the execution of his Fathers will that he said Lo I come to do thy will Heb. 10.9 by which will saith the Apostle ver 10. we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all But for a clearer illustration let me tell you that this will is the salvation of man which our Lord came to advance and to accomplish for you know that to that end Christ was sent into the world that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3.16 a truth which manifestly appears Isa 49.6 when he saith in the person of the Father speaking to the Son I will give thee for a light unto the Gentiles that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth nay a truth manifested by our Saviour when he lived amongst us as now he will have us to understand it when he saith My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work then you may observe that this will of God was the manifestation of his Fathers most sacred counsel unto the world Christ being the sacred Interpreter of his Father and the word by which he informs us of his will for as Christ saith S. Mat. 11.27 all things are delivered unto me of my Father and no man knoweth the Son but the Father neither knoweth any man the Father but the Son and be to whom the Son will reveal him this sacred will of God was the sulfilling of the Law for those who should receive him by a most siducial apprehension for as Ambrosius saith persectionem legis habet qui credit in Christum he that beleeveth in Christ hath the perfection of the Law which he had learned from the Apostle S. Paul Rom 10.4 who says Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the end or perfection of the Law for righteousness to every one that beleeveth this sacred will of God was the death of our Saviour for the sins of those that should obey him as you clearly see Heb. 5.9 where we reade that Christ being made perfect through sufferings he became the authour of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him that they may be conformed to the most bright image of him that saith My meat is to do the will of him that sent me but let us adde and to sinish his work To tell you that I need not to give you an enumeration of all Gods works for the work of God of which it is spoken in our Text is the same as the will of him that sent Christ for as Euthimius saith the will of the Father who sent Christ and the work committed unto him is the Salvation of men according to that of S. John 17.4 where Christ saith I have sinished the work which thou gavest me to do and so the will of God which we have expounded unto you is the work of God which our Saviour had to perform and indeed it is not without cause that this will is called a work because the satisfaction for mens sins and their reconciliation with God is a work by excellency a work compounded of many works which nevertheless are under one work which is our redemption then you must observe that this work doth not consist in the last act that Christ performed upon the Cross for he wrought in it when he sought after the lost sheep of the house of Israel he wrought in that gracious work when he lett the Gentiles their neighbours take some crumbs of his sacred bread for the salvation of their souls he wrought in it when he did communicate himself unto the Samaritans which were grown a base people and amongst whom the service of the God of Israel was not pure he wrought in that sacred work all the time he was upon the earth till his obedience was accomplished upon the Cross where he said It is sinished S. John 19.30 ver But observe that this work is of another rank then that of our good works which God commandeth approveth and worketh in us by his holy Spirit for this work of our salvation is the great and sublime work of God a work which excels the great work of the Creation being a work as I may say of greater labour then that of the Creation for as S. Austin sayes Deus loquendo creavit sed patiendo redemit God created the world by his speaking but he redeemed it by his suffering because the ruine and perdition of men was such that there were more obstacles at the redeeming of men then at the creation of the Universe for besides there was the same vertue required to raise the dead as to give being to nothing and life to dust the justice of the living God was opposed unto their salvation therefore to satisfie the divine justice the death of our dear Saviour was necessary for them to whom God had said Gen. 2.17 In the day thou eatest of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt surely die Moreover this work of our salvation is a work in which God manifested his Wisedom in an higher degree then he did in that of the Creation for besides we know more of the Divinity by the work of our redemption then we do by the work of the Creation the mystery of the Trinity being revealed unto us by that work of his grace which was not not discovered by the works of nature we see in our Redemption Gods admirable work a most wonderfull way where God punisheth our sins and with all saves men by it so that the punishment of mens sins in our Saviour becomes the salvation of them nay more then that in that sacred work Christ the Physician took Physick for us his Patients to heal us of our spiritual sicknesses where in nature the Physician gives Physick to his Patients to cure them of their corporal diseases then let us say My meat is to to do the will of him that sent me and to sinish his work where you must yet observe that this work is the onely work of Christ for this work is such that no man nor angel can reach unto it there is none but the Lion of the Tribe of Judah the Son of God that can say in regard of this great and mighty work of our Redemption My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to sinish his work which leades me to the second part of my Text. The Second Part. Those that are acquainted with the Scripture know there are two sorts of meat the one for the body which is the common signification as it is the common meat the other for the souls which is spiritual by resemblance and proportion to the corporal meat which is the metaphorical signification of that word meat and indeed as the material meat maintains and keeps our bodies so are our souls maintained and kept by the spiritual meat moreover as our bodies increase and receive their strength against weakness from the material
the flesh is the onely King who did eat at the table of mens redemption Christ is he alone who hath troden the wine-press Isa 63.3 I have troden saith our Saviour speaking of that he was certainly to perform the winepress alone and of the people there was none with me Christ is he alone who hath been consecrated by afflictions for our salvation Heb. 5.9 For Christ being consecrated through sufferings became the authour of eternal salvation unto all those that obey him and there is no other name under heaven given amongst men whereby we must be saved but this of Jesus Christ who saith My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work Conclusion and Application Now brethren to conclude let us consider the great work of our Redemption which our Lord and Saviour performed from the birth of his sacred person to his death upon the Cross where he saith It is finished that we may abstain from sin and run after righteousness let us look upon the divine wisedom that found a way to punish our sins and with all save men by it nay more then that a way where the Physician took Physick for his Patient to cure him of all his spiritual diseases that we may never cease to praise the Lord our God whom we adore ler us admire here the tender affection of our dear Saviour who being offended as well as his Father notwithstanding the reconciliation of men with their God and him through his bloud that we may exclaim with the Apostle that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Jesus Christ Moreover let us consider in the work of our Redemption the union of heaven and earth which our sins had broke and you shall see that the sacred angels descend from heaven to protect help and comfort us against our enemies and eminent dangers which beset us in this corrupted world being now ministring spirits for them who shall be heirs of salvation Heb. 1.14 But to admire yet more the great benefits of the incomparable work of our Redemption consider seriously what we were by our sins before the decretal resolution of God to save men by Christ examine what we are now by nature the slaves of the Prince of darkness the sons of this corrupted world and the children of death and eternal damnation our condition was as it is by nature worse then Lots in Sodom then Israels in Egypt then Sampsons among the Philistins then the Jews in Babylon and the Prophets and Apostles in the obscure prisons for we were under the power of the god of this wotld bound with chains of obscurity and tyed fast to the infernal pillory for our eternal shame if Christ had not come to destroy him that had the power of death that is the devil Moreover let us learn here that although Christ is alone in this great work of our Redemption yet in the general enterprise of doing the will of God every one according to his condition is sent from him to do his will Kings and Princes have their work from God to do for as S. Paul saith Rom. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Princes are the Ministers of God for good they must kiss the eternal Son of God the Lord of lords and King of kings they must lay down at his feet their Sceptre and Diadem that their kingdoms may continue longer under them nay more then that they must administer all things for his glory all the kings of the world being under Christ the King of kings which the great Monarch of England most piously acknowledgeth by the Church when she saith that his Majesty is next and immediately under God and his Christ in his Dominions supreme Governour The subordinate Magistrates have also their work from God to perform they ought to do all things according to equity and minister justice without partiality and weigh with deliberation the considerable matters which they have in hand lest too much rashness in the execution of them should embroyl them and the people with ruine and confusion or some other fatal accidents All the Spiritual Guides and Ecclesiastical Superiours have a work from God to do which must be their meat they must consider that all things ought to be done decently and in order in the Church of God and that they must not do things to please their fancies or the common sort of people but our God and Christ our Redeemer who did seek onely the glory of his Father that sent him the nurses of piety and learning ought to apply their understandings for the work that they have to perform that they may finde some means to advance and promote the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and keep the Church of God from schism licentiousness and heresie all the Ministers have a work from God which they must accomplish for we are embassadours for Christ who hath given unto us the ministery of reconciliation 2 Cor. 5.18 which is a work of a sublime excellence where we feed our selves with divine meat when we give others the sincere milk of the word of God But further you know that all Christians have a work from God to do for they are sent from him to seek after the meat of obedience unto the word of God that they may live soberly and religiously before him and by a Christian conversation inflame the hearts of others to the glory of his holy Name Lastly all men and women have their work from God to accomplish in their vocation and family as well the greatest and richest as the least and poorest of all as well the Nobility as others their inferiours for to all the intelligent but mortal creatures the time is precious and given for a pious exercise it must not be employed about drunkenness but soberness not about the profanation of the sacred Name of God but its holy celebration nor about idleness but watchfulness Let us then brethren forsake our covetous desires let us not run after the impetuons blast of this world the time which we have employed for our covetousness pride and vanity ought to oblige us to redeem it and to lay aside the sin which doth so easily beset us in this corrupted world pursuing with patience the race that is set before us and looking unto Jesus the authour and finisher of our faith who saith My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work Amen FINIS
of a sensitive life which makes us subject to hunger thirst sorrow and death to redeem those who by their sins were made a sinfull flesh was it not enough for our blessed Saviour to accomplish the law for the elected sinners dye for their sins and rise for their assurance yea we must truly say that it is enough to make us confess the insinite love of our God towards us and exclaim every one of us as the grand Apostle S. Paul Rom. 8. with a great affection towards him who loved us I am perswaded that neither death nor lise nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor beight nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Nevertheless our blessed Redeemer knowing that since the fall of Adam in which we have been all corrupted our nature is so weak with its faculties that we cannot well remember those things which concern our salvation hath shewed us another effect of his sacred love he gave us his Word that we may have continually before our eyes Jesus Christ and him crucisied and left us the holy Sacraments and specially that of the Lords Supper to seal unto our souls the great mystery of our redemption that we might remember what Christ did for us upon the Cross for as Christ himself saith S. Luk. 23.19 this doin remembrance of me and S. Paul 1 Cor. 11.26 as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup ye do shew the Lords death till he comes remember then dear brethren that great and sublime mystery of our redemption that in the reception of the holy Sacraments your souls may be sealed with the sacred seal of the holy Ghost for your eternal salvation But before you come to the sacred banquet of our Lord where his body and bloud is served for our celestial meat and spiritual drink prepare your selves examine your life and consider your inward and outward actions to abhor the sins and corruptions of them that coming with a strong resolution to leave sin and embrace that noble daughter of heaven vertue you may worthily participate of the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Jesus Christ for as S Paul saith 1 Cor. 11.28 Let a man examine himself not his neighbour as many pretended Saints do and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. Remember that you go unto that sacred banquet with reverence and in the consideration of your sins go with humility for Christ takes a singular pleasure to dwell in the house of an humble Christian if he comes unto Zacheus his house Zacheus must come down first as you read S. Luk. 19.5 Zacheus make haste and come down for to day I must abide at thy house and so S. Jam. 4.6 saith that God resisteth the proud and giveth grace unto the humble Let us come by faith for it is the sacred mouth and spiritual hand with which we apprehend the body and bloud of Jesus Christ as by faith we have a sacred union with our blessed Saviour let us not be Capernaical but Apostolical prepare not your teeth beleeve and thou hast eaten it saith S. Austin do you not say how shall I send my hands and arms to heaven send your faith Moreover remember that you come with a sincere and not hypocritical repentance that you may not be like unto Judas who kissed his Master to betray him for you know that it is by that noble but sorrowfull vertue repentance that we must come unto that sacred banquet of the lamb slain for our sins for we do not come unto that sacred banquet as innocent unto the goodness of our God but as repenting sinners unto his grace but brethren you must be void of envy hatred and malice lest you should take the holy Sacrament to your own condemnation you know that it is a Sacrament of our union nor onely with Christ but also amongst our selves for as the Apostle says 1 Cor. 10 We who are many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one bread do ye not absent your selves from that sacred banquet lest you entertain communion with the god of this world and conserve in your selves hatred and malice to your own destruction indeed the more you absent your selves from the Sacrament the more will the devil keep you from it so that at last ye will despise the holy Sacrament and procure to your selves a kinde of hardness to sin But further give me leave to beseech you to look upon the meat and drink of that blessed and sacred banquet Christ himself whose body and bloud is precious meat and drink Christ the heavenly bread from whom we draw the spiritual water of wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption for as the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 1.30 Christ is made unto us wisdom righteousness sanctisication and redemption Consider those that serve at that mystical Table the holy Angels they serve but they eat not the meat of that sacred Table is not for them it is onely for repenting sinners which things if you seriously look upon I am sure that you will endeavour with the grace of our God to prepare your selves for a worthy reception of the Lords Supper that you may be partakers not onely of the external signes and Sacramental bread but also of Christ the thing signified by them the heavenly bread who will preserve you from eternal death and bring you into the glorious kingdom of his Father to enjoy after the sacred banquet of grace the glorious banquet of glory Amen TO THE Right Worshipfull Right Vertuous and truly Religious my much Honoured Friend WILLIAM ADAMS Esq Felicity and Peace Sir THE Merit and high Repute of your Civility is as a Voice that is heard not onely in all the places where you have been but in many others also which were not honoured by your Presence Fama volat and indeed wheresoever I come I hear great Commendations of your Worship The world saith and that with Justice that your Piety and Modesty is incomparable and an Example to the Nobility that lives far and near that Temple of Honour where you have your Noble Habitation But Sir give me leave to say that your Learning is not obscure and though you be young in years yet you are old in Prudence Nay I must confess that your Worship is indued with such rare and eminent Qualities that there be few among Persons of Eminency who do enjoy them It is not then without Designe that I am sollicitous to present the Spiritual Kingdom of our Saviour against the Monarchical Reign of our Chiliastes to your most piercing sight for having its Review and Approbation by so clear a Judgement I shall not fear what Eye it may be exposed to for its Censure I hope Sir that you will receive this Sermon although not worthy of your Acceptance the which indeed I dare
from hence which manifestly contradicts the Chiliasts or Millenaries opinion for if Christ as they say will govern at that time as earthly Monarchs do in a worldly visible and earthly glory how is his kingdom not of this world Moreover if there were such a kingdom given to our Saviour we should have heard in the Scripture of a third personal coming of Jesus Christ which we do not for the Scripture makes onely mention of two personal comings of our blessed Saviour where the first is his coming in humane weakness to make us strong against our powerfull enemies the devil the flesh and the world the second his coming in majesty and glory to give judgement to the quick and dead after their resurrection and we confess in our Creed that from thence that is heaven where Christ now is he shall come to judge the quick and the dead which is confirmed by the Athanasian and Nicene Creed to whith we must keep close as being the saith which was once delivered to the Saints And if some Millenaries will not understand that Monarchical kingdom of our Saviour personally then that kingdom fals of it self for Christ now reigneth by his Spirit in the hearts of his regenerated Subjects as they will confess with us and they reign with him for as our Text saith and they lived and reigned with Christ But further that Monarchical Kingdom of Christ cannot stand without two general corporal resurrections the one of those Saints which were dead before that personal coming of Christ at which he shall take the administration of his Monarchical kingdom the other at the end of the world at his sinal coming to judgement as they themselves acknowledge which is a thing that the Scripture makes no mention of for the Word of God makes onely mention of one general corporal resurrection at the end of the world as you may see Job 19.25 where it is said by that most patient Patriarch I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth and though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God nay Martha as you reade S. Joh. 11.24 confesseth to Christ that her brother shal rise again in the resurrection of the last day and not at the day of the administration of Christs Monarchical kingdom and you know that S. Paul 1 Cor. 15.52 saith that in a moment in the twinkling of an eye we shall rise at the last Trumpet and so in our Creed we confess the refurrection and not the resurrections of the flesh and that will not serve the Millinaries to say that in our Chapter in the 5. ver it appears clearly that there are two general resurrections of the flesh when we hear of a first resurrection which insinuates a second one for that first resurrection which is mentioned there is the resurrection not of the body but of the soul from the death of sin to the life of grace as S. Aust did well observe I know that some take that first resurrection for the glorious happiness of the soul by which she alone passeth by the death of the body into eternal life and that by the preceding words of the 1. verse which are but the rest of the dead that is the wicked and reprobate lived not again c. because they experimented in hell the first death and damnation which is of the soul alone which obligeth S. John to say in regard of the Saints departed who are opposed to the wicked this is the first resurrection and blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection on such the second death hath no power for those that live with Christ in heaven in regard of their souls onely shall live with him eternally in regard of both bodies and souls in the celestial Jerusalem but although this explication be true in it self yet you must observe that it is not proper in this place of Scripture which considers the wicked and godly men not as departed from this world but as living upon the earth and so S. John considers the wicked as dead in their sins and having part in the first spiritual death and the godly men as living by grace and having part in the first spiritual resurrection I could raise many more Arguments against the doctrine which the Millenaries hold concerning that Monarchical kingdom but I will not be tedious I shall pass by the three several assensions of Christ which they hold for we know no such thing in the Scripture I shall also omit the place which some Millenaries maintain besides heaven and hell where the souls of them are who shall rise to reign with Christ a thousand years for you know that the Scripture makes onely mention of two places after death the one of which saith S. Austin in his hypognost is according to the Catholick faith the kingdom of heaven and the other according to the same faith saith this Father and Doctour of the Christian Church is hell Etenim tertium locum penitus ignoramus for we are wholly ignorant of a third place which is confirmed in his Book de precat merit cap. 28. and insinuated in the 22. artic of the Church of England I will not trouble you with the several passages of Scripture which they bring to prove that Monarchical kingdom which they will have with Christ it is enough to tell you that they put a meerly literal construction upon the Prophesies and promises of Scripture which the holy Ghost intended to be spiritually understood for if the Prophets speak concerning the kingdom of Christ the re-edifying of the Jewish Cities the pomp and magnificence of restored Israel and their large priviledges they draw those things to a gross corporal and syllabical sense which the judgement of the whole Christian Church seconded by the event hath upon good ground ever construed not of the letter but of the spirit to shew the comfortable condition great advantage of the Evangelical Church under Christ manifested in the flesh which evidently teacheth us as I said before that Christ had onely two several kingdoms of which the one is providential and the other spiritual in which the Saints live and reign with Christ as you may see in my Text where S. John speaking of that kingdom saith and they lived and reigned with Christ But for a clear illustration of those kingdoms you must observe that the providential kingdom of Jesus Christ is his essential universal and natural kingdom which he administreth as God over all his creatures in Majesty and glory with his Father and the holy Ghost and obtaineth as the onely Son of his Father jure naturali which kingdom is mentioned in Daniel the Prophet 4.34 and 6.26 but the spiritual kingdom of Jesus Christ figured by the kingdom of Judah is the donative personal and oeconomical kingdom which the Son of God received from his Father as you may see in Psa 2.6 8. where
of some temporal punishment or to obtain the pardon of her sins for 40. 50. or a 100. years I would account them vain and superstitious but it is clear that she doth not do it for all that the Church of England doth intend in her repetitions as I conceive is to inflame our zeal and affection towards God as the Prophet David left us an example that we might conform our selves to it repeating many times the wonderful favours of our God towards the humane kinde and saying Psal 136. in every verse for his mercy endureth for ever But this is not all which the Authours of our divisions condemn for the signe of the Cross made upon the forehead of the baptized Infants passeth for a superstition and a rest of Papism as the commemoration of the principal mysteries of our redemption observed at certain days of the year with the Festival days of the Blessed Virgin the Apostles and Martyrs nay more then that they cannot endure to hear any thing about the bowing to the Name of Jesus But for the signe of the Cross those that have perused the antiquity know that it was used in the Christian primitive Church for a signe of the Christian profession as it appeareth by Tertullian Cyprian and Augustine de verbis Domini the eighth Sermon and that is granted by our Learned Peter du Moulin in his little Tractate of the Traditions Chap. 25. and I will not omit our judicious Bucer who saith in his first Book De Regno Christi cap. 12. I think that the signe of the Cross is neither indecent nor unprofitable non tam quod est in Ecclesia usus antiquissimi quam quod est admodum simplex praesentis admonitionis crucis Christi not so much because it is of an ancient use in the Church as that it is very innocent and of a present admonition of the Cross of Christ I confess that the signe of the Cross is superstitiously used in the Church of Rome for they make use of it with their holy water for the expiation of their venial sins which are not to be found in the Scripture nor in antiquity nor in nature they make use of the signe of the Cross to drive away the devil and scare him they use it before a Cross because it hath been cause as they say of great wonders and occasion of the conversion of S. Christopher who as some of them say was before engaged in the service of the devil although it is very true that there was never such a man as they imagine him to be nay they make use of the signe of the Cross before and after their meat some being of that perswasion that their meat and drink cannot profit them without that signe but the Church of England admits none of these Superstitions for she onely makes use of the signe of the Cross for a mark and token of the Christian profession as it was used in the Primitive Church And do not tell me that it was upon occasions which are not now to be found among us for I will tell you that now the occasions are as great if not greater being among those who under the profession of Christ endeavour to ruine his Church and if that were no sin to do it in the Primitive Church as I hope the contentious will confess I may certainly say that it is none now to do it but those that condemn the signe of the Cross should not at all speak against it for if they are persecuted as they say let them according to the custom of the Church Primitive make the signe of the Cross among themselves As for the Festival days or the commemoration of the principal mysteries of our Redemption and other special favours of God which gloriously shined in the Blessed Virgin the Apostles and Martyrs observed at certain days of the year it is well known to such as are but meanly read that it was the custome of the Christian Church before the Apostatick seat of Rome as you may see by Jerome in his Commentary upon the Epistle to the Galatians cha 4. adding there further that soon after the Apostles time the Histories of their lives and deaths were read in the Church and their godly examples commended to the people and although Antiquity is not sufficient of it self to justifie this or that Observation yet next unto the Holy Scriptures it is to be reverenced according to that of S. Austin Epist 118. tom 2. post sacras Scriptur as ea nobis sunt observanda quae vel ab Apostolis profecta esse per traditionem vel ab universalibus consiliis desinita esse judicantur those things are by us to be observed next unto the Holy Scriptures which are judged to come from the Apostles by tradition or to have been desined by general Councils Indeed we must acknowledge that many superstitions are used these days in the Church of Rome for in the Festival dayes of the blessed Virgin and holy Apostles those of the Church of Rome pretend to merit before God in their sinfull devotions before such an Altar and no other and in such a Chappel they offer unto them Vows present them their prayers and give them an honour which is due unto God which if these Saints had any knowledge of they without doubt would implore the Divine Majesty to punish their presumption for if they could not endure such an honour upon the earth Act. 10.14 as being onely proper to God much less will they suffer it in heaven being indued with a greater charity toward the God of glory whom they must reverently adore therefore the Church of England admits not these Superstitions in her Festival days she doth nothing but meditate these days on the wonderfull graces of God which did appear in these Saints of whom she celebrates the commemoration and desireth of God that she may imitate them in the holy life and pious conversation which they did leade upon the earth and so she saith with S. Austin lib. de vera relig cap. 55. Sancti honorandi sunt propter imitationem sed non adorandi propter religionem the Saints are to be honoured for imitation but not worshipped for Religion for although these days are kept holy in Commemoration of the Saints yet they are not kept holy to the Saints but to God For the bowing at the Name of Jesus I confess that at first coming from the Church of Rome I thought it was superstitious but having seriously examined the thing I see that it can be done without superstition for we owe to our blessed Saviour an outward and inward reverence because Christ hath redeemed not onely our souls but also our bodies from eternal corruption and indeed we may observe that in Phil. 2.10 where it is said that at the Name of Jesus every knee shall bow of things in heaven things in earth and things under the earth for although the Apostle speaks immediately of the glory and authority
the accidents that is what you see of the consecrated bread so that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this demonstrates the body of Christ sub speciebus vel accidentibus panis under the accidents of the bread for say they this Proposition this is my body is the Will and Testament of our blessed Lord where sigures are not admitted as being something obscure But first I have shewed you that this Proposition this is my body is not a proper saying but a figurative one by the nature of all the Sacraments which are the same in signification and use in the New as they were in the Old Testament as S. Paul evidently teacheth us 1 Cor. 10.23 for saith he they were all baptized in the cloud and did all eat not onely among them but also with us the same spiritual meat and so S. Austin lib. de utilit poenit saith that whosoever apprehended â— Christ in the Manna cundem quem nos cibum spiritualem comederunt did eat the same spiritual meat which we do eat which saying of Austin made such an impression on the Jesuit Maldonat that he said if S. Austin had lived in his time he had changed his opinion seeing that the interpretation of the Protestants which he calls Calvinists is almost the same Maldonat on S. Job 6.50 num 80 81. As for what they say that it is a Testament we confess it with them but we say that the expression of our blessed Saviours Will is figurative and tropical as it doth appear by what we have said and by S. Luk. 22.20 where you read after Christ had said this is my body this cup is the New Testament in my bloud which is confirmed by S. Paul 1 Cor. 11.25 for it is evident that the cup was not the testament and it will not much serve them to say that this passage hath two expressions where the first must be rendred so this is the cup the new testament in mybloud the second this cup is the new testament in my bloud because the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is is exprest in 1 Cor. 11. and omitted in S. Luk. 22. for although in the first expression the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is is taken by them properly because it was a cup that Christ presented to his disciples nevertheless they confess a sigure is in the 2d expression for they say that in that expression the cup is taken for what was in it and that the testament is that by which we have right to the Covenant but it is certain that that which they will have distinct is but the same thing and the same Proposition in that passage of S. Luke of the Corinthians to signifie that the cup or the wine in the cup is the signe of the New Testament confirmed by the bloud of Jesus Christ Concerning tropical locutions which are not admitted as they say in testaments as being something obscure I say that it is not always so seeing that they themselves use them for illustration and it is clear enough that sigures have places in testaments let them consider the testament of Jacob Gen. 49. that of Moses Deut. 33. and that of David 2 Sam. 23. and they shall with us observe them to be allegorical moreover besides the Civilians observe that in mens Testaments there are oftentimes sigurative expressions for which they have some restrictions which cause them to say that in Testaments they must not come to a proper or strict signification of words Cum plerumque abusivè loquuntur testatores seeing that the Testators oftentimes speak improperly I say if the humane Testaments should be so plain that there should be no figures it would not follow that there should be none in divine and spiritual Testaments for in a humane Testament there are nothing but Legacies and express commands which ought to be plainly understood but in a divine and spiritual Testament there are mysteries to exercise our understandings our faith hope and patience as the Learned men most judiciously observe there are some things for this life and some things for the life to come some things are clearly seen and some things darkly perceived Moreover in humane Wills men ought to speak plainly because they can speak no more when they are dead but in the spiritual Testament which is here mentioned the Testator can speak after his death as you know that he did and doth truly know it for Christ after his ascension into the glorious Palace of his Father spâ—ke unto S. Paul who was the grand Persecutour of his sacred members Act. 9.4 5. as now by his holy Spirit he speaks unto us and makes the Church understand as much as he pleaseth and as much as is necessary for the glory of his Father and her eternal salvation By this you may see that our Proposition this is my body importeth nothing else but this bread signifies or is the signe of my body and indeed if the body of Christ were corporally in the Sacrament under the accidents it should there be passible that is subject to alteration and sufferings or impassible that is not subject to any alterations or sufferings but the body of Christ cannot be there passible or subject to any alteration for if it were so he should be there with all his dimensions in order to a certain place otherwise he could not suffer as they will confess with us and so the body of Christ could be divided which they will not grant in the Sacrament saying that it is totum in tota hostia totum in qualibet parte hostiae wholly in the host and wholly in every part of it and although Pope Nicholas forced Berengarius to recant in those words I Berengarius assirm that Christs slesh is sensually handled and broken by the Priests hands in the Sacrament and grinded by the teeth of the saithfull nevertheless they will not admit of that expression and confess it is not so insomuch that the gloss on the Canon de Consecr distinct 2. cap. Ego Berengarius affirms it to be a worse heresie then that of Berengarius unless it be soberly understood for generally they hold that Christs body is in the Sacrament sub speciebus panis impassibly which yet cannot be for if it were so his body had been a glorious body before his resurrection impassibility being one of the chief qualities of a glorious body as they confess with us for you know that Christ did celebrate the holy Sacrament before his death moreover if the body of Christ were impassible under the accidents in the Sacrament I would ask them the Apostles having consecrated at his death whether Christs body had been alive or no in the Sacrament I suppose they will not say that it had been alive for in the same time it had been alive in the Sacrament under the accidents and dead in the grave which is a manifest contradiction nor dead I hope for that should be contrary to their assertion of Christ