But here also may rise another doubt of the former wordes of Moses, in the boke of Numbers. For seeing that he maketh this exception (if they be cleane) it may be sayd that those that depart, do not feele themselues meete to receyue, and therefore depart, the other three or foure, or mo, feele themselues meete and disposed for that purpose, wherevpon it may seeme that it is neyther reason to compell those to come, which feele not themselues meete, nor to reiect them that feele that good disposition and preparation in themselues. For answere whereunto we must vnderstande, that the vncleannesse whiche Moses speaketh of was such as men could not easily auoyde. And wher∣vnto they might fall sometymes, by necessarie duetie, as by handling theyr dead, which they were by the rule of charitie bounde to burie, sometymes by touching at vnwares a dead bodie, or by sit∣ting in the place where some vncleane bodie had sitten, or by touching suche things, whiche the lawe iudged vncleane, which thing cannot be alledged in those that are nowe of the Churche: for as many as be of it, and withall of such discretion, as are able to proue and examine themselues, can haue no excuse at all if they may be at the Church, to withdrawe themselues from the holy Sup∣per of the Lorde. For if they will say, that they be not meete, it may be answered vnto them, that it is their owne fault, and further if they be not meete to receyue the holy Sacrament of the Sup∣per, they are not meete to heare the worde of God, they are not meete to be partakers of the prayers of the Church, and if they be for one, they are also for the other, for with that boldnesse, and with that dutie or lawfulnesse, (I speake of those which are of the Church, and of discretion to examine them selues) I say (*) 1.1 with what lawfulnesse they may offer themselues to the prayers, and to the hearing of the worde of God, they may also offer themselues vnto the Lordes Supper. And to whome soeuer of them the Lorde will communicate himselfe by preaching the worde vnto the same he will not refuse to communicate himselfe by receyuing of the Sacraments, for whosoeuer is of Gods householde and family, he neede not be afrayde to come to the Lordes table, nor doubt but that the Lorde will feede him there, and whatsoeuer he be, that is a member of the bodie of Christ, may be assured that he receyueth life from Christ the head, as well by the arteries and conduites of the Supper of the Lorde, as by the preaching of the worde of God: so that it muste needes fol∣lowe, that the not receyuing of those which depart out of the Church, when there is any Commu∣nion celebrated, proceedeth eyther of vaine and supersticious feare, growing of grosse ignorance of themselues and of the holy Sacraments, or else of an intollerable negligence or rather contempt, of the which neyther the one, nor the other shoulde be either borne with or nourished, either by permit∣ting three or foure to communicate alone, or else in letting them which depart go so easily away with so great a fault which ought to be seuerely punished.
Neither do I differ from you in the substance of this that you here set down, which is (as I take it) to cut off friuolous and vaine excuses, vsed by such as eyther neglect or contemne the holy Communion, but in certaine circumstances here vsed, I do not al∣togither agrée with you. For first, the vncleannesse that Moses speaketh of is but cere∣moniall and externall, and therfore may more easily be auoyded: but weakenesse of fayth, and vncleannesse of lyfe (which may and ought for a time withdraw men from the Communion) is naturall and inward, & therfore with greater difficultie shunned.