THE TABLE OF THE LORD: WHEREOF 

1. THE WHOLE SERVICE, IS THE LIVING BREAD.  
2. THE GVESTS, ANY MAN.  
3. THE MOUTH TO Eat, FAITH ONLY.    
By GILBERT PRIMROSE, Doctor of Divinity, one of his Majesty's Chaplains in Ordinary, and Pastor of the French Church at London.  
LONDON, Printed by I. D. for Nicholas Bourne, and are to be sold at his shop at the Royal Exchange. 1626.   

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, S it JAMES FOWLERTON, First Gentleman of his MAJESTY'S Bedchamber, etc.  
RIGHT HONOURABLE,  
SOoner shall the heaven be without stars, the stars without light, the fire without heat, the air without moisture, the Sea without agitation, a fair meadow without grass, than the Church without the poisonous tares, and noisome weeds of hellish heresies, which springing up with the wholesome and soule-feeding wheat the Lord jesus hath sowed in the heavenly field of his Church, hast to smother it, ere it grow to any beautiful and fruitful perfection. For 
a 1 Cor. 11.19.  there must be heresies, that they which are approved may be made manifest. Therefore, as God foretelling that 
b Zach. 1.18.19.20.21.  four horns should arise to scatter judah, Israel, and jerusalem, foretold also that he had appointed four Carpenters to fray them, even so foreseeing that by the ever-watching craft of the everwaking devil, the venomous seed of deadly errors should grow with the good corn of the Gospel to choke it, he ordained diligent and faithful 
1 Cor. 3.9.  Labourers to weed and pluck them out by the root.  
These Labourers are the Pastors of the Church, who should be, not only 
d 1 Tim. 3 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  apt to teach good and sound doctrine, but also 
e Tit. 1.9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  apt to convince the gainsayers. And certainly, if it be the duty of all Christians, not only 
f Athenag. in legate. pro Christianis. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  to speak of the truth, but also to dispute for the truth: How much more should the man of God, the Doctor of the Church be 
g Aug. de Doc. Chri. lib. 4. c. 4. Veritatis propugnator & erroris expugnator.  defender of the truth, and overcommer of error: Never was there in the Church greater need of both, then now that the Whore of Babylon gives to the Kings and great men of the earth, great bowls of her phyltres to drink, fare more dangerous than the waters of Aethiopia; 

i Ovid. 15. Metamorphos.  Quos si quis faucibus hausit,  
Aut furit, aut patitur mirum gravitate soporem.   
For as soon as they have set that golden cup to their heads, they are possessed with a dizziness, and, as if they had drunk a worse Nepenthé then that which 
k Homer. Odies. lib. 4.  Helena gave to Telemachus, they forget their own name of Christians, and never speak of jesus Christ, but to seek under a Herodian colour of worshipping him, to kill him again in his members.  
Of what pestilent herbs that love-drinke is made, who knows not? How all those that call themselves Catholics are bewitched with it, who sees not? Where these mishapen and ugly plants, whose bane-giving liquor banishes the wisest men from their best wits, do grow, who hath read in the seventeenth chapter of the Revelation of S. john what is written of the woman arrayed in purple & scarlet, of the golden cup in her hand full of abominations, and filthiness of her fornications, of the name written on her forehead in capital Letters, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS, AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH, of the blood of the Saints wherewith she is drunken, of the beast with seven heads she sits upon, of many waters she rules over, and will not affirm boldly, that S. Hierome strayed not from the Truth, when he said it is 
l Hierony. ad Marcel linam viduam.  Rupes Turpeia, the Town builded on seven Mountains, Rome, even that Rome where in Hieromes days was the true Church, the Trophies of the Apostles and Martyrs, the true confession of Christ, and was then decaying, then beginning to be 
m Rev. 18.  the habitation of devils, the hold of every foul Spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird?  
There is the devil's garden, and his Gardener the man of sin, the Son of perdition, whose emissaries run abroad sowing every where the aconit of his most venomous doctrine, the only Merchandise these Mountebanks of the fourth vow fetch from that dungeon of infernal fiends, which being 
n Rev. 11.8.  spiritually Sodom and Egypt, hath nothing but fair shows of rotten and stinking drugs, like the 
o joseph. de bello judaico. lib. 5 cap. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  apples of Sodom, which at the first touching vanish away in smoke and ashes, and worse than Egypt,  

p Odyss. lib. 4.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  
Abounds in evil weeds, & hath few or no good herbs. Of these loathsome and infectious herbs, the best whereof is but Swines-grasse, at my attendance at Court in july last, I laboured to grub up with the hooke-weed of the word of GOD that poisonous Toadstool, called Transubstantiation, the last and the foulest masterpiece of work of the devil's husbandry, and wherein he delights most, because it is most like unto himself: For by it Ceres & Bacchus are worshipped under the name of Christ, poor Christians blindfolded by the Corybantes of Babylon, are holden in hand, that a round and thin crust of the breadth of a shilling is Christ's own self, as big, as tall, as perfect a man as he was on the Cross, that at the Mass they see him, that at Easter they eat with the mouths of their bodies his flesh, bones, blood, and whole body, that therefore they must worship that crust with the worship of Latria due to none but God: So he makes them the greatest, or at least as great idolaters as ever were in the world: This seemed so barbarous to the Ambassadors of the Towpinambauts in France not long since, that although they be the most barbarous people of the world, and eaters of men's flesh, yet to the natural light that hath remained in their brutish minds, this went beyond all brutishness, that reasonable men should eat that which they worship, or worship that which they eat: And certainly, said they, if Our God were as beneficial to us, as your Christ is to you, we would honour him the best we could, but we would not eat him. And one of them made a Proselyte by the Capuchin Friars of Paris, being asked if he was now a good Christian, Yes, said he, for every day for my breakfast I eat one of your Christ's.  
What I then preached in two Sermons, both for the truth, & against this most abominable error. I have set down in this little Book, which I dare to send abroad clothed with the livery of your honourable & most worthy Name, that appearing to the common view with such a goodly face, it may be wellcomer to the Readers, and as it shall please God to give a blessing unto it, help to recall and reclaim those that go a whoring with the works of their own hands, or at least to direct such of our own, who desirous to wind the spole-fuls of writhed and intricate controversies, for not having their senses exercised in such a wearisome and painful labour, cannot find the right end of the thread, and being once entered into the unknown crooks of that turning labyrinth, cannot go thorough them without a more assured and infallible guide, than the thread of Ariadné.  
Your Honour having as great acquaintance with all kind of true learning, and namely with true divinity, as many of the learnedest, I confess this Book can have no such use to you-ward: Neither was that my intention when I honoured it with your worthy Name: My only desire being to make it a true and public witness that since that time you vouchsafed me the honour of your love, I could consider, considering know, knowing acknowledge, acknowledging reverence your manifold & rare gifts, quite void of all ostentation, which the holy Ghost, as most precious stones, hath set in a heart of true godliness, and which as they have been the happy and godly directours of our then most hopeful Prince, so are they now the true and faithful Counselors of our majestical, heroical, and religious King, who so long as his royal ears shall hang at the wise tongs of so moderate & godly Senators, neither shall the distressed Church want protection, nor his Subject's justice in him, nor he blesse-bringing prayers and true obedience in them.  
If any say a greater work was due to so excellent a personage: your Honour will answer for me, that 
q Demost. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  not great, but good things are best; that good is this little work in the matter, that it is handled, although not exquisitely in words, yet sound. Moreover, I answer for myself, that by your means I came to the King's knowledge, and by your recommendation was named by his Majesty to be one of his Chaplains: Therefore to you are due the first fruits of that harvest, which such as they are I consecrate to your Honour, and myself to the continuance of your favour, offering my hearty prayers to God for the increasing of his merciful & favourable blessings on your grave and old age, on your right religious and honourable Lady, and all her most noble and godly Family, till they come to their full measure in jesus Christ, in whom I remain for ever,  
Your Honour's most humble and affectionate servant, G. PRIMROSE.   

Of the living Bread which came down from Heaven. Preached at Whitehall to the KING'S house on the Communion day the 3. of july. 1625.  JOHN. VI 
51. I am the living Bread which came down from Heaven.  

FIRST CHAPTER.  
I. The whole Christian Religion may be reduced to two heads: The first, concerning the Saviour: The second, concerning them which are saved. God alone teacheth the one and the other.  
II. By his Son jesus Christ.  
III. Who setteth down these two heads in this Verse.  
iv Four parts of the first part of this Verse.  
ALL the Christian Religion may be reduced to two heads: The first is concerning the Saviour of the world: The second is concerning them which are saved. It is written in the third Psalm, that 
a Psal. 3.8.  Salvation is the Lords: Salvation is the Lords gift; Salvation is the Lords work; Salvation is the Lord himself. Who then can more truly, Who can more clearly speak of salvation, and of those which are saved, than the Lord who is the salvation of all them which are saved? As we cannot see the Sun but by the light of the Sun; so we cannot know God, nor the salvation which is of GOD, but by the revelation of God, 
b Psal. ●6. 9.  in whose light we see light. And 
c job. 36.22.  who teacheth like him? The sons of men may be deceived in that which they know, by reason of their ignorance: or deceive by that which they teach, and like unto the wild fire, called by the Latins Ignis fatuus, lead many a man into the quagmires, pits, and gulfs of eternal perdition, by reason of their vanity: For 
d Psal. 116.11.  all men are liars. But God cannot be deceived in that which he knoweth, because he is Alwise: Nor deceive in that which he teacheth, because he is All-good. He is always true: True in his knowledge, True in his teaching.  
He teacheth us by his Son: His Son who is 
e joh. 1.1.  his Word: Not 
f Ignat. epist. ad Magnesian. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  a vocal Word form by the tongue, not a found in the air, beating the ears: For he was in the beginning before there was air or ears: But a substantial word, but Gods own mind, 
g Cyril. l. 1. Thesauric. 5 Quia ex ipso est filius vocatur: quia vero in ipso, sapientia & verbum.  called the Son, because he is of the Father: and the Wisdom and Word, because he is in the Father: because also God hath from the beginning revealed his Word to the Church by him 
h joh. 1.18.  For no man hath seen God at any time: The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him: He he only 
i joh. 14.16  is the way, the truth, and the life: The way wherein, The truth whereby, The life whereunto we walk. And as Bernard saith; 
k Bernard. de caena domini. serm. 7. Ego sum via sine errore, veri tas fine falsitate, vita sine morte.  The way without error, the truth without falsehood, the life without death. Even 
l 1 joh. 5.20.  the true God, and eternal life: The true God, and therefore our Saviour: Eternal life, and therefore our salvation. Wherefore let us now and for ever listen unto Christ, who best of all can tell us who is the Author, who the giver, who the Prince of eternal life: As likewise which be they on whom this most wonderful gift, this blessed and precious jewel is vouchsafed: For 
m joh. 3.32.33.  he that is of the earth, is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: He that cometh from heaven, is above all: and what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth, and 
n joh. 8.14.  his record is true.  
As in all this Chapter most largely, so in this verse of the Chapter summarily and succinctly he beareth Record both of the Saviour, and of them which are saved Concerning the Saviour he saith; I am the living bread which came down from heaven. Concerning them which are saved he saith also in the second part of this Verse, If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever. The one and the other are uttered in Metaphorical words, or in two similitudes contracted each of them to one word: The sense of the first is that which God said unto Christ by the Prophet Isaiah, 
o Isa. 49.6.  I will give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the world. The sense of the second is set down in this same Chapter, vers. 47. where Christ saith; He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.  
The first part of the verse, is the foundation whereupon, with the assistance of the Spirit of God I am to build this exhortation, considering in it, first, the subject of this enunciation, I am the living bread, and next, the attribute thereof. The subject is Christ, in the Word. I. The attribute, is the living bread which came down from heaven. These two are coupled together by the coupling word, Am: But because this division will seem too scholastical and harsh to popular & unlearned ears, we shall follow the words of the Text, and dividing them into four parts consider, 1. To whom Christ doth ascribe this glory to be the living bread: Even to his own self, saying, I am. 2. Why he calleth himself bread: for he saith. I am bread. 3. The excellency and use of this bread, in that he calleth it living, I am, saith he, the living bread. 4. The spring from whence this excellency doth flow; in the words following, which came down from heaven. Let us then begin, and our beginning and 
p Psal. 115.8.  help be in the Name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.   

SECOND CHAPTER.  
I. Christ showeth that he alone is the living bread which came down from heaven.  
II. In all matters of faith and of manners, arguments taken from the Scriptures negatively are necessary.  
III. An easy way how to answer to the Sophistical interrogations of the jesuits concerning the Scriptures.  
IV. Angels and Saints are no part of the living bread. Exhortation.  
WHEN we speak of titles of dignities, or of any excellent quality, it is necessary to know before all things the persons which are capable of them, and to whom they belong. Because all persons are not capable of all titles, and all dignities are not fit for all. For all men are not of one size: yea as one little diamond is more to be valued then a thousand big stones; So one man is often more to be esteemed then ten thousand others, as David's Captains said unto him, 
q 2 Sam. 18 3.  Thou art worth ten thousand of us. For this cause 
r ●. lib. 1. Tit. 5. de statu homirum l. 2. Cum igitur. Instit. lib 1. Tit. 2. de iurenat. Gent. & Civili. §. vlt. Parum est ius nosse, fi persona, quarum causa constitutum est, ignorantior.  in the civil Law the first question is of the sufficiency and ability of the persons the next is of their rights, prerogatives, & other things which they challenge and take upon them: It is so in Divinity, and particularly in this part thereof concerning the Saviour of the world. The jews desiring that Christ would feed them more delicately than he had done, alleged unto him vers. 31. the example of Moses, saying, that he gave to their Father's bread from heaven to eat: Whereupon taking a new occasion to speak to them of a more excellent bread, he answered, vers. 32. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven: But my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. Moses is excluded as insufficient to give from heaven the bread of heaven. And the Father alone is adorned with that glory. For who can give the bread of heaven but the Father of lights which is in heaven? 2. He describeth unto them the excellency and virtue of that bread, saying, vers. 33. for the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. See the excellency of it. It is come down from heaven: See the virtue and use of it, It giveth life unto the world. 3. He telleth them who is that bread, and claiming that glory to himself; professed vers. 35. I am the bread of life. Then the jews, forgetting the miracle of the five loaves and of the two fishes, murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. vers. 41. But he notwithstanding their murmuring giveth glory to God, and seeking to overcome their obstinacy and stubbornness, affirmeth again, Verse 48. I am that bread of life, and again, Vers. 51. in this Text, I am the living bread which came down from heaven, and so often in the verses following. That as joseph said, that 
s Gen. 41.32.  the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice, because the thing was established by God, and God would shortly bring it to pass; so from this frequent repetition we may conclude, that Christ indeed is the living bread, that he alone & none other with him, none other besides him is that bread. Yea, although he had said but once, I am the living bread, this conclusion would be true. For no such thing is said of any other. Not of Cherubims, of Seraphims, of Thrones, of Dominions, of Principalities, of Powers, of Angels. Not of the Virgin Mary, not of Peter, not of Paul, not of any other Apostle. Not of any Martyr, not of any Saint. As when God said to his people, 
t Psal. 50.7.  I am God, even thy God, the sense is; I am God, and besides me there is no other God: I am thy God, and thou hast no other God but me. So when Christ saith, I am the living bread, 
u Cyrill. in joh. lib. 3. cap. 34. Perspicuum esse arbitror, non aliumpanem, neque aliud alimentum praeter filium dei rationalibus intellectualibusque substantijs propositam esse: Ipse est Manna verum: Ipse inquam est panis de caeio qui omni rationali creaturae a Deo Patre praebetur.  it is manifest, saith Cyrillus, that no other bread, no other food, save the Son of God, is appointed to reasonable and intellectual creatures: He is the true Manna: He is the bread from heaven, which God the Father giveth to all reasonable creatures.  
WHAT? Can an argument framed from authority negatively be currant & good? From the authority of men it cannot, because neither do they know all things, neither do they speak always according to their knowledge: From the authority of God revealed in the Scripture it is good in all things belonging to saith and manners. Because, as S. 
x August de Doctr. Christiana. lib. 2. cap. 9 In ijs quae apertèin Scriptura posita sunt, inveniuntur illa omnia quae continent fidem moresque vivendi.  Austin saith, in that which is clearly set down in the Scripture, are to be found all these things which concern faith and manners. This is manifest by these words of God to his people. Deut. 12.32. Whatsoever I command you observe to do it: Thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it. Whatsoever things God commanded, those Moses writ in a book, 
y Deut. 31.24.  until they were finished: And of that book Moses said, 
a Deut. 27.26. Gal. 3.10.  Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them.  
Upon this ground God condemned whatsoever his people did undertake besides his Word in things belonging to his service: David having a purpose to build an house to God, Nathan approved it, but God said unto him, 
b 1. Chron. 17.6.  Wheresoever I have walked with all Israel, spoke I a word to any of the judges of Israel, saying, Why have ye not built me an house of Cedars? All things amongst that people were 
c 1. Cor. 10.11. Heb. 10.1.  types and shadows of good things to come. The Temple was to be 
d joh. 2.19.21.  a type of Christ, as 
e Heb. 9.11 12.  the Tabernacle was. Who then in the house of God was to be so bold as to establish a figure of the things of God, a type of the Son of God, without special command and direction from God?  
When the people did set up such Will-worship, did not God hue it down with this sharp and heavy Axe, 
f Esa. 1.12.  Who hath required this at your hand? When the jews through a most fervent zeal unto God built the high places of Tophet, to offer up their sons and their daughters to God in a  sacrifice, this was a good reason to God, why such places should be thrown down, and that unnatural devotion abolished, that 
g jere. 7.31.  he commanded not any such thing, neither came it into his heart. Commanded it not, I say, in the book of the Law: 
h Hil. in Ps. 132. Quae in libro legis non continentur, ea nec nosse debemus.  For the things which are not contained in the book of the Law, we should not so much as know them, saith S. Hilary.  
For this cause the Apostle after he had declared to the Church 
i Act. 20.27  all the counsel of God, averred that 
k Act. 26.22  he had taught none other things than those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come, and therefore condemned all 
l Col. 2.23.  Will-worship, though it had a fair show of wisdom and humility. Thus comparing Christ with the Angels, he asketh, 
m Heb. 1.5.  Unto which of the Angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, This day have I begotten thee? And again, 
13.  To which of the Angels said he at any time: Sat on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? Reasoning not only affirmatively for Christ, and proving that he is the Son of God, and sitteth at his right hand, because the Scripture hath said it; but also negatively against the Angels, & proving that no such glory belongeth unto them, because the Scripture saith not any such thing of them. This is a perpetual & most forcible manner of reasoning in all substantial points of Religion. God hath said it in the Scriptures, therefore we must believe it: God hath spoken nothing of it: Therefore we should not believe it.  

n Athanas. in epist. ad Marcellinum de interpret. Psal. Divina Scriptura est magistra virtutis & verae fidei.  The holy Scripture is the mistress of virtue, and of true faith, which are the substantial points of our Religion. For circumstances of time, place, and persons, have all this general rule: 
o 1 Cor. 14.30.  Let all things be done decently and in order, the particulars whereof are committed to the wisdom of the Church.  
OBSERVE this well against Papists, who are now taught by jesuites to ask of you Do ye not believe that Purgatory is a fable, that the body of Christ is not in the Eucharist, that the Mass is not a propitiatory sacrifice, that it is not lawful to pray to the Saints which are in heaven, that the Pope is not the head of the Church, that there are but two Sacraments? If ye answer that ye believe so, they entangle you with new questions, ask where is it written; There is no Purgatory, The Mass is not a propitiatory sacrifice, & c? For the object of your faith is not the written Word of God: Neither do ye, or should ye believe that whereof God hath not spoken. If then God hath not said that there is no Purgatory, how can ye say ye believe that there is none? So they fetter you with sophistical interrogations, and make you to confess against your own profession, that ye believe many things which are not written in the holy Scriptures.  
Therefore ye must answer fare otherways, and say, What God hath said in the Scriptures, that I believe: What he hath not said, that I believe not. 
p Orig in Esa cap. 8. homil. 12. Non est verbum post verbum Mosi, post verbum Prophetarum, multo magis post verbum jesu Christi, & Apostolorum eius.  There is no word to be believed after the word of Moses, after the word of the Prophets, much more after the word of jesus Christ, and of his Apostles. God hath not said, that there is no Purgatory, that the Mass is a propitatorie sacrifice, that the Pope is the head of the Church: Therefore I will not say, I believe such things are not: But contrariwise, I do not believe such things are: For where God hath not a mouth to speak, I have not an ear to hear, nor a heart to believe, nor a tongue to confess: What he hath not said in things belonging to the salvation of my soul, my soul hath nothing to do with it.  
AS IN this matter which we have in hand, I believe that jesus Christ is the living bread which came down from heaven, because the Scripture saith so: I believe not that the Saints are this bread, I believe not that they are the least crumb of it. For where the Scripture is dumb, who shall accuse me if I be deaf? Where there is no word, can I have any faith, seeing 
q Rom. 10.17.  faith is by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God?  
As S. john the Evangelist said of S. john the Baptist, 
r joh. 1.8.  He was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of that light, and as S. Paul said of David, that 
s Act. 13.36  in his own age he served the will of God: So may we say of all the Saints that are now in heaven: They were not that bread, but they did eat of that bread: They were sent to bear witness of that bread, but they were no part of that bread. In their age they served the counsel of God, believing, preaching, confessing that Christ Christ only is the living bread. If any man ascribe more unto them then this, 
t Iren. lib. 4. cap. 43.  he bringeth strange fire to the Altar of God, which God commanded him not, and the fire of heaven shall devour him, as it did 
u Levit. 10.1.2.  Nadab and Abihu. And to such a man ye must say with Tertullian, 
x Tertull. de Carne Christi. cap. 7. Non recipio quod extra Scripturam de tuo infers.  I receive not that which thou bringest of thine own invention besides the Scripture.  
Yea as S. john when he was in the world, being asked who he was, confessed, saying, 
y joh. 1.20. joh. 3.28.  I am not the Christ, I am sent before him: So the blessed souls which are now in heaven, if they were asked, Who they are, would answer, We are not the living bread, we are not Saviour's: We are come after the Saviour, and are saved by him: And as S. john to draw away men's eyes from gazing upon him, pointed out jesus unto them, and said, 
a joh. 1.29.  Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world: So they would point at Christ sitting at the right hand of the Father, and say, Behold the living bread, Behold the Saviour of the world: And taking their harps in their hands, would jointly fall down before the Lamb, and sing to his glory the new song, which I exhort you all to sing unto him in your hearts for conclusion of this first part of my Text, 
b Rev. 4.11.  Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power: 
c Rev. 5.8.9.10.11.  For thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation, and hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests.   

THIRD CHAPTER.  
I. Bread in the Scripture hath diverse significations.  
II. In all these significations Christ is our bread.  
III. Similitudes most frequent in the Scripture.  
iv Christ did delight in similitudes.  
V The occasion which moved him to call himself Bread.  
VI Exhortation to an earnest desire of this Bread.  
IT is then Christ Christ alone to whom the Scripture beareth Record that he is the living bread: We are now to search in the second part of this Discourse the causes why he called himself bread: For in all Metaphors which are Epitomes and Abridgements of Similitudes, we must not so much regard whence they are taken, (as those do which tie their ears to the leaves of the words) as dig with our minds into the root of the reason wherefore they are used.  
Bread in the Scripture hath diverse literal significations. When David saith, that 
d Psal. 104.14.15.  God bringeth forth bread out of the earth, and wine that maketh glad the heart of man, it is taken in a vulgar sense, which is common to all languages, & so is it taken in the words of the institution of the Lords Supper. Wherein it is said, that 
e Mat. 26.26.  jesus took bread. When 
f 2 King. 6.22.  Elisha counselled the King of Israel to set bread and water before the Army of the King of Syria, bread is taken for meat without drink. When jacob called his brethren 
g Gen. 31.54.  to eat bread, and they did eat bread, he called them to a feast wherein there was both meat and drink, and both are signified by the word Bread: When Solomon prayed to God 
h Pro. 30.8.  to feed him with bread convenient for him: When he saith, that 
i Pro. 31.14.  the virtuous woman, is like the merchant's ship, she bringeth her bread from a fare off: When Christ hath taught us to pray, Give us this day our daily bread, bread signifieth all things needful for the sustenance of this our mortal life.  
THAT which bread in all these literal senses is to our bodies, the same in a spiritual sense is jesus Christ unto our souls. The jews magnified much the Manna which Moses gave to their Fathers in the Desert. But although it was bread, it was not drink unto them, else they had not murmured for want of water. But Christ is both meat and drink. 
k joh. 6.35.  I am, saith he, the bread of life: He that cometh to me shall never hunger. Ye see that he is meat: And he that believeth in me shall never thirst. Ye see also that he is drink: He is bread both to be eaten & to be drunk.  
The inhabitants of the Maldivian Isles, crack much of a tree growing every where amongst them, called 
l Thevet. Cosmograph. 12 book. chap. 21. Gomarra. 3. book, chap. 94.  Coco, the only fruit whereof furnishes unto them bread, wine, oil, vinegar, sugar, butter, to feed them deliciously, physic to heal their diseases, Hemp to make Cables and Sails for Ships, Lint to make  to cover their nakedness: And the tree itself hath all the uses that any other tree can have for fuel, or for tymberworke. 
m Peyrard in his navigations 2. book.  One who did live many years in those Isles, writeth that he saw a Ship of two hundreth tons, whereof all the timber and nails were of that tree, all the Cables and Sails were of the outward skin of the fruit thereof, and the whole load was of the butter, sugar, vinegar, wine, oil, & other commodities which that fruit doth afford. And indeed it is a most wonderful tree, but not to be matched with 
n Rev. 2.7.  the tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God, with our Lord jesus Christ, who is all that & more than all that to our souls: He is here in my. Text the whole and entire food of our hungry and dried up souls: He is not only 
o Esa. 53.5.  the Physic. out and 
p Esa. 61.1 Mat. 9.12.  the Physician of our sick and languishing consciences. He is 
q Rom. 13.14▪  the garment wherewith our nakedness is covered, and our persons are graced: He is 
r 1. Cor. 31.11.  the foundation 
s Eph. 2.20.  and chief corner stone, whereupon we are built. He is 
t jon. 15.1.  the Vine whereof we are the branches: 
u Eph. 4.15.  The head whereof we are the members. 
x Ose. 2.19. Eph. 5.25.  The husband who hath betrothed us: 
y Heb. 7.22  The surety who hath answered for us: 
a 1 Tim. 2.6  The ransom which hath redeemed us: 
b Zach. 13.1  The water which cleanseth and 
c joh. 4.10.  refresheth us: 
d joh. 1.9.  The true light, 
e Mal. 4.1.  the Sun of righteousness, which enlighteneth us, and bringeth unto us healing in his wings. He is the Prophet who teacheth salvation: The high Priest which hath mented it: The King fitting at the right 〈…〉 Father, who keepeth it in heaven, and will give it unto us.  
In material things this is one thing, that is another: And ye seek this thing in one place, that in another. In spiritual things it is not so: We have all things in Christ, & Christ is all things unto us: 
f Clemens Paedag. lib. 1. cap. 6. Cusan. Excitat. lib. 6. exserm. Respice Domine.  Father, mother, pedagogue, health, peace, love, the daily bread of the reasonable soul, and all in all. In a word, he is salvation itself: 
g 1 Cor. 1.30.  For of God he is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. For this cause he is called Bread.  
HERE some ask why jesus Christ did use such Metaphorical words of bread, & of eating, seeing he might have said in proper & clear terms, that 
h Heb. 5.9.  he is the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him, as the Apostle calleth him in the Epistle to the Hebrews?  
I answer first, O man wilt thou teach the Word and Wisdom of God to speak? 
i Exod. 4.11  Who hath made man's mouth? Or who maketh the dumb or deaf, the seeing or the blind? Is it not I, saith the Lord? And wilt thou, to render him like for like, make his mouth?  
Secondly, I say that of all words those are most clear and easy to be understood, which have greatest conformity with our affections & desires. For which cause God framing his style to our capacity, by similitudes of worldly things which are most esteemed and affected of us, leadeth us from the lower parts of the earth far above all the visible heavens, from carnal and sensual imaginations to spiritual and godly meditations, from the vain conceit which we have of our own worthiness, to bungring and thirsting after his righteousness? Neither did he fetch such similitudes from a fare off, but e re natâ, as his servants did light on such or such things, he maketh allusion unto them, and by them instructeth his people in the knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven. Because men prize gold above all mettle, and value precious stones at an high rate, he saith that he 
k Efa. 54.11 Rev. 21.18.  will lay the foundations of his Church with precious stones, make her gates of pearls, her walls of jasper, her streets of pure gold. Because the jews were much given to bodily exercise, and to renting their clothes in the days of their fasting, he speaketh unto them of a spiritual fasting▪ which he calleth 
l Esa. 58.6.  the losing of the bands of wickedness, etc. and 
m joel. 2.11  the renting their hearts. Because also they were ever bragging that they were jews, and had the Circumcision, the Apostle teacheth them that the true jew 
n Rom. 2.28.29.  whose praise is not of men, but of God, is one inwardly, that the true Circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, that all true Christians 
o Phil. 3.3.  are the Circumcision.  
CHRIST, by whose Spirit the Prophets and Apostles spoke, did delight in such similitudes: He exhorteth those which are addicted to gathering of perishable and momentary treasures, 
p Mat. 6.22.  to lay up for themselves treasures in heaven. To them which told him when he was preaching, that 
q Mat. 10.47.50.  his mother and brethren desired to speak with him, he answered, whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother: When the woman of Samaria which was drawing water had said unto him, 
r joh. 4.9.10.14.  How is it, that thou being a jew askest drink of me which am a woman of Samaria? He took occasion of her speech to call his doctrine, his grace, his own self, the living water, whereof whosoever drinketh shall never thirst: and by such speeches he brought her to the spiritual drinking of the water of grace, whereof the wellspring is in heaven. When his Disciples prayed him to take some meat, he refused saying, 
s joh. 4.34  My meat is to do the will of him that seni me, and to finish his work. In the last day of the feast of Tabernacles, seeing the people very busy about drawing of water, and pouring of it out before the Lord, as if that had been the principal part of God's service, he stood, and cried, 
t joh 7.37.38.39.  If any man thirst, let him come to me, and drink: He that believeth in me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water: This spoke he of the Spirit which they that believe in him should receive.  
AFTER the same manner, perceiving that those five thousand men which he had miraculously fed and filled with five loaves and two small fishes, were come to make him a King, not for any true love unto him, but only because they had been fed by him, and had conceived a new hope, that following such a wonderful King, meat should never be wanting to their bellies, yea that he would make bread to rain down upon them, as Moses did upon their fathers in the Wilderness, he by diversion speaketh to them of a fare more excellent bread, which he would give them; even of the true bread which came down from heaven, and endureth unto everlasting life, & exhorteth them to labour for it: Showing in all the Chapter, and particularly in this verse, that he is that bread, and that the only mean to labour for it, is to believe in him.  
If he had clothed them miraculously, as miraculously he had fed them, and if they had followed him thereupon to make him King, he would undoubtedly advised them to labour for the raiments which wax never old, and said that he is that raiment. As indeed the holy Apostle will have us to believe that Christ is our garment, when he saith, that 
u Gal. 3.27  as many as have been baptised into Christ, have put on Christ, and exhorteth us 
x Rom. 13▪ 14  to put on the Lord jesus Christ. Which no man that is not witless or besides himself, will take literally, neither also any of the other similitudes whereof there is great plenty in the Scripture, and I have related some few. Let then Papists tell us, Why the words of this Chapter should be taken in a literal sense, which they shall never be able to do.  
BUT to leave Papists, let us, who are to communicate this morning to the blessed seals of this doctrine, weigh in our minds how Christ per allegoriam necessariorum pabulorum, by the allegory of necessary food, as 
y Tertull. de Resurrect. Carnis. cap. 37.  Tertullian speaketh, withdraweth the thoughts of his followers from the outward to the inward man, from the flesh to the Spirit, from the food of the body to the food of the soul, 
a Aug. in joh. tract. 25. Ille post miraculi Sacramentum, & sermonem infert, ut si fieripotest qui pasti sunt pascantur, & quorum satiavit panibus ventres, satiet & sermonibus mentes; sed si capiunt: Et si non capiunt, sumatur quod non capiunt, ne fragmenta percant.  that, if it be possible, those which are fed may be fed again, and as he had filled their bellies with bread, he may also fill their minds with his speeches: But if they take them: And if they take them not, as indeed they took them not, i.e. they understood them not, let us take them, lest the fragments perish, as we are exhorted by S. Austin.  
Let us, I say, now, even now ponder with ourselves that although we do eat and drink to maintain this mortal and ever-dying life, and that this is the end of meat and drink; yet the preserving of this life should not be our principal care. Do ye not all know, 
b 1. Cor. 6.13.  that meats are for the belly, and the belly for meats, but God shall destroy both it, and them? And therefore ye should all sigh and groan for a better life, not of the body, but of the soul, not of this world, but of the world to come. Wherefore listen, I pray you, to the Son of God, who assureth you both by his word which now I preach unto you, and by his Sacrament which after this Sermon shall be given unto you, that he is the blessed bread of that blessed life, for you, and unto you. Come then, come to the Table of the Lord, thanking him that he vouchsafeth to be your bread, and crying unto him with a more religious and holy desire than the jews did, 
c joh. 6.34.  Lord, evermore give us this bread.   

FOURTH CHAPTER.  
I. The excellency of this bread, showed by the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which signifieth both living and quickening.  
II. And therefore is well translated both ways.  
III. Christ as he is Mediator is living in himself, & quickening unto us.  
iv This bread is wonderful above all other bread.  
V Exhortation to labour for this bread.  
THis, desire will increase, and like a woman with child, we will more and more long after this bread, if we know more clearly and fully the excellent virtue and use of it, set down in the word living. For Christ saith, I am the living bread, according to our translation: Or according to the Latin translation of 
d Ego sum panis vivificus.  Beza, and 
e je suis le pain vivifiant.  the French translation, I am the quickening bread. 
f Cotton an plagiaire de Geneve.  The jesuites of France bark most spitefully against this last translation, saying that the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all Greek Authors signifieth living, and is never taken from quickening. But as we say in a common Proverb, The dog that barks much, bites but little.  
For to discover to you their impudence, both in affirming too boldly that which they know not, and in denying shamelessly that which they know. I. The Greek word hath both significations in the Septuagint Interpreters, whose words the Evangelists and Apostles follow, when ye read in the book of the Psalms; 
g Psal. 41.2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  The Lord will keep him alive; 
h Psal. 119.50. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Thy word hath quickened me; 
i Ver. 40.48  quicken me after thy loving kindness; quicken me in thy righteousness; 
k Psal. 134.11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  quicken me, O Lord for thy Names sake; and other such like places, the Greek word is the same which is in this Text.  
2. The words preceding and following do show that living signifieth quickening. In the 33. verse he saith, The bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. In the 35 verse he saith, I am the bread of life: He is so called, saith 
l Tolet. 161. Dicitur panis vitae quia alio vivere facit.  Tolet, because he maketh others to live. The words following, He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth in me shall never thirst, are an evident proof that it is so. In my Text he saith, I am the living bread which came down from heaven, and addeth in the second part of the verse, If any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever, calling this bread, Living, because it maketh them that eat it live for ever. In the 57 verse, He saith in the same sense, He that eateth me, even he shall live by me.  
3. Many Roman Doctors, Thomas Aquinas, and Ferus, two learned Monks; janssenius, Emmanuel Sa, Maldonat, Tolet, jesuits, writ upon this Text, that 
m Vivus pro vivificans.  Living is put for Quickening.  
4. But the jesuites now adays fear left Christ be called quickening in this verse, because they expound it, and all the verses following of the bodily presence of CHRIST in the Eucharist, wherein they confess that he is not quickening, seeing in the Sacrament not only many wicked men, but also rats, mice, worms, dogs, asses, toads often eat him, and are not quickened by him. Which saying is a most horrible blasphemy.  
. WHAT then? Do I condemn our own translation? God forbidden: The Greek word signifieth living: And is not Christ living? If he were not living how could he give life? 
n Cusan Excit. lib. 5. ex Serm. Now in solo pane vivit bomo. Panis qui non vivit, non vivificat.  For the bread which liveth not, cannot give life. Therefore our translation is good, and on it▪ dependeth the truen of the French translation, as the effect on the cause. And as the first excludeth not the last, ●o the 〈…〉 the first, is the cause is included in the effect, and the word Living, signifieth both, and must signify both, that the words of our. 
1. 1 dol  Sariour may be found true. For what comfort should it be unto us, that Christ liveth in us, if he did not quicken us? And this is the drift of this whole Chapter to show, that he liveth in all them that eat him, and giveth eternal life to all those in whom he liveth, lest we should think him to be like unto 
o judg. 14.8  the swarm of Bees, which did live and make honey in the carcase of the Lion which S●●pson had killed, but did not give life to the Lyon.  
War do we fight for a word, when no Christian dare deny, but that Christ is both living and quickening? It is safer for us to consider how Christ is living, & wherefore he is so called. If ye consider him as he is 
p joh. 1.1.4.  the Word which was in the beginning, i.e. as he is true God coessential and coeternal to his Father, in him was life: He was living formally. For in God to live and to be, are one thing. But in this sense we are all strangers from God. For what communion can carcases dead in sin, as we are all by nature, have with God who liveth for ever & ever? Therefore he speaketh of himself as he 
q joh. 6. 27.5●.  is the Son of man, that is to say, the Mediator between God & man, (for so is the Mediator called by 
r Dan. 7.13  Daniel) or as 
s 1. Tim. 3.16.  God made manifest in the flesh. For as he is the Son of man, or as he is Mediator between God and man, the Father hath given him to have life in himself, not to keep it to himself, but to communicate it to all the members of his mystical body. This is clear by his own words in the fist chapter of this Gospel, where first he showeth that he giveth life, saying, 
t joh. 5.21.25.26.  As the Father raiseth up the dead and quickeneth them, even so the Son quickeneth them whom he will. And again, Verily, verily I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear it, shall live. Secondly, he rendereth this reason why he giveth life to the dead, For as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself. As the Sun hath light, the fire heat, a Wellspring water in themselves, not for themselves, but for the use of man and beast: So Christ hath life in himself, that he may give life unto us.  
For this cause he is called living, first subiectiuè, because he hath life in himself: Secondly, effectiuè, because he hath it not for himself, but giveth it to all those that have him, as S. john saith, 
u 1 joh. 5.12.  he that hath the Son, hath life. Even as the scripture calleth 
x Gen. 26.19.  a Well of living water, that which having abundance of water in itself, springs, and flows, and runs, and imparts itself unto all.  
O MOST wonderful and powerful bread! No other bread hath life in itself: This hath: No other bread giveth life: This doth. No other bread is a preservative against death: This is: All other bread 
y joh. 6.27.  perisheth: This endureth unto ever lasting life. Not only it liveth in itself, but also it maketh to live eternally the souls of all those that eat it: and shall at the last day of the world quicken the bodies of all those whose souls it hath quickened in this world, as he saith, 
a joh. 6.54.  Who so eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. His flesh and his blood, or rather he himself by tearing his flesh and renting it from his soul, He by shedding his blood in his death is the living bread, 
b Cusan. Excit lib. 4. ex Sermone. Qui manducat: Ipse est qui est dator vitae & conservator: Quare est panis vitae.  giver and keeper of life, and therefore most worthily called, the bread of life.  
RIGHT HONOURABLE, Reverend, Worshipful, and beloved Auditors, remember, I pray you, the exhortation of our Saviour to the jews of Capernaum, and 
c joh. 6.27.  labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life. Alas! it is a pitiful spectacle to behold how men labour for the meat which perisheth, 
d Ps. 127.2.  they rise up early, they sit up late, they eat the bread of sorrows: 
e Matth. 15.17.  It entereth in at the mouth, it goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught. If men labour exceeding hard for such bread, how should we labour for this living bread? Not to purchase it: for it groweth not in the earth, it is not sold in the Shambles, it is not to be bought in the Shops. But to reach unto it, where it is: but to receive it where and when it is offered. It is offered every where, in the town, in the fields, in our houses, in our closerts: But namely in the Church when the Gospel is preached, and particularly when the blessed Sacrament is given, as to you, this day. The preaching of the Gospel is 
f Exod. 25.23.  the golden Table whereupon this show bread is set: This holy Sacrament is as it were 
g Ve. 29.30.  the golden dish, wherein it is offered unto us. We know what we must do to receive the outward Sacrament, 
h Panem domini.  the bread of the Lord: If we receive it from the hand of the Minister: for he is no better than 
i joh. 6.32.  Moses, who gave not the true bread from heaven; When we have received it, we eat● it, we let it down into out stomaches, we digest it: Nothing is more easy. But 〈◊〉 receive 
k Panem dominum.  the bread which is the Lord another work more difficult is required: 
l joh. 6.29.  This is the work of God, that ye believe in him whom he hath sent. Your souls must go up to heaven. There the Table is covered: There is the bread which is the Lord set upon the Table of the Mercy of God: There God the Father giveth it by his eternal will and decree: There the Son giveth it by his merit, and consent: There the holy Ghost taketh it, as it were, in his hands, entereth with it into your hearts, and offereth it unto your famished souls: The Cherubims and Seraphims stand by and wonder. Send your faith thither, and there your faith shall receive it. This is the work which God commandeth. 1 joh. 3.23. This is the work which God himself worketh in you. Eph. 1.3. Phil. 1.29. This is the work, which if ye want, all your works are sins. Rom. 14.23. and it is impossible that ye should please God. Heb. 11.6. Which if ye have, by it jesus Christ will dwell in you. Eph. 3.17. and live in you, and quicken you so sensibly, that ye shall say as truly, as S. Paul said, 
m Gal. 2.20  I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And this life of Christ, or Christ living in you, shall be so powerful in you, that as 
n 1. Kings 19.20.  Elijah by the strength of that bread and of that water which the Angel of God prepared for him, went forty days and forty nights, without hunger, without thirst, without weariness, till he came unto Horeb the Mount of God. So by the virtue of this living bread, which no Angel of God, but 
o Luk 2.31.  God himself hath prepared, ye shall walk courageously and constantly all the days of your life, till ye come to the kingdom of heaven, where ye shall 
p Mat. 8.11.  sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and jacob, and there be abundantly satisfied with these 
q Ps. 16.11.  pleasures which are at the right hand of God for evermore.   

FIFT CHAPTER.  
I. Christ came not down from heaven as man.  
II. Neither as God by a local motion.  
III. Neither as sent and approved of God.  
IU. But as God incarnate.  
V Three come of Christ.  
VI What should be the order of our conceptions concerning Christ.  
WE HAVE, yet the last part of my text to consider, concerning the cause of the excellency of this bread: For ye may ask how any bread can be so excellent, that it liveth, or so powerful, that quickeneth. And certainly no other bread can: But this can, because, it came down from heaven: What is the meaning of these words? Valentin said that he brought his body from heaven: But that is false: For the Scripture beareth record that 
r Heb. 2.16.  he took on him the seed of Abraham, 
s Rom. 1.3.  was made of the seed of David according to the flesh, and 
t Luk. 1.27.35.  was borne of the Virgin Mary.  
IF any say that his divine nature came from heaven by a local motion. That also is false: 
u jere. 23.24.  Do I not fill heaven and earth saith the Lord? He is infinite, and without going, without coming, without alteration, without generation, without corruption, without any motion whatsoever, 
x August ad Volusian. Epist. 3. Novit ubique totus esse, & nullo contineri loco: Novit venire, non recedendo ubi erat: Novit abire, non deserendo quo venerat.  he filleth the whole world, not as the water, not as the air, not as the light itself, as if with the lesser part of himself he did fill the lesser part of the world, and with the greater part of himself, the greater part thereof. He can he all every where, and contained no where: He can come, and not leave the place wherein he was: He can go away, and not leave the place whereunto he came.  
IF WE say that he came down from heaven, because he was foreordeined, sent, anointed, approved, confirmed of God: So were all the Apostles: So are all the true Ministers of God. Yet the Scripture saith not of any of them, that they are come down from heaven. Christ saith, that 
y Mat. 21.25.  the Baptism of john was from heaven. And S. james saith, that 
a jam. 1.17.  every good gift, and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights. Yet S. john comparing himself with Christ, saith of himself: He that is of the earth, is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: But of Christ he saith exclusively to all creatures, He that cometh from heaven is above all. All Gods servants are borne on earth, and called from heaven, but they come not down from heaven: They receive from heaven, but from heaven they bring not the doctrine which they teach us. Likewise all the gifts of God are created on earth by God who is in heaven. And therefore S. james saith, that they come from him: But they are not in heaven, nor elsewhere, before God create them on earth. Whereas Christ was in heaven before he came down from heaven, as he said to his Disciples, 
b joh. 6.62  What, and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? And being on earth he feared not to say to Nicodemus, that even then 
c joh. 3.16.  he was in heaven. Which cannot be said of the gift of God, which when they are come from heaven, and are on the earth, are not in heaven: Yea the Angels themselves when they come from heaven unto us, are no more in heaven, till they return unto it again.  
THIS than is a particular speech, and a phrase of the Scripture appropriated to God, who is said to come down from heaven, when he maketh himself known unto the world by some strange and unaccustomed work, as 
d Serm. of the righteous man's evils, and of the Lords deliverances. Serm. 9 Sect. 3. &. 4.  I have showed elsewhere.  
And therefore when Christ saith that he is come down from heaven, he will have us to understand and believe 1. that he is God. 2. that he hath made himself manifest to the world by an extraordinary work, even the most wonderful that ever was, or ever shall be in the world. He meaneth his Incarnation, whereby 
e 1 Tim. 3.16.  God was made manifest in the flesh, not by conversion of the Godhead into the manhood, or of the manhood into the Godhead, not also by confusion of the two natures into one: But by that most wonderful union, whereby 
f Paul. Aquileienf. contra Felicem. l. 1. Totus in suo, Totus in nostro: Idem in utroque: Non alter in suo, alter in nostro.  remaining whole in that which is his, and whole in that which is ours, he is the same in both: Not another in that which is his, and another in that which is ours. And 
g Leo in Nativit. domini. serm. 2. De coelesti sede descendens, & a paterna glorianon recedens, etc.  so coming down from the heavenly seat, and not departing from the glory of his Father, being invisible in that which is his, was made visible in that which is ours; the incomprehensible was comprehended; he that was before all times took his being in time, the Lord of all took the form of a servant, God impassable disdained not to be a passable man, and the immortal to be subject to the Laws of death. This is his coming down from heaven. 
h Bernard de Aduentu demini serm. 3.  Non venit qui aberat, sed apparuit qui latebat; He was not absent from us before he came: But he was hid till then, and then he appeared.  
TO MAKE this more clear, let us either learn, or remember, that the Scripture maketh mention of three come of Christ, the first is passed: the second is: the third shall be: 
Venit.  His first coming was in the infirmity of the flesh, wherein 
i Heb. 9.26.  once in the end of the world, he hath appeared to put away sin. Of this coming Saint john saith, that 
k joh 13.3.  jesus knew that he was come from God, and went to God. 
l Bernard de Coenâ domini serm. 2. A de● exivit, non eum deserens; Et ad Deum vadit, non nos derelinque●●  He came from God, saith Bernard, not leaving him: And he goeth to God, not leaving us. He came from God, when being the Son of God in heaven without a mother, he became the son of a woman on earth without a Father: For his Father knew not a woman: and his mother knew not a man This is a most wonderful coming. And the end of it was to take away sin, or as S. john speaketh, 
* 1 joh 3.8.  For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the Devil, and so redeem us: He went to God when triumphing over the Devil, he carried his glorified body into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.  
When he said to his Disciples, 
Venit.  that 
m joh. 16.5.  he was to go his way to him that sent him, sorrow filled their heart: But he to comfort them said, 
n joh. 14.18.  I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you▪ Speaking of his second coming by the holy Spirit into our hearts: The end of which coming is, to be unto us 
o joh. 16.13.  a Doctor to instruct us in his truth: 
p Rom. 8.14  A conductor to lead us in his ways: 
q joh. 14.16 17.  A comforter to abide with us for ever, and comfort us in all our troubles.  
He spoke of his third coming, 
Venturus est.  when he said to his Disciples; I will go and prepare a place for you, and I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also. The end of this coming shall be to save and glorify us: For 
x Col. 3.3.  when Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall we also appear with him in glory.  
THIS Text is of his first coming, and of the end thereof: He came from heaven, when 
y Mansit quod erat, factus est quod nonerat, & nunc est utrumque.  being still that which he was, he became that which he was not, and now is both: Being God, he became man, and now is both God and man in one person: So ye have the constitution of his person, necessary to the fulfilling of the work for which he came. The end of his coming was to be living bread unto us, that is, to redeem and save us. Ye find in his person all things requisite to do that for which he came. He came to be bread: Bread he could not be but by his death: die he could not for man, if he had not been a man. Therefore in that wherein he is equal unto us, he is bread. 
a Gerhard. Lutphan. lib. de Reformat. virium animae. cap. 28.  And this must be your first conception of him, when ye consider those good things which ye receive by him, and which are all comprehended in this word Bread. The breaking of the bread in the Sacrament showeth us, that he was broken in his death to be our bread: And therefore we must say: He who is our bread, is man.  
The second conception must be; that he is also God; for this bread is called living, & who is living in the sense which I have explained, but God? And therefore in that wherein he is equal unto his Father, he is living, as he himself saith, 
b joh. 6.63.  It is the Spirit that quickeneth: The flesh profiteth nothing. The flesh is his humane nature, wherein by death he is become our bread: The Spirit in his divine nature, which maketh his flesh to live, and which giveth a quickening virtue to this bread.  
The third conception must be this: The excellency & virtue of this bread floweth from the dignity of his person: And therefore this man & this God are in him one person: otherwise he could neither be bread to nourish us, nor living to quicken us. As indeed he saith of himself; not as of two, as Nestorius dreamt, but as of one, joam the living bread, which came down from heaven: Hence it is that whatsoever God did in Christ, we believe that the man did it, because Christ is a man: And whatsoever the man did in Christ, we believe that God did it, because Christ is God. Example. When Christ was on earth speaking to Nicodemus as he was a man, he said that even than 
c joh. 3.13.  he was in heaven, because in him man is God. Again, the Apostle saith, that 
d Act. 20.28  God hath purchased the Church with his own blood: because in Christ God is a man: Christ in the Sacrament leadeth you to this consideration, when he saith, This is MY body, broken for you: This is MY blood shed for you: meaning that it is the body and blood of him who is God, and therefore it is no wonder if the body of God be bread, if the blood of God be drink: If I say, the death of so wonderful and so excellent a person be your life. 
e Luk. 1.37.  For with God nothing shall be impossible.   

sixth CHAPTER.  
I. Seeing Christ is God, we must stand in awe of him, and obey him.  
II. We should be always ravished in admiration with his coming down from heaven.  
III. His most wonderful humiliation should be unto us a pattern of humility.  
iv In his coming to be our bread, we should acknowledge our own indignity.  
V And nevertheless accept with obedience of faith the honour of his Table.  
VI Exhortation, and Consolation.  
THIS Doctrine is fertile in instructions & comforts, which may be taken some from the person of Christ, some from the end of his coming unto us. When we consider that he which came down from heaven is the true God, we must with 
f Esa. 6.2.  the Seraphims, and with the man of GOD 
g 1 Kings. 19.13.  Elijah cover our faces; stand as we do this day, before his Majesty with fear & trembling; hear his Word with reverence, receive the Sacrament which he offereth unto us with humility and thanksgiving, and show a cheerful and holy readiness to do with obedience whatsoever he commandeth us.  
WHEN we hear that he who was 
h Heb. 7.26.  higher than the heavens, 
i Eph. 4.9.  descended into the lower parts of the earth, & was there curdled like Cheese, clothed with skin and flesh, fenced with bones & sinews: When we are taught, that he who 
k Phil. 2.6.7  being the Son of God, thought it no robbery to be equal with God, & yet notwithstanding made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, how can we choose but wonder and be astonished at his humiliation, whereat the Angels themselves are amazed, 
l joh. 1.51.  ever ascending & descending upon the son of man, 
m 1. Pet. 1.12.  ever desiring to look into this mystery, which passeth all knowledge. Because man in his pride 
n Gen. 3.5.22.  would needs be like unto God, God to make amends for that fault, by a most wonderful humiliation would needs be like unto man, yea 
o Psal. 22.6.  be a worm & no man, the reproach of men, and the despised of the people. 
p joh. 13.6.8.  Peter was astonished when he saw Christ coming unto him, with water in a Basin, and kneeling at his feet to wash them; The Creator to wash the feet of his creature, the Lord of his servant, the master of his disciple, God of man, he that made all things of nothing the feet of a worm which he had made of clay. Have we not greater matter of astonishment, when we hear and see that the same Creator of all things became a creature, he who is the eternal possessor & owner of heaven & earth, came down from heaven and was made man on earth, that he might be the bread of man in heaven? O wonderful love! O inestimable bounty! O new, O never heard of before, O peerless humility!  
WHAT precedent, what pattern of humility can we find in heaven or in earth so perfect to follow, so worthy to be followed as this is? I cannot teach you any better preparation to come this day to the Table of the LORD, than this is. O man, the Son of God descended so low that he came down from heaven, and was made the Son of man for thee: And wilt thou who art nothing but the fonne of a man, or rather a man of sin, wilt thou heap up the sum of thy sins by taking unto thyself the wings of pride, to say with the King of Assur, 
q Esa. 14.13.14.  I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God, I will be like the most high? Of whom will't thou learn humility, if thou refusest to learn it of the author of humility? These and many more may be our meditations when we consider the excellency of the person which is come down from heaven.  
WHEN we call to mind the end of his coming; When we hear now that he is come from heaven to be our bread, to be the salvation of our souls: When that truth shall be confirmed unto us in the Sacrament, if we be not more insensible than stones and rocks, we shall all acknowledge our great indignity, all cry unto God with David, 
r Psal. 144.3.  Lord, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him? Or the son of man that thou makest account of him? When King David called Mephibosheth to eat bread at his table continually, Mephibosheth bowed himself, and said, 
s 2 Sam. 9.7.8.  What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon a dead dog, such as I am? confessing his own unworthiness, although he was a King's son. How much more should we 
t Eph. 2.3.  who are by nature the children of wrath, acknowledge ourselves to be worse than dead dogs, when the King of Kings not only calleth us to eat bread at his table, but also offereth himself unto us to be our bread? Certainly we should 
u Origin homil 6. in diversos.  follow the laudable custom of the ancient Church on the Communion day, and say unto him, as the Centurion did, 
x Mat. 8.8.  Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof. Thus fare should go our humility.  
TRUE humility is the mother of obedience; Behold, saith he, I stand at the door, and knock; 
y Rev. 3.20.  If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come to him, & sup with him, and he with me. When he knocketh, shall I refuse to open unto him, because I am not worthy that he should come unto me. 
z joh. 1.11.  He came to his own: That was mercy: For they were not worthy that he should come unto them. And his own received him not: That was sin; As he said, 
a joh. 15.22.  If I had not come, and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin. 
b Mat. 22.1  The great King made the marriage of his Son, and sent his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: That was favour: And they would not come: That was ingratitude: Therefore he was wroth against them, and desiroyed them: But he gave good entertainment to the poor, blind, maimed, halt that came. For although they were not worthy to be called, he was worthy to be obeyed. We we are to day those ghefts, too too unworthy to sit at his Table, and to eat of his Supper. But seeing he saith this day to my sinful soul, as he said once to the Publican and great sinner, 
c Luk. 19.5.  Zacheus, To day I must abide at thy house; I'll make haste, as Zacheus did: I'll leap down from the Sycomore of pride: I'll run home with the feet of faith and of obedience, to prepare the lodging of my soul for the Lord of glory: I'll receive him ioysully into the house of mine heart. And he will say to my soul, This day salvation is to come to this house. O eternal wisdom of the Father, thou criest unto us to day, 
d Pro. 9.5.  Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled: O glorious spoufe of the Church, thou vouch safest to be our 
e Cant. 5.1.  honey comb and our honey our wine, our milk, and our bread, and thou criest again unto us, Eat, O friends: drink abundantly, O beloved: In this blessed Sacrament thou sayest the third time; 
f Mat. 26.26.27.  Take, eat, This is my body: drink ye all of it: This is my blood. And shall we not obey thee? Shall we not follow the example of Mephibosheth? Shall we not accept with reverence and thanksgiving the honour of thy Table, and the benefit of thy meat? Papists call not this pride, it is humility: call it not presumption: It is obedience.  
WE WHICH are invited to day to eat of this bread, know that to obey is a most acceptable sacrifice to God, and therefore let us try ourselves, and come and eat. The scripture, as I have said, maketh mention of three come of Christ. Of his coming in the flesh, in the Spirit, and in glory. The first was visible in infirmity, as the Prophet said, 
g Esa. 53.2.  When we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. The second is invisible, but yet most sensisible in the power of the holy Spirit, crying in our hearts 
h Rom. 8.15  Abba, Father: None seethe the Spirit in another: But every true Christian feeleth it in himself. 
i 2 Cor. 13.5.  know ye not your own selves, saith the Apostle, how that jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? And he saith, that 
k Rom. 8.9.  if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his, because Christ is in us by his Spirit. The third shall be visible in Majesty, when 
l Esa. 52.10  all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of the Lord. In the first 
m joh. 1.11  he came unto his own, and his own received him not: In the second he comes 
n Vers. 23.  to them that love him, and keep his words. In the third 
o Heb 9.28  he shall appear unto them that look for him unto salvation, 
p Bernard de Adnentu domini serm. 5. In primo Christus fuit redemptio nostra: In ultimo apparebit vita nostra: In isto requies est & consolatio nostra.  In his first coming he was our redemption: In the second he is our rest and consolation: In the last he shall be our life. O then, O let us thank him for his first coming whereby he hath redeemed us: Let us examine ourselves, if we love him and keep his words, that thereby we may be assured of his second coming into our hearts by his blessed and holy Spirit to comfort us. And because he is to come once again unto salvation 
q 2 Tim. 4.8.  unto all them that love his appearing, 
r Heb. 9.28.  and look for him, let us join ourselves with the Church and with the Spirit, and cry with heart & mouth, 
s Rev. 22.17.20.  Come quickly: Even so, come Lord jesus. For then if we be found having the oil of faith and charity in our 
t Math. 25.10.  Lamps, we shall enter with the bridegroom to the marriage, and know by experience that which now we know by faith, that 
u Rev. 19.7.  blessed are they which are called unto the mariage-supper of the Lamb. These are the true sayings of God; To whom with the Son & the holy Ghost be all praise, all glory, and all honour both now and evermore.  
AMEN.    

THE SECOND PART. OF THE EATERS, AND OF THE EATING OF THE LIVING BREAD.  
Preached at Otlans before the KING'S Majesty the twelfth of july. 1625.  JOHN VI. 
51. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever.  

CHAPTER I.  
I. Christ nourisheth not till he be eaten.  
II. Four parts of this Text, concerning the eaters, the bread, the manner, and the fruit of the eating thereof.  
AS BREAD, or any other food, how necessary, how sweet, how excellent soever it be, is not useful for the preservation of the life of man, till he eat it; Even so jesus Christ, although he be the living bread which came down from heaven, as he hath said in the first part of this verse; although he live a celestial and divine life, and 
a Psal. 45.2.  be fairer than all the children of men, giveth not life unto the dead, and preserveth not the life which he hath given, till he be eaten, as he himself teacheth us in this second part of this verse, If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever.  
WHERE he showeth. I. What persons may eat of this bread, in these words, any man. 2. Which is the bread whereof they must eat, if they will eat to live: Certainly it must be of this bread which is come down from heaven. 3. What necessity there is of this eating, and what is the manner thereof, to be considered in the word, Eat. 4. The fruit which he that eateth of this bread shall reap thereby: he shall live for ever: The sense of these four parts joined with the four parts of the words going before, is as if Christ had said; 
b Tolet. in Loc. Si ergo panis sum, manducanter, pasco: Si vivue sum, vitam praesto: si vivo vitam immortalem & aternam ac coelestem, vivere alios facio simili vita: Et ideo si quis manducat hunc panem, vivet in aternum.  If I be bread, I feed him that eateth: If I be living, I give life: If I live an immortal, eternal, and celestial life, I make others to live the same life: And therefore if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever. As many words, as many mysteries, which are able of themselves to stir up your religious attention without further encouraging thereunto from me.   

CHAPTER. II.  
I. Christ is bread common to all.  
II. To Gentiles and to jews according to the Prophecies,  
III. And types of the Law.  
iv Fulfilled by the death of Christ, and the preaching of the Gospel.  
V Exhortation to thanksgiving for this benefit.  
TO speak first of the Guests which may come and eat, ye may judge by these words of the Text, If any man, that this bread is not like unto 
c Exod. 12.43.  the Passeover, whereof no foreigner nor hired servant might eat: Neither is it like unto 
d Exod. 29.33.  the Show bread, whereof it was not lawful for any to eat, but for the Priests. 
Levit. 8.31.32. Levit. 24.9. Mat. 12.4.  As in it there is no leaven of sin, so is it like unto 
e Exod. 12.19.  the unleavened bread of the Passeover, whereof the stranger did eate, as well as he that was borne in the Land. As it came down from the third heaven, so is it like unto the Manna which reigned from the first heaven, and was 
f Exod. 16.16. Num. 12.4.  meat, not only to the children of Israel, but also to the mixed multitude which came out of Egypt with them: For any man may eat of it.  
FIRST any man without exception of Nation: Secondly any man without exception of any person in any Nation. The Prophets did foretell, The Types did figure, jesus Christ did affirm it should be so: The calling of the Gentiles ever since the days of the Apostles showeth that it is so. 
g Act. 10.43  All the Prophets, saith Peter, give witness unto Christ, that through his Name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. Did not God say to Eve, who is the mother of all living, that 
h Gen. 3.15  her seed should bruise the head of the Serpent? Did not Noah prophesy, that 
i Gen. 9.27.  God should enlarge (or persuade) japhet, and that he should dwell in the tents of Sem? Did not God promise to Abraham, that 
k Gen. 22.18.  in his seed all the▪ Nations of the earth should be blessed? He saith not 
l Gal. 3.16.  in his seeds, as of many, but as of one; And to thy seed which is Christ. Did not jacob foretell, that 
m Gen. 49.60.  unto Shilo should be the gathering of the people? Did not Moses forewarn the Israelites, that because 
n Deut. 32.21.  they had moved God to jealousy with that which is not God, and provoked him to anger with their vanities, he would move them to jealousy with those which are not people, and provoke them to anger with a foolish Nation. Was not that 
o Rom. 10.19.  Prophecy fulfilled in the Apostles days? When the Apostle said to the jews at jerusalem, that 
p Act. 22.21.22.23.  he was to go unto the Gentiles, they lift up their voices, cast off their clothes, threw dust in the air, and cried, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live. When the jews of Antiochia saw that he preached the Gospel to the Gentiles, 
q Act. 13.45.  they were filled with envy. It was to the Messiah that God said by David, 
r Psal. 2.8.  Ask of me, and I shall give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. It was to him also that he said by Esaiah; 
s Esa. 49.6.  It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation, unto the end of the earth: Which words when the Apostle alleged to the Gentiles of Antiochia; 
t Act. 13.48  they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord, and as many as were ordained to eternal life, believed: It was of the Gentiles that God said; 
u Esa. 65.1.  I am sought of them that asked not for me: I am found of them that sought me not: I said unto a nation that was not called by my Name, Behold me, Behold me. For so is this passage applied by the 
x Rom. 10.20.  Apostle, and must be expounded so. Of them also God said by Hosea, 
y Hos. 2.23.  I will have mercy upon he that had not obtained mercy, and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people, and they shall say, Thou art my God. This passage is so formal and clear, that by it both S. 
a Rom. 9.26  Paul and S. 
b 1 Pet. 2.10.  Peter proved the calling of the Gentiles, including them in the new covenant, and not excluding the jews, 
c Act. 13.48.  who were first called, and when 
d Rom. 11.25.  the fullness of the Gentiles shall come in, shall be called again, and saved with us, according to the Prophecy; 
e Esa. 57.19.  Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord, and I will heal him, that is to say, according to the interpretation of the Apostle, peace to the Gentiles, which 
f Eph. 2.12.17.  were strangers from the Covenants of promise, having no hope, and being without God in the world, and therefore were fare off: and peace to the jews which had the Covenants of promise, and in that respect had 
g Deut. 4.7.  God nigh unto them.  
THE one and the other was figured by the  offerings, 
h Levit. 11.11.  the blood whereof was sprinkled round about upon the Altar; to teach the people, that the blood of the Messiah was to be shed for the elect which dwell every where upon the globe of the earth. As when the high Priest did 
i Exod. 20.24. Levit. 7.34. Levit. 10.14  wave the wave offering, and shake it to and fro; and 
k Exod. 29.27.  heave up the heave offering, he figured that which Christ said, that 
l joh. 12.32 33.  if he were lifted up, he would draw all men unto him: This he said, signifying what death he should die.  
WHATSOEVER was prophesied and figured, hath been punctually fulfilled. Christ commanded his Apostles 
m Mat. 28.19.  to teach all Nations: What he commanded they did: At his death 
n Mat. 27.51.  the veil of the Temple was rend in twain from the top to the bottom, to signify that by the power of his death 
o Eph. 2.14.  the middle wall of partition between us and the jews is broken down, the enmity is abolished, and of twain we are made in him one new man. Now the 
p Rom. 1.16.  Gospel is the power of God to salvation to every one that believeth, to the jew and to the Greek. Now, according to the prediction of Christ, 
q Mat. 8.11  many come from the East and West, & sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and jacob in the kingdom of heaven, and these many are. 
r Rev. 7.4.9.  of all Nations, and kindred, and people, and tongues, as well as of jews. Now 
s Math. 15.26.27.  the dogs do no more eat the scraps of the children's bread, which fall from their Master's Table: But by a most merciful wonder are of dogs made the children of God, and sit with him at his Table. The jews were first called to this glorious feast Upon their refusal 
t Luk. 14.21.  the poor, the maimed, the halt, the blind are brought in: This was and is to the jews a heart-breaking sorrow: S 
u Act. 10.28  Peter himself at the first repined against it: 
x Act. 11. ●. 2.18.  The rest of the Apostles, & the brethren that were in judea contended with Peter about it, and when they were better informed, they spoke of it as of a great wonder. S. Paul calleth it 
y Rom. 16.25.26.  a mystery which was kept secret since the world began: for although that now by the Scriptures of the Prophets it is made known to all Nations, yet the manner thereof, that 
a Eph. 3.3.5.6.  the Gentiles should be fellow-heires, and of the same body, and partakers of the promise of God in Christ by the Gospel, not by the Law; by faith, not by Circumcision, without any observation of judaical feasts, 
Ambros. ib.  fasts, abstinences, days, and other elements of the jewish discipline, was not revealed to any of the Prophets, was not made known in other ages to the sons of men, was first revealed unto the Apostles and Prophets of their time by the Spirit. Now our little children see it and know it more clearly than Abraham the Father of the believers, than David who spoke so much of it, than all the Prophets did.  
THAT which was to the jews a heart-sorrow, to the Prophets a book sealed, to the Apostles a mystery, to the first Christians of judea a wonder, is to us our salvation: Shall it not also be our joy, and the matter of our thanksgiving? 
b Rom. 9.23.24.  God hath made known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he afore had prepared unto glory: Even us whom he hath called, not of the jews only, but also of the Gentiles. And shall not we hearken to the exhortation of the Apostle, and 
c Rom. 15.9.11. Psal. 117.  glorify God for his mercy? As it is written, O praise the Lord, all ye Nations: Praise him all ye people: For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. When Christ was borne in Bethlehem, which is interpreted the house of bread, to be the living bread to the dead, the Angels of heaven who for their own particular had no interest in his birth, joined themselves in a great host to praise God, saying and singing, 
d Luk. 2.14.  Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men: And shall not we who are these men for whom he is come, we who feed every day on him, sing praise glory, and honour to God who hath sent him to be our bread, and hath called us to eat of this bread? Shall we not say and sing with David, 
e Psa. 18.49.  Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the Heathen, and sing praises unto thy Name.   

CHAPTER III.  
I. All kind of persons in any Nation may eat of the living bread, according to the Prophecies and types of the Law.  
II. And the doctrine of the Gospel.  
III. Three uses of this doctrine.  
IS 
f Rom: 3.29  GOD the God of the jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles? Yea of the Gentiles also, and of any man amongst jews and Gentiles without distinction of persons; According to the prophecy of Esaiah, 
g Esa. 60.3.  The Gentiles shall come to thy light, and Kings to the brightness of thy rising. Not Kings only, but Kings aswell as men of meaner sort: but men of mean condition, aswell as Kings: 
h Psal. 22.26.29.  The meek shall eat, and be satisfied: All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship. Under the Law there were sacrifices not only for but also for poor men. He which had not 
l Levit. 1.3.10.14.  a bullock of the heard to offer, came with a Lamb or a kid of the flock, and was accepted. And 
m Levit. 12.6.8.  the woman which after her purification was not able to bring a Lamb and a Pigeon for her oblation, was quit for two turtles, or two young pigeons. For Christ is a propitiatory Sacrifice for rich and poor, men and women: And as all persons of all qualities, which were bitten with the fiery Serpents in the wilderness, were healed, when they looked upon the Serpent of brass which Moses had set upon a pole, according to the Word of God, 
n Num. 21.8.  Every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall line. 
o joh. 3.14 15.  Even so, said Christ of himself, must the Son of man he lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have eternal life.  
THE graces of God belonging to this life are differently and in several fashions distributed unto men: to some in a lesser, to some in a greater scantling: Some have one thing, some have another. Great is the glory of the King: That glory doth not belong to any of his Subjects: Some are rich, more are poor: some learned, more ignorant: some honourable, a great deal more are without honour. God will have it to be so, and it is necessary that it should be so, for the preservation of the society of mankind. It is not so in spiritual graces which belong to salvation. For as the Sun, the Moon, the stars, the fire, the air, the water, the earth, which are the most useful creatures of God, are common to all, young and old, men and women, Subjects and Kings, poor and rich, wise and ignorant: so Gods saving graces are enjoyed in common of all his elect. For 
p 1 Tim. 2.4  God will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth, that is, men of all conditions and qualities; Kings, Governors, & men of note, as well as other men. Not rich men only. For 
q Mat. 11.5  the poor have the Gospel preached to them: Not men by age only: For Christ said, 
r Mat. 19.14.  Suffer little children, and forbidden them not to come unto me: For of such is the kingdom of heaven. Not men only as opposed to women. For S. Peter saith of women, that 
s 1 Pet. 3.7.  they are heirs together of the grace of life: And of all conditions S. Paul saith, 
t Gal. 3.28. Col. 3.11.  that there is neither jew nor Greek there is neither Circumcision nor uncircumcision, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female, but we are all one in Christ jesus. All are baptised with one and the same water: All hear the same word: All in the Lord's Supper are partakers of one bread, and drink of one cup; and when our night shall come, we shall all receive one penny of eternal life. 
u Act. 10.34.35.  For God is no respecter of persons, but in every Nation, he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness is accepted with him.  
WHEREFORE let not the great ones despise the little ones: 
1. Use.  They have nothing more: Let not the little ones repine at the excellency of the great ones: They have nothing less. We are all 
x Eph. 2.19  fellow-Citizens with the Saints, and of the household of God: We are all 
s Rom. 8.17  heirs of God, and joint-heires with Christ.  
Let us all rather seek the conversion of those which as yet come not to one table with us. 
2. Use.  For 
t jam. 5.20.  he that converteth a sinner from the error of his way, shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. And when God hath opened the eyes of any one, and turned him from darkness to light, let us give thanks for him, 
u Gal. 1.22.23.24.  as the Churches of judea, which were in Christ, glorified God in Paul, when they heard that he preached the faith, which once he had destroyed.  
And looking for a blessing upon our godly endeavours & careful labours that way, 
3. Use.  let us in the mean time bow the knees of our hearts, and open our mouths with thanksgiving to the heavenly Father, 
x Col. 1.12.13.  who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light, hath delivered us from the power of darkness, hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son, & there hath covered the Table unto us, that there we may eat perpetually of this bread.   

CHAPTER IU.  
I. Christ is the bread whereof we must eat.  
II. As he is God and man in one person.  
III. In this sense S. Cyrillus saith that we are united with Christ corporally and spiritually.  
iv Our union with him beginneth by his manhood.  
WHAT this bread is, Christ hath showed in the first part of this Verse, saying, I am the living bread which came down from heaven, whereunto he addeth in this second part of the Verse, If any man eat of this bread, speaking still of himself. And therefore 
y Eras. in Loc. Hunc locum veteres interpretantur de doctrina coelesti.  this bread is not this doctrine, as Erasmus saith, although he allege the authority of the Fathers: Why Christ is called bread, Why living, how it is said that he came down from heaven, I declared in the exposition of these words; yet not so fully, but that I left a gleaning for this place.  
SING Christ speaketh of the eating of this bread, we must exactly distinguish between the object of our eating, and the action whereby we eat. For nature itself teacheth us that bread is one thing, and to eat is another: Bread is a bodily substance out of us. To eat is an action of ours, whereby bread is applied unto us, and changed into our substance. Therefore we must first know what, and next how we must eat. That which we must care, is this bread: It is Christ as he is God and man: Not as he is God only: For so he is not bread: But is so fare from us, that we cannot come near him. Not also as he is man only: For so he is not living. Saith he not, that it is 
a joh. 6.63.  the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing? It is his Godhead, called the Spirit, which quickeneth his manhood, and maketh it quickening unto us. For 
b Heb. 9.14.  through the eternal Spirit, he offered himself without spot to God: And 
c 1 Pet. 3.18.  being put to death in the flesh, he was quickened by the Spirit, and so was enabled to quicken us. 
Similitude  As wood in itself is not able to warm us: But if fire come unto it, it receiveth heat in itself, and by that heat warmeth all those that come near unto it. Even so the manhood of Christ hath no quickening life of its own self, but by the virtue of the Godhead united unto it, it is able to quicken all the men of the world, if they did come near unto it.  
THIS was the meaning of S. Cyrillus, when disputing against Nestorius who divided Christ, he said that we are united unto Christ 
d Cyrill. advers Nestor. lib. 4. c. 5.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, divinely and humanely: 
e Idem in joh lib. 11. cap. 27.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, corporally and spiritually, that is to say, according to his own interpretation which Papists have omitted in their translations, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, entirely. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: And corporally as he is MAN: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Spiritually also as he is GOD. This is worthy to be observed against Papists, which will have the words corporally and Spiritually to be expounded of the manner of our union with Christ: whereas S. Cyrillus expoundeth them of the object of this union, which is the body and the Spirit; the manhood and the Godhead of Christ, for he is one with us in both natures. Even as the same author saith, that 
f Idem adv. Nestor lib. 4. cap. 6.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, we are sanctified and revived spiritually and corporally, that is to say, not only in our spirits, but also in our bodies, because, saith he, 
g 1 Cor. 15 53.  this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 
h Ex Theodoreto dialogo. 2.  So S. Ignace saith, that Christ is joined to the Father, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, carually and spiritually, i.e. both in his humane and divine nature, and not partly by a carnal, partly by a divine manner: For the manner of the union of Christ with the Father, is wholly divine: And so also the manner of our union with him is altogether divine, and spiritual. Dare Papists say that we are joined with Christ naturally, although Cyrillus saith that our union with him 
i Cyril. in johan. lib. 11. cap. 26.  is natural? Yet he speaketh so, because our nature is joined with his natures; as he prooveth, because 
k 1 Cor. 10.27.  the Church is Christ's body, and we are members of Christ in particular. So then in regard of the objects which are united, this union is natural, real, substantial, corporal, spiritual, because his whole person is joined with ours: And therefore I say that we must eat Christ, not only as bread, but also as living. And if as man he is bread, and as God is living, we must eat him in both natures together: For in both natures he is our Mediator, and the bread whereby we live.  
YET in this eating we must observe an order. Like 
l Gen. 28.11.  jacobs' ladder, by his manhood he toucheth the earth: By his God head he toucheth heaven: And by both united together he joineth the earth with heaven, reconcileth man with God, obtaineth to us the service of the Angels of God, which 
m joh. 1.51  ascend and descend upon him, and by him upon us: But in such sort that by him as he is man, they alcend from us, and goto him as he is God: and from him as he is God, descend unto us by him as he is man. In the same order do we eate him, and abide in him, and he in us. 
n Aug. in joh. trac. 42. Adnentus eius humanitas eius: Mansio eius divinit as eius. Divinitas eius quo imus: Humanitas eius qua imus: Nisi nobis fieret qua iremus, nunquam ad illum manentem perveniremus.  He cometh unto us, saith S. Austin, by his humanity: He abideth with us by his divinity. His divinity is that whereunto we go: His humanity is that whereby we go. If he were not unto us the way whereby we may go, we should never come unto him, in that wherein he abideth with us. But because I have spoken of this bread largely enough upon the first part of the Verse, I leave it, to come to the third part of my division, which is,    

OF THE EATING of the living Bread, and of the manner thereof.  

CHAPTER V.  
I. To eat Christ, is to be united unto him.  
II. Necessity of our union with Christ.  
III. Expressed in the Scripture by many similitudes, and in the sixth of S. john by the similitude of Eating.  
iv All Papists hold that Christ is eaten in the Sacrament with the mouth of the body.  
V The litter all sense is not always to be followed.  
VI When it is lawful, when not to ask How.  
VII. Papists agree not among themselves concerning diverse circumstances of the bodily eating.  
TO EAT, is to chew and work the meat with our teeth, if it be  and strong; to sup and swallow it down, if it be liquid, to receive it into our stomaches, to digest it there till it be turned into blood, and changed into the substance of all the parts of our bodies, that thereby this our mortal life may be maintained, which otherwise should decay and perish. Even so, saith Christ, 
a joh. 6.53.54.  Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you: And of those that eat him he saith; Who so eateth my stesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. Whereby it is easy to be understood, that this eating and drinking is a certain action, whereby Christ is united unto us so near, that we suck life out of him, yea that he himself beommeth 
b Col. 3 4.  our life, as the Apostle calleth him. 
c Aug. Confess l. 7. c. 10. Nec tu me in te mutabis, sicut cibum carnis tuae, sed tu mutaberis in me.  It is true that the bread of the earth when we eat it, cannot feed us, till it be changed into our bodies, because we are more excellent than it is: But the bread which came down from heaven, is more excellent than we are, and therefore that we may be fed by it, we are changed into it, & made members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. Even as the fire turneth into fire all things that feed on it.  
THIS leadeth us by the hand to the consideration of the necessity of the eating of this bread, that is to say, of our union and communion with Christ. Our felicity is to be joined with GOD, 
d Psal. 36.9  with whom is the fountain of life. But 
e Esa. 59.2.  sin separateth between us and our God. For 
f 1 joh. 1.1.5.  he is light, and in him there is no darkness at all: 
g Eph. 5.8.  we are darkness, and in us by nature there is no light at all 
h 2 Cor. 6.15.  What communion hath light with darkness? O Lord, thou hast made us for thine own self, that sticking fast unto thee, we may be blessed by thee: But lo by our sin we 
i Eph. 2.11.12.13.  are far off, and 
k Psal 73.27.28.  lo, they that are far from thee, shall perish. But it is good for us to draw near unto thee, neither is our heart at rest till it return unto thee. Tell us then, o Lord, how shall we be again joined with thee? The Son, the Word, the Wisdom of God answereth, 
l joh 14.6.  No man comes unto the Father, but by me. And S. Paul telleth us why, and how, saying, 
m Eph. 2.13  Now in Christ jesus, ye who sometimes were fare off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ. Ask ye why? Because by the blood of his sacrifice, he hath satisfied the justice of God, assuaged the burning fire of his indignation, and made atonement for us, as 
n Heb. 7 22.  Surety and 
o Heb. 9.15.  Mediator of the new Testament. Ask ye how? Because we are in him. He is our 
p Exod. 28.11.12.30.  high Priest, who beareth us upon his shoulders, and upon his heart before the Lord, 
q 1 joh. 5.11.12.  who hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son: He that hath the Son, hath life: and he that hath not the Son, hath not life. For as 
r Math 13.44.  he who found a treasure hid in a field, could not claim any right unto it, till he bought the field: So cannot we challenge 
s Col. 2.3.  the treasures of wisdom & knowledge, and of that 
t joh. 1.16.  fullness of graces which is in Christ, till he himself be ours: and so ours, that we be in him, and one with him by a most real union of his person with our persons.  
EVEN as 
u Rom. 6.5.  the graft is one tree with the stock wherein it is graffed; 
x joh. 15.1.  the vine and the branches are one plants, 
y 1 Cor. 12.12.  the head and the members are one body, 
a Eph. 5.31.32.  the husband and the wife are one flesh, 
b Eph 2.20.21.  the foundation and the stones builded upon it, are one Temple; and to come to the similitude of my Text, the bread which was no part of us, because it is without us, when it is eaten becometh a part of our flesh, and of our bodies. So ye see, not only by the similitude of eating, but also by all the rest, that our union with Christ is so necessary, that as a man cannot live without meat, nor a house stand without a foundation, no more can we live, stand, and withstand in the evil day, without our union with Christ, according to his own saying, 
c joh. 15.5.  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same briugeth forth much fruit: for without me (or severed from me) ye can do nothing. Ye see also that he is united with us in all that is his, i in both his natures: 
d Eph. 5.30.  In his manhood: for we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones: And in his Godhead: For 
e 1 Cor. 6.7.  he that is joined unto the Lord, is one Spirit. Likewise we are united with him in all that is ours, i. not only in our souls, but also in our bodies, as the Apostle saith, 
f 1 Cor. 6.15.  Know we not that your bodies are the members of Christ?  
IF THIS had been diligently and religiously observed, there should not be any controversy between Papists & us about the manner of the eating of Christ. for if to eat Christ be no other thing but to unite Christ unto ourselves; if we know how we are united with him, we cannot choose but know how we eat him. If we be one with him corporally, that is, after an outward and corporal manner, than we care him corporally: But if our union with him be spiritual, doubtless the mouth wherewith we eat him, must be a spiritual mouth▪ Papists say that our eating of Christ is both spiritual and corporal: That out of the Sacrament it is spiritual: And many Papists, as 
g Biel supper can. Miss. lect. 8●.  Gabriel Biel, 
h ●a●●tan. in 3 part. q 80. art. vlt.  Caietan, 
i Cusan epist. 7. ad Bohemos.  Cusanus, 
k janseni concordant▪ c 59  jansenius, 
l Tapper explicat▪ art. 15 Lovaniens.  Tapper, 
m Hessel. in lib▪ de common. sub unaspecie.  Hesselius, and others, acknowledge that Christ in this whole Chapter speaketh of the spiritual eating only. 
n Bellarm. de Eucharist. lib. 1. cap. 5.  Bellarmin with the rest of the Society, and other Popish Doctors grant that we must take in that sense all the words of Christ from the seven and twentith unto the one and fifty verse, which now I expound. But that from henceforth beginning at the one & fifty verse unto the end of the Chapter, Christ speaketh of the Eucharist: which opinion Cusanus refuteth by these words of Christ, vers. 53. Exceptye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you, saying that 
o Cusan. epist. 7. ad Bohem. Necesse est● quod si de▪ omnibus sanctis debet▪ verificari, qui habent vitamillam divinan, quod non imelligitur de visibili seu Sacramentali manducatione, sed de spirituali.  if they must be verified of all the Saints which have this divine life, they must not be under stood of the visible or Sacramental, but of the spiritual eating. Which is true: Yet all Papists agree that in the Sacrament Christ is eaten not only spiritually by faith, but also corporally by the mouth of the body, in such sort that the true body of Christ entereth into their mouths, and is received into their stomaches. If ye ask how they can believe such a monstrous Doctrine? They answer, that Christ affirmeth in this Chapter, that we must eat his flesh, & drink his blood: And that in the Sacrament he hath commanded us to eat his body, saying, Take, eat, This is my bidy: To refuse to eat him, were disobedience: To ask how, is incredulity, like unto that of the jews of Capernaum, 
p joh 6▪ 52. Rhennsta.  who striven amongst themselves, saying, HOW can this man give us his flesh to eat? This, say they, is the literal sense, and this sense they will follow.  
BUT first, if the literal sense must be always followed, why believe they not, as the Anthropomorphits did, that God hath a body as we have, seeing God saith that he hath eyes, ears, hands, feet, & c? Why shake they not hands with the Arrians, and deny Christ to be God, because he himself said, 
q joh. 14.28  My Father is greater than I? Certainly if they had been in Nicodemus his place, they would not have asked of Christ, 
r joh. 3.4.  How can a man be borne when he is old? but said unto him, Lord seeing thou hast said that we must be borne again, we believe that we shall enter the second time into our mother's womb, and be borne again. And if they had been standing by the Samaritane Woman, they would have naught her to believe that Christ is real and substantial water, because he called himself water: May they not also with as good reason expound literally, that which 
s Pro. 9.5.  the Wisdom in the Proverbs, 
t Cant. 5.1.  the Spouse in Salemons Song, 
u Esa. 55.1  God in Esaiah speaketh of the furnishing of their Table with beasts, honey, milk, bread, and wine? And when God saith, 
x Psal. 81.10  Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it, 
y Cant 5.1.  eat, drink abundantly, if we must always cleave to the leaves of the words, we must prepare our throats & our bellies, and drink stoutly till we be drunk.  
SECONDLY, if those speeches must be taken allegorically of meat and drink of another kind than those which are earthly and usual amongst us, it is no offence to ask how we may be made partakers of them. To ask how the things which GOD alone doth may be done, as how he created the world, How the Word was made flesh, etc. is a most horrible sin: 
a August. ad Volusian. Epist. 3. In talibus rebus Iota ratio factiest potentia facientia.  For in such things all the reason of that which is done, is the power of the doer. And therefore Zacharias sinned, when he asked, 
b Luk. 1.18.20.  How shall I knew this? for I am an old man, and my wise well strucken in years. But when any thing is to be done by us, it is not diffidence, is not curiosity, it is docility, it is duty to ask How we should do it, that we may do it well, and according to the will of the commander, so that we go to him, and ask counsel at his mouth, how he will have it to be done. The jews of Capernaum 
c Cyrill. in joh. lib. 3. cap. 30. Et lib. 4. c. 14.  through presumption and arrogancy, asked 
d joh. 6.52.60.67.  how Christ might give them his flesh to eat, and calling his speech an hard saying, went back, and walked no more with him, whereas 
e Chrysost. in joh. hom. 46.  they should have remained with him, and not departed, they should have asked, and not despaired. O thrice and four times happy had they been, if they had propounded to Christ an How of docility, as Nicodemus did, when having a good conceit of Christ, esteeming him so wise that he said nothing absurdly, and not understanding his words, asked of him, 
f joh. 3.4.  How they should be understood, & was instructed. How more happy had they been, if they had come to Christ with an How of faith, as Maneah did to the Angel, saying, 
g judg. 13.12.  Now let thy words come to pass: How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him? And as the Virgin Mary did, when believing the words of the Angel Gabriel that she should be the mother of the Son of God, & not knowing if any action of hers should concur with the power of God in that work, she asked, 
h Luk. 1.34.  How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? So we believe that we must eat Christ: For seeing he hath said it, is there any Christian that dare deny it? This eating is commanded unto us, and to be done by us. Therefore to ask how we should do it, and to be careful that we sinne not by doing it amiss, is docility and faith.  
THIRDLY, Papists themselves, when they are hoarse with crying against us, because we ask and teach how Christ is eaten, seek in their own brains the exposition of this How, and decide the question in words so monstrous, that we could not believe it, if they were not written in their own books. NICOLAS the II. Pope of Rome, and a Council of an hundred and fourteen Bishops which he assembled at Rome in the year of Christ 1059. constrained Berengarius to confess, that 
i Decret. 3. part. de consecrat. dist. 2. can. 42. Ego Berengarius. Scilicet panem & vinum, quae in altari ponuntur, post confecrationem, non s●lum sacramentum, sed etiam verum corpus & sanguinem domini nostri jesu. Christi esse, & sensualiter, non solum sacramentum, sed in veritate manibus sacerdotum tractari, frangi, & fidelium dentibus atteri.  not only the Sacrament, but also the true body of our Lord jesus Christ, is truly and sensibly handled and broken with the hands of the Priests, and is brayed with the teeth of the faithful. This canon is against the Scripture, which saith joh. 19.36. that a bone of him shall not be broken. And therefore the Roman Doctors, departing from their maxim, That the Pope and the Counsels approved by him cannot err, say that Christ without any such bruising goeth down from the mouth to the stomach whole and entire, but hid under the accidents of the bread. There is in S. Bernard's works a Sermon de Coenadomini, of the Lords Supper, but it is none of his: In it the author saith, Speciem panis rodit aliquando sorex paruissimus: Christianus recipit etiam pessimus: virtutem gratiae spiritualis non nisi praedestinatus recipit. A little mouse sometimes gnaweth the spece of bread, & a lewd Christian receiveth it also: whereas he only who is predestinated receiveth the virtue of the spiritual grace. By the speces of bread he understandeth the accidents thereof, such as are the colour, the smell, the savour, the weight, and such like; but it would be a good piece of learning to tell us how a mouse can gnaw, and a wicked man eat accidents.  
THOMAS the Angelical Doctor of the Roman Church maintaineth that not only wicked men, but also fowls, 
Tho. 3. parte q. 80. art. 3. ad ●ni. De defectibus occurrentib circa Missam.  beasts and worms may eat Christ's body in the Sacrament, and in all the Masse-bookes many instructions are given to the Priests what must be done with the mouse which hath eaten Christ's body, and with the body of Christ, which the Priest or a sick man hath vomited.  
If ye ask how long he continueth there? They answer to that also. The Priest praying in the Mass that 
k Adhareat visceribus meis.  it may stick fast to his bowels, thinketh that he continueth for ever in his body. 
l Glossa in can. 23 Tribus gradibus, Certum est quod species quam cito dentibus teruntur, tam cito in coelum rapitur corpus Christi.  The Canonists say, that as soon as the species (or visible accidents) are bruised with the teeth, his body is ravished into heaven, as if he were afraid of a snatch by the way. 
m Thom. 3. part. q. 80. art. 3. conclus. Bellarm. de Eucharist. lib. 14. c. 1.  Thomas and the most part of the rest say, that he abideth in the stomach till the species or accidents under which his body was hid be consumed, that is, as long time as would be needful to the natural heat to digest the bread whereof they are the accidents, if it were in the stomach. This is their explication of the how the body of Christ is eaten in the Sacrament, wherein they omit to tell us how it goeth out again. But we say that this manner of the eating of the body of Christ▪ is impossible in itself, indecent and injurious to Christ, and unprofitable to the eaters.   

CHAPTER. VI Six reasons why it is impossible to eat Christ with the mouth of the body.  
YE have sundry ways to know that it is impossible. 1. 
n Chrysost. 1 Cor. 11. homil. 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  S. Chrysostome exhorteth us to eat, to drink, to put on Christ, Showing that those three must be done by one and the same action. But by the mouth we cannot put him on: Therefore by the mouth we cannot eat and drink him. Extend this argument to all the rest of the similitudes, whereby our union with Christ is expressed. The union of clothes with the body, and of stones with the foundation is artificial and outward: The union of the head with the members, of the vine with the branches is natural and inward: The union of the husband with his wife, is civil, and enforceth not any proximity or touching of bodies, as the rest do: For they remain one flesh, although they be as far separated as the East is from the West. If a bodily manner of conjunction with Christ, cannot be enforced by those similitudes, because it should be at one time outward and inward, natural, civil, and artificial, which is impossible: Let Papists tell why it should be enforced by the similitude of eating? If by the similitude of eating, why not also by the rest? Here they are muffled and cannot answer. 
* Cusan epist. 7. ad. Bohemos. Cr●dere igitur, baptizari, manducare, & bibere, et quicquid similiter per Christum dicitur, non habet in spirituali intellectu differentiam, sed unum solum est, quodper omnia talia varie exprimuntur, scilicet quotquot receperunt eum, dedit eis potest●tem filios dei fieri ijs qui credunt in nomine eius.  Cusanus one of their own confesseth, that all those similitudes, and whatsoever Christ saith after that manner, hath no difference in the spiritual understanding, but it is one thing which by all such things is diversely expressed, to wit, As many as received him, to them gave the power to become the Sons of God, to them that believe on his Name.  
SECONDLY, in the Sacrament he giveth himself, not as glorified in heaven, but as dead upon the cross, as he said, 
o 1 Cor. 11.24.  This is my body which is broken for you: 
p Mar. 14.24  This is my blood which is shed for many: Do this in remembrance of me. Which commandment the Apostle explaineth saying, 
q 1 Cor. 11 26.  For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lords death till he come. He did give himself to the Apostles so, and they received him so. For he was not then glorified. Should we desire to receive him otherways then they did? To receive him so with the mouth of the body it is impossible, because he is not now dead, but 
r Rom. 6.10  liveth unto God. This argument prevents all replies.  
THIRDLY, if Christ were in the Sacrament, wicked men, yea worms, mice, dogs, asses, and other beasts might eat him. But that is impossible, saith 
s Origin, in Math. 15. Verus cibus quem nullus malus potest edere.  Origines, because if they did eat him, they should abide in him, as he saith, vers. 56. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him: and abiding in him they should live for ever, as he saith in my Text, If any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever, and so often in the verses preceding and following: Which moved 
t De consecrat. dist. 2. can 65 Qui discordat a Christo, nec carnem eius manducat, nec sanguinem bibit, etiam si tantae rei Sacramentum ad iudicium suae praesumptionis quotidiè indifferenter accipiat.  S. Austin to say, that he who is discordant from Christ, eateth not his flesh, and drinketh not his blood, although he receive daily the Sacrament of so great a thing to the condemnation of his own presumption. As likewise he saith of the Apostles, that 
u Idem in johan trac. 59 Illi manducabant panem dominum: Ille panem domini contra dominum: Illi vitam, ille poenam.  they did eat the bread which is the Lord, and of judas, that he did eat the bread of the Lord against the Lord, They life, he pain.  
FOURTHLY, the Lord himself seeing that many of his Disciples took his words carnally, as if he had spoken of a corporal eating of his body, 
x Athan. de verb. Christi Qui dixerit verbum contra filium hominis: Quomodo fieri posset ut totus mundus ederet de carne ipsius, quae non sufficeret paucis hominibus: Ideo dominus de carnis suae manducatione loquens, sui in coelum ascensus meminit, ut a corporali eos manducatione abstraheret, & vel inde discerent carnem Christi esse cibum coelestem, et in alimonian spiritualem dare.  to draw them away from bodily eating, and to teach them that his flesh is a heavenly meat, and is given to be spiritual food, he maketh mention of his ascension into heaven, saying, vers. 61.62. Doth this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? arguing, This is a strong reason, that 
y Ibiden trac. 27. Vel tunc videbitis quod non eo modo quo putatis erogat corpus suum.  vel tunc intelligetis quod gratia eius non consumitur morfibus.  he giveth not his body after the manner which they imagined. z For the heavens must receive him, until the time of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets, because there a he appeareth in the presence of God, and b maketh intercession for us, and cannot come out of that Holy place, till his intercession be ended, which will not be till the world's end. For 
c Heb. 8.4.  if he were on earth, he should not be a Priest. But he is a Priest: and therefore, saith he himself, 
d Math. 24.23.26.  If any man say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there, believe it not: Behold he is in the desert, go not forth; behold he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 
z Act 3.21.  
a Heb 9.24.  in the secret chambers, 
b Ro. 8.34.  (as when Papists say he is in the chapel, on the Altar in the box) believe it not: Believe rather S. Paul who saith, that 
e 2 Cor. 5.6.16.  whiles we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord, and henceforth know him no more after the flesh, and according to his exhortation, 
f Col. 3.1 2.  seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God: set your affection on things above, not on things on earth. 
g Bernard, de Aduentu domini serm. 1. Incassum laboraret erigere corda nostra, nisi collocatum in coelis salutis nostra doceret autorem.  In vain would he labour to heave up our hearts to heaven, if the author of our salvation were not in heaven. Yea most preposterously should he endeavour to withdraw our hearts from the earth, if Christ were on earth. For 
h Math. 6.21.  where your treasure is, there will your hearts be also.  
Fiftly, if the eating of Christ with the mouth of the body were possible, his manhood might be separated from his Godhead, his soul from his body, and the life which is in him from his person. Can his Godhead which is infinite be received in our bodies? Can his soul which is a spirit enter into our stomaches? Can his quickening life which cannot be without his Godhead, go where the Godhead will not go? Certainly, if it were possible to eat him, the mouth of our body could eat nothing of him but his body: And what is a body without a soul, but a corpse? if than Christ 
i Rom. 6.9.  being raised from dead, he dieth no more, death hath no more dominion over him, it is impiety to think, it is blasphemy to say that his body may be eaten corporally.  
AND why, I pray you, doth the Priest when he showeth the host to the people, cry, Sursum corda? Why doth the people answer, Habemus ad dominum, but because they acknowledge that even when the Sacrament is given, Christ is in heaven, and is not in his body elsewhere? So all that they prattle of the possibility and reality of his bodily presence in the Eucharist, is like a spider's web, which is swept away with the first blast of the truth.   

CHAPTER VII.  
I. The bodily eating is indecent and injurious to Christ.  
II. The reply of the Adversaries impertinent.  
III. The same eating is unprofitable to the eaters.  
CERTAINLY although it were possible, it is undecent, and injurious to jesus Christ. Are the accidents of a crust a convenient garment to cover the Son of God? Is it fit that he who upholdeth all things by the word of his power, should be borne between the fingers of a Priest, who is in perpetual fear lest he fall? Are the stomaches of men, which are puddles of infection, Temples well suiting the Lord of glory? The Cherubims and Seraphims, all the Angels of God worship and serve him in heaven. The devils themselves stoop and bow down their heads before him from the lower hells, and men which are no better than Grashoppes put him to an open shame, maintaining, as I have said, that not only wicked men, but also fowls, beasts, & worms may eat him. 
l Thom. 3. q. 80. art. 3. Quidan dixerunt quod statim cum Sacramentum tangitur a mure vel cane, desinit ibi corpus esse Christi, quod etiam derogat veritati Sacramenti. Alexan. Halens. part. 4. sum. q. 45. in 1. & q. 53. in 2.  To let you see how fare the God of this world hath blinded them, they dare say that this blasphemous divinity derogateth nothing from the glory of our Lord jesus Christ.  
WHY? 
m Thom. ibi.  Because forsooth he was crucified by sinners without any diminution of his dignity, yea was by 
n Math. 4.5.8.  the devil transported from one place to another. But these things did befall him in the days of his flesh: Then he came to be tempted, to be abused and crucified by wicked men: Then 
o Heb. 4.15.  he was in all things tempted like as we are, yet without sin. But now 
p Eph. 1.20.21.  he sitteth at the right hand of his Father in the heavenly places, fare above all principalities, and power, and might, and dominion. Now 
q Heb. 2.7.  he is crowned with glory and honour. Now 
r Phil. 2 9 10.  God hath highly exalted him, and given him a Name which is above every name, that at the Name of jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth. And shall he now, now be in a worse case than he was in his greatest infirmity? For than he did not enter into men's bellies, and did not fear the gnawing of worms, nor the teeth of mice, nor the intrals of beasts.  
What? say Papists, is not God every where, and is not defiled? True. But the body of Christ is not. It is a true body: Therefore if it be in the body of a man, or of a beast, it must touch them: And it cannot touch them, but it must be defiled by them. They ask again, Doth not the light of the Sun enlighten the whole air? Is it not spread over the whole earth? Shineth it not in the most infected places, and is not infected? True also. For the light in the Sun and in the air is not a body, it is an accident. But the body of Christ is a true body. If the Sun itself were upon a dunghill, it should be soiled, as well as the air wherein the light is. So the body of Christ if it touch our bodies must necessarily be contaminated: And although it were not, I say that it cannot be lodged in the stinking bellies of men or beasts, but it must be dishonoured: Wherefore I conclude, that this eating of the body of Christ, is not only impossible, but also indecent & outrageous to Christ.  
WHAT although it were possible? What although Christ were not dishonoured by it? I ask cui bono? The least of the works of GOD hath some use: This which is thought to be one of the most wonderful, hath none at all. Christ must overturn the whole order of nature, he must be subject to the intention of a Priest, he must be at once in heaven & on earth, he must contract his body to the capacity of a little round crust, and have his head in his feet, and all the parts of his body pellemelled: He must be kept in a box, and often tarry there till he get a white coat. To what purpose so many monstrous wonders? To save men? No, no. Many men since the beginning of the world till Christ have been saved without this eating. Many every day go to heaven without it. Many wicked men are damned with it. Those who communicate every day, reap no profit by it. For no meat doth good, except it stick to him that eateth it: Whereas the body of Christ doth not continue in them. But it must scour to heaven as fast as it came from it, having no longer leave to stay then till the accidents be consumed, and giving no odds in Paradise to them who are every other day so careful to receive it. For what end do we eat our daily bread? To sustain our lives. For what end must we eat the bread which came down from heaven, must jesus Christ enter into us? He himself answereth saying, 
s joh. 6.57.  He that eateth me, even he shall live by me, and that for ever, as he saith in my Text. And yet Papists confess that to have his body in our bodies, bringeth no such advantage to any man. The Virgin Mary had him nine months in her womb, and Elizabeth said unto her, 
t Luk. 1.45.  Blessed is she that believed. And when a woman said unto Christ, 
u Luk. 11.27.28.  Blessed is the womb that bore thee, and the papes which thou hast sucked, he rejected that saying with this answer; Yea blessed are they that hear the Word of God, and keep it, showing that it is not the having of his body in our bodies, but the having of him and of his word in our hearts by faith and obedience that quickeneth and blesseth us. Which I will prove, declaring first, the true manner how CHRIST giveth this bread, and next how we receive it.   

CHAPTER VIII.  
I. We must learn of Christ how he giveth himself, and how we receive him.  
II. Christ giveth himself unto us by his Spirit.  
III. To be in Christ, and to have the Spirit of Christ are equivalent in the Scriptures.  
iv We have no real union with Christ in the Sacraments but by the Spirit.  
V It is easy to the Spirit to unite us unto Christ.  
VI We must pray for the Spirit.  
WE shall not go astray, if in this point, and all others, we follow the counsel of S. 
x Cyrill. in joh. lib. 4. c. 13. Quaerendum enim ita semper est, ut apud cum habitemus, & ad alienas sententias non defer amur.  Cyrillus, and make inquiry in such sort, that we dwell with God, and be not carried about with the opinions of men. Papists believe that they must eat Christ, because he hath said it. We believe it likewise. But when he telleth us also, how he giveth himself, and how we must eat him, they stop their ears, and will not hear: we must not do so: we must say unto him as Samuel did to GOD, 
y 1 Sam. 3.9.  Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth. He of all can best tell how he giveth himself, and how we receive him. And what he answereth to both questions must be true.  
TO THE first he answereth in the 63. verse of this Chapter, saying, It is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing, the words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit and they are life, i. they must be understood of the spirit, which is 
a Rom. 8.2.  the Spirit of life, quickening the flesh of Christ, and 
b Aug. in johan. tract. 27. Ergospiritus est qui vivificat. Spiritus evim facit viva membra.  making all the members of his body to live by a spiritual union with him. He had said before vers. 56. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. And S. john saith, that 
c 1 joh. 4.13.  hereby know we, that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. It is then by the Spirit that he giveth himself unto us, and dwelleth in us. And this giving of himself unto us by his Spirit is so incompatible with his bodily presence, that he averred for a most certain truth, that 
d joh. 16.7.  it was expedient that he should go away; For if I go not away, said he, the Cemforter will not come unto you: but if I depart, I will send him unto you: And what to do? 
e joh. 14.16.17.18.  To abide with you for ever. And this abiding of his Spirit with us, is his abiding with us, as he saith in the next verse, I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you.  
THIS IS so true, that in the new Testament to be in Christ, and to have the Spirit of Christ, are equivalent: The Apostle averreth, that 
f Rom. 8.9.10.  if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is not his: Whereunto he addeth, If Christ be in you, because Christ is not in us, but by his Spirit. This union of Christ with us extendeth itself to our bodies. 
g 1 Cor. 6.15.  Know ye not, saith the Apostle, that your bodies are the members of Christ? If ye ask of him How? He answereth, 
h Vers. 17.  He that is joined unto the Lord, is one Spirit. i e. he is made one with the Lord by the holy Spirit, as he showeth when he asketh again, 
i Vers. 19  What, know you not that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God.  
WE have no other kind of union with Christ in the Sacraments. It is written of our Baptism, that 
k 1 Cor. 12.13.  by one Spirit we are all baptised into one body, because it is the Spirit that in our Baptism incorporateth us in Christ. It is also written of the Lords Supper, 
1 Cor. 12.13  that we have been all made to drink into one Spirit, because that in that holy Sacrament he giveth his body unto us by his Spirit. Although that his body should come down from heaven, and enter into our bodies, it could not unite us unto him, as I have said: for the flesh profiteth nothing: But that which is impossible to his flesh, is easy to his Spirit, which if he send from heaven into our hearts, it will unite us unto him more truly and nearly then our souls are united to our bodies.  
THIS than is the true How Christ giveth himself to be eaten, 
1. Use.  whereunto we must submit our minds and cogitations, without any further inquiry, following the example of the blessed Virgin, who when the Angel had instructed her that 
l Luk. 1.35.38.  the holy Ghost should come upon her, and make her to conceive, brought into captivity all her thoughts to the obedience of the Word of GOD, and said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it unto me according to thy Word. Behold, I pray you, how the Sun budgeth not out of his heavenly tabernacle, and nevertheless darting his beams from heaven to earth, communicateth itself to all the creatures that are on earth. And shall we say, that 
m Mal. 4.2.  the Sun of righteousness, must leave his celestial and glorious palace to make good the word which he hath spoken of our communion with him? O blasphemy? He hath said that by his Spirit he will come unto us, and dwell with us: He will do it as he hath said it, 
n Luk. 1.37.  For with God no word shall be impossible.  
WHEREFORE fettering our curiosity with the shackles of the word of God, let us cry to heaven, 
o Veni creator Spiritus, Et infunde coelitus. Lucis tuae radium.  Come O most holy and blessed Spirit into our hearts, assured that if we pray so earnestly, God will hear us: 
p Luk. 11.13.  For, saith Christ, if ye being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him?   

CHAPTER IX.  
I. We must learn of Christ himself how we eat him.  
II. Such bread, such eating.  
III. Such man, such eating.  
iv Such senses and instruments to apprehend him, such eating.  
V Such end of our eating, such eating.  
LET Us in the next place go again unto Christ, and ask and learn of him how we must eat this bread, which came down from heaven. For 
q August. in joh tract 27 Patitur enim nos non contradicentes, sed nosse cupientes.  he beareth with us, when we ask of him, not to contradict, but to learn. O ye that have an ear to hear, hear. 
r Deut. 29.29.  The secret things belong unto the Lord our God. 
s 1 Sam. 6.19.  Look not with the men of Bethshemesh into this Ark of the Lord: 
t job. 33.13  He giveth not account of any of his matters. 
u Deut. 29.29.  But those things which are revealed, belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this Law. Conformably whereunto an ancient hath said wisely, 
x Ambros. de Vocat Gent. lib. 1. cap. 7.  Quae deus occulta esse voluit non sunt scrutanda, quae autem manifesta fecit non sunt neganda: ne in illis illi citè euriosi, istis damnabiliter inveniamur ingrati, that those things which GOD will have to be hid, must not be searched, and those which he hath made manifest, must not be denied, least in those we be found unlawfully curious, and in this be condemned as unthankful. Of these things is the manner of the eating of the bread which came down from heaven.  
FIRST, Such as the bread is, and as it is given to be eaten, so must it be eaten. If it be come down from heaven, from heaven also must come the mouth that eateth it. If it be given unto us by the holy Spirit, the mouth which receiveth it must be a spiritual mouth. If Christ who is this bread, giveth himself unto us as dead, have we any mouth that can eat him so, but the mouth of the soul? This is his own doctrine. For after he had said, Take ye, eat ye, This is my body, he shows how we must eat him, saying, do this in remembrance of me. These words, saith 
y August. de Doct. Christ. lib 3. cap. 15. Figura est ergopracipiens passioni domini esse communicandum, & suaniter at que utiliter recondendum in memoria, quod pro nobis caro eius crucifixa & vulnerata est.  Augustin, are a figure commanding us to communicate to his passion, and to record profitably, that his flesh was crucified and wounded for us, which we cannot do but by an action of the soul.  
SECONDLY, Such man, such eating. If he who eateth Christ be nothing but a natural man, let him eat and drink with his natural organs. But if Christ be meat for Christians, if the Christian be 
z Eph. 4.24.  a new man, 
a 1 Cor. 2.1  a spiritual man, 
b Rom. 2.19. Rom. 7.22  an inward man, if all his organs be spiritual and inward, shall we not say truly with S. Augustin, that he he alone eateth Christ, 
c August. in joh. tract. 26 in verba,  si quis manducat ex ipso non meriatur Qui● manducat intus, nonforis: qui manducat in cord, non qui pren it de●●e  that eateth inwardly, not outwardly; who eateth in his heart, not he that thrufteth his tooth into the Sacrament.  
THIRDLY, to apply this to all the senses and parts of the inward man, Christ saith, 
d Math. 5.8.  blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness. Is not he he himself, 
e jer. 23.26.  THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS? Such then as is our hungering and thirsting after him, such is our eating of him: If this hunger be in our stomaches, if this thirst be in our throats, then let us satisfy our gnawing stomaches with him, let us drink him with our throats: But if this hunger and thirst be proper to the soul, as David saith, 
f Psal. 42 2.  As the Hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my scale after thee, O God: My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God. What can the eating of his flesh be, but as S. 
g Cyprian. de Coena domini Esus igitur carnis huius quaedam aviditas est, & quoddam desiderium manendi in ipso.  Cyprian saith, a certain greediness, and eager desire to abide in him? Such as are our eyes wherewith we see him, such is our mouth wherewith we eat him. If we see him with our bodily eyes, with our bodily mouth we must eat him. But he expoundeth our seeing of him, by our believing in him, saying, 
h joh 6.40.  This is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seethe the Son and believeth on him, may have everlasting life. Therefore I say that to believe in him, is to eat him. He said to the belly-god jew, 
i joh 6.27.28.29.  Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that which endureth unto everlasting life. O Lord we ask of thee as the jews did, What shall we do, that we may work the works of God, for such as is our labouring for this meat, such is our eating thereof: And thou answerest O Lord; This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. 
k August. in joh. tract. 25 Hoc est ergo manducare ●ibum, qui non perit, sed qui permanet in vitam aeternam.  quid paras ventrem & dentes? crede & mandacasti.  This then also, saith S. Austin, is to eat the meat which perisheth not, but endureth unto everlasting life. For what use makest thou ready thy teeth and thy belly? Believe and thou hast eaten him.  
4. 
l 2 Cor. 5.16.  We know him no more after the flesh: For 
m Vers. 6.  we are absent from the Lord. And nevertheless he saith, 
n joh. 6.37.  All that the Father giveth me, shall come to me: and him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. Such then as are our feet wherewith we go unto him, such is our eating of him. Go we unto him with our bodily feet? When he was in the world many did walk with him in their bodies, to whom he said, 
o joh. 5.40.  Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life, showing that even then when they were present with him in body, they were absent from him; because they believed not in him: For 
p 2 Cor. 5.7  we walk by faith, not by sight. Therefore the Centurien abiding at home in his body, went abroad unto him with his faith, and said unto him, 
q Luk. 7.6.7.8.9.  Lord, trouble not thyself: For I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof: Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say the word, and my servant shall be healed. And to that faith which did not regard the bodily presence of the Lord, the Lord gave this commendation, I have not found so great faith, no not in Israel. Christ himself saith, that to go thus unto him, is to eat him. 
r joh. 6.35.  I am, faith he, the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall never hunger: and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. In stead of eating, he putteth coming: in stead of drinking, he putteth believing: because the eating of him, is to come to him: & the drinking of him, is to believe in him. And these two are one. 
s August. de verbis domini serm. 2. Vbi credis, ibi venis.  Where thou believest, there thou comest.  
5. Such hands to receive him, such mouth to eat him. The hand wherewith we receive him is the hand of faith, as it is written; 
t joh. 1.12.  As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the Sons of God, even to them that believe on his Name. This seemeth strange to flesh and blood, which may ask, 
u Aug. in johan trac. 50. Quem tenebo? absentem? Quo●●do ●●anum in coelummittam, ut ibi sedentem te●eam? fidem mitte, & tenuisti.  Whom shall I hold? Is he not absent? Is he not in heaven? How shall I send my hand into heaven that I may hold him sitting there? S. Austin answereth, Send thy faith, and thou hast taken hold of him.  
6. Such as is our palate wherewith we taste him, such is our mouth wherewith we eat him. 
x Psal 34.8.  O taste, and see that the Lord is good. How? 
y job. 34.3  The ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat. So this bread, which is the word of God, 
a joh. 1.14  the word which was made flesh, must be tasted with a spiritual taste, breeding in Us a delight of it; as S. Basill writeth on the 33. Psalm: And as Tertullian saith, 
b Tertull. de Resurrect. carnis c. 37. Proinde incausam vitae appetendus sermo, & devor andus auditu, & ruminandus intellectu, & side digerendus.  We must long after it, devour it with our ears, ruminate it with our understanding, digest it with our faith.  
7. Christ saith, 
c loh 6.56.  He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. If then ye can know how he dwelleth in you, and you in him, ye may easily conclude that after the same manner ye eat him. Saith not S. Paul, that 
d Eph. 3.17.  he dwelleth in our hearts by faith? And S. Augustin, 
* Aug. in johan. tract. 26. Hoc est ergo manducare illam escam, & ilham bibere potum, in Christo manner, & illum manentem in se habere.  that to eat him, is to dwell in him, and have him dwelling in us? What is that, but to believe in him? He that believeth in him, saith the same Doctor, eateth him: 
e Ibid. Qui credit in eum manducat: Inuisibiliter saginatur, quis & invisibiliter renascitur: Infans intus est, Novus intus est: ubi novellatur, ibi satiatur.  He is fed invisibly, because he is borne again invisibly. He is an infant inwardly: He is new inwardly: where he is renewed, there he is satisfied.  
FINALLY, Such as are the benefits and the ends of this eating, such must it be. For the means must be correspondent unto their end. And we may know of what kind the mean is by the end to which it is directed. If the end of our eating be to strengthen our mortal bodies, and to make them lusty, tall, big, let us open our mouths, sharpen our teeth, enlarge our bellies: But if this bread be, as S. Bernard saith, 
* Bernard in prologo de Coena dimini. In ea (mensa) invenies cibum non ventris, sed mentis.  food for our souls, not for our bellies; if by it our 
* 1 Cor. 15.44.  natural bodies must be made spiritual, we must needs seek a mouth in our souls to eat it spiritually. That mouth is faith.   

CHAPTER X.  
1. Three reasons why Christ used the metaphors of bread, and of eating.  
II. Great instructions in both.  
III. The metaphor of eating teacheth us what preparation must go before faith.  
IU. And what is the nature of faith.  
IF THIS be so, say the Popish 
f Bellarm. de Euchar lib 1 cap. 5. § 8. Quis credar rem facillimam, qualis est credere in Christum, voluisse dominum cum tanto offendiculo discipulorum, innoluere tot abscurissinus metaphoria, cum potuisset uno verborem totam declarare?  Doctors, why did the Lord involve a most clear and easy thing with so many metaphors, and give occasion of offence unto his disciples? For he might have said in one word, He that believeth on me.  
I answer. 1. that the Lord spoke so unto them, because he desired to stir up in them a spiritual desire of a more excellent bread, then that was for which they followed him, as I have said in the exposition of the first part of this Verse.  
2. Such metaphors of eating and drinking were not uncouth unto them; for they are frequent in the old Testament. But they had a loathing of heavenly meats, and therefore they took exceptions against his person when he spoke of them, and would not understand him, as it is written, 
g Psal. 36.3.  The wicked hath left off to be wise, and to do good.  
3. Metaphors and similitudes are more popular than words which are proper, because that by the likeness of earthly things apprehended by the outward senses, they make heavenly and spiritual things to come into the mind, and thus are most fit for the instruction of those which being more dull have need of milk, and not of strong meat.  
II. FOR EXAMPLE, when Christ calleth himself the living bread, there is greater instruction and comfort in that similitude, then if he had called himself the Saviour of the world: Because the use of bread is to nourish and to feed, and thereby we learn, that Christ is come down from heaven to be the true food and life of our fowls. Likewise, when he exhorteth us to eat of this bread, he giveth us a more large and full instruction, than we could have received, if he had only exhorted us to believe in him. Because this one word of eating teacheth us, how we must be prepared before we can believe in Christ, and what is the true action and nature of faith whereby we believe in him.  
III. As FOR the preparation, we know by daily experience, that he that is to eat must have an empty belly, know and feel the need he hath of meat, and hunger and thirst after it. 
h Pro. 27.7.  The full soul loatheth an honeycomb, but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet. Even so before we can believe in Christ, we must know and feel out own indigence, and the need we have of his grace, that we may be able to say to God, 
i Psal. 84.2.  My soul longeth, yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord: My heart and my flesh cryeth out for the living God. If this preparation be in you, ye have your comfort in these words of Christ, 
k Math. 5.6.  Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. For without it there is no coming unto Christ, and therefore no comfort from him. Doth he not cry, 
l joh. 7.37.  If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. Can we go unto him? Can we drink of the fullness of grace which is in him, till we thirst after him?  
iv BEING thus prepared by hunger and thirst, we must take the meat which we long for, work it with our teeth, receive it into our stomaches, digest it there, till it be turned into our blood & flesh, and by a true transubstantiation repair & restore our decaying bodies. All that is contained in this word of eating, and showeth unto us the nature and true action of faith, which is to apply Christ unto our souls so nearly, that every one out of the true sense of this heavenly gift in his own heart, saith most truly, as the Spouse doth, 
m Cant. 2.16.  My beloved is mine, and I am his, and as Thomas did, 
n joh. 20.21  My Lord, and my God. according to the promise of the new Testament, 
o Zach. 13.9  I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God. Such was the faith of S. Paul, when he said, 
p Gal. 2.20.  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved ME, and gave himself for ME. Such is the faith of every true Christian, according to this saying of S. Peter, 
q 2 Pet. 1.1  ye have obtained like precious faith with us. What seek we by eating of our daily bread? To live. What seek we by eating of jesus Christ? To have communion with him, that we may live by him. The Apostle saith, that we live by faith: Therefore, saith S. Cyprian, 
r Cypr. de Coena domini. Qnod est escacarni, hoc animae est fides.  That which food is to the body, the same is faith to the soul. For the same cause S. Augustin expounding the words of my Text, saith, that 
s Aug. in johan. trac. 26 Credere enim ineum, hoc est manducare panem vivum,  to believe in Christ, is to eat the living bread. This is not their exposition: It is from Christ himself, as we have heard.   

CHAPTER XI.  
I. To eat Christ by faith, it is no imagination, as Papists say.  
II. Neither is it an easy thing by nature.  
III. It goeth beyond the whole reach of nature.  
iv Therefore we must ask it of God.  
V And although it be weak, be assured that it will eat Christ.  
IF THAT be true, say Papists, if to eat Christ, be no other thing, but to believe in him, there is nothing more easy then to be saved. What is faith? An imagination in the brain that Christ hath saved us. How easily may we imagine such a thing, and so be saved by a fancy?  
1. Indeed if we did speak of eating of Christ, as they do, it might be said most truly, that there is nothing more easy. What so easy to any man, as to open the mouth of the body, and to swallow down that which entereth into it? Is there any Papist that findeth any difficulty in it? Yea they hold their eating of Christ so easy that they make it common not only to bad, as well as to good men, but also to toads, worms, dogs, asses, mice, and other beasts.  
2. When they speak of faith as of an imagination, they teach us what they judge, and what they will have us to sudge of their faith: They say that they believe in God. Is their belief nothing but an imagination? They call on God: And 
t Rom. 10.14.  how shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? 
u Rom. 14.23  For whatsoever is not of faith, is sin. What? Will they confess that their prayers, and in a word, all their most laborious devotion is nothing but an imagination? Ask of them how they know that Christ's body is in the Sacrament as big and as tall as it was on the cross, although such a thing came never in Christ's mind, they will answer, that Christ hath said it, and they believe it. That belief indeed is nothing but a most fond imagination: But will they call it so?  
3. A great many of their Doctors confess, that in the first part of this Chapter till the one & fifty verse, Christ speaketh of the spiritual manducation of his body, and recommendeth it unto us, and some of the most learned amongst them confirm by insoluble arguments, that the whole Chapter is of the same argument. And dare they say that Christ recommended nothing unto us but imaginations?  
4. Since the beginning of the world there was never any man saved but by the eating of Christ. The Apostle writeth of the fathers which were in the desert, that 
x 1 Cor. 10 3.4.  they did all eat the same spiritual meat, and did all drink the same spiritual drink: 
y Aug. de poenit. cap. 1. to. 9 Eundem non invenio quomodo intellig am, nisi cum quem & nos.  The same which we eat & drink, not corporal in the element, but spiritual in the signification: For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. Was that eating and drinking of Christ before he came into the world nothing but an imagination? How many million of Christians die and are saved before they can eat Christ in the Sacrament? And yet without eating of Christ spiritually there is no salvation. Are they also saved by imagination? When we shall be called 
a Rev. 19.7.  to the marriage-supper of the Lamb, when 
b Mat. 8.11  we shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and jacob in the kingdom of heaven, when there 
c Psal. 36.8.  God shall satisfy us abundantly with the fatness of his house, and shall make us drink of the river of his pleasures, shall that eating and that drinking also be nothing but an imagination? As we shall eat him then, so must we eat him now.  
AND to eat him so now, is not an easy thing, is not an imagination. To see our own misery and the mercy of God, our naughtiness and his goodness, our emptiness and his fullness, our folly and his wisdom, our weakness and his power, our shame and his glory displayed in jesus Christ, is it an easy thing? Is it an imagination? To know and to feel how worthy I was of his hatred, and how wonderful is that love wherewith he hath loved me in his dear Son jesus Christ, is it an easy thing? is it an imagination? To run unto Christ, to embrace him, to take hold on him, to lodge him in our hearts, to say unto him as jacob did, 
d Gen. 32.26.  I will not let thee go, except thou bless me: Or rather with David, 
e Ps. 73.28.  It is good for me to draw near to God, I have put my trust in the Lord God. And therefore I will never let thee go, that thou mayest bless me for ever; To seek and find grace, mercy, peace, life, and salvation in him, and thereupon to say, 
f Psal 118.6.14.  The Lord is on my side, I will not fear: The Lord is my strength and song, and is become my salvation, is it an easy thing? Is it an imagination.  
SURELY, the eating of Christ by this kind of faith goeth so fare beyond the power and reach of nature, that 
g Math. 16.17.  flesh and blood do not reveal Christ to be the Son of the living God, but the Father which is in heaven, and it is as difficile, yea as impossible to believe in Christ, as to resolve to be a Martyr for Christ: Therefore the Apostle conjoineth them as two most wonderful & rare gifts of God, saying, 
h Phil. 1.29.  For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake. Yea he saith, that God displayeth the same 
i Eph. 1.19.20.  might of his power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, to make us believe.  
WHEREFORE let us all cry to God with David, 
k Psal. 119.18.  Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. Let us all prey for ourselves: as the blessed Apostle did for the Ephesians, that 
l Eph. 1.17.18.  the God of our Lord jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto us the spirit of wisdom and revelation, in the knowledge of him, the eyes of our understanding being enlightened, that we may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints.  
AND when we have received this faith from above, let us acknowledge the weakness of it, & cry to the Lord with tears, as did the Father of the lunatic child, 
m Mark 9.24.  Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief, and with the Apostles, 
n Luk. 17.5.  Lord, increase our faith; Yet resting still assured, that as the Pilots trembling Dial in a ship tossed to and fro with the waves of the tempestuous Sea, looketh strait to the North Pole, as the shaking hand of a poor man sick of the Palsy, stretcheth itself forth to receive the rich alms of a bountiful King, and as a dying man will open his won and withered mouth to let down the restorative, whereby his life is restored; So our trembling, shaking, and weak faith, will in the midde● of the most tempestuous and blustery Sea of temptations, fasten her eyes upon Christ, receive him, and eat him, that in the midst of death, and in the belly of the grave we may be saved by him.   

CHAPTER XII.  
I. The eating of Christ by faith is possible.  
II. It is not hindered by the distance of time;  
III. Nor of place.  
iv It may be fitted to all the similitudes which express our union with Christ.  
V It is decent.  
VI It is profitable.  
CHRIST said to the father of the Lunarike child, 
o Mark 9.24.  If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth: Then, say I, to him that believeth it is possible to eat Christ by his faith. I say more, that to eat him so is decent and glorious unto Christ, and most profitable to the eater.  
If there were any impossibility in this eating, it should come either from the distance of time, or from the distance of place. We eat him as dead: And we reckon from his death 1625. years, which is a long time. He died in Golgotha, which is far removed from us, and we must go to his cross, & eat him there. From thence we must go up to heaven, where he now is, and feed upon him there. Between the heavens where he is, and the earth where we are, the distance is almost infinite. Behold now how all that, is not any impediment to faith.  
To BEGIN by the distance of time. Between the promise made to Abraham and Christ there is 1927. years, and he had eyes, not in his head, but in his heart to see Christ, as Christ said, 
p joh. 8.56.  Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it, and was glad. From the first Passeover which was kept in Egypt till Christ there is 1497. years. At that time 
q Heb. 11.27.28.  Moses by faith kept the Passeover, for sooke Egypt, and endured as seeing him who is invisible. At that same time the Fathers in the desert 
r 1. Cor. 10 3.4.  did eat the same spiritual bread, and drink the same spiritual drink, which was Christ. How but by faith? For Christ is 
s Rev. 13.8.  the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world in the efficacy of his death towards all the faithful which were from the beginning. So the Apostle saith, that 
t Gal. 3.1.  Christ is evidently set forth before our eyes, and is crucified among us: Crucified certainly to the eyes of our faith, which seeth the things passed from the beginning of the world, and all those that are to come till the end of the world. For 
u Heb. 11.1  faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen, it giveth a being in the heart to that which hath no being in the world, and maketh visible that which is invisible.  
AND THEREFORE the distance of place also cannot hinder it. For although we trail these our mortal bodies on the earth, yet 
x Phil. 3.20.  our conversation is in heaven, and our 
y Heb. 6.19.20.  hope is an anchor of the soul both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil, whither jesus Christ, as forerunner, is entered for us. There by faith 
z Eph. 2.6.  we sit together with him: There our faith seethe him, eateth him, embraceth all the promises of God in him. O the most wonderful efficacy of faith! It seethe all things past and to come: It embraceth the two ends of the world: It flieth backward to Golgotha, and according to the saying of Christ, 
a Math. 24.28.  Wheresoever the carcase is, there will the Eagles be gathered together, like a spiritual Eagle it stoopeth upon him hanging on the Cross. It fastenth her claws upon his wounds, it drinketh the blood streaming out of his side, it feedeth on him with a greedy stomach, and leaveth him never till it be satisfied, and because it is unsatiable, and never hath enough of him, it leaveth him never. Forthwith and at the same instant it flieth above all the visible heavens, it entereth boldly into God's closet, it 
b Rev. 3 2●.  sitteth down with him in his throne, and reigneth with him most gloriously in heaven.  
THE EATING of Papists cannot be sitted to any of the other similitudes, this can to them all. By what is Christ our head, and we his members; He the vine, and we the members? By his Spirit, and by our faith. By what is he the foundation, and we the Temple built on him? By his Spirit, and by our faith? By what doth he give himself to be our Garment? By his Spirit? By what do we put him on? By our faith. By what is he borne in our hearts? By his Spirit. By what are we borne again, & made new creatures in him? By our faith. By what are we washed in his blood? By his Spirit, and by our faith. By what doth he wed us to himself, that we may be his wife? By his Spirit. By what do we espouse him, that he may be our husband? By our faith. By what giveth he himself unto us to be our meat and drink? By his Spirit. By what do we all eat and drink him? By our faith. So ye see that all the similitudes do agree, & concur in the manner of our union with Christ.  
CONSIDER now how decent, yea how glorious this eating of Christ is. Seeing we must eat him, is it not more decent and comely to lodge him in our hearts, which he hath chosen to be his Temple, saying, 
c Pro. 23. ●6.  My son give me thine heart, then in our bellies, which are puddles of infection, and stinking sinks? Is it not more glorious to contemplate him in heaven, sitting at the right hand of his Father, and to feed upon him there, where we are certain to find him, then to seek him in a crust of bread, where he is not to be found?  
AND IP, we speak of the profit of this eating, is it not more comfortable to feel him living and dwelling in our hearts, and quickening them, then to have him in our mouths, and to keep him a short space in our stomaches, who can tell for what use? He saith of them that eat him, that they shall live for ever: and it is certain that he speaketh of ear-ring by faith, because he said in the 47. Verse, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth in me hath everlasting life. This is the fourth and last head of this Text, the explication whereof I'll defer to another occasion. I say only, that he which eateth Christ liveth already, for he hath everlasting life, and shall live for ever, otherways the life which he liveth could not be called everlasting. He liveth already, for his sins are forgiven him, and 
d Psal. 32.1. Rom. 4.6.  the blessedness of man in this life, is principally in the forgiveness of his sins: He liveth already. For 
e Gal. 2.20.  Christ liveth in him, and hath made him 
f Rom. 6.4.11.  alive unto GOD, that he may walk in newness of life. He shall live for ever, no more on earth, but in heaven, where the spiritual life of his soul which is begun here shall be perfected, where 
g Aug. in johan. trac. 26 Videbit quod adhuc non videndo credidit, Manducabit quod esurijt: Satiabitur eo quod sitit.  he shall see, that which now he believeth, shall eat that which now he hungreth after; shall be filled with that whereof now he is a thirst, as David said, 
h Psal. 36.8.  They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house: & thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. And in the blessed day of the Resurrection, 
i Phil. 3.21.  Christ shall change his vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body. So he liveth, and shall live a most glorious and blessed life internally in his soul, externally in his body, and eternally in body and soul together in the kingdom of heaven. 
k Aug. in johan. trac. 17 Tunc quod vivet, non morietur: Tunc quod sanabitur, non aegrotabit: Tunc quod satiabitur, non esuriet, neque sitiot: Tunc quod renou●bitur, ●on veterascet▪  Then that which shall live, shall never die: that which shall be healed, shall never be sick: that which shall be satisfied, shall never hunger nor thirst: that which shall be renewed, shall never wax old.   

CHAPTER. XIII.  
I. As this bread is most wonderful, so must we consider the most wonderful mercy of God in the giving of it.  
II. Papists eat not of this bread.  
III. We must value it at the highest rate, and desire no other bread.  
iv A prayer to God for this bread.  
O MOST wonderful bread 
l Aug. to. 10. Homil 32.  panem Angelorum manducaret homo, dominus Angelorum factus est homo.  This is the food of the blessed Angels in heaven: This is the food of all true Christians on earth. l That man might eat the bread of Angels, the Lord of Angels was made man. Of it they, of it we eat continually, and, o wonder, 
m Ibid. Nec deficit unde pascantur, nec minuitur esca ipsorum.  it is not diminished. By it they, by it we live for ever. O most wonderful mercy of God who giveth us such wonderful bread! Zion was in a pitiful estate, when bewailing it she said, 
n Lam. 4.4.  The tongue of the suckling child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: The young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them. O then how blessed is our estate, whose crying for this bread God hath prevented? yea who hath prepared it for us before we were borne, who hath given it unto us before we sought it? 
o 1 joh. 4.10.  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. It is a too too little & small thing to his bounty, yea it hath been nothing in his eyes to feed with the bread which cometh out of the earth these our vile and mortal bodies, which although they starve not, yet they must perish by sickness, by age, or by some other mishap. In this he hath displayed all the treasures and riches of grace and mercy, that to his spiritual children he hath given the true, spiritual, and heavenly bread, whereof if any man eat, he shall live for ever.  
DEPART from us Papists, which know not this bread. Your going, your coming, your trotting, your running from one Saint to another, from one Angel to another, sheweth that ye are ever hungerstarved, ever dried up with thirst like a potsherd, and therefore that ye have never eaten of this bread. For if ye did eat Christ, he would satisfy your hunger, according to his own saying, 
p joh. 6.35.  I am the bread of life, he that cometh to me shall never hunger. O then, O abused Christians when will ye turn your faces to him, and go unto him? O perishing souls, listen I pray you, to the voice of him who only giveth the living bread, and who cryeth unto you; 
q Esa. 55.1.2.  Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money: Come ye, buy and eat. Yea come, buy wine and milk without money, and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is no bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not.  
WHETHER they will hear, or whether they will forbear, let us value this bread at the highest rate, and say unto our Saviour, 
r Psal. 73.25.26.  Whom have 1 in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: But GOD is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. Those that are sick refuse to eat bread, and David saith that in his sorrow 
s Psal. 102.1.  he did forget to eat his bread. Let us not refuse to eat this bread, when it is offered unto us, and let let us never forget to eat it when we have it. It is 
t Aug. to. 10. hom. 32 Hac est salus nestra, medicina infirmorum: Cibus Sanorum.  Physic to those which are sick, meat to those which be whole, strength to those that are weak, comfort to those that are distressed, life to those that die.  
O EVERLIVING and most loving GOD, thou hast commanded us 
u Esa. 58.7.  to break our bread to the hungry: do unto us that which thou commandest us to do unto others, and break this thy bread unto our hungry souls. The Fathers prepare bread for their children: And the children look that their fathers shall give them the bread which they have prepared for them. 
x Luk. 11.11.  If a Son shall ask bread of his Father, will he give him a stone? Thou art our heavenly Father, and we are thy children: Thou hast prepared for us the most excellent bread that ever was: Even thine own Son. 
y Rom. 8.32.  Thou hast not spared him, but hast delivered him up for us all, that he might be our bread, & wilt thou not give him unto us? In our bodily necessities, we cry unto thee, Give us this day our daily bread, and thou givest it not only unto us, out even unto them which know not thee to be the fountain of all good, and therefore cry not for it unto thee. O loving Father thou keepest for us thy children bread more excellent, more rare, and more precious: Even this living bread, which is indeed our bread, being sent into the world, prepared, and given for us, that it may be given unto us. This is the daily bread of our souls, which thou givest to thy children by thy holy Spirit O Father we are thy children: Therefore send thy holy Spirit into our hearts with this our bread, and give us this day cur daily bread, that eating it daily with a true & lively faith, we may by it live with thee for ever. To thee who art the giver of this bread, To thy Son jesus who is this bread, To the holy Ghost, who from thee bringeth this bread into our hearts, be all praise, glory, and honour, both now and for evermore. AMEN.  
FINIS.