to their authority and the exercise of it over their Brethren CHAP. XXI Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day THE light of Nature sheweth that there is a God who hath Lordship and soveraignty over all is good and doth good unto all and is therefore to be feared loved praised called upon trusted in and served with all the heart with all the soul and with all the might a Ro 1.20 Act 17 14 Psa 119.68 Jer 7.10 Psal 31.23 Psal 18.3 Ro 10.12 Psal 62.8 Josh 24.14 Mar 12.33 But the acceptable way of worshiping the true God is instituted by himself so limitted by his own revealed wil that he may not be Worshiped according to the imaginations and devises of men or the suggestions of Satan under any visible representation or any other way not prescribed in holy Scripture b Deu 12.32 Mat 15.9 Acts 17.25 Mat 4.9.10 Deut 4.15 to 20. Exod 20.4 5 6. Col 2.23 II. Religious Worship is to be given to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and to him alone c Mat. 4.10 with John 5.23 and 2 Cor 13.14 not to Angels Saints or any other creature d Col 2.18 Rev 19.10 Rom 1.25 and since the fall not without a Mediatour nor in the mediation of any other then of Christ alone e Joh 14.6 1 Tim. 2.5 Eph 2.18 Col 3.17 III. Prayer with thanksgiving being one special part of Religious worship f Phil 4.16 't is by God required of all men g Psa 85.2 and that it may be accepted it is to be made in the name of the Son h John 14.13 14. 1 Pet 2.5 by the help of his Spirit i Ro 8.26 according to his will k 1 Joh 5.4 with understanding reverence humility fervency faith love and perseverance l Psa 47.7 Eccl 5.12 Heb 12.28 Gen 18.27 Jam 5.16 Jam 1.6 7 Mar 11.24 Mat 6.12 14 15. Col 4.2 Eph 6.18 and if vocal in a known tongue m Cor 14.14 IV. Prayer is to be made for things lawful n Joh 5.14 and for all sorts of men living or that shall live hereafter o 1 Tim 1.1 2. Joh 17.20 2 Sam 7.29 Rut 4.12 but nor for the dead p 2 Sam 12.21 22 23. with Luke 16.25.26 Rev 14.13 nor for those of whom it may be known that they have sinned the sin unto death q 1 Joh 5.5 V. The reading of the Scriptures with godly fear r Act 15.21 Rev 1.3 the sound preaching Å¿ 2 Tim 4.2 and conscionable hearing of the Word in obedience unto God with understanding faith and reverence t Jam 1.22 Acts 10.33 Mat 13.10 Heb 4.2 Isa 66.2 singing of Psalms with grace in the heart u Col 3.16 Eph 5.19 Jam 5.13 as also the due administration and worthy receiving of the Sacraments instituted by Christ are all parts of the ordinary Riligious Worship of God w Mat 28.19 1 Cor. 11 23 to 29. Acts 2 12. beside Religious Oaths x Deut 6.13 with Neh 10.29 Vows y Isa 19.21 with Eccles 5.4 5. Solemn Fastings z Joel 2.12 Esther 4.16 Matth 9.15 1 Cor 7.5 and Thanksgivings upon special occasions a Psal 107. throughout Esth 9.12 which are in their several times and seasons to be used in an holy and religious manner b Heb 12.28 VI. Neither prayer nor any other part of Religious Worship is now under the Gospel either tyed unto or made more acceptable by any place in which it is performed or towards which it is directed e Joh 4.21 but God is to be Worshiped every-where d Mal 1.11 1 Tim 2.8 in Spirit and in Truth e Joh 4 23 24. as in private Families f Jer 10.25 Deu. 6.6.7 Job 1.5 2 Sam 6.18 20. 1 Pet 3.7 Acts 10 2. daily g Mat. 6.11 and in secret each one by himself h Mat 6.6 Eph 6.18 so more solemnly in the publick Assemblies which are not carelessly or wilfully to be neglected or forsaken when God by his word or providence calleth thereunto i Is 56.6.7 Heb 10.25 Pro. 1 20.21 24. Acts 13.24 Luk 4.16 Acts 2.42 VII As it is the Law of Nature that in general a due proportion of time be set apart for the Worshiping of God so in his Word by a positive Moral and perpetual Commandment binding all men in all Ages he hath particularly appointed one day in seven for a sabbath to be kept holy unto him k Exo 20.8.10.11 Isa 56.2 4 5 6 7. which from the beginning of the World to the resurrection of Christ was the last Day of the week and from the resurrection of Christ was changed into the first day of the week l Gen 2.2.3 1 Cor 16.1 2. Acts 20.7 which in Scripture is called the Lord's Day m Rev 1.10 and it to be continued to the end of the World as the Christian Sabbath n Exod 20.8 10. with Mat 5.17.18 VIII This Sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord when men after a due preparing of their hearts and ordering of their common affaires before hand do not onely observe an holy rest all the Day from their own works words and thoughts about their worldly imployment and recreations o Ex 20.8 Exod 16.23 25 26 29.30 Exod 31.15 16 17. Isa 58.13 Neh 13.15 16 17 18 19 21 22. but also are taken up the whole time in the publick and private exercises of his Worship and in the duties of necessity and mercy p Isa 58.13 Mat 12.1 to 13. CHAP. XXI Of Religious Worship and of the Sabboth Day examined IN the foregoing Chapters you gave us a scantling of your faith and here you exhibite a view of your piety or Religion but as your faith was many wayes unsound so your Religion for the greatest part will prove a will worship and both it and the time you allot thereunto are so ungrounded that we can neither Sabbatize in your worship nor worship your sabboth with you You have here touched many things that concern that worship as the object the rule the part or subject with which the supposed matter the Place and time of it after your manner but we cannot but wonder at four things first your strange omissions secondly some truths which break from you at unawares contradicting what you said before thirdly your gross mistakes and lastly your confident affirming of things most false and destitute of foundation For the first it is no small matter of wonderment to us that you neither shew us what the worship of God is nor of what latitude in the general nor how many kinds there be of it nor wherein Gods principal eternal and saving worship lieth especially since the holy Scriptures are so clear in all the four which set forth unto us First that to worship God is all one as to fear him serve him and glorifie him Mat. 4.10 It
is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalts thou serve with Deut. 6.13 and 10.20 See Revelations 14.7 Secondly that our obedience to God and his worship in general are of equal latitude John 9 13. Now we know that God heareth not sinners but if any man be a worshiper of him and do his will him he heareth Thirdly that there are many kinds and degrees of divine worship as the worship of Angels which they owe to God Psal 97.7 Worship him all ye gods and the worship due from men Rev. 19.10 worship thou God This humane worship is manifold As first either Typical or real Rom. 7.6 That we should now serve him in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter Secondly A glorifying or worshipping him inwardly and another which is done only in an outward manner Isa 29.13 14. For as much as this people draw neer unto me with their mouth and with their lips do honor me but have removed their heart far from me and their fear towards me is taught by the precepts of men therefore behold I will proceed to do a marvelous work c. Matth 15.8 and 7.6 c. Thirdly that there is a primary and secondary Worship the former instituted for it self and accepted in it self the other for and in the former only Hos 6.6 For I desired mercy and not sacrifice and the knowledg of God more then burnt offerings Fourthly and lastly the primary immutable and salutiferous worship of God of which you speak no one word either in this your Confession of Faith or in your directory for worship in the name of a divine worship stands in the following of God and walking with him in his loving and everlasting righteousness as these places fully evict God created man in his own Image and similitude Gen. 1.27 to wit that therein he should serve and worship his God and Christ is given for this end Luk. 1.74 75. That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the dayes of our life and not in one day in seven as you imagine Thus Enoch walked with God Gen. 5.24 So did Noah Gen. 6.9 Thus God required of Abraham that he should walk before him or with him and be perfect in that way Gen. 17.1 this was the Religion that Abraham taught his family even by Gods own testimony Gen. 18.19 For I know him that he will command his children and houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgement that the Lord may bring upon Abraham the thing which he hath spoken of him Thus the Prophets Catechised and instructed the people Micah 6.6 Wherewithall shall I come before the Lord and how my self before the most higâ—h God that is the question to which he answers ver 8. He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to humble thy self to walk with thy Godâ— Thus Phynehas and the holy priests both walked and taught Malachy 2 6. The Law of truth was in his mouth and iniquity was not found in his lipps he walked with me in peace and equity and did turn many from iniquity This is that worship in the Spirit or work of the Spirit which is required by the father John 4.24 God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in truth where the word Spirit is by a metony my put for the work of the Spirit for the whole fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth Eph 5.9 and the word Truth there implies the whole divine nature or new creature in opposition to the typicall services Thus the Apostle shews both wherein the Kingdom of God and his acceptable worship lyeth Ro. 14.17 18. For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousand peace and joy in the holy Ghost And he that in these things serveth the Lord Christ is accepted of God and approved of men Thus far concerning your omissions whereof this last is a most gross defect in them that would teach a whole Kingdom the way of Religion rightly For the truths which you have here at unawares confessed they are principally three all which reflect upon your selves The first is that where in the first Section you affirm That the very light of nature sheweth that there is a God who hath Lordship and Soveraignty over all who is good and doth good unto all and is therefore to be feared loved praised called upon trusted in and served with all the heart and with all the soul and with all the might If then the light of nature extend so far why may not all men be saved if they walke according to that light in turning to that God thus made known unto them in following him and serving him in all the wayes of his righteousness and goodnes in calling upon him for the pardon of their sins the healing of their errors and corruptions the leading of them into all truth and righteousness especially if illuminating grace be added thereto which truth you have denyed before Secondly you say in the same Section That Gods worship is so limited by himself and his revealed will that he is not to be worshipped after the imaginations and devices of men which is most true but it fals soul upon your worship here described which is for the most part a meer imagination and humane invention or tradition as it is obtruded upon us for a worship which we will shew by and by Thirdly in you fourth Section you say that prayer is to be made for things lawful and for all sorts of men living or that shall live hereafter who sin not the sin unto death but not for those that are dead If prayer should and must be made for all sorts of men that do or that shall live hereafter then either there is no absolute decree in God to debar men of salvation or we must pray expresly against Gods will or in our prayers not seek mens salvation which how it contradicts your former doctrine we shall report it to your selves and others Thirdly for the mistakes they are neither smal nor few in this place For first you take it for granted that there is an outward worship of God instituted by Christ in the new Testament in lieu of that ceremonial worship of the old Testament new accomplished and abrogated by Christ Secondly That there hath been an outward worship of God instituted from the Creation and a set time even the seventh day from the Creation appointed thereunto all which are meer dreams For though the Fathers before and after the Flood sometimes sacrificed voluntarily or by instinct it were as a monument of Christs inward sufferings with his future passion and to represent the way wherein we must follow
speaking our own words thinking our own thoughts and doing our own pleasure as the said Fathers expound the place In your last Section as your Sabboth it self so your sanctification of it is an humane devise any day may be so sanctified But for a conclusion of this Chapter we offer five things to your better consideration First whether Gods will is since changed who at the first created man after his own Image and established him in all righteousness that he might worship him therein Secondly whether he would be worshipped at our hands one day in seven or all the dayes of our lives See Luk. 1 71 75. before cited Rev. 7.15 Therefore are they before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his Temple and he that sitteth upon the throne shall dwell among them Thirdly whether the thoughts words and works which are called our own and from which we are commanded to rest that we may sanctifie the Lords Sabbath be those which are necessarily employed about the honest duties of our lawful callings or our sinful thoughts words and actions See Isaiah 55.7 Let the wicked man forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts Isaiah 58.6 7 8. Their works are works of Iniquity and the act of violence is in their hands their feet run to evil and they make hast to shed innocent blood their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity wasting and destruction are in their paths Jer. 3.5 Behold thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest Fourthly whether the Lord would rather have an outward day or time which is one of the most transient and fluxible things of this world or his everlasting light life and rest Christ Jesus honored by us See Psal 97.7 Worship him all yee Gods Mat. 17.5 And behold a voice out of the cloud which said this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him Joh. 5.23 That all men should honor the Son as they honor the father Isa 58.13 And shall honor him where the Sabboth mentioned in the beginning of the verse is turned into a person the person of the Lord Jesus Christ who by our sinning against him is troden or trampled under foot Heb. 10.29 and therefore it is not without cause that we are here Isa 58. commanded to turn or keep our feet from the Sabboth that is from trampling upon Christ Fifthly whether we shall attain those high things promised Isa 58.14 to wit to be fed with the heritage of Jacob our Father c. by forbearing the works of our lawful callings one day in seven or by abstaining and resting through the help of Christ from our own wicked thoughts words and works all the dayes of our life that so we may keep Gods judgements and commandments which are his lesser Sabboths Isaiah 56.2 and finde all righteousness rest and life in Christ the great Sabboth and Lords Day or Day of the Lord in his spirituall comming Yea we would entreat you to examine your selves impartially in or about those six things ensuing First whether you do not worship God in vain here teaching for doctrines the precepts of men Matthew 15.9 for the Lord hath neither instituted these duties for a set and solemn outward worship which you make the several parts of his outward worship nor hath he appointed any other worship but the serving him in spirit and in truth John 4.23 24. And although the duties you insist upon are appointed by him as helps and furtherances to the attaining of that grace whereby we may so worship God and may in that sense pass for a secondary worship yet are they not limitted by him to any set time but rather are lest to the Churches convenience and care to her piety and prudence Secondly whether you do not with the prodigall feed your selves and others upon huskes while you rely thus upon the outward Sabboths which are shels and shadows Galatians 4 9 10 11. But now after yea have known God or rather are known of God how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage ye observe dayes and moneths and yeers I am aâ—raid I have bestowed upon you labour in vaine If ye fay that ye keep not the Jewish Sabboth but have turned that into the Lords Day to be Rept after the same manner Then in the third place may it not be said unto you by the Lord as it is Isaiah 1.12 When ye come to appear before me who hath required these things at your bands c. Yea fourthly is it not some kinde of superstition and Idolatry against the second Commandement when God hath removed a ceremonial and figurative worship for you now of your own heads and in his name to set up another solemn and prescript outward worship as if God were a visible and corporeall God or one that took more delight that men should speak and hear discourses concerning his everlasting righteousness then to be worshipped therein See Isaiah 38.1 2 3 4 c. See Isaiah 28.1 2 3. Yea fifthly when God hath abolished one shadow or Image to wit his seventh dayes Sabboth which as was said before was not at the first instituted for a day of worship but a figurative day of rest for you to make another like it and as from God to set it in its stead to be honoured without any warrant or command from him what is this but to set up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an image like the former and a very Idol of your own brain or at the best with Jeroboam to offer unto the Lord on that day which ye have devised of your own heart 1 Kings 10.33 Not but that this day or any other may be lawfully and profitably spent in such holy duties as you speak of being observed as an ordinance of the Church or the civil Magistrate so it be not imposed upon men as a Commandement of the Lords as you obtrude it For therein you with the Judayzing zealots Acts 15.10 would put a yâ—ke upon the neck of the Disciples which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear And there in so doing how far you tempt God your selves may advisedly confider Lastly Wherein doth your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees Mat. 5.20 for they not only kept the outward Sabboth of the fourth commandment most severely but made long prayers fasted often preached diligently administred the Sacraments yea compassed Sea and land to make a Proselite or convert to their Religion Matthew 12.1 2 3. Luke 18.10 11 12. Mat. thew 23.1 2 3. CHAP. XXII Of Lawful Oaths and Vows ALawful oath is a part of Religious worship a Deu 10.20 where in upon just occasion the person swearing solemnly calleth God to witness what he asserteth or promiseth and to judge him according to the truth or falshood of what he sweareth b Exod 20.7 Lev 19.12 1 Cor. 1 13. 2 Chr 6.22 23.
Covenant of grace a Ro 4.11 Ge 17.7.10 immediately instituted of God b Mat â—8 19 1 Cor 11. to represent Christ and his benefits to confirme our interest in him c 1 Cor 10 16. 1 Co 11.23 25 26. Gal 3 17. as also to put a visible difference between those that belong unto the Church and the rest of the world d Ro 15.8 Exo 12.48 Gen 34 14 and solemnly to engage them to the service of God in Christ according to his word e Ro 6.3.4 1 Cor 10.16.21 II. There is in every Sacrament a spiritual relation or sacramental vnion between the sign and the thing signified whence it comes to pass that the names and effects of the one are attributed to the other f Gen 27.10 Matth. 26.27 28. Titns 3.5 III. The grace which is exhibited in or by Sacraments rightly used is not conferred by any power in them neither doth the efficacy of a Sacrament depend upon the piety or intention of him that doth administer it g Rom 2.28 29. 1 Pet. 3.21 but upon the work of the Spirit h Mat. 3.11 1 Cor 12.13 and the word of institution which contains together with a precept an authorizing the use thereof a promise of benefit to worthy receives i Mat 26.27 28. Mat 28.19 20. IV. There be onely two Sacraments ordained by Christ our Lord in the Gospel that is to say Baptism and the Supper of the Lord neither of which may be dispensed of any but by a minister of the word lawfully ordained k Mat. 28.19 1 Cor. 11.20 23. 1 Cor 4.1 Heb 5.4 V. The Sacraments of the Old Testament in regard of the Spiritual things thereby signified and exhibited were for substance the same with those of the new l 1 Cor 10.1 2 3 4. CHAP. XXVII Of the Sacraments in General examined IN this your general Doctrine of the Sacraments you have in a general manner kept the road of truth though here and there you deviate following your misleading guides but first we allow you the retention and use of the word Sacrament though not found in the Scriptures because the thing thereby signifyed is frequent there and the term hath not onely been long retained in the Church but was at the first borrowed from a military oath obligeing the Souldier to obedience and faithfulness towards their general to express our like oligations to God and his Christ Then as to your several Sections we take no acceptions at all to your second but must crave leave to certifie you somewhat in most of the other As first in the first Section where you setting forth the ends of the Sacraments do put that in the last place which was the first and principal end of their institution that is solemnly to engage men to the service of God in Christ for it is evident that Circumcision was ordained for that end mainly Gen. 17.10 This is the Covenant which you shall keep between me and you and thy seed after thee that every man child among you shall be circumcised Deut. 10.16 Circumcise therefore the fore-skin of your heart and be no more stiff-necked Jer. 4.4 Circumcise your selves to the Lord and take away the fore skin of your bearts ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem the like we finde written concerning the Passover Exod. 12.17 And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread for in this self-same day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt therefore shall ye observe this day in your generatious for ever 1 Cor. 5.8 Therefore let us keep the feast not with the old leaven neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth And as the Sacraments of the Old so those of the New Testament are instituted to instruct us in duty also Hence Baptism is called the Baptism of Repentance Mark 1.4 And Christ in the institution of the Lords supper saith do ye this in remembrance of me 1 Cor. 11.24 and verse 26. As oft as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup shew ye the Lords death till his coming viz. That spiritual coming which he promised John 14.19.23 Howbeit we do not deny but that spiritual benefits are to be expected in the performance of these duties so the repentance taught by Baptism hath remission of sins annexed to it Mark 1.4 and the spiritual body and blood of Christ of which we shall have occasion to speak in the 29. chapter are in the Sacraments of the Lords Supper assured to those that are mindful of his death and suffer with him in resisting temptations by which they are enabled to hold out and overcome when they are tempted but these benefits are signified and sealed unto us but conditionally and in the second place onely Your third use of that distinction between the people of God and the world we also allow but you have omitted one main end which the Lord had in instituting the Sacraments which was thus even by degrees to build up his Tabernacles of righteousness that was fallen down to wit the first part of it in Circumcision the second in the Passover as also in the Lords Supper and the third in his breathing upon his Disciples and saying unto them Receive ye the Holy Ghost John 20 22. For which last end both the feast of weeks in the Old Testament and Baptism in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost were instituted in the new especially that third part of Baptism Secondly Whereas you say in your third Section That the efficacy of a Sacrament doth not depend at all upon the piety and good intention of him that doth administer it you therein speak very unadvisedly For wheras the efficacy of a Sacrament is either obligement unto duty or the assurance of grace and help are not both obstructed by him that administers it if he be ignorant and not able to declare the Mystery of the Sacrament or if he administers the same in a profane and absurd manner or to other ends then it is ordained for or being a wicked person hath his prayers for efficacy rejected And on the contrary do not the spiritual abilities of the Minister his piety and fervent payers conduce much both to the edifying of the people in that service and the drawing down a blessing upon himself and them therein Thirdly Though we must grant you in the fourth Section that there are but two proper and compleat Sacraments in the New Testament yet there are many as it were semi Sacraments to be found there which are holy signes instituted by God in the time of the Gospel or before of which some represent our duties some the grace of God and some both such is the washing and wiping of the Disciples feet John 13.4 15. Secondly The anointing with oyl such as were sick and to be healed by the Disciples and Elders of the Church Mark 6.13 And they cast
to be found as follows in the next verse And they shall wander from Sea to Sea and from the North even to the East they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord and shall not finde it In that day shall the young men and the fair Virgins faint for thirst but the written word with the comments and expositions of men thereupon never was any hard thing to come by it was then true in the former sense onely which is written 1 Sam. 3.1 And the word of the Lord was precious in those daies there was no open vision And as the word of God thus spoken is compared to bread in the Old Testament Jer. 3.15 so is it likewise in the New Matth. 4.4 But he answered it is written that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God As man then hath a twofold life so he must live by a twofold bread Thus for the mystical flesh of Christ his Blood here is that which came from Heaven as well as his Flesh John 6.58 and which is Spirit and Life for the nourishing and quickning of our Souls and this is no other but the life and power and spirit of Christ whereby our corruptions are put away and removed signified by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and our spiritual enemies overcome Rev. 12.11 of which you heard before out of Heb. 9 14. How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your Conscience from dead works to serve the living God out of Heb. 10.29 Of how much sorer punishment shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God and hath counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despite to the Spirit of Grace out of Heb. 13.20 21. Now the very God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus through the blood of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will For what is it we pray you but this life or spirit of Christ that purgeth our soul or conscience from dead works to serve the living God or that sanctifieth us or makes us perfect in every good work This is the first blood of the New Testament as we have proved before It was by this blood that the beleeving Jews to whom St. Peter wrote were redeemed or delivered from their vain conversation 1 Pet. 1.18 19. It was with this blood that the Saints had washed their robes and made them white Rev. 7.14 to which places we added 1 John 5.8 which makes the water the blood and the spirit to agree in one These are the flesh and blood of Christ held forth in this Sacrament as things spoken of before John 6. This flesh or word of Christ had been often broken by him and given to his Disciples to eat this blood of Christ had been given them to take in and drink John 14.17 Even the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you 1 Cor 12.13 And ye have been all made to drink into one Spirit where the Mystery of the wine administred and blood spoken of in that Sacrament is expounded as it is also by our Saviour at the time of institution in these words of his Matth. 26.28 29. But I say unto you I will not henceforth drink of the fruit of the Vine until that day that I drink it new with you in my Fathers Kingdom Where for the better discovery of your own former mistakes you may observe two things in the foregoing words of the institution First That Christ speaks not of a body in the future tense that should be broken for them but one that was then broken for them Secondly That in the present tense likewise he speaks of a blood then poured out as his spirit had been in some measure upon them and not of a blood to be wholy shed or poured out for the future onely This flesh and blood of Christ is a good Mediatour betwixt us and God to pull down the partition wall of sin and slay the enmity betwixt us and him and the special means of our conquest as we shall shew by and by Yet far be it from us as we said before That we should deny the use and benefit of Christs Humane flesh and blood who was made of the seed of David according to the promises and suffered for us according to the Scriptures and therein did not onely set us an example and monument of what he had inwardly suffered for us and in us but also chalked out the true way to eternal life yea paid an invalluable price for our Redemption from the curse of the Law Gal. 3.13 Heb. 9.27 28. Yea we shewed before that if the fallen man were made perfect again in the way of regeneration yet without the sacrifice and satisfaction of Christ he could not be saved from the guilt and punishment of his sins See Heb. 10.14 For by one offering hath he perfected for ever them that are sanctified But this is the thing which we here assert that the flesh of Christ which he commands us to eat and the blood which he enjoyns us to drink in this Sacrament are not those of his humanity as you and your guides have hitherto taught but that very flesh and blood which came from Heaven by our Saviours own doctrin John 6. aforesaid confirmed with many other Scriptures nor is it the custome of the Lord to figure out corporal things but spiritual by outward and corporal Elements and Types And as you with your Teachers have not had any true fight of those blessed Mysteries so have you not understood the Mystery of the Cup or Chalice out of which the Spirit and life of Christ or the blood of the new Testament is to be received and drunk which Cup is first the suffering or Passion of Christ as we see in that his prayer Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me and then our like suffering for him and with him both in the outward man and in the inward man also and that especially in the resistance of temptation and the enduring of the enemies assault and vexation Matthew 20.22 23. Are ye able to drink of the Cup that I shall drink of and to be baptized with the baptism wherewith I shall be baptized Now to take a short survey of your several Sections In the first of them you mistake the ends for which the Sacrament was instituted which was not to nourish or strengthen our souls with his humane flesh and blood or to make the same the band or pledge of our communion with him and each other nor to seal up the benefits of his Sacrifice upon the Cross but to hold out in a mystery and exhibite