Transubstantiation EXAMIN'D and CONFUTED IN TWO SERMONS ON The Lords Supper Preach'd in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth By H. Smith sometime Preacher at St. Clement Danes Licensed June the 12th 1688. LONDON Printed by J. Wallis and are to be sold by most Booksellers 1688. THE FIRST SERMON ON THE Lord's Supper 1 Cor. xi 23 24. The Lord Jesus in the night that he was betrayed took Bread And when he had given thanks he brake it and said take eat this is my Body which is broken for you this do ye in remembrance of me THE Word and the Sacraments are the two Breasts wherewith our Mother doth nurse us Seeing every one receiveth and few understand what they receive I thought it the necessariest Doctrine to Preach of the Sacrament which is a witness of Gods promises a remembrance of Christs death and a seal of our adoption therefore Christ hath not instituted this Sacrament for a fashion in his Church to touch and feel and see as wee gaze upon pictures in the Windows but as the Woman which had the bloody issue touching the hem of Christs garment drew vertue from himself because she believed so Christ would that we touching these signs should draw vertue from himself that is all the graces which these signs represent Therefore as the Levites under the Law were bound to prepare their brethren before they came to the Passeover So preachers of the Gospel should prepare their brethren before they come to the Supper of the Lord. For which purpose I have chosen this place to the Corinthians which is the clearest and fullest declaration of this Sacrament in all the Scripture The Lord Jesus in the night c. The summe of all these words is the Institution and use of the Lords Supper First Paul sheweth the Author of it the Lord Jesus then the time when it was instituted in the night that he was betrayed then the manner how he did institute it he took Bread and when he had given thanks he brake it and gave unto his Disciphes c. then the end why he did institute it for a remembrance of his Death Touching the Author he which is signified by it was the Author of it The Lord Jesus hath bid us to supper I am not worthy sayth John to loose his shoe so we are not worthy to waite at his trancher and yet he will have us to sit at his Table To him belongeth the power to ordain Sacraments in his Church because he fulfilled the Sacraments of the Law. When Christ came the Passeover ceased because he is our Passeover that is the Lamb by whose blood we are saved When Christ came Circumcision ceased because he is our circumcision that is the purifier and clenser of our sins Now these two Sacraments are fulfilled he hath appointed two other Sacraments for them in stead of the paschal Lamb which the Jews did eat he hath given us another Lamb to eat which John calleth the Lamb of God that is himself upon whom all do feed whosoever do receive this Sacrament with an assured faith that Christ died to possess them of life The breaking of the Bread doth signify the wounding of the Body the powring out of the Wine doth signify the shedding of his Blood. The eating of the Bread and drinking of the Wine doth signify that his Flesh and Blood do nourish in us life eternal as the Bread and Wine do nourish the life present In stead of Circumcision which began at Abraham he hath ordained Baptisme which began at John a more lively representation of the true Circumcision of the Heart because it representeth unto us the blood of Christ which washeth our souls as the water in Baptism washeth our bodies Touching the time in the night saith Paul therefore this Sacrament is called the Lord's Supper because it was instituted at night when they used to sup But what night Even that night saith Paul when he was betraied that night which he should have cursed as Job did the day of his birth if he had suffered against his will that night when he should have thought to destroy men as men conspired to destroy him That night saith Paul this Sacrament of grace and peace and life began Even that night when we betraied him Many nights did he spend in watching and praying for us and is there a night now for us to betray him That was a dark night when men went about to put out the Sun which brought them light Who can but wonder to see how Christ and they for whom Christ came were occupied at one time when they devised mischief against him and sought all means to destroy him then he consulted how to save them and instituted the same night this blessed Sacrament to convey all his graces and blessings unto them Even that night when they betraied him The reason why this action was deferred until night is because that was the time appointed by the Law to eat the pass-over which was like a Predecessor of this Sacrament The reason why he deferr'd it untill his last night was because the passeover could not be ended before the fulness of time and the true paschal Lamb were come to be slain in stead of the other Therefore how fitly did Christ end the Pass-over which was a sign of his sufferings so presently before his suffering And beside how sweetly did he confirm his Disciples faith when as they should see that the next day performed before their eyes which over night both in the Pass-over and in the Sacrament was so lively resembled unto them if any man from this do gather that we ought to eat the Lords supper at night as Christ did he must understand that we have not the same cause to do so which Christ had because of the Passover And therefore the Church which hath discretion of times and places hath altered both the time and the place using the Temples in stead of the chamber and the morning in stead of the evening for indifferent things are ruled by order and decency Touching the manner He took Bread and when he had geven thanks he brake it and gave it unto them He would not eat it not break it before he had given thanks to God. What need he which was God give thanks to God but to shew us what we should do when we eat our selves In all things give thanks saith Paul whereby we declare that all things come from God but the wicked believe easier that God doth take than that he doth give and therefore they never pray heartily unto him for any thing nor feelingly thank him for it For which the Lord complaineth saying I have loved you yet ye say wherein hast thou loved us Shewing that we are worse then the Ox which knoweth his feeder And if that we acknowledg all things from God yet we do like Lot Is it not a little one saith he
as the best Fifthly It will follow that Christ's Sacrifice once for all was not sufficient because we must Sacrifice him again and break his Body and shed his Blood as the Jews crucified him upon the Cross Sixthly It will follow that the Bread being turned into the body of our Redeemer hath a part of our Redemption as well as Christ. Seventhly It will follow that Christ did eat his own Body for all the Fathers say that he did eat the same Bread which he gave to his Disciples Lastly It will follow that a Massing Priest shall be the creator of his Creator because he makes him which made him All these Absurdities are hatch'd of Transubstantiation Thus when men devise Articles of their own while they strike upon the Anvil the Sparks fly in their Face and they are like the man which began to build and could not finish it When I see the Papists in so many Absurdities for entertaining one Error methinks he seemeth like a Collier which is grimed with his own Coals Therefore as in manners we should think of Peter's saying Whether is it meet to obey God or Men So in Doctrines we should think whether it be meet to believe God or Men Thus you have heard the Author of this Sacrament The Lord Jesus the time when it was instituted In the night that he was betrayed the manner how it was instituted after Thanksgiving the end why it was instituted for a remembrance of his Death and the discovery of Transubstantiation one of the last Heresies which Babylon hatch'd Now they which have been Patrons of it before should do like the Father and Mother of an Idolater that is lay the first hand upon him to shorten his Life Thus I end Think what account ye shall give of that ye have heard The end of the First Sermon The Second SERMON ON THE Lord's Supper 1 Cor. XI 25 26 27 28. After the same manner also he took the Cup when he had supped saying This Cup is the New Testament in my blood this do as aft as ye drink it in remembrance of me For as often as ye shall eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye shall shew the Lord's death till he come Wherefore whosoever shall eat this Bread and drink the Cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man therefore examine himself and so let him eat of this Bread and drink of this Cup. HEre I am to speak of the second service as it were at the Lords Table and of that preparation which is like the Wedding Garment that every man must bring to this Banquet These words are diversly repeated of the Evangelists Here it is said This cup is the New Testament in my Blood. In Mathew and in Mark it is said This cup is my blood of the New Testament This is the first mention which Christ makes of a Testament as though now his promises deserved the name of a Testament because the Seal is set unto them which before this Sacrament was not sealed but like a bare writing without a Signet This word Testament doth imply a promise and therefore teacheth us that the Sacrament doth confirm and strengthen and nourish our Faith because it sealeth the promise which we should believe Here is to be noted that Christ doth not only speak of a Testament but he calleth it a New Testament which words never met together before as though the Law were for the old man to mortifie him and the Gospel for the new man to comfort him again or as if the Old Testament had so wash'd her Face and chang'd her Apparel at Christ's coming that one would not think it the same but a New Testament because even now she was shadowed with a Thousand Ceremonies and now they are gone from her like a mist at the Sun-rising As Christ calleth Love A new Commandement because he renewed it like a Law worn out of memory so he calleth the promise of salvation A new Testament because as it was renewed to Sem and after renewed to Abraham and after renewed to David so now he renewed it again which should be alway new and fresh unto us Every Tsteament is confirmed with blood the Old Testament was confirmed by the blood of Goats and Bullocks and Rams but the New Testament is confirmed by the blood of Christ My blood saith Christ is the blood of the New Testament nay This Cup saith Christ is the New Testament You may see then that they may gather as well out of Christ's words that the Cup is the New Testament as that the Wine is his Blood for Christ saith This Cup is the new Testament as well as he saith this wine is my blood or this bread is my body Beside when Christ speaks of a New Testament he implyeth that the Old Testament is fulfilled the Sacrifices and Ceremonies of the Law did signifie Christ before he came therefore they are fulfilled in his coming no more Sacrifices no more Ceremonies for the Truth is come Sacrifices and Cerimonies are honorably buried with the Priesthood of Aaron let them rest it is not lawful to violate the Sepulchers of the dead and take their bodies out of the Earth as the Witch would raise Samuel out of his Grave Therefore they which retain Ceremonies which should be abrogated Reliques of Judaism or Reliques of Papism may be said to violate the Sepulchers of the Dead and disturb the deceased like the Witch which presumed to raise Samuel out of his Grave This Testament is called a Testament in blood because the Testament and Will of a man is confirmed when the man is dead so Christ confirmed his Testament by his death Moses saith that life is in the blood so the blood of Christ is the life of this Testament If Christs blood had not been shed this Testament made unto us had been unprofitable as the Testament of a Father is unto his Son if the Father should not die but live therefore the Apostle saith without shedding of blood there is no remission of sins Therefore the Testament or Covenant of the remission of our sins is called the Testament in blood the blood of Christ is the Seal of the Testament which we have to shew unto God for the remission of our sins and the two Sacraments are a Seal of that blood to witness that it was shed Again this is a matter regarded in Testaments and Wills to the Testament of him that is dead no man addeth or detracteth but as the Testator made it so it standeth without alteration so should this Testament of Christ and this Sacrament of Christ no man should alter it now he is dead for he which addeth or detracteth hath a curse in Gods Book Therefore Christ when he Instituted this Sacrament commanded Do this that is do as I do least they should swerve one whit from
this is a poor and weak Testament which gave nothing Oh the goodliest Testament that ever was made for it bringeth to us the remissions of sins it is such a matter to forgive sins Yea the greatest benefit in all the world nay a greater benefit than all the world For thus it stood Thou hadst committed High Treason against the Queens Person thou art detected apprehended accused convicted and condemned upon it to be hanged and drawn quartered and thy Quarters to be set up for a spectacle like a Carcass which thou hast seen hanging upon a Gibbet and the Crows pecking upon it What a horror and shaking to thy mind to think of that day when all these torments and shame and fear shall surprize thee at once which would make thee quake and tremble if thou shouldst see but another so dismembred before thy face Thou hast no comfort now but this when I have suffered I shall be free before to morrow at this time all my pain will be past though my shame continue and my Children be beggers What grace what favour what mercy now to pardon thee all this and save thy life and set thee at liberty as though thou hadst never offended So I and thou and every one here had committed Treasons against the King of Kings and stood condemned for it not to suffer and then be free like them which break the laws of Men but to suffer and suffer and ever to suffer all that the Devils would heap upon us Then came the mercy of God for Christ which shed his Blood like an Umpire between God and us and said as Esay said to Hezechia Thou shalt not die but live loose him and let him go for he is mine So we were stayed like the Widows Son when he was carried to his grave This is the benefit of Christs death and this Sacrament is the remembrance of it and therefore whensoever we receive it this addition cometh with it Which is shed for the remission of sins Our fault was so heinous and grievous that no Ransom could countervail it unless God himself had suffered for us Being in this extremity neither Man nor Angel offered his Life for us but the Prince himself which should have crucified us came to be crucified of us for us that we might say with stedfast saith I believe the remission of sins not the satisfaction of sins but the remission of sins Mark this distinction against Popish Merits of Works or Penance Christ hath satisfied and not we we are remitted and not Christ therefore we say in our Confession I believe the remission of sins which I may call the quintessence and sweetness of the Twelve Therefore who but Antichrist durst deprave it If there be a satisfaction for our sins by Works or by Pilgrimages or by our Masses or by our Penance let Christ never be called a Forgiver but an Exchanger like the Pope which selleth his Pardons Wretched creatures which will not receive the Lord when he comes to their door Christ saith Take for nothing and they say no we will not take but buy Vile base miserable Man disdain to take Grace of God without satisfaction but they will cope with the Lord and give him so many Pilgrimages fast so many days hear so many Masses and pay so many Works for it untill they have done as much good as they have done evil Our sins are infinite God is infinite but our Works are finite in number measure Therefore be content with Josephs Brethren to take your money again and say that you have Corn for nothing that is you are saved for nothing or else when you say I believe the remission of sins you lie unto God because you do not believe the remission of sins but satisfaction for sins like the Papists It followeth As often as ye shall eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye shall shew the Lords death till he come Here are three invincible Arguments against Popish Transubstantiation like the three Witnesses under which every word doth stand First we are said to eat Bread then it is not Flesh but Bread. Secondly we are said to shew the Lords Death then it is but a shew or representation of his death Thirdly it is said until he come if he be to come then he is not come If he be come how can we say untill he come The effect of this Verse was shewed in these words Do this in remembrance of me For to say Do this in remembrance of me and to say So oft as ye do this you shew my death is much at one So that if you call this Sacrament a shew of Christs death as it is called here then it is not Christ or if you call it a remembrance of Christ as it is called there yet is it not Christ but a shew or remembrance of Christ but this is such a shew and remembrance that the next verse saith Whosoever receiveth it unworthily is guilty of the body and blood of Christ. Will ye know who Receiveth unworthily in the 29th verse Paul saith he discerneth not the Lord's Body i. e. which putteth no difference between this bread and othes but eateth like a Child the meat which he knoweth not and after the bread seemeth stones to him the wine poyson because his conscience telleth him I have received unworthily before I could say like David My heart is prepared My Sheep saith Christ know my voice as they discern Christs Body and therefore so often as they come into the Lords Table they seem to come into the Lords presence there they greet and kiss and imbrace one another with affections which none can know but they that feel like John which leaped in the Womb so soon as Christ came near him Will ye know beside what it is to be guilty of the body and blood of Christ even as Judas was guilty for betraying him and Pilate for delivering him and the Jews for crucifying him so they are guilty which receive this Sacrament unworthily as Pilate and Caiphas and Judas were If they be guilty of Christs death they are guilty of their own death too as if they had committed two murthers and therefore Paul saith after that many of the Chorinthians died only for the unworthy receiving this Sacrament As the Word is the savour of death to them which receive it unworthily so the Sacrament is the savour of death to them which receive it unworthily it never goeth into their mouth but they are traitors ipso facto and may say to Hell this day have I taken possession of thee because I am guilty of Christs blood Therefore it followeth immediately Let a man examine himself before he eat of this bread or drink of this wine as if he should say if he which receiveth this Sacrament unworthily be guilty of Christs death like Judas which hanged himself if these signs be received to salvation
hand doth well and they are afraid to take honour of men for losing their honour with God like John Baptist which made his Virtues meaner than they were and debased hemself when he might have got a name above his Lord. They are distinguished in Obedience therefore Christ teacheth us to judge men by their fruit as an unfallible Rule for the evil Tree will bring forth evil Fruit and the good Tree good Fruit and neither change his property although the evil Fruit is sometimes beautiful and the good Fruit sometime blasted All slip but in the wicked one Sin teacheth another and in the faithful one Sin preventeth another They are distinguished in Repentance for the wicked do but weep for their Sins past but the godly purpose to sin no more so Pharaoh Saul and Judas said I have sinned but Sadrach Meshech and Abednego said We will not sin therefore the Heart of the godly is called a contrite Heart but the Heart of the wicked is called a Heart that cannot repent Beside as Christ cast out a Legion of Divels at once so the godly would be purged for all their Sins together but the wicked never consent to leave all but as Naaman said Let the Lord spare me in this so ever he excepteth one Sin which is his beloved Sin like Herod which reformed many things and yet would not leave his Brother's Wife They are distinguished in Charity for ye shall never see the wicked love their Enemies and therefore when the Pharisees could not love their Enemies they taught that men might hate their Enemies and Christ speaking of Publicans and Sinners exhorteth his Disciples not to love like them because they loved none but their friends They are distinguished in Prayer for the wicked cannot pray therefore David saith They call not upon the Lord as if they had not the spirit of Prayer and therefore Christ calleth their prayer babling for they think not of God when they speak unto him They are distinguished in Patience no Hypocrite can bear the Cross but saith like Cain It is heavier than I can suffer but Paul and Silas sing in Prison for a faithful man would have something to humble him and rejoyce to bear his Masters marks because the wounds of a Lover are sweet They are distinguished in the Use of Adversity for this is a proper and peculiar mark of God's Children to profit by affliction and therefore we read not in all the Punishments of the wicked that one of them said like David It is good for me that I have been afflicted They are distinguished in Humility for the wicked are not humbled before the Cross like Pharaoh that never sorrowed but when he suffered but the Apostles learned Humility of their Master before their Persecution came They are distinguished in their Judgement of the Word for to the wicked it seemeth the hardest and simplest and unpleasantest Book that is and therefore St. Paul saith That it is foolishness unto them but to the godly it seemeth the wisest and cloquentest and sweetest and easiest Book of all others as though God did suddenly bring the understanding of it to them as Jacob said of his Venison according to that He that will do his will shall know his Doctrine They are distinguished in their Judgement of God the wicked are perswaded now and then of God's Mercy for the present time while they feel it as the Jews praised him always when he did as they would have him but they cannot perswade themselves that God will be merciful to them still like Job which said Though the Lord Kill me yet will I trust in him therefore the hope of the righteous is called hope in death Beside if the wicked love God it is but for his benefits as Saul loved him for his Kingdom And this is always to be noted that in the wicked the fear of Hell is greater than is their hope of Heaven but in the faithful the hope of Heaven is greater than the fear of Hell. They are distinguished in their Delights for the sport of the ungodly is folly like Belshazzer's and therefore when they are sick or troubled they never run to the Word for comfort as though God's Promise pertained not to them but to Feasts or Tables or Tales or Mnsick as Saul did to the Harp. But all the Delights of the godly are like David's Dance about the Ark they are never merry but when they are doing well nor at peace but when their Prayers have overcome God like Jacob. They are distinguished in their Opinions of Death for the faithful long to be dissolved and although they might live for ever in continual Prosperity yet they would not stay so long out of Heaven but the wicked would never be dissolved because Death comes always unto them like a Jaylor to hale unto Prison as Achab said to Michaiah That he never prophesied good to him Hereby a man shall know whether he have Faith for if he do believe the Promises he wiâ—l be glad to receive them They are distinguished in their sence of Sin wicked men feel the lothsomness of their Vices but none but the faithful feel the defects of their Righteousness The natural man never complaineth of his good works but vaunteth of them but a godly man findeth fault with his Prayers and his Alms and his Watches like Isaiah that said his Righteousness was like a menstruous Cloath As Christ met the Temper in the Wilderness a place of Prayer and Fasting and Meditation so a godly man meeteth the Tempter in his Prayer and in his Fasts and in his Meditations that is he finds some let or spot or want in all his Devotions Therefore unless thy Righteousness mislike thee as well as thy Prophaneness know that yet thou art no farther than the wicked They are distinguished in their Ends for the Children of God propose the Glory of God and level all their Thoughts and Speeches and Actions as if they were Messengers sent to carry him presents of Honour Thus did David when he said All that is within me praise the Lord. As though himself had rather been without praise than his Master but the Children of the World set up their own Glory for their mark like Nebuchadnezzer which said For the honour of my Majesty Dan. 4. 27. Therefore they speak and look and walk as if they did say to their Tongue and Eyes and Feet and Apparel as Saul said to Samuel Honour me before this People Lastly They are distinguished in Perseverance for the Zeal of the wicked lasteth not and therefore God saith They are soon turned out of the way but the Zeal of the faithful was represented by the fire of the Temple which never went out By these differences thou mayst see how much thou dost differ from the wicked or whether thou be of their band