These syllogisms and brief arguments may be profitable helps for the unlearned; as it were with a short dagger to dispatch and slay the blasphemous heresy of the Arians. I could dilate these things into a long volume, if I would; but my purpose is not at this present to write a defence of God, but an image. I do instruct a beginner, not a divine. I do arm a young soldier to faith and belief; not an old worn champion to battle and fight. Hereafter, when I shall see occasion, I will put forth a defence, with a confutation and answer to contrary reasons. Now I have proved out of the storehouse of the scripture, that there is but one definition of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: whereof it must needs follow, that they are but one God.

All things that agree in definition, agree in essence and

nature:

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, have one
definition :

Ergo, they have one essence and nature.

.

This doctrine destroyeth all the doctrine of the Arians, and proveth them consubstantial. But methink I hear some Patripassian reply, that if they agree in the definition, they are confounded, and are one person. They agree in the definition of God, not in the finition of paternity, or of a Son, or of a Holy Ghost; for neither Christ is the Father, nor the almighty and all-knowing Comforter is Christ. They be three unconfounded, and yet one God and Lord.

"O God of our fathers, and Lord of mercies, thou that Wisd. ix. hast made all things with thy word, and ordained man through thy wisdom, that he should have dominion and lordship over thy creatures which thou hast made; and hast willed thy angels to minister unto him, that he should order the world according to equity and righteousness, and execute judgment with a true heart;" give to all thy people wisdom, which is ever about thy seat; endue them with the spirit of knowledge, of counsel, and understanding; as thou Isai. xi. didst promise by thy sweet Son, that he should lead them into all truth: for we are thy servants and thy handmaidens, John xvi. the works of thy fingers. O send him out of thy holy heavens and from the throne of thy majesty, that he may

[ Helps, 1550; helpers, 1560.]

govern us, that we may know what is acceptable in thy sight. For he knoweth and understandeth all things, and can lead us soberly in our1 works, and preserve and continue us in his power: so shall our works be acceptable.

For what man is he that may know the counsel of God? or who can think what the will of God is? The thoughts of mortal men are miserable, and our forecasts are but uncertain. And why? Our understanding and spirit is depressed with the gross lump and dungeon of the corruptible body our time is but a space, and short; very hardly can we discern the things that are upon earth, and great labour have we or we can find things which are before our eyes. Who will, then, seek out the ground of the things that are done in heaven?

O Lord, who can have knowledge of thy understanding and meaning, except thou give wisdom, and send thy Holy Ghost from above, to reform and redress the ways of them which are upon earth, that men may learn the things that are pleasant unto thee, and to live lovingly one with another, every man being content with his own vocation, and follow the same, be preserved through wisdom3. Grant this, God, for thy Son's sake, Jesus Christ, our spokesman and advocate; to whom, with thee and the Holy Spirit, be all praise, dominion, honour, rule and thanksgiving, now in

our days and ever.

So be it.

FINIS.

[In our, 1550; in all our, 1560.]

[Than, 1550; then, 1560.]

[This sentence is printed as it stands in both editions.]

THREE SERMONS

ON

THE LORD'S SUPPER.

[HUTCHINSON.]

A FAITH FV L

DECLARATION OF

Chriftes holy Supper, compre

heded in thre Sermōs

preached at Eaton

Colledge, by Ro

ger Hutchin

son. 1552.

Whose contentes are
in the other syde
of the lefe.

Newly imprinted at London by

John Day, dwelling ouer

Aldersgate.

1560.

Cum gratia & priuilegio Regiæ

maieftatis per fep

tennium.

THE CONTENTS

OF

THE FIRST SERMON.

THE First Sermon sheweth why Christ ordained his supper after the eating of the Paschal lamb: that the Jews' Easter lamb was a figure of our sacramental bread and wine, a commemoration of their deliverance, and a sacrament of Christ's death: that the Jews had some continual rites and sacraments, and other some temporal: how their sacraments and ours, how their receipt and ours, do differ. Why God, who is immutable, disannulled their rites, and ordained new rites and new ceremonies for us. For what cause men absent themselves from Christ's banquet, to the which they should come, not annually, but continually: that, as it is best to come fasting thereto, so it is not evil, by occasion, to receive after meat and drink.

That 'to bless' is not to make a cross upon the sacrament, but to render thanks to God the Father for the remission of our sins through the Seed promised: that Christ ordaineth here no private mass, but a communion: and that the scriptures and the oriental church disallow all private receipt: that,

as it is not evil to receive the holy sacrament

at thy mouth, so it is better to take it

in thy hands, as Christ and his

apostles did, and the laity

of the primitive

Church.

THE CONTENTS

OF

THE SECOND SERMON.

THE Second Sermon declareth what a sacrament is: that the nature and matter of the signs remaineth: that Christ affirmeth bread to be his body, and wine to be his blood, for three properties and similitudes, and not for any transubstantiation and mutation of their natures. That his body and blood are the sustenance of man's soul and spirit, which are not fed or nourished with corporal food. That both the spiritual eating, and the sacramental receipt, are necessary and com