The spiritual and right serv what it is. that a visible ceremony is a service to the invisible God whose service is spiritual as he is a spirit, and is none ing of God other thing than to know that all is of him and to trust in him only for all things, and to love him for his great goodness and mercy above all, and our neighbours as ourselves for his sake unto which spiritual serving of God, and to lead us to the same, the old ceremonies were ordained. Matt. xxvi. Mark xiv. Luke xxii. 1 Cor. xi. tion of the sacraments of Christ's body and blood. These be now sufficient concerning the intent and use of the ceremonies and how they came up. Now let us consider the words of this Testament and promises as they be rehearsed of the three evangelists, Matthew, Mark and Luke, and of the apostle Paul. For John which wrote last, touched nothing that was sufficiently declared of other. Matthew, in the twenty-sixth, thus saith, When they were eating Jesus took bread and gave thanks, and brake and gave his disciples, and said, Take, eat, this is my body: And he took the cup and thanked, and gave it them, saying, The institu- Drink ye all of this, for this is my blood, which is of the New Testament, that is shed for many for the remission of sins. of sins. First, ye see by these words that the body was given to death, and the blood shed for the remission of sins, and that for many. But who are these many? Who they Verily they that turn to God to believe in him only, and to endeavour themselves to keep his law from henceforth. Which many, yet in respect of them that love not the law, are but very few, and even that little flock that gave themselves wholly to follow Christ, wherefore if any man think he believe in Christ, and have not the law written in his heart to consent that his duty is to love his brother for Christ's sake as Christ loved him, and to endeavour himself so to do, the faith of that same man is vain, and built upon sand of his own imagination, and not upon the rock of God's word; for his word unto which he hath bound himself is, that they only which turn to God to keep his laws shall have mercy for Christ's sake. Drink of it all, for it is my blood of the New Testament, for it is (that is to say) the drink that is in the cup, or if ye list, are that receive benefit af Christ's death. The cup the blood of Christ of what it is. the cup is my xxiv. The great and merci. The Old Testament made between God and your fathers in mount Sinai, in which life was promised to them only that kept it, and to the breakers, death, wrath and vengeance, and to be accursed, and no mention made of mercy which was confirmed with blood (Exodus xxiv.) Exod. Moses offered half the blood to God, and sprinkled the people with the other half, to confirm the covenant and to bind both parties: neither was there any covenant made that was not confirmed with blood as it is rehearsed, (Heb. ix.) And as we see in the books of Moses, whose Heb. ix. custom of blood-shedding was not only to confirm those old covenants, but also to be a prophecy of the blood that should be shed to confirm this Testament. That old cruel and fearful testament, which drew the people away, so that they durst not abide the voice of thunder, nor the terrible sight of the fire, but went and stood afar off, was confirmed with the blood of calves. But this new and gentle Testament which calleth again and promiseth mercy to all that will amend: And as it is a better testament, so is it confirmed with with a better blood to make men see love, to love again, and to be a greater confirmation of the love promised. For if he gave us his Son, what will he deny us? If God so loved us when we were sinners and knew him not, that he gave his Son for us, how much more loveth he us now, when we love again, and would fain keep his commandments? In the old covenants the people were sprinkled with blood of calves without in their bodies to bind them to keep the law, else were bound to just damnation for the breaking of it. Here it is said, Drink of it every one, that your souls ful differ ence between the Old Testament and the New. The great mercy of God to mankind. Mark xiv. Luke xxii. The cause tution of the sa rament of Christ's body. The sign of the body of within may be sprinkled and washed through faith with the blood of the Son of God for the forgiveness of sin, and to be partakers of a more easy and kind Testament, under which if you sin through fragility you shall be warned lovingly, and received to mercy if you will turn again and amend. Mark in the fourteenth, And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and gave it to them and said, Take, eat, this is my body: and he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he took it to them, and they all drank of it: And he said to them, This is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many. This is all one with Matthew as is aforesaid. Luke in the twenty-second, And he took bread and when he had given thanks, he brake it and gave to them, saying, This is my body which is given for you, this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also, when he had supped he took the cup, saying, This cup is the New Testament in my blood which is shed for you. Here is also to be noted that the cause of the institu of the insti- tion was to be a memorial to testify that Christ's body was given, and his blood shed for us. And again, where Matthew and Mark said, This is my blood in the New Testament. Luke saith, This cup is the New Testament in blood which shall be shed for you. This is a strange my speaking, and far from the use of our tongue, to call the sign and confirmation by the name of the thing that is the name of signified and confirmed. The Testament is that Christ's blood is shed for our sins. And Christ saith, This cup is that Testament, signifying thereby that the thing that is meant by this ceremony is that we believe that his blood shedding is the remission of our sins, which is the very Testament. Christ is called by Christ's body, which is there signified. 1 Cor. xi. Paul, (1 Cor. xi.) saith on this manner: That which I delivered unto you I received of the Lord. For the Lord Jesus the same night in the which he was betrayed, took bread: and when he had given thanks he brake it and said, Take ye and eat; this is my body, which is broken for you this do in remembrance of me: After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the New Testament in my blood: this do as often, as ye drink it in the remembrance of me. For as often as ye shall eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye shall shew the Lord's death until he come. As Matthew and Mark agree in these words, so do Lucas and Paul. And as it is above declared upon the words of Luke, and so here by oft repeating one thing. This do in remembrance of me. This cup is the New Testament in my blood. This do as oft as ye drink it in the remembrance of me. Again, As oft as ye shall eat of this bread and drink of this cup, so oft ye must declare the Lord's death. By this often repeating (I say) ye may evidently perceive the cause, intent, and whole purpose of the institution of this sacrament was to testify and confirm the faith of the testament made in the death of Christ, how that for his sake our sins shall be forgiven. So: Do this in the remembrance of me, that is to say, Take bread and wine and rehearse the covenant and testament over them, How that my body was broken, and my blood shed for many, and then give them to the people to eat and drink, to be a sign and earnest, and the seal of the testament, and cry upon them without ceasing to believe in me only for the remission of sins and not to despair, how weak soever they be, only if they hang on me, and desire power to keep the law after my doctrine and example of my life, and do mourn and be sorry because they cannot do that good thing which they would. Forth saith Paul, Whosoever shall eat of this bread or 1 Cor. xi. drink of the cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, that is to say, whoso receiveth the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ with an unclean heart, not forsaking the old lusts of the flesh. Not purposing to follow Christ, and to love his Heb. x. What the sacrament meaneth, and why the same was insti. tuted. There are the sacra- The second opinion. The third opinion. A declaration made by them of the first neighbour, as only Christ was to him merciful; the same sinneth against the body and blood of Christ; in that he maketh a mock of the earnest death of Christ, and, as it is written Hebrews the tenth, treadeth Christ under foot and counteth the blood of the testament wherewith he was sanctified, as an unholy thing, and doth dishonour to the spirit of grace. Of this ye may perceive again what the sacrament meaneth, and what the intent of the ordinance was, and how such ceremonies came up, and whence they had their beginning, and what the fruit thereof is, and what is therein to be sought; and though this were enough so that I might here well cease, yet, because the unquiet, scrupulous and superstituous nature of man, wholly given to idolatry, hath stirred up such traditions about this one sacrament most specially, I cannot but speak thereof somewhat more, and declare what my conscience thinketh in this matter. Ye shall understand therefore that there is great dissention, and three opinions about the words of Christ where he saith in pronouncing the testament over the bread, This is my body. And in pronouncing it over the wine, This is my blood. One part say that these words, This is my body: This is my blood, compel us to believe, under pain of damnation, that the bread and wine are changed into the very body and blood of Christ really. As the water at Cana Galilee was turned into very wine. The second part saith, We be not bound to believe that bread and wine are changed, but only that his body and blood are there presently. The third say, We be bound by these words only to believe that Christ's body was broken, and his blood shed for the remission of our sins, and that there is no other satisfaction for sin than the death and passion of Christ. The first say these words, This is my body: This is my blood, compel us to believe, that things there shewed are above men- the very body and blood of Christ really. But bread and opinion tioned. |
