I think herewith I have satisfied such as be not of contentious disposition. For undoubtedly their meaning is, that we should speak of the sacrament sacramentally, and that sacramental speeches ought to be expounded sacramentally. Besides that, we ought to believe nothing that is repugnant to the rule of faith. But by the miracles and omnipotency of God, brought forth and alleged in this place for the setting out and persuading of an evil matter, They do no good at all after so many and manifest arguments of truth. Miracles are joined unto the Word, as it were seals, which thing the Lord God Himself testify in St. Mark. If then they be repugnant to the Word, and affirm that which the Word altogether denieth, who will not perceive them to be of that kind of miracles, whereof the apostle speaketh in the second chapter of the second epistle to the Thessalonians, and whereof we have heard now that the Lord gave us warning in the gospel, that we should in no case believe them. The Lord can do all things, but therefore he doth not all things. The prophet saith, Whatsoever the Lord would do, that he did, both in heaven and earth. Moreover, he will not do such things as are contrary to his word and his faith. Therefore he cannot do that he will not do. Theodoretus, in his third dialogue, instituted polymorphous Seth. The Lord God will do nothing that is not in him of his own nature, but he can do whatever he will, but he will do such things as are fit and agreeing to his nature. Therefore, Seth God of his own nature is true. He cannot do that which is contrary to his word. Other sung writers do add, not that he cannot do all things, but that he will not do that which is contrary to his nature, and because it doth not come him to do against himself. This reading ends on page 452. I'm reading from page 452. In the mean season I do expressly profess that I condemn not, or flatly am against, all manner of Christ's presence in the church, and in the action also of the supper. For I am flat against that bodily presence of Christ in the bread which the papists defend and enforce upon the church of God. But I confess and acknowledge with open mouth and sincere heart that spiritual, divine, and quickening presence of our Lord Christ, both in the supper and also out of the supper, whereby he continueth to pour himself into us, not by signs lacking life, but by his Holy Spirit, to make us partakers of all his good graces, to justify, quicken, nourish, sustain, and satisfy us. which presence we do also feel in ourselves through faith, by the which we are both sustained, nourished, and satisfied. For Christ is the head of his church, and we have fellowship with him. But how should a living body be without his head? How should we be partakers of Christ if we should not feel him present, yea, living and working in us? But of these matters we have also entreated more at large in convenient place. Some there are, I know well, who otherwise are not injurious to the truth, which gainsay these things, crying out that by this reason the manner of Christ's presence in the supper is not fully enough expressed, especially since he himself also hath said elsewhere, Behold, I am with you continually unto the world's end. I saith he holy, not my power or divinity, not my spirit, nor my strength. Moreover, it is a hallowed lest we should seem to tear Christ in pieces, seeing that he cannot be holy with us, unless he be present with us as well in body as in divinity. But we wonder what is in their heads. Do they not understand that the Lord is that divine talk, spoken both in the very supper and also immediately after the supper, did beat upon nothing so much as that very same thing against which they set shoulder, to wit that Christ would be absent in body but present in spirit, and that this presence would be more profitable to the church than his bodily presence? Do they not also understand wherefore he took and was nailed on the cross? That is to say, what the effect and use of Christ's body, to wit that the sacrifice of his body, being once offered for us upon the earth, he might carry the same up into heaven, in token that both our bodies and souls, after our death, shall through his merit be also carried thither? Therefore, after that the Lord's body had fulfilled on earth that which it came to fulfill, there is no cause why it should do anything else upon earth. He now sitteth, and ought to sit, at the right hand of the Father, that he may draw all us thither unto him. If there be any that doth not yet fully believe that which we say, let him read the doctrine of St. Paul the Apostle in the ninth and tenth chapters of his Epistle to the Hebrews. Let him also read the fourteenth and sixteenth chapters of St. John's Gospel But if it be a pleasure to them to hail at the gable of contention, and to stick precisely as well to these words of the Lord, I am with you unto the world's end, as to these, this is my body, this is my blood, let them expound to me these holy testimonies of the Holy Scripture. Paul saith that Christ dwelleth in our hearts, and that Christ liveth in him, and he in Christ. The Lord says to the thief, This day shalt thou be with me in paradise. And the evangelist saith of the Lord being dead, They laid him into the sepulchre. The scripture saith not, They laid flesh and bones into the sepulchre, but they laid him into the sepulchre. The Lord said not to the thief, Thy soul shall be with my spirit, or soul in paradise, but verily I say unto thee, This day shalt thou be with me in paradise. Neither did St Paul say that Christ's spirit and life doth live in him or dwell in our hearts, but he says simply that Christ may doth dwell in our hearts. But who is so foolish and given to contention that for these words and places of the Scripture will contend that Christ's divinity was buried with his body that Christ's body was with his soul that same day in Paradise, in which either of them departed this life, that Christ's body, together with his spirit, dwelleth in the hearts of the faithful, and liveth in Paul, and that Paul liveth in Christ's flesh. All men do willingly admit the Catholic sense of the Catholic Church, gathered out of the Word of God, namely that Christ in His Spirit is present in His Church, even to the world's end, but absent in body, and that the thief's soul was that day present in paradise with Christ's soul, not with his body. So judges it also of the residue But if any man mistrust mine interpretation, let him hear St. Augustine, in his Treatise upon John, saying thus. He speaketh of the presence of his body, when he saith, The poor you have, you shall always have with you. but me shall you not have always. For in respect of his majesty, as his providence, and of his unspeakable grace, is that fulfilled which he spake, Behold, I am with you always, even to the world's end. But in respect to the flesh, which the Word took upon it, in respect that he was born of the Virgin, that he was taken by the Jews, that he was nailed to the cross, that he was taken down from the cross, that he was wound in a sheet, that he was laid in the sepulchre, that he was manifested in the resurrection, you shall not have me with you always. Why so? Because he was conversant, as touching his bodily presence, forty days with his disciples, and they accompanying him, but not following him, he ascended into heaven, and is not here, for there he sitteth at the right hand of the Father. and he is here, for he is not gone hence in respect of the presence of his majesty, thus farce and augustine. But if they yet proceed, not regarding all this, that we have said to urge that saying of the Lord out of Matthew, Behold I, even I, say, am with you, we will also object against them this saying of the Lord, and the same out of the Gospel. It is expedient for you that I, lo, here they have also this word I, do depart. We object also against them this testimony of the angels out of Luke, this Jesus which is taken up, af human, from you into heaven, etc. They shall at length be constrained, whether they will or not, to reconcile such places as seem to be repugnant, and to admit the general understanding which we have alleged and defended hitherto. But neither is there here any danger of dividing Christ. Neither divide we Christ's person with Nestorius, since we defend the propriety of both natures in Christ against the Eutychians. While Christ our Lord in body was yet conversant upon the earth, he himself witnessed in the gospel that nevertheless he was also in the heavens. And indeed Christ who was both God and man all at one time, was then in heaven when he was crucified and conversant upon earth, although his body was not crucified in the heavens. But as Christ divided not himself, although being in heaven, he was notwithstanding conversant and crucified in body upon earth, not in heaven. So neither do we divide Christ, who is both God and man. although we say he is present with us when we celebrate the supper, and that we communicate with him, yet nevertheless we affirm that in his body he remaineth in heaven, where he sitteth at the right hand of the Father. And so let us keep ourselves within the compass of the Scripture. Of this matter I have reasoned at large, where I have entreated of one person and of both natures in Christ unpermixed. Hitherto have I spoken of the natural meaning of the words of the Lord's Supper as briefly and plainly as possibly I could. Touching the place of Paul in 1 Corinthians 10, the cup of blessing which we bless, etc., with such other texts which are alleged to prove bodily presence, I shall not need to use many words, for we have handled that place already once or twice. It remaineth, therefore, that we examine and weigh what they deliver unto us, touching the eating of Christ's body, and also what the canonical scriptures do teach to be thought of that eating. What, say they, the Lord hath promised, the same most surely and fully he performeth? They add, But he promised that he would give us his true body and very blood, to be eaten and drunken in the form of bread and wine unto everlasting life. They gather, therefore, he hath given his very body and blood to the faithful, under the form of bread and wine, for meat and drink to everlasting life, whereupon it must be eaten corporally, as it is corporal. To the confirmation whereof they allege the Lord's words, as they are written in the sixth chapter of John's Gospel, we answer, God most perfectly and fully performeth that which he promiseth. But we add that he performeth not according to that meaning that we devise, but as his word truly importeth. We must therefore see first of all in what sense the Lord promised to give his flesh for bread and his blood for drink to the faithful, and next how he ought to eat his flesh and how to drink his blood. These things truly which the Lord promiseth here are well-nigh allegories and parables. The Lord promises that he will give us his flesh for bread or meat and his blood for drink. But because meat and drink are ordained and given unto men to preserve their bodily life, and the Lord in the sixth chapter of John speaketh not of the life of the body, but of the soul, there is a passage made from bodily things to spiritual things. When therefore the Lord promised that He would give us His flesh for bread or meat and His blood for drink, what other thing did He promise us than that He would give His body to the death and shed His blood for the remission of sins? or by the death of Christ we are, and as it were, by meat preserved and delivered from death. By Christ's blood we are washed from sin, and our soul, as it were, with drink spiritually drunken. Therefore the Lord speaketh nothing here of the bread of the Lord's supper, neither doth he promise that at the supper he will make of bread his flesh, or that he would give his body in the form of bread. Then let this mine exposition of Christ's word concerning the giving of Christ's body or flesh in the form of bread, etc., be false and feigned, unless I confirm the same by the words of Christ. The Lord said in the Gospel, Seek for the meat that perisheth not, but remaineth to life everlasting, which the Son of Man shall give unto you. A little after, by interpretation, he addeth, And the bread which I give unto you is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. I said that I would give you bread or meat, for this word bread is, after the Hebrew manna, used by the Lord for meat and all manner of sustenance. But, saith he, this bread or this meat is my flesh, and therefore I promise to give you my flesh when I promise to give you the bread of life. Here hast thou expressly to understand that the Lord by bread did not mean bodily bread, or the bread of the supper. But how doth he promise to give his flesh for bread, that is to say, to be meat for us, or to quicken us? The Lord repeateth this word, I will give, and saith, which I will give for the life of the world. I will give it, that is to say, even to the death, that through my death I may quicken you. By dying, therefore, my flesh shall feed, that is to say, shall quicken. thus much concerning the promise of His flesh for bread. Hereafter followeth the eating thereof. Like as the Holy Scripture setteth down in every place, without trope or allegory, that we are made partakers of Christ's death, or of His body which was given for the world unto life, through faith So also in this present place, by the trope or allegory, he biddeth us to eat and drink the flesh and blood of Christ unto everlasting life. Therefore to eat Christ's flesh and drink his blood is nothing else but to believe that Christ's body was given for us and his blood shed for us to the remission of sins, and consequently that we remain in Christ and have Christ remaining in us. the faith whereof we speak is not only an imagination or thought concerning things past and exceeding our capacity, but a most certain assurance and a feeling of heavenly things received within us to our great commodity. For therefore not only faith, But also the virtue and force of faith is by the Lord signified in John by the allegory both of eating and drinking. Meat passes not into the substance of our body without delight. So also by faith, through a great desire of the Spirit, we are joined with Christ, that he may live in us, and we may live in Christ, and be partakers of all his good gifts. This is the spiritual eating of Christ. who never thought, no, not so much as once dreamed in this place, of a gross and bodily eating which is indeed unprofitable. But forasmuch as the whole point of the controversy consists in these words of eating and drinking, the flesh and blood of the Lord, they interpreted in the same words, bodily, and we spiritually, it seemed good to be shown that by the words of eating and drinking the Lord meant no other than to believe. and consequently to abide in Christ, and to have Christ abiding in us. We will therefore, by conference of places of the scripture, bring forth six evident testimonies in confirmation of our assertion. I am, saith the Lord, that bread of life, whoso cometh to me shall not hunger, and whoso believeth in me shall not thirst for ever. But who will deny that there is relation between to eat and not to hunger, to drink and not to thirst? Because therefore the Lord said, he shall not hunger. He should first have said, whoso eateth me, but he rather used the word of coming and said, whoso cometh to me shall not hunger. To eat, therefore, is to come, and to come is to eat. And what is it to come to him? he expoundeth immediately, saying, Whosoever hath heard from my Father, and hath learned, he it is that cometh to me. That is to say, receiveth me, and believeth in me. For Paul also saith, Whosoever will come to God must believe. These testimonies, without contradiction, do prove that to eat is nothing else but to yet that followeth which is more manifest. And whoso believeth in me shall never thirst, and whoso drinketh shall not thirst. Therefore to drink he hath put for to believe. Therefore to drink is to believe, for faith satisfieth and pacifieth our minds. Here they have an answer that make this objection. Whether the Lord himself had not words whereby he might declare his mind, it still be by eating and drinking he had meant believing. They have, I say, an open testimony whereby he useth the one for the other. Again, in the same treatise the Lord saith, Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life, and I will raise him at the latter day. And again in the same treatise he saith, This is the will of him that sent me, that whosoever shall see the sun, and believe in him, may have everlasting life. and I will raise him at the latter day. Lo, here thou hast again these words, to eat Christ's flesh, to drink his blood, and to believe in Christ, all in one sense. Again the Lord saith, I am the lively bread which came down from heaven. And again he saith, verily I say unto you, he that believeth in me hath everlasting, hath life everlasting, Whoso shall eat of this bread shall live for ever. Then to eat Christ, and to believe in Christ, are all one. And again he saith, Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, abideth in me, and I in him. Moreover, John in his canonical epistle saith, Whosoever shall confess, that is to say, shall believe, that Jesus is the Son of God, God abideth in him, and he in God. Again, verily, verily, I say unto you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, you can have no life in you. And the same Lord saith also in the eighth chapter of John, If you do not believe that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. And again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whoso keepeth my sayings, he shall never see death. Again the Lord saith, Like as a father, hath sent me, and I live by means of the Father, so likewise whoso eateth me shall also live by means of me. And John in the fifth chapter says, Like as the Father hath light in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself. Likewise in his canonical epistle he saith, Whoso believeth in the Son of God hath a testimony in himself. and whoso hath the Son hath life. Unto these most evident testimonies of God we will now join the testimonies of men, which do say the very same, that to eat Christ is nothing else but to believe in Christ and to abide in Christ. Saint Augustine, in the 25th's treatise upon John, expounding these words of the Lord, saith, This is the work of God, that you should believe in him whom he sent, and as he left written. This is therefore to eat the meat that perisheth not, but which remaineth unto everlasting life. Why then dost thou prepare thy teeth and thy belly, believe, and thou hast eaten? The same again in his 26 treatise saith, To believe in him, this is to eat the bread of life. Whoso believeth in him eateth invisibly, and is filled, because he is born invisibly. And again in the same treatise he saith, This is to eat that meat and drink, that drink, to abide in Christ, and to have Christ abiding in him, and by this means also abiding not in Christ, and in whom Christ doth not abide, doubtless he neither eateth spiritually his flesh, etc. The same Augustine Lib Dei Doctrina Christiana cap 16, showing when a figurative speech is to be bittered and when not, saith, if it be not an enjoining speech, or forbidding some heinous offence or trespass, or commanding some profit or good deed to be done, it is not figurative. But if it seem to command some heinous offence or trespass, or to forbid some profit or good deed, then it is figurative. Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you can have no life in you. This seemeth to command a heinous offence and trespass. Therefore it is figurative. willing us to be partakers of the Lord's passion, and sweetly and profitably to keep in memory that His flesh was crucified and wounded for us.' Thus said Augustine, who doubtless set down not only his own meaning herein, but also the meaning of the whole Catholic Church which was at that time. Let our adversaries therefore take heed what they do, who will drive all the faithful to this wickedness and offence, to wit, that we should corporeally eat Christ's body. Hereunto is to be added that which by reason of the perpiscuity and plainness thereof doth almost surpass all that we have alleged before, which the Lord himself answered to those that wondered, or rather murmured, saying, How can he give us that his flesh to eat? After that he had declared the sum of the true faith. Does this offend you, saith he, that I said I would give you bread which came down from even my flesh, to be meat to all believers? I suppose that offence shall take no just place when you shall see me ascend into heaven, for whence I came down unto you, and where I was with my Father before all beginning. Then shall you perceive, by my divine ascension, that I am the heavenly bread, the natural Son of God, the life of the world. He shall perceive, moreover, that my flesh is not to be eaten bodily, and to be consumed and torn in morsels, but is carried up into heaven for a pledge of the salvation of mankind.' And shortly after this he said further, It is the spirit that quickeneth, the flesh availeth nothing. And yet more manifestly he speaketh, The words which I speak unto you are spirit and life. Certain it is that Christ's flesh availeth very much, and is more profitable to the world than any tongue, yea, the most eloquent can express. Yea, the Lord hath warned us beforehand that we shall have no life unless we eat his flesh. Then doth the Lord deny that his flesh availeth us anything at all, if so be it eaten, as the Capernites understood, that is to say bodily. For being bodily eaten, it availeth nothing, but being spiritually eaten, it quickeneth. And the Lord hath plainly professed that he spake of the spiritual eating in which consisteth life. These things being declared and confirmed after this manner, we gather such things into a short summary, wherein we think sufficient answer is made unto our adversary's objections. The proposition is true, which holdeth that the Lord doth certainly perform that which he hath promised. But the second proposition is false, which saith that the Lord by his words in the sixth chapter of John, by bread, meant the material bread of the sacrament, and that he promised that he would convert the same into his flesh. For by bread he meant not the material bread of the sacrament, but meat to live withal, according to the propriety of the Hebrew tongue. Yea, he is very flesh, which was delivered to the death, to be meat, I say, that it might live through Christ's death. Thus, therefore, should the argument have been framed, that which God prometheth, he performeth. But he prometheth that he will give us his flesh for bread, that is to say, to be meat and life for us. Therefore hath he given his flesh to be meat, that is to say, he hath given over himself to the death, that by his death we might live. Which being so, surely the meat whereof the Lord speaketh is no bodily meat, although the Lord himself hath a true human and natural body of like substance to ours, but spiritual. Not that the flesh is converted into the spirit, but for that it ought to be received spiritually, not bodily. But it is eaten spiritually by faith, not with the bodily mouth. For as chewing or eating maketh us partakers of the meat, so are we made partakers of the body and blood of Christ through faith. But they will say, How cometh it to pass that seeing bread where our mention is made in the sixth chapter of John, does not signify the bread of the supper, that almost all adopters, interpreters and ministers of the Church do apply these words to the Lord's supper. I answer that these words of the Lord may be applied to the matter of the Lord's supper for other causes, although the bread signify not the bread of the sacrament. Yea, I confess that these words of the Lord, of the eating his flesh and drinking his blood, do bring great light to the matter of the Lord's Supper. St. Augustine, lib de consensu evangelistarum tertio capite primo, saith, John said nothing in this place, that is John the thirteenth, of the body and blood of the Lord, but plainly witnesseth that the Lord have spoken more at large thereof in another place. This much says he, speaking undoubtedly of the sixth of John. Since therefore it is one and the selfsame body of our Lord, whereof he speaketh in both places, in the sixth of St John, and the twenty-sixth of Matthew, and the selfsame is said in both places to have been delivered to the dead for us, or for our life, And likewise, because there is but one means to be partaker of Christ, which is by faith in his body which was delivered and his blood shed. And finally, because it is the Catholic or universal and doubted doctrine that Christ's flesh, being bodily eaten, availeth nothing, surely the things before written in the sixth chapter of John are agreeable and do fully open the matter of the Lord's Supper. And to the intent that this yet may be the better understood, I will recite what testimonies have been always alleged in the Church, out of the Holy Scriptures, concerning the two kinds of eating of Christ. Christ's body is eaten, and his blood drunken spiritually. It is also eaten and drunken sacramentally. The spiritual manner is accomplished by faith. whereby in being united to Christ we be made partakers of all his goodness. The sacramental manner is only performed in celebrating the Lord's Supper. The spiritual eating is perpetual unto the godly, because faith is to them perpetual. They communicate with Christ, both without the supper and in the supper, and by it they do more increase and continue their new beginnings, as we have also showed them before. And now, by adjoining of the holy action, all things are done more manifestly and plainly. As for the unbelievers and hypocrites with their Captain Judas, they never communicate with Christ, neither before the supper, nor in the supper, nor after the supper, inasmuch as they continue in their unbelief, but they partake of the Lord's sacraments to their own judgment and condemnation. I know here what some do teach, and how they devise a certain third kind of eating Christ, which is neither spiritual nor yet sacramental, but altogether compounded of sacramental and corporeal. For they hold opinion also that the true and natural body of Christ is received bodily by the unbelievers in the forms of the sacrament, albeit shall easily appear by certain sound arguments of the Scripture that this is but a device of man. which arguments we will apply to the traitor Judas, that by this one example all the godly may learn what they eat and drink at the Lord's supper. For that the judgment which is made of the head being revealed unto us, it shall be easier for us to pronounce of the members. Some truly do make a doubt whether Judas were present at the supper when the Lord distributed the Holy Mysteries, among whom is St. Hilary. Howbeit, the evangelical history saith plainly that the Lord sat down to meet with the Twelve, yea, Yea, Luke so handled this narration, that we cannot doubt but that Judas did communicate of the mysteries with the rest of the apostles, which St. Augustine also avoucheth, Libro Dei Consensu Evangelesterum Tertio Capitulo Primo, and likewise in the sixty-two treaties upon John, and also the tenth psalm, and in his one hundred and sixty-three epistle. Yea, moreover, Aquinas, also answering in this point to St. Herod, approveth the saying with us, parte tertia questae 81 act 2. And therefore, it being manifest that Judas was at supper with the rest of the apostles, it seemeth needful that it were known what he received of the Lord. He received the sacrament of Christ's body, as the other disciples did, But because he had not faith, as the other had, he partaked not of Christ, neither did he eat and drink the Lord's body and blood. For as many as eat the Lord's body and drink his blood, do not hunger nor thirst, for they dwell in Christ, and Christ in them. They are Christ's members, and they never die. The contrary altogether appeareth in Judas, and all his Wherefore the unbelievers do neither eat the Lord's body nor drink His blood. Moreover, it is out of all doubt that there is no agreement between Christ and Belial. For this hath the Apostle pronounced out of the general consent of the Scriptures. But Judas is by Christ himself called Satan. Therefore Judas did not communicate with Christ. Now if we will contend absolutely that Judas did eat the Lord's body, truly she we shall be constrained wickedly to affirm that it is not only an unprofitable, but also unhurtful meat. Howbeit godliness teaches us that Christ is a wholesome meat always to all them that can eat him truly. St Augustine also denieth that Judas did eat the Lord's body, or drink his blood. In the 59th treatise upon St John, the apostle, saith he, did eat the bread which was the Lord, but Judas did not eat the Lord's bread against the Lord. They did eat life, but he punishment. Again in the 26th treatise, Whoso dwelleth not in Christ, nor Christ in him, doubtless he neither eateth his flesh spiritually, nor drinketh his blood. Although carnally and visibly he breaketh in his teeth the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, yet he rather eateth and drinketh the sacrament of so great a matter to his condemnation. and almost plainer, doth he write in the twenty-first book and the twenty-fifth chapter, De civitate dei. Against these they object the authority of Paul, saying, They that which eat unworthily are not guilty of the bread and cup which they have drunk, eaten, and drunken of, but of the Lord's body and blood, and also that they do eat and drink their own damnation. for that they make no difference of the Lord's body, whereby it followeth necessarily that they have eaten and drunken the Lord's body unworthily, and not only the sacraments of the body and blood of Christ. We answer that Paul saith thus in plain words, Whosoever eateth of this bread, and drinketh of the Lord's cup, etc., mark this, he saith, whoso eateth this bread, and drinketh of this cup unworthily, he saith not, Whoso eateth the flesh, and drinketh of the blood unworthily? For they which eat the Lord are not without faith, and Christ dwelleth in them, and they in him. If thou yet marvel how the unbelievers can be guilty of the Lord's body and blood, being eaten but sacramentally, learn this out of other places of the Scripture. The Lord saith in John, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I shall send, receiveth me. And whoso receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. Wherefore, whosoever receiveth not an apostle trespasses not against the apostle, but against God himself. Although in the meanwhile he hath not seen God, nor will not seem to have repelled him, we read how the judge will say to them that are on his left hand, Depart from me, you wicked, into everlasting fire, for I was hungry, and you gave me no meat. I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink. But hearken now how the reprobate will make exceptions against this sentence of the judge. Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty, and minister not unto thee? Then hear again what the judge will answer. Verily I say unto you, in that ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. Wherefore, like as he that sinneth against the minister, or a beggar, sinneth against Christ himself, although in the meanwhile he hath not hurt Christ's person in any point, so is he also guilty of the body and blood of Christ, whosoever receiveth the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ unworthily, although in the mean season he hath not received the very body and blood of the Lord. Paul saith in another place, that revolters do crucify again unto themselves the Son of God. He also denieth in another place, by all manner of means, that it is possible for Christ to be crucified, or to die any more. Therefore Christ cannot be crucified again by the apostates or revolters, howbeit their shameful falling away from him is so esteemed of, as if they had crucified the Son of God. Although therefore the wicked do not eat the Lord's very body, nor drink his blood, nevertheless they are guilty of betraying the Lord's body and blood as far as in them lieth. If a rebel tread under his foot the seal or letters of a prince or magistrate, although he touch not the magistrate himself, nor tread him under his foot, yet is he said to have trodden the magistrate under his foot. and is accused not for hurting the seal or defiling the letters, but he is charged of treason and accused for treading the prince under his feet. What marvel, then, if we hear it said that they which do eat the Lord's bread unworthily are guilty of the body and blood of Christ, for the bread and the mystical cup are a sacrament and a seal of it? Hitherto have we disputed of the eating of the body of Christ and of drinking of his blood, handling every one point thereof with as much brevity as we could. Now we go to knit up the other ends of the Lord's supper, being placed in the description of the supper. We said that the supper was instituted by the Lord, that it might represent visibly the gifts of God unto the Church, and lay it forth before the eyes of all men. But we have learned by the whole discourse of this matter that Christ himself is most full and rich treasure of all the gifts of God, as namely from whom, being delivered for us unto death, we have all things belonging to life, remission of sins, and life everlasting. Since these things be invisible, and gotten by faith, they be also visibly, that is to say, by sacraments, represented almost unto all the senses, to the sight, to the hearing, to tasting, and to feeling, to the intent that man, being wholly therewith moved both in body and soul, may celebrate this most comfortable mystery with great rejoicing in heart. Hereunto now appertaineth that analogy whereof I have spoken before in the seventh sermon of this decade, whereby I would have these things to be better learned. Furthermore, we have said that the supper was instituted of the Lord, that he might visibly gather together into one body all his members, which are in a manner dispersed throughout all parts of the world. Whereupon we have said that the holy men somewhere else did call the supper a league or confederacy, We are knit invisibly with Christ, and all his members, by unity of faith, and participation of one spirit. But in the supper we are joined together even by a visible conjunction. For now, not by words, but by these also, but by mystery, but by sacrament, we are very nearly knit and joined together opening and declaring to all men, by celebrating the supper, that we are also of the number of them that believe that they are redeemed by Christ, and that they are Christ's members and people. But we bind ourselves together unto Christ and the Church, both that we will keep the sincere faith, and promising that we will use good deeds and charity towards all men. Look for more touching this matter in the seventh sermon of this decade. Hereupon truly did St. Paul prove that it was not lawful for them which received together at the Lord's table to eat of meat offered to idols, and to take part of profane sacrifices, which thing if at this day many would rightly weigh and consider, they would not seem to be seen so busy in strange and foreign sacrifices. We said also that the Lord instituted the supper, that thereby he might keep his death in memory, so that it should never be blotted out with oblivion. For Christ's death is the summary of all Christ God's benefits. He would have us, therefore, to keep in memory the benefit of his incarnation, passion, redemption, and of his love. And although the remembrance of a thing that is past be celebrated wit of his death, Yet the same belongeth greatly unto us, and quickeneth us. Neither must we think that this is the least end, for there is none so diligently expressed as this is. For the Lord repeated this saying, Do this in remembrance of me. But that holy rite or holy action, being joined with the word or with the preaching of Christ's and the redemption of mankind, how marvelously doth it renew from time to time that benefit, and suffer it not to be forgotten. Last of all, we said, that the supper was ordained of the Lord, that thereby we might be admonished of our duty, praise, and thanksgiving. It is our duty to be sincere in the faith of Christ, and to embrace all our brethren with Christian charity for the Lord's and to beware that we defile not our bodies with the filth of the world, since we be cleansed with the blood of Christ. Paul the Apostle saith, So often as ye shall eat this bread, and drink of the Lord's cup, declare the Lord's death until he come. But to declare the Lord's death is to praise the goodness of God, and to give thanks for our redemption obtained through his death. For the Apostle Peter saith, Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people set at liberty, that ye should show forth virtues of him that have called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. But hereof we have spoken also in another place. Thus much I thought good in few words to repeat touching the ends of the supper. which every godly man, being instructed by the Holy Ghost, diligently consider. I would now let you go, dearly beloved brethren, but I see it will be a common commodity to teach in few words how everyone should prepare himself for the Lord's Supper, that he come not to it unworthily. But it were not lost labour, first of all, to search out who do worthily or unworthily eat and drink of the Lord's bread and cup. There is no man that can deny that there are degrees in our worthiness and unworthiness. If we rightly examine the judgments of God, and looking narrowly into the nature of our religion, is able to give judgment thereof. The chiefest degree of unworthiness is to come to the holy mysteries of faith without faith. He cometh worthily, that cometh with faith. Unworthily, he that cometh without faith. Such are said to be works worthy of repentance in the Gospel, as are penitent works, or seemingly for such as profess repentance. But what is more beseeming, more meet and just, than that he who is to celebrate the Lord's Supper do believe that he is redeemed by Christ's death, who was offered up as a price for the whole world, and that for that cause is desirous to give thanks to Christ the Redeemer? Contrarywise, what is more unseemly and unjust than to receive that pledge of Christ's body, and in the meanwhile to have no communion or fellowship with Christ, to come to thanksgiving, and yet not to give thanks from the bottom of his heart? For what uniteth us to Christ, or what maketh us partakers of all his benefits, and therewith also to be thankful but faith? What does separate us from Christ? and spoileth us of all his gifts, and maketh us most loathsome, but unbelieve. Therefore faith, or unbelief, maketh us partakers of the table, worthily or unworthily. Paul the Apostle in the Acts said to the Jews, whoso unbelief did reject or said it not the preaching of the gospel, The word of God ought first to be preached unto you, But because you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn unto the Gentiles. How did the Jews pronounce themselves that they were unworthy of everlasting life? And like judges gave sentence against themselves in setting themselves against God's word through unbelief, neither apprehending Christ by faith, who is the life and righteousness of the world. Wherefore, the chief and greatest portion of our worthiness and unworthiness is and consisteth in faith or unbelief. St Paul witnesseth that our hearts are purified by faith. True faith, therefore, is the cleanness of Christians. Whereupon St Augustine said, The unbeliever eateth not the flesh of Christ spiritually, but rather eateth and drinketh the sacrament of so great a thing to his own condemnation, because, being unclean, he hath presumed to come to Christ's sacraments, which no man receiveth wordly, but he that is clean of whom it is said, Blessed be the clean in heart, for they shall see God. Moreover, they eat and drink of the Lord's supper unworthily, who, although they be not destitute of faith, yet by their abusing of it do pervert the right institution of the Lord. Such seemeth to have been the error of the church of Corinth, which mingled the private and profane with the ecclesiastical and mystical banquet, and did put no difference between the Lord's bread, which is called Christ's body, and common meat. For Paul said, Whoso eateth and drinketh unworthily, he eateth and drinketh to his own damnation, making no difference of the Lord's body. Therefore, to make no difference of the Lord's body is unworthily to eat the Lord's bread and drink of His cup. For this word, diakrinine, to judge or to make a difference, is to weigh and consider of a matter exactly with judgment to the uttermost of a man's power to judge of it and make a difference between that and all other things. Furthermore, the Lord's body is not only that spiritual body of the Lord and with the Church and the faithful, but that very body which the Lord took of the Virgin and offered up for our redemption, and that now sitteth at the right hand of the Father. To be short, the bread of the sacrament is the supper, and the supper is the Lord's body. It is, I say, the sacrament of the true body which was given for us. Whoever, therefore, putteth no difference between this, the Lord's mystical bread, and profane meat, but cometh to Christ's table as he would to a table of common and gross meat, and acknowledgeth not that this heavenly meat differeth far from other human meat, neither cometh after that sort as the Lord hath instituted, but followeth his own reason, surely he maketh no difference of the Lord's body, but eateth and drinketh his own damnation. Paul again expoundeth himself, saying, Therefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another, that ye eat not to condemnation. Whoso therefore preventeth the public supper by eating his own private supper, that is to say, whoso suppeth not as the Lord hath appointed, the same eateth and drinketh unworthily. For before And worthy eaters and drinkers are said to eat and drink to their own damnation, and here they are said to meet together to their condemnation, that make haste to the supper, not tarrying for their brethren, and they make no difference of the Lord's body. St Augustine, in his 62nd treatise, upon John said, The apostle speaketh of those which receive the Lord's body without difference and carelessly, as if it had been any other kind of meat whatsoever. He therefore, if he be reproved which maketh no difference of the Lord's body, that is to say, doth not discern the Lord's body from other meats, how then should not Judas be damned, who came to the Lord's table feigning that he was a friend, but he was an enemy. How much more grievously do they seem to sin at this day, who, perverting the lawful and first use that was instituted by the Lord, do establish their own abuse with great contention, yea, and grievously persecute them that cry out against it, and will not receive it. Furthermore, since by experience we find every day that there are many things wanting unto our faith, by means whereof divers vices spring up among us, whereof our unworthiness is the lightest or least of all, which the Lord of His grace may easily wash away, and almost wipe of the way by sending His cross upon us, not imputing such infirmities to our recondemnation. For the apostle in another place saith, There is no condemnation for them which are grafted into Christ Jesus, and walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Neither with equal punishment doth our most just Lord punish those sundry sorts of unworthiness. Let us therefore see that the blessed apostle teacheth us concerning the punishment of those that eat unworthily. Therefore he saith, Whoso eateth this bread, or drinketh of the Lord's cup unworthily, the same shall be guilty of the Lord's body and blood. By which words verily he meaneth, that chief and most foul unworthiness of all other, to wit unbelieve. For he is guilty of the Lord's body and blood, to whom the fault of the Lord's death is imputed, that is to say, to whom Christ's death become as death, and not life. as it is it also happeneth unto them, who through unbelief and wickedness did crucify Christ. For unto them Christ's blood seemed profane, as it had been the blood of some beast, murderer, or wicked person, as being worldly shed for his offences. And I pray you, what else did he think than that Christ's blood is profane? Who believeth not that the same was shed for the sins of the world? And yet he dareth not take of the Lord's supper, that he may worthily be said to be guilty of the Lord's body and blood. It is a very great offence to eat the Lord's bread, and to drink his cup unworthily, through unbelief. Which thing by the example of Judas is laid before our eyes? He believed not in the Lord Jesus. Yea, he invented how to deliver him into the hands of thieves and murderers. Yea, nevertheless he sat down to meet, and took part of the Lord's supper. Therefore in the end the devil worthily challenged him wholly unto him. For St. John witnesses that about the end of the supper the devil entered into Judas, not that he was not in him before that he came to the supper, for he had begun before to dwell in him, and to stir him forward. But for that, after so many admonitions of our Lord Christ, and after that he had profaned the mysteries of Christ, and as it were trodden them underfoot, he wholly entered into him, and fully possessed him. The same apostle Paul threateneth damnation to them that make no difference of the Lord's body, who are placed, as it were, in another degree of unworthiness, saying, For whosoever eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh his own damnation. The reason hereof he setteth down in this sentence to wit, Why we ought not rashly and carefully to come to the Lord's table, for that we approach then to our condemnation. But condemnation or judgment is the pain or punishment which the Lord layeth upon his faithful people when they sin, not in another world truly, as he doth upon the unbelievers, but in this world. For it followeth in the words of the apostle, which ministered unto us the same sense. For this cause many are weak and feeble among you, and many sleep. For if we had judged ourselves, we should not have been judged. For when we are judged, we are corrected by the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. The apostle plainly distinguishes between the unworthy eaters that are subject to God's correction, and worldly men, that is to say unbelievers, whose punishment the Lord deferreth to that other world. But upon his faithful people, who yet offend through negligence, and come to the supper not sufficiently instructed He layeth divers and sundry afflictions, as pestilence, famine, sickness, and such like, to shake off their drowsiness. For it followeth, if we had judged ourselves, that is, if we ourselves had restrained our vices, and separated ourselves from evil, we had not been judged, that is to say, punished and corrected. For immediately he addeth, but when we are judged, we are chastised of the Lord. To be judged, therefore, is to be chastised. But hereby we learn, from whence there do flow so many mischiefs into the church to wit by the unworthy use of the Lord's Supper. But some man will answer here, If the matter be so, it were better holy to abstain from the Lord's Supper. But if any abstain holy, he also thereby sinneth against the Lord, and that grievously. For he setteth at nought the Lord's commandment, who saith, Do this. Yea, he setteth at nought both the Lord's death and all the gifts of God. Wherefore he hath not escaped danger, who hath omitted to celebrate the supper, which thing also we have said before, Thou must go another way to work, if thou desire to avoid both danger and Hear the counsel of Paul, very compendiously saying, Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. And we must mark, that in this examination he sendeth no man to another, but every man to himself. The papists bid thee go to an auricular confessor, there to confess thyself, to receive absolution, and to make satisfaction for thy sins, according to the form that is commanded thee. And so they bid thee, as sufficiently cleansed, to go to the Lord's But Paul, the doctor of the Gentiles, and the vessel of election, speaketh not a word of those things, but saith simply, Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For like as God is the searcher of the hearts, and requireth the affection of the mind, and hateth hypocrisy, so none knoweth what is in the heart of man, or what affections we bear to God would, but we ourselves do. Therefore he willeth us ourselves to examine everything in ourselves. That is to say, he willeth every man to descend into himself, and to examine himself. This examination cannot be made without faith, and the light of God's word. But the faithful man Having the light of God's word shining before him, and faith extending her force and power, inquireth of himself whether he doth acknowledge all his sins which he hath manifoldly committed against God, and whether he be sorry for them being committed. And whether, with sincere faith or heart, he believe that Christ hath washed away and forgiven all his sins, and whether he confess freely with his mouth, as he believeth in his heart, that life and salvation consisteth in Jesus Christ only, and in none other, and whether he have determined with himself to die in this confession, and whether he be mean diligently and earnestly to apply himself to innocency and holiness of life, and whether he be ready to love and help all the members of Christ's body, of whom he also is a member, and be ready to spend his life for them, according to the example of Christ, and whether we have remitted or pardoned all anger and enmity, and whether he be desirous to call to mind Christ's passion and the whole mystery of our redemption, and to give thanks to God for our redemption, for all other gifts have God already received and be received. This is the right examining, which agreeeth with the receiving of the mystical supper. And when we have done so, we may, in humbleness and fear of the Lord, and with gladness, approach to the supper of our Lord Christ. But here the faithful do tremble, who are, as it were, privy to their own imperfection and infirmity, for they do not find these things to be so perfect in their minds, as otherwise they know a just perfection requireth. Satan cometh, and he casteth in many and great stays, to the intent he may draw us back from the celebration of the supper. Therefore we say, if any man suppose that none is to be admitted to the supper, but he that is purged from all sin and infirmity, surely he shall drive away and exclude all men, how manysoever live in this world. Nay, he shall altogether deprive them of the Lord's supper, as not to be any longer for sinful man, but for angels. We must remember that this examination resteth within his own bounds. and that God here also, as everywhere else, doth use his clemency and mercy toward us. He knoweth our weakness and corruption, and with us can bear our infirmities. The Israelites under King Ezechias, being not fully cleansed, took part of the Paschal Lamb. But the king prayed and said, The Lord, who is good, will have mercy upon all men, that they with all their hearts seek after the God of the fathers, and will not impute unto them that they are not sanctified. And hereunto is added in the Holy History, in 2 Chronicles 30, and the Lord heard Ezekias, and he was pleased with the people. The worthiness which is inquired for by exact examination is no absolute perfection. But a will and mind instructed by God which humbly acknowledgeth its own unworthiness, and therefore humbly prayeth for increase of faith and charity, and all perfection in Christ only. At that first supper the apostles were Christ's guests, and among them was Judas. But because he lacked faith, and was a traitor, a murderer, he was guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. The other apostles were also sinners themselves, but not wicked. They believed in Christ, they loved Christ, and one of them loved another like brethren. Therefore they did not eat of the Lord's supper unworthily as Judas did, although in the meantime at the same table they showed tokens of great imperfection. For Peter, not without great contempt and reproach of his brethren, prefers himself before them all. Moreover they contend among themselves for honour, which of them should seem to be greater than another. I will not now recite, that straightway, after they arose from the table, they shamefully forsook their master and ran away, and in many ways behaved themselves unworthily. But all these things were easily washed away, for that faith had taken very deep root within Neither will I here stick to recite word for word the comfort of Master John Calvin, a godly and learned man, who with great commendation teacheth in the church at this day my fellow-minister and most well-beloved and dear brother, which he hath set down for the afflicted in this case. Let us call to remembrance, saith he, that this holy banquet is a medicine for the sick, a comfort for the sinful, a largesse to the poor, which to the whole, righteous and rich, if there could any such be found, would bring small vantage. For seeing that in this banquet Christ is given unto us to be eaten, we understand that without Him we faint, fail, and are forsaken. Moreover, seeing He is given to us to be our life, we understand that without Him we are but dead. Therefore this is the greatest and only worthiness that we can give unto God, if we lay before Him our own vileness and unworthiness, that through His mercy He may make us worthy of Himself, if we despair in ourselves that we may be comforted in Him, if we humble ourselves that we may be lifted up by Him, if we accuse ourselves that we may be justified by Him. Moreover, if we attain unto that unity, which he commendeth unto us in the supper, and like as he maketh us to dwell in him, so that we may wish likewise that there were one soul, one heart, and one tongue in us all. If we well weigh and meditate these things, then shall these thoughts never trouble us. We that are naked and destitute of all goodness, we that are stained with spots of sin, we that are half-dead, how should we worthily eat of the Lord's sub-body? Let us rather think that we being poor do come to a plentiful giver, we that are sick come to a physician, We that are sinful come to a Saviour, that the worthiness which is commanded by God consisteth in faith chiefly, which reposes all in God, and nothing in ourselves, secondly in charity, and such charity as it is sufficient if we offer it unto God unperfect, that he may increase it to the better, seeing we cannot perform it absolute as it ought to be. Thus far he. Thus much have I said hitherto of the most holy supper of our Lord Jesus Christ, the most excellent and wholesome sacrament of Christians, for which even from the very beginning, and while the apostles were yet living, Satan, the most deadly enemy of us to our salvation, lying in wait, hath gone about to overthrow by many corruptions and defilings, from which being now for a time faithfully cleansed, yet doth he not so leave it, but intermingles and throws unheap of contentions into it, being made unto the church the token of a covenant never to be broken. Whereupon the thing itself, and our salvation requireth, that we be circumspect, and give no place to the tempter, but agreeing altogether in Christ, and being joined into one body by faithful celebrating of the supper, we may love one another, and give everlasting thanks to our Redeemer and Lord Christ, to whom be praise and glory now and for ever. Amen. Amen. This sermon ends on page 478. 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