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
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
A FRIENDLY DEBATE BETWEEN A Roman Catholick AND A PROTESTANT Concerning the Doctrine of TRANSUBSTANTIATION WHEREIN The said Doctrine is utterly Confuted and Antichrist is clearly and fully Described and his inevitable Destruction predicted With a Challenge to all the Romish Doctors that Preach and Teach the said Doctrine to Answer it LICENSED September 24. 1688. LONDON 〈…〉 A FRIENDLY DEBATE BETWEEN A Roman Catholick AND A PROTESTANT CONCERNING THE Doctrine of TRANSUBSTANTIATION c. PRotestant Sir Do you believe that there is a Real Change wrought upon the Elements of Bread and Wine after they are Consecrated by the Priest in the Sacrament of the Eucharist into the Substantial Material Living Body and Blood of Christ which makes up his Real Person to wit of Body Soul and Divinity Roman Catholick Yes Sir I do believe that the Elements are Transubstantiated into the very living person of Christ to wit of Body Soul and Divinity that is into the very same Body which he assumed before he died the same Body in which he suffered and died upon the Cross without the Gates of Jerusalem the same Body that laid in the Grave three days and the very same Body in which he ascended up into Glory and is sat down at the right hand of God in Glory Prot. I must confess Sir according to the genuine sense of your Doctrine of Transubstantiation it must be so or else it is a mere sham and mockery For if the Elements be Transubstantiated into the very Body Soul and Divinity of Christ and then be offered up a sacrifice propitiatory and sufficient for the sins of the living and the dead then Christ must be alive or else you do offer a dead sacrifice But I do utterly deny it and therefore Sir I 〈…〉 Rom. Yes Sir I will prove it by Scripture from our Saviour Christ's own words and also from the words of the Apostle St. Paul. Prot. Pray Sir let me hear that Rom. First of all I shall prove it from our Saviour Christ himself by the words of Institution when he Instituted this Ordinance of the Sacrament of the Eucharist Luke 22.19 20. 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 Likewise the cup after supper saying This cup is the new-testament in my blood Matt. 26.26 27 28. And as they were eating 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 thâ— cup and gave thanks and gave it to them for this â—â— my blood of the new testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins And in John 6.52 53 54 I am the living bread which came down from heaven if any man eat of this bread he shall live for every And the bread that I will give is my flesh which I wiâ—â— give for the life of the world Then Jesus said unto them Verily verily I say unto you except ye eat thâ—â— flesh of the son of man and drink his blood ye have 〈◊〉 life in you Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh mâ— blood hath eternal life and I will raise him up at thâ— last day Thus you see I have clearly 〈◊〉 〈…〉 That it is Christ's Real Body and Blood that we do eat and drink in the Sacrament of the Eucharist And secondly I shall prove this Doctrine from the Apostle St. Paul's words also in the 1 Cor. 11.24.25 where he saith Take Eat this is my Body which is broken for you After the same manner also he took the Cup when he had supped saying This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood. Thus you see I have proved this Doctrine of Transubstantiation by Scripture and I could also prove it by Councils and Decrees and Canons and Traditions of our Fathers and the like And besides all that has been said it is an Article of the faith of our Church which is infallible and cannot err And we are bound to believe as the Church believes and commands us to believe And therefore this Doctrine must be infallibly true Prot. Sir is this all that you have to say to prove this Doctrine of your Infallible Church Rom. Yes Sir and I think it is a sufficient proof of it too Prot. Why then I pray Sir Give me leave to answer you as well as I can from Scripture and from Reason also Rom. Yes Sir with all my Heart Prot. Why first of all Sir in the first place give me leave to tell ye you have not taken the whole verses or sentence in some of these Scriptures which you have quoted you have gone away with part of a Text even so far as will serve your turn which is a very dangerous thing for it is no less than to clip the King of Heavens Coyn which is Spiritual High Treason which is the worst of Treason and is punishable with no less than all the Curses of the Book of the Holy Word of God without true Repentance Rev. 22.18 19. Deut. 4.2 Prov. 30.6 Sir you know Satan when he tempted our Blessed Saviour Christ he quoted part of a Text of Scripture to serve his own turn Matth. 4.5 6. Then the Devil taketh him up into the holy City and setteth him on a pinacle of the Temple and saith unto him If thou be the Son of God cast thy self down for it is written He shall give his Angels charge concerning thee and in their hands they shall bear thee up lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone 'T is written saith Satan quoting Psal 91.11 12. for he shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways they shall bear thee up in their hands lest thou dash thy foot against a stone The Devil leaves out that part of the Text to wit He shall keep thee in all thy ways Sir you do own and believe these Scriptures which you have quoted to be understood literally and properly and not Mystically and Spiritually but according to the plain letter of them Rom. Yes Sir I do for the Text is plain and clear Prot. Now Sir I will answer you from the words of our Saviour Christ in the same Chapters and in some of the same verses which you have quoted and also from the words of the Apostle Paul in that same Chapter which you have made use of and also in many other places of the Holy Scriptures whereby you shall see by God's assistance this Doctrine of yours overthrown and utterly confuted therefore let us bring it to the Touchstone of Gods Word To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Isa 8.20 1. First of all By the words of our Blessed and only Mediator and Redeemer in Luk. 22.19 20. And he took Bread and gave thanks and brake it and gave it unto them saying
as well as he is the Infallible Head of the Church for who can give a better interpretation or Exposition of the Law than the Law-maker can therefore no person can understand or give a right Interpretation of the Holy Scriptures but them to whom Christ gives this gift and that is to many thousands to some more and some less some have a higher measure than others it is given to every believer which is a spiritual man to know the mystery of Gods will in the Salvation of poor sinners for saith Christ It is given to you to know the mystery of the Kingdom but unto them it is not God hides these things from the wise and prudent and revealeth them unto babes saith Christ 1 Cor. 2.14 15. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned But he that is spiritual judgeth all things Here you see who is the chief Judg of the Scriptures and who are Missionaries or whom he has Commissionated so â—o do not any one single person above the rest But â—o return to what we are upon Joh. 3.3 4. Jesus â—nswered and said unto him Verily verily I say unto â—â—ee Except a man be born again he cannot see the â—â—ingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him How can 〈◊〉 man be born again when he is old can he enter the second time into his mothers womb and be born This is â—â—st as the unbelieving Jews that said How can this â—â—an give us his flesh to eat And old Nicodemus notwithstanding he was a great Rabbi and Ruler in Israel yet he had like to have gone away under as â—â—eat a mistake about the Doctrine of Regeneration 〈◊〉 you Romanist have done of this mystical saying of â—â—r Saviour Christ's in that he hath said Take Eat â—â—is is my Body and of giving his flesh to eat and â—â—s blood to drink Now pray observe how nearly alike our Saviour Christ interprets and expounds this Doctrine of Reâ—â—neration unto Nicodemus in the 5th and 6th verses â—â—sus answered Verily verily I say unto thee Except man be born of water and of the spirit he cannot enâ—â— into the Kingdom of God that which is born of the 〈◊〉 is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit â—â—w see the 6. Joh. 63. and compare them togeâ—â—r It is the spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth â—â—hing the words that I speak unto you they are spirit 〈◊〉 they are life Here you see all the carnal fleshly â—â—â—eption or Transubstantiated fancy utterly overâ—â—wn and knockt in the head in these words of â—â—aviour Christ as well as that also of Nicodemus's â—â—al conception of the Doctrine of Regeneration 〈…〉 understood mystically and Spiriâ—â—◠〈…〉 eaten by faith in every Ordinance of God in Religious worship and especially in the Ordinance of the Lords-Supper for faith is the mouth of the new creature the great grace of faith is the souls Nurse but it feeds upon Christ and lives upon Christ which is this spiritual Bread which came down from Heaven that a man may eat thereof and not die And so likewise our Saviour gives the like interpretation of the graces of the Spirit in the Believer much after the same manner which are compared to rivers of living water in Joh. 7.37 38 39. In the last day that great day of the Feast Jesus stood and cried saying if any man thirst let him come unto me and drink And pray mind what the drink is that Christ giveth him He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water But pray mind what Exposition our Blessed Redeemer gives in the following verses But this spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive You see this drinking here is by faith in Christ and the liquor which they drink is spiritual liquor it is the water of life Now if these Scriptures are to be understood literally and properly then you must understand the Contexts and the Coherence of them literally and properly also for Christ does not as I remember speak a whole sentence wherein one part wholly contains spiritual matter and the other part wholly contains a literal and proper meaning in it tho one whole sentence may have both a mystical and literal meaning in it Now pray mind in Joh. 6.35 50. And Jesus said unto them I am the bread of life he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth in me shall never thirst Now is not here the very same reason to believe that we shall never be corporally a hungry nor a thirst again as there is for us to believe that that is material bread or flesh that Christ spake of in the same verse Again this is the bread which cometh down from Heaven that a man may eat thereof and not die Now is not here as much reason to believe and understand this literally and properly as there is for any of the other to be understood so and if the rest be to be understood so then they that eat Christ's flesh and drink his blood shall never die a natural death Again if this Doctrine in Joh. 6. be to be understood literally and properly then must the Doctrine of Regeneration be understood so in Joh. 3. And if so then none should ever see the Kingdom of God nor enter into the Kingdom of Heaven and be saved but them and them only that crept into their mothers womb and were born again literally and properly as old Nicodemus ignorantly imagined There is every whit as much reason to believe this as there is to believe your Doctrine of Transubstantiation Pray mind the Interrogation of Nicodemus and that of the Jews how like they are the one to the other 〈…〉 is old c. Secondly the Jews they said How can this man give us his flesh to eat Now if these Scriptures in Joh. 3. and in Joh. 6. are to be taken and the sense of them expounded literally in the plain letter of the word then must this of Joh. 7.38 be understood so in like manner where it is said that rivers of living water shall flow out of the Believers belly and we might as rationally expect that Scullers should ply the Ferry at every believers belly in these rivers of living water and also that every believer has crept into his mothers womb and been born again as to believe that the Bread and Wine in the Sacrament of the Lords-Supper after Consecration is Transubstantiated into the Body Soul and Divinity of our Saviour Christ which is into his very person But what will become of all those poor souls whose mothers are dead before they are or were converted that have never a mothers womb to creep into for I will assure you that the one is as true as the other let who will deny or contradict it And thus you do
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
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
of man hath power on earth to forgive sins which clearly implies that none else had that Power bâ— himself and he had it as he was God 1 John 2 1â— I write unto you little Children because your sins 〈◊〉 forgiven you for his Names sake that is he judge and pronounced them pardoned because he sees the Work of Grace that God had wrought upon the 〈◊〉 hearts Thus you do see in the Gospel of Christ how Confession of Sins is to be made so as a Pardon in the Blood of Christ may be obtained But Antichrist's Gospel teacheth Men and Wâ— men to confess their Sins and Pay Whip or some other Penance and at the old trade of sinning again 11. Eleventhly The Gospel of Christ teacheth Men to live peaceably as much as in them lieâ— with all Men Rom. 12.18 But Antichrist's Gospel teacheth them to livâ— peaceably with none but them of their own Religion and to do what possibly in them lies to destroy and root all others out of the World. 12. Twelfthly The Gospel of Christ teacheth alâ— Men to speak the Truth one to another and lye noâ— to any Man. But the Gospel of Antichrist teacheth Men to use Mental Reservations and Deceitful Equivocations which is to speak one thing with the Tongue and mean another thing in their Heart which is to lye upon all occasions to serve their Ecclesiastical Interest which is the highest degree of Hyporisy in the World. 13. Thirteenthly The Gospel of Christ teacheth us to know Good from Evil and Evil from Good and Light from Darkness and Darkness from Light and it teacheth us to chuse the Good and refuse the Evil. But this another Gospel 2 Cor. 11.4 Gal. 1. 〈◊〉 9. Namely the Gospel of Antichrist teacheth Men to call Evil Good and Good Evil and pâ—â— Darkness for Light and Light for Darkness Isa 5.20 They call the Gospel of Christ Heresy and Protestant-Professors of it Hereticks Now the Gospel is the greatest Light that ever was in the World it is the Light 〈◊〉 Heaven And Heresy is the greatest Darkness in 〈◊〉 World it is the Darkness of Hell and they plaâ—â— their own Antichristian Gospel which is Hereâ—â— and thick Darkness in the room of the Gospel Light. 14. Fourteenthly The Gospel of Christ teacheth us to believe in him alone and to rely upon 〈◊〉 Righteousness and Merits for Spiritual Life he 〈◊〉 and for Eternal Life and Salvation with him 〈…〉 But the Gospel of Antichrist teacheth Men to rely upon their own Righteousness and Works of Merit Ay tho Works of Mischief and Darkness some of them and to expect to be saved by that in Conjunction with the Righteousness and Merits of Christ 15. Fifteenthly and Lastly To name no more the Gospel of God teacheth us to do Justice and to love Mercy and to walk Humbly with the Lord our God Mic. 6.8 He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God But the Gospel of Antichrist teacheth men to do Injustice and to love and delight in Cruelty and Persecution and to walk loftily and to carry it proudly towards God and Mun. Thus I have shewed you in part what a vast difference there is between the Gospel of Christ which is that which we Protestants do own and believe to be the revealed Will and Word of God and ought to be the only Rule for all People to Live and Walk by and especially to Worship God by and the Gospel of Antichrist there is as much difference as there is between Light and Darkness for indeed it is even so for the Gospel of Christ is the great Light in the World it is the Light of Heaven above all other Light in the World the Light of the Sun Moon and Stars is but Darkness compared with this Light of the Gospel of God for it is the Light which comes from Heaven And the Gospel of Antichrist is the greatest Darkness in the World it springs from the utter Darkness of Hell all other Darkness is Light compared to that Now I shall finish this Discourse with three Arguments But it may be that some Persons will say They do own the Scriptures tho they do not own some Doctrines which we that are Protestants do own whom they count Hereticks and perhaps they may say That I have acknowledged it in the first Part of my Book that they do own the Scriptures why yes that is true they do own it after a sort they do by the Holy Scriptures as Clippers and Coyners do do by the Kings lawful Standard Money they take the largest fairest Money and Clip and File it away and cover over Copper and Counterfeit the Kings Stamp and shuffle it away for currant Coyn among them that cannot discern it to be so Why even so they do by the King of Kings Coyn the Holy and Sacred Scriptures they add and diminish as their seeming Interest lieth But here is what will be their Portion unless they â—â—pent quickly for the Judg is at the Door Rev. 〈…〉 the words of the Prophecy of this book If any man shall add unto these things God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy God shall take away his part out of the book of life and out of the holy City and from the things which are written in this book Deut. 4.2 Prov. 30.6 1. Now my first finshing Argument is this If any Persons deny the Satisfaction made to the Law and Justice of God by the Righteousness and Merits of Jesus Christ to be wholly and intirely sufficient of it self to justifie and acquit a Sinner of all his guilt of Sin before God then these Persons tho they pretend to own part of the Scriptures yet they do deny the whole Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament because it is the Fundamental Doctrine of Mans Salvation in both Testaments Jam. 2.10 For whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all As partial Obedience is no Obedience so partial owning the Scripture is a denying the Scripture in Fundamentals which is to deny the whole Scripture But there are a sort of Persons that profess themselves to be Christians that do deny the Satisfaction made to the Law and Justice of God by the Righteousness and Merits of Jesus Christ to be wholly and intirely sufficient of it self to justifie and acquit a Sinner of all his guilt of Sin before God. Therefore these Persons tho they pretend to be Christians and own some part of the Scriptures yet these very Persons destroy the Essential Being of true Christianity and deny the whole Scriptures both of Old and New Testament because there is this Fundamental Doctrine of Mans Salvation in both Testaments and a partial owning of Fundamental Doctrines of
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
shall be filled with his own ways Eighthly we may observe that altho this Mystery of Iniquity did begin to work even then in the Apostles day yet it was not to come to that full measure and degree of iniquity which it was to come unto until after his death that was not until the Man of Sin should be revealed Act. 20.29 30. Ninthly and lastly it is to be observed that the cause of God's sending this strong delusion unto them was for their abandoning and casting off the Gospel of God which tendered Life and Salvation by Christ's Righteousness unto them and following after lying vanities it was that which provoked God to inflict this sore judgment upon them so that they have eyes and see not and ears and hear not which may very aptly refer to this viz. that these persons have as great natural Gifts and Endowments as other persons have namely Sence Reason and Understanding with all the Intellectuals and Faculties that belong unto men as men but they are not suffered to make use of them upon Spiritual objects or occasions neither will they suffer themselves to make use of them in that way and manner as would most glorifie God and tend to the Salvation of their own souls their Consciences are seared with a hot Iron they have quite lost all Spiritual feeling for tho Sences Reason Understanding and all the Faculties do their work and office yet none of them are to be believed And who are blinder than those that will not see They are just like the Images which they do bow down unto and pray before if not worship them And they have no better Spiritual use of them than a condemned Malefactor has of the temporal use of his legs which only serve to carry him to the place of execution Nay give me leave to tell ye that they have no more use of their Sences Reason and Understanding in Spiritual things than these very Images have which they adore of natural Sences Reason and Understanding 〈…〉 least for look into Psal 115.4 5 6 7 8. Their Idols are silver and gold the work of mens hands they have mouths but they speak not eyes have they but they see not they have ears but they hear not noses have they but they smell not they have hands but they handle not feet have they but they walk not neither speak they through the throat Pray mark the winding up They that make them are like unto them so is every one that trusteth in them First they have mouths but they must not preach the pure Doctrine of the Gospel of God therewith 2. They have eyes but they must not see the way to Life and Salvation by the Righteousness and Merits of Jesus Christ alone with them 3. They have ears but they hear not That is they must not nor will not hear the Preaching of the Gospel with them 4. They have Noses But they must not smell any savour in the holy ways and pure worship of God with them them 5. They have hands but they must not believe them when they tell them that the Bread or Wafer is but Bread and is not flesh nor a material body 6. They have feet But they must not walk to the House of God with them but they will walk to the Idols Temple with them 7. And lastly They have Throats but they must not pray nor speak unto God through them in a right manner according to his will and mind but they pray with them unto Saints departed and preach up the Infallibility of the Church and the Doctrine of Implicite Faith with and to it And thus they come to have eyes and see not and ears and hear not and so are like unto the Images they make and pray to and before and by this means the holy Bible cometh to be a sealed Book unto them Isa 29.10 11 12. And now I leave any one to judg whether this Man of Sin that sitteth in the Temple of God and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped can be the great Turk or whether it can be meant of any sort of Protestants whatsoever for they do not assume any such universal power and dominion or Soveraignty over Kings and Rulers Kingdoms and Nations and over mens souls and consciences But if the Turk be not Antichrist the Man of Sin nor the Protestants then pray who is Antichrist my answer is this viz. I will name no body but I will refer ye to the Scriptural Characters that I have observed and let it be compared to some mens Office and Offices and to their Faith Doctrine Worship Discipline Manners and Practices in the world and they shall answer for me and tell you plainly who Antichrist the Man of Sin is for the Holy Ghost in the Sacred Scriptures have drawn his Effigies or Picture so clear and conspicuous that any man of Gospel-sense or that hath but the use of natural reason may wink with both eyes and tell who the Antichrist is and where he sits for indeed the Holy Scriptures have written his name in his forehead so that we may read the very Scriptures that relate unto him in his Office Doctrines Worship Discipline Practice and Manners as clear and as plain as we may read his Office Doctrines Worship Discipline Practice and Manners by and in the Holy Scriptures Rev. 17.5 6. with which Scripture I shall conclude this Digression viz. And upon her forehead was a name written Mystery Babylon the Great the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the Saints and with the blood of the Martyrs of Jesus Now he that runneth may read who this Man of Sin the Antichrist is if he be not wilfully blind if they will but give themselves leave to adhere to sense and reason I have made a tedious digression by which I have gone a little out of my way but it was to meet with Antichrist the Man of Sin and his Adherents which are all out in the Wilderness with the Woman or deserted Church and Idolatrous worship which doth belong unto him and doth attend upon him God awaken the Kings of the Earth and open their eyes that they also may see and know who this the Antichrist is Rev. 17.16 17 18. that he may ride them no longer But now my Dear Friend although I have taken a very long turn with Antichrist yet I remember my promise unto you viz. That I would meet you again upon our old Topic or Point of Doctrine that we were discoursing upon before I met with Antichrist the Man of Sin namely the Doctrine of Transubstantiation for I have not done with that as yet for I have more considerations to offer against it for the confuting of it the first shall be this viz. Christ saith in Rev. 1.18 I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore Pray mistake not for as Christ was
sense be true to wit That the Priest does convert the Bread and Wine into the real person of Christ namely of Body Soul and Divinity then this must needs be a very great and wonderful Miracle that must necessarily and consequentially follow Therefore before we go any further let us inquire a little into the nature and tendency of Miracles and of their use and end namely of those Miracles which we do find in Holy Writ for I am perswaded it will be worth our while and let us see if there be any kind of correspondency or the least coherence between this Transubstantiated Miracle and them holy true and real Miracles And the first Miracle that I will begin with shall be that of Moses when he turned his Rod into a Serpent why the people that were present saw that it was a Serpent and when his Rod swallowed up the Magicians Rods which they by their Inchantments had turned into Serpents the people saw that it was so and their senses and reason was satisfied of the reality of the thing Exod. 7.9 10 11 12. Secondly When Moses smote with his Rod upon the Sea and the Sea divided and made a way for the Children of Israel to pass through as on dry land the people of God saw it ay and the Egpptians saw it too to their utter destruction Exod. 14.16 17 21 25 26 27 28 c. Thirdly When Moses smote upon the Rock with his Rod and the water gushed out Exod. 17.5 6. the people saw this Miracle it was not done in Hugger-mugger for they drank of it and highly commended it for sweet water comparing it to Honey in Scripture why their sences and reason and understanding was satisfied that it was a real Miracle it did not destroy their Intellectuals as your miracle does nor captivate their sences and reason Fourthly A fourth miracle was that of the Prophet Elijah's raising the widows Son that was dead to life again in 1 King 17.20 21 22 23 24. the woman saw that her son was really dead before and she also saw that her son was really alive after the Prophet had raised him her sences and reason c. were 〈…〉 of Instances more in the Old Testament but these shall suffice me and I hope the Reader also Secondly I shall give you some Instances out of the New Testament First of the Miracles which our Saviour Christ himself wrought And secondly of some of the Miracles which the Apostles wrought First of some of the Miracles which our Saviour Christ himself wrought when he was at the Wedding at Cana he turned water into Wine the people saw that it was Water before and they both saw and tasted that it was really Wine after Christ had wrought the Miracle for the Governour or Steward of the Feast highly commended it to be far better Wine than any they had drank on before of that which was of the real blood of the Grape Joh. 2.9 10 23. Here was sence and reason c. all satisfied of the reality of the Miracle Secondly The second Miracle that I shall mention shall be that of his Curing the Apostle Peter's Wives Mother of a Fever and you do stile St. Peter Prince of the Apostles yet a Married Man Mat. 8.14 15. And when Jesus was come into Peter's house he saw his wives mother laid and sick of a Fever and he touched her hand and the Fever left her and she arose and ministred unto them The Woman felt the effects of the Miracle and the people saw it and were all satisfied A third Miracle of Christ's was his opening the eyes of him that was born blind his Parents and his Neighbours knew that he was born blind and they saw perfectly and clearly that his Eyes were opened and that he had received his sight Joh 9.18 19 20 21. But the Jews did not believe concerning him that he had been born blind and received his sight and they asked them saying Is this your Son which ye say was born blind how then doth he now see His Parents answered them and said We know that this is our Son and that he was born blind but by what means he now seeth we know not or who hath opened his Eyes we know not he is of age ask him he shall speak for himself They knew that he was born blind and they knew also that his Eyes were miraculously opened and were well assured and satisfied of the reality of the thing Fourthly A fourth Miracle was that of his raising Lazarus from the dead his Sisters and Friends had buried him before Christ came insomuch that his Sister concluded that he stunk Joh. 11.39 41 42 43 44. Jesus said Take ye away the stone Martha the Sister of him that was dead saith unto him Lord by this time he stinketh for he hath been dead four days Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid and Jesus lift up his eyes and said Father I thank thee that thou hast heard me◠and I know that thou hearest me always but 〈…〉 the people which stand by that they may believe that thou hast sent me Mark ye our Saviour Christ was for fatisfying the people the standers by to convince them of the reality of the Miracle and also to let them know by what power and authority he did it And when he thus had spoken he cried with a loud voice Lazarus come forth And he that was dead came forth hound hand and soot with grave-clothes and his face was bound about with a napkin Jesus saith unto them Loose him and let him go v. 45. Then many of the Jews which came to Mary and had seen the things which Jesus did believed on him Here you see the people that were there all saw this great and wonderful Miracle and all their sences that were proper to be exercised on that occasion were fully satisfied and their reason was not sent empty nor blindfold away nor with a Padlock clapt upon it as your miracle of Transubstantiation always does unto them that believe it The fifth and last Miracle that I shall now mention of our Saviour's shall be the Miracle of Miracles which was his rising from the dead and his Miraculous Appearance unto his Disciples which is the Crowning miracle of all which he wrought tho not the last Luk. 24.36 37 38 39 40. And as they thus spake Jesus himself slood in the midst of them and saith unto them Peace be unto you But they were terrifed and affrighted and supposed that they had seen a spirit What made them thus afraid Why it was Christ's Miraculous coming into the room through the Doors as we may say and stood in the midst of them the Doors being all shut fast for fear of the Jews And he said unto them why are ye troubled and why do thoughts arise in your hearts behold my hands and my feet that it is I my self handle me and see for a spirit hath not
wonders insomuch that if it were possible they shall deceive the very elect Behold I have told you before Wherefore if they shall say unto you Behold he is in the desert go not forth behold he is in the secret chambers believe it not And Antichrist was to arise and come with all Power and Signs and Lying Wonders saith the Apostle which is the same character which our Saviour gives of him This desert where these false Christs are I take it to be a Church or People professing the name of Christ in words but deny him in works being abominable disobedient and unto every good work reprobate Titus 1.16 They are a Company of Deserters that have deserted Christ and run from the true Christian Colours for you see they are a sort of nominal Christians that do own Christ's Name but they do follow another Jesus as I have already shewed from the Apostles words 2 Cor. 11.4 They are a people that have deserted Christ's Standard who himself is Generalissimo of all the Christian spiritual Soldiers or Army But these false Prophets and others are those that are gone over to Antichrist who is Head and Generalissimo of all the many Antichrists and Apostates Now that our Saviour Christ prophesied here of Antichrist's rising it appeareth to me to be as clear as the Sun that shineth in the firmament because the Apostle hath laid down the very same Character of Antichrist and his Disciples and false Prophets as our Saviour had done before for our Redeemer saith that there should arise false Christs and false Prophets which should shew great signs and wonders insomuch that if it were possible they should deceive the very elect And the Apostle saith that the Man of sin Antichrist should come after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish Our Saviour saith consequentially Signs and Wonders and Deceit And the Apostle also saith Signs Wonders and Deceit If it were passible they shall deceive the very elect saith our Saviour that is by their great Signs and Lying Wonders They shall come with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish saith the Apostle And then here followeth their desertion of the Standard of Christ their General Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved Here they first desert God and then God deserts them as you may see in those following words of the Apostle as I have already proved 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 That is those who believe not the Gospel of God in opposition to this lie but had pleasure in unrighteousness Surely then this must needs be a dreadful desert when a Church or people desert and leave God And God doth cast off them and desert and leave them this I humbly conceive to be the meaning of our Saviour Christ in Matt. 24. which does agree and suit so well with that of the Apostle Paul's description of Antichrist the Man of Sin this is that desert where these swarms of false Christs and false Prophets are and do reside it is a deserted false worship And hear again what is said in 1 John 2.18 19. with which Scripture I shall close this Head and so go on towards the finishing of this Discourse Little children it is the last time and as ye have heard that Antichrist shall come even now are there many Antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time There be the false Prophets which Christ tells us should arise and show great signs and wonders to deceive the credulous people And here followeth their Apostatizing or Desertion to wit They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us But they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us Thus you see that this Doctrine of yours is not true and your Tronsubstantiated Christ is but a false Christ and of the number of those Christs that are out in the Desart Now I pray Sir do not take it amiss that I deal thus plainly with you nor do not think much of my repeating over some things that have been mentioned under former Heads for you know in a trial at Law among Men you have often one and the same thing repeated over and over by the Witnesses and others c. Ay and we have it so in Scripture also in many places and in many cases and I will give you one which relates unto this our Tryal or Discourse Gal. 1.6 7 8 9. I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel Which is not another but there be some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ But tho we or an angel frem heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed As we said before so say I now again If any man preach aâ— other gospel unto you than that ye have received 〈◊〉 him be accursed And what the Apostle saith 〈◊〉 say I and let all good men say Amen to it 3. Thirdly If this Doctrine of yours be truâ—â— then after Consecration as you call it there would appear all the lineaments of a Man visibly to aâ— the spectators with all the faculties of a Man for 〈◊〉 was Christ when he was here upon Earth personallâ— in Body Soul and Divinity before he laid dowâ— his Life and after he took it up again viz. after he arose again from the dead Luke 24.39 Behoâ—â— my hands and my feet that it is I my self handle 〈◊〉 and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see 〈◊〉 have If this Doctrine of yours be really truâ— why then it would necessarily follow that all thâ— spectators as well as the partakers would be satisfied that it is so and not an imaginary fancy for such is the nature of Miracles as you see haâ—â— been clearly proved by several instances both from Scripture and Reason which do witness the trutâ— of it 4. Fourthly If this Doctrine of Transubstantiation in your sense be true viz. That Christ is iâ—â— tire in his person with all the lineaments and facuâ—ties of Man after Consecrating the Elements in thâ— Sacraments then Sir I would fain know what 〈◊〉 the Reason that he doth not speak or what should hinder or impede Christ from speaking personally and vocally now as well as he did to his Disciple after he arose from the dead when they were under doubts and fears whether it was he or no wheâ— he said unto them Why are ye troubled and why 〈◊〉 thoughts arise in your hearts Behold my hands and mâ—â— feet that it is I my self handle me and see for a spirâ—â— hath
which is that wherein the strength of their father's Dominion lieth and doth afford no manner of relief nor support to the Devils Kingdom nor no kind of countenance to his subjects or children But the whole bent and stream of the Scripture is against his Kingdom subjects and children therefore the Holy Scriptures could not be invented or made by any of them but it must be the infallible true word of the everlasting God who cannot lie nor deny himself and it was indicted by his Holy Spirit and written by holy men of God as they were moved and inspired by the Holy Ghost Eighthly and Lastly If it be not in the Power of a Good Man to give the Reward that cometh by Grace of Eternal Life and Salvation which is the full Fruition and Enjoyment of God for ever in Glory which is promised in Scripture unto all them who believe and obey it Nor to execute the threatnings of Hell and Damnation by punishing all those with eternal torment which the Holy Scriptures have denounced against all them that transgress by their disobedience unto it because it would be to promise that which he was no way in the least measure or degree capable to perform or make good and threaten that which he hath not a power to execute Then it could not be a good man that made or invented the Scriptures But it is not in the power of a good man to give the reward that cometh by Grace of Eternal Life and Salvation Tit. 1.2 which is the full fruition and enjoyment of God for ever in Gloty which is promised in Scripture unto all them who believe and obey it nor to execute the threatnings of Hell and Damnation by punishing all those with eternal torment which the Holy Scriptures hath denounced against all them that transgress by their disobedience unto it 1 Pet. 4.17 18. Because it would be to promise that which he knew in his own Conscience that he was no way in the least measure or degree capable to perform or make good and to threaten to inflict that punishment which was not in his power to execute and so he would have been a liar and an impostor which is quite contrary to the Principle of a good man and it is utterly inconsistent with his Goodness Therefore it could not be a good man that made or invented the Sacred Scriptures because this power is peculiar and wholly in the hands of God and therefore it must be the word of God. The Apostle St. Paul saith But I certifie you brethren that the Gospel which was preached by me is not after man for I neither received it of man neither was I taught it but by the revelation of Jesus Christ Thus you see clearly proved That the Holy Scriptures were not made nor invented by either good men or bad men Therefore it must be undoubtedly the Infallible Word of the True and Ever-living God and not a humane Invention Now I shall close up this Discourse in drawing a Parallel between some part of the Holy Scriptures of Christ and the Scriptures of Antichrist which is that another Gospel as the Apostle called it in 2 Cor. 11.4 and Gal. 18.9 And I shall Answer another Objection with Three Arguments and so finish the whole 1. First the Gospel of Christ teacheth Love Peace Meekness Humility and lowliness of mind Col. 3.15 2 Tim. 2.24 25. But the Gospel of Antichrist teacheth men Hatred Variance Pride Malice and Haughtiness of Spirit 2. Secondly The Gospel of Christ teacheth men to do good for evil But the Gospel of Antichrist teacheth men to do evil for good for if they know that a man doth but endeavour to convince them of their Errors and Heresie which is the greatest and best good that any man can do for a Person they will Burn or Hang him or clap him up in the Inquisition for a Heretick if it lieth in their Power which is to do the greatest evil for the greatest good 3. Thirdly The Gospel of Christ teacheth men to do to others as they would be done by themselves Matth. 12. But the Scripture of Antichrist teacheth men to do by others as they would not be done by themselves 4. Fourthly The Gospel of Christ teacheth men to pray for their Enemies that persecute them Matth. 5.44 But the Gospel of Anrichrist teacheth them account them their Enemies that pray for them and 〈◊〉 persecute them 5. Fifthly The Gospel of Christ teacheth 〈◊〉 to love our neighbours as our selves But the Gospel of Antichrist teacheth them 〈◊〉 betray and murder their neighbours for Hereticks if they be not of their Perswasion 6. Sixthly The Gospel of Christ teacheth 〈◊〉 Ministers of Jesus Christ to compel people to conâ—â—â— unto Christ and believe in him for Life and Salvation by peaceable suasive Arguments drawn and deduced from the Holy Scriptures But the Gospel of Antichrist teacheth his Ministers to compel Persons to come unto him a 〈◊〉 embrace his Religion and Worship by the forcible Arguments of Dragoons and Inquisitions 7. Seventhly The Gospel of Christ teacheth 〈◊〉 That God is a spirit and they that worship him 〈◊〉 worship him in spirit and in truth John 〈…〉 But Antichrist's Gospel teacheth That God is an Old Man sitting in Heaven and must be worshipâ—ed carnally and falsely by Images c. 8. Eighthly The Gospel of God teacheth Men Wisdom and Understanding 2 Tim. 3.15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto Salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus Psal 119.130 The entrance of thy words giveth light it giveth understanding to the â—imple But the Gospel of Antichrist maketh men of Understanding simple and teacheth that Ignorance â—s the mother of Devotion but I will assure you it â—s not fatherless for it has a Father too for if Ignorance be the Mother of it then the Devil must be the Father of it John 8.44 9. Ninthly the Gospel of Christ teacheth men and women to be better than their own natural Dispositions and corrupt Inclinations which is the great Doctrine of Christianity nameiy Self-denial which is the Excellency of the Christian Religion above all other pretended Religions in the world if performed in a right manner and to a right end it is this that maketh a man more excellent than his neighbour for it teacheth a man to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly and righteously 〈◊〉 teacheth a man to deny sinful-self and righteous-self too which is a higher Attainment than the denying of sinful-self for many Persons can â—eny sinful-self that cannot deny righteous-self for it is one of the hardest duties that is incumbent upon a Christian to deny righteous-self which is â—o do good works and discharge every Duty as carefully and as consciously as if he should be justified and saved by and for so doing and when he has done all to cast them behind his back as if he had done nothing