Selected quad for the lemma: blood_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
blood_n	body_n	call_v	cup_n	7,350	5	10.0317	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62129	A gentleman's religion in three parts : the 1st contains the principles of natural religion, the 2d. and 3d. the doctrins of Christianity both as to faith and practice : with an appendix wherein it is proved that nothing contrary to our reason can possibly be the object of our belief, but that it is no just exception against some of the doctrins of Christianity that they are above our reason.	Synge, Edward, 1659-1741.	1698 (1698)	Wing S6380; ESTC R24078	100,488	452

reducible to these Two Heads viz. Devotion towards God which includes Confession of sins Prayer for all things necessary both for themselves and others and Praising of God as well for his own Excellency and Perfection as for his Love and Beneficence to all Mankind And 2. the Instruction of the People which are assembled which is to be done by Reading and Explaining the Holy Scriptures Catechizing Preaching c. But there is one act of Devotion towards God to be performed in such publick Assemblies which is commonly known by the name of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper or the Holy Communion of which it will be fit to say something more particularly because it is an Ordinance altogether of positive Institution as well as Baptism of which I have already spoken 57. As our Saviours Death and Passion which he underwent for the sins of the whole World should ever out of Gratitude be remembred by us in the most emphatical and affecting manner so except we have every one of us a share and interest in that Atonement which he thereby made to God for us we cannot by the Terms of the Gospel hope for eternal Salvation In order then to both these Ends he himself before his Death appointed it as a perpetual Ordinance for ever to be continued in his Church that Bread should be blessed broken and eaten and a Cup also blessed distributed and drank in such assemblies as should meet together in his Name not only as a Remembrance of his Sufferings for us which are thereby shewn forth and represented but also as the Communion that is to say the exhibition of his Body and Blood unto and the participation of them by all faithful and good Christians To say with the Roman Church that the Substance of Bread and Wine being blessed or consecrated in this Ordinance are transubstantiated or turned into the very real Substance of the Body and Blood of Christ so as that that very same Body of his which was crucified and that Blood which was shed are wholly and intirely received into the bodily Mouth and swallowed down by every Communicant does not only draw after it such monstrous Absurdities as no Man I think without renouncing his Reason can digest nor can be inferred from any passage of Scripture interpreted according to the Rules which I have laid down Part 1. § 25. and 33. But is also directly contrary even to the Letter as well as Meaning of the New Testament in which the Bread in this Holy Institution is plainly called Bread and by the same Rule the Wine must still remain Wine as to its natural substance even after the Blessing or Consecration of it As therefore I must needs conclude that the Body and Blood of Christ are not received by the Members of his Church after that manner which they of Rome do define so must it also follow that their Worshiping of the Host and pretended Sacrifice of Christ in the Mass together with their depriving the Laity of the Cup which besides other Absurdities do wholly depend upon the Doctrine of Transubstantiation are none other than meer human and unlawful Inventions and practices But since a Man may then be said truly to receive and partake of any thing tho at never so great a distance from him when he has a real Interest in it and enjoys the Benefit and Advantage of it as a Man may have an Estate and reap the Profits of it tho it lies in a far distant Country I do therefore conclude that the way whereby we do receive or communicate in the Body and Blood of Christ by this Ordinance is by being made Partakers of those Benefits which by the Crucifying of his Body and the shedding of his Blood do accrue to us and that whosoever eats of this Bread and drinks of this Cup in such a manner as Christ has appointed has thereby assuredly a share of those Benefits held forth and conveyed unto him 58. How often this Ordinance is to be practised and repeated in every Congregation is not expressly determined either by Christ or his Apostles and therefore can only be regulated by the Prudence of the Church it self But common Reason will tell us that it should be so often at least as may be sufficient to preserve a fresh and lively Remembrance of the Sufferings of our Saviour in the minds of the People this being one main End of its first Institution And so often therefore ought every Christian who is arrived to years of understanding for such only are capable of doing any thing in remembrance of another to come and be partakers of it For to contemn or neglect this Ordinance which Christ has appointed for such a peculiar End argues a great slight and disregard of his Death and Passion besides the Disobedience to his Command and therefore is justly to be looked on as a very great and heinous sin 59. As it is a great Affront and even a Mocking of God for a Man to draw near to him in any of his Ordinances without a sincere and well-meaning heart for which Reason Hypocrisy in Scripture is represented as most odious and the Prayer and Sacrifice of a wicked Man whilst he continues such is said to be an Abomination unto God so does he seem to resent such a Practice in no instance more than in this of the Holy Communion of which he who eats and drinks unworthily is expessly said by the Apostle to be quilty of the Body and Blood of Christ and to eat and drink damnation to himself Which Expressions altho they are differently interpreted by divers persons yet in whatever sense we take them they do abundantly shew that God is in a particular manner offended with those who any way profane this sacred Institution It therefore is the Duty and ought very much to be the concern of every Christian first to examin himself and to make the best trial and enquiry that he can whether he be truly sincere in his resolutions of serving and obeying God faithfully all his life-long for any person who is thus disposed and none other is ever acceptable to God And then with Devotion and Reverence suitable unto such Sincerity to come and eat of this Bread and drink of this Cup That as on the one side he may not neglect what Christ has commanded and required so on the other he may not incur the Penalty which is threatned to an unworthy Receiver 60. He that worships or prays to God by himself alone may do it as well by offering up only the inward Thoughts and Desires of his Mind which are clearly seen and known unto God as by expressing himself outwardly by Words which tho even in our private Devotions they may be very proper to keep our Minds intent upon what we are about yet are no way necessary to inform God of what we think or wish for But when a Society of Men do meet to joyn together in God's worship their Devotion must