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
But now hath obtained a more excellent ministry by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant which was established upon better promises For if that first covenant had been faultless then should no place have been sought for the second Heb. 7.19 I do believe the Apostle Paul in Heb. 8.4 spake Ironically of those Priests that were so ignorant then Ay and that do now offer up material Sacrifices both of Jews and Gentiles in Gospel times for it does signify that Christ is not come in the flesh but that he is yet to come and die which is a down-right denying that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh in Works For says the Apostle if he were on earth he should not be a priest seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law If he that is Christ the only high Priest were on Earth he should not be a Priest because these Priests that offer Sacrifice under the Gospel are all Invaders and Usurpers of Christ's Priestly 〈…〉 under the Mosaical Law were all but Types and Shadows of Christ of his Coming and Dying for Christ is the High Priest and Priest of the most High God Heb. 7.15 16 17 23 24 25 26 27. For this Melchisedec King of Salem Priest of the most High God who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the Kings and blessed him And it is yet far more evident for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another Priest who is made not after the Law of carnal commandment but after the power of an endless life for he testifieth Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec and they truly were many Priests because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death but this man because he continueth ever hath an unchangeable Priesthood wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make Intercession for them for such an high Priest became us who is holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners and made higher than the heavens who needeth not daily as those high Priests to offer up sacrifice first for his own sins and then for the peoples for this he did Once when he offered up himself Here you see is the durable Priesthood Rev. 8.3 4. there Christ is the Golden Altar on which all our Gospel-sacrifices of Prayers and Thanksgiving must be offered up to God or else neither the person nor the offering will ever be accepted by the Lord. And look into 1 Cor. 5.7 and there you have the Sacrifice Thus you see clearly made out unto you that Christ is the only Priest Altar and Sacrifice of which all these Priests and Altars and Sacrifices and the Passover under the Law were Types and Figures and therefore the Apostle did as it were expose and ridicule or even laugh to see the ignorance of those Priests that do offer Sacrifices under the Gospel-Dispensation for a remembrance of Christ's yet coming to die for sin for that is the signification of all those material Sacrifices when as Christ was then come and had suffered and was gone to Glory this is more tolerable in the Jews who do not believe that Christ the Messiah is come than it is for any that profess themselves Christians and believe that Christ is already come for the Jews do not believe that the Messiah is come and therefore they keep up their Sacrifices and Offerings thâ— they have lost the very sense and meaning of them and the End and Design of God in his first ordaining and appointing of them but for any that pretend to be Christians and yet to offer up these kinâ— of material Sacrifices and yet do own that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh why I do say that thâ— they do confess in words that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh yet in these Sacrifices they do plainâ—â— deny it for it is a turning back again to the Jewiâ—â— Law for these Sacrifices say plainly that Jesus Christ is not yet come in the flesh because his 〈◊〉 in the flesh put an end to that Ordinance as well as to the Passover and all other carnal Ordinances and Ceremonial Rites when he had finished the work which God the Father gave him to do Again another Scripture for Illumination is that in Heb. 9.8 9 12. The Holy Ghost there signifying that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest while the first Tabernacle was yet standing for that first Tabernacle was the Ceremonial Law of Types and Shadows and material Sacrifices for Christ is the way into the holiest of all who was not then come nor manifested in the flesh when these Sacrifices were in force 1 Joh. 1.1 2. That which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of life for the life was manifested and we have seen it and bear witness and shew unto you that eternal life which was with the Father and manifested unto us What was this manifestation why it was Christ when he came in the flesh as you may see 1 Tim. 3.16 And without controversie great is the mystery of Godliness God was manifest in the flesh justified in the spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world received up into Glory Christ was justified by God the Father and acquitted from all the sins of his people when he had suffered and died and rose again But Christ was not so manifested then under the Law when this Covenant was standing which was not faultless and all these Sacrifices in force and being which was a figure for the time then present in which were offered both Gifts and Sacrifices that could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to Conscience Heb. 7.19 for â—he Law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope did c. Here you see all these Sacrifices and Services under the Law were all imperfect they could not â—each the Conscience to purge and sanctifie that neither could they purifie nor cleanse the heart â—hey were all but Figures and Types of that which â—as to come which was of the Lord Jesus Christ â—he great and only Sacrifice who was to come and â—e offered up who is said to be our Passover and is â—â—crificed for us And it is moreover said Neither by â—he blood of Goats and the ashes of an Heifer sprinkling â—â—e unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh No â—othing but the Blood of Christ the Lamb of God â—â—n cleanse a soul from the guilt and pollution of 〈◊〉 Joh. 1.29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming â—â—to him and saith Behold the Lamb of God which â—â—keth away the sin of the world Again Fourthly and lastly one Scripture more â—â—t the utter overthrowing of all pretended material â—â—crifices short of Christ and