Communion best wherein most of the Church doe participate: then were your rea∣soning to some ende: but séeing that it is appoynted that there shoulde not be fewer than thrée or foure, to the ende that it might be a Communion, and haue no similitude with the Papisticall Masse, there is no cause why you should take this paynes. And surely he that shal compare that exhortation in the booke with this discourse of yours, it will be no harde matter for him to iudge, how much more pithily and effectually this matter is there handled, than it is here by you. But that thrée or foure shoulde be a sufficient number to communicate if other will not, there is good cause: for sée∣ing the holy Sacrament is a Seale and confirmation of Gods promises, and an ef∣fectuall applying of the death and passion of Christ vnto vs, and therefore a singu∣lar comfort and reliefe to the afflicted conscience and minde touched with the féeling of sinne, why shoulde those that be desirous of it béeing a congregation (as thrée or foure is, according to the saying of Christ, where two or three be gathered togither in my name, &c.) be debarred from their Godly desire, and that singular comfort, for the carelesnesse, securitie, negligence, or lacke of such féeling of others? Shall none communicate bycause all will not? Or shall not thrée or foure because the rest refuse? Or is it lacke of loue towardes our neighbour, or any token thereof if we resort to the Lordes table, when other will not? Where learne you that?
The place of S. Paule. 1. Cor. 11. is not aptly applyed. For the Apostle in that place, reproueth onely such as contemptuously or contentiously did separate themsel∣ues from other as well in the publike feastes called Loue feastes, and then vsed in the Church, as in the Supper of the Lorde. But he rather meaneth of the first than of the latter, and therfore sayth M. Martyr vpon that place. The Supper is here called priuate: eyther bycause some did chalenge to themselues priuately that whiche belonged to all: or else bicause euerie one after the receyuing of the holy mysteries, did take againe to him∣selfe those things, which he had offered at the Lordes table, and made that his owne whiche by right belonged to all. And againe he sayth, that the Corinthians be there reproued, Bicause they pampered their bellie, and contemned their brethren. I tolde you before what M. Caluine thought of this place: it can in no respect tende to the disallowing of any order appoynted in the booke of common prayer, bicause no man is secluded from the Communion that will come, and those that come when other men will not, do it not of contempt or of contention, but of conscience and pietie. Moreouer, wée haue no such banquettes or feastes, eyther before or after the Communion, as the Corinthians had, and therefore in that respect, there can be no suche abuse as the A∣postle there reproueth.