adoration, ostentation, impanation, inclusion, reservation, and such other monstrous Rev. xviii. monsters of the most monstrous whore of Babylon, that "great bawd," and "mother of all the whoredom and abominations of the earth," that "inhabitation of devils, that hold of all foul spirits, and cage of all unclean and hateful birds;" and with most fervent prayers humbly beseech that best and greatest God, that all which profess the name of Christ (all dissension, enmity, controversy, and parts-taking utterly set aside and appeased) may godlily and holily conspire and consent together into one true persuasion, faith, doctrine, truth, and religion, being of one mind and of one judgment (according to this saying of the apostle: "I beseech you, brethren, by 1 Cor. 1. the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak one thing, and that there be no dissension among you; but that ye be a whole body, of one mind, and of one meaning"), that we, godly and devoutly using the holy mysteries of the Lord's supper, being the true figures and signs of the most true body and blood of our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesu (at the partaking whereof we do not only receive Christ the Theodoret. Lord', unto the exceeding great consolation and comfort both of our soul and body, cap. xiv. yea, and that truly, not feignedly, perfectly, not colourably, in the holy and heavenly banquet; as Paul saith: "The cup of thanksgiving, for the which we give thanks, is 1 Cor. x. it not the partaking of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the partaking of the body of Christ?" but also after a certain manner touch, handle, and behold him), may in time to come no more as in a glass," or in a dark speaking, 1 Cor. xiii. but presently, "face to face," see and behold him, with the Father, and with the Holy Ghost, singing to that most glorious Trinity most godly and everlasting praises, which alone is the only true, living, immortal, invisible, eternal, and wise God, King of kings and Lord of lords, to whom be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen. Give the glory to God alone. in 1 Cor. EPITAPHIUM MISSEÆ. Præteriens hospes vacuum mirere sepulchrum, 2 Thess. ii. Revelabitur iniquus ille, quem Dominus conficiet spiritu oris sui, [ It does not seem clear what quotation from Theodoret, or reference to him, Becon intended here to make. Perhaps it may be the following: Tov ἱερῶν ἀπολαύοντες μυστηρίων οὐκ αὐτῷ κοινωνοῦ μεν τῷ Δεσπότῃ, οὗ καὶ τὸ σῶμα εἶναι καὶ τὸ αἷμα FINIS. The holy scripture. I. TIMOTHY VI. "IF any man follow other doctrine, and incline not unto the wholesome words of our Lord Jesu Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; he is puffed up, and knoweth nothing, but wasteth his brains about questions and strife of words, whereof spring envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, vain disputation of men that have corrupt minds, and that are robbed of the truth, which think that lucre is godliness. From them that are such separate thyself." The doctors. The church. Councils. AMBROS. TRACT. IV. DE VIRGINIBUS. "We utterly condemn all new things, that Christ hath not taught; for Christ is the way to the faithful. If Christ therefore hath not taught that which we teach, even we ourselves judge it abominable and detestable'.” IRENEUS, LIB. III. CAP. IV. "If there be a doubt concerning any question, must we not have recourse unto the most ancient churches, wherein the apostles lived, and of them to take concerning the present question that which is certain, plain, and evident? But what if the apostles had not left the scriptures unto us, ought we not to follow the order of the tradition which they delivered them to whom they committed the congregations or churches?" HIERONYMUS, IN GALAT. CAP. v. "That is the doctrine of the Holy Ghost which is set forth in the canonical scriptures; against the which doctrine if the councils enact any thing, I judge it wicked and unlawful"." Men's traditions. CYPRIANUS, EPIST. VIII. LIB. I. "It is adulterous, it is ungodly, it is plain sacrilege, whatsoever is ordained and appointed at man's madness to this end, that God's ordinance may be broken." Custom. TERTULLIANUS, LIB. DE VIRG. VELANDIS. "Whatsoever savoureth against the truth, that is plain heresy, yea, though it be old custom"." ['Ambros. Op. Par. 1686-90. De Virgin. Lib. cap. vi. 28. Tom. II. col. 220. See Vol. II. page 261, note 3.] [ Quid enim? Et si de aliqua modica quæstione disceptatio esset, nonne oporteret in antiquissimas recurrere ecclesias, in quibus apostoli conversati sunt, et ab eis de præsenti quæstione sumere quod certum et re liquidum est? Quid autem si neque apostoli quidem scripturas reliquissent nobis, nonne oportebat ordinem sequi traditionis, quam tradiderunt iis quibus committebant ecclesias?-Iren. Cont. Hær. Par. 1710. Lib. III. cap. iv. p. 178.] [3 Hieron. in Epist. ad Gal. in Catal. Test. Verit. Genev. 1608. col. 201. See Vol. II. page 261, note 4.] [ Cypr. Op. Oxon. 1682. Epist. xliii. p. 83. See Vol. II. page 261, note 7.] [5 See before, page 391, note 12.] A REGISTER OF THE ARTICLES CONTAINED IN THIS BOOK. THE FIRST ARTICLE. THAT public prayers, used in the temples of the Christians, ought to be uttered, not in a strange tongue, but in that speech which the common people understand. THE SECOND ARTICLE. That the sacramental bread ought to be delivered to the communicants in their hands; not only to the clergy, but also to the laity, as they call them. THE THIRD ARTICLE. That the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ ought to be ministered equally to all Christians under both kinds. THE FOURTH ARTICLE. That the Lord's supper is a public and common banquet, and not a private and secret repast. THE FIFTH ARTICLE. That Christ by his death hath not only delivered us from original sin, but also from all other sins. THE SIXTH ARTICLE. That the one only sacrifice of Christ, done once for all on the altar of the cross, is of so great and of so unmeasurable virtue and power that it is sufficient abundantly, and even unto the uttermost, so long as this world endureth, to take clean away all the sins of the whole world, yea, and that without repetition or renewing thereof. THE SEVENTH ARTICLE. That the substance of bread and wine in the sacrament is not changed into the true and natural substance of the body and blood of Christ, but remain and continue still in their own nature, property, and kind, yea, and that after the words of consecration, as they call it. THE EIGHTH ARTICLE. That Christ is truly present in the supper, that is to say, in spirit, grace, virtue, and power; not in body and human nature, as the papists dream. THE NINTH ARTICLE. That the body and blood of Christ in the holy mysteries of the Lord's supper is not received of the faithful with the mouth of the body, but only with the mind and heart through faith. THE TENTH ARTICLE. That the words of the Lord's supper, that is to say, "This is my body," "this is my blood," are not properly, but figuratively to be understanded. THE ELEVENTH ARTICLE. That the true and natural body of Christ, being in heaven, is not in all places, neither at one and the same time doth occupy many and sundry places, but remaineth only in heaven till the day of judgment. THE TWELFTH ARTICLE. That the sacramental bread was not reserved in boxes and pixes among the ancient Christians, as it is now-a-days in the temples of the papists. THE THIRTEENTH ARTICLE. That the popish mass is no propitiatory, expiatory, and satisfactory sacrifice for the sins either of the quick or of the dead. THE FOURTEENTH ARTICLE. That the state of the dead is not such that, whether they have lived godly or ungodly, they can be delivered either from their sins or from their pains by the popish masses or by the good works of other. THE FIFTEENTH ARTICLE. That the wicked, ungodly, and faithless people do not eat the body of Christ nor drink his blood. THE SIXTEENTH ARTICLE. That the sacraments of the new law, that is to say, baptism and the Lord's supper, do not confer and give grace, righteousness, remission of sins, the Holy Ghost, &c., but only shew and set forth to us those things which God of his goodness give to the faithful, and seal, confirm, and testify God's good-will toward us. THE SEVENTEENTH ARTICLE. That we ought oftentimes, with great reverence, and high integrity, and pureness of mind, to come unto the Lord's table. THE EIGHTEENTH ARTICLE. That wicked and notorious offenders ought to be repelled and put away from the table of the Lord. THE NINETEENTH ARTICLE. That none ought to be present at the ministration of the Lord's supper but the communicants only. |
