Now it followeth to have with this knowledge a sure and constant faith, not only that the death of Christ is available for the redemption of all the world, for the remission of sins, and reconciliation with God the father: but also that he hath made upon his cross a full and sufficient sacrifice for thee, a perfect cleansing of thy sins, so that thou acknowledgest no other Saviour, redeemer, mediator, advocate, intercessor, but Christ only, and that thou mayst say with the Apostle, that he loved thee, and gave him self for thee. For this is to stick fast to Christs promise made in his institution, to make Christ thine own, and to applicate his merits unto thy self. Herein thou needest no other mans help, no other sacrifice or oblation, no sacrificing Priest, no mass, no means established by mans invention. That faith is a necessary instrument in all these holy ceremonies, we may thus assure our selves, for that as Saint Paul saith, without faith it is unpossible to please god. When a great 1number of the Israelites were overthrown in the wilderness, Moses, Aaron, and Phinehas did eat Manna, and pleased God, for that they understood (saith Saint Augustine) the visible 2meat spiritually. Spiritually they hungered it, ⟨p. 405⟩spiritually they tasted it, that they might be spiritually satisfied. And truly as the bodily meat can not feed the outward man, unless it be let into a stomach to be digested, which is healthsome and sound: No more can thy inward man be fed, except his meat be received into his•oule, and hart sound & whole in faith. Therefore (saith 3Cyprian) when we do these things, we need not to whet our teethe: but with sincere faith we break and divide that holy bread. It is well known, that the meat we seek for in this supper, is spiritual food, the nourishment of our soul a heavenly refection, and not earthly, an invisible meat, and not bodily, a ghostly substance, and not carnal, so that to think that without faith we may enjoy the eating and drinking thereof, or that that is the fruition of it, is •ut to dream a gross carnal feeding, basely objecting and binding our selves to the elements and creatures: Whereas by the advice of the counsel of Nicene, we ought to lift up our minds by 4faith, & leaving these inferior and earthly things, there seek it, where the s•nne of righteousness ever shineth.
Now it foloweth to haue with this knowledge a sure and constant faith, not only that the death of Christe is auayleable for the redemption of all the world, for the remission of sinnes, and reconciliation with God the father: but also that he hath made vppon his crosse a full and sufficient sacrifice for thee, a perfect clensyng of thy sinnes, so that thou acknowledgest no other Sauiour, redeemer, mediatour, aduocate, intercessour, but Christe only, and that thou mayst say with the Apostle, that he loued thee, and gaue him selfe for thee. For this is to sticke fast to Christes promise made in his institution, to make Christe thyne owne, and to applicate his merites vnto thy selfe. Herein thou nedest no other mans helpe, no other sacrifice or oblation, no sacrifisyng Priest, no masse, no meanes established by mans inuention. That faith is a necessarie instrument in al these holy ceremonies, we may thus assure our selues, for that as Saint Paul sayth, without fayth it is vnpossible to please god. When a great 1number of the Israelites were ouerthrowen in the wildernesse, Moyses, Aaron, and Phinees dyd eate Manna, and pleased God, for that they vnderstoode (sayth Saint Augustine) the visible 2meate spiritually. Spiritually they hungred it, ⟨p. 405⟩spiritually they tasted it, that they myght be spiritually satisfied. And truely as the bodily meate can not feede the outward man, vnlesse it be let into a stomake to be digested, whiche is healthsome and sound: No more can thy inwarde man be fed, except his meate bereceaued into his•oule, and hart sound & whole in fayth. Therfore (saith 3Ciprian) when we do these thinges, we nede not to whet our teethe: but with sincere fayth we breake and diuide that holy bread. It is wel knowen, that the meate wee seeke for in this supper, is spiritual foode, the norishmēt of our soule a heauenly refection, and not earthly, an inuisible meate, and not bodylye, a ghostly substaunce, and not carnall, so that to thinke that without fayth we maye enioye the eatyng and drynkyng therof, or that that is the fruition of it, is •ut to dreame a grosse carnall feeding, basely obiecting and byndyng our selues to the elementes and creatures: Whereas by the aduice of the counsel of Nicene, we ought to lyft vp our mindes by 4faith, & leauing these inferiour and earthly thinges, there seke it, where the snne of ryghteousnesse euer shineth.
- 1Hebr. xi.
- 2In Johan. Hom. vi.In Iohan. Hom. vi.
- 3De coena Domini.
- 4Conciliu Nicene.Conciliu Nicen.
