Godly Meditations Upon the Most Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper

faith in Christ, and love to Christ, who in murmuring manner said, Quomodo potest: how or which way can He do this? It was a faithful and loving disciple that answered, Tu Domine, habes verba vitæ, Lord, Thou hast the words of life".

10. The people, as we read in the Gospel, who were cured by our Saviour, came not unto Him to know or inquire by what means virtue should proceed from Him; it sufficed them to receive health, and, therefore, without more ado, they gave the glory unto God, who had shewed such mercy

unto men.

II. There is both docta ignorantia, and indocta scientia, a learned ignorance, and an unlearned science; the one, when men keep themselves within the lists and limits of obedience and faith; the other, when they hearken to the Holy Ghost, be wise according to sobriety.

altitudo! O the depth!

12. Was not the Apostle's, better than all the search of the world, in so unsearchable a mystery, where he made silence the safest eloquence.

13. Without all question, the Church of Rome hath erred in meddling too much with this sacred mystery, and troubling the world with a multitude of unprofitable and needless disputes about transubstantiation, and the like; for which, as for their half-communion, let them shew their accepimus a Domino, as we have received from the Lord, or else we plainly tell them their plea is not sufficient in law, and will not hold for good.

John vi. 68.

14. Let the world, in the name of God, now judge of both, which give greater reverence to the most Divine institution of the Son of God, whether they, who too busily talk of changing the substance of the elements into other, or they who here conceive more, and with more reverence, than words can express; they who say, μéya μvoτýpιov, this is a great mystery; or they who labour to search out a power and virtue unsearchable.

In a word, they who will need set down a manner, how Christ is present in the Sacrament, or they who do acknowledge His presence there, after a manner inexplicable.

15. All this, while our due estimation of this so high a mystery is not yet fully understood (as I suppose) of many, who refuse our Christian assemblies in times beseeming. We honour the Passion of Christ our Blessed Saviour, in this most Holy Ordinance, I trust, with as dutiful hearts as any Christians in the world. The heat of some fanciers we wish to be more temperate, and their zeal more according to knowledge, who ever love to be fishing in troublesome waters, and do their endeavour to cross antiquity, which was not ignorant of so many excellent things. In a word, we confess that all the reverence and devotion a Christian heart can yield, is no way answerable to the depth and dignity hereof.

16. God said unto Moses, "Put off thy shoes, for the ground where thou standest is holy ground." How reve. rently we esteem of this sacred Institution, God knoweth,

and what we hold, let men at the last seriously consider. The state of the controversy I leave in this discourse to discuss; matter of difference in opinion is often but an abatement of devotion; words appertaining to piety are sweeter than the honey or the honey-comb. Although for no other cause, yet for this I have collected out of the ancient writers, and in part out of Penella, the Meditations hereafter following.

17. To conclude then, it were to be wished we had less contending in matters of controversy, which avail little to godliness, and more sincere following the actions of Christian piety, which are much decayed in these sinful times. We see it too apparently before our eyes, that we had less questioning in general, and in particular less curious prying into this sacred mystery, and more religious preparing ourselves to a due and dutiful participation of the same. We may consider, that after all the stir about it, the devotion of most is but so and so; for the heap of volumes that treat of this subject, how they all in a manner tend only to matter of contradiction. Wherefore, omitting matter of contradiction, beseech we God to increase in us reverence more and more toward this most Holy Ordinance of Christ Jesus His Son, and our Saviour; and that preparing ourselves dutifully to receive Him, in the state of grace, we may be received by Him into the state of glory, to sit at His table, in His kingdom, to live with Him, and reign with Him. Amen.