grace is o 2 Cor. 5.14,15,19,20,21 c. 7.1 Rom. 5.5.6,7,8,10,21 John 3.16 c. 6.44 c. 10.11.15 c. 15.13 Gal. 2.20 c. 3.1 Eph. 5.2.25,26 c. 1.6,7 c. 2.4 to 20. 1 Pet. 1.3.8.18,19 Rom. 14.7,8,9 1 John 1.1.2,7 c. 2.2 c. 3.16 c. 4.9,10,11 Rev. 1.5 â—… 5.9,10 1 Tim. 1.15 Isay 53.4 to 12. Acts 2.22 to 40. set forth and recorded in sacred Writ as the most powerfull attractive perswasive overcoming constraining Argument motive consideration of all other to work true conversion in mens hearts to turn them from all their sinful courses unto God to allure attract unite espouse marry their souls for ever unto Christ to inflame ravish theÌ„ with his surpassing love Now it must be granted by all that the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is a part of this Gospel of Christ which is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth since instituted recorded commanded by Christ in the Gospel being likewise both an audible visible sensible Gospel as the Fathers with others usually stile it Moreover it most lively powerfully flexanimously graphically represents holds forth yea preacheth to our eyes ears taste and by them unto our minds hearts souls spirits the câ—ucifixion death passion of our Saviour and his transcendent love in dying for our sins the most powerful attractive perswasive overcoming conuraining argument motive considera ion of all others in the Gospel to work true conversion in mens hearts to p Acts 26.17,18 turn them from theÌ„ power of Sin Satan unto God to allure attract q Hos 2.19,20,23 espouse unite receivers souls for ever unto Christ to inflame ravish them with his transcendent love and cause them r 2 Cor. 5.15 from hence forth no longer to live unto themselvs but unto him which died for them and rose again Therefore all must of necessity grant it to be the power of God unto Salvation a most effectual Å¿ Eodem modo justificant verbum Dei et Sacramenta ae que enim tribuitur Justificatio verbo Sacramentis Ames Bellarm Enervat Tom. 3. l. 1. c. 3. p. 36. justifying a Soul-converting Faith-engendring Faih-increasing Ordinance as well as the Gospel preached yea a powerfull means of working that belief and saving faith in the souls of those who in obedience to Christs command constantly resort unto it which is required in worthie Communicants to make both it and the Gospel too the power of God to their Salvation even as the Gospel read heard preached begets that faith or belief which God requires to make it saving und converting Rom. 10.14,15,17 In Brief There is not any means of or motive to faith or conversion in the Gospel preached which is not included in the Lords Supper and pressed with the selfsame yea greater force and advantage upon mens Souls in this Sacrament both by the prayers confessions meditations exhortations that accompanie it by the very breaking of the bread powring out of the wine with other Sacramental actions then they are or can be in any Sermon t Bellarm. Enervat Tom. 3. c. 1. p. 9. Non debent hic inter se comparari verbum et Sacramentum ut realiter à verbo distinctum sed verbum nudum verbum Sacramento vestitum Hoc autem majus et efficacius dici potest quoad nos quia plenius pluribus sensibus test atur et magis accommodatur ad animos nostros efficiendos So Dr. Ames in answer to Bellarmines Objection Nihil fingi potest majus aut efficacius verbo Dei Therefore orr Opposites must either grant the Lords Supper a Soul-converting Faith-begetting Ordinance as well as preaching or disclaim preaching to be such and cast that aside too as unconverting as they have most impiously done this Sacrament for sundry years in too many places 11ly The principal end of instituting the Lords Supper * 1 Cor. 11.25,26 was to shew forth the power efficacie principal ends fruits effects of our Saviours death till he come not only in bare representation but by practical efficacious operations and applieations for the spiritual benefit conversion consolation of the receivers souls Now what are the ends fruits effects of our Saviours death therein held forth is evident by these Gospel Texts Isay 53.5 1 Cor. 15.3 1 Pet. 2.24 He was wounded for our transgressions he was btuised for our iniquities he died for our sins the chastisement of our peace was upon him and by his stripes are we healed Who his own self bare sins in his own bodie on the tree that we being dead to sin should live unto righteousness Luke 1.74 75. That we being delivered from the hands of our Enemies should serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the daies of our life 1 Thes 5.9,10,11 For God hath not appointed us unto wrath but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us that whether we wake or sleep we should live together with him wherefore comfort your selves together and edifie one another Rom. 4.25 c. 5.8,9,10 Who was delivered for our offences and raised again for our justification But God commendeth his love unto us that whiles we were yet sinners Christ died for us much more then being now justified by his bloud we shall be saved from wrath by him For if when we were Enemies we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Rom. 6.1 to 11. Shall we continue in sin that Grace may abound God forbid How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death Therfore we are buried with him in baptism that like as Christ was raised up from the dead even so we also should walk in newness of life For if we have been planted together in the likness of his death we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the bodie of sinne might be destroied that henceforth we should not serve-sin Now if we be dead with Christ we believe that we shall also live with him knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more death hath no more dominion over him c. Likewise reckon ye also your selves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof c. Rom. 11.7,8,9 For none of us liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself For whether we live we live unto the Lord or whether we die we die unto the Lord whether we live therefore or die we are the Lords For TO THIS END Christ both died and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of quick and dead Gal. 2.19.20 I am dead to the Law that I might live unto God I
Ordinance wherein Christ communicates himself to his people and seems to have a more special relation to this Spiritual Repast though not then instituted as the words shall give will give c. in the future tence import Are an invincible evidence that Christ doth as effectually promise and as really convey exhibite his flesh and bloud in a spiritual way with eternal life and salvation unto men and works faith and true conversion in their Souls in a proper ordinary way by his Supper duly administred as he doth by the Word preached or any other means of Grace it being of divine institution representing the flesh bodie and bloud of Christ more lively to their senses and by them unto their souls than any other Gospel Ordinance working upon three distinct senses at once the eie ear taste which no other Ordinance doth 9ly That Text of 1 Cor. 10.16,17 The Cup of blessing which we bless is it not the Communion of the bloud of Christ The bread which we break is it not the Communion of the body of Christ For we being many are one Bread and one Body and are ALL partakers of that one bread compared with Ver. 1 2 3 4 5. and that parallel Text 1 Cor. 12.12,13 For as the body is one and hath many members and ALL the Members of that one body being many are one body So also is Christ for by one Spirit we are ALL baptized into one body whether we be Jews or Gentiles whether we be bond or free and have been ALL made to drink of or into one Spirit afford us these Conclusions proving the Lords Supper a Converting Grace-begetting Spirit-infusing Ordinance as well as the Word preached 1. That all visible Church-members professing Christ makeÌ„ but one Mystical Bodie of Christ into which they all are actually incorporated united together by Baptism and the Lords Supper of both which Sacraments they did all equally participate in the Apostles times without any restraint suspension seclusion communicating together in the Lords Supper and being all made partakers both of the Sacramental Bread and Cup when ever administred whether regenerate or unregenerate ignorant or knowing scandalous or unblameable by virtue of their incorporation into this One mystical Body Now the Major part of visible Christians Church-members in g 1 Cor. 1.2,3 c. 6.1 to 8. c. 3.1,2,3,4 c. 6.18,19 c. 7.10,11 c. 8.1,2,7,8 c. 10.8.22,23,28 to 34. c. 11.30 to 34. c. 14 Corinth other hurches in all ages admitted to Baptism and the Lords Supper have been unregenerate ignorant void of saving Faith and Graces so as the Lords Supper could be no confirming Ordinance in the Objectors sense to wit of their several Graces unto them Therefore it was administred to them only as a converting Ordinance upon that reason which Chrysostom h In Marc. c. 14. Victor Antiochenus i Summa Theol. pars 4. qu. 11. Art 1. Sect. 3. Alexander Alensis and others render why our Saviour himself administred it to Judas at its primitive institution That he might leave no means unattempted to convert reduce him to a sound mind and reclaim him from his wickedness 2ly That the Lords Supper worthily received doth really communicate the body and bloud of Christ with all the benefits of his death and passion to those who receive it yea make them all partakers of that one bread of life to their eternal Salvation and to drinke into one spirit Whence judicious * â—n 1 Cor. 12. Calvin expounds this phrase of the Sacramental Cup to which doubtless it referrs thus Participationem Calicis huc spectare ut unum Spiritum accipiamus Learned Gerhard thus Ex uno Calice bibimus in the Lords Supper ut unum spiritum sanctum recipiamus Whom the French Divines in their Theses Salmur pars 3. p. 40. back asserting That the Spirit of comfort and sanctification doth much rather follow the lawfull celebration of the Sacraments than the hearing of the Word since that is not slightly to be passed by which St Paul hath said And have all been made to drink into one spirit to wit in the Lords Supper whereas he never uttered any like thing when as he spake of the preaching of the word as learned Mr. Morrice hath also noted to my hands in his Diatribe 3ly That all worthy Communicants of the Lords Supper are there really incorporated into the invisible body and Church of Christ and made bone of his bone flesh of his flesh spirit of his spirit as visible Church-members are thereby actually incorporated into his visible mystical bodie as these Texts compared with Eph. 1.22,23 c,2 18 to the end c. 4.12 to 17. c. 5.25 to 33. Col. 1.18 c. 2.19 resolve 4ly That this Sacrament is a k See Articles of Engl. c. 26. Harmony of Confessions Sect. 14. Bishop Jewels Reply to Harding p. 20 21. 93. 112. special means to unite both the visible and invisible Church and their members together and to prevent all Scismes in these bodies being both the bond and badge of their union and communion one with another A prevailing motive in these sad times of Scisms and Divisions in all places to restore the frequent constant use of this holy Ordinance the disusage whereof hath been the principal cause of the Growth and continuance of these manifold Sects and Differences which l Mat. 12.25 threaten desolation to our Church and State 10ly The Scripture positively resolves Rom. 1.16 and all our Opposites assert That the Gospel of Christ is the power of God unto Salvation to every one that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Greek for therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written The just shall live by faith Now the principal part and summ of the Gospel recorded in sacred Writ and preached by the Apostles to beget or increase faith convert win bring men to salvation is this m 1 Cor. 15.1,2,3,4 Isay 53.4,5 c. Acts 2.22 to 40. c. 3,4 to 20. c. 4.10 c. 5.30,31 c. 8,5.35 c. 10.36 to 42. c. 13.19,30 Rom. 1.2,3,4 c. 4.24,25 c. 5.6,7,8,9 Gal. 3.1 That Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures when we were yet sinners and his professed Enemies to reconcile us unto God to cleanse heal save us from our sins to make us his adopted sons and preserve us to his heavenly kingdom Hence iâ— that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.23 But we preach Christ crucified and chap. 2. 2. I determined not to know any thing amongst you save Jesus Christ and him crucified as being the marrow and substance of the Gospel whereupon the preaching of the Gospel is stiled n 1 Cor. 1.17,18 The preaching of the Cross This transcendent love of Christ in dying suffring for such wretched sinners Enemies as we in washing us from our sins in his own most precious bloud and redeeming us from Gods wrath Hell eternal damnation out of the freeness fulness and riches of his