according to you the manifestation of the Spirit doth signifie as to some men Heathens namely and the darkest and wickedest the least measure of light and the smallest spiritual operation and motion in the Heart you understanding that it is given to every man And this so ill agreeing with the Apostles discourse it was necessary that you should take away the emphasis as you have done saying a manifestation of the Spirit is given to every Man But what reason and authority you have for so doing I know not the Greek having its Article which commonly enough is emphatical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but especially there being the greatest emphasis in the thing it self the manifestation of the Spirit the Apostle expressing it by many eminent Gifts such as Tongues Miracles c. and not saying one ordinary thing of it such namely as is the light in every man Heathens as well as Christians G. K. Help p. 2. Eating and drinking Damnation spoken of 1 Cor. 11. is where this discerning of the Lord's Body is not rightly made the Dead and Crucified Body from the Living Body the living Soul as it is first from the quickning Spirit which follows after Surely men may say any thing when they assume the liberty of proving nothing The Text is this He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh Damnation to himself not discerning the Lord's Body Not discerning it in what I demand In eating and drinking you must say if you will speak according to the Apostle I demand further in eating and drinking what This Bread and Wine you must answer which the Lord ordeined in remembrance of his Death if you will again speak as the Apostle doth Friend Dost thou eat and drink this I neither do nor will must thou reply according to thy opinion and practice I tell thee then that thou discernest not the Lord's Body according to the mind of the Apostle in this place And it is no wonder that thou hast invented a strange interpretation hereof so long as thou wilt have nothing to do with the Institution Do this in remembrance of me But since the Apostle speaks of the Lord's Supper shew that he means here that another body is to be discerned than that which is to be remembred as Crucified whereof the Bread and Wine are Symbols Shew a syllable here that intimates a spiritual body I will shew thee and I wish thou would'st learn thy duty what it is according to the Apostles mind to discern the Lords Body viz. to come to the Supper of the Lord not as to a common Feast but with heavenly affection and all due preparation of Soul minding his Death the death of so great an one as the Son of God the Lord of Glory and not of an ordinary man and that ignominious and painful the death of the Cross his Love herein and the Love of his Father and our inestimable benefit eternal Redemption so as to be sutably wrought upon by all Thus much you might have learned from the Apostle if you had observed his words who tells us that as for eating and drinking that is after the common manner we have houses to do that in but this bread is Christ's Body broken for us and this Cup is the New Testament in his Blood and we are to examin our selves and to receive these in remembrance of him shewing forth his Death herein And I pray you what is here unworthy of a Christian and unfit for you to do what that is meau and elementary and not divine enough for the best But as for your discerning of the Lord's Body his dead Body from his living Body the living Soul from the quickning Spirit as you intend it not of his Supper so hath it nothing to do with the Text. J. N. Love to the Lost p. 54. c. This was Instituted by Christ as they sate at Meat and did eat and so often as they did eat and drink thereof they were to do it in remembrance of him shewing his Death till he came And this was that the Apostles received of the Lord and was practised in the purity of the Church which breaking Bread from house to house did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart And this was to be done at all seasons when they eat and drank in their eating and drinking they were to do it to the Lord and herein to have communion with his Body and Blood Yea when they were to have communion with the Gentiles they were to partake of the Table of the Lord 1 Cor. 10. Many excess having overtaken them for want of eating always in his fear and in remembrance of his coming have put his coming afar off into another world and are become reprobate in the Faith as to his appearance and to avoid this it was that the Lord Jesus commanded his Disciples in eating and drinking to shew forth his death till he came It must needs be that they return into the pleasures of the flesh that discern not his Body in their eatings who is the Body of all creatures And this is known from the Lord in the Eternal to be the true end of the Supper of the Lord instituted and appointed that in remembrance of his death they might be kept from all excess It is easie to say This is from the Lord but nothing is more dreadful than to lay Errour upon the Holy Ghost notwithstanding the people out of reverence to that holy one believe it and reverence the Assertor Shew a syllable that intimates that our Lord instituted his Supper for a remembrance of his Death in our ordinary daily eating and drinking or that the reason he took Bread and Wine when he did eat the Passeover with his Disciples and said Take eat this is my Body Drink ye all of it for this is my Blood This do in remembrance of me was to shew us that whenever we take our common meals we should feed our selves in his fear as the remembrance of his Death requires Nothing is more clear than that he meaneth a peculiar eating and drinking For says he This is my Body This is my Blood Is all Bread and Wine his Body and Blood or do they so signify Nay though there be on our Tables neither of these creatures but only Butter and Cheese and Eggs Beer and Water and Milk Again the Apostle doth not say as oft as ye eat and drink but as oft as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup you shew the Lord's death 1 Cor. 11. manifestly distinguishing this Bread and Wine from Cabbage and Ale and whatsoever else is our common food And again 1 Cor. 10. The Cup of Blessing which we bless is it not the communion of the Blood of Christ Is every Cup this And chap. 11. Let a man examine himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fit and so let him eat of this Bread and drink of this Cup. I pray you must we examine and fit our selves whenever we
eat and unless we do so forbear all food Christ then hath ordeined that all the wicked who are always unfit must be famished or else you must say they sin when ever they eat and to save their lives may indeed eat though they do sin But further could you not see that this was done in the Church when many of the Christians came together into one place for this very end and not in their own houses not by every one apart in every eating Could you not see it is called the Lord's Supper with express distinction from their own It is written plain enough vers 20. 21. 22. When ye come together into one place this is not to eat the Lord's Supper for in eating every one taketh before other his own Supper What have ye not houses to eat and drink in So far are you from the Truth when you say the Christians did partake of the Lord's Table when they eat with the very Heathens and whensoever else Ibid. p. 58. Christ charged his Disciples to wait for his coming at Jerusalem the promise of the Father of which he had told them before his Death which they were to shew so often as they brake bread till he came 1 Cor. 11. 26. and after he was come to the Apostles they continued it for their sakes who were weak in the Faith to whom he was not appeared R. Barclay Catechism p. 98. This was to continue till Christ came Which coming is inward 1 The Commandment of our Saviour Do this in remembrance of me according to you belonged only to the Apostles and those that were Disciples before his Death and was obligatory but till the descent of the Holy Ghost that is but fifty days after his Resurrection and that after this time it was arbitrary and they might observe it or forbear But this is false for St. Paul tells the Corinthians that he had received this of the Lord and accordingly delivered the same unto them 2 Cor. 11. 23. So that that which was commanded the Apostles before Christ's death was given in charge again to St. Paul and that after Christ's com ing to the Apostles in Jerusalem at Pentecost for after this time was he called to the Ministry and moreover was delivered by him as a command to be observed by the Church Nay though Christ was come by the descent of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost yet still says the Apostle As oft as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye shew or shew ye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord's Death till he come 1 Cor. 11. 26 So that he means another coming and until that be he teaches us that this is to be done 2 Not only in that first descent of the Holy Ghost but also in all Divine operations in the heart by the same spirit was Christ come already when the Apostle wrot for unless he was so come working graciously upon the heart the Corinthians were not to receive the Supper of the Lord v. 27. 28. 29. Wherefore that inward coming cannot be meant by the Apostle for as much as that which he speaks of was not as yet as is manifest by those words Till he come 3 If the Apostles continued it as you further say for the sakes of the weak why do not you likewise continue it for the sakes of the same What are there no weak ones among you Is the Church of the Quakers better than the primitive Or are you wiser than the Apostles judging that unfit which they judged fit But dear Souls in good earnest is the Lord's Supper below you too mean and beggarly for your strength and spirituality What Christian how great and perfect soever he be if as perfect as St. Paul doth it not become to commemorate Christ and shew forth his Death as this Solemnity requires Which is to declare by this outward Rite to all the world his Faith in this Crucified Person whom the Jews by reason of his vile death despised and rejected 1 Cor. 1. 18. 23. and to profess himself his Servant and to admire his love and the Love of his Father and to acknowledge that our eternal Redemption is by his Blood-shed and for all to offer most ardent thanks and the profoundest Praises and Adorations of his heart This reason is perpetual and equally concerns all And further was there ever any Church which discontinued the Supper of our Lord Or was there never heretofore the glorious appearance till which time your selves say it was to be observed until now among you Quakers I adde you discern not the wisdom of our Lord in this matter in that he hath injoyned us to come and yet forbids unless we prepare our selves So that he provokes and even compels us to Devotion and Piety and doth what may be not only to excite and animate our coldness but to continue us in our goodness and to bring the more profane to a godly mind and life viz. by the frequent repetitions of this grand and serious solemnity 4 Christ's coming therefore until which time his Supper is to continue is that in the end of the world which is so eminently spoken of every-where in the Gospel and all Christians wait for Of which you read again in this Epistle c. 15. 23. Christ the First-fruits is risen afterwards they that are Christ's shall rise at his coming Then cometh the end G. K. Help p. 22. This is Antichrist who denies Christ the Son came in the revelation of himself in the heart for that coming of Christ in his Bodily appearance at Jerusalem Antichrist will not does not deny being he knows it will never harm his Kingdom so to confess him come provided Christ's Kingdom be not set up in the heart Tomlinson word of Reproof p. 5. The spirit of Antichrist doth not confess Christ come i. e. when he comes or appears in flesh or in his servants Parker's Discovery p. 20. Every Spirit that confesses Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God but the Pope and his Train and the vilest persons have confessed Christ come in his flesh at Jerusalem yet are not of God They who deny Christ come in their mortal flesh to destroy sin are Antichrists I am sorry to hear such words come out of the mouths of men pretending to Christianity I trust it is out of ignorance and inconsideration you speak not malice For will not Antichrist deny Christ come in his Body when he took that Flesh that through Death he might destroy him that had the power of Death the Devil and when through the offering of his Body we are all sanctified when by that Blood he entred into the holy place having obteined Eternal Redemption for us and when it is that which cleanseth us from all our sins when in this body he rose again without which Resurrection we had yet been in our sins and in the same ascended without which ascension the Holy Ghost had not come When without this Body the world
Instruct your Children Love your Enemies Render to every man his due follow peace Make not the Kingdom of God Meat and Drink the Hat and a Lace and cast off all superstitions Search the Scriptures and read them with diligence The fruits and effects of the Death of Christ part not with That Blood remember which he offered that Death of the Cross Preach which he suffered whereby he made atonement and obteined eternal redemption for us And firmly believe the Resurrection of the Dead at the last day For if they rise not What doth it advantage me says St. Paul that I have Fought with Beasts at Ephesus and why stand we in jeopardy every hour 1 Cor. 15. And what I say to you I say to all Abstein from those abominable Sins which dishonour our Christian Religion provoke our gracious God and Damn mens Souls everlastingly And with all your might pursue the other Righteous things and whatsoever else is divine and praise worthy The Lord Jesus be with your Spirits Amen He that Replies let him do it in order and distinctly to every thing material and not dictate but produce his Reasons The Reader I desire to consult the place in my own Book to which the Reply is made as knowing that the neglect of this may be injurious to himself and me And once more I desire him seeing our present business is about Interpretations to consult the Text as it stands in the Bible Pro. 15. 28. The heart of the Righteous Studieth to answer but the Mouth of the Wicked poureth forth evil things FINIS THE TEXTS Vindicated ISa. 2. 3 4. Out of Sion shall go forth the Law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem and he shall judge among the Nations Psal. 119. The word of the Lord. Prov. 6. 24. To keep thee from the evil woman Rev. 5. 6. Seven Spirits of God 2 Cor. 12. 2. Caught up to the third Heaven Joh. 6. 50 51. This is the Bread which cometh down from Heaven And the Bread which I will give is my Flesh which I will give for the Life of the world Joh. 17. 24. Father I will that those thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my Glory which thou hast given me Jam. 5. 9. Grudge not lest ye be condemned Behold The Judge standeth before the door Heb. 9. 28. Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto Salvation Act. 1. 11. This same jesus that is taken up from you into Heaven shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into Heaven 2 Pet. 1. 19. We have also a more sure word of Prophecy whereunto you do well to take heed c. 1 Cor. 12. 7. The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal Cor. 11. 29. He that Eateth and Drinketh unworthily eatcth and drinketh Damnation to himself not discerning the Lord's Body 1 Cor. 11. 25. This do ye as oft as ye drink it in remembrance of me c. 10. 21. Ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's Table and the Table of Devils 1 Cor. 11. 26. As often as ye eat this Bread and Drink this Cup ye shew the Lord's Death till he come 1 Joh. 4. 2 3. Every Spirit that confesseth Jesus Christ is come in the Flesh is of God And every Spirit that confesseth not Jesus Christ is come in the Flesh is not of God And this is that Spirit of Antichrist c. Joh. 4. 29. Come see a man which told me all things which ever I did 1 Tim. 2. 12. But I suffer not a Woman to Teach c. Cor. 14. 34. Let your Women keep silence in the Churches for it is not permitted to them to speak but c. Jer. 23. 30 31 32. I am against the Prophets which steal my Word every one from his neighbour that say He saith that Prophesie false Dreams and cause my people to erre by their Lies yet I sent them not Therefore they shall not profit this people at all Mat. 6. 5. They love to pray standing in the Synagogues and in the corners of Streets that they may be seen of men Mat. 23. 6. And love uppermost Rooms at Feasts and Chief-seats in the Synagogues and greetings in the Market and to be called of Men Rabbi Rabbi but be not ye called Rabbi c. neither be ye called Master for one is your Master Christ. Jer. 5. 31. The Prophets Prophesie falsly and the Priests bear rule by their means Rev. 17. 15. 13. 7. Power was given the Beast over all Kindreads and Tongues c. 1 Cor. 15. 22. As in Adam all die so in Christ shall all be made alive Rom. 13. 1. Let every Soul be subject to the Higher Powers Rom. 1. 16. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Ifa 8. 20. To the Law and to the Testimony c. Rev. 19. 10. The Testimony of Jesus is the spirit of Prophecy Ifa 47. 5. Sit in silence c. Isa. 15. 1. Kir of Moab is laid wast and brought to silence Psal. 31. 18. Let the lying Lips be put to silence 1 Cor. 13. 8. Tongues shall cease Joh. 15. 3. Now are ye clean through the word which I have spoken unto you 2 Cor. 5. 19. And hath committed unto us the word of Reconciliation 2 Cor. 3. 6. Who hath also made us able Ministers of the New-Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit c. Est. 6. 2. Mordecay bowed not c. 1 Pet. 2. 17. Honour all Men. Honour the King Lev. 19. 15. Ye shall do no unrightcousness in judgment thou shalt not respect the person of the Poor nor Honour the person of the Mighty c. Luk. 15. 21 22. Master we know thou sayest and teachest rightly neither acceptest thou the person of any Jam. 2. 2. Have not the Faith of our Lord Jesus with respect of persons for if there come c. Mat. 5. 33 34. But I say unto you Swear not at all c. Act. 7. 38 39. This is he which was in the wilderness Mat. 10. 34. I came not to send Peace but a Sword Joh. 15. 22. If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sin c. 12. 46. I am come a Light into the world Mat. 28. 19. Baptising them in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost Mark 16. 16. He that Believeth and is Baptized shall be saved 1 Joh 3. 9. Whosoever is Born of God doth not commit sin Rom. 14. 7. Render to all their dues Tribute c. Rev. 11. 7 8. The Beast shall kill the two Witnesses c. c. 17. 5. Mystery Babylon the Mother of Harlots 2 Thes. 2. 4. The Man of Sin sitteth in the Temple of God FINIS Books Printed and are to be Sold by Benjamin Harris at the Stationers-Arms at the East-end of the Royal-Exchange in Cornhil Octavo and
incongruity I am the Living Bread which came down from Heaven If any Man eat this Bread he shall Live for ever And the Bread which I will give is this my Flesh which your Eyes behold which I will give for the Life of the World or say we And the Bread which I will give is my Life which I will give for the Life of the World for that that is the meaning of giving his Flesh for the Life of the World shall be shewed anon And that he gave his Bodily Life that which he took of the B. Virgin for the Life of the World I hope you will not deny But the words being thus put there is no incongruity but it is the very same in sense with the Text and therefore the visible Flesh of Christ is here meant So that the whole is this Christ who now was Man having said that he is the Bread of Life which came down from Heaven shews in one eminent particular wherein he is so viz in Dying for us he being likewise the Bread of Life in other respects namely as to his Doctrine and Spirit and raising unto eternal Life at the last day Which Death is our eternal Life as Bread is our Temporal 2 From these last words I will give my Flesh for the Life of the World I prove that the Flesh and Blood here spoken of are not a spiritual invisible substance which you Imagine Christ always dwelt in and brought from Heaven with him but that visible which he took of the Virgin For to give his Flesh for the Life of the World signifies to offer up himself a Sacrifice for Sin by Death upon the Cross thereby obtaining Life for the World Pardon and Redemption As is manifest from the like expressions which frequently occur Mat. 20. 28. The Son of Man came to give his Life a Ransom for many Eph. 5. 2. Christ hath given himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice to God Heb. 9. 28. He was once offered to bear the Sins of many Chap. 3. 14. As the Children are partakers of Flesh and Blood he himself likewise took part of the same that through Death he might destroy him that had the power of Death the Devil And it being altogether thus spoken of his visible Flesh it is sure enough that this place speaketh of the same For shew another Text if you can that speaketh thus of a spiritual Flesh of his But then the importance of the Phrase being such as you have heard you must affirm that the spiritual Flesh was offered and Died and so obtained Redemption for us Which is altogether a stranger to the Scripture Whether you will affirm this I cannot tell But this we all see that you Interpret the Life which is by Christ's Flesh viz. The spiritual which you phansie of his quickening of our Souls by his Life and Spirit which dwelleth in us Which is quite another thing than to give it for the Life of the World that importing Dying as a sacrifice and atoning for Sin 3 The Flesh and Blood here are two distinct things vers 53. Whereas the spiritual substance which you imagine can have but one part And moreover the Flesh forasmuch as the giving of it as hath been proved signifies Christ's Death must needs be that which was Broken and the Blood that which was shed And accordingly the Bread and Wine which our Lord Ordeined in remembrance of his same Death are symbols of this same Flesh and Blood and of no other 1 Cor. 11. Mat. 26. This is my Body which is Broken for you This is my Blood which is shed for you But spiritual Flesh cannot be broken nor spiritual Blood shed and indeed there are not these two distinct parts in a spiritual substance nor are the Bread and Wine in the Lord's Supper symbols of such and therefore we must conclude that such are not here meant Im. Revel p. 55. Scripture is frequent in its testimonies concerning the appearance of Jesus Christ in his Saints Can any thing which is without Man speak so immediatly to the Soul as Christ who made it and is in it and comes in for that end to reveal himself and his Father therein and so to fulfil that Prayer of his Joh. 17. 24. Father I will that they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my Glory which thou hast given me But this Text speaks not of the Saints being with Christ and beholding his Glory whilst they are upon Earth by his operation in their Hearts but of their real presence with him in Heaven after this Life and then and as so present beholding his Glory For as he departed out of this World to be in the place where he is and to receive the Glory there which he hath vers 1. The hour is come Glorifie thy Son Vers. 5. Glorifie thou me with thine own self Ver. 11. I am no more in the World I come to thee Chap. 7. 39. Jesus was not yet Glorified Chap. 20. 17. I am not Yet ascended to my Father Eph. 1. 20. God raised him from the Dead and set him at his own right hand in the Heavenly places 1 Tim. 3. 16. Received up into Glory vide Joh. 6. 62. So must we likewise depart hence that we may be in the same place with him and behold as there present his Glory For thus it is said 2 Cor. 5. 6. Whilst we are at home in the Body we are absent from the Lord Phil. 1. 23. I have a desire to depart and be with Christ 1 Joh. 4. 2. When he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is And plain enough is it that our Saviour speaks not of our Beholding his Glory whilst we are absent from him but when we are in the same place with him I will that they be with me where I am that they may behold my Glory And that really and personally there by a proper local removal hence as himself went thither For thus says he vers 11. I am no more in the World I come to thee Whereas then he prays that they that are his may be with him it is manifest he means that they might come to the Father as he did be removed from Earth into Heaven for the same says he of those that lay down their Lives for him Which must therefore needs mean their being with him in the other World so as to be glorified and receive eternal Life Chap. 12. 25. 26. He that hateth his Life in this World shall keep it unto Life eternal If any man serve me let him follow me and where I am there shall also my Servant be So says he to the Jews Chap. 7. 33. 34. Yet a little while I am with you and then I go unto him that sent me Ye shall seek me and shall not find me and where I am thither ye cannot come i. e. Ye cannot come unto God in Heaven