Ages from Adam to the end of the World are the purchase of Christ Acts 20.28 Take heed therefore unto your selves and to all the flock over the which the holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood Job 19.25 For I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth This was spoken about One thousand six hundred years befor ever Christ was born or took flesh upon him Thus you see that Christ is the only Sacrifice that is sufficient and propitiatory for the sins of all true Believers both under the Law and under the Gospel for they are all of them purchased at the price of his precious Blood alone And none else beside him is the Sacrifice for sin and his Blood is the only Purgatory for sinners and no other for we are redeemed with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot Now dear Sir Pray be pleased to take the Candle of the Lord and look about all Christendom and see and consider well with your self who there be and what Sect or sort of persons are there to be found among them that are called Christians or do but own the name of Christ that do make a Sacrifice of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper and they are the persons that are here intended by the Holy Apostle who spake as he was moved and inspired by the Holy Ghost for he could see by the Infallible Spirit of God even in that day That a certain Sect or sort of people would come up upon the Stage of Christendom or into the Temple of God that would forbid Marriage to pretended Religious Orders of Men and Women tho the Holy Scripture saith plainly and literally that it is better to Marry than to Burn. And the same Apostle saw by the same Spirit That the same sort of people that forbid Marriage would further reject the Scripture by commanding all persons whatsoever to abstain from Flesh The Apostle had an Expres◠sent him from 〈…〉 tidings 1 Tim. 4.1 2 3. But the Apostle tells us we may eat whatsoever is sold in the Shambles to wit Butchers meat asking no questions for Conscience sake And the Apostle did see by the same Infallible Spirit clearly and spontaneously that a sort of Idolatrous Gentiles which are only nominal Christians would come into the Church or Temple of God that would make a Sacrifice of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper in that Scripture which I quoted before to wit 1 Cor. 10.20 21. But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice unto devils and not unto God and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of Devils ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's Table and of the Table of Devils Now Sir the Protestants do not make a Sacrifice of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper they do not look upon the Elements of Bread and Wine to be Transubstantiated into the real person of Christ namely of Body Soul and Divinity after their Blessing or Consecrating of them and so offer him up as a Sacrifice as you of the Roman Community do own and pretend to believe and that the Elements are miraculously turned into the real substantial Body of Christ viz. Body Soul and Divinity and then offer him up as a Sacrifice sufficient and propitiatory for the sins of the living and the dead But here will appear two Sacrifices you will see by and by in this one The Apostle saith that it is a Sacrificing unto Devils and not to God and they that are guilty of this practice have fellowship with Devils in it and not with God for saith he Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of Devils ye cannot be partaker of the Lord's Table and of the table of Devils Thus you do hear what the Apostle saith it is not my word but his which he spake by Divine Inspiration They offer up sacrifices unto Devils But here I say are two Sacrifices as you may observe in this one The first is this whereas the Priest doth pretend to offer up a Sacrifice sufficient and propitiatory for the sins of the living and the dead why here the Apostle telleth us plainly that this is to offer a Sacrifice unto the Devil and not unto God So that it is clear that they do offer a Sacrifice unto the Devil under a specious pretence of sacrificing unto God. And the second Sacrifice that springs out of this one Sacrifice is this viz. The poor Lay-people do really offer up their Senses Reason Understanding and Faith and all that should be dear unto them both as Christians and Men in Sacrifice to the Priest and they are no longer Masters of their own Senses Reason Understanding Soul and Conscience for 〈…〉 another They have eyes and see not they have cars and hear not they are fallen under that heavy Judgment which the Gospel Prophet predicted and also our Saviour Christ himself Isa 29.10 11 12. For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep and hath closed your eyes the prophets and your rulers the seers hath he covered And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed which men deliver to one that is learned saying Read this I pray thee and he saith I cannot for it is sealed And the book is delivered to him that is not learned saying Read this I pray thee and he saith I am not learned Matt. 13.14 15. And in them is fulfilled the prophesie of Esaias which saith By hearing ye shall hear and shall not understand and seeing ye shall see and shall not perceive For this peoples heart is waxed gross and their cars are dull of hearing and their eyes they have closed lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and should understand with their heart and should be converted and I should heal them I do believe that this Prophesie does principally refer to the Jews and took place upon them first for rejecting and disbelieving Christ the true Messiah but those Christians that have contracted the same guilt as they did to reject the Gospel of Christ they do make themselves guilty of the same sin with the Jews and by that means have lain themselves in the bed of unbelief with them and are both Sacrificers now in Gospel times which is to deny that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh so they lay themselves under the same Judgment with the Jews for one and the same cause produceth one and the same effects at one time as well as at another without preventing Mercy But the Apostle Paul speaks clearly of a sort of Christians that would cast off and reject the Gospel of God for which God did bring the like judgment upon them in 2
are all partakers of that one bread Believers have Communion with a Crucified Saviour in this Ordinance by Faith in him and Love to him And our Saviour Christ and the Apostles gave both the Bread and the Wine unto all the Members that did partake as well to the Lay-People as to the Ecclesiasticks without any the least Exception in them words of our Saviour's command Drink ye all of it and you will hear that it is called Bread and breaking of Bread in several places of the Sacred Scripture Acts 2.42 And they continued stedfast in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers 1 Cor. 10.16 17. The cup of blessing which we bless is it not the communion of the blood 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 for we are all partakers of that one bread that is Christ the Bread of Life Here it is said Communion with the Blood and with the Bread that is thus Believers have Communion with a crucified Redeemer and Communion and Fellowship one with another in that Holy Ordinance of the Lords Supper As you may see in the same Chapter 20 21. verses all those that make a Sacrifice of the Ordinance of the Lords Supper have fellowship with Devils But in the 17 verse there the true Gospel-Church is called Bread and so is Christ her Head also both the Head and the Body which is the Church are called Bread. And in Acts 20.7 And upon the first day of the week when the Disciples came together to break bread Paul preached unto them ready to depart on the morrow Thus you see it was called Bread and not Flesh both in the first Institution of the Ordinance by our Saviour Christ himself and likewise by the Apostles at the Celebration of this Holy Ordinance among the Disciples Therefore this eating of Christ's Body and drinking his Blood is to be understood no otherwise than our Saviour Christ intended and appointed it which was Spiritual and Sacramental for to commemorate his death and sufferings and all the blessed fruits and effects that do flow therefrom into the souls of Believers There is a feeding upon Christ in every Spiritual Gospel-Ordinance of God in Religious Worship and Discipline by Faith the Gospel-Ordinances are a feast of fat things full of marrow of wine from the lees well refined as the Prophet Isaiah calls it and on them the souls of Believers do feed and feast with and upon the Lord Jesus Christ And this feeding upon Christ's Body and drinking his Blood in the Sacrament of the Lords-Supper as well as in all other Ordinances of the Gospel aforesaid is to be done by faith as I have already proved for every believing soul doth live upon Christ by faith who is 〈…〉 of Scriptures to prove the veracity or truth of thâ— same and here following I shall lay down some feâ—â— Scriptures instead of many which do import anâ—â— clearly manifest the same and I will begin witâ—â— Joh. 8.24 I said therefore unto you that ye shall die 〈◊〉 your sins for if ye believe not that I am he ye shall dâ—â—â— in your sins 1 Joh. 3.23 And this is his Commanâ—ment that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesâ—â— Christ Here is God the Father's command for iâ—â— Christ doth not say If you do not eat me Body Soul and Divinity ye shall die but if you do nâ—â— believe that I am he ye shall die in your sins because ye believed not that I am he because ye dâ—â— not obey me nor my Father's command as if ouâ—â— Saviour should have said Rom. 10.9 10. That 〈◊〉 thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shaâ—â— believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved for with the heart maâ—â— believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto Salvation Act. 16.30 31. Wheâ— the sturdy Jaylor was convinced he said Sirs Whaâ— must I do to be saved The Apostles did not tell him that he must go and eat Christ's substantial Body No but they told him that he must believe on thâ— Lord Jesus Christ and he should be saved and his house Joh. 12.46 I am come a light into the world thaâ— whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness Joh. 17.3 And this is Life Eternal that they might know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hasâ— sent How must they know God and Christ so aâ— they might have Eternal Life why only by believing in him Joh. 20.21 But these are written that ye might believe that Jesus ss the Christ the Son of God and believing ye might have life through his name Joh. 3.16 17 36. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life For God seâ—â— not his Son into the world to condemn the world but thaâ— the world through him might be saved He that believetâ— on the Son hath eternal life and he that believeth nâ—â— the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideâ— on him Joh. 5.24 Verily verily I say unto you 〈◊〉 that believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting lifâ— and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life Joh. 6.29 Jesus answered and faâ—â— unto them This is the work of God that ye believe 〈◊〉 him whom he hath sent Thus you see dear Sir that I have answered yoâ— fully and clearly and I have faithfully prove from the Holy Bible which is my only Library and also I have proved from Reason for God deaâ—eth with us as Rational Creatures that our Saviour Christ is to be eaten and drunken by faith and iâ— love Spiritually and Sacramentally in that Hoâ—â— Ordinance of the Lords-Supper for it is a Lovâ— feast in remembrance of the greatest love that 〈…〉 gave his only begotten Son to die for it and this â—ove of Christ that was stronger than death we are â—o commemorate in that Ordinance by feeding by â—aith upon a Crucified Saviour and not to eat him Corporeally and Substantially in his Person as you of the Roman Catholick Perswasion do vainly pretend to believe and imagine the Lord inlighten your minds in the true Knowledg of Christ and sanctifie your understandings and change your wills and make you willing in the day of his power for this is a very dangerous gross Error and such a one as cannot be parallell'd but in the case of the poor blind Jews for by this Doctrine of Personal Priests and Material Altars and Sacrifices you do put your selves back from under the Gospel dispensation and lay your selves under the Mosaical Law and the consequence of it is this it is inevitably and clearly a down-right denying Jesus Christ being come in the Flesh Pray Sir Consider what I have said and so
at the day of Judgment That light is come â—nto the world and men love darkness rather than â—ight because their deeds are evil they hear of Christ but will not come and believe in him nor reign up the conduct and government of their souls â—nto him and this Ordinance of the Lords-Supper 〈◊〉 to quicken and strengthen the believers graces and 〈◊〉 shew forth the transcendent wisdom and grace of â—od in contriving and bringing to pass this blessed â—ork of mans Redemption by his only begotten â—n Jesus Christ This holy Ordinance may be compared with â—â—ly reverence unto a tender hearted loving Husband that is just taking his leave of his dearly beâ—â—ed Wife and going some long voyage by Sea or â—â—he tedious journey by Land And at his departure when he taketh his leave of his wife he saith 〈…〉 long time from thee therefore I will leave this Diamond Ring or this precious Jewel with thee as a Token of my intire love and affections unto thee for thee to remember me during my absence until I return unto thee again But when he returneth his Wife hath no need of the Ring or Jewel to remember him by because he himself is now personally present with her why even so our Lord Jesus Christ our Head and Husband just the very night in which he was betrayed leaves this Ordinance this precious Jewel with his Spouse the Church as a Love-token for to remember him by during his absence while he is personally sitting at the right hand of God the Father as you may observe from them words of our Saviour Do this in remembrance of me The true Catholick Apostolick Church is Christ's Spouse Cant. 5.1 I am come into my Garden my Sistor my Spouse and Christ is the Church's Husband Isa 54.5 For thy maker is thy Husband the Lord of Hosts is his name and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Isael the God of the whole Earth shall he be called But if this Doctrine of Transubstantiation in your sense be true viz. that the Bread and Wine is Transubstantiated into the very person of Christ namely into Body Soul and Divinity which makes up the compleat person of Christ as much now as he was before and after his Death and Resurrection and as much as he will be at the great day of Judgment for he will be then in Body Soul and Divinity but there will not be one soul that will even dare to stand by and own this strange Doctrine in that day any otherwise than to abhor it and to be ashamed of it And Christ is in Body Soul and Divinity now at the right hand of God in Glory But if this Doctrine of yours be true That Christ is Personally and Corporeally present every time that the Priest saith the Mass Then first in the first place It will consequentially follow that either the Priest maketh a new Christ every time the Mass is said and so we have one Christ personally in Heaven and they have thousands of Christs personally upon Earth Or Secondly They fetch down Christ materially personally from the right hand of God the Father And if so then in the third place Christ has no time at all in Heaven with the Father I call it time in Heaven for distinction sake to intercede and plead as an Advocate and Mediator with God the Father for sinners all his time would be taken up and spent in attending upon the Priests every time they say Mass in all those many remote places round the Globe almost which takes in their Mass-hours perhaps all the four and twenty Hours being upon several Horrizons Fourthly If this Doctrine be true then Christ is come and then this Ordinance ceases to be as I conceive and there needs no such thing to remember him by or to shew 〈…〉 swade him to stay when he is come in your Mass for according to your Doctrine there is a compleat Christ that cometh in the Mass every time it is said for when Christ doth come from the right hand of God to judg the quick and the dead as you your selves do confess and own in your own Creed to my own certain knowledg which I shall have occasion to speak more of by and by for Christ will come then in no other manner as to his person than in Body Soul and Divinity if he went to Heaven so he will come again so as you may see Act. 1.11 Ye men of Galilee why stand ye gazing up into Heaven this same Jesus which is taken up from you into Heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into Heaven Now if Christ be thus come then I humbly conceive this Ordinance should be at an end for when once the substance is come then the shadows must flee away and cease to be for what need the children of the Bride-chamber mourn when the Bridegroom shall come again to them and be with them for ever for what need a man have any thing to put him in mind or to remember a friend that is always present with him and is always before his eyes Why when Christ doth come his people shall see him eye to eye Isa 52.8 and Rev. 1.7 Behold he cometh in the Clouds and every eye shall see him And they also which pierced him that shall be both Jews and Gentiles Zech. 12.10 Again thirdly the same Apostle saith That Christ was to be offered up but once and he gives this as one reason of it viz. for saith he If he had been offered up often then must he have suffered often since the foundation of the world And the Apostle Peter whom some do count Prince of the Apostles saith That Christ suffered once 1 Pet. 3.18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sin the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God being put to death in the flesh but quickened by the spirit Mark ye it was the humane flesh or body of Christ that suffered and died and not his Godhead for that is not capable of suffering I pray Sir observe these following Scriptures and believe them Heb. 9.25 26 28. For Christ is not entered into the holy place made without hands which are the forerunners of the true but into Heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us nor yet that he should offer himself often as the high Priests entered into the holy place every year with the blood of others for then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world But now in the end of the world hath appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself So Christ was once offered to bear the sin of many and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto Salvation Here you see Christ was ordained and appointed to be offered up but once and that was a sufficient sacrifice for sin in the wisdom and account of God but you 〈◊〉 once offering up himself
This is my Body which is broken for you so far you go but you leave out and omit this do in Remembrance of me likewise also the Cup after Supper saying This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood which is shed for you Mat. 26.26 27. And as they were cating Jesus took Bread and blessed it and brake it and gave it to the Disciples and said Take Eat this is my Body and he took the Cup and gave thanks and gave it to them saying Drink ye all of it Here pray Sir observe by the way that it is said that Christ took Bread and blessed it and brake it and gave it to the Disciples what is to be understood by this word it why it was it Bread for had it been Christ's Real Corporeal Substantial Body it should have been more properer thus He took the Bread and blessed him and brake him and gave him to the Disciples And he took the Cup and gave Thanks and gave it to them saying Drink ye all of it Now if your Doctrine were true then it should have been After Christ had given Thanks he gave him to them saying Drink ye all of him and not drink ye all of it that is all the Congregation both Minister and People that are Christ's true Disciples must all partake of the Cup or Wine in the Sacrament of the Lords-Supper But by what Authority your Priests are so uncharitable as to deny the Lay-people the Cup I know not when as our Saviour Christ commands expresly that all his Disciples must drink of it that is of the Wine in the Cup and not of his Material Blood that was then running in his Humane veins and the Cup may rather be taken for the Blood of Christ than the Wine if it be to be understood literally because the Cup only is mentioned and not the Wine for it is said This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood which is shed for you Christ himself did partake of this Holy Ordinance at the same time when he did institute it The same night in which he was betrayed But now if your Doctrine be true then Christ did eat his own Substantial Body and drink his own Material Blood and yet was visible with his Disciples before their Eyes without any alteration in the least It is said His Blood is shed for many for the remission of sins And yet then at that time Christ had not actually and properly shed his Blood but virtually in the Decree of God he had done it before the foundation of the world for all those that ever were saved before Christ came in the flesh and for all that ever should be saved after he came in the flesh down throughout all Ages to the end of the world 1 Pet. 1.20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world but was manifested in these last times for you Revel 13.8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world Act. 2.23 Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledg of God ye have taken and by wicked hands have Crucified and slain This Ordinance of the Lords-Supper is to be kept up and practised in the Churches of God for a Remembrance of Christ's Death and Passion from them words of our Saviour which words you omit and leave out namely Do this in Remembrance of me as will yet further appear by and by from the Apostle St. Paul's words when he celebrated this Holy Ordinance of the Lords-Supper in the Church of Corinth But again from our Saviour's words which you do take and interpret as if spoken literally whereon you lay so much stress and make it serve for a foundation to build this Doctrine of Transubstantiation upon which was spoken before the Ordinance of the Lords-Supper was Instituted by our Saviour himself in Joh. 6.51 53 54. I am the living Bread which came down from Heaven if any man eat of this Bread he shall live for ever And the Bread that I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world Then Jesus said unto them Verily verily I say unto you Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood ye have no life in you Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath Eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day Here you see it is Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood c. How so what is the meaning of that word of our Saviour Christ viz. Whoso eateth c why this refers to what Christ had been speaking before in the same Chapter which leads to this Discourse of Eating his flesh and drinking his blood in setting out the usefulness and excellency of the Grace of Faith and the absolute necessity of it vers 35 40 47 48. here you shall see that this Whoso eateth Christs flesh and drinketh his blood is this viz. Whosoever believeth in Christ and resteth upon him alone for Spiritual life here and Eternal life in Glory hereafter Pray mark the words of our Saviour And Jesus said unto them I am the bread of life he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst And this is the will of him that sent me that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day Verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on me hatâ— everlasting life I am that bread of life What bread of life Why that bread which by faith in his Righteousness and Merits alone justifies and acquits the soul from the guilt and pollution of sin without any works or righteousness of ours in conjunction or iâ— competition with Christ's for he will have no Rival he will have all the honour of saving a sinner tâ— himself for he is made the only Spiritual bread oâ— flesh for the new creature to live upon and it is nourished and strengthened thereby even as our natural bodies are fed and nourished and strengthened by our natural food Joh. 3.16 For God so loved tâ—â— world that he gave his only begotten Son that whose ever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life It is not said here whosoever eateth the material flesh of Christ shall be saved but whosoever believeth on Christ shall have Everlasting liâ—â— Our Lord Jesus Christ is the only Spiritual bread for every believing soul to live and feed upon Spiritually by the mouth of faith But you will say Here is a plain Text of Scripture for your Doctrine viz. This is the Bread which cometh down from Heaven that a man may eat thereof and not did I am the living bread which came down from Heaven 〈◊〉 any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever and tâ—â— bread that I will give is my flesh which I
inconsistent with the Justice of God Isa 53.5 6 10. But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed All we like sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to grief when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin But this of our Saviour Christ's giving his flesh to eat and his blood to drink must be understood Symbolically and Sacramentally by Faith it is the sign of Christ's 〈…〉 had not Christ taken humane flesh upon him and died for sinners the whole species of the humane race had perished and been lost as all the fallen Angels were and not one soul had ever been saved and so his flesh and blood became meat and drink unto us to live upon him by faith alone who do share in all these benefits and blessings which came by Christ's taking flesh and blood upon him and is not such a wonderful great mercy as this is worthy of a holy thankful remembrance which is the principal end and design of Christ in his Instituting of this Ordinance and ought to be ours in partaking of it for if our Saviour Christ had given us his material flesh to eat and his real blood to drink it would have availed us nothing And thus are the words of our Saviour to be understood in that 6. Joh. in retort to the carnal conception of the unbelieving Jews as well as to his unbelieving Disciples which dreamed even as you do of the Roman Catholick faith that Christ spake of giving them his real substantial body to eat and his real blood to drink said the Jews How can this man give us his flesh to eat and said the Disciples This is an hard saying who can bear it But mind narrowly our Saviour's own words viz. It is the spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life It is the Spirit that begetteth faith in every true Believer and that quickeneth the new Creature or Babe of Grace after it is begotten and born of God in its first quicknings or formation and in its after-quicknings for it is of the seed Royal of Heaven Psal 89.29 and it is conveyed unto us through Jesus Christ by his holy Spirit and so we come to be made alive to God and are Children of the most High for God is the Father of Spirits and the only Spiritual Father of all that believe in Jesus Christ his only Son from all Eternity by Generation for all the rest of Gods Sons of humane race are his Sons by Adoption and Regeneration and all this is effected and brought about through the agency and aid of the Holy and ever Blessed and Eternal Spirit and therefore that which is thus begotten and born of God must be Spiritual for as Adam begot a Son in his own likeness who was himself of the Earth and Earthly so God begets all his Children in his own likeness who are all Spiritual and Heavenly Children they have all of them the Image of their Father stamped upon them which is Grace and Holiness the more holy the more like unto God they are who is Essentially holy and theefore the food which this spiritual man liveth upon must be Spiritual Heavenly food he lives upon God in Christ and feeds upon God in Christ by faith for all our springs are in him Now for any persons to imagin that a spiritual being can live and subsist upon carnal material food is but a vain imagination 〈…〉 less flesh and his blood without the least tincture of sin yet notwithstanding all that it is food beneath the new Creature to live upon for by Christ's taking flesh upon him he made himself lower than the Angels as he was man Heb. 2.7 Thou madest him a little lower than the Angels thou crownedst him with Glory and Honour and didst set him over the works of thy hands But as Christ was God so he is higher than the Heavens yea the Heavens are unclean in his sight and all the food which the new creature doth live upon is all treasured up in Christ he is the great Lord Treasurer of Heaven and Earth hâ—â— is the Dispencer of all Grace for it hath pleased the Father that in him all fullness shall dwell And in him are hid all the treasures of Wisdom and Grace there it is placed by God the Father there it is laid up for all his children for them to come and fetch by faith and prayer all whatsoever they stand in need of and we all receive from Christ's fulness and grace for grace Psal 84.11 For the Lord God is a Sun and a Shield the Lord wiâ—â— give Grace and Glory no good thing will he withhold from them that live uprightly There it is Treasurer up in Christ who is the only Infallible head of thâ— true Ancient Catholick Apostolical Church to distribute and give forth unto all his members as â—â— seeth to be needful and necessary for them both Spiritual and Temporal Blessings and Mercies Alas how can a Spiritual being subsist upon carnal substantial food it is utterly incoherent and inconsistent as our Saviour Christ said in another case 〈◊〉 cure Thomas a Didimus's unbelief viz. A spirit has 〈◊〉 flesh and bones as ye see me have Now if your Transubstantiated Christ could convince us after thâ— manner as our Saviour convinced Thomas a Didimâ—â— your Doctrine might obtain some credit amoâ—â— those sort of people that are not debarred of the 〈◊〉 of their sense and reason as yours are But Believe have not a carnal body to be fed in this sense 〈◊〉 that is fed with the meat that perisheth but thâ— fed with that meat which endureth to everlast life A Cow may as well and better live uponâ— bare Sea-Rocks and feed upon Oysters or Cockles a Fish live out of the water upon the dry land 〈◊〉 feed upon hay or straw as for the new Creature Spiritual man to live upon material substantial 〈◊〉 and blood And our Saviour Christ himself has us consequentially in effect that his flesh would fit us nothing if he should give it unto us to eaâ—â— Again in the next place this eating of Châ—â—â— flesh and drinking his blood is no more to bâ—â—â— derstood literally and properly than the Doctrine Regeneration was which our Saviour Christ 〈◊〉 red unto old Nicodemus and if you observe it gently you will find that our Saviour Christ 〈◊〉 pounded it much after the same manner as 〈◊〉 done this of eating his flesh 〈…〉 blood and gives the like check to the understanding of the one carnally and literally as he does to the other And pray take notice that our Saviour Christ is the only infallible Judg and Interpreter of the holy Scriptures
hear how our Saviour Christ hath expounded his own meaning who spake as never man spake like him he has given a clear interpretation of these mystical Scriptures afore mentioned that this eating of his flesh and drinking of his blood is to be understood Symbolically Spiritually and Sacramentally by faith to Commemorate the great love of God in the Transaction of mans Redemption by the Death and Sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ But thus much for the words of our Saviour Christ for the present But secondly in the second place let us hear the full of what the Apostle Paul saith unto this Doctrine also for give me leave to tell ye Sir that you have quoted but part of the Apostle's words you have curtailed his words also in the 1 Cor. 11.23 25 26. For I have received of the Lord that which also I deliver unto you that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread and when he had given thanks he brake it and said Take this my body Thus far you go Take Eat this my body what Body was that why it was Christ's Sacramental Body namely the Bread and Wine which are the Signs of his Body which prefigures out unto us his real material Body which was Crucified without the Gates of Jerusalem it is to Commemorate the Death and Sufferings of Christ and all the Benefits and Blessings which did flow forth unto poor lost and undone fallen man for all that ever did believe or that ever should believe in him and expect eternal life and salvation upon the account of his Righteousness and Merits alone through the aid and agency of the Eternal blessed and holy Spirit and all this comes flowing unto us from that Blessed fountain of all the Christians Mercies namely the Eternal love of God the Father which was the efficient or first moving cause of all And as the Glorious Trinity had all a hand in making man so they all have a hand in redeeming man. But again this is that Body which was evidently set forth Crucified before the Galatians eyes Gal. 3.1 It was the Representation of Christ's Crucified Body in the Sacrament of the Lords-Supper among the Galatians and not the Real Crucifixion of his Substantial Body without the Gates of Jerusalem And this is that Body which the Apostle saith Take Eat this my body that was his Sacramental body or the sign of his body In the Sacrament of the Lords Supper that was crucified and nothing else and this is that body which all true believers in the Sacrament do discern and partake of and eat now in the Churches of Christ and all this is done by faith in a holy Reverential Remembrance of Christ to shew forth his Death till he come 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 ye as often as ye drink it in remembrance Which latter words you always omit and take no notice at all of them which words carry great weight in them if you would but be so kind unto your own souls as to adhere unto them for saith the Apostle As often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew the Lords Death till he come This Ordinance was Instituted by our Saviour Christ himself the same night in which he was betrayed And at that time Christ did partake of iâ— with his Disciples so that if your Doctrine oâ— Transubstantiation be true then Christ must make his body at that time and eat himself body soulâ— and Divinity and so he had two bodies one to eaâ— with and the other to be eaten or otherwise hâ— must give the same body which he was then in unto his Disciples to eat and to drink nay that 〈◊〉 not all for he must eat his own body and yet 〈◊〉 visible at the Table with them at the same time nay that is not all for he must eat all his Disciple or Members and also all his Members that partaâ—â— of this Ordinance must eat him for every true believer is in Christ and Christ is in them nay thâ— is not all for every true believer when he partakeâ— of this Ordinance according to your Doctrine mâ— not only eat Christ carnally but he must also 〈◊〉 his own self Nay that is not all for he must 〈◊〉 the Church too for all is in Christ and Christ is God. I in them saith our Saviour and thou in 〈◊〉 that they may be one as thou art one And in the 1 〈◊〉 10.16 17. The cup of blessing which we bless is it 〈◊〉 the communion of the blood of Christ the bread which break is it not the communion of the body of Christ 〈◊〉 we being many are one bread and one body for we 〈◊〉 all partakers of that one bread Here the Church called bread and it is called body also as our 〈◊〉 viour Christ is in the Sacrament and at the Sacrament also in 〈…〉 once more Every individual person that partaketh of this Ordinance must eat the body of Christ singly and intirely or else they divide Christ and so eat but a part of a Christ as you Laicks do for you have but a very dry lifeless Christ that hath not one drop of blood in his veins so that so many partakers so many Christs there must be which must be a jolly company of them indeed But Christ as he was God did make or prepare his own material body Heb. 10. but whither will these Absurdities hurry us I could name many more that this Doctrine affords us some of which will necessarily and consequentially fall in my way in the remaining part of my Discourse Secondly Again in the next place this Ordinance is to be kept up and celebrated during Christ's absence until some eminent and glorious appearance of his in his Churches which appearance I humbly conceive under correction will â—ender this Ordinance useless by the Apostle's words viz. Ye do shew the Lords Death till he come that is until Christ come I do not remember that I tread that Christ after he Instituted this Ordinance did ever partake of it himself nor his Disciples neither during Christ's personal presence with them until after his Ascension And this Ordinance doth also shew unto the world â—he great undertaking of Christ who trod the Wine-press of God's wrath alone and of the people there was none with him he bore the wrath of God for sin that was due unto sinners that poor sinners might be made partakers of the love and grace of God he was made a curse for sinners Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us for it is written Cursed is every â—ne that hangeth on a tree He bore the curse to purchase the blessing of Eternal life and Salvation for all that believe in him And this is that which will mightily aggravate the condemnation of the wicked world
St. John called her a Woman The one reâ—â— him as a Prince in his temporal power and 〈◊〉 other respects him as head of the Church 〈◊〉 spiritual power for it is both one and the 〈◊〉 person tho successively and conjunctively thâ—â— all the Reign of Antichrist But there are some persons in the World 〈◊〉 would fain have this the Antichrist to be the 〈◊〉 Turk and that for this reason because it is 〈◊〉 1 John 4.1 2 3. Hereby know ye the spirit of every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is 〈◊〉 the flesh is of God. And every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not 〈◊〉 and this is that spirit of Antichrist whereof youâ— heard that it should come and even now already 〈◊〉 〈…〉 How did they come to 〈◊〉 this â—ur Saviour Christ told them and us so in Matt. 24. â— 25 26. And also the Apostle Paul by the Spirit 〈◊〉 Christ gave a very clear description of him in Thess 2.7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already â—â—rk That was the Man of Sin Antichrist â—â—s way was a preparing and paving for him to â—t into the Church or Temple of God even then 〈◊〉 his time But some people will say and them â—â—ly perhaps that are the persons principally concerned That this cannot be meant of us because â—â—e do confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh â—ut pray give me leave to tell you that there is â—â—ore in this than a bare verbal confession that Jeâ—â—s Christ is come in the flesh pray mind what the apostle saith to this Rom. 10.9 10. That if thou â—â—â—lt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt â—â—â—eve in thine heart that God hath raised him from the â—â—â—d thou shalt be saved For with the heart man believeth â—â—â—o righteousness and with the mouth confession is made â—â—â—o salvation This sort of Faith leads the Soul 〈◊〉 of his own Righteousness in point of merit or Justification and leads him to the Righteousness â—â—d Merits of Christ alone for Justifiction for let â—â—em confess never so often with their mouth that â—â—us Christ is come in the flesh if they do not believe in their hearts that his Righteousness and Meâ—â—â— alone is sufficient to justify and acquit them â—â—â—m sin and render them acceptable unto God 〈◊〉 will joyn their own Righteousness and Works â—â—â—h that of Christ's it will avail them nothing 〈◊〉 the same Apostle saith That by the deeds of the 〈◊〉 shall no flesh be justified for by grace are ye saved though faith and that not of your selves For it is 〈◊〉 gift of God not of works lest any man should 〈◊〉 The proper work and office of the Tongue is confess from the heart That Salvation cometh 〈◊〉 Christ's Righteousness and Merits alone which 〈◊〉 wrought out in his Rising from the dead by â—â—ich he was justified and acquitted from all the 〈◊〉 which lay upon him when he hung on the â—â—ss he was put to Death in the Flesh but Justice in the Spirit But if a bare verbal Confession of Jesus Christ â—â—â—g come in the flesh be sufficient to make a 〈◊〉 a true Christian then no doubt but Judas was a good Christian and was saved although 〈◊〉 Scripture calls him Son of Perdition A lost Son. â—â—on by external profession of the Christian Reliâ—â—â— but lost for his Treason and Rebellion as it 〈◊〉 call the Man of Sin Antichrist For no doubt Judas as he was an Apostle and a Preacher of â—â—â—st tho a great Hypocrite and Traytor yet he 〈◊〉 often confess that Jesus Christ was come in the 〈◊〉 Nay all the Protestants that ever were Hangâ—â— burned for Hereticks confessed that Jesus 〈◊〉 it was come in the flesh And therefore if this 〈…〉 come in the flesh does acquit them that hanged and burned them from being the Antichrist why then it does also acquit them that were Hanged and Burned from being Hereticks for Antichrist is the greatest Heretick that ever was in the World and all Hereticks are Antichrists but not them that are commonly called Hereticks but them that call them so that put darkness for light And thus you see clearly that they condemn themselves of being guilty of the Blood of the Martyrs by their own Argument which they vainly use to clear themselves from being Antichrist Again Thirdly If a bare verbal Confession of Jesus Christ being come in the flesh be sufficient to interest them in the great privilege of true Christianity then may the Devils themselves come in for a share of this kind of Christianity and great Privilege for they went a great way beyond this of a bare Confession that Jesus Christ was come in the Flesh for they owned and confessed him to be the Son of God and worshipped him as Christ told the Devil when he tempted him Luke 8.28 When he saw Jesus he cried out and fell down before him and with a loud voice said What have I to do with thee Jesus thou Son of God most high I beseech thee torment me not Luke 4.41 And Devils also came out of many crying out and saying Thou art Christ the Son of God and he rebuking them suffered them not to speak for they knew that he was Christ And the Apostle James 2.19 Thou believest that there is one God thou dost well the Devils also believe and tremble Alas it is not a notional confession of the Head only of Jesus Christ in the Flesh in words only that will make a Man a true Christian and intitle him unto all those glorious privileges which does arise therefrom for people may confess that Jesus Christ is come in the Flesh in words and yet at the same time deny it in works Titus 1.16 They profess that they know God but in works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and unto every good work reprobate 2 Pet. 2.1 But there were false Prophets among the people even as there shall be false teachers among you who privily shall bring in damnable heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and bringing upon themselves swift destruction Jud. 4. For there are certain men crept in unawares who were before of old ordained to this condemnation ungodly men turning the grace of God into lasciviousness denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ This is a denying Jesus Christ to be come in the flesh Doctrinally Again This Man of Sin is one that pretends to the Apostolical Office and working of Miracles and Wonders 2 Thess 2.9 Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders Who is this him that cometh Why it was Antichrist the Man of Sin as you may 〈…〉 if he that cometh Who is this he that cometh Why it is even the same again with him that cometh viz. The Man of Sin the Antichrist And what does he do after he cometh Pray mark For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus whom we have not
Thess 2.11 12. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lie That they all might be damned who believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness God punisheth them by their own very sins and makes it a judgment unto them as he did by the Jews and they are under much what the same judgment with the Jews for the first did chuse Delusions and Lies and then God gave them up unto them just as God gave the Jews to a hard heart and a blind mind and they are all laid in the grave of unbelief and prejudice against Christ the true Messiah and therefore they are Sacrificing and Sacrificing still now under the Gospel Why so God has given up these sacrificing Christians and so these Apostates or Backsliders in heart come to be filled with their own ways And you must certainly give your selves up to strong Delusions or else you would never abuse and disbelieve the Holy Scriptures as you do which is the revealed Will of 〈…〉 and walk by so that the people have no more use of the Gospel than the Jews that do not believe that Christ is yet come in the flesh so that you are as ignorant with a respect to any saving experiemental knowledg of Christ's being come in the flesh as the very Jews are for while you profess to know him in word you deny him in works namely in sacrifices and other carnal Ordinances and were not your Consciences seared with a hot Iron you would never disbelieve your own senses and reason and understandings as you do for you must not believe your own eyes that tell you that the Bread or Wafer after Consecration as it 's called is still Bread and the Wine is Wine still without any alteration Nor you must not believe your own hands that give the same account of it unto you nor you must not believe your own mouth that telleth you that it is Bread and not Flesh But the Priest by what authority I know not will not suffer the Lay-peoples mouths to make a judgment upon the Wine whether it be Wine or Blood tho Christ hath given a particular and an express command for it as in them words of our Saviour's Drink ye all of it Mat. 26.27 Mark 14.23 And they all drank of it But this is your misery you must believe as the Church believes or as the Priest commands ye to believe you must not believe Christ nor his Apostles nor his Gospel nor your own sences reason and understanding none of these are to be believed but all is fast lockt up in unbelief and the Priest carrieth the Key of your Knowledg at his Girdle and thus you do see clearly and spontaneously proved that you are the persons which the Apostle Paul prophesied of that do make a Sacrifice of the Sacrament of the Lords-Supper when as there is no material Sacrifices of this kind to be offered up in this manner for Christ at his coming and dying and rising again put an end to all that kind of worship Col. 2.14 15 16 18 20 21 22 23. Heb. 9.9 10 11 12. But yet notwithstanding give me leave to tell ye that we have our Gospel-Sacrifices but they are all Spiritual viz. The sacrifice of a broken heart and of an humble contrite spirit and the sacrifice of prayer and of thanksgiving and every part of holy worshipping of God in spirit and in truth these are the Sacrifices that are accepted and well-pleasing unto God when we offer up our selves in them when all is offered up unto God upon the Golden Altar the Lord Jesus Christ and mixed with his Merits and both the person and the offering covered with his Robe of Righteousness the only Garment of Salvation Rev. 8.3 4. And another Angel came and stood at the Altar having a Golden Censer and there was given to him much Incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints upon the Golden Altar 〈…〉 cense which came with the prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand This is the Angel of the Covenant the Lord Jesus Christ who presents our persons and petitions unto God the Father for us if they be indicted in us by God the Holy Ghost Rom. 8.26 27. Likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the spirit because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God. And the person must be clothed with Christ's Robe of Righteousness Isa 61.10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord my soul shall be joyful in my God for he hath clothed me with the garments of Salvation he hath covered me with the Robe of Righteousness as a Bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments and as a Bride adorneth her self with her Jewels This is the Wedding-garment that every soul hath on that is married to Christ and hence you may observe floweth all the Saints joy and comfort from their being justified by the righteousness of Christ But if this be so as you see clearly proved that it is then what a miserable condition must all these poor souls be in that hope for and expect Eternal life and Salvation upon no better ground nor foundation than their own meritorious works of righteousness and boast of their works of Supererogation which will all prove Physitians of no value and will prove miserable Comforters in the End they are but sparks of their own kindling Isa 50.11 Behold all ye that kindle a fire that compass your selves about with sparks walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks that ye have kindled this shall ye have of mine hand ye shall lie down in sorrow Thus you do see what a vast difference there is between your Sacrifices and the Protestants Gospel-Sacrifices the one is an abomination and abhorred by the Lord The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord but the prayer of the upright is his delight And the true Gospel-sacrifices are accepted with the Lord in and through Christ if offered up upon the Golden Altar of his Righteousness and Merits then they are God's delight Now in the next place I shall offer unto you a few modest and solid Reasons together with some Arguments to confute this gross error and strong delusion that you poor souls are involved in In the first place if this Doctrine of yours be true why then so far it renders Faith useless and destroys it for if our Saviour Christ be personally and substantially come again and is thus present with his people why then the use of that part o◠Faith is at an end As for instance before our Saviour Christ came in the flesh it was the duty of a 〈◊〉 God's 〈…〉 come in the flesh because God had