telleth them, & in them us: Other things at his coming he would dispose of (as of indifferent circumstances.) But for the lawful and inviolable usage of the Sacrament in both kinds, he delivered as he had received.

David slew the Giant with one stone, but he toke more then one out of the brook. Christ is received in his word, by his spirit, in baptism, sacramentaly in either, or rather in both the signs of the Supper jointly taken as he ordained. So sufficiently and abundantly hath y ^e Lord provided for his household, bread made of many graynes, and also wine of many grapes, y ^e answerably we being many, may be one in him and he in us, expecting the accomplishment of our joy to the full, no more in signs & figures in earth, but apparently to eat and drink at Christ's table w ^t him in the kingdom of heaven, where we shall sit on seats & judge the twelve tribes of Israel. Amen.

There are certain kinds both of birds and beasts, whose meat will not tarie w ^t them, but passeth quickly away recto intestino Such beasts never chew the cud. And some men not unlike or worse then beasts, meditate little of whom they were begotten and fed, what they feed on or in what sort, much less doth the meat digest with them to make thē strong men in Christ, as if Sara were their mother, & Agar their nurse, or as if they were nursed with milk & weaned with poison, and the meat naught and would not prove with them, so do they live. In coming to the Service & Sacraments, either for company or custom sake, they look one way with the godly, but in their conversation, they row another way, and show in their deeds, of what fellowship they are. They pass through the red sea, but murmur in the wilderness, nay even at the red sea offend they God. In pretence somewhat they are, but inwardly nothing, and in fact naught. Their windows be not scued as Solomon's were, to give a full light into y ^e house to their own hearts, in hypocrisy somewhat is shown, the window wide enough outwardly. Faith, Love, Repentance, to sight are set forth, in performance everyone is for him self, neither thankful to God, neither charitable to his neighbor, and both without remorse. These things ought not to be so, this Passover would not be so eaten, our loins so soon vngirded, & our staves thrown away, the water of Baptism trampled on, the bread and wine, or the body and blood of Christ thus received all in vain. Were it that the naughtye liver could be a good believer for the time, or were it, y ^t as water he might be hot immediately before and at y ^e action of receiving, yet if when the fire is removed, the cold qualities return again, what availeth y ^e former heat? A cole is red while it is in the fire: when the fire is out, his black and natural color returneth by & by again, and then light it again, and it seemeth red again, but yet in y ^e ende it consumeth to ashes. The bone that is often set in ioynte, will hardly be well joined often. Let no man presume of sinning, nor yet despair of mercy. The Sacraments, as they are seals of mercy, so are they also bonds of obedience: & as God will perform on his part all, so must we endeavor to show our selves duetiful in all good works. Wherunto to persuade, if there were nothing else but this, this may suffice: that because Christ our Passover is offered up, we keep an holy feast unto the Lord, not in the leaven of wickedness, but in the sweet bread of a sincere conscience, and upright conuersatiō in Christ Jesus.

A prayer upon consideration generally of the Sacraments.

O Almighty God & most merciful Father, who of thy tender kindness, hast chosen thine elect to everlasting salvation before all times, and in due time hast called them to the knowledge of thy good will, revealed in thy word, & sealed with the Sacraments of thine own ordaining, we thy humble servants, and by mercy in Christ thine adopted sons, pray thy fatherly goodness to make us meet partakers of these & all other thy benefits so largely ever more bestowed and poured upon us.

Let us not (O Lord) neither detain y ^e truth of thy word in y ^e unrighteousness of a sinful life: neither suffer us (dear Father) to receive y ^e pledges of thy endless love in vain, but to the ends that thou hast appointed them.

Wherefore grant us thy heavenly grace, that we thy chosen people may use thy holy ordinances to most holy purposes: namely, to the further increase of our weak faith, to the comfort of our wan hope, to the enflaming of our cold and frozen charity in these hard and evil days, to the dutiful and thankful setting forth of the glory of thy holy name, Amen.

A prayer to be said with meditation of our Baptism.

M Erciful Father, we miserable and sinful men feel with in our selves, and therefore are forced to break forth & confess, y ^t in our flesh dwelleth no good thing.

O Lord, thou lookest down from heaven, and beholdest the sons of men and their sins, they are infinitely great, and in number mo then the hears of our head or the stars of heavē: they cannot be hidden.

Our children gather sticks, our fathers kindle the fire, our mothers kneade dough to make cakes to serve other gods. There is not one that doth good, no not one. We are all borne in sin, conceived in iniquity, and the whole race of our life is naturally naught. We are not able to dream of a good thought, and when we have done all y ^t we can do, or if we could do all y ^t we are commanded, yet were we unprofitable servants, and therefore we appeal from thy justice, (O most just God) to thy mercy seat, and throne of grace: for we fear nothing more then the examination of our drossy works.

O Lord, wash thou us that we may be white, for in our selves we are altogether black, purge us that we may be clean, sanctify us that we may be holy, circumcise our ears and hearts and other partes, sear our polluted lips with the cole of thy spirit, & create a new heart win us, this old heart of ours will not serve, wash us more & more, and we shall be clean.

This thou hast promised in thy word (O gracious God) and in the Sacrament of our new birth is this now fully set forth and sealed: wherefore with confidence we appear before thee in prayer, not trusting in our own merits, which are not, but in thy manifold and endless mercies, which as a great and pure stream of water shall make us whiter then the snow, and clearer then the Crystal glass.

O Lord have mercy upon us according to thy great mercy, put away our iniquities, pardon our offenses, cancel the bill of debt, quench y ^e flames of lust, pluck out the sting of sin, mortify our flesh more & more, kill and bury the old man, bruise the serpents head, drown the spiritual Pharaoh, and all Egypt, that we in a good time may be presented perfectly blameless in thy sight, through Christ our Lord, Amen.

A prayer to be said immediately before the receiving the holy Communion.

O Almighty GOD, who in thy eternal wisdom hast built thee an house, and he wen out the pillars thereof: chosen a Church which shall not fail, killed thy vittayles, mixed thy wine, prepared a Table, & hast sent forth thy ministers to cry in the open streets, and to invite unto this feast in thy word and Gospel: and yet hast denounced that the scornful, the wicked and the willful sinner shall have no part nor portion with thee, grant us grace (O Lord) that we may effectually hear, and willingly follow the voice of thy calling, and that the seed of thy word, being shed in to our ears, may take deep root in our hearts, and bring forth fruit accordingly in a godly conversation.

And whereas not only by thy word, but by thy Sacraments also we are fed at thy hand, and specially in the Supper of thy Son our Lord his institution, we crave the assistance of thy holy spirit, worthily to prepare us for the receiving of so heavenly a banquet.

Otherwise, who or what are we to entertain, or to be entertained in this manner? we are unworthy the least of thy mercies, much less are we worthy that the heir of all should enter under the roof of our soul, or that our unclean feet should once step within thy courts, and yet thou hast commanded we should repair to thy Temple, and receive at thy table.

Wherefore (good Lord) prepare thou us aright that we may be prepared, dwell in us y ^t we may dwell in thee, knock at the gates of our hearts that we may opē unto thee, sup with us, that we may sup with thee, increase our faith and love toward thee, and in thee toward our neighbors. And albeit we offend often, & fall many times, yet stay thou us by thy merciful hand that we never fall away. Finally, strengthen our weakness with thy everlasting food, neither look upon our imperfections, but on the perfectness of thy sons oblation, in whose name we pray, that thou endue us ever with an humble and a contrite spirit for all our sins past, & with a constant purpose always hereafter unfeignedly to serve and please thee in newness of life to our lives ende, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

A thanks giving upon the receiving of the holy Communion.

M Y soul praise thou the Lord, and all the powers within me praise his holy name.

My heavy soul awake, praise the Lord, forget not his benefits, show not thyself an unthankfull thistle being watered with so many graces.

He fashioned the round world, & all y ^e is therein, yea with a more special care he guideth the feet of his Saints.

He clotheth the lilies of the field, and feedeth the birds of the air, but he apparelleth his chosen with the cloth of righteousness in the family of his Son, and feedeth them with the bread of life.

In him we are, and are regenerate, by him we live and are fed at his own table, in him, & by his spirit we move w ^t all godly motions, and this comfort no man can take from us.

Al good gifts descend from above, and the praise of all is due to thee (O Lord) even as the waters ishue from the sea, and to y ^e sea return again.

O then what shall we render unto our loving God, for all his kindness? he hath not spared his only begotten son to y ^e death the death of the Cross, for our sakes.

Thou O Lord art not pleased with man's inventions: only thou hast willed that we be a thankful people, and that we continue a fresh and grateful remembrance of thy goodness forever.

The calves of our lips, the incense of prayer and y ^e sacrifice of praise thou wilt accept.

Wherefore (O my soul) praise the Lord, set forth thy Saviors death, remember his passion, show not thyself unkind, feed on him in thy heart, and be thankful, in a full assurance of all his mercies in Jesus Christ. Amen.

Imprinted at London by Christopher Barker, Printer to the Queens most excellent Majesty.

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