Tricoenivm Christi in nocte proditionis suæ The threefold svpper of Christ in the night that he vvas betrayed / explained by Edvvard Kellett.

PAR. 6.

FIfthly, Christ admitted Iudas to the Paschall, and to the Common Supper; then why was he not admitted to the Holy Eucharist? I answere, favour hath its latitude: even among us, we admit some, and not others, into our companie; and among them, some into our friendship, others into familiarity: to some wee shew curresies ina meane degree, to other in an higher degree. Iudas was chosen as well as the rest to be an Apostle. I know whom I have chosen, saith Christ, Iohn 13.18. But he is named in the last place, Matth. 10.4. And though he carried the bagge, and kept the money, Iohn 13.29. I account that was no favour unto him. It was not in it selfe, but to his courtuous soule as a snare, and stumbling-block. Nor doe you ever finde any steps of extraordinary favour of Christ unto him. He sin∣gled out sometimes two, and sometimes three, unto especiall Services, and to bee personall beholders, of his more secret, and Divine affaires. Peter, and Iohn were sent by Christ to prepare the Passeover, Luke 22.8. Peter and Iohn waited on him, John 21.20. He tooke Peter, Iames, and Iohn, as witnesses of his transfiguration, Mat. 17.1. He suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, Iames, and Iohn. Mat. 5.37. When they came to Gethsemani, Christ sayd to his Disciples, sit ye here while I shall pray; and he taketh with him Peter, Iames, and John, Mark. 14.32. and 33. verses He never shewed Iudas any such token of familiarity, so farre as Scripture recor∣deth

but kept him at a distance. Yet I confesse I have reade in S. Augustine Serm. 28. Tom. 10. folio. 276. strange curtesies (if truely undoubted) of Christ to Judas: he delivered him often from death: for Iudas his sake, he healed his father of Le∣prosie; his Mother (with whom Judas had beene incestuous) of the Palsie: hee found him often stealing, and alwayes pardoned him: he most an end honoured Iudas next to Peter: he gave him his holy body, he kneeled before him; he washed his feete, he kissed him. From whence S. Augustine had all this, he revealeth not: nor is it de fide: any Article of our Christian faith. I come to my old businesse. S. Bema••d in Serm. 1. de Coenâ Domini, pag. 1347. saith, Judas was borne in a Vil∣lage called Marmotis, sive malamors. Evill death.

Besides, the partaking of the Common Supper, yea and of the Paschall also, re∣quired not so sanctified thoughts, so devout a Soule, so pure a spirit, as the recei∣ving of the blessed Eucharist doth; therefore was he admitted to them, but not to this, by reason of his uncleannesse. Both the Godly, and the wicked were to eate the Passeover, and after it, the second Common Supper: and many thousand wic∣ked men did eate the Passeover that yeare; even they, who crucified Christ; and the worser sort of the Iewes: therefore Iudas might well bee partaker of such a feast, where sinners were frequently participants. The old Passeover was kept, (saith Theophylact on Luke 22.) for their deliverie from AEgypt, and the blood of the Lamb for the preserving of their first borne. The new Passeover for the Remission of sinnes, and Sanctified thoughts. But because the betrayer of Christ, was not cleane, Iohn 13.11. as being the true hypocrite, washed onely outwardly, not inwardly: onely bodily not spiritually; and because much holinesse is required to the recei∣ving of the Body, and blood of Christ; therefore was he justly excluded from per∣taking of the substance, though he fed on the type, as other wicked men did also.

Any one might come into the Temple; but into the Sanctum Sanctorum or holiest of all, none but the High Priest, nor he without blood, which he offered for him∣selfe, and for the errours of the people, Heb. 9.7.

The gifts, and Sacrifices (whereof the Paschall was one, and that a prime Sacri∣fice) could not make him, that did the Sacrifice, perfect, as pertaining to the Con∣science, which carnall Ceremonies were imposed on the Iewes, untill the time of reformation, Heb. 9.10.11. verses. But Jesus was made a surety of a better Testa∣ment, Heb. 7.22. And our high-priest is holy, harmelesse, undefiled, separate from sin∣ners, vers. 26. Therefore did Christ most justly, when before the most holy Com∣munion, he separated Judas the defiled, from himselfe, and from his other Sancti∣fied Apostles. Augustine saith excellently, de Civitate 18.49. Christus habuit Judam inter Apostolos; quo malo utens bene—Ecclesiae tolerandorum malorum praebebat ex∣emplum. Christ had Iudas amongst his Apostles; whom being ill, he using well, hath left an example to his Church, to suffer evill men among them. Let me subsume; but before he came to administer the blessed Sacrament, he removed that sinner of sinners; to give us also an example, not to admit wicked men, (notoriously so knowne) unto the same.