of THE Church, which "be not repugnant to the word of God, and be ordained and approved by common authority," which is that of an oecumenical council, or the universal consent of all christians. of THE Church, which "be not repugnant to the word of God, and be ordained and approved by common authority," which is that of an oecumenical council, or the universal consent of all christians. As of old time God decreed His wondrous benefits of the deliverance of His people, to be kept in memory by the eating of the Passover, with His rites and ceremonies; so our loving Saviour hath ordained and established the remembrance of His great mercy, expressed in His Passion, in the institution of His Heavenly Supper, where every one of us must be guests and not gazers, eaters and not lookers, feeding ourselves, and not hiring other to feed for us, that we may live by our own meat, and not perish for hunger whiles other devour all. To this His commandment forceth us, saying, Do ye this, drink ye all of this. To this His promise enticeth: This is my Body, which is given for you: This is my Blood, which is shed for you. So then of necessity we must be ourselves partakers of this table, and not beholders of other: so we must address ourselves to frequent the same in reverent and comely manner, lest as physic provided for the body, being misused, more hurteth than profiteth; so this comfortable medicine of the soul, undecently received, tends to our greater harm and sorrow.-Homily concerning the Sacrament. |